Colston’s Tour through France, Switzerland, and Italy. 
plebeians at that time; but he possessed 
the inbred nobility of genius: and_ his 
name will continue to receive the homage 
of the universe, when those of kings and 
emperors shall be forgotten, __ 
ie LAURA'S TOMB. 
I must not omit to mention the Church 
of Cordeliers, now destroyed, and con- 
verted into a garden ; in a dark corner of 
which, amongst the ruins of walls over- 
grown by bushes, repose the ashes of the 
beautiful Laura, immortal inthe annals 
of poetry and literature; whom, alas! 
neither fame nor beauty, could preserve 
from suffering death in the most dreadful 
form—-the plague. 
FANATICS AT MONTPELLIER, 
April 19, 1821,—We this day retraced 
our steps to Montpellier, and took up our 
abode at l’ Hotel du Palais Royal, a clean 
and reasonable inn. In our promenades 
A a this place, we could not avoid 
being struck with the astonishing altera- 
tion which the mission appears to have 
operated in the manners of the inhabi- 
tants, since our visit a few months before. 
Those who, during the season of the car- 
niyal, seemed to be occupied only in 
dancing, dressing, and card-playing, 
were now to be seen constantly attend- 
ing their churches and processions. The 
town looked desolate, and the market 
was absolutely deserted. In all the poul- 
try market was only to be found one 
woman with a few couples of chickens! 
The part appropriated to vegetables was 
not quite so abandoned. Many of the 
shops were filled with engravings of the 
Holy Family, and sacred pictures, but 
among them M.1'Abbé Guyon and the 
cross were the most universal. There is 
no doubt that the mission has done much 
good here; five thousand individuals have 
communicated, who neyer received the 
sacrament before. A young servant girl, 
who had stolen some articles from her 
mistress. confessed her crime toM.Guyon, 
restored the stolen goods, and submitted 
to the penance imposed on her. 
Apru 27.—How shall I describe the 
singular ceremony of the plantation of 
the Cross? Such an élan of popular 
feeling as it excited, is scarcely to be 
rendered by description. 
I must begin by narrating facts. About 
eleven in the morning we took our sta- 
tion in the beautiful garden of Madame 
P., who had obligingly invited us to join 
her acquaintances there. The. proces- 
sion moved from the hospital about the 
same hour, and we first perceived it, as 
the foremost part came winding down, 
the street to the esplanade, A ee of 
639 
cayalry preceded; followed by the Pen- 
itens blancs, in their white dresses, and 
veils, with the usual masks, walking four 
abreast, two on each side of the road. 
Among this band were several vases 
adorned with flowers, and a temple, sup- 
ported by statues representing angels, in 
the interior of which were gilded images 
of the Virgin and Child ; the canopy was 
ornamented with white feathers. Next 
came the Pénitens blues, distinguished by 
a blue ribbon round their necks; after 
them, the boys and men of the Hospital, 
and the School of Orphans. Then fol- 
lowed the body of the inhabitants, who 
formed the great. mass of the procession, 
distributed according to their respective 
parishes. 
The unmarried fermales preceded, 
amounting to an immense number ; 
veiled, and attired completely in white, 
and each holding a small blue flag, on 
which the cross was worked in white 
satin. Among them were all the prin- 
cipal young ladies of the city, easily dis- 
tinguishable by the elegance of their at- 
tire, from those belonging to inferior 
classes. They wore caps and veils of 
gauze, or lace; muslin dresses, beauti- 
fully trimmed, and white satin shoes: 
they sung psalms and hymns as they pro- 
ceeded. When this part of the female 
procession reached the esplanade, they 
made a pause, and the different divisions 
sung in parts, those behind responding to, 
those in the foreground. This scene was 
very interesting: and it was impossible 
to see so many elegant young ladies in 
this bridal attire, and hear their harmo- 
nious voices chaunting sacred music, 
without the imagination being trang- 
ported to ‘the multitude having white 
robes and palms in their hands,” and to 
the “harpers harping with their harps,” 
which the Apocalypse presents to the 
scriptural reader. I felt how strongly the 
Roman Catholic religion addresses itself 
to the senses ; and how calculated itis to 
obtain and preserve power over the mul- 
titude, since even I, a Protestant, am not 
insensible of the seductive and touching 
influence of some of its ceremonies. 
Each parish was preceded by a band of 
music, making, by its martial melody, ra- 
ther a singular contrast with the religious 
chaunt which so soon succeeded to it, 
After this almost countless train of 
white females had slowly swept along, 
came a sable suite, composed entirely of 
the married women, and who were all in 
black, with the exception of a white veil. 
Madame de F. only, the lady of the first 
President, wore a black veil to distinguish, 
her 
