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an establishment of Jesuits, situated in tlie street of Saint An- 

 toine, and it became the scene of their ambitious intrigues, at 

 the time that powerful religious and political association controll- 

 ed the sovereigns of Europe. 



During the battle between the illustrious Turenne and the 

 Great Conde, in tiie Faubourg of Saint Antoine, on the second of 

 July, lt)o'2, the Jesuits opened their establishment to Cardinal 

 Mazarin, to enable Louis XIV. then a child ten years old, wiih 

 the court, to behold the conflict, in which his loyal legions 

 reduced to obedience the battalions of his revolted subjects. 

 Anxious to change the burlesque name of their mansion, the 

 Jesuits requested, as a favor, that it might be called Alont Louis, 

 which was granted by the King, and who, towards the close of 

 his reign, obtained the consent of the order to convert it into a 

 residence for his venerated confessor, the Pcrc LaCluiise; but 

 an inclosure of only six acres was considered too small for the 

 keeper of the king's conscience, and it was increased to fifty-two. 

 The grounds were highly embellished by various splendid addi- 

 tions to the edifice, a chapel, offices of various kinds, extensive 

 groves, shaded avenues, orchards, beautiful gardens, fish ponds, 

 and fountains. Here were held the secret conclaves of that asso- 

 ciation which decided the destinies of princes and empires. The 

 Pere La Chaise was not only the confessor of the king, but a 

 General of the Jesuits. He was of the noble family ofForets, 

 grand nephew of Pere Cotton ; and after controlling the domestic 

 establishment of his sovereign for thirty-four years, he died on 

 the 20th of January, 1709, aged 85 years. 



During the reign of Louis XV. the Jesuits having been expell- 

 ed from France, the magnificent seat of Pere La Chaise was 

 directed to be sold, to pay the debts of that society, and was 

 purchased by the guardian of the Barons des Fontaines. These 

 noblemen held the estate for forty-seven years, but having been 

 reduced in fortune by the disasters of the revolution, they found 

 the establishment too expensive ; and being neglected, it fell into 

 ruin and became the retreat of owls. Its ornamental plantations 

 were gradually destroyed, and the land was then cultivated as a 

 common farm. Divided into numerous lots, it no longer resem- 

 bled a park, and nothing remained in IS04, to indicate its former 

 magnificence. But the beauty of the position, and its innumera- 

 ble natural advantages, saved it from imminent destruction. At 

 that time M. Frochet, Prefect of the Department of the Seine, 

 was desirous of finding an eligible site for a large public ceme- 

 tery. He considered it important that the location should be 

 beautiful, which was the reverse of the existing burial-ground of 

 the French capitol. M. Broguiart, a celebrated artist, was 

 instructed to discover an appropriate location, and he readily per- 

 ceived that the ancient park of Pere La Chaise presented .all the 

 requisites ; and it soon became celebrated as a cemetery throughout 



