Of the Abbe de S A D E. 129 



ted by a like curiofity, examined every quarter of this church 

 of the Cordeliers, in the hope of tracing fome memorial of 

 Laura, whom, on the evidence of the manufcript note on Vir- 

 gil, they believed to have been there interred. In one of the cha- 

 pels of that church, called Capelta della Croce, in which was the 

 burial-place of the family of Sade, they found a large flat ftone, 

 which bore no infcription whatever. This, if it afforded no in- 

 dication of being die grave of Laura, at leaft gave no proof 

 to the contrary ; they therefore opened the grave in queft of 

 further evidence. At firft they perceived nothing but earth, in- 

 termixed with fmall bones, among which was an entire jaw- 

 bone. Examining, however, more minutely, they difcovered a 

 little caiket of lead, fattened with a brafs wire, on opening 

 which they found a piece of parchment, folded, and fealed with 

 green wax, together with a medal of bronze, on the one fide of 

 which was the figure of a very little woman, (figura d'una 

 donna picciolijftma), in the attitude of uncovering her bofom 

 with both her hands ; and around, in the way of legend, were 

 only thefe four letters, M. L. M. I. 



In endeavouring to explain this infcription, it occurred to 

 Maurice de Seves, that the four letters might probably be thus 

 interpreted, Madonna Laura mortajace. This was plainly no- 

 thing more than conjecture ; and, had the tomb contained no 

 other evidence of a more decifive nature, all hitherto difcovered 

 had been of little confequence to afcertain the object of inquiry. 

 The fealed parchment was, therefore,, next examined ; and, al- 

 though it is owned that the writing was at firft quite illegible,- 

 the characters being fo defaced, (as well they might, after lying 

 two hundred years in the diflblved materials of a human body), 

 yet Maurice de Seves, by examining it expofed to the 

 ilrong rays of the fun, is faid to have at laft made out di- 



ftindlv 



