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Orleans : in the first story of this tower, she had once, 

 to stand and confront those deadly instruments of 

 torture used in the middle ages to extort confessions. 



We had also lively pleasure in inspecting in the res- 

 tored part of an old cloister, the Eouen Museum of 

 Natural History, of antiquities, of precious porcelain, 

 &c, some 1400 specimens of exquisite ware from 

 Sevres, Dresden, Nevers, Moustiers, Strasbourg, Holland, 

 without forgetting the most curious and unique old 

 blue china violin, one of the marvels of Eouen. This 

 last museum is known as the Muste Ce'ramique, erected 

 in 1864. A grievous wrong I would be perpetrating 

 on the quaint capital of Normandy did I omit noticing 

 its timepiece and its tower, La Tour de la Grosse Hor- 

 loge. This structure, a square, of simple Gothic style, 

 according to the inscription at the foot of the staircase, 

 seems to have been erected between 1389 and 1398. 

 In this tower is hung the historic silver bell — la cloche 

 cV argent ; thus named, because according to a venerable 

 tradition, pieces of silver were dropped in the smelting 

 pot. The bell has indeed a silvery tone, but no other 

 silver is connected with it except what was raised from 

 the people to pay for it. It recalls Norman times, and 

 like William the Conqueror's curfew- bell, it tolls every 

 night at nine o'clock for bed time. It is set in motion 

 again on election days, peals out its loud chimes at 

 night, as a fire alarm. The city Hall unites among 

 other treasures of art, extensive collections of sculptures 

 and paintings ; here the French, Flemish, Dutch, Italian 

 and Spanish masters are well represented. 



Let us hurry on ; from Rue de la Grosse Horloge, 

 the street of the great clock, one reaches that gorgeous 

 pile, known as the Court House, Palais de Justice. 

 Commenced in 1499, it is now the most stately edifice 

 as a Court House, in France. The architecture is that 

 known as ogival of the transition period, between that 

 and the Renaissance. It has been gradually altered 

 in size and ornamentation by successive French Sov- 



