OF THE PROLONGATION 



with great revenues feven old ones, at Paris, all of 

 which enjoy to this day the effedh of his bounty. 

 Still every year a proceffion is made of the poor of the 

 hofpital of the Quinte-vingts, founded by him, to the 

 church of St. Jacques de la Boucherie,' which he like- 

 wife built, to pray to God for the foul of Flannel, their 

 founder. His dwelling houfe was fall ilanding thirty 

 years ago. It was the corner-houfe of the rue Mari- 

 vaux, and the rue des Ecrivains. I have frequently 

 fropt as I was going by, to consider the place that was 

 occupied by fo remarkable a man S. I have likewife 

 been Ihewn among the archives of the church St, 



* Various alchymifts, in later times, la aye taken people with them 

 to dig in the cellars ot this houfe, and have there found, in (eveial 

 places, phials, alembic?, crucibles, coals, and in a (lone jug, all 

 kinds of metallic drofs. Th« houfe has belonged ever fince FlameFs 

 time, to a church clofe by, to which this adept bequeathed it by 

 will. During my laft gay at Paris, one of my friend? related to me 

 a curious circumftance that happened to the houfe in the year i7$6«. 

 There came a very well- drefled man, who called himfelf by a name 

 of fome note in France He had rccehed a commillion from a de- 

 parted friend, j ift before his death, to employ a cpnfiderable fum in 

 w6'k f . of charity. Now, continued he, I know of no better method 

 of laying out this money, that} in repa ring and rebu lding decayed 

 churches and monkeries, with the houfes appertaining to them* 

 Thas ( o ner fooufe yonder (pointing to Flamel's houfe) appear? to 

 itjc particularly in want of reparation; I will accordingly begin 

 with -that, and fpend thr^e thoufand liyres upon it. The offer of 

 this {banter wa- accepted. He began by fetting workmen to dig 

 in 'Fiaiv.el's houfe, wa< confontly piefent hiu.felf with the people, 

 and wh vtever they dug up, of phia's, infeription? cut in ftone, and 

 bo: cS or metals, were carefully taken away bv them. At laft, the 

 buihung-expences amounted to about two thoufand livres : but the 

 itr/ngei and his helpmates difappeared, without payi g, and 

 without any one's Dting ajle to learn what was become of them. 



Jacques 



* 



