FRANCE. 



619 



25. Government. The government is a constitutional monarchy, and the succession of the 

 crown is Umited to tlie male line. The king commands the forces by sea and land, declares 

 war, makes treaties, and appoints to ail offices under the responsible advice of his ministers 

 There is no monarchy in Europe so limited as the French. The legislative power resides in 

 the king, the house of peers, and the house of deputies of the departments ; each branch may 

 propose a law. The number of peers is unlimited, and the nomination of them belongs to 

 the king. By a late law the peerage is no longer hereditary. The Chamber of Deputies is 

 chosen by the electoral colleges. A citizen to be eligible to these, must pay 200 francs 

 direct tax, yearly, either in his own person or by delegation for his mother, grandmother, or 

 mother-in-law ; and, if there are not 50 of this description in a department, the right devolves 

 upon the 50 who pay the highest taxes. There are but 130,000 of these electors in France. 



26. Laws. Several hundred particular systems of customs have been reduced to five 

 codes, with general principles ; the civil code, or general law of the country ; the commercial 

 code, the penal code, and ihe codes of civil and of commercial procedure. They embody 

 what was before loose, voluminous, and little known ; the old laws of France are, therefore, 

 necessarily referred to, for the illustration of these codes. The civil code has not been 

 changed by the Restoration, except in its name, which was before that event, the Code Na- 

 poleon. The criminal code is not sanguinary, though it has been charged with giving too 

 much power to the officers of government, In the selections of jurors. The courts are mod- 

 eled on the English plan. 



27. Jlntiquilies. The antiquities are principally architectural, and are generally Included 

 in our description of towns. There are, however, many Roman remains. At Paris, theie 

 is one apartment, GO feet long, and 42 wide, vaulted, and having 3 interior arcades, the sole 

 remnant of the Palace of tlie Warm Baths, built by Constantius. At Lyons, there are sev- 

 eral antiquities, especially the remains of two aqueducts, ascribed to Mark Antony, or 

 Agrippa ; a beautiful mosaic, the ruins of a theatre, and of subterraneous reservoirs. Many 

 medals, coins, vases, statues, &c., have been found in the vicinity. At Nimes, are more 

 perfect monuments. The beautiful edifice, miscalled the Alaison Carrie, is in almost perfect 

 preservation. It was some public edifice with a portico of six Corinthian columns in front, 

 and three on each side. The cornice, frieze, capitals, and carved acanthus leaves, are perfect 

 models in architecture and sculpture. The Temple of Diana has also much of the noble 

 simplicity of ancient art. 



But the greatest monument, though not the most beautiful of ancient Nimes, the altera 

 Roma, is the amphitheatre, which has no superior, but the Coliseum, and which is in a better 

 stale of preservation than that. It is of cut stones of prodigious size, which have the marks 

 of the fire made by Charles Martel, to dislodge the Saracens. The porticoes are perfect, 

 with columns, pilasters, and decorations, especially two bulTs heads, two gladiators, and the 

 die wolf with Romulus and Remus. There are also baths, mosaic pavements, and various 

 fragments. The Pont du Gard, 7 leagues from Nimes, is a stupendous Roman monument. 

 This was an aqueduct across a river, composed of three several bridges, one above the other. 



miy be sent on errand?, when anything is wanted for the 

 use of I lie convent. The novices are strictly watched, 

 and seldom allowed to leave the gates. They are distin- 

 gii'slied from the others by their white veil. Their no- 

 viciate lasts three years, and a considerable sum is paid 

 by them on entering, after which they are maintained by 

 the establishment. The ceremony of taking the black 

 veil is one of the most solemn and beautiful in the Roman 

 Catholic religion. 



High mass is celebrated in the chapel. The Bishop 

 I'fficiates in his splendid robes. The novice appears dress- 

 « t in white, and sometimes decked with jewels like a 

 bride. She kneels before the altar while the Bishop pro- 

 11 )unc?s a discourse upon the solemnity of the vows 

 which he is about to pronounce. She then retires behind 

 the altiir. Her long hair is cut off and she is invested 

 w.th the nun's garment. She is then led forward to the 

 Bishop, and having pronounced upon her knees, her in- 

 tention of abjuring the world, and devoting herself to the 

 service of God, she receives his benediction. The black 

 veil is thrown over her. A solemn hymn is chanted to 

 the notes of the organ, and the gates of the convent are 

 henceforward closed upon her forever. It is true, that by 

 the order of government, all nuns are now regarded as 

 frei; from their vo vs after a certain period; but though a 



nun who breaks her vows is no longer built up in a, wall 

 as in days of old, yet there is a brazen wall of prejudice 

 and public opinion, which is almost as forniid.ible to her ; 

 and it is probable, that a long period will elapse before any 

 female will have courage to break through these barriers, 

 and to e.xpose herself to the scorn of her companions, and 

 the indignation of the Church. 



The dress of the Saitrs Hospital ieres is a robe of while 

 casimif; a white muslin bandeau which crosses their 

 forehead, with two long pieces of white muslin, which 

 fold across the breast; a long veil of black crape, which 

 conceals part of the face, and hangs down to the kne.es ; 

 a black and gold rosary with an iron cross upon which is 

 an image of the crncifi.xion, and which usually contains 

 relics, such as small pieces of the bones of saints; a piece 

 of the true cross, &c. &c. The nuns read no books 

 which are not first examined by their confessor, and these 

 are usually limited to the lives of tlie saints, and other 

 works of a religious nature. Their evenings invariably 

 conclude with psalms and prayers, peifornied in a large 

 parlor, where they assemble when the duties of the day 

 are over. The beauty of their embroidery is famous all 

 over Europe. It is usually employed in robes for the 

 priests, and hangings for the allays. 



