VOLCANOS OF THE HAUTE LOIEE AND THE AKDECHE. 257 
fills whole volumes. The image which now stands over the 
high altar is a new one, the original having been burnt in the 
Revolution of 1792, but we afterwards saw some curious relics 
of the original figure in the museum. These consist of the 
folds of papyrus which once enveloped the original Black Virgin. 
The sheets of papyrus bear Egyptian or Arabic inscriptions, and 
the figure itself was recorded to he of brown cedar wood, and 
with it was also said to be a conical stone hearing Arabic cha- 
racters. M. Maudet, the historian of the civil wars of Le Velay, 
has given the most reliable information respecting this image 
and its history. Many have been the disputes as to the donor 
of the figure. The gift has been attributed to Dagobert, Charle- 
magne, and Philip Augustus, also to St. Louis. The general 
view now taken by the antiquarian is that the Black Virgin was 
originally an ancient eastern idol or image of Isis, of whose 
worship Le Puy, anciently Anis, the Aniscum of the Romans, 
was a great centre. It is not impossible that the Black Virgin 
was the object of worship before the days of the “ Holy Martin,” 
bishop of Tours, and his crusade against idols (a.d. 381). 
St. Michel is a very picturesque rock rising to a height of 
nearly 300 feet, its diameter being only 400 feet. Steps cut in 
the solid rock lead to the church which crosses the summit ; 
and near the base of the rock are the remains of a Roman 
temple to Diana, now in a sad state of neglect. The portal of 
the little church of St. Michel, on the summit of the rock, has 
a round arch enclosed within one of trifoliated design, and 
figures are carved about the doorway. On the west side is a 
semicircular choir, supported by Romanesque pillars, low, and 
carved in bas-relief. 
The Church of St. Laurent at the northern entrance to Le 
Puy has only one object worth mentioning. This is the fine 
tomb of the noble constable of France, Bertrand de Gruesclin. 
The celebrated soldier reclines at full length in armour of 
plate without his helmet. On his shield he bears a double- 
headed eagle. He is styled “ Messire Bertram dankin.” This 
tomb takes us back to the days of our own u Black Prince ” and 
66 Pedro the Cruel,” and was erected to perpetuate the memory of 
“ the most valiant knight, the most expert leader, the most 
fortunate and successful warrior who fought under the banner of 
France.” 
Before examining the country around we recommend a visit 
to the Museum of Le Puy, which is a large and handsome 
building. There are many objects of interest in the collection 
of Grallo-Roman relics from buildings, hypocausts, and tombs, 
and especially we noted a set of instruments of a Roman or Grallo- 
Roman oculist — scalpels of different form, forceps, tweezers, 
&c. — all finished with great care, and showing that even in those 
