700 
MOUNT MICHAEL. 
and, by the assistance of the trembling Dominico, waiting for my 
return — the blessed light of day, fresh air, and a few glasses of Maras - 
chino, I was enabled to get to my lodgings at the Scudo di Francia, 
on the side of the great canal, near the Rialto, where I was for seve- 
ral hours extremely ill, and for several days much indisposed.- - 
Moseley. 
Mount Michael. 
This is the name of one of the most celebrated state prisons of 
France, which lies about twenty miles from Granville. It is a rock, 
situated in the niidle of the bay of Avranches, and is only accessible 
at low water. One side of it is completely fortified by its craggy 
and almost perpendicular descent, which renders it impracticable to 
climb it by any address or courage, however consummate. The 
other parts are surrounded by walls, fenced wdth semilunar towers 
after the Gothic manner, but sufficiently strong, together with the 
advantage of its situation, to render it impregnable to any attack. 
At the foot of the mountain begins a street or tow'n, which winds 
round its base to a considerable height. Above are chambers where 
state prisoners are kept, and where there are other buildings intended 
for residence. On the summit is erected the abbey itself, occupying 
a prodigious space of ground, and of a strength and solidity equal to 
its enormous size ; as it has for many centuries withstood all the 
injuries of the weather, to which it is so much exposed. 
In an apartment, called the Sale de Chevalerie, the knights of St. 
Michael used to meet in solemn convocation on important occasions. 
They were the defenders and guardians of this mountain and abbey, 
as those of the Temple, and of St. John of Jerusalem, were of the holy 
sepulchre. The hall in which they metis very spacious, but rude and 
barbarous. At one end is a painting of the archangel, the patron of their 
order ; and in this hall Lewis XI. first instituted, and invested with the 
insignia of knighthood, the chevaliers of the cross of St. Michael. 
There is a miserable dark apartment, or rather dungeon, in which many 
eminent persons w'ere formerly confined. In the middle of it is a cage, 
composed of prodigious bars of wood ; and the wicket which gives 
entrance into it is ten or twelve inches in thickness. The inside of 
it comprises about twelve or fourteen feet square, and is nearly twenty 
in height. The subterraneous chambers in this mountain are said to 
be so numerous, that the gaolers themselves do not know them. There 
are certain dungeons called aiibliettes, into which they were accus- 
tomed anciently to let down malefactors guilty of very heinous crimes : 
they provided them with a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine, and 
then they w'ere totally forgotten, and left to perish by hunger in the 
dark vaults of the rock. This punishment, however, was not inflicted 
by any king during the two last centuries. There is also a remark- 
able chamber, in one corner of which is a kind of window ; between 
this and the whole of the building is a very deep space of near one 
hundred feet perpendicular, to the bottom of which is another 
window opening to the sea. It is called the Hole of Montgomerie. 
The church of Mount Michael is a great curiosity. It stands on 
