PARI S. 471 
Some fteps of Languedoc marble condudt to the fanc- 
tuary, the altar of which has been juftly admired. It is 
three feet and eight inches long, three feet high, and 
ftands on eight circular fuppor'ters of the fame marble. 
In front are three bas-reliefs. That in the centre by 
Van Cleve, reprefents Jefus Chrill in the tomb ; on each 
fide are Angels in the attitudes of grief, by Defeine. 
The Heps of the altar, which are of white marble fprinkled 
with golden ftars, fupport fix gilt candlefticks, nearly 
five feet in height. In the middle of a recefs is a grating 
of gilt brafs, on which is fculptured the Pafcbal Lamb. 
Above this is a gilded cro/s, more than feven feet high. 
The pavement is a rich mofaic, and the arches above are 
inlaid with white marble. The bottom of the fandtuary 
is occupied by a group reprefenting the defcent from the 
crofs, in Carrara marble. It is the bell work of the elder 
Couftou, and well merits the clofeft attention. 
The devotee will not fail to inquire for the relics which 
this landluary contains. Among other ineftimable trea- 
fures, a veritable portion of our Saviour’s crown of 
thorns, and a piece of the true crofs, are Ihown. The 
regalia of Charlemagne, and many gold and iilver vafes, 
are likevvife exhibited. 
The Chapel of St. Genevieve, on the right, has been 
lately repaired. The wainlcot that now adorns it was 
taken from the ancient hall of the Chapter of Notre Dame, 
and was conftrudled about the beginning of the fixteenth 
century. It reprefents the apoftles and lome of the faints, 
feparated by little pilafters taftefully ornamented. Under 
the tower, on the fide of the cloifter, is a tablet of Hone 
fculptured in the fixteenth century, which defcribes, in 
a bold and Unking manner, the univerfal judgment. 
This noble edifice, prior to the Revolution, poftefied 
much rich tapeftry, ftained-glafs windows, teffelated 
pavements, magnificent monuments, and the moll richly 
variegated Ihrines. Too many of thefe were, during the 
reign of anarchy, removed or deftroyed. Every exertion 
lias fince been made to reftore or replace them; and the 
church of Notre Dame is once more an objedl of curiofity 
to the traveller and the antiquary. 
Adjoining to it is the Archiepifcopal Palace, a heavy 
building, which forms a ftrange contrail with the elegant 
ftrudlure of the cathedral. It is a curious circumllance, 
that, in the halt of this very palace, the National Afl'em- 
bly held that fit tin gat which all the poffeflions of the clergy 
were declared to be national property. 
Abbaye Royale de St. Germain des Pres, Royal 
Abbey of St. Germain in the Fields.—This church was 
built by Childebert, in 558, on the ruins of an ancient 
temple of Ills. Nothing could be more magnificent than 
the interior decoration of this temple, built in the form 
of a Roman crofs, 200 feet in length, 65 in breadth, and 
59 high. It once contained fome exquifite fpecimens of 
ancient fculpture, and a noble library of more than 100,000 
volumes; but during the Revolution, it was fhamefu’ily 
pillaged and defaced. It is yet worthy of the traveller’s 
attention, from the traces of true antiquity which it af¬ 
fords. It contains the remains of moll of the ancient 
kings. The portal to the well has a majellic appearance ; 
though, perhaps, it more refembles the entrance to a mag¬ 
nificent cattle than a church. The principal altars are 
now re-eltablilhed. Pope Pius VII. laid the firfl Hone of 
the altar of the chapel of the Virgin behind the choir. 
The chapel of St. Marguerite is taftefully decorated ; and 
the tones of one of the fineft organs in Paris again refound 
along the fretted roof. 
St. Etienne du Mont 5 Rue Ste. Genevieve.—St. Ge¬ 
nevieve, fo celebrated in the French calendar, and whofe 
name is intimately connected with the converfion of the 
full Parifian monarch, died in 512, and was buried in a 
chapel near this fpot. The fandluary which contained 
her remains was enriched by every fucceeding monarch ; 
and the Royal Abbey of St. Genevieve was founded in 
honour of the tutelary faint of Paris. The church of St. 
Etienne du Mont was afterwards eredled as a chapel of 
2 
eafe for the vafials of the royal abbey. To preferve it 
from the jurifdidtion of the archbilhop of Paris, it was 
built without any external door; and the only accefs to 
it w'as by a covered paftage from the Abbey of St. Gene¬ 
vieve. When it was rebuilt in 1491, by Francis I. it yet 
retained this whimfical peculiarity; and it was not until 
1610, that queen Marguerite, wife of Henry IV.conftrnfled 
the prefent portico. 
Of the Abbey of St. Genevieve, and its celebrated 
church, few velliges remain ; but this appendage to the 
grandeur of the ancient monaftery has defied the ravages 
of time. Its architedlure has been much admired. The 
front is peculiarly grand. It is compofed of four banded 
Ionic pillars, fupporting a triangular pediment; the orna¬ 
ments ol which, though a little confufed, remind the 
fpedlator of the peculiar ftyle of Roman architecture. 
The interior of the church is remarkable for its bold- 
nefs and Angularity. It is a ftrange, yet not unptealing, 
mixture of the Greek, the Gothic, and the Arabic. Be¬ 
hind the choir, on a platform fupported by four pillars of 
the Tufcan order, is a new fnrine,.in the form of a Go¬ 
thic church, containing the relics of St. Genevieve. In 
one of the fide-chapels is the ancient tomb of this faint. 
In this church alfo were buried the venerable Pafcal, the 
poet Racine, the painter Le Sueur, and the botaniil 
Tournefort; but the place of their fepulture is not dif- 
tinguiflted by the flighted monumental infcription. 
Over the altar is the Martyrdom of St. Stephen, by Le 
Brun. 
A library occupies the upper part of the ancient Abbey 
ofSt. Genevieve,and contains 80,000 printed volumes,and 
2000 manufcripts. It is in the form of a crofs, lighted by 
a fmall dome in the centre, the cupola of which was 
painted by Reftout the elder in 1730. It delineates the 
Apotheofis of St. Auguftine. The painting at one extre¬ 
mity of the building is by Lejoux, and forms a complete 
illufion. Many buds of eminent men, from the chifel of 
Girardon, Coyfevox, Coufton, and other fculptors, orna¬ 
ment this library. At the entrance of the Cabinet of 
Antiques is a plan of the city of Rome, in relievo, and 
coloured, The w'ork of Grimani, in 1776. This library is 
open every day from ten o’clock till two. 
St. Louis and St. Paul ; Rue St. Antoine.—This 
church is in the form of a Roman crofs, with a dome in 
the centre. Its portal is lofty, and compofed of three 
rows of columns above each other: two are Corinthian, 
and one Compofite. A profufion of ornament, employed 
without regularity of tafte, offends the eye of the con- 
noifieur, and does little credit to the fkill of the architect. 
Marble, filver, and gold, are employed with boundlefs 
prodigality in the decoration of the grand altar and the 
chapels. On the right of the fandluary was the heart of 
Louis XIII. enclofed in a heart of gold, fupported by two 
angels of filver, modelled by Sarrazin. On the left was 
that of Louis XIV. fupported likevvife by two angels, the 
workmanfhip of Couftou. This laft monument coft 600,000 
francs. Near the place where thefe flood, was a maufo- 
leum, lefs rich, but remarkable for the propriety of its de- 
fign and the delicacy of its execution. It was deftined to 
receive the hearts of the heroes of the houfe of Conde. Sar¬ 
razin modelled the ornaments, and Perfan caft the figures. 
Not fardiftant were the tombs of the princes of the houfe of 
Bouillon. Numerous paintings of the French and Italian 
fchools once enriched this temple, and caufed it (like 
St. Germain l’Auxerrois) to relemble a fuperb mufeum, 
conftantly thronged by ftrangers and artifts. Few of 
thefe have furvived the ravages of the Revolution. 
St. Merry ; Rue St. Martin.—A chapel exifted here in 
the fixth century, dedicated to St. Peter. It afterwards 
took the name of St, Merry, who was here interred. The 
prefent building was eredled in 1520. Its architedlure is 
Gothic ; and, although it does not often excite attention 
by its exterior, its interior is mod fplendidly ornamented. 
The choir was decorated with much tafte by the brothers 
.* Slodtz, in the laft century. It is covered with ftucco re- 
fembling 
