~ 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
DescripTIon of the Haut of the CoUN- 
cit of Five HUNDRED, wpon the fcite 
of the Palais Bourbon ; from the Decade 
Philofophique. 
[With an engraved plate. } 
HE work of the new hall of the 
council of five hundred, was begun 
in confequence of a decree of the national 
convention, pafled the fecond comple- 
mentary day of the third year of the re- 
public, on the ground of the c?-devant 
Palais Bourbon; conformably to a,pro- 
gramme given in bya commiffion com- 
poled of four reprefentatives. The archi- 
tests were enjoined to confine thei ar- 
rangements within the limits of the an- 
cient palais. ‘The commiffion accepted 
the plans of C. C. Grisors and LE- 
CONTE, and they were begun to be put 
in execution the firft of Vendemaire (23d 
September) fourth year. ei 
The Palais Bourbon had been built for 
the Princefs Bourbon, in 1722, after the 
plan of Girardini, and continued after- 
wards by Lafflurence and Gabriel. It 
was greatly augmented for the Prince of 
Condé, by Carpentier ; it was this archi- 
te&t who conftruéted the gate which opens 
into the fquare. Belilfard and Leroi 
were the laf who made embellifhments 
to it. 
This palace, detached in every part, 
ts erected by the fide of the river Seine, 
and upon the bank oppofite to the Place 
de la Revolution, formerly called Place de 
Louis quinze, with which it communicates. 
by the neweft bridge in Paris called Pent 
de la Revolution. It occupies a fuper- 
ficies of about 60,000 metres (180,000 
feet.) Its principal entrance is not from 
the river fide, where, without doubt, it 
would produce a magnificent effect ; it is 
turned towards the fouth, and opens into 
a.fquare. 
It is announced on this fide by a trium- 
phal gate raifed between two ground pa- 
vilions, to which it is connected by a 
double colonade of the Corinthian order. 
After having pafled this gate, we enter 
into the firit court of g2 metres long by 
32 metres in breadth. It is furrounded 
by buildings of a plain decoration, the 
cornice of which correfponds with that of 
the principal part of the palace which pre- 
fents itfelfin front. This principal part 
embraces the three fides of a court, 
fmalier than the former, and raifed by 
eight iteps. Arrived within this court, 
the chief entrances prefent theinfelves by 
the two periftytes in columns to the right 
1799-] Defcription of the Hall of the Council of Five Hindirti 95 
and left, and which ferve as entrances to 
two halls, one dedicated to peace, the 
other to victories. ‘They communicate 
on one fide with apartments of the an- 
cient palace, all ot which ferve as lodg- 
ings to thofe perfons who are employed 
by or attached to the Council: the other 
fide opens into two large rooms, one of 
which is dedicated to liberty, the other to 
equality. From each of thefe rooms we 
enter by a flight of iteps into the hall of 
the fittings. ‘This difpofition corre- 
fponding in the two diftant wings, one to | 
the eait, the other to the welt, has a very 
miajeftie air. 
‘The hall of liberty and that of equality 
are in the form of a long {quare. ‘Their 
dimenfions are large and regular, their ftyle 
fimple and antique. Statues of marble 
and paintings reprefenting the prin- 
cipal epochs of the revolution are to deco- 
rate them. They communicate with each 
other by a circular gallery, contrived ua- 
der the a(cending benches of the hall of 
the aflembly. ‘lwo grand flair-cates for 
the ufe of the members lead te the amphi-. 
theatre by doors which communicate 
with the hall of the affembhy, at the fu- 
perior extremity of each opening between 
the benches. ‘The hall of the council of 
five hundred occupies the part which 
fronts the bridge. An edifice defigned 
to ferve as a cdweiling-houfe contains 
no room of fufScient dimenitons for am 
afiembly like this; the exterior walls 
therefcre were the only portion of this 
part ot the palace which could be made 
ule of. 
This hall (reprefented in the two an- 
nexed medallions) is of a femicircular form. 
The benches look to the right, in the 
middle of which are placed the chair of 
the prefident, the defk of the fecretaries, 
and the tribune of the orator addrefling 
the affembly. ‘The fecretaries and preti- 
dent are placed in a large niche taken out 
af the jutting or advanced part of the. 
old palace, which for this purpofe has 
been pufaed backwards eight feet on the 
fide of the court. “The removal of this 
ftupendous mafs was effected under the 
immediate view of the commiffioners in a 
fimple and not expenfive manner., Each 
column was advanced, net in pieccs, 
but entirely whole. All the interior 
bafement ot this part, and the rail or bar- 
ricade whichconfines the feats, are of cu- 
rious marble, crowned with brown orna- 
ments. The fore part of the tribune is 
decorated with a bas relief in white 
marble, and attributes in griotte marble 
trom Italy incruited on it with the niceft 
art, 
