a 
19799.| Proceedings of the National Inftitute—Memuirs of Pope PiusVI, 413 
tm another memoir, which treats of an- 
cient fepulture, citizen Legrand traces the 
primitive opinions of nations on death, 
aad on its confequences. In Europe, as 
well as in Afia, death was confidered as 
a paflage into another yvorld, where we 
fhould find again the wants and+ the en- 
joyments of this. Agreeably to this idea, 
they depofited under the tombs the objects 
moitt dear to thofe whom they placed there, 
their arms, their habits, their ornaments; 
and even buried their horfes, their flaves, 
and fometimes alfo their wives. The 
Gauls went fo far as to throw into the fu- 
neral pile the bills of credit of the defun&, 
that he might at the firft meeting of his 
debtors conitrain them to payment. Ci- 
tizen Legrand proves, that the fable of 
Charon was no le{s accredited in Gaul, 
than in Egypt, fince, in many Gallic mo- 
wuments, a piece of money, defigned to 
pay the fata] pafiage, has been difcovered 
under the tongue of the deceafed. So 
great riches interred with the defunct, 
could not fail to excite the cupidity of 
many living. But hardly were they ex- 
tracted from the fepultures, before. they 
were foon reclaimed as by an invincible 
power; for the ravifhers of thofe fubterra- 
nean treafures caufed the fame to be de- 
pofited in their own tombs at their death, 
Hence it is, that in Tartary efpecially, 
and in the countries of the North, no fe- 
pulchre is to be found, without finding 
if it a pretty rich booty. After thele 
general obfervations, the author details 
the different kinds of tombs ufed in 
apc from the origin of the nation to 
r days. At firt, vaults. or cells of 
ts ftone, or peaticnccd on the outfide 
‘with a pillar of the fame nature, planted 
-upright; afterwards, tombs with. inclo- 
fares formed by enormous pillars, and 
having for cieling a {tone ‘of an immenfe 
volume; then tumuli, compofed of earth 
heaved together; then vaults of mafonry, 
coffins of ftone, baked earth, or, lead; 
latly, maufolea of marble. or bronze. 
This jaft kind of monuments, which dates 
from the thirteenth century, has experi- 
enced, in each of the following ages, mo-: 
difications, which the author {pecifies, 
From thence, pafiing to the examen of the 
different matters depofited in the French 
fepulchres, he only finds, in the moft an- 
cient, arms made with pointed bones, or 
fharpened pebbles ; in later times, we find 
ornaments and inftruments of copper; 
and later {till, arms of iron, and orna- 
ments of pele and filver. But the mo 
valuable objects have been found m the 
tombs of the French. kings: fuch was 
that of Childeric, difcovered near Tour- 
nay, in the, latt age. Afterwards, ia 
1704, fome refvarches made in the church 
of St. Germain-des-Prés, brought to 
light a monument which was confidered 
as very rich, but was not allowed to be 
opened, Citizen Legrand propofes to 
government to make a Pie fearch for ity” 
and thus to add, almoft without expence, 
to our national antiquities, whatever may 
be found in this monument. Our fellow- 
member propoies, moreover, to demand 
of the different departmental adminiftra- 
tions, documents relative to ancient tombs, 
and particularly the funereal tumuli, 
which are to be found in their refpeCtive © 
territories. 
The clafs had offered a prize, on this 
queftion of hiftory: ‘‘ What bas been the 
Progrefs of the public Mind in France, from 
Francis I. to¥he Convocation of the States 
General in 1789 2” 
The prize not having been obtained, 
citizens LeveQue and BaupDin fee 
read fome memoirs on the manner of 
enouncing and inveftigating the queftion, 
at the clofe of which the clafs came toa 
determination to propofe'the queftion anew 
in the following terms: « By what Caufes 
has the Spirit of Liberty been developed in 
France, from Francis 1. to the Con: vocation 
of the States General in 1789?” 
‘The memoirs are to be received till the 
r5th Meflidor of year VIII. The prize, 
which will confit of a gold medal of five 
heGtograms, will be adjudged in the 
public fitting of the 15th Vindemiaire, 
year IX, 

“ANECDOTES OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF THE LATE 
POPE, Pi1US THE with. 
(Communicated by an Itahan Centleman. gis 
pis VI. whofe fecular name was John ~ 
Angelo Brafchi, was born of a noble 
but reduced family. Being deftined for 
the church, he received the mot liberal 
education, and was thus qualified to run, 
with reafonable hope of fuccefs, the ca- 
reer of ecclefiaftical preferment. His 
profpects at firit were few, and his pa~ 
tronage fo infignificant, that no one could 
have fuppofed, under thefe difadvantages, 
he couid ever have arrived at the pontifi- 
cates: He entered at firft the fervice of 
cardinal 

