540. Account of the Difinterment of the Kings, &9c. in Frante. [July 1, 
Several cf thefe bodies were very well 
referved, particularly that of Louis XIII. 
Pt XIV was alfo in good prefervation, 
but his fkin was as black as ink. The © 
reft were ina ftate of liquid putrefaction, 
elpecially that of the Great- Dauphin. 
. Ontkersthof O& twenty-two coffins, alfo 
containing remains of the Bourbon Family, 
were opened. hele bodies prefented no- 
thing remarkable in their appearances, 
moft of them being in a ftate of putrefac- 
tion. A thick and black vapour, attended 
with an infectious fmell, arofe from thefe 
coffins, which was difpelled by means of 
burnt vinegar. Several of the workmen 
were atiacked by diarrhea and fever, but 
without any fatal confequences. Among 
the bodies difinterred this day, were found 
the hearts of Louis the Dauphin, fon of 
Louis XV. who died at Fontainebleau, 20 
December, 17653 and of Marie Fofeph. de 
“Savoie, his wife, who died 13 March, 
3767. The hearts were depofited in the 
cemetery with the other remains of the 
Bourbons: they were in cafes of.lead, and 
of filver and filver-gilt: the latter were 
delivered to the Municipality, and the 
former were configned to the Commiffary 
ef Government. 
At feven o’clock on the morning of the 
r6th, the workmen proceeded with the 
aifinterments in the vaults of the Bour- 
‘bons. The firlt coffin opened was that 
of Henriette Marie de Fiance, daughter 
of Hen ry IV. and wife of Charles F. King 
of England, who died 1669, aged 60 years, 
The fecond was Henriette St pith daugh- 
‘ter of Charles I. King of England, and firft 
wife ot Monficur, brother ot Louis IV. 
‘who died in 3670, at the age of-26 years. 
After removing 17 other bodies, about 
ive o’clock in the afternoon the workmen 
eok up the cofin of Louis XV. who died 
ro May 3774, aged 64 years. It had 
heen. p slaced at the entrance of the vault 
over ae fteps, in a niche’ formed in the 
thick part of the wall a little on the right 
“hand of the entrance. ‘This was the pre- 
cife {pot where was intered the bedy of 
the lait king of France, who died a natural 
death. ‘The coffin was opened with ore 
caution in the church-yard, upon the de 
of the grave. ‘The body was inclofed in 
a lead coffin, and wrapped carefully in 
‘fheets and bandages: it wds in an entire 
itate, frefh, and in gocd prefervation. 
The hin was white; the nole of a violet 
«olour, and the hams were as red as thofe 
ofa new-born infant. This body#was 
Hot enbalmed in’the ordinary manner, but 
floated inta liquid formed ef a {olution of 
tharine falt.. It was thrown into the grave 
upon ‘a bed of quick-lime ; and 4 layer of © 
the fame lime being laid upon it, the hole 
was filled up with earth. 
On the fame day were difcovered the 
remains of Charles V. who died in 1380, 
aged 42 years; and thofe of his wife, Jean 
de Bourbon, ie died 1378, aged 40 
years. In the coffin of Charles V. was 
found a crown of filver-gilt, in excellent 
prefervation; a hand of juftice of filver, 
anda fceptre ‘of filver- gilt, abont five feet 
in length, of curious workmanfhip, fome- . 
what refembling the Thyrfus, or Javelin 
of Bacchus entwined with vine-leaves and 
ivy, as exhibited-in Montfaucon, article 
cepires. ‘This curions morceau was in 
admirable yeti Nias In the cofin of 
the Queen were found part of a crown, 
her gold ring, fome remains of bracelets 
or links of chains, a fpindle or diftaff of 
gilt wood, half rotten, and a pairof fhoes 
with fharp points, which, though’ partly 
decayed, ftill retained vifible marks of the 
gold'and filver embroidery with which they 
had been ornamented. Nothing worthy of 
remark was difcovered among the bodies 
difinterred on the 17th or 8th. On the 
19th was opened the coffin of Louis VIII. 
father of St. Louis, wha died eighth No- 
vember, 1226, aged 40 years. ‘This 
corpfe was almof wholly decayed. Upon 
the {tone cover of the coffin was engraved 
a crofs in demi-relief. 
found the decayed remains of a wooden 
fceptre, and a diadem or crown, which 
was nothing more than a band of gold 
tiffue with a large fatin cap. It wastin 
good prefervation. 
wrapped in a mantle of gold tiffue, fome 
pieces of which were remaining; and in 
this drefs it had been buried, fewed up in 
very thick leather, which fill retained all 
its elafticity. » This was the only corpfe 
among thofe difinterred at St. Denis, 
which was found inclofed in leather. At 
Sr. Germaine-des-Prés, a body was dif-. 
covered which had been buried in a fimilar 
‘manner. The cuftom of fewing-up the 
déad in leather-fkins, is very ancient. 
To Colchis, they interred only the fe- 
males; and they inclofed the men in the 
hides of bullocks, and fafpended them to 
trees by ftrong chains,* 
On the fame day was difcovered the entire 
fkeleton of Phiippele Bel,who diediniziey 
lé was inclofed ina ftone 
aged 46 years. 
coffin in the fhape of a trough. There 
were found in it a diadem of “gold tiffue, 
and a {ceptre- of copper-gilt, about five 
feet long, and terminated by a bunch 
a a a 
# Vide Appolonius’s dr genactica, 
In the coffin were | 
The body had been . 
ies 
