Fathers stands a little higher in the other side of the Street St. Lewis was their â—ounder and they are of the Holy Trinity of the Redemption of Captives Their principal Institution is to go into Barbary and there ransom Christian Slaves out of the Hands of the Infidels and procure their Liberty From time to time they make these Voyages assisted by the Contributions of pious People who supply those great Expences which they cannot avoid It is not long since they brought over a great number which we saw here with much Edification Their Church is very lightsom though it is built after the Modern way It was built in the form we now see it by the means of Robert Gaguin Minister and General of the whole Order who was an Illustrious Person in his time and hath Composed divers Books among others The History of Lewis XII However some think that this Church was begun before his time and that he only finisht it He lies interr'd in the middle of the Quire Formerly you might have read his Epitaph there but when the Church was raised it was removed from that place It is this Illustris Gallo nituit qui splendor in orbe Hic sua Robertus membra Gaguinus habet Si tanto non saeva viro Libitina pepercit Quid speret docti caetera turba chori ANNO A NATALI CHRISTI MILLESIMO QUINGENTESIMO PRIMO VIGESIMA SECUNDA MAII Here Robert Gaguin now Entomb'd doth lye Who shin'd a glorious Light i' th' Gallic Sky If Death so great a Scholar would not spare How obnoxious then Inferiour Learners are In the year from the Birth of Christ One thousand five hundred and one the Twenty second of May. In the Cloister there are also some Tombs among others that of Sacro-Bosco a very famous Mathematician This is his Epitaph De Sacro-Bosco qui compotista Johannes Tempora discrevit jacet hic à tempore rapius Tempore qui sequeris memor esto quod morieris Si miseres plora miserans pro me precor ora Here Sacro-bosco the Accomptant lies Who Time divided him did Time surprize Thou who com'st after shortly dead must be If thou hast Pity Weep and Pray for me Near this is another Epitaph of a Famous Lawyer who was the Master of Papirius Masson CUJACI Balduinus hic jacet hoc tecum reputa vale Mortuis vobis Jurisprudentiam corriptt gravis sopor Franciscus Bâ—lduinus Jurisconsultus obiit Anno aetatis suae 53. 9. Kalend. Novemb. Anno à partu Virginis 1573. PAPIRIUS MASSONIUS Jurisconsultus Balduini Auditor tumulum posuit Here Baldwin lies think on it and farewel E're since a drowsiness on Law doth dwell Francis Baldwin Lawyer dyed in the 53 Year of his Age the Ninth of the Calends of November in the Year from the Birth of our Saviour 1573. Papirius Masson of the same Faculty the Scholar of Baldwin erected this Tomb. Lastly here is the Tomb of the two Scholars named Leger Moussel and Oliver Bourgeois who were hang'd at Montfaulcon in the Year 1408 on the 17th of May by Sentence of the Provost of Paris without regard to the Priviledges of the University who afterwards demanded that famous Satisfaction which we have already spoken off in the 4th Folio of this Second Part. Of late they have made many Considerable Decorations in this Church The great Altar is adorn'd with Pillars of a kind of reddish Marble very rare The little Tabernacle upon that Altar is also very Beautiful So are the two lesser Altars on each side of the great one adorn'd with Pillars very well wrought The Quire of this Church is separated from the Nave by a kind of Balustrade or rather by six Ionick Pillars of Marble supporting a Cornish on which there are several little Figures of Angels very well designed The rest of the Church is Wainscoted with Joyners Work full of Sculpture with a great number of Grenades which are the Arms of the present General of the Order who hath been at the Expence of all these new Reparations The University assemble in the Chapter-House of this Convent when they make their Processions which usually happens every three Months at which the Rector is constantly present He is also obliged to give a Summ of Money to all those that assist at the Ceremony These Processions ought to be seen and observed by Strangers and are well worth their Curiosity the Show being very numerous and disposed in excellent Order The four Faculties are obliged to appear there in the proper and peculiar Habits belonging to them The Money which the Rector disburses on this occasion arises out of the Revenues of the University which amount to the Summ of Fifty thousand Franks arising out of the Messageries or Carriage of Goods between certain Towns of this Kingdom and also from several Houses Situated in divers places of Paris Formerly they possest much greater Revenues but they have been lost by the negligence of those who of late Years have had the Administration of their affairs From hence you pass before The Church of Saint Benoit supposed to be Founded by St. Denis who Dedicated it to the Holy Trinity if so none can doubt it to be of very great Antiquity It is possest by Canons Secular who are obliged on the great Feasts to accompany the Canons of Nostre-Dame when they make their grand Processions The Building or Structure of this Church is nothing Beautiful as being carried up at several times and by pieces The Nave was built in the Reign of Francis the First and four years since the Quire was Rebuilt anew very handsomly The inside is embellisht with Corinthian Pilasters which support a Cornish of a very good Gust This Church is very lightsome and has not now the defect which it sometimes had which was that the great Altar was contrived on the West side since when it was new built in the last Age they quite changed that Disposition which occasion'd that it has been call'd St. Benoist le bien tourné or St. Bennet's the well contrived For in those days they were very exact in contriving the Churches East and West even to a kind of Scruple On the other side of the Street St. Jacques over against the hinder part of the Quire of this Church is a small open-place or Court at the Entrance into which stands a Fountain which bears its name The place is called La Terre de Cambray from the Colledge of that Name there Situated You have there also The Colledge Royal whose original Founder was Francis the First the Father and Restorer of Learning in France 'T was he that instituted most of the Lectures in Law and Physick in this University and invited hither the ablest Men he could find to teach here the Mathematicks Philosophy and the Greek Latin Syriack and Hebrew Tongues He intended to have raised here a great Building but his design being never executed because of his great Expences in the Wars which he had on all the
Church before the Chappel of our Lady de bonne delivrance here in which there is a very great Devotion Over against this is The Convent of Jacobius formerly called Friers Preachers of the Order of St. Dominick whose first Foundation is alledged to be in the life time of that Saint who lived in the Year 1217. under the Pontificate of Honorius the Third and in the Reign of Philip Augustus Historians say that St. Dominick took great pains about the Extirpation of the Heresie of the Albigenses who caused great disorders in Languedoc and at the same time he sent two of his Religious to Paris who were Lodged in a place called The Citizens Parlour in the same place where now this Convent stands They were called Jacobins from the Ruë Saint Jacques Their Church as it now is was built by order of St. Lewis if we may believe Belleforest a faithful Historian Here are many Tombs of great Lords who for the most part were Princes of the Blood Royal of France But in regard I did not design to search into Antiquities I shall not here express their Names which may be found in Father du Breüil I will only observe that among these famous Monuments is that of Humbert the last Sovereign Prince of Dauphiné whose Title was Dauphin of Vionnois the Tomb stands before the great Altar History says That seeing himself Childless he sold this Province to Philip Augustus for a small Summ of Money and himself embraced a Religious Life at Lyons and enter'd into the Order of St. Dominick where he liv'd in very great Esteem with all good Men and was chosen to be Prior of this Convent and afterwards Patriarch of Alexandria This is his Epitaph Hic jacet R. Pater Dominus amplissimus HUMBERTUS primo Viennae Delphinus deinde relicto Principatu Frater nostri Ordinis Prior in hoc Convenru Parisiensi ac demum Patriarcha Alexandrinus perpetuns Ecclesiae Rhemensis Administrator praecipuus bujus Conventus Benefactor Obiit anno Domini 1345. Maii 22. Here lies the Reverend Father and Most Honourable Lord HUMBERT First Dauphin of Vienna after that leaving his Principality he became Brother of our Order and Prior in this Convent at Paris and at last Patriarch of Alexandria perpetual Administrator of the Church of Rhemes and chief Benefactor to this Convent He Dyed in the Year of our Lord 1345. May 22. This Church hath nothing but what is ordinary yet is the great Altar very handsomly contrived it is adorn'd with black Marble and the Armes of the Cardinal of St. Cecily Brother of Cardinal Mazarin which you see about it speak it to be built at his Costs and this he did in regard he was of this Order Over the Door going into the Sacristy is a Picture of Valentine's representing the Nativity of the Holy Virgin which Piece Cardinal Mazarin gave to be placed over the great Altar but when he perceived it to be too little he left it to the Church and it hath been placed here ever since It is one of the most Beautiful pieces in all France and the Curious esteem it highly Felibien in his Book which he Composed of the Lives and Works of the most Famous Painters tells us it is one of the best Pictures that ever came out of Italy into France On one side of the great Altar stands the Chappel of our Lady of the Rosary The Wainscot Work of which is very handsom Here is a very great Devotion by reason of the Indulgences which are here to be gain'd every first Sunday of the Month. In the Cloister are several Paintings but they are of no great Note so also is their Library which is not very numerous yet it hath been made use of by very Famous Doctors They preserve here one thing of great Curiosity and that is the Pulpit of Great St. Thomas of Aquiu the Angel of the Schools It is made of Wood and inclosed in another of the same material that it may not be injured by time A General of this Order was at the charge of making that in which it is inclosed and not along ago these Fathers have caused a small Room to be made at the end of the Library where this Pulpit is conveniently exposed to sight 'T is well known that St. Thomas of Aquin formerly profest Divinity in this Convent and in the great School which we see at this day he made his Lectures It hath been Rebuilt at the beginning of this present Age through the Alms which these Father 's collected in a Jubilee Several Preachers of this House have acquired great Reputation in the World Among others Father Chaussemer who is esteemed one of the most Profound and Eloquent that we have at present he Preached this Lent at Nostre-Dame after he had perform'd the like at the Louvre The deceased Monsieur Coëffeteau who hath composed a very Curious Roman History past here the greatest part of his Life with many others whose names would be too long to insert here Before you leave the Rüe Saint Jacques you ought to know that here inhabit many Booksellers who sell almost all of them the Works of the Messieurs du Port-Royal all the Works of Monsieur Arnault generally esteemed by all Learned Men Here you will find the several pieces of the French Academicians many Foreign Books the several pieces that concern the Gallicane Church all Monsieur Maimbourg's Writings here also are sold Father Bouhour's Books those of Father Rapin of the Bishop of Meaux of the Abbot Fléchier Almoner to Madam the Dauphiness who Translated the Life of Cardinal Commendon and composed for Monseigneur the Dauphin the History of Theodosius the Great and four Funeral Orations Many other Books proper for the perusal of curious Persons are here also to be met with In this Street also are many Gravers and Sellers of Prints who have in their Shops great store of Maps and Printed Pictures Of which I shall say no more in this place At the end of this Volume I may perhaps set down a Catalogue of such Books as are best Writ in our Language for the use of Strangers who oftentimes for want of better information buy very scurvy Books instead of such as may be of use and advantage to them in their study of the French Tongue Without the Porte St. Jacques in the Fauxbourg of that name you may observe many fine things and in a greater number than in any other Faux-bourg about the Town On the left Hand as you enter is the Convent of the Nuns of the Visitation which makes no great shew The Church it self is no bigger than an ordinary Hall Yet is their Altar one of the richest that can be seen on the Feast Days these Nuns sparing no Costs to adorn it with Candlesticks Lamps Vessels Figures and a Thousand such like things which are all of Silver and most of them very weighty But the place being none of the best contrived these rich
A NEW DESCRIPTION of PARIS Paris LONDON Printed for Henry Bonwick at the. Red. Lyon in St. Paul's Churchyard A NEW DESCRIPTION OF PARIS CONTAINING A particular Account of all the Churches Palaces Monasteries Colledges Hospitals Libraries Cabinets of Rarities Academies of the Virtuosi Paintings Medals Statues and other Sculptures Monuments and Publick Inscriptions With all other Remarkable Matters in that Great and Famous CITY Translated out of French LONDON Printed for Henry Bonwicke at the Red Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. LICENSED June 3. 1686. R. L'Estrange TO THE READER SOme other Reasons may be given for the publishing this Book in English besides the Common Reason of all Booksellers which is the Improvement of their Trade there being hitherto nothing of this Subject in our Language and they are these such who have not been at Paris may here read of those beauties which have render'd that City of late years especially so famous Others who have had the satisfaction of seeing what is here mentioned will not find it unpleasant to refresh their memory with the descriptions given in this Book The lovers of those two most beautiful Sister-Arts Painting and Sculpture will be pleased to read of the Excellent Performances in both kinds at Paris It is really the Incouragement which is given to these Arts and their near Kinswoman Architecture that makes a City Polite and Beautiful advances an In-Land Trade and makes Artists so strive and vye with each other till by degrees they arrive at the Perfection of the Antients The Curious will be no less pleased to read of the choice Collections of Medals and all sorts of Rarities Nor will others want a serious Entertainment in this Book to meet here several Passages of the French History and to consider the Occonomy and Government not forgetting also the Piety of Paris To one purpose more this Translation may be useful and that is to such Young Gentlemen who go over as some do almost daily in regard this Book in their Pocket with them will be as their Informer so their Guide and lead them directly to such Sights as they most fansie The AUTHOR's Advertisment NO Man doubts that Paris is at present one of the greatest and fairest Cities of the World the magnificence of her Buildings her extent and the almost infinite number of her Inhabitants among whom there are those who for Estates may compare with some Sovereigns and in sine the perpetual Concourse of all Nations of Europe who come hither with an extream Affection to study the French Behaviour and observe the Rarities of the Place All these things concur to make it to be consider'd as a City that has no equal Yet it happens very often that all its true Beauties are not taken notice of by many persons and principally the Strangers who complain that they can never find them out without making it their particular study and giving themselves a vast trouble in the search no Description having been hitherto Composed to instruct them in their Enquiries It is for their assistance and to satisfie the Curiosity of Strangers that I have undertaken to describe by way of Abridgment the most noted Beauties of that famous City This Description will be the more useful unto them in regard they may inform themselves of the several Places here noted and may view several Things which they would have past by and neglected if they had not been admonish'd of them before hand To make this work the more easie and methodical I have taken the several Quarters and Streets in order as far as possible that so the several Remarks may be seen as they lye I undertake not to make an exact description that were almost impossible to be effected what endeavours soever we make I have therefore only collected those things which are most observable and that which deserves to be seen with somewhat more than ordinary remark Nor have I designed to search into Antiquities for Giles Corozet Father Breüil and some others have done that already better than any can hope to do it after them and to them I refer such as desire to know the Originals and Foundations of places Those Authors will acquaint you with the Epitaphs and Histories of Private Persons which would have swelled this Volume considerably if I should have transcribed them here Besides it seems unnecessary for a Strangers knowledge to consider these things which serve only as private Monuments and are of no use to the publick History for which they Travel They take more delight without doubt in the description of a Cabinet a Library or an Apartment built after the modern way than in reading the Epitaphs at Saint Innocents or to pick out the meaning of them Without question some will be surprized to see me undertake a Work so difficult as this in sight of so many learned Persons abounding in Paris But after all if I prove not successful herein yet however I shall esteem it sufficient glory if I may inspire into any able Author the design of a Work which may in some sort answer to the Reputation of this great City In the mean time as I may hereafter inform my self more particularly of some things which I have not hitherto been able to discover at the same time I shall be much obliged to those who have any particular Memorials if they will be so generous to communicate and thereof advertize the Bookseller who Prints this that so they may be consulted if they please ERRATA In the First Part. PAge 7. Line 20. read Clagny p. 50. l. 31. r. Seneterre p. 70. l. 22. r. cepit p. 100. l. 16. r. fluted p. 109. l. 2. r. of merit p. 110. l. 2. r. be beheld p. 120. l. 13. r. admired p. 121. l. 2. r. Mandé p. 126. l. 2. for Lady r. Royal Consort p. 131. l. 10. r. Mandé p. 132. l. 17. r. Garden side l. 31 for the r. three p. 136. l. 32. r. Marks p. 146. l. 18. r. Verdure p. 148. l. 33. r. Portal p. 158. l. 5. dele p. 166. l. 5. r. is In the Second Part. Pag. 4. l. 23. for there r. then p. 8. l. 7. r. St. Victor p. 54. l. 20. for more r. some p. 136. l. 10. r. of Clay p. 160. l. 1. r. Canons A New DESCRIPTION OF The most Remarkable things IN THE CITY OF PARIS BEfore I enter upon the matter it may not be amiss to say something of the Original of Paris If this great City be not one of the Ancientest in Europe yet at least she may boast that Caesar speaks advantagiously of her in the sixth Book of his Commentaries where he says that having subdued divers Nations amongst the Gauls he was forced to lay Siege to Paris which at that time was wholly enclosed between the two Arms of the Seine into which place all the Inhabitants of the Neighbouring Country were retired Here they defended themselves with so much resolution and made so stout a Resistance
at present that Custom is alter'd It ought to be observ'd that the famous Erasmus of Roterdam did for some time dwell in this Colledge Next to this Quarter we ought to go into the Rüe Saint Jacques which Street begins at the Little Châtelet at the end of the Petit Pont. The Little CHATELET THis is a kind of antient Fortress composed of a great mass of Buildings open in the middle and served formerly as one of the Town-Gates as did also the great Châtelet this was when Paris had no greater Extent than the Isle of the Palais This Building was repair'd by King Robert under whom France enjoy'd a Peace of two and forty years during which that good Prince had convenient time to amass a very great Treasure which he deposited in this Fortress notwithstanding the great Bounties which he bestowed upon Churches and his great Charities with which he relieved the Poor Some Antiquaries will not allow this place to be so Antient but say that it was Built by Aubriot Provost of Paris the same person who Built the Bastille and that he did it to restrain the Insolences of the Scholars of the University who often used to make Invasions on the Townsmen and thereby occasioned very great Disorders THE RUE SAINT JACQUES THis Street is almost all inhabited by Booksellers by reason of the Neighbouring University The first thing of Note that you observe here is The Church of Saint Severin which is very Antient and one may think so in regard the Patron himself was the Founder Who lived in the Reign of Clovis and was by him invited out of Savoy where he was at that time a Hermite to come into France and cure him of a grievous Fever with which that King was afflicted and was at last cured through the Prayers of this Holy Man During his abode at Paris he dwelt in this place at that time very solitary where there had been already built a small Chappel in a Wood Dedicated to St. Clement Having remain'd here some time he resolved to return to his former dwelling but as he past by Château-Landon a small Village in Gatinois he met with two Priests who dwelt there in the reputation of Sanctity he stopt his Journey and after two years abode with them he dyed there Childebert caused a Church to be built in the same place which is at present an Abby of St. Augustine's Order of the Congregation of St. Geneviéve It is not well known when this Parish-Church was built but according to Appearance it is not above 200. years old There is nothing to be seen in it of Curiosity it being but an old Gothick Building not very regular and very dark in some places The great Altar was finisht but a while ago it is composed of eight small Marble Pillars disposed in form of a Semi-Circle which support a Dome cut in half as it were with some Ornaments of Brass gilt which shew very handsomly it is the Workmanship of Monsieur le Brun. In the Church-Yard the side next the Church is raised a Tomb upon which in a demicumbent Posture is the Figure of a Young Lord of East-Friseland who dyed here being a Scholar of this University His Name was d'Embda The Tomb was built by his Mother's Order a Lady extraordinarily afflicted at his Death he being her only Son and the Presumptive Heir of Friseland The two Epitaphs on his Monument are as follow Nobilitate generis Comitum Orientalis Phrisiae animi corporisque doâ—ibus praeclaro D. Ennoni de Embda Civitatis Embdensis Praeposito ac electo Satrapae propter certam hujus corporis resurrecturi spem ac in amoris sinceri testimonium avia materque pia unico suo filio qui bic ex studiorum â—ursu patriae ac amicis omnibus magno cum luctu anno aetatis suae XXIII morte praereptus est hoc monumentum statuerunt ANNO DOMINI 1545. 18 JULII To Enno d'Embda of the Noble Family of the Earls of East-â—riseland and of a beautiful Mind and Body Provost of the City of Embden and Chief Magistrate elect in sure hope of the Resurrection of the Body and in Testimony of their sincere Love his Grand-Mother and Mother to their only Son who was here snatch'd by Death from his Studies to the great Grief of his Country and Friends in the XXIII Year of his Age erected this Monument In the Year of our LORD 1545. 18. of July On the other side of the Tomb are these Verses Quid fuerint nostra haec recubans commonstrat imago Quid sim quam teneo putrida calva docet Peccati hanc poenam nobis ingenuere parentes Cujus sed Christus solvere vincela venit Hunc miht viventi spes qui fuit morienti Aeternam corpus quale habet ille dabit Peccati fidei Christique hinc perspice vires Vt te mortisices vivisicetque Deus What once I was this Image doth disclose And what I am the Carcase under shews This said reward of Sin our Parents gave But our deliverance from Christ we have He 's now my Hope when dead as when alive A Body Glorious like his own he 'll give Of Sin Faith Christ this Tomb the force displays Who mortifies himself him God will raise On the other side of the Rüe Saint Jacques as you enter into the Rüe Galande which Street butts upon the former there stands a very antient Church named Saint Julien le Pauvre which doubtless was formerly an Hospital Gregory of Tours in the ninth Book and the ninth Chapter of his Works mentions it and tells us That coming to Paris on certain private affairs he Lodged in this place at such time as they had taken a Notorious Cheat who pretended he had brought from Spain certain precious Reliques among others some of St. Vincent and St. Felix with which no doubt he would have abused the Credulity of the Parisians But when his pretended Reliques came to be examined they found in his Bag nothing but the Roots of divers Plants the Teeth of Moles the Bones of Mice with the Fat and Claws of Bears Which things being apprehended to serve only for some Magical use or other they were all thrown into the River The Cheat himself was committed close Prisoner and put in Chains according to the Custom of those times This happen'd in the Reign of Chilperic who was unhappily slain just entering into his Palace at Chelles as he return'd from Hunting about the Year Five hundred Eighty four A little further on in the Rüe Saint Jacques is The Church of Saint Yves built in the year 1347. at the Charge and Care of a â—amous Confraternity of Bretons at that time residing at Paris and who caused Divine Service to be there Celebrated daily by certain Ecclesiasticks whom they hired On the side of this Chappel lyes The Rüe des Noïers which hath been of late enlarged and thereby render'd much more commodious than formerly The MATHURINS THE Convent of these
and Benefits By his Victory shewing himself their King And by his Clemency their Father He had his Court in his Camp His Palaces In his Tents And his Shows In his Triumphs He had Children in lawful Wedlock Of which he was afterwards deprived Lest if he should leave behind him a greater than Himself He himself should not be the greatest But if a less his race should degenerate His Religion was equal to his Valour Nor did he sight less for the next World Than for this Hence were Monasteries and Hospitals Built at Warsaw The Temples of the Calvinists Destroyed in Lithuania The Socinians driven out of the Kingdom That none might have Casimir For their King Who would not have Christ For their God The Senate from Various Sects Was reduced to the Communion Of the Catholick Faith That they might obey the Laws of the Church Who made Laws for the People Hence was the famous Title of ORTHODOX Given him by Alexander the Seventh Finally having out-gone The highest pitch of Humane Glory When he could do nothing more illustrious He willingly laid down his Crown In the Year M. DC LXVIII And then those Tears Which his Reign had never extorted from any Flow'd from the Eyes of all Who Bewailed the Departure of their King As it were the Death of their Father When he had spent the residue of his Life in the Offices of Piety At length hearing of the loss of Caminiec That he might not out-live so great a Calamity Being wounded with the Love of his Country He dyed The XVII of the Calends of January M. DC LXXII His Royal Heart he left to the Monks of This Monastery Of which he had been Abbot As a Pledge of his Love Which they lamenting inclosed In this Tomb. In one of the Chapels behind the Ouire you may further observe two Tombs of Marble belonging to two of the House of Duglas one of the principal Families in Scotland Having seen these things there remains nothing more of singular note in the Church On Festival Days the divine Office is here Celebrated with great Pomp and Majesty and there is scarce any Company of Regulars who perform better The Order of St. Benet hath been in the Possession of this House ever since it was first Founded by King Childebert And the Church according to the opinion of some Historians stands in the same place where was formerly a Temple dedicated to the Goddess Isis whose Statue remain'd here till the last Age at which time an old Womâ—n being seen saying her Prayers before it it was by order of the Superiours removed out of the Church and broken to pieces In the inward parts of this Convent the Refectory is worth seeing which is great and one of the fairest of the Kingdom It hath lights on both sides The Glass of which is very handsome tho' old At the end of this Room is a Stair-case that leads up to the great Dortor which Stair-case is a hardy piece of Building And you must not neglect to visit the Chapel of our Lady behind which is something of the same design with the Holy Chapel at the Palais Report says That both were built by the same Architect who lies buryed here But without tarrying long in viewing thesâ— things you ought to go to the Library which takes up all the upper Room of that Arm of the Cloister next the Church It is in truth none of the fullest but in recompence of that all the Books are the choicest and of the best Editions that can be met with In the last Age when there was not such plenty of Libraries as at present this here was esteemed the principal Library of Paris And at this day if it doth not continue all out of the same reputation for Printed Books yet for Manuscripts none will dispute the precedency of which we can no where meet with so great a Quantity nor such Choice ones unless it be in the King's Library These Manuscripts are kept at the further end in a little Chamber by themselves which Room is full of them from the top to the bottom Here are some of all Subjects but chiefly of Religion by means of which great Lights several faults of Printers and ill Copiers have been discovered and amended In a little Press in the great Library they preserve several Volumes more choice and rare than the rest amongst which is one called The Psalter of St. Germain it being supposed to have been used by that Saint who lived about the Year 560. in the Reign of Childebert King of France and Justinian Emperor in the East Formerly this Book was kept in the Sacristy among the Reliques but in regard it was so often desired to be seen by curious persons it was removed hither It is written in Letters of Gold and Silver upon a Purple coloured Velom and contains all the Psalms of David There is also in the same place a very ancient Missal which according to all appearance is more than 900. Years old Certain Tablets of the Antients made of small Boards of Cedar with a kind of Wax or Varnish finely spread over them upon which they writ with their Stile or Steel Bodkin and several other singularities of such sort which deserve to be considered above all one great Volume full of Attestations of the Belief of several Greek Bishops touching Transubstantiation Which Attestations the Learned M. Arnauld with much pains procured from Constantinople by the means of Monsieur de Nointel Ambassador from France to the Port for Authorities against those of the pretended Reformed Religion who maintained that the Greek Church was of their Opinion Having said thus much of the Library the Reader will not be displeas'd if I give some account of those Excellent Works which the Learned Monks of this House have lately publisht of which the most useful and most considerable is St. Augustin's Works which they have interpreted and corrected according to the most antient and authentique Manuscripts in all the Libraries in Europe of which they have had an account We have already received five great Volumes to which the publick have given an universal applause and they are continually employ'd about publishing the rest with the same Purity One may justly say That there has not been any thing undertaken in this Age of greater importance and advantage to Religion in regard all the Disputes that of late Years have happen'd among Divines on the subject of Grace have risen from the different interpretation of that Father The Church is obl ged to these Learned Monks who deserve no less Glory for their Pains than they have had Trouble in the undertaking before they could bring the Work to this Condition Father Dom Luc d'Achery a Monk of this House hath publisht the Spicilegium and hath continued it to the Thirteenth Volume in Quarto in which he hath collected together several antient Pieces hitherto hid in the Libraries of his Order and which had been lost in oblivion
Parisiensis referuntur in festo Assumptionis B. Mariae Virginis in 12. 1662. Traditio antiqua Ecclesiarum Franciae seu totius Imperii Occidentalis quae in ipsius Martyrologio ad festum Assumptionis B Mariae Virginis referuntur Vindicata 1672. There are also some other Books ascribed to him Entituled Recüeil de Maximes veritables importantes pour l'institution du Roi. Codicille d'Or ou petit Recüeil tirè de l'Instution du Prince Chrâ—tien composé par Erasme mis en Francois sous le Roi Francois I. a present pour la deuxiéme fois aves d'autres petites pieces 1665. in 12. Traitè de la restitution des Grands precedé d'unâ— Lettre touchant quelques points de la Morale Chrètienne 1665. in 12. De Reformandis horis Canonicis ritâ— constituendis Clericorum muneribus Consultatio 1643. in 12. This last mention'd Book is a most curious piece He hath also compiled together the Works of Monsieur Guy Coquille containing many Curious Tracts relating to the Liberties of the Gallican Church in two Volumes in â—olio He had a numerous Library but gave it away to the Chapter about two years since on Condition that it be publick and that all sorts of People may have liberty to come and study in it freely It is at present in a house in the Cloifter behind the Draw-wells on that side next the Church and we may e're long see it considerably augmented some other of the Canons having promised to add their â—ooks to it It ought to be observed that the Canons of this Church rise at midnight to go to Matines which they still say at that hour according to the ancient usage of the Church There are some antient Men among these hanons who for 30. or 40. Years together have not omitted one single time and this is almost the only Church in the Kingdom that hath Religiously continued this pious Custom tho' so painful and troublesom especially in Winter The Canons places are of no great Revenue yet they are much esteem'd because they are very honourable On Festival days you may see here very rich Ornaments Their Silver Vessels or Altar Plate is of the best Workmanship It consists of six great Candlesticks and a Cross made by Monsieur Baslin Over the Copper Pillars behind the great Altar is the Shrine of St. Marcel one of the first Bishops of Paris It is of Silver gilt adorn'd with precious Stones and Enamel of a delicate Colour On Whit-sunday they expose here a Suit of Ornaments of Crimson Sattin Embroidered with Pearls some of which are very large This was the gift of Queen Isabel of Bavaria Wife of Charles VI. Which Present she made in order to obtain of God her Husbands Cure being afflicted with a troublesom Distemper The fair Suit of Tapistry which they display here on the great Festivals representing the Life of the Holy Virgin is the gift of M. le Masle Prior of Roches Chanter of this Church and Secretary to the Cardinal de Richelieu the same who gave his Library to the Sorboune The Statue which we see on a Pillar on the left hand of the great Altar represents Philip Augustus whose Wife is interred here in the Quire as is also a Son of Lewis the Gross who refused to be Bishop of this Church because he would not by his own promotion hinder that of the famous Peter Lombard who was chosen in his stead The Tomb of Copper raised about one Foot from the Ground near the Quire Door belongs to a Bishop of Paris named Odo de Sulli in whose Pontificate this Church was finish'd he lived in the Reign of Philip Augustus and died in the year 1208. In the Chapels behind the Quire there are more Tombs the most considerable of which are those of the House of Gondi originally of Italy who came into France with Catharine de Medicis the Cardinal de Retz who died about 3. years since Abbot of St. Denis and had been Arch-Bishop of Paris was the second Cardinal of this Family The Chapel of the Virgin which is on one side of the Door that leads into the Quire is adorn'd with many Silver Lamps and abundance of other curious Offerings that have been made here Some years ago they placed before the great Altar that huge Lamp of Silver given by the late Queen-Mother which weighs 120. Marks a Mark is 8 Ounces and is six Foot in Diameter This Chapel of the Virgin has been sometimes called the Sluggards Chapel because of the very late Masses which were said here for such as lay long a bed It was the only place in Paris that enjoyed this priviledge contrary to the Custom of the past Ages when it was forbid to say Mass after 10. a Clock Over against this is the Statue of Philip de Valois on Horseback Armed and Caparison'd as the fashion was in his time He is represented in such manner as when he came into this Church to return his Thanks for a Battel gain'd over the Flemings near Cassel a Battle so Bloody that he saw 22000. of his Enemies dead upon the place Near this is a great Picture representing Lewiâ— XIII in his Royal Robes kneeling at the Feet of Christ taken down from the Cross it is the Vow of that King made in a dangerous fit of Sickness I shall say nothing of the several Chapels round the Nave all well Wainscotted and Painted nor of the Galleries over the sides capable of holding a vast number of People for this would be to engage too far into particulars I shall only say that Paulus Aemilius that famous Historian is interr'd in this Church on the North side but the precise place is not known However you might have read this Epitaph not long since PAULUS AEMILIUS VERONENSIS hujus Ecclesiae Canonicus qui praeter eximiam Vitae sanctitatem quantâ quoque Doctrinâ praestiterit judex atque testis erit Historia de rebus â—estis Francorum posteris ab eodem edita OBIIT A. P. 152â— DIE 5. MENSIS MAII Paulus Aemilius of Verona Canon of this Church of whose great Learning besides his extraordinary Sanctity his History of France will be a sufficient testimony to Posterity He died in the Year 1526. the 5. of May. In the Sacriâ—ty you may see an excellent Bust of Cardinal de Richelieu made by Cavalier Bernin which the Dutchess of Aiguillon gave to this Church by her Testament On the South side of this Church stands the Archiepiscopal Palace on the bank of the River Seine The House makes no very handsom show on the outside but is within very commodious and neat Here is very handsom Furniture and a Cabinet of choice Books The Garden is but little and consists only of one or two Alleys along the River Behind the Church of Nostre-Dame stands another little one very ancient call'd St. Denis du Pas because the first Torment that they inflicted upon that Saint was in this place where they put him into a hot Oven