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284 T H E M U S E U M .
quire, might not be introduced with advantage
into this country. This hospital was
founded by king Childeberg, the son of
Clovis, and queen Ultrogothe, his wife, near
the beginning of the sixth century. Two
colossal statues of the founders are placed
in the front of the building facing the
Rhone. The hospital is open for public
inspection five days in the week ; strangers
who visit it are expected to contribute
something to the institution on going away.
The Hospice de la Charité is also a very
extensive building, in which four huudred
aged persous of both sexes are maiutaiued.
Part of the buildiug is devoted to the support
of orphaus aud fouudliugs, aud auo-
ther part is appropriated for a lying-iu hospital.
There are mauy other charitable institu-
tious iu Lyous, which the short period of
our residence here did not admit us to visit.
The museum, or Palais des Arts, is a
spacious and magnificent edifice ; before
the revolution it was an abbey for the nuns
of St. Benoit, each of whom, previous to
her admission, was obliged to prove her
titles of nobility, as none but the daughters
of nobles were admitted into this foim-
S E P U L C H R A L M O N U M E N T S . 185
dation. At present the museum contains
an immense number of the relicks of antiquity
and works of art, chiefly collected in
this city. The lower part of the building
is filled with Roman sepulchral monuments,
sarcophagi, altars, inscriptions, and military
columns. Amid these remains of ancient
greatness, the imagination awakes,
and we feel more respect for the ground on
which we tread—the birth place of Ger-
maniciis and Marcus Aurelius, — the seat
of bishops, the immediate successors of
the apostles, — and a soil consecrated by the
blood of a host of martyrs.
Among the sepulchral monuments, the
greater number were dedicated to the memory
of private individuals by their nearest
relations; the inscriptions indicated far
more tenderness and affection than might
have been expected, among a people wliose
public acts and amusements were so cruel
and ferocious.
We hired a boat and went up the Saone,
to view the majestic scenery on its banks.
This river is about the width of the Thames
at W in d so r; rocks of granite, in some
parts, rise immediately from the edge of the
water on both sides, and are surmounted
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