q
" To such lengths had these unfortunate victims carricd their infatuation, that, in
order to fall at one and the same moment, the pistols had been tied to the back of a
chair, in the form of a sauloir, or cross. A prayer-book was found by them, opened at
the funeral-service; and close to Rosina a bible, in which lay a paper, soliciting forgiveness
from God and her mother, for the rash and atrocious act she was on the eve of
committing ; requesting her parent, in the tenderest terms, to continue her affection for
her friend, who was, indeed, more deserving the appellation of daughter than herself}
for, unable to exist without Servietti, she had flown to the cold arms of death, to ease
her of her sufferings.
" Thus, alas! perished, in the prime of life and beauty, these amiable but ill-fated
lovers, who would, doubtless, have been ornaments to society, had not a false idea of
virtue led them not only to commit suicide, but occasion the death of a fond and tender
parent, who, distracted at the loss of her child, survived her a few days only, and
was buried in the same grave.
" The unfortunate Justine, the last surviving victim of this mournful tale, finding
herself bereft of every comfort, and thrown into a state of penury by the mercenary and
cruel hands of wretches who had till now viewed her with envy and dissatisfaction,
and who, elated at seeing no provision made for this helpless girl, forced her to return
beneath the humble parental roof, where, with all the fortitude and resignation possible,
she endeavours to sustain her irreparable loss."
I must add, that I saw enough in her countenance to convince me how unsuccessful
would be all attempts at consolation. Worn out and depressed by grief and anguish,
the exertion which she made to earn her daily sustenance was more than her weak
frame could bear; and I have since heard that she did not long survive the death of her
friend.
This incident having passed, as it were, neariy under my eyes, I thought I could
not omit mentioning it, on account of its singularity, and the better to show the manners
and character of the Lyonese, as well as the danger produced by reading books
which have, in general, so pernicious a tendency to the innocent and unsuspecting.
I may probably be found remiss, by those who are endowed with extreme sensibility,
for not having entered more at large into the particulars of this melancholy
story, and expatiated on the accumulated misery of the unhappy individuals concerned:
but, leaving it to others to work it up by pathetic touches, I have contented myself with
barely relating, without embellishment, the simple and affecting narrative, such as I
heard it, and return to descriptions less agitating.
The surrounding country is beautifully fertile, abounding in rich and romantic
scenery; the prospects and sites every where presenting a happy mixture of mountain,
wood, and water.
So delightfully picturesque are the environs of this magnificent city, that-, in point
of beauty, they assuredly yield not, in the smallest degree, to the many curious and
interesting objects contained within its walls, although of a different species.
Never shall I forget the noble and extensive prospect I enjoyed from the summit
of the mountain de Fourviere} it being one of those spots, in the proximity of the Alps,
where, from its superior elevation, that formidable chain of mountains, with their
cragged sides and spiry tops, which terminate the horizon on the eastern side of the
city, in an extent of more than two hundred and fifty miles, presents itself in the
highest style of grandeur. With what mixture of wonder and admiration, as the
great luminary of heaven was sinking to the nether hemisphere, did I view the tremendous
peaks of that immense chain, whose tops are covered with eternal ice!
The appearance they exhibited was in itself so awfully surprising, that it is impossible
for me to form an idea of any thing more beautiful.
The hills and plains were already plunged into the shade of night by imperceptible
gradations; whilst the mild and beneficent beams of the setting sun still tinged the
elevated peaks, which, in the back-ground, appeared like planets emerging from
beneath the horizon, forming a most pleasing contrast with tiie purple hue of the
secondary mountains.
How often, white ray eyes have been fixed on such noble and majestic scenes, have
I experienced sentiments similar to those expressed by Rousseau's poor woman; who,
on viewing the wonderful beauties of Nature, confined her devotion to the Supreme
Author of our existence, to that emphatical but expressive ejaculation—"O !"—which
though short and concise, might be seen to proceed from a heart swollen with gratitude
and admiration.
The better to enjoy the superb sight above described, as well as to have a bird'seye
view of the city of Lyons and the adjacent country, I would recommend the traveler
to ascend the steeple of Notre Dame de Founihc, a church which stands on the
summit of the same mountain, which, according to M. de Luc, is four hundred and