On the 16th Brumaire, year 9, the First Consul, Bonaparte, celebrated the inauguration of the Apollo by placing upon the pedestal of the statue the following inscription, engraved upon a bronze tablet: “Le statue d’Apollon, qui s’élève sur ce piédestal, placé au Vatican par Jules II., au commencement du XVI. siècle, conquise l’an 5 de la République, par l’armée d’Italie, Sous les ordres du Général Bonaparte, A été fixée ici le 21 Germinal an VIII. Première année de son Consulat, Bonaparte, Ier Consul, Cambacères, IIme Consul, Lebrun, IIIme Consul. Lucien Bonaparte, Ministre de l’Intérieur.” [Sidenote: HISTORICAL TOMBS] The thirty-six other statues, which decorate this hall, are all of great merit; a statue of Mercury, called the Belvidere Antinous, from the Vatican, is perhaps the finest and one of the most perfect remains of antiquity, this once stood by the Apollo in the Vatican Belvidere. The Capitoline Venus is also exceedingly beautiful. The sixth and last portion of this Museum is termed the “Hall of the Muses;” it contains twenty statues, every one of which was stolen from the magnificent gallery Pius VI. built as an addition or annex to the Vatican Museum. The members of the National Institute thus express themselves in the catalogue upon the contents of this hall: “Since the revival of the arts, the admirers of antiquity have several times attempted to form collections or a series of the antique statues of the Muses; but none have proved so complete as that formed by the industry of Pius V., a collection which Victory has enabled us to transport to the National Museum.” This chamber contains, besides the celebrated Nine Muses, heads of Bacchus, Hippocrates and a statue of the Cytherian Apollo, a Hermes and busts of Socrates, Virgil and Homer. I have now mentioned the principal antiques contained in the six compartments of this Gallery, but were I to write a volume upon them I could give no adequate idea of their exquisite beauty and artistic merit. XXX MUSEUM OF FRENCH MONUMENTS One of the earliest calamities which the intemperate zeal of her would-be reformers brought upon France was the entire confiscation of all ecclesiastical property, this property being placed at the disposal of the nation. Broken loose from the bonds of subordination, the people misinterpreted this decree, and in the effervescence of a wanton and licentious spirit demolished the sanctuaries of religion, persecuted their ancient pastors and disturbed the tranquil ashes of the dead. The National Assembly was finally compelled to acknowledge its precipitate folly by ordering the committee which had charge of alienated property to take measures for the preservation of those monuments of art erected on the domains of the Church.