The Dungeons of Old Paris: Being the Story and Romance of the Most Celebrated Prisons of the Monarchy and the RevolutionHopkins, Tighe
History
The Dungeons of Old Paris: Being the Story and Romance of the Most Celebrated Prisons of the Monarchy and the Revolution
Hopkins, Tighe
Prisons -- France -- Paris
"M. Moncarré had an interview with his wife in the afternoon, in
accordance with your instructions.
"In obedience to your instructions of the 28th of this month, I have
handed letters to Abbé Grisel and M. Ponce de Lèon.—I am, etc."
[Illustration:
1. Tour du Puit.
2. Tour de la Liberté.
3. Tour de la Bertaudière.
4. Tour de la Basinière.
5. Tour de la Comté.
6. Tour du Trésor.
7. Tour de la Chapelle.
8. Tour du Coin.
A. Entry from Street St. Antony.
B. First Enclosure, Called Passage Court.
C. Governor's House.
D. Court before Governor's House.
E. F. Drawbridge and Gate of Castle.
G. Guard Room.
H. Great Court of Castle.
K. Council-Chamber.
L. Well Court.
O. Bastion.
P. Woods and Grounds.
Q. Gate of the Cour de l'Orme.
PLAN OF THE BASTILLE.]
The library which Abbé Duvernet dismissed with contempt was not at the
disposal of every prisoner. Both books and writing materials were in
the nature of indulgences, and doled out sparingly. The rule was
terribly precise on the subject of relaxations of any kind. It stated,
in so many words, that: "As regards a prisoner, the governor and the
officers of the château cannot be too severe and firm in preventing
the least relaxation in the discipline of the Bastille; they cannot
pay too much attention to this, nor punish too severely any act of
insubordination." How often was that rule interpreted in favour of a
sojourn in the dungeon or the "ice-chamber"?
Not only the governor and his immediate subordinates, but every
turnkey, sentinel, guard of the watch, and invalid soldier on the
staff was a gaoler and spy in himself. The inferior attendants of the
Bastille were encouraged and sometimes directly charged to feign
sympathy with a political prisoner, in order to lure him into some
indiscreet avowal; but in the discharge of their ordinary duties they
were enjoined to be watchful and mute. Amongst their orders were the
following:
"The sentinels will arrest immediately anyone of whom they have the
slightest suspicion, and will send for a staff-officer to settle the
matter.
"The sentinel will not let out of his sight, on any pretext,
prisoners who are exercising in the court. He will watch carefully
to see whether a prisoner drops any paper, note, or packet. He will
be careful to prevent prisoners from writing on the walls, and will
report upon everything he may have remarked whilst on duty.
"When the corporal of the guard or any inferior officer is ordered
to accompany a prisoner who may have leave to walk in the garden or
on the towers, it is expressly forbidden him to hold any
conversation with the prisoner. The officer is there solely to guard
the prisoner, and to prevent him from signalling to anyone outside
the walls."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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