Bicetre

The vcry jipine of Biaetre - dnngeon, madhouse and cloaca of obscene infamies - became of dreadf ui import ; uot the Conciergerie, the Chatelet, Fortl'Eveque, Viucenues nor the Bastille itself inspired the cornruon people and the bourgeoisie with such datestation and panio fear. The general imagination, outvying rumor, peoplod it with imps, evil genii, soroerers and shapeless monsters, compouuded of men and beasts. Mediseval Paris, at a loss for the origins of things, ascribed them to the fairies, the devil or Julius Ca3sar. It was said that the devil alighted in Paris one night and brought in chains to the "plateau de Bicetre" a pauper, a madnian and a prisoner, with whioh three unfcrtnnates he set agoing the prison on the ote side and the asylura on the other to minister to the menus plaisirs of the deuizens of heil. Such grim reuown as this was uot easily surpassed, but at the end of Louis XIV's reign the commoa legend went a step farther and said that tke devil had now disowned Bicetre. Rhymes sincere or satirical gave utterance to the terror