nd were alternately attributed to opposite
parties. Among others, to the priests, many of the bishops having
published mandatory letters, or stated openly in the churches of their
diocese, that the Almighty had sent the cholera as a punishment to
France for having driven away its lawful sovereign, and assimilated the
Catholic to other forms of worship.

(38) It is notorious, that at this unhappy period several persons were
massacred, under a false accusation of poisoning the fountains, etc.

CHAPTER XIX. THE CHOLERA MASQUERADE.(39)

A stream of people, who preceded the masquerade, made a sudden irruption
through the arch into the square, uttering loud cheers as they advanced.
Children were also there, blowing horns, whilst some hooted and others
hissed.

The quarryman, Ciboule, and their band, attracted by this new spectacle,
rushed tumultuously towards the arch. Instead of the two eating-houses,
which now (1845) stand on either side of the Rue d'Arcole, there was
then only one, situated to the left of the vaulted passage, and much
celebrated amongst the joyous community of students, for the excellence
both of its cookery and its wines. At the first blare of the trumpets,
sounded by the outriders in livery who preceded the masquerade, the
windows of the great room of the eating-house were thrown open, and
several waiters, with their napkins under their arms, leaned forward,
impatient to witness the arrival of the singular guests they were
expecting.

At length, the grotesque procession made its appearance in the thick of
an immense uproar. The train comprised a chariot, escorted by men and
women on horseback, clad in rich and elegant fancy dresses. Most of
these maskers belonged to the middle and easy classes of society. The
report had spread that masquerade was in preparation, for the purpose
of daring the cholera, and, by this joyous demonstration, to revive
the courage of the affrighted populace. Immediately, artists, young men
about town, students, and so on, responded to the appeal, and though
till now unknown one to the other, they easily fraternized together.
Many brought their mistresses, to complete the show. A subscription had
been opened to defray the expenses, and, that morning, after a splendid
breakfast at the other end of Paris, the joyous troop had started
bravely on their march, to finish the day by a dinner in the square of
Notre Dame.

We say bravely, for it required a singular turn of mi