, was transferred to the
Louvre. They soon, however, followed their owner to Versailles, but
some hundred were subsequently returned to Paris, where they might be
inspected at the Luxembourg Palace by the public on Wednesdays and
Saturdays. In 1709 Bailly, the keeper of the king's cabinet, took an
inventory of the paintings and they were found to number 2376. In 1757
all were again returned to Versailles, and it was not until 1793, when
the National Convention, on Barrere's motion, took the matter in hand,
that they were restored to the Parisians and, together with the works
of art removed from the suppressed churches and monasteries preserved
by Lenoir, formed the famous gallery of the Louvre, which was formally
opened to the public on the first anniversary of the memorable 10th of
August. The arrival of the artistic spoils from Italy was
stage-managed by Napoleon with consummate skill and imposing
spectacular effect. Amid the applauding multitudes of Parisians a long
procession of triumphal cars slowly wended its way, loaded with famous
pictures, securely packed, but each bearing its title in monumental
inscription. THE TRANSFIGURATION, by RAPHAEL: THE CHRIST, by TITIAN,
etc. Then followed the heavy rumbling of massive cars groaning under
the weight of sculptures, these too inscribed: THE APOLLO BELVEDERE:
THE LAOCOON, etc. Other chariots loaded with trunks containing famous
books, precious manuscripts, captured flags, trophies of arms, gave
the scene all the pomp and circumstance of a veritable Roman triumph.
These spoils, which almost choked the Louvre during Napoleon's reign,
were reduced by the return, in 1815, of 5233 works of art to their
original owners under British supervision, and during the removal of
the statues and pictures, ostentatiously effected to the bitter
humiliation of the Parisians, British sentinels were stationed along
the galleries and British soldiers stood under arms in the quadrangle
and the Place du Carrousel to protect the workmen.

Before beginning our artistic pilgrimage let us pay grateful tribute
to the memory of Alexandre Lenoir, to whose tact and love for the arts
we owe the preservation of so many priceless objects here, at St.
Denis, and other museums of Paris. Appointed by the National Assembly,
Director of a _Commission pour les Monuments_ formed to collect all
objects of art worthy of preservation during the search for lead
coffins to be cast into bullets, he induced the author