is XVI., and close upon the outbreak of the
French Revolution. They had been quite forgotten, until Court de
Gebelin, son of Antoine Court, discovered them. When he applied for
their release to M. de Boyne, Minister of Marine, he answered that
there were no more Protestant convicts at the galleys; at least, he
believed so. Shortly after, Turgot succeeded Boyne, and application
was made to him. He answered that there was no need to recommend such
objects to him for liberation, as they were liberated already.

On the two old men being told they were released, they burst into
tears; but were almost afraid of returning to the world which no
longer knew them. One of them was Antoine Rialle, a tailor of Aoste,
in Dauphiny, who had been condemned by the parliament of Grenoble to
the galleys for life "for contravening the edicts of the King
concerning religion." He was seventy-eight years old, and had been a
galley-slave for thirty years.

The other, Paul Achard, had been a shoemaker of Chatillon, also in
Dauphiny. He was condemned to be a galley-slave for life by the
parliament of Grenoble, for having given shelter to a pastor. Achard
had also been confined at the galleys for thirty years.

It is not known when the last Huguenot women were liberated from the
Tour de Constance, at Aiguesmortes. It would probably be about the
time when the last Huguenots were liberated from the galleys. An
affecting picture has been left by an officer who visited the prison
at the release of the last prisoners. "I accompanied," he says, "the
Prince de Beauvau (the intendant of Languedoc under Louis XVI.) in a
survey which he made of the coast. Arriving at Aiguesmortes, at the
gate of the Tour de Constance, we found at the entrance the principal
keeper, who conducted us by dark steps through a great gate, which
opened with an ominous noise, and over which was inscribed a motto
from Dante--'Lasciate ogni speranza voi che'ntrate.'

"Words fail me to describe the horror with which we regarded a scene
to which we were so unaccustomed--a frightful and affecting picture,
in which the interest was heightened by disgust. We beheld a large
circular apartment, deprived of air and of light, in which fourteen
females still languished in misery. It was with difficulty that the
Prince smothered his emotion; and doubtless it was the first time that
these unfortunate creatures had there witnessed compassion depicted
upon a human countenance; I still seem to