Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/105

 10 s. vni. AUG. 3, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

ments were made on Holborn Viaduct with the Jablochkoff system.

During the past fifty years the tide of traffic has been ever on the rise, and pro- posals for " tube " railways had been long foreshadowed. The first step in this direc- tion was the construction of the City and South London Railway, followed by that of the Central London, and the excava- tion of the Bank Station beneath the space in front of the Mansion House. The City Press article rightly praises the manner in which all difficulties were surmounted in the construction of that huge underground station in the busiest spot in the world.

Although the majority of the City improve- ments were until ten years ago effected by the Commissioners of Sewers, the City Cor- poration has since the year 1760 spent over 11,000,0002. in public improvements, and in addition applied the net proceeds, between 1862 and 1890, of the 4<f. coal duty, which during those years produced 3,100,000?. Since the abolition of the duty the Corpora- tion has contributed nearly 300,000?. towards the discharge of debt and interest on the Holborn Valley improvement and the widening of streets. JOHN C. FRANCIS. (To be continued.)

PRINCE OF MONACO'S LETTERS.

THE following is a translation of an in- edited French MS. of 4 pp. 4to in my possession. It consists of copies of letters written by Honore III., Prince of Monaco, when a prisoner in Paris in 1794, under Robespierre's reign of blood. Carnot had the investigation of the Monaco claims and property. In a report to the Diplomatic Committee he decided on the union of Monaco with the French Republic, 1793 ; but he gave his word for the safety of the Prince, who nevertheless was imprisoned.

These copies of the letters sent may have been made, not only for reference, but as evidence, if necessary, to prove to the tyrannical Government that his correspond- ence was not political. The sum in the first letter seems to be in louis d'or. These letters are by the Prince who wrote the petition and letter at 10 S. vii. 125 and 244. The granddaughters mentioned were children of the Prince's second son, Prince Joseph Marie Jerome Honore Grimaldi of Monaco, and his beautiful wife Therese Stainville, who, returning to France to see these children, was executed cet. 26, after having cut off her luxuriant hair, with glass broken from her prison window, to prevent its pollution

by the executioner, as the only souvenir she could give her children. When she was taken by her husband out of France, she left her daughters in charge of Madame Chenevoi, a loyal Swiss lady. Four days- after her death, Robespierre himself was guillotined, so that had she pleaded, as she was advised, she would doubtless have been saved ; the Duchess of St. Aignan was arrested at the same time, put in her plea,, and, surviving the tyrant, was saved. The fourth letter is to this Princess Joseph, and the Prince was no doubt about to write the familiar " de Monaco," when he remembered, and erased the " de," for she was then in prison. In the eighth letter the omissions denote a few lines I have not been able to read. The names Albin and Albini evidently refer to the same person. The " home ' r where the girls were to go was probably the Prince's house in the Rue Varennes, where he died after his liberation. His wife owned a magnificent hotel in the Rue St. Dominique, where the Deaf and Dumb School is established (the mansion having been presented by the nation to Abbe Sieyes, the excellent founder) ; but this princess had left the country, so her possessions were confiscated. She was a great beauty, and having fled to England, after Honore III.'s death, married in London Louis Bourbon, Prince de Conde, in 1798, and they lived at Wimbledon.

This Honore III. received the Duke of York (George III.'s brother) at Monaco- Palace when he was ill, and he died there, in what is still called the Chambre d'Yorke. George III. entertained the Prince in London in 1768.

The italicized words are crossed out in the original.

28 Prairial (June). The Citizen Mounier.

If by you, or by your friends, you could, Citizen, borrow for me 2 or 300 or, you would render me an essential service by sending this sum to the Citizeness Chenevoy, to give food to my poor grand- daughters, who are dying of hunger, and have no- means of living but asking alms. I will return this sum as soon as I shall be at liberty to sell some furniture. You have announced to me the judgment of my cause for the 4th ; I beg you to send me immediately what has been the issue.

6 Messidor (July). The Citizen Mounier.

I beg you to inform me, Citizen Mounier, of a decree which grants a provision to the children of those confinea, and to give my granddaughters the benefit of it, they having no other resources. I am waiting for news of the cause which the Citizen Petan will give me.

6 Messidor. The Citizeness Chenevoi.

What sorrow your letter has caused me, Citizeness f Embrace my two grandchildren, whom I love