ENGRAVED SEPULCHRAL SLABS. 51

sepulture du Roi Francois I." ^ Although positive evidence may be wanting to prove that the tombs, now brought under the notice of this Institute, are identical with those thus dis- tinguished in the seventeenth century as the memorials of the Abbots Adam and Peter, there appears no cause to question the statement of Lenoir, or regard the inscriptions (which he describes) as fictitious, according to the ungenerous insinuation of M. de Guilhermy.^ One of these monumental portraitures, it must be observed, is undeniably not contemporary with the decease of the Abbot whom it is supposed to represent ; and it may be questioned whether that attributed to Peter d'Auteuil may not have been executed some years subse- quently to his times. Lenoir states that they both were placed by Abbot Mathieu de Vendosme, in 1259, in accord- ance with the directions of Blanche of Castillo, mother of St. Louis ; and thus explains the occurrence of the castles, allusive to her paternal blazonry, found with the fleurs-de-hs of France in the decoration of the field, on these interesting slabs.^ To the period of the rebuilding of the Abbey church, commenced by Abbot Eudes de Clement, in 1231, with liberal encouragement by St. Louis and the Queen Mother, and terminated, in 1281, by Mathieu de Vendosme, the Confessor of that Prince, and Regent of the realm during his absence on the second crusade, the date of these effigies may with confidence be assigned. To that Abbot, St. Louis had moreover assigned the charge of a new arrangement of the royal tombs, placing on one side the descendants of Charle- magne, and on the other those of the Capets, the paternal ancestors of St. Louis. The long series of commemoi'ative statues, commencing with Clovis II., and still seen in the catacombs at St. Denis, were sculptured at this period. In the course of the works attributed to Abbot Mathieu, we are informed that he caused the remains of the six abbots, ^ Tresor Sacr(5, p. 5.33. monastere de Saint^Denis, deux nionii- ' Those who know and can appreciate ments appartenant a des personnages the devotion in the preservation of works moins conniis." — De Guilhermy, Mouo- of art, shown by Lenoir, during tlie Days graphic, p. 1 (SO. of Terror, and the difficulties which he ** The castles, commemorative of the encountered, will repudiate the illiberal origin of the Queen-mother, were intro- innuendo of the author of the " Mono- duced in many decorations of the fabric, graphie," that the inscribed verge of these Felibien, p. 237. They occur on the slabs had been cut away, leading to the decorative pavement-tiles, of which a conviction, that Lenoir had, " sous sa small number were brought to light during responsabilite' personelle, dccorc des noms the restorations of later years, de deux abbes illustres dans I'liistoire du