LAON, the Laodunum of the Romans, is a town of France, and the chief place of a district in the department of the Aisne. It is beautifully situated on the summit of a hill with very precipitous flanks, and is seen on all sides at the distance of seven or eight leagues. The town covers the greater part of the level summit. An old castle occtt pies another part of it ; and on one place, the top branches out into two arms on the side towards Soisson, from which it got the name of Bibrax. On one of these arms are tho ruins of an ancient abbt y, the outer walls of which still re main; and the hollow between them is covered with vines. The walls of Laon are not in good repair. There is a fine mall w ithout the walls, and a delightful walk around them, from which there is a most extensive view. There is also a mall with young tiees stretching across the summit, and separating the town from the old castle.
The streets of Laon are narrow and dirty, and the houses appear poor and gloomy. The principal ornament of the town is the cathedral, which is a large and splendid build ing, with five very lofty towers. The open buttresses, and the long open windows in the square towers, give a pecu liar air of lightness to the building when seen from a short distance. But at a considerable distance, and particularly
in the night, they give it the appearance of a scaffolding, the light coming through in every direction. The great portal is not unlike that of Rheims ; but it is less elegant in the sculptures. There is a small spire on the south tower of the cathedral. The interior of the cathedral is very fine. In the nave are ten circular pillars on each side, with capitals ; two of them on each side having four small columns round it. Above the choir, is a most magnificent circular window of painted glass. There is another fine -circular window in the nave, above an excellent organ, and at each end of the transept. On the north side of the nave in a small aisle, are deposited the remains of General St. Priest, who died at Laon of the wounds he received in the campaign of 1814. A small and simple marble monument has been erected to his memory. The theatre of Laon is a neat building, with an end front finely sculptured. The public hospital is situated out of the town, on the road to La Fere. Population 6691. For the preceding article, we have been indebted to the MS. journal of a gentleman who recently visited the town.