Statue of St. Bruno

The famous statue of St. Bruno, at Rome, was executed by that master of French sculpture, Houdon (1741-1828).

At the invitation of Franklin, Houdon visited America in the year 1785, and took casts for the statue of Washington (now at Richmond, Va.), which Lafayette declared to be the best likeness obtained of the "American Patriot."

St. Bruno belonged to the order of Trappists, whose chief law was silence.

Pope Clement XIV., on seeing the statue, exclaimed, "He would speak did not the rule of his order forbid!" St. Bruno founded the order of Carthusians, or Charter-house monks.