CHAP. VIII.

The Hiftory of Simon Morin.

THE tragical end of Simon Morin is not lefs horrible than that of poor Anthony. It was midst the feasting, pleasures, and gallantry of a brilliant court; it was even in the times of the greatest licentiousness, that this unfortunate madman was burnt at Paris, in the year 1663. Imagining that he had feen vifions, he carried his folly fo far, as to believe that he was fent from God, and that he was incorporated with Jefus Christ.

The Parliament very wifely condemned him to be confined in a mad-house. What was very remarkable, there happened to be confined in the fame mad-houfe another fool, who called himself God the Father. Simon Morin was fo ftruck with the folly of his companion, that he acknowledged his own, and appeared for a time to have recovered his fenfes. He declared his repentence, and, unfortunately for himself, obtained his liberty.

Some time after, he relapfed into his former nonfenfe, and began to dogmatize. His unhappy R 2 destiny

destiny brought him acquainted with St. Sorlin Defmarets, who, for fome months, was his friend, but who afterwards, from jealoufy, became his moft cruel perfecutor.

This Defmarets was no lefs a vifionary than Morin. His firft follies indeed were innocent. He printed the Tragi-Comedies of Erigone and Mirame, with a tranflation of the Pfalms; the Romance of Ariane, and the Poem of Clovis, with the office of the holy Virgin turned into verfe. He likewife publifhed dithyrambic poems, enriched with invectives against Homer and Virgil. From this kind of follies he proceeded to others of a more serious nature. He attacked Port-Royal, and after confeffing that he had perverted fome women to atheism, he commenced prophet. He pretended that God had given him, with his own hand, the key to the treasure of the Apocalypfe, that with this key he would. reform the whole world, and that he fhould command an army of an hundred and forty thousand men against the Janfenists.

Nothing could have been more reasonable and more juft, than to have confined him in the fame place with Simon Morin; but can it be believed, that he found credit with the Jefuit Annat, the king's confeffor? whom he perfuaded, that this poor Simon Morin would establish a fect

a fect almost as dangerous as the Janfenifts themfelves. In short, carrying his infamy fo far as to turn informer, he obtained an order to feize the perfon of his rival. Shall I tell it! Simon Morin was condemned to be burnt alive?

In conducting him to the stake, there was found, in one of his ftockings, a paper in which he begged forgiveness of God for all his errors. This ought to have faved him; but no: the fentence was confirmed, and he was executed without mercy.

Such deeds are enough to make a man's hair bristle with horror. Yet where is the country that hath not beheld fuch fhocking spectacles? Mankind univerfally forget that they are brothers, and perfecute each other even to death. Let us confole ourselves with the hope, that fuch dreadful times are paffed, never more to

return.

R 3

CHAP.

CHAP. IX.

Of Witches.

IN the year 1748, in the bishopric of Wurtsburg, an old woman was convicted of witchcraft and burnt. This was an extraordinary phenomenon in the prefent century. But how incredible it feems, that a people, who boasted of their reformation, and of having trampled fuperftition under their feet, and who flattered themselves that they had brought their reafon to perfection; is it not wonderful, I fay, that fuch a people fhould have be ieved in witchcraft; fhould have burnt old women accused of this crime, and that above a hundred years after the pretended reformation of their reafon ?

In the year 1652, a country woman, named Michelle Chaudron, of the little territory of Geneva, met the devil in her way from the city. The devil gave her a kifs, received her homage, and imprinted on her upper lip and on her right breaft, the mark which he is wont to bestow upon his favourites. This feal of the devil is a little fign upon the skin, which renders it infen

fible,

1

fible, as we are affured by all the demonographical civilians of thofe times.

The devil ordered Michelle Chaudron to bewitch two young girls. She obeyed her master punctually. The parents of the two girls accused her of dealing with the devil. The girls, being confronted with the criminal, declared, that they felt a continual prickling in fome parts of their bodies, and that they were poffeffed. Physicians were called, at least men that paffed for phyficians in those days. They vifited the girls. They fought for the feal of the devil on the body of Michelle, which feal is called, in the verbal process, the Satanical mark. Into one of these marks they plunged a long needle, which was, already no fmall torture. Blood issued from the wound, and Michelle teftified by her cries that the part was not infenfible. The judges not finding fufficient proof that Michelle Chaudron was a witch, ordered her to be tortured, which infallibly produced the proof they wanted. The poor wretch, overcome by torment, confeffed at last every thing they defired.

The phyficians fought again for the Satanical mark, and found it in a little black spot on one of her thighs. Into this they plunged their needle. The poor creature, exhausted and almost expiring with the pain of the torture,

was