of depositions the most absurd that it ever entered into the human heart to invent, Urban Grandier was condemned to be tortured, and burned alive before the porch of his own church of St. Croix.

"Grandier heard the sentence of his judges without undergoing the smallest change of countenance, or betraying the slightest symptom of mental trepidation. Erect and dauntless, his eyes cast upwards to heaven, he walked by the side of the executioner, to the prison assigned him. Mamouri, the surgeon, followed him, to execute such indignities upon his body as Laubardemont should direct. Fourneau, another surgeon of the town was confined to the same prison with Grandier, for manifesting human feelings on an occasion on which he was ordered to exercise some cruelties his upon person. Alas,' says the poor ecclesiastic, you are the only being under heaven that has pity on the wretched Grandier. Sir, you know but a small part of the world,' was the reply of Fourneau.

6

"Fourneau was now ordered to shave him all over, which he was preparing to do, after entreating the pardon of the unhappy sufferer, when one of the judges commanded him also to pluck out his eye-lids and his nails. Grandier desired him to proceed, assuring him that he was prepared, by the gracious support of a good God, to suffer all things. But Fourneau peremptorily refused to execute this last order for any power on earth. As soon as the first part of the operation had been performed, Grandier was clothed in the dress of the vilest criminals, and led to the town-hall, where M. de Laubardemont and a vast concourse of people were waiting to receive him. The judges, on this occasion, gave up their seats to the ladies, as if gallantry could with decency

Before he entered the

upon

his

mix in so woful a scene. audience chamber, father Lactance exorcised the air, the earth, and the prisoner himself. "As soon as he was admitted, he fell knees, and looked around with a serene countenance; whereupon the secretary told him, with a stern voice, to turn and adore the crucifix,' which he did with ineffable devotion; and lifting up his eyes to heaven, remained for some time wrapt in silent adoration. As soon as he recovered from his reverie, he turned to the judges, and thus addressed them: My lords, I am no magician; to which truth I call to witness God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The only magic that I know is that of the Gospel, which I have always preached. I have never entertained any other faith than that which our holy mother the Catholic Church has prescribed to me. I recognize Jesus Christ for that his blood, which was my Saviour; and I pray spilled upon the blot out my transgrescross, may sions, which, indeed, are manifold. My lords,' continued he (here the tears trickled down his face), 'I beseech you, moderate the rigour of my punishment, not for my body's sake, but lest soul my be reduced to forget its God in despair.'

"He was now put to the question, ordinary and extraordinary. His legs were placed between two pieces of wood, round which several strong cords were tied together with the extremest force: be. tween the legs and the boards, wedges were beat in with a mallet, four for the question ordinary, and eight for the extraordinary. During this process, the priests exorcised the boards, the wedges, and the mallet. Many of them, indeed, assisted at the torture, and took the mallet out of the executioner's

hand. Grandier uttered neither groans nor complaints, but regarded this horrible testimony of their hate with supernatural serenity, while the marrow of his bones was seen to drop on the pavement. In this extremity, he pronounced distinctly a strain of fervent adoration, which was copied from his mouth by one of the attending magistrates, but which he was not permitted to preserve. After this terrible scene, he was stretched before the fire, and recovered from frequent faintings by some strong liquor, which was poured into his mouth. Here he named two confessors, to whom he wished to consecrate his last moments, but they were both refused. This instance of unrelenting malice forced some tears down his cheek; and when other confessors were offered him, he desired that no one might interpose between God and himself.

"In his way to the place of execution, he cast a look of pity and complacency on those that accompanied him; and often kissed a lighted torch which he held in his hand. Father Grillau, whom he had demanded for his confessor, approached him with these consoling words: Remember that your Saviour Christ ascended to heaven by the way of sufferings. Your poor mother blesses you. I implore for you the divine mercy; and I believe firmly that God will receive you in heaven.' At these words, a placid joy overspread the countenance of Grandier, which never forsook him from that moment till the flames devoured him. The executioner would feign have strangled him before he had set fire to the pile ; but the exorcists had done all in their power to prevent this miserable charity, by filling the cord so full of knots that it could not be effected. At this moment, father Lactance seized a torch, and thrust

ing it into Grandier's face, Wretch,' cried he, ' renounce the devil; you have but a moment longer -confess!' Without waiting for the order, this implacable friar applied his torch to the pile, and publicly performed the office of executioner. Ah! where is thy charity, Lactance?' cried the poor ecclesiastic. 'There is a God that will judge both you and me. I cite you to appear before him within the month.'

6

"There was a vast concourse of people in the square among whom this devilish conduct of a minister of God excited a murmur of abhorrence. They cried out with one voice to the executioner, Strangle him! strangle him! but the flames had already seized his body, and prevented this last sad act of dreadful compassion. Thus miserably perished the body of Urban Grandier, sacrificed to the most diabolical hate that ever possessed human bosoms, and condemned by the most iniquitous tribunal that ever mocked with a show of justice."

No. 73. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1793.

-Navibus atque

Quadrigis petimus bene vivere.

HOR. EP. 1, 11, 28.

We think we must advance by travelling far;
And ships and carriages our tutors are.

As, in a paper or two ago, I offered to my readers some observations on travelling, I should have said nothing more on that subject, had it not been revived in my mind by an occurrence which took place on Thursday night. A gentleman, who has visited almost all parts of the globe, has lately taken a house at about a mile's distance from our town. Having heard that our Society was composed of many persons of parts and erudition, it was not long before he signified a strong inclination to become one of our members; and as there happened to be a vacancy at that time amongst us, we could not refuse him the customary trial. On the morning before our meeting, a foreign servant, in a kind of hussar dress, brought me from this gentleman several parchment rolls, which, on examination, I found to contain the certificates of his election to a great number of different societies abroad, which his servant was commissioned to interpret, as they were written in a variety of languuges. To these dazzling testimonies of merit, the modest request was subjoined, that, as president of this Honourable Academy, as he termed it, I would be pleased, with the assistance of his interpreter, to make known the contents to the mem