622 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



some of them should be present when the citation was delivered ; thus, 

 in the case of the leeches tried at Lausanne, a number of them were 

 brought into court to hear the document read, which admonished them 

 to leave the district in three days. The citation contained a description 

 of the animals ; thus, in a process against rats in the diocese of Autun, 

 the defendants were described as dirty animals in the form of rats, of 

 a grayish color, living in holes. This trial is famous in the annals of 

 French law, for it was on that occasion Chasseneuz (who wrote a work 

 in 1588, on the excommunication of animals), the famous advocate, 

 won his first laurels. The rats not appearing on the first citation, 

 Chasseneuz, their counsel, with true legal subtilty, argued that the 

 summons was of a too local and individual character ; that, as all the rats 

 in the diocese were interested, all the rats should be summoned. This 

 plea being admitted, the curate of every parish in the diocese was 

 instructed to summon every rat for a future day. The day arriving, 

 but not any rats, Chasseneuz declared that as all his clients were sum- 

 moned, including young and old, sick and healthy, great preparations 

 had to be made, and an extension of time was necessary. This also 

 being accorded, another day was appointed, and again no rats appear- 

 ing, Chasseneuz objected to the legality of the summons under certain 

 circumstances. A summons from that court, he argued, implied full 

 protection to the parties summoned, both on their way to it and their 

 return home ; but his clients, the rats, though most anxious to appear 

 in obedience to the court, did not dare to stir out of their holes on ac- 

 count of the number of evil-disposed cats kept by the plaintiffs. Let 

 the latter, he continued, enter into bonds, under heavy pecuniary penal- 

 ties, that their cats shall not molest my clients, and the summons will 

 at once be obeyed. The court acknowledged the force of this plausi- 

 ble plea, but the plaintiffs refusing to be bound over for the good 

 behavior of their cats, the period for the attendance of the rats was 

 adjourned sine die, and thus Chasseneuz and his clients came off vic- 

 torious. 



The " Conteur Vaudois " of Lausanne publishes this strange story, 

 which is found in the "History of the Swiss Reformation," by De 

 Ruchat. It is not inserted as a joke, but given in sober seriousness : 

 In 1479 the vicinity of Lausanne was infested by cockchafers ; a law- 

 suit was commenced against them, and three processions of the inhabi- 

 tants ordered. The insects were cited to appear in the bishop's court, 

 and for counsel they had assigned to them one Perrodet, who had been 

 dead six months ! The accused and their advocate not appearing, 

 judgment was given by default. The sentence is in Latin, and is pre- 

 served in the archives of Lausanne. The insects are excommunicated 

 in the name of the Holy Trinity and the Blessed Virgin, and they and 

 their descendants were ordered to quit for ever the diocese of Lau- 

 sanne ! 



The work of De Ruchat contains another strange story. In 1364 



