THE MILD TENOR 
self: by a solicitude for the sick and indigent 
of his parish, and bya zealous desire of being 
employed in the distribution of the bread and 
meat which were given by the prior to the 
or. 
© Having completed his studies and taken 
riest’s orders, he was invited by a gentleman 
at Marseille to accompany him in @ coasting 
voyage. Vincent embarked with his friend 
on the 22d of July: in this month, at Beau- 
caire, a town in the Lower Languedoc, is 
held a celebrated fair: the tents are erected 
along the side of the Rhone, and forma most 
ieturesque view. The Gulf of Lyons, dur- 
ing the season of the fair, is commonly in- 
fested with Turkish pirates: our voyagers 
were unfortunately taken aud carried to ‘Tu- 
nis, where Vincent was sold to a fisherman ; 
but his ill health inducing his master to part 
with him, he was bought by an elderly man 
in affluent circumstances, who led a retired 
life in the country, and devoted himself to 
chemistry: this was a situation more suitable 
to Vincent, who, having some knowledge of 
that science, became the favourite of the 
learned Mahometan. A short time elapsed, 
when Vincent had the misfortune to lose his 
indulgent master, who died in his journey to 
Constantinople, and, as Vincent informs us, 
is beautiful rural retreat and scientific pur; 
Suits, to amuse, ‘with his experiments, the 
indolent hours of Achmet the First. Vin- 
cent now became the property of his late 
master’s nephew, who tmimediately sold him 
to a Piedmontese who had turned Maho- 
metan, and who farmed a tract of land be- 
longing to the Grand Seignor. These farms 
are called temats: Vincent says, the temat 
occupied by his new proprietor was a barren 
mountain, the cultivation of which was con- 
signed to tne labour of slaves. The wife of 
ihis apostate happening to approach the spot 
where Vincent was at work, and who was 
soothing his solitary labour with singing, she 
asked him what was the subject of his song; 
he replied, it was a hymn to Christ, a noel, 
or what we call a Christmas carol: she ob- 
seryed that her husband was once a believer 
in Christ, but that the holy prophet had 
breathed into his mind a more sublime belief. 
The zeal of Vincent was immediately kin- 
led, and finding she understood the French 
anguaye, he delineated with an eloquent 
fervour the character of the citristian doc- 
trine. he fair Mahometan seemed power- 
i fully affected with what she heard, and, re- 
ithe to her husband, reproached him for 
elinquishing a religion which appeared so 
jiable, and which seemed so happily adapt- 
‘ed to the incitement of every virtue: ‘1f you 
Aave forgot,’ she said, ‘all its holy injunc- 
tions, its benevolent precepts, its consolatory: 
promises, go to your slave who is now at 
‘work, and he will bring them all back to 
ur memory.” 
' ** This reproof, from so unexpeeted a 
Quarter, appalled the Mahometan convert: 
partly of grief, in being obliged to relinquish, 
OF CHRISTIANITY. 147 
the religion he had abandoned, his country 
that he had deserted, his friends and kindred 
whom he had forsaken, rushed upon his 
mind: after having held several private con- 
ferences with Vincent, he formed a design 
of returning to Nice; and having bribed the. 
master of a small vessel, he and Vincent hap- 
pily escaped. His wife the year after at- 
tended some merchants to the fair annually 
held at Beaucaire, where her husband had 
agreed to meet her. 
«* Vincent at his return to France was in- 
troduced to the illustrious family of Gondi, 
in the neighbourhood of Chatillon. The 
Countess of Gondi, with a corresponding 
zeal, promoted every charitable scheme, and 
assisted Vincent with ample donations in his 
benevelent pursuits: by the means of her ge- 
nerosity he instituted several female societies 
for the purpose of gratuitously attending the 
sick. Ina few years were established on the 
estates belonging to the Count de Gondi 
thirty sodalities associated under the same 
benevoleytdirection. ‘The fame of these in- 
stitutes excited in several towns in Lorraine 
and Savoy an emulative desire of similar es- 
tablishments ; and it may be asserted with 
truth, that in many parts of Europe, at this 
day, the aged, the infirm, the sick, the dying, 
are visited, attended, relieved, consoled, in 
consequence of the active and ardent zeal 
which glowed in the breast of Vincent. 
** In the year 1629, he lost’a valuable and, 
powerful friend, the Cardinal of Berulle, 
who died while he was celebrating mass ; on 
which cireumstance the following lines were 
written :— 
* Cozpta sub extremis nequeo dum sacra sa- 
cerdos 
© Perficere, at saltem victima perficiam.” 
«© Vincent found it proper to introduce 
some new regulations respecting his chari- 
table endowments. Married women formed 
a great part in every house that was dedi- 
cated to the attendance upon the sick: do- 
mestic concerns frequently required their 
presence at home; and, after the first fer- 
vour had subsided, inattention and neglect 
ensued. ‘The pious founder therefore or- 
dained, that for the future unmarried women 
only should be employed. This ordinance 
gave new vigour to his institution: a great 
number of young women, free from matri- 
monial engagements, presented themselves, 
and (after a year’s noviceship) ascertained 
their services by atemporary vow. Vincent 
divided this Holy sisterhood into little soci- 
eties, under the direction of an experienced 
person; these subdivisions were distributed 
over the province, to be in readiness to act 
whenever required. This was the com- 
mencement of that increasing association of 
the virgin daughters of charity, (les filles de 
la charité) which at length, like a healthful 
stream, flowed through the whole catholic 
continent.” 
The design-.of this work is very laud- 
Lg 
