9^ On Popular Illu/tons. 



Montgeron of falfe citations*, of fuppreffin^ 

 paflages unfavourable to his opinion, and of 

 diredlly mifreprefenting fads. Nay it appeared 

 that fome perfons, faid to have been cured mira- 

 culoufly, retraded every thing that they had 

 advanced : and there were fuch proofs given of 

 tampering with witneffes, to make them fign 

 what they at leaft did not know to be true f, 

 and of attempts to deceive the medical perfons 

 whofe atteftations were required, as muft deftroy 

 every degree of credit that the advocates for 

 thofe miracles might otherwife deferve. 



A miraculous cure, publifhed in the Nouvelles 

 Ecclefiaftiques, was proved to be a forgery * : after 

 this detedion, the conteil was heard of no more, 

 and the influence of the philofophical party in- 

 creafed to fuch a degree, that it was prefumed 

 the age would now be fecure from the phrenzy 

 of the moft fpecious delufion. However, in 

 I778» Dr. Mefmer began to diftinguilh himfelf 

 by his operations in animal magnetifm, which foon 

 became as famous as the miracles of the holy 

 deacon of St. Medard. Paris was the theatre of 

 this wonder-worker (for it feems Philofophy, 

 Jike the Romans, can only be defeated in its own 

 quarters) and as it was not immediately known, 



* Lett. VI. 



t In Anne le Franc's Cafe, letter VII. 



i Des Voeux, lett, VII. 



that 



