240 



TABLE-TALK AND VARIETIES. 



AN EXTEMPORE DISCOURSE. 



A young preacher of a prepos- 

 sessing appearance, and an agree- 

 able voice and manner, having 

 mounted the pulpit, was suddenly 

 seized with loss of memory, and 

 completely forgot his sermon. To 

 have come down again would have 

 been disgraceful. If he tried to 

 preach, he had nothing to say. 

 What was to be done in this ex- 

 tremity? He resolved to stand 

 firm and to make the most of his 

 voice and gestures, withoxit using 

 any but imperfect or unconnected 

 expressions, such as, in fact, but, if, 

 and again, to conclude, and so on. 

 Never did a preacher appear to 

 possess such fire. He bellowed, he 

 uttered pathetic exclamations, he 

 clapped his hands, he stamped with 

 his feet. Everything shook about 

 him, the very vault of the church 

 echoed with his vehemence. The 

 audience remained in profound si- 

 lence ; every one put forward his 

 head, and redoubled his attention, 

 to understand what was perfectly 

 unintelligible. Those who were 

 near the pulpit said, we are too 

 near, we can hear nothing. Those 

 who were farther off, regretted the 

 distance at which they sat, think- 

 ing they were losing the finest 

 things in the world. In short, the 

 preacher kept his audience on the 

 stretch for three quarters of an 

 hour ; and retired with the applause 

 of the whole audience, each of whom 

 determined next time to choose his 

 seat better, in order not to lose the 

 fruits of such a discourse. (Me- 

 lange d'Hist. et de Lit.) 



HOW TO TURN THE BRAIN. 



Nothing is so likely to turn the 

 brain as intense application directed 

 to one of six things the quadra- 

 ture of the circle ; the multiplica- 

 tion of the cube; the perpetual 

 motion ; the philosopher's stone ; 

 judicial astrology ; and magic. In 



! youth, wo may exercise our ima- 

 gination upon them, in order to 

 convince ourselves of their impossi- 

 bility; but it argues a want of 

 judgment to occupy ourselves with 

 such inquiries at a more advanced 

 age. "Nevertheless," says Fon- 

 teuelle, "the search has its advan- 

 tages, for we find many things on 

 the way that we never looked for." 



JULIUS. SCALIGER. 



Julius Scaliger used to say, that 

 he was ignorant of three things ; of 

 the cause of the interval which 

 takes place between the paroxysms 

 of fever ; how an idea, once forgot- 

 ten, may be recalled to the memory; 

 and the cause of the flux and reflux 

 of the sea. Alas! of how many 

 things was he ignorant of which he 

 says nothing. 



SOCIETY OF PORT-ROYAL. 



The society of Port-Eoyal des 

 Champs was so called from ?, val- 

 ley near Chartreuse, about six 

 leagues from Paris. In 1637, the 

 celebrated advocate, Le Maitre, 

 abandoned the bar, and resigned 

 his ofiice of Councillor of State, 

 which his extraordinary merit had 

 procured him at the age of twenty- 

 eight. His brother, de Sericourt, 

 who had followed the profession of 

 arms, quitted it at the same time. 

 Both resolved henceforth to dedi- 

 cate themselves to God, and retired 

 to a small mansion near Port-Eoyal 

 de Paris. Their brothers De Sacy, 

 De St. Elmi, and De Valmont 

 joined them. After the arrest of 

 the Abbe de St. Cyrian, which took 

 place in 1638, Francis de Sondy, 

 Archbishop of Paris, intimated to 

 them by order of the court, that 

 they must leave their house. They 

 did so the next day, and went to 

 reside at Port-Eoyal des Champs, 

 where they had not remained more 

 than two months, when they were 

 again dislodged by order of the 

 court. Thirteen months after- 



