114 VOLTAIRE. 



at first was disposed to put the whole family to the 

 torture, never doubting that the murder would be 

 confessed by one or other of them ; but they ended 

 by only condemning the father to be broke alive upon 

 the wheel. The Parliament of Toulouse, by a narrow 

 majority, confirmed this atrocious sentence; and the 

 wretched old man died in torments, declaring his per- 

 fect innocence with his latest breath. The rest of the 

 family were acquitted an absurdity the most glaring, 

 inasmuch as they were all his accomplices of absolute 

 necessity if he was guilty. 



Loaded with grief, and suffering under the additional 

 pangs of their blasted reputation, the wretched family 

 came to Geneva, the head-quarters of their sect, and 

 immediately applied to Voltaire. He at once devoted 

 himself to their defence, and to obtaining the reversal 

 of perhaps the most iniquitous sentence that ever a 

 court professing or profaning the name of justice 

 pronounced. He was nobly seconded by the Due de 

 Choiseul, then Minister. The case was remitted to a 

 Special Court of Judges appointed to investigate the 

 whole matter. The preparation of memorials, the 

 examination of evidence, a long correspondence with 

 the authorities, were not the philosopher's only 

 labours in this good cause : he revised all the pleadings 

 of the advocates, made important additions to them, 

 and infused a spirit into the whole proceedings the 

 fruit of his genius, and worthy of his pious design. 

 In 1765 the decree was reversed ; Galas was declared 

 innocent, and his memory restored (rehabilite) ; and 

 the Minister afforded to the family an ample pecuniary 



