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possible for us to execute our design. We were no sooner gone, but she be- 

 stirred herself exceedingly, as we were informed, to bury her husband with all 

 speed. But being in an indigent condition, she could not compass it that day. 

 Meantime a famous physician of the faculty of Paris, happening to be that night 

 at the house of a lady who was solicited for a charity towards this burial, was of 

 the same mind with us, that his body should be opened, and therefore sent in- 

 stantly for surgeons to execute it. But she being resolved against it, used lies and 

 other arts to elude this design. And when we threatened her, that we would 

 return next morning and do the thing by force, she caused her husband to be 

 buried an hour before day, to prevent our opening of him. 



As soon as his death was buzzed abroad, the enemies of the experiment began 

 to triumph, and soon after they published defaming books against us. I then 

 resolved- to be silent, but that silence made our adversaries keener. And I was 

 surprised when two months after I was informed, that there were three physi- 

 cians that did not budge from the widow, importuning her by promises of a 

 great recompense, only to let them use her name to accuse us before a court of 

 justice for having contributed to the death of her husband by the transfusion; 

 and that even they addressed themselves to the neighbours of this woman to 

 engage them to bear false witness against us. And some time after, this woman, 

 raised by the hopes given her by those men, came and told us, that some phy- 

 sicians did extremely solicit her against us, and that she had always refused 

 them, knowing her obligations to us for having relieved her husband freely. 

 But she drawing from hence no profit, as she expected she should, she turned 

 her notices into menaces, and sent us word, that in the present necessity to 

 which she was reduced, she was obliged to accept of the offer made her by 

 certain physicians, if we would not assist her. I sent her this answer, that those 

 physicians and herself stood more in need of the transfusion than ever her hus- 

 band had done, and that, for my part, I cared not for her threats. But yet I 

 then thought it time to break silence, not only my interest being concerned, 

 but the public, to discover to the world those persons that would be engaged in 

 intrigues so unworthy of learned men. I complained of it to the lieutenant in 

 criminal causes, who presently allowed me to inform both against the widow 

 and those that solicited her. Some witnesses having been called before justice, 

 they deposed against the three physicians and this woman, accusing them of 

 having secretly given to her husband certain powders, which might have con- 

 tributed to his death. 



This information, brought in by five witnesses, having been presented in 

 a full court to the said lieutenant by Mr. Dormesson, the king's advocate, he 

 gave sentence, that the woman should have a day set her, to appear in person 

 to be examined upon my informations, and that in the mean time new informa- 



