[ 254 3 
there upwards of fourfcore years : yet, when the vault 
was open’d about four months ago, it was found as 
perfect in all its parts, as if but juft interr’d. The 
whole body was plump and full ; the fltin white, 
foft, fmooth, and elaftic ; the hair ftrong, and the 
limbs nearly as flexible as when living. 
A winding fheet, which was as Arm as if but juft 
applied, inclofed it from head to foot ; and two coarfe 
linen cloths, dipp’d in a blackifh fubftance like pitch, 
infolded the winding-fheet. The body thus protected 
was placed in an oaken coffin, on which, as it was 
always cover’d with water, was found a large ftone 
and a log of wood, probably to keep it at the bottom. 
Various have been the conjectures as to the caufe of 
its p.efervation ; and as it has been reported, tho’ 
probably without foundation, that the perfon was a 
Roman-catholic, there have been fome of that re- 
ligion, who, not having philofophy enough to ac- 
count for it from natural caufes, have attributed it 
to a fupernatural one, and canonized him 5 and, in 
confequencc of this, have taken away feveral pieces 
of the winding-fheet and pitch-cloths, preferving 
them as reliques with the greateft veneration. 
In my opinion, the pitch-cloths and water over- 
throw the miracle, and bring it within the power of 
natural agents ; the former, by defending the body 
from the external air, and the latter, by preferving 
the tenacity of the pitch. The left fide, from the 
middle of the forehead to the Jcrotum , having been 
for fome time expofed to the air, is now grown black, 
and moulders away ; but where the pitch-cloths re- 
main, the parts underneath are perfectly frefh and 
firm. As the coffin is now pretty much injured, 
tho’ 
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