G88 
MISCELLANEA. 
reasons given against their continuance are the following: — 
<£ Stage coaches make gentlemen come to London upon every 
small occasion, which otherwise they would not do but upon 
urgent necessity. Nay, the conveniency of the passage 
makes their wives come up too, who, rather than come such 
a long journey on horseback, would stay at home. Here, 
when they come to town, they must presently be in the mode, 
get fine clothes, go to plays and treats, and, by these means, 
get such a habit of idleness and love of pleasure that they 
are uneasy ever after.’ 5 
SORCERY IN ERANCE, 
The peasantry of Touraine believe firmly in sorcery, and a 
number of designing knaves turn their credulity to good 
account by pretending to be magicians. In the hope of en- 
lightening the peasantry, the Tribunal of Correctional Police 
of Tours has within the last two years condemned not fewer 
than six soi-disant sorcerers to fine and imprisonment as 
swindlers ; but the faith of the people in their power still 
continues undiminished. Two days ago two other such 
practitioners, named Lafont and Belluot, were brought to 
trial before the same tribunal for swindling. A peasant 
named Jahan, of Cussay, said that he had had recourse to 
their art to cure an ox of his which was ill, and to make one 
of his cows give milk ; and that what they did was this — 
stalked solemnly round the stable in which the animals were, 
scattered about a white powder, burned a blue powder, spread 
out twelve pieces of five francs given by him on an open 
book containing pictures, and muttered some unintelligible 
words, plucked a few hairs from the neck of the ox, and 
washed the udders of the cow ; and, lastly, made him burn 
nine wax candles, and have a certain number of masses said. 
For all these important operations they had charged 73f. 
Another peasant of the same village, named Jourdain, said 
that he also had had recourse to their skill for a sick ox, but 
had only paid them 40f. Another man named Pinard, mem- 
ber of the municipal council of Balermes, further proved 
that he had paid them 20f. to be told, by their art, what had 
become of a sum of money which he had lost. The Tribunal 
sentenced Lafont, who was the chief actor in these affairs, to 
a year’s imprisonment, and Bolluot, who had acted as his 
assistant, to a month of the same punishment. 
ERRATUM IN NO. 346. 
Page 579, for glenoid process read glenoid cavity. 
