eee eNO 
708 
would be inclined,toe consider them as the 
productions of a warm imagination, were 
they not related by persons worthy of 
credit. ‘* However,” adds he, with an 
affected candoar, “ notwithstanding the 
testimony of so many worthy people, it 
is not here pretended to guarantee all 
the facts mentioned, The judicious 
reader will of course make such in- 
ductions as he may deem necessary.” 
To compose a volume of this descrip- 
tion,-it becomes absolutely necessary to 
recur from the present te former ages, 
and to dwell with particular complai- 
sance on those dark and bigoted periods, 
when the credulity of a besotted people 
produced monsters and chimzras in 
abundance. We are first presented with 
the history of a robber, who descended 
into the sepulchre of a young maiden, 
and stole away her clothes, “sans par- 
donner méme a sa chemise.” ‘The out- 
raged lady, in order to punish this au- 
dacity, immediately awakens from the 
slumbers of death, and announces, by 
way of punishment, that he shall never 
_depart again out of the tomb. She re- 
lents, however, and the thief obtains 
permission to depart, on condescending 
to become a priest! This is truly a pretty 
compliment tothe church. 
We next encounter a certain Count de 
Macon, a very violent man, who had dis- 
played, as we are told, a most tyrannical 
disposition against the prieste, and what- 
soever belonged to them. By way of 
punishing him, he 1s transported into the 
air by a demon until he had made repa- 
ration for his excesses against the holy 
church. Next comes a Huguenot (Protest- 
ant) man-servant,who is tormented by the 
devil because he wished to turn Catholic. 
After these arrive a number of good souls 
post from the other world, who assure us 
that every thing related concerning it is 
perfectly true. The moral certainly is, 
** to eause masses to be said for departed 
friends, give money to the neighbouring 
churches, &c.”- In respect to these su- 
perstitious mummeries it may be said, in 
every age, and in every country, with the 
Ytalian harlequin— 
4¢ Tutto il mondo é fatto comme la nostra 
famiglia.” 
But the principal story here related, is — 
concerning a poor unhappy gentleman, 
who slept all night with a demon, who 
had enticed him under the form of a 
pretty girl! This occurred at Paris, we 
are told, on January ist. 1613, and has 
undoubtedly happened many times since, 
Retrospect of French Literature— Miscellanies. 
without the occurrence of a prodigy, or 
the interposition of any thing miraculous. 
“ Analyse, &c ”—Analysis of a Course 
of History ; by Vounzy, late Professor 
at the Normal School. 
History is a course of experiments 
which the human race practises on itself. 
That these experiments 1-.ay not be lost, 
we ought to endeavour to deduce certain 
inferences from them. To arrive at 
these, M. Volney purposes to fuilow the 
progress of the most celebrated maxims 
in respect: ® 
1. To the arts, such as agriculture, 
commerce, navigation. 
2. Yothe different sciences, such as 
astronomy, geography, natural history, 
S. To morals, private and public. 
4. To legislation, civil and religious, 
&c. 
And after having glanced at the pre- 
sent state of the globe, he resolves to 
examine the two following questions : 
1. To what degree of civilization may 
we hope to see the human race attain? 
2. What general indications result 
from history, towards the perfecting of 
the civilization and the antelioration of 
mankind ?- . 
The duties ofan historian are pre= 
sented to him by the etymology and 
meaning of the word history; ssopse 
signified among the Greeks a perquisition, 
or laborious research..~ History then, al- 
though the moderns seem not to have 
considered it 1n this point of view, is an 
inquest concerning facts, whence results 
the necessity of considering these facts 
in a double point of view; first, m re- 
speet to their essence, and secondly, in 
connection with testimony. Accord. 
ingly, in order to appreciate the: cer- 
tainty of historical facts, one ought to 
weigh— 
1. The means of instruction and ins 
formation. . 
2, The extent of the moral faculties, 
which are sagacity and discernment. 
3. The interests and affections of 
the narrator, whence may arise three 
kinds of partiality ;'seduction, and the 
prejudices of birth and education. 
In his second lesson, the author exa- 
mines the materials of history, and means 
of information among the ancient nas 
tions. Healso compares their situation, 
both civil and moral, with that of the 
moderns, in order to demonstrate the_ 
great revolution which printing has pro- 
duced in this branch of our knowledge, 
and our studies. And here he recom= 
mends doubt ; not ‘that_absurd pyrrho- 
nisin, 
