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I., that that prince enjoyed the happiness of the saints, without having passed through the flames of purgatory, the faculty of theology sent deputies to call the grand almoner to account. Jean de Mendoza, to whom the king had referred the deputies, extricated the almoner from the scrape in this way: "Gentlemen," said he, "I am aware for what purpose you are come. It is to debate with the grand almoner, as to the locality of the soul of the late king, our good master. Now, if you will take my opinion in the matter, who know him as well as any one, I can assure you, he was not likely to stay long in any one place; so that if ever he was in purgatory at all, depend upon it, he made but a very short stay there.” Thus the conference terminated; and the deputation retired, after this grave decision.

CLVIII. CHARACTERS IN WRITING.

Those

The characters of writing have followed the genius of the barbarous ages: they are well or ill formed, in proportion as the sciences have flourished more or less. Antiquaries remark, that the medals struck during the consulship of Fabius Pictor, about 250 years before Augustus, have the letters better formed than those of an older date. of the time of Augustus, and of the following age, show characters of perfect beauty. Those of Diocletian and Maximian are worse formed than those of the Antonines; and, again, those of the Justins and Justinians degenerate into a Gothic taste. But it is not to medals only that these remarks are applicable; we see the same inferiority of written characters generally following in the train of barbarism and ignorance. During the first race of our kings, we find no writing which is not a mix

ture of Roman and other characters. Under the empire of Charlemagne and of Louis le Débonnaire, the characters returned almost to the same point of perfection which characterised them in the time of Augustus, but in the following age there was a relapse to the former barbarism; so that for four or five centuries we find only the Gothic characters in manuscripts; for it is not worth while making an exception for some short periods, which were somewhat more polished, and when there was less inelegance in the formation of the letters.

CLIX. ANTIMONY.

The origin of antimony is singular. Basil Valentine, superior of a monastery, having observed the effect of the mineral in fattening hogs, wished to try whether it would produce the same effect on his monks. The result unfortunately was very different, for the monks who took it died soon after; and hence the origin of the name (AntiMoine). In spite of this tragical experiment, however, Paracelsus resolved upon bringing the mineral into use, thinking he could employ it along with some other preparations; but neither could he boast of his success. The medical faculty of Paris was at first divided into two parties on the occasion. Some declared that antimony was a poison; others, that it was an excellent remedy. The dispute was not confined to the circle of the faculty, and it became general in Paris; the Parliament and the Sorbonne took part in it, but in a short time all doubts were at an end, the wonderful effects of the mineral being proved; and the faculty at length placed it in the list of their most efficient medicines.

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CLX.

GLASS.

T

According to Pliny, we are indebted for the invention of glass to some merchants who were travelling with nitre, and who stopped near a river called Belus, flowing from Mount Carmel. As they could find no stones to support their cooking-pot, they made use of some pieces of the nitre. The action of the fire mixing the nitre with the sand, produced a transparent substance, which was, in fact, glass.

CLXI. ROMAN CALENDAR.

Most of those who are acquainted with the Roman manner of computation by Kalends, Ides and Nones, are ignorant of the reason; which is this: The ancient Romans at first regulated their months according to the course of the moon, and having observed that it presented three remarkable varieties every month,-the first, when it is concealed in conjunction with the sun; the second, when it begins to be seen at setting; the third, when, opposite to the sun, it is seen fully illuminated by his rays, they called the first day of the month the Kalends, from the Latin word Celare, because for this day the planet was concealed; or, according to Juba, from the Greek word Kalein, because they then assembled the people to announce that the Nones, that is, the fair or market, would take place on the fifth day after. The day when the moon, beginning to re-appear, was in its first quarter, they called the Nones, from the Greek Neos, and the day when it appeared full, the Ides, from the word Eidos, face, because it was then in its beauty, and showed its entire face. From the Ides, till the end of the month, they reckoned 14, 13, 12, &c. before the Kalends of the follow

ing month; and from the first day of that month till the Nones, the 2d, 3d, 4th, &c. after the KaTends.

CLXII. SEPULCHRAL LAMPS.

It happens frequently when antiquarians are inspecting by torch-light old sepulchres which they have opened, that thick vapours, produced by the decomposition of the bodies, become ignited at the approach of the flame, to the great astonishment of the attendants, who have more than once shouted a miracle. This sudden effect is quite natural; but it has occasioned the belief that these flames proceed from the perpetual lamps which they pretend were placed in the tombs of the ancients, and which they say are extinguished the first moment the external air gains admission into them.

CLXIII. TEARING THE GARMENTS.

It was anciently the custom of the Jews to rend their garments in seasons of grief and affliction. The practice is still kept up among some tribes of the East, when any misfortune befalls them. The Jews mingled a great deal of ceremony with it; sometimes they made the rent from the top downwards; sometimes from the skirt upwards. The requisite length was a hand's-breadth. When made on the occasion of the death of parents, it was not sewed up again; when for the loss of other persons, it was sewed up at the end of thirty days. It is in reference to this practice that Solomon has said, "There is a time to rend and a time to sew;" that is to say, a time to be afflicted, and a time to admit consolation. Accordingly, it may be observed, that the greater number of the observances spoken of in Scripture, which to us

may appear extraordinary, are founded upon some ancient custom of the Jewish nation.

CLXIV. AN EXTEMPORE DISCOURSE.

A young preacher of a prepossessing appearance, and an agreeable voice and manner, having mounted the pulpit, was suddenly seized with loss of memory, and completely forgot his sermon. To come down again would have been disgraceful. If he tried to preach, he had nothing to say. What was to be done in this extremity? He resolved to stand firm, and to make the most of his voice and gestures, without using any but imperfect or unconnected expressions, such as, in fact, but, if, and again, to conclude, and so on. Never did a preacher appear to possess such fire. He bellowed, he uttered pathetic exclamations, he clapped his hands, he stamped with his feet. Everything shook about him, the very vault of the church echoed with his vehemence. The audience remained in profound silence; every one put forward his head, and redoubled his attention, to understand what was perfectly unintelligible. Those who were near the pulpit said, we are too near, we can hear nothing. Those who were farther off, regretted the distance at which they sat, thinking they were losing the finest things in the world. In short, the preacher kept his audience on the stretch for three quarters of an hour; and retired with the applause of the whole audience, each of whom determined next time to choose his seat better, in order not to lose the fruits of such a discourse.

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