close upon the procession: these two were followed by a fourth fool, or hoop-dancer.

Then came a large and magnificent carriage, on which sat a person representing the grand monarque sitting on a throne, dressed in his robes, with a crown, ball, and sceptre lying before him, on a table covered with embroidered velvet. His most christian majesty was attended by several devils, hoop-dancers, and bannerbearers.

Then followed another machine bearing the queen in her royal robes, attended by a great many ladies and maids of honour; the jewels of her crown were said to be of vast value; on this stage there was a grand band of music, and many dancers richly attired.

Then followed Bacchus, a large fat figure, attired in coloured silk attended by a great number of bacchanals holding goblets up to their mouths, as in the act of drinking, with a few more devils and hoop-dancers.

Then followed a kind of a sea triumph, in the front of which appeared Neptune with his trident and crown, in a large shell, surrounded by boys dressed in white, who were throwing out and drawing in a deep sea-lead, as sounding for land.

Six men followed in white shirts, with poles twentyfive feet long, decorated with bells and flowers; frequently shaking their poles, or endeavouring to break them; for he who could break one was exempted a whole year from all parish duty.

The pole-bearers were followed by a large ship, representing a ship of war drawn on wheels by horses, with

sails spread, colours flying, and brass guns on board, fired off very briskly on the quarter-deck stood the admiral, captain, and boatswain, who, when he whistled, brought forth the sailors, some dancing, others heaving the log, and the tops filled with boys.

The ship was followed by the representation of a large wood, with men in it dressed in green; a green scaly skin was drawn over their own, and their faces were masked, to appear as savages, each squirting water at the people from large pewter syringes. This piece of machinery, which was very noble, was the production of the jesuits' college, and caused great jollity among the common people.

The wood was followed by a very tall man, dressed like an infant in a body-coat, and walking in a go-cart, with a rattle in his hand.

The infant was followed by a man forty-five feet high, with a boy looking out of his pocket, shaking a rattle and calling out" grandpapa! grandpapa!" He was clothed in blue and gold, which reached quite to the ground, and concealed a body of men who moved it and made it dance.

After him followed a figure nearly of the same stature, mounted on a horse of suitable size for the enormous rider, which made a most striking and elegant appearance, both man and horse being executed in a masterly manner. It was made in a moving posture, two of the feet being raised from the ground.

Then followed a woman of equal stature, and not inferior in elegance to those which preceded; she had a

watch at her side as large as a warming-pan, and her head and breast richly decorated with jewels; her eyes and head turned very naturally; and as she moved along she frequently danced, and not inelegantly.

66 Thus," says its describer," ended the Cow-mass, a show scarce exceeded by any in the known world.". Town and Country Magazine, 1789.

BIGOTRY AT BERNE IN 1822.

66

A letter from Switzerland asserts, that the following circumstance lately occurred at a village in the Canton of Berne. The clergyman learned that several of the Roman Catholic inhabitants read the New Testament; and incensed at this, he ordered them, on their obedience as Christians," to deliver their copies to him. On the following Sunday he brought them all together, tore off the bindings, which he restored to the owners, and threw the Testaments into the fire !-Literary Gazette, October 1822.

A LETTER FALLEN FROM HEAVEN. Innumerable copies of a letter, said to have fallen from Heaven, in which very strange events are predicted, are circulated in the villages of Dauphiné. A circumstantial account is given of the last coming of our Saviour in the year 1830! But the strangest thing is, that it has the signatures of two respectable persons, a Vicar General and a Civil officer, who attest the truth of this absurd composition.-Literary Gazette, December 1822.

IMPOSTURE PRACTISED BY A PRIEST.

François Michel, of Salon, was a blacksmith by trade; and in the year 1697, being then about thirty-five years of age, going one evening to the chapel of St. Anne, just without the town of Salon where he lived, he asserted that, while he was alone in the chapel, addressing his private devotions to the saint, a spectre appeared, who ordered him to take a journey to Paris, to say something to the king of very great importance, and only to be communicated by him personally to his majesty. The first time he paid no further attention to this appearance than talking to the people of his town of having seen it; but the same thing occurring three evenings successively, and the last time the spectre uttering the most terrible menaces against him if he did not obey his orders, he began to think more seriously about it, and consider what was to be done. The whole neighbourhood rang with nothing but this wonderful story; and at length Michel, having consulted with some of his neighbours, determined on going to Aix to impart the matter to Monsieur Lebret, then Intendant of the province. The Intendant treated him as a visionary; but Michel replied, "I am far, Sir, from being what you suppose: the whole town of Salon would testify for me, if you would take the trouble of inquiring, that I have always been a perfectly sober-minded man, attending diligently to my business, nor given in any degree to fanaticism. It is not till after having been accosted three times in the same way, that I have thought fit to trouble you upon the

subject; I cannot be mistaken, in what I have seen, and can assure you that it is a matter of great importance, on which I am charged to speak to the king. I only beg, therefore, that you will write to the court, and obtain permission for me to execute the orders I have received."

Monsieur Lebret thought that there must be something extraordinary in this matter. He saw that the man had no appearance of being insane, or a religious enthusiast; and that he himself firmly believed in having seen the spectre, and received the order to make some communication to his majesty. Since, moreover, he said he was strictly charged not to reveal it to any other person, it seemed at least worth while to write to the court for instructions how to proceed, that the mystery, whatever it was, might be thoroughly investigated. He accordingly promised Michel to write and obtain him the permission he desired, on which the latter returned peaceably to Salon to wait the event.

Monsieur Lebret lost no time in acquitting himself of his promise, and received for answer a commission to authorise Michel to repair to Paris without delay. Michel no sooner received the commission than he hastened to Aix to make his acknowledgment to the Intendant; when, having received his instructions from him, he set out on his journey. He was followed to a considerable distance from the town by a vast concourse of people, who were all eager to see the man who had seen a spectre, and who were also not a little anxious for the development of a circumstance which appeared so