relating to that Subject, which he had in his Library. He fet a particular Value upon the Books of the famous Agrippa, entitled de Philofophia occulta, The Fourth runs only upon Magick. But I fhewed him immediately, that Agrippa is not the Author of that impertinent Book, which is not to be found in the Folio Edition, that confifts only of Three Books. 'Tis a furprifing Thing, that a Book ftuffed with Extravagancies fhould make an Impreffion upon feveral People, and that they should be fo weak, as to read it very seriously.

'Tis not long fince an Officer of the Parliament of Paris brought me the famous Book call'd, The Claviculæ of Solomon, out of which fome other Books have been forged by fome Impoftors of thefe latter Times. That MS Copy, which is a Folio Book very well written, comes from Thuanus's Library, where it is carefully preserved, and fhewed to the Curious as a valuable Piece. How many foolish Things and Impertinencies have I found in thofe Famous Clavicula, wherein one may fee the Figures of the Genii, and the ridiculous Prayers addreffed to them! The foolish Book printed in French at Rouen, under the Name of the Curate of Milemont, is only an Extract of thofe Clavicule and of the Book afcribed to Agrippa. You can hardly believe how many People of both Sexes in Normandy have been spoiled by reading the Book of that Curate. They make use of it chiefly to find out Treasures with the Help of fome Genii; pretending that when they have mumbled fome Nonfenfical Words, looking on a certain Part of Heaven, thofe Genii will appear to

them.

My mentioning the Curate of Milemont, puts me in mind of feveral Curates, especially in the Country, who are too Zealous, and pretend to unbewitch fimple Women. Tho' that pretended Bewitching is only a Diftemper of the Imagination, they ufe feveral Ancient Prayers of the Church to cure an imaginary Disease, which fhould be cured by Physicians. I knew a Curate near the Town where you

live, at whose House there was on certain Days of the Year a great Concourfe of Women, who pretended to be bewitched. Ever fince he died, the Number of bewitched Women is much less than it

was.

I fhall conclude this Letter with a pleafant Story about Witchcraft. A Man, hated by his Neighbours, was accused of being a great Sorcerer. His Accufers pretended to prove the Charge by undeniable Arguments. They had feen a Broom, and fome Greafe, in the Corner of his Chimney, and fome Wafers upon the Mantle-tree. The Broom, faid they, ferved him to go to the Devil's Meeting; which is called, Riding upon the Broom (Chevaucher le Balai, ou l' Efcouette,). As for the Grease, They pretended that he rubbed himself with it, as all Sorcerers do. The Wafers, faid they, are used by him for fome impious Thing. But that Man came off very cleverly. The Broom (faid he, in Answer to his Accufers,) ferves me to fweep my Chimney, I have got the Itch; and therefore I rub my Skin with that Grease. As for the Wafers, I make use of them to feal my Letters. Moft Trials about Witchcraft, in the Diftrict of your Parliament, are not better grounded than this. Can any one believe, that as foon as it comes into a Shepherd's Head to put a Broom between his Legs, the Devil is obliged to fetch him away, or to fend one of his Agents to carry him to his Meeting? Believe me, Sir; If the Devil had a mind to make an Apology for himself, he would eafily fhew, that Men afcribe to him a Thousand Things, of which he is not the Author.

PARIS 1572.

The Readers will find a curious Piece concerning Witchcraft, extracted from the Archives of Geneva, in the firft Volume, Art. XLVII.

ARTICLE

ARTICLE X,

AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT, never before publish'd, of the Life ↓ and Trial of MICHAEL SERVETUS. In feveral Letters to ****. By the Aur thor of thefe Memoirs..

Letter I.

SIR,

N order to fatisfy your Curiofity, I fhall freely

have made concerning the Famous Heretick, Michael Servetus, befides what I have inferted in my Account of the Bibliotheque Critique: And tho' it be a a Subject that will afford Matter for feveral Reflections, yet I fhall hardly make any, being contented to relate Hiftorical Facts, and leaving it to you to make your Observations upon them.

MICHAEL SERVETUS was born in the Year 1509. at Villanueva † in Arragon. His Father, who was a Notary, fent him to the University of Toulouse, to study the Civil Law. Servetus began

το

See Servetus in the Index.

*He faid during his Trial, the 28th of August 1553, that he was then 44 Years of Age.

† Thuanus and feveral other Authors fay, He was born at Tarragona; which is a Miftake.

to read the Bible then, which he had never done before. It does not appear that there were any Antitrinitarians in France, or any where else at that Time; and therefore it is not improbable that he himself broached the new Doctrine, for which he was put to Death afterwards. Perhaps he applied him felf to read the Holy Scripture, because the Reformation made a great Noife in France; and being fenfible that the Church wanted to be reformed 'tis not unlikely that he went fo far, of his own Head, as to fancy that the Trinity was one of those Doctrines that were to be rejected. However it be, he grew very fond of his Opinions; and after he had been Two or Three Years at Toulouse, he refolved to retire into Germany, and to fet up for a Reformer. He went to Bafil by the way of Lyons and Geneva; and having had fome Conferences at Bafil with Oecolampadius, he fet out for Strasburg, being extremely defirous to difcourfe with Bucer and Capito, two celebrated Reformers of that City. At his Departure from Bafil, he left a Manufcript, which he had written against the Trinity, in the Hands of Conrad Roufs a Bookfeller, who fent it af terwards to Haguenau. Servetus went thither from Strasburg, to get it Printed, in the Year 1531. The Title of that Book, and a fhort Account of the Author's Doctrine, may be feen in my Account of the Bib liotheque Critique t. That Piece was published at Strasburg and Francfort before the Month of August. When it was brought into Switzerland, feveral Proreftant Divines were very much displeased with it, as it appears from a Letter of Oecolampadius to Bu"I faw this Week, Says he *, our Friends of "Berne,

cer.

+ See Servetus in the Index.

Invifi hac hebdomada Bernates, qui te & Capitonem falutant plurimum. Libellus de Trinitatis Erroribus à quibufdam ex illis vifus duntaxat, fupramodum offendit. Vellem te fcribere Luthero, quod nobis infciis liber alibi excufus fit. Impudentia enim erat

adfcribere

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66

"Berne, who make their Compliments to you and "to Capito. They are very much offended with "the Book entitled, De Trinitatis Erroribus, which "fome of them have seen. I defire you would "acquaint Luther, that this Book was printed out " of this Country, and without our Knowledge. For, (to mention but One Article,) it is an im"pudent Thing to affirm, as the Author does, That "the Lutherans do not understand the Doctrine of "Juftification. But that Man, whether he be a "Photinian, or of any other Sect, thinks he knows more than every Body else. Our Church will be very ill fpoken of, unless our Divines make it "their Business to cry him down. I beseech you "in particular to keep a watchful Eye over it, and to make an Apology for our Church, at leaft in your Confutation infcribed to the Emperor. We "know not how that Beaft came to creep in among us. He wrefts all the Paffages of the Scripture, 66 to prove that the Son is not Coeternal and Con"fubftantial with the Father, and that the Man "Chrift is the Son of God". This Letter is da ted Auguft 5. 1531.

66

of

The Magiftrates of Bafil defiring to know Oecolampadius's Opinion concerning the Book of Servetus; that Reformer made a fhort Discourse in their Prefence, wherein he fhew'd that it was a pernicious Book; but he exprefs'd himself with great Mo

ration.

adfcribere Lutheranis, juftificationis rationem eos ignorare, ut de reliquis taceam. Sed Photinianus ille, vel nefcio cujus fecta homo, folus fapere fibi videtur. Nifi ab Ecclefiæ noftræ doctoribus explodetur, peffimè auditura eft. Tu præ aliis, oro, vigiles: Et fi non alibi, certè in confutatione tua ad Imperatorem Ecclefias noftras excufa, utcumque hæc beftia irrepferit. Abutitur omnibus in fuum fenfum, tantum ne confiteatur Filium coæternum Patri & Confubftantialem, Atque hic eft, qui fufcipit probandum hominem Chriftum effe Filium Dei. Oecolampadii & Zuinglii Epiftola. Lib. IV. Pag. 801. Bafil 1592, in Quarto.

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