a certain Cardinal, named Bonaventure, was fo audacious as to fubftitute the Name of Mary P.457. to that of Gop, in every one of David's Pfalms. Prayers have been put up to her, requiring her to command her Son, &c. &c.

Mr. Saurin confiders next his firft part, where p.463. in he fhews how much the. Nature of her Son's Death muft have been fhocking to her. In the Second, he obferves the Calmnefs whicha good p.470. Chriftian,after Christ'sExample, fhews in the laft Minutes of a well-fpent Life; who, amidst the Tears of a diftracted Family,and his beft Friends, prudently, and undisturbed, gives part of thefe precious Moments to the eafing of his Sufferings; part, to his Family; part, to his Friends; and part, to Religion. Our Saviour's caring for his Mother is likewife a Motive to take care of one's Family-affairs, which may be done without of

fence.

We fhall give an account of the fecond Volume of thefe Sermons in our next Journal.

ARTICLE XXX.

Hiftoire Critique des Pratiques fuperfti tienfes, qui ont féduit les Peuples & embarraffé les Savans.

Avec la Methode,

e. Par le Pere Le Brun, &c.

wwed the That is,

A Critical History of the fuperftitious Practices which have feduc'd the Vulgar, and puzzled the Learned. Together with the Method and Principles how to diftinguish Natural Effects, from fuch as are otherwife, &c. By Father Le Brun, &c.

Pp 2

WE

E now come to the SECOND Volume

W of this Work, which is divided into

five Books or Parts, as the firft Volume was into three. Having therefore given an Extract of the firft, fecond and third Book or Part, in our laft Journal, page 464, we fhall proceed to the other Parts whereof this Volume is compofed, and which begins with

The fourth Book or Part, whofe Subject is, The critical History of the Practices obferved in bonour of St. Hubert, in order to preferve from Madness, together with fome account of the Kings of England and France touching for the Evil.

This Part confifts of four Chapters, and the moft remarkable Particulars in them, are the perpetual Miracles (in curing those who are bit by Mad-dogs) which are faid to be wrought by the Sacred Stole, fent from Heaven to St. Hubert. This Stole, tho' a numberless multitude of Pieces have been cut out of it, is yet as entire and complete, as when the Angel brought it from the Skies, and preferves its Heavenly Luftre ; at the fame time that every thing in the Church where it is kept, fades and moulders away. The Method by which Madnefs is cur'd on this occafion, is as follows; a fmall Incifion is made in the Patient's Forehead, when a little Piece of the abovemention'd Stole is thrust between the Flesh and the Skin.

$

Then a nine days Devotion, &c. is performed in honour of St. Hubert; and as feveral whimfical Circumstances are included in it, we fhall prefent the Reader with them. The Perfon who is cut in the Forehead in honour of St. Hubert, and receives a Piece of the Stole, muft firft confefs himself, and receive the Communion for

nine

1

nine Days following; must lie alone, in Sheets, just wash'd, or in his Clothes; muft drink alone; must not ftoop his Head, if he drinks at a Spring or River. Item, may drink red or white Wine diluted with Water, or Water only may eat white Bread, and Hog's Flesh, provided it be just a Year old, or above; a Capon or Hen of the fame age; Fish that have Scales, fuch as Red-herrings, Carp; Eggs boil'd hard; and all the abovemention'd must be eat cold, and no otherways. Item, he muft not comb his Head during forty Days: and in cafe the Perfon fhould be bit or wounded by fome Animal, till the Blood come forth, he must obferve the fame Abftinence for three Days, without returning thither, Item, the tenth day, his Bandage must be untied by fome Prieft; and this Bandage fhall be burnt, and the Ashes thereof thrown into a Pond, Item, muft make merry every Anniversary of St. Hubert, viz. on the third of November. Item, may ftop the Progrefs of the Venom in any Perfon who has been bit by a mad Beaft till Blood came forth, for forty Days.

Our learned Author obferves, that it is proper the Vulgar fhould be undeceiv'd in thefe fuperftitious Ufages; but then, as a good Catholic, he declares that Interceffion fhould be made to St. Hubert, with Submiffion to the Will of God. The Church, fays he,, will always approve of People's having devout Recourfe to St. Hubert's Relicks,

Portion even of their making use of a small

"

Portion of his Stole, in hopes of being cur'd of their Madness. He concludes with declaring his Belief of fome fuperftitious Examples, which we are not to wonder at, as he was an Ecclefiaftic of the Church of Rome.

Notice is taken of thofe who are call'd Knights of St. Hubert. Thefe declar'd themselves to be

the Pofterity of that Saint; and pretended, by touching a Perfon on the Head, in the Name of God, or that of the Holy Virgin, to cure the Bite of mad Animals, whether in the Face, or till Blood came forth. In 1649, the famous George Hubert, who boafted his Defcent in a direct Line from our celebrated Saint, obtain'd Letters Patents, which enabled him to exercise his wonderful Talent. "Tis faid that he touch'd Lewis XIII, Lewis XIV, his Uncle the Duke of Orleans, the Princes of Conde and Conti; together with the feveral Officers of the Crown, and thofe of the King's Houfhold; and that these, by his fingle Touch, were preferv'd from all mad Animals.

Our George Hubert had a Sifter who pretended to have the fame Virtue. This illuftrious Gentleman, to complete his quackish Farce, fpread printed Bills all over Paris, in which he boafted the Excellency of his Talent. The Archbishop of Paris in 1652, declar'd as follows, viz. That George Hubert, by the fpecial Grace of God, of the Holy Virgin, and St. Hubert, touches all forts of Perfons of both Sexes, who have been bit by Dogs, Wolves, or other mad Animals; touching only their Heads, and not making ufe of any Medicament. And that a few Years fince, a mad Dog having bit,in his Palace of Gondy and St. Cloud, &c. feveral Dogs, Horfes, Hogs, and other Beafts; he had defired the faid Knight to go to the Place abovemention'd, when the Danger was remov'd, and all the faid Beafts cur'd. However, our Author does not feem to give any credit to this Story, but on the contrary has endeavour'd to refute it; and at the fame time proves, that the Genealogy of the Knights

of St. Hubert is merely fictitious; and treats his Defcendants as fo many Don Quixots.

He then proceeds to the touching for the Evil as practifed by the Kings of France. This he believes to be genuine, and of great Antiquity; tho probably not from Clovis, who is fuppofed to have feceived that Virtue, by the Heavenly Oil of the Holy Vial with which he was anointed. However, it must have been upwards of fix hundred Years ago, because Guibert de Nogent affures, that he himself had feen Lewis le Gros perform this Cure. Quid, quod Dominum noftrum Ludovicum regem confuetudinario uti videmus prodigio? Hos planè qui fcrophas circa jugulum, dut ufpiam in corpore patiuntur, ad tallum ejus, fuperaddito crucis figno, vidi catervatim me ei cobarente, & etiam prohibente, concurrere. Quos tamen ille ingenita liberalitate, ferena ad fe manu obuncans, humillimè confignabat. Cujus gloriam miraculi Philippus ejus alacriter exerceret, nefcio quibus culpis, amifit. Super aliis regibus qualiter fe gérant in hac re fuperfedeo, Regem tamen Anglicum neutiquam in talibus audere feic Guibert de Pignorib. Sanct. Lib. I. cap. 1. p. 331. "Our Author is of opinion, that Robert King of France, famous for his Sanctity, and the great number of Miracles he wrought in his Lifetime, was the firft who touch'd for the King's Evil. About three hundred Years fince, fuch as were to be cur'd of this Difeafe, ufed to drink Water, blefs'd by the King, for nine Days together, fafting. We have fo many undeniable Proofs, Tays our Author, of Cufes which have been perform'd by our Kings, and fo many Children have been completely heal'd, that we cannot reasonably fuppofe the Strength PP 4

umcidentib

of