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of Imagination was of any efficacy on these otcafions.

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'Tis afferted, fays Father le Brun, that Heaven indulg'd the fame Virtue to the English Monarchs, and that Edward the Confeffor was the first who touch'd for the Evil. What feems to

have given occafion to all this, was a Miracle that was wrought by that King, of which William of Malmsbury gives the following account. Adolejcentula juxta parilitatem natalium virum babens, &c. A young Woman who was married to a Man of the fame age with her self, had not brought him any Children, and was afflicted with certain Humours in her Neck, whence very great Swellings arofe. Being admonish'd in a Dream to addrefs the King, and to beseech him to wash the afflicted Part, fhe obey'd the Vifion. The King having perform'd his Devotions, dipp'd his Fingers in Water, and wafh'd her Neck. The inftant he applied his Hand, the Patient found herself better; when the stinking Scab breaking away, a great number of Worms, and corrupted Matter iffued from it. However, as the Ulcer did not immediately clofe, the continued at Court till fhe was completely cur'd; all which was perform'd in lefs than a Week. The Wound clofed fo happily, that the leaft Scar was not feen in the Skin; and about a Year after he was deliver'd of Twins. William of Malmsbury afferts, that King Edward's Piety gain'd him this Virtue, and that he did not derive it from his Family and John Brompton, who died in 1198, fays expressly, that the Kings of England inherit from St. Edward, the Power of healing the Evil by the bare Touch..ogel yad JOANED 977 But

ButEdward the Third of England was the moft famous for curing the King's Evil; and I don't doubt, fays our Author, but that his Pretenfions to the Diadem of France, excited his Zeal to touch thofe who were diseased. Bradwar din, his Confeffor, who had attended him in his Wars, fpeaks of the wonderful Cures wrought by that Prince, in thefe Words All you who deny Miracles, come into England, bring to our SoChriftian, foever afflicted with the

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-Evil, and he will cure him, in the Name of Chrift Jefus, by laying his Hand on him, and making the Sign of the Crofs, be the Dif ease ever fo inveterate He adds, that King Edward cur'd a numberless multitude of People in England, Germany and France; and calls the People and Nations to witnefs to the Truth of what he affirms. Sicut Populi Nationum & Fama quàm celebris certiffime conteftantur, &c. The Kings of England, after the pretended Reformation of the Church of England (lays our Romish Father) have touch'd for the Evil. And Tucker relates a very fingular Incident, viz. That a Catholic who was grievously afflicted with a fchirrous Humour, being touch'd by Queen Elizabeth, was perfectly heal'd. ('Tis no won der that our venerable Romanift fhould call this a very fingular Incident.) King William III. continues our Author, having made his way to the Throne, by Methods which are univerfally known; did not trouble himself about touching for this Difeafe; (which fhows his good Senfe, and his Difinclination to impofe upon Mankind.) Neither did King George I, or the Monarch who now fits on the British Throne, ever attempt to cure this Diftemper, which, however, Queen Anne did-But now our Author acquaints us with

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a very edifying piece of History, viz. That the Chevalier de St. George has wrought feveral extraordinary Cures in Italy.

The Kings of England ufed alfo to blefs Rings, which were fe many Prefervatives against the Cramp and the Falling-Sicknefs, and this Ceremony was perform'd on Good-Friday, a little. before the Worfhip of the Crofs; and the Rings thus bleft were diftributed the fame Day. The Kings communicated this falutary Virtue to thefe Rings, which were of Gold or Silver, by rubbing them between their Hands; when they were fent all over Europe, as fo many infallible (to be fure) Preservatives.

We now come to the fifth Book or Part; in which we have the critical History of various Practices for knowing Futurity, and for distinguishing the Innocent from the Guilty; with the Origin and Progrefs of the Trials by boiling Water, and redbot Iron. This Part is compofed of five Chapters, and includes a great number of Particulars, of which we can only give the following It was the custom to make Perfons take an Oath in Churches, or over Holy Relicks, in order to difcover whether they were perjured, &c. Here we are told of an Incendiary who prefum'd to come to St. Martin's Church, where he took an Oath, that he had not fet fire to a Houfe, aftho' it was pretty well known he did. Gregory of Tours, who believ'd him guilty, endeavour'd to intimidate him, and in order to punish his Crime, faid thus to him: If a vain Confidence makes thee believe that God This Sains don't punifh fuch as forfwear themfelves, thou art how before the holy Temple,and wear if thou wilt, But Thou shalt not enter into it. Thefe Words were no fooner spoke, but the wicked Wretch lifting

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up his Hands, fwore by Almighty God, and the Virtue of St. Martin, that he had not fet fire to the Houfe when immediately he was furrounded with Flames; fell backwards, crying aloud, that St. Martin burnt him; and faying thefe Words, he expired. Our Author obferves, that it was not right to make thefe Practices common, fince it occafion'd feveral fuperftitious Ufages and Abuses.

Recourfe was likewife had to Duels, for dif covering the Juftice of a Caufe, and fuch Perfons as had given a falfe Teftimony. This proof by Duels was by fome call'd the Judgment or Decifion of God. Fredegarius informs us, that recourfe was even had to Duelling, in order to difcover the Innocence of a third Perfon. Queen Gundeberga, Sifter to King Clotharius, being accufed of a defign of poifoning King Charoaldus, her Confort, it was refolv'd, that two Perfons fhould engage in a. fingle Combat, the one in NOLARY the Queen's Name, and the other in that of the King, in order to difcover whether the were innocent or guilty: Ut judicio Dei bis duobus configentibus cognofcatur, utrum bujus culpæ reputationis Gundeberga fit innoxia, an fortaffe culpabilis. Charoaldus's Combatant was vanquifhed, and confequently Queen Gundeberga declar'd' innocent Could any Proof be more Mathematical? In feveral Places, after the Trial by Duels was laid afide, thofe by a red-hot Iron, and alfo were call'd the Deci

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boiling Wat were fubftituted in its place.

fion of God, The firft authentic Trial by Fire we meet with among the Chriftians, is related by Gregory of Tours, in the feventy-fixth Chapter of the Gory of Confe Jors, concerning St. Simplicius Bifhop of Autun. This Saint, who liv'd in the fourth

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Century, had been raised to the Epifcopacy notwithstanding his Marriage. His Wife, who was a Woman of the ftricteft Chastity, could not be prevail'd upon to leave her Hufband, tho' made a Bishop. Accordingly, fhe always lay in the fame Room with him; but the People murmur'd, and reproach'd the Saint with indulging himself in conjugal Endearments. This coming to his Wife's ear, fhe, on Christmasday, order'd Fire to be brought, and holding it in her Garments for near an Hour, fhe afterwards laid it on those of her Husband, the Bi fhop, faying thefe Words, Receive this Fire, which cannot burn you; whereby we fhall convince the World, that the Fire of Concupifcence has no more power over our Minds, than thefe Coals have over our Garments. All the Spectators admir'd the Miracle, and a few days after, upwards of a thousand Perfons defir'd and were admitted to Baptifm,

With regard to the Trial by boiling Water, Gregory of Tours gives us the following Example. A Catholic Deacon being engaged in a religious, Controverfy with an Arian Prieft, a miraculous Decifion was demanded. Accordingly a Fire was lighted in a Place of publick refort, where Water being pour'd into a Kettle, was made to boil; when it was agreed, that a Ring fhould be caft into it, and that the Difputants fhould thruft their naked Arms into the boiling Water, in order to take out the Ring. After they had difputed fome time, about who fhould first try the Experiment, a Deacon of Ravenna, a very zealous Catholic, hearing the Arian infult the Catholic, because he had rubb'd his Arm with Oil and Ointment, thro' fear; thruft his own Arm into the boiling Water, and there, for near an Hour, fought the Ring, and at laft brought

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