when they invaded France. The services that he rendered his country
might have immortalized his name, had he not for ever blotted his
glory by the most terrible murders, impieties, and debaucheries. His
revenues were princely; but his prodigalities might have made an
emperor a bankrupt. Wherever he went, he had in his suite a seraglio,
a company of actors, a band of musicians, a society of sorcerers, a
great number of cooks, packs of dogs of various kinds, and above 200
led horses. Mezeray says that he encouraged and maintained sorcerers
to discover hidden treasures, and corrupted young persons of both
sexes, that he might attach them to him; and afterwards killed them
for the sake of their blood, which was necessary to form his charms
and incantations. Such horrid excesses are credible when we recollect
the age of ignorance and barbarity in which they were practised. He
was at length (for some state crime against the Duke of Brittany)
sentenced to be burnt alive in a field at Nantes, in 1440; but the
Duke, who witnessed the execution, so far mitigated the sentence, that
he was first strangled, then burnt, and his ashes interred. He
confessed, before his death, "that all his excesses were derived from
his wretched education," though descended from one of the most
illustrious families in the kingdom.

* * * * *

EFFECT OF STEAM-COACHES.

In a recent No. of the _Voice of Humanity_, (already noticed in the
_Mirror_,) occurs the following:

We doubt whether our labours to accomplish either of the objects of
this publication, if ever so successful, could produce such complete
mitigation (rather abolition) of animal suffering as the substitution
of locomotive machinery for the inhuman, merciless treatment of horses
in our stage-coaches. The man who started the first steam-carriage was
the greatest benefactor to the cause of humanity the world ever had.
But in a political view the subject is very important. We have a
superabundant population with a very limited territory, while each
horse requires a greater quantity of land than would be sufficient to
support a man. How extensive then would be the beneficial effect of
withdrawing two-thirds of the horses and appropriating the land
required for them to the rearing of cattle and to agricultural
produce? The Liverpool and Manchester steam-coaches have driven
fourteen horse-coaches off the road. Each of the horse-coaches
employed twelve hors