ies of views; who first project their subject,
then divide it into books and chapters, and who only choose to work on
the ideas they have planned. I for my part give up all claims to
authorship, and shall chain myself to no such servitude. I cannot
meditate with much regularity on one subject; I am too fond of change. I
often wander from the subject, and jump into places of which it might be
difficult to guess the way out; so that I shall make a learned doctor
who looks for method quite impatient with me." The work is indeed full
of curiosities and anecdotes, with many critical ones concerning
history. At first it found an easy entrance into France, as a simple
account of comets; but when it was discovered that Bayle's comet had a
number of fiery tales concerning the French and the Austrians, it soon
became as terrific as the comet itself, and was prohibited!

Bayle's "Critique generale de l'Histoire du Calvinisme par le Pere
Maimbourg," had more pleasantry than bitterness, except to the palate of
the vindictive Father, who was of too hot a constitution to relish the
delicacy of our author's wit. Maimbourg stirred up all the intrigues he
could rouse to get the Critique burnt by the hangman at Paris. The
lieutenant of the police, De la Reynie, who was among the many who did
not dislike to see the Father corrected by Bayle, delayed this execution
from time to time, till there came a final order. This lieutenant of the
police was a shrewd fellow, and wishing to put an odium on the bigoted
Maimbourg, allowed the irascible Father to write the proclamation
himself with all the violence of an enraged author. It is a curious
specimen of one who evidently wished to burn his brother with his book.
In this curious proclamation, which has been preserved as a literary
curiosity, Bayle's "Critique" is declared to be defamatory and
calumnious, abounding with seditious forgeries, pernicious to all good
subjects, and therefore is condemned to be torn to pieces, and burnt at
the _Place de Greve_. All printers and booksellers are forbidden to
print, or to sell, or disperse the said abominable book, under _pain of
death_; and all other persons, of what quality or condition soever, are
to undergo the penalty of exemplary punishment. De la Reynie must have
smiled on submissively receiving this effusion from our enraged author;
and to punish Maimbourg in the only way he could contrive, and to do at
the same time the greatest kindness to Bayle,