ways been
taught and practised in the Church; whence we may infer that they hear
our prayers, are moved by our wants, and can help us by their
intercession. But the way in which all that is done is not distinctly
known; neither reason nor revelation furnishes us with anything
certain, as to the means it pleases God to make use of to reveal our
wants to them.

Lucian, in his dialogue entitled _Philopseudes_, or the "Lover of
Falsehood," relates[599] something similar. A man named Eucrates,
having been taken down to hell, was presented to Pluto, who was angry
with him who presented him, saying--"That man has not yet completed
his course; his turn has not yet come. Bring hither Demilius, for the
thread of his life is finished." Then they sent Eucrates back to this
world, where he announced that Demilius would die soon. Demilius lived
near him, and was already a little ill.

But a moment after they heard the noise of those who were bewailing
his death. Lucian makes a jest of all that was said on this subject,
but he owns that it was the common opinion in his time. He says in the
same part of his work, that a man has been seen to come to life again
after having been looked upon as dead during twenty days.

The story of Curma which we have just told, reminds me of another
very like it, related by Plutarch in his Book on the Soul, of a
certain man named Enarchus,[600] who, being dead, came to life again
soon after, and related that the demons who had taken away his soul
were severely reprimanded by their chief, who told them that they had
made a mistake, and that it was Nicander, and not Enarchus whom they
ought to bring. He sent them for Nicander, who was directly seized
with a fever, and died during the day. Plutarch heard this from
Enarchus himself, who to confirm what he had asserted said to
him--"You will get well certainly, and that very soon, of the illness
which has attacked you."

St. Gregory the Great relates[601] something very similar to what we
have just mentioned. An illustrious man of rank named Stephen well
known to St. Gregory and Peter his interlocutor, was accustomed to
relate to him, that going to Constantinople on business he died there;
and as the doctor who was to embalm him was not in town that day, they
were obliged to leave the body unburied that night. During this
interval Stephen was led before the judge who presided in hell, where
he saw many things which he had heard of, but did not believe.