at length. It is of importance, as the last effort of a
legislative assembly to uphold this great error; and the arguments they
used and the instances they quoted are in the highest degree curious. It
reflects honour upon the memory of Louis XIV. that he was not swayed by
it.

"REQUEST OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ROUEN TO THE KING, IN 1670.

"SIRE,--Emboldened by the authority which your majesty has committed into
our hands in the province of Normandy, to try and punish offences, and
more particularly those offences of the nature of witchcraft, which tend
to the destruction of religion and the ruin of nations, we, your
parliament, remonstrate humbly with your majesty upon certain cases of
this kind which have been lately brought before us. We cannot permit the
letter addressed by your majesty's command to the attorney-general of this
district, for the reprieve of certain persons condemned to death for
witchcraft, and for the staying of proceedings in several other cases, to
remain unnoticed, and without remarking upon the consequences which may
ensue. There is also a letter from your secretary of state, declaring your
majesty's intention to commute the punishment of these criminals into one
of perpetual banishment, and to submit to the opinion of the
procureur-general, and of the most learned members of the parliament of
Paris, whether, in the matter of witchcraft, the jurisprudence of the
parliament of Rouen is to be followed in preference to that of the
parliament of Paris, and of the other parliaments of the kingdom which
judge differently.

"Although by the ordinances of the kings your predecessors, parliaments
have been forbidden to pay any attention to _lettres de cachet_; we,
nevertheless, from the knowledge which we have, in common with the whole
kingdom, of the care bestowed by your majesty for the good of your
subjects, and from the submission and obedience to your commandments which
we have always manifested, have stayed all proceedings, in conformity to
your orders; hoping that your majesty, considering the importance of the
crime of witchcraft, and the consequences likely to ensue from its
impunity, will be graciously pleased to grant us once more your permission
to continue the trials, and execute judgment upon those found guilty. And
as, since we received the letter of your secretary of state, we have also
been made acquainted with the determination of your majesty, not only to
commute the sentence of death p