y hands upon
him. This personage, we may mention, was afterwards raised to the
dignified office of keeper of the seals, as a reward for his industry
and skill in providing victims for the royal seraglio at Versailles.[82]
The man who had ventured to use his mind, was thrown into the dungeon at
Vincennes by the man who played spy and pander for the Pompadour. The
official record of a dialogue between Berryer and Denis Diderot, "of the
Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman religion," is a singular piece of
reading, if we remember that the prisoner's answers were made, "after
oath taken by the respondent to speak and answer the truth."

"Interrogated if he has not composed a work entitled _Letters on the
Blind_.

"Answered no.

"Interrogated by whom he had caused said work to be printed.

"Answered that he had not caused the said work to be printed.

"Interrogated if he knows the name of the author of the said work.

"Answered that he knows nothing about it.

"Interrogated whether he has not had said work in manuscript in his
possession before it was printed.

"Answered that he had not had the said manuscript in his possession
before or after it was printed.

"Interrogated whether he has not composed a work which appeared some
years ago, entitled _Philosophic Thoughts_.

"Answered no."

And so, after a dozen more replies of equal veracity, on reading being
made to the respondent of the present interrogatory, Diderot "said that
the answers contain the truth, persisted in them, and signed," as
witness his hand. A sorrowful picture, indeed, of the plight of an
apostle of a new doctrine. On the other hand, the apostle of the new
doctrine was perhaps good enough for the preachers of the old. Two years
before this, the priest of the church of Saint Medard had thought it
worth while to turn spy and informer. This is the report which the base
creature sent to the lieutenant of police (1747):--

"Diderot, a man of no profession, living, etc., is a young man
who plays the free-thinker, and glories in impiety. He is the
author of several works of philosophy, in which he attacks
religion. His talk is like his books. He is busy at the
composition of one now, which is very dangerous."

The priest's delation was confirmed presently by a still lower agent of
authority, who, in bad grammar and bad spelling, describes "this wretch
Diderot as a very dangerous man, who speaks of the holy mysteries of
our rel