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jf ing together, and that he had never quitted them for a, moment. The judges paused, however, before they| condemned mother, brothers, sisters, the youth, their

I guest, and their Catholic servant; they deferred theirtrial till after the death of the old man, under the pre-tence that he might confess under execution. Calasdied in torture, however, protesting his innocence; andthe judges were perplexed what to do next. ■ At firstthey pronounced a sentence of acquittal; but, feelingthat this decision was in too glaring contradiction with

i that which condemned the father to the wheel, theypractised on the weakness of Pierre Calas to induce himto become a Catholic: fear led him to show signs of yield-ing, at first; but the weakness was temporary, and hefled from the monastery in which he had been inducedto take refuge. The unfortunate widow, Lavaisse, and;j the servant were liberated. Deprived of fortune, co-’ vered with infamy, reduced to destitution, the wretchedfamily took refuge in Geneva. Their case was men-tioned to Voltaire ; he sent for the surviving victims toFerney; he questioned them rigorously ; the mere factthat the parliament of Thoulouse had condemned thefather, and liberated those who, had a murder beencommitted, must have been accomplices, sufficed to showthat the sentence was unjust, and the execution of theunfortunate old man a legal assassination. He obtainedthe documents of the proceeding from Thoulouse ; hefound the narration of the Calas faithful in all its parts,while their appearance and words bore the stamp of‘j undeniable truth. He was struck with horror, andexerted that energy which formed his prominent cha-i racteristic to obtain justice for them, — an undertaking:! which must strike any one familiar with narratives ofI judicial proceedings in France , at that time, as full ofI nearly insuperable obstacles. He interested the duke| de Choiseul, a man of known humanity, in their favour.| The duchess d'Enville was then at Geneva, having comef to consult the famous Tronchin. She was an amiableit and generous woman, and superior to the prejudices