CHAP. XXV.

SEQUEL and CONCLUSION.

N the 7th of March, 1763, a council of ftate being held at Verfailles, at which all the great minifters affifted, and the chancellor fat as prefident, Mr. de Crofne, one of the mafters of requests, made a report of the affair of the Calas family with all the impartiality of a judge, and the precision of one perfectly well acquainted with the cafe; and with the plain truth and infpired eloquence of an orator and a statesman, which is alone fuitable to fuch an affembly. The gallery was filled with a prodigious number of perfons of all ranks, who impatiently waited the decifion of the council. In a fhort time a deputation was fent to the king, to acquaint him that the council had come to an unanimous refolution, That the parliament of Thouloufe fhould tranfmit to them the whole account of its proceedings, together with the reasons on which it had framed the fentence condemning John Calas to be broken. on the wheel; when his majefty was pleafed to concur in the decree of the council.

Luftice

Juftice and humanity then ftill continue to refide amongst mankind! and principally in the council of a king beloved, and deferving fo to be; who, with his minifters, his chancellor, and all the members of his council, have not difdained to employ their time in weighing all the circumstances relating to the fufferings of a private family with as much attention as if it had been the most interesting affair of war or peace; whilft the judges have fhewn themfelves infpired by a love of equity, and a tender regard to the interests of their fellow fubjects. All praife be given therefore to that merciful Being, the only giver of integrity and every other virtue !

And here we take occafion to 'declare, that we never had the leaft acquaintance with the unfortunate man who was condemned on the most frivolous evidence by the court of juftice of Thoulouse, in direct contradiction to the ordonnances of our king, and the laws of all nations, nor with his fon Mark Anthony, the extraordinary manner of whofe death led the judges into the error they committed; nor with the mother, whofe fufferings call aloud for compaffion; or yet with her innocent daughter, who, together with her, travelled upwards of

fix hundred miles to lay their virtue and dis-treffes at the foot of the throne.

The God in whofe prefence we declare this, knows that we have been actuated folely by the love of juftice, mercy, and truth, in delivering our thoughts in the manner we have done on toleration, in regard to John Calas, who fell a victim to non-toleration and perfecution..

We had not the leaft intent to offend the eight judges of Thoulouse, in faying that they were mistaken, as the council of ftate itself supposes them to have been: on the contrary, we have opened a way for them to vindicate them, felves to all Europe, by acknowledging that equivocal circumftances, and the clamour of an headftrong and enraged populace, had biaffed. their judgment; and by afking pardon of the widow, and repairing as much as in them lies, the ruin they have brought upon an innocent fami ly, by adding to the number of those who fuc cour them in their affliction. They have put the father to death unjustly, let them then be as fathers to his children, provided thofe children are willing to accept of this poor token of repentance from them. It would be infinitely to the honour of the judges to make such an

offer,

offer, and to that of the injured family to refuse it.

But it principally behoves the fieur David, capitoul of Thouloufe, to fet the example of remorfe and penitence, who was the first to raise this perfecution against innocence, and who infulted the hapless father of a family when expiring on the fcaffold. This was indeed an unparalleled act of cruelty; but as God is willing to fhew mercy and forgiveness, it is the duty of mortals to pardon in like manner those who make atonement for their offences.

Having received a letter from a friend in Languedoc, dated the 20th of February, 1763, of which the following is an extract,

"Your treatise on toleration appears to be ❝ full of humanity and truth; but I am afraid "it will rather hurt than ferve the Calas family.

It may gall the eight judges who were for the "fentence, and they may apply to the parlia"ment to have your book burnt; befides, the

bigots, which you are fenfible there is always a confiderable number, will oppofe the voice "of reafon with the clamours of prejudice, &c."

My

My answer was as follows:

"The eight judges of Thouloufe may, if "they please, have my book burnt. It will cost "them very little trouble, fince the Provincial Letters, which had infinitely fuperior merit to any thing of mine, were condemned to the "fame fate. Every one, you know, is at liberty to burn in his own houfe fuch books. "as he does not like.

"My treatise cannot poffibly do either hurt

66

or good to the Calas family, with whom I have

not the leaft acquaintance. The king's coun"cil is no lefs refolute tban impartial: it judges according to law and equity of those things which fall properly under its cognizance; "but it will not interfere with a common 66 pamphlet, written upon a fubject altogether "foreign from the affair under confideration..

"If an hundred volumes in folio fhould be written in condemnation or vindication of the 66 judges of Thouloufe, or of toleration, neither "the council, nor any other court of justice "would look upon these as law matters.