NORTH OF FRANCE.

273

It so happened, from certain circumstances preceding and attendant upon these strange phenomena,--chiefly, however, it would seem, in consequence of his own idle boasts of secret powers and knowledge of the black arts, that a certain shepherd residing in the neighboring commune of Anzouville-l'Esvenal, named Felix Thorel, gradually came to be suspected, by the more credulous, of practicing sorcery against the children, and thus causing the disturbances at the parsonage which had alarmed and excited the neighborhood. It appears that the curate, Tinel, shared to some extent this popular fancy, and expressed the opinion that the shepherd was a sorcerer and the author of the annoyances in question.

Thereupon Thorel, having lost his place as shepherd in consequence of such suspicions, brought suit for defamation of character against the curate, laying the damages at twelve hundred francs. The trial was commenced before the justice of the peace of Yerville on the 7th of January, 1851, witnesses heard (to the number of eighteen for the prosecution and sixteen for the defense) on the 28th of January and succeeding days, and final judgment rendered on the 4th of February following.

In that document, after premising that, "whatever might be the cause of the extraordinary facts which occurred at the parsonage of Cideville, it is clear, from the sum total of the testimony adduced, that the cause of these facts still remains unknown;" after premising further "that although, on the one part, the defendant, (the curate,) according to several witnesses, did declare that the prosecutor (the shepherd) had boasted of producing the disturbances at the parsonage of Cideville,

of M. Fauvel, parish priest of St. Ouen du Breuil, who testifies to their good character and conduct. See his letter in De Mirville's pamphlet, "Fragment d'un Ouvrage inédit." It does not appear that the disturbances followed them to their new home.

and did express his (the defendant's) own suspicions that he (the prosecutor) was the author of them, yet, on the other hand, it is proved by numerous witnesses that the said prosecutor had said and done whatever lay in his power to persuade the public that he actually had a hand in their perpetration, and particularly by his vaunts to the witnesses Cheval, Vareu, Lettellier, Foulongue, Le Hernault, and others;" and, further, after deciding that, in consequence, "the prosecutor cannot maintain a claim for damages for alleged defamation of which he was himself the first author," the magistrate gave judgment for the defendant, (the curate,) and condemned the prosecutor (the shepherd) to pay the expenses of the suit.

Within ten days after the rendition of this judgment, a gentleman who had visited the parsonage during these disturbances, had there witnessed many of the more extraordinary phenomena, and was himself one of the witnesses at the trial,-the Marquis de Mirville, well known to the literary world of Paris as the author of a recent work on Pneumatology,-collected from the legal record all the documents connected with the trial, including the procès-verbal of the testimony; this last being, according to the French forms of justice, taken down at the time of the deposition, then read over to each witness and its accuracy attested by him.

It is from these official documents, thus collected at the time as appendix to a pamphlet on the subject,* that I translate the following details of the disturbances in question, embodying those phenomena upon which the main body of the witnesses agreed, and omitting such portions of the testimony as are immaterial or uncor

« Fragment d'un Ouvrage inédit,” published by Vrayet de Surcy, Paris, 1852. (The unpublished work here referred to is De Mirville's well-known volume on Pneumatology.)

COMMENCEMENT OF THE DISTURBANCES.

275

roborated; also such as specially refer to the proofs for and against the charge of defamation, and to the alleged agency of the shepherd Thorel.

On Tuesday, the 26th of November, 1850, as the two children were at work in one of the rooms in the upper story of the parsonage, about five o'clock in the afternoon, they heard knockings, resembling light blows of a hammer, on the wainscoting of the apartment. These knockings were continued daily throughout the week, at the same hour of the afternoon.

On the next Sunday, the 1st of December, the blows commenced at mid-day; and it was on that day that the curate first thought of addressing them. He said, "Strike louder!" Thereupon the blows were repeated more loudly. They continued thus all that day.

On Monday, December 2, the elder of the two boys said to the knockings, "Beat time to the tune of Maître Corbeau;" and they immediately obeyed.

The next day, Tuesday, December 3, the boy having related the above circumstances to M. Tinel, he, (Tinel,) being much astonished, resolved to try, and said, "Play us Maître Corbeau;" and the knockings obeyed. The afternoon of that day, the knockings became so loud and violent that a table in the apartment moved somewhat, and the noise was so great that one could hardly stay in the room. Later in the same afternoon, the table moved from its place three times. The curate's sister, after assuring herself that the children had not moved it, replaced it; but twice it followed her back again. The noises continued, with violence, all that week.*

On Monday, December 9, there being present Auguste Huet, a neighboring proprietor, the curate of Limesy, and another gentleman, the younger child being also

*Testimony of Gustave Lemonier and of Clement Bunel.

276

DEPOSITIONS REGARDING

present, but with his arms folded, Huet tapped with his finger on the edge of the table, and said, "Strike as many blows as there are letters in my name." Four blows were immediately struck, at the very spot, under his finger. He was convinced it could not be done by the child, nor by any one in the house. Then he asked it to beat time to the air of “ Au Clair de la Lune;” and it did so.*

The Mayor of Cideville deposes to the fact that, being in the parsonage, he saw the tongs leap from the fireplace into the room. Then the shovel did the same thing. The Mayor said to one of the children, "How, Gustave! what is that?" The child replied, "I did not touch it.” The tongs and shovel were then replaced, and a second time they leaped forward into the room. This time, as the Mayor testified, he had his eyes fixed upon them, so as to detect the trick in case any one pushed them; but nothing was to be seen.†

M. Leroux, curate of Saussay, deposes that, being at the parsonage, he witnessed things that were inexplica ble to him. He saw a hammer fly, impelled by an invisible force, from the spot where it lay, and fall on the floor of the room without more noise than if a hand had lightly placed it there. He also saw a piece of bread that was lying on the table move of itself and fall below the table. He was so placed that it was impossible that any one could have thrown these things without his seeing him do it. He also heard the extraordinary noises, and took every possible precaution, even to placing himself under the table, to assure himself that the children did not produce them. So sure was he of

this, that, to use his own expression, he would “sign it with his blood." ("Je le signerais de mon sang.") He

* Testimony of Auguste Huet.

†Testimony of Adolphe Cheval, Mayor of Cideville.

THE CIDEVILLE DISTURBANCES.

277

remarked that M. Tinel appeared exasperated by these noises and their continued repetition; and he added that, having slept several nights in the same room as M. Tinel, the latter awoke in a fright at the disturbances.*

The deposition of the Marquis de Mirville, proprietor at Gomerville, is one of the most circumstantial. He testifies to the following effect. Having heard much of the disturbances at Cideville, he suddenly resolved one day to go there. The distance from his residence is fourteen leagues. He arrived at the parsonage at nightfall, unexpected by its inmates, and passed the evening. there, never losing sight of the curate nor leaving him a moment alone with the children. The curate knew the marquis's name, but only from a letter of introduction which the latter had brought.

M. de Mirville passed the night at the parsonage, the curate having given up to him his bed, in the same room in which the children slept. No disturbance during the night. The next morning one of the children awoke him, and said, "Do you hear, sir, how it scratches?"

"What, my child?" "The spirit."

And the marquis heard, in effect, a strong scratching on the mattress of the children's bed. He notified the mysterious agent, however, that he should not think the noises worth listening to unless the theater of operations was removed from where the children were. Then the knockings were heard above the bed. "Too near

yet!" said M. de Mirville. "Go and knock at that corner," (pointing to a distant corner of the room.) Instantly the knocking was heard there. "Ah!" said the marquis, "now we can converse: strike a single blow if you agree." A loud blow for answer.

*Testimony of Martin Tranquille Leroux, curate of Saussay.