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 interefting affair of war or peace; whilst the judges have shewn themfelves infpired by a love of equity, and a tender regard to the interefts 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 least acquaintance with the unfortunate inan who was condemned on the most frivolous evidence by the court of justice of Thouloufe, 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

fix hundred miles to lay their virtue and diftreffes 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 justice, 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 Thouloufe, in saying that they were mistaken, as the council of state itself fupposes 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 ant headstrong 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 fuccour them in their affliction. They have put the father to death unjustly, let them then be as fathers to his children, provided thofe chil dren 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 Thoulouse, 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 treatife 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 oppose the voice "of reason with the clamours of prejudice, &c."

My

My answer was as follows:

"The eight judges of Thouloufe may, if "they pleafe, have my book burnt. It will coft "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 64 liberty to burn in his own houfe fuch books as he does not like.

"My treatife cannot poffibly do either hurt "or good to the Calas family, with whom I have "not the leaft acquaintance. The king's coun"cil is no lefs refolute than 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 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 judges of Thouloufe, or of toleration, neither "the council, nor any other court of justice "would look upon thefe as law matters.

"I readily agree with you that there are "numbers of enthusiasts who will fet up the

66

cry against me, but at the fame time I do "infift, that I shall have as many fenfible rea"ders who make use of their reafon.

"I hear that the parliament of Thoulouse "and fome other courts of juftice have a me"thod of proceeding peculiar to themselves. "They admit fourths, thirds, and fixths of a "proof; fo that with fix hear-fays on one "fide, three on the other, and four fourths of "prefumption, they frame three complete "proofs; and in confequence of this curious. "demonftration, will condemn you a man to "be broke upon the wheel without mercy. "Now the least acquaintance with the art of "logic or reasoning would point out a diffe- ́ rent method of proceeding to them. What 66 we call an half proof can never amount to

more than a fufpicion: but there is no fuch "thing in reality as an half-proof; for a thing "must either be proved or not proved: there "is no medium.

"A million of fufpicions put together can "no more frame a regular proof, than a million "of cyphers can compofe an arithmetical num

ber.

"There