Case LIII

Jeanne Harvilliers, a native of Verberie, near Compeigne, accused of homicide and witchcraft, was brought before the magistrate. She confessed that, at her birth, her mother had offered her to Satan, and that, since the age of twelve, the devil, in the form of a great black man, clothed in black cloth, booted and spurred, having an invisible horse at the door, had visited her constantly. The peasantry loudly clamored for her death; but the judges caused inquiry to be made at Verberie, her birthplace, and at other villages where she had lived. It appeared that, thirty years before, she had been whipped for sorcery, and that her mother was burned for a witch.

She admitted these facts, and owned to having invoked Satan to remove a spell which she had laid on an enemy, which he refused to do. She finished by asking mercy and forgiveness. The judges were much embarrassed to know what punishment to award. Some were for burning; some for hanging. The former prevailed. She was burnt alive on the last day of April, 1578, on the prosecution of Claude d'Offai, king's counsel at Ribemont. After her condemnation, she owned to having used ointments that the devil had given her; said that she had attended the witch's sabbath; and had been united to Beelzebub. She said the devil gave no money, and concluded by accusing a shepherd and a slater of Senlis of sorcery, †

According to authors who have written on this subject, the object of Satan was to cause the commission of the greatest crimes, for which he made himself cither man or woman.‡

Coelius Aurelianus states, after Salimaque, the partisan of the doctrines of Hippocrates, that incubes appeared in Rome as a contagious disease, of which many died.§

* Vie de Saint Beruard, Collections des Memoires relatifs a l'histoire de France, translated by M. Guisot. At that period, religion alone could remedy evils against which science was powerless.

† J. Garrinet, Histoire de la Magie en France, 1816, p. 133.

‡ Ibid.

§ Coclius Aurelianus, chronic morb. liv. 1, chap. iii. de Incubone, Lyon, 1567. Horst. Diimonomanie, oder Geschichte des Glaubens an Zauberei and damonische Wunder mit besonderer Berucksichtigung des Hexenpro-cesscs Beit den Zeiten Innocentiis viii. Frankf. 1828. Friedreich Litteratur-geschichte de path, and Ther. de psych. Krank. p. 127.

In our days, cohabitation with the devil is much rarer than it formerly was; amongst the many hundred insane who have come under our notice, we have not had one authentic case of the kind. Hallucinations of this nature have had more especially for their objects, angels, men whose attractions were heightened by imagination, and often the heads of the establishment. M. Macario has given several examples.

Case LIV

Marguerite G. is a tall woman, fifty-nine years of age, thin and withered, with a laughing countenance. She has ever been devout and pious, passing all her leisure time in the church or churchyard, praying for the repose of sinners. She came to Mareville on the 7th of April, 1842.

This poor woman, at the crisis of her life, became deranged. She imbibed a hatred for her parents, believing that they sought to poison her; but happily, she said, for the prevention of their culpable design, three cures, as pure as the sun, came to reside near her to keep guard over her. Whenever poisoned food was presented to her, they warned her not to eat it. These cures watched her by turns. Her parents, perceiving that in consequence they could not succeed with the poison, sought infernal aid, and raised the demons against her, who, she added, pursued and tormented her night and day.

But God afflicts those only whom he loves. Four times in the day he inspired her with his grace - in the morning, at noon, at four in the afternoon, and on going to rest. Thus, when the demons appeared, she raised her hand, uttering the benediction, which drove off these malign spirits hastily; but immediately legions took their place to torment her. She repeated the benedictions, the demons fled; and in the constant repetition of this scene, the night was spent, so that she could not obtain any rest. At times, they were not infernal spirits who came to torment her; hideous corpses appeared in her chamber, spoke to her in mournful and sepulchral voices, and stretched out their arms to strike her; but Marguerite would make a noise, and then they disap-peared in smoke. They would soon, however, come back; she would recommence her noise, and so on until dawn.

During the day she was more calm and tranquil. During the night she prayed for the appearance of the sun's rays. She then became drowsy, and in her sleep, God and the Blessed Virgin appeared to her in dreams, exhorting her to patience and consoling her.*

The cases which we have related, prove that there are insane persons who believe they have sexual intercourse with the devil; but, in the greater number of instances, the figures are clothed in the human form.†