Virginia Argus

MISCELLANY.

[We have a faint recollection of having read some years ago, a story similar to the one herewith published, of a King of France, differing somewhat in point of Character from Louis XVIII. we also have heard of a similar story being played off in favour of Ferdinand the present King of Spain, in which it was stated that the Virgin Mary directed Marshal Cuesta to inform his Royal Master, that he was her adopted son—it is well for the crowned heads of Europe, that they can find fools to spread such stories, and still better that they can find fools to believe them.
(Ed. Argus.)]

From late European papers.
Detailed report of the revelations made between the 16th of January 1816. and the 3d of April, of the same year to Ignace Thomas Martin, farmer at Gallardon, Eure and Loire:
Given by a witness of all that passed at the Royal Hospital of Charenton: where the said Martin was confined from the 15th March, to the second of April, by order of the minister of Police (De Caze.) in order to discover whether. he was practising deception, or suffering under mental alienation.
Ignace Thomas Martin, aged thirty three years, born at Gallardon, department of Eure and Loire, residing there and exercising the profession of a husbandman, married, and the father of four children, entered the Royal Hospital of Charenton, on the 15th of March, 1816 being sent thither by the Minister of Police, a patient, and under a certificate from Professor Pinal declaring him subject to intermittent mania
Seclusion in a hospital appeared at first to produce a painful impression on Martin which lasted but for a short time. and at the evening visit he appeared to be perfectly resigned to his fate. His physiognomy, his speech, his countenance exhibiting nothing indicative of mental malady. He replied with much presence of mind & simplicity to the questions put to him, as to the cause of the measures adopted respecting him; and the statement he then made was the substance of the details he communicated some days after, when I interrogated him by order of the head surgeon. I shall now state the result of that examination.
On the fifteenth of January 1816. while employed in spreading manure on his farm and though a moment before, he had seen nobody coming towards him, he suddenly heard a voice speaking beside him. On looking up, he beheld a man, who said "Go and inform the King that he is in danger, that a plot is hatching for overthrowing the government, and that the only means of averting the evils which threaten France is to sanctify the day of the Lord, and prepare the people for penitence."
Martin, surprised at this language, replied to the stranger, that if he knew so much he ought to execute the commission himself; besides, said he, I should not be made very welcome, were I to meddle with such affairs. The stranger then changed his tone, and repeated his injunction, with an air of authority which admitted of no reply, and then disappeared.
This was followed by several repetitions of the vision. A few days after, on going down into the cellar. Martin saw this mysterious personage : and another time, in the church, at evening service, he saw him standing beside the holy water. He joined in the worship with great devotion and when the service was over accompanied Martin to the threshold of the house, and repeating his orders. disappeared as suddenly as he had formerly done. While in church, Martin mentioned to the persons of his family that the personage was present; but they looked for him in vain, and neither heard nor saw anything remarkable.
Tormented by the frequent visits of this apparition, which alarmed him greatly particularly in the first instance. M. informed his Cure of what had passed, who reported the matter to the bishop of the Diocese. The Prefect having also received an account of the circumstances, transmitted it to M. De Caze. Minister of the Police. who ordered that Martin should be brought to Paris.— Martin, accordingly left Chartres, whither he had been carried to be examined by the Prefect, and proceeded to Paris, accompanied by a lieutenant of gendarmerie, whose name, I am told is Andre, with whom he was lodged in a hotel in the Rue de Montramartre. He there occupied an apartment with two alcoves, one for himself and the other for his companion. One morning before day break, while still in bed. he had a new vision. upon which he called to the lieutenant, who could neither see nor hear anything of what passed.
I shall not here detail all the visions which took place. and which, up to this period had been frequent, though at first there sometimes occurred an interval of eight days between the visitations. in all instances the same language was heard, and at last Martin became so familiarized to the apparition, that he experienced nothing of terror except at the moment of its sudden disappearance.—He recollects having been on one occasion told by his visitor, that, "if what he desired should be done was not complied with, France would have no peace until 1840."
In this state the affair stood at Paris. Martin was several times carried before M de Caze. Minister of the police. In a conversation with the minister on the 18th of March, the latter with a view of tranquillizing the man, said that the person who had teased him, was apprehended. and that he had no longer any thing to fear. Three or four hours afterwards, however. he saw the same personage again. who after repeating his former orders said. to tell thee that I was arrested was wrong. He that said so to thee hath no power over me.' On Sunday the sixteenth of March, the same personage. after holding the same language, stated that he was the* * * * * * * * * * *, and that he had received the power of striking France with all kinds of wounds : and he directed Martin to publish this. When received into the Royal Hospital of Charenton, Martin, as has been stated, exhibited no symptoms of Malady, but seemed of a melancholy temperament.He is of the middle size, of flat and meagre form, dark chesnut hair, his eye, which is sunk, indicates intelligence and has a tranquil expression.--He replied to the questions put to him, with much confidence. On Wednesday and Thursday. the thirteenth and fourteenth, he had no vision. On Friday morning the fifteenth, in his apartment as he was tying the strings of his shoes. the personage he had so often seen. appeared. and said, that if Martin continued to be so treated he should not come to him again.-- He recommended him to place confidence in God, adding that if incredulity should prevail, the misfortunes he had foretold. would come to pass, and that if the truth of the visions which Martin had experienced was doubted he might be examined by doctors in Theology. The personage who frequently, visited Martin, had uniformly the following appearance ; he was of the middle size and very slender; so exceedingly fair, that Martin said, in a word, he never saw the like. He was dressed in a fair great coat (for so be described the color.) He wore sandals. He gesticulated much,but did not change his position, and when he concluded his speech. disappeared very suddenly. He constantly spoke with great mildness, and frequently used the expression, My friend. 'it is worthy of remark, that he often used phrases which are not intelligible to Martin. Thus. for instance, having once said that France was in a deliriumt, and would become the prey of great evils, Martin was under the necessity of applying to his cure for an explanation of this sort of figurative language.' In like manner be asked M. Le Gros.the Superintendant of Hospital, what a doctor of "Theology was, of which the apparition had spoken tohim. Some days after, on the fifteenth May. I saw Martin's brother. This man, who judging by his conversation, possesses much good sense and ingenuousness. told me that Martin had always been of a mild character : that he never observed him to have extravagant ideas on any subject ;- that he always maintained an irreproachable conduct. founded on sentiments of religion, well understood. and disengaged from any thing like fanaticism or superstition : that the revolutions which had occurred, of whatever nature they might be, had never produced any remarkable impression on his mind : that he had always enjoyed sound health both corporeal & mental,and that none of his family had been affected with insanity. He added that in working with his brother in the fields he had seen him rest on his plough. in the attitude of a person listening; suspecting what was passing, he wished to enquire into the particulars. but was obliged to run after his horse which he could not stop. His brother Martin, on relating to him what had taken place confirmed him in the idea he formed. Mr. Bentho de Maupas. Director of the Hospital of Charenton. and M. Roger Col lard, Physician to the King and principal Physician for the hospital drew up a long series of minute questions, which were sent to the Mayor and Cure of Martin's parish. All the information collected from the testimony given, concurs in representing Martin as a man of amiable and simple manners, possessing much good sense. and as never having shewn any marks of enthusiasm The cure stated that he never came to the sacrament of the Lord's supper but once a year. I am an eye witness of the statement of these facts The following guaranteed on the honor are of public notoriety in the hospital. and Director, a n an respectable r his piety and his virtues. He converses oftener than I with Martin, who never spoke o. his visions ex cept when directly questioned on the sub. ject. Martin wrote to his family/ to inform them. that information was to be sought respecting him. (I have heard that he wrote on The 18th and the Minister's letter was three days posterior in dated) It was announced to him in a vision of which he gave an account to the director, that all would finish when he should see the king. He was also told of a man who had escaped and whose escape had been favour d by his not being arrested, as he should have been when there was yet time for that purpose. On the 26th, of March, he had a new vis- ion. The personage then observed, that though he had said he would not appear to him again, he could not see without pain such conduct observed as must cause France to be struck with all sorts of wounds, and again recommended to him to place confidence in God. On the 31st of March, the - an- peared to him in the garden, and explained to him that he was soon to see the King. To. give him confidence, and to prove that he had nothing to fear, the Angel gave him his hand. Martin took it and pressed it affectionately,--.- -The Angel im- mediately opened his robe, and shewed his breast. the whiteness whereof was so brilliant that Martin could not continue to look upon. He also took off his cap, and shewed his forehead, which was likewise brilliant and desired Martin to take notice that he had not on his forehead the scar of reprobation with which the bad angels are marked.
On the Tuesday following. April the 1st a Clerk of the minister of police.(I was witness of this fact) came about noon to conduct him to the minister. While he was waiting for the minister, he again saw the personage who told him that 'he was at last going to appear before the king : that he had nothing to fear; that when he should be in his presence, the words would come to him." He was in fact presented to the king, and had a conversation .with his Majesty. which lasted more than an hour. After this conversation.he returned voluntarily to pass the night in the hospital of Charen- ton which he left next morning to return home. In giving an account of his interview with the King, he expatiated in praise of the goodness with which his majesty Louis XVIII received him. to whom he said he told things of which he had no. idea before he saw him. It seemed to him as if some one dictated the words he said to the King. The King, equally surprised and affected, declared that the things which Martin had revealed to him were known only to God and themselves, recommended him- self to his prayers and requested secrecy' of him. The King gave orders to the Minister of the Police. to send this man back imme- diately to his home. He would not set out that evening, saying he had left a shirt at the Hospital which he wished to bring a- way. M. de Caze gave him a letter to the Director, whom he requested to give Mar- tin money to defray the expenses of his journey. The Director offered him sixty francs,but Martin refused to receive any money ; as however, the Director insisted, he said that ten francs would be enough. and it was quite in spite of himself that they forced him to take twenty five francs. Royal Hospital of Charenton,? April 22, 1816. M. Bouchoc de Maupas drew up the minute of what this man had said, respect- ing his interview with the King, and with- out importuning him,sent it immediately to the Minister of the police." Note.--He who sent me the above Re- port was present at the examination which Martin underwent. Though only a simple hi-toriad. confining himself to the an- nouncement of facts. a thousand particular circumstances induce him to place faith in the veracity of the man. He has his own manner of viewing the subject but wishes to influence the opinion of no one. As to himself he regards the affair as an effect of the goodness of God towards France.