The Sun.
London, England, 1806-12-02 00:00:00

VENTR-ILOQUISM.

In the 18th Volume of the Encyclopcedia
formica, under the word Ventriloquism, ' the fol-
lowing carious account. is given of a celobrate.l Yen-

triloqUist :

" From Bradeau,-a learned critic of the 16th cm,
tury, we have the following account of the feats of a
capital Ventriloquist and Cleat, who was valet de
chambre to Francis the. First.---The fellow, whose
name Was Louis Brabant, had fallen' deSpZ-rately in
love with a young, handsome, and rich, heireSs; but
was rejeCted by the parents 'as an unsuitable match
for their daughter, on account of the lowness of his
circumstances. The 'yoting lady's father dying, he
made a visit to the widOW4 Who was totally ignorant
of his singular, talent. Suddenly, on 'his first ap7
pearance, in open day, in her own house, and m the
presence. of several persons who were-with her, r:site
heard herself accosted, in a voice perfectly reserribling
that alter dead husband, and which seemed to pro-
ceed from above, exclaiming, Give my daughter
in marriage to Louis Brabant : he is a man of great
fiirtune, . and of an, excellent character ; I vietw
dure the inexpressible torments of purgatory for
having refused' her to him. If you obey this adinoUi7:
tion I shall soon he delivered from this,place of tdr.t.
ment. You will at the same time provide a worthy
husband for your daughter, and procure everlasting
repose to the soul of your poor husband.'
" The widow could not for a moment resist this
dreadful summons, which had net the most-distant
appearance of proteeding,from Louis Brabant,whose
countenance exhibitited no visible cl-inge, and whose
lips were closed 'and motionless during the deli-
very of it. Accordingly; she consented immediately
to receive him for her son-in-law.
"j Louis's finances, 'however, were in a very low
situation;, and the formalities attending the marriage
contract rendered it necessaryfor him to exhibit some
shew of riehes, and not to give the ghost the lie dire Ct.
He accordingly went to work upon a fresh subjea--
one Corri, 'an old rich banker at Lyons, who had,
accumulated immense wealth by usury end extor-
tion, and was known to be hauhted by remorse of
conscience, on account of the manner in which he had
acquired 'it.. Having contraaed an intimate acquairit.
tance with this man, he,
.one day, while they were
sitting together in the usurer's little back parlour,
artfully turned the conVersaii, n oil religious subjects,
on demons and spectres; the pains of purgatory, 'and,
the torment of hell. During an interval of silence
between'theM, a voice 'was heard, which; to the
astonished banker, seemed to be that of.his deceased
father, father, coipplainiug, as in the former case, of his'
dreadful siMation in purgatory, and 'calling Upon'
hiM to delivei.him instantly from thence, by putting
into the hancl:4:of Louis Brabant,, then with mm, a
large sum foi.-the redemption of Christians then in
slavery with 4 Turks; threatening him at the
same' time, 'wiflV: eternal damniition, if he did not
take this methecrlikewise to expiate his own sins.
The readri.vill naturally suppose that Louis
Brababt alfeeted 4due degree .of astonishment ()If,
the occasion en l` prOcaoted thedeception, by
acknowledging hiP,having devot&l himsen to tho
prosecution of the charitable design imputed to' hint
by the .giK)St.
An old usurer is naturally suspicious. Accord-
ingly the wary banker made a second appointment
With the ghost's delegate for the next day 'and, to
render -any'desip of imposing on him utterly abor-
tive, he took him into the open fields, where not a
house or a tree, or even .a bush or pit, were in sight,
capable of screening any supposed•contederate. This
ex:,raordiriary caution excited the Ventriloqta4t to
exert all the powers of his art.. WhereVer'the ban-
ker conduaed him, at every step his ears were saint-
ed on all-sides with the complaints and groans not
only of his father, but of all his deceased relations,
imploring hiM for the love of God, and in the name
of every saint in the kalender, to have mercy on his
own soul and theirs, by elleCtually seconding with
his purse the intentions of his worthy companion.—
Cortiu could no longer resist the voice of heaven, .
and accordingly carried his guest home him, and
paid hini down 'lO,OOO crowns, with which the ho-
nest Ventriloquist returned to Paris and married his

nii,tress. . •. ~
" The Catastrophe was fatal.—The•secret was
afterwards blown; and reached the-usurer's-ears,who
was so much . affeited• by the loss of his money,
and the mortifying raileries of his .neighbours;
that be took to his bed - and died." ,

On Tuesday morning last.two men belonging .to
Mr.- GARRETT'S Brewery, at Portsmouth, were sui,
focated, by going,.down a large Beer Vatt, which
had been eMptied,•and waS about to be cleaned out.
It appears, that soon after the first man had de-
scended, he
,felt 'sensible of the danger, he was in,
and gave instant alarm; upon which the other went
down to his assistance ;, but, alas ! he also eN.7.
pertenced the same •dreadful fate ;
.and, before suf-
ficient assistance could, be obtained (it being at the
early hour of three) they both perished.-'. The cir-
cumstance is more lamentable, each having left a
large family to deplore their loss.
On Thursday night last a. desperate banditti,
armed and disguised, destroyed the mill-head and
weir, at Dtmmeere, in the parish of Bodinin, ,the
property: of Mr. Hawke. From thence they pro-
ceeded to Boscarne, where they: did a vast deal of.
mischief 'to the water grist trills, by turning the
water on the wheels and destroying the mill-stones,
and afterwards cutting .down the mill-dam and de-
stroying every thing that 'came in their way ; even
the bridge that crossed the river did not escape their
fury. This is the third time,. within the last three
-.week,s, that they have committed depredations on
Boscarne.

' A Bbn Vivant complaining, a day or two since,
Government had a large produce, or tax, on Lottery
•Tiekets (which; by the bye, is for the benefit of the
Public at large), a sagacious Friend whispered him,
that werea not for .such 'an impost, the wine he
drank would' most probably be taxed much more"
heavily than at present. But (continued his Friend):
there is a material distinetion in the case : when you
t• have'drank your wine, it makes yOu no return ,of
1- profit; -whereas , the smallest Share_ of a Lottery
Ticket. may be so produ&ive as to•enable you to
A rink three bottles for one ,every 'day during dill re-
-4 minder of your life.S,