The Sun.
London, England, 1817-01-16 00:00:00

eutuOus EU ENto LAw-su'ir.

GILLFS IIIaRLS.
The law of France t'ro'ts moods as frarolit-
lent beq(iersts !thole AO hy-hts oatieot,
(hiring the counts: of A 111a14dy 4111clirativt:S :
but our preseut legisLitioh, less ligor&tils oti, this
poOst thin formerly, does not prohibit Mar-
riage in extreinis, even betsveen a physician anti
his patient.
Three questions here occur :--Dues the be-
quest made in virtue of such marriage becOme
valid ? Does the quality of intsband cover that ot,
physician / 'Does the law then protect rights
which it did not allow to he acquired ?
'these were the most important questions agi- '
tated iu the taw-suit which arose between Dr
Gilles and the Siour and Dame Rigel---a suit
April last, was decided in favour of the
latter. ILey obtained the setting aside ot' the
bequests made in the cOutrect of
_marriage: he-;
tweed Dr. (flies alul'.4listi de Soycourt, their
skier. -Flow- tilts decision Dr.A.lllles now ap-
Ise ils,d to the Royal Court, 'end tie folhtestinle
a
yof Ili. Nets winch formed thy grounds
f the lost decisions • .
Gilles was born in 1754, at the village of
ChanilOy, in the Luxembourg, of parehts whose
only legacyto Wm' was the 'value of three acres
of land. •He came to Palk, where his course
of early life exhibited it picture of profligacy.
i'le 11)1.111: t 1 a eolincrtlon wait one. Alain, maitre
d'isOtel of M. de Serilly. This Mein -became the
.subject ot a serious charge, in which Gilks was
implicated, and who took it-Inge its Liege front
the pursuit of, justice. The off air died away : he
iireed to Paris, prusecoted his Studies', took
itts degrees. lii medicine, stud had the good for-
oine on marry el rich wife. But justice soffit,
awoke, the old prosecistiou was resioned, and the
'Doctor was etimpelled to exile himself anew, with
liis wife and coda-. Both died in a short space ot
iime, tail be. inherited her pr spray,
des•roetio,t of Ptiii intents, and. the
ot I'4l'll4llMM -Will, put an-, end to the ha -
illislottelit nod tears of the Doctor : his prosecii•
`'tion Wll9 b"ried olilthis stsidges., He cominlied
Yitr,extoSiFl: his Ill'oreSSloll,
.hut his medirid skill
seas lessgtiieful to him thAn his talent !sir
irro and iiiv.,ding the propel ty ot
laktel heirs. • lie succeeded to gaining the cols-
lidelsee of M.. Duval de Soycsoot, who took him
tor his Physicialt, and gave hint in that capacity
ti> his two daughters, of whom the eldest:, a vale-
; tndin;trian, melancholy,- after short
.stay ast
Abbeville, was obliged to tetnrn to Paris to con-
sult Dr. Gilles,
was durieg this journey in 1803, thAt M. de
Sovemirt breathed his hi.st its the arms of his
younger daughter,Jtilboot be lett by wilt allAite
ildvaianges Which tlisi(rlVVW .ftlitt?aofti::-. 1)r. tilles •
accolllll4llled the eljest in Alsheville, whet e Isis ar-
rival svas the signal tor a family feud Una law-
suit. The younger Miss (le.-.Soycottrt was called
opon• by a proeeis to Soirreuder the ativuntges •
secured to her by her father's will, and ereli
threatened"with Cl'lllllll/1111e0SLCi111011:11i1 kt charge
of having abstracted sem •of 20.000 tr., there
beiog Imola only idiom 6,000 ll'autis..in the sera-
toire of the deceased M. de SOycourt, though it
was proved he hail lately received payment of
28,000. During the mak Mg of the iiireil tory, ,
20;000 francs we-re, however, sli.movered, which
M. de Si•yeourt,- by one to those whims common
with aged' persoest, had conceited iii an old ear-
fiage.---The eldest sistor, ussiunied and repenting,
solicited a reermeiliat ton, which the younger took
a geitehnt'slileasnee. in 'sealing by'-'a spouttoseous
rensineiation of 411 her testamentary preferences,
and by coulenting to au equal division of the pa-
ternal inheritance.
The state of the valetudinary required her re-
turn to Paris, stud Dr. Gilles 110011 dibeuVeretl 11141
she was etilteked by 'clitseer. 'llse operation for
it, pertormed by ssii-geon Boyer, though success-
ful, did not restore the patient to health, in whose
blood the disease had takett root. She sank into
a atate of deathly languor ; anti as her .
physician could ealonlate the duration ot her life,
availed himself of bus skill to f.i.et oossession of her
fortune.- fie procareil one Misteri, Its friend and
pupil, to sign a coriiiieate, attestiog that Miss ire
Soyrourt was' tot stelsed by a rlsesimetie fever, tar
which he had to` arttooFher ; and the same day.
rte
wrote to the Mayor of the second district, re•
'questing, that in votisettopice of Its heing impos-
sible for tor' he. meauCtivnialie trite Io rs pair
to the municipality; theNiiiyor would come 1111(1-
tell at 7 in the evening, and marry them in the
patient's chamber:
This' singular invitation excited suspicions in,
the mind of the Mayor,' Wll6 sent two physiiialis
to verify "and ascertain the situation .01. Mks tic
Snyeourt : their erutilleate proved that it wtsS de.
-vibratile. However,-this ci►il oftieer at last .(1111-
Wilted to pe-lone the office retie, sled ; and the
dying woninn e4pots,, (I Ole physician, who ft's,not appalled.i.hy the visage :of death olreadv sealed'
'On the pilloeViof.his new bride. -14 e feet:Avid Irons'
her an-eiitire donatiou of till bier propoti,V, in rt.
'tau for ii.lsteh Ire conceded, in the even' (i very
improbable one) of her servivieg hint, the usilfstio
of various landed property. This mei t iage watt
kept secret Mks tie Soyeinsts ret,ittett her flintily
name ;-• auUllr was not lii the mooteut that she
t'-it life deparlingi thro slits siosimotted bur Sister.
to entrust to her ihe secret co this fatal moon,
Her skier :wits unwilling to distort) the eptu4e
of her 1,15 t moment* by reproaohes; bus, after her
death, 111 e doctor was requested urn to abuse Ott
sporwory, disposoion in his favour; which he bait
extorted Intuit a dying Woman: Ile refused till
negochnion, tool 4k:cleft-it hisililtentioli in r, ratite
, 'mister at a fortune so well brquirert. It• hi:runty
therefore necessary to result to no .tetititt HI 14W.
The Judges of 144 resort pronounced, that Dr.