Star.
London, England, 1829-07-20 00:00:00

ROMAN CATHOLIC PROSELYTISM.

The Paris Papers have contained several different
stories relative to the recent conversion of a young Eng-
lish lady to the Roman Catholic faith. There have been
some contradictions ; but at last the Mayor of Anteuil
has interfered ; and his statement, under the correction of
the Courrier Francais, will probably make us acquainted
with the real facts. The Mayor sends his communication
in reply to an article some days before in that paper. It
is to this effect :

" A young English lady wbo was traveling in France, to coup.
tenet the effects of excessive Oct on her arrival in Paris, took up
her abode with Madame A. formerly a nun. She remained there
about a year, and, during that time, the pious exercises she wit-
nessed—her conversations with the lady of the house, and the in.
*ructions of the priests of the parish—WOW into ber heart the
desire of embracing the Roman On keying this
boom, she went to oat of the lest in the capital ;
but though she was there surrounded by scants, she did not
cease to nourish her intention of conversion, by reading books which
she borrowed ham Madame A. In this state she came to Anteull ;
she was there more than two months in entire solitude, solely em.
ployed in reading religious books, when she was attacked by a seri-
ous Illness, which soon made ber alarmed for her life. She then
asked for the spiritual aid of a priest ; the vicar of Anteuil would
not go to her until he was compelled by the urgent solicitations of
two aged persons. and on a request from the curate, who had other
functions to perform. The sick lady entirely possessed her faculties.
The vicar administered the sacrament:without any particelar degree
of ceremony, and the new coovert was an a state of tranquillity for
live or sic hours after her abjuration. This calm was not disturbed
until the arrival of a puritan friend of the sick lady, who, without
any regard to her condition, burst into bitter reproaches against her
conversion. It is to these invectives, and to a second visit of this
friend, who came back two hours afterwards, that we should
ascribe the delirium which has since seised on the young English-
woman. She was removed the next day to the house of a friend
in the Faubourg du Route, and afterwards to the infirmary of Dr.
Pressat, though she wished to return to Madame A.`

The. Courrier Francais denies the truth of some port
of this statement, which, it remarks, admits the essential
fact, that the young lady, who was a Protestant, has dur-
ing her illness been persuaded to abjure her religion. Imme-
diately afterwards she isaillictedwith mental alienation, of
which before she had no symptom. It is said that her in-
sanity did not arise from her conversion, but from the re-
proaches of her puritan friend. The first fact denied is,
that the lady who visited the patient is a Puritan. The im-
putation is unfounded. She knew nothing of her friend's
conversion ; it was her friend who first informed her of it,
and who caught her round the neck to convert her in
her turn. The new convert was so pressing that her
friend was obliged to slip herself out of her arms and run
away. The insane lady followed her by jumping out of a
window, and running through the streets of the town
during a shower of rain, in a wild and disordered state,
until the Mayor directed her to be secured. The visitor
did not return a second time ; she saw her friend only
once. One of two things is clear : either the sick lady
gave signs of alienation before her conversion, and the
Vicar in that case has committed a sort of sacrilege in
celebrating the ceremony of abjuration; or she had her
senses perfectly, and then the instructions of the Vicar
made her lose them. The family of the young lady, who
have arrived from London, have called for the pro-
tection of the English embassy.
Tim ROMAN INQUISITION.—A general Edict of the
Holy See of Rome, dated the 14th of May, orders every
person to give information to the Inquisition as to all he-
retics, or those who are suspected of being so. In this
category there are ranged all individuals who treat with
doubt the worship of the Virgin or the Saints—who be-
lieve in the dissolubility of marriage—who hold intercourse
with Jews or heretics—who oppose themselves to the acts
of the Holy Inquisition, or take part in abusing the in-
formers that it welcomes and rewards, and who possess
books of heretical authors, or discussing religious matters
without the authority of the Holy See. By this Edict,
it is forbidden to every Catholic to hold any intercourse, or
eken to eat, with Jews, or to suckle or educate their chil-
dren, or render them any service whatever. We may
aiiirm, that since the date of this Edict, there is not a
Catholic in France who is not liable to this excommuni-
cation of the Holy Odice.

OLD BAILEY SESSIONS, July 18.
Elizabeth Briggs was capitally indicted for stealing a
1301. note, and other property to a large amount, from
Mrs. Taylor, of Fleet-street, with whom she lived ser-
vant; and her father, Thomas Briggs, was charged with
receiving the same, knowing it to have been stolen.
The facts of this case are of a novel character, inasmuch
as the rubbery was committed ten years since, and never
would have been found out, had it not been for a quarrel
which the male prisoner had with some part of his family.
They are shortly, as appeared from the evidence and
statements of the prisoners themselves, as follows:—In
the year 1819 the female prisoner, who was then very
young, lived as servant with the .prosecutrix in Fleet-
street, during which time she plundered her of property
to a considerable amount, to which she was instigated
and persuaded by her father, who received what she stole.
To such an extent was this system of plunder carried,
that the old man actually bought a cottage (in-which he
had lived for years since) with the proceeds. It appeared
their plans were most successful ; for when the female li
left her place, her mistress was so well satisfied, that she
obtained her another situation. It, however, happened,
that last June a quarrel arose, and the old man went to
a constable at Liinehouse, and detailed to him the whole
particulars of his daughter's thefts, and of himself re-
ceiving the stolen property ; and in consequence of this
information they were both taken into custody.
The female prisuner,who was most dreadfully agitated,
declared she was compelled to commit the robbery by the
threats of her inhuman father, who now, after a lapse of
ten years, was trying to tAke away her life. Since she
left the prueecutrix, and had been free from the coutroul
of her father, she had lived iu several situations, in all of
which she had wituessos to prove she had conducted her-
.
self with the greatest propriety.
Several respectable periona with whom she had lived as
servant gave her a most excellent character.

Mr. Sergeant Arabin summed up ; he said, never, in
the course of his experience in criminal courts, did
he witness a more depraved character than the man at
the bar. The jury would have no difficulty in coming to
a decision on his quit._

The jury immediately found both prisoners Guilty, but
strou6.y recommended tie female to mercy, as it was
t...oir unanimous upiiiiou she was forced to commit the
roblvry by her father.
• _ _ _

Mr..Seigetuit Ai abin ordered the man up for judgment.
The Learned Judy said it would be a waste of time to
talk to a being de% tiid of every feeling of humanity; to
a man who, in his opinion, was the most wicked that had
ever stood at that bar. Language could not convey the
horror that must be entertained of a monster who forced
his child to commit an offence at the hazard of her life,
and then, after ten years, to turn round and give infor-
mation against her. It was fortunate for him that he
had not been capitally indicted, or the extreme penaltg:
the law would must assuredly have been his fate.
sentence of the court was, that he be transported beyond
the seas for the term of fourteen years. The Learned
Judge said, with respect to the female, the recommenda-
tion of the jury should be attended to.
As tl.e ?ris.mer was removed from the dock ,aninvol u nntre
e xpression ofe caution burst forth amongst the spectators:

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