Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-10-20
From a French raper.
C0UR ROYALE.

C0UR RoYALE.
Rousseau, and a woman named
Marrclle, were condemned to one
years imprisonment by the common
tribunal of Trayes for various acts Of
swindlingpractised uponignorant pea
SAINTS under the pretext Of curing
their diseases. killing their enemies
&c. The Public Accuser thought
their punishment too light, and there
fore brought the case by appeal be-
fore the Cour RoyaIe.
The following are some Of the
tricks practised by Rousseau and his
associate -
They were extremely fond ofeating
poultry, it appears for almost every
favor which they were to obtain from
the devil, and they pretended to have
his Satanic Majesty under their con-
trout. was preceded by the sacrif
ces ola fat hen. or capon. The head
was cut off amidst some horrid in
carnations, and enclosed in tin box.
This box was buried in the presence
of the parties, and in a few days dug
M. when frog usually leapt out
There" said Houssean. "you have
gained YOUR wishes had it been
serpent should have been sorry for
Nru.'
But Housseau's devices were hct
alw a, 8 so innocent: for in 1915 he
was tried before the tribunal of Char
tres for an act of compound 6lasphe-
my and villany. He persuaded a
farmer. who had lost great many of
his cattle that season from disease,
Ihat ncighbor (who had given Hous-
Seau some offence) had bewitched the
animals. The credulous farmer ac-
cordingly accompanied Rousseau at
midnight into II church yards. and
filled II small sacks with earth from
each. Un their return Tn the cottage
Of the peasant the sacks were placed
in systcmatiCal order on the floor: a
due number of the featherct race was
killed, and the heads placed on the
SACKS. The farmer. his wife, and his
children. were placed on their kness
around the sacks. and ordered to say
certain prayers. which they did most
de, outly. Suddenly a dreadful voice
was heard in the chimney. 81 am
the Devil" said the voice. d" and | am
coming among you.' The farmer
and his wife chung 10 the knees of the
pretended sOrcerer, and besought him
to stop there. He replied, that he
could mot arrest the progress Of the
incantatiOn. The Devil edoubled his
cries-the poor villagers renewed
their entrcatics, and produced the
parse which contai' el t,eir savings
formany years. AtsIghl of this Hous-
seau affected to consent with reluct-
ance, and went out and held a parley
with the Devil, who consented to &C.
cept of money. Houseau then pre-
tended. that by interrupting the grand
process nothing could be done against
the life of their enemy. and made his
bow and retired. The wife of the
farmer has been insane ever since.
Although such was the atrOcity of
Housseau's conduct, the terror of his
name as sorcerer kept back all the
material witnesses wien he was bro't
to trial for the crime. He was con.
,icted merely of beng a drawer of
cards, imprisoned for five days, and
fined "a 5 francs.
Under all these circumstances. the
public prosecutor brought the case by
appeal as alread! stated before the
Cour Royals, and Rousseau was spec.
Oily condemned to five years imprison-
ment and a fine of 1000 francs. The
woman Marcelle was sentenced to l