The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-04-08 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

PASCAL BEWITCHED.—The mother of Pascal was a very pious and charitable lady, and had a number of poor people, to whom she gave a small monthly pension. Among them was a woman, who was popularly looked upon as a witch, and with whom it was often recommended to Madame Pascal to have as little as possible to do; but the good lady, who was by no means of a credulous cast of mind, gave no heed to the warnings. At this time it happened that the little Blaise, then a year old, fell into a kind of atrophy, which was accompanied by two unusual circumstances. The first was, that he could not see water without getting into a state of violent agitation; the second was still stranger: it was, that he could not bear the sight of both his parents together. Separately, their caresses afforded him great delight, but the moment they both presented themselves to him at the same time, he uttered loud cries, and struggled with all his might. This lasted a year, and the child's health had failed to such a degree, that it was thought his death was not far off. Every one said that he was under a charm, cast upon him by the reputed witch above-mentioned; but his parents had no ear for these representations, which seemed to them the dictates of a ridiculous superstition. One day, nevertheless, Monsieur Pascal called the old woman into his study, intending to tell her of what reports she was the subject; but he had scarcely opened his mouth, when, to his great surprise, she anticipated him, by begging that he would not believe what was said, since the people accused her of such things merely from envy, because she partook of the bounty of his wife. He now tried to frighten her, pretended to be quite sure that she had bewitched his child, and threatened her with the terrors of the law, unless she would immediately tell him the truth. Horribly alarmed, she threw herself on her knees before him, and protested she would tell him everything, if he would but promise that her life should be spared. M. Pascal was surprised at the effect of his threats, and asked the woman what she had done, and why she had practised against the welfare of his family. She reminded him that she had once entreated him to conduct a lawsuit for her, and that he had refused, believing her cause not to be just. To revenge herself, she had bewitched his child, and she was sorry to tell him that the spell which was on the little sufferer was mortal. "What," cried the unhappy father—"my son must die, then ?" "There is yet a means," replied the hag, "of saving his life: that is, by transferring the charm to another, who will then die in his stead." M. Pascal hereupon said he would far rather lose his child, than save him by what he could not but look on as the murder of a fellow-creature. The woman said, the enchantment could be transferred to a beast. "Take one of my horses, then," said the father. "Nay," said the witch, "there is no need of taking anything so valuable; a cat will do." They gave her a cat, which she threw out of the window; and though the animal had but a fall of six feet, it died on the spot. The woman demanded a second cat, which M. Pascal directed to be given. The great love he had for his child made him forget that, in order to transfer the. charm, the devil's name must be invoked anew, and the sin of witchcraft repeated. This thought did not occur to him till a long time after, and he was deeply grieved at having made himself the accomplice of such a crime. Who can tell but it was to punish him for this transgression, that his son lived to be such a thorn in the side of the Jesuits 2—Dublin University Magazine for April.