A Certain Citizen of Champaigne, born of a very honest Family, and who was of all esteem'd an exceeding godly and religi­ous man, because he always lived very recluse and reserved, and had never suffer'd his eyes to wander to re­ceive the Allurements and Temptations of wanton Women to the violence of his Chastity, for which he was so eminently observed in his Countrey, that he was called and known by the Name of Virgette, for they all believed him a godly Man and a true Virgin.

This Hypocrite being on a day with one of his Aunts who was truly devout, saw her re­ceive a Sum of Money that was a Debt; and [Page 2] when they that brought it had taken their leave and were gone, he askt her for some to dispose of in Charitable Uses: The good Gentle­woman frankly gave him an hundred Livres, and lock'd up the remainder in a Trunk, where she had a great deal more, which was not slightly regarded by her good Nephew, whose Affections that could withstand the beauties of the most fair, were not a little surprized here­with.

Two days after this Visit, Virgette meeting his Aunt at Church, according to her Custom, importuned her to come home and dine with him, to which after he had very vehemently press'd her, she at last consented. There he made her an Entertainment, as handsomly as one could that kept neither Maid nor Men-Servants about him, for he was serv'd with Necessaries by such as liv'd abroad. He gave her of some very excellent Wines which he had in his Cellar, and after Dinner invited her to walk down stairs to see it, and was urgent with her to do it upon some account or other, which I shall omit: But let this suffice for the know­ledge of the Story, that having her there, he had an Opportunity to act his design, and with a great Beetle he knockt out her Brains, and then [Page 3] took from her the Keys of her Lodgings. 'Tis remarkable that he had made choice of a time for this bloody Murder, when the Servant of this good old Gentle-woman, who no less de­vour than her Mistress, was gone on a Pil­grimage which would detein her eight days; which gave him an opportunity to his hearts desire, to take away from his Aunt all she had, or what he pleas'd. He came not into the House but in the Evening, that he might be the less discovered by the Neighbours; where he readily sound the way to the trunk, which he opened, and took thence all the Money, and went away with it in the dark without being observ'd by any. As soon as he reach'd home with his treasure, he went into the Cellar where he had left the Body of his murdered Aunt, which he mangled into four parts, and cast into the Town Ditch which went behind his House.

The old Gentle woman being missing, she was enquired and sought for every where, and after five or six days search, they found the Parts of her Body in the Ditch, where Virgette had dispos'd of them. No one was accused for this Action, nor indeed could any tell what to think of it. At last a Son in law of hers [Page 4] was accused, because some time before he had used to complain of her for not making ad­vantage of her Money as she should. This man after Examination was sentenced to be put upon the Wrack, on which Sentence he appeal'd to Paris, where the former was con­firmed, whereupon he underwent it without making any Confession, and therefore was quitted.

Six months after a Gentleman that was his Friend being to take a Journey, was enquiring for some Gold that he wanted for his conve­nience; Virgette told him he could help him to two hundred Pieces for Silver; the Gentleman whereupon went to him and carried with him so much Silver. Which this Hypocrite percei­ving, and being willing that nothing to his advantage might escape him, fell discoursing to him of a certain new sort of a Pigeon-House that he had, and persuaded the Gentleman to a desire of seeing it: In short he led him in, and there while the Gentleman was considering something that he saw there, he from behind him threw a Cord about his Neck, and with an intent to have strangled him, immediately set his Knee to his Back, and fell a girding it with as much violence as his strength could [Page 5] afford. He presumed he had cast the Cord right to have dispatch'd him, but to his mis­fortune it had fallen no lower than his Nose. The Gentleman perceiving this, made what re­sistance he was able to be disengag'd from him, and in the bustle made a shift to throw this Villain to the ground, and in the fall to wound him with a Dagger that he had in his hand, which he took from him, crying out Murder, but this being in a by place, the noise was not easily heard, but only to one man, who came in thereupon, forcing open the Door, and immediately demanded the reason of the Dis­order that occasioned the Outcry: this Bigot replies presently, ‘that that Gentleman (point­ing to him) had had a wicked intent to have strangled himself, and to that end had got him­self into his Pigeon-House, where he found him in a desperate manner endeavouring to commit a violence upon his own Body, being upon the point of hanging himself; But he coming in by chance and finding him in the Attempt, endeavoured what in him lay to prevent him from making such a miserable end; for which only he fell to practise first upon him, and had proceeded so far as to wound him (as he saw) which made him cry out and this was the true occasion.’

The Gentleman surpris'd at the readiness of this Excuse and the method of this Raillery, replied (to him that came in) ‘that he would fully pardon him and never be his Accuser for this wicked Prosecution, provided he would only confess all, declare his action and intention, and that before the person that was then present: He added moreover, "that he ever believed him a very honest man, but that being overcome by a temptation that blinded him, at that time he was induced to undertake the Attempt upon him he had made.’ But notwithstanding all this, Virgette would neither acknowledge his Kindness, nor confess his own Crime, whereupon he was immediately committed into the hands of Ju­stice.

After that he was seiz'd on, at first he dis­covered nothing but the signs and tokens of his astonishment, and wonder to see himself thus strangely abused for the performance of a Charitable Duty. But some time afterwards, deploring his Misfortune, and being passionate­ly transported, he let fall some few words, which caused his Destruction: Does no one yet, saith he, accuse me too for murdering my Aunt. These words awakened the Spirits of those that were then by, and gave them to conjecture, [Page 7] that he being so bold to attempt upon a Gen­tleman, the Act for which he was committed; might probably be as villanous to commit the Murder upon his Aunt. Whereupon he was examined so very strictly, that in the Conclu­sion he confest himself guilty of what the Gen­tleman laid to his charge, but of that alone and nothing else: And for which he was con­demn'd to be hang'd.

Then he appeal'd to Paris, where the Gen­tleman that was President at the Tournelle, took such cognizance of what light was given him in the matter, that he faithfully discharg'd his duty, to the applause of his Wisdom and E­quity. For he no sooner heard what he had spoken concerning the Death of his Aunt, but he immediately commanded him to be put to the Wrack, where he presently and openly con­fest the Murder of the latter and his Intent up­on the other. He had no sooner discovered these with all their circumstances, but he was condemn'd to be burnt at Chalons.

Being at the moment of his Execution, and past hopes of Pardon or Reprieve, he confest as follows, That having made a resolution to iob a Colonel that lay at his House, he found he could not compass it but by his Death, [Page 8] which he effected thus. The Colonel used constantly to come hometo his Lodgings very late, and sometimes very early about two or three a Clock in the morning, and not to di­sturb his Servants, he was wont to give them all leave to go to bed when they pleas'd, on­ly leaving him a Candle lighted in his Cham­ber, and this was always punctually observ'd, which Custom gave Opportunity to Virgette according to his wish to execute his barbarous design; which in a little time he performed. After he had thus murdered the Colonel, he cast his Body into the Ditch where his Aunts was, and the next day sent out the Servants to go seek after their Master, who he said came not in that night.

He likewise confess'd the Murder of two young Scholars that were Sons to a Person of Quality. Their Father had sent them eight hundred Livres, which they had entrusted him withal, to lay up for them. These at an ad­vantageous opportunity he murdered and bu­ried them in his Garden, as he confessed, in such a place, where Search being made, they found the Bodies of two murdered Youths.

And thus, Reader, you have here only a bare Translation of these four horrible Mur­ders, and I leave it to your Ingenuity to make what Remarks the Circumstances of these Vil­lanies can afford, which are the most barbarous and foul that I ever heard of, and all com­mitted by one single person, whose Cruelty is scarce to be parallel'd, it being so trascen­dently abominable, and therefore I think it not unworthy a communicating to the World.