Hypnotism and the Law. ordered Saint Luke, who, as everybody knows, is keeper of the archives of the saintly court, to search the registers to see if he could there find the name of some lawyer. Saint Luke returned; his researches were fruitless. Yve's countenance began to redden, and he to lose confidence. Then God said to him : "Maitre Yves, as you observe, we cannot give you for patron a saint who pleaded in his life time, but in order to show Our good will in the matter, you shall go blindfolded along the passage where my saints have their statues, and you may there select one of my Elect by placing your hand upon his image; that one, whether good or indifferent (this seems rather paradoxical), shall be your patron saint." Carrying out this command, the honest Breton tied a heavy bandage over his eyes, and step by step, with arms extended, went down the passage, racking his brain for some inspiration to guide him in making a suitable choice. At last, with some hesitation, he came to a halt, and passing his hand over a head, "Brow, bald and receding," said he, " mouth cynical, this must surely be an attorney, if indeed it is not a president or even a judge. Well, here goes! for better or for worse. I will select him as the lawyer's patron." Immediately an immense burst of laughter
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broke from the ranks of the Elect, who through curiosity had come to assist at the ceremony. Yves de Kermartin, anxious to discover his choice, tore the bandage from his eyes, and with one glance at the statue uttered a cry of dismay. It was worse than a president, it was much worse than a judge, it was even much worse than an attorney; it was no less than . . . Satan . . . You ask, no doubt, how his Satanic Majesty came to be there. The reason is, that Saint Michael is represented there, as on earth, overcoming the devil, and paring his diabolical lordship's claws. The Breton had mistaken the devil for an angel. "Ah! my poor man," said God, "your luck has played you a bad turn this time. But as I would not have such a patron to repre sent the Bar, especially the Bar of Brittany, henceforth I enroll you among my Elect, and the lawyers will no longer be without a patron." At that moment, it is said, the gentleman from Breton died at his home in Trequier, the 19th day of May, 1303, and this is how, as the legend naively relates, Saint Yves the glorious friend of God became the lawyer's patron saint. It was said of him : "Sanctus Yvo erat Breto Advocatus et non latro Res stupenda populo."
HYPNOTISM AND THE LAW. THE proposal — now apparently aban doned — of the Dutch judicial au thorities to hypnotize De Jong in order to extract from him a clue, which they believe him to be able to give, with regard to the missing women whom he is alleged to have murdered, is well fitted to furnish the sober minds of English lawyers with material for serious reflection. It seems that, by the law
of Holland, a prisoner may be subjected to hypnotic experiments, with a view to obtain ing from him information which may lead to his conviction, but that statements so obtained are not admissible as evidence against him. The inquisitorial character of Dutch criminal procedures renders the case of hypnotism as a medium of inquiry logi cal enough; although we suspect that the
