otte, an amiable and original man, but unhappily
infatuated with the reveries of the illumaniti. He spoke, and with the
most serious tone, saying: 'Gentleman, be satisfied; you will all see this
great and sublime revolution, which you so much desire. You know that I am
a little inclined to prophesy; I repeat, you will see it,' He was answered
by the common rejoinder: 'One need not be a conjuror to see that.' He
answered: 'Be it so; but perhaps one must be a little more than conjuror
for what remains for me to tell you. Do you know what will be the
consequences of this revolution--what will be the consequence to all of
you, and what will be the immediate result--the well-established
effect--the thoroughly recognized consequences to all of you who are here
present?'

"'Ah' said Condorcet, with his insolent and half-suppressed smile, 'let us
hear--a philosopher is not sorry to encounter a prophet--let us hear!'
Cazotte replied: 'You, Monsier de Condorcet--you will yield up your last
breath on the floor of a dungeon; you will die from poison, which you will
have taken in order to escape from execution--from poison which the
happiness of that time will oblige you to carry about your person. You,
Monsieur de Chamfort, you will open your veins with twenty-two cuts of a
razor, and yet will not die till some months afterward.' These personages
looked at each other, and laughed again. Cazotte continued: 'You, Monsieur
Vicq d'Azir, you will not open your own veins, but you will cause yourself
to be bled six times in one day, during a paroxysm of the gout, in order
to make more sure of your end, and you will die in the night.'

"Cazotte went on: 'You, Monsieur de Nicolai, you will die on the scaffold;
you, Monsieur Bailly, on the scaffold; you, Monsieur de Malesherbes, on
the scaffold. 'Ah, God be thanked,' exclaimed Roucher, 'and what of I?'
Cazotte replied: 'You? you also will die on the scaffold.' 'Yes,' replied
Chamfort, 'but when will all this happen?' Cazotte answered: 'Six years
will not pass over, before all that I have said to you shall be
accomplished.' Here I (La Harpe) spoke, saying: 'Here are some astonishing
miracles, but you have not included me in your list.' Cazotte answered me,
saying: 'But you will be there, as an equally extraordinary miracle; you
will then be a Christian!' Vehement exclamations on all sides followed
this startling assertion. 'Ah!' said Chamfort, 'I am conforted; if we
shall perish only when La