s held to be a sensible man, honest and
devout. He was close on forty when, in February, 1697, he had a
vision.

Returning to his home one evening, he beheld a spectre, holding a
torch in its hand. This spectre said to him:

"Fear nothing. Go to Paris and speak to the King. If thou dost not
obey this command thou shalt die. When thou shalt approach to within a
league of Versailles, I will not fail to make known unto thee what
things thou shalt say to his Majesty. Go to the Governor of thy
province, who will order all that is necessary for thy journey."

The figure which thus addressed him was in the form of a woman. She
wore a royal crown and a mantle embroidered with flowers-de-luce of
gold, like the late Queen, Marie-Therese, who had died a holy death
full fourteen years before.

The poor farrier was greatly afraid. He fell down at the foot of a
tree, knowing not whether he dreamed or was awake. Then he went back
to his house, and told no man of what he had seen.

Two days afterwards he passed the same spot. There again he beheld
the same spectre, who repeated the same orders and the same threats.
The farrier could no longer doubt the reality of what he saw; but as
yet he could not make up his mind what to do.

A third apparition, more imperious and more importunate than the
first, reduced him to obedience. He went to Aix, to the Governor of
the province; he saw him and told him how he had been given a mission
to speak to the King. The Governor at first paid no great heed to him.
But the visionary's patient persistence could not fail to impress him.
Moreover, since the King was personally concerned in the matter, it
ought not to be entirely neglected. These considerations led the
Governor to inquire from the magistrates of Salon touching the
farrier's family and manner of life. The result of these inquiries was
very favourable. Accordingly the Governor deemed it fitting to proceed
forthwith to action. In those days no one was quite sure whether
advice, very useful to the most Christian of Kings, might not be sent
by some member of the Church Triumphant through the medium of a common
artisan. Still less were they sure that some plot in which the welfare
of the State was concerned might not be hatched under colour of an
apparition. In both contingencies, the second of which was quite
probable, it would be advisable to send Francois Michel to Versailles.
And this was the decision arrived at by the Governor.

For