Every person would be at
hand to contradict me, and consequently it would be impossible that such
an imposition could be put upon them against the direct evidence of
their senses."
"Granted," replied the baron. "But this tale I am not too bold to infer
might be invented when that generation had passed, when the credulity of
coming ages might lead men to believe in such foolish and monstrous
imaginings, like the labours of Hercules, the amours of Jove, and the
cannibal exploits of Saturn."
"Nay, but hear me. Whenever such a story was first promulged, were it
then stated that not only public monuments remained to attest the event,
but that public rites and ceremonies were kept up for its express
commemoration, which rites were to that day continual, and to which
those writings appealed as evidence attesting the performance of such
miracles, then must the deceit have been rendered but the more glaring
and easy of detection, as no such monuments could exist, no rites, no
ceremonies demonstrating the truth of this appeal could be in
observance. Thus, if I should now invent the tale about something done
two thousand odd years ago, a few might, peradventure, be credulous
enough to believe me; but if I were to say that ever after, even to this
day, every male had his nose slit and his ears bored in memory of this
event, it would be absolutely impossible that I should gain credit for
my story, because the universality of the falsehood being manifest, and
the attestation thereof visibly untrue, would prove the whole history to
be false.
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