An astonished passer-by stopped and inquired: "What's the matter here?
Is it a funeral ?" "Quite the reverse, Sir." "A christening, then ?" "With warm water!" "A birth ?" "A being born again!" An old judge of the Civil Court was recounting to a deputy the legend of AEson of old, who was boiled in Medea's caldron.
"This is almost the same experiment," said he, "and I am inclined to think that the poets have calumniated the sorceress of Colchis.

There could be some fine Latin verses made appropriate to this occasion; but I no longer possess my old skill! 'Fabula Medeam cur crimine carpit iniquo?
Ecce novus surgit redivivus AEson ab undis Fortior, arma petens, juvenili pectore miles ...,' "Redivivus is taken in the active sense; it's a license, or at least a bold construction.

Ah! Monsieur! there was a time when I was, even among those who made the most confident attempts, _the_ man for Latin verses!" * * * * * "Corp'ral!" said a conscript of the levy of 1859.
"What is it, Freminot ?" "Is it true that they are boiling an old soldier in a pot, and that they are going to get him up again, Colonel's uniform and all ?" "True or not, subaltern, I'll run the risk of saying it's true." "I fancy, with all proper deference, that they will not make much at it." "You should know, Freminot, that nothing is impossible to your superiors! You are not unaware even now, that dried vegetables, on being boiled, recover their original and natural appearance!" "But, Corp'ral, if one were to cook them, three days' time, they'd dissolve into broth." "But, imbecile, why shouldn't one consider old soldiers hard to cook ?" At noon, the commisioner of police and the lieutenant of _gens-d'armes_ made way through the crowd and entered the house.

These gentlemen hastened to declare to M.Renault that their visit had nothing of an official character, but that they had come merely from curiosity.

In the corridor, they met the Sub-prefect, the Mayor and Gothon, who was lamenting in loud tones that she should see the government lend its hand to such sorceries.
About one o'clock, M.Nibor caused a new and prolonged bath to be given the Colonel, on coming out of which, the body was subjected to a kneading harder and more complete than before.
"Now," said the Doctor, "we can carry M.Fougas into the laboratory, in order to give his resuscitation all the publicity desirable.