In the “Thuana” we read of a whimsical, passionate, old judge, who was
sent into Gascony with power to examine into the abuses which had crept
into the administration of justice in that part of France. Arriving late
at Port St. Mary, he asked “how near he was to the city of Agen?” He was
answered, “_two_ leagues.” He then decided to proceed that evening,
although he was informed that the leagues were long, and the roads very
bad. In consequence of his obstinacy the judge was bemired, benighted,
and almost shaken to pieces. He reached Agen, however, by midnight, with
tired horses and harassed spirits, and went to bed in an ill humour. The
next morn he summoned the court of justice to meet, and after having
opened his commission in due form, his first decree was, “That for the
future the distance from Agen to Port St. Mary should be reckoned _six_
leagues.” This decree he ordered to be registered in the records of the
province, before he would proceed to any other business.
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