Palissy the Huguenot Potter: A True TaleBrightwell, C. L. (Cecilia Lucy)
History
Palissy the Huguenot Potter: A True Tale
Brightwell, C. L. (Cecilia Lucy)
Palissy, Bernard, 1510?-1590
That evening there occurred what Bernard called “an admirable accident.”
The three heretics had been conveyed to their prison-house carefully
guarded; and, above all, Robin, who was the principal object of hatred,
and whom it was designed to put to death with the most cruelty. He was
kept, with his companions, heavily ironed, in a prison attached to the
bishop’s palace, and a sentry was placed to watch outside, while a number
of large village dogs were turned into the court-yard. But, for all
these precautions, Robin did not despair. He had obtained a file
(probably Palissy could have told how he managed this,) and having filed
off the irons which were upon his legs, he gave the file to his
fellow-captives, and proceeded to scrape a hole through the prison wall.
But a strange accident here occurred. It chanced that a number of
hogsheads which had been emptied during the fête, had been piled, one
above another, against the wall, and these being pushed down by the
prisoner, in his efforts to escape, fell with rumbling noise, and
awakened the sleeping sentry, who listened for a while, but hearing
nothing further, and overcome by the fumes of the liquor in which he had
indulged somewhat freely, relapsed into slumber. Bernard tells, in his
quaint manner, what next befell, thus: “Then the said Robin went out into
the court at the mercy of the dogs; however, God had inspired him to take
some bread, which he threw to the said dogs, who were quiet as the lions
of Daniel. It was so ordered that he should find an open door, which led
into the garden, where, finding himself again shut up between certain
somewhat high walls, he perceived by the light of the moon, a tall pear
tree, close enough to the outer wall, and having mounted this, he
perceived, on the outer side of the wall, a chimney, to which he could
leap easily enough.” He was soon safe in the street, but, having never
been in the town before, he was at a loss how to proceed. In this
dilemma, the clever fugitive recalled to mind the names of the physician
and apothecary who had attended him, and went knocking from door to door
inquiring for their residence. He had contrived to fasten his fetters to
his leg, and carrying his dress about his shoulders, had the adroitness
to arrange it somewhat after the costume of a footman, so that the people
whom he roused were deceived, and supposing it to be an urgent case of
sickness, gave him the necessary directions. In this manner he succeeded
in gaining the shelter of a friendly roof, and from thence was conducted
safely out of the town; nor was he again taken, though, in the course of
his perilous adventure, he had knocked at the door of one of his
principal enemies, who, in the morning, offered a reward of fifty dollars
for his recapture.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account