The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: Real Life
Science
The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: Real Life
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction; Parapsychology
I did intend to have written something about Marsilly but that I
had noe time then. In my letter to my Lord Arlington I writt that
Friday 21 Currt hee wounded himself wch he did not because hee was
confronted with Ruvigny as the Gazettes speake. For he knew before
hee should dye, butt he thought by dismembering himself that the
losse of blood would carry him out of the world before it should
come to bee knowne that he had wounded himselfe. And when the
Governor of the Bastille spied the blood hee said It was a stone
was come from him which caused that effusion. However the governor
mistrusted the worst and searcht him to see what wound he had made.
So they seared him and sent word to St. Germaines which made his
execution be hastened. Saturday about 1 of the clock he was
brought on the skaffold before the Chastelet and tied to St.
Andrew's Crosse all wch while he acted the Dying man and scarce
stirred, and seemed almost breathless and fainting. The Lieutenant
General prest him to confesse and there was a doctor of the Sorbon
who was a counsellr of the Castelet there likewise to exhort him to
disburthen his mind of any thing which might be upon it. Butt he
seemed to take no notice and lay panting.
Then the Lieutenant Criminel bethought himself that the only way to
make him speake would bee to sende for a ministre soe hee did to
Monsr Daillie but hee because the Edicts don't permitt ministres to
come to condemned persons in publique but only to comfort them in
private before they goe out of prison refused to come till hee sent
a huissier who if he had refused the second time would have brought
him by force. At this second summons hee came butt not without
great expectations to bee affronted in a most notorious manner
beeing the first time a ministre came to appeare on a scaffold and
that upon soe sinister an occasion. Yet when he came found a great
presse of people. All made way, none lett fall soe much as a
taunting word. Hee came up the Scaffold, great silence all about.
Hee found him lying bound stretched on St. Andrew's Crosse naked
ready for execution. Hee told him hee was sent for to exhort him
to die patiently and like a Christian. Then immediately they were
all surprized to see him hold up his head wch he lett hang on one
side before like a drooping calfe and speake as loud and clear as
the ministre, to whom he said with a cheerful air hee was glad to
see him, that hee need not question butt that hee would dye like a
Christian and patiently too. Then hee went and spoke some places
of Scripture to encourage him which he heard with great attention.
They afterward came to mention some things to move him to
contrition, and there hee tooke an occasion to aggravate the
horrour of a Crime of attempting against the King's person. Hee
said hee did not know what hee meant. For his part hee never had
any evill intention against the Person of the King.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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