troops to feed on the carcasses of horses, cruel persecution was commenced against dogs, cats, &c which unwholesome food them. produced the plague. The king died of At a town called Tell, while the minister grief; but his son, who succeeded him, de- was preaching to a congregation of the retermined to carry on the war: he was, how- formed, the Papists attacked and murdered ever, defeated in three engagements, by the many of the people. A lady of considerable earl of Toulouse. The king, the queen- eminence, being exhorted to change her remother, and three archbishops, again raised ligion, if not for her own sake, at least for that a formidable army, and had the art to per- of the infant she held in her arms, said, with suade the earl of Toulouse to come to a con- undaunted courage, "I did not quit Italy, ference, when he was treacherously seized my native country, nor forsake the estates I upon, made a prisoner, forced to appear bare- had there, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to footed and bareheaded before his enemies, renounce him here. With respect to my and compelled to subscribe the following ig-infant, why should I not deliver him up to nominious conditions: 1. That he should death, since God delivered up his son to die abjure the faith that he had hitherto defended, for us?" As soon as she had done speaking, 2. That he should be subject to the church they took the child from her, delivered it to of Rome. 3. That he should give his daugh- a popish nurse to bring up, and then cut the ter Joan in marriage to one of the brothers mother to pieces.

of the king of France. 4. That he should Dominico Berto, a youth of sixteen, remaintain in Toulouse six popish professors fusing to turn Papist, was set upon an ass of the liberal arts, and two grammarians. with his face to the tail, which he was 5. That he should take upon him the cross, obliged to hold in his hand. In this conand serve five years against the Saracens in dition he was led to the market-place, amidst the Holy Land. 6. That he should level the the acclamations of the populace; after which walls of Toulouse with the ground. 7. That they cut off his nose, ears, and cheeks, and he should destroy the walls and fortifica- burnt holes in several parts of his body till he tions of thirty of his other cities and castles, at last died. An Albigense young lady, of as the legate should direct. 8. That he noble family, was seized by the Papists, and should remain prisoner at Paris till his daugh- carried through the streets with a paper mitre ter was delivered to the king's commission- upon her head. After mocking, beating her, ers. After these cruel conditions, a severe and smearing her face with dirt, they bade persecution took place against the Albigen- her call upon the saints; to which she reses, many of whom suffered for the faith; plied, "My trust and salvation is in Christ and express orders were issued that the laity only; for even the Virgin Mary, without the should not be permitted to read the sacred merits of her son, could not be saved." On writings! this the multitude fell upon, and destroyed her. Many other horrible cruelties were perpetrated by these bigoted monsters; and the From this period we find no further ac- pope sent them a letter, approving what they count of the Albigenses till the commence- had done, and commanding them, if possible, ment of the seventeenth century: but although not to leave one heretic alive in that part of they are not distinctly mentioned, they suf- the country; which command they strictly fered, in common with their Protestant fulfilled; butchering all the Protestants in brethren, at various times; and in 1620, a the Valtoline and neighboring districts.

ANOTHER PERSECUTION.

SECTION IV.

Persecutions in France, previous to and during the Civil Wars of that Nation. In the year 1524, at a town in France About the same time several persons of called Melden, one John Clark affixed a bill the reformed persuasion were beaten, racked, on the church door, in which he called the scourged, and burns to death, in several parts pope Antichrist: for this offence he was re- of France; but particularly at Paris, Limoipeatedly whipped, and then branded in the sin, and Malda.

forehead. His mother, who saw the chas- A native of Malda was burnt by a slow tisement, cried with a loud voice, "Blessed fire, for saying that mass was a plain be Christ, and welcome these marks for his denial of the death and passion of Christ. sake." He went afterwards to Metz, in Lor- At Limoisin, John de Cadurco, a clergyman raine, and demolished some images, for which of the reformed religion, was apprehended, he had his right hand and nose cut off, and his degraded, and ordered to be burnt. When arms and breasts torn by pincers: while suf- under examination, a friar undertook to fering these cruelties, he sang the 115th preach a sermon upon the occasion; when psalm, which expressly forbids superstition. opening the New Testament he pitched upon On concluding the psalm, he was thrown this text, in the first epistle of St. Paul to into the fire and burnt to ashes. Timothy, chap. iv. ver. 1. "Now the spirit

1

speaketh expressly, that in the latter times Catholic persuasion; which positively refus some shall depart from the faith, giving heed ing, he was condemned to be burnt. At the to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." place of execution he said, "O Lord, make The friar began to expound this verse in haste to help me; tarry not; despise not the favor of the Roman Catholic persuasion, and work of thy hands." And perceiving some in condemnation of the reformed religion, who used to attend his sermons, he addressed when John de Cadurco begged, that before them thus: "My friends, I exhort you to he proceeded in his sermon, he would read study and learn the gospel; for the word of the two verses which followed his text: God abideth for ever:-labor to know the the friar again opened the Testament, but will of God, and fear not them that kill the on casting his eye on the passage, he ap- body, but have no power over the soul." peared confounded. Cadurco then desired The executioner then strangled him, and that the book might be handed to him; this burnt his body afterwards. request being complied with, he read thus, Husson, an apothecary of Blois, went to "Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their Rouen, and there privately distributed seve conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding ral small pamphlets, explaining the tenets of to marry, and commanding to abstain from the reformed church, and exposing the Romeats, which God hath created to be receiv-mish superstitions. These books gave a geneed with thanksgiving of them which believe ral alarm, and a council being called, an and know the truth." The Roman Catho- order was issued for search to be made for lics, irritated at this exposure, condemned the author and distributor.. It was discovhim to the flames. ered that Husson had brought them to

At Paris, Alexander Kanus, a clergyman, Rouen, and that he was gone to Dieppe, and was burnt in a slow fire; and four men were orders were given for pursuing him. He was committed to the flames for distributing brought back to Rouen, where he confessed papers which ridiculed the saying of mass. he was both author and distributor of the One had his tongue bored through for ridi-books. This occasioned his condemnation, culing the Romish superstitions. Peter and he was executed in the following manGaudet, a Genoese, was burnt on the accu- ner: his tongue being cut out, his hands sation of his own uncle, a bigoted Roman Catholic; and John Pointer; a surgeon, had his tongue cut out, and was then burnt.

MARTYRDOM AT ARRAS, &c.

and feet were tied behind, and he was drawn up by a pulley to a gibbet, and then let down into a fire kindled beneath: in which situa tion he called upon the Lord, and soon breathed his last.

At Arras, Fontanis, and Rutiers, many Francis Bribard, secretary to cardinal de were martyred for being of the reformed re- Bellay, for speaking in favor of the reformed ligion; at the latter place, in particular, one had his tongue cut out, and was burnt, A. D. Stephen Brune was condemned to be burnt 1544. James Cobard, a schoolmaster in the for refusing to attend mass. When the fire city of St. Michael, was burnt A. D. 1545, -was kindled, the flames were driven from for saying the mass was useless and absurd; him by a brisk wind, which occasioned the and about the same time, fourteen men were executioner to heap more fagots round him, burnt at Malda, their wives being compelled and pour oil on them. Still, however, the to behold their martyrdom. wind blew the flames in a contrary direc- Peter Chapot brought a number of Bibles tion, when the executioner was absurdly en- in the French tongue to France, and pubraged with Brune, and struck him on the licly sold them there in the year 1546, for head; but Brune very calmly said, "As I which he was condemned to be burnt; as, am condemned only to be burnt, why do you soon after, were a cripple of Meaux, a schoolstrike me like a dog?" This expression so master of Fera, named Stephen Polliot, and greatly enraged the executioner, that he ran a man named John English. him through with a pike, and then burnt his lifeless body.

NUMEROUS MARTYRDOMS.

Aymond de Lavoy, a minister of Bour- Michael Michelot being told either to redeaux, had a complaint lodged against him cant and be beheaded, or to persevere and by the Romish clergy of that city. His be burned, chose the latter, making use of friends advised him to abscond, but he re- these words: "God has given me grace not fused. He remained nine months in prison. to deny the truth, and will give me strength Being then brought to trial, he was ordered to endure the fire." About the same time to be racked; and when in the extremity of many were burnt at Paris, Bar, &c.; and at torture, he comforted himself with this ex- Langres five men and two women suffered pression: "This body must once die, but the soul shall live; for the kingdom of God endureth for ever." At length he swooned; but on recovering, he prayed for his persecutors. The question.was then put to him, whether he would embrace the Roman

for being of the reformed religion: when the youngest woman encouraged the other, saying, "This day shall we be married to Jesus Christ, and be with him for ever."

Monsieur Blondel, a rich jeweller, was, in 15 9, apprehended at Lyons, and sent to

ropes

Paris, where he suffered death for the faith. | three men at Lyons, two of them with Hubert, a youth of nineteen years of age, about their necks; but the third, having was committed to the flames at Dijon; as been an officer in the king's service, was exwas Florent Venote, at the same time, empted from that disgrace. He, however, A lady, named Ann Audebert, who de- begged to be treated in the same manner as signed, on account of her faith, to retire to his companions, in honor of the Lord: his Geneva, was seized and sent to Paris. She request was complied with; and after havwas led to execution by a rope placed round ing sung a psalm with great fervency, they her waist. This rope she called her wedding- were all consumed. girdle; and said, "I was once married to a A citizen of Geneva, Simon Laloe; Matman on a Saturday, and now I shall be mar- thew Dimonet, a converted libertine; and ried to God on the same day of the week." Nicholas Naile, a bookseller of Paris, were Shortly after the coronation of Henry the burnt for professing the reformed religion. Second, a tailor was apprehended for work- Peter Serre was originally a priest, but reing on a saint's day; being asked why he flecting on the errors of popery, he, at gave such an offence to religion, his reply length, embraced the reformed religion, and was, "I am a poor man, and have nothing learned the trade of a shoemaker. Having but my labor to depend upon; necessity re- a brother at Toulouse, who was a bigoted quires that I should be industrious, and my Roman Catholic, Serre, out of fraternal love, conscience tells me there is no day but the made a journey to that city, in order to disSabbath which I ought to keep sacred from suade him from his superstitions: the labor." Having expressed himself thus, he brother's wife not approving of his design, was committed to prison, and the affair being lodged a complaint against him, on which he soon after rumored at court, some of the was apprehended, and made a full declaranobles persuaded the king to be present at tion of his faith. The judge asked him conthe trial. On the day appointed, the mon- cerning his occupation, to which he replied, arch appeared in a superb chair of state, and "I have of late practised the trade of a shoethe bishop of Mascon was ordered to interro-maker." "Of late!" said the judge, "and gate the prisoner. The tailor, on perceiving what did you practise formerly?"- "That I the king, paid his obedience to him in the am almost ashamed to tell you," exclaimed most respectful manner. The king was Serre, "because it was the vilest and most much affected with his arguments, and wicked occupation imaginable." The judge, seemed to muse; on which the bishop ex- and all who were present, from these words, claimed, "He is an obstinate and impudent supposed, he had been a murderer or thief, heretic; let him be taken back to prison, and and that what he spoke was through contriburnt to death." The prisoner was accord- tion. He was, however, ordered to explain ingly conveyed to prison; and the bishop precisely what he meant; when, with tears artfully insinuated, that the heretics, as he in his eyes, he exclaimed, "O! I was forcalled the reformed, had many specious argu- merly a POPISH PRIEST!". This reply so ments, which, at first hearing, appeared con- much exasperated the judge, that he conclusive; but on examination they were found demned Serre to be first degraded, then to to be false. He then endeavored to per- have his tongue cut, and afterwards to be suade the king to be present at the execu- burnt.

tion, who at length consented, and repaired In 1554, two men of the reformed religion, to a balcony which overlooked the place. with the son and daughter of one of them, On seeing the king, the tailor fixed his eyes were committed to the castle of Niverne. stedfastly upon him, and even while the On examination they confessed their faith, flames were consuming him, kept gazing in and were ordered for execution; they were such a manner, as threw the monarch into first smeared with grease, brimstone, and visible confusion, and obliged him to retire gunpowder; their tongues were then cut before the martyr was dead. He was so out, and they were afterwards committed to much shocked, that he could not recover his the flames.

spirits for some time; and what added to his Philip Hamlin, a priest, was apprehended disquiet was, his continually dreaming, for for having renounced the errors of popery. many nights, that he saw the tailor with his Being brought to the stake, he began to exeyes fixed upon him, in the same manner as hort the people to quit the errors of the during the execution. church of Rome; on which the officer who

A pious man, named Claudius, was burnt presided at the execution ordered the fagat Orleans; a Genoese youth, called Thom- ots to be lighted, and that a trumpet should as, having rebuked a Roman Catholic for be blown while Hamlin was burning, that the profanely swearing, was informed against as people might not hear his voice.

a heretic, and burnt at Paris; as were