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hands, but they brought him to himself by redoubling his torments. It was thought time to give over driving the eight wedges, when the patient's legs were shattered, and the marrow seen forcing its way through the bones. Grandier underwent this punishment with great fortitude; and rose so far superior to the sharpest bodily pains, as not to suffer one repining word against his enemies to escape him. He was so much master of himself during the torture, as to utter a very fervent prayer to God in proper expressions, which the lieutenant of the provost wrote down; but Laubardemont would not allow it to be published.

Amidst these torments he really appeared more than man, and found springs of invincible constancy within himself. This unbroken fortitude, accompanied with such lively sentiments of religion, spoke him innocent of the crime whereof he was accused, with the most convincing eloquence. He was laid sprawling on the ground. There, in the paroxysms of his agony, when revived, he declared publicly that he was no magician; owned that he had been too much addicted to carnal pleasures, and that he had composed the book against the celibacy of priests, in order to remove the scruples of a young lady whom he had kept seven years. He prayed his judges that they would not oblige him to name the lady, nor to particularize his sins of that kind, whereof he hoped he had obtained forgiveness through prayer and contrition of soul. He protested that he had never had any intimacy with Elizabeth Blanchard; that the first time he saw her was at her being confronted with him. Then he fell into a swoon, out of which having recovered him by putting a little wine into his mouth, they carried him into the council-chamber, and planted him by the fire, upon a couch of straw. He desired for his confessor, first an Augustine monk, then Father Grillau, a cordelier; but both were denied him, after repeated solicitations. This severity, which extends even to the soul of a criminal, by depriving him of the means of his salvation, is a refinement upon the cruelty of the most inhuman tyrants. He was put into the hands of Claudius and Tranquillus, two capuchins, who were appointed him for confessors; but