Page:Celebrated Trials - Volume 1.djvu/459

he chose rather to confess to God only, than to unbosom himself to those fathers whom he reckoned his implacable enemies. A strict charge was given to his keepers to allow him to speak with no person. During the whole three or four hours he remained in the council-chamber, he was seen by none but the clerk, his confessors, and Laubardemont, who was with him for up-wards of two hours, in vain soliciting him to sign a certain paper. 'Tis conjectured, net without reason, that that gentleman, foreseeing the public would judge his judgment, endeavoured to extort his apology from the prisoner.

About four or five in the evening the executioner had him carried from the chamber upon a hand-barrow. He declared to the lieutenant-criminal of Orleans, that he had disburdened his conscience, and had nothing more to say. "Do you not desire," said the judge to him, "that I should order prayers to be offered to God for you?"—"Do I desire it!" replied he, with an emphatic tone, "yea, and earnestly beg it too as a singular favour." He bore in his hand a lighted torch, which he kissed as he went out of the court; without suffering his eyes to rove, he cast a modest glance upon those who presented themselves to him. Constancy, accompanied with great self-denial, and a certain unaffected air of piety, which hypocrisy cannot counterfeit, shone in his aspect. When he was without the court, they read over his sentence to him a second time; then he was put into a cart to be carried before the church of St. Peter, where Laubardemont, who went along with him, made him come down to put himself upon his knees; but having entirely lost the use of his legs, he fell with a violent shock to the ground upon his belly, waiting with great calmness till they raised him up, with-out uttering one word of discontent. Then the sentence was read to him a third time; and he performed the amende honorable, entreating the prayers of those who were about him. Upon this Father Grillau, whom he would have had for his confessor, came up to him, and spoke thus: "Remember, dear Sir, that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and was made perfect, through sufferings: you have great parts, improve them to the sal-