Jacques de La Fontaine

“ The Archers were thunderstruck at the scene they beheld. “What are you about?” said they. “Do you set no value upon life? What fury urges you to the gallows? Think for a moment of your wives and children! what will become of them?” They tried every expedient to intimidate them, and swore by all that was sacred that they would only leave the prison for the rack, the gibbet, or at any rate the galleys. They adduced numerous instances of such and such persons, who, for similar offences, had been hanged, broken on the wheel, &c. ”

“ The first blow avoided; you shall now see how I got clear of the dreadful accusation of having prayed to my God in prison. The two witnesses afterwards broken on the wheel were first examined. One of them had been brought up a Protestant, and all he could remember hearing me say was “Our father who art in heaven.” The second could not remember even as much as that. The gaoler was the third witness, and his accusation being that I had prevented the recantation of the people. I enquired of him whether he had ever heard me speak to them about religion. ”

“ At the time of judging, the witnesses are not brought to the bar as in England, but the ‘confrontation’ and ‘recollement’ only are produced; and as each witness has been separately examined, without knowing what any other has said, it is a good way of eliciting the truth. It is all important, you must perceive, for the accused to be on the alert to discover, if possible, any falsehood in the witnesses. ”

“ When the gaoler’s wife came forward, I complained to her of the injustice of the preceding witnesses, and said, that I was sure a devout woman, such as she was, could not have been shocked to see poor people, for whom punishment was in store, humbling themselves before their God, and that as all my expressions were taken from the Holy Scriptures, they could not have given offence to a good Christian like her. ”

“ The wheel was made to revolve slowly, and a large hammer or an iron bar was then applied to the limb over the gap between the beams, breaking the bones. This process was repeated several times per limb. Sometimes it was 'mercifully' ordered that the executioner should strike the criminal on chest and stomach, blows known as coups de grâce (French: "blows of mercy") , which caused lethal injuries, leading to the end of the torture by death. Without those, the broken man could last hours and even days, before shock and dehydration caused death. ”

“ These poor countrymen betrayed no apprehension, they bade adieu to their wives and children with dry eyes, and the wives themselves, having put their hands to the plough, saw their husbands depart without a murmur, trusting in Him who has promised to be a husband to the widow, and a father to the fatherless. ”

“ The king’s advocate answered, accusing me in an indignant tone of having caused illegal assemblies in the prison.
I answered pleasantly enough that he was wrong in imputing the crime to me, the Grand Provost and his Archers had to answer for that, and I could assure him that if he would open the prison, I would disperse the assembly.
“It is no jesting matter,” said he, “you have prevented the conversion of these poor people.”
I then spoke with more seriousness, and said “you must perceive by the confrontation that you are mistaken ”

“ Before I was removed, they brought me into Court for examination, and they began first with the offence for which I was originally committed to prison. On these occasions, the accused is permitted to ask the witnesses as many questions as he pleases, in the presence of the Seneschal or President, and the Register; and he has the right to have such answers as he considers favourable to him committed to writing. ”

“ Provost and Archers make another tour — Firmness of the poor country people — Twenty brought to prison — Supplied with necessaries by Protestants of Saintes — Attempt to shake their faith — Precantion in anticipation of separation — Indictment against me — Confrontation — Recollement — Examination of witnesses — Agoust — Two criminals — Gaoler — Gaoler’s wife — Application to the Seneschal for enlargement — Accusation of King’s advocate — Placed in a dungeon — Removed to Town Hall — Proposal to regain freedom by bribery. ”