From Rise of Protestantism in France to Publication of the Institutes - James Aitken Wylie

from the Place de Greve he was to pass to the front
of the Church of Notre Dame, and there he was to
do penance "to God and his glorious mother, the
Virgin." After that his tongue, "that instrument of
unrighteousness," was to be pierced; and, lastly, he
was to be taken back to prison, and shut up for life
within four walls of stone, and to have neither
books to read, nor pen and ink to write.[14]
Berquin, stunned by the atrocity of the sentence, at
first remained silent, but recovering in a few
minutes his composure, said, "I appeal to the king."
This was his way of saying, I refuse to abjure.
Among his twelve judges was the celebrated
Hellenist, Budaeus, the intimate friend of Berquin,
and a secret favourer of the new doctrines. Budaeus
hastened after him to the prison, his object being to
persuade him to make a recantation, and thereby
save his life. In no other way he knew could
Berquin escape, for already a second sentence
stood drafted by his judges, consigning him to the
stake should he refuse to do public penance.
Budaeus threw himself at Berquin's feet, and
implored him with tears not to throw away his life,
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