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

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<strong>in</strong>nermost recesses and nooks <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> booksellers'<br />

shops <strong>in</strong> quest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Reformers.<br />

The priests <strong>of</strong>fered him a pardon provided he<br />

would recant. "My faith," he replied, "has a<br />

confidence <strong>in</strong> God, which will resist all <strong>the</strong> powers<br />

<strong>of</strong> hell.[13] He was dealt with as we have already<br />

described; tied <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> beam, he was alternately<br />

raised <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> air and lowered <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> flames, till <strong>the</strong><br />

cords giv<strong>in</strong>g way, <strong>the</strong>re came an end <strong>to</strong> his agonies.<br />

O<strong>the</strong>r two martyrs were brought forward, and<br />

three times, was this cruel sport enacted, <strong>the</strong> k<strong>in</strong>g<br />

and all <strong>the</strong> members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> procession stand<strong>in</strong>g by<br />

<strong>the</strong> while, and feast<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir eyes on <strong>the</strong> <strong>to</strong>rments<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sufferers. The K<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>France</strong>, like <strong>the</strong><br />

Roman tyrant, wished that his victims should feel<br />

<strong>the</strong>mselves die.<br />

This was on <strong>the</strong> road between <strong>the</strong> Church <strong>of</strong><br />

Genevieve and <strong>the</strong> Louvre. The scene <strong>of</strong> this<br />

tragedy, <strong>the</strong>refore, could not be very far from <strong>the</strong><br />

spot where, somewhat more than 250 years after,<br />

<strong>the</strong> scaffold was set up for Louis XVI., and 2,800<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r victims <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Revolution. The spectacles <strong>of</strong><br />

351

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