Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-05-26

tortured, but without effect. He signeC
this second "Interrogatory," as it wa,
called, in a firm hand with his full name
and added to it French couplet, whicl
may be translated thus:
"May Jesus always in my heart
Bear away the conquerors part"
Thirteen days after he had committed
the crime, he was led to execution in one
of the public places of Paris, which wa.
crowded with spectators of every rank
Many ladies Of the court, it is recorded
were present to witness the horrid scene
and sought to display their loyalty by
openly exulting in the prolonged agonies
Of the deluded man. Being bound to a
cross on an elevated scaifold, the dagger
with which be had slain the King was
tied in his right hand, and was fastened
over a slow fire and burned from the arm.
Then, with red-hot pincers the flesh was
torn from various parts OF his body, and
melted pitch and lead poured into the
wounds. Finally, four powerful horses
were brought into the square, Cna of
which was attached TO each limb, and
the horses were driven in opposite direc-
tions, with the design of tearing him to
pieces. Such was the strength of his
frame, and such tne difficulty of control
ling the animals, that after two hours of
struggle the poor wretch was still alive,
and his body was entire. During all
this torment, his great anxiety was to
receive formal absolution from the priest
who attended him. The priest refused
to grant j! except on condition of his re
vealing his accomplces. "Give it me,
them" he cried, "on condition that have
told the truth" This consolation was,
at length, conceded TO him, and bis mind
was evidently relieved. The horses
being unable to complete the tragedy,
his body was cot into quarters by the
executioners, and the fragments were
thrown to the populace, who dragged
them about the streets till the end OF the
day.
Ravailac was simply a monomaniac.
An age more civilized would have re-
garded him as an object of compassion,
and consigned him to an asylum and |
physician instead of torture and the scaf. !
fold. In all Europe, there were no
voices raised in rebuke of the horrors of
his execution except those of the party
opposed to the politics of the King
The extreme partisans of the Catholic |
interest appIauded his act as that of a
hero, and affected to regard his execution
as a msrtyrdom. Aside from party feel.
Ing, his punishment evidently satisfied the
popular sense of justice of that age. OIL
he rulers OF Europe Of that century, the
slain King alone, perhaps, was enlghten-
I'd enough to have held i1 proper ex-
acration such n hideous scene as the ex-
scution of his murderer presented.
Meanwhile, the body of the King lay
n state in his palace for it was a custom
here not to bury King Of France uu>
il he had been dead forty days. The
corpse embalmed, was enclosed in a cof-
in of lead and covered with a pail; up
IN which was placed wax figure of the
King as large as life, in sitting posture.
Every day, at the Kings dinner hour, a
'oyal repast was spread on a table before
he et1igy, and the viands, after remain
ng on the table the usual time, were
given to the poor. Day and night, dur.
ng the whole period of forty days,
priests knelt arosHa the coffin and chant
ID prayers for the repose of the Kings
oul. Ga the day before the funeral,
he body wass conveyed to the cathedral
If Nolre Dame, the waxen efiigy being
.arred on litter behind the coflia. On
he day following, the corpse was borne
o the tomb of the French Kings, at the
hurch of St. Dennis, followed by great
of noblemen, ministers, judges,
generals and members OF parliament, all
rrayed in the costume and insignia OF
heir rank or vocation.
An incident of the funeral shows US
low near akin barbarism is tu childish
less. When the procession was formed,
was found that the parliament in their
ed robes had placed themselves immedi.
tely behind the wax figure of the King.
The Bishop of Paris claimed that place
5 his own-the parliament refused to
oncede it; and their attendants even
tempted to remove the Bishop by force.
violent quarrel arose, and the process
ion could not move. The dispute, at
sngth, was referred to the Queen, who
ecided that as burial was an ecclesiast-
al ceremony, the place of honor belong
d, of course, to an ecclesias;ic. But,
y this time, the passions of both parties C:
lere inflamed, and it was found neces-
airy TO call in the aid of company of
yards to carry out the queens command. {
)ne refractory member had to be forcibly {
emoved and confined. This important
natter settled, the procession moved, and |
ne coffin was placed in the royal vault. {
sumptuous banquet concluded the GER
monies. Three tables were set in an
djacent hall one for the princes of the
lood and the ministers of state, one for
le officers of the Kings household.
The death OF Henry ". changed the
olitics of Europe. His son, the beir to
he throne, was boy of nine, and the
ingdom fell into the hands of his mother, v
weak and wicked woman, under whom @
rance was divided and powerIess.- L
he protestant powers were defeated |
nd subdued. For several years the '
ingdom was distracted by internal dis !
snsions and humiliated by external dis