Wednesday, September 2, 2009

September Martyrs of the French Revolution

Let us not forget the September Martyrs, including the murder of Madame de Lamballe. (Thanks to Richard.)
Now the gang fell upon the first priests they met and cut them down. Then they called out, “The Archbishop of Arles!” Archbishop John du Lau of Arles was praying in the chapel. When summoned, he came out and he said, “I am he whom you seek.” Thereupon, they cracked his skull, stabbed him and trampled him underfoot. Then the leader set up a “tribunal” before which the imprisoned were herded and ordered to take the oath. All refused; so, as they passed down the stairway, they were hacked to pieces by the murderers. The bishop of Beauvais had earlier been wounded in the leg. When summoned, he answered, “I do not refuse to die with the others, but I cannot walk. I beg you to have the kindness to carry me where you wish me to go.” For a moment, his courtesy silenced the assassins. But, when he, too, refused the oath, he was killed like the rest.
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2 comments:

May said...

It's unbelievable, the savagery of that revolution.

lara77 said...

It is ironic that for many of the die hard supporters of the French Revolution; the killing and savagery were just par for the course. They say, "Oh well, these things happen." I know our American Revolution and the English Glorious Revolution never reached such levels of depravity and bloodshed. That the citizens of "civilized" France butchered bishops, priests and nuns is beyond comment.I kept thinking how busy the angels must have been all those years during the revolution. How many souls must have been escorted hopefully back home to heaven!!