forted by his letters; and there were never lacking
messengers to whom the doors were open, in spite of any exertions of the
jailers to the contrary. Such were the methods by which he gained over
step by step a part of our France."[425]

[Sidenote: Continued persecution.]

[Sidenote: The tongues of the victims cut out, and records burned.]

The flames of the persecution kindled by the publication of the placards
continued to burn. From Paris, where Laurent de la Croix fell a victim
to the rage of the priests, the conflagration spread to Essarts, in
Poitou, where a simple girl was consigned to the fire for reproving a
Franciscan monk; and to Macon, where an unlearned peasant underwent a
like punishment, amazing his judges by the familiarity he displayed with
the Bible. Agen, in Guyenne, and Beaune, in Burgundy, witnessed similar
scenes of atrocious cruelty; while at Nonnay, Andre Berthelin was burned
alive, because, when wending his way to the great fair of Lyons, he
refused to kneel down before one of the many pictures or images set up
by the roadside for popular adoration. At Rouen, four brave reformers
were thrown into a tumbril, reeking with filth, to be drawn to the place
of execution, one of them exclaiming with radiant countenance: "Truly,
as says the apostle, we are the offscouring of the earth, and we now
stink in the nostrils of the men of the world. But let us rejoice, for
the savor of our death will be a sweet savor unto God, and will profit
our brethren."[426] But the details of these executions are too horrible
and too similar to find a place here. Nor, indeed, would it be possible
to frame a complete statement of the case of each of the constant
sufferers; for, from this time forward, it became a favorite practice
with those who presided over these bloody assizes to cut out the tongues
of their victims, lest their eloquent appeals should shake the
confidence of the spectators in the established faith, and afterward to
throw the official record of the trial of Protestants into the fire that
consumed their bodies, in order to prevent its furnishing edifying
material for the martyrology.[427]

[Sidenote: Failure of persecution.]

But, as usual, persecution failed utterly of accomplishing what had been
expected of it. For a brief moment, indeed, Francis flattered himself
that exemplary punishments had purged his kingdom of the professors of
the hated doctrines.[428] But, in the course of a few years, he
d