Poor Wretch, who had,
at the most, but scratched his Flesh, and for whom the most fitting
Punishment would have been a Cell in a Madhouse.

As for this most miserable Red-faced Man, Robert Francois Damiens, this
is what was done to him. At first handling, he was very nearly murdered
by the Young Gentlemen Officers of the Body Guard, who, having tied him
to a Bench, pricked him with their Sword Points, beat him with their
Belts, and pummelled him about the Mouth with the Butt-ends of Pistols.
Then he was had to the Civil Prison; and a certain President, named
Michault, came to interrogate him, who being most zealous to discover
whether the Parricide (as he was called) had any Accomplices, heated a
Pair of Pincers in the Fire, and when they were red-hot, clawed and
dragged away at the Unhappy Man's Legs, till the whole Dungeon did reek
with the horrible Odour of Burnt Flesh. Just imagine one of our English
Judges of the Land undertaking such a Hangman's Office! The poor Wretch
made no other complaint than to murmur that the King had directed that
he was not to be ill-treated; and when they further questioned him,
could only stammer out some Incoherent Balderdash about the Archbishop,
the Parliament, and the Billets of Confession.

After many Days, he was removed from Versailles to Paris; but his Legs
were so bad with the Burning, that they were obliged to carry him away
on a Mattress. So to Paris; the Journey taking Six Hours, through his
great attendance of Guards and the thickness of the Crowd. He was had to
the Prison of the Conciergerie, and put into a Circular Dungeon in the
Tower called of Montgomery--the very same one where Ravaillac, that
killed Henry the Fourth, had formerly lain. There they put him into a
kind of Sack of Shamoy Leather, leaving only his Head free; and he was
tied down to his bed--which was a common Hospital Pallet--by an immense
number of Leathern Straps, secured by Iron Rings to the Floor of his
Dungeon. But what Dr. Goldsmith, the Poetry-writer, means by "Damiens'
Bed of Steel," I'm sure I don't know. At the head and foot of his Bed an
Exempt kept watch Night and Day, and every three-quarters of an hour
the Guard was relieved; so that the Miserable Creature had little chance
of Sleeping. He would have sunk under all this Cruelty, but that they
kept him up with Rich Meats and Generous Wines, which they had all but
to force down his Throat.

But while all this was being done to Damiens, other