in a wood, were over taken by some of these Souldiers, who being not yet satisfied with
bloud; hung them all on Trees shooting them with their Pistols. Three Leagues from
Rheims they entered a Church, plundred it, shot off their Pistols at the Sacrament
standing on the Altar, using many vile speeches, and after sir-reverenc'd upon the Altar:
the same Village they entertd the house of Francis Vivian, finding him in bed with his
wife, they took him; burnt the souls of his feet to make him discover his money, the
poor man was constrain'd to tell they for despight that there was no more, burnt him
to death with a slow fire, after they burnt his wives feet, hoping to get a farther discovery,
but nothing could she tell, crying, Lord have mercie upon me, whom they burnt
in such manner as was never heard. In the same place James Bourlon was tied foot and
hand to a post to make him discover where his money was, and seeing he answered nothing,
they whipt him a quarter of an house, then ripping up his belly they pulled out
his heart, and threw it to a Dog that would not eat it. They stript many Priests, tying
Cats to their backs, whipping them untill the skin was off, then drew them at their
horse tails about the Villages, they entred the Chappell of our Lady of Benitt le Vaux,
where they plundered, and tooke away the Image of the Virgin, cutting it in pieces,
and threw it into the fire, many Miracles having formerly been done in the said Chappell,
as say the people there. A young man endeavouring to save himselfe and wife in
a Wood, was overtaken by an Almain who cut him over the head, cleaving it to the
neck, he would have forct the wife who chose rather to die being stab'd twice in the brest
crying, God forgive me my sins. The women and maids of all ages were Violated, without
sparing them in the Churches, where the greatest villanies were done, the people
retiring thither for safety; where they passe they burn all, the stench by the number
killed and dead is great. Many die with drinking the waters infected by calling dead
bodies into them, Neer the Town of Farcy they entred a Church well adorned by reason
of the Feast held there the day before, which they plundred, among others, one
shot off his Musket against the Crucifix, whom the rest followed untill it fell to the
ground; In the Chappell were many women and maids, the fair they forct, the other
they whipt to death: those whom they had forced they tyed to their horse tails, set the
Chappell on fire and departed.
And will not all this make the heart sad and tremble? must God suffer through a
wicked minister of State, who is the author of all this? They have taken away Ladies
of quality who are forced to serve them in their Camp as slaves. To say no more of
Champaigne where there onely remains a little corne upon the earth, which their horses
eat, all things else themselves have devoured: And now you of Paris look to your
selves, left it goe ill with you in the Winter: in Picardy they have already begun, having
pillaged, and kill so fast that the Countrey people arc generally fled into the Towns of
strength, as Corby, St. Quinten, &c.
So many people retire into the aforesaid Towns that they are forct to lie in the streets,
there being no houses for them: the dearnesse and scarcity of Victuals is such that many
perish for want of wherewith to buy: In Anjou and Maine the waste made is incredible,
also the violence done to the people, makes them quit all: the Souldiers because they
fly, burn the houses, according to the German mode, yet these are French who came out
of Germany where they learnt this way of destroying: It's a miserable fight, and better
were it to perish all at once then thus to languish. There is ones story more remarkable
then the rest: one Denis Bandovin, thinking to save her selfe Angers, as all the people
in the Villages about doe, was taken, strips, and bound naked, whom they whipt