Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
Garniero's breasts, as she was suckling an infant with the other. On finding their intentions,
she begged hard that they would spare the life of the infant, which they promised to do, and
sent it immediately to a Roman Catholic nurse. They then took the husband and hanged him
at his own door, and having shot the wife through the head, they left her body weltering in
its blood, and her husband hanging on the gallows.
Isaiah Mondon, an elderly man, and a pious Protestant, fled from the merciless
persecutors to a cleft in a rock, where he suffered the most dreadful hardships; for, in the
midst of the winter he was forced to lie on the bare stone, without any covering; his food
was the roots he could scratch up near his miserable habitation; and the only way by which
he could procure drink, was to put snow in his mouth until it melted. Here, however, some
of the inhuman soldiers found him, and after having beaten him unmercifully, they drove
him towards Lucerne, goading him with the points of their swords. Being exceedingly
weakened by his manner of living, and his spirits exhausted by the blows he had received,
he fell down in the road. They again beat him to make him proceed: when on his knees, he
implored them to put him out of his misery, by despatching him. This they at last agreed to
do; and one of them stepping up to him shot him through the head with a pistol, saying,
"There, heretic, take thy request."
Mary Revol, a worthy Protestant, received a shot in her back, as she was walking along
the street. She dropped down with the wound, but recovering sufficient strength, she raised
herself upon her knees, and lifting her hands towards heaven, prayed in a most fervent
manner to the Almighty, when a number of soldiers, who were near at hand, fired a whole
volley of shot at her, many of which took effect, and put an end to her miseries in an instant.
Several men, women, and children secreted themselves in a large cave, where they
continued for some weeks in safety. It was the custom for two of the men to go when it was
necessary, and by stealth, procure provisions. These were, however, one day watched, by
which the cave was discovered, and soon after, a troop of Roman Catholics appeared before
it. The papists that assembled upon this occasion were neighbors and intimate acquaintances
of the Protestants in the cave; and some were even related to each other. The Protestants,
therefore, came out, and implored them, by the ties of hospitality, by the ties of blood, and
as old acquaintances and neighbors, not to murder them. But superstition overcomes every
sensation of nature and humanity; so that the papists, blinded by bigotry, told them they
could not show any mercy to heretics, and, therefore, bade them prepare to die. Hearing this,
and knowing the fatal obstinacy of the Roman Catholics, the Protestants all fell prostate,
lifted their hands and hearts to heaven, prayed with great sincerity and fervency, and then
bowing down, put their faces close to the ground, and patiently waited their fate, which was
soon decided, for the papists fell upon them with unremitting fury, and having cut them to
pieces, left the mangled bodies and limbs in the cave.
Giovanni Salvagiot, passing by a Roman Catholic church, and not taking off his hat, was
followed by some of the congregation, who fell upon and murdered him; and Jacob Barrel
and his wife, having been taken prisoners by the earl of St. Secondo, one of the duke of
Savoy's officers, he delivered them up to the soldiery, who cut off the woman's breasts, and
the man's nose, and then shot them both through the head.
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