Rotherfield.
Your correspondent H. B. C. doubts the possibility of the story about
Cranmer's hand, and says that "if a furnace were so constructed that a man
might hold his hand in the flame without burning his body, the shock to the
nervous system would deprive him of all command over muscular action before
the skin could be entirely consumed. If the hand were chained over the
fire, the shock would produce death." Now, this last assertion I doubt. The
following is an extract from the account of Ravaillac's execution, given
with wonderfully minute details by an eye-witness, and published in
Cimber's _Archives Curieux de l'Histoire de France_, vol. xv. p. 103.:
"On le couche sur l'eschaffaut, on attache les chevaux aux mains et aux
pieds. Sa main droite percée d'un cousteau fut bruslée à feu de
souphre. Ce misérable, pour veoir comme ceste exécrable main rotissoit,
eut le courage de hausser la teste et de la secouer pour abattre une
étincelle de feu qui se prenoit à sa barbe."
So far was this from killing him that he was torn with red-hot pincers, had
melted lead, &c. poured into his wounds, and he was then "longuement tiré,
retiré, et promené de tous costez" by four horses:
"S'il y eut quelque pause, ce ne fut que pour donner temps au bourreau
de respirer, au patient de se sentir mourir, aux théologiens de
l'exhorter à dire la vérité."
And still:
"Sa vie estoit forte et vigoureuse; telle que retirant {548} une fois
une des jambes, il arresta le cheval qui le tiroit."
I fear your correspondent underrates the power of the human body in
enduring torture. I have seen a similar account of the execution of
Damiens, with which I will not shock your readers. The subject is a
revolting one, but the truth ought to be known, as it is (most humanely, I
fully believe) questioned.