TOULOUSE was a favored town. It was rich in relics. The people were as
ignorant as wooden images, but they had in their possession the dried
bodies of seven apostles--the bones of many of the infants slain by
Herod--part of a dress of the Virgin Mary, and lots of skulls and
skeletons of the infallible idiots known as saints.
In this city the people celebrated every year with great joy two holy
events: The expulsion of the Huguenots, and the blessed massacre of St.
Bartholomew. The citizens of Toulouse had been educated and civilized by
the church.
A few Protestants, mild because in the minority, lived among these
jackals and tigers.
One of these Protestants was Jean Calas--a small dealer in dry goods.
For forty years he had been in this business, and his character was
without a stain. He was honest, kind and agreeable. He had a wife and
six children--four sons and two daughters. One of the sons became a
Catholic. The eldest son, Marc Antoine, disliked his father's business
and studied law. He could not be allowed to practice unless he became
a Catholic. He tried to get his license by concealing that he was
a Protestant. He was discovered--grew morose. Finally he became
discouraged and committed suicide, by hanging himself one evening in his
father's store.
The bigots of Toulouse started the story that his parents had killed him
to prevent his becoming a Catholic.
On this frightful charge the father, mother, one son, a servant, and one
guest at their house, were arrested.
The dead son was considered a martyr, the church taking possession of
the body.
This happened in 1761.
There was what was called a trial. There was no evidence, not the
slightest, except hearsay. All the facts were in favor of the accused.
The united strength of the defendants could not have done the deed.
Jean Calas was doomed to torture and to death upon the wheel. This was
on the 9th of March, 1762, and the sentence was to be carried out the
next day.
On the morning of the 10th the father was taken to the torture room. The
executioner and his assistants were sworn on the cross to administer the
torture according to the judgment of the court.
They bound him by the wrists to an iron ring in the stone wall four feet
from the ground, and his feet to another ring in the floor. Then they
shortened the ropes and chains until every joint in his arms and
legs was dislocated. Then he was questioned. He declared that he was
innocent. Then the ropes were again shortened until life fluttered in
the torn body; but he remained firm.