Series 1 > Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676

118
JOURNAL OF JOHN LAUDER
Juile is a great feste in France. The Papists are very devote
on it, yea so religious that they go all to Church at midnight
to hear Masse, for a preist hath that day power to say thry
masses consecutife, when at another tyme he can say no
more but on at a tyme. I went after dinner and hard the
cordelier at St. Pierre. The rest of our Scotsmen ware so
curious as to go hear Midnight Masses. As for me I had no
skil of it it was so cold ; and surely I did not repent it con¬
sidering the alfront that they got, that they ware forced to
render their swords at the command of the Intendant who
the night before was come to toune from the Grand Jour1 that
was then in Auuergne. This he caused do following the mode
of Paris, wheir no man is suffered to carry a sword that night,
both by reason of many quarrels begun that night, as also of
sewerals that take occasion to decide former quarrels on that
night. Surely they had no satisfaction in that Mass.
During the tyme I was heir I fel in discourse wt the Jesuites,
going once to sy our countryman Pere Broune, who was wery
kind to us al, and came and saw me after.
About the tyme was that poor smith, of whom we made
mention before, execute, who was the first we ever did sie in
France. Tho he had receaved his sentence at Poictiers, yet
that could serve til he was taken to Paris (for the Capital
tounes of France are not royal boroughs as our are, having
the power of heading and hanging wtin themselfes), wheir
he was condemned to be broken on the wheel, to be roide, tho
according to the custome of France he know not that he was
sentenced til about 2 bowers before he was broken, for by
concealing it up til then they keip them from taking wiolent
courses to prevent their death which they would take if they
know of it, as killing themselfes, or means to escape, tho
otherwise it be very il for their souls, they having so short
tyme to prepare themselfes for death. They made this poor
fellow beleive that he was only condemned to the galleys, at
which he laught, telling that it appeared they knew not he
was a smith, so that he could easily file his chaines and run
away. About 12 acloak on that day he was to be excecut he
1 High Commission sent down by the king to the provinces as a final Court
of Appeal.