After one month's recuperation in prison, the same trials a. beatings started up again. One time, when they asked him to step on the crucifix, though he could barely move, he leaned over, picked up the crucifix, kissed it and embraced it. The soldiers in anger tore it from him and smashed it and the
mandarin had him given 110 blows with a bamboo rod. Another time they tried to force him to tread on the crucifix by ho ing his arms and forcing his legs. He shouted out: "It is I, but you, who do this." In the same way, they tried to force him to worship false idols. Another time they told hi to put on the Mass vestments; after thinking it over, Fr. P boyre was happy to do this. All marvelled at his royal ap¬pearance and bearing. They could not understand how anyone could take so many beatings and tortures and still be alive, much less so calm and prayerful. They stripped him of his clothes to see if he had some magic charm. They made him drink a dog's blood and smeared it on his face; again he ha. the mandarin's seal branded on his legs. They stripped him again and as he could neither stand nor kneel, beat him as lay on the ground. He underwent the torture of the rack, withhands and feet tied and body stretched, sometimes fur an heat at a time. He was carried to the Viceroy, unable even to crawl and the Viceroy himself grabbed the leather strap and beat him mercilessly. All thought that now at last he was surely dead. The pagans and soldiers could not help but ad-mire his courage and innocence. Even the mandarins began to complain that the Viceroy had exceeded all bounds of cruelty. One day alone he was given over 20', strokes. Even the sol¬diers began to remove his clothes and wash them themselves. His catechist, who was in prison with him, later testified that his face and body were in shreds, with pieces of flesh missing and pieces hanging loose from his body. His whole body was one large wound. Fr. Perboyre endured 2 months of this torture at the Viceroy's tribunal before he finally gave up hope of ever getting him to apostatize or inform on others.
mandarin had him given 110 blows with a bamboo rod. Another time they tried to force him to tread on the crucifix by ho ing his arms and forcing his legs. He shouted out: "It is I, but you, who do this." In the same way, they tried to force him to worship false idols. Another time they told hi to put on the Mass vestments; after thinking it over, Fr. P boyre was happy to do this. All marvelled at his royal ap¬pearance and bearing. They could not understand how anyone could take so many beatings and tortures and still be alive, much less so calm and prayerful. They stripped him of his clothes to see if he had some magic charm. They made him drink a dog's blood and smeared it on his face; again he ha. the mandarin's seal branded on his legs. They stripped him again and as he could neither stand nor kneel, beat him as lay on the ground. He underwent the torture of the rack, withhands and feet tied and body stretched, sometimes fur an heat at a time. He was carried to the Viceroy, unable even to crawl and the Viceroy himself grabbed the leather strap and beat him mercilessly. All thought that now at last he was surely dead. The pagans and soldiers could not help but ad-mire his courage and innocence. Even the mandarins began to complain that the Viceroy had exceeded all bounds of cruelty. One day alone he was given over 20', strokes. Even the sol¬diers began to remove his clothes and wash them themselves. His catechist, who was in prison with him, later testified that his face and body were in shreds, with pieces of flesh missing and pieces hanging loose from his body. His whole body was one large wound. Fr. Perboyre endured 2 months of this torture at the Viceroy's tribunal before he finally gave up hope of ever getting him to apostatize or inform on others.
