The officer of the king’s household already spoken of testifies to a similar fact.  A certain Sister Dina, he says, caused six swords thus to break against her body.  He adds, that he himself broke the blade of a sword while thrusting against her; and that he saw two others broken in the same way.[43]

In regard to what Montgeron considers the exacting instinct, the same officer says,—­“I had the curiosity to ask Sister Madeleine, in her natural state, what was the sort of suffering which caused her to have recourse to such astonishing succors.  She replied, that the pain she suffered was the same as if swords were actually piercing her; that she felt relieved of this pain as soon as the sword-points penetrated to her skin, and quite cured when the assistants put their whole force to it.  She laughed when the swords pierced her dress, saying, ’I feel the points on my skin.  That relieves.  That does me good.’"[44]

Both the Advocate of Parliament and the ecclesiastic from whose certificates I have quoted testify that the convulsionists were repeatedly undressed and examined by a committee of their own sex, consisting in part of incredulous ladies of fashion, to ascertain that they had nothing concealed under their clothes to resist the sword-points.  But in every case it was ascertained that they wore but the ordinary articles of under-clothing.  The Sister Dina was examined in this way; and it was ascertained that she had nothing under her gown except a chemise and a simple linen stomacher.  Her clothing was found pierced in many places, but the flesh wholly uninjured.[45]

Although throughout the writings of the Anti-Succorists there are constant denunciations of these succors as flagrant and wicked temptings of Providence, yet I do not find therein any allegation that serious injury was ever sustained by any of the patients.  Montgeron himself, however, admits, that, on one occasion, a wound was received.  He tells us that a certain convulsionist long resisted the instinct which bade her demand the succor of a triangular-bladed sword against the left breast, fearing the result.  At last, however, the pain became so intense that she was fain to consent.  For the first seven or eight minutes the sword-point only indented the flesh, as usual.  But then, says Montgeron, “her faith suddenly failing her, she cried out, ‘Ah! you will kill me!’ No sooner had she pronounced the words than the sword pierced the flesh, making a wound two inches in depth.”  He alleges, further, that the instinct of the convulsionist informed her that the wound would have no bad consequences, and could be cured by severe blows of a club on the same spot; which, he declares, happened accordingly.[46]