英语词汇damien-s bed of steel的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

Damien’s bed of steel. “Such was the end,” wrote an eyewit- ness, “of that poor unfortunate who it may well be believed suf- fered the greatest tortures that a human being has ever been called on to endure.” He was referring to the public execution of Robert-François Damien (1715–57), the madman who tried to assassinate France’s Louis XV and inflicted a slight knife wound on the monarch. Early that morning Damien had been racked and wounded deeply with glowing forceps, his torturers pouring molten lead, boiling oil, pitch, and sulphur into his open wounds. His screams never ceased and the stench per- vaded the entire court, but many of the thousands who turned out to witness the “spectacle” applauded the prisoner’s agonies. Damien’s limbs were finally ripped off one by one in the Place de Greve, the man suffering longer because four wild horses couldn’t pull him apart and two more had to found. Until nine o’clock at night the pathetic creature stayed alive, and it is said that his black hair turned completely white, that his rump still twitched up until the moment what was left of him was burned at the stake. Damien’s bed of steel has become a symbol for the barbaric, sadistic cruelty he suffered.

词汇	damien-s bed of steel
词源	Damien’s bed of steel. “Such was the end,” wrote an eyewit- ness, “of that poor unfortunate who it may well be believed suf- fered the greatest tortures that a human being has ever been called on to endure.” He was referring to the public execution of Robert-François Damien (1715–57), the madman who tried to assassinate France’s Louis XV and inflicted a slight knife wound on the monarch. Early that morning Damien had been racked and wounded deeply with glowing forceps, his torturers pouring molten lead, boiling oil, pitch, and sulphur into his open wounds. His screams never ceased and the stench per- vaded the entire court, but many of the thousands who turned out to witness the “spectacle” applauded the prisoner’s agonies. Damien’s limbs were finally ripped off one by one in the Place de Greve, the man suffering longer because four wild horses couldn’t pull him apart and two more had to found. Until nine o’clock at night the pathetic creature stayed alive, and it is said that his black hair turned completely white, that his rump still twitched up until the moment what was left of him was burned at the stake. Damien’s bed of steel has become a symbol for the barbaric, sadistic cruelty he suffered.
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