REFUSED CHRISTIAN BURIAL. 169 



any farther examples." Several relying on his promises, 

 left their hiding-places, on which a new " Blod-had," or 

 hlood-hath as this diabolical massacre was called though 

 on a diminished scale, immediately commenced ! 



Excepting the head of Bishop Mattias which, as a mark 

 of special grace and favour, for services recently rendered to 

 Christian by the late prelate, was allowed to be placed 

 between the feet of the corpse the heads of all the other 

 sufferers of note were affixed on stakes in public situations, 

 as an example to misdoers. But to the horror of every 

 one the bodies were left exposed in the streets ; and as a 

 heavy rain fell soon after the executions, the blood, mixed 

 with water, ran from the market-place about the streets, 

 evidencing too plainly the horrible tragedy that had 

 been enacted. Here they remained for several days, 

 in which time the people saw with disgust and horror that 

 the dogs began to prey upon them. And as the weather 

 was exceedingly warm at the time, such a stench at length 

 arose, that fears were entertained lest a pestilence might 

 be the consequence ! 



The poor sufferers having been executed for heresy, their 

 bodies were not deemed worthy of Christian burial; and by 

 the orders of the Bishop, Jons Beldenack, who had contri- 

 buted in no small degree to their destruction, they were 

 burnt as befitting heretics. The bleached and disfigured 

 bodies were conveyed to the spot where Katarina Church 

 now stands, where they were thrown on to an enormous 

 funereal pile, previously prepared for the purpose, and soon 

 reduced to the dust from whence they came. 



Whilst these dreadful scenes were enacting, Christian was 

 in an indescribable state of rage and frenzy, and indeed quite 



