DAMIE'NS, ROBERT FRANcOIS, was born in 1715, iu a 'village of Artois, where his father had a small farm. He enlisted in the army, which he left at the peace, and went to Paris, where he engaged as a menial, first in the College of the Jesuits, and afterwards in several families: he was repeatedly turned out of his situation on account of misconduct. While ho was unemployed he used to attend the great hall of the Palace of Justice, which was then the rendezvous of those who were styled Janseniste. At that time France was distracted by the long quarrel concerning the bull Unigenitns. (Ctrarerr XL) Tho parliament of Paris disapproved of the bull, although it had been forced by the court to register it. Several of the parish olergy expressed a similar opinion, and were on that account suspended from their functions by their bishops, who were in general favourable to the prerogatives of the court of Rome. The clergymen thus laid under interdict appealed to the parliament, which returned a decision favourable to them. Upon this the court and the bishops attacked the parliament, several of whose members were imprisoned by lettrea de cachet. The supposed miracles of the Abb6 Paris, brother of a counoillor of parliament, and a sturdy opposer of the bull, excited the minds of the people, and created a sect of fanatics, called Iconvulaioonaires,' or 'shakers.' The archbishop of Paris refused the sacrament.., not only to the shakers, bet to all those suspected of Jansenism, that is to say, opposed to the bull The parliament issued *meta to oblige the local clergy to administer the sacraments. Tho king cashiered these aerate. Tho outcry now brume general against the archbishop, the ministers, and the king ; France was threatened with a schism and a war of religion. Louis XV. had then for his mistress Madame de Pompadour, who was generally disliked on account of her haughtiness and prodigality. All these complaints seem to have made a deep though confused Impression on the excitable but ignorant mind of Damien& Gautier, a servant of one of the councillors of parliament, acknowledged that ho had heard him speak very violently in defence of the parliament, and against the archbishop of Park. It would seem that Dsmiens was particularly irritated at
the archbishop refusing the sacraments to so many people, and that lie fancied that by killing or at least wounding the king he would effect a change in the system of government, and put down the archbishop and his party. However this may be, Damien& went to Versailles ; and on the 5th of January 1757, about five In the afternoon, as Louis was stepping into his carriage, Damietta, who had made his way unobserved among the attendants, stabbed him cn the right side with a knife. The wound was sight, and the king after a few days recovered. It it worthy of remark that the knife had two blades, of which Damien, used the shorter, which seems to confirm what he stated on his interrogatory, that lie did not intend to kill the king, but only to frighten him and give him a warning. He did not attempt to run away, but was secured, examined, and put to the torture, lie was afterwards removed to Paris, and committed for trial before the greeds chambre of parliament, to which the king wrote a letter in which he demanded "a signal vengeance Damietta was condemned as a regicide to be broken alive by four horses. Tho sentence was executed on the 28th of Much 1757, on the Place de Greve. Before being put to death, he was tortured for one hour and a-half ou the 'place of execution with red hot pincers, molten lead, resin, wax, and other cruel contrkvances. All the windows and roofs of the houses around were filled with spectators, men and women, among whom were many ladies of rank. it was altogether one of the most disgraceful exhibitions that ever took place In a civilised country. Datniens acknowledged no accomplices, and it does not appear that he had any. his crime was the act of a weak and disordered mind.
(Breton, Pekes or et proeed. de prose?s fait d R. F. Damien', Par. 4to, 1757; Vie de R. Par. 1767; Ifigoire do Parfet:tent de Paris, 8vo. 1769; Voltaire, &Ode de Loafs X Causes Ce18res.)