Mr. Letil

Mr. Letil, a manufacturer near Paris, died after a cauldron of burning varnish overturned onto him. Alone with only a young apprentice nearby, he still managed to reach his home. His flesh came away in strips, and he remained in full awareness for about twelve hours of terrible agony. He made his arrangements clearly, uttered no complaint, and died praying.

The medium’s hand begins writing...

Mr. LetilA weight of sadness still presses on me. Still crushed by the horror of my tragic death, I feel as if I am still under the executioner's axe. Oh, what suffering... what horrible suffering. I shudder when I think of it. I still seem sickened by the foul smell of my burning flesh.

Mr. LetilTwelve dreadful hours of dying agony... what a trial for a guilty spirit. But I suffered without complaint, and so I am about to receive pardon.

Mr. LetilMy beloved wife, do not weep for me. My pain will soon be over. I no longer feel real pain, but the memory of what I went through hurts almost as much as the reality.

Mr. LetilMy knowledge of Spiritism helped me greatly. I now see that if I had not possessed that comforting belief, I would have remained in the delirium caused by my terrible death.

Mr. LetilBut I have a comforter who has not left me since I drew my last breath. Even before I had fully finished speaking, I saw him standing beside me. At first I thought my suffering was making me delirious and showing me phantoms. But no, it was my Guardian Angel. Silent and motionless, he comforted me with his unspoken sympathy.

Mr. LetilAs soon as I had said farewell to Earth, he whispered, Come with me, my son, and open your eyes to the light. I breathed more freely. I felt as if I were waking from a terrible dream.

Mr. LetilI spoke of my beloved wife and of the brave boy who had risked his own life to help me. They are all on Earth, he replied. You, my son, are now in the spirit world.

Mr. LetilI looked around for my house. My Guardian Angel allowed me to return there, and he entered with me. I saw everyone in tears. Everything in that once peaceful home was sadness and mourning. I could not bear the sight. Overcome by the grief of those I love, I said to my guide, O my good Angel, let us leave. Yes, he replied, let us go from here and seek rest.

Mr. LetilSince then I suffer less. If I did not see my wife so inconsolable and my friends so sad, I would almost be happy.

Mr. LetilMy kind, good Guardian Angel has allowed me to tell you why I had to endure so painful a death. For your instruction, my friends, I confess the terrible crime I have now atoned for.

Mr. LetilTwo hundred years ago, I caused a young girl to be burned at the stake. She was as innocent as a child, and she was only about twelve years old. What was she accused of? Alas... of taking part in a conspiracy against priestly power.

Mr. LetilI was an Italian, a judge of the Inquisition. The executioners dared not touch that young victim. I myself was both her judge and her executioner. O justice of God, how perfect You are. I submitted to Your sentence. I had resolved so firmly not to fail on the day of my trial that I was able to keep my promise. I did not complain, and You, my God, have forgiven me.

Mr. LetilBut when will the memory of my poor innocent victim be erased from my mind? That is what makes me suffer. I must also obtain her forgiveness.

Mr. LetilChildren of the new doctrine, you sometimes say, We do not remember what we did in our former lives, and so we cannot avoid the dangers created by forgetting the past. Oh, my brothers, bless God for that forgetfulness.

Mr. LetilIf He had left you the memory of the past, you would have no peace on Earth. If remorse and shame pursued you constantly, could you know even a single quiet moment in life?

Mr. LetilForgetfulness of the past is a blessing. Here, we remember, and that memory is torture. Soon, as a reward for the patience with which I bore my atonement, God will grant me forgetfulness of my crime. My Guardian Angel has just promised me this.

Kardec adds that Mr. Letil's good character in his last life showed real progress. But progress alone was not enough. He still had to endure, as a man, what he had once made another endure, and accept it without complaint.