very finished description; to this he was indebted for his good fortune in the church, and the reputation he gained in consequence among the female part of his auditory, seems to have been the origin of those exaggerated evil reports under which he fell. His temper was fiery and haughty, probably the consequence of his superior talents, and he was more prone to revenge than to forgive an injury. He had a suit with the Canons of the Church of the Holy Cross, in which he succeeded, but his triumph created him implacable enemies in several of the Chapter. At nearly the same time M. Trinquant, the King's Procureur, had reason to suspect that Grandier had bebauched his daughter, and he made a public exposure of his suspicions by examining certain persons; the result was not calculated to remove them, although no part of his accusations against Grandier could be established. Grandier conducted himself with so little discretion on his enemy's defeat, that Trinquant, with others, confederated to ruin him, or at least to compel him to quit Loudun. The willingness with which people believe calumnious reports, added to Grandier's own deportment, induced many to take part against him; and most of the suspicious fathers and jealous husbands of Loudun, either openly or secretly lent their assistance to the plot. An accusation was lodged against him, in which he was charged with lewdness, profaneness, and impiety; the ostensible promoters were two wretches from the lowest order of the people. While this was pending, a person of some fortune and credit, named Duthibaut, having spoken of Grandier in very disadvantageous terms, the latter remonstrated with some severity, and Duthibaut, taking offence at it, struck him with his cane, although Grandier was at this moment in his robes, and about to enter the church where he was to officiate. Enraged at this insult, and being convinced that it would be to little purpose to prefer his complaint to the local authorities, he went to Paris to commence his process. During his absence, his enemies made such use of the opportunity it afforded them, that they procured a de

cree from the Bishop, requiring his return, to answer the charges within three days, on pain of imprisonment. As it was impossible for him to comply, he was on his return imprisoned, and remained in confinement for two months. At the end of which time, in spite of the machinations of his enemies, they could not substantiate the principal points of their charges, but they succeeded in obtaining a sentence against him, by which he was interdicted a divinis in the diocese for five years, and in Loudun for ever.

Grandier appealed against this sentence, and on its being examined before the Parliament of Paris, it appeared that the depositions of some of the witnesses had been falsified, and that others had been solicted by Trinquant. The result was, that he was totally acquitted and absolved, his accusers condemned to pay all his charges, and his benefices restored him. He was now counselled to exchange his living, but resentment blinded him; he returned to Loudun in triumph, with a laurel branch in his hand, and pursued his suit against Duthibaut with so much success, that he was sentenced to a public censure and apology, with full costs.

The rage of his foes was now increased to such a point, that they were resolved at all events to compass his ruin, and the means by which they pursued and finally accomplished their object, were as horrid and as atrocious, as their intention was nefarious. In the town of Loudun, there was a Convent of Urselines, who were so extremely poor, that they were obliged to take boarders to encrease their scanty revenue. Mignon, Grandier's first enemy, was the director of this Convent, and having invented a plot, he found these Nuns fit instruments to put it in practice. He proposed to them to feign that they were possessed by devils, and to accuse Grandier of having sent the demons into their bodies. He represented to them that by these means the importance of the Convent would be encreased, and the donations of the charitable and curious would bring plenty to their house, instead of the penury which they were cursed with at that time. The Abbess and some

of the Nuns immediately embraced the offer, and Mignon, having tutored them properly, gave out as soon as he thought they were fit to play the parts he had assigned to them, that they were possessed with demons, and that it was necessary to exorcise them. He took to his assistance one Pierre Barre, a fanatic, whose credulity rendered him as fit for the imposition, as his malice and ferocity qualified him for the final object of the mummery in which he was to be concerned. After several rehearsals, at which no persons but Barre and Mignon were present, a public exorcism was resolved on, at which two magistrates were invited to be present; the most wonderful part of the affair was stated to be, that the possessed answered in Latin to the questions proposed to them, although they had no previous knowledge of the language. On the day appointed, the magistrates repaired to the Convent, where they were shewn the Superior in one bed and Sister Laie in another. At the magistrate's approach, the Prioress was seized with violent convulsions; she uttered strange cries, and hid herself in her bed. Mignon then began his exorcism which was in Latin, and addressed to the demon.

Q. For what reason have you entered the body of this virgin?

A. On account of the animosity I bear her.

Q. By what symbol did you enter?
A. By flowers.

Q. What flowers?
A. Roses.

Q. Who sent them ?
A. Urbain.

The exorcised pronounced this name with much hesitation, and as if it was done by constraint.

Q. What is his surname ?
A. Grandier.

This answer was also given with great difficulty.

Q. What is his quality?
A. He is a Priest.

Q. Of what Church?

A. St. Peter's.

After this answer, the Superior The magseemed to recover herself. istrates then retired to the window, when Mignon approaching them, reminded them that these circumstances very closely resembled those of father Gaufrédi, who had been executed upon a similar charge. One of the magistrates wished him to ask the cause of the animosity of which the Superior had spoken; but he excused himself, by saying he was not permitted to propose questions of idle curiosity.

The

The mere circumstance of this affair being brought forward by Grandier's acknowledged enemies, was enough to discredit it, to say nothing of its ridic ulous nature. The victim of it treated it with contempt, until finding it engrossed the attention of the inhabitants, he complained to the Bishop, but here his adversaries' influence was too strong, and the exorcisms continued. fame of these doings spread daily, and the examinations were conducted in the presence of various civil officers and priests, as well as strangers. The people have at all times been too ready to believe what they do not understand, and Grandier did not discover his imminent peril until it was out of his power to allay the storm. The demons answered, but always to his disadvantage; sometimes they spoke false Latin, and at others the imposture was clumsily conducted, that none but persons willing to be deceived could have been gulled by such artifices. The object of Mignon and his confederates seemed to be nearly accomplished, when the sudden arrival of the Bishop of Bourdeaux put an end to the scheme. He sent his physician to examine the possessed; such a report was made to him, as induced him to forbid any further exorcisms, and Barré and Mignon found themselves entirely defeated.

It might have been supposed that so many rebuffs would at least have tired these savage assassins, if they had not worked upon their better feelings; but not so, this defeat only put them upon new and more formidable attacks against their victim.

Just about this time one Laubardemont, a creature of the Cardinal de Richelieu, came upon some of his af

fairs to Loudun: Mignon and the rest of his party having formed an acquaintance with him, contrived to interest him in their resentments against Grandier, and his sanguinary temper induced him to promise his assistance. A satirical work had been published against the ministers a short time previously, and the Cardinal had been the chief object of the attack; the conspirators resolved to attribute this libel to the unfortunate Grandier, which would be the surest method to accomplish his ruin, for the Cardinal's vengeance once roused, nothing but the blood of his victim, they knew, would allay it. There was one circumstance which gave a sort of colour to the charge when the Cardinal was only the Prior of Coussai, he had had some disagree ment with Grandier on a point of precedence, the latter insisting that he was superior to the Prior, and neither owed nor would pay him any deference; but there is not the slightest reason to believe that he was the author of the book, or that he bore the the Cardinal any ill will. The conspirators, however, made such use of this circumstance, that Laubardemont procured a commission, author izing him to examine again into the affair of the possessed Nuns. The proceedings again commenced. The party had made so good use of their time in the interval, that they came to the combat stronger than ever; the possession was not now confined to the Superior and one of the Sisters, but there were seven devils brought into action. Unjust as the former examinations had been, they were perfectly equitable compared with these; no persons were present but those whose known animosity against Grandier would lead them to assist in any schemes for his ruin. The same mummery continued, the devils made the same accusations, to which were now added others, equally horrible and ridiculous. The depositions soon presented sufficient to induce Laubardemont to order Grandier's imprisonment; this done, a main point was gained. He was confined in a house belonging to Mignon, and occupied by a man in the employ of Trinquant, who had been an early

witness in the former ineffectual prosecution. Here he was subjected to the surveillance of persons who furnished the possessed Nuns with exact informa tion of his motions and habits, by which they were enabled more accurately to identify him with their wicked fabrica tions. His house was ransacked, and his papers taken away, among which were the sentences in those suits where his enemies had been defeated, and he had triumphed. Nothing was found among them which could be made to prejudice him, but a manuscript trea tise against the Celibacy of Priests. His mother and his brother made every attempt to shield him from the malice of his blood thirsty pursuers; but the chicanery of Laubardemont managed to thwart them, or his influence with the Cardinal enabled him to evade their objections, by procuring an exten sion of his powers. The proceedings of these conspirators had been so specious, that nearly the whole of Grandier's friends had deserted him, and he had no hope of assistance but from his mother, and his brother, who was Coun sellor to the Borough of Loudun. The exertions of the former, from her age and sex, were not very important, and the latter, who had gone to Paris for some purpose connected with his brother's defence, was arrested through the intrigues of Duthibaut and locked up in a prison, from which he could not procure his release until some time after his brother's death. These circumstances present a dreadful picture of the administration of justice in France at this time;-there have been periods when arbitrary power prevailed in Eng land to an unwholesome extent, but in our worst days we never groaned under such perverse tyranny as these men exercised.

The obstacles being removed, and the infernal machinery of the plot in proper order, the agents of it proceeded to their final object. Grandier bad been in prison some months; his confinement had been mild, and he had forborne from any violent expressions, trusting rather to some opportunity which might be afforded him to manifest his innocence of the absurd crime, and seeking consolation in religious offi

authority to examine his body, to discover those infallible proofs of a Satanic compact, certain marks upon his body, which should be invulnerable, or rather insensible. They commenced this ceremony by blinding his eyes, and then the surgeon, having found small moles in various parts of his body, turned the blunt end of his knife to them, which the patient of course endured without wincing; but on the other parts of his body the merciless ruffian plunged his knife so deeply, as to make him cry loudly with the agony.

Grandier demanded to be confronted with the possessed, which, after much hesitation, was granted him. He began, with the permission of the Bishop of the diocese, to exorcise one of them, and he proposed to do it in Greek; but here the ingenuity of the Nun was more than a match for him; for at the first question he proposed, she answered, the devil speaking by her, "You know full well that the first condition of the compact between us is, that I am not to answer you in Greek." This was considered by the auditory as a a conclusive proof against him. The Nun afterwards offered to answer his questions in any language, but before he could speak, all the others set up the most frightful howling and screaming, so that he could not be heard. He remained firm and unmoved in the midst of this cruel impiety, which was to cost him his life, protesting his innocence, and imploring the protection of God. Addressing the Bishop and Laubardemont in their respective offices, as the representatives of the Ecclesiastical and Royal power, he besought them to command the demons to break his neck, or to make some visible mark upon his forehead, which if done he would receive as a proof of his guilt; but they declined doing so. Grandier again made the most solemn protestatations of his innocence, but without effect, his doom was already sealed. The Baili of Loudun, addressed a memorial to the King, complaining of Laubardemont's partiality; which only 22 ATHENEUM VOL. 10.

The conspirators then proceeded to the consummation of their designs. They procured a commission from the King, and the proofs similar to those before adduced having been again gone through, he was declared to have been convicted of the crime of magic, in causing the possession of certain Nuns of Loudun by Devils, and condemned to make the amende honourable bareheaded, with a rope about his neck, and a torch in his hand, before the door of his own church, begging the pardon of God and the King; thence he was to be conducted to the marketplace, and there burnt alive, his goods confiscated, and that nothing might be wanting to his punishment, the torture was to be previously applied. This sentence was passed on the 18th of August, 1634; and no time was lost in carrying it into execution. He was immediately put to the question; the custom of performing which ceremony at Loudun was by fastening two thick pieces of wood round the victim's legs; these were fastened by cords, within wedges were inserted, and driven by mallets; the consequence being, that the sufferer's legs were most frequently broken. They put two more wedges than ordinary to Grandier; and the Capuchins who were present, thinking that the executioner might be too merciful, drove them in themselves. The wretched man fainted during the operation, but they continued their cruelty until he recovered. During his suffering torture, he gave such astonishing proofs of firmness and constancy, as could scarcely have been expected from his previous character; he never once complained or inveighed against his enemies, but continued to pray fervently, and to assert his innocence of the crimes charged against him ; though he confessed himself guilty of certain sins, for which he had done penance, and he hoped obtained pardon. At four o'clock in the evening, he was carried by the executioners from the place of torture in a sort of broad ladder. He bore in his hand a

torch, and besought as he went along the prayers of the bystanders for his soul. His sentence being read to him, he was put into a sort of carriage, and carried to St. Peter's church, where Laubardemont made him alight and kneel while his sentence was again read to him; the torture had deprived him of the use of his legs, and when he attempted to kneel he fell prostrate. At this moment Father Grillard accosted him; and embracing him, he said, weeping, "Remember, Sir, that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to God his Father through the Cross and torments. Preserve your fortitude: I bring you the benediction of your mother: : we both pray for God's mercy upon you, and that he may receive you into Paradise." Grandier's soul, which the cruelties of his enemies could not shake, was softened at this kindness; he conjured Grillard to be a son to his mother, and to pray for him, assuring him that he died innocent. When he arrived at the place of execution, turning to the Priests, he begged of them the kiss of peace. The Provost's Lieutenant asked his pardon. "You have not offended me," he said; "you have done only your duty." The executioner then put an iron girdle round him placing him with his back to the church. The place was filled with people, and the efforts of the archers to remove them were useless: a flock of pigeons were seen hovering over the place, which neither the shouts of the people nor the firing of the archers could drive away; some persons said it was a flight of devils waiting for the soul of the magician; others said, these innocent doves were a testimony of the innocence of the prisoner. The Priests exorcised the air and the faggots, and again asked the patient if he would confess. He answered, that he had nothing to confess, and that he hoped that day to be with his God.-The Grefier then asked him if he persisted in his innocence: he answered that he did, that he had said nothing but the truth, and he had no more to say. Hereupon one of the Monks told the Grefier, that he suffered him to talk too much The Provost had promised him that he should be strangled before the fire was kindled. The ferocity of

the Monks, however, prevented both those mercies: when he was about to speak, they threw their holy water in his face; and finding he was still endeavouring to address the by standers, one of them pretended to give him the kiss of peace. "This is the kiss of a Judas," said the dying man. This roused their choler so much, that under the shew of presenting him a crucifix which was made of iron, they struck him with it violently over the mouth. Finding his attempts were useless, he pronounced a Salve Regina and an Ave Maria, concluding with recommending his soul to the mercy of Heaven. The Monks, in order to prevent his being strangled, had with their own hands knotted the cord, so that the executioner could not draw it. Grandier seeing this, cried out. "Is this what was promised me?" and lifting up the cord, he adjusted it himself. Father Lactance then holding a lighted torch in his face, said, "Wretch, will you not confess, and renounce the devil; you have not a moment to live."

"I abhor the devil,” said Grandier; "I renounce him and all his works, and I implore the mercy of God." This savage Monk then, without waiting for the orders of the officers of jus tice, applied his torch to the pile. "Is this charity, Father Lactance? said Grandier, is this the promise which was made to me? There is a God in Heaven, thy Judge and mine, and I summon thee to appear within a month!" and lifting up his eyes, he said, "Deus meus ad te vigilo, miserere mei Deus !" The Capuchins then threw the remainder of their holy water in his face, that the people might not hear his last words. The contrivances of the Monks had prevented the execu tioner from making use of the cord; and as the fire mounted, the wretched victim fell into the flames, where he was burnt alive: and thus ended the most sanguinary persecution which since the days of the martyrs has been known.

Lactance died within the time mentioned by Grandier; and Laubarde mont, and all the other principal ac tors perished by violent or accidental means.