urbain grandier-第5部分

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the　afflicted　nuns；　and　he　begged　him　to　accompany　him　to　the
convent。　　This　priest；　whose　name　was　Pierre　Barre；　was　exactly　the
man　whom　Mignon　needed　in　such　a　crisis。　　He　was　of　melancholy
temperament；　and　dreamed　dreams　and　saw　visions；　his　one　ambition　was
to　gain　a　reputation　for　asceticism　and　holiness。　　Desiring　to
surround　his　visit　with　the　solemnity　befitting　such　an　important
event；　he　set　out　for　Loudun　at　the　head　of　all　his　parishioners；　the
whole　procession　going　on　foot；　in　order　to　arouse　interest　and
curiosity；　but　this　measure　was　quite　needless　it　took　less　than　that
to　set　the　town　agog。

While　the　faithful　filled　the　churches　offering　up　prayers　for　the
success　of　the　exorcisms；　Mignon　and　Barre　entered　upon　their　task　at
the　convent；　where　they　remained　shut　up　with　the　nuns　for　six　hours。
At　the　end　of　this　time　Barre　appeared　and　announced　to　his
parishioners　that　they　might　go　back　to　Chinon　without　him；　for　he
had　made　up　his　mind　to　remain　for　the　present　at　Loudun；　in　order　to
aid　the　venerable　director　of　the　Ursuline　convent　in　the　holy　work
he　had　undertaken；　he　enjoined　on　them　to　pray　morning　and　evening；
with　all　possible　fervour；　that；　in　spite　of　the　serious　dangers　by
which　it　was　surrounded；　the　good　cause　might　finally　triumph。　　This
advice；　unaccompanied　as　it　was　by　any　explanation；　redoubled　the
curiosity　of　the　people；　and　the　belief　gained　ground　that　it　was　not
merely　one　or　two　nuns　who　were　possessed　of　devils；　but　the　whole
sisterhood。　　It　was　not　very　long　before　the　name　of　the　magician　who
had　worked　this　wonder　began　to　be　mentioned　quite　openly：　Satan；　it
was　said；　had　drawn　Urbain　Grandier　into　his　power；　through　his
pride。　　Urbain　had　entered　into　a　pact　with　the　Evil　Spirit　by　which
he　had　sold　him　his　soul　in　return　for　being　made　the　most　learned
man　on　earth。　　Now；　as　Urbain's　knowledge　was　much　greater　than　that
of　the　inhabitants　of　Loudun；　this　story　gained　general　credence　in
the　town；　although　here　and　there　was　to　be　found　a　man　sufficiently
enlightened　to　shrug　his　shoulders　at　these　absurdities；　and　to　laugh
at　the　mummeries；　of　which　as　yet　he　saw　only　the　ridiculous　side；

For　the　next　ten　or　twelve　days　Mignon　and　Barre　spent　the　greater
part　of　their　time　at　the　convent；　sometimes　remaining　there　for　six
hours　at　a　stretch；　sometimes　the　entire　day。　　At　length；　on　Monday；
the　11th　of　October；　1632；　they　wrote　to　the　priest　of　Venier；　to
Messire　Guillaume　Cerisay　de　la　Gueriniere；　bailiff　of　the　Loudenois；
and　to　Messire　Louis　Chauvet；　civil　lieutenant；　begging　them　to　visit
the　Ursuline　convent；　in　order　to　examine　two　nuns　who　were　possessed
by　evil　spirits；　and　to　verify　the　strange　and　almost　incredible
manifestations　of　this　possession。　　Being　thus　formally　appealed　to；
the　two　magistrates　could　not　avoid　compliance　with　the　request。　　It
must　be　confessed　that　they　were　not　free　from　curiosity；　and　felt
far　from　sorry　at　being　able　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　the　mystery　of
which　for　some　time　the　whole　town　was　talking。　　They　repaired；
therefore；　to　the　convent；　intending　to　make　a　thorough　investigation
as　to　the　reality　of　the　possession　and　as　to　the　efficacy　of　the
exorcisms　employed。　　Should　they　judge　that　the　nuns　were　really
possessed；　and　that　those　who　tried　to　deliver　them　were　in　earnest；
they　would　authorise　the　continuation　of　the　efforts　at　exorcism；　but
if　they　were　not　satisfied　on　these　two　points；　they　would　soon　put
an　end　to　the　whole　thing　as　a　comedy。　　When　they　reached　the　door；
Mignon；　wearing　alb　and　stole；　came　to　meet　them。　　He　told　them　that
the　feelings　of　the　nuns　had　for　more　than　two　weeks　been　harrowed　by
the　apparition　of　spectres　and　other　blood…curdling　visions；　that　the
mother　superior　and　two　nuns　had　evidently　been　possessed　by　evil
spirits　for　over　a　week；　that　owing　to　the　efforts　of　Barre　and　same
Carmelite　friars　who　were　good　enough　to　assist　him　against　their
common　enemies；　the　devils　had　been　temporarily　driven　out；　but　on
the　previous　Sunday　night；　the　10th　of　October；　the　mother　superior；
Jeanne　de　Belfield；　whose　conventual　name　was　Jeanne　des　Anges；　and　a
lay　sister　called　Jeanne　Dumagnoux；　had　again　been　entered　into　by
the　same　spirits。　　It　had；　however；　been　discovered　by　means　of
exorcisms　that　a　new　compact；　of　which　the　symbol　and　token　was　a
bunch　of　roses；　had　been　concluded；　the　symbol　and　token　of　the　first
having　been　three　black　thorns。　　He　added　that　during　the　time　of　the
first　possession　the　demons　had　refused　to　give　their　names；　but　by
the　power　of　his　exorcisms　this　reluctance　had　been　overcome；　the
spirit　which　had　resumed　possession　of　the　mother　superior　having　at
length　revealed　that　its　name　was　Ashtaroth；　one　of　the　greatest
enemies　of　God；　while　the　devil　which　had　entered　into　the　lay　sister
was　of　a　lower　order；　and　was　called　Sabulon。　　Unfortunately；
continued　Mignon；　just　now　the　two　afflicted　nuns　were　resting；　and
he　requested　the　bailiff　and　the　civil　lieutenant　to　put　off　their
inspection　till　a　little　later。　　The　two　magistrates　were　just　about
to　go　away；　when　a　nun　appeared；　saying　that　the　devils　were　again
doing　their　worst　with　the　two　into　whom　they　had　entered。
Consequently；　they　accompanied　Mignon　and　the　priest　from　Venier　to
an　upper　room；　in　which　were　seven　narrow　beds；　of　which　two　only
were　occupied；　one　by　the　mother　superior　and　the　other　by　the　lay
sister。　　The　superior；　who　was　the　more　thoroughly　possessed　of　the
two；　was　surrounded　by　the　Carmelite　monks；　the　sisters　belonging　to
the　convent；　Mathurin　Rousseau；　priest　and　canon　of　Sainte…Croix；　and
Mannouri；　a　surgeon　from　the　town。

No　sooner　did　the　two　magistrates　join　the　others　than　the　superior
was　seized　with　violent　convulsions；　writhing　and　uttering　squeals　in
exact　imitation　of　a　sucking　pig。　　The　two　magistrates　looked　on　in
profound　astonishment；　which　was　greatly　increased　when　they　saw　the
patient　now　bury　herself　in　her　bed；　now　spring　right　out　of　it；　the
whole　performance　being　accompanied　by　such　diabolical　gestures　and
grimaces　that；　if　they　were　not　quite　convinced　that　the　possession
was　genuine；　they　were　at　least　filled　with　admiration　of　the　manner
in　which　it　was　simulated。　　Mignon　next　informed　the　bailiff　and　the
civil　lieutenant；　that　although　the　superior　had　never　learned　Latin
she　would　reply　in　that　language　to　all　the　questions　addressed　to
her；　if　such　were　their　desire。　　The　magistrates　answered　that　as
they　were　there　in　order　to　examine　thoroughly　into　the　facts　of　the
case；　they　begged　the　exorcists　to　give　them　every　possible　proof
that　the　possession　was　real。　　Upon　this；　Mignon　approached　the
mother　superior；　and；　having　ordered　everyone　to　be　silent；　placed
two　of　his　fingers　in　her　mouth；　and；　having　gone　through　the　form　of
exorcism　prescribed　by　the　ritual；　he　asked　the　following　questions
word　for　word　as　they　are　given；

D。　　Why　have　you　entered　into　the　body　of　this　young　girl？
R。　　Causa　animositatis。　　　　　　　Out　of　enmity。
D。　　Per　quod　pactum　？　　　　　　　　　By　what　pact？
R。　　Per　flores。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By　flowers。
D。　　Quales？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　What　flowers？
R。　　Rosas。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Roses。
D。　　Quis　misfit？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By　whom　wert　thou　sent？

At　this　question　the　magistrates　remarked　that　the　superior　hesitated
to　reply；　twice　she　opened　her　mouth　in　vain；　but　the　third　time　she
said　in　a　weak　voice

D。　　Dic　cognomen？　　　　　　　　　　　　　What　is　his　surname？
R。　　Urbanus。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Urbain。

Here　there　was　again　the　same　hesitation；　but　as　if　impelled　by　the
will　of　the　exorcist　she　answered

R。　　Grandier。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Grandier。
D。　　Dic　qualitatem？　　　　　　　　　　　What　is　his　profession？
R。　　Sacerdos。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　priest。
D。　　Cujus　ecclesiae？　　　　　　　　　　Of　what　church？
R。　　Sancti　Petri。　　　　　　　　　　　　　Saint…Pierre。
D。　　Quae　persona　attulit
　　　　flores？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Who　brought　the　flowers？
R。　　Diabolica。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Someone　sent　by　the　devil。


As　the　patient　pronounced　the　last　word　she　recovered　her　senses；　and
having　repeated　a　prayer；　attempted　to　swallow　a　morsel　of　bread
which　was　offered　her；　she　was；　however；　obliged　to　spit　it　out；
saying　it　was　so　dry　she　could　not　get　it　down。

Something　more　liquid　was　then　brought；　but　even　of　that　she　could
swallow　very　little；　as　she　fell　into　convulsions　every　few　minutes。

Upon　this　the　two　officials；　seeing　there　was　nothing　more　to　be　got
out　of　the　superior；　withdrew　to　one　of　the　window　recesses　and　began
to　converse　in　a　low　tone；　whereupon　Mignon；　who　feared　that　they　had
not　been　sufficiently　impressed；　followed　them；　and　drew　their
attention　to　the　fact　that　there　was　much　in　what　they　had　just　seen
to　recall　the　case　of　Gaufredi；　who　had　been　put　to　death　a　few　years
before　in　consequence　of　a　decree　of　the　Parliament　of　Aix；　in
Provence。　　This　ill…judged　remark　of　Mignon　showed　so　clearly　what
his　aim　was　that　the　magistrates　made　no　reply。　　The　civil　lieutenant
remarked　that　he　had　been　surprised　that　Mignon　had　not　made　any
attempt　to　find　out　the　cause　of　the　enmity　of　which　the　superior　had
spoken；　and　which　it　was　so　important　to　find　out；　but　Mignon　excused
himself　by　saying　that　he　had　no　right　to　put　questions　merely　to
gratify　curiosity。　　The　civil　lieutenant　was　about　to　insist　on　the
matter　being　investigated；　when　the　lay　sister　in　her　turn　went　into
a　fit；　thus　extricating　Mignon　from　his　embarrassment。　　The
magistrates　approached　the　lay　sister's　bed　at　once；　and　directed
Mignon　to　put　the　same　questions　to　her　as　to　the　superior：　he　did
so；　but　all　in　vain；　all　she　would　reply　was；　〃To　the　other！　　To　the
other！〃

Mignon　explained　this　refusal　to　answer　by　saying　that　the　evil
spirit　which　was　in　her　was　of　an　inferior　order；　and　referred　all
questioners　to　Ashtaroth；　who　was　his　superior。　　As　this　was　the　only
explanation；　good　or　bad；　offered　them　by　Mignon；　the　magistrates
went　away；　and　drew　up　a　report　of　all　they　had　seen　and　heard
without　comment；　merely　appending　their　signatures。

But　in　the　town　very　few　people　showed　the　same　discretion　and
reticence　as　the　magistrates。　　The　bigoted　believed；　the　hypocrites
pretend