Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Story Of Urbain Grandier.
nauiral to their age and sex , in a case tco wherein youth and ' hi < -.-h accomplishments were to be the mournful sacrifice ? Such a question , however , can only be answered bv the . fact itself . The whole sto . y of their Being possessed with devils appears unquestionably to have been an imposture , to which Grandier was af ' length a victim ; and as it seemed to have no other end but the destruction of this de
- voted object of their hate , we are justified in supposing that it was purely m this view that the whole contrivance was undertaken . - Arguments too mi ght easily have been used with such young and pjejiidiced persons , capable " of lessening the horrors of the scene in which they were acting , drawn fronAhe interests > of their particular Conventandof the Church in generalThey miht have been
, _ _ . g persuaded , that it was praiseworthy to operate towards an end DO conducive to the honour of the Church , as the ruin of such a profligate character , by any , the foulest means;—that they would render ( iiemselves conspicuous thereby to their country , and to Europe at large , and draw to themselves a greater contribution of almsand a more
, numerous ^ conflux of pensioners . However it was , thev cert .. inly , nay-after day , for a length of-time , were practised in the parts of persons possessed—in all the grimaces , cpiitorsions , and convulsions , winch were supposed to indicate this terrible condition of humanitv .
It was said , that Mignon , their director , took care to bind them to secrecy , as well as to co-operation , by the most daifc and tremendous oaths . The rumour of this possession , as it was called , of the Nuns of Loudun , at first ran silently throngirthe town . The moment it became a public topic , Mignon exorcised the Superior ofthe Convent , and another these exorcisms he
Nun . -In joined to himself Barre , Cure de St . Jaques de Chinon , a man of a gloomy and melancholic habit , and full of ambition to be regarded as a saint . ' He came with great parade to Loudun , at the head , of his parishioners , whom he led in procession ; walking himself on foot to give lustre to the proceeding . _ The two ecclesiastics , having exercised themselves and their ils this
pupjn mockery for a- week , judged themselves qualified to support a public exhibition . Granger , Cure de Venier , united himself to this cruel cabal—for what reason , it is not exactly known , since there was no visible motive on his part . He undertook , however , to represent the state of the Convent to Guillaume de Ceris ' ay , de Ja GueriniereBailli du Loudonois-and Louis ChaucerLieute
, , , - nant Civil , and to request their attendance at the exorcisms which were about to take place . He assured them , that in her paroxysms one of the Nuns spoke Latin with ease , although she had never Jearnt that language .
The two Magistrates repaired to the Monaster } -, to assist at these ceremonies , and , in case they should see reason to believe that the possessions . were real , to authorise the exorcisms ; otherwise , to stop the course of an illusion that mi ght bring great discredit upon the Church , and Reli gion in general , As soon as these officers , made
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Story Of Urbain Grandier.
nauiral to their age and sex , in a case tco wherein youth and ' hi < -.-h accomplishments were to be the mournful sacrifice ? Such a question , however , can only be answered bv the . fact itself . The whole sto . y of their Being possessed with devils appears unquestionably to have been an imposture , to which Grandier was af ' length a victim ; and as it seemed to have no other end but the destruction of this de
- voted object of their hate , we are justified in supposing that it was purely m this view that the whole contrivance was undertaken . - Arguments too mi ght easily have been used with such young and pjejiidiced persons , capable " of lessening the horrors of the scene in which they were acting , drawn fronAhe interests > of their particular Conventandof the Church in generalThey miht have been
, _ _ . g persuaded , that it was praiseworthy to operate towards an end DO conducive to the honour of the Church , as the ruin of such a profligate character , by any , the foulest means;—that they would render ( iiemselves conspicuous thereby to their country , and to Europe at large , and draw to themselves a greater contribution of almsand a more
, numerous ^ conflux of pensioners . However it was , thev cert .. inly , nay-after day , for a length of-time , were practised in the parts of persons possessed—in all the grimaces , cpiitorsions , and convulsions , winch were supposed to indicate this terrible condition of humanitv .
It was said , that Mignon , their director , took care to bind them to secrecy , as well as to co-operation , by the most daifc and tremendous oaths . The rumour of this possession , as it was called , of the Nuns of Loudun , at first ran silently throngirthe town . The moment it became a public topic , Mignon exorcised the Superior ofthe Convent , and another these exorcisms he
Nun . -In joined to himself Barre , Cure de St . Jaques de Chinon , a man of a gloomy and melancholic habit , and full of ambition to be regarded as a saint . ' He came with great parade to Loudun , at the head , of his parishioners , whom he led in procession ; walking himself on foot to give lustre to the proceeding . _ The two ecclesiastics , having exercised themselves and their ils this
pupjn mockery for a- week , judged themselves qualified to support a public exhibition . Granger , Cure de Venier , united himself to this cruel cabal—for what reason , it is not exactly known , since there was no visible motive on his part . He undertook , however , to represent the state of the Convent to Guillaume de Ceris ' ay , de Ja GueriniereBailli du Loudonois-and Louis ChaucerLieute
, , , - nant Civil , and to request their attendance at the exorcisms which were about to take place . He assured them , that in her paroxysms one of the Nuns spoke Latin with ease , although she had never Jearnt that language .
The two Magistrates repaired to the Monaster } -, to assist at these ceremonies , and , in case they should see reason to believe that the possessions . were real , to authorise the exorcisms ; otherwise , to stop the course of an illusion that mi ght bring great discredit upon the Church , and Reli gion in general , As soon as these officers , made