e poisoned him, had he not been well protected by God
Himself. The Black Mass was offered by the Lady of Lancinena, to whom
Satan made love in the very bedroom of the judge. We can guess the
likely aim of this wretched tale: the beggar bore a grudge against the
lady, who was good-looking, and, but for this slander, might have come
to bear sway over the honest commissioner.

* * * * *

Lancre and his colleague taking fright, went forward; never dared to
draw back. They had their royal gallows set up on the very spots where
Satan had held a Sabbath. People were alarmed thereat, deeming them
strongly backed by the arm of royalty. Impeachments hailed about them.
The women all came in one long string to accuse each other. Children
were brought forward to impeach their mothers. Lancre gravely ruled
that a child of eight was a good, sufficient, reputable witness!

M. d'Espagnet could give but a few moments to this matter, having
speedily to show himself in the Estates of Bearn. Lancre being pushed
unwittingly forward by the violence of the younger informers, who
would have fallen into great danger, if they had failed to get the old
ones burnt, threw the reins on the neck of the business, and hurried
it on at full gallop. A due amount of witches were condemned to the
stake. These, too, on finding themselves lost, ended by impeaching
others. When the first batch were brought to the stake, a frightful
scene took place. Executioner, constables, and sergeants, all thought
their last hour was come. The crowd fell savagely upon the carts,
seeking to force the wretches to withdraw their accusations. The men
put daggers to their throats: their furious companions were like to
finish them with their nails.

Justice, however, got out of the scrape with some credit; and then the
commissioners went on to the harder work of sentencing eight priests
whom they had taken up. The girls' confessions had brought these men
to light. Lancre speaks of their morals like one who knew all about
them of himself. He rebukes them, not only for their gay proceedings
on Sabbath nights, but, most of all, for their sextonesses and female
churchwardens. He even repeats certain tales about the priests having
sent off the husbands to Newfoundland, and brought back Devils from
Japan who gave up the wives into their hands.

The clergy were deeply stirred: the Bishop of Bayonne would have made
resistance. His courage failing him,