t when the hour for the procession came, fearing to
be accused of cowardice, he issued forth at the head of his clergy,
closely followed by his domestics and some knights with arms and armor
under their clothes. As the company filed past, one of the forty
conspirators, thinking the moment favorable for striking the blow, rushed
out suddenly from under an arch, with a shout of "_Commune! commune!_"
A low murmur ran through the throng; but not a soul joined in the shout
or the movement, and the ceremony carne to an end without any explosion.
The day after, another solemn procession was to take place to the church
of St. Vincent. Somewhat reassured, but still somewhat disquieted, the
bishop fetched from the domains of the bishopric a body of peasants, some
of whom he charged to protect the church, others his own palace, and once
more accompanied the procession without the conspirators daring to attack
him. This time he was completely reassured, and dismissed the peasants
he had sent for. "On the fourth day after Easter," says Guibert of
Nogent, "my corn having been pillaged in consequence of the disorder that
reigned in the town, I repaired to the bishop's, and prayed him to put a
stop to this state of violence. 'What do you suppose,' said he to me,
'those fellows can do with all their outbreaks? Why, if my blackamoor
John were to pull the nose of the most formidable amongst them, the poor
devil durst not even grumble. Have I not forced them to give up what
they called their commune, for the whole duration of my life?' I held my
tongue," adds Guibert; "many folks besides me warned him of his danger;
but he would not deign to believe anybody."

Three days later all seemed quiet; and the bishop was busy with his
archdeacon in discussing the sums to be exacted from the burghers. All
at once a tumult arose in the town; and a crowd of people thronged the
streets, shouting "_Commune! commune!_" Bands of burghers armed with
swords, axes, bows, hatchets, clubs, and lances, rushed into the
episcopal palace. At the news of this, the knights who had promised the
bishop to go to his assistance if he needed it came up one after another
to his protection; and three of them, in succession, were hotly attacked
by the burgher bands, and fell after a short resistance. The episcopal
palace was set on fire. The bishop, not being in a condition to repulse
the assaults of the populace, assumed the dress of one of his own
domestics, f