at a time when
he and the other ministers were in momentary disgrace, that a satire
full of biting wit and raillery appeared, directed especially against
the cardinal, and this satire had been attributed to Hammon, who was
known to share, as was natural, her mistress's hatred of Richelieu.
Protected as she was by the queen's favour, the cardinal had found it
impossible to punish Hammon, but he still cherished a deep resentment
against her.

It now occurred to the conspirators to accuse Grandier of being the
real author of the satire; and it was asserted that he had learned from
Hammon all the details of the cardinal's private life, the knowledge
of which gave so much point to the attack on him; if they could once
succeed in making Richelieu believe this, Grandier was lost.

This plan being decided on, M. de Laubardemont was asked to visit the
convent, and the devils knowing what an important personage he was,
flocked thither to give him a worthy welcome. Accordingly, the nuns
had attacks of the most indescribably violent convulsions, and M. de
Laubardemont returned to Paris convinced as to the reality of their
possession.

The first word the councillor of state said to the cardinal about Urbain
Grandier showed him that he had taken useless trouble in inventing the
story about the satire, for by the bare mention of his name he was able
to arouse the cardinal's anger to any height he wished. The fact was,
that when Richelieu had been Prior of Coussay he and Grandier had had
a quarrel on a question of etiquette, the latter as priest of Loudun
having claimed precedence over the prior, and carried his point. The
cardinal had noted the affront in his bloodstained tablets, and at the
first hint de Laubardemont found him as eager to bring about Grandier's
ruin as was the councillor himself.

De Laubardemont was at once granted the following commission:

"Sieur de Laubardemont, Councillor of State and Privy Councillor, will
betake himself to Loudun, and to whatever other places may be necessary,
to institute proceedings against Grandier on all the charges formerly
preferred against him, and on other facts which have since come to
light, touching the possession by evil spirits of the Ursuline nuns of
Loudun, and of other persons, who are said like wise to be tormented
of devils through the evil practices of the said Grandier; he will
diligently investigate everything from the beginning that has any
bearing either on the sai