s and doctors as he might
choose to bring with him, and that they would disobey at their peril;
he was also to tell them that Grandier's demands to have the nuns
sequestered and other exorcists called in were granted.

Mignon and Barre listened while the clerk read his instructions, and
then said they refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the bailiff in
this case; that they had been summoned by the mother superior and Sister
Claire when their strange illness returned, an illness which they were
convinced was nothing else than possession by evil spirits; that they
had hitherto carried out their exorcisms under the authority of a
commission given them by the Bishop of Poitiers; and as the time for
which they had permission had not yet expired; they would continue to
exorcise as often as might be necessary. They had, however, given notice
to the worthy prelate of what was going on, in order that he might
either come himself or send other exorcists as best suited him, so that
a valid opinion as to the reality, of the possession might be procured,
for up to the present the worldly and unbelieving had taken upon
themselves to declare in an off-hand manner that the whole affair was a
mixture of fraud and delusion, in contempt of the glory of God and the
Catholic religion. As to the rest of the message, they would not, in any
way prevent the bailiff and the other officials, with as many medical
men as they chose to bring, from seeing the nuns, at least until they
heard from the bishop, from whom they expected a letter next day. But it
was for the nuns themselves to say whether it was convenient for them to
receive visitors; as far as concerned themselves, they desired to renew
their protest, and declared they could not accept the bailiff as their
judge, and did not think that it could be legal for them to refuse
to obey a command from their ecclesiastical superiors, whether with
relation to exorcism or any other thing of which the ecclesiastical
courts properly took cognisance. The clerk brought this answer to the
bailiff, and he, thinking it was better to wait for the arrival of the
bishop or of fresh orders from him, put off his visit to the convent
until the next day. But the next day came without anything being heard
of the prelate himself or of a messenger from him.

Early in the morning the bailiff went to the convent, but was not
admitted; he then waited patiently until noon, and seeing that no news
had arrived from