g listened to the reading of the document,
answered that in her own name and that of the sisterhood she refused to
recognise the jurisdiction of the bailiff; that she had already received
directions from the Bishop of Poitiers, dated 18th November, explaining
the measures which were to be taken in the matter, and she would gladly
send a copy of these directions to the bailiff, to prevent his pleading
ignorance of them; furthermore, she demurred to the order for her
removal, having vowed to live always secluded in a convent, and that no
one could dispense her from this vow but the bishop. This protest having
been made in the presence of Madame de Charnisay, aunt of two of the
nuns, and Surgeon Mannouri, who was related to another, they both united
in drawing up a protest against violence, in case the bailiff should
insist on having his orders carried out, declaring that, should he
make the attempt, they would resist him, as if he were a mere
private individual. This document being duly signed and witnessed was
immediately sent to the bailiff by the hand of his own clerk, whereupon
the bailiff ordered that preparations should be made with regard to the
sequestration, and announced that the next day, the 24th November, he
would repair to the convent and be present at the exorcisms.

The next day accordingly, at the appointed hour, the bailiff summoned
Daniel Roger, Vincent de Faux, Gaspard Joubert, and Matthieu Fanson, all
four physicians, to his presence, and acquainting them with his reasons
for having called them, asked them to accompany him to the convent to
examine, with the most scrupulous impartiality, two nuns whom he would
point out, in order to discover if their illness were feigned, or arose
from natural or supernatural causes. Having thus instructed them as to
his wishes, they all set out for the convent.

They were shown into the chapel and placed close to the altar, being
separated by a grating from the choir, in which the nuns who sang
usually sat. In a few moments the superior was carried in on a small
bed, which was laid down before the grating. Barre then said mass,
during which the superior went into violent convulsions. She threw her
arms about, her fingers were clenched, her cheeks enormously inflated,
and her eyes turned up so that only the whites could be seen.

The mass finished, Barre approached her to administer the holy communion
and to commence the exorcism. Holding the holy wafer in his hand,