increased
precautions necessary, they considered it would be well to apply to the
bishop for a new commission, wherein he should appoint certain
ecclesiastics to represent him during the exorcisms to come. Barre
himself went to Poitiers to make this request. It was immediately
granted, and the bishop appointed Bazile, senior-canon of Champigny, and
Demorans, senior canon of Thouars, both of whom were related to some of
Grandier's adversaries. The following is a copy of the new commission:

"Henri-Louis le Chataignier de la Rochepezai, by the divine will Bishop
of Poitiers, to the senior canons of the Chatelet de Saint-Pierre de
Thouars et de Champigny-sur-Vese, greeting:

"We by these presents command you to repair to the town of Loudun, to the
convent of the nuns of Sainte-Ursule, to be present at the exorcisms
which will be undertaken by Sieur Barre upon some nuns of the said
convent who are tormented by evil spirits, we having thereto authorised
the said Barre. You are also to draw up a report of all that takes
place, and for this purpose are to take any clerk you may choose with
you.

"Given and done at Poitiers, November 28th, 1632.

"(Signed) HENRI LOUIS, Bishop of Poitiers. "(Countersigned) By order of
the said Lord Bishop, "MICHELET"

These two commissioners having been notified beforehand, went to Loudun,
where Marescot, one of the queen's chaplains, arrived at the same time;
for the pious queen, Anne of Austria, had heard so many conflicting
accounts of the possession of the Ursuline nuns, that she desired, for
her own edification, to get to the bottom of the affair. We can judge
what importance the case was beginning to assume by its being already
discussed at court.

In spite of the notice which had been sent them that the nuns would not
receive them, the bailiff and the civil lieutenant fearing that the royal
envoy would allow himself to be imposed on, and would draw up an account
which would cast doubt on the facts contained in their reports, betook
themselves to the convent on December 1st, the day on which the exorcisms
were to recommence, in the presence of the new commissioners. They were
accompanied by their assessor, by the provost's lieutenant, and a clerk.
They had to knock repeatedly before anyone seemed to hear them, but at
length a nun opened the door and told them they could not enter, being
suspected of bad faith, as they had publicly declared that the possession
was a fraud and a