eople, who belonged to the lower
classes. Grandier had been her confessor, and she attended his church,
and as she was lively and clever he enjoyed talking to her, so that at
length an intimacy sprang up between them. It so happened 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