d;
but they could not hold their peace, because God was infinitely powerful,
and the powers of hell could not prevail against Him. Thereupon they all
struggled to get at Grandier, threatening to tear him limb from limb, to
point out his marks, to strangle him although he was their master;
whereupon he seized a chance to say he was neither their master nor their
servant, and that it was incredible that they should in the same breath
acknowledge him for their master and express a desire to strangle him: on
hearing this, the frenzy of the nuns reached its height, and they kicked
their slippers into his face.

"'Just look!' said he; 'the shoes drop from the hoofs of their own
accord.'

"At length, had it not been for the help and interposition of people in
the choir, the nuns in their frenzy would have taken the life of the
chief personage in this spectacle; so there was no choice but to take him
away from the church and the furies who threatened his life. He was
therefore brought back to prison about six o'clock in the evening, and
the rest of the day the exorcists were employed in calming the poor
sisters--a task of no small difficulty."

Everyone did not regard the possessed sisters with the indulgent eye of
the author of the above narrative, and many saw in this terrible
exhibition of hysteria and convulsions an infamous and sacrilegious orgy,
at which revenge ran riot. There was such difference of opinion about it
that it was considered necessary to publish the following proclamation by
means of placards on July 2nd:

"All persons, of whatever rank or profession, are hereby expressly
forbidden to traduce, or in any way malign, the nuns and other persons at
Loudun possessed by evil spirits; or their exorcists; or those who
accompany them either to the places appointed for exorcism or elsewhere;
in any form or manner whatever, on pain of a fine of ten thousand livres,
or a larger sum and corporal punishment should the case so require; and
in order that no one may plead ignorance hereof, this proclamation will
be read and published to-day from the pulpits of all the churches, and
copies affixed to the church doors and in other suitable public places.

"Done at Loudun, July 2nd, 1634."

This order had great influence with worldly folk, and from that moment,
whether their belief was strengthened or not, they no longer dared to
express any incredulity. But in spite of that, the judges were put to
shame, for the nun