Of a counterfait and deceiuing spirit at Orleance in France.

A Nd that no man thinke the Friers Preachers alone to haue bene so bolde, and wicked, and so readie in deuising so many monsters, let vs hearken a while to a notable historie of the Franciscan Friers, reported by Sleidane in the ninth booke of his Commentaries, concerning the state of religion and the Common wealth in the time of Charles the fifth.

In the yeare (saith he) of our Lord 1534. the Franciscan Monkes played a bloodie and deadly pageant at Orleaunce in France. The Maiors wife of the same Citie, when shÉe died, commaunded in her will, that she shoulde be buried without any pompe or noyse, solemnely vsed at that time. (So also William Bude, a rare and singular ornament of Fraunce, lying on his death bedde at Paris, in the yeare of our Lord 1540. in the month of August, left commaundement with his friendes to bury him without any great solemnitie and pompe.) The womans husband, who reuerenced the memoriall of his wife, did euen as she had willed him, and because she was buried in the Church of the Franciscans, besides her father and grandfather, gaue them in rewarde only sixe Crownes, whereas they hoped for a farre greater pay. Shortly after, it chaunced that as he felled certaine woods, and solde them, they desired him to giue vnto them some parte of it frÉely without money: which hee flatly denied. This they tooke very grÉeuously, and whereas before they misliked him, they deuised this meanes to bee reuenged: forsooth to report that his wife was damned for euer. The chiefe workemen and framers of this tragedy were Colimannus, and Stephanus Atrebatensis, both doctors of diuinitie, and Colimannus a great coniurer, hauing all his implements in a readinesse, which he woonted to vse in such businesse: and thus they handled the matter. They place ouer the arche of the church a yong nouice: he about midnight when they came to mumble their praiers (as they were wont to do) maketh a great rumbling & noise: out of hand the Monks began to coniure & charme, but he answereth nothing, then being required to giue a signe whether he were a dumbe Spirit or no, he begins to rumble and stir again: which thing they tooke as a certaine signe. Hauing laid this foundation, they go vnto certain citizens, chief men and such as fauored them, declaring that a heauy chaunce had hapned at home, in their monasterie, not shewing what the matter was, but desiring the to come to their mattens at midnight. Whe those citizens were come and that praiers were now begun, the counterfeit spirit beginneth to make a maruellous noise in the top of y? church, and being asked what he meant, and who he was, he giueth them signes that it is not lawful for him to speak: Therfore they commaunde him to make aunswere by tokens and signes, to certaine things they woulde demaunde of him. Nowe there was a hole made in the vaute, through the which he might heare and vnderstand the voyce of the coniurer: and then had he in his hande a little boord which at euery question he strake in such sort as he might easily be heard beneath. First therefore they aske him whether he were one of them that had bin buried in the same place, afterwards they reckning vp many by name which had bin buried there, at the last also name the Maiors wife: and there by and by, the Spirit gaue the signe that he was her soule. He was further asked whether he were damned or no, and if he were, for what desert or fault? Whether for couetousnesse, or wanton lust, for pride, or want of charitie, or whether it were for heresie, and for the secte of Luther newly sprung vp? Also what he meant by that noyse and sturre he kept there? Whether it were to haue the bodie now buried in holy ground to be digged vp again, and to be laide in some other place? To all the which points, he answered by signes as he was commanded, by the which he affirmed, or denied any thing, according as he strake the boord twise or thrise togither. And when he had thus giuen them to vnderstand, that the very cause of his damnation was Luthers heresie, and that the bodie must needs be digged vp againe, the Monkes request the citizens (whose presence they had vsed) that they would beare witnesse of those things which they had sÉene with their eyes, and that they would subscribe to such things, as were done a fewe dayes before. The citizens taking good aduise on the matter, least they should offend the Maior, or bring themselues in trouble, refuse so to do: but the Monkes notwithstanding take from thence the swÉete bread, which they call the host, and body of our Lord, togither with all y? reliques of saints, and cary them to an other place, & there say their Masse. The bishops substitute iudge (whom they call Officiall) vnderstanding this matter, commeth thither accompanied with certain honest men, to y? intet he might know y? whole circumstances more exactly, & therfore he comandeth them to make coiuration in his presence, & also he requireth certaine to be chosen to go vp to y? top of the vault, and ther to see whether any ghost appeared or not. That Stephanus Atrebatesis stifly denied, and maruellously persuading y? cotrary, affirmed, that the spirit in no wise ought to be trobled. And albeit the Officiall, vrged the very much, y? there might be some coniuring of the spirit, yet could he nothing preuail. In the mean while that these things wer a doing, the Maior, whe he had shewed the other iustices of the citie, what he wold haue the do, tooke his iorny to the king, and opened the whole matter vnto him. And because the Monks refused iudgement vpon plea of their owne lawes and liberties: the king choosing out certaine of the Aldermen of Paris, giueth them absolute and full authoritie, to make enquirie on the matter.

The like doth the chancelor, maister Anthonius Pratensis, Cardinall and Legate for the Pope, throughout Fraunce. Therefore when they had no exception to alleadge, they were conueyed vnto Paris and there constreyned to make their aunswere: but yet could nothing be wroong out of them by confession. Wherevpon they were put a part into diuers prisons, the Nouice beeing kÉept in the house of maister FumÆus, one of the Aldermen, who being oftentimes examined & earnestly requested to vtter the truthe, woulde notwithstanding confesse nothing, because he feared that the Monks would afterwards put him to death, for stayning their order, and putting it to open shame: but whe the Iudges had made him sure promise, that he should escape punishment, and that he should neuer come into theire handling, he repped vp vnto them the whole matter, as it was done, and being brought before his fellowes, aduoucheth the same to their faces. The Monkes albeit they were by these meanes conuicted, and almost taken tardy with the dÉede doing, yet did they refuse the Iudges, bragging and vaunting them selues on their priuiledges: but al in vaine: for sentence passed on them, and they were condemned: that they being caried backe againe to Orleaunce, and there cast in prison, should finally be broughte foorth to the chiefe Church of the citie openly, and from thence to the place of execution, where they should make open cofession of their trespasses. But there chaunced at the very same time a greeuous persecution against the Lutherans, which was the cause why that sentence, (albeit was too gentle for so great an offence) was neuer put in executio. For they feared much, because Luthers name was odious euery where, least if any sharpe iudgement hadde passed, they should not so muche haue punished the offenders, as shamed their order: and many supposed that whatsoeuer had hapned vnto them, would haue bin a pleasant and ioyful pageaunt and spectacle for the Lutherans. Now the order of the Franciscane Friers, hath the opinion of great holinesse with the common people: insomuch, that when they being condemned, were carried to Orleaunce, certaine fonde women moued with foolish pittie, followed them to the very gates of the citie, weeping & sighing abundantly. When they were come to Orleaunce, and were there cast into diuers prisons, againe they vaunted and bare themselues very brag on their priuiledges, and liberties: and so at the last when they had lyen long in prison, they were in the end deliuered without any greater punishment. All the while they were in prison, they wanted nothing: for there was bestowed vpon them, especially by women, very largely, for to serue for their liuing, and to purchase to them help and fauour. Except these persecutions and troubles, which we spake of before, had hindred the matter, the king (as many reported) was fully determined, to haue ouerthrowne their house, and made it euen with the ground.

This Historie also doth demonstrate and shewe, that Spirits are not alwayes heard, when some men affirme they are.

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