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worship one God only, who is alone able to help us, and not the saints departed-That we ought not to swear-That we are to be faithful to our matrimonial engagement, and to sanctify and keep holy the Sabbath day; but there was no need of observing other feasts-That ecclesiastical persons were too rich and wealthy, which was the cause why they lead such scandalous lives; and that he said of the Pope, in his language: Autant crois, et autant maluais es lo Popa coma neugun autre, et perco non ages de poissansa; That the Pope is as bad or worse than any other, and therefore he hath no authority. That he taught that there was no Purgatory; but only Heaven for the good, and Hell for the wicked; and that, therefore, all trentals and suffrages said by the priest for the souls of the deceased, or their processions in the church-yards, singing kirieleison, avail nothing: also, that it was better to give to the poor than to offer to the priests; and that it was an idle and superstitious thing to bow the knee before the images of saints."

She was remanded back to prison, and the next morning sent for again. But persisting in what she had said before, she added, that the said pastors had told her, "that the priests who took money for the masses they sing, were like Judas, who sold their master for silver; and that they who gave money for their masses, were like the Jews, who bought Christ with

money.'

Those Inquisitors discharged Peironnette, until they were otherwise advised, having first obtained from her whatsoever she knew of the assemblies of the Waldenses, of those persons that frequented them, of the places and times of their meetings, which afterwards occasioned great trouble to the said Waldensian Churches, and much profit and advantage to the Inquisitors.

In the year of our Lord, 1497, Rostain, the Archbishop of Ambrun, would know at his arrival how matters had been carried on till that time against the Waldenses of his diocese; and finding that the inhabitants of the valley of Fraissmiere had been excommunicated by the Inquisitors, who had then framed their indictments, and that they had delivered them into the hands of the secular power, nothing but their flight obstructing the execution of the sentences pronounced against them; he would not enter into the said valley, though earnestly entreated by one Fazion Gay, an inhabitant of the said valley, saying, "that they had been condemned Authoritate Pontificis Romani, and therefore he might begin his journey to them inconsulto Pontifice: but when the pope laxabit mihi manus, shall loose my hand, and their absolution shall manifestly and clearly appear to me, I will visit them." Fazion Gay, speaking in behalf of the said inhabitants, who made profession of living as becomes good Catholics, says, they answered, "that the King had freed them from such punishments, provided that they behaved themselves like good Catholics for the future." The archbishop replied, "that he would do nothing till he had sent to the pope, and that he had for that purpose deputed friar John Columbi, a master in divinity, and that he would write to the pope and cardinals, and send them a verbal report of what had been transacted against them, and desire their advice, how to demean himself in this affair." Hereupon, Charles VIII., king of France, having departed this life, he took his journey to the coronation of King Louis XII., in the year 1498, which coming to the knowledge of the said inhabitants of Fraissiniere, and knowing too well that they had no reason to expect that anything in their favour would come from Rome, and that the archbishop would be easily

persuaded to enjoy those goods that his predecessors had confiscated, and that he would be unwilling to restore those goods which they had annexed to his archbishopric, they concluded among themselves to send to King Louis XII., and to become humble supplicants to him, that he would be pleased to take some course for the restitution of their goods, which the archbishop, the monks inquisitors, and others, detained from them. The King referred this business to his chancellor and council. The chancellor making mention thereof to the archbishop, he replied, that the restitution which they required did not concern himself, because the said goods were confiscated by the inquisitors, long before he became archbishop of Ambrun: but the president of Grenoble, and the chancellor Rabot, were then at Paris, who were able to answer to the article, they being the men that had condemned them.

The Waldenses, on the other hand were very urgent that the archbishop might particularly be enjoined to make restitution of the goods, because several parcels thereof were added to the archbishop's domain; and whensoever they required them, he sent to the pope, to the prejudice of the order and decree of the late king.

The grand council having taken cognizance of this business, commanded that no innovations should be made in that which related to the Waldenses of Fraissiniere, the king having written to the pope, that apostolical commissaries might be appointed, with the archbishop as ordinary, to conclude this business for that time.

In order to the prosecution of the said ordinance, there were nominated for apostolical commissioners, a confessor of the king's, and the official of Orleans, who arrived at Ambrun upon July 4, 1501.

The reader may judge of the archbishop from those memorials left by himself, and which we have here transcribed verbatim.

"The gentlemen, (saith he) the confessor, and the official of Orleans, being come to Ambrun, dispatched to me a packet by the post, to bring me the letters missive of the king; to which, upon my receipt of them, I paid my obedience, and sent to desire they would lodge with me, as Monsieur the confessor had promised to do at Lyons. I immediately sent some of my people to offer them a lodging, and presented them my wine. To whom they returned this answer, that I should no more send anything, that they might not be suspected by the inhabitants of Fraissiniere, and that for that reason they would not accept of my lodging. After dinner I went to their lodging, in company with the abbot of Boscaudon, with some of my canons and other officers. I again offered my lodgings to the said commissioners, showing them honour and reverence, as to apostolical and royal commissioners, out of respect to their office and persons. Then the said commissioners presented to me the said apostolical and royal commissions, requiring me, as being joined in the same commissions, and as Ordinary, to observe the same. The commissions being seen and read, I presently offered to lend them all the aid and assistance that possibly I could, and that on my part there should be nothing wanting towards the full and complete accomplishment of the said commission, offering unto them all the processes and indictments that I had, as they demanded them ; notwithstanding a great part of the said processes remained in the grand council, ever since the time that Adam Fumée, the chancellor, caused my predecessor and his secretary to be arrested at Lyons, until the said Adam Fumée had the original of the process delivered to him; not suffering the said secretary to detain any writing, as the said secretary, medio juramento, in their presence deposed. Afterwards, the confessor began to blame

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those commissioners who had been formerly employed therein, notwithstanding that I had before offered to deliver the said process, he did charge and admonish, "semel, bis, ter, sub pœna excommunicationis latæ sententia, trina et canonica monitione præcedente-once, twice, three times, under the penalty of excommunication, the third canonical notice having preceded;" that I should produce immediately all the indictments which I had concerning this matter: for that he was to spend but a few days in the affair, being to return to court against the feast in August, to the King, who expected him as his confessor. When I saw that he acted contrary to all form of law, and that he intended to proceed against the episcopal dignity and authority, rather by suspensions than excommunications; and that I was a judge as well as they, and which is more, the Ordinary, I required the copy of their commissions, according to the forms of law. Then the confessor replied, that he had not long since made use of the same censures and commands towards the masters of the parliament of Grenoble, and that consequently he might use it towards myself.

"He also replied unto me, you petty clerks know nothing but two C. C., codice et capitulo, and two F., digestis, and will take upon you to put down and suppress theology; and that he heard the king say with his own mouth, that the archbishop of Ambrun would withstand his commission, and openly accuse the Waldenses. To whom I answered, that he must pardon me, for I did not believe but that the king had a better opinion of me, because I had never employed my labour in this matter but to a good end, as I always intended and designed to do. Then the confessor proceeding in his discourse, spake these words: Vos ad me in modum Scribarum, et Pharisæorum Christum accusantium, ad Pilatum accessistis, cum tantis viris ecclesiasticis ad terrendum me: sed nihil teneo sub vobis, aut dominio vestro, et de nihilo vos timeo.' That is: You are come to me, as the Scribes and Pharisees when they accused Christ before Pilate, and with such a numerous company of ecclesiastical persons to terrify me, but you have no authority to command me, and I do not at all fear you.' To which I replied, that I brought no more with me than those who used to bear me company when I walked through the city. Suddenly he ordered the laity to quit the chamber, then revoked the sentences which he had thundered out against me, contrary to all law and equity; saying, that it was necessary to make use of those rigorous terms before the lay people, and especially there being some of the Waldenses present. This was the kind of deportment of the confessor; and thus were the matters above-mentioned, as more fully and largely appears by a public instrument."

Thus 'you have part of the notes of Archbishop Rostain, wherein we find several falsehoods. He wrote in great trouble, that the said commissioners did not hear above three or four witnesses; but we find in the bundle of memoirs belonging to Archbishop Rostain, a copy of informations, in which there were twenty-four witnesses heard and examined.

He said, that they put no other questions to them but whether they were good Catholics or no; to which, being well instructed, they answered yes, and the commissioners were satisfied with that answer. Yet, it appears, that they asked them several questions concerning the eucharist, purgatory, invocation of saints, and divers other points.

Again, he declares, that the witnesses were timorous and dare not speak ; and yet it is very apparent that the generality of the witnesses produced were priests and monks of the archbishop's faction, and brought by himself.

Again, that they suffered nothing to be written down; whereas it ap

pears, that there are no indictments where there is more written, than in those drawn up by the said commissioners.

But that which most grieved the archbishop was, that the said commissioners cleared and absolved them from contumacy, sine præjudicio causa principalis, et juris cuicunque acquisiti; without prejudice to the principal cause, and to the right acquired by any one; against which the archbishop protested, and would not give his consent to sign the said sentence, complaining that the official of Orleans had manifestly discovered, by his proceedings, that he favoured the said Waldenses, especially having openly acknowledged, at his lodgings at the inn at Ambrun, that he wished he were as good a Christian as the worst person of the Fraissiniere.

But the greatest hurt and detriment fell upon himself, for he saw that he must of necessity restore several vineyards belonging to the said Waldenses, situated at Clements, at Crispin, at Chanteloube, and several estates at Chateau Roux, which John his predecessor had annexed to the domain of his archbishopric.

The king's confessor having reported to the king and his council, what he knew concerning the Waldenses, and that they were cleared and absolved of their contumacy, commanded that the goods of the said Waldenses should be restored upon which King Louis XII. granted the following letters.

Louis by the grace of God, King of France, &c.

"Forasmuch as it is come to our knowledge, that the inhabitants of Fraissiniere have undergone great troubles and afflictions, punishments and molestations; we desiring to relieve them, and that restitution should be made of their goods, moveables and immoveables, do by these presents command and enjoin all those who do keep and detain the said goods, that immediately, and without delay, they desist and quit claim to the said goods, and make restitution of them to the said petitioners, or their procurators in their stead, every one in his place and order. And in case of opposition, refusal, or delay, we, out of regard to their poverty and misery, which they have a long time, and still do suffer and undergo, without being able to obtain justice; desiring with all our heart that it may be administered unto them; our will and pleasure is to take cognizance thereof in our own proper person, summoning all those who shall oppose or retard the execution of these presents, to appear before us at a certain convenient day.

"Given at Lyons, October 12, 1501."

Those mandatory letters being put in execution, it was the opinion of most men, since the best and the greatest part of the goods of the Waldenses were in the possession of the Archbishop; that it was highly reasonable that he should set the example uuto others, especially since that which some of them possessed, was given unto them as a salary or fee, for their pains and services, by Archbishop John his predecessor.

The Archbishop Rostain answered, that he held none of the goods of the Fraissinieres-only certain goods, for good and just reasons, had been annexed to his archbishopric, and incorporated into his church by his predecessor, the said goods being within the territories and jurisdiction thereof, in which no commandment of the king ever used to be executed. Therefore, said he, it is not to be believed, that it proceedeth from the will and pleasure of the king, being the protector and defender of the Church, and following the example of his great and noble predecessors.

But yet, nevertheless, the archbishop being willing to please the lord our king, will be content to restore unto the inhabitants of Fraissiniere the vineyards, upon condition that other lords of Dauphiny will deliver that which they possess of the said goods.

Thus the people were frustrated in their design; for there was not one who would restore anything of that of which he had got possession. Therefore they summoned before the king and council, the archbishop, Monsieur Pons, Counsellor of the Parliament at Grenoble; Peter de Rames, Lord of Poit; Faix de Rames, Master of Montainard and of Argentiere; Arrouars de Bonne; and several other attorneys, priests, and burgesses of Ambrun and Briancon. These sent to the court, and having more friends and credit there than the inhabitants of Fraissiniere, their excuse was received, wherein they declared, that it was not in their power to restore the said goods, before the pope had absolved them.

The archbishop protested that, for his part, he was ready to restore all that his predecessors had annexed to his church, provided that they had the aforesaid absolution. This occasioned such as were less affected and constant to try this way, and to send to Pope Alexander VI. They were advised not to go to Rome, but to fetch a writ of absolution from the Cardinal Legate in France, George, entitled Saint Christ; which would suffice, and might be obtained with less expense; for the obtaining whereof, they made use of the commissary the king's confessor. They sent, therefore, Stephen Roux, who brought two bulls, one by which he gave absolution for simony, theft, murder, usury, adultery, detention of benefices, destruction of ecclesiastical goods, violence against clerks by beating them, unlawful oaths, perjury, frauds, apostacy and heresy; and whosoever had committed any crime, were it never so heinous, the cardinal absolved them from all by his apostolical authority.

And lest the archbishop should pretend the said bull could not absolve the people of Fraissiniere, having been condemned by the said apostolical authority, by commissioners and inquisitors deputed by the pope; and that his mouth might be stopped, he brought another bull, in which there was especially this clause: "Having power from the pope to decide or determine any matter, that any other who hath been deputed by the holy see, or substituted, can do, even where there hath been an appeal, absolving all that have in any manner been condemned."

The man thought he had made a good progress in this business; but Archbishop Rostain made a jest of his bulls, saying, that they were ob tained at too dear a rate, and with importunity, and that he must have an absolution from the pope himself; and so resolved in short to restore nothing. All the rest followed his example; and although they had been absolved by the pope himself, yet no restitution would have been made; for he knew well enough that, in those days, all things were sold at Rome, as those Latin verses which were written against Pope Alexander VI. testify.

Vendit Alexander cruces, altaria, Christum,
Emerat i le, prius vendere jure potest.

Pope Alexander sold altars, Christ, and his cross,
Before he could sell, he had bought them of course!

Templa, sacerdotes, altaria, sacra, coronæ,
Ignis, thura, preces, cælum est venale, Deusque.

Temples and priests, altars and crowns, they sell for pelf,
Fire, frankincense, prayers, heaven, and God himself!

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