of Chaage, and other monks of the said Meaux, each in his place and in very good order (103); after walked the chaplains and vicars of the said Meaux, and the Canons, with many clergymen both of the said Meaux and of other places who were in great number; and after was the precious body of Our Lord; then walked the said prisoners in order two and two; after them walked the officers of justice and governors of the said Meaux; after walked the citizens, holding in their hands each a torch; after walked many considerable gentlewomen and young ladies and citizens' ladies of the said City and Grand Marché of the said Meaux, bearing also each one a taper in their hands; and were in this order up to the place where the said execution was done. There was made a sermon, on the holy sacrament of the altar, by Maître François Picard, and at that place was put a very rich altar (104) where lay the precious body of our Saviour Jesus Christ. During the sermon the said heretics were on a platform placed near the spot where the preacher was, having each a torch in their hands, being in shirts, and the women barefooted, holding each a taper in their hands. The sermon being finished, the precious body of our Saviour was escorted again to the church of Saint Estienne where these criminals were again caused to kneel for some time. . . . .

Translation of a passage from the "Histoire de l'Église de "Meaux...... par Dom Toussaints du Plessis, Benedictin "de la congregation de S. Maur.”

Paris MDCCXXXI.

[NOTE. This author earlier deals with the movement at Meaux under Briçonnet. And any student of that period of history, and especially of the local dispute, will do well to consult those pages. After further relating troubles which he attributes to the Concordat, as well as the contest between Bishop Jean de Buz and the convent of Faremoutier, and the anxious position of Meaux when the Emperor approached it in 1544, Toussaints du Plessis gives a short account of the affair of the Fourteen. The few marginal references, not necessary to translate here, are to Lenfant, and to Toussaints du Plessis' own work, vide suprà, p. 2, and footnote.]

Toussaints du Plessis. Hist. de l'Egl: de Meaux, Tome I. p: 348:

XXXV. ARRÊT DES QUATORZE À MEAUX.

In the midst of these troubles the Church had to combat foes of another sort, over whom she could triumph only by encountering losses irreparable. In the diocese of Meaux the heretics were making specially dangerous progress. They held public assemblies for the practice of their religion. (105) They there set forth their doctrines on the gospel; even the laymen seeking to usurp the holy ministry. In 1546 a company of sixty were surprised at the house of one called Étienne Mangin, a carder of wool, at the Grand Marché of Meaux.(26) The Lieutenant General and the King's Attorney visited the place. They apprehended the people, the prosecution of whose case was taken before the Parlement. Since they were not all equally guilty, the judges awarded them divers kinds of punishment more or less severe. Étienne Mangin and thirteen others were condemned to be burnt alive at the Grand Marché after undergoing the question extraordinaire. He, and one called Pierre LeClerc, son or kinsman to one Jean LeClerc (21) (27), of whom we have already spoken, being as culpable and as obstinate as Mangin, these two were dragged on hurdles (51) to the place of execution and the others brought in carts. A young child, called Louis Piguery (52), whose tender age rendered him the less criminal, was condemned to be merely hung up by his armpits, then beaten at the hands of the executioner, and shut up for the

rest of his days in the abbey of S. Faron, at the charges of the Bishop of Meaux. He was converted in the sequel: the monks entrusted to him some occupation in the monastery; and, at his death, having given signs of sincere repentance, he was buried at the foot of the great porch (portail). Some of the others were condemned to the rod, and to banishment, after attending the execution of the fourteen prime (offenders), the rope on the neck. Others were only condemned to be present at that execution, head bare, and torch in hand; others to make amende honorable to God and to the law before the gate of the Cathedral Church, with heads bare, in shirts, and holding in the hand a burning taper; while some were merely to be present at a solemn procession, which should take place in reparation for that outrage. Lastly it was ordered that the house of Mangin should be demolished, and that, to perpetuate the memory of his sentence there should be built on the spot a chapel for a perpetual Thursday celebration of the high and solemn Mass of the holy sacrament. The decree was on the 7th of October executed in all its details except this last article, for which sufficient funds could not at that time be found. (55) The decree is of the 4th of October, 1546; and it is called at Meaux "L'Arrêt des Quatorze," from the fourteen chief offenders, who alone were condemned to death, but that of a sort to instil terror, and to serve for an example to all their accomplices.

VOL. V.-NO. I.

D

Translation of the Judgment:

OR

"Arrêt de Meaux." (105)

[NOTE.-The following is a translation of the judgment of the Parlement de Paris in the case of the Meaux congregation of 1546. The Histoire des Martyrs, 1582, and various other books, give more or less complete copies of that judgment. Compare Toussaints du Plessis, II, 292; and Carro, 510. In view of the slight differences among them, it seems best to use the official register itself. By the kind offices of M. Weiss, (Secretary to the "Société de l'histoire du protestantisme français,' at Paris,) I have been furnished with a careful copy of the original Arrêt de Meaux, from the Registres Criminels du Parlement de Paris, in the Archives Nationales, at Paris; which I have translated literally below. Punctuation is here added for convenience of the reader.]

Monday fourth day of October the year fifteen hundred and forty-six in the Chambre du dommaine with doors closed for consultation. The said day (106). Whereas the Chamber prescribed by the King at vacation time has taken cognizance of (107) the criminal process made by the Bailly of Meaulx, or his Lieutenants General and Particular, against Pierre LeClerc, Estienne Mengin, Jaques Bouchebec, Jehan Brisebarre, Henry Hutinot, Thomas Honoré, Jehan Beaudouyn, Jehan Flesche, Jehan Picquery, Pierre Picquery, Jehan Matheflon, Philippe Petit, Michel Caillon, Francoys LeClerc, Loys Picquery, Jehan Vincent, Adrian Grongnet, Loys Coquement, Pasquier Fouace, Pierre Coquement, Jehan Delaborde, Claude Petitpain, Michel Dumont, Jehan Roussel, Pierre Javelle, Nicolas Fleury, Jehan Fournier, Georges Desprez, Nicolas de Moucy, Leonard LeRoy, Pasquette widow of the late Guillaume Picquery, Jehan Lemoyne, Jehan Atignan, Jehanne Cheron wife of Loys Coquement, Guillemecte wife of Jehan Saillard, Marguerite wife of Estienne Mengin, Martine wife of Pierre LeClerc, Pierre Darabye, Jaques LeVeau, Yvon Coignart, Jehan de Laurencerye the elder, Jehan de Laurenye the younger, Guillaume de Laurencerye, Denis Guillot, Pierre Chevallet, Phelippes Turpin, Jullienne wife of Pasquier Fouace, Jehanne Guilleminot, Bastienne wife of Thomas Honoré, Marguerite wife of Jehan Delestre, Marguerite Rossignol, Catherine daughter of Jehan Ricourt, Jehanne Gameuse, Guillemecte wife of Leonard LeRoy, Jehanne widow of the late Macé Rougebec, Jehanne wife of Nicolas Codet, Pauline widow of the late Adam Leconte, Marguerite widow of the late Jehan Vollent, Perrecte Mengin and Marion Mengin: (107a) all prisoners in

the conciergerie of the palace, by reason of the offences and erimes (107) of heresy and execrable blasphemies, private conventicles, and illicit assemblies, schisms and errors bearing appearance of idolatry (1076): by them committed respectively in the house of Estienne Mengin, in which the said prisoners had assembled themselves and committed the said offences against the honour of our Saviour and Redeemer Jhesus Christ, of the holy sacrament of the altar, commandments of our mother holy Church, and her catholic doctrine. The conclusions taken upon this by the King's Attorney General: and all considered. It shall be pronounced that the said Chamber, for reparation of the said scandalous and pernicious offences and crimes more fully contained in the said process, (107) has condemned and does condemn the said prisoners: that is to say the said Pierre LeClerc, Estienne Mengin, Jaques Bouchebec, Jehan Brisebarre, Henry Hutinot, Thomas Honoré, Jehan Baudouyn, Jehan Flesche, Jehan Picquery, Pierre Picquery, Jehan Matheflon, Philippe Petit, Michel Caillon, and Francoys LeClerc, to be burned and consumed by fire alive at the Grant Marché of Meaulx, at the place most convenient and near to that Mengin's house wherein the said offences and crimes have been committed. Whereto the said Pierre Leclerc and Mengin shall be dragged on a hurdle, and the others above named brought in carts from the place of the prisons of the said Meaulx, and the books found in their possession also consumed by fire. And has declared and does declare the property of those prisoners appropriated and confiscated to the King. The said Chamber nevertheless orders that before the execution of the said fourteen prisoners they shall be put to the torture and question extraordinary to declare and report their abettors(108) allies and accomplices, and other persons suspected of their sect and error. And the said Loys Picquery to be hung up by the armpits at a gibbet which shall be set and planted near and adjoining the place where is done the execution of the said fourteen prisoners condemned to the fire : on which gibbet he shall remain hung up during the said execution; and after shall be flogged at the said Marché by the executioner of the high Court of Justice; and that done, placed and shut up at the monastery of Saint Faron of the said Meaulx for ever at the costs of the Bishop of Meaulx. And the said Loys Coquement, Jehan Vincent, Adrian Grongnet, and Pasquier Fouace, to attend at the said execution by fire of the said condemned, the rope round the neck, and after to be beaten and flogged with rods, the said rope round the neck :