was included in the important prosecutions at Meaux in 1525, and retired thence to Strasburg, but was recalled first to Blois and afterward to Nérac; where, sheltered by Marguerite, the King's sister and Queen of Navarre, he spent his last years; dying almost a centenarian, in 1536 or 1537. He never quitted the established Church. There is a touching story that this aged scholar, shortly before his death, burst into tears at the Queen's table, for grief that, having taught persons who had sealed their faith with their blood, he had himself used a place of refuge. (Cf. Biographical Dictionary, London, 1784; "Faber [Jacobus.]") This incident, long held in doubt, has latterly been supported by further research. (Cf. Baird, Vol. I, pp. 95, 96, and note.)

NOTE 11

MICHAEL ARANDENSIS:-Michel d'Arande; was a pupil of Lefèvre. Like Briçonnet, he inclined to a sort of mysticism. He had formerly been a hermit, and at one time gave Scripture readings to the Queen Mother. He subsequently preached at Alençon and Bourges. Marguerite of Navarre

took him into her service as Aumônier.

NOTE 12

MARTIALIS-Martial Mazurier; a famous preacher, and principal of the College of St. Michael at Paris; was appointed curé of S. Martin at the Grand Marché of Meaux apparently about 1523. In this or the following year, the Bishop, after revoking the powers of certain of his own preachers, who he thought went too far, seems to have repudiated Luther's doctrine, and insisted on certain principles of the Catholic Church. [See Toussaints du Plessis, Tome I, 328; also Bretonneau: p. 198; and, differing as to date and circumstance, Baird's Rise of the Huguenots: Vol. I. 81.] Martial ventured to throw down the image of St. Francis outside the Convent Gate, and was imprisoned at Paris on suspicion of heresy, but cleared himself. His argument with the dejected Pavannes indicates that the orator entertained a somewhat mystical attitude of mind. (see note 20.) He was included in the heresy-prosecutions by the Franciscans in 1525. [See notes 8 and 18.]

NOTE 13:

GERARDUS RUFUS:-Girard Ruffi; Gérard Roussel; and the BISHOP'S READERS:-Gérard Roussel, a Doctor in Theology, one of Briçonnet's first party of preachers, was appointed, by the

Bishop, to S. Saintin; and afterwards to be Canon and Treasurer of the Cathedral. He is counted by Dom Toussaints du Plessis, along with Guillaume Farel, Jaques Lefèvre, and François Vatable, as among that body of very accomplished Greek and Hebrew Scholars, whom the Bishop, in accordance with the desire of the King to favour learning, attracted to his diocese. The Benedictine historian, while rejoicing that all of these four, except Farel, held to the Catholic religion, and while indicating that heresy had also some further source, yet observes that the Bishop was the innocent cause of opinions growing up in his diocese which he afterwards combated with all his might. As a matter of fact Gérard Roussel was in 1524, under the Bishop's authority, giving frequent expositions, rather than orations, from the epistles of St. Paul, in the vulgar tongue, as we learn by a famous letter from Lefèvre to Farel, published in Herminjard's "Correspondance des Réformateurs."

The subject of Briçonnet's missioners and readers cannot be left here. The same letter adds that the Bishop had also ordered the other principal places in his diocese to be furnished with "purer readers." Lefèvre mentions by name Jean Gadon, Nicolas Mangin (whom we find Curé de Saint Saintin in the proceedings of 1525, who is said also by Herminjard to have been related to the Mangins of 1546), Nicolas de Neufchasteau, and Jean Mesnil.

Toussaints du Plessis includes in the Bishop's second series of preachers in 1523, Michel Roussel, Arnaud Roussel, and Pierre Caroli; who, according to him, seemed, together with Martial Mazurier and many others, at first to combat the evil of the new opinions, but several of whom, including Caroli, fell themselves under suspicion. The same historian tells us that Briçonnet early divided his diocese into thirty-two preaching stations, which he specifies in a note. Gérard Roussel was comprehended in the legal proceedings of 1525, joined Lefèvre in his retreat from Meaux, and was afterwards appointed by the Queen of Navarre to the Bishopric of Oleron.

There is a remarkable passage in Maimbourg's "Histoire du Calvinisme," [Paris, 1682, pp. 19, 20.]; where Roussel's doctrines, especially of the sacrament, as preached at Bearn, are noticed. He died in 1549. (See also notes 18 and 29).

NOTE 14:

BRIÇONNET'S DISTRIBUTION OF THE GOSPELS:-We may easily agree with Herminjard that the King himself probably

protected, at least till 1524, the free preaching of the gospels, from the intolerance of the Sorbonne, and the jurisdiction of the Parlement. Even in 1525 while the King was in captivity, we find a letter in the nature of a prohibition, or arrest of proceedings, addressed by him from Madrid to the Parlement on behalf of Lefèvre, dated 12th November. (See note 18).

Whether or not the Bishop, counting on this support, went at first further than he would without it, at any rate he introduced into the diocese of Meaux public readings of the Gospels in the vulgar tongue, enjoining the vicars themselves, in the absence of the preachers, to read to their parishioners the Epistle and Gospel of the day. Lefèvre, in his letter to Farel of 1524 above mentioned [Cf: Note 13, above,] states that this reading was being done in that year. Besides this the Bishop is said by Herminjard to have distributed gratis among the poorer people Lefèvre's translation of the Gospels; and indeed a main charge preferred by the Cordeliers against the Bishop was, according to Toussaints du Plessis, that he had distributed to the poor many copies of the New Testament and of the Psalms of David translated into the vulgar tongue by the King's order. [Cf: Herminjard, Corresp. d: Réf: text and notes. Also Toussaints d. Pl. Tome I, p. 331.]

NOTE 15:

THE SPREAD OF THIS TEACHING THROUGH FRANCE:Herminjard says that so soon as 1524, Grenoble, Lyons, Alençon, Bourges, Paris, and Meaux had already heard the Gospel preached. He also prints a letter (Farel to Scheffer, 2 April, 1524) wherein the writer places Meaux first in his list of French towns concerned in the gospel movement.

D'Aubigné furnishes from some old records at Landouzy-laville, in the department of Aisne, a picturesque account of the labourers from Thierache visiting the harvests at Meaux, conversing with the inhabitants, and then returning home with ideas which led to the foundation of one of the oldest evangelical churches in the kingdom. [See History of the Reformation, White's translation, Vol. III, 379 and footnotes. Compare also above, Note 3.]

NOTE 16:

"alijs verò contrà in offensionem" :-Perhaps the most firm and powerful opposition offered was that of the Sorbonne, a Theological College in Paris: a Society of such authority in the Clerical world, that its opinion in hard matters of

Divinity had weight beyond the frontiers of France; nay, the Roman Curia itself consulted the Sorbonne, giving it the title of "Concilium in Gallia subsistens." Though properly a Society of theological scholars and pupils, it followed the crude example set by many priesthoods, and invaded the region of politics. The Sorbonne in the sixteenth century seriously imperilled its credit as a learned body, by the active part which it took in the persecutions of the unorthodox. Though it inclined to suppress the art of printing in 1533, we must not however forget that it had materially assisted the introduction of that art into France in 1469. [Compare also Introduction above.]

NOTE 17:

"ad summam Curia" :-That is, the Court of Parlement : an ancient Sovereign Court coinposed of clerical as well as lay judges. It had a great tradition of ecclesiastical, baronial, and knightly membership, which seems to have been extended to inferior ranks not much before 1484. The Parlement, hitherto somewhat jealous of independent Episcopal process, agreed in 1525 to the appointment of a mixed commission, consisting of two of their own members to act with two doctors of the Sorbonne in heresy cases. Very full powers were conferred, including secret inquiry against Lutherans, bodily arrest, seizure of goods, and other matters. Pope Clement VII, in May 1525, issued a bull, and addressed a brief to the Parlement, approving this measure, instilling fresh zeal, and adding full powers even against Archbishops, as well as permission to occupy lands, castles, etc. The Queen Regent, by letters patent ordered the execution of this bull. [Cf. notes 24, 105a, and the Introduction above.]

NOTE 18

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST BRICONNET:-The extended litigation between Briçonnet and the Franciscans came to a climax on the 3rd of October, 1525, almost exactly twenty-one years before the death of the Fourteen of Meaux. The Bishop was, on the information of the Franciscan Society, and of the King's Attorney, included in a decree of the Court of Parlement; which ordered, by name, the Apprehension of seven or eight inhabitants of the town; Summons to Nicole Dupré an advocate; Transfer of certain prisoners charged with heresy, from the Bishop's prison to the Conciergerie at Paris; Summons to the Bishop to attend

for examination, by two Counsellors of the King, concerning the contents of the informations laid before the Court: Submission of these informations to the Judges delegate of the Holy Apostolic See on the matter of heresies for the determination of the proceedings in the cases of Pierre Caroli, Martial Mazurier, doctors in theology, Gérard, treasurer of Meaux Cathedral, Nicole Mangin, Curé of St. Saintin, Brother Jean Prevost, a Cordelier, and Jaques Fabri also named in those informations; Power to the aforesaid Judges delegate to apprehend Caroli, Gérard, and Prevost, and to summon Fabri and Mangin; and Request to the Queen Regent to be pleased to send a certain Michel before the Judges delegate, since his evidence was alleged to be material. (Compare notes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, also Toussaints du Plessis, Tome II, pp. 280, 281.)

By way of appeal against this order, the Bishop of Meaux in person petitioned the Court on Oct. 20th, so far as his case was concerned, to hear it in open court and not by commission. This was refused, and his interrogation by Jacques Menager and André Verjus, Counsellors of that court, ordered. [An interesting, and perhaps significant, incident is related by Bretonneau; who says at p. 198 that the Bishop condemned the doctrines of Luther in 1524, at his visitation. Among Briçonnet's hearers at the church of S. Christophe in the town, April 1, were the Premier President of the Parlement de Paris, and André Veruist, Counsellor of that Court.] On 12th November, 1525, there was despatched to the "Parlement de Paris" a letter from the King at Madrid in favour of Fabri, Caroli, and Gérard; reciting that he understood that among the theologians of the University there was considerable malevolence especially against Fabri; and enjoining the Court to suspend these proceedings till the King's return. (See notes 10 and 14).

On the last day of November 1525, the Parlement, after reciting that they had received the report on heresies from the Judges delegate of the Pope, and from the commissioners of the Court appointed to interrogate those suspected of Lutheran heresy, orders payment by the Bishop of two hundred livres, costs in these proceedings; which sum was paid by the Bishop on the 4th of December.

On the 15th of December the Parlement records its receipt. of letters from the King and from the Queen Regent, in arrest of proceedings against the three above named defendants; but nevertheless allows the Judges delegate and the Commissioners to proceed in the case of these and other suspects.