ad been raked up by a set of wicked persons to harass and
disgrace some of the principal inhabitants of Arras, whom they
hated with the bitterest rancour, and from avarice were eager to
possess themselves of their fortunes. They at first maliciously
arrested some persons deserving of punishment for their crimes,
whom they had so severely tormented, holding out promises of
pardon, that they forced them to accuse whomsoever they were
pleased to name. This matter was considered [it must have been an
exceedingly ill-devised plot to provoke suspicion and even
indignation in such a matter] by all men of sense and virtue as
most abominable: and it was thought that those who had thus
destroyed and disgraced so many persons of worth would put their
souls in imminent danger at the last day.'[71]

[71] Enguerrand de Monstrelet's _Chronicles_, lib. iii. cap.
93, Johnes' Translation. _Vaudoisie_, which puzzles the
annalist, seems to disclose the pretence, if not the motive,
of the proceedings. Yet it is not easy to conceive so large
a number of all classes involved in the proscribed heresy of
the Vaudois in a single city in the north of France.

Meanwhile the inquisitor, Jacques Dubois, doctor in theology,
dean of Notre Dame at Arras, ordered the arrest of Levite the
artist, and made him confess he had attended the 'Vauldine;' that
he had seen there many people, men and women, burghers,
ecclesiastics, whose names were specified. The bishops' vicars,
overwhelmed by the number and quality of the involved, began to
dread the consequence, and wished to stop the proceedings. But
this did not satisfy the projects of two of the most active
promoters, Jacques Dubois and the Bishop of Bayrut, who urged the
Comte d'Estampes to use his authority with the vicars to proceed
energetically against the prisoners. Soon afterwards the matter
was brought to a crisis; the fate of the tortured convicts was
decided, and amidst thousands of spectators from all parts, they
were brought out, each with a mitre on his head, on which was
painted the devil in the form in which he appeared at the general
assemblies, and burned.

They admitted (under the severest torture, promises, and threats)
the truth of their meetings at the sabbaths. They used a sort of
ointment well known in witch-pharmacy for rubbing a small wooden
rod and the palms of their hands, and by a very common mode of
conveyance were borne away suddenly to the appointed rendezvous