the bishop began the last conjurations, when many
extraordinary things took place; amongst others, the bishop desiring
to put the holy eucharist near the lips of this poor woman, the devil
in some way seized hold of his arm, and at the same moment raised this
woman up, as it were, out of the hands of sixteen men who were holding
her. But at last, after much resistance, he came out, and left her
perfectly cured, and thoroughly sensible of the goodness of God. The
_Te Deum_ was sung to the sound of all the bells in the town; nothing
was heard among the Catholics but acclamations of joy, and many of the
Calvinists were converted, whose descendants still dwell in the town.
Florimond de Raimond, counselor of the parliament of Bordeaux, had the
happiness to be of the number, and has written the history of it. For
nine days they made the procession, to return thanks to God; and they
founded a perpetual mass, which is celebrated every year on the 8th of
February, and they represented this story in _bas-relief_ round the
choir, where it may be seen at this day.

In short, God, as if to put the finishing stroke to so important a
work, permitted that the Prince of Conde, who had just left the
Catholic religion, should be misled on this subject by those of his
new communion. He sent for the poor woman, and also the Canon
d'Espinois, who had never forsaken her during all the time of the
exorcisms. He interrogated them separately, and at several different
times, and made every effort, not to discover if they had practiced
any artifice, but to find out if there was any in the whole affair. He
went so far as to offer the canon very high situations if he would
change his religion. But what can you obtain in favor of heresy from
sensible and upright people, to whom God has thus manifested the power
of his church? All the efforts of the prince were useless; the
firmness of the canon, and the simplicity of the poor woman, only
served to prove to him still more the certainty of the event which
displeased him, and he sent them both home.

Yet a return of ill-will caused him to have this woman again arrested,
and he kept her in one of his prisons until her father and mother
having entreated an inquiry into this injustice to King Charles IX.,
she was set at liberty by order of his majesty.[258]

An event of such importance, and so carefully attested, both on the
part of the bishop and the chapter, and on that of the magistrates,
and even by