History of the Devils of Loudun, The
Edmund Goldsmid (translated from the original French and edited)
Number of quotes: 15
Book ID: 233 Page: 5
Section: 2D3B
Volume IIThe Canon, like a wise man, put himself in communication with Justice, and informed the magistrates of what was passing at the convent, on the 11th of October, 1632.
Quote ID: 5830
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 16
Section: 2D3B
Volume III…”Pray God for me,” and that those to whom he spoke were Huguenots, among whom was an Apostate. The monk who was with him exhorted him to say, “Cor mundum crea in me, Deus.” Grandier turned his back on him and said with contempt, “Cor mundum crea in me, Deus.”
Having reached the place of execution, the fathers redoubled their charitable solicitude, and pressed him most earnestly to be converted to God at that moment, offered him the crucifix, and placed it over his mouth and on his chest, he never deigned to look at it, and once or twice even turned away; he shook his head when holy water was offered him. He seemed eager to end his days, and in haste to have the fire lighted, either because he expected not to feel it, or because he feared he might be weak enough to name his accomplices; or perhaps, as is believed, in fear lest pain should extract from him a renunciation of his master Lucifer.
Quote ID: 5835
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 16/17
Section: 2D3B
Volume IIITherefore did Grandier protest, placing his hand on his heart that he would say no more than he had already said. At last, seeing them set fire to the faggots, he feared they did not intend to keep their promise to him, but wished to burn him alive, and uttered loud complaints. The executioner then advanced, as is always done, to strangle him; but the flames suddenly sprang up with such violence that the rope caught fire, and he fell alive among the burning faggots.
Quote ID: 5836
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 17
Section: 2D3B
Volume IIIHis friends, however, called his hardness of heart constancy, and had his ashes collected as if they were relics, they who did not believe in such things, for the Huguenots looked upon him as one of themselves, especially when they noticed that he never called on the Virgin nor looked on the crucifix.
Quote ID: 5837
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 18/22
Section: 2D3B
Volume IIIGod permitted that a great number of those who had been connected with the affair should be more or less vexed by demons. The Civil Lieutenant, Louis Chauvet, was seized with such fear that his mind gave way, and he never recovered. The Sieur Mannouri, the Surgeon who had sounded the marks which the devil had impressed on the magician priest, suffering from extraordinary troubles, was of course said by the friends of Grandier to be the victim of remorse. Here are the particulars of the death of this Surgeon.
One night as he was returning about ten o’clock from visiting a sick man, walking with a friend, and accompanied by a man carrying lantern he cried all of a sudden, like a man awaking from a dream, “Ah! there is a Grandier! what do you want?” At the same time he was seized with trembling. The two men took him back to his home, while he continued to talk to Grandier whom he thought he had before his eyes. He was put to bed filled with the same illusion, and shaking in every limb.
. . . .
Father Lactance, the worthy monk who had assisted the possessed in their sufferings, was himself attacked some time after the death of the priest.
. . . .
This holy monk afterwards experienced the greatest vexations from the demons, who at times deprived him of sight, and at times of memory; they produced in him violent fits of nausea, dulled his intelligence, and worried him in numerous ways. At length, after being tried by so many evils, God called him to Him.
Five years later, died of the same disease Father Tranquille.
. . . .
The demons, irritated at his constancy, determined to possess his body. But God never allowed him to be entirely possessed. Nevertheless, his cruel enemies succeeded in attacking his senses to a certain extent. They cast him to the ground, they cursed and swore out of his mouth, they caused him to put out his tongue and hiss like a serpent, they filled his mind with darkness, seemed to crush out his heart, and overwhelmed him with a thousand other torments.
Quote ID: 5838
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 23
Section: 2D3B
Volume III…for they entered the body of another excellent monk who was present, and whom they possessed henceforward. They vexed him at first by violent contortions and horrible howlings, and at the moment of Tranquille’s death they cried horribly, “He is dead;” as if they would say, “It is all over, no more hope of this soul!” At the same time, casting themselves on the other monk, they worked him so horribly that, in spite of the many that held him, he kept kicking in the most violent manner towards the deceased. He had to be carried away.
Farther Surin, a Jesuit, had succeeded Father Lactance; he too had his trials.
The demons used to threaten him out of the mouth of the Mother Superior, who was under his care.
Translated by Lewis Thorpe
Quote ID: 5839
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 25
Section: 2D3B
Volume IIAs regard the nuns, it was observed that they never contraindicated themselves, whether questioned together or separately, though they were examined often, by different persons, and as skillfully as possible. Now, criminals do not manage this, for the cleverest have the greatest difficulty in avoiding contradictory statements. Those writers, who have supported Grandier, have never discovered the least discrepancy in the evidence of the nuns.
Quote ID: 5831
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 27
Section: 2D3B
Volume IIAs regards the presence of Devils in the possessed, the Church teaches us in its ritual, that there are four principal signs, by which it can be undoubtedly recognised. These signs are the speaking or understanding of a language unknown to the person possessed; the revelation of the future, or of events happening far away; the exhibition of strength beyond the years and the nature of the actor; and floating in the air for a few moments.
The Church does not require, in order to have recourse to Exorcisms, that all these marks should be found in the same subject; one alone, if well authenticated, is sufficient to demand public exorcism.
Quote ID: 5832
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 27/28
Section: 2D3B
Volume IIM. de Launay de Razilli, who had lived in America, attested that, during a visit to Loudun, he had spoken to them in the language of a certain savage tribe of that country, and that they had answered quite correctly, and had revealed to him events that had taken placed there.
Quote ID: 5833
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 31
Section: 2D3B
Volume IIThis young girl then fell into strange convulsions, blaspheming, rolling on the ground, exposing her person in the most indecent manner, without a blush, and with foul and lascivious expressions and actions, till she caused all who looked on to hide their eyes with shame.
Quote ID: 5834
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 37/38
Section: 2A4
Volume IInnocent III, in the fourth Lateran Council, A.D. 1215 (Canon 21), made confession (meaning auricular or private) obligatory upon every adult person once a year; and that continues to be one of the rules of the Roman Catholic church to the present day.
Quote ID: 5825
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 40/41
Section: 2D3B
Volume IAs usually happens, the extraordinary phenomena displayed in the persons of the nuns were taken for the effects of sexual disease. But soon suspicions arose that they proceeded from supernatural causes; and at last they perceived what God intended everyone to see.
Thus the nuns, after having employed the physicians of the body, apothecaries and medical men, were obliged to have recourse to the physicians of the soul, and to call in both lay and clerical doctors, their confessor no longer being equal to the immensity of the labour. For they were seventeen in number; and everyone was found to be either fully possessed, or partially under the influence of the Evil One.
Pastor John notes: John’s note: 17 nuns “affected”
Quote ID: 5826
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 41
Section: 2D3B
Volume IBut their trials were soon increased when the public was at last made acquainted with their state. The fact that they were possessed of devils drove everyone from their convent as from a diabolical residence, or as if their misfortune involved their abandonment by God and man. Even those who acted thus were their best friends.
Quote ID: 5827
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 42
Section: 2D3B
Volume ITheir courage never failed, and when the seizure was past, they used to return to their work or attend the services of the Church with the same modesty and calmness as in the happy days of yore.
Quote ID: 5828
Time Periods: 7
Book ID: 233 Page: 42/43
Section: 2D3B
Volume IExorcisms, then, were employed. The demon, forced to manifest himself, yielded his name. He began by giving these girls the most horrible convulsions; he went so far as to raise from the earth the body of the Superior who was being exorcised, and to reply to secret thoughts, which were manifested neither in words nor by any exterior signs.
Quote ID: 5829
Time Periods: 7
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