Monsieur de Laubardemont Letters, 1634-1636.

ArchivalResource

Laubardemont, Monsieur de (Jean Martin). Monsieur de Laubardemont Letters, 1634-1636.

Monsieur de Laubardemont Letters, 1634-1636.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/232605488

Three letters addressed to Cardinal Richelieu concerning events in Loudun, particularly the trial and condemnation of Urbain Grandier, curé of the city. Grandier was accused both of having perverted nuns from the Ursuline convent to witchcraft and of having practiced magic. Despite a number of accusations made by the Ursuline nuns, Grandier was acquitted by an ecclesiastical tribunal. However, having heard that Grandier had composed a pamphlet attacking Cardinal Richelieu and King Louis XIII, Richelieu ordered a new trial to be conducted by his envoy Laubardemont. The accused was ultimately convicted for having signed a pact with several demons and with Satan; he was executed by burning on August 20, 1634. The case was widely discussed by contemporaries as well as by modern historians. The first letter, dated 20 August 1634, reports the execution of Grandier and proposes to convert some of the city's Huguenots back to Catholicism. The other two letters, from November 1634 and 28 August 1636, report on investigations of heresy, demonic possession, and other aspects of the religious atmosphere in Loudun. Each letter is written on the outer half of the folded sheet; the last letter contains remains of a wax stamp. There are different watermarks on each of the letters: grapes with initials B.B below, a sword with inscription Pinavi, and a crown with initials A.F. below.

3 items (3 leaves) : paper ; 455 x 335 mm. (unfolded)

University of Pennsylvania Library