should be in this grave cause, subject to writing.
At the very outset Monseigneur Hierome Cornille, a
man approaching eighty years, of great sense, justice,
and sound understanding, suspected some spitefulness
in this cause, although he was not partial to immodest
girls, and had never been involved with a woman in
his life, and was holy and venerable, with a sanctity
which had caused him to be selected as a judge, all
this not withstanding. As soon as the depositions
were completed, and the poor wench heard, it remained
clear that although this merry doxy had broken her
religious vows, she was innocent of all devilry, and
that her great wealth was coveted by her enemies, and
other persons, whom I must not name to thee for reasons
of prudence. At this time every one believed
her to be so well furnished with silver and gold that
she could have bought the whole county of Touraine,
if so it had pleased her. A thousand falsehoods
and calumnious words concerning the girl, envied by
all the honest women, were circulated and believed
in as gospel. At this period Master Hierome Cornille,
having ascertained that no demon other than that of
love was in the girl, made her consent to remain in
a convent for the remainder of her days. And
having ascertained certain noble knights brave in
war and rich in domains, that they would do everything
to save her, he invited her secretly to demand of
her accusers the judgment of God, at the same time
giving her goods to the chapter, in order to silence
mischievous tongues. By this means would be saved
from the stake the most delicate flower that ever heaven
has allowed to fall upon our earth; the which flower
yielded only from excessive tenderness and amiability
to the malady of love, cast by her eyes into the hearts
of all her pursuers. But the real devil, under
the form of a monk, mixed himself up in this affair;
in this wise: great enemy of the virtue, wisdom,
and sanctity of Monsignor Hierome Cornille, named
Jehan de la Haye, having learned that in the jail,
the poor girl was treated like a queen, wickedly accused
the grand penitentiary of connivance with her and
of being her servitor, because, said this wicked priest,
she makes him young, amorous, and happy, from which
the poor old man died of grief in one day, knowing
by this that Jehan de la Haye had worn his ruin and
coveted his dignities. In fact, our lord the
archbishop visited the jail, and found the Moorish
woman in a pleasant place, reposing comfortably, and
without irons, because, having placed a diamond in
a place when none could have believed she could have
held it, she had purchased the clemency of her jailer.
At the time certain persons said that this jailer
was smitten with her, and that from love, or perhaps
in great fear of the young barons, lovers of this
woman, he had planned her escape. The good man
Cornille being at the point of death, through the
treachery of Jehan de la Haye, the Chapter thinking
it necessary to make null and void the proceedings