The Book of Were-Wolves - Sabine Baring-Gould (red queen free ebook TXT) 📗

the trial. They were horrified at the tone of this

dreadful communication, and assured the duke that the case was so

clear, and the steps taken had been so decided, that it was impossible

for him to allow De Retz to escape trial by such an impious device as

he suggested. In the meantime, the bishop and the grand-seneschal had

set on foot an investigation at the castle of Machecoul, and had found

numerous traces of human remains. But a complete examination could not

be made, as the duke was anxious to screen his kinsman as much as

possible, and refused to authorize one.

 

The duke now summoned his principal officers and held a council with

them. They unanimously sided with the bishop and de l’Hospital, and

when John still hesitated, the Bishop of Nantes rose and said:

“Monseigneur, this case is one for the church as much as for your

court to take up. Consequently, if your President of Brittany does not

bring the case into secular court, by the Judge of heaven and earth! I

will cite the author of these execrable crimes to appear before our

ecclesiastical tribunal.”

 

The resolution of the bishop compelled the duke to yield, and it was

decided that the trial should take its course without let or

hindrance.

 

In the meantime, the unhappy wife of Gilles de Retz, who had been

separated from him for some while, and who loathed his crimes, though

she still felt for him as her husband, hurried to the duke with her

daughter to entreat pardon for the wretched man. But the duke refused

to hear her. Thereupon she went to Amboise to intercede with the king

for him who bad once been his close friend and adviser.

 

CHAPTER XII.

 

THE MARÉCHAL DE RETZ.—II. THE TRIAL.

 

On the 10th October, Nicolas Chateau, notary of the duke, went to the

Château of Bouffay, to read to the prisoner the summons to appear in

person on the morrow before Messire de l’Hospital, President of

Brittany, Seneschal of Rennes, and Chief Justice of the Duchy of

Brittany.

 

The Sire de Retz, who believed himself already a novice in the

Carmelite order, had dressed in white, and was engaged in singing

litanies. When the summons had been read, he ordered a page to give

the notary wine and cake, and then he returned to his prayers with

every appearance of compunction and piety.

 

On the morrow Jean Labbé and four soldiers conducted him to the hall

of justice. He asked for Pontou and Henriet to accompany him, but this

was not permitted.

 

He was adorned with all his military insignia, as though to impose on

his judges; he had around his neck massive chains of gold, and several

collars of knightly orders. His costume, with the exception of his

purpoint, was white, in token of his repentance. His purpoint was of

pearl-grey silk, studded with gold stars, and girded around his waist

by a scarlet belt, from which dangled a poignard in scarlet velvet

sheath. His collar, cufs, and the edging of his purpoint were of white

ermine, his little round cap or chapel was white, surrounded with a

belt of ermine—a fur which only the great feudal lords of Brittany

had a right to wear. All the rest of his dress, to the shoes which

were long and pointed, was white.

 

No one at a first glance would have thought the Sire do Retz to be by

nature so cruel and vicious as he was supposed to be. On the contrary,

his physiognomy was calm and phlegmatic, somewhat pale, and expressive

of melancholy. His hair and moustache were light brown, and his beard

was clipped to a point. This beard, which resembled no other beard,

was black, but under certain lights it assumed a blue hue, and it was

this peculiarity which obtained for the Sire do Retz the surname of

Blue-beard, a name which has attached to him in popular romance, at

the same time that his story has undergone strange metamorphoses.

 

But on closer examination of the countenance of Gilles de Retz,

contraction in the muscles of the face, nervous quivering of the

mouth, spasmodic twitchings of the brows, and above all, the sinister

expression of the eyes, showed that there was something strange and

frightful in the man. At intervals he ground his teeth like a wild

beast preparing to dash upon his prey, and then his lips became so

contracted, as they were drawn in and glued, as it were, to his teeth,

that their very colour was indiscernible.

 

At times also his eyes became fixed, and the pupils dilated to such an

extent, with a sombre fire quivering in them, that the iris seemed to

fill the whole orbit, which became circular, and sank back into the

head. At these moments his complexion became livid and cadaverous; his

brow, especially just over the nose, was covered with deep wrinkles,

and his beard appeared to bristle, and to assume its bluish hues. But,

after a few moments, his features became again serene, with a sweet

smile reposing upon them, and his expression relaxed into a vague and

tender melancholy.

 

“Messires,” said he, saluting his judges, “I pray you to expedite my

matter, and despatch as speedily as possible my unfortunate case; for

I am peculiarly anxious to consecrate myself to the service of God,

who has pardoned my great sins. I shall not fail, I assure you, to

endow several of the churches in Nantes, and I shall distribute the

greater portion of my goods among the poor, to secure the salvation of

my soul.”

 

“Monseigneur,” replied gravely Pierre de l’Hospital: “It is always

well to think of the salvation of one’s soul; but, if you please,

think now that we are concerned with the salvation of your body.”

 

“I have confessed to the father superior of the Carmelites,” replied

the marshal, with tranquillity; “and through his absolution I have

been able to communicate: I am, therefore, guiltless and purified.”

 

“Men’s justice is not in common with that of God, monseigneur, and I

cannot tell you what will be your sentence. Be ready to make your

defence, and listen to the charges brought against you, which M. le

lieutenant du Procureur de Nantes will read.”

 

The officer rose, and read the following paper of charges, which I

shall condense:—

 

“Having heard the bitter complaints of several of the inhabitants of

the diocese of Nantes, whose names follow hereinafter (here follow the

names of the parents of the lost children), we, Philippe do Livron,

lieutenant assesseur of Messire le Procureur de Nantes, have invited,

and do invite, the very noble and very wise Messire Pierre de

l’Hospital, President of Brittany, &c., to bring to trial the very

high and very powerful lord, Gilles de Laval, Sire de Retz, Machecoul,

Ingrande and other places, Councillor of his Majesty the King, and

Marshal of France:

 

“Forasmuch as the said Sire de Retz has seized and caused to be seized

several little children, not only ten or twenty, but thirty, forty,

fifty, sixty, one hundred, two hundred, and more, and has murdered and

slain them inhumanly, and then burned their bodies to convert them to

ashes:

 

“Forasmuch as persevering in evil, the said Sire, notwithstanding that

the powers that be are ordained of God, and that every one should be

an obedient subject to his prince, … has assaulted Jean Leferon,

subject of the Duke of Brittany, the said Jean Leferon being guardian

of the fortress of Malemort, in the name of Geoffrey Leferon, his

brother, to whom the said lord had made over the possession of the

said place:

 

“Forasmuch as the said Sire forced Jean Leferon to give up to him the

said place, and moreover retook the lordship of Malemort in despite of

the order of the duke and of justice:

 

“Forasmuch as the said Sire arrested Master Jean Rousseau, sergeant of

the duke, who was sent to him with injunctions from the said duke, and

beat his men with their own staves, although their persons were under

the protection of his grace:

 

“We conclude that the said Sire de Retz, homicide in fact and in

intent according to the first count, rebel and felon according to the

second, should be condemned to suffer corporal punishment, and to pay

a fine of his possessions in lands and goods held in fief to the said

nobleman, and that these should be confiscated and remitted to the

crown of Brittany.”

 

This requisition was evidently drawn up with the view of saving the

life of the Sire de Retz; for the crime of homicide was presented

without aggravating circumstances, in such a manner that it could be

denied or shelved, whilst the crimes of felony and rebellion against

the Duke of Brittany were brought into exaggerated prominence.

 

Gilles de Retz had undoubtedly been forewarned of the course which was

to be pursued, and he was prepared to deny totally the charges made in

the first count.

 

“Monseigneur,” said Pierre de l’Hospital, whom the form of the

requisition had visibly astonished: “What justification have you to

make? Take an oath on the Gospels to declare the truth.”

 

“No, messire!” answered the marshal. “The witnesses are bound to

declare what they know upon oath, but the accused is never put on his

oath.”

 

“Quite so,” replied the judge. “Because the accused may be put on the

rack and constrained to speak the truth, an’ please you.”

 

Gilles de Retz turned pale, bit his lips, and cast a glance of

malignant hate at Pierre de l’Hospital; then, composing his

countenance, he spoke with an appearance of calm:—

 

“Messires, I shall not deny that I behaved wrongfully in the case of

Jean Rousseau; but, in excuse, let me say that the said Rousseau was

full of wine, and he behaved with such indecorum towards me in the

presence of my servants, that it was quite intolerable. Nor will I

deny my revenge on the brothers Leferon: Jean had declared that the

said Grace of Brittany had confiscated my fortress of Malemort, which

I had sold to him, and for which I have not yet received payment; and

Geoffrey Leferon had announced far and wide that I was about to be

expelled Brittany as a traitor and a rebel. To punish them I

re-entered my fortress of Malemort.—As for the other charges, I shall

say nothing about them, they are simply false and calumnious.”

 

“Indeed exclaimed Pierre de l’Hospital, whose blood boiled with

indignation against the wretch who stood before him with such

effrontery. “All these witnesses who complain of having lost their

children, lied under oath!”

 

“Undoubtedly, if they accuse me of having anything to do with their

loss. What am I to know about them, am I their keeper?”

 

“The answer of Cain!” exclaimed Pierre de l’Hospital, rising from his

seat in the vehemence of his emotion. “However, as you solemnly deny

these charges, we must question Henriet and Pontou.”

 

“Henriet, Pontou!” cried the marshal, trembling; “they accuse me of

nothing, surely!”

 

“Not as yet, they have not been questioned, but they are about to be

brought into court, and I do not expect that they will lie in the face

of justice.”

 

“I demand that my servants be not brought forward as witnesses against

their master,” said the marshal, his eyes dilating, his brow

wrinkling, and his beard bristling blue upon his chin: “a master is

above the gossiping tales and charges of his servants.”

 

“Do you think then, messire, that your servants will accuse you?”

 

“I demand that I, a marshal of France, a baron of the duchy, should be

sheltered from the slanders of small folk, whom I disown as my