Maisonneuve immediately began to look after Étienne de la Forge, in order to hand him the reformer’s letters; but on going to his house in the Place de l’Herberie, he learnt, to his great disappointment, that the Parisian merchant had not yet arrived.

Baudichon And Janin Arrested.

The enemies of the Reformation lost no time. Informations were sworn against Maisonneuve on the 27th of April, the day after his arrival, and the following morning, the 28th, the officers of justice arrested him and his friend Janin ‘by authority of the seneschal’s court of Lyons,’ and shut him up in the king’s prison. But this was not what the priests wanted. ‘These two men,’ they said, ‘being charged with offences against our holy faith, the interest of the king our lord, and the common weal, we demand that they be sent to the prison of the archiepiscopal see, and that they be tried before the ecclesiastical judges.’[[519]] The two prisoners were accordingly transferred to the archbishop’s prison. The great huguenot saw that he had fallen into a trap, and prepared to meet his enemies.

There was great agitation in the episcopal palace. That church of Lyons which had been the church of the primate of all the Gauls—of which thirty bishops had been canonized—which had supplied so many cardinals, legates, statesmen, and ambassadors—whose chapter, consisting of seventy canons, had included the sons of emperors, kings, and dukes among their number, and of which the kings of France were honorary canons—that church was about to have the glory of trying and putting to death the layman who was Farel’s right arm, as Jerome of Prague had been that of John Huss. All its dignitaries—the deans, chamberlains, wardens, provosts, knights, theologians, and school-men—all were talking of this fortunate circumstance. The clergy of the metropolitan church of St. John the Baptist, in particular, took an active part in the business, and the walls of that vast Gothic building echoed to the oft-repeated name of the captain of the Lutherans. On the 29th of April the members of the inquisitional court assembled in the hall of justice of the episcopal prison, and, wearing their robes of office, took their seats on the judicial benches. They were Stephen Faye, official of the primacy, and Benedict Buatier, ordinary official of Lyons,—both of them vicars-general of the primate of France. The third judge was John Gauteret, inquisitor of ‘heretical pravity.’ Ami Ponchon, notary public, was to act as secretary;[[520]] and Claude Bellièvre, king’s advocate, was to aid them by his presence. The court being thus formed, they summoned before them Baudichon de la Maisonneuve, who declared his name, age (forty-six years), and condition, and the trial began.[[521]]

CHAPTER IX.
BAUDICHON DE LA MAISSONNEUVE BEFORE THE INQUISITIONAL COURT OF LYONS.
(From 29th of April to 21st of May, 1534.)

The Examination.

The tribunal of priests wished to mark distinctly at the very outset that the Romish doctrine was in question: it was necessary to proclaim anew that in instanti, at the very moment, at the priest’s word, there was no longer in the host either bread or wine, but only the body and blood of the Saviour. ‘What do you think of the sacrament of the altar?’ was the first question put by the court to Maisonneuve. He rejected the Roman error; but his protestantism, as we have seen, came from Germany, and the Lutherans taught that ‘in the sacrament of the altar, in the bread and wine, were the true body, the true blood of Christ;’[[522]] and as, according to the Lutheran doctrine, the presence was spiritual, supernatural, and heavenly,[[523]] Maisonneuve, who professed this faith and had taken the sacrament at Frankfort in the Lutheran church, answered: ‘I believe that the real body of Christ is in the blessed host,’[[524]] but knowing the axiom of jurisprudence, that no accused person is bound to criminate himself, he would not declare his faith more precisely.

If this doctrine interested the court, the connection of the accused with the chiefs of what they called heresy had also a great importance in their eyes, and a doctor well known in France had given them great umbrage. ‘Do you know Pharellus?’ they asked Maisonneuve, who calmly replied: ‘He is from Dauphiny; he was brought to Geneva by my lords of Berne; and when I hear him, I believe as much of his sermons as seems right, and no more.’ These two answers might have led some to hope that they would exercise clemency towards the accused; but such was not the intention of the canons of St. John. The court declared that the witnesses would be examined on the following day. They were all to be for the prosecution; they might invent, add, or exaggerate, and the prisoner would not have it in his power to produce any witnesses for the defence.

The first who gave evidence was a young working-man, twenty-two years of age, by name Philip Martin, and by trade a weaver. ‘I lived three years in the city of Geneva,’ he said, ‘and during that time the Lutheran sect multiplied exceedingly. I witnessed many armed assemblies and riots, papists against evangelists, by day as well as by night. Among the most prominent of the Lutheran party was Baudichon, and after him Jean Philippe, Jean Golaz, Ami Perrin, who commonly were present at the armed meetings, directing everything and providing for the expenses. About a year ago a canon named Wernli was run through the body; Baudichon was there, armed and wearing a cuirass.’[[525]] De la Maisonneuve calmly interrupted him: ‘The witness does not speak the truth. When the canon was wounded, I was in this very city of Lyons. I therefore charge him with perjury, and desire that he be taken into custody.’ Martin had borne false witness; this all who knew Maisonneuve at Geneva and Lyons could declare. It was a bad beginning.

On the first of May a fanatical youth, named Pierre, brother of the two Pennets, who had been condemned for assassinating a citizen and conspiring against the liberties of the city, gave his evidence. ‘Baudichon entirely supports this Lutheran sect,’ he said; ‘he is their captain. One day last year he assembled all the Lutherans and armed them to plunder the churches, which ended in the death of four persons sons and the wounding of many others.’[[526]] This also was false: Vandel, a huguenot, had been wounded in a riot got up by the priests; but there had been no deaths. ‘The witness hates me,’ said Maisonneuve, ‘because one of his brothers was executed by judicial authority.’—‘Baudichon,’ continued Pennet, in greater excitement, ‘instead of fearing the syndics, constrains them to humble themselves before him.’—‘I submit to lose my head,’ exclaimed Maisonneuve, ‘in case the syndics declare that I have ever done them any displeasure.’[[527]] The court rose.