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308 IGNATIUS BRADY townspeople and the officers of the Viscount. In the melee, Jacque de Giroigne, lieutenant of Guy, laid violent hands within the church on Vaurouillon (whose presence rather indicates he had come to promulgate some decree), and, aided by one Andre Grossoys and other underlings, as well as by Friar William Merleti (vicar of Jacques Hunys, considered the guardian of the Observants), grasped the poor provincial by the capuche and dragged him out of the church and into the public square. But because they feared a reaction among the townspeople, who « adored » William and despised the Observants, they did not take him off to jail but left him half-dead in some poor house. Meanwhile, certain Conventuals were hustled off to prison, together with the secular clerk or servant of Vaurouillon. It was a short victory for the Observants, however, for de Giroigne soon expelled them also and stationed a troop of soldiers in the convent. The Count made provision for the Observants by establishing another convent for them 91 • The court of Parliament then sent Master Ami Combert, canon of Orleans and royal counsellor, who found Vaurouillon living at the villa of Chateauroux and other Conventuals encamped in the chapel of St. George in the friary cemetery. Since the Conventuals had been awarded possession of the convent by the earlier decree of Paris, Combert chased out the soldiery and reinstated the friars. The Observants appealed again against Combert; but whether to Pope or Parliament, is not clear 92 • The case dragged on, or the Observants dragged it out, for almost four years. Meanwhile Count Guy betook himself to the Papal Curia, where he seems to have given another side of the story to Pius II and succeeded in obtaining 91 This account of Pius II (p.487b-488a) is corroborated by a letter of Petrus Chambonis, quondam vicar of the Observants (Coletani, really!) of the province of St. Bonaventure, Burgundy, on the seven evils that have arisen because of division within the Order. The second evil: « Secundum malum est divine bonitatis provocatio ... Et inde secute sunt multe violentie et scandala et lesiones conscientiarum: cum dicti de Observantia conventus ordinis cum violentia in diversis mundi partibus arripuerunt. Unde penes nos (ceteris silentio tectis) in castro Radulpho tanta crudelitas extitit facta tarn famoso patri magistro Guillermo Vour– rilionis quad ut alter Marchus evangclista per ecclesiam conventus a predictis tractus fuit usque ad sanguinis sui effusionem, detque altissimi Dei pietas ne deteriora fiant, cum pro– vincia Turonie per curiam parlamenti ilium repetat ut intendit. Quid in conventu Turonis extitit factum, quia cunctis notum est, iudico esse tacendum. Sed quia impie, iniuste et inique bee facta fuerunt, idea per curiam parlamenti expulsis invasoribus cunctisque populis conventus extitit reparatus. Non placuerunt talia multis ex vobis, et quia tacere non potue– runt, incarcerati fuerunt a maioribus suis ». The letter, contained in an unpaginated addi– tion [of Boniface de Ceva], Articuli in supremo parlamenteo senatu Parisiensi... conscripti et exhibiti, to the Firmamentum trium ordinwn, Parisiis 1511-1512, with our text p.[14r], is apparently dated between 1473 and 1490, and was presented in a Parliamentary investigation under Louis XII, 1510. On the letter and its value, cf. M. BIHL, in Studi Franc., s.III, 17(1945) 143, 170-171. 92 Perhaps at this point should enter the document Fr. Raoul cites (without quoting it) of 4 April 1457, from Arch.Nation. XJA 1483, f.324v. - Yet this is only five lines (4-8), and beyond deciphering maister guillaume vaurillon I was unable to read it!