The Brethren Read Online Free PDF Page B

immediate return of his arms and his horses. So powerful was the spirit of partisanship in the last years of the reign of François I, and so general was the parliament’s suspicion of any who even appeared to favour the heresy, that this brazen and specious letter from Fontenac shook the resolve of the Bordeaux president and his advisors despite Fontenac’s execrable reputation throughout Guyenne. They immediately convoked not only our two captains, but also La Boétie, the two consuls of Sarlat, and François de Caumont, as delegate of the nobility, to establish the facts of the case. In addition, the parliament refused to hear the case unless the two captains agreed to submit to an interrogation of their beliefs. They consented to this stipulation on condition that their testimony be privately taken by the counsellor assigned to this interrogation.
    This counsellor was a thoughtful, grey-haired gentleman of impeccable manners who apologized profusely to the two brothers before beginning his interrogation.
    “Good Counsellor,” said Siorac, “how can an accusation coming from such a thorough scoundrel be given any credence whatsoever?”
    “Well, he is a good Catholic, however great his sins! He goes to Mass and to confession and takes Communion—he even attends retreats in a convent.”
    “What a pity that good works do not follow upon good words.”
    “I am happy,” rejoined the counsellor, “to hear you speak of works. In your mind, is it by good works that a Christian can hope for salvation?”
    Sauveterre’s look darkened considerably, but Siorac responded without hesitation: “Certainly, that is how I understand the matter.”
    “You reassure me, Monsieur,” smiled the counsellor. “But after all, I am not a great clerk and ask only the simplest questions which you can easily answer. Do you yourself regularly attend Mass?”
    “Indeed so, Counsellor.”
    “Let us not stand on ceremony, I beg you. Do you mind answering simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”
    “As you wish.”
    “I shall continue, then. Do you honour the Holy Virgin and the saints?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do your prayers invoke the intercession of the Virgin and the saints?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you respect the medallions, paintings, stained-glass windows and statues that represent them?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you accept spoken confession?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you believe in the real presence of God in the Eucharist?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you believe in Purgatory?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you believe that the Pope is the holy pontiff of the Roman, Apostolic, Catholic Church and that every Christian owes him obedience?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do you worship the saints and the martyrs?”
    “Yes.”
    “Next August in Sarlat, will you follow the procession in honour of the Virgin devoutly, bareheaded, candle in hand?”
    “Yes.”
    The counsellor wanted to turn next to Sauveterre in order to pursue his inquisition, but Sauveterre rose and limped forward, speaking quite firmly and staring him down with his dark eyes: “Counsellor, my brother has responded excellently to all of your questions. Take his replies for my own. And pray conclude that our religion is in every respect the same as that of the king of France, whom we both served faithfully in the legion in Normandy.”
    This aggressive parry caught the counsellor quite off guard and he sensed that nothing was to be gained by pursuing the matter further. And yet he was not satisfied. For he was accustomed to the type of men who were drawn to the reformed religion like a nail to a magnet, and from this perspective the very virtues of the captains, their seriousness, knowledge and tranquil courage did not speak in their favour.
    “These are honest men to be sure,” the counsellor reported to the president of the parliament at the conclusion of his inquest. “They are free of any frivolity, weakness or faults of any kind. And yet they give lip service to the religion of the king. I detect a