His Majesty has triumphed again
I did pale beside the radiance of His Majesty
I didn't know she was interested in religion
I wonder who His Majesty will favour today?
What devine benevolence
-I haven't seen her at court before -What some people will do
Really Provincial bitch
Encore Encore Encore
A most original conception, Your Majesty,
the birth of Venus
I pray that I may assist you in the birth of a new France,
where Church and State are one
Amen
- The Devils -
And may the Protestant be driven from the land
Come on, you Protestant bastards
Come on, keep moving
Put your back into it
Move
Get on Come on, there Move
I won't tell you again
Pull, you Protestant pigs Pull
Push it
The religious wars
are over
Catholic no longerfights
with Protestant
We have survived
And we owe our survival
to the wisdom and to the huity
of one ,
Georges de Sainte Marthe,
Governor of Loudun
For it was he who prevailed upon all faiths alike
to keep the peace
And thus saved our city from self-destruction
Other towns were less fortunate
And now our friend has been killed by the plague
People of Loudun,
as often as you see our city walls
standing, still proud and erect,
no matter what your faith,
then surely you must feel a need
to build a temple in your hearts
in remembrance of he who preserved them for you
-Amen - Amen
-Oh, hurry up, it's my turn now -It's not I haven't seen anything yet
If they don't hurry, he'll be gone
Is he as handsome as they say?
Oh, I can't see
Yes I can see the procession It's coming up the steps
But I can't see whether he's handsome yet
Yes I can see him
He's the most beautiful in the world
Sister Agnes Sister Agnes
NUNS: Sister Agnes Sister Agnes Sister Agnes
Why have you left your devotions?
They were watching Father Grandier
We wanted to see the funeral procession
of Monsieur Sainte Marthe, Reverend Mother
Satan is ever-ready to seduce us with sensual delights
Your prayers for Sainte Marthe will be the more zealous
for not seeing his funeral
That is the strength of the enclosed order
Yes, I know, Reverend Mother, but it was a solemn Requiem
and the Cardinal would have given us a dispensation to attend
The powers of your uncle the Cardinal are not in dispute, Sister Agnes
You are not satisfied with the contemplative life
You should have joined the Poor Clares, nursed the victims of the plague,
scrubbed out their vermin-ridden hovels
-But Mother, I love our order -Then you shall combine the two,
scrub out the convent from top to bottom on your knees
and pray for the soul of the dead at the same time
Every Tuesday afternoon, an hour in bed
with the lace-maker's widow, then off to take confession
I mean, the hypocrisy of it
It's no worse than his penitents, the pretty ones, anyway
They do it right there, in the sacristy, almost in front of
the blessed sacrament
Grandier could have me anywhere, even on the Holy Altar itself
Shh That's sacrilege Look, there he is
Now, there's a well worth going to Hell for, eh?
Don't look at me Don't look at me Don't look at me
I'm beautiful I'm beautiful
Take away my hump
Christ, let me find a way to you
Take me in your sacred arms
Let the blood flow between us, uniting us
Grandier
Translate as you go, line by line
"Pleasure in lust is nasty and short and sickness"
Weariness
"And weariness follows on desire"
Go on
Oh I don't like it I hate it
Your father sends you here for instruction in Latin
And we must not deceive him
"But in everlasting leisure like this,
"lie still and kiss time away
"No weariness and no shame
"Now, then, and shall be all pleasure
"No end to it
"But an eternal beginning"
Why are you crying?
I'm pregnant
And so it ends
You must learn to bear your cross with Christian fortitude, my child
I'm frightened
Yes, of course
How can I own the child?
I am very frightened
And there was such bravery in love, wasn't there, Phillipe?
All through those summer nights,
how unafraid we were each time we huddled down together
Remember?
We laughed as we roused the animal
-And now, it's devoured us -Help me
And we were to have been each other's salvation
-Did I really believe it possible? -I love you
Yes, I did believe it
I remember leaving you one day, you'd been unusually adroit
I was full of that indecent confidence which comes after perfect coupling
As I went, I thought
Honestly, I thought, the body can transcend its purpose
It could become a thing of such purity
that it could be worshipped to the limits of imagination
Everything is allowed All is right
And such perfection lends for an understanding of this
hideous state of existence
But what is it now? Hmm?
An egg
A thing of loneliness, weariness,
sickness
Where is love?
Where indeed?
Go to your father
Tell him the truth
Let him find some good
They exist
Help me
How can I help you?
Hold my hand
Like touching the dead, isn't it?
Goodbye, Phillipe
Don't be too long
-Up your end -He's leaking
Don't you dare
Bring out your dead
They're all dead They're all dying
Father Father, please come quickly
The chemist and the surgeon, it's no good, Mother is dying
A delicate dusting of pollen, nature's most fragrant balm,
eucalyptus pollen
From the Greek kaluptos, covered flower protected by a cap
A trap for the heroic hornet
Hymenopterous healer
A poison to exorcise poison
-Kill or cure
Yesterday, powdered mistletoe Black cherry water
It's a recognised cure Nobody ever complains
Leeches Dried vipers
Sarsaparilla and poppy heads, and nowwhat?
Hornets?
Mother, please
And what fresh lunacy is this?
-A crocodile? -Schoolgirls walking two by two
Simian reptile, corpuscular circulation, invaluable aid
Not the crocodile
Turn yourface towards God, my daughter Be glad Be glad
You stand on the threshold of everlasting life I envy you
Bring out your dead
-Bring out your dead -Bring out your dead
Let us pray for her together
We commend to thee, O Lord, the soul of thy servant, Madame
De Brou
And although to this world she is dead, to thee may she still live
And the sins she has committed in this life through
through hu frailty
do thou in thy merciful goodness
forgive
-Amen -Amen
Where are you?
Hiding among the corpses, are you?
Come out, you coward The dead shall not save you now
-Where is he? -Who?
The priest That desecrator of virtue, Grandier
No wo in the entire town is safe from the lust of that Not one
-Neither mother nor daughter -Living or dead
Necrophilia interruptus
Virga distracta Whores
He stinks of sanctimonious whores
Enough, sir You slander my daughter
-He's inside the house, Mr Magistrate -He's upstairs, inside the house
There he is
Despoiler of my child, my innocent lamb
Even the most innocent lamb is destined for the lustful ram, Monsieur Trincant
Her lily-white purity is stained
LAUGHS Except in sermons, or in Heaven
Even lilies decay into rottenness, sir
Catch
I'll see you in Hell
Walking on a living pavement of aborted bastards, no doubt
You foul, God-forsaken creature
He ought to be reported to the Pope
He ought to be prosecuted as well, Mr Magistrate
My cousin tells me his daughter is pregnant
Well, you have your whores Why do you have to meddle with her?
-lt seemed a way -A way to what?
I begin to understand at last that all worldly things
have a single purpose for a of my kind
Power, politics, riches, women, pride, ambition
I choose them with the same care that your cousin,
Monsieur Trincant, might select a weapon
My intention is different
You see,
I need to turn them against myself
And bring about your own end?
I have a great need to be united with God
You're a blasphemy to your cloth
I attend Mass daily I love God
And nowthat both my parents are dead, I am free to serve Him
I know I have a vocation, Reverend Mother
You have the face of a virgin martyr in a picture book
Very pious
Respectful black weeds Very becoming That's such a pretty rosary
-lt was my mother's -What's this?
Oh, yes, The lmitation of Christ
Solid silver
And downcast eyes
Hiding what? Virtue or lechery?
So you have one sin, at least The sin of pride
Do you knowwhy most of us are here?
Because you love Our Lord, Jesus Christ and wish to serve Him
Most of the nuns here are noble women who have embraced the monastic life
because there was not enough money at home to provide them with dowries
Or they were unmarriageable because ugly, a burden to the family
Communities which ought to be furnaces where souls are forever on fire
with the love of God are merely dead with the grey ashes of convenience
Here is a book written by the founder of our order, Angela Merici
When you've studied it, come back and I shall question you
Thank you, Mother
God bless you
GRANDlER: I'm not surprised that Angela Merici's book
of sanctimonious claptrap confused you
Most religions believe that by crying "Lord Lord"
often enough they can contrive to enter the kingdom of Heaven
A flock of trained parrots could just as readily cry the same thing
with just as little chance of success
You can do more good outside the cloister than you can within
Among the Ursulines or the Carmelites,
you'll be hiding your light under a bushel
Your place is here, in Loudun
And your vocation
to give a shining example of wisdom to all those foolish virgins
whose thoughts dwell on perishable vanities
And now I must take confession
Yes, Father, thank you
Father, I have sinned
And I have come to ask your forgiveness
When did you last confess, my child?
You should know
This is a church Not a marketplace
-You will speak with respect -But you did love me, I mean I know
I mean, all those hours we spent together in each other's arms
That's enough
You will not wallow complacently in your own filth
What about yours? What about your sins?
To confess is to seek forgiveness,
not to blame others Be quiet there
Oh, what shall I do?
Your humiliation is nothing
If God wants you to suffer, then you should want to suffer
And accept that suffering gladly
Go now
Do not sin again
And for your penance,
fast for the rest of the day, on your knees, in front of God,
praying for His forgiveness
I absolve thee from thy sins
Amen
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned
-When did you last confess, child? -A week ago, Father
What have you to tell me?
I have suffered from pride
We must always be on guard
I worked all of yesterday and all of the night
nursing the victims of the plague and I was pleased with myself
God allows us satisfaction in the work that we do
I have also been guilty of anger
Tell me
Well, Sister Jeanne of the Angels provoked me and I wished her elsewhere
You are absolved
Is there anything else?
Quickly, others are waiting
I've had unclean thoughts
Of what nature?
About a...
-What is his name? -l...
I think of him in the early hours of the morning
My bedroom is suffocatingly hot
My thoughts are sinful, yet they are so tender
My body, Father My body, I wish to be touched
Do you try to get these thoughts out of your mind?
-Or do you like them? -I have prayed
Do you wish to be saved from this?
-Answer -No
I wish to takepossess
Destroy me, I love youhim
I love him
In the convent, I would have been safe
I love you
Go to my house
Wait for me there
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned
But you were here only yesterday
Yes, Father, but since then I have been guilty of
guilty of What was it now?
If you have forgotten,
perhaps God has also
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me, a sinner
Now and always, Amen
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee
Blessed are you among all women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for me, a sinner
I want to tell you
Yes?
You knowthe love-making?
Yes
I want to tell you, Madeleine,
that amongst the clothes dropped on the floor
and the groping
and the sweating
and the soiled sheets,
amongst all that
there is some love
Hu love?
You understand it that way?
I think so
Do I love you?
I think so
Then what else can I give you?
I am a simple person I see the world as I have been taught
I am a sinner, but I do not think that God has deserted me
I would not be afraid to come before Him with you, even in our sin
You shame me
Go
I've hurt you
I've hurt you Forgive me
Go
GRANDlER: Oh, God, help me
I love this wo
Let us find a way to you together
The fifth sorrowul mystery of the rosary,
Christ crucified
As we say these Aves, Sisters,
Iet us think of the pain that Christ suffered
when they nailed him to the cross,
Ieft Him to hang there until he was dead
Think of His most beautiful body,
torn by the nails,
the blood oozing over his hands,
which twitched with every hammer blow
And He suffered all this for love
For love
Forgive us our sins Forgive us our sins
Marriage? Marriage is a law of nature
And therefore, a law of God
I don't question whether marriage is a natural and holy thing,
but whether it is a right and proper thing that a priest might marry
If you care to read every law in the New Testament,
you won't find anywhere that it's forbidden to marry
In fact, marriage is exalted so high it becomes a sacrament, doesn't it?
Virginity is also praised as a noble virtue
St Paul says that he who marries does a good thing,
but he who remains chaste does something better
Then I am content merely to do a good thing
and leave the best to those that can face it
Christ never forbade the apostles to marry
Most of them were married, with families
They gave them all up, nevertheless, to follow Him
Out of convenience, not obligation
I mean, can you imagine all those wives and children
traipsing across those endless deserts and up the mountainsides?
Oh, no, they remained well and truly married until the end
So there is no law of God compelling Grandier to be celibate?
I...
take the words of Our Creator as my gospel,
"lt is not good for to be alone"
You've almost put my conscience at rest
Who is responsible?
Who is in charge here?
Speak, you have tongues Who is responsible for this?
I ask again, who is responsible here?
Baron de Laubardemont,
First President of the Court of Appeal,
Member of the Council for the State
and now His Majesty's Special Commissioner
for the demolition of the fortifications of Loudun, at your service, Father
For what purpose has His Majesty authorised
the destruction of our town, Baron de Laubardemont?
I thought you would have been the first to guess the purpose, Father,
and the first to condone it Loudun is a nest of dangerous Huguenots
They outnumber we good Catholics two to one
Every single Protestant in Loudun remained loyal to the King and to France
throughout the religious wars
Today's loyalty is no guarantee against tomorrow's rebellion
I speak as I find Where is His Majesty's proclamation?
Don't concern yourself with politics, Father, your penitents are waiting
Grandier Grandier
I ask you once again,
where is His Majesty's proclamation authorising this demolition?
For a common priest you act uncommonly like a governor, Father
-Where is your authority? -Here
By the authority of our late Governor, Sainte Marthe
Assuring me full powers until such time as a new election is held
Here
His Majesty's proclamation has been delayed
The matter of a few days, a mere formality
Should one more stone be torn from our city walls, you
will be dead before it touches the ground
Stop
Work will cease from this moment, pending the arrival of the proclamation
-Well done, Father -God bless you, Father
-Only you could have done that, Father -Thank you
Good, Father Good
We'll always think of you, Father, for what you've done
-Well done, Grandier -Well done
-God bless you -Well done, Father
It is a simple matter to understand, Your Majesty
The self-government of the small, provincial towns of France must cease
The first step is to pull down all kinds of fortifications
Yes
So now it's the turn of our town
-ls everything to be torn down? -That is what they want
It is a trick, of course
Every time there's a so-called nationalist revival, it means one thing,
somebody is trying to seize control of the entire country
The significance of our walls is that we are self-governing
Yes
Richelieu hates this
He deceives the King
If France is to fulfil her own destiny, she must be free within herself
Yes
Ignorant and crafty provincials like us
cannot see beyond the city walls
And so they are ordered to be torn down
Will it broaden our view?
Such men, sire, have little vision
Their loyalties are to their cities, not to France
Yes
When a is intent on power, as Richelieu is,
he can justify his actions with absurdities
Fortifications provide opportunities for Protestant uprising
Yes
With our walls gone, we shall be defenceless,
at the mercy of any enemy, as weak
and as helpless as a country village
And with the security of our independence gone,
our freedoms would go, too
We must write to the King, declare our loyalty
and trust in his wisdom and justice
No
All the others if you like, Richelieu
If you can age it But not Loudun
We once promised dear old Sainte Marthe, the late lamented Governor,
that we would never touch one teeny-weeny stone
of his precious city
You would surely not expect us to go back on our word?
No, Your Majesty
Yes
-Out you go, pretty little birdie -Fly away
Another Protestant bird for your bag, Richelieu
Honourably done, Your Majesty
Bye-bye, blackbird
"Father Moussault was a very good
"lt was God's will, but his death leaves us with a problem
"We need a new Father Confessor
"l have never met you, Father Grandier,
"but God has often put you into my thoughts lately"
Bless this ring, O Lord, which we bless in thy name
May she who is to wear it be ever faithful to her husband
May she enjoy the peace of mind docile to thy will,
Ioving and being loved in thee,
as long as life shall last
"And so Father Grandier, I trust you will become our spiritual director
"and provide us with the guidance we need
"Yours in Christ"
With this ring, I thee wed
This gold and silver, I thee give
With my body, I thee worship
And with all my worldly gifts, I thee endow
In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost
Amen
Grandier
We should step out into the sunlight
Bells should tell the world about us
It shouldn't be night and as quiet as this
Dear God, my husband,
kiss me
Son of a lawyer
Nephew of the learned Canon Grandier of Sainte
Educated for 10 years at the Jesuit College of Bordeaux
as undergraduate, theological student, and after his ordination in 1615
as Jesuit novice
At 27, after two years of advanced theology and philosophy,
presented by the Jesuits
with the important living at St Peter's in Loudun
-Made Canon of -Cha
With a progressive Jesuit upbringing,
it's not surprising your priest is bold and wilful
If he were allowed to become governor of Loudun,
he would defend Catholic and Protestant alike
And have comd of the most heavily fortified town
in all Poitou, Your Eminence
As long as Loudun stands, we will never gain control of the Southwest
Its fortifications must be demolished
With the masonry, we could use to build your newtown of Richelieu
Except the rebel priest will not allow one stone to be touched
-And neither will the King -That is a whim
But in the fullness of time, he will see that it is God's will
And what of the militant Father Grandier, Your Eminence?
He is far from whimsical
If only for the sake of his immortal soul,
the priest must be humbled and his pride crushed
But with that Jesuit background, it will not be easy
You knowwhat they say, "Give us the first seven years
"of a 's life and you can have the rest
-"You'll never break him" -l, too, have a maxim, Eminence
Give me three lines of a 's handwriting and I will hang him
Doors
I want to marry Grandier
You're already married to Jesus
Silence
And do you, Madeleine de Brou,
take me, Urbain Grandier, for your unlawully wedded husband?
I do, most un-reverend Father
Then I now pronounce us and wife
And they shall be one flesh
Sister Agnes, please stop this shameful mockery
But it's true The butcher told me and he heard it from the surgeon
It happened last week
I feel that I no longer have a true vocation, Reverend Mother
And my confessor has advised me
that I can be of more use out here in the city
Whore, strumpet, hypocrite
Tell me you have no vocation Of course you have a vocation
Fornicator Fornicator, sacrilegious bitch, seducer of priests
That's your calling
Your place is in a brothel You filthy whore
Get back to the gutter where you belong
If only he'd seen me first
My face under its coif,
Iike an angel's face peeping through a cloud
And my eyes
Excuse me, Reverend Mother,
but our new spiritual director is here, in the chapel
He wishes to see you
Grandier
Oh, Grandier Grandier, it's not too late, you'll see
Where is Father Grandier?
My name is Father Mignon
My letter was to Father Grandier
Father Grandier regrets he cannot accept
the invitation to become director of your house
I am to be your new confessor Father Grandier hasn't the time
He has very pressing duties in the town
"Pressing duties in the town"
I must address myself to God in this matter
Habit Habit It will never do It must be demured
He speaks to me of love
Lewd, wanton
He plies me with caresses, lustful, obscene
He enters my bed at night and takes from me
that which is consecrated to my divine bridegroom, Jesus Christ
And what form does this incubus take?
Cock
Grandier
What?
Grandier
Are you aware, my dear, of the seriousness of what you are saying?
Yes Help me, Father
But of course I can prove nothing
This Mother Superior may be little more than a hysterical nun
Exactly
Mere conjecture Now, my daughter's pregnancy
Is that not evidence enough?
Evidence of fornication, certainly
Yes, but whether lay or clerical, it might be rather difficult to prove
As you should well know, Mr Magistrate
He has a point there His Excellency has a point
I told you
Take her out
Surely our evidence is damning enough on its own
A blasphemous nuptial Mass
Observed from the back of the church in total darkness
And fornication I've heard it, through the keyhole
I have it documented 10:00, 4:00 and half past eight yesterday
Your patriotism does you proud, gentlemen, but it is not enough
Father Mignon's evidence holds the most promise
It must be substantiated, of course
But if it is a genuine case of possession by devils
and if Grandier himself was proved to be involved,
yes, I think it bears investigation, gentlemen
I shall be only too happy to supply you with any medical advice, Baron
And I will comment on any chemical or biological ifestations
May I attend as a disinterested party?
Father?
Certainly If this is a genuine case, then the more the merrier
She's already complaining of spasmodic swelling of the belly
Fascinating
Not unusual Sense of false pregnancy
-Known it before -Nothing to do with the devil
Wind
Conjecture is useless We need a professional witch-hunter
We must send for Father Barre
Good morning, Sister My name is Father Barre
Are you well?
I'm very well, thank you, Father
Excellent
Are you there?
Come now, declare yourself in the name of Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Dear Sister in Christ, I must question you
Will you kneel down?
Do you remember the first time your thoughts were turned to evil things?
Yes, Father
I had a vision I saw a walking across the waters of a lake
I dried his person with my hair
I had a great knowledge of love, which persisted throughout my prayers
I could not rid my mind of this for several days
Who was this ?
There was a mist I couldn't see him
This is nothing This public exorcism was a mistake
Let's stop it now before we become the laughing-stock of the entire town
We are unconvinced, my dear Sister
And if our conviction remains untouched,
I do not have to remind you that you face eternal damnation
Poor Reverend Mother, what are they going to do now?
Speak Speak
It was night He came into my room, smiling
Name him
-I cannot It was dark -Was he alone?
No, six of his creatures were with him
Then? Then?
He took me gently in his arms, he carried me into the chapel
Each of his creatures took one of my beloved Sisters with them
Come here
What?
She says she and her Sisters were compelled
to form themselves into an obscene altar
-Shh -And were worshipped
Again
And then my love and l, in a naked embrace
ascended into Heaven and bathed in a sea of stars
I have found peace
The wo's mad
-Morning -Morning
Where shall I put it? Down your end
A bit chilly this morning Still, we mustn't complain
That was no devil
She spoke with her own voice The voice of a frustrated wo
That's enough
Do not be so easily deceived
Her very innocence is a sham, a mask of deceit devised
by the cunning of Satan
Be assured, the fiend is silently lurking
in some hidden recess of her body
This medical examination will reveal him and then we shall do battle
This is a fiasco We shall need more evidence
Find out when Grandier is away His room must be searched
And your daughter may have to give testimony after all
Yes, Excellency Yes
Well?
-Well, as a professional -He speaks for me
-I don't like to commit myself -Even so
Well, let's put it this way, there's been hanky-panky
Don't mince words There's been fornication?
-Lust She's been had, hmm? -I'll say
Thank you, gentlemen That's all I need Prepare for the exorcism
My beloved Sister Yes?
-lt must be extreme measures -What do you mean, Father?
The fiend must be forced from you
Consecrate the water, please, Father Mignon
Through that instrument, my child, lies your salvation
Christ, no
-Do you hear me, Asmodée? -Mercy Mercy
Unhand me, you Christ-loving runts
You are within The Antichrist has spoken
JEANNE: Forgive me I didn't mean it
Mercy now after your blasphemy invoked against Our Lord?
But Father Barre, it is I speaking to you now,
Sister Jeanne of the Angels
You speak with y voices
Christ protect me from the fangs of Satan
Silence, beast
No
Are you ready, lbert?
-We are ready -Then drive out the fiend
-Hold her steady -No, Father No, Father
I exorcise thee, most vile spirit,
-the very embodiment of our enemy -Oh, Jesus Dear loving Jesus
the entire stricture, the whole legion,
-in the name of Jesus Christ -No
These priests are depraved
It is they who are guilty of sacrilege Sister Jeanne is innocent
She has been deliberately provoked by the priests
-They have desecrated God's house -Oh, shut up
-Stop with this spectacle -You're blind, all of you
This is an offence against the Holy Spirit
Who are these dissenters?
The smaller one is Legrand, the baker
The other one is Rangier, owns the largest hotel
I think we might soon acquire an interest
in the catering trade, my friend
Excellent, it looks as if business will be brisk
The tourist season will start early this year
We need a larger theatre
The Devil, it seems, departed from the Mother Superior at 10:45 precisely
Who is responsible for this evil possession,
Sister Jeanne of the Angels?
-Priest -A priest?
Of what church?
-Peter's -St Peter's
Tell his name
Grandier
Don't go tomorrow
I must go
If the city's to be saved, I must go
Stay here and crush these slanders, then see the King
And lose the chance of a royal audience for the sake of a crazy nun?
While I'm away, the whole ridiculous affair will be forgotten
Now go to sleep, will you?
Have you offended this wo in any way?
I have never seen her
Then why has she picked on you?
Oh, I don't know
Secluded women
They give themselves to God, but something remains
which cries out to be given to
I mean, can you imagine being wakened in the night by a dream?
A dream of your childhood
or your lover
or even the vision of a good meal
Now, this is sin
And so you must take up your little whip and start scourging your body
This is discipline
But pain
is sensuality
And in its vortex spin images of horror and lust
My beloved Sister in Jesus seems to have set her mind on me
There's no reason, a piece of gossip perhaps, overheard, magnified
Anything found in the desert of a frustrated life can bring hope
And with hope comes love
And with love comes hate
So I possess this wo
May God help her in her misery and unhappiness
And may God bless
and cherish you
while I am away
You're accused of being in league with the devil
And in obstructing Father Barre's cure of Sister Jeanne
You have rebelled against the will of the Church, the will of Christ
and the will of his most holy representative, Cardinal Richelieu
And in resisting officers of the Crown in the passions of their duty,
you are also guilty of treason
You are unrepentant heretics
There is no act more vile
You're traitors You'll be executed
Now
Please, leave us We love God
Stop
God has revealed to me
that these good Sisters
are addled with the fever that torments the body of Sister Jeanne
The evil in her flesh
has infected the young and innocent bodies of her charges
Sin can be caught as easily as the plague
If Father Barre is right, my good Sisters,
you may save yourselves yet
You would not be the first to see the light
You are tainted The Devil is in your flesh
The evil spirit of Grandier has taken possession of your souls
Now you resist him, but soon he will have his way
You will scream
Yes
-You will blaspheme -Yes
You will no longer be responsible for your actions
Denounce your devilish master Grandier
And we will save you
A quick word before I leave for home
The King was very sympathetic
After reading our petition,
he dictated a letter ordering Laubardemont to leave our walls intact
I could hardly believe
that so important a thing could be settled so easily
The more I think about it, the more it seems that the King's heart was moved
by something more than usual good sense and understanding
Each morning I wake up with a feeling of optimism
so strong as to be almost absurd
The truth of the matter is that Richelieu rules the King
At the moment the King is smiling on us, but that may not last too long
We will need help and courage
Strange thoughts come to me
I am like a who has been lost, who has always been lost
Now, for all kinds of reasons, I have a vague sense of meaning
and can think of myself as a small part of God's abundance,
which includes everything
And I know I want to serve it
I want to serve the people of Loudun I want to serve you
Pray for us all Especially me
Tell me, tell me
-That's a left ventricle -It's part of a heart of a child
Sacrificed at a witches' Sabbath, no doubt
-Look, a consecrated wafer -Yeah Thick blood Blood of a
Grandier Grandier?
That slimy substance could only be semen
-And what's that? -That's a carrot
Make way for His Excellency, the Duke de Condé
Make way
I don't wish, my dear Father, to disturb your devotions
and I would never suggest a member of the Royal Family,
albeit one so close to the King,
should take precedence over God all the same
Love me Love me I am at your service, sire
These raving women are possessed of devils, I take it?
Oh, you lovely
Acting on the instigation of a priest, sire
So I understand
Oh
Most amusing Pray proceed
Kiss me Kiss me
Those are women, my darling Look well Vomit, if you wish
No, don't touch them is born of them
Gross things, nasty Breeding ground Eggs hatched out in hot dung
No, don't wrinkle your little nose, my pet Here
Take this scent Some men love them
This poor deluded priest, Grandier, for example, he deserves all he gets
With your permission, sire, I'll begin
Please do so
But first I have a declaration to make
This, sire, contains the Holy Eucharist
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may be confounded
and that the maledictions of Dathan and Abiram may fall upon me
if I have sinned or been at fault in any way in this affair
A very commendable gesture Bravo
Leviathan
Rouse yourself
Rouse yourself in the name of Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Reverend Father, I notice that you don't speak to these creatures
in Latin, as is usual Why is that?
They're not conversant with the language
You understand, sire, that there are uneducated as well as educated devils
I am a travelling monkey
Quite
Listen, filth, I'm going to speak a name to you Grandier
Grandier
Father, may I try this?
What is in the casket, sire?
A holy relic from the King's own chapel
A phial of the blood of Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Tell me, Father, what effect would the close proximity of this relic have
on devils such as these?
It would put them to flight
-At once? -lmmediately
Of course, I couldn't guarantee that when the relic was removed
they wouldn't return
Of course not That would be asking too much
Would you care to try?
In the name of Our Heavenly Father, I conjure thee, most frightful beings,
by this most sacred substance, to depart
I am free
-I'm free -You are most welcome, my child
You see?
You see, Father?
What sort of a trick have you played on us?
Oh, Reverend, sir, what sort of a trick are you playing on us?
Have fun
Goodbye, ladies I am very pleased to have been of some service
Come along, my darlings
so is the Lord within thee
Te Deum
I know I am a weak, bad
But after thisjourney, I may find the strength to change,
to summon towards myself the goodwill and wisdom
that lies in the people of Loudun
The King has secured our stones
Now we have to show him that the city is the strength
that lives in the hearts of men,
that greed and dissension will never destroy her
And with God's help,
we will change her walls to terraces that have the colour of stars
Save yourself, my daughter, save us all
Dispel your evil seducer forever, reclaim his guilt to the world
Give us peace Give us peace
Yield not to me but to the minister of Christ,
of His power urges thee, who subjugated thee to
You have turned the house of the Lord into a circus
And its servants into clowns
You have seduced the people in order to destroy them
You have perverted the innocent
And was not that innocent child, Madame de Brou
perverted by your blasphemous nuptial Mass?
It wasn't blasphemy
We were married without guilt in the eyes of God
He is witness to our love
have prostituted myself
For Grandier I have prostituted myself
He promised to make me a princess in the Devil's court
He took me to the witches' Sabbath He defiled my body He was naked
He bears the five marks of the Evil One,
the first mark is on the shoulder
The second on the tongue, the third on the rump,
the fourth, the fifth on his right testicle and his left testicle
If no blood flows when these areas are cut or pricked,
this is the true sign of the Devil
No
Call me vain and proud,
the greatest sinner ever to walk on God's earth
But Satan's boy I could never be
I haven't the humility
I knowwhat I have sown and I am prepared for what I shall reap
But do you, Reverend Mother, knowwhat you must give
to have your wish about me fulfilled?
I will tell you
Your immortal soul to eternal damnation
May God have mercy on you
Seize him
-On what charge? -Heresy
CROWD CLAMOURlNG
Grandier is innocent
This inquisition has been designed to implicate an innocent
-Arrest those men -Evil
Evil He is the Devil's filth He is a fornicator of women
This is a plot
Stop We must stop them
A scheme to take him from us And when he's gone, to take our city
Our freedom
For the sake of Christ, don't stand there
Help him
Forgive her
She has been broken by the priests
No blood where the tongue was pricked
True sign of the Devil
Ladies
Please
"This said priest, Urbain Grandier, did debauch and defile my person
"six times between midnight and dawn
"on the night of May the 13th, in the year of our Lord, 1634"
And remember, Sister,
any attempt to retract all or part of this statement
at any time will result in you being condemned, not only in the next world,
but also in this one, as well
Cut her down Cut her down
Is she dead? Is she dead?
She's still breathing
This is Grandier's work, my child
You'll never be free of him until we've brought him to justice
Oh, Christ
I want
Oh, God, I need
I thought I had found you
And now you have forsaken me
The Baron Laubardemont tells me you're ready to confess again, my dear Sister
Yes, I want to make amends
Grandier
I've wronged an innocent , Father
My poor deluded child
It is not you speaking, but the devils within you,
trying to protect Grandier
The exorcisms have failed
We must resort to other measures
Did you sleep well?
With all this noise?
There are thousands out there,
where would you expect them to get the beds from?
Besides, they're all too excited
About what?
Oh, your execution
I have not been tried yet
All right Have it your own way Your trial, then
You are going to be tortured
How is Madeleine?
I'm told she's putting the last touches to her confession of your mutual sins
Good Then I shall confirm her accusations
Have you thought of the pain to come?
It cannot be different to the pain I have seen
True
Except of course, in its location
It will be in you rather than your congregation
I dread pain
Well, perhaps the judges will think it unnecessary
Or perhaps, as one who has sustained so much pleasure,
you will take to pain, its ugly sister, without the usual noises of complaint
I shall scream and admit to everything
Oh, come, Grandier A like you?
All the more for that
Why don't you offer up your pain to God?
You've lived by your senses, obviously you can die by them
I will try, Baron
I hope you will pray for me
Oh, I will, Father
I will
And I will pray for you
You have one consolation
Hell will hold no surprises for you
May God have mercy on us both
The evidence against you is irrefutable
Your house has been searched
Various uscripts have been found
Amongst them is this pamphlet,
directed against His Eminence, Cardinal Richelieu
You have also roused the temper of the populace
against His Eminence by denouncing him in a public place
Notebooks
and letters of a more
personal kind were also discovered
A treatise on celibacy in the priesthood was found
The appears to have been in love when this was written
We have also the written confession of his wife
What have you done with her?
Too distressed by realisation of her guilt to give personal testimony
that she went through a mock marriage ceremony
with the accused in his own church of St Peter's
It was a real ceremony
A simple act of committal done with my heart
in the hope of coming to God
through the love of a wo
We have also letters from women who he did not marry
One of which appears to suggest
that he committed sexual intercourse
under the very roof of the church itself
For the love of Jesus Christ
If you wish to destroy me, then destroy me
Accuse me of exposing political chicanery and the evils of the State
and I will plead guilty
But what can face arraignments on the idiocy of youth?
Old love letters and other pathetic objects
stuffed in drawers or in the bottom of cupboards
Things kept for a day when he would need to be reminded
that he was once loved
To continue the evidence,
my lords,
we have heard testimony from sober citizens,
saying howthey were bewitched by you into attending a black Mass
We have heard real devils
speaking through the mouths of Ursuline nuns,
swearing again and again that the accused is a sorcerer
And since, when duly constrained by Holy Exorcist,
the Devil is bound to tell the truth, it follows that
Lies
Lies and heresy
The Devil is a liar and the father of lies
If the Devil's evidence is to be accepted,
the virtuous people are in the greatest of danger
For it is against these that Satan rages most violently
I had never set eyes on Sister Jeanne of the Angels
until the day of my arrest
But the Devil has spoken
And to doubt his word
is sacrilege
You have totally perverted Christ's own teaching
This new doctrine,
Laubardemont's new doctrine, Barre's new doctrine,
especially invented for this occasion, is the work of men who are not concerned
with fact or with law or with theology
but a political experiment to show howthe will of one
can be pushed into destroying not only one or one city
but one nation
This is not a political trial Remove the prisoner
The court will retire to consider its verdict
Good morning, Mr Surgeon
Good morning to you
Good morning, Mr Chemist What have you got there?
It's a razor
-Must it be this way? -Yes, order of the court
Well, Mr Surgeon,
have all your studies and training brought you only this,
to be a barber?
You're in no position to judge others Get on with it
The court is waiting to pass sentence
Just a minute
-Have you got a mirror? -No, of course not
Wait
There's this
Harken all good people to me
For I've a tale of devils free
The first was in the soul of a priest
For he did bear the mark of a beast
The next was in the heart of a nun
And she was doomed as she begun
The third kept in a love they wear
lnside of a maid so young and fair
O harken all good people to me
Silence in court
Urbain Grandier,
you have been found guilty of commerce with the Devil
And that you used this unholy alliance to possess, seduce and debauch
certain Sisters of the Holy Order of St Ursula
You have also been found guilty of obscenity, blasphemy and sacrilege
It is ordered that you proceed and kneel
at the doors of St Peter's and Saint Ursula's
and there, with a rope round your neck and a two-pound taper in your hand,
ask pardon of God, the King and justice
Next, it is ordered that you be taken to the marketplace,
tied to a stake and burned alive,
after which your ashes will be scattered to the four winds
It has been decided that a commemorative plaque
shall be set up in the Ursulines' chapel
The cost of this, yet to be ascertained,
will be chargeable to your confiscated estate
Lastly, before sentence is carried out, you will be subjected to the question,
both ordinary and extraordinary
Pronounced at Loudun, the 18th of August, 1634,
and executed the same day
Have you anything to say?
My lords, I am innocent of the charges
And I am afraid
But I have the hope in my heart that before this day ends,
Almighty God will
glance aside and let my suffering atone
for my vain and disordered life
Amen
Come Confess your guilt Tell us the names of your accomplices
Then perhaps my lords the judges will show mercy
I have no accomplices
These crimes are not my crimes Please stop this foolishness
We both know why I have been brought to trial
And we both knowwhy I have been found guilty
Devil Witch Heretic
Ignore him
What you see is not dignity but pride, unrepentant pride
His calm is nothing but the brazen insolence of Hell
Clear the court
We humbly beg of thee, Almighty God, in thy goodness,
bless these instruments which thou has created
and given to us for our sacred use
Devils in pieces of wood now, Barre?
If they are not driven out, your devils might,
by their infernal arts, prevent the torture
from being as excruciating as it should be
Then you would never confess
and your soul would be damned for eternity
Are you ready to confess?
I have been a
I have loved women
I have enjoyed power
That's not what we want
You've been a magician
You've had commerce with devils
I exorcise thee and comd spirits,
In the name of Almighty God,
to depart from this
Confess Confess
Do you believe in your conscience
that a should confess to crimes that he has not committed
simply to ease his pain?
Hit
Tremble not to think hu weakness is miserable
Oh, God
More wedges
Please, God, don't let this pain make me forget you
Any confession?
He called on God to give him strength
His god is the Devil and its own Made him insensible to pain
Pay no attention to these tears
-They are the Devil's tears -Confess?
There are 6,000 Christian souls waiting for you in the marketplace
Tell me,
do you love the Church?
Not today
Do you want to see it grow more powerful?
More benevolent, until it embraces every hu soul on this earth?
Then help us to achieve this great purpose
Go to the marketplace a penitent Confess
And by confessing, proclaim to those thousands
that you have returned to the Church's arms
By going to the stake unrepentant, you do God a disservice
You give hope to unbelievers
Such an act can mine the very foundations of the Church
You are no longer important
Well, think Are you any longer important?
I was never
important
Then make a last supreme gesture for the Catholic faith
Go away, Laubardemont
You are becoming tedious
Do you knowthat the King has gone back on his word because of your crimes?
The walls will come down, the city will be destroyed We have won
-You have lost -Won
Sign it
You will sign
Get up
What is this place?
The convent of St Ursula
The place you have defiled
Do what must be done
Ask forgiveness of Sister Jeanne and these good women you have wronged
I have done no such thing
I could only ask
God will forgive them
He always spoke of your beauty
Now I see it with my own eyes and know it's true
Look at this thing that I am
and learn the meaning of love
Devil
Forgive us, O God, who condemned thee and Judas lscariot, the traitor
For he presses on thee with perpetual flame,
who shall see the end of time to the wicked, cursed into everlasting fire,
which is prepared for the Devil and his angels
For thee, this one and the angels are prepared worms which never die
Thou art the chief of accursed murder,
thou are the author of incest, the head of sacrilege,
the master of the worst actions, the teacher of heretics
I must ask your forgiveness, priest, for what I must do
But you can make a speech if you like
And before the fire is lit, I shall strangle you
It will be quick, I promise you
I exorcise thee, creatures
Confess Confess Beg forgiveness
Forgive me for defending your city so badly
Confess Confess
See how he flinches, see how he denies his Redeemer
Confess
I have finished confessing
Give me the kiss of peace and let me die
Kiss the Devil? Kiss the evil fiend?
The Antichrist, the sink of all iniquity, all evil?
Never
Kiss Kiss Kiss
Kiss
The impious one and thy angels has prepared the unquenchable fire
Kiss him
Because thou, the chief of accursed murder
Kiss him Kiss him
the head of sacrilege, the master of the worst actions,
the teacher of heretics,
the inventor of all obscenities,
the foul, impious one Don't
Judas Judas Judas
Confess you are the Devil's servant
Renounce your master
I am about to meet the God who is my witness
and I have spoken the truth
Confess Confess You have only a moment to live
Only a moment
And then I go to that just and fearful judgement
to which you, too, Reverend Father will soon be called
May your body be consumed by eternal fire
Away, priest He's to be strangled
I promised he was to be strangled
Strangled Strangled Strangled
Is this what you promised me?
Where is the noose? Where is the noose?
No I need a noose
The flames I can't, the flames
Sorry, priest Sorry
Burn, burn, burn
-Burn Burn -Watch, bastard
See how your mother's honour was avenged
Lucky little bastard
It's not every day baby sees Daddy burned to death
Don't look at me
Look at your city
If your city is destroyed,
your freedom is destroyed also
Unrepentant to the last
The fiend still speaks Confess Confess
If you would remain free men,
fight
Fight them or become their slaves
I'm purging my own devils
What devils?
Isacaaron, Balaam
They say they can stand up to the Church,
but they can't stand up to this bitch
Jeanne, you're being hysterical
Where's Father Barre? I was expecting him
He's off to Poitiers
A nun is reported to be having commerce with your lsacaaron,
in the form of a three-legged dog
But there was going to be a public exorcism tomorrow in St Peter's
Father Mignon could age
Father Mignon has been put away He's quite demented
He keeps babbling that we've destroyed an innocent
And with no signed confession to prove otherwise,
everyone has the same opinion
Pity, that
No, with Grandier gone, you are no longer possessed
-It's simple -What shall I do?
Pray for your salvation Do penance
Stay here quietly, of course
What else?
Well, there'll be a fewtourists occasionally to brighten things up
But that won't last long Soon the town will die, you will be left in peace
and oblivion
Oh, I almost forgot
Souvenir