binding themselves as confederates by an oath and solemn P ledge ; and they were the duke of Burgundy, the count of frittany, the count of Saint Paul, and many other nobles with them, so that it clearly appeared that a schism was arising in the church. And the form and conditions of this conspiracy, which were drawn up in the French language, came to the knowledge of many people even beyond the kingdom of France, being deliberately published and sent about by the conspirators themselves. And there were two writings drawn up, one in the French language, and one in Latin, of which one was terrible, and the other more terrible. One of which we have thought it well to ineert here in this book, because it is, as it is feared, the beginning of griefs. " Because the superstition of the clergy, not being aware that it was by means of war and the blood of certain persons which was shed under Charlemagne and others, that the kingdom of France was converted from the error of the Gentiles to the Catholic faith, did at first by a certain humility (opposing us after the manner of foxes) seduce us from the remains of those castles which were founded by ourselves ; they now so absorb the jurisdiction of the secular persons, that the sons of slaves judge freemen, and the sons of freemen, according to their laws ; although, according to the laws of our predecessors, and the laws of all defeated parties, they ought rather to be judged by us ; and although it is not proper that the customs of their ancestors should be brought into disrepute by new constitutions, since they thus place us in a worse condition than God even chose the Gentiles to be in, when he said, " Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." We all, being the chiefs of the kingdom, and understanding that the kingdom was acquired not by written law, nor by the arrogance of the clergy, but by warlike exactions, do by this present decree, given by us all, under the sanction of our oaths, order and establish that no member of the clergy or laity shall hereafter proceed against any other person before the ordinary as judge, except for heresy, marriage, or usury, on pain of confiscation of all the property, and the mutilation of one of the members to him who transgresses this order ; and we have deputed certain persons to see to the execution of this decree. That so our jurisdiction having been revived may recover, and that they who have hitherto been