1694.] MAREUIL AND THE BISHOP. 327 



Mareuil, deprived of the sacraments, and held 

 up to reprobation, went to see the bishop, who 

 refused to receive him ; and it is said that he was 

 taken by the shoulders and put out of doors. He 

 now resolved to bring his case before the council ; 

 but the bishop was informed of his purpose, and 

 anticipated it. La Motte says " he went before 

 the council on the first of February, and denounced 

 the Sieur de Mareuil, whom he declared guilty of 

 impiety towards God, the Virgin, and the Saints, 

 and made a fine speech in the absence of the count, 

 interrupted by the effusions of a heart which 

 seemed filled with a profound and infinite charity, 

 but which, as he said, was pushed to extremity by 

 the rebellion of an indocile child, who had neglected 

 all his warnings. This was, nevertheless, assumed ; 

 I will not say entirely false." 



The bishop did, in fact, make a vehement speech 

 against Mareuil before the council on the day in 

 question ; Mareuil stoutly defending himself, and 

 entering his appeal against the episcopal mandate. 1 

 The battle was now fairly joined. Frontenac stood 

 alone for the accused. The intendant tacitly favored 

 his opponents. Auteuil, the attorney-general, and 

 Villeray, the first councillor, owed the governor 

 an old grudge ; and they and their colleagues 

 sided with the bishop, with the outside support of 

 all the clergy, except the Kecollets, who, as usual, 

 ranged themselves with their patron. At first, 



who reports it to the minister ; hy the minister Ponchartrain, who asks 

 Frontenac for an explanation ; by Frontenac, who passes it off as a jest ; 

 and by several other contemporary writers. 



1 Regislre da Conseil Souverain, 1 et 8 Fev., 1694. 



