Europe's inner demons

The Devil, who had not figured at all in the hermit’s original statement, was beginning to bulk large; those “other fearful and sacrilegious crimes” were beginning to take shape. But this was only the first step. The enquiry was adjourned for four months; and by the time it resumed, in February 1309, the royal officials had prepared a whole new set of accusations.⁽¹⁹⁾

It is known that these were contributed in part by Guichard’s old enemies, Enguerrand de Marigny, by now chief minister of Philip the Fair; Simon Festu, who had just been promoted bishop of Meaux; and Noffo Dei, who had regained his malice along with his health. But the royal officials also contributed their share. An outline of the new accusations was submitted to Nogaret; and nobody familiar with Nogaret’s part in the affair of the Templars can fail to recognize his special touch in the final version.⁽²⁰⁾

Moreover, whereas only eight witnesses had appeared at the first session of the commission, for the new session the royal officials had managed to assemble a fine and varied collection. The clergy of Guichard’s diocese of Troyes provided twenty-five canons, three archdeacons, two abbots, fourteen priors, as well as a multitude of ordinary priests, monks and clerks. The chamberlain Lorin had been reinforced by Guichard’s cook, his porter, his barber, his mistress. Six Lombards, representing the Italian banks, were there; and so were innumerable folk, of all ranks, from Troyes and from Provins. In all, the witnesses totalled some two hundred; and though many admitted that they knew nothing against Guichard save by hearsay, between twenty and thirty were ready to confirm the gravest charges.

The tone was set by the very first item, which formed as it were an introduction to the whole: it stated that Guichard was the son of an incubus, i.e. of a demon.⁽²¹⁾

Details were provided by no less than twenty-seven witnesses. When Guichard was being born, it was said, his mother, fearing she might die, confessed that she had been sterile for seven years, and had been able to conceive only with the help of an incubus. Because of this his father’s house was called the Devil’s house, or the house of the incubus; and it had been difficult to get domestics to work in it. His father knew of the matter, and as a result had never been able to stand the sight of his son. Guichard had been pursued, throughout life, by the evil fame attaching to his birth. When he was a young monk, his fellows avoided him, calling him “the incubus’s son”. Later, when he became prior, his wealth was interpreted as showing that he was indeed a son of the Devil. Guichard himself had often been heard to say that his home had been frequented by an incubus. So far the witnesses; as for Guichard, he admitted to knowing the story: his father’s house was indeed supposed to have been plagued by an incubus, for half a year — but that was after his birth, not before. He was no demon’s son.

Whatever Guichard might say, further evidence was forthcoming to confirm his demonic connections. The prior of Nesle recalled an experience he had had as a young monk of seventeen, in I275.⁽²²⁾

At that time Guichard was prior of Saint-Ayoul at Provins. One evening, as he was going upstairs to his room after supper, he took off his robe and handed it to the young monk. The latter, glancing at the prior’s head, saw it encircled with a fiery glow, which he recognized as consisting of demons. He threw the robe over the prior’s face; but Guichard tried to reassure him, saying: “Be quiet, don’t be afraid, and don’t tell anyone what you’ve seen.” The young monk told nevertheless, and now other witnesses came forward to say that they had heard of the incident.

It appeared, too, that throughout his career Guichard had kept a private demon, which he consulted at his convenience.⁽²³⁾ The general view was that he kept it in a glass flask; though his mistress had heard, from another woman, that he kept it in the point of his cowl. But the demon could also travel; it spied on the bishop’s servants, overheard their conversation and repeated it to the bishop. Sometimes Guichard had been heard conversing with the demon; and a witness had seen him emerging from such a conversation, his hair bristling and with a sort of sweaty smoke rising from his head. At times Guichard’s barber trembled so violently at the thought of the demon in the house that he was unable to shave his master.