Flavin, heaven's trumpet . . . penetrated the interior of our souls [with] the most moving [sentiments] capable of stirring the human affections to divine love and to melt the hearts of stone. Whilst Flavin was preaching at Lent in the Dalbade church, one lost [soul], by derision, began to sing the Psalms of David translated from Latin prose into rhyming French by Clément Marot, formerly the king's fool, and now censured by the Council of Trent. There then arose such a tempest of sedition that the whole city was up in arms against the Capitouls who, to appease the popular emotion, were obliged to enter the said church and seize the miserable person.
At the same time [1561] some of the more seditious preachers, with an incredible audacity spoke out against the Magistrates, and did not spare the King or his council, inciting the people to disobedience and rebellion. Amongst them the main figures were Melchior Flavin, Franciscan, de Lana, a Dominican, Antoine Fayet, a Minim, and Jean Pelatier, a Jesuit, against whom investigations were begun and detailed enquiries made and reported to the privy council . . .
Shortly afterwards two scandalous incidents occurred. The first was during Lent at the church known as the Dalbade where Melchior [Flavin] was preaching. In the sermon, one of the congregation found someone close by him reading a book of Psalms instead of listening to the preacher. The congregation became so worked up that the Capitouls had some difficulty in saving his life. The other occasion was in the following May when the Dominican de Lanta was preaching at Saint Sernin. Arguing his case with highly seditious words, a merchant named Robert la Mothe found his sermon useless and scandalous and burst out to those around him that this was a sermon to no good purpose. Immediately they replied that he must be some kind of Lutheran. They came at him from here and there and he was covered with bruises, dragged out of the church and attacked by knives, stones, sticks and sabres. What is more, as he was still breathing, they wanted to burn him and had the straw at the ready. But the Capitouls arrived with their men and took the body of the unconscious man back to the town hall . . .
Back to Top of Document