Archives Nationales de France series JJ 179 folio 64 number 121 (Himanis p. 139)
Charles etc. We make known etc. We have received the humble supplication of Jehan Guincelin squire aged 25 years or thereabouts containing that in the year 1447 one named Guillemette living then in the county of Arame the which was held and reputed to be a sorcerer had ensorcelled as is said Regnault Guincelin the father of the said supplicant and had done such that he could not have company with his wife nor be together with her as said the said Regnault. During which time that the said Regnault was so ensorcelled the said Guillemette, sorcerer, was encountered by three English varlets in the parish of Teillay. One of which varlets took and brought her to the hostel of the Velandiere where the said supplicant was to whom the said varlet said that it was the one who had so ensorcelled his said father and that she had confessed to having done it in the presence of the chaplain of the said place of Teillay and that if he wanted to let her go without taking her before the justice that she would make it so that the said Regnault, father of the said supplicant, could live with his wife as before. The which Guillette the said supplicant interrogated and examined as soon as the said varlet gave and delivered her to him. The which Guillemette confessed to the said supplicant in the presence of the owner of the said hostel that she had thus ensorcelled his said father and told him that if he wanted to let her go that she would make it so that his said father could live with his wife as he had done before the said sorcery, but the said supplicant did not want to submit to releasing her nor letting her go and kept her in the intention of taking her to justice to be punished for the said act by authority of justice. And because the said Guillemette was known by some soldiers and others the said supplicant, fearing that in taking her to justice she would be rescued and taken away from him such that he could not take her to justice he turned her away and took her to a little woods to keep her from the road so that she could not encounter the said soldiers and in the said woods he tied her very well to a tree for fear that she would escape and as soon as she was tied and attached she began to call on all the enemies of hell and to say words so very horrible that the said supplicant did such that he left from there as quickly as he could and left the said Guillemette thus tied and went to some places where he had things to do. And after he had done and accomplished what he needed to three hours or thereabouts afterwards he went to the said place where he had thus tied the said Guillette thinking to find her and take her to justice, the which he found dead in the state that he had thus tied her even though when he had left her he had not wounded her in any way. For the occasion of which act the said supplicant fearing that one would wish to accuse him of having caused the death of the said Guillemette and for this reason proceed rigorously against him with corporal punishment if our grace and mercy is not for this imparted, humbly requesting that considering that which is said and that he did not take the said Guillemette first but was brought her by the said varlet and that after he had detained her in hopes of knowing the truth of the said case and bringing her to justice and that he had turned her away to the said woods in order to prevent her from getting away and absenting herself without being punished and intended to take her to be punished by justice, that he had not beaten nor hit her and that he is a man of good reputation, renown, and honest conversation without having been accused or convicted of any bad act, blame, or reproach and that he believes that because she had called all the devils when she was tied up that the devil had killed her, it would please us on this to impart to him these. Therefore we considering what is said, wishing to prefer mercy to the rigor of justice, to the said supplicant in the case abovesaid have remitted acquitted and pardoned and by the tenor of these present by special grace, full power, and royal authority remit, acquit, and pardon the deed and case abovesaid with all punishment, fine, and offence corporal, criminal, and civil in which for the occasion of this case he could have incurred towards us and justice. And we restore him to his good reputation and renown in the country and to his goods not confiscated. Satisfaction made to the party civilly only if it is not done. And on this we impose perpetual silence on our procurer. So given in commandment by these present to the Bailly of Touraine and the vassals and substitute judges of Anjou and of Maine and to all our other justices or to their lieutenants now and in the future, and to each one of them as appertains to them, that the said supplicant by our present grace, acquittal, remission, and pardon made, suffered, and allowed to enjoy and use fully and peaceably without molesting, bothering, or impeding him nor allowing him to be molested, bothered, or impeded now or in the time to come in body or in goods in any manner and if his body or any of his goods are or were taken, seized, arrested, or impeded for this if etc. Except etc. Given at Montbason in the month of May the year of grace 1448. And of our reign the 26th So signed by the King at the relation of the counsel. Machet visa contentor G. de Bloys
Charles etc Savoir faisons etc Nous avon receu lumble supplicacion de Jehan guincelin escuier aage de xxv ans ou environ contenan Que en lan mil iiijc xlvij une nommee guillemecte demourant lors en la conte du arame laquelle estoit tenue et reputer sorciere ensorcela comme len disoit regnault guincelin pere dudit suppliant et telement fist quil ne povoit avoir compaignie avec sa femme ne estre ensemble avecques elle comme disoit ledit regnault durant lequel temps que ledit regnault estoit ainsi ensorcele ladicte guillemecte sorciere fut recontree de trois varlets anglois en la parroisse de teillay Lun desquelz varletz la print et mena en lostel dela velandiere ou estoit ledit suppliant auquel ledit varlet dist que cestoit celle qui avoit ainsi ensorcelle sondit pere et quelle avoit confesse lavoir fais en la presence du chappellain dudit lieu de teillay et que sil la vouloit laisser aler sans la faire mener a justice quelle feroit que ledit regnault pere dudit suppliant habiteroit avec sa femme comme paravant Laquelle guillette ledit suppliant interrogua et examina incontinant que ledit varlet lui eus icelle bailler et delivrer Laquelle guillemecte confessa audit suppliant en la presence dela mestayere dudit hostel quelle avoit ainsi ensorcelle sondit pere et lui dist que sil la vouloit laisser aler quelle feroit que sondit pere habiteroit avec sa femme comme il faisoit paravant la dicte sorciere mais ledit suppliant ne voult obtemperer ala delivrer ne la laisser aler et la retint en entement de la mener a justice pour estre ilec puguyt dudit cas par auctorite de justice Et pource que ladite guillemecte estoit congneue daucunes gens de guerre et autres ledit suppliant doubtant que en icelle menant a justice elle feust rescuisse et lui oster par maniere quil ne la peust mener a justice la destourna et mena en ung petit bois pour la oster du chemin et queel ne feust rencontrer desdictes gens de guerre et audit bois la lya tresbien a ung arbre pour doubte quelle ne sen alast et incont quelle fut lyee et actachee elle print a appeller tous les ennemys denfer et dire parolles si tresorribles que ledit suppliant fist tant quil se party dilec qinsi quil peut et laissa ladicte guillemecte ainsi lyes et ala en aucuns lieux ou il avoit a besogner Et apres ce quil eut fait et besongne ce quil avoit afaire trois heures ou environ apres il ala au lieu ou il avoit ainsi lye ladite guillecte cuidant la trouver et mener a justice laquelle il trouva morte en lestat quil lavoit ainsi lyee combien que quant il la laissa il ne leust aucunement blecee A loccasion duquel cas ledit suppliant doubtant que on lui vueille imposer quil est cause dela mort deladite guillemecte et aceste cause contre lui proceder rigoureusement apugnicion corporelle se notre grace et misericorde ne lui estoient surce imparti humblement requerant que actendu ce que dit est et quil ne print pas premierement ladicte guillemecte mais la lui bailla ledit varlet et que apres il la detenu en esperance de savoir la verite dudit cas et de la mener a justice et quil la destourna audit bois afin quelle ne lui feust oster et quelle ne se absentast sans estre puguyt et tendoit en fe faire pugnicion par justice quil ne la baty ne frappa et quil est homme de bonne fame renommez et honneste conversacion non actanct ou convaincu daucun vilain cas blasme ou reprouche et quil croit par quelle appella tous les diables quant elle fut lyes que le dyable la tuast il nous plaise surce lui impartir icelles. Pourquoy nous actendu ce que di test voulans misericorde preferer a Rigueur de Justice audit suppliant aucas dessusdit avons remis quicte et pardonne et par la teneur de ces presentes de grace especial plaine puissance et auctorite Royal Remectons quictons et pardonnons le fait et cas dessusdit avec toute peine amende et offense corporelle criminelle et civile enquoy aloccasion dudit cas Il pourroit estre encouru anvers nous et Justice. Et le restituons a sa bonne fame et Renommee au pais et a ses biens non confisquez. Satisfacion faicte a partie civilement tant seulement se faicte nest. Et surce Imposons silence perpetual a notre procureur. Si donnons en mandement par ces presents Au Bailly de Touraine et des vessors et exempcions danJou et du maine et atous noz autres Justiciers ou aleurs lieuxtenans presens et avenir et achacun deulx sicomme alui appartend que ledit suppliant de notre presente grace quictance Remission et pardon facent seuffrent et laissent Joir et user plainement et paisiblement Sans le molester travailler ou empeschier ne souffre estre moleste travaille ou empeschie ores ne pour le temps avenir en corps ne en biens en aucune manière et se son corps ou aucuns de ses biens sont ou estoient pource prins saisiz arrestez ou empeschiez si les mectent ou facent mectre tantost et sans delay a plaine deliverance. Et afin etc. Nous avons etc. Sauf etc. Donne a montbason ou mois de may lan de grace mil iiijc xlviij. Et de notre Regne le xxvje Ainsi signe par le Roy ala relacion du conseil Machet visa. Contentor G. de Bloys
Summary
The letter opens with the “humble supplication” of a young man. Jehan Guincelin believes that a sorceress named Guillemette has “ensorcelled” Jehan’s father, causing him to become impotent. Three varlets encounter Guillemette in the parish of Teilley, and bring her to Jehan, claiming the Guillemette has just confessed of her sin to a local chaplain. The varlet explains that Guillemette will remove Jehan’s father’s curse, so long as she is not brought to the authorities. Guillemette then confesses to sorcery in front of Jehan and the hostel owner, once again insisting that she will remove the curse if she is released. Jehan wants to bring Guillemette to justice, but because she is the “friend” of local soldiers, she is worried they will rescue her. To get around this, he takes her to the woods, to hide her from the soldiers, and ties her to a tree. Immediately, Guillemette begins to curse at Jehan, who flees in fear. After three hours, Jehan returns, to find Guillemette dead, although he claims to have not harmed her. The letter then reminds the reader that Guillemette was brought to Jehan by a varlet, and that he did not take her. Jehan only ties Guillemette to a tree to keep her from being rescued, not to do her harm. The letter then reminds the reader that Jehan is a young man, in good standing with his community, and begs for his pardon. The themes of the letter include gender relations, witchcraft, sorcery, and superstition.
Essays
15th Century Views on Witches
Guilemette was referred to as a “sorceress” (“sorciere” in the original French document), a dangerous label for anyone living in the 15th century. Just 39 years after this pardon letter was penned, Heinrich Institoris would publish the notorious witch-hunting manual: the Malleus Maleficarum, or “The Hammer of Witches”. In western Europe, witches were generally considered to be people who worked closely with demons, and used demonic power to do tangible harm to communities. Guillemette summoning demons to attack Jehann fits with this cultural narrative. The accusation of witchcraft was not to be treated lightly-Joan of Arc was burned as a witch in 1431, just a few short years before this pardon letter was written, for instance.
Further Reading/ Bibliography:
Kieckhefer, Richard. "Mythologies of Witchcraft in the Fifteenth Century." Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft 1, no. 1 (2006): 79-108. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/mrw.0.0080.
Jones, Karen, and Michael Zell. “‘The Divels Speciall Instruments’: Women and Witchcraft before the ‘Great Witch-Hunt.’” Social History 30, no. 1 (2005): 45–63. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4287161.
Impotence
The elder Guinecellin’s impotence was reportedly caused by Guillette, for reasons unknown. During the 15th century, witchcraft and sexuality were almost inextricably linked- from the supposedly salacious witches Sabbats, to the coupling between witches and demons. Concerns around sexual normality and demons were rife in the 15th century as well. In his Summis Desiderantes Affectibus, (1484), Pope Innocent VIII wrote about his anxieties concerning demons hindering “men from performing the sexual act, and women from conceiving”. A man’s ability to perform sexually was of immense anxiety to the church, especially when demons were concerned. The idea that a local sorceress had used demonic power to cause one’s father’s impotence would have been a subject of extreme concern to a 15th century man. This sheds light on Jehann’s seemingly exaggerated action against Guillemette.
Further reading/ Bibliography
GARRETT, JULIA M. “Witchcraft and Sexual Knowledge in Early Modern England.” Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies 13, no. 1 (2013): 32–72. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43857912.
Demons
At the climax of the letter, a bound Guilemette summons hordes of demons to attack Jehann, only for the devils to kill her instead. Witches didn’t work with demons on level ground-the demons worked through the witches-they lacked agency. Witches made the initial pact, but it was the demons/the Devil who gave the witches their power. According to the University of Paris’s condemnation of sorcery, the demons are never within the thrall of the human sorcerer’s power, but are rather pretending to be bound-hence why Guillemette is so unceremoniously killed by “her” own demonic force. Demons are an essential component to witchcraft in western Europe, but they work through the witch, not with them.
Bibliography/Further Reading:
Bailey, Michael D. “From Sorcery to Witchcraft: Clerical Conceptions of Magic in the Later Middle Ages.” Speculum 76, no. 4 (2001): 960–90. https://doi.org/10.2307/2903617.
Copy
Kors, Alan Charles, Peters, Edwards, “Witchcraft in Europe, 400-1700: A Documentary History” (University of Pennsylvania Press), 127-132