About a year later, in July 1458, the police laid hands on
Tabary. Before the ecclesiastical commissary he was twice
examined, and, on the latter occasion, put to the question
ordinary and extraordinary. What a dismal change from
pleasant suppers at the Mule, where he sat in triumph with
expert operators and great wits! He is at the lees of life,
poor rogue; and those fingers which once transcribed improper
romances are now agonisingly stretched upon the rack. We
have no sure knowledge, but we may have a shrewd guess of the
conclusion. Tabary, the admirer, would go the same way as
those whom he admired.
The last we hear of is Colin de Cayeux. He was caught in
autumn 1460, in the great Church of St. Leu d'Esserens, which
makes so fine a figure in the pleasant Oise valley between
Creil and Beaumont. He was reclaimed by no less than two
bishops; but the Procureur for the Provost held fast by
incorrigible Colin. 1460 was an ill-starred year: for
justice was making a clean sweep of "poor and indigent
persons, thieves, cheats, and lockpickers," in the
neighbourhood of Paris; (1) and Colin de Cayeux, with many
others, was condemned to death and hanged. (2)
(1) CHRON. SCAND. ut supra.
(2) Here and there, principally in the order of events, this
article differs from M. Longnon's own reading of his
material.
Pages:
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234