Notable impostors part 1. The story of Martin Guerre.

 

Jean de Coras account the English translation is taken from

In the town of Artigules [Artigat], part of the diocese of Rieux, and under the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Toulouse, it happened that one Martin Guerre, having been married the space of ten or eleven years to Bertrande de Rois, afterward upon what discontent I know not between him and his father, forsook his house, and went and served under the Emperor Charles V, and King PHILIP his son, where he continued some dozen years, until at the taking of the town of Saint Quintins he lost a leg.
Now his wife having heard no tidings of him in eight years before, one named Arnold Tyllier [Arnaud du Tilh] some call him Arnold of Till) borne in the Country of Foix, who as many think was brought up in magic, took upon him to play the person of Martin Guerre, furthered therein, as well with his long absence, as also that in the lineaments of his face he somewhat resembled him. Presenting himself unto the woman, at the first she would not acknowledge him for her husband: but besides the conformity of body, he discovered so many secrets unto her that had past between them two, especially in the night after their marriage, yea even to the very apparel he had left behind him in a chest, at the time of his departure. Things which could not be known but by the right husband: that at length not only she, but the most part of his kins-folks and friends acknowledged him for Martin Guerre and in this opinion 4 years past without any contradiction. At the end whereof a soldier travelling that way told that Martin Guerre had lost a leg. Not long before this woman was entered into some suspicion of her supposed husband: by means whereof she took witness under hand before two notaries of the soldiers report. Which to say truly, was but only upon hearsay nevertheless it was the first foundation of this wretched Tyllier’s misfortune. For as it is hard for a liar not to vary, so the woman gathered divers speeches from him, that made her to doubt him and indeed solely cited by Peter Guerre, Martin’s uncle, she not only abandoned him, but sued him extraordinarily before the Seneschal of Rieux, where he was condemned to death by sentence, from the which he appealed to the Parliament of Toulouse, which was infinitely troubled about the strangeness of the case. For on the one side, Tyllier discovered all the particularities from point to point that had past between him and Bertrand before his going away, and the talk they had had the first night they lay together. As also how after they had been married some 7 or 8. years going into the country to one of their kinsfolk’s wedding, because they lacked room, and that therefore his wife was to lie with another woman, it was devised between them, that when the rest were asleep, he should come and lie with his wife. likewise how they had had a child, naming the Priest that baptised it, and the godfathers that were to it at the font all with such a resolution and boldness that the woman could not tell what to say adding the motives of his departure, and the travels he had sustained both in Spain and France.  

Which particularities were found afterwards to be true, by the report of Martin Guerre himself. That which makes this history more marvellous, was that this supposed husband had never conversed with the other. The presumptions that yet made for him were a double tooth, a nail growing into the flesh on the right hand, certain moles, and a red spot in one eye, even as Martin Guerre had and further in that he somewhat resembled his sisters, who were so besotted, that they vouched for him for their brother. On the other side that which made against him was that a soldier having called him Arnold by his name, he prayed him in his ear not to call him so but Martin Guerre. Besides the which she brought proof of an uncle of his, who seeing him in the way of perdition, came lamenting unto him, desiring him not to cast himself utterly away. But these proofs were not sufficient to annul the former, for to all objections that were made against him, he answered confidently, laying all the cause and plotting of his trouble on Peter Guerre his uncle, who he had threatened a little be∣fore, to make him yield an account of the guardianship that he had sometimes had of him. And for to give some colour to his saying, he desired that his wife might be sworn, to see whither she would acknowledge him for her right husband or no declaring that he would put his life or death upon her oath. Which so amazed her that she would not accept it. These circumstances so moved the judges that they committed the uncle and the niece to several prisons, to the end one should not prompt the other. Thinking the woman was drawn to make this accusation by the uncle, who was in danger of his person.

As the judges were in this suspense, it fortuned that the right Martin Guerre came home where at the first sight al his neighbours knew him, and therewithal being advertised of the prank the other had played him he went directly to Toulouse, where he made petition to be admitted as a party in the cause. Then were the judges more amazed than before: because that Arnold with an impudent boldness maintained that this was a conicatching [deception trickery] knave suborned by his adversaries. In this difference, the judges, for to be assured of the truth, sent for the uncle out of prison, and set Martin Guerre among a great many others apparelled in the same apparel as the counterfeit was, to see whither he would know him or no but presently he went and picked him out from the rest and with great tokens of joy and gladness welcomed him home. The like did Bertrande, craving pardon for the wrong she had unwittingly done him. Nevertheless her husband not taking her words in good payment, with a frowning countenance began to accuse her. How is it possible (said he) that thou shouldn’t lend consent to this abuse? for in mine uncle, and sisters, there may be some excuse. But none in the purity that is between the man and his wife. And in this anger he persevered a long time, notwithstanding any persuasion could be used to the contrary. Which drew the judges to think that it was a very pregnant presumption to approve him for the right husband. But yet that which held then in some doubt, was that they of the court examining Martin Guerre, whither ever he had received the sacrament of confirmation, he answered that he had, in the town of Pamiers, and named the time, the Bishop, his godfathers and godmothers. Whereunto Arnold separately made the like answers. Notwithstanding the which at last, by sentence in the month of September 1560. he was declared, attainted and convicted of the matter whereof he was accused, and therefore condemned to do penance in his shirt with a torch in his hand, first in open court, and afterward before the door of the chiefest Church in Artigat, and lastly to be hanged, and then his body to be burned until it were consumed to ashes. This judgement was given at Toulouse in the mid of September, and afterward executed: this wretched man having before he died acknowledged the truth of this history, which was written since and published by
Jean de Coras, a great lawyer, with certain Commentaries for to adore and beautify it with points of Lawe. E. PASQVIER in the 5. book, des Recherches de la France, Chap. 19