TwentyyearslaterafarmorestrikingcaseoccurredatLoudun，inwesternFrance，whereaconventofUrsulinenunswas“afflictedbydemons。”
Theconventwasfilledmainlywithladiesofnoblebirth，who，nothavingsufficientdowertosecurehusbands，had，accordingtothecommonmethodofthetime，beenmadenuns。
Itisnotdifficulttounderstandthatsuchanimprisonmentofamultitudeofwomenofdifferentageswouldproducesomewoefuleffects。AnyreaderofManzoni’sPromessiSposi，withitswonderfulportrayalofthefeelingsanddoingsofanobleladykeptinaconventagainstherwill，mayhavesomeideaoftherageanddespairwhichmusthaveinspiredsuchassemblagesinwhichpride，pauperism，andtheattemptedsuppressionoftheinstinctsofhumanitywroughtafearfulwork。
WhatthisworkwasmaybeseenthroughouttheMiddleAges；butitisespeciallyinthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturiesthatwefinditfrequentlytakingshapeinoutburstsofdiabolicpossession。[393]
[393]Onmonasteriesascentresof“possession“andhystericalepidemics，seeFiguier，LeMerveilleux，p。40andfollowing；alsoCalmeil，Langin，Kirchhoff，Maudsley，andothers。OnsimilarresultsfromexcitementatProtestantmeetingsinScotlandandcampmeetingsinEnglandandAmerica，seeHecker’sEssay，concludingchapters。