challenged without cause: and in addition to this, the right of challenging others remains to them unimpaired. And in criminal suits, in which also the said Presidial and other Royal Subaltern Judge give final judgment, the arraigned parties, being of the said religion, may require three of the Judges to refrain from trying the cause, without assigning any reason. And the Provosts Marshal of France, the Vice-Bailiffs, Vice-Seneschals, Lieutenants of the Short Robe, and other officers of the same rank, shall judge in conformity with the ordinances and regulations heretofore given in the case of non-residents {vagabons). And as for residents accused and arraigned within the Provosts' jurisdiction, if they are of the said religion, they may require that three of the said Judges who have cognizance therein refrain from judging in their suits, and they shall refrain accordingly, without any reason being assigned; saving when, in the body where the suit is tried, there shall be found the number of two in civil suits, and three in criminal suits, of the said religion, in which case none shall be challenged without giving a reason: which practice shall be mutually and commonly followed with regard to Catholics, in the same form as given above for challenging the Judges, where those of the pretended Reformed religion shall be most in number; not having it understood, however, from what is here said, that the said Presidial Courts, Provosts Marshal, Vice-Bailiffs, Vice-Seneschals and others who give final judgment, shall take any cognizance of past difficulties. And as for crimes and excesses arising from other causes than the troubles, since the commencement of the month of March in the year 1585, until the end of the year 1597, in cases of which they have cognizance, it is our will that appeals may be lawfully made from their judgment to the Chambers ordered by the present Edict; the practice shall be similar for the Catholic participants and where those of said pretended Reformed religion shall be parties.
66th.—We desire and command that henceforth in all preparations other than informations for criminal suits in the Seneschal's Courts of Toulouse, Carcassonne, Rouergue, Loragais, Beziers, Montpellier and Nimes, the Magistrate or Commissioner deputed to make said preparations, if he be a Catholic, shall be obliged to take an Associate who shall be of the said pretended Reformed religion, upon whom the parties can agree, but if they shall be unable to agree upon one, the aforesaid Magistrate or Commissioner shall select for the office one of the said religion. In like manner, if the said
