La vie de saint Paul (-Serge), Guillaume Hulard et le manuscrit 4 de la Bibliothèque municipale de Narbonne

The Life of Saint Paul (-Serge) from Narbonne, Guillaume Hulard and the Manuscript 4 from Narbonne’s Town Library. The Manuscript 4, preserved in Narbonne’s Town Library, contains the hagiographie life of Saint Paul from Narbonne. He was the first bishop of the town. This document, compiled during the 14th century by Guillaume Hulard, is made up of twelve parts. The most ancient one dates back to the 6th century and the latest ones were written between 1360 and 1364. The first section of the present paper is dedicated to the analysis of the file’s contents and structure. Although several changes may appear depending on the time when they were written, these documents underline the remembrance of the Roman history of the town, a feeling of belonging to the Roman civilisation and Church. Consequently, Narbonne’s bishopric claimed a prominence - even a primacy - over other dioceses. Furthermore, the whole file shows a change in the way evil was perceived and in the different means used to fight it throughout the centuries. At the time the file was put together, evil was mainly viewed as the Antichrist and heresy, against which Guillaume Hulard suggested a ruthless fight aiming at annihilating the heretics.