JOAN
412
JOAN
text for the harshness shown regarding her confine- these, another set of twelve were drafted, better ar-
ment at Rouen, where she was at first kept in an iron ranged and less extravagantly worded. With this
cage, chained by the neck, hands, and feet. On the summary of her misdeeds before them, a large major-
otiaer hand she was allowed no spiritual privileges — ity of the twenty-two judges who took part in the de-
e. g. attendance at Mass — on account of the charge of liberations declared Joan's visions and voices to be
heresy and the monstrous dress (difformilate habitus) "false and diabolical", and they decided that if she
she was wearing. refused to retract she was to be handed over to the
As regards the official record of the trial, which, so secular arm — which was the same as saying that she
far as the Latin version goes, seems to be preserved was to be burned. Certain formal admonitions, at
entire, we may probably
trust its accuracy in all
that relates to the ques-
tions asked and the an-
swers returned by the
prisoner. These answers
are in every way favour-
able to Joan. Her simplic-
ity, piety, and good sense
appear at every turn, de-
spite the attempts of the
judges to confuse her.
They pressed her regard-
ing her visions, but upon
many points she refused
Standard of Joan of Arc
first private, and then
public, were administered
to the poor victim (18
April and 2 May), but she
refused to make any sub-
mission which the judges
could have considered
satisfactory. On 9 May
she was threatened with
torture, but she still held
firm. Meanwhile, the
twelve propositions were
submitted to the Univer-
sity of Paris, which, being
extravagantly English in
to answer. Her attitude was always fearless, and, sympathy,denouncedtheMaidin violent terms. Strong
upon 1 March, Joan boldly announced that "within in this approval, the judges, forty-seven in ninnber,
seven years' space the English would have to forfeit a held a final deliberation, and forty-two reaffirmed that
bigger prize than Orleans". In point of fact Paris Joan ought to be declared heretical and handed over
was lost to Henry VI on 12 Nov., 1437 — six years and to the civil power, if she still refused to retract. An-
eight months afterwards. It was probably because other admonition followed in the prison on 22 May,
the Maid's answers perceptibly won sympathizers for but Joan remained unshaken. The next day a stake
her in a large assembly that Cauchon decided to con- was erected in the cemetery of St-Ouen, and in the
duct the rest of the enquiry
before a small committee of
judges in the prison itself.
We may remark that the
only matter in which any
charge of prevarication can
be reasonably urged against
Joan's replies occurs espe-
cially in this stage of the
enquiry. Joan, pressed about
the secret sign given to the
king, declared that an angel
ijrought him a golden crowti,
l:>ut on further questioning
she seems to have grown con-
fused and to have contra-
dicted herself. Most author-
ities (like, e.g., M. Petit de
Julleville and Mr. Andrew
Lang) are agreed that she
was trying to guard the
king's secret behind an alle-
gory, she herself being the
angel; but others — for in-
stance P. Ayroles and Canon
Dunand — insinuate that the
accuracy of the procis-verbal
cannot be trusted. On an-
other point she was preju-
diced by her lack of educa-
tion. The judges asked her
to submit her.self to "the
Church Militant". Joan
clearly did not understand
STRlAN Statue of Joan of Arc
Place du Martroi, Orleans
Denis Foyatier, 1855
presence of a great crowd
she was solemnly admon-
ished for the last time. After
a courageous protest against
the preacher's insulting re-
flections on her king, Charles
MI, the accessories of the
scene seem at last to have
worked upon mind and body
worn out by so many strug-
gles. Her courage for once
failed her. She consented to
sign some sort of retractation,
luit what the precise terms
of that retractation were will
never be known. In the of-
ficial record of the process a
form of retractation is in-
serted which is most humili-
ating in every particular. It
is a long document which
would have taken half an
hour to read. What was
read aloud to Joan and was
signed by her must have been
something quite different,
for fi\-e witnesses at the re-
habilitation trial, including
Jean Massieu, the official who
had himself read it aloud,
declared that it was only a
matter of a few lines. Even
so, the poor victim did not
sign unconditionally, but
the phrase and, though willing and anxious to appeal plainly declared that she only retracted iii so far as it
to the pope, grew puzzled and confu.sed. It was was God's will. However, in virtue of this concession,
as.serted later that Joan's reluctance to pledge her-self Joan was not then burned, but conducted back to
simple acceptance of the Church's decisions was prison.
hie to some insidious advice treachcrou.sly imparted
to her to work her ruin. But the accounts of this
alU'fji'd perfidy are contradictory aixl improbable.
The cxariiinalions terminated on 17 March. Sev- enty pni|iiisiticiiis were tlicii dniwii up, forming a very disorderly and unfair presentment of Joan's "crimes '
The English and Burgundians were fiu-ious, but
Cauchon, it seems, placated them by saying, "We
shall have her yet." Undoubtedly her position
wotild now, in case of a relapse, lie worse than
before, for no second retractation could save her
from the flames. Moreover, as one of the points
but, after she had Ix'en permitted to hear and reply to upon which she had been condemned was the wear-
