On January 9, 1431, there opened in Rouen before a church tribunal chaired by Pierre Cauchon, the Bishop of Beauvais. It was a “trial in matters of faith” and one which that would lead Joan of Arc the stake on 30 May of the same year.
As we remember Joan was the fifteen year old divine “mad woman” who inspired the French to repel English invaders. She was captured during the siege of Compiègne in 1430. Her subsequent trial for heresy was the documented fully. Of no other trial in the 15th Century do we have a record as accurate and detailed. It is considered one of the most significant and moving trials ever conducted in human history.
SECOND PUBLIC EXAMINATION
Thursday,
February 22nd, in the Ornament Room at the end of the Great Hall of the Castle
of Rouen.
The
Bishop and 48 Assessors Present.
In
their presence, We showed that Jean Lemaître, Deputy of the Chief Inquisitor,
had been summoned and required by Us to join himself to the present Action,
with Our offer of communicating to him all that had been done hitherto or shall
be done in the future; but that the said Deputy had replied, that, having been
commissioned by the Chief Inquisitor for the City and Diocese of Rouen only,
and the actual Process being deduced by Us in a territory which had been ceded
to Us by the Metropolitan Chapter, by reason of Our Ordinary Jurisdiction as
Bishop of Beauvais, he had thought it right to avoid all nullity and also for
the peace of his own conscience, to refuse to join himself with Us, in the
quality of Judge, until he should receive from the Chief Inquisitor a
Commission and more extended powers: that, nevertheless, he would have no
objection to see the trial continue without interruption.
After
having heard Us make this narration, the said Deputy, being present, declared,
addressing himself to Us, “That which you have just said is true. It has been,
as far as in me lies, and still is, agreeable to me that you should continue
the Trial.”
Then
the said Jeanne was brought before Us.
We
warned and required her, on pain of law, to make oath as she had done the day
before and to swear simply and absolutely to speak truth on all things in
respect of which she should be questioned; to which she answered:
“I
swore yesterday: that should be enough.”
Again
We required her to swear: we said to her, not even a prince, required to swear
in a matter of faith, can refuse.
“I
made oath to you yesterday,” she answered, “that should be quite enough for you:
you overburden me too much!”
Finally
she made oath to speak truth on ‘that which touches the Faith.’
Then
Maitre Jean Beaupère, a well-known Professor of Theology, did, by Our order,
question the said Jeanne. This he did as follows:
“First
of all, I exhort you, as you have so sworn, to tell the truth on what I am
about to ask you.”
“You
may well ask me some things on which I shall tell you the truth and some on
which I shall not tell it you. If you were well informed about me, you would
wish to have me out of your hands. I have done nothing except by revelation.”
“How
old were you when you left your father’s house?”
“On
the subject of my age I cannot vouch.”
“In
your youth, did you learn any trade?”
“Yes,
I learnt to spin and to sew; in sewing and spinning I fear no woman in Rouen.
For dread of the Burgundians, I left my father’s house and went to the town of
Neufchateau, in Lorraine, to the house of a woman named La Rousse, where I
sojourned about fifteen days. When I was at home with my father, I employed
myself with the ordinary cares of the house. I did not go to the fields with
the sheep and the other animals. Every year I confessed myself to my own Cure,
and, when he was prevented, to another Priest with his permission. Sometimes,
also, two or three times, I confessed to the Mendicant Friars; this was at
Neufchateau. At Easter I received the Sacrament of the Eucharist.”
“Have
you received the Sacrament of the Eucharist at any other Feast but Easter?”
“Pass
that by [Passez outré]. I was thirteen when I had a Voice from God for my help
and guidance. The first time that I heard this Voice, I was very much
frightened; it was mid-day, in the summer, in my father’s garden. I had not
fasted the day before. I heard this Voice to my right, towards the Church;
rarely do I hear it without its being accompanied also by a light. This light
comes from the same side as the Voice. Generally it is a great light. Since I
came into France I have often heard this Voice.”
“But
how could you see this light that you speak of, when the light was at the
side?”
To
this question she answered nothing, but went on to something else. ” If I were
in a wood, I could easily hear the Voice which came to me. It seemed to me to
come from lips I should reverence. I believe it was sent me from God. When I
heard it for the third time, I recognized that it was the Voice of an Angel.
This Voice has always guarded me well, and I have always understood it; it
instructed me to be good and to go often to Church; it told me it was necessary
for me to come into France. You ask me under what form this Voice appeared to
me? You will hear no more of it from me this time. It said to me two or three
times a week: ‘You must go into France.’ My father knew nothing of my going.
The Voice said to me: ‘Go into France!’ I could stay no longer. It said to me:
‘Go, raise the siege which is being made before the City of Orleans. Go!’ it
added, ‘to Robert de Baudricourt, Captain of Vaucouleurs: he will furnish you
with an escort to accompany you.’ And I replied that I was but a poor girl, who
knew nothing of riding or fighting. I went to my uncle and said that I wished
to stay near him for a time. I remained there eight days. I said to him, ‘I
must go to Vaucouleurs.’ He took me there. When I arrived, I recognized Robert
de Baudricourt, although I had never seen him. I knew him, thanks to my Voice,
which made me recognize him. I said to Robert, ‘I must go into France!’ Twice
Robert refused to hear me, and repulsed me. The third time, he received me, and
furnished me with men; the Voice had told me it would be thus. The Duke of
Lorraine gave orders that I should be taken to him. I went there. I told him
that I wished to go into France. The Duke asked me questions about his health;
but I said of that I knew nothing. I spoke to him little of my journey. I told
him he was to send his son with me, together with some people to conduct me to
France, and that I would pray to God for his health. I had gone to him with a
safe-conduct: from thence I returned to Vaucouleurs. From Vaucouleurs I
departed, dressed as a man, armed with a sword given me by Robert de
Baudricourt, but without other arms. I had with me a Knight, a Squire, and four
servants, with whom I reached the town of Saint Urbain, where I slept in an
Abbey. On the way, I passed through Auxerre, where I heard Mass in the
principal Church. Thenceforward I often heard my Voices.”
“Who
counseled you to take a man’s dress?”
To
this question she several times refused to answer. “In the end, she said: “With
that I charge no one.”
Many
times she varied in her answers to this question. Then she said:
“Robert
de Baudricourt made those who went with me swear to conduct me well and safely.
‘Go,’ said Robert de Baudricourt to me, ‘Go! and let come what may!’ I know
well that God loves the Duke d’Orleans; I have had more revelations about the
Duke d’Orleans than about any man alive, except my King. It was necessary for
me to change my woman’s garments for a man’s dress. My counsel thereon said
well.
“I
sent a letter to the English before Orleans, to make them leave, as may be seen
in a copy of my letter which has been read to me in this City of Rouen; there are,
nevertheless, two or three words in this copy which were not in my letter.
Thus, ‘Surrender to the Maid,’ should be replaced by ‘Surrender to the King.’
The words, ‘body for body’ and ‘chieftain in war’ were not in my letter at all.
“I
went without hindrance to the King. Having arrived at the village of Saint
Catherine de Fierbois, I sent for the first time to the Castle of Chinon, where
the King was. I got there towards mid-day, and lodged first at an inn. After
dinner, I went to the King, who was at the Castle. When I entered the room
where he was I recognized him among many others by the counsel of my Voice,
which revealed him to me. I told him that I wished to go and make war on the
English.”
“When
the Voice showed you the King, was there any light?”
“Pass
on.”
“Did
you see an Angel over the King?”
“Spare
me. Pass on. Before the King set me to work, he had many apparitions and
beautiful revelations.”
“What
revelations and apparitions had the King?”
“I
will not tell you; it is not yet time to answer you about them; but send to the
King, and he will tell you. The Voice had promised me that, as soon I came to
the King, he would receive me. Those of my party knew well that the Voice had
been sent me from God; they have seen and known this Voice, I am sure of it. My
King and many others have also heard and seen the Voices which came to me:
there were there Charles de Bourbon and two or three others. There is not a day
when I do not hear this Voice; and I have much need of it. But never have I
asked of it any recompense but the salvation of my soul. The Voice told me to
remain at Saint-Denis, in France; I wished to do so, but, against my will, the
Lords made me leave. If I had not been wounded, I should never have left. After
having quitted Saint-Denis, I was wounded in the trenches before Paris; but I
was cured in five days. It is true that I caused an assault to be made before
Paris.”
“Was
it a Festival that day?”
“I
think it was certainly a Festival.”
“Is
it a good thing to make an assault on a Festival?”
“Pass
on.”
And
as it appeared that enough had been done for today, We have postponed the
affair to Saturday next, at 8 o’clock in the morning.
For more readings, try books by Rex Hurst.
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