Tuesday,
February 27th, in the same place. The Bishop and 54 Assessors present.
In
their presence, We required the said Jeanne to swear to tell the truth on
everything touching her Trial.
“Willingly
will I swear,” she answered, “to tell the truth on everything touching the
trial, but not all that I know.”
We
required her again to speak the truth on all which should be asked of her.
“You
ought to be satisfied,” she answered. “I have sworn enough.”
Then,
by Our order, Maître Beaupère began to question her. And first he inquired of
her, how she had been since the Saturday before?
“You
can see for yourself how I am. I am as well as can be.”
“Do
you fast every day this Lent?”
“Is
that in the Case? Well, yes! I have fasted every day during this Lent.”
“Have
you heard your Voices since Saturday?”
“Yes,
truly, many times.”
“Did
you hear them on Saturday in this hall, where you were being examined?”
“That
is not in your Case. Very well, then – yes! I did hear them.”
“What
did your Voice say to you last Saturday?”
“I
did not quite understand it; and up to the moment when I returned to my room, I
heard nothing that I may repeat to you.”
“What
did it say to you in your room, on your return?”
“It
said to me, ‘Answer them boldly.’ I take counsel with my Voice about what you
ask me. I will tell willingly whatever I shall have permission from God to
reveal: as to the revelations concerning the King of France, I will not tell
them without the permission of my Voice.”
“Has
your Voice forbidden you to tell everything?”
“I
did not quite understand it.”
“What
did your Voice last say to you?”
“I
asked counsel about certain things that you had asked me.”
“Did
it give you counsel?”
“On
some points, yes; on others you may ask me for an answer that I shall not give,
not having had leave. For, if I answered without leave, I should no longer have
my Voices as warrant. When I have permission from Our Savior, I shall not fear
to speak, because I shall have warrant.”
“This
Voice that speaks to you, is it that of an Angel, or of a Saint, or from God
direct?”
“It
is the Voice of Saint Catherine and of Saint Margaret. Their faces are adorned
with beautiful crowns, very rich and precious. To tell you this I have leave
from Our Lord. If you doubt this, send to Poitiers, where I was examined
before.”
“How
do you know if these were the two Saints?”
“How
do you distinguish one from the other?”
“I
know quite well it is they; and I can easily distinguish one from the other.”
”
How do you distinguish them?”
”
By the greeting they give me. It is seven years now since they have undertaken
to guide me. I know them well because they were named to me.”
“Are
these two Saints dressed in the same stuff?”
“I
will tell you no more just now; I have not permission to reveal it. If you do
not believe me, go to Poitiers. There are some revelations which come to the
King of France, and not to you, who are questioning me.”
“Are
they of the same age?”
“I
have not leave to say.”
“Do
they speak at the same time, or one after the other?”
“I
have not leave to say; nevertheless, I have always had counsel from them both.”
”
Which of them appeared to you first?”
“I
did not distinguish them at first. I knew well enough once, but I have
forgotten. If I had leave, I would tell you willingly : it is written in the
Register at Poitiers. (This Examination at Poitiers had taken place in the
Chapel attached to the Palace of the Counts of Poitou, which still exists and
adjoins the ‘Salle des Pas Perdus,’ now the Great Hall of the Palais de
Justice. It was conducted under the direction of the Archbishop of Reims during
the months of March and April, 1429. At the conclusion, the assembly sent a
resolution to the King to the effect that he should follow the Maid’s guidance,
and seek for the sign she promised him in the relief of Orleans, as a proof of
the Divine origin of her mission. Unfortunately, no trace of this Examination
has been found: the ‘Book of Poitiers’ is referred to several times in the
Trial ; but it was not forth coming at the time of the Rehabilitation. It was
probably lost or destroyed by Jeanne’s enemies among her own party.)
“I
have also received comfort from Saint Michael.”
“Which
of these two appearances came to you first?”
“Saint
Michael.”
“Is
it a long time since you first heard the voice of Saint Michael?”
“I
did not say anything to you about the voice of Saint Michael; I say I have had
great comfort from him.”
“What
was the first Voice that came to you when you were about thirteen?”
“It
was Saint Michael: I saw him before my eyes; he was not alone, but quite
surrounded by the Angels of Heaven. I came into France only by the order of
God.”
“Did
you see Saint Michael and these Angels bodily and in reality?”
“I
saw them with my bodily eyes as well as I see you; when they went from me, I
wept. I should have liked to be taken away with them.”
“And
what was Saint Michael like?”
“You
will have no more answer from me; and I am not yet free to tell you.”
“What
did Saint Michael say to you this first time?”
“You
will have no more answer about it from me today. My Voices said to me, ‘Reply
boldly.’ Once I told the King all that had been revealed to me, because it
concerned him ; but I am no longer free to reveal to you all that Saint Michael
said to me.”
[To
Maître Beaupère:] “I wish you could get a copy of this book at Poitiers, if it
please God.”
“Have
your Voices forbidden you to make known your revelations without leave from
them?”
“I
will answer you no more about it. On all that I have leave, I will answer
willingly. I have not quite understood if my Voices have forbidden me to
answer.”
“What
sign do you give that you have this revelation from God, and that it is Saint
Catherine and Saint Margaret that talk with you?”
“I
have told you that it is they ; believe me if you will.”
“Are
you forbidden to say?”
“I
have not quite understood if this is forbidden or not.”
“How
can you make sure of distinguishing such things as you are free to tell, from
those which are forbidden?”
“On
some points I have asked leave, and on others I have obtained it. I would
rather have been torn asunder by four horses than have come into France without
God’s leave.”
“Was
it God who prescribed to you the dress of a man?”
“What
concerns this dress is a small thing – less than nothing. I did not take it by
the advice of any man in the world. I did not take this dress or do anything
but by the command of Our Lord and of the Angels.”
“Did
it appear to you that this command to take man’s dress was lawful?”
“All
I have done is by Our Lord’s command. If I had been told to take some other, I
should have done it; because it would have been His command.”
“Did
you not take this garment by order of Robert de Baudricourt?”
“No.”
“Do
you think it was well to take a man’s dress?”
“All
that I have done by the order of Our Lord I think has been well done; I look
for good surety and good help in it.”
“In
this particular case, this taking of man’s dress, do you think you did well?”
“I
have done nothing in the world but by the order of God.”
“When
you saw this Voice coming to you, was there a light?”
“There
was plenty of light everywhere, as was seemly.”
[Addressing
herself to Maître Beaupère:] “It does not all come to you!”
“Was
there an angel over the head of your King when you saw him for the first time?”
“By
Our Lady! if there were, I know nothing of it; I did not see it.”
“Was
there a light?”
“There
were more than three hundred Knights and more than fifty torches, without
counting the spiritual light.”
“Why
was your King able to put faith in your words?”
“He
had good signs, and the clergy bore me witness.”
“What
revelations has your King had?”
“You
will not have them from me this year. During three weeks I was questioned by
the clergy at Chinon and at Poitiers. Before he was willing to believe me, the
King had a sign of my mission ; and the clergy of my party were of opinion that
there was nothing but good in my mission.”
“Have
you been to Saint Catherine de Fierbois?”
“Yes,
and I heard there three Masses in one day. Afterwards, I went to the Castle of
Chinon, whence I sent letters to the King, to know if I should be allowed to
see him; saying, that I had traveled a hundred and fifty leagues to come to his
help, and that I knew many things good for him. I think I remember there was in
my letter the remark that I should recognize him among all others. I had a
sword I had taken at Vaucouleurs. Whilst I was at Tours, or at Chinon, I sent
to seek for a sword which was in the Church of Saint Catherine de Fierbois,
behind the altar; it was found there at once; the sword was in the ground, and
rusty; upon it were five crosses; I knew by my Voice where it was. I had never
seen the man who went to seek for it. I wrote to the Priests of the place, that
it might please them to let me have this sword, and they sent it to me. It was
under the earth, not very deeply buried, behind the altar, so it seemed to me:
I do not know exactly if it were before or behind the altar, but I believe I wrote
saying that it was at the back. As soon as it was found, the Priests of the
Church rubbed it, and the rust fell off at once without effort. It was an
armorer of Tours who went to look for it. The Priests of Fierbois made me a
present of a scabbard; those of Tours, of another; one was of crimson velvet,
the other of cloth-of-gold. I had a third made of leather, very strong. When I
was taken prisoner I had not got this sword. I always bore the sword of
Fierbois from the time I had it up to my departure from Saint-Denis, after the
attack on Paris.” (On September 13th, 1429.)
“What
blessing did you invoke, or have invoked, on this sword?”
“I
neither blessed it, nor had it blessed : I should not have known how to set
about it. I cared very much for this sword, because it had been found in the
Church of Saint Catherine, whom I love so much.”
“Have
you been at Coulange-les-Vineuses?”
“I
do not know.”
“Have
you sometimes placed your sword upon an altar; and, in so placing it, was it
that your sword might be more fortunate?”
“Not
that I know of.”
“Have
you sometimes prayed that it might be more fortunate?”
“It
is good to know that I wished my armor might have good fortune!”
“Had
you your sword when you were taken prisoner?”
“No,
I had one which had been taken on a Burgundian.”
“Where
was the sword of Fierbois left?”
“I
offered at Saint-Denis a sword and armor; it was not this sword. I had that at
Lagny; from Lagny to Compiegne, I bore the sword of this Burgundian; it was a
good sword for fighting – very good for giving stout buffets and hard clouts.
To tell what became of the other sword does not concern this Case, and I will
not answer about it now. My brothers have all my goods – my horses,(6)….(Jeanne
appears to have been a good horse-woman; she rode “horses so ill-tempered that
no one would dare to ride them.” The Duke de Lorraine, on her first visit to
him, and the Duke d’Alencon, after seeing her skill in riding a course, each
gave her a horse; and we read also of a gift of a war-horse from the town of
Orleans, and “many horses of value” sent from the Duke of Brittany. She had
entered Orleans on a white horse, according to the Journal du Siege d’Orleans;
but seems to have been in the habit of riding black chargers in war; and
mention is also made by Chatelain of a “lyart” or gray. A story, repeated in a
letter from Guy de Laval, relates that, on one occasion (June 6th, 1428), when
her horse,” a fine black war-horse” was brought to the door, he was so restive
that he would not stand still. “Take him to the Cross,” she said; and there he
stood, “as though he were tied,” while she mounted. This was at Selles; and
local tradition says that, from her lodging (a Dominican Monastery now the Lion
d’Or hotel) the old iron town-cross was visible. It stood until about a century
ago some fifteen paces in front of the north door of the Church, and was
removed when the cemetery was converted into a market place. The Monastery was
the property of the monks of Glatigny.) my sword, so far as I know,
and the rest, which are worth more than twelve thousand crowns.”
“When
you were at Orleans, had you a standard, or banner and of what color was it?”
“I
had a banner of which the field was sprinkled with lilies; the world was
painted there, with an angel at each side; it was white, of the white cloth
called ‘boccassin’ ; there was written above, I believe, ‘Jhesus Maria’ ; it
was fringed with silk.”
“The
words ‘Jhesus Maria’ were they written above, below, or on the side?”
“At
the side, I believe.”
“Which
did you care for most, your banner or your sword?”
“Better,
forty times better, my banner than my sword!”
“Who
made you get this painting done upon your banner?”
“I
have told you often enough, that I had nothing done but by the command of God.
It was I, myself who bore this banner, when I attacked the enemy, to save
killing any one, for I have never killed any one.”
“What
force did your King give you when he set you to work?”
“He
gave me ten or twelve thousand men. First, I went to Orleans, to the fortress
of Saint Loup, and afterwards to that of the Bridge.”
“Which
fortress was being attacked when you made your men retire?”
“I
do not remember. I was quite certain of raising the siege of Orleans; I had
revelation of it. I told this to the King before going there.”
“Before
the assault, did you not tell your followers that you alone would receive the
arrows, cross-bolts, and stones, thrown by the machines and cannons ?”
“No;
a hundred and even more of my people were wounded. I had said to them: ‘Be
fearless, and you will raise the siege.’ Then, in the attack on the Bridge
fortress, I was wounded in the neck by an arrow or cross-bolt; (May 7th,
1429.) but I had great comfort from Saint Catherine, and was cured in
less than a fortnight. I did not interrupt for this either my riding or work. I
knew quite well that I should be wounded; I had told the King so, but that,
notwithstanding, I should go on with my work. This had been revealed to me by
the Voices of my two Saints, the blessed Catherine and the blessed Margaret. It
was I who first planted a ladder against the fortress of the Bridge, and it was
in raising this ladder that I was wounded in the neck by this cross-bolt.”
“Why
did you not accept the treaty with the Captain of Jargeau?”(June 11th,
1429.)
“It
was the Lords of my party who answered the English that they should not have
the fortnight’s delay which they asked, telling them that they were to retire
at once, they and their horses. As for me, I told them of Jargeau to retire if
they wished, with their doublets, and their lives safe; if not, they would be
taken by assault.”
“Had
you any revelation from your counsel, that is to say from your Voices, to know
whether it was right or not to give this fortnight’s respite?”
“I
do not remember.”
At
this point, the rest of the inquiry had been postponed to another day. We have
fixed for Thursday the next Meeting, at the same place.
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