*

presented God was called the lord Nicolle, baron of Neufchastel in Lorraine, being curate of Saint Victor, of Metz. This same Nicolle would have died when upon the cross, if he had not received help, and agreed that another priest should be fixed to the same, in order to personify the act of the crucifixion. On this and the following day, the said curate of Saint Victor personated the Resurrection, and carried himself right nobly during the said plays. And another priest, named Messire Jean de Nicey, who was chaplain of Metrange, acted the part of Judas, who was also well nigh killed, for his heart failed him, so he was hastily taken down and borne away. And there was displayed the jaws of hell, very well executed, for they opened and closed as the devils wished to go in and come out, and there were two large evix of steel. One of the seven clerks of war, of Metz, named Fourcelle, was master of the said play, and author and original manager of all that was done for this time. A multitude of strange lords and ladies came into the said city of Metz, whose names I have under enumerated.

"First, my lord bishop of Metz, Sire Conrad Bayer. "The count de Vaudemont, lord Baudouin de Fleville, abbé of Gorze.

"The countess of Sallebruche.

"And the council of the duchy of Bar, and of Lorraine ; Mr. Heney d'Encay, and his two brothers, the baron de Saulx, Charles de Leruolles, Henry de la Tour, and many

This same lord Nicolle represented Titus in the mystery of Vengeance.

This word evix does not appear in any glossary of the old French language.

other lords and ladies of Germany, and other countries, whose names are unknown to me.

"And lanterns were caused to be hung in the windows during the whole continuance of the said plays."

The Lords de Saint Severe and de Rays, &c. were, according to ancient custom, despatched by the king to Saint Remy, in order to procure the Saint Ampoulle. Holy oil, or la Sainte Ampoulle, is said to have been a present sent down from heaven to king Clovis, upon his embracing Christianity at the solicitation of his wife Saint Clotilda, and, we are told, was brought from on high in the beak of a dove. One might be led to doubt the veracity of this assertion (says my authority gravely), were it not that all historians attach faith to the relation, and that the continued miracle of this Ampoulle always furnishing a sufficient quantity of unction for the purposes of the coronation of each succeeding monarch, did not attest the singular interposition of Heaven and the puissant effect of Divine Providence. As this prodigy was accorded to France in the time of Saint Remy, archbishop of Rheims, the precious treasure was confided to him and his successors, who were always to perform the ceremony of the coronation.

Page 101.

When the Pucelle saw that the king was consecrated, &c.

Upon the coronation of Charles VII. a contemporary historian states:

"Au dit sacre fut toujours près et presente la dicte Jehanne la Pucelle, tout armée à blanc, et tenant son estandard en le main, et bien y devoit estre, comme celle qui estait principallement cause de l'ordonnance et volunte de Dieu d'icelluy sacre.”

"At the said inauguration was always near and present the said Jeanne la Pucelle, completely armed in polished steel, and holding her standard in her hand, as by good right, she having been the principal cause of the order and will of God concerning the said coronation."

Page 102.

She (Jeanne) thus addressed herself unto him (the king), shedding warm tears.

After the coronation of Charles, Dubreton, at page 282, thus narrates the conduct of Jeanne:

"That done, the Pucelle, whom all the world listened to, looked at and admired, as if an angel spake from God, having in the presence of all the princes knelt down at the king's feet, told him: That she had rendered to him and to his kingdom her first duties; and exhorted him to reign as wisely and as virtuously as he had been legitimately summoned to the crown.'"

Page 104.

I have accomplished all that MESSIRES commanded me.

By this term Messires (sirs or gentlemen) Jeanne implied those saints who had visited her from heaven; being a term which appears very singular to apply to celestial emissaries, at the present period of time.

Page 105. When the duke of Bedford, &c. knew that the king was in the plains in the vicinity of Dampmartin, &c.

Grafton, at pages 538 and 539, when describing the then situation of affairs between the regent duke of Bedford, and Charles VII., gives the ensuing statement, which by no means coincides with the text of the Diary, from whence it should seem that the English were averse to give battle to the French, the direct opposite of which is asserted by our chronicler :

"The duke of Bedford, hearing that these townes had returned to the part of his adversaries, and that Charles, late dolphin, had taken upon him the name and estate of the king of Fraunce, and also seeing that daylie cities and townes returned from the English part, and became French, as though the Englishe men had nowe lost all their hardie. chiefetaynes and valyaunt men of warre, espied and evidently perceived that the last and uttermost point of recovery, was driven onely to overcome by battayle, and to subdue by force. By which victorie (as he put his confidence in God) he trusted not onely to scourge and plague the cities, which were so sodainely chaungeable, but also to asswage and caulme the haute courage of the newe sacred French king and his companions. Wherefore he having together ten thousand good Englishe men (besides Normans), departed out of Paris in warlike fashion, and passed through Brie to Monstrell Faultyow, and there sent by Bedford his herault letters to the French king, alleging to him that he, contrary to the laws of God and

man, yea, and contrary to the final conclusion taken, concorded, and agreed betweene his noble brother king Henry V. and king Charles VI., father to the sayde now usurper, leavyng all humaine reason and honest communication (which sometime appeaseth debates and pacefyeth strifes) onely allured and entysed by a devilish witch, and a fanaticall enchaunteresse, had not onely falsely and craftely taken upon him the name, title, and dignity of the king of France; but also had, by murder, stealing, craft, and deceitfull meanes, violently gotten, and wrongfully kept, divers cities and townes belonging to the king of England, his most best beloved lorde, and most deerest nephew. For proof whereof, he was come downe from Paris with his armie, into the countrie of Brye, by dent of sword, and stroke of battayle, to prove his wryting and cause true, willing his enemie to chose the place, and he in the same would give him battayle.

"The newe French king, departyng from his solempne ceremonies at Reins, and removing from thence to Dampmartine, studiyng howe to compasse the Parisians, either with money, or with promise, was somewhat troubled with this message; howbeit, he made a good countenance and a French bragge, aunswering to the herault, that he would sooner seeke hys master the duke, than that the duke should pursue him. The duke of Bedford, hering his aunswere, marched toward him, and pitched his field in a strong place, and sent out divers of his raungers, to provoke the Frenche men to come forward. The French king was in manner determined to abide the battayle, but when he heard saye by his espialles, that the power and number of the Englishe men were to his army equall in