respecting the child restored to life at Lagny before the image of the Holy Virgin ;-the particulars of which have been previously detailed. In reply to this, Jeanne stated, that the event in question was wholly ascribable to divine mercy, in answer to the prayers offered up in its behalf.

After the sixth interrogatory the bishop of Beauvais gave notice that he should not in future convoke all the assessors, but follow up the proceedings in presence only of a small number, chosen from among them, who should select from the avowals of the accused those that were essential for her judgment. The crafty prelate was well aware that by adopting this plan he should obtain a council subservient to his wishes, and thus prevent any courageous individual from suggesting to the prisoner hints which might be serviceable for her defence. This method also enabled him ultimately, as M. Laverdy very justly observes, to lead those

* The critic Luchet says we must regard as idle tales both the pretended resurrection of the child at Lagny, and the poisoned ragout of carp which the bishop of Beauvais is supposed to have sent to Jeanne d'Arc. It is not stated that the infant was dead, but merely en détresse et maladif—in distress and sick. The crime attributed to Pierre Cauchon has no other foundation of credibility than that Jeanne happened to be troubled with indigestion after partaking of the ragout. Are these to be considered as proofs ? And since the question is concerning the interference of celestial agency, is it possible to adduce too much testimony?—Page 97.

into error who discontinued their attendance at the sittings an opinion which the sequel will abundantly confirm.

All these interrogatories took place in Jeanne's own chamber. During the seventh, which occurred on Saturday the 10th of March, it was demanded of the prisoner, whether she possessed any property besides the horses which the king had presented to her? To which she answered, "Je ne demandais rien à mon roi; fort bonnes armées et bons chevaux, et de l'argent à payer les gens de mon hostel: I required nothing for myself of my king but very good arms, good horses, and money to pay the people of my hotel." Concerning her capture La Pucelle said, that the event took place on the other side of the bridge of Compiegne; whereby she inferred that she could not be amenable to the bishop of Beauvais. This, however, produced no effect on that ecclesiastic from the moment that he had resolved to act as the judge of La Pucelle. The prisoner was interrogated at considerable length respecting the sign she had given the king in confirmation of her holy mission; but the more anxious her judges seemed to ascertain that fact, the more resolutely she persisted in keeping the secret inviolate.*

"The last seven sittings," says M. Luchet, were spent in varying the questions previously proposed, for the purpose of making Jeanne utter contradictions. We do not think it necessary to copy the replies: let the reader judge from those

The eighth and ninth interrogatories took place on the morning and evening of Monday, the 12th

already cited, whether Jeanne d'Arc was an heretic, as the English pretended; if a philosopher, according to the statements of three historians of Orleans; a wit, as attested by Lenglet; or whether she was noble and naïve, according to a recent writer.

"It appears to us, that this girl was born with weak understanding, that she was devout from childhood, that her zeal was of a ludicrous nature, instigated by her imagination or by some fanatic priests. Very little is required to awaken the most extravagant projects in a brain affected by enthusiasm; the mere perusal of a tale is in itself sufficient. If the dangerous recitals wherewith romances abound; if the exploits of a Bayard have frequently sufficed to melt the hearts of those who perused them, or to rouse heroic sentiments in the bosoms of impetuous youth; why should not the bold details of the lives of saints infuse a desire to become their imitators in ill-regugulated imaginations? The soul is susceptible of every impression which has any reference to the marvellous.

"Is it absurd to state that the wandering missionaries who go about planting the crucifix, and affrighting mankind into confession, render all those more sinful whom they do not convert into saints, than the perusal of the histories of Judith, Sarah, &c. which produce similar effects? What was required to convert the youthful Jeanne d'Arc into a subject of inspiration? Merely one of the circumstances above alluded to. People are accustomed in the provinces to devote a part of the evening to perusing the Bible. This may be pernicious to the people. Let the learned and wise doctors produce edifying lessons for our souls from such profound mysteries, and conceal those traits that are calculated to scandalize the uninformed; in such case the perusal will teach our souls to imbibe the spirit that inspired them;

of March. In the course of the former Jeanne was examined respecting the young man who was desi

but the sacred allegories, wherewith the Holy Ghost has enveloped truth, should be interdicted to all such as are not formed to be enlightened.

"Let us imagine for a moment that Jeanne d'Arc was accustomed to this Christian habit. Is it absurd to conceive that the conduct of the Jews, who repaired, by order of the Omnipotent, to cut the throats of the wicked, should have awakened in the mind of the young devotee a desire of going forth to combat the enemies of her country, whose victorious career was incessantly detailed in her presence? And having manifested such a disposition for heroism, why may not a Baudricourt, or some other, have yielded her assistance?

"I am well aware that this conjecture is unsupported by proofs; but has it been proved that Saint Michael appeared to her in the guise and form ' d'un très vrai prud' homme― of a truly handsome man?' It is a fact that Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret descended from heaven, arrayed in garments of white and gold, and ordered her to repair in person to raise the siege of Orleans.

"After fifteen sittings, during which between five and six hundred questions were proposed, the judges assembled, on the twelfth of May, to decide whether Jeanne should be subjected to the question. The tribunal consisted of thirteen judges, eleven of whom found her depositions sufficiently clear to condemn her, while the remaining two concluded, that she ought to be subjected to the torture, as a medicine for her soul, and to subject her to the church militant.

"From the prisoner's interrogatory, sixty propositions were framed, denominated as crimes, twelve of which were selected and forwarded to the University of Paris. Concerning these, we

rous of marrying her at Neufchateau in Lorraine. On this subject very unreasonable questions were put to the accused, and it was stated that she had summoned the youth to compel him to espouse her; but the contrary proved to be the fact, as the young man was rejected by Jeanne after he had summoned her before the magistrate of Toul. Besides this, La Pucelle stated that she had consecrated her virginity to Heaven so long as it should please the Lord to preserve it to her.

It was not until the ninth sitting that Jean Le Maître, who had previously assisted at the process only in quality of an assessor, produced the credentials of his commission as inquisitor-general of France, and in that character officiated as a judge upon the trial. He then superintended the proceedings, and on the same day gave the commission of proctor, and that of the issuer of mandates, to those who had been previously chosen by the bishop of Beauvais. He also nominated persons to guard the prisoner in the name of the holy inquisition.

The eleventh and twelfth sittings took place on the same day, being Wednesday the 14th of March. Upon this occasion Jeanne spoke very boldly con

shall, in the sequel, subjoin our reflections. There is far greater cause to pity than to blame an unfortunate creature, the victim of a culpable inclination; but what expressions will suffice to depict the horror we experience on beholding so many iniquitous and cruel judges?"—Luchet, pp. 98-102.