the complaints universally made throughout his diocess against the. condemnation of Jeanne d'Arc, judged it expedient, in summoning an inquisitor, to proceed of himself, in quality of the pope's legate, to seek official information, and five witnesses were accordingly examined; namely, Guillaume Manchon, one of the notaries employed during the process of condemnation; Pierre Miger, Isambart de Lapierre, Pierre Cusquet, and Martin L'Advenu, assessors. Being soon after compelled to repair to Rome, cardinal d'Estouteville deputed his grand vicar, conjointly with the inquisitor of the faith, who had been present at the first hearing, to proceed with the inquiry. Upon this occasion seventeen witnesses, selected principally from amongst those who had been engaged in the previous proceedings, were examined upon twenty-seven articles.

Charles VII., finding that every step he had taken was productive of no effective result, and that according to the forms then adopted each attempt only gave rise to fresh and insurmountable impediments, at length made application to the court of Rome. The English, however, then possessed great influence with the papal see, and it appeared quite as probable that this last expedient would fail as the former. Thus circumstanced, Charles determined that the relatives of Jeanne d'Arc should present themselves and make an appeal in their own names. Jacques d'Arc, father of La Pucelle, and

Jacquemin, her brother, were no longer in existence, having died of grief on hearing of the cruel and unjust manner in which the brave girl had been put to death; but the mother of Jeanne and two of her brothers were still living. At length the demise of the pope, and the consequent election of a successor, seemed to present a more auspicious opportunity for the intended application; and the public testimonies of cardinal d'Estouteville, aided by the secret negotiation of the French king, obtained a favourable reception for the appeal of the relatives of La Pucelle. In 1455, Calixtus III., who had recently been elected to the pontificate, granted the apostolical letters requested, by virtue of which he appointed a tribunal to revise the process of condemnation of Jeanne d'Arc. The papal brevet was dated the 3d of the ides of June, 1455, whereby the archbishop of Rheims, the bishop of Paris, the bishop of Coutances, and Jean Brehal, inquisitor, were charged to hear all the evidence that should be produced on either part, and then to decide thereupon, according to the dictates of justice.

It was ordained by the brevet, that the relatives of Jeanne d'Arc should be heard apart from the other witnesses ;and a public audience was appointed for that purpose on the 17th of November, 1455, in the archiepiscopal palace at Paris; when, bathed in tears, the disconsolate mother, Isabella Romée, with her two surviving sons, presented herself to the

court. The deepest sorrow was depicted on the countenances of this interesting group, foremost of whom was Isabella, bearing a paper in her hand, followed by her confessor, with several doctors, and other persons, who came to attest the nullity and injustice of the condemnatory process. This long and mournful procession produced a sentiment of commiseration throughout the assembly. Isabella having entered, after performing the humblest reverence and giving vent to audible groans, proceeded to make known her humble supplications, stating:

"That Jeanne d'Arc was her daughter; that she had reared her in the fear of God and the traditions of the church, according to her age and rank in life, which compelled her to be in the meadows and fields; that her daughter had frequented the church, confessed and received the sacrament every month, and uniformly fasted on the days prescribed by the church.

"That she had never thought or meditated any thing contrary to the faith, but that, notwithstanding this, her enemies, in contempt of the prince under whom she lived, had instituted a process against her in matters of faith.

That, without any lawful authority, they paid no attention to her exceptions in law, or appeals tacit or expressed.

"That they falsely imputed to her views destructive of the soul.

"That they subjected her to irreparable infamy for herself and her family."

Isabella, nearly overcome by excess of anguish, having with difficulty given utterance to these sentences, her counsel proceeded to read aloud the petition presented by herself and her two sons.

On the conclusion of this document, the judges, causing the crowd to make way, proceeded to another chamber, to which Isabella was conducted, and examined as to what concerned her person, and on such other topics as were deemed expedient. Having then returned into the audience chamber, they caused the brevet of Calixtus III. to be read aloud, giving the applicants to understand that there was little probability of succeeding in an affair that presented so many difficulties: but the appellants still persisting in their claim, the judges declared that they would not refuse to fulfil their duties according to their consciences, and conformably to the brevet of his holiness the pope. On the same day were issued two ordinances; the first citing all such as had any knowledge of the process to appear at Rouen on the 12th of December; the second citing Guillaume Hellande, the then bishop of Beauvais, and the representatives of Pierre Cauchon, of the vice-inquisitor Jean Lemaître, of the proctor Estivet,

or of those having to show cause.

No intelligence

could be gained of the vice-inquisitor, or of the heirs of Estivet; but those of Pierre Cauchon were found, and summoned accordingly.

The process of revisal having been undertaken at the request of private individuals, the depositions made were only considered as answers to inquiries. Every person was summoned to give evidence who could be supposed to have any knowledge of facts connected with the case; and at the same time the minutest investigations were made in Jeanne's native country, amongst those who were likely to be best acquainted with her private character. Guillaume Manchon was the first witness who appeared: he laid before the court the minutes of the process of condemnation in French and Latin. The curates of Moncel and Domremy, Durand Laxart, uncle of La Pucelle, who had conducted her to the Lord de Baudricourt, Jean de Novelompont surnamed of Metz, and Bertrand Poulengie, who had accompanied Jeanne d'Arc in her journey from Vaucouleurs to Chinon, were also examined in the course of this inquiry. We also find recorded the names of Beatrice Félicité, widow Thiesselin, godmother of La Pucelle, aged eighty, and that of Jeanne, widow Thiesselin de Vitel, sixty years old. The name of Thiesselin is still legible on two monumental effigies in the church of Domremy, which are found in the chapel to the left of the choir; these effigies repre