The Life of Joan of Arc Part 105

Maitre Jean de la Fontaine then put her a subtle question and one as nearly approaching humour as was permissible in an ecclesiastical trial.

"Did Saint Denys ever appear to you?"[2344]

[Footnote 2344: _Ibid._]

Saint Denys, patron of the most Christian kings, Saint Denys, the war cry of France, had allowed the English to take his abbey, that rich church, to which queens came to receive their crowns, and wherein kings had their burying. He had turned English and Burgundian, and it was not likely he would come to hold converse with the Maid of the Armagnacs.

To the question: "Were you addressing G.o.d himself when you promised to remain a virgin?" she replied:

"It sufficed to give the promise to the messengers of G.o.d, to wit, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret."[2345]

[Footnote 2345: _Ibid._]

They had sought to entrap her, for a vow must be made directly to G.o.d.

However, it might be argued, that it is lawful to promise a good thing to an angel or to a man; and that this good thing, thus promised, may form the substance of a vow. One vows to G.o.d what one has promised to the saints. Pierre of Tarentaise (iv, dist: xxviii, a. 1) teaches that all vows should be made to G.o.d: either to himself directly or through the mediation of his saints.[2346]

[Footnote 2346: Lanery d'Arc, _Memoires et consultations_, pp. 224, 434, 435. Le P. Ayroles, _La vraie Jeanne d'Arc_, vol. i, pp. 351 _et seq._, 481 _et seq._]

According to a statement made during the inquiry, Jeanne had given a promise of marriage to a young peasant. Now the examiner endeavoured to prove that she had been at liberty to break her vow of virginity made in an irregular form; but Jeanne maintained that she had not promised marriage, and she added:

"The first time I heard my Voices, I vowed to remain a virgin as long as it should please G.o.d."

But this time it was Saint Michael and not the saints who had appeared to her.[2347] She herself found it difficult to unravel the tangled web of her dreams and her ecstasies. And from these vague visions of a child the doctors were laboriously essaying to elaborate a capital charge.

[Footnote 2347: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 128.]

Then a very grave and serious question was asked her by the examiner: "Did you speak to your priest or to any other churchman of those visions which you say were vouchsafed to you?"

"No, I spoke of them only to Robert de Baudricourt and to my King."[2348]

[Footnote 2348: _Ibid._]

The vavasour of Champagne, a man of mature years and sound sense, when in the days of King John, he, like the Maid, had heard a Voice in the fields bidding him go to his King, went straightway and told his priest. The latter commanded him to fast for three days, to do penance, and then to return to the field where the Voice had spoken to him.

The vavasour obeyed. Again the Voice was heard repeating the command it had previously given. The peasant again told his priest, who said to him: "My brother, thou and I will abstain and fast for three days, and I will pray for thee to Our Lord Jesus Christ." This they did, and on the fourth day the good man returned to the field. After the Voice had spoken for the third time, the priest enjoined his parishioner to go forthwith and fulfil his mission, since such was the will of G.o.d.[2349]

[Footnote 2349: _Chronique des quatre premiers Valois_, p. 47.]

There is no doubt that, according to all appearances, this vavasour had acted with greater wisdom than La Romee's daughter. By concealing her visions from the priest the latter had slighted the authority of the Church Militant. Still there might be urged in her defence the words of the Apostle Paul, that where the spirit of G.o.d is there is liberty.[2350] If ye be led of the Spirit ye are not under the law.[2351] Was she a heretic or was she a saint? Therein lay the whole trial.

[Footnote 2350: II Corinthians, iv.]

[Footnote 2351: Galatians v, 18. Lanery d'Arc, _Memoires et consultations_, p. 275.]

Then came this remarkable question: "Have you received letters from Saint Michael or from your Voices?"

She replied: "I have not permission to tell you; but in a week I will willingly say all I know."[2352]

[Footnote 2352: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 130.]

Such was her manner of speaking when there was something she wanted to conceal but not to deny. The question must have been embarra.s.sing therefore. Moreover, these interrogatories were based on a good store of facts either true or false; and in the questions addressed to the Maid we may generally discern a certain antic.i.p.ation of her replies.

What were those letters from Saint Michael and her other saints, the existence of which she did not deny, but which were never produced by her judges? Did certain of her party send them in the hope that she would carry out their intentions, while under the impression that she was obeying divine commands?

Without insisting further for the present, the examiner pa.s.sed on to another grievance:

"Have not your Voices called you _daughter of G.o.d_, _daughter of the Church_, _great-hearted damsel_?"

"Before the siege of Orleans and since, every day when they speak to me, many times have they called me _Jeanne the Maid, daughter of G.o.d_."[2353]

[Footnote 2353: _Trial_, vol. i, pp. 130, 131.]

The examination was suspended and resumed in the afternoon.

Maitre Jean de la Fontaine questioned Jeanne concerning a dream of her father, of which the judges had been informed in the preliminary inquiry.[2354]

[Footnote 2354: _Ibid._, pp. 131, 132.]

Sad it is to reflect that when Jeanne was accused of the sin of having broken G.o.d's commandment, "Thou shalt honour thy father and thy mother," neither her mother nor any of her kin asked to be heard as witnesses. And yet there were churchmen in her family;[2355] but a trial on a question of faith struck terror into all hearts.

[Footnote 2355: _Ibid._, vol. v, p. 252. E. de Bouteiller and G. de Braux, _Nouvelles recherches sur la famille de Jeanne d'Arc_, pp. 14, 15. S. Luce, _Jeanne d'Arc a Domremy_, pp. xlvi _et seq._]

Again her man's dress was reverted to, and not for the last time.[2356]

We marvel at the profound meditations into which the Maid's doublet and hose plunged these clerics. They contemplated them with gloomy terror and in the light of the precepts of Deuteronomy.

[Footnote 2356: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 133.]

Thereafter they questioned her touching the Duke of Orleans. Their object was to show from her own replies that her Voices had deceived her when they promised the prisoner's deliverance. Here they easily succeeded. Then she pleaded that she had not had sufficient time.

"Had I continued for three years without let or hindrance I should have delivered him."

In her revelations there had been mentioned a term shorter than three years and longer than one.[2357]

[Footnote 2357: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 134.]

Questioned again touching the sign vouchsafed to her King, she replied that she would take counsel with Saint Catherine.

On the morrow, Tuesday, the 13th of March, the Bishop and the Vice-Inquisitor went to her prison. For the first time the Vice-Inquisitor opened his mouth:[2358] "Have you promised and sworn to Saint Catherine that you will not tell this sign?"

[Footnote 2358: _Ibid._, pp. 134, 138.]

He spoke of the sign given to the King. Jeanne replied:

"I have sworn and I have promised that I will not myself reveal this sign, because I was too urgently pressed to tell it. I vow that never again will I speak of it to living man."[2359]

[Footnote 2359: _Ibid._, p. 139.]

Then she continued forthwith: "The sign was that the Angel a.s.sured my King, when bringing him the crown, that he should have the whole realm of France, with G.o.d's help and my labours, and that he should set me to work. That is to say, he should grant me men-at-arms. Otherwise he would not be so soon crowned and anointed."

"In what manner did the Angel bring the crown? Did he place it on your King's head?"