the King and delivering him a letter; but I caused no such things to
be made.”
“Were not masses and prayers said in your honor?”
“If it was done it was not by my command. But if any prayed for
me I think it was no harm.”
“Did the French people believe you were sent of God?”
“As to that, I know not; but whether they believed it or not, I was
not the less sent of God.”
“If they thought you were sent of God, do you think it was well
thought?”
“If they believed it, their trust was not abused.”
“What impulse was it, think you, that moved the people to kiss
your hands, your feet, and your vestments?”
“They were glad to see me, and so they did those things; and I
could not have prevented them if I had had the heart. Those poor
people came lovingly to me because I had not done them any hurt,
but had done the best I could for them according to my strength.”
See what modest little words she uses to describe that touching
specatcle, her marches about France walled in on both sides by the
adoring multitudes: “They were glad to see me.” Glad?
Why they were transported with joy to see her. When they could
not kiss her hands or her feet, they knelt in the mire and kissed the
hoof-prints of her horse. They worshiped her; and that is what
these priests were trying to prove. It was nothing to them that she
was not to blame for what other people did. No, if she was
worshiped, it was enough; she was guilty of mortal sin.
Curious logic, one must say.
“Did you not stand sponsor for some children baptized at Rheims?”
“At Troyes I did, and at St. Denis; and I named the boys Charles, in
honor of the King, and the girls I named Joan.”
“Did not women touch their rings to those which you wore?”
“Yes, many did, but I did not know their reason for it.”
“At Rheims was your Standard carried into the church? Did you
stand at the altar with it in your hand at the Coronation?”
“Yes.”
“In passing through the country did you confess yourself in the
Churches and receive the sacrament?”
“Yes.”
“In the dress of a man?”
“Yes. But I do not remember that I was in armor.”
It was almost a concession! almost a half-surrender of the
permission granted her by the Church at Poitiers to dress as a man.
The wily court shifted to another matter: to pursue this one at this
time might call Joan’s attention to her small mistake, and by her
native cleverness she might recover her lost ground. The
tempestuous session had worn her and drowsed her alertness.
“It is reported that you brought a dead child to life in the church at
Lagny. Was that in answer to your prayers?”
“As to that, I have no knowledge. Other young girls were praying
for the child, and I joined them and prayed also, doing no more
than they.”
“Continue.”
“While we prayed it came to life, and cried. It had been dead three
days, and was as black as my doublet. It was straight way baptized,
then it passed from life again and was buried in holy ground.”
“Why did you jump from the tower of Beaurevoir by night and try
to escape?”
“I would go to the succor of CompiЉgne.”
It was insinuated that this was an attempt to commit the deep
crime of suicide to avoid falling into the hands of the English.
“Did you not say that you would rather die than be delivered into
the power of the English?”
Joan answered frankly; without perceiving the trap:
“Yes; my words were, that I would rather that my soul be returned
unto God than that I should fall into the hands of the English.”
It was now insinuated that when she came to, after jumping from
the tower, she was angry and blasphemed the name of God; and
that she did it again when she heard of the defection of the
Commandant of Soissons. She was hurt and indignant at this, and