Jeanne d'Arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents
History
Jeanne d'Arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents
Joan, of Arc, Saint, 1412-1431 -- Trials, litigation, etc.
MAÎTRE JEAN MASSIEU, _Priest, Curé of one of the Divisions of the Parish
Church of Saint-Caudres at Rouen, formerly Dean of the Christendom of
Rouen_.
I was at the Trial of the said Jeanne on every occasion when she was
present before the Judges and Clerics; and, on account of my office, I
was appointed a Clerk to Maître Jean Benedicite,[112] Promoter in this
Action. I believe, from what I saw, that the proceedings were taken out
of hatred and in order to abase the honour of the King of France whom
she served, and to wreak vengeance and bring her to death, not according
to reason and for the honour of God and of the Catholic Faith. I say
this, because when my Lord of Beauvais, who was Judge in the Case,
accompanied by six Clerics—namely, Beaupère, Midi, Maurice, Touraine,
Courcelles, and Feuillet, or some other in his place—first questioned
her, before she had answered one of them, another of those present would
interpose another question, by which she was often hurried and troubled
in her answers. And, besides, as I was leading Jeanne many times from
her prison to the Court, and passed before the Chapel of the Castle, at
Jeanne’s request, I suffered her to make her devotions in passing; and I
was often reproved by the said Benedicite, the Promoter, who said to me:
“Traitor! what makes thee so bold as to permit this Excommunicate to
approach without permission? I will have thee put in a tower where thou
shalt see neither sun nor moon for a month, if thou dost so again.” And
when the Promoter saw that I did not obey him, the said Benedicite
placed himself many times before the door of the Chapel, between me and
Jeanne, to prevent her saying her prayers before the Chapel, and asked
expressly of Jeanne: “Is this the Body of Christ?” When I was taking her
back to prison, the fourth or fifth day, a priest named Maître Eustace
Turquetil, asked me: “What dost thou think of her answers? will she be
burned? what will happen?” and I replied: “Up to this time I have seen
in her only good and honour; but I do not know what will happen in the
end, God knows!” Which answer was reported by the said priest to the
King’s people; and it was said that I was opposed to the King. On this
account, I was summoned, in the afternoon, by the Lord of Beauvais, the
Judge, and was spoken to of these things and told to be careful to make
no mistake, or I should be made to drink more than was good for me. I
think that, unless the Notary Manchon had made excuses for me, I should
not have escaped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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