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.
I was appointed notary in the Trial, together with a certain Guillaume
Boisguillaume.
The copy of the Process shewn to me is the true Copy made. I acknowledge
my own and my companion’s signatures, and that it is the truth. Two
other copies were made. One was given to the Inquisitor, one to the King
of England, and one to the Bishop of Beauvais. This Process was made
from a certain Minute written in French, by my own hand, which was given
up to the Judges, and was afterwards translated from the French into
Latin by Monsieur Thomas de Courcelles and myself, in the form in which
it now stands, as well and as faithfully as possible, long after the
death and execution of Jeanne. As for the Act of Accusation and other
parts of the Process, Maître Thomas de Courcelles had very little to do
with these, nor did he greatly interfere with them.
With regard to the word _Nota_, written above certain Articles in the
Minute, there was, on the first day of the Enquiry, a great tumult in
the Chapel of the Castle at Rouen, where, that day, the interrogation
was held, so that Jeanne was interrupted at almost every word, whilst
she was speaking of her apparitions: Certain secretaries were there—two
or three—of the King of England, who registered, as they chose, her
words and depositions, omitting all her defence and all which tended to
exonerate her. I complained of this, saying it was irregular, and that I
would not be responsible, as clerk, in this matter: and, therefore, on
the morrow, the place of meeting was changed and convened in a certain
hall of the Castle, near the Great Hall, while two English were placed
to keep order. When there were difficulties as to Jeanne’s answers, and
some said she had not replied as I had written, I wrote _Nota_ at the
top, in order that the questions might be repeated and the difficulties
removed. Although it is mentioned in the Process that the Judges stated
they had received preliminary evidence, I do not remember to have seen
or heard of it; but I know that, if it had been produced, it would have
been inserted in the Process.
Jeanne was brought to Rouen and not to Paris, because, as I think, the
King of England and the principal people of his Council were there.
At the beginning of the Process, I was sent for to attend a meeting held
at a certain house near the Castle, at which were present the Bishop of
Beauvais, the Abbé of Fécamp, Maître Nicolas Loyseleur, and many others.
The Bishop told me it was necessary that I should serve the King: that
they meant to bring a fine case against this said Jeanne, and that I was
to recommend another _greffier_ to assist me. I therefore nominated
Boisguillaume.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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