“I did not send the letters of which you speak in pride or in presumption, but by command of Our Lord. I remember and acknowledge the contents of these letters, with the exception of three words. If the English had believed my letters, they would only have been wise; and before seven years are gone they will perceive it well enough!”[251] ARTICLE XXII. Tenour of the letter:[252] “What have you to say to this letter?” “I remember having it written except three words, which I did not dictate. If the English had believed my words they would have acted wisely. Before seven years are gone, they will feel the truth of what I wrote to them, and for that, I refer to the answer which I made elsewhere.” ARTICLE XXIII. The tenour of the letter contained in the preceding Article proves well that Jeanne hath been the sport of evil spirits, and that she often consulted them to know what she ought to do; or, at least, that, to seduce the people, she imagined these inventions by lying or wickedness. “What have you to say to this Article?” “I deny ever having done anything under the inspiration of evil spirits.”[253] ARTICLE XXIV. Jeanne hath gravely misused the names “Jhésus Maria” and the sign of the cross placed beside them; it was understood between her and her people that, when they saw on her letters these words and this sign, they were to do the contrary of what she wrote: and, in fact, they did do the contrary. “What have you to say to this Article?” “I refer to what I said before.”[254] ARTICLE XXV. Usurping the office of Angels, Jeanne hath said and affirmed that she hath been sent by God; and she hath said this even for cases which tend openly to violence and effusion of human blood: a proposition the most foreign to all holiness, horrible and abominable to all pious souls. “What have you to say to this Article?” “First, I begged them to make peace; and it was only in case they would not make peace that I was ready to fight.”[255] ARTICLE XXVI. Jeanne, being at Compiègne in August of 1429, did receive from the Count d’Armagnac a letter of which the tenour forms the article which follows. “What have you to say to this Article?” “I refer to what I said before.”[256] ARTICLE XXVII. Tenour of the said letter.[257] ARTICLE XXVIII. To this letter Jeanne did send in answer the letter signed with her name, found in the Articles which follow. ARTICLES XXIX. AND XXX. Letter of Jeanne to the Count d’Armagnac.[258] “What have you to say on these Articles, XXVII., XXVIII., XXIX., XXX., which have been read to you with great care, from the first word to the last?” “I refer to what I answered on Article XXVI.”[259] _Continuation of the Reading of the Articles in Open Court._ [The next day, Wednesday, March 28th, in the same room, near the great Hall of the Castle of Rouen, before the Bishop and Brother Jean Lemaître, assisted by 35 Assessors.]