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 consented that he should die if he had merited it, because he had
confessed to being a murderer, thief, and traitor; his trial lasted
fifteen days; he had for Judge the Bailly of Senlis and the people of
the Court at Lagny. I had given orders to exchange this Franquet against
a man of Paris, landlord of the Hôtel de l’Ours. When I learnt the death
of the latter, and the Bailly told me that I should do great wrong to
justice by giving up Franquet, I said to the Bailly, ‘As my man is dead,
do with the other what you should do, for justice.’”
“Did you give, or cause to be given, money to him who took Franquet?”
“I am not Master of the Mint or Treasurer of France to pay out money
so.”
“We recall to you:—1. That you attacked Paris on a Feast Day; 2. That
you had the horse of my Lord the Bishop of Senlis; 3. That you threw
yourself down from the Tower of Beaurevoir; 4. That you wear a man’s
dress; 5. That you consented to the death of Franquet d’Arras: do you
not think you have committed mortal sin in these?”
“For what concerns the attack on Paris, I do not think myself to be in
mortal sin; if I have so done, it is for God to know it, and the Priest
in confession. As to the horse of my Lord the Bishop of Senlis, I firmly
believe I have not sinned against Our Lord: the horse was valued at 200
gold crowns, of which he received assignment; nevertheless, this horse
was sent back to the Sire de la Trémouille, to restore it to my Lord of
Senlis; it was no good for me to ride; besides, it was not I who took
it; and, moreover, I did not wish to keep it, having heard that the
Bishop was displeased that it had been taken from him, and, beyond all
this, the horse was of no use for warfare. I do not know if the Bishop
was paid, nor if his horse was restored to him; I think not. As to my
fall from the Tower at Beaurevoir, I did not do it in despair, but
thinking to save myself and to go to the help of all those brave folk
who were in danger. After my fall, I confessed myself and asked pardon.
God has forgiven me, not for any good in me: I did wrong, but I know by
revelation from Saint Catherine that, after the confession I made, I was
forgiven. It was by the counsel of Saint Catherine that I confessed
myself.”
“Did you do penance for it?”
“Yes, and my penance came to me in great part from the harm I did myself
in falling. You ask me if I believe this wrong which I did in leaping to
be mortal sin? I know nothing about it, but refer me to God. As to my
dress, since I bear it by command of God and for His service, I do not
think I have done wrong at all; so soon as it shall please God to
prescribe it, I will take it off.”
_The following Thursday, March 15th, in the morning. Present: Jean
Delafontaine, Commissary, assisted by Nicolas Midi and Gerard Feuillet.
Witnesses: Nicolas de Houbent and Brother Ysambard de la Pierre._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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