6, 7, 8. William Manchon, William Colles, and Nicolas Taquel, all
three recorders. They belonged to the Church. It is to Manchon that we
are indebted for a summary of the most interesting account of the
trial. We shall find that at the time of Joan's execution this man was
horrified at the part he had taken in it. He confesses his horror at
having received money for his infamy, but instead of casting his
blood-money at the feet of Cauchon, and hanging himself like another
Judas, he somewhat naively informs us that he laid it out in the
purchase of a breviary in order to pray for the soul of the martyr.
9. Massieu, another priest, who acted as the sheriffs officer. He
appears to have had feelings of humanity, and attended Joan to the
end.
10. Louis de Luxembourg, Bishop of Therouenne and the Chancellor of
France to King Henry VI. This bishop was the go-between of Cauchon and
Winchester throughout the trial; but he only appears to have taken
part in these occasions during the examinations. It was he who was
made Archbishop of Rouen, which post Cauchon had hoped to gain; and it
was for this archbishopric that Cauchon had taken the presiding post
during the trial.
11. John de Mailly, Bishop of Noyon; he was another staunch auxiliary
of Cauchon. In the year 1456, at the trial for the rehabilitation of
Joan of Arc's memory, Mailly signed his name among those who condemned
the deed he had helped to carry out.
12. Zanon de Castiglione, Bishop of Lisieux. One of the reasons that
this man gave for condemning Joan of Arc to the stake was that she was
born in too low a rank of life to have been inspired by God. This
decision makes one wonder so aristocratic a prelate could demean
himself by belonging to a religion which owed its origin to One who
had followed the trade of a carpenter.
13. Philibert de Montjeu, Bishop of Coutances.
14. John de Saint Avet, Bishop of Avranches. The latter was the only
one of the above Bishops, Dominicans, and members of the French Church
who gave his vote against the condemnation of Joan of Arc, although
the trial minutes have not recorded the fact.
Besides the above French prelates, were:--
15. John Beaupere, M.A. and D.D., formerly a rector of the University
of Paris, also a canon of Besancon. It was he who, with the following
five representatives of the University of Paris, took the most
prominent part in the cross-questioning of the prisoner.
16. Thomas de Courcelles, a canon of Amiens, of Therouenne, and of
Laon. This person was employed to read the articles of accusation to
the prisoner, and was in favour of employing torture to make Joan
confess what was required of her by her prosecutors. He was considered
one of the shining lights of the University of Paris. He died in 1469,
and until the Revolution an engraved slab, on which his virtues and
learning were recorded, covered his remains.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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