"As to my father and mother," said Jeanne, "and what I did after setting
out for France, I will swear willingly; but the revelations which have
come to me from God I will reveal to no man except only to Charles, my
King; I shall not reveal them to you though you cut off my head, because
I have received them by vision and by secret communication, and am
forbidden." After a moment's reflection she added: "Before eight days I
shall know if I may tell you of them."
The Bishop urged her again and again to take the oath without conditions.
She refused, and they were at length obliged to offer a limited oath.
Then, kneeling, Jeanne crossed her hands upon the Missal and swore to
answer truly whatever might be asked of her, so far as she could,
concerning the common faith of Christians, but no more. Being then
questioned concerning her name and early life she answered:
"In my own country I was called Jeannette; ever since coming into
France[28] I have been called Jeanne. I have as surname D'Arc or Romée;
in my country girls take the name of their mother." Then she told the
names of her father and mother, her godfather and godmothers, the priest
who had baptized her, the place where she was born, her age, concluding
with: "From my mother I learned my Pater, my Ave Marie, and my Credo.
From my mother I learned all that I believe."
"Say your Pater," commanded the Bishop abruptly; for it was believed that
no witch could repeat the Lord's Prayer except backwards.
"Hear me in confession, and I will say it for you willingly."
Several times she was asked to say the Pater Noster, but her reply was
always the same: "No; I will not say my Pater for you unless you hear me
in confession."
"We will willingly give you one or two worthy men who speak French; will
you say your Pater to them?"
"I shall not say it unless in confession," was her answer, whereby there
was an implied protest to this company of priests who had refused her all
the exercises of the Church.
Cauchon ignored the appeal, and as the session was about to close forbade
her to leave the prison which had been assigned her in the castle under
pain of being pronounced guilty of heresy; to this the maiden returned at
once:
"I do not accept such an injunction. If ever I escape, no one shall be
able to reproach me with having broken my faith, as I have not given my
word to any person whatever." Then she complained that they bound her
with chains and shackles.
"You tried several times to escape from the prison where you were
detained," Cauchon reminded her, "and it was to keep you more surely that
you were ordered to be put in irons."
"It is true that I wished to get away," said Jeanne, "and I wish it
still. Is not that a thing allowed to every prisoner?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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