The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2France, Anatole
History
The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2
France, Anatole
Joan, of Arc, Saint, 1412-1431
[Footnote 2: Le P. Lelong, _Bibliotheque historique de la France_,
Paris, 1768 (5 vols. folio), II, n. 17172-17242. Potthast,
_Bibliotheca medii aevi_, Berlin, 1895, 8vo, vol. i, pp. 643 _seq._ U.
Chevalier, _Repertoire des sources historiques du Moyen Age_, Paris,
8vo, 1877, pp. 1247-1255; _Jeanne d'Arc, bibliographie_, Montbeliard,
1878 [selections]; _Supplement au Repertoire_, Paris, 1883, pp.
2684-2686, 8vo. Lanery d'Arc, _Le livre d'or de Jeanne d'Arc,
bibliographie raisonnee et analytique des ouvrages relatifs a Jeanne
d'Arc_, Paris, 1894, large 8vo, and supplement. A. Molinier, _Les
sources de l'histoire de France des origines aux guerres d'Italie, IV:
Les Valois, 1328-1461_, Paris, 1904, pp. 310-348.]
First, in the trial[3] which resulted in her condemnation the
historian has a mine of rich treasure. Her cross-examination cannot be
too minutely studied. It is based on information, not preserved
elsewhere, gathered from Domremy and the various parts of France
through which she passed. It is hardly necessary to say that all the
judges of 1431 sought to discover in Jeanne was idolatry, heresy,
sorcery and other crimes against the Church. Inclined as they were,
however, to discern evil in every one of the acts and in each of the
words of one whom they desired to ruin, so that they might dishonour
her king, they examined all available information concerning her life.
The high value to be set upon the Maid's replies is well known; they
are heroically sincere, and for the most part perfectly lucid.
Nevertheless they must not all be interpreted literally. Jeanne, who
never regarded either the bishop or the promoter as her judge, was not
so simple as to tell them the whole truth. It was very frank of her to
warn them that they would not know all.[4] That her memory was
curiously defective must also be admitted. I am aware that the clerk
of the court was astonished that after a fortnight she should remember
exactly the answers she had given in her cross-examination.[5] That
may be possible, although she did not always say the same thing. It is
none the less certain that after the lapse of a year she retained but
an indistinct recollection of some of the important acts of her life.
Finally, her constant hallucinations generally rendered her incapable
of distinguishing between the true and the false.
[Footnote 3: Jules Quicherat, _Proces de condamnation et de
rehabilitation de Jeanne d'Arc_, Paris, 8vo, 1841, vol. i. (Called
hereafter _Trial_.--W.S.)]
[Footnote 4: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 93, _passim_.]
[Footnote 5: _Ibid._, vol. iii, pp. 89, 142, 161, 176, 178, 201.]
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