Part 124 (1/2)

Inquiries were inst.i.tuted at Domremy, at Orleans, at Paris, at Rouen.[2708] The friends of Jeannette's childhood, Hauviette, Mengette, either married or grown old; Jeannette, the wife of Thevenin; Jeannette, the widow of Estellin; Jean Morel of Greux; Gerardin of epinal, the Burgundian, and his wife Isabellette, who had been G.o.dmother to Jacques d'Arc's daughter; Perrin, the bell-ringer; Jeanne's uncle La.s.sois; the Leroyer couple and a score of peasants from Domremy all appeared. Bertrand de Poulengy, then sixty-three and gentleman of the horse to the King of France, was heard; likewise Jean de Novelompont, called Jean de Metz, who had been raised to n.o.ble rank and was now living at Vaucouleurs, where he held some military office.

Gentlemen and ecclesiasties of Lorraine and Champagne were examined.[2709] Burgesses of Orleans were also called, and notably Jean Luillier, the draper, who in June, 1429, had furnished fine Brussels cloth of purple for Jeanne's gown and ten years later had been present at the banquet given by the magistrates of Orleans in honour of the Maid who, as it was believed, had escaped burning.[2710]

Jean Luillier was the most intelligent of the witnesses; as for the others, of whom there were about two dozen townsmen and townswomen, of between fifty and sixty years of age, they did little but repeat his evidence.[2711] He spoke well; but the fear of the English dazzled him and he saw many more of them than there had ever been.

[Footnote 2708: _Ibid._, pp. 291, 463; vol. iii, pp. 1, 202.]

[Footnote 2709: _Trial_, vol. ii, pp. 378, 463.]

[Footnote 2710: _Ibid._, vol. v, pp. 112, 113, 331.]

[Footnote 2711: _Ibid._, vol. ii, pp. 23, 35.]

Touching the examination at Poitiers there were called an advocate, a squire, a man of business, Francois Garivel, who was fifteen at the time of Jeanne's interrogation.[2712] The only cleric summoned was Brother Seguin of Limousin.[2713] The clerics of Poitiers were first as disinclined to risk themselves in this matter as were those of Rouen; a burnt child dreads the fire. La Hire and Poton of Saintrailles were dead. The survivors of Orleans and of Patay were called; the b.a.s.t.a.r.d Jean, now Count of Dunois and Longueville, who gave his evidence like a clerk;[2714] the old Sire de Gaucourt, who in his eighty-fifth year made some effort of memory, and for the rest gave the same evidence as the Count of Dunois;[2715] the Duke of Alencon, on the point of making an alliance with the English and of procuring a powder with which to dry up the King,[2716] but who was none the less talkative and vain-glorious;[2717] Jeanne's steward, Messire Jean d'Aulon, who had become a knight, a King's Counsellor and Seneschal of Beaucaire,[2718] and the little page Louis de Coutes, now a n.o.ble of forty-two.[2719] Brother Pasquerel too was called; even in his old-age he remained superficial and credulous.[2720] And there was heard also the widow of Maitre Rene de Bouligny, Demoiselle Marguerite la Toroulde, who delicately and with a good grace related what she remembered.[2721]

[Footnote 2712: _Ibid._, pp. 1, 19.]

[Footnote 2713: _Ibid._, vol. iii, p. 202.]

[Footnote 2714: _Ibid._, pp. 2 _et seq._]

[Footnote 2715: _Ibid._, p. 16.]

[Footnote 2716: De Beaucourt, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol. vi, p.

43. P. Dupuy, _Histoire des Templiers_, 1658, in 4to. Cimber and Danjou, _Archives curieuses de l'histoire de France_, vol. i, pp.

137-157. (See also, Michelet, History of France, translated by G.H.

Smith, vol. ii, p. 206.) Note--Alencon says to his English valet: ”If I could have a powder that I wot of and put it in the vessel in which the King's sheets are washed, he should sleep sound enough [_dormir tout sec_].” _Trial of Alencon_ (W.S.).]

[Footnote 2717: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 90.]

[Footnote 2718: _Ibid._, p. 209.]

[Footnote 2719: _Ibid._, p. 65.]

[Footnote 2720: _Ibid._, p. 100.]

[Footnote 2721: _Ibid._, p. 85.]

Care was taken not to summon the Lord Archbishop of Rouen, Messire Raoul Roussel, as a witness of the actual incidents of the trial, albeit he had sat in judgment on the Maid, side by side with my Lord of Beauvais. As for the Vice Inquisitor of Religion, Brother Jean Lemaistre, he might have been dead, so completely was he ignored.

Nevertheless, certain of the a.s.sessors were called: Jean Beaupere, canon of Paris, of Besancon and of Rouen; Jean de Mailly, Lord Bishop of Noyon; Jean Lefevre, Bishop of Demetriade; divers canons of Rouen, sundry ecclesiastics who appeared some unctuous, others stern and frowning;[2722] and, finally, the most ill.u.s.trious Thomas de Courcelles, who, after having been the most laborious and a.s.siduous collaborator of the Bishop of Beauvais, recalled nothing when he came before the commissioners for the revision.[2723]

[Footnote 2722: _Ibid._, vol. ii, pp. 20, 21, 161; vol. iii, pp. 43, 53, _pa.s.sim_.]

[Footnote 2723: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 44, 56. J. Quicherat, _Apercus nouveaux_, p. 106.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE b.a.s.t.a.r.d OF ORLEANS

_From an old engraving_]

Among those who had been most zealous to procure Jeanne's condemnation were those who were now most eagerly labouring for her rehabilitation.