第103章 RE-EXAMINATION.MARCH-MAY,(5)

Concerning her revelations：she replied in regard to them，that she referred everything to her judge，that is God，and that her revelations were from God，without any other medium.

Asked concerning the sign given to the King if she would refer to the Archbishop of Rheims，the Sire de Boussac，Charles de Bourbon，La Tremouille，and La Hire，to them or to any one of them，who，according to what she formerly said，had seen the crown，and were present when the angel brought it，and gave it to the Archbishop；or if she would refer to any others of her party who might write under their seals that it was so；she answered，"Send a messenger，and I will write to them about the whole trial"：but otherwise she was not disposed to refer to them.

In respect to her presumption in divining the future，etc.she answered，"I refer everything to my judge who is God，and to what Ihave already answered，which is written in the book."Asked，if two or three or four knights of her party were to be brought here under a safe conduct，whether she would refer to them her apparitions and other things contained in this trial；answered，"Let them come and then I will answer："but otherwise she was not willing to refer to anyone.

Asked whether，at the Church of Poitiers where she was examined，she had submitted to the Church，she answered，"Do you hope to catch me in this way，and by that draw advantage to yourselves？"In conclusion，"afresh and abundantly，"she was admonished to submit herself to the Church，on pain of being abandoned by the Church；for if the Church left her she would be in great danger of body and of soul；and she might well put herself in peril of eternal fire for the soul，as well as of temporal fire for the body，by the sentence of other judges."You will not do this which you say against me，without doing injury to your own bodies and souls，"she said.

Asked，whether she could give a reason why she would not submit to the Church：but to this she would make no additional reply.

Again a week passed in busy talk and consultation without，in silence and desertion within.On the 9th of May the prisoner was again led，this time to the great tower，apparently the torture chamber of the castle，where she found nine of her judges awaiting her，and was once more adjured to speak the truth，with the threat of torture if she continued to refuse.Never was her attitude more calm，more dignified and lofty in its simplicity，than at this grim moment.

"Truly，"she replied，"if you tear the limbs from my body，and my soul out of it，I can say nothing other than what I have said；or if I said anything different，I should afterwards say that you had compelled me to do it by force."She added that on the day of the Holy Cross，the 3d of May past，she had been comforted by St.Gabriel.She believed that it was St.Gabriel：and she knew by her voices that it was St.

Gabriel.She had asked counsel of her voices whether she should submit to the Church，because the priests pressed her so strongly to submit：

but it had been said to her that if she desired our Lord to help her she must depend upon Him for everything.She added that she knew well that our Lord had always been the master of all she did，and that the Enemy had nothing to do with her deeds.Also she had asked her voices if she should be burned，and the said voices had replied to her that she was to wait for the Lord and He would help her.

Afterwards in respect to the crown which had been handed by the angel to the Archbishop of Rheims，she was asked if she would refer to him.

She answered："Bring him here，that I may hear what he says，and then I shall answer you；he will not dare to say the contrary of that which I have said to you."The Archbishop of Rheims had been her constant enemy；all the hindrances that had occurred in her active life，and the constant attempts made to balk her even in her brief moment of triumph，came from him and his associate La Trémouille.He was the last person in the world to whom Jeanne naturally would have appealed.Perhaps that was the admirable reason why he was suggested in this dreadful crisis of her fate.

A few days later，it was discussed among those dark inquisitors whether the torture should be applied or not.Finally，among thirteen there were but two (let not the voice of sacred vengeance be silent on their shame though after four centuries and more)，Thomas de Courcelles，first of theologians，cleverest of ecclesiastical lawyers，mildest of men，and Nicolas L'Oyseleur，the spy and traitor，who voted for the torture.One man most reasonably asked why she should be put to torture when they had ample material for judgment without it？One cannot but feel that the proceedings on this occasion were either intended to beguile the impatience of the English authorities，eager to be done with the whole business，or to add a quite gratuitous pang to the sufferings of the heroic girl.As the men were not devils，though probably possessed by this time，the more cruel among them，by the horrible curiosity，innate alas！in human nature，of seeing how far a suffering soul could go，it is probable that the first motive was the true one.The English，Warwick especially，whose every movement was restrained by this long-pending affair，were exceedingly impatient，and tempted at times to take the matter into their own hands，and spoil the perfectness of this well constructed work of art，conducted according to all the rules，the beautiful trial which was dear to the Bishop's heart--and destined to be，though perhaps in a sense somewhat different to that which he hoped，his chief title to fame.

Ten days after，the decision of the University of Paris arrived，and a great assembly of counsellors，fifty-one in all，besides the permanent presidents，collected together in the chapel of the Archbishop's house，to hear that document read，along with many other documents，the individual opinions of a host of doctors and eminent authorities.