第111章 THE ABJURATION.MAY 24,1431.(6)

They did not have many days to wait.There are two，to all appearance，well-authenticated stories of the cause of Jeanne's "relapse."One account is given by Frère Isambard，whom she told in the presence of several others，that she had been assaulted in her cell by a /Millourt Anglois/，and barbarously used，and in self-defence had resumed again the man's dress which had been left in her cell.The story of Massieu is different：To him Jeanne explained that when she asked to be released from her bed on the morning of Trinity Sunday，her guards took away her female dress which she was wearing，and emptied the sack containing the other upon her bed.She appealed to them，reminding them that these were forbidden to her；but got no answer except a brutal order to get up.It is very probable that both stories are true.Frère Isambard found her weeping and agitated，and nothing is more probable than this was the occasion on which Warwick heard her cries，and interfered to save her.Massieu's version，of which he is certain，was communicated to him a day or two after when they happened to be alone together.It was on the Thursday before Trinity Sunday that she put on the female dress，but it would seem that rumours on the subject of a relapse had begun to spread even before the Sunday on which that event happened：and Beaupère and Midi were sent by the Bishop to investigate.But they were very ill-received in the Castle，sworn at by the guards，and forced to go back without seeing Jeanne，there being as yet，it appeared，nothing to see.On the morning of the Monday，however，the rumours arose with greater force；and no doubt secret messages must have informed the Bishop that the hoped-for relapse had taken place.He set out himself accordingly，accompanied by the Vicar-Inquisitor and attended by eight of the familiar names so often quoted，triumphant，important，no doubt with much show of pompous solemnity，to find out for himself.The Castle was all in excitement，report and gossip already busy with the new event so trifling，so all-important.There was no idea now of turning back the visitors.The prison doors were eagerly thrown open，and there indeed once more，in her tunic and hose，was Jeanne，whom they had left four days before painfully contemplating the garments they had given her，and humbly promising obedience.The men burst in upon her with an outcry of astonishment.What she had changed her dress again？"Yes，"she replied，"she had resumed the costume of a man."There was no triumph in what she said，but rather a subdued tone of sadness，as of one who in the most desperate strait has taken her resolution and must abide by it，whether she likes it or not.She was asked why she had resumed that dress，and who had made her do so.There was no question of anything else at first.The tunic and /gippon/were at once enough to decide her fate.

She answered that she had done it by her own will，no one influencing her to do so；and that she preferred the dress of a man to that of a woman.

She was reminded that she had promised and sworn not to resume the dress of a man.She answered that she was not aware she had ever sworn or had made any such oath.

She was asked why she had done it.She answered that it was more lawful to wear a man's dress among men，than the dress of a woman；and also that she had taken it back because the promise made to her had not been kept，that she should hear the mass，and receive her Saviour，and be delivered from her irons.

She was asked if she had not abjured that dress，and sworn not to resume it.She answered that she would rather die than be left in irons；but if they would allow her to go to mass and take her out of her irons and put her in a gracious prison，and a woman with her，she would be good，and do whatever the Church pleased.

She was then asked suddenly，as if there had been no condemnation of her voices as lying fables，whether since Thursday she had heard them again.To this she answered，recovering a little courage，"Yes."She was asked what they said to her；she answered that they said God had made known to her by St.Catherine and St.Margaret the great pity there was of the treason to which she had consented by making abjuration and revocation in order to save her life：and that she had earned damnation for herself to save her life.Also that before Thursday her voices had told her that she should do what she did that day，that on the scaffold they had told her to answer the preachers boldly，and that this preacher whom she called a false preacher had accused her of many things she never did.She also added that if she said God had not sent her she would damn herself，for true it was that God had sent her.Also that her voices had told her since，that she had done a great sin in confessing that she had sinned；but that for fear of the fire she had said that which she had said.

She was asked (all over again)if she believed that these voices were those of St.Catherine and St.Margaret.She answered，Yes，they were so；and from God.And as for what had been said to her on the scaffold that she had spoken lies and boasted concerning St.Catherine and St.

Margaret，she had not intended any such thing.Also she said that she never intended to deny her apparitions，or to say that they were not St.Catherine and St.Margaret.All that she had done was in fear of the fire，and she had denied nothing but what was contrary to truth；and she said that she would like better to make her penitence all at one time--that is to say，in dying，than to endure a long penitence in prison.Also that she had never done anything against God or the faith whatever they might have made her say；and that for what was in the schedule of the abjuration she did not know what it was.Also she said that she never intended to revoke anything so long as it pleased our Lord.At the end she said that if her judges would have her do so，she might put on again her female dress；but for the rest she would do no more.

"What need we any further witness；for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth."Jeanne's protracted，broken，yet continuous apology and defence，overawed her judges；they do not seem to have interrupted it with questions.It was enough and more than enough.She had relapsed；the end of all things had come，the will of her enemies could now be accomplished.No one could say she had not had full justice done her；every formality had been fulfilled，every lingering formula carried out.Now there was but one thing before her，whose sad young voice with many pauses thus sighed forth its last utterance；and for her judges，one last spectacle to prepare，and the work to complete which it had taken them three long months to do.