第89章 THE EXAMINATION IN PRISON.LENT,(2)

'Here is Lohier who is going to make a fine fuss about our trial；he calumniates us all，and tells the world it is of no good.If one were to go by him，one would have to begin everything over again，and all that has been done would be of no use.'Monseigneur de Beauvais said besides：'It is easy to see on which foot he halts [/de quel pied il cloche/].By St.John，we shall do nothing of the kind；we shall go on with our trial as we have begun it.'"A day or two later Manchon，the Clerk of the Court (he who refused to take down Jeanne's conversation with her Judas)，met this same lawyer Lohier at church，and asked him，as no doubt every man asked every other whom he met，how did he think the trial was going？to which Lohier answered："You see the manner in which they proceed；they will take her，if they can，in her words--that is to say，the assertions in which she says /I know for certain/，things that concern her apparitions.If she would say，'It seems to me'instead of 'I know for certain，'I do not see how any man could condemn her.It appears that they proceed against her rather from hate than from any other cause，and for this reason I shall not remain here.I will have nothing to do with it."This I think shows very clearly that Lohier，like the bulk of the population，by no means thought at first that it was "from hate"that the trial proceeded，but honestly believed that he had been called to try Jeanne as a professor of the black arts；and that he had discovered from her own testimony that she was not so，and that the motive of the trial was entirely a different one from that of justice；one in fact with which an honest man could have nothing to do.

It is very significant also that the number of judges present in court on the sixth day，the last of the public examination，was only thirty-eight，as against the sixty-two of the second day，which seems to prove that a general disgust and alarm was growing in the minds of those most closely concerned.Warwick and the soldiers，impatient of all such business，striding in noisily from time to time to give a careless glance at the proceedings，might not stay long enough to share the impression--or might，who can say？Their business was to get this pestilent woman，even if by chance she might be an innocent fanatic，cleared off the face of the earth and out of their way.

After the sixth day，however，it would seem that the Bishop and his tools had taken fright at the progress of public opinion.Before dismissing the court on that occasion，Cauchon made an address to the disturbed and anxious judges，informing them that he would not tire them out with prolonged sittings，but that a few specially chosen assistants would now examine into what further details were necessary.

In the meantime all would be put in writing；so that they might think it over and deliberate within themselves，so as to be able each to make a report either to himself，the Bishop，or to some one deputed by him.The assessors，thus thrown out of work，were however forbidden to leave Rouen without the Bishop's permission--probably because of the threat of Lohier.Repeated meetings were held in Cauchon's house to arrange the details of the proceedings to follow；and during this time it was perhaps hoped that any excitement outside would quiet down.The Bishop himself had in the meantime other work in hand.He had to receive certain important visitors，one of them the man who held the appointment of Chancellor of France on the English side，and who was well acquainted with the mind of his masters.We have no information whatever whether Cauchon ever himself wavered，or allowed the possibility of acquitting Jeanne to enter his mind；but he must have seen that it was of the last necessity to know what would satisfy the English chiefs.No doubt he was confirmed and strengthened in the conviction that by hook or by crook her condemnation must be accomplished，by the conversation of these illustrious visitors.To save Jeanne was impossible he must have been told.No English soldier would strike a blow while she lived.England itself，the whole country，trembled at her name.Till she was got rid of nothing could be done.

There was of course great exaggeration in all this，for the English had fought desperately enough in her presence except on the one occasion of Patay，notwithstanding all the early prestige of Jeanne.

But at all events it was made perfectly clear that the foregoing conclusion must be carried out，and that Jeanne must die：and，not only so，but she must die with opprobrium and disgrace as a witch，which almost everybody out of Rouen now believed her to be.The public examination which lasted six days was concluded on the third of March，1430.On the following days，the fourth，fifth，sixth，seventh，eighth，and ninth of March，meetings were held，as we have said，in the Bishop's house to consider what it would be well to do next，at one of which a select company of Inquisitors was chosen to carry on the examination in private.These were Jean de la Fontaine，a lawyer learned in canon law；Jean Beaupère，already her interrogator；Nicolas Midi，a Doctor in Theology；Pierre Morice，Canon of Rouen and Ambassador from the English King to the Council of Bale；Thomas de Courcelles，the learned and excellent young Doctor already described；Nicolas l'Oyseleur，the traitor，also already sufficiently referred to；and Manchon，the honest Clerk of the court：the names of Gerard Feuillet，also a distinguished man，and Jean Fecardo，an advocate，are likewise also mentioned.They seem to have served in their turn，three or four at a time.This private session began on the 10th of March，a week after the conclusion of the public trial，and was held in the prison chamber inhabited by the Maid.