|AT last, on May 24, 1431, they determined to force her to acknowledge
herself in the wrong, and to deny her Saints. On that day they took
her to the graveyard of the Church of St. Ouen. Two platforms had been
built; on one stood the wretched Cauchon with his gang; Joan was placed
on the other. There was also a stake with faggots, for burning Joan.
They had ready two written papers: on one it was written that Joan
would submit to them, and wear woman’s dress. On the other was a long
statement that her Saints were evil spirits, and that she had done all
sorts of wrong things. She was told that if she would sign the short
paper, and wear womans dress, she would be put in gentle prison, with
women about her instead of English soldiers. Seeing the fire ready, Jean
repeated the _short_ form of words, and made her mark, smiling, on the
piece of paper that they gave her, but it was the paper with the long
speech, accusing herself of crimes and denying her Saints.
This is what we are told, but, later, she showed that she thought
she had denied her Saints, so it is not easy to be quite sure of what
happened. It is certain that Cauchon broke his word. She was not taken
away from her cruel prison and the English soldiers, as was promised.
She was given woman’s dress; but, as they were determined to make her
“relapse,” that is, return to the sin of wearing man’s dress, for then
they could burn her, they put her boy’s dress in her room, and so acted
that she was obliged to put it on. It is a horrid story, not fit to be
told, of cruelty and falseness.
“Now we have her!” said Cauchon to an Englishman.
They went to her, and asked her if the Voices had come to her again?
“Yes!”
“What did they say?”
“St. Catherine and St. Margaret told me that I had done very wrong, when
I said what I did to save my life, and that I was damning myself to save
my life.”
“Then you believe that the Voices were the voices of the Saints.”
“Yes, I believe that, and that the Voices come from God;” and she said
that she did not mean ever to have denied it.
On the day of her burning, the Bishop and the rest went to Joan again,
and wrote out a statement that she left it to the Church to say whether
her Voices were good or bad. The Church has decided that they were good,
and has given Joan the title of “Venerable,” which is the first step
toward proclaiming her to be one of the Saints. Whatever the Voices
were, she said they were _real_, not fancied things.
But this paper does not count, for the clerk who took all the notes
refused to go with the Bishop to see Joan, that time, saying that it was
no part of the law, and that they went as private men, not as Judges,
and he had the courage not to sign the paper. He was an honest man, and
thought Joan a good girl, unlawfully treated, and was very sorry for
her. “He never wept so much for any sorrow in all his life, and for a
month he could not be quiet for sorrow: and he bought a book of prayers
and prayed for the soul of the Maid.”
This honest man’s name was Gilbert Manchon.