第87章 THE PUBLIC EXAMINATION.FEBRUARY,(15)

At this point the public trial of Jeanne came to a sudden end.Either the feeling produced in the town，and even among the judges，by her undeviating，simple，and dignified testimony had begun to be more than her persecutors had calculated upon；or else they hoped to make shorter work with her when deprived of the free air of publicity，the sight no doubt of some sympathetic faces，and the consciousness of being still able to vindicate her cause and to maintain her faith before men.Two or three fierce Inquisitors within her cell，and the Bishop，that man without heart or pity at their head，might still tear admissions from her weariness，which a certain sympathetic atmosphere in a large auditory，swept by waves of natural feeling，would strengthen her to keep back.The Bishop made a proclamation that in order not to vex and tire his learned associates he would have the minutes of the previous sittings reduced into form，and submitted to them for judgment，while he himself carried on apart what further interrogatory was necessary.We are told that he was warned by a counsellor of the town that secret examinations without witnesses or advocate on the prisoner's side，were illegal；but Monseigneur de Beauvais was well aware that anything would be legal which effected his purpose，and that once Jeanne was disposed of，the legality or illegality of the proceedings would be of small importance.I have thought it right to give to the best of my power a literal translation of these examinations，notwithstanding their great length；as，except in one book，now out of print and very difficult to procure，no such detailed translation，[8]so far as I am aware，exists；and it seems to me that，even at the risk of fatiguing the reader (always capable of skipping at his pleasure)，it is better to unfold the complete scene with all its tedium and badgering，which brings out by every touch the extraordinary self-command，valour，and sense of this wonderful Maid，the youngest，perhaps，and most ignorant of the assembly，yet meeting all with a modest and unabashed countenance，true，pure，and natural，--a far greater miracle in her simplicity and noble steadfastness than even in the wonders she had done.

[1]She was in reality detained two days，which fact，no doubt，she judged to be an unimportant detail.

[2]Probably meaning，had been present when the voices came to her and had perceived her state of listening and abstraction.

[3]This was her special friend，Gerard of Epinal--her /compère/and gossip；was it jesting beguiled by some childish recollection，or mock threat of youthful days that she said this？

[4]An answer evidently given in the vagueness of imperfect knowledge，meaning a very great number.

[5]Quicherat gives a note on this subject to point out that there was really was but one Pope at this moment，the question having been settled by the abdication of Clement VIII.Benedict XIV.being a mere impostor.We cannot believe，however，that this historical cutting of the knot could be known to Jeanne.She probably felt only，with her fine instinct，that there could be but one Pope，and that to be deceived on such a matter ought to have been a thing impossible to all those priests and learned men；as a matter of fact the three claimants，on account of whom the Comte d'Armagnac had appealed to her，were no longer existing at the time he wrote.

[6]She meant Paris，which was lost by the English，according to her prophecy within the time named.

[7]It should here be noted that Jeanne's sign to the King being，as he afterwards declared，the answer to his most private devotions and the final setting at rest of a doubt which might have injured him much had it been known that he entertained it--it would have been dishonourable on her part and a great wrong to him had she revealed it.

[8]The translation of M.Fabre is now，I believe，reprinted，but it is not satisfactory.