The Executioner's Knife; Or, Joan of Arc

The registrars, Thomas of Courcelles, Manchon and Taquel Bois-Guillaume, are at their table ready to take down the proceedings. Canon Peter of Estivet, the institutor of the process, is in his seat. The other members of the ecclesiastical tribunal have taken their places.

Bishop Peter Cauchon (rising) – "My very dear brothers: Peter of Estivet, institutor of the process against Joan the Maid, will concisely state our petition. Listen attentively."

Canon Peter of Estivet (rises, takes a parchment from the table and reads) – "'We, Peter Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais by the grace of God, metropolitan of the town and diocese of Rouen, have convoked you, our very dear brothers, in the name of the venerable and very reverend chapter of the cathedral to examine and judge the facts hereinafter set forth.

"'To the author and consummator of the faith, our Lord Jesus Christ, greeting.

"'A certain woman, commonly named Joan the Maid, has been taken and made a prisoner at Compiegne, within the jurisdiction of our diocese of Beauvais, by the soldiers of our very Christian and Serene Master Henry VI, King of England and of the French.

"'The said woman being strongly suspected by us of heresy, and our duty in the premises being to investigate her on her faith, we have requisitioned and demanded that the said woman be delivered and sent to us. We, Bishop, being informed by public rumor of the acts and deeds of the said Joan, acts and deeds that assail not only our faith but the faith of France and of all christendom, and wishing to proceed in this matter with all speed yet deliberately, have decreed that the said Joan shall be summoned to appear before us and be interrogated concerning her acts and deeds, as well as upon matters that concern the faith, and we have cited her to appear before us in the chapel of the Castle of Rouen, on this twentieth day of February, 1431, at eight o'clock in the morning, in order that she may answer the charges brought against her.'" (The institutor resumes his seat.)

Bishop Peter Cauchon – "Introduce the accused before the tribunal."

Two beadles in black gowns leave the chapel and speedily re-enter leading Joan. Once so resolute, so serene in those days of battle when, cased in her white armor and riding her charger, she dashed upon the enemy, her standard in her hand, the martial maid now shivers with fear at the sight of this tribunal of priests half hidden in the shadow of the chapel and their faces barely visible under their hoods – silent, motionless, like black phantoms. She recalls the words and the advice of Canon Loyseleur, whose presence among her judges she does not remotely suspect. The recollection of his words and advice at once give her heart and fill her with fear. By pretending to give her the means of escaping the snare spread for her, the canon had also informed her that the tribunal was predetermined to deliver her to the pyre. This thought upsets and frightens the prisoner, already weakened by so many sorrows and trials. She feels her knees shake at the first steps that she takes into the chapel, and forced to lean upon the arm of one of the beadles, she halts for a moment. At the sight of the young girl, now hardly nineteen, still so beautiful despite her pallor, thinness and tattered clothes, the ecclesiastical judges contemplate her with somber curiosity, but experience neither concern nor pity for the heroine of so many battles. From the political and religious viewpoint, she is to them an enemy. Their animosity towards her smothers all human sentiment in their breasts. Her great deeds, her genius, her glory irritate them all the more seeing they are conscious of the abominable crime in which they are about to share through ambition, orthodox fanaticism, cupidity and partisan hatred. Presently controlling her emotions, Joan Darc takes courage and advances between the two beadles. They lead her to the foot of the tribunal, and withdraw. She dares not raise her eyes to her judges, respectfully takes off her hat which she keeps in her hand, inclines herself slightly forward, and remains standing before the platform.

Bishop Cauchon (rising) – "Joan, approach (she draws nearer). Our duty as protectors and upholders of the Christian faith, with the aid of our Lord Jesus Christ, compels us to warn you in all charity that, in order to hasten your trial and the peace of your soul, you must tell the truth, the whole truth. In short, answer without subterfuge to our interrogatories. You are to swear on the Holy Scriptures to tell the truth. (To one of the beadles) Bring a missal."

The beadle brings a missal and presents it to Joan.

Bishop Cauchon – "Joan, down on your knees. Swear on that missal to tell the truth."

Joan Darc (mistrustful) – "I know not what you mean to interrogate me upon, sir. You may put such questions to me that I may be unable to answer."

Bishop Cauchon – "You shall swear that you will sincerely answer the questions that we shall put to you concerning your faith – and other things."

Joan Darc (kneels down and puts both her hands on the missal) – "I swear to tell the truth."

Bishop Cauchon – "What are your given names?"

Joan Darc – "In Lorraine I was called Jeannette. Since my arrival in France I have been called Joan. That is my name."

Bishop Cauchon – "Where were you born?"

Joan Darc – "In the village of Domremy, in the valley of Vaucouleurs."

Bishop Cauchon – "What are the names of your father and your mother?"

Joan Darc (with deep emotion) – "My father is named James Darc, my mother Isabelle Romée. These are the names of my dear parents."

Bishop Cauchon – "In what place were you baptized?"

Joan Darc – "In the church of Domremy."

Bishop Cauchon – "Who were your god-father and god-mother?"

Joan Darc – "My god-father's name was John Linguet, my god-mother's Sybille." (At the recollections invoked by this name a tear rolls down her cheek.)

Bishop Cauchon – "This woman claimed to have seen fairies. Did she not pass in the region for a soothsayer and sorceress?"

Joan Darc (with a firmer voice) – "My god-mother was a good and wise woman."

Bishop Cauchon – "What priest baptized you at your birth?"

Joan Darc – "Master John Minet, our curate, a holy man."

Bishop Cauchon – "How old are you?"

Joan Darc – "Nearly nineteen."

Bishop Cauchon – "Do you know your Pater Noster?"

Joan Darc – "My mother taught it to me, and I recite it mornings and evenings." (She sighs.)

Bishop Cauchon – "Will you pledge yourself not to flee from the Castle of Rouen, under pain of passing for a heretic?"

Joan Darc (remains silent for a moment and reflects; by degrees she regains her self-assurance; she answers in a firm voice) – "I shall not take that pledge. I will not promise not to seek to flee, if the opportunity offers."

Raoul Sauvage (threateningly) – "Your chains will then be doubled, to keep you from escaping."

Joan Darc – "It is allowed to all prisoners to escape from their prison."

Bishop Cauchon (with severity, after consulting in a low voice with several of the judges sitting near him) – "The rebellious words of the said Joan having been heard, we shall particularly commit her to the keeping of the noble John Le Gris, a guardsman of our Sire, the King of England and France, and join to John Le Gris the equerries Berwick and Talbot, English men-at-arms. All the three are hereby charged to keep the prisoner, and we recommend to them not to allow anyone to approach her or to speak with her without our permission. (Addressing himself to the tribunal) Those of our very dear brothers who have any question to put to the accused, are now free to do so."

A Judge – "Joan, do you swear to tell the whole truth? I await your answer."

Joan Darc (with dignity) – "I have sworn; that is enough. I never lie."

The Same Judge – "Did you in your infancy learn to work like the other girls of the fields?"

Joan Darc – "My mother taught me to sew and to spin, and also the labors of the field."

Another Judge – "Did you have a confessor?"

Joan Darc – "Yes, the curate of our parish is my confessor and spiritual guide."

The Same Judge – "Did you confess your revelations to your curate or to any other man of the church?"

Joan Darc – "No, I said nothing upon that."

The priests exchange meaning glances and a few words in a low voice.

The Same Judge – "Why that secrecy towards your curate?"

Joan Darc – "Had I spoken about my apparitions my father and mother would have opposed my undertaking."

Another Judge – "Do you think you committed a sin in leaving your father and your mother, contrary to the precept of the Scriptures – 'Thou shalt honor thy father and mother'?"

Joan Darc – "I never disobeyed them before I left them. But I wrote to them; they pardoned me."