Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-11
INTERESTING R0UEN
EXQUISITE Examples of Architec-
ture to Be Seen.
FOUNDED BY THE ROMANS
Remains of the Tower Of Joan
of Arc
STORY OF HER MARTYRD0M
Home of William the Conqueror-
Place Whence He Departed
to Conquer England.
STORY OF HER MARTYRDOM
BY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.
al Correspondence of The Star and the Chics
Record Herald.

ROCEN, September II, l9OG.
There is more to see and learn In Rouen
than in any other town in France except
Paris 1t is loaded with history and con-
tains perhaps the most exquisite examples
of the builders art in all the universe An
ugly modern edifce stands upon the site of
the prory of St. Jervas. to which William
the Conqueror was carried In his last ILL
ness and where he died. The old walls and
battlements of the city have vanished and
all the ancient keeps but one. Formerly
there was a great deal more of architecture
than now. Time is a relentless destroyer,
but, while cannot help regretting the
wonderful things that We have lost, we
ought to be thankful that modern improv-
ers have left us anything to recall the CEN
turtles that died when they were young.
Every street. every square. every tower and
steepe reminds us of some great man or
some great event. Rouen has been the resi-
dence of warriors. cardinals. writers and
wits and is so old that its early days are
hidden by mist In 1897 Richard Occur de
Lion lived in q chateau which stood where
the cathedral now raises its graceful spires
to heaven. Godfrey Plantagenet built the
walls and the Empress Matilda, his beauti
full wife. founded a convent of religious sis
ters with gray gowns who still move about
the city in the morning and evening leading
and following a procession OF little charity
children.
The Romans laid the foundations Of Rouen,
as they did those of so many other towns in
Europe and then vanished but before they
disappeared the first missionaries of the
gospel of Christ came here to SOW the seeds
of the church. When the legions of the Gaze
sarS left the faith remained. and at one
time the lofty spires of thirty-fve churches
arose above the roofs of the town and thir-
ty-four monasteries were maintained within
and without its walls. The monasterieS are
abolished; the religious orders have been
expelled. all except few sweet-faced sis
tiers who are doing charity Work. Their
buildings have been torn down and replaced
by modern structures except a few that
have been adapted for official purposes, and
only four five of the churches remain,
but they are the most beautiful of all
churches and have never been surpassed
either in ancient or modern times.
Reminders of Joan.
We are reminded of Joan of Arc by a
statue In bronze; by a wide. busy street
that bears her name; tablet in the wall
of the market house giving brief account
of her career. a cross in the pavement be-
low it to mark the spot where she
burned. the dungeon cell In which she
awaited her trial and the room i'll which
she was tried.
the most perfect example of military archi-
lecture of the thirteenth century. and two
thirds of it remains in its original masonry
1t was held by an English garrison when
Joan of Arc was brought to Rouen a pris-
oner in 1880, and is the last visible relic of
the royal chateaus of Rouen, which at one
time were the Grandest and the most i'm
pregnable in France.
The tower stands alone on commanding
site surrounded by a lovely garden. The
cell she occupied is u triangular closet.
lighted from a slit in the wall higher than
a man can reach. The old soldier who
acts as custodian tells very interesting
story. although he is Inaccurate in some of
his most important statements. He told
us for example, that Joan of Arc had been
canOnized by the pope and was now one of
the saints of the Roman Church. and he
stubbornly insisted upon it. An earnest eff
fort has been made for years to secure the
canonization of this remarkable woman
and upon the latest anniversary of her
death petition signed by millions of
women. faithful, pious members of the
church, was presented to the pope. The
question has been before the sacred con-
gregations of the Curia at Rome for nearly
century and is revived al intervals. 1t
came up again on the anniversary referred
to. but final decision again post
poned. Convincing evidence has been pre-
scented to prove that the Maid of Orleans
was pure chaste and piOus woman, actu-
ated by motives of patriotism and religious
zeal, but the cardinals have not yet been
able TO reconcile the fact that she went
around in mems clothing with their ideas
of sanity habits.
Joan's imprisonment
Joan OF Arc was brought to Rouen a prIs-
oner In May. 1870. and the vicar general of
the inquisition and the University of Paris
demanded that she should be delivered over
20 "the Justice of the church and tried by
an ecclesiastical court for being a witch.
She was locked up In an iron cage in one
of the strongest rooms of the castle while
the bishop OF Beauvais proceeded 10 mack a
jury with able and unCompromisng theoio-
gians. one Englishman was a member of
the court the bishop Of Bedford. They were
so afraid that she would escape that they
kept her feet chained to a log of wood and
the iron cage guarded night and day by
four soldiers On the 9th OF January, 1881
she was summoned before the court and
when she was commanded to answer truly
upon oath all the questions that might be
put TO her she replied with childish naivete:
Il do not know what questions YOU are
going TO ask me. You might ask me things
that-I vii! not tell YOU"
The examination. questions and answers
was written down verbatim by the clerks
and the record IS preserved TO this day She
1aid that her name was Jeanette: that she
Mas nineteen years old; that she was skill
ed In Ecedlework: that she heard the
voices of tine saints in her sleep and in
her waking hours: she refused to promise
not to escape; she could repeat the Lord
Prayer; she h2d more fear Of God than of
the court and when asked IL she was sure
Of the favor o. God" she replied:
IF ! am no.. may God help me 20 It; IL
am. may God preserve me In IT"
The learned theo!Osians who made up the
court, aFchoiShopS. university professors
experienced inqulsitors and controversial
lists. were completely baffled by the limo
cent faith and canjor OF this country girl
and were unable to lind anything horetical
or Reasonable in her replies. Her piety and
her patriotism appeared clearer and more
clear rs the examination proceeded She
was perfectly natural and frank through
out Without the advice of counsel or any
one Ia assist her. deprived OF every friend
and sympathy from every sourcs brought
from her iron cage before the court daily
after fasting Cor months upon her prison
fare. She never lost her dignity. her pres
ence o. mine, her sweet gcrtlencss. Even
the consolation of her religion was denied
her. for they would not permit her to see
priest. Although her judges strong and
clever mon, trisI - c.:trap her into danger
,eples. t5ey failed to 90 so. although
she frequently refused TO answer questions
the ground that she aid not understand
their meaning.
''She showed great prudence in her re-
plies" says writer of that day. 80 rauch
so that hose VINO heard her worc aston
ished and the prosecutor retired with his
assistants wi:iou: ;oGching her.
Joan's Death.
She assisted that 81 Catherine. 81; Mar
garet, and s.: Niche! communicated with