Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-06-27

ing that her voices" were imaginary
and that she was an impostor. she re-
piled that she was ready to answer to
God and to the pope for all that. She
was conscious OF no evil.
Il submit myself to the church,
she said
The cruel court convicted her OF
heresy; it pronounced her guilty OF
each OF the twelve articles of ac-
cusation and sentenced her to death.
In order to confirm their own verdict
her accusers tested her courage with
instruments of torture and threatened
her with horrors 'if she did not avow
the truth" She was shown the in
IN to use them, but she smiled sweet
ly and said:
Even If I saw the flames before me.
| should say what 1 have already said
and do what l have arleady done"
And 1t was an honest clerk who wrote
the words 'Superbo respsio" opposite
her answer
She was burned in the market place
on the Both Of May. 1431, in womans
dress, wearing mitre upon which
was written, "Heretique, Relapse,
Apostate. Idolatre." She was guard
ed by eight hundred men-atarms, who
surrounded the cart in which she rode
for fear she might be rescued by the
peope. She sobbed several times as
she stood waiting for her executioners
to prepare the fire, and as the slow
flames enveloped her. she died with
the words Jesus" upon her lips. Her
ashes were cast into the Seine
Scarcely had the sensation subsided
when the most astonishing phenomena
took place. Half her judges died in
awful anguish and the people pro
claimed her a martyr to the faith.
There have been many other famous
people in Rouen. so many that it
would be impossible for me TO tell
you about them all. William the Con
queror, who crossed the channel to
give the people of England charter
by which their civil liberties and right
of self-government are guaranteed,
was the duke of Normandy, and Rouen
was his capital. He was the strongest
of all the dukes of Normandy. He was
rough soldier. but was one of the
greatest men in history, and his acts
and his example have been effective
for al times He regenerated England.
He gave the nation an army, a navy,
commerce, trade, art and architecture,
schools and universities and directed
the development of British habits and
customs and character. He was the
real author of the British constitution.
1t is an interesting fact that the
first Jews who settled in England fol
lowed him from Rouen. They were
already the capitalists from the CONT
nent, whose finest castles, chateaus
and cathedrals owed their existence
to Jewish loans. Having no right to
possess land, their wealth was always
III gold-in ready money, which was
very useful to the kings both in peace2
and in war. William the Conqueror
made them his agents to collect his
revenues in money rather than in
kind, as had been the custom of his
predecessors. He established them in
London as they had been elsewhere in
Europe in "Jewries" or ghettos.
The conqueror crossed the channel
one night with 700 transport galleys.
his barons carrying with them bar
rels OF wine and splits of meat as
well as coats of mail and stacks of
spears and swords. One ship came
down the Seine from Rouen. 1t was
built and fitted out by his wife, Ma
tilda, and she called it the Mora"
In that ship he sailed. Within six
months he returned to France His
beloved wife received him at Rouen
and give him an account of the man
ner In which she had administered the
government during his absence. She
was as remarkable woman as he
was man. and they were very con
genial. His heart was broken when
she died in 1888, and four years later
his iron frame broke down. While
he was lying in his bed at Rouen King
Philip jested at the funeral aspect of
the candles which surrounded the
bulky invalid. William, who was never
amiable and had no sense of humor.
became very angry. He swore one of
those terrible oaths which always stir
red his soldiers hearts and declared
that he would light hundred thou.
sand candles If he pleased, and at
the expense OF Philip. too.
The next year he tried to carry out
MS threat. He devastated his rivals
country with fire and sword. but upon
his return from battle his horse STUN.
bled. and the man whose blood was
never shed by his enemies was NOR
tally wounded by the high iron POM