The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1914-08-07

contents at the time. And do not
doubt that she did not, for Der accusers
and Judges had become extremely anx-
ious TO force her 20 recant, especially
as they had no evidence upon which to
convict her, and their whole proceed
ings show that they would stoop to any
deception OF crime to carry their point
Ito have Henry the vi placed on the
throne Of France. During all this trial
did the heroic, unletsered girl battle
alone against the combined machina-
tions Of the most learned doctors and
bishops OF the university and members
OF the inquisition;. and more than once,
by her pointed and shrewd answers, did
she confound the whole set. After
Joan's denial Of the truth Of her re-
cantation she was speedily condemned
and brought to execution.
When Joan was informed OF the death
that she should die on the morrow her
grief for the moment was uncontrolla
BILE. "Alasr' she cried, am | to be
treated so horribly and crually? Must
my body, pure as from birth, and which
was never contaminated, be this day
condemned and reduced to ashes9 Hal
hal / had rather be beheaded seven
times over than to be burned in this
wise. Obi ] make my appeal to God,
the great Judge Of all the wrongs aud
grievances done mel''
She soon recovered her composure,
however, and performed the right Of
confession. She then requested to COM
municate, and was allowed to do so,
with the consent Of the bishop, who
thus treated her as one OF the true be-
levers whom he had just condemned
as An hereto. After she had conn
muned, seeing Cauchon, the basely sub
servient bishop who had brought about
her ruin, she said Bishop, die
through you" And again, And for
this / summons you TO answer before
God. And, All. Master Pierre, where
shall l be this EVENING"" He answered,
Have you no good hope in the LordSa
oh yes; God 10 aid, shall be in
Paradise.
Joan was carried to the place of exec
cution in a cart, like rufiian offender,
guarded by eight hundred soldiers.
Brother Martin L'Advenu and the con-
stable, Massieu, rode with her, and
Isambart, the Augustine Monk. also
attended her. L'Advenu and Isambart
befriended her with touching fidelity
to the last. As they passed through
the vast and agitated crowd Joan re-
preached no one, but wept and cried
out, 20 RouenI Rouenl Must | then
die here2" When At Rheims Joan had
declared: In Gods name, here is a
good people, and deyout; when / die
should much like Il to be in these parts"
But now she must die at Rouen, sur
rounded by fierce and brutal soldiers.
AT length they arrived at the market
place where the Maid, who had saved
France, but who was forsaken now by
the people whom she had delivered, by
even the cowardly Charles, was to be
executed. In this place there had been
erected three scaffolds one for his god
ship, Cardinal Winchester, Of England,
the great power behind the prosecution
and conviction that had brought Joan
to the stake; one for the preachers,
judges, ballies and Joan, and one Of
plaster and somewhat removed from
the others. On this last was an omi-
nous pile Of wood OF considerable
height, upon which she was to die
slow and most glaringIy cruel death.
Joan knelt down and prayed in sim
pie devotion TO God, the Virgin, st.
Michael and st. Catherine. TO the by
standers she said, Pray for me, and
asked the priests to each say mass for
her soul. And all 30 devoutly, confid-
ing, and in such beautifully simple
II was too much for the
crowd, for even the hard-hearted SOL
diers, and mobiles and peasants, priests
and soldiers, and even the hardened
sobbed and wept The en-
lire and vast crowd was agitated and
'wayed by struggling tempest Of grief
hat threatened to shatter The iron pur-
pose Of her enemies to destroy the de-
gout, beautiful and patriotic PuceIle.
But naughty bosoms said to the tenn
pest Of sorrow, BE still, I and their
rood angels weps and retired and the
tern business went On. The soldiers
now became extremely impatient, and
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