Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-05
FAMOUS TRIALS
IRE TRIAL oF JOAN or ARG.


 The exploits of Joan of Arc are well known to all readers. Asserting that she was favored and instructed by the saints of heaven. she animated her dispirited countrymen and their weak and cowardly king to resist the Eng fish usurpers and their Burgurdisn allies. until she. at last. fell in to the hands of the latter upon the bridge of Compiegne. from which place she bad sailed. sword in hand. at the head of eco men in arms. Her capture spread forces while it excited the most en- thusiastic toy among the allies. The English focked in crowds to see the girl of IS. whose name alone dur ing the previous year. had made them tremble. On May 25. 143e. news arr rived in Paris of the taking of Joan of Arc. Public rejoicing was ordered by the English, the "Te peum" was sung l fires were kindled throughout the city. The girl was sold by the Rurgun- dians to the English. She resolved to hazard everything to regain her iib- erty, She threw herself from the tower wherein she was confined. re- solved, in case she escaped. to fly and afford succor to the city of Compiegne. She was very much hurt by the fall and for several days refused to par | take of food.
 | Joan was then carried to the castle | of Crotcy. At length, on Jan. 3. 1431. the king of England tssued letters- patent, authorizing the process tc be issued against her, It was decided to Joan was born to ascertain the char l acter of the girl, but he received only 1 the most honorable testimonies. which. however, were suppressed at the trial. | As 1t was necessary to sacrifce Joan | of Arc in order to satisfy the Eng ' lfSh u-a r>a0 fRd n the purpose of accomplishing the end desired. An attempt was made to lcompromise with her while in prison. but without result. and finally the Feb. 2f. The deliberate voice was [vested in only two judges Pierre Cau- Ichon. bishop of Beauvals, a heentiate of civil war, and Jean le Maitre. of the
 fraternity of preachers. a bachelor in quisitor general of the faith in France.
 On the day appointed for the com meneement of the trial the bishop of Beauvals, accompanied by forty coun- sellors or assessors, repaired by 8 chapel of the castle of Rouen. where Joan was ordered to attend. The bishop opened the sitting by causing the royal letters-pa patent to be read to
 ths tribunal, The prisoner was sent
 for No counsel was allowed her. The first sitting of the tribunal was lvery tumultuous and no detail is given in the verbal process of what tram spired upon that occasion. The trial,
 from the very start. was unfair, one. another would interrogate her until she was compelled to say; Good brothers, proceed one after another" Nor was the treatment of the girl out
 of court less calculated to excite the indignation of every feeling mind. ,Such was the barbarity shown to this persecuted creature that the perform
 anee of her religious duties were de- nied her.
 The bishop of Beauvals resorted to
 all sorts of dishonorab,e means in the
 trial Finally. when her patience
 seemed exhausted, Joan addressed him l in this emphatic manner: You state
 that you are my judge I am not aware that you are such; but charge you to take heed and do not judge me wrongfully. as in such case you will place your soul in great jeopardy. and finally forewarn you, that should II
 please Almighty God to punish yeu
 have only fulfilled my duty in thus giving you timely notice"
 The seventy heads of accusation
 originally preferred against Joan were T first reduced to thirty-one and ulti-
 mately to twelve. She was eventually
 she be burned at the stake, When the
 sentence was read to her she said:
 "Alas, then, am I to be treated thus
 horribly and erueiiye I would rather
 be beheaded seven times over thar
 thus burned"
 It was o'clock in the morning oi
 May 30.14a1, that Joan was placed ir
 a cart that awaited her in the court 1 yard of the castle and was conveyed ! to the market place at Rouen, where
 scaffoldings had been erected one fol
 the judges. another for the accommo-
 dation of spectators and third or
 which were piled the fagots destined to consume the prisoner.
 When the stake was reached ana
 Joan pinioned on it. the bishop o
 Beauvals read the sentence, aftel
 which the executiener set fire to thu . fagots. The executfoner sought t' | shorten the agonies by increasing thu
 ferceness of the fiames, the girl pray
 ing continually until her spirit hat
 taken it's flight.