ISO.5.1 Manufcripts in the Library of the late King ef France. 1 IJ) 



the Bernardines at Paris. Je^n de Troyes, 

 the reitor, had at firrt explained the obje£l 

 of the ineetins : each faciii:y, ;.nd each 

 divifion of the faculty of arts, then retired 

 to the place where they ufed to dclibtrate 

 in private upon matters of difficulty, and 

 each of thefe private deliberations being 

 reported to the whole bcdy reaffembled, it 

 had been uiianimoiifly determined to 

 charge the two facuhies ot divinity and 

 law to draw up thtir o. iniors and the 

 qualific itior.s which thi twelve articles re- 

 quired, after which they fhould be refer- 

 red to the whole body of the Univeiiiiy. 



The I'fcond gcnenl ir.eetma; was held 

 on the i+ih of May following. The deans 

 of the (aciilries of divinity and law there 

 gave an account of tlie general meetings, 

 and (hole ot the ccmrrillaries held fepa- 

 rately by each of the two faculties, and 

 they prefcnted to the Uii.verfity the relult 

 of the two dtlibtrations which were read, 

 and the deciilon come to at thefe two 

 meetings was unaniiroufly adopted, ratas 

 el gr at as et e'.iam fuas habtbat. 



The fubftanre of the dt-liberatiors of 

 the two taci.itits is nearly the fame.— 

 That oftheoli)}?y gives ihe de^rersot fen- 

 tence applicable to each charge. The 

 faculty o\ law characterize > thii accuied 

 at once as guilty, and deciles upon the 

 fate of her perfon ; but this laft conclu- 

 fi n contains three things v\ortby of re- 

 mark. 



They confift-, firft, of two conditions 

 cr prefuppofiiions. — i. That the opinion 

 [hall be of no av^iil, unlefs the acculed had 

 really faid and obft'nately maittained 

 what is contained in the twelve charges : 

 and the (econd is, whether (lie had dene 

 fo with the ule of ht-r rsaion — -fi diila fae- 

 miiia, compos fut, offirmat perlh:aciter : 

 and although thele two c 'ndi'ions were 

 not formally exprefi'ed in the opinions of 

 the faculty f'f divini'y and the dclibera. 

 tionb of tne Uni.criirv, yet they ought to 

 make pirt of i:, tor the whole body 

 adopted the '.'pinions of the faculty of luw 

 without any : tferve. 



It is impolTibie, in truth, fo believe that 

 Joan wag not in pontilion of her reaCon ; 

 but tlic leap vviiich Hie made from the top 

 of the lower of Be^ursrvoif, dictated by 

 defpair ; all that one reads in ih- interro- 

 gatories ; the manner in which fl)e de- 

 fended lierlelf wh:n the queliions were 

 prefled ■■, the variations ot wiiich it appeals 

 Ihe was fuicepiihlc j the rigi 'ir ot her 

 confinenient and chiins ; ihe inquietude 

 with wliich/he wasnecclliiily tormijnted; 



and the embarrafsnnent into which a trial 

 of this nature muft neceffirily throw a 

 young girl who had learnt nothing, led 

 her troin time to time to employ means ta 

 ef<:a;)e, which could but be hurt.ful to her, 

 delivered her up to moments of cruel de- 

 fpair. fuch as thoi'e Ihe tx|;eiienced after 

 her abjuration, to fits of obftin.icy rela- 

 tive to the multitude of queliions -they 

 heaped upon her, and which ihey renewed 

 d:ti!y, ar.d ptrh^ps even :o thofe flights of 

 i"<incy of which a mind fo fufceptible as 

 her's appeared to be capable. 



A finguiar anxiety will be feen in the 

 feqnel to declare in a prccels made fome 

 d-.tys after her death, that fhe appeared to 

 pnlTel's her reafon in the moments which 

 preceded it, rvnd where it is pretended 

 that (he renounced the belief which (he 

 had hitherto g'.ven to her appartions and 

 revel itions. Thus, in apreting that (he 

 retained her fcnfes, in the ftriif.".els of the 

 term, it mull be owned that (he fometimes 

 (hewed great wildnels, which may be ap- 

 plied to fume fiiSlions as may be i'een with 

 reference to the fign given to Chailes VII. 

 to determine him to grant her his confi- 

 denre. 



The lad circumftance relative to tht 

 opinions of the faculty of law arifes from 

 the concliiiion of its deliberation. It 

 adds, that if the accufcd, aitrr being pub- 

 licly exhorted and admoniftied, refulcs to 

 return to the unity of the church, and to 

 make fuitable reparation, the competent 

 juilge ought io pafs lentence. This 

 avoids acknowledging the competency of 

 thofe who chofc to judge her, and even 

 leaves fome uncertainty as to their belief 

 of their competency. Further the faculty 

 adds, that the competent judge ought in 

 that cafe to give her up to the fecular 

 judge, not intreating him to treat her 

 wiih mildnefs according to the language 

 of the liiquifitlon, which excludes a new 

 judgment fVcm the fecular ti'ibunals, but 

 to receive a puniftiment proportioned to 

 the qinlity of the iault. 



It is n-ctffary now to proceed to the 

 twelve articles ' of accufation, adding 

 fuch obfervations upon each as may ferve 

 to flievv t e unjtift manner in which tluy 

 were drawn up frmithe anfwcrs which 

 Joan gave to the various interrogatories. 

 Article I. 



A certain woman alTerts and affirms, 

 that, being of the age of thirteen years or 

 tiieieabonts, (he law with her eyes the 

 body of St. Mich:iel, whi came to com- 

 fort her j and foir.ctimcs alfo St. Gabriel, 



who 



