@2 Manufcripts in the Library of the late King of France. [ Aug. 1, 
Rathaw. - He is a man of confiderable ta- 
ents: but {ems to be of too inconfiderate 
2 difpofition, and not to poffefs a 
firm and fiable chara&ter. On the wiiole, 
the confpirators committed many errors, 
fo that their plans could hardly fail to be 
fruitrated. Perhaps it was imprudent in 
them, to print their books at Vienna ra- 
ther than at Venice, where they would 
have been nearer to Turkey, and could 
therefore with greater facility have intro- 
duced them among their ccuntrymen.” 
ee eee 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
Some ACCOUNT of the MANUSCRIPTS 
in the LIBRARY of the late KiNG of 
FRANCE, paw called the NATIONAL 
LIBKARY (Bibliotneque Nationale) re- 
fating to Exclih Affairs or Ftfiory. 
(Continued from page 205, of vol. xv.) 
HE third volume of this intercfting 
af eae valuable werk commences witha 
very detailed account of all the proceedings 
which preceded the trial, concemnation, - 
and execution of oan of Arc, commenly 
called the Maid of Orleans, and alfo of 
what happened fubfequent to that me- 
morable event. 
This narrative occupies no Jefs than 
604. quarto pages, which renders it im- 
pofible, in this place, to give little 
more than the heads of the diff-rent parts 
elucidated and diicufled by M. de LP Aver- 
dy, the indetatigable and accurate editor 
of this part of the work. 
The hiffory of the Maid of Orleans, 
ebferves M. de l Averdy, has been en- 
tirely exhauiled by a great number of 
writers, of whofe works it would bea 
fruitlefs labour to give any account; but 
a careful) examination of the aétual pro- 
ceedings will prove that, with many, con- 
jeiure has fupplied the -place of fact, 
and that documents of .decilive weight 
have been pafied lightly over, without 
_ paying proper attention to the nature of 
the fubjeét, er the mode of proceeding 
which was followed. Few perions can at 
this day doubt the injuftice of the fen- 
tence againit the Maid of Orleans, or of 
the horrid execution which followed. The 
review of the proceedings made near twen- 
ty years after her death, and even the-very 
nature of the crimes which were imputed 
to her, cannot have left much hefitation 
on this point, 
Previous to commencing his account of 
thefe manufcripts, M. de |’Averdy gives 
_a fhort ftatement of the~defperate condi- 
tion to which the indolence and effeminacy 
ef Charles the Seventh had reduced his 
_affairs. “They appeared even to his moft 
devoted friends perfectly - irretrievables 
when the daughter of a peafant at Dom- 
remy, near Vaucouleurs, fuddenly arrived 
at his court. After affluring him of her 
divine miffion, fhe promifed to raife the 
fieze of Orleans, and condué Charles 
himfelf to Rheims, to be eonfecrated; 
and, in the end, that the Englifh thould 
be entirely driven out of France. Joan 
fingled out the King in the midf& of all . 
his court, though fhe had never feen him 
before 3. and, to eftablifh confidence in her 
promifes, procured a fign to defcend from 
- Heaven. She revealed to him the fecret of 
a prayer fhe had addreffed to the Holy Vir- 
gin, and by which the King was perfuaded ~ 
that that faint was her inftruétrefs. 
The council of Charles heficated a lone 
time; the information they had received 
concerning this extraordinary perfonage - 
was highly favourable ; but while they 
ftill retained their doubts, the King him- 
felf determined to employ her. 
Her prophecy to all appearance fuc- 
ceeded: the Englifh were beaten: Or- 
leans was faved: Charles traverfed, not 
only without difficulty, but as a con- 
queror, a part of his kingdom, where a 
few. months before he would not have 
been able to find even an afylum. He was- 
confecrated at Rheims in the prefence of 
Joan, asd from that ume might be truly 
{aid to be mafter of his kingdom. The 
affairs of the Englifh grew worfe and 
worfe every day, until the fiege of Com- | 
peigne, where Joan was unfortunately 
taken prifoner by the Baftard de Ven- 
déme, delivered tp by him to John de 
Luxembourg, and afterwards to the King 
of England. She’was foon after brought 
to trial before a French Bifhop and-a 
Romifh Inguifition. “ 
Thofe Frenchmen who had always been, 
zealous in their attachment to their King 
confidered Joan as a propheteis exprefsly 
fent by Heaven to free the French nation 
from the Englifh yoke, and to protect and 
avenge the caufe of the defcendants of 
Saint Louis. But others, who were lefs 
exalted in their fentiments, fufpected that 
the whole was but a feint prafiifed with 
ingenuity and fucecfs, to animate the 
courage and excite emulation in the breafts 
of’ the King and~his foldiers. They, 
however, concealed their fufpicions, and 
made the beft ufe of the event for the 
common good. -The enthufiafm was fcon 
general, and a handful of men became an 
invincible army, through the heroic valour 
with which they were animated. ° : 
The opinions, however; which reigned 
in the. Englifh army were very different. 
What 
