° 
1804.) Manaferipts in the Library of the late King of France. 2% 
the Doors and Matters had been con- 
Voked on that day to the number of 
eight, all of whom in the proce(s affume 
the Dogtor’s degree, although many of 
them were only Licentiates, or Matters of 
Arts. ; 
After this preamble the Bifhop pro- 
ceeded to fate to the Court part of the 
information which he had already receiv- 
ed, and which did not appear in the firt 
procefs ; and the refult was, that further 
inquiries fhould be made, inorder that the 
Court might fee with more clearnefs what 
courfe of proceeding to adopt: but it was 
agreed at once to name the Judges and 
the proper officers to conduét the caufe. 
Jofeph de Eftivet, Canon of Beauvais and 
Bayeux, was appointed Promoter ; John 
de Fonte, or la Fontaine, Counfellor and 
Commiffarial Examiner ; William Coles 
and William Manction, two Royal and 
Apoficlical Notaries, were named Secieta- 
rics, and John Maffieu had the charge of 
preparing and executing the mandates of 
the Judges. All thefe appointments are 
ordered in the name of the Bifhop of 
Beauvais alone, without the leaft notice 
being taken of the Inquifitor, for reafons 
which will afterwards appear. 
In thefe aéts of nomination or appoint- 
ment, the crimes with which the accufed 
was charged are diftinétly ftated. They 
are, $¢ Of being fufpected of withcraft, 
enchantment, the invocation of demons 
and infernal ‘fpirits, converfation with 
them, and of other aéts materially affect- 
ing the faith ;** charges which, although 
in terms ftrictly confined to forcery and 
magic, were afterwards perverted to in- 
clude herefy alfo. 
On the 13th of January the Bithop of 
Beauvais aflembled another meeting of 
Abbés, Doors, and Licentiates, to 
whom he gave an account of what pafied 
on the gth of the fame month, and com- 
municated to them the refult of the in- 
quiries made in Joan’s native place, and 
the accounts which had been publifh:d 
concerning her. All were of opinior, that 
the articles fhould be reduced into order 
previous to deliberating, whether fufh- 
cient-matter appeared to accufe her of 
having a&ted contrary to the faith ; and 
the Bithop accordingly direéted perfons 
fkilled in the canon and common-law to 
proceed without delay for that purpofe. 
On the 23d of January this committee 
had arranged the charges in form, end 
_were of opinion that Joan fhould confe- 
quently be examined, and that the Bithop 
fhould proceed to a preparatory informa. 
tion ; but as his other engagements did 
rl 3 ‘ ‘ ee ~ 
o @e 
of doing allother things which belong 
not afford him time for the purpofe, Joha 
de Fonte was directed to forward the pre- 
ceeding. The cfficers of the Court took 
an oath at this meeting before thé Bithop. 
and his afleflors ; but the Inquifitor is not 
named in thefe two firft a&s of the pro 
ceeding. This circumftauice, in the refult, 
became extremely embarrafling to the 
Bilhop, who had declared that he would 
confult with the Inquiftor, who was 
anxious to eftablifh the pretended privi~ 
leges of the Inquifition, but was not, per- 
haps, fufficiently inftruéted to doubt the 
validity of a procedure to which he was 
neither fummoned nor prefent. 
On the rgth of February the Bithop af- 
fembled his Court, and, after giving aa 
account of what had been done up to that 
day, he propofed to call inthe Vicar of 
the Inquifitor of Faith, as a thing fit and 
ufeful to the proceeding, and out of reve-~ 
rence to the Holy See, which had fpecial- 
ly nominated an inquifitor of herefy in 
France. This being affented to, the Bi- 
fhop faummoned the Inquifitor to attend in. 
the afternoon. He attended accordingly, 
and prefented his letters of appointment 
for the diocefe of Rouen; but he abferv... 
ed, that he doubted whether he had fuff- 
cient power to act in a proceeding in the 
diocefe of Beauvais, and which was car- 
ried on in the city of Rouen folely by fpe- 
cial permilfion granted to the Bifhop of 
Beauvais ; upon which the Bifhop tock. 
until the next day to confider of the fub- 
jeck. } 
The Vicarial Commiflion. of the Ingui- 
fiter, which was granted in the name of 
Brother James Graverand, of the order of 
Preaching-friars, Profeflor in Divinity, and 
Inyuifitor in the Kingdom of France by 
Apoftolical Au hority, ftates that— 
‘*« Whereas the difeafe of herefy creeps 
likes a ferpent, and fecretly deftroys the 
unwary, unlefsit be eradicated by the di- 
Tigent operation of the Inquifitorial 
knife ;°""—he therefore appoints John Le 
Maitre for his Vicar in the diocefe of 
Rouen ; and then follows a grant of pow- 
ers as extenfive as dreadful. He grants 
to him, * Againft all heretics, or perfons 
fulpedted of berefy, and again{t thofe wha. 
bel.eve in them, their favourers, defend - 
ers, and receivers, full and entire power, 
in the firit place, of informing again, cit- 
ing, fummoning, excommunicating, ar- 
refling, and committing to prifen, and of 
proceedimg againit them by all proper and 
convenient modes, until a final fentence, 
inclufively ; and alfo of abfolving and en- 
joining falutary penances, and generally 
To 
the 
