838 Manufcripis in the Library of the late King of France. [May 1, 
divinity, and graduates in the civil and 
canon-laws, afiembled at the Bithop’s 
houfe ; when they reviewed all that had 
been confeffed by Joan, and took down 
the particular points on which her an- 
fwers were infufficient. John de Fonte 
was therefore appointed, by a commiffion 
from the Bithop, to. renew the examina- 
tions in order to fupply this deficiency 5 
from which circumitance he became the 
principal ator in the whole affair. 
The new examinaticns, which lafted 
until che s7th of March, were conduéted 
in the very room in which Joan was con 
fined, and were attended by only two of 
the affeffors, doctors in divinity, and 
two witnefles. On the conclufion of thefe 
re-examinations, the Bifhop convoked, on 
Paffion-Sunday, twelve of the affeffors, 
with the Vice Inquifiter ; when, after re- 
viewing the proceedings, he afked their 
advice as to what remained to. be done. 
Many articles were then read, founded 
upon Joan’s an{wers, and it was agreed 
to examine the opinions of the dodctors, 
and the books «f the canon-law. 
On the foilowing Thurfday, another 
meeting was held, when a digeft of the 
proceedings, and the opinions of the doc- 
turs, were read. After long deliberation, 
in which each took a fhare, it was deter- 
mined to reduce the whole to a fewer 
number of articles, in the nature of charges 
and propofitions, which fhould be again 
laid before the do&crs for their further 
opinion, in order to avoid any error in the 
proceedings. 
. Before this refolution was aéted upon, 
it was thought neceflary to authenticate, 
judicially, the truth of the examinations. 
The Judges, therefore, accompanied by 
fix of the affeffors, and the accufer, had 
Joan brought before them. Previous to 
reading the proceedings, the accufer of- 
fered to prove that the queftions and an- 
{wers were correétly recorded, in cafe Joan 
fhould think proper to deny any of them. 
She took an oath te add nothing but the 
truth to her anfwers, and they were then 
read before her. She cnly made fome 
fight and unimportant additions, admit- 
ting the accuracy of the-minutes. 
: The manufcrint-details-of the trial give 
all the examinations in the Latin lan- 
guage. It is therefore poflible that the 
Judges did not attend al] the ftages of the 
trial, and it may be prefumed that they 
mere ignorant of the prifener’s demand 
to have part of her Judges feleéted from 
the -ecciefiattics {fubject to Charles 
VIE, It is alfo probable that they were 
not aware, that the Latin tranflation of 
the examinations, which created a pofs 
fibility of more or lefs error or ac- 
curacy,.was totally unintelligible to the 
prifoner, for whom they were obliged 
to tianflate the queftions into another lan- 
guage*. . 
While the doctors were employed in 
the du‘y which had been entrofted to 
them, it was toought neceilary that Joam 
fhovid difcharge the religious duties of 
Eafter. On Palm Sunday, March the 
25th, fhe was vifited by the Bifhop of 
Beauvais, accompanied by four affeffors, 
and the accufer. He ttated to her, that fhe 
had often requeited permiffion to hear 
mafs, and he defired her to inform himy 
in cafe he granted her vequelt, if. the would: 
lay afide her male attire, and aflume the 
female habit, which fhe had worn at the 
place of her birth. On her perfifting thag 
fhe might be permitted to hear mafs’ in 
her male drefs.the Bifhop faid, that he 
would willingly grant her requeft, in cafe 
fle would comply with his demand; but 
fhe replied, that fhe had not been infirudted: 
upon that point, and could not yet reaf- 
fume the habit of her fex. The Bifhop,. 
upon this, propofed that fhe fhould con- 
fult the two Saints, who, fhe faid, appear- 
ed to her, upon the point ; but fhe con-_ 
tented herfelf with maintaining that they 
might permit her to hear mafs in hex 
then attire; for that, as to changing it, 
it did not depend upon her, but that if it 
did, it would foon be done. The Bifhop, 
however, ftill perfifted to prefs her ta 
confult the two Saints, who fhe faid 
communicated to her in prifon, whether 
fhe fhould take the female habit, in order 
to be admitted to the communion. To: 
this recommendation, which was well 
enough calculated to difcover the fource 
of the alleged communication, fhe fimply 
replied, that they ought to permit her te: 
hear Mafs in male attire, as that did not: 
change her fex, and was not contrary te 
any canon of the Church. — | 
From wha: has been ftated, it might be 
fuppofed that the trial was coniiderably: 
advanced ; but in faét, it was not even: 
begun ; for it appears that the ordinary 
proces which follows the official enquirys. 
commenced on the 26th of March, 1430. 
It was then ordered that the aceufec fhould 
be examined on the articles prefented by 
* It will appear, in the courfe of the grocea 
of revifion, that, with the exception ef the 
decifions, they were read neither in Latin or 
French, ‘ic 
