, as
having been the means of saving France from the yoke of England." The
expression here cited and italicized in the above translation, may
indeed be held to refer delicately to her death, but the particular
French phrase employed, "jusques a son absentement," apparently excludes
such an interpretation. The expression, on the other hand, might well
refer to Jeanne's departure for Lorraine, and her marriage, after which
there is no evidence that she returned to France, except for brief
visits. Thus a notable amount of evidence goes to show that Jeanne was
not put to death in 1431, as usually supposed, but was alive, married,
and flourishing in 1444. Upon this supposition, certain alleged
difficulties in the traditional account are easily disposed of. Mr.
Delepierre urges upon the testimony of Perceval de Cagny, that at the
execution in Rouen "the victim's face was covered when walking to the
stake, while at the same time a spot had been chosen for the execution
that permitted the populace to have a good view. Why this contradiction?
A place is chosen to enable the people to see everything, but the victim
is carefully hidden from their sight." Whether otherwise explicable or
not, this fact is certainly consistent with the hypothesis that
some other victim was secretly substituted for Jeanne by the English
authorities.

We have thus far contented ourselves with presenting and re-enforcing
Mr. Delepierre's statement of the case. It is now time to interpose a
little criticism. We must examine our data somewhat more closely, for
vagueness of conception allows a latitude to belief which accuracy of
conception considerably restricts.

On the hypothesis of her survival, where was Jeanne, and what was she
doing all the time from her capture before Compiegne, May 24, 1430,
until her appearance at Metz, May 20, 1436? Mr. Delepierre reminds us
that the Duke of Bedford, regent of France for the English king, died
in 1435, and "that most probably Jeanne d'Arc was released from prison
after this event." Now this supposition lands us in a fatally absurd
conclusion. We are, in fact, asked to believe that the English, while
holding Jeanne fast in their clutches, gratuitously went through the
horrid farce of burning some one else in her stead; and that, after
having thus inexplicably behaved, they further stultified themselves by
letting her go scot-free, that their foolishness might be duly exposed
and confuted. Such a theory is child