e will aid you."'

There is little more than the above recorded of what took place, but
it is probable that Joan, who had as yet hardly recovered from her
illness, was, from fear of her dying under the torture, not subjected
to it. At any rate, that additional horror was not to be laid on the
consciences of the already heavily burthened judges of the Maid.

It appears, however, that these men had not altogether given up the
idea of carrying out this barbarity, so congenial to such a man as
Cauchon and to his friend the Inquisitor; for a meeting was summoned
by Cauchon at his house three days after Joan had been brought face to
face with the torture apparatus, at which the question was discussed
as to whether it should not after all be used.

Thirteen judges met the Bishop and the Inquisitor to discuss the
question. Of these the following were against applying torture:
Maitres Roussel, Venderes, Marguerie, Erard, Barbier, Gastinel,
Coppequesne, Ledoux, De la Pierre, Haiton, and Lemaistre. One of
these, Erard, remarked that it was unnecessary to torture the prisoner
seeing that, as he expressed it, 'they had already sufficient evidence
to condemn her to death without putting her to torment.' But Morel de
Courcelles, and Loiseleur were in favour that it should be made use
of. Surely the names of these men deserve to be held in execration,
and placed by the side of Cauchon's in the historic pillory of
everlasting infamy.

[Illustration: St. OUEN--ROUEN.]

Meanwhile the University of Paris were deliberating upon their answer
to the twelve articles. This body met on the 29th of April, within the
convent of Saint Bernard. The ancient building, in which the
University held many notable conclaves when even Popes were judged by
the doctors of Paris, still exists, but it has been transformed into
an oil warehouse. John de Troyes, senior of the Faculty of Theology,
was the spokesman, and read the decisions of the faculty on each
of the twelve articles. It is unnecessary to go through the long
verbiage of abuse and blasphemy with which these theologians thought
it their duty to bespatter Joan of Arc.

On every head these reverend seigneurs condemned her. After De Troyes
had finished his reading of the opinions and the judgment, Guerold de
Boissel read the deliberations of the Faculty of Decrees upon the six
points of accusation. 'If this woman,' so ran the rede, 'was in her
right mind when she made affirmation of the proposit