nt Michel, now destroyed. Two tribunes had been
raised on either side of the square. Between this, placed high on a
stage of masonry, stood the pile. A placard affixed in front of this
pile bore a long inscription, beginning thus: 'Joan, known as the
Maid' ... and ending with a cumbrous list of epithets, among which
'apostate' and 'schismatic' were the least abusive.

Pending the final act, a monk named Nicolas Midi was ordered by
Cauchon to address the prisoner and those present. The Bishop's words
have come down to us.

'For your admonition,' he began, 'and for the edification of all
those present, a learned discourse will now be delivered by the
distinguished doctor, Nicolas Midi'; and the distinguished doctor then
took for his text, from the first Epistle of Saint Paul to the
Corinthians, twelfth chapter, the words: 'If one member suffereth,'
etc.

The gist of his sermon was to prove that it was necessary, in order to
prevent others falling into sin, that the guilty member should be
removed. Strange, indeed, how often the words of Scripture have been
used and mis-used in excuse, or in vindication, of the most atrocious
cruelties by so-called Christians, professing to preach the religion
of mercy, of forgiveness, and of humanity.

The sermon being finished, the preacher addressed Joan of Arc in the
following words: 'Joan, the Church, wishing to prevent infection,
casts you from her. She no longer protects you. Depart in peace!'

Then Cauchon took up his text, which was to the effect that Joan, 'by
renouncing her abjuration, had returned as the dog of Scripture did to
its vomit; for which cause we, Peter, by the divine mercy Bishop of
Beauvais, and brother John Lemaitre, vicar of the very reverend doctor
John Graverent Inquisitor of the heretical evil [especially retained
by Cauchon in the present case], have by a just judgment, declared
you, Joan, commonly styled the Maid, fallen back into diverse errors
and crimes, schismatical, idolatrous, and guilty of other sins in
great number. For these causes we declare you fallen back into your
former errors, and by the sentence of excommunication under which you
were already found guilty we declare you to be heretical and relapsed;
and we declare that you, as a decayed member, to prevent the contagion
from spreading to others, are cast from the unity of the Church, and
given over to the secular power. We reject, we cast you off, and we
abandon you, praying that, beyond