pported
by her two sons, John and Peter, and was accompanied by many of her
relations from Vaucouleurs, and friends from Orleans. The poor soul
appears to have been much affected when she appeared before the
sympathetic crowd. Many of those present must have come from far to
see the mother of the famous heroine claiming at the hands of the
Church the vindication of her daughter's fame.

Two meetings took place at Notre Dame, and a third was held at Rouen,
at which the family of Joan of Arc were unable to be present--the
mother from illness, and the brothers by affairs at home. The
_Procureur_, whose name was Prevosteau, was the advocate for the Arc
family. The debates lasted all through the winter, and into the early
part of the year 1456. During the debates a hundred articles were
drawn up and agreed to, relating to the life, death, and trial of the
heroine. None of these are of much importance or interest.

It was not until the witnesses of Joan of Arc's life at home, and of
her actions abroad, gave their testimony that the debates became
interesting. Then began to pass before the eyes of the spectators a
succession of people who had known Joan of Arc, and who had taken part
in the same actions as those of the Maid--peasants from her native
village, townsfolk from Orleans, generals and soldiers who had ridden
with her into battle and fought by her side.

In fact, here appeared all sorts and conditions of men, from farm
labourers to princes of the blood royal. The testimony of these people
helps one to follow the life of Joan of Arc throughout its short
career with something like precision. The sittings of the
commissioners took place at Paris, Orleans, Rouen, and also at
Domremy. It may be said without exaggeration that the whole of France
and all its classes seemed, after an interval of a quarter of a
century, to raise its voice in honour of the memory of its martyr
Maid, and to attest to the spotless and noble life of her country's
saviour.

At Domremy, at Vaucouleurs, and at Toul, thirty-four witnesses were
heard on the 28th of January and on the 11th of February, 1456. At
Orleans, during the months of February and of March, forty-one
depositions were collected by the Archbishop of Rheims.

In Paris, in April and May, the same prelate, assisted by the Bishop
of Paris, heard the evidence of twenty witnesses. At Rouen, the same
commission heard nineteen others. Finally, at Lyons, the deposition of
Joan of Arc'