arles VII., had, after
the lapse of a quarter of a century since the death of Joan of Arc,
instituted these proceedings--not at all in order to do honour to the
heroine's memory, but in order that his position as King of France
should not be tainted with the heresy which had been charged to the
account of Joan by and through the clergy and French doctors of
theology and learning.

D'Aulon's evidence is one of the most complete of the entire set of
testimonies. It was given, not at Rouen, but at Lyons, in 1456, before
the Vice-Inquisitor, John Despres.

His depositions are remarkable in this, that, unlike those of the
other witnesses, they are recorded in French, and not in Latin.

Next to d'Aulon succeeds, in the chain of witnesses, Simon Beaucroix,
aged fifty. Simon was a youth at Chinon when Joan of Arc came there.
Beaucroix's evidence is followed by that of John Luillier, a citizen
of Orleans. He bore evidence to the immense popularity of the Maid
during and after the siege of Orleans. At the time of the trial of
rehabilitation Luillier was fifty. To the part played by the Maid at
the siege of his native town he speaks thus:--

'As to the question you put me, whether I think the siege of Orleans
was raised and the town saved from the enemy by the intervention and
the ministration (_ministere_) of the Maid, even more than by the
force of arms, this is my answer: All my fellow citizens, as well as I
myself, believe that had the Maid not come there by the will of God to
our rescue, we should very soon, both town and people, have been in
the power of the besiegers. It is my belief,' he adds, 'that it was
impossible for the people of Orleans and for the army present at
Orleans to have held out much longer against the superior strength of
the enemy.'

More people from Orleans next gave their evidence: viz. William le
Charron, John Volant, William Postian, Denis Roger, James de Thou,
John Canelier, Aignan de Saint-Mesmin, John Hilaire, Jacques
l'Esbalny, Cosme de Commy, John de Champcoux, Peter Hue, Peter
Jonqualt, John Aubert, William Rouillart, Gentien Cabu, Peter
Vaillant, John Beaucharnys, John Coulon. All these men were burghers
of the town, and their ages varied between forty and seventy. All
agreed with Luillier in their belief that, under God, it was Joan of
Arc who rescued their city from the English.

Following these men we now come to the evidence of some of the women
who had seen or known the heroine. Fi