Rouen; now the Bishop of Beauvais was exercising his jurisdiction as
bishop of the diocese of Beauvais, but on borrowed territory;
wherefore was it not rather for the Inquisitor of Beauvais not for the
Inquisitor of Rouen, to sit on the judgment seat side by side with the
Bishop?[2206] He declared that he would ask the Grand Inquisitor of
France for an authorisation which should hold good for the diocese of
Beauvais. Meanwhile he consented to act in order to satisfy his own
conscience and to prevent the proceedings from lapsing, which, in the
opinion of all, must have ensued had the trial been instituted without
the concurrence of the Holy Inquisition.[2207] All preliminary
difficulties were now removed. The Maid was cited to appear on
Wednesday, the 21st of February,[2208] 1431.

[Footnote 2205: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 33.]

[Footnote 2206: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 35. De Beaurepaire, _Notes sur les
juges_, p. 394. Doinel, _Memoire de la Societe archeologique-historique
de l'Orleanais_, 1892, vol. xxiv, p. 403. Le P. Chapotin, _La guerre de
cent ans, Jeanne d'Arc et les dominicains_, p. 141. U. Chevalier,
_L'abjuration de Jeanne d'Arc_, p. 32.]

[Footnote 2207: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 35.]

[Footnote 2208: _Ibid._, pp. 40-42.]

On that day, at eight o'clock in the morning, the Bishop of Beauvais,
the Vicar of the Inquisitor, and forty-one Councillors and Assessors
assembled in the castle chapel. Fifteen of them were doctors in
theology, five doctors in civil and canon law, six bachelors in
theology, eleven bachelors in canon law, four licentiates in civil
law. The Bishop sat as judge. At his side were the Councillors and
Assessors, clothed either in the fine camlet of canons or in the
coarse cloth of mendicants, expressive, the one of sacerdotal
solemnity, the other of evangelical meekness. Some glared fiercely,
others cast down their eyes. Brother Jean Lemaistre, Vice-Inquisitor
of the faith, was among them, silent, in the black and white livery of
poverty and obedience.[2209]

[Footnote 2209: _Trial_, vol. i, pp. 38, 39.]

Before bringing in the accused, the usher informed the Bishop that
Jeanne, to whom the citation had been delivered, had replied that she
would be willing to appear, but she demanded that an equal number of
ecclesiastics of the French party should be added to those of the
English party. She requested also the permission to hear mass.[2210]
The Bishop refused both demands;[2211] and Jeanne was brought in,