em chaplets of flowers?"

"I have often done them honour by crowning with flowers their images
in churches. But to those who appeared to me never have I given
flowers as far as I can remember."

"Know you aught of those who consort with fairies?"

"I have never done so nor have I known anything about them. Yet I have
heard of them and that they were seen on Thursdays; but I do not
believe it, and to me it seems sorcery."[2398]

[Footnote 2398: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 187.]

Then came a question touching her standard, deemed enchanted by her
judges. It elicited one of those epigrammatic replies she loved.

"Wherefore was your standard rather than those of the other captains
carried into the church of Reims?"

"It had been in the contest, wherefore should it not share the
prize?"[2399]

[Footnote 2399: _Ibid._]

Now that the inquiries and examinations were concluded, it was
announced that the preliminary trial was at an end. The so-called
trial in ordinary opened on the Tuesday after Palm Sunday, the 27th of
March, in a room near the great hall of the castle.[2400]

[Footnote 2400: _Ibid._, p. 194.]

Before ordering the deed of accusation to be read, my Lord of Beauvais
offered Jeanne the aid of an advocate.[2401] If this offer had been
postponed till then, it was doubtless because in his opinion Jeanne
had not previously needed such aid. It is well known that a heretic's
advocate, if he would himself escape falling into heresy, must
strictly limit his methods of defence. During the preliminary inquiry
he must confine himself to discovering the names of the witnesses for
the prosecution and to making them known to the accused. If the
heretic pleaded guilty then it was useless to grant him an
advocate.[2402] Now my Lord maintained that the accusation was founded
not on the evidence of witnesses but on the avowals of the accused.
And this was doubtless his reason for not offering Jeanne an advocate
before the opening of the trial in ordinary, which bore upon matters
of doctrine.

[Footnote 2401: _Ibid._, p. 195.]

[Footnote 2402: J. Quicherat, _Apercus nouveaux_, pp. 130, 131. E.
Meru, _Directorium Inquisitorium_, Romae, 1578, p. 295.]

The Lord Bishop thus addressed the Maid: "Jeanne," said he, "all
persons here present are churchmen of consummate knowledge, whose will
and intention it is to proceed against you in all piety and kindness,
seeking neither vengeance nor corporal chastisement, but your
instructi