o possible reason why Joan should not be regarded as
a prisoner of war, and be entitled to all the courtesy and good usage
which civilized nations practise towards enemies on these occasions. She
had never, in her military capacity, forfeited, by any act of treachery
or cruelty, her claim to that treatment: she was unstained by any civil
crime: even the virtues and the very decorums of her sex had ever been
rigidly observed by her: and though her appearing in war, and leading
armies to battle, may seem an exception, she had thereby performed such
signal service to her prince, that she had abundantly compensated for
this irregularity; and was, on that very account, the more an object
of praise and admiration. It was necessary, therefore, for the duke of
Bedford to interest religion some way in the prosecution, and to cover
under that cloak his violation of justice and humanity.

[Illustration: 1_272_joan_d'arc.jpg JOAN D'ARC

The bishop of Beauvais, a man wholly devoted to the English interests,
presented a petition against Joan, on pretence that she was taken
within the bounds of his diocese; and he desired to have her tried by
an ecclesiastical court for sorcery, impiety, idolatry, and magic: the
university of Paris was so mean as to join in the same request: several
prelates, among whom the cardinal of Winchester was the only Englishman,
were appointed her judges: they held their court in Rouen, where the
young king of England then resided: and the maid, clothed in her former
military apparel, but loaded with irons, was produced before this
tribunal.

She first desired to be eased of her chains: her judges answered, that
she had once already attempted an escape by throwing herself from a
tower: she confessed the fact, maintained the justice of her intention,
and owned that, if she could, she would still execute that purpose.
All her other speeches showed the same firmness and intrepidity: though
harassed with interrogatories during the course of near four months, she
never betrayed any weakness or womanish submission; and no advantage was
gained over her. The point which her judges pushed most vehemently, was
her visions and revelations, and intercourse with departed saints; and
they asked her, whether she would submit to the church the truth of
these inspirations: she replied, that she would submit them to God,
the fountain of truth. They then exclaimed, that she was a heretic,
and denied the authority of the churc