THE TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC, Being the verbatim report of the proceedings from the Orleans Manuscript, translated by W.S. Scott, 1956, Associated Book Sellers. The International Joan of Arc Societyπs on-line edition of the 1431 trial record is edited by Dr. Jane Marie Pinzino with permission of Royal Folio Society. See Associated Book Sellersπ original hardcover edition for Scottπs critical apparatus.

copy of the schedule of the summons made By the Bishop of Beauvais to the duke of Burgundy and messire Jean de Luxembourg, to hand oveR the pucelle

It is required by the Bishop of Beauvais of my lord the Duke of Burgundy, of my lord Jean de Luxembourg, and of the Bastard of VendÙme [Wandomme], both on behalf of our lord the King, and of himself as Bishop of Beauvais,

That this woman named Jeanne the Pucelle, a prisoner, be sent to the king that he may deliver her to the Church to stand her trial; since she is suspected and reported to have committed a number of crimes such as sacrilege, idolatry, invocation of devils and other matters touching the faith and contrary to it. And although in my opinion she ought not to be [considered] a prisoner of war, considering what has been said, nonetheless, as a remuneration for those who took her and have held her prisoner, the king is willing to pay them liberally up to the sum of six thousand livres; and for the Bastard who took her prisoner he will give and assign monies suitable to his condition up to the sum of two or three hundred livres.

Since this woman was taken in his diocese and within his spiritual jurisdiction, the bishop requires of the afore‑mentioned and each of them, that she may be handed over to him to stand her trial, as to him rightly belongs, and which he is now ready to hold with the assistance of the Inquisitor of the Faith, if need be, and that of certain doctors of theology and law, and other learned persons expert in the law, as the matter requires; in order that it may be duly carried out to the glory of the Faith and the instruction of those who in this affair have been, by reason of this woman, deceived and abused.

And in conclusion, if the aforesaid persons or any of them are not content with the above‑mentioned method or refuse to obey; since the capture of this woman is not equal to that of a king, prince, or others of high estate, whom the king could have if he so wished by paying ten thousand francs, according to the law, usage and custom of France; the bishop summons and requires the afore‑mentioned persons, to deliver the said Pucelle to him, and will give surety for the said sum of ten thousand francs in full payment; and the bishop hereby requires that she be thus handed over to him, in accordance with the law and subject to its penalties.

Copy of the letter of the University of Paris to Messire Jean de Luxembourg, for the surrender of the Pucelle

Very noble, honoured and puissant lord, we recommend ourselves most lovingly to your high nobility.

Your noble prudence is well assured and recognizes that all good Catholic knights should employ their strength and power firstly in the service of God; especially since the first oath of the Order of Chivalry is to guard and defend God's honour, the Catholic Faith and His Holy Church. This oath you well remembered when you employed your noble power and personal presence in taking prisoner a certain woman called the Pucelle, by whom God's honour has been immeasurably offended, the Faith greatly wounded, and the Church much dishonoured. For by her means, idolatry, error, false doctrines, and other evils and irreparable hurts have spread throughout the realm. And in truth all loyal Christians owe you many thanks for having performed so great a service to our holy Faith and to the whole kingdom. And as for ourselves, we thank God and you for your noble prowess with all our hearts, as much as in us lies. But a little thing would it be to have made this capture, were it not followed by what is necessary to remedy the offence perpetrated by this woman against our most sweet Creator, His Faith and Holy Church, as well as her other innumerable misdeeds, as are reported; and it would be a greater evil still, and an intolerable offence to God's majesty if this woman merely were left, or if it came to pass that she were set free or lost, as certain of our enemies have said they would endeavour to obtain, applying to that end all their knowledge by every subtle means, either by bribery or ransom. But it is our hope that God will not permit such an evil to His people; and that your own good and noble prudence will not suffer it, but will be enabled to act fittingly. For if she were to be freed without suitable reparation, it would be an irreparable dishonour to your high nobility, as well as to all therein concerned. But, in order that such a scandal shall cease as soon as possible, as is most needful, since delay in this matter is both most dangerous and very prejudicial to the realm, we most humbly and lovingly beg your puissant and honoured nobility that, for the honour of God, the safeguarding of the Faith, and the good of the whole realm, you do despatch this woman for trial, and send her to the Inquisitor of the Faith who has required and requires her with the greatest urgency to answer grave charges; in order that God may thereby be pleased and the people duly edified with good and holy doctrine; or that it may please you to deliver this woman up to the reverend Father in God, our very honoured lord, the Bishop of Beauvais, who has likewise required her, seeing that his is the jurisdiction in which she was taken prisoner; and since the bishop and the inquisitor are her judges in matters of faith; and since every Christian of whatsoever degree must obey them in this present case under penalties of law, which are grave. In doing so you will acquire the grace and love of God Almighty; you will be the means of glorifying our holy Faith; and you will increase the renown of your high and noble name, as well as that of the most high and puissant prince, our most feared lord and yours, our lord the Duke of Burgundy; and each of us will be bound to pray God for the prosperity of your most noble person; whom may God our Saviour keep with His holy Grace in all your doings, and at the last reward with everlasting felicity.

Written in Paris the XIIIIth day of July, MCCCCXXX.

Jesus Maria

King of England, and you, Duke of Bedford, who call yourself Regent of the kingdom of France; you, Guillaume de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, John sire of Talbot, and you, Thomas, Lord Scales, who call yourself lieutenant of the said Bedford, do right before the King of Heaven. Hand over to the Pucelle, who is sent from God the King of Heaven, the keys of all the towns which you have taken and ravaged in France. She is come here on Godπs behalf to restore the blood royal. She is quite ready to make peace, if you are willing to do right, that is, to leave France, and to make amends for the injuries you have done, and to hand back the monies you have received all the time that you have been here.

And you, archers, soldiers and gentlemen and others who are now besieging the town of Orleans, get you back in Godπs Name into your own country. And if you will not do so, I am a chieftain of war, and assure you that wherever I find your people in France, I shall fight them and drive them out; and shall make them go, whether they will or no; and if they will not obey, I shall have them put to death. I am sent here by God the King of Heaven to fight them and to drive them out of France. And if they will obey, I will have mercy on them. And do not think that you will stay here any longer, for you do not hold the realm of France from God the King of Heaven, Son of the Virgin Mary. For he who will thus hold it is Charles, the true heir, for God the King of Heaven so desires. And it is revealed to him by the Pucelle that very shortly he will enter Paris with a good company. And if you do not believe the message of God and the Pucelle, I inform you that wherever we find you, we will fight you, and will make so great a to-do [hay-hay] there that not for a thousand years has France had one so great. And firmly believe that the King of Heaven will send such strength to the Pucelle that neither you nor your soldiers will be able to repel either her or her forces. And when it comes to blows we shall see who has the better right.

And you, Duke of Bedford, who now besiege Orleans, the Pucelle begs that you will not compel her to destroy you. And if you will do right, you may yet see the French doing the greatest deed which has ever been done in Christendom.[OoIS1]

And I beg you, if you desire to make peace, to answer me in the city of Orleans, where we hope to be very shortly; and if you do not do so, you will remember it by reason of your great sufferings.

Written this Tuesday in Holy Week.

The Summons and the aforesaid letters being written and despatched, the Bishop of Beauvais, Messire Pierre Cauchon, accompanied by a man who represented the University of Paris and by a notary apostolic, left Paris and went to CompiËgne where the Duke of Burgundy and de Luxembourg were at the siege. The bishop gave the Summons to the duke, who, after he had received it, handed it to my lord Nicolas Rollin his chancellor, who was present, telling him to give it to Messire Jean de Luxembourg and to the lord of Beaurevoir, which he did immediately, for both were there.[1] De Luxembourg received and read the schedule. Then the letters from the University were given him, which he likewise read, as well as the contents of a document by a notary apostolic named Triquelot, in which the schedule of Summons only is mentioned. This document I have translated from the Latin into French, and it now follows.

TENOR OF THE INSTRUMENT OF THE NOTARY WHO WAS PRESENT AT THE DELIVERY OF THE SUMMONS TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND MY LORD OF LUXEMBOURG

In the year of Our Lord MCCCCXXX, the XIIIIth day of the month of July, the eighth indication, in the XIIIth year of the pontificate of our lord Pope Martin the Fifth, in the ch‚teau of the most illustrious prince our lord the Duke of Burgundy, in his camp before CompiËgne, in the presence of the noble lords Nicolas de Mailly, bailli of Varmandois, and Jean de Pressy, knights and of many other nobles, witnesses in great numbers, there was presented by the most reverend Father in Christ the lord Pierre, by the Grace of God Bishop and Count of Beauvais, to the most illustrious prince our lord the Duke of Burgundy, a certain schedule on paper containing word for word the five above-written Articles; which paper the lord duke did in fact hand over to the noble Nicolas Rollin, knight, his chancellor, who was present; ordering that it should be conveyed by the said chancellor to the noble and puissant lord Jean de Luxembourg, knight, lord of Beaurevoir; and in order that he might the more readily do so, the said lord the chancellor, in obedience to his command, did so hand it to the lord Jean de Luxembourg when he came; and as it seemed to me, he read the said schedule. Thus signed: Done in my presence,

Triquelot,

Notary public by Apostolic and Imperial authority

After the Schedule and the letters of the University were presented, as has been said, the bishop spoke to the duke and to de Luxembourg. After some talk it was agreed that, on handing over a certain sum of money, the Pucelle should be surrendered to him, which was done three or four days later. The bishop, when he had received her, gave her into the hands of the English, who brought her to Rouen, and kept her there in the ch‚teau, strictly imprisoned, wearing fetters, and strongly guarded.

[Here in the manuscript is inserted the Latin version of the Instrument of the Notary, of which the French version appears in correct chronological order above, and a second copy of the letter from the University, which has already been given. Following this, comes a letter written by Henry VI on 28 June 1431, to inform the subjects of the Crown of the death of the Pucelle. As this edition only includes that part of the Orleans manuscript which ends with Jeanne's execution, it seems better to omit this letter rather than include it in a position which is chronologically incorrect.]

THE TENOR OF THE KING'S LETTERS CONCERNING THE SURRENDER OF THE PUCELLE TO THE BISHOP OF BEAUVAIS

Henry, by the grace of God, King of France and England, to all those who shall see these present letters, Greeting.

It is sufficiently notorious and well‑known that for some time past a woman calling herself Jeanne the Pucelle, leaving off the dress and clothing of the feminine sex, a thing contrary to divine law and abominable before God, and forbidden by all laws, wore clothing and armour such as is worn by men; has caused and occasioned cruel murders; and, so it is said, has seduced and abused simple people by giving them to understand that she was sent from God, and had knowledge of His holy secrets; together with other very dangerous teaching, scandalous and prejudicial to the Catholic Faith; and while pursuing these abuses and showing enmity towards Us and Our people, was taken in arms before CompiËgne by one of Our loyal subjects, and has subsequently been brought as a prisoner before Us. And since she has on many occasions been reputed, suspected and charged with superstition, false dogma, and other crimes of lËse‑majestÈ towards God, We have been urgently requested by the reverend Father in God, Our beloved and loyal Counsellor the Bishop of Beauvais, ecclesiastical judge and Ordinary of the said Jeanne, since she was taken prisoner within the boundaries and limits of his diocese; and have similarly been requested by Our most dearly beloved daughter the University of Paris, that We should cause the said Jeanne to be handed over and delivered to the said reverend Father in God, that he might question and examine her in this matter, and proceed further against her according to the regulations and ordinances of holy canon law, calling together for this purpose those who should be called.

Wherefore, for the reverence and honour of God's Name, and for the defence and upholding of Holy Church and the Catholic Faith, and devoutly desiring as a true and humble Child of Holy Church, to agree to the requests of the said reverend Father in God and to the desire of the doctors and masters of Our said daughter the University of Paris, We do command and consent that as often as shall seem good to the reverend Father in God, the said Jeanne shall in truth and deed be handed over and delivered to him by Our officers and guards, that he may question and examine her, and that she may be tried by him according to God's [laws], right, and the holy canons.

Wherefore We do command Our officers and others, who are charged with her safe keeping, that they shall in deed and truth hand her over to the said Father in God, without refusal or contradiction, as often as he shall require. We do also command all Our magistrates, officers and subjects, both French and English, not to occasion any hindrance or difficulty either in fact or otherwise, either to the said reverend father in God or to any others who may be ordered to assist, take part in or hear the said trial; but if they be so requested by the said reverend Father in God, they shall give them protection, aid, defence, guard and comfort, under pain of severe punishment.

Nevertheless it is Our intention to bring back before Us the said Jeanne, if it should not be that she is convicted or found guilty of the said crimes or any of them, or of other crimes touching our Faith.

In witness whereof We have had affixed to these presents Our prescribed Seal, in the absence of the Great [Seal].

Given at Rouen, the third day of January, in the year of grace MCCCCXXX,[2] and of Our Reign the IXth.

Signed: By the King, in His Great Council J. de Rinel

Shortly afterwards the Bishop of Beauvais, at the request of the King of England and the members of his Council, who were anxious for the death of the Pucelle, moved to Rouen. There he called together all the greatest and most learned personages, together with advocates and notaries, whose names are given hereafter. And when they had assembled, he told them that the King of France and England, their sovereign lord, had been advised by the lords and members of his Council and by the University of Paris, that a woman named Jeanne, commonly called the Pucelle, should be brought to trial, for she was accused of heresy, of diabolic arts, and of various other crimes and evil‑doing. And since this woman had been taken and apprehended in his diocese,[3] it was for him to try her; which by their advice he would endeavour to do. And he prayed that they would be present together with him, to ensure that all that was done was right.

They all answered that they were ready to obey the king, and that they would willingly be present at the trial.

The following day, since the archiepiscopal See was then vacant, and that the jurisdiction was in the hands of the Chapter of the [Cathedral] Church of Rouen, the bishop went to the Chapter and said to the dean and canons similar words to those he had used the day before. But since he was out of his own diocese [he added], he desired leave and permission to hold [the trial] in the territory of the Archbishop of Rouen; and asked their leave that he should exercise his functions within that territory. This permission was granted him, and he asked that it should be put in writing, which was sent to him.

When all preparations were made for beginning the trial, although it was pointed out to the bishop that, seeing that it was a trial in a matter of faith, and held by ecclesiastics, Jeanne the Pucelle ought to be kept in the prison of the Archbishop of Rouen; nevertheless the good lord, ever desirous of pleasing the King of England and winning the good opinion of the English, was unwilling to do this, and left her in a prison held by the English, her mortal enemies. In this he began to show the desire he had to do honest justice in this trial, in which he and his band showed no more feeling in putting the Pucelle to death than Caiaphas and Annas and the scribes and Pharisees showed in bringing about the death of Our Lord, as one can see clearly in the recital of the trial; in which there are many lies, as I have found in two books[4] in which is written the [report of] her trial of condemnation, and in which there are a number of disagreements, especially in the questions and in her answers. It is further completely proved by the trial of rehabilitation that the trial of condemnation was falsified in a number of places.

THE TRIAL FOR LAPSE

THE FORMAL PRELIMINARIES

9 January