the unseen world and other essays-第35节

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There　is　yet　another　document　bearing　on　this　case；　drawn　from　the　accounts　of　the　auditor　of　the　Orleans　estate；　in　the　year　1444；　which　we　will　here　translate。　〃An　island　on　the　River　Loire　is　restored　to　Pierre　du　Lis；　knight；　'on　account　of　the　supplication　of　the　said　Pierre；　alleging　that　for　the　acquittal　of　his　debt　of　loyalty　toward　our　Lord　the　King　and　M。　the　Duke　of　Orleans；　he　left　his　country　to　come　to　the　service　of　the　King　and　M。　the　Duke；　accompanied　by　his　sister；　Jeanne　the　Maid；　with　whom；　down　to　the　time　of　her　departure；　and　since；　unto　the　present　time；　he　has　exposed　his　body　and　goods　in　the　said　service；　and　in　the　King's　wars；　both　in　resisting　the　former　enemies　of　the　kingdom　who　were　besieging　the　town　of　Orleans；　and　since　then　in　divers　enterprises；'　&c。；　&c。〃　Upon　this　Mr。　Delepierre　justly　remarks　that　the　brother　might　have　presented　his　claims　in　a　much　stronger　light；　〃if　in　1444；〃　instead　of　saying　'up　to　the　time　of　her　departure；'　he　had　brought　forward　the　martyrdom　of　his　sister；　as　having　been　the　means　of　saving　France　from　the　yoke　of　England。〃　The　expression　here　cited　and　italicized　in　the　above　translation；　may　indeed　be　held　to　refer　delicately　to　her　death；　but　the　particular　French　phrase　employed；　〃jusques　a　son　absentement；〃　apparently　excludes　such　an　interpretation。　The　expression；　on　the　other　hand；　might　well　refer　to　Jeanne's　departure　for　Lorraine；　and　her　marriage；　after　which　there　is　no　evidence　that　she　returned　to　France；　except　for　brief　visits。　Thus　a　notable　amount　of　evidence　goes　to　show　that　Jeanne　was　not　put　to　death　in　1431；　as　usually　supposed；　but　was　alive；　married；　and　flourishing　in　1444。　Upon　this　supposition；　certain　alleged　difficulties　in　the　traditional　account　are　easily　disposed　of。　Mr。　Delepierre　urges　upon　the　testimony　of　Perceval　de　Cagny；　that　at　the　execution　in　Rouen　〃the　victim's　face　was　covered　when　walking　to　the　stake；　while　at　the　same　time　a　spot　had　been　chosen　for　the　execution　that　permitted　the　populace　to　have　a　good　view。　Why　this　contradiction？　A　place　is　chosen　to　enable　the　people　to　see　everything；　but　the　victim　is　carefully　hidden　from　their　sight。〃　Whether　otherwise　explicable　or　not；　this　fact　is　certainly　consistent　with　the　hypothesis　that　some　other　victim　was　secretly　substituted　for　Jeanne　by　the　English　authorities。

We　have　thus　far　contented　ourselves　with　presenting　and　re…enforcing　Mr。　Delepierre's　statement　of　the　case。　It　is　now　time　to　interpose　a　little　criticism。　We　must　examine　our　data　somewhat　more　closely；　for　vagueness　of　conception　allows　a　latitude　to　belief　which　accuracy　of　conception　considerably　restricts。

On　the　hypothesis　of　her　survival；　where　was　Jeanne；　and　what　was　she　doing　all　the　time　from　her　capture　before　Compiegne；　May　24；　1430；　until　her　appearance　at　Metz；　May　20；　1436？　Mr。　Delepierre　reminds　us　that　the　Duke　of　Bedford；　regent　of　France　for　the　English　king；　died　in　1435；　and　〃that　most　probably　Jeanne　d'Arc　was　released　from　prison　after　this　event。〃　Now　this　supposition　lands　us　in　a　fatally　absurd　conclusion。　We　are；　in　fact；　asked　to　believe　that　the　English；　while　holding　Jeanne　fast　in　their　clutches；　gratuitously　went　through　the　horrid　farce　of　burning　some　one　else　in　her　stead；　and　that；　after　having　thus　inexplicably　behaved；　they　further　stultified　themselves　by　letting　her　go　scot…free；　that　their　foolishness　might　be　duly　exposed　and　confuted。　Such　a　theory　is　childish。　If　Jeanne　d'Arc　ever　survived　the　30th　May；　1431；　it　was　because　she　escaped　from　prison　and　succeeded　in　hiding　herself　until　safer　times。　When　could　she　have　done　this？　In　a　sortie　from　Compiegne；　May　24；　1430；　she　was　thrown　from　her　horse　by　a　Picard　archer　and　taken　prisoner　by　the　Bastard　of　Vendome；　who　sold　her　to　John　of　Luxembourg。　John　kept　her　in　close　custody　at　Beaulieu　until　August。　While　there；　she　made　two　attempts　to　escape；　first；　apparently；　by　running　out　through　a　door；　when　she　was　at　once　caught　by　the　guards；　secondly；　by　jumping　from　a　high　window；　when　the　shock　of　the　fall　was　so　great　that　she　lay　insensible　on　the　ground　until　discovered。　She　was　then　removed　to　Beaurevoir；　where　she　remained　until　the　beginning　of　November。　By　this　time；　Philip　〃the　Good；〃　Duke　of　Burgundy；　had　made　up　his　mind　to　sell　her　to　the　English　for　10；000　francs；　and　Jeanne　was　accordingly　taken　to　Arras；　and　thence　to　Cotoy；　where　she　was　delivered　to　the　English　by　Philip's　officers。　So　far；　all　is　clear；　but　here　it　may　be　asked；　WAS　she　really　delivered　to　the　English；　or　did　Philip；　pocketing　his　10；000　francs；　cheat　and　defraud　his　allies　with　a　counterfeit　Jeanne？　Such　crooked　dealing　would　have　been　in　perfect　keeping　with　his　character。　Though　a　far　more　agreeable　and　gentlemanly　person；　he　was　almost　as　consummate　and　artistic　a　rascal　as　his　great…great…great…grandson　and　namesake；　Philip　II。　of　Spain。　His　duplicity　was　so　unfathomable　and　his　policy　so　obscure；　that　it　would　be　hardly　safe　to　affirm　a　priori　that　he　might　not；　for　reasons　best　known　to　himself；　have　played　a　double　game　with　his　friend　the　Duke　of　Bedford。　On　this　hypothesis；　he　would　of　course　keep　Jeanne　in　close　custody　so　long　as　there　was　any　reason　for　keeping　his　treachery　secret。　But　in　1436；　after　the　death　of　Bedford　and　the　final　expulsion　of　the　English　from　France；　no　harm　could　come　from　setting　her　at　liberty。

But　as　soon　as　we　cease　to　reason　a　priori；　this　is　seen　to　be；　after　all；　a　lame　hypothesis。　No　one　can　read　the　trial　of　Jeanne　at　Rouen；　the　questions　that　were　put　to　her　and　the　answers　which　she　made；　without　being　convinced　that　we　are　here　dealing　with　the　genuine　Maid　and　not　with　a　substitute。　The　first　step　of　a　counterfeit　Jeanne　would　have　naturally　been　to　save　herself　from　the　flames　by　revealing　her　true　character。　Moreover；　among　the　multitudes　who　saw　her　during　her　cruel　trial；　it　is　not　likely　that　none　were　acquainted　with　the　true　Jeanne's　voice　and　features。　We　must　therefore　conclude　that　Jeanne　d'Arc　was　really　consigned　to　the　tender　mercies　of　the　English。　About　the　21st　of　November　she　was　taken　on　horseback；　strongly　guarded；　from　Cotoy　to　Rouen；　where　the　trial　began　January　9；　1431。　On　the　21st　of　February　she　appeared　before　the　court；　on　the　13th　of　March　she　was　examined　in　the　prison　by　an　inquisitor；　and　on　May　24；　the　Thursday　after　Pentecost；　upon　a　scaffold　conspicuously　placed　in　the　Cemetery　of　St。　Ouen；　she　publicly　recanted；　abjuring　her　〃heresies〃　and　asking　the　Church's　pardon　for　her　〃witchcraft。〃　We　may　be　sure　that　the　Church　dignitaries　would　not　knowingly　have　made　such　public　display　of　a　counterfeit　Jeanne；　nor　could　they　well　have　been　deceived　themselves　under　such　circumstances。　It　may　indeed　be　said；　to　exhaust　all　possible　suppositions；　that　a　young　girl　wonderfully　similar　in　feature　and　voice　to　Jeanne　d'Arc　was　palmed　off　upon　the　English　by　Duke　Philip；　and　afterwards；　on　her　trial；　comported　herself　like　the　Maid；　trusting　in　this　recantation　to　effect　her　release。　But　we　consider　such　an　hypothesis　extremely　far…fetched；　nor　does　it　accord　with　the　events　which　immediately　followed。　It　seems　hardly　questionable　that　it　was　the　real　Jeanne　who　publicly　recanted　on　the　24th　of　May。　This　was　only　six　days　before　the　execution。　Four　days　after；　on　Monday　the　28th；　it　was　reported　that　Jeanne　had　relapsed；　that　she　had；　in　defiance　of　the　Church's　prohibition；　clothed　herself　in　male　attire；　which　had　been　left　in　a　convenient　place　by　the　authorities；　expressly　to　test　her　sincerity。　On　the　next　day　but　one；　the　woman　purporting　to　be　the　Maid　of　Orleans　was　led　out；　with　her　face　carefully　covered；　and　burnt　at　the　stake。

Here　is　the　first　combination　of　circumstances　which　bears　a　suspicious　look。　It　disposes　of　our　Burgundy　hypothesis；　for　a　false　Jeanne；　after　recanting　to　secure　her　safety；　would　never　have　stultified　herself　by　such　a　barefaced　relapse。　But　the　true　Jeanne；　after　recanting；　might　certainly　have　escaped。　Some　compassionate　guard；　who　before　would　have　scrupled　to　assist　her　while　under　the　ban　of　the　Church；　might　have　deemed　himself　excusable　for　lending　her　his　aid　after　she　had　been　absolved。　Postulating；　then；　that　Jeanne　escaped　from　Rouen　between　the　24th　and　the　28th；　how　shall　we　explain　what　happened　immediately　afterward？

The　English　feared　Jeanne　d'Arc　as　much　as　they　hated　her。　She　had；　by　her　mere　presence　at　the　head　of　the　French　army；　turned　their　apparent　triumph　into　ignominious　defeat。　In　those　days　the　true　psychological　explanation　of　such　an　event　was　by　no　means　obvious。　While　the　French　attributed　the　result　to　celestial　interposition　in　their　behalf；　the　English；　equally　ready　to　admit　its　supernatural　character；　considered　the　powers　of　hell　rather　than　those　of　heaven　to　have　been　the　prime　instigators。　In　their　eyes　Jeanne　was　a　witch；　and　it　was　at　least　their　cue　to　exhibit　her　as　such。　They　might　have　put　her　to　death　when　she　first　reached　Rouen。　Some　persons；　indeed；　went　so　far　as　to　advise　that　she　should　be　sewed　up　in　a　sack　and　thrown　at　once　into　the　Seine；　but　this　was　not　what　the　authorities　wanted。　The　whole　elaborate　trial；　and　the　extorted　recantation；　were　d