登陆注册
20413200000076

第76章 THE PUBLIC EXAMINATION.FEBRUARY,(4)

She maintained her resolution to say nothing of her voices."We"according to the record "required of her that she should swear simply and absolutely without reservation."She would seem to have replied with impatience,"Let me speak freely:"adding "By my faith you may ask me many questions which I will not answer":then explaining,"Many things you may ask me,but I will tell you nothing truly that concerns my revelations;for you might compel me to say things which I have sworn not to say;and so I should perjure myself,which you ought not to wish."This explains several statements which she made later in respect to her introduction to the King.She repeated emphatically:"Iwarn you well,you who call yourselves my judges,that you take a great responsibility upon you,and that you burden me too much."She said also that it was enough to have already sworn twice.She was again asked to swear simply and absolutely,and answered,"It is enough to have sworn twice,"and that all the clerks in Rouen and Paris could not condemn her unless lawfully;also that of her coming she would speak the truth but not all the truth;and that the space of eight days would not be enough to tell all.

"We the said Bishop"(continues the report)"then said to her that she should ask advice from those present whether she ought to swear or not.She replied again that of her coming she would speak truly and not otherwise,nor would it be fit that she should talk at large.We then told her that it would throw suspicion on what she said if she did not swear to speak the truth.She answered as before.We repeated that she must swear precisely and absolutely.She answered that she would say what she knew,but not all,and that she had come on the part of God,and appealed to God from whom she came.Again requested and admonished to swear on pain of every punishment that could be put on her,again answered '/Passez outre/.'Finally she consented to swear that she would speak the truth in everything that concerned the trial."Her examination was then resumed by Beaupère as before,who elicited from her that she had fasted (he seems to have wished to make out that the fasting had something to do with her visions)since noon the day before (it was Lent);and also that she had heard her voices both on that day and the day before,three times on the previous day,the first time in the morning when she was asleep,and awakened by them.

Did she kneel and thank them?She thanked them,sitting up in her bed (to which she was chained,as her questioner knew)and clasping her hands.She asked them what she was to do,and they told her to answer boldly.

It may be remarked here that more frequently as the examination goes on,part of Jeanne's words are quoted in the first person,as if the reporters had been specially struck by them,while the bulk of her evidence goes on more calmly in the third person,the narrative form.

After saying that she was bidden to answer boldly,she seems to have turned to the Bishop,and to have addressed him individually:"You say you are my judge;I warn you to take care what you are doing,for I am sent from God,and you are putting yourself in much peril"(/magno periculo:gallice/,adds the reporter,/en grant dangier/).

She was then asked if her voices ever changed their meaning,and answered that she had never heard two speak contrary to each other;what they had said that day was that she should speak boldly.Asked,if the voice forbade her to reply to questions asked,she replied;"Iwill not answer you.I have revelations touching the King which I will not tell you."Asked,if the voices forbade her to reveal these revelations,she answered,"I have not consulted them;give me fifteen days'delay and I will answer you";but being again exhorted to reply,said:"If the voice forbade me to speak,how many times should I tell you?"Again asked,if she were forbidden to speak,answered,"Ibelieve I am not forbidden by men"--repeating that she would not reply,and knew not how far she should reply,for it had not been revealed to her;but that she believed firmly,as firmly as the Christian faith,and that God had redeemed us from the pains of hell,that this voice came from Him.

Questioned concerning the voice,what it appeared to be when it spoke,if that of an angel,or from God Himself;or if it was the voice of a saint or of saints (feminine),answered:"The voice comes from God;and I believe that I should not tell you all I know,for I should displease these voices if I answered you;and as for this question Ipray you to leave me free."Asked if she thought that to speak the truth would displease God,she answered,"What the voices say I am to tell to the King,not to you,"adding that during that night they had said much to her for the good of the King,and that if she could but let him know she would willingly drink no wine up to Easter (the reader will remember that her frugal fare consisted of bread dipped in the wine and water,which is justly called /eau rougie/in France).

同类推荐
  • 金刚秘密善门陀罗尼经

    金刚秘密善门陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 破庵祖先禅师语录

    破庵祖先禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 肇论疏科

    肇论疏科

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 始夏南园思旧里

    始夏南园思旧里

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说圣持世陀罗尼经

    佛说圣持世陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 妃常记仇:王爷莫相忘

    妃常记仇:王爷莫相忘

    他曾许她,一生相守,天长地久;他曾为她,山河覆手,筹谋尽收;他曾允她,颜华无垢,倾世无俦;然,一朝回首,思君不见,望郎上青楼!多少恨,眉间心头!多少泪,对月空流!多少情,难勘通透!游戏人生,相忘江湖,她志满踌踌;春秋冷暖,世事浮沉,尽蝇蝇苟苟。再回首,是谁,在向她展颜招手?再回首,是谁,在原地伫足等候?
  • The Brown Fairy Book

    The Brown Fairy Book

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 凡缘仙路

    凡缘仙路

    有些人生来便就不凡,有些人生来就站在那九天之巅,混沌初开,灵衍万物,三千生灵,坐而论道,且看一介凡人如何在危险重重之中的修真界拓马长枪定乾坤!
  • 请求支援

    请求支援

    《请求支援》是百年百部微型小说经典系列丛书之一,作者周海亮是国内最受青年读者喜爱的作家”之一。微型小说,又名小小说、袖珍小说、一分钟小说、一滴泉小说、超短篇小说或百字小说等。具有立意新颖、情节严谨、结局新奇三要素。微型小说是一种敏感,从一个点、一个画面、一个对比、一声赞叹、一瞬间之中,捕捉住了小说——一种智慧、一种美、一个耐人寻味的场景,一种新鲜的思想。这本收录的就是微型小说,共收小说67篇,包括:《穿过正午的马车》、《一条鱼的狂奔》、《请她来吃顿饭吧》等。
  • 将门娇:皇家贵后

    将门娇:皇家贵后

    她本是当朝战功卓著的巾帼将军,却因错嫁良人怀胎十月惨死井中。苍天有眼,让怨念极深的她亡魂附在路边已经冻死的乞丐身上。一朝重生,她被皇子所救,给她吃食,助她找回武功。她立誓要将前世所伤她之人皆送入阎罗地狱,一个一个,永不能翻身。
  • 焚档

    焚档

    半个世纪前,西南发生离奇事故,前后三支解放军部队神秘失踪,生死不知。一位历史学家根据事故线索整理出一份调查报告,推测出一个惊天秘密。该份报告随即被标记绝密予以存档。但随后,历史学家却离奇死亡,档案馆突然爆炸,绝密档案不翼而飞。半个世纪后,楼兰古城黑岩现世、罗布泊卷起万丈黄沙,承担着焚烧档案使命的青年人竟从古墓深处中走出,举世皆惊。美、日、台以及大陆的不同势力纷纷云集行动,谍影重重间拉开又一段惊心之旅。夜郎丛林中的无头太岁、古城王宫后的阴阳月冢、巨大石门背后的隐隐神迹、身披重甲的匈奴降尸、北海深渊下的神秘妖楼……一路走去,他还要遇到多少诡异莫名的事物?一路走去,他还能否焚档?
  • 谁翻乐府凄凉曲

    谁翻乐府凄凉曲

    本书内容包括1999年后新作、处女作、成名作、代表作、影响或争议最大之作、印象记、对话录、后记、著作目录、大事年表、影集、手迹、小传等内容。
  • 中国古典文学荟萃(庄子)

    中国古典文学荟萃(庄子)

    中国古典文学是中国文学史上闪烁着灿烂光辉的经典性作品或优秀作品,它是世界文学宝库中令人瞩目的瑰宝。几千年来,中国传统文化养育了中国古典文学,中国古典文学又大大丰富了中国传统文化,使传统文化更具有深刻的影响力。
  • 异世戮神

    异世戮神

    我若灭世,谁人阻拦,天若有怨,葬之何妨?世间毁誉,与我何干?执守本心,持三尺青峰,快意恩仇,掌天控地,脚踏九天,神挡戮神,天挡戮天。一代强人穿越异世,看其仗剑屠出通天大道,搅动天下风云,踏临异世巅峰,成就一代戮神!
  • 冷皇的影后甜心

    冷皇的影后甜心

    杂志小记者苏然跟拍被灌醉,一夜醒来竟然要被冷酷总裁力捧成天后明星,本以为没事偷着乐的事情,却成为苏然噩梦的开端。全面禁锢?饰演大尺度剧情片?成为总裁贴身小秘?面对冷酷总裁的压倒性强制,苏然决定以色治色……--情节虚构,请勿模仿