第117章 AFTER.(1)
The natural burst of remorse which follows such an event is well known in history；and is as certainly to be expected as the details of the great catastrophe itself.We feel almost as if，had there not been fact and evidence for such a revulsion of feeling，it must have been recorded all the same，being inevitable.The executioner，perhaps the most innocent of all，sought out Frère Isambard，and confessed to him in an anguish of remorse fearing never to be pardoned for what he had done.An Englishman who had sworn to add a faggot to the flames in which the witch should be burned，when he rushed forward to keep his word was seized with sudden compunction--believed that he saw a white dove flutter forth from amid the smoke over her head，and，almost fainting at the sight，had to be led by his comrades to the nearest tavern for refreshment，a life-like touch in which we recognise our countryman；but he too found his way that afternoon to Frère Isambard like the other.A horrible story is told by the /Bourgeois de Paris/，whose contemporary journal is one of the authorities for this period，that "the fire was drawn aside"in order that Jeanne's form，with all its clothing burned away，should be visible by one last act of shameless insult to the crowd.The fifteenth century believed，as we have said，everything that is cruel and horrible，as indeed the vulgar mind does at all ages；but such brutal imaginings have seldom any truth to support them，and there is no such suggestion in the actual record.Isambard and Massieu heard from one of the officials that when every other part of her body was destroyed the heart was found intact，but was，by the order of Winchester，flung into the Seine along with all the ashes of that sacrifice.It was wise no doubt that no relics should be kept.
Other details were murmured abroad amid the excited talk that followed this dreadful scene."When she was enveloped by the smoke，she cried out for water，holy water，and called to St.Mich？l；then hung her head upon her breast and breathing forth the name of Jesus，gently died.""Being in the flame her voice never ceased repeating in a loud voice the holy name of Jesus，and invoking without cease the saints of paradise，she gave up her spirit，bowing her head and saying the name of Jesus in sign of the fervour of her faith."One of the Canons of Rouen，standing sobbing in the crowd，said to another："Would that my soul were in the same place where the soul of that woman is at this moment"；which indeed is not very different from the authorised saying of Pierre Morice in the prison.Guillaume Manchon，the reporter，he who wrote /superba responsio/on his margin，and had written down every word of her long examination--his occupation for three months，--says that he "never wept so much for anything that happened to himself，and that for a whole month he could not recover his calm."This man adds a very characteristic touch，to wit，that "with part of the pay which he had for the trial，he bought a missal，that he might have a reason for praying for her."Jean Tressat，"secretary to the King of England"(whatever that office may have been)，went home from the execution crying out，"We are all lost，for we have burned a saint."A priest，afterwards bishop，Jean Fabry，"did not believe that there was any man who could restrain his tears."The modern historians speak of the mockeries of the English，but none are visible in the record.Indeed，the part of the English in it is extraordinarily diminished on investigation；they are the supposed inspirers of the whole proceedings；they are believed to be continually pushing on the inquisitors；still more，they are supposed to have bought all that large tribunal，the sixty or seventy judges，among whom were the most learned and esteemed Doctors in France；but of none of this is there any proof given.That they were anxious to procure Jeanne's condemnation and death，is very certain.Not one among them believed in her sacred mission，almost all considered her a sorceress，the most dangerous of evil influences，a witch who had brought shame and loss to England by her incantations and evil spells.
On that point there could be no doubt whatever.She alone had stopped the progress of the invaders，and broken the charm of their invariable success.But all that she had done had been in favour of Charles，who made no attempt to serve or help her，and who had thwarted her plans，and hindered her work so long as it was possible to do so，even when she was performing miracles for his sake.And Alen？on，Dunois，La Hire，where were they and all the knights？Two of them at least were at Louvins，within a day's march，but never made a step to rescue her.
We need not ask where were the statesmen and clergy on the French side，for they were unfeignedly glad to have the burden of condemning her taken from their hands.No one in her own country said a word or struck a blow for Jeanne.As for the suborning of the University of Paris /en masse/，and all its best members in particular，that is a general baseness in which it is impossible to believe.There is no appearance even of any particular pressure put upon the judges.Jean de la Fontaine disappeared，we are told，and no one ever knew what became of him：but it was from Cauchon he fled.And nothing seems to have happened to the monks who attended the Maid to the scaffold，nor to the others who sobbed about the pile.On the other side，the Doctors who condemned her were in no way persecuted or troubled by the French authorities when the King came to his own.There was at the time a universal tacit consent in France to all that was done at Rouen on the 31st of May，1431.