THE TRIAL OF JEANNE DARC. 477 cart, and placed upon the stand prepared for her, the cart remaining to take her to the castle or to the stake, accord- ing to the issue of this day's session. When all were in their places, a preacher of great renown rose, and, taking his place opposite to the prisoner, preached a sermon upon the text, " A branch can not bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine," which he concluded by a last solemn exhortation to the prisoner to yield submission to the Church. She was not shaken. In her first reply, however, she tried a new expedient, saying, "Send to Rome, to our holy father the Pope, to whom, after God, I yield submission." Three times she was asked if she was willing to renounce those of her acts and words which the court condemned. Her last reply was, " I appeal to God and our holy father the Pope." The presiding bishop then began the reading of her sentence. The reading had proceeded two or three minutes, when suddenly her courage failed her, and she yielded. She interrupted the reading. " I am willing," she cried, " to hold all that the Church ordains, all that you judges shall say and pronounce. I will obey your orders in everything." Then she repeated several times : " Since the men of the church decide that my apparitions and revelations are neither sustainable nor credible, I do not wish to believe nor sustain them. I yield in every- thing to you and to our holy mother Church." This submission had been provided for by the manager of the trial. He at once produced a formal recantation and abjuration, which she was required to sign. " 1 can neither read nor write," she said. The king's secretary placed the document before her, put a pen in her hand, and guided it while she wrote " Jehanne," and appended the sign of the cross. The bishop then produced another sentence which had
