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Joan should not be regarded as a prisoner of war, and be entitled to all the courtesy and good usage which civilised nations practice towards enemies on these occasions. She had never, in her military capacity, forfeited, by any act of treachery or cruelty, her claim to that treatment; she was unstained by any civil crime; even the virtues and the very decorums of her sex had ever been rigidly observed by her; and though her appearing in war, and leading armies to battle, may seem an exception, she had thereby performed such signal service to her prince, that she had abundantly compensated for this irregularity; and was, on that very account, the more an object of praise and admiration. It was necessary, therefore, for the Duke of Bedford to interest religion some way in the prosecution; and to cover, under that cloak, his violation of justice and humanity.

The bishop of Beauvais, a man wholly devoted to the English interests, presented a petition against Joan, on pretence that she was taken within the bounds of his diocese; and he desired to have her tried by an ecclesiastical court for sorcery, impiety, idolatry, and magic; the university of Paris was so mean as to join in the same request; several prelates, among whom the cardinal of Winchester was the only Englishman, were appointed her judges; they held their court at Rouen, where the young king of England then resided; and the maid, clothed in her former military apparel, but loaded with irons, was produced before this tribunal.

She first desired to be eased of her chains; her judges answered, that she had once already attempted an escape, by throwing herself from a tower; she confessed the fact, maintained the justice of her intention, and owned that, if she could, she would still execute that purpose. All her other speeches showed the same firmness and intrepidity; though harassed with interrogatories during the

course of near four months, she never betrayed any weakness or womanish submission; and no advantage was gained over her. The point which her judges pushed most vehemently, was her visions and revelations and intercourse with departed saints; and they asked her whether she would submit to the Church the truth of these inspirations; she replied, that she would submit them to God, the fountain of truth. They then exclaimed, that she was a heretic, and denied the authority of the Church. She appealed to the Pope; they rejected her appeal.

They asked her, why she put trust in her standard, which had been consecrated by magical incantations; she replied, that she put trust in the Supreme Being alone, whose image was impressed upon it. They demanded, why she carried in her hand that standard at the anointment and coronation of Charles at Rheims; she answered, that the person who had shared the danger, was entitled to share the glory. When accused of going to war, contrary to the decorums of her sex, and of assuming government and command over men, she scrupled not to reply, that her sole purpose was to defeat the English, and to expel them the kingdom. In the issue, she was condemned for all the crimes of which she had been accused, aggravated by heresy; her revelations were declared to be inventions of the devil, and she was sentenced to be delivered over secular arm.

Joan, so long surrounded by inveterate enemies, who treated her with every mark of contumely; brow-beaten and overawed by men of superior rank, and men invested with the ensigns of a sacred character, which she had been accustomed to revere, felt her spirit at last subdued; and those visionary dreams of inspiration, in which she had been buoyed up by the triumphs of success, and the applauses of her own party, gave way to the terrors of that punishment to which.

she was sentenced. She publicly declared herself willing to recant; she acknowledged the illusion of those revelations which the Church had rejected; and she promised never more to maintain them. Her sentence was then mitigated; she was condemned to perpetual imprisonment, and to be fed during life on bread and water.

Enough was now done to fulfil all political views, and to convince both the French and the English, that the opinion of Divine influence, which had so much encouraged the one and daunted the other, was entirely without foundation. But the barbarous vengeance of Joan's enemies was not satisfied with this victory. Suspecting that the female dress, which she had now consented to wear, was disagreeable to her, they purposely placed in her apartment a suit of men's apparel, and watched for the effects of that temptation upon her. On the sight of a dress in which she had acquired so much renown, and which,

she once believed, she wore by a particular appointment of Heaven, all her former ideas and passions revived; and she ventured in her solitude to clothe herself in the forbidden garment. Her insidious enemies treated this as a relapse into heresy." She was condemned to be burned in the market-place of Rouen, and this infamous sentence was carried out, to the eternal disgrace of the invading army. "We are lost, we have burned a saint," the soldiers muttered round the flames. Indeed, the cause of the English in France was lost. The maid was burned June 14, 1431, and within twenty years the English were expelled from all France, save Calais.

In our coloured illustration we see this heroine as she appeared before her judges, and strong in the consciousness of her innocence, proclaimed her belief in her divine mission. And in truth her mission was in the truest sense divine-what mission could be more sacred than one which carried liberty to her native land?

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present of his country, for this was the period when the popes had left the "eternal city" for Avignon, and the Romans were crushed under the rule of a few powerful and wicked nobles.

In 1347 Rienzi was one of a deputation who went to Avignon to try and persuade the then pope (Clement VI.) to return. The pope did not show a disposition to return, but he was so impressed by the eloquence of Rienzi, that he created him an apostolic notary. On the home-coming of the deputies Rienzi

at once began to fulfil the duties of his office. He soon rose to be one of the leading men in Rome. He finally encouraged the people to drive out the oppressive governor, Stephen Colonna, and to entrust the chief power to him under the name of tribune. After a very remarkable career he was assassinated in a mob tumult. An historian of our own time thus pithily describes his work:

"On regarding what Rienzi did, we must look to his means, to the difficulties that surrounded him, to the scantiness of his resources. We see a man without rank, wealth, or friends, raising himself to the head of a popular government in the metropolis of the Church-in the city of the empire. We see him reject any title save that of a popular magistrate establish at one stroke a free constitution -a new code of law. We see him first expel, then subdue, the fiercest aristocracy in Europe-conquer the most. stubborn banditti, rule impartially the most turbulent people, embruted by the violence, and sunk in the corruption of centuries.

We see him restore tradeestablish order-create civilisation as by a miracle-receive from crowned heads homage and congratulation-outwit, conciliate, or awe, the wiliest priesthood of papal diplomacy-and raise his native city at once to sudden yet acknowledged eminence over every other state, its superior in arts, wealth, and civilisation; we ask what errors we are to weigh in the opposite balance, and we find an unnecessary ostentation, fanatical extravagance, and a certain insolent sternness. But what are such offenceswhat the splendour of a banquet, or the ceremony of knighthood, or a few arrogant words, compared with the vices of almost every prince who was his contemporary? This is the way to judge character: we must compare men with men, and not with ideals of what men should be. We look to the amazing benefits Rienzi conferred upon his

country. We ask his means, and see but his own abilities. His treasury becomes impoverished-his enemies revolt

the Church takes advantage of his weakness-he is excommunicated-the soldiers refuse to fight-the people refuse to assist-the barons ravage the country-the ways are closed, the provisions are cut off from Rome. A handful of banditti enter the city-Rienzi proposes to resist them-the people desert-he abdicates. Rapine, famine, massacre, ensue-they who deserted, regret, repent—yet he is still unassisted, alone - now an exile, now a prisoner, his own genius saves him from every peril, and restores him to greatness. He returns, the pope's legate refuses him arms-the people refuse him money. He re-establishes law and order, expels the tyrants, renounces his former faults

is prudent, wary, provident-reigns a few weeks-taxes the people, in support of the people, and is torn to pieces! One day of the rule that followed is sufficient to vindicate his reign and avenge his memory-and for centuries afterwards, whenever that wretched and degenerate populace dreamed of glory or sighed for justice, they recalled the bright vision of their own victim, and deplored the fate of Cola di Rienzi. That he was not a tyrant is clear in this-when he was dead, he was bitterly regretted. The people never regret a tyrant! From the unpopularity that springs from other faults there is often a reaction; but there is no reaction in the populace towards their betrayer or oppressor. A thousand biographies cannot decide upon the faults or merits of a ruler like the one fact, whether he is beloved or hated ten years after he is dead. But if the ruler has been murdered by the people, and is then regretted by them, their repentance is his acquittal."

Of the last scene in that remarkable life we quote the following account by Bulwer Lytton, first warning our readers that it conveys rather the spirit than

the exact features of what was to all intents and purposes a great historical tragedy.

Our narrative begins with the gathering of the mob incited by Rienzi's foes, and angry at the new tax, and tells of Rienzi's vain attempt to escape, and his assassination.

"The balcony on which Rienzi had alighted was that from which he had been accustomed to address the people it communicated with a vast hall used on solemn occasions for State festivalsand on either side were square projecting towers, whose grated casements looked into the balcony. One of these towers was devoted to the armoury, the other contained a prison. Beyond the latter tower was the general prison of the Capitol. For then the prison and the palace were in awful neighbourhood!

The windows of the hall were yet open-and Rienzi passed into it from the balcony-the witness of the yesterday's banquet was still there-the wine, yet undried, crimsoned the floor, and goblets of gold and silver shone from the recesses. He proceeded at once to the armoury, and selected from the various suits that which he had himself worn when, nearly eight years ago, he had chased the barons from the gates of Rome. He arrayed himself in the mail, leaving only his head uncovered; and then taking, in his right hand, from the wall, the great Gonfalon of Rome, returned once more to the hall. Not a man encountered him. In that vast building, save the prisoners, the Senator was alone.

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wrath; 'Death to the traitor-death to the tyrant death to him who has taxed the people!' 'Mora l'traditore che ha fatta la gabella !-Mora !' Such was the cry of the people-such the crime of the Senator! They broke over the low palisades of the Capitol-they filled with one sudden rush the vast space;-a moment before so desolate,-now swarming with human beings athirst for blood. Suddenly came a dead silence, and on the balcony above stood Rienzi-his head was bared and the morning sun shone over that lordly brow, and the hair grown grey before its time, in the service of that maddening multitude. Pale and erect he stood

neither fear nor anger, nor menacebut deep grief and high resolve-upon his features! A momentary shame-a momentary awe seized the crowd. He pointed to the Gonfalon, wrought with the Republican motto and arms of Rome, and thus he began :

'I too am a Roman and a citizen! hear me !'

'Hear him not! hear him not! his false tongue can charm away our senses!' cried a voice louder than his

own.

'Hear him not! down with the tyrant!' cried a more shrill and youthful tone.

'Hear him not! death to the deathgiver!' cried a voice close at hand. Then from earth to heaven rose the roar-Down with the tyrant-down with him who taxed the people!'

A shower of stones rattled on the mail of the Senator,-still he stirred not. No changing muscle betokened fear. His persuasion of his own wonderful power of eloquence, if he could but be heard, inspired him yet with hope; he stood collected in his own indignant but determined thoughts!-but the knowledge of that very eloquence was now his deadliest foe. The leaders of the multitude trembled lest he should be heard; and doubtless,' says the temporaneous biographer, had he but

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