Priests had
examined and found nothing evil in her. Again and again had she
spoken of that which must follow--and so it had been. If her voices
were not from God, then must they be from the devil; yet it had
been proved again, and yet again, that this was impossible, since
she feared nought that was holy or good, but clave unto such, and
was never so joyful and glad at heart as when she was able to
receive the Holy Sacrament, or kneel before the Altar of God whilst
Mass was being said.
She had proved her claim to be called God's messenger. She had
justified herself as such in the eyes of the King and in the
judgment of the two Queens and of half the Court. And yet,
forsooth, he must waver and doubt, and let himself be led by the
counsels of those who had ever set themselves against the Maid and
her mission; and to the shame of the Church be it spoken, the
Archbishop of Rheims was one of those who most zealously sought to
persuade him of the folly of entrusting great matters to the hands
of a simple peasant girl, and warned the whole Court of the perils
of witchcraft and sorcery which were like to be the undoing of all
who meddled therein.
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