‘We have come,’ began Cauchon, ’to you with charitable and amiable intentions, to console you in your sickness.  You will remember, Joan, how you have been questioned on various matters relating to the faith, and you know the answers you made.  Knowing your ignorance relating to such matters, we are willing to send learned and well-versed men in such matters.’  Then turning to the lawyers and others present, the Bishop continued:  ’We exhort you to give Joan profitable counsel on the obligations which appertain to the true doctrine of the faith, and to the furtherance of the safety and welfare of her body and soul.  ‘Joan,’ continued Cauchon, ’if there be any one else you wish to consult in this matter, we are ready to send for such in order that they may aid you.  We are men of the Church, ever ready to aid those in need of advice good for the soul as well as the body, and ready to benefit you or any of your own kith, or ourselves.  We should gladly give you daily such to advise you.  In a word, we are ready, under the circumstances, to aid you, as does the Church itself, ever ready to help all such who will willingly come to her.  But beware to act against our advice and exhortation.  For if you still should refuse to submit yourself to us, we shall abandon you.  Judge then of the peril you lie in in that case.  It is this peril which we hope to prevent you from falling into with all our strength and all our affection.’

To this Mephistophelean address Joan of Arc made the following reply:  ’I render you my best thanks for what you have said respecting the salvation of my soul; and it seems to me, seeing the illness I am now suffering, that I am in danger of dying.  If this is to happen, God’s will be done.  I will only ask you to allow me to confess, and to partake of the Blessed Sacrament, and that my body may be laid in holy ground.’

Cauchon replied as follows:  ’If you wish to receive the Sacraments of the Church you must confess yourself like a good Catholic, and you must also submit yourself to the Church.  If you persevere in not doing so, you cannot obtain what you desire, except that for Penitence, which we are always ready to administer.’

Joan wearily said to this:  ‘I have then nothing more to say.’

The Bishop, however, had no wish that the interview should end thus, and continued:  ’The greater your danger of now dying is, the greater reason have you to amend your life; if you do not submit yourself to the Church, then you will not obtain the privilege of a Catholic to its Sacraments.’

To this she answered:  ’If I die here in prison, I trust my body will be placed in consecrated earth.  If you refuse me this favour, I can but appeal to my Saviour!’

‘You said,’ quoth Cauchon, ’during the trial that if you had done or said anything that was against our Christian faith you could not support it!’

‘I refer myself,’ said Joan, ’to the answer I then made, and to our Lord!’