The new Pope (Alfonso Borgia) did not hesitate as to the line he intended taking in the matter, and he gave his sanction to the rehabilitation of the heroine by a rescript dated the 11th of June, 1455.  It was as follows:—­

’We, Calixtus, servant of the servants of God, accord a favourable ear to the request which has been made us.  There has lately been brought before us on the part of Peter and John of Arc, also of Isabella of Arc, their mother, and some of their relations, a petition stating that their sister, daughter, and relative, Joan of Arc deceased, had been unjustly condemned as guilty of the crime of heresy and other crimes against the Faith, on the false testimony of the late William [John, it should be] d’Estivet of the Episcopal Court of Beauvais, and of Peter of happy memory, at that time Bishop of Beauvais, and of the late John Lemaitre, belonging to the Inquisition.  The nullity of their proceedings and the innocence of Joan are clearly established both by documents and further by clearest proofs.  In consequence of this, the brothers, mother, and relatives of Joan are therefore at liberty to cast off the mark of infamy with which this trial has falsely stamped them; and thus they have humbly supplicated our permission to authorise and to proceed in this trial of rehabilitation.’

The prelates selected by the Pope as commissioners to follow the course of the trial of rehabilitation were John Jouvenel des Ursins, Archbishop of Rheims, William Chartrier, Bishop of Paris, and Richard de Longueil, Bishop of Coutances.  On the 7th of November, 1455, this trial was solemnly begun in the Church of Notre Dame, in Paris.

It has been said that Joan of Arc’s father died of grief on hearing of his daughter’s martyrdom.  He was certainly dead before the date of this trial.  However, the now aged mother of Joan of Arc, Isabella Romee d’Arc, in her sixty-seventh year, was there.  She was supported by her two sons, John and Peter, and was accompanied by many of her relations from Vaucouleurs, and friends from Orleans.  The poor soul appears to have been much affected when she appeared before the sympathetic crowd.  Many of those present must have come from far to see the mother of the famous heroine claiming at the hands of the Church the vindication of her daughter’s fame.

Two meetings took place at Notre Dame, and a third was held at Rouen, at which the family of Joan of Arc were unable to be present—­the mother from illness, and the brothers by affairs at home.  The Procureur, whose name was Prevosteau, was the advocate for the Arc family.  The debates lasted all through the winter, and into the early part of the year 1456.  During the debates a hundred articles were drawn up and agreed to, relating to the life, death, and trial of the heroine.  None of these are of much importance or interest.

It was not until the witnesses of Joan of Arc’s life at home, and of her actions abroad, gave their testimony that the debates became interesting.  Then began to pass before the eyes of the spectators a succession of people who had known Joan of Arc, and who had taken part in the same actions as those of the Maid—­peasants from her native village, townsfolk from Orleans, generals and soldiers who had ridden with her into battle and fought by her side.