Dunois’ evidence closes thus:—­’To conclude, it was habitual to Joan to speak playfully on matters relating to war, in order to cheer the soldiers, and she may have alluded to many military events which never were to take place.  But I declare that, when she spoke seriously about the war, of her deeds, and of her vocation, she said her work was limited to raising the siege of Orleans, to succouring the unhappy people shut up in that town and in its suburbs, and to leading the King to Rheims for his coronation and anointing.’

Next we have the testimony of the noble knight, Raoul de Gaucourt, who had so stoutly defended Orleans during its long siege.  De Gaucourt was eighty-five years old.  This fine old warrior’s evidence confirms all that Dunois had said in praise of Joan of Arc.

The next to appear was the heroine’s page, Louis de Contes, aged fifteen when appointed to attend on Joan of Arc:  at the time of the trial of her rehabilitation he was forty-two.

Next came a very interesting witness, to wit, Joan of Arc’s almoner, ‘venerable et religieux personne Jean Pasquerel.’  This worthy priest had been formerly in a Tours monastery.  We do not find his age given at this time.  The clear graphic testimony of this good man is a pleasure to read.  His love and admiration for the heroine appear in every line of his testimony, and although this narrative is already too long, it will not perhaps be considered tedious if some of his evidence is quoted.

‘When I first had tidings,’ he says, ’of Joan of Arc and of her arrival at Court, I was at Puy, where at that time were her mother and some people who had accompanied her to Chinon.  Having come to me, they said, “You must come with us and see Joan; we will not allow you to leave us until you have seen her.”  So I went with them to Chinon, and also to Tours.  At that time I was reader in a convent in that town.  When she came to Tours, Joan lived in the house of John Dupuy, a burgher of that place.  It was there that I first met her.  “Joan,” they said to her, “we have brought this good father to see you.  When you know him well you will like him very much.”  And Joan answered them and said, “The good father pleases me much; I have heard about him already, and I will make my confession to him to-morrow.”

’And I heard her confession on the day following, when I also sang the Mass before her.  Since that I have always followed Joan, and I remained her chaplain till the time of her capture at Compiegne.’

It was in this good priest’s evidence that the touching trait of Joan of Arc’s fondness for gathering children about her was made known.  ‘She confessed nearly every day,’ he said, ’and took the Sacrament often.  When near any community of begging friars she asked me to remind her of the days on which the beggar children received the Eucharist, so that she might receive it at the same time with them.  It was her delight,’ he said, ’to take the Sacrament along with the poor mendicant children.  She shed tears often at confession.’