Page:Celebrated Trials - Volume 1.djvu/101

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theless continued to call upon Almighty God and the mate and female saints of Paradise, and with the last parting sigh of life, as her head dropped upon her bosom, she mentioned the name of Jesus.

When the unfortunate girl was no more, the English, fearful lest it might be said she had escaped, commanded the executioner to withdraw the fire a little, that those who assisted might view the body. After this the corpse was again placed inthe flames; and in order that no vestige of it might remain, Cardinal Beaufort directed that her bones and ashes should be cast into the river Seine.

Thus perished, through the perfidious machinations of a few designing priests, who had been bought over to the English cause, this most extraordinary young woman, who had rescued the Gallic monarchy from impending destruction, and had levelled so dreadful a blow at the power of Britain, that the armies of the latter, experiencing defeat after defeat, were ultimately compelled entirely to abandon the French territories. Jeanne was executed on the 30th May, 1431, in the twenty-third year of her age, after enduring for a year the most rigid captivity.

EDWARD STAFFORD, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM,

THE LAST HEREDITARY LORD HIGH CONSTABLE OF ENGLAND, BEHEADED FOR TREASON IN THE ISTH YEAR OF HENRY VIII.

EDWARD STAFFORD, Duke of Buckingham, was as nobly descended as any subject in the kingdom, and as highly, for a time, in the favour of his prince, for which there was no small reason, seeing his father Henry, Duke of Buckingham, had lost his life by endeavouring to dethrone King Richard IIT. and make Henry, Earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII. King of England. His fortune was also very large, and his alliances great and powerful, all which could not secure him from the destruction which the malice and revenge of Cardinal Wolsey brought upon him. The first seeds of discontent were sown in 1520, about the time of the intended interview between Henry VUIUL. and Francis of France: for the cardinal having summoned the chief

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