Pierre Cauchon (born in 1371 with Rheims - died in December 1442 with Rouen), bishop of Beauvais, is especially known to have been the director of the lawsuit of Jeanne d' Arc in Rouen. Its name had nothing to do with “the animal of Circé”, in spite of the easy jokes that it allowed, but was simply the form Normand E or Picard E of the word “slipper”.

The university

The Cauchon family forms part, with 14th and 15th centuries, of the middle-classes of Rheims. Pierre, teenager, decide to engage in the clergy. It goes to Paris in order to study. To the university, it brilliantly follows the courses of the faculty of arts (grammar, rhetoric, dialectical, arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy) then studies the canonical Droit and the Théologie. At 32 years, Master be arts, laid off in canonical Droit, it cumulates six years of training of theology when it is seen elected vice-chancellor by his pars. The mandate, of short duration, confers a jurisdictional capacity on the businesses of the university and the students, escaping control from the provost from the king, since a Charte signed by Philippe Auguste in 1200.

Beginning of career

In 1404, Pierre Cauchon, having received the minor orders, then the tonsure and the priesthood, seek a stable and remunerative situation. Although having obtained the incomes of the cure of Égliselles, it also tries to be made grant a Prébende near the chapter of Rheims, and defends the cause of the university of Paris at the time of a quarrel which opposes it to that Toulouse. But, the other ecclesiastic following the example of, it knows that it is by attracting itself the favors of a prince or powerful that it will be able to carry out a prestigious career.

It cannot be a question of the king, Charles VI of France, insane, or rather reached maniaco-depressive crises, which controls under the supervision of his/her uncles. Moreover, the sumptuous train of the court, maintained by the queen Isabeau Bavaria and the royal entourage, is the object of critical sharp, on behalf of the people but also of the university. The joint guardian of the king, the Duke of Berry, is not made either to attract the young prelate. Very expensive, attracted especially by art, the silent partner of the Très rich hours is a wise character but whose political power declines. There remain Philippe of Burgundy, wire of Jean without Peur, which combines youth, richness and ambition.

Side of the Church, the situation is not better than with the kingdom of France. The Great Schism of Occident offers to Pierre Cauchon an occasion of service. In 1407, it is missionné by the king, in company of the ecclesiastical dignitaries, to try to reconcile both Pape S rivals Boniface IX and Gregoire XII. This forwarding is a failure, but raises Pierre Cauchon with the row of referee, of negotiator to the more high level.

Of return of this useless embassy, it finds in Paris a climate disturbed by the assassination of the duke of Orleans, financed by Jean without Peur, which exiles a time in its grounds. However, the unpopularity of the victim, which had crystallized the objections made to the court, encourages many people, of which theologists and Pierre Cauchon, to operate to obtain the rehabilitation of the duke of Burgundy and even the justification of this murder. At that time, the university indeed particularly went up against the king, his Tignonville provost having made hang two clerks who did not depend on his jurisdiction.

The choice of the Burgundian party

In order to recover funds intended for the war against the English, the General states open in 1413. The Burgundian , combined clerks and doctors of the university, claim the purification of the accounts of the kingdom. A commission is formed, charged with proposing sanctions and reforms. Pierre Cauchon forms part naturally of it. In spring of the same year the insurrection cabochienne bursts, more or less under the demagogic impulse of Jean without Peur. After excesses of the popular fury, the butchers are finally released by the middle-class and the princes, in particular. The Armagnac unload in Paris to give order there. Jean without Peur leaves the capital in August, before the king does not return justice and reconsiders decisions taken under the pressure of insurgent (see Civil war between Armagnacs and Burgundian). May 1st 1414, Pierre Cauchon is marked, by royal decree, of the worst misdeeds, but he already fled in direction of Burgundy.

After being named vidame of Rheims, one finds it with the end of the year with the Concile of Constancy, like “reverend father as a God”, official ambassador of the duke of Burgundy. It supports there the election of Martin V. Of return of Constancy, he becomes Master of the requests, and the university presses the pope to grant other benefit to him. Understanding, new sovereign pontiff can be grateful towards that which helped it to reach its load. Henceforth, Cauchon finds Archidiacre Chartres, canon of Rheims, Châlons, Beauvais and chaplain of the duke of Burgundy, which in office plurality ensures to him an annual income of approximately two thousand books.

The return to the kingdom of France

A new drama is played, of which it will be able to profit once again. Burgundian the, anxious ones to see the progression of the English, who already seized the Normandy and in particular Rouen, decide to treat with the dolphin Charles. At the time of an interview on the bridge of Montereau, the September 10th 1419, Jean without Peur is assassinated by Tanneguy of Châtel, adviser of Charles. That resembles a revenge on the assassination of Louis of Orleans earlier twelve years. Pierre Cauchon loses his guard thus, and really does not see of substitute in the person of the heir to the duchy of Burgundy, Philippe III.

The gesture of the dolphin, taken refuge to Bourges, is promptly condemned by the king Charles VI, and naturally by the clan of Burgundy. A new alliance is formed then between France and England, with for goal to marry the young Catherine princess with Henri V. In order to operate this bringing together, one elects two doctors of the university, Jean Beaupère and Pierre Cauchon. There the prelate finds a beautiful occasion to make forget his banishment by offering his diplomatic talents to the King de France, while approaching the English crown. So many services deserving reward, it is named bishop Beauvais after the place became vacant in 1420, provided with an eulogistic recommendation of the pope and the king.

Alliance with the English

The two following years, Pierre Cauchon is monopolized by the service of the king, then Charles VI and Henri V having died in 1422, it is devoted more to its diocese. It is in Rheims when in 1429, the army led by Jeanne d' Arc approaches the city. It goes back at once to Beauvais, whereas the places held by the Burgundian ones and the English are taken again with one by the dolphin. When Charles VII, crowned in Rheims, threatens its diocese directly, the bishop goes to Rouen, sits of the English government of France. The duke of Bedford, anxious to oppose to the image of Jeanne d' Arc that of Henri VI, old on eight years and heir to the kingdom of France as grandson of Charles VI, decides to bring back the young applicant from London to Rouen. Pierre Cauchon belongs to the voyage, in company of other ecclesiastical advisers. It is little of time after their return that they learn the news: Jeanne was made captive near Compiegne. She is held by the Burgundian ones with the Keep of Beaulieu, near Saint-Quentin.

In the negociations which begin to recover the Maid of Orleans, Cauchon plays a leading role. If the Burgundian ones are on the bottom loans to yield it to the English, they monnaient their catch dearly, the more so as the representatives of the Inquisition in Paris also claim it. The prelate, after several displacements between Rouen, Compiegne and the castle of Beaurevoir, where the captive one was transferred, ends up obtaining win. From the legal point of view, it has an weighty argument: Jeanne was captured with leaving Compiegne, on a territory depend on the diocese of Beauvais, and thus of her jurisdiction. Moreover, it does not come the empty handeds. The States of Normandy voted a budget of ten thousand books to compensate the Burgundian geôliers.

The lawsuit of Jeanne

All the goal of Pierre Cauchon, and this for what it was missionné by the English, is to remove its credibility with Jeanne, and by this means with Charles VII, by attacking it on the religious ground in order to blur its military successes. It ensures initially its own legitimacy like director of this lawsuit, which proceeds apart from its jurisdiction. For that, it is made approve by the fifty canons of the chapter of Rouen, the archbishop's palace being vacant for this period. Then it is organized carefully, while being surrounded of ecclesiastics famous, undeniable, and by taking the care to prepare the debates. It diligent even an investigation on the side of Domrémy, in order to try to collect sulfurous rumors into the account of the defendant, in vain.

The lawsuit opens the February 21st 1431. At the end of one week of instruction, the defense of the defendant holds good. Its virginity was attested again by the duchess of Bedford in person. Jeanne does not seem on the other hand to find justification credible with her wearing of male clothes, which constitutes an insult with manners of the time. The business of the voices is naturally exploited to slip on the ground of the Sorcellerie.

Concerned of regularity, Pierre Cauchon forwards to Paris the bill of indictment, written the March 14th, which charges Jeanne with the worst horrors, in order to obtain the opinion of the university. During this time, the lawsuit enlise. The consent appearing impossible to obtain, one considers torture. But meanwhile the health of marked was degraded. It is likely to succumb to this test and the political risk is too great. One will make of it only one show, the May 9th, which does not change anything with the position Jeanne. However, the opinion of the university is favorable. It is advisable to proceed to the official admonition of the Église, so that the defendant can repentance.

The May 13rd, Pierre Cauchon is convened by Bedford, which is shown irritated by these slownesses, which are to him extremely expensive. The bishop of Beauvais then has the idea of a setting in scene suitable to make crack the defendant. Led in the field of abbey Saint-Ouen, she is publicly summoned to abjure her crimes. She resists a little, then when the threat of the Bûcher is stated, she ends up retracting. One reinstates it in his prison, one gets clothes of woman to him and one shaves the head to him. But the English feel floués. One does not know which role plays Pierre Cauchon then, but Jeanne is finally stated relapse (literally “fallen down in the heresy”) again to have put on male clothes. She is led to roughing-hew the May 30th.

New évêché

Cauchon cannot hope to go back to Beauvais, held by the Armagnacs with the pay of Charles VII. Crossed of its diocese, it does not perceive of them any more the incomes, even if there remains to him a revenue of thousand books as an adviser of the king. It is shown then interested by the vacancy in the archbishop's palace of Rouen. However, in front of the felted resistance of the chapter, it gives up this project. The December 16th 1431, it with the honor to accompany the Cardinal by Winchester to crown the young king Henri VI with Notre-Dame de Paris.

He obtains finally the évêché of Lisieux, city held since a score of years by the English, while continuing his missions for the service of the king. He is sent as ambassador to the Concile of Basle. Hardly income, it is propelled negotiator with Arras, stronghold of the Burgundian ones, which receives French and English delegations in order to negotiate the stop of a war which exhausts its protagonists. In front of the French claims, the English claquent the door, letting French and Burgundian reconcile itself.

When the Connétable of Richemont takes again Paris for the account of Charles VII, in 1436, Pierre Cauchon spends his time between his new diocese and the residence which it maintains in Rouen. Its last philosopher's stone is of order architectural. At the end of the Cathedral Saint-Pierre de Lisieux, it finances on its personal funds the rebuilding of the Notre-Dame vault.

Died

71 years old, he dies abruptly, probably of an cardiac arrest, the December 18th 1442 in Rouen. He has right has funeral rouennaises, then its body is transported in Lisieux where he is buried in the cathedral Saint-Pierre, in the axial vault of the chorus, which he made build and where he always rests.

See too

Jeanne d' Arc: birth of a myth

External bond

• '' the Discovery of the body of Pierre Cauchon in the Cathedral of Lisieux '' (1931) by Etienne Deville.