Intercourse, by: Andrea Dworkin - Feminish

was politically stronger, more defensible, not based on rumoror hyperbole.On April 18, the “ ordinary trial” continued in Joan’s cell,where she was admonished by the Inquisitors; told to reformand repent. On May 2, she was admonished in public, a formalproceeding that amounted to a public threat on her life:In conclusion, she was abundantly and newly admonished tosubmit to the C hurch, under pain o f being abandoned by theChurch. A nd if the C hurch abandoned her, she w ould be ingreat danger both o f body and soul; her soul in peril o f everlastingfire, and her b o d y in danger o f the flam es o f thisworld. . .T o w h ich she answ ered: You w ill not do as you sayagainst me w ithout suffering evil, both o f body and soul. 20On May 9, she was threatened with torture— she was broughtinto the torture chamber and shown the instruments of torture;and on May 12 the judges deliberated in private on whether ornot she should be tortured. They decided that torture was not“expedient at the moment. ” 21 On May 19, Joan was condemnedas a heretic by the University of Paris, its great scholars andtheologians; and the twelve charges against her, now officiallysanctioned by the University of Paris, were read to Joan on May23. She was again admonished “ to correct and amend yourfaults. . . ”22Joan stood firm: “As for my words and deeds, Irefer to what I said at my trial, and I will maintain them. ” 23On May 24, Joan was taken to a cemetery where a scaffoldand tribune had been erected; and she was threatened withdeath if she did not submit to the earthly authority of theChurch. Joan’s spoken answers to the Inquisitors were humbler