But no one thought of verifying the text.

Books were rare and minds uncritical.

This deliberately falsified prophecy was accepted as the pure word of Merlin and numerous copies of it were spread abroad.
Whence came these copies?
Their origin doubtless will remain a mystery for ever; but one point is certain: they referred to La Romee's daughter, to the damsel who, from her father's house, could see the edge of "Le Bois-Chenu." Thus they came from close at hand and were of recent circulation.[694] If this amended prophecy of Merlin be not the one that reached Jeanne in her village, forecasting that a Maid should come from the Lorraine Marches for the saving of the kingdom, then it was closely related to it.

The two prognostications have a family likeness.[695] They were uttered in the same spirit and with the same intention; and they indicate that the ecclesiastics of the Meuse valley and those of the Loire had agreed to draw attention to the inspired damsel of Domremy.
[Footnote 694: Morosini, vol.iv, p.

324.] [Footnote 695: Pierre Migiet weaves the two prophecies into one, which he says he has read in a book, _Trial_, vol.iii, p.