The Executioner's Knife Part 15

FRANCOIS GARIVEL--"Well, tell us what acts those will be. You will have to give more definite answers."

JOAN--"They are three."

BROTHER SEGUIN--"Which is the first?"

JOAN--"The raising of the siege of Orleans, after which I shall drive the English out of Gaul."

MASTER ERAUT--"And the second?"

JOAN--"I shall have the Dauphin consecrated at Rheims."

BROTHER SEGUIN--"And the third?"

JOAN--"I shall deliver Paris to the King."

Despite their prejudice against Joan and the ill will they entertained for the girl, whom they now saw for the first time, the members of the tribunal were struck no less by the Maid's beauty and conduct than by the exactness of her answers, that bore an irresistible accent of conviction. The audience, composed mainly of France's partisans, among whom was John of Novelpont, indicated by a murmur of approbation the increasingly favorable impression made upon them by the girl's answers.

Even some of the members of the tribunal seemed to begin to feel an interest in her. Alarmed at these symptoms, the Bishop of Chartres addressed Joan almost in a rage: "You promise to raise the siege of Orleans, to drive the English out of Gaul, to consecrate the King at Rheims and to place Paris in his hands? These are idle words! We refuse to believe you unless you give some sign to show that you are truly inspired by G.o.d, and chosen by Him to accomplish these truly marvelous things."

JOAN (impatiently)--"Once more, I say to you, I have not come to Poitiers to display signs! Give me men-at-arms and take me to Orleans.

The siege will be speedily raised, and the English driven from the kingdom. That will be the sign of my mission. If you do not believe me, come and fight under me. You will then see whether, with the help of G.o.d, I fail to keep my promise. These will be my signs and my actions."

MASTER ERAUT--"Your a.s.surance is great! Where do you get it from?"

JOAN--"From my confidence in the voice of my dear saints. They advise and inspire me in the name of G.o.d."

BROTHER SEGUIN (roughly)--"You speak of G.o.d. Do you believe in Him?"

JOAN--"I believe in Him more than you do, who can imagine such a thing possible as not to believe in Him!"

BROTHER AIMERY (with a grotesque Limousin accent)--"You say, Joan, that voices advise you in the name of G.o.d? In what tongue do those voices speak to you?"

JOAN (slightly smiling)--"In a better tongue than yours, sir."[55]

The humorous and keen retort caused Joan's partisans to laugh aloud, a hilarity in which several members of the tribunal shared. They now began to think that despite the lowliness of her condition, the cowherdess, as they called her, was no ordinary being. Some of the members of the tribunal began to look upon her as inspired; others, of a less credulous turn of mind, thought to themselves that, thanks to her beauty, her brightness and her valiant resolution, she might, at the desperate state of things, actually become a valuable instrument in the war. In short, it occurred to them that to declare Joan possessed of a demon, and thus reject the unexpected help that she brought the King would be to expose themselves to serious reproaches from the partisans of Joan who were witnesses to the interrogation, and that the reproaches would soon be taken up and repeated by public clamor. The Bishop of Chartres, the accomplice of the Sire of La Tremouille and of Gaucourt, was not slow to scent the disposition of the tribunal. In a towering pa.s.sion he cried to his fellow judges: "Messires, the holy canons forbid us to attach faith to the words of this girl; and the holy canons are our guide!"

JOAN (proudly raising her head)--"And I tell you that the book of the Lord which inspires me is worth more than yours! In that book no priest, however learned he may be, is able to read!"

MASTER ERAUT--"Religion forbids women to wear male attire under pain of mortal sin. Why did you put it on? Who authorized you to?"

JOAN--"I am compelled to a.s.sume male attire, seeing I am to battle with men to the end of my mission. Evil thoughts will thus be removed from their minds. That is the reason for my disguise."

FRANCOIS GARIVEL--"And so you, a woman, are not afraid of shedding blood in battle?"

JOAN (with angelic sweetness)--"May G.o.d preserve me from shedding blood!

I have a horror of blood! I wish to kill n.o.body; I shall carry in battle only a staff or a standard, to guide the armed men. I shall leave my sword in its scabbard."

MASTER ERAUT--"Suppose our a.s.sembly declares to the King our Sire that, with a safe conscience, he may entrust you with armed men to enable you to undertake the raising of the siege of Orleans, what means would you adopt to that end?"

JOAN--"To the end of avoiding, if it is possible, any further shedding of blood, I shall first summon the English, in the name of G.o.d who sends me, to raise the siege of Orleans and return to their country; if they refuse obedience to my letter, I shall march against them at the head of the royal army, and with the help of heaven, I shall drive them out of Gaul!"

BISHOP OF CHARTRES (disdainfully)--"You would write to the English, and you have just told us you do, not know A from B?"

JOAN--"I do not know how to write, but I could dictate, Seigneur Bishop."

BISHOP OF CHARTRES--"I take you at your word. Here are pens and a parchment. I shall be your secretary. Let us see! Dictate to me the letter to the English. Upon my faith, its style will be singular!"

A deep silence ensued. Triumphantly the Bishop took up a pen, feeling sure he had laid a dangerous trap for the poor peasant girl, incapable, as he thought, of dictating a letter equal to the occasion. Even the partisans of Joan, although greatly incensed at the manifest ill will of the Bishop towards her, feared to see her succ.u.mb at this new trial. The minds of all were on tenter-hooks.

BISHOP OF CHARTRES (ironically)--"Come, now, Joan, here I am ready to write under your dictation."

JOAN--"Write, sir."

And the maid dictated the following letter with a mild but firm voice:

"IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND MARY.

"King of England, submit to the kingdom of heaven, and place in the hands of Joan the keys of all the towns that you have forced. She comes sent by G.o.d to reclaim those towns in the name of Charles.

She is ready to grant you peace if you are willing to leave France.

"King of England, if you do not do as I request you, then I, Joan, chief of war, will everywhere smite your men; I shall drive them out, whether they will or no. If they surrender at mercy, I shall grant them mercy; if not, I shall do them so much damage that nothing like it will have been seen in France for a thousand years back. What is here said will be done.

"You, archers and other companions in arms who are before Orleans, be gone, by the Lord's command, back to England, your own country.

If not, fear Joan. You will remember your defeat! You shall not keep France! France will belong to the King to whom G.o.d gave the kingdom!"

Joan broke off her dictation, and addressing herself to the Bishop of Chartres, who was stupefied at the virile simplicity of the letter, that, despite himself, he had been compelled to write, she said:

"Sir, what are the names of the English captains?"

BISHOP OF CHARTRES--"The Count of Suffolk, Lord Talbot and the knight Thomas of Escall, lieutenants of the Duke of Bedford, Regent for the King of England."

JOAN--"Write, sir!

"Count of Suffolk, Lord Talbot, Knight Thomas of Escall, all of you lieutenants of the Duke of Bedford, who styles himself Regent of the Kingdom of France for the King of England, make answer! Will you raise the siege of Orleans? Will you cease the great cruelty that you heap upon the poor people of the country of France? If you refuse the peace that Joan demands of you, you will preserve a sad remembrance of your rout. The most brilliant feats of arms ever accomplished by the French in Christendom will be seen. We shall then see who will prevail, you--or heaven!

"Written on Tuesday of the great week of Easter, of the year 1429."[56]

JOAN (addressing the Bishop of Chartres after having dictated)--"Sir, sign for me, if you please, my name at the bottom of this letter. I shall make my cross in G.o.d beside the signature, seeing I cannot write, and write the following address on the parchment: 'To the Duke of Bedford who styles himself Regent of the Kingdom of France for the King of England."

The partisans of Joan, the members of the tribunal, even the Bishop of Chartres could hardly believe the evidence of their own senses: a poor rustic girl, only recently arrived from the heart of Lorraine, to hold in that letter a language that was at once so courteous, so dignified and so sensible--it bordered on a miracle.

Aye, a miracle of courage! A miracle of sense! A miracle of patriotism!--readily accomplished by Joan, thanks to her superior native intelligence and her confidence in her own military genius, of which she now began to be conscious; thanks to her faith in the heavenly support promised to her by her mysterious voices; finally, thanks to her firm resolve to act bravely obedient to the proverb that she delighted in repeating--_Help yourself, and heaven will help you!_

Much to the secret anger of the Bishop of Chartres, the declaration that the tribunal would make was no longer doubtful. Joan's triumph in the hall of Rabateau was complete. The tribunal declared that, Joan's virginity having been established, a demon could possess neither her body nor her soul; that she seemed inspired of G.o.d; and that the enormity of the public misfortunes justified the King to avail himself with a clean conscience of the unexpected and seemingly providential help. Despite his own shameful indolence, despite the opposition of the Sire George of La Tremouille, and fearing to exasperate public opinion, that was waxing ever more p.r.o.nouncedly in favor of Joan, Charles VII found himself compelled to accept the aid of the peasant girl of Domremy; whom, however, he cursed and swore at in secret. Inclined now to believe Joan inspired, the slothful King fretted at the thought of the trials and cares that the threatened vigorous renewal of hostilities against the English was to inflict upon him. He feared to see himself compelled by the force of circ.u.mstances to show himself at the head of his troops, to ride up hills and down dales, to endure fatigue, to face danger. But he was compelled to yield to the current of enthusiasm produced by the promises of deliverance made by Joan the Maid. It was decided that Joan was to proceed to Blois, and thence to Orleans, where she was to confer with Dunois, Lahire, Xaintrailles and other renowned captains upon the raising of the siege of Orleans. An equerry named Daulon was attached to the service of the Maid, together with a young page of fifteen named Imerguet. She was given battle horses, and servants to attend to her needs. A special suit of armor was ordered for her. In remembrance of the prediction of Merlin, she demanded that the armor be white, as also one of her chargers, her pennon and her standard, on the latter of which she ordered two blue-winged angels to be painted, holding in their hands the stalk of a lily in blossom.

Furious at not being able to catch Joan in the snares that they had spread for her, George of La Tremouille and his two accomplices, the Bishop of Chartres and the Sire of Gaucourt, pursued their darksome plots with increased intensity. It was agreed among them, and in line with their previously laid plans, that Gaucourt was to demand of Charles VII the command of the town of Orleans. The three intriguers expected by that means to block the Maid's movements, ruin her military operations, and expose her to a first check that would forever confound her, or to allow her to be captured by the English in some sally when she was to be left in the lurch.

On Thursday the 28th of April, 1429, Joan Darc left Chinon for Blois, where she was to join Dunois and Marshal Retz, before proceeding to Orleans. The peasant girl, now fast maturing into a warrior, started on the journey, her mind occupied with recollections of the child's combat between the urchins of Maxey and of Domremy, a battle where she had for the first time vaguely felt her vocation for war, and also recalling the pa.s.sage in the prophecy where the Gallic bard declared:

"I see an angel with wings of azure and dazzling with light.

He holds in his hands a royal crown.