The Life of Joan of Arc Part 48

Secondly. In its moral bearing this law remains binding. But in such a case it is merely a matter of decency.

Thirdly. From a legal and moral standpoint this law does not refuse masculine and military attire to the Maid, whom the King of Heaven appoints His standard-bearer, in order that she may trample underfoot the enemies of justice. In the operations of divine power the end justifies the means.

Fourthly. Examples may be quoted from history alike sacred and profane, notably Camilla and the Amazons.

Jean Gerson completed this treatise on Whit-Sunday, a week after the deliverance of Orleans. It was his last work. He died in the July of that year, 1429, in the sixty-fifth year of his age.[1135]

[Footnote 1135: _Oeuvres de Gerson_, ed. Ellies Dupin, Paris, 1706, in folio, vol. iv, p. 864. _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 298; vol. v, p. 412.

Le P. Ayroles, _La Pucelle devant l'eglise de son temps_, p. 24.]

The treatise is the political testament of the great university doctor in exile. The Maid's victory gladdened the last days of his life. With his dying voice he sings the Song of Miriam. But with his rejoicings over this happy event are mingled the sad presentiments of keen-sighted old age. While in the Maid he beholds a subject for the rejoicing and edification of the people, he is afraid that the hopes she inspires may soon be disappointed. And he warns those who now exalt her in the hour of triumph not to forsake her in the day of disaster.

His dry close reasoning does not fundamentally differ from the ampler, more flowery argument of Jacques Gelu. One and the other contain the same reasons, the same proofs; and in their conclusions both doctors agree with the judges of Poitiers.

For the Poitiers doctors, for the Archbishop of Embrun, for the ex-chancellor of the University, for all the theologians of the Armagnac party the Maid's case is not a matter of faith. How could it be so before the Pope and the Council had p.r.o.nounced judgment concerning it? Men are free to believe in her or not to believe in her. But it is a subject of edification; and it behoves men to meditate upon it, not in a spirit of prejudice, persisting in doubt, but with an open mind and according to the Christian faith. Following the counsel of Gerson, kindly souls will believe that the Maid comes from G.o.d, just as they believe that the head of Saint Denys may be venerated by the faithful either in the Cathedral Church of Paris or in the abbey-church of Saint Denys in France. They will think less of literal than of spiritual truths and they will not sin by inquiring too closely.

In short neither the treatise of Jacques Gelu nor that of Jean Gerson brought much light to the King and his Council. Both treatises abounded in exhortations, but they all amounted to saying: "Be good, pious and strong, let your thoughts be humble and prudent," Concerning the most important point, the use to be made of Jeanne in the conduct of war, the Archbishop of Embrun wisely recommended: "Do what the Maid commands and prudence directs; for the rest give yourselves to works of piety and prayers of devotion." Such counsel was somewhat embarra.s.sing to a captain like the Sire de Gaucourt and even to a man of worth like my Lord of Treves. It appears that the clerks left the King perfect liberty of judgment and of action, and that in the end they advised him not to believe in the Maid, but to let the people and the men-at-arms believe in her.

During the ten days he spent at Tours the King kept Jeanne with him.

Meanwhile the Council were deliberating as to their line of action.[1136] The royal treasury was empty. Charles could raise enough money to make gifts to the gentlemen of his household, but he had great difficulty in defraying the expenses of war.[1137] Pay was owing to the people of Orleans. They had received little and spent much.

Their resources were exhausted and they demanded payment. In May and in June the King distributed among the captains, who had defended the town, sums amounting to forty-one thousand six hundred and thirty-one livres.[1138] He had gained his victory cheaply. The total cost of the defence of Orleans was one hundred and ten thousand livres. The townsfolk did the rest; they gave even their little silver spoons.[1139]

[Footnote 1136: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 12, 72, 76, 80. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 298. _Journal du siege_, p. 93. _Chronique de la fete_, in _Trial_, vol. v, p. 299. Letter written by the agents of a German town, in _Trial_, vol. v, p. 349. _Chronique de Tournai_ (_Recueil des chroniques de Flandre_, vol. iii, p. 412). Eberhard Windecke, p. 177. De Beaucourt, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol. ii, p.

215.]

[Footnote 1137: De Beaucourt, _Histoire de Charles VII_, pp. 634 _et seq._]

[Footnote 1138: Loiseleur, _Compte des depenses_, pp. 147 _et seq._]

[Footnote 1139: _Trial_, vol. v, pp. 256 _et seq._, and taken from the Commune and Fortress Accounts in _Journal du siege_. A. de Villaret, _loc. cit._ p. 61. Couret, _Un fragment inedit des anciens registres de la Prevote d'Orleans_.]

It would doubtless have been expedient to attempt to destroy that formidable army of Sir John Fastolf which had lately terrified the good folk of Orleans. But no one knew where to find it. It had disappeared somewhere between Orleans and Paris. It would have been necessary to go forth to seek it; that was impossible, and no one thought of doing such a thing. So scientific a manoeuvre was never dreamed of in the warfare of those days. An expedition to Normandy was suggested; and the idea was so natural that the King was already imagined to be at Rouen.[1140] Finally it was decided to attempt the capture of the chateaux the English held on the Loire, both below and above Orleans, Jargeau, Meung, Beaugency.[1141] A useful undertaking and one which presented no very great difficulties, unless it involved an encounter with Sir John Fastolf's army, and whether it would or no it was impossible to tell.

[Footnote 1140: Morosini, vol. iii, p. 61.]

[Footnote 1141: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 9, 10.]

Without further delay my Lord the b.a.s.t.a.r.d marched on Jargeau with a few knights and some of Poton's soldiers of fortune; but the Loire was high and its waters filled the trenches. Being unprovided with siege train, they retreated after having inflicted some hurt on the English and slain the commander of the town.[1142]

[Footnote 1142: _Journal du siege_, p. 93. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 300.]

By the reasons of the captains the Maid set little store. She listened to her Voices alone, and they spoke to her words which were infinitely simple. Her one idea was to accomplish her mission. Saint Catherine, Saint Margaret and Saint Michael the Archangel, had sent her into France not to calculate the resources of the royal treasury, not to decree aids and taxes, not to treat with men-at-arms, with merchants and the conductors of convoys, not to draw up plans of campaign and negotiate truces, but to lead the Dauphin to his anointing. Wherefore it was to Reims that she wished to take him, not that she knew how to go there, but she believed that G.o.d would guide her. Delay, tardiness, deliberation saddened and irritated her. When with the King she urged him gently.

Many times she said to him: "I shall live a year, barely longer.

During that year let as much as possible be done."[1143]

[Footnote 1143: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 99.]

Then she enumerated the four charges which she must accomplish during that time. After having delivered Orleans she must drive the _G.o.dons_ out of France, lead the King to be crowned and anointed at Reims and rescue the Duke of Orleans from the hands of the English.[1144] One day she grew impatient and went to the King when he was in one of those closets of carved wainscot constructed in the great castle halls for intimate or family gatherings. She knocked at the door and entered almost immediately. There she found the King conversing with Maitre Gerard Machet, his confessor, my Lord the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, the Sire de Treves and a favourite n.o.ble of his household, by name Messire Christophe d'Harcourt. She knelt embracing the King's knees (for she was conversant with the rules of courtesy), and said to him: "Fair Dauphin, do not so long and so frequently deliberate in council, but come straightway to Reims, there to receive your rightful anointing."[1145]

[Footnote 1144: _Ibid._, p. 99 (evidence of the Duke of Alencon).]

[Footnote 1145: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 12. _Journal du siege_, p. 93.

_Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 299.]

The King looked graciously upon her but answered nothing. The Lord d'Harcourt, having heard that the Maid held converse with angels and saints, was curious to know whether the idea of taking the King to Reims had really been suggested to her by her heavenly visitants.

Describing them by the word she herself used, he asked: "Is it your Council who speak to you of such things?"

She replied: "Yes, in this matter I am urged forward." Straightway my Lord d'Harcourt responded: "Will you not here in the King's presence tell us the manner of your Council when they speak to you?"

At this request Jeanne blushed.

Willing to spare her constraint and embarra.s.sment, the King said kindly: "Jeanne, does it please you to answer this question before these persons here present?"

But Jeanne addressing my Lord d'Harcourt said: "I understand what you desire to know and I will tell you willingly."

And straightway she gave the King to understand what agony she endured at not being understood and she told of her inward consolation: "Whenever I am sad because what I say by command of Messire is not readily believed, I go apart and to Messire I make known my complaint, saying that those to whom I speak are not willing to believe me. And when I have finished my prayer, straightway I hear a voice saying unto me: 'Daughter of G.o.d, go, I will be thy help.' And this voice fills me with so great a joy, that in this condition I would forever stay."[1146]

[Footnote 1146: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 12 (evidence of Dunois).]

While she was repeating the words spoken by the Voice, Jeanne raised her eyes to heaven. The n.o.bles present were struck by the divine expression on the maiden's face. But those eyes bathed in tears, that air of rapture, which filled my Lord the b.a.s.t.a.r.d with amazement, was not an ecstasy, it was the imitation of an ecstasy.[1147] The scene was at once simple and artificial. It reveals the kindness of the King, who was incapable of wounding the child in any way, and the light-heartedness with which the n.o.bles of the court believed or pretended to believe in the most wonderful marvels. It proves likewise that henceforth the little Saint's dignifying the project of the coronation with the authority of a divine revelation was favourably regarded by the Royal Council.

[Footnote 1147: _Ibid._, p. 12.]

The Maid accompanied the King to Loches and stayed with him until after the 23rd of May.[1148]

[Footnote 1148: _Ibid._, p. 116, vol. iv, p. 245.]

The people believed in her. As she pa.s.sed through the streets of Loches they threw themselves before her horse; they kissed the Saint's hands and feet. Maitre Pierre de Versailles, a monk of Saint-Denys in France, one of her interrogators at Poitiers, seeing her receive these marks of veneration, rebuked her on theological grounds: "You do wrong," he said, "to suffer such things to which you are not ent.i.tled.

Take heed: you are leading men into idolatry."

Then Jeanne, reflecting on the pride which might creep into her heart, said: "In truth I could not keep from it, were not Messire watching over me."[1149]

[Footnote 1149: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 84.]

She was displeased to see certain old wives coming to salute her; that was a kind of adoration which alarmed her. But poor folk who came to her she never repulsed. She would not hurt them, but aided them as far as she could.[1150]

[Footnote 1150: _Ibid._, vol. i, p. 102.]

With marvellous rapidity the fame of her holiness had been spread abroad throughout the whole of France. Many pious persons were wearing medals of lead or some other metal, stamped with her portrait, according to the customary mode of honouring the memory of saints.[1151] Paintings or sculptured figures of her were placed in chapels. At ma.s.s the priest recited as a collect "the Maid's prayer for the realm of France:"

[Footnote 1151: _Ibid._, pp. 290, 291. A. Forgeais, _Collection de plombs histories trouves dans la Seine_, Paris, 1869 (5 vol. in 8vo), vol. ii, iv, and _pa.s.sim_. Vallet de Viriville, _Notes sur deux medailles de plomb relatives a Jeanne d'Arc_, Paris, 1861, in 8vo, 30 p. [Taken from _La revue archeologique_] N. Valois, _Un nouveau temoignage sur Jeanne d'Arc_, pp. 8, 13. Cf. Appendix iv.]

"O G.o.d, author of peace, who without bow or arrow dost destroy those enemies who hope in themselves,[1152] we beseech thee O Lord, to protect us in our adversity; and, as Thou hast delivered Thy people by the hand of a woman, to stretch out to Charles our King, Thy conquering arm, that our enemies, who make their boast in mult.i.tudes and glory in bows and arrows, may be overcome by him at this present, and vouchsafe that at the end of his days he with his people may appear gloriously before Thee who art the way, the truth and the life. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, etc."[1153]

[Footnote 1152: _Trial_, vol. v, p. 104. I read _in se sperantes_.]

[Footnote 1153: _Trial_, vol. v, p. 104. Lanery d'Arc, _Le culte de Jeanne d'Arc au XV'e siecle_, 1886, in 8vo.]