I have no patience to write of the things which followed. I blush
for the King, for his Council, yea, even for the Church itself!
Here was a messenger sent from God, sent to France in the hour of
her direst need. This messenger had been tried and tested by a
score of different methods already, and had in every case come
forth from the trial like gold submitted to the fire. Priests had
examined and found nothing evil in her. Again and again had she
spoken of that which must follow--and so it had been. If her voices
were not from God, then must they be from the devil; yet it had
been proved again, and yet again, that this was impossible, since
she feared nought that was holy or good, but clave unto such, and
was never so joyful and glad at heart as when she was able to
receive the Holy Sacrament, or kneel before the Altar of God whilst
Mass was being said.
She had proved her claim to be called God's messenger. She had
justified herself as such in the eyes of the King and in the
judgment of the two Queens and of half the Court. And yet,
forsooth, he must waver and doubt, and let himself be led by the
counsels of those who had ever set themselves against the Maid and
her mission; and to the shame of the Church be it spoken, the
Archbishop of Rheims was one of those who most zealously sought to
persuade him of the folly of entrusting great matters to the hands
of a simple peasant girl, and warned the whole Court of the perils
of witchcraft and sorcery which were like to be the undoing of all
who meddled therein.
I could have wrung the neck of the wily old fox, whom I did more
blame than I did his friend and advocate, De la Tremouille; for the
latter only professed carnal wisdom and prudence, but the
Archbishop spoke as one who has a mandate from God, and he at least
should have known better.
And so they must needs send her to Poictiers, to a gathering of
ecclesiastics, assembled by her enemy, the Archbishop himself, to
examine into her claims to be that which she professed, and also
into her past life, and what it had been.
I scarce have patience to write of all the wearisome weeks which
were wasted thus, whilst this assembly sat; and the Maid--all alone
in her innocence, her purity, her sweetness, and gentle
reverence--stood before them, day after day, to answer subtle
questions, face a casuistry which sought to entrap her into
contradiction or confusion, or to wring from her a confession that
she was no heaven-sent messenger, but was led away by her own
imaginations and ambitions.
It was an ordeal which made even her devoutest adherents tremble;
for we knew the astuteness of the churchmen, and how that they
would seek to win admissions which they would pervert to their own
uses afterwards. Yet we need not have feared; for the Maid's
simplicity and perfectly fearless faith in her mission carried her
triumphant through all; or perhaps, indeed, her voices whispered to
her what answers she should make, for some of them were remembered
long, and evoked great wonder in the hearts of those who heard
them.
One Dominican monk sought to perplex her by asking why, since God
had willed that France should be delivered through her, she had
need of armed men?
Full fearlessly and sweetly she looked at him as she made answer:
"It is my Lord's will that I ask for soldiers, and that the Dauphin
shall give me them. The men shall fight; it is God who gives the
victory."
Another rough questioner amongst her judges sought to confuse her
by asking what language her voices spoke. They say that a flash
flew from her eyes, though her sweet voice was as gentle as ever as
she made answer:
"A better language than yours, my father."
And again, when the same man sought to know more of her faith and
her love of God, having shown himself very sceptical of her voices
and visions, she answered him, with grave dignity and an earnest,
steadfast gaze:
"I trow I have a better faith than yours, my father."
And so, through all, her courage never failed, her faith never
faltered, her hope shone undimmed.
"They must give me that which I ask; they cannot withstand God.
They cannot hurt me. For this work was I born, and until it be
accomplished I am safe. I have no fear."
Only once did she show anger, and then it was with a quiet dignity
of displeasure, far removed from petulance or impatience. They
asked of her a sign that she was what she professed to be.
"I have not come to Poictiers to give a sign," she answered,
holding her head high, and looking fearlessly into the faces of
those who sat to judge her. "Send me to Orleans, with as small a
band as you will. But send me there, and you shall see signs and to
spare that I come in the power of the King of Heaven."
And so in the end her faith and courage triumphed. The verdict ran
somewhat thus:
"We have found in her nothing but what is good. To deny or hinder
her intentions to serve the King would be to show ourselves
unworthy of the assistance of God."
Yes, they had to come to it; and I trust that there were many
sitting there whose hearts smote them for ever having doubted, or
sought to baffle or entrap her. I cannot tell how far the judges
were moved by the growing feeling in the town and throughout the
district. But the people crowded to see the Maid pass by, and all
were ready to fall at her feet and worship her. In the evenings
they visited her at the house of Jean Ratabeau, the Advocate
General, whose wife formed for her (as did every good and true
woman with whom she came into contact during her life) an ardent
admiration and affection.
And to their earnest questions she gave ready answer, sitting in
the midst of an eager crowd, and telling them in her sweet and
simple way the story of her life in Domremy, and how she had first
heard these voices from Heaven, or seen wondrous visions of
unspeakable glories; and how she had learnt, by slow degrees, that
which her Lord had for her to do, and had lost, by little and
little, the fear which first possessed her, till now she knew not
of the name of the word. She had but to follow where her voices
guided.
And the people believed in her, heart and soul. Her fame spread far
and wide, and had she lifted but a finger, she might have been at
the head of an armed band of citizens and soldiers, yea, and many
gentlemen and knights as well, all vowed to live and die in her
service. But this was not what was her destiny.
"I thank you, my friends," she would say, if such a step were
proposed by any ardent soul, impatient of this long delay; "but
thus it may not be. My Lord has decreed that the Dauphin shall send
me forth at the head of his armies, and with a troop of his
soldiers; and he will do this ere long. Be not afraid. We must
needs have patience, as did our Lord Himself, and be obedient, as
He was. For only as we look to Him for grace and guidance can we
hope to do His perfect will."
Thus spoke the Maid, who, being without letters, and knowing, as
she said, no prayers save the Pater Noster, Ave Maria, and Credo,
yet could speak in such fashion to those who sought her. Was it
wonder that the people believed in her? that they would have been
ready to tear in pieces any who durst contemn her mission, or
declare her possessed of evil spirits?
Yet I will not say that it was fear which possessed the hearts of
her judges, and decided their ruling in this matter. I trow they
could not look upon her, or hear her, without conviction of heart.
Nevertheless it is possible that the respect for popular enthusiasm
led them to speak in such high praise of the Maid, and to add that
she was in the right in assuming the dress which she wore. For she
had been sent to do man's work, and for this a man's garb was the
only fitting one to wear. And this ruling was heard with great
acclamation of satisfaction; for her dress had been almost more
commented upon than any other matter by some, and that the Church
had set its sanction upon that which common sense deemed most right
and fitting, robbed the most doubtful of all scruple, and gave to
the Maid herself no small pleasure.
"I do in this, as in all other things, that which I have been
bidden," she said. "But I would not willingly act unseemly in the
eyes of good men and virtuous women; wherefore I am glad that my
judges have spoken thus, and I thank them from my heart for their
gentle treatment of me."
It was ever thus with the Maid. No anger or impatience overset her
sweet serenity and humility. She would not let herself take
offence, or resent these ordeals to which, time after time, she was
subjected. Nay, it was she who defended the proceedings when we
attacked them, saying that it behoved men to act with care and
caution in these great matters, and that her only trouble in the
delay was the sufferings and sorrows of the poor beleaguered
garrison and citizens in Orleans, to whose help and relief she
longed to fly.
So certain was she that before long she would be upon her way, that
at Poictiers she composed that letter to the English King, his
Regent, and his Generals which has been so much talked of since. It
was a truly wonderful document to be penned by a village maiden;
for in it she adjured them to cease from warring with the rightful
King of France, whom God would have to rule the realm for Him, to
go back to their own country, leaving peace behind them instead of
war, and imploring them then to join with the King of France in a
crusade against the Saracens. She speaks of herself as one who has
power to drive them from the kingdom if they will not go in peace
as adjured. Calling herself throughout "The Maid," she tells them
plainly that they will not be able to stand against her; that she
will come against them in the power of the King of Heaven, Who will
give to her more strength than ever can be brought against her; and
in particular she begs of them to retire from the city of Orleans;
else, if they do not, they shall come to great misfortune there.
This letter took some time in the composition, and was written for
her by Sir Guy de Laval, though we were all in her counsel as she
dictated it.
By this I do not mean that we advised her. On the contrary, we
gazed at her amazed, knowing how fruitless such an injunction must
be to the haughty victorious nation, who had us, so to speak, in
the dust at her feet. But the Maid saw with other eyes than ours.
"It may be that there will be some holy man of God in their camp to
whom my Lord will reveal His will, as He hath done to me, and will
show the things which must come to pass. I would so willingly spare
all the bloodshed and misery which war will bring. It is so
terrible a thing for Christian men to war one with another!"
So this letter, with its superscription "JHESUS MARIA," was written
and dispatched to the English, and the Maid turned her attention to
other matters near her heart, such as the design and execution of
those banners which were to be carried before her armies in battle,
and lead them on to victory. And these same words, "Jhesus Maria,"
she decreed should appear upon each of the three standards, in
token that she went not forth in her own strength, nor even in that
of the King of France; but in the power which was from above, and
in the strength given by those who sent her.
Now there came to Poictiers to see the Maid at this time many
persons from other places, and amongst these was a Scotchman called
Hauves Polnoir, who brought with him his daughter, a fair girl,
between whom and the Maid a great love speedily sprang up. These
Polnoirs were the most skilful workers in embroideries and such
like of all the country round, and to them was entrusted the making
of the three banners, according to the instructions of the Maid.
There was first the great white silken standard, with the golden
fleur-de-lys of France, and a representation on the reverse of the
Almighty God between two adoring angels; then a smaller banner,
with a device representing the Annunciation, which she always gave
to one of her immediate attendants or squires to carry into battle;
and for herself she had a little triangular banneret of white, with
an image of the Crucified Christ upon it, and this she carried
herself, and it was destined to be the rallying point of
innumerable engagements, for the sight of that little fluttering
pennon showed the soldiers where the Maid was leading them, and
though this was in the thickest and sorest of the strife, they
would press towards it with shouts of joy and triumph, knowing
that, where the Maid led, there victory was won.
All these matters were arranged whilst we were kept in waiting at
Poictiers; and the Polnoirs returned to Tours to execute the orders
there in their own workshop. The Maid promised to visit them on her
way from Chinon to Orleans, and so bid them a kindly farewell.
Perhaps I may here add that when the Dauphin, upon his coronation,
insisted upon presenting the Maid with a sum of money, the use she
made of it, after offering at various shrines, was to provide a
marriage dowry for Janet Polnoir. Never did she think of herself;
never did she desire this world's goods.
This was shown very plainly upon her triumphant return to Chinon,
with the blessing and sanction of the Church upon her mission, with
the enthusiasm of the people growing and increasing every day, and
her fame flying throughout the length and breadth of the realm. By
this time the King and all his Court knew that a deliverer had been
raised up in our midst, and instead of lowly lodgings being
allotted to the Maid and her train, the whole Tower of Coudray was
set apart for the use of herself and her suite. The custodian De
Belier and his wife had charge of her, and to her were now
appointed a staff, of which the brave Jean d'Aulon was the chief,
and to which Bertrand and Sir Guy de Laval and myself belonged,
together with many more knights and gentlemen, all anxious to do
service under her banner. Also she had in her train some persons of
lowlier degree, such as her brothers, for whom she always had
tender care, and who believed devoutly in her mission, although
they saw of necessity less and less of one another as the Maid's
mission progressed, and took her into a different world.
But all this grandeur was no delight to her, save inasmuch as it
showed that at last her mission was recognised and honoured. When
asked what she would have for herself in the matter of dress and
armour, her answer was that she had already all she required,
although she only possessed at this time one suit more than she had
started forth with from Vaucouleurs. Although she saw the courtiers
fluttering about like butterflies, and noted how men, as well as
women, decked themselves in choice stuffs and flashing jewels, she
asked none of these things for herself; and when the Queen of
Sicily, always her best and kindest friend, sent to her some
clothing of her own designing--all white, and beautifully worked,
some with silver, and some with gold thread and cord, and a mantle
of white velvet, lined with cloth of silver--she looked at the
beautiful garments with something between a smile and a sigh; then
turning towards the great lady who stood by to watch her, she first
kissed her hand, and then, with a sudden impulse of affection, put
her arms about her neck, and was drawn into a close embrace.
"Are you not pleased with them, my child?" spoke Queen Yolande
gently; "they would have decked you in all the colours of the
rainbow, and made you to blaze with jewels; but I would not have it
The Virgin Maid, I told them, should be clad all in white, and my
word prevailed, and thus you see your snowy raiment. I had thought
you would be pleased with it, ma mie."
"Madame, it is beautiful; I have never dreamed of such. It is too
fine, too costly for such as I. I am but a peasant maid--"
"You are the chosen of the King of Heaven, my child. You must think
also of that. You are now the leader of the King's armies. You have
to do honour alike to a Heavenly and an earthly Monarch; and shall
we let our champion go forth without such raiment as is fitting to
her mission?"
Then the Maid bent her head, and answered with sweet gladness:
"If it is thus that the world regards me, I will wear these
trappings with a glad and thankful heart; for in sooth I would seek
to do honour to His Majesty. As for my Lord in the Heavens, I trow
that He doth look beneath such matters of gay adornment; yet even
so, I would have His mission honoured in the sight of all men, and
His messenger fitly arrayed."
So the Maid put on her spotless apparel, and looked more than ever
like a youthful warrior, going forth with stainless shield, in the
quest of chivalrous adventure. The whole Court was entranced by her
beauty, her lofty dignity, her strange air of aloofness from the
world, which made her move amongst them as a thing apart, and
seemed to set a seal upon her every word and act.
When she spoke of the coming strife, and her plans for the relief
of the beleaguered city, her eyes would shine, a ringing note of
authority would be heard in her voice, she would fearlessly enter
into debate with the King and his Ministers, and tell them that
which she was resolved to do, whether they counselled it or no. At
such moments she appeared gifted with a power impossible rightly to
describe. Without setting herself up in haughtiness, she yet
overbore all opposition by her serene composure and calm serenity
in the result. Men of war said that she spoke like a soldier and a
strategist; they listened to her in amaze, and wondered what the
great La Hire would say when he should arrive, to find that a
country maiden had been set over his head.
In other matters, too, the Maid knew her mind, and spoke it with
calm decision. The Queen of Sicily had not been content with
ordering the Maid's dress alone, she had also given orders to the
first armourer in Tours to fashion her a suit of light armour for
the coming strife. This armour was of white metal, and richly
inlaid with silver, so that when the sun glinted upon it, it shone
with a dazzling white radiance, almost blinding to behold. The
King, also, resolved to do his share, had ordered for her a light
sword, with a blade of Toledo steel; but though the Maid gratefully
accepted the gift of the white armour, and appeared before all the
Court attired therein, and with her headpiece, with its floating
white plumes crowning it all, yet, as she made her reverence before
the King, she gently put aside his gift of the sword.
"Gentle Dauphin," she said, "I thank you from my heart; but for me
there is another sword which I must needs carry with me into
battle; and I pray you give me leave to send and fetch it from
where it lies unknown and forgotten."
"Why, Maiden, of what speak you?" he answered; "is not this
jewelled weapon good enough? You will find its temper of the best.
I know not where you will find a better!"
"No better a sword, Sire," she answered; "and yet the one which I
must use; for so it hath been told me of my Lord. In the church of
Fierbois, six leagues from hence, beneath the high altar, there
lies a sword, and this sword must I use. Suffer me, I pray you, to
send and fetch it thence. Then shall I be ready and equipped to
sally forth against the foes of my country."
"But who has told you of this sword, my maiden?"
"My Lord did tell me of it, as I knelt before the altar, ere I came
to Chinon. It is in the church of St. Catherine; and suffer only my
good knight, Jean de Metz, to go and make search for it, and he
will surely bring it hither to me."
Now I did well remember how, as we knelt in the church at Fierbois
in the dimness of the early morn, the Maid had received some
message, unheard by those beside her; and gladly did I set forth
upon mine errand to seek and bring to her this sword.
When I reached Fierbois, which was in the forenoon of the day
following, the good priests of the church knew nothing of any such
sword; but the fame of the Maid having reached their ears, they
were proud and glad that their church of St. Catherine should be
honoured thus, and calling together some workmen, they made careful
search, and sure enough, before we had dug deep, the spade struck
and clinked against metal, and forth from beneath the altar we drew
a sword, once a strong and well-tempered weapon, doubtless, but now
covered with rust, so that the good priests looked askance at it,
and begged to have it to cleanse and polish.
It was then too late for my return the same day, so I left it to
them, and lodged me in the town, where all the people flocked to
hear news of the Maid and of the coming campaign.
Then in the morning, with the first of the light, the sword was
brought to me; and surely many persons in Fierbois must have sat up
all the night, for every speck of rust had been cleansed away, and
a velvet scabbard made or found for the weapon, which the priests
begged of me to take with it to the Maid as their gift, and with
their benediction upon it and her.
My return was awaited with some stir of interest, and before I had
well dismounted I was hurried, all travel stained as I was, into
the presence of the King. There was the Maid waiting also, calm and
serene, and when she saw the thing which I carried in my hands, her
face lighted; she took several steps forward, and bent her knee as
she reverently took the sword, as though she received it from some
Higher Power.
"It was even as she said?" questioned the King, quickly.
"Even so, Sire; the sword of which no man knew aught, was lying
buried beneath the high altar of St. Catherine's Church, in
Fierbois."
A murmur of surprise and gratification ran through the assembly.
But there was no surprise upon the Maid's face.
"Did you doubt, Sire?" she asked, and he could not meet the glance
of her clear eyes.