Read Ebook: The Mentor: Joan of Arc v. 3 Num. 22 Serial No. 98 January 1 1916 by Tarbell Ida M Ida Minerva

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"THE MENTOR 1916.01.01, No. 98," Joan of Arc

LEARN ONE THING EVERY DAY

JANUARY 1 1916 SERIAL NO. 98

THE MENTOR

JOAN OF ARC

DEPARTMENT OF VOLUME 3 BIOGRAPHY NUMBER 22

FIFTEEN CENTS A COPY

The Maid of Orleans

The boy rose to a splendor and a noonday prosperity, both personal and public, that rang through the records of his people, and became a by-word amongst his posterity for a thousand years, until the sceptre was departing from Judah. The poor, forsaken girl, on the contrary, drank not herself from that cup of rest which she had secured for France.

THOMAS DE QUINCEY

THE YOUTH OF THE MAID

Monograph Number One in The Mentor Reading Course

Joan of Arc, whose name more properly was Jeanneton Darc, and who is now known in France as Jeanne d'Arc, was one of the most wonderful women that ever lived. It is hard to believe some of the strange things that happened to her before she was twenty years old.

She was born at Domr?my, over in the eastern part of France, on January 6, 1412. She was the daughter of a peasant, and never learned to read or write; yet later in her life learned men could not puzzle her by questions. She was so sympathetic that she would stop to comfort her wounded enemies on the battlefield; yet she was so brave that even when severely wounded she continued to lead her soldiers.

Before hearing the story of Joan of Arc, it is interesting to know something of what was happening in France at the time she lived. For a long time the English king had been trying to make himself also the ruler of France. The ruler at that time was named Charles; but he had never been crowned king, as the coronation should have taken place at the Cathedral at Rheims But as Rheims was in the power of the English, Charles could not go there to be crowned.

The French themselves were divided into two parts. Some of them sided with Charles; but more took the part of England. These latter people lived in Burgundy. So at the time that Joan of Arc was born France was in a most unhappy state.

The girl sometimes guarded her father's flocks, and she was always glad to assist in the household work. She was noted for her physical strength, and for this reason and for her unselfish kindness she was a favorite in her village. She was of an extremely religious temperament, and the church services made her very happy.

When Joan was about thirteen years old her Voices came to her for the first time. She told of this great event later in her life:

"When I was about thirteen years old there came to me a Voice from God, teaching me how I was to behave and what I was to do. And the first time that Voice came I was afraid. I was standing about the middle of the day, in summer, in my father's garden. The Voice came from the right hand, from where the church stands, and when it came I usually saw a great light on the side from which it spoke. The Voice told me to be a good girl and go to church and go to save France. I said I was only a poor girl, who could not ride or lead the soldiers in the wars."

Joan also said that she saw figures of angels, and she enjoyed talking to them and listening to their counsel. However, no one else ever saw the angels or heard the Voices.

About this time Henry V of England died, and his son became heir to the throne. But the war against France was still being carried on. Just then the English were besieging the town of Orl?ans. This was in the fall of 1428. It seemed as though the city would be captured and the last stronghold of Charles would be lost to him. There were about 4,000 English besieging the city, and they planned to starve Orl?ans into surrender. It was then that the Voices advised Joan to save France.

THE MAID OBEYS THE VOICES

Monograph Number Two in The Mentor Reading Course

Joan lived far away from Orl?ans; but her Voices kept saying to her that she must go and drive away the English from that town. She did not want to do this, as she preferred to live quietly in her native village. But the Voices were urgent, and so at last Joan went to a nearby town, Vaucouleurs, and asked the commander there to lend her an escort, so that she might go to King Charles of France at Chinon . This commander, whose name was Robert de Baudricourt , laughed at her; but when Joan told him of a great disaster that had happened to the French army near Orl?ans at the time that it happened, whereas he did not hear of it until sometime later, he was convinced of her miraculous power, and sent her to Charles.

This was on February 23, 1429. After riding for several days, the maid and her band reached Chinon. Then there was more delay; but at last she was allowed to have an audience with the king. To test her power, Charles stood among a crowd of courtiers, clothed very simply; but without hesitation Joan knelt before him and said:

"Fair sir, you are the Dauphin to whom I am come."

Charles pointed to another and said, "That is the king."

"No, fair sir," said Joan, "It is to you that I am sent."

Then Joan was examined by the wise men of the court, and finally everyone agreed that she was advised by supernatural powers. An army was then collected, with which she was to march to the relief of Orl?ans.

White armor was made for her and a sacred banner presented to her. Her sword was dug from the ground behind the altar of Saint Catharine, in a little town named Fierbois . She had prophesied that this sword would be found there.

Then the Maid led the French to Orl?ans.

THE RELIEF OF ORL?ANS

Monograph Number Three in The Mentor Reading Course

Joan entered Orl?ans at nightfall. The people were all glad to see her, and lighted her way with torches. They tried to kiss her hands. In her white armor she was an inspiration to the French.

Joan wanted to sally out from Orl?ans immediately and attack the English; but the commander of the French forces did not think it wise to do so. Shortly afterward, however, Joan had her way.

The French planned an attack on the strongest of the English forts besieging Orl?ans. This was placed at the end of the bridge over the river Loire . It was a dangerous thing to do, as the fort was very strong; but Joan herself led the soldiers against its walls. The English were brave, and repulsed the attack throughout the day. At about one o'clock in the afternoon Joan was wounded by an arrow. She had prophesied this sometime before. The wound was not serious, however, and she went back into the battle. At eight o'clock Dunois, the commander of the French, wanted to withdraw, saying that they could not capture the fort that day; but Joan would not give up. She went away for awhile and prayed. When she returned, she seized her standard and led the soldiers up to the walls of the fort. The French, inspired by her bravery, followed, climbing the walls and killing or capturing all the English in the fort.

This defeat discouraged the English, and they withdrew from Orl?ans on May 8, 1429. In four days Joan had accomplished more than the French had been able to do in seven long months.

Joan next planned to take Charles to Rheims and have him crowned with the holy oil; but most of the country was held by the English. So Joan determined to capture the cities, and thereby make it safe for the king to go to Rheims. She first captured Jargeau, then Meun, and after that Beaugency.

Shortly after this the English army was near a little town called Pathay. The French were pursuing them; so the main part of the English army was placed at the end of a long lane between two thick hedges. Then they hid their archers behind these hedges. They planned to trap the French in this long lane and shoot them down.

The French would have gone right into this trap, if a stag had not been roused by them and run up the lane into the English lines. The English archers could not resist a chance like this. They shot at the stag. This revealed their ambush to the French, and saved Joan's army from defeat. The English were beaten, and the Maid won a great victory.

Monograph Number Four in The Mentor Reading Course

But at last he decided to march there with his army, and on July 16, 1429, he entered the city. The next day Charles was crowned King of France, while Joan stood beside him holding her sacred banner.

When the coronation was over, Joan knelt at the king's feet and said, "Gentle King, now is the will of God fulfilled."

Charles wished to reward her and asked what she wanted. She said that her only wish was that Domr?my, her native village, should ever after be free from taxes. Her wish was granted.

The next plan of the Maid was to capture Paris from the English. But she received no assistance from the king and his followers. He did not want to make war; for he hoped to gain the friendship of the Duke of Burgundy. Finally, however, Charles was persuaded to go to a little town called St. Denis , which is near Paris. But he was not much help.

Joan led her soldiers against a gate in Paris called the Porte St. Honor? . One of the men who fought in the battle tells of it in this manner:

"The fight was long and fierce, and it was wonderful to hear the noise of guns and culverins from the walls, and to see the arrows fly like clouds. Few of those who went down into the dry ditch with the Maid were hurt, though many others were wounded with arrows and stone cannon balls; but, by God's grace and the Maid's favour, there were none but could return without help. We fought from noon till darkness began. After the sun set, the Maid was wounded in the thigh by a bolt from a crossbow, but she only shouted louder, 'Come on and the place was ours.' But when it was dark and all were weary, men came from the King and brought her up out of the ditch against her will."

The next day, when Joan and her followers were riding to attack Paris, King Charles sent messengers forbidding them to do it. So they gave up their plans for the day, planning to seize the city the following day. But the king kept putting off the attack, until finally Joan gave up in despair, and her troops were disbanded.

Later Joan went to Normandy, but in December returned to the court of Charles, where on the 29th her family were ennobled with the surname of du Lis . She did not care for honors, however, but concentrated all her energies on driving the English from her native country.

In March, 1430, she went away from the court to assist in the defense of Compi?gne against the Duke of Burgundy, who was attacking the city.

THE CAPTURE OF THE MAID

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