The Life of Joan of Arc Part 80

[Footnote 1836: _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 310. _Journal du siege_, p. 107. Morosini, vol. ii, p. 229, note 4. Perceval de Cagny, p. 172.]

[Footnote 1837: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 217. Jaladon de la Barre, _Jeanne d'Arc a Saint-Pierre-le-Moustier et deux juges nivernais a Rouen_, Nevers, 1868, in 8vo, chaps. ix _et seq._]

[Footnote 1838: _Trial_, vol. v, p. 356. Lanery d'Arc and L. Jeny, _Jeanne d'Arc en Berry_, p. 89.]

After two or three days' siege, the King's men stormed the town. But they were repulsed. Squire Jean d'Aulon, the Maid's steward, who some time before had been wounded in the heel and consequently walked on crutches, had retreated with the rest.[1839] He went back and found Jeanne who had stayed almost alone by the side of the moat. Fearing lest harm should come to her, he leapt on to his horse, spurred towards her and cried: "What are you doing, all alone? Wherefore do you not retreat like the others?"

[Footnote 1839: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 217.]

Jeanne doffed her sallet and replied: "I am not alone. With me are fifty thousand of my folk. I will not quit this spot till I have taken the town."

Casting his eyes around, Messire Jean d'Aulon saw the Maid surrounded by but four or five men.

More loudly he cried out to her: "Depart hence and retreat like the others."

Her only reply was a request for f.a.gots and hurdles to fill up the moat. And straightway in a loud voice she called: "To the f.a.gots and the hurdles all of ye, and make a bridge!"

The men-at-arms rushed to the spot, the bridge was constructed forthwith and the town taken by storm with no great difficulty. At any rate that is how the good Squire, Jean d'Aulon, told the story.[1840]

He was almost persuaded that the Maid's fifty thousand shadows had taken Saint-Pierre-le-Moustier.

[Footnote 1840: _Ibid._, p. 218.]

With the little army on the Loire at that time were certain holy women who like Jeanne led a singular life and held communion with the Church Triumphant. They const.i.tuted, so to speak, a kind of flying squadron of _beguines_, which followed the men-at-arms. One of these women was called Catherine de La Roch.e.l.le; two others came from Lower Brittany.[1841]

[Footnote 1841: _Ibid._, vol. i, p. 106. _Journal d'un bourgeois de Paris_, pp. 259, 260, 271, 272. Nider, _Formicarium_, in _Trial_, vol.

iv, pp. 503, 504. J. Quicherat, _Apercus nouveaux_, pp. 74 _et seq._ N. Quellien, _Perrinac, une compagne de Jeanne d'Arc_, Paris, 1891, in 8vo. Mme. Pascal-Estienne, _Perrinak_, Paris, 1893, in 8vo. J.

Trevedy, _Histoire du roman de Perrinac_, Saint-Brieuc, 1894, in 8vo.

_Le roman de Perrinac_, Vannes, 1894, in 8vo. A. de la Borderie, _Pierronne et Perrinac_, Paris, 1894, in 8vo.]

They all had miraculous visions; Jeanne saw my Lord Saint Michael in arms and Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret wearing crowns;[1842]

Pierronne beheld G.o.d in a long white robe and a purple cloak;[1843]

Catherine de La Roch.e.l.le saw a white lady, clothed in cloth of gold; and, at the moment of the consecration of the host all manner of marvels of the high mystery of Our Lord were revealed unto her.[1844]

[Footnote 1842: _Trial_, vol. v, index at the words _Catherine_, _Michel_, _Marguerite_.]

[Footnote 1843: _Ibid._, vol. i, p. 106.]

[Footnote 1844: _Journal d'un bourgeois de Paris_, pp. 271, 272.]

Jean Pasquerel was still with Jeanne in the capacity of chaplain.[1845]

He hoped to take his penitent to fight in the Crusade against the Hussites, for it was against these heretics that he felt most bitterly. But he had been entirely supplanted by the Franciscan, Friar Richard, who, after Troyes, had joined the mendicants of Jeanne's earlier days. Friar Richard dominated this little band of the illuminated. He was called their good Father. He it was who instructed them.[1846] His designs for these women did not greatly differ from those of Jean Pasquerel: he intended to conduct them to those wars of the Cross, which he thought were bound to precede the impending end of the world.[1847]

[Footnote 1845: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 104 _et seq._]

[Footnote 1846: _Ibid._, vol. ii, p. 450. _Journal d'un bourgeois de Paris_, pp. 271, 272.]

[Footnote 1847: _Journal d'un bourgeois de Paris_, p. 235.]

Meanwhile, it was his endeavour to foster a good understanding between them, which, eloquent preacher though he was, he found very difficult. Within the sisterhood there were constant suspicions and disputes. Jeanne had been on friendly terms with Catherine de la Roch.e.l.le at Montfaucon in Brie and at Jargeau; but now she began to suspect her of being a rival, and immediately she a.s.sumed an att.i.tude of mistrust.[1848] Possibly she was right. At any moment either Catherine or the Breton women might be made use of as she had been.[1849] In those days a prophetess was useful in so many ways: in the edification of the people, the reformation of the Church, the leading of men-at-arms, the circulation of money, in war, in peace; no sooner did one appear than each party tried to get hold of her. It seems as if, after having employed the Maid Jeanne to deliver Orleans, the King's Councillors were now thinking of employing Dame Catherine to make peace with the Duke of Burgundy. Such a task was deemed fitting for a saint less chivalrous than Jeanne. Catherine was married and the mother of a family. In this circ.u.mstance there need be no cause for astonishment; for if the gift of prophecy be more especially reserved for virgins, the example of Judith proves that the Lord may raise up strong matrons for the serving of his people.

[Footnote 1848: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 106.]

[Footnote 1849: _Ibid._, p. 107.]

If we believe that, as her surname indicates, she came from La Roch.e.l.le, her origin must have inspired the Armagnacs with confidence.

The inhabitants of La Roch.e.l.le, all pirates more or less, were too profitably engaged in preying upon English vessels to forsake the Dauphin's party. Moreover, he rewarded their loyalty by granting them valuable commercial privileges.[1850] They had sent gifts of money to the people of Orleans; and when, in the month of May, they learned the deliverance of Duke Charles's city, they inst.i.tuted a public festival to commemorate so happy an event.

[Footnote 1850: Arcere, _Histoire de La Roch.e.l.le_, 1756, in 4to, vol.

i, p. 271. _Trial_, vol. v, p. 104, note. Vallet de Viriville, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol. ii, pp. 24, 75 _et seq._, 219, 279.]

The first duty of a saint in the army, it would appear, was to collect money. Jeanne was always sending letters asking the good towns for money or for munitions of war; the burgesses always promised to grant her request and sometimes they kept their promise. Catherine de la Roch.e.l.le appears to have had special revelations concerning the funds of the party; her mission, therefore, was financial, while Jeanne's was martial. She announced that she was going to the Duke of Burgundy to conclude peace.[1851] If one may judge from the little that is known of her, the inspirations of this holy dame were not very elevated, not very orderly, not very profound.

[Footnote 1851: _Trial_, vol. i, pp. 107, 108.]

Meeting Jeanne at Montfaucon in Berry (or at Jargeau) she addressed her thus:

"There came unto me a white lady, attired in cloth of gold, who said to me: 'Go thou through the good towns and let the King give unto thee heralds and trumpets to cry: "Whosoever has gold, silver or hidden treasure, let him bring it forth instantly."'"

Dame Catherine added: "Such as have hidden treasure and do not thus, I shall know their treasure, and I shall go and find it."

She deemed it necessary to fight against the English and seemed to believe that Jeanne's mission was to drive them out of the land, since she obligingly offered her the whole of her miraculous takings.

"Wherewithal to pay your men-at-arms," she said. But the Maid answered disdainfully:

"Go back to your husband, look after your household, and feed your children."[1852]

[Footnote 1852: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 107.]

Disputes between saints are usually bitter. In her rival's missions Jeanne refused to see anything but folly and futility. Nevertheless it was not for her to deny the possibility of the white lady's visitations; for to Jeanne herself did there not descend every day as many saints, angels and archangels as were ever painted on the pages of books or the walls of monasteries? In order to make up her mind on the subject, she adopted the most effectual measures. A learned doctor may reason concerning matter and substance, the origin and the form of ideas, the dawn of impressions in the intellect, but a shepherdess will resort to a surer method; she will appeal to her own eyesight.

Jeanne asked Catherine if the white lady came every night, and learning that she did: "I will sleep with you," she said.

When night came, she went to bed with Catherine, watched till midnight, saw nothing and fell asleep, for she was young, and she had great need of sleep. In the morning, when she awoke, she asked: "Did she come?"

"She did," replied Catherine; "you were asleep, so I did not like to wake you."

"Will she not come to-morrow?"

Catherine a.s.sured her that she would come without fail.

This time Jeanne slept in the day in order that she might keep awake at night; so she lay down at night in the bed with Catherine and kept her eyes open. Often she asked: "Will she not come?"

And Catherine replied: "Yes, directly."

But Jeanne saw nothing.[1853] She held the test to be a good one.

Nevertheless she could not get the white lady attired in cloth of gold out of her head. When Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret came to her, as they delayed not to do, she spoke to them concerning this white lady and asked them what she was to think of her. The reply was such as Jeanne expected:

"This Catherine," they said, "is naught but futility and folly."[1854]