A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Arc, (Joan of)
ARC, (JOAN OF) Maid of Orleans. Born 1402, died June 14, 1431,
After the death of Henry V. king of England, who, for some time reigned absolute in France, though without the title of king, (which, however, was assured to him and his descendants after the death of Charles VI. who survived him but two months) the regency of that kingdom was left to his brother, the duke of Bedford, one of the most accomplished princes of the age, whose experience, prudence, valour, and generosity, enabled him to maintain union among his friends, and to gain the confidence of his enemies. Charles VII. though inferior in power, was possessed of many great advantages in the affections of all Frenchmen, who desired the independence of their country. The city of Orleans, the most important place in the kingdom, was besieged by Bedford, as a step which would prepare the way for the conquest of all France. The French king used every expedient to supply the city with a garrison and provisions; and the English left no method unemployed for reducing it. The eyes of all Europe were turned towards this scene of action, where it was reasonably supposed the French were to make their last stand for maintaining the independence of their monarchy, and the rights of their sovereign. After numberless feats of valour on both sides, the attack was so vigorously pushed by the English, that Charles gave up the city as lost, when relief was brought from a very unexpected quarter.
In the village of Domremi, near Vaucouleurs, on the borders of Lorrain, lived a country girl, whose name was Joan d'Arc; and who, in the humble station of servant at an inn, had been accustomed to tend the horses of the guests, to ride them without a saddle to the watering-place, and to perform other offices, which commonly fall to the share of men-servants. This girl, influenced by the frequent accounts of the rencounters at the siege of Orleans, and affected with the distresses of her country and youthful monarch, was seized with a wild desire of bringing relief to him in his present unhappy circumstances. Her inexperienced mind, working day and night on this favourite object, mistook the impulses of passion for heavenly inspirations; fancied she saw visions, and heard voices, exhorting her to reestablish the throne of France, and expel the foreign invaders. An uncommon intrepidity of spirit made her divine mission dispel all that bashfulness so natural to her sex, her years, and low condition. She went to Vaucouleurs, procured admission to Baudricourt the governor, and informed him of her inspirations and intentions. Baudricourt observed something extraordinary in the maid, or saw the use that might be made of such an engine, and sent her to the French court, which then resided at Chinon.
Joan was no sooner introduced to the king, than she offered, in the name of the Supreme Creator, to raise the siege of Orleans, and conduct him to Rheims, to be there crowned and anointed: and she demanded, as the instrument of her future victories, a particular sword, which was kept in the church of St. Catherine de Fierbois. The more the king and his ministers were determined to give into the illusion, the more scruples they pretended. An assembly of grave and learned divines was appointed, to examine her mission; and pronounced it undoubted and supernatural. Her request was granted; she was armed cap-a-pie, mounted on horseback, and shown, in that martial habiliment, to the whole people. Her dexterity in managing her steed, though acquired in her former station, was regarded as a fresh proof of her mission; her former occupation was even denied; she was converted into a shepherdess, an employment more agreeable to the fancy. Some years were substracted from her age, in order to excite still more admiration; and she was received with the loudest acclamations, by persons of all ranks.
The English at first affected to speak with derision of the maid and her heavenly mission; but were secretly struck with the strong persuasion which prevailed in all around them. They found their courage daunted, by degrees, and thence began to infer a divine vengeance hanging over them. A silent astonishment reigned among those troops, formerly so elated with victory, and so fierce for the combat. The maid entered the city of Orleans, at the head of a convoy, arrayed in her military garb, and displaying her consecrated standard. She was received as a celestial deliverer by the garrison and its inhabitants; and with the instructions of count Dunois, commonly called the Bastard of Orleans, who commanded in that place, she actually obliged the English to raise the siege of that city, after driving them from their entrenchments, and defeating them in several desperate attacks.
Raising the siege of Orleans was one part of the maid's promise to Charles: crowning him at Rheims was the other; and she now vehemently insisted, that he should set out immediately on that journey. A few weeks before, such a proposal would have appeared altogether extravagant. Rheims lay in a distant quarter of the kingdom; was then in the hands of a victorious enemy; the whole road that led to it was occupied by their garrisons; and no imagination could have been so sanguine as to hope, that such an attempt could possibly be carried into execution. But, as things had now taken a turn, and it was extremely the interest of the king of France to maintain the belief of something extraordinary and divine in these events, he resolved to comply with her exhortations, and avail himself of the present consternation of the English. He accordingly set out for Rheims at the head of twelve thousand men, and scarcely perceived as he passed along, that he was marching through an enemy's country. Every place opened its gates to him: Rheims sent him its keys, and the ceremony of his inauguration was performed with the holy oil, which a pigeon is said to have brought from heaven to Clovis, on the first establishment of the French monarchy.
As a mark of his gratitude, Charles had a medal struck in her honour. On one side was her portrait, on the other a hand holding a sword with these words, Consilio confirmata Dei. "Sustained by the assistance of God." The king also ennobled all her family, as well in the male as in the female line; the former became extinct in 1760. In 1614, the latter, at the request of the procurator-general, were deprived of their privilege of ennobling their children, independent of their husband. The town of Domrerai, also, where she was born, was exempted from all taxes, aids, and subsidies for ever.
The Maid of Orleans, as she is called, declared, after this coronation, that her mission was now accomplished; and expressed her inclination to retire to the occupations and course of life which became her sex. But Dunois, sensible of the great advantages which might still be reaped from her presence in the army, exhorted her to persevere, till the final expulsion of the English. In pursuance of this advice, she threw herself into the town of Compiegne, at that time besieged by the duke of Burgundy, assisted by the earls of Arundel and Suffolk, The garrison, on her appearance, believed themselves invincible. But their joy was of short duration. The maid, after performing prodigies of valour, was taken prisoner in a sally; and the duke of Bedford, resolved upon her ruin, ordered her to be tried by the ecclesiastical court for sorcery, impiety, idolatry, and magic. She was found guilty by her ignorant or iniquitous judges, of all those crimes, aggravated by heresy. Her revelalations were declared to be inventions of the devil, to delude the people. No efforts' were made by the French court to deliver her; and this admirable heroine was cruelly delivered over alive to the flames, at the age of nineteen, A. D. 1431, and expiated by the punishment of fire, the signal services which she had rendered to her prince and native country.
Joan appears not only to have been a virtuous and heroic character, but to have possessed that truth and sensibility, which should, and perhaps always does, accompany true genius. Her manner is recorded to have been mild and gentle, when unarmed, though courageous in the field. She was frequently wounded; and once drawing out the English arrow, cried out, "It is glory, and not blood, which flows from this wound!" and, when mounting the fatal pile, though her face was covered with tears, she said, "God be blessed!"