Story of Joan Of

Conditions and Terms of Use TO ANGELA COTTRELL-DORMER Copyright © Heritage History 2010 Some rights reserved Dear Angela, This text was produced and distributed by Heritage History, an May I dedicate this little book to you, who are organization dedicated to the preservation of classical juvenile history books, and to the promotion of the works of traditional history authors. already a friend of the Maid? The books which Heritage History republishes are in the As you grow up you will meet certain wise people public domain and are no longer protected by the original copyright. who will tell you that there was never any such person as They may therefore be reproduced within the United States without Joan of Arc, or that, if she ever lived, she was mad, or an paying a royalty to the author. imposter. 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We require all electronic Joan disrespectfully have not read them, and do not know and printed versions of this text include these markings and that users what they are talking about. adhere to the following restrictions. "They say: What they say? Let them say!" 1. You may reproduce this text for personal or educational purposes as long as the copyright and Heritage History version are included. Affectionately yours, A. LANG. 2. You may not alter this text or try to pass off all or any part of it as your own work. 3. You may not distribute copies of this text for commercial purposes. 4. This text is intended to be a faithful and complete copy of the original document. However, typos, omissions, and other errors may have occurred during preparation, and Heritage History does not guarantee a perfectly reliable reproduction. Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] Original Copyright 1910 by Andrew Lang. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE CHILDHOOD OF JOAN OF ARC ............................... 4 HOW THE VOICES CAME TO THE MAID......................... 7 HOW THE MAID OBEYED THE VOICES .......................... 8 HOW JOAN HEARD NEWS STRANGELY ....................... 10 HOW THE MAID SAW THE DAUPHIN ............................ 12 HOW THE MAID RODE TO ORLEANS ........................... 14 HOW THE MAID SAVED ORLEANS ............................... 15 HOW THE MAID TOOK THE TOWN OF JARGEAU ......... 17 HOW JOAN DEFEATED THE ENGLISH IN FAIR FIELD .. 19 HOW JOAN LED THE DAUPHIN TO BE CROWNED ........ 21 HOW THE MAID WAS BETRAYED AT PARIS ................. 23 HOW THE MAID TOOK CERTAIN TOWNS .................... 25 HOW THE VOICES PROPHESIED EVIL .......................... 26 HOW THE MAID WAS TAKEN ....................................... 27 THE CAPTIVITY OF THE MAID ..................................... 29 THE TRIAL OF THE MAID ............................................. 31 HOW THE PRIESTS BETRAYED THE MAID ................... 34 THE END OF THE MAID ................................................ 35 THE SECOND TRIAL OF THE MAID .............................. 35 Original Copyright 1910 by Andrew Lang. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2009 CHAPTER I France, and then Scotland sent armies to help the French, as at other times the French sent armies to help Scotland. Eight years before Joan was born a sad thing happened THE CHILDHOOD OF JOAN OF ARC to her country. Henry V. of England had married the Princess Katherine of France, and the French, or some of them, tired of Joan of arc was perhaps the most wonderful person being beaten in war, consented to let the child of Henry and who ever lived in the world. The story of her life is so strange the Princess Katherine be their King, instead of the son of their that we could scarcely believe it to be true, if all that happened old King. The old King's son was called "the Dauphin"; that to her had not been told by people in a court of law, and was the title of the eldest son of the French kings. This written down by her deadly enemies, while she was still alive. Dauphin was named Charles. His friends went on fighting the She was burned to death when she was only nineteen: she was English for his sake, but he was not crowned King. The not seventeen when she first led the armies of France to coronations of French Kings were always done in the victory, and delivered her country from the English. Cathedral at Rheims, where they were anointed with sacred oil. The oil was kept in a very old flask, which was said to Joan was the daughter of a poor man, in a little country have been brought from heaven, to a Saint, by an Angel. No village. She had never learned to read, or write, or mount a eldest son of the King was thought really King of France, after horse. Yet she was so wise that many learned men could not his father's death, till he had been anointed with this heavenly puzzle her by questions: she was one of the best riders in oil at Rheims by the Archbishop. It is important to remember France; one of the most skilled in aiming cannons, and so this; you will see the reason afterwards. Now, Rheims was in great a general that she defeated the English again and again, the power of the English, so the Dauphin, Charles, could not and her army was never beaten till her King deserted her. She go there and be made King in earnest. The English said that he was so brave that severe wounds could not stop her from was not the son of his father, the late King, which made him leading on her soldiers, and so tender-hearted that she would very unhappy. We shall hear how Joan comforted him and comfort the wounded English on the field of battle, and protect made him King for good and all. What Scots and Frenchmen them from cruelty. She was so good that her enemies could not could not do, she did. find one true story to tell against her in the least thing; and she was so modest that in the height of her glory she was wishing In the meantime the French were divided into two to be at home in her father's cottage, sewing or spinning beside parties. Some sided with the Dauphin, Prince Charles; more, her mother. and especially all the people of Burgundy, and the Duke of Burgundy, a great and rich country, were on the side of the Joan, who was born at Domremy, in the east of France, English. So they fought very cruelly, for the land was full of on January 6, 1412, lived in a very unhappy time. For nearly a companies of ill-paid soldiers, who plundered the poor, so that hundred years the kings of England had been trying to make towns fell into decay, many fields were empty of sheep and themselves kings of France, just as they had been trying to cows, and the roads became covered with grass. In the villages make themselves kings of Scotland. Perhaps they might have a boy used to watch all day, from the spire of the church, to succeeded, if they had confined themselves to one conquest at see whether any soldiers were riding up. If they came, the a time. But they left Scotland alone while they were attacking cattle were driven into the woods, and men, women, and children ran to hide themselves, carrying such things away as In the middle of these miseries Joan was born, in a they could. The soldiers of all sorts robbed equally, for they village where almost everybody was on the side of the had often no regular pay, and the Scots were not behindhand Dauphin: the right side. In the village nearest to hers, Maxey, in helping themselves wherever they went. Even gentlemen the people took the English side, and the boys of the two and knights became chiefs of troops of robbers, so that, places had pitched battles with sticks and stones. It is true that whoever won in the wars, the country people were always they would have found some other reason for fighting, even if being plundered. the English had not been in France. Joan used to see her brothers, Peter and John, come home from these battles with their noses bleeding, and with black eyes, but she did not take part herself in these wars. Her village was near a strong-walled town called Vaucouleurs, which was on the side of the Dauphin. When Joan was a little girl she did not see very much of the cruelty of the soldiers; the village was only visited once or twice by enemies. But she heard of what was going on in the rest of France: "there was great pity in France," she said.

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