Saint Joan of Arc (Jeanne la Pucelle): Difference between revisions
| Line 992: | Line 992: | ||
== The road to Rouen == | == The road to Rouen == | ||
Among the fixations of Joan's examiners at the Rouen Trial was a minor battle at a town called La Charité. Questions on it included,<blockquote>Did you never speak with the said Catherine<ref>As discussed earlier, the examiners were most keen to associate Joan with Catherine de la Rochelle and her visions of a "lady in white." (see Murray, p. 52)</ref> on the project of going to La Charité-sur-Loire?<ref>March 3 (Murray, p. 53)</ref></blockquote><blockquote> | Among the fixations of Joan's examiners at the Rouen Trial was a minor battle at a town called La Charité. Questions on it included,<blockquote>Did you never speak with the said Catherine<ref>As discussed earlier, the examiners were most keen to associate Joan with Catherine de la Rochelle and her visions of a "lady in white." (see Murray, p. 52)</ref> on the project of going to La Charité-sur-Loire?<ref>March 3 (Murray, p. 53)</ref></blockquote><blockquote>What did you do in the trenches of La Charité?<ref>ibid</ref></blockquote><blockquote>Why did you not enter La Charité, if you had command from God to do so?<ref>March 3 (Murray, p. 54)</ref></blockquote><blockquote>Had you any revelation to attack La Charité?<ref>March 13 (Murray, p. 69)</ref></blockquote><blockquote>Did you do well or ill to advance on La Charité?<ref>March 27 (Murray, p. 352)</ref> </blockquote> | ||
The point was that Joan had failed to take the city, and, as with her failed assault on Paris, she was thereby a false prophet. Article LVII of the Seventy Articles of accusation attacked her on this point:<ref>March 27 (Murray p. 360-361)</ref><blockquote>The day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Jeanne did assemble the whole army of Charles, to make an attack on the city of Paris ; she did lead the army against the city, affirming that she would enter it on that day — that she knew it by revelation : she directed all the arrangements possible for the entry. And, nevertheless, she is not afraid to deny it before us here in court. And at other places also, at La Charité-sur-Loire, for example, at Pont L'Evêque, at Compiègne, when she attacked the army of the Duke of Burgundy, she affirmed and foretold that which, according to her, would take place, saying that she knew it by revelation : now, not only did the things predicted by her not come to pass, but the very contrary happened. Before you she hath denied having made these predictions, because they were not realized, as she had said ; but many people worthy of trust report ^ to have heard her utter them. At the time of the assault on Paris, she said that thousands of angels were around her, ready to bear her to Paradise if she should be killed : now, when she was asked why, after the promises made to her, not only did she not enter Paris but that many of her men and she herself had been wounded in a horrible manner and some even killed, she answered " It was Jesus, who broke His word to me.</blockquote><blockquote>What have you to say to this Article</blockquote><blockquote>As to the beginning, I have answered it already. If I think of more later, I will willingly answer then. I never said that Jesus had failed me.</blockquote> | The point was that Joan had failed to take the city, and, as with her failed assault on Paris, she was thereby a false prophet. Article LVII of the Seventy Articles of accusation attacked her on this point:<ref>March 27 (Murray p. 360-361)</ref><blockquote>The day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, Jeanne did assemble the whole army of Charles, to make an attack on the city of Paris ; she did lead the army against the city, affirming that she would enter it on that day — that she knew it by revelation : she directed all the arrangements possible for the entry. And, nevertheless, she is not afraid to deny it before us here in court. And at other places also, at La Charité-sur-Loire, for example, at Pont L'Evêque, at Compiègne, when she attacked the army of the Duke of Burgundy, she affirmed and foretold that which, according to her, would take place, saying that she knew it by revelation : now, not only did the things predicted by her not come to pass, but the very contrary happened. Before you she hath denied having made these predictions, because they were not realized, as she had said ; but many people worthy of trust report ^ to have heard her utter them. At the time of the assault on Paris, she said that thousands of angels were around her, ready to bear her to Paradise if she should be killed : now, when she was asked why, after the promises made to her, not only did she not enter Paris but that many of her men and she herself had been wounded in a horrible manner and some even killed, she answered " It was Jesus, who broke His word to me.</blockquote><blockquote>What have you to say to this Article</blockquote><blockquote>As to the beginning, I have answered it already. If I think of more later, I will willingly answer then. I never said that Jesus had failed me.</blockquote> | ||
The operations against Charité, Paris, and others such as Compiegne, where Joan was captured by the Burgundians, were unsuccessful. Joan never predicted she would take Paris, although she did assure fellow commanders about various actions, such as at Saint Pierre le Moustier, which she took prior to her assault on Charité. | The operations against Charité, Paris, and others such as Compiegne, where Joan was captured by the Burgundians, were unsuccessful. Joan never predicted she would take Paris, although she did assure fellow commanders about various actions, such as at Saint Pierre le Moustier, which she took prior to her assault on Charité. Of the former city, she told her steward, Jean d'Aulen,<ref name=":9" /><blockquote>she would not leave until she had taken the town.</blockquote>She did, but she subsequently failed to take Charité, which, d'Aulen, said, was from lack of support from the crown:<ref name=":10" /><blockquote>Moreover, that, some time after the return from the consecration of the King, he [the King] was advised by his Council — then at Mehun-sur-Yèvre — that it was most necessary to recover the town of La Charité, which was held by the enemy; but that first must be taken the town of Saint Pierre le Moustier, which likewise was held by the enemy ;</blockquote>Joan admitted the failure to the Rouen court: <blockquote>At the request of the men-at-arms, there was an assault made before Paris, and, at the request of the King himself, one also before La Charité. These were neither against nor by the order of my Voices.<ref name=":11" /></blockquote>The deception of the examiners shows here, as Joan's assault on Paris preceded the others. Shortly after the July 17, 1431 coronation, Charles VII, following the direction of the Bishop of Reims, agreed to a truce with the Duke of Burgundy, who agreed to surrender Paris to Armagnac control. He lied, of course, and Joan led a series of attacks leading the French army towards Paris. On September 8, she led an unsuccessful assault on the outer walls of the city, but she received a crossbow bolt in her leg and was evacuated after some time.<ref>There is much to be said for Divine protection of Joan in her injuries, here at Paris and at Orléans. While missing vital organs, Joan's wounds were serious and susceptible to infection, etc. She recovered from them all. </ref> | ||
Charles called off the attack on Paris and ordered a bridge dismantled that Joan would need to use -- rather indicative of their relationship, whereby he needed not her obedience, which he had, but a reason for the order. Most deceitful; but it worked. Paris was left alone, and Charles disbanded the army, again leaving Joan without the means to pursue her agenda. Charles lacked the political will to cut her off completely, so played for and against her by allowing her to run her own campaigns without official backing, especially financially. She ended up chasing down rogue cities along the Loire, and then, eventually, to rescue besieged Armagnac cities to the norther, such as Compeigne, where, with a small contingent and entirely on her own as a commander. she was captured by the Burgundians. | Charles called off the attack on Paris and ordered a bridge dismantled that Joan would need to use -- rather indicative of their relationship, whereby he needed not her obedience, which he had, but a reason for the order. Most deceitful; but it worked. Paris was left alone, and Charles disbanded the army, again leaving Joan without the means to pursue her agenda. Charles lacked the political will to cut her off completely, so played for and against her by allowing her to run her own campaigns without official backing, especially financially. She ended up chasing down rogue cities along the Loire, and then, eventually, to rescue besieged Armagnac cities to the norther, such as Compeigne, where, with a small contingent and entirely on her own as a commander. she was captured by the Burgundians. | ||
| Line 1,004: | Line 1,004: | ||
As to Joan's<ref>March 13, (Murray p. 74-75)</ref> | As to Joan's<ref>March 13, (Murray p. 74-75)</ref> | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote>No, I went at the request of the gentlemen who wished to make an attack or assault-at-arms; I intended to go there and break through the trenches.</blockquote><blockquote>Had you any revelation to attack La Charité?</blockquote><blockquote>No, I went there at the request of the men-at-arms, as I said elsewhere.</blockquote><blockquote>Did you have any revelation to go to Pont l'Evêque?</blockquote><blockquote>After I had had, in the trenches of Melun, revelation that I should be taken, I consulted more often with the Captains of the army ; but I did not tell them I had had any revelation that I should be taken.</blockquote><blockquote>Was it well to attack the town of Paris on the day of the Festival of the Nativity of Our Lady?</blockquote><blockquote>It is well done to observe the Festival of the Blessed Mary, and on my conscience it seems to me that it was, and ever will be, well to observe these festivals, from one end to the other.</blockquote><blockquote>Did you not say before Paris, "Surrender this town by order of Jesus?"</blockquote><blockquote>'* No, but I said, ' Surrender it to the King of France.' "</blockquote> | ||
== Saint or Servant of France? == | == Saint or Servant of France? == | ||