Saint Joan of Arc (Jeanne la Pucelle): Difference between revisions

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Above all else, it was Joan's piety that astounded and gave foundation to her proclamations. So many of the witnesses at her Trial of Rehabilitation recall her in prayer, including at Vaucouleurs, Chinon and during the campaigns. (She even made it once to a Mass on the way to Chinon, although she wanted to go more).

On completing their investigation of Joan, which lasted almost a month, the Dauphin's theologians and experts concluded, according to the Dauphin's squire, Gobert Thibault, they were convinced,<ref>Murray, p. 266</ref> <blockquote>I heard the said Lord Confessor and other Doctors say that they believed Jeanne to be sent from God, and that they believed it was she of whom the prophecies spoke; because, seeing her actions, her simplicity, and conduct, they thought the King might be delivered through her; for they had neither found nor perceived aught but good in her, nor could they see anything contrary to the Catholic faith.</blockquote>As she approached Orléans at the head of the army, Joan met with the primary French general at the city, Jean Dunois, the Bastard of Orléans. Dunois had been ordered by the Court to lead Joan's army away from the city and take

to take Chécy first. The idea was to present a diversion to the English at Orléans. Joan was furious.<blockquote>Are you the Bastard of Orléans?

Yes, I am, and I rejoice your coming.

Are you the one who gave orders for me to come here, on this side of the river so that I could not go directly to Talbot [English commander] and the English?</blockquote>The Bastard explained that the "wisest" men around him had advised the action.<blockquote>In God's name, the counsel of Our Lord God is wiser and safer than yours. You thought that you could fool me, and instead you fool yourself; I bring you better help than ever came to you from any soldier to any city: It is the help of the King of Heaven. This help comes not for love of me but from God Himself, who at the prayer of St. Louis and of St. Charlemagne has had pity on the city of Orléans. He has not wanted the enemy to have both the body of the lord of Orléans and his city. </blockquote>Joan there goes for it -- Saints Louis and Charlemagne? These are not just founders of France, these are the founders of '''Catholic''' France.

To the Bastard's surprise, and in support of an order from Joan to move supplies by the river, the winds changed, allowing for the operation.<ref>Joan's confessor, Jean Pasquerel, told the Trial of Rehabilitation, "The French had with them a convoy of supplies; but the 284 water was so shallow that the boats could not move up-stream, nor could they land where the English were. Suddenly the waters rose, and the boats were then able to land on the shore where the [French] army was. Jeanne entered the boats, with some of her followers, and thus came to Orleans" (Jeanne D‘arc, by T. Douglas Murray_The Trials_The Project Gutenberg eBook.pdf, pp. 284-5).</ref> The army crossed the Loire and entered the besieged city, which was stirred up and hopeful, finally. But Joan was forced to wait as the French army gathered and prepared. During this time, she wanted out to an embankment and yelled at the English to go home. They replied with insults<ref>A Burgundian Frenchman called the French with her "worthless mackerels," a sexual insult. Perhaps it's just one insult thrown at another, but since it was in the presence of Joan it demonstrates the English and Burgundian fear of Joan the Maid's presence, which must have disturbed them.</ref>, including one from an English commander that she was a "cowherd" and would be burned at the stake.

Impatient, impetuous, and sure, Joan was frustrated at the delays. Finally, some skirmishes commenced, with Joan leading one that took an English embankment. It was a small victory, but the first by the French, and invigorating for them. Joan, for her part, was dismayed by the violence, and prayed ceaselessly for the souls of her fallen soldiers, especially those who she feared had not confessed before their deaths. On Ascension Thursday, she sent a third letter of warning to the English to go home, signed <blockquote>Jesus-Maria

Joan the Maid</blockquote>Marvelous!<ref>In her last letter, she wrote a PS demanding they return her herald Guyenne whom they had detained when he brought an earlier letter to them. </ref> Since the English had held her herald who brought the first two letters, she sent the last by arrow. They English shouted, "Here's news from the whore of the Armagnacs!", which greatly distressed her.

Against various opinions, Joan ordered an assault, finally, and pushed the English back from a second fortification that they had moved to from a first which they abandoned. They were worried. The French commanders, though, exercised their usual defeatism, and begged Joan to just hold the city behind it's fortifications. Joan replied,<blockquote>Get up tomorrow very early in the morning, earlier than you did today, and do the best you can; keep cose to me, for tomorrow I will have much to do, more than I have ever done before; and tomorrow blood will leave my body above my breast.</blockquote>Joan led the assault, received an arrow in her upper chest, had it treated (without charms, as suggested, which she said would be sinful), and returned to the fight. An impasse followed, and even La Hire wanted to retire. Joan said, no, wait, and prayed in a nearby vineyard for about fifteen minutes. Then she grabbed her standard from her squire, and rushed towards the English embankment. The French army spontaneously erupted in a charge to follow her and took the English stronghold. Orléans was saved.<ref>The battle took place across the river from Orléans, and freed the city from the English siege. Here for the [[wikipedia:Siege_of_Orléans|Siege of Orléans - Wikipedia]]</ref>

Joan's biographer makes an interesting notation following the description of the battle that the people of Orléans, who had been traumatized and abused by men at arms throughout the Hundred Years War, especially the mercenaries of one side or the other of the Armagnac-Burgundian civil war, received the army in celebration and joy:<blockquote>Under the command of the Maid, even warfare had briefly changed its face back to a world of honor<ref>[https://archive.org/details/joanofarcherstor00pern/page/49/mode/1up?view=theater Joan of Arc : her story : Pernoud, Régine], p. 50</ref></blockquote>

== Road to Reims ==

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 Above all else, it was Joan's piety that astounded and gave foundation to her proclamations. So many of the witnesses at her Trial of Rehabilitation recall her in prayer, including at Vaucouleurs, Chinon and during the campaigns. (She even made it once to a Mass on the way to Chinon, although she wanted to go more).
 On completing their investigation of Joan, which lasted almost a month, the Dauphin's theologians and experts concluded, according to the Dauphin's squire, Gobert Thibault, they were convinced,<ref>Murray, p. 266</ref>  <blockquote>I heard the said Lord Confessor and other Doctors say that they believed Jeanne to be sent from God, and that they believed it was she of whom the prophecies spoke; because, seeing her actions, her simplicity, and conduct, they thought the King might be delivered through her; for they had neither found nor perceived aught but good in her, nor could they see anything contrary to the Catholic faith.</blockquote>As she approached Orléans at the head of the army, Joan met with the primary French general at the city, Jean Dunois, the Bastard of Orléans. Dunois had been ordered by the Court to lead Joan's army away from the city and take
+to take Chécy first. The idea was to present a diversion to the English at Orléans. Joan was furious.<blockquote>Are you the Bastard of Orléans?
+Yes, I am, and I rejoice your coming.
+Are you the one who gave orders for me to come here, on this side of the river so that I could not go directly to Talbot [English commander] and the English?</blockquote>The Bastard explained that the "wisest" men around him had advised the action.<blockquote>In God's name, the counsel of Our Lord God is wiser and safer than yours. You thought that you could fool me, and instead you fool yourself; I bring you better help than ever came to you from any soldier to any city: It is the help of the King of Heaven. This help comes not for love of me but from God Himself, who at the prayer of St. Louis and of St. Charlemagne has had pity on the city of Orléans. He has not wanted the enemy to have both the body of the lord of Orléans and his city. </blockquote>Joan there goes for it -- Saints Louis and Charlemagne?  These are not just founders of France, these are the founders of '''Catholic''' France.
+To the Bastard's surprise, and in support of an order from Joan to move supplies by the river, the winds changed, allowing for the operation.<ref>Joan's confessor, Jean Pasquerel, told the Trial of Rehabilitation, "The French had with them a convoy of supplies; but the 284 water was so shallow that the boats could not move up-stream, nor could they land where the English were. Suddenly the waters rose, and the boats were then able to land on the shore where the [French] army was. Jeanne entered the boats, with some of her followers, and thus came to Orleans" (Jeanne D‘arc, by T. Douglas Murray_The Trials_The Project Gutenberg eBook.pdf, pp. 284-5).</ref> The army crossed the Loire and entered the besieged city, which was stirred up and hopeful, finally. But Joan was forced to wait as the French army gathered and prepared. During this time, she wanted out to an embankment and yelled at the English to go home. They replied with insults<ref>A Burgundian Frenchman called the French with her "worthless mackerels," a sexual insult. Perhaps it's just one insult thrown at another, but since it was in the presence of Joan it demonstrates the English and Burgundian fear of Joan the Maid's presence, which must have disturbed them.</ref>, including one from an English commander that she was a "cowherd" and would be burned at the stake.
+Impatient, impetuous, and sure, Joan was frustrated at the delays. Finally, some skirmishes commenced, with Joan leading one that took an English embankment. It was a small victory, but the first by the French, and invigorating for them. Joan, for her part, was dismayed by the violence, and prayed ceaselessly for the souls of her fallen soldiers, especially those who she feared had not confessed before their deaths. On Ascension Thursday, she sent a third letter of warning to the English to go home, signed <blockquote>Jesus-Maria
+Joan the Maid</blockquote>Marvelous!<ref>In her last letter, she wrote a PS demanding they return her herald Guyenne whom they had detained when he brought an earlier letter to them. </ref> Since the English had held her herald who brought the first two letters, she sent the last by arrow. They English shouted, "Here's news from the whore of the Armagnacs!", which greatly distressed her.
+Against various opinions, Joan ordered an assault, finally, and pushed the English back from a second fortification that they had moved to from a first which they abandoned. They were worried. The French commanders, though, exercised their usual defeatism, and begged Joan to just hold the city behind it's fortifications. Joan replied,<blockquote>Get up tomorrow very early in the morning, earlier than you did today, and do the best you can; keep cose to me, for tomorrow I will have much to do, more than I have ever done before; and tomorrow blood will leave my body above my breast.</blockquote>Joan led the assault, received an arrow in her upper chest, had it treated (without charms, as suggested, which she said would be sinful), and returned to the fight. An impasse followed, and even La Hire wanted to retire. Joan said, no, wait, and prayed in a nearby vineyard for about fifteen minutes. Then she grabbed her standard from her squire, and rushed towards the English embankment.  The French army spontaneously erupted in a charge to follow her and took the English stronghold. Orléans was saved.<ref>The battle took place across the river from Orléans, and freed the city from the English siege. Here for the [[wikipedia:Siege_of_Orléans|Siege of Orléans - Wikipedia]]</ref>
+Joan's biographer makes an interesting notation following the description of the battle that the people of Orléans, who had been traumatized and abused by men at arms throughout the Hundred Years War, especially the mercenaries of one side or the other of the Armagnac-Burgundian civil war, received the army in celebration and joy:<blockquote>Under the command of the Maid, even warfare had briefly changed its face back to a world of honor<ref>[https://archive.org/details/joanofarcherstor00pern/page/49/mode/1up?view=theater Joan of Arc : her story : Pernoud, Régine], p. 50</ref></blockquote>
 == Road to Reims ==