Saint Joan of Arc quotations

Quotes by and about Saint Joan of Arc

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A few Saint Joan of Arc and others' classic quotations, ordered chronologically, as best possible, and categorized by the general places in which hey were spoken.

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> todo:

• state of Grace
• i will not look back to see who is following me

Domrémy

"Had it pleased God"

I knew only one Burgundian at Domremy: I should have been quite willing for them to cut off his head—always had it pleased God.

Vaucouleurs

Jean de Metz, Knight who accompanied Joan to Chinon to meet the Dauphin:

Then I pledged my faith to her, touching her hand, and promised that, with God’s guidance, I would conduct her to the King. I asked her when she wished to start. “Sooner at once than to-morrow, and sooner to-morrow than later,”

"I was born to do this"

From testimony of H L , cartwright, formerly of Vaucouleurs:

“I fear them not. I have a sure road: if the enemy are on my road, I have God with me, Who knows how to prepare the way to the Lord Dauphin. I was born to do this."

Poitiers

Testimony of Séguin de Séguin

During the investigation at Poitiers, Séguin relates,

Thereupon, Guillaume Aymerie put to her this question : "You assert that a Voice told you, God willed to deliver the people of France from the calamity in which they now are ; but, if God wills to deliver them, it is not necessary to have soldiers."

"In God's Name!" Jeanne replied, "the soldiers will fight, and God will give the victory."

With which answer Maître Guillaume was pleased.

Brother Séguin de Séguin, who spoke with an accent of the Limousin region, asked Joan what "dialect the Voice spoke?" to her. She replied,

A better one than yours.

The way to Rheims

Jean Dunois, The Bastard of Orleans:

On attacking the English

“Have all of you good spurs?”

“What do you mean?” asked those present of her; “are we, then, to turn our backs?”

“Nay,” she replied, “it is the English who will not defend themselves, and will be beaten; and you must have good spurs to pursue them.”

To the Dauphin who hesitated to go to Rheims for his coronation:

“When I am vexed that faith is not readily placed in what I wish to say in God’s Name, I retire alone, and pray to God. I complain to Him that those whom I address do not believe me more readily; and, my prayer ended, I hear a Voice which says to me: ‘Daughter of God! go on! go on! go on! I will be thy Help: go on!’ And when I hear this Voice, I have great joy. I would I could always hear it thus.”

To the Dauphin who hesitated whether or not to attack Troyes:

“Noble Dauphin, order your people to come and besiege the town of Troyes, and lose no more time in such long councils. In God’s Name, before three days are gone, I will bring you into this town by favour or force, and greatly will the false Burgundy be astounded.”

Joan's Testimony

At Troyes, Joan met with "Brother Richard," a fiery, messianic preacher who was expelled from Paris by the Burgundians. On meeting Joan, he made the sign of the Cross and threw Holy Water on her. Joan wasn't impressed:

I said to him: "Approach boldly, I shall not fly away!"

Duke d'Alencon

On extended considerations and delays among the French commanders before the Battle of Patay, Joan told them,

In God's Name! We must fight them at once: even if they were hanging from the clouds we should have them, because God has sent us to chastise them.

The Trial of Condemnation at Rouen

Jeanne was often disconcerted by questions which were subtle and not pertinent. I remember that, on one occasion, she was asked if she were in a state of grace. She replied, that it was a serious matter to answer such a question, and at last said : *' If I am, may God so keep me. If I am not, may God so place me. I would rather die than not be in the love of God." At this reply the questioners were much confounded, and broke up the sitting ; nor was she further interrogated on that occasion.

< murray p. 299

March 14: on state of mortal sin

I do not know of having committed mortal sin ; but, if I were in mortal sin, I think that Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret would abandon me at once. I do not think one can cleanse one's conscience too much.

March 17: on the honor of her battle standard

Asked why here battle standard was given a prominent place at the coronation of Charles VII at Reims, Joan replied,

It had shared the pain, it was only right it should share the honour.

March 17: does God hate the English?

" Do you know if Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret hate the English ? "

• ' They love what God loves : they hate what God hates."

'• Does God hate the English ? "

• • Of the love or hate God may have for the English, or of what He will do for their souls, I know nothing ; but I know quite well that they will be put out of France, except those who shall die there, and that God will send victory to the French against the English."

March 27: Joan messing with a rather tedious interrogation

Joan was subjected to two days reading of the "Seventy Articles," or accusations against her. She was required to respond to each one, which was typically, as she did to Article V:

I refer to my previous answers. The rest, I deny.

or simply, as to Article X,

I refer to what I said before.

At the end of the first day, March 27, even interrogators were getting tired of it. For the last articles read that day, which regarded various letters she had written that the court possessed, she was asked,

What have you to say on these Articles, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXX, which have been read to you with great care, from the first word to the last?

I refer to what I answered on Article XXVI.

"To Article XXVI she had responded,

I refer to what I said before.

May 9: best reply to a threat ever

Threatening to torture her over what it considered her lies, "Then she was told that, if she would not tell the truth, she would immediately be put to the torture, the instruments of which were here, in this same tower, under her eyes." Joan replied,

Truly if you were to tear me limb from limb, and separate soul and body, I will tell you nothing more; and, if I were to say anything else, I should always afterwards declare that you made me say it by force.

May 23: "Joan's response superb"

As the formal charges of heresy are read, the priest Pierre Maurice admonished her to save her soul:

“May Our Saviour Jesus Christ preserve you from all these evils!”

After being thus admonished and exhorted, Jeanne did reply:

“As to my words and deeds, such as I have declared them in the Trial, I refer to them and will maintain them.”

“Do you not, then,” We asked her, “think yourself bound to submit your words and deeds to the Church Militant, or to any other but God?”

She replied: “ What I have always said in the Trial, and held, I wish still to say and maintain. If I were condemned, if I saw the fire lighted, the faggots prepared, and the executioner ready to kindle the fire, and if I myself were in the fire, I would not say otherwise, and would maintain to the death all I have said.”

Then, We, the Judges, asked of the Promoter and of Jeanne herself if they had anything else to say. They replied, No. In consequence, We did proceed to close the Process, following the formula contained in a schedule

On the margin of the transcript, the scribe Manchon added, "Responsio Johannæ superba" ("Joan's response superb")

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