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Mark Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
Chapter 2
AFTER A few days, Laxart took Joan to Vaucouleurs, and found lodging and
guardianship for her with Catherine Royer, a wheelwright's wife, an
honest and good woman. Joan went to mass regularly, she helped do the
housework, earning her keep in that way, and if any wished to talk with
her about her mission--and many did--she talked freely, making no
concealments regarding the matter now. I was soon housed near by, and
witnessed the effects which followed. At once the tidings spread that a
young girl was come who was appointed of God to save France. The common
people flocked in crowds to look at her and speak with her, and her fair
young loveliness won the half of their belief, and her deep earnestness
and transparent sincerity won the other half. The well-to-do remained
away and scoffed, but that is their way.
Next, a prophecy of Merlin's, more than eight hundred years old, was
called to mind, which said that in a far future time France would be lost
by a woman and restored by a woman. France was now, for the first time,
lost--and by a woman, Isabel of Bavaria, her base Queen; doubtless this
fair and pure young girl was commissioned of Heaven to complete the
prophecy.
This gave the growing interest a new and powerful impulse; the excitement
rose higher and higher, and hope and faith along with it; and so from
Vaucouleurs wave after wave of this inspiring enthusiasm flowed out over
the land, far and wide, invading all the villages and refreshing and
revivifying the perishing children of France; and from these villages
came people who wanted to see for themselves, hear for themselves; and
they did see and hear, and believe. They filled the town; they more than
filled it; inns and lodgings were packed, and yet half of the inflow had
to go without shelter. And still they came, winter as it was, for when a
man's soul is starving, what does he care for meat and roof so he can but
get that nobler hunger fed? Day after day, and still day after day the
great tide rose. Domremy was dazed, amazed, stupefied, and said to
itself, "Was this world-wonder in our familiar midst all these years and
we too dull to see it?" Jean and Pierre went out from the village, stared
at and envied like the great and fortunate of the earth, and their
progress to Vaucouleurs was like a triumph, all the country-side flocking
to see and salute the brothers of one with whom angels had spoken face to
face, and into whose hands by command of God they had delivered the
destinies of France.
The brothers brought the parents' blessing and godspeed to Joan, and
their promise to bring it to her in person later; and so, with this
culminating happiness in her heart and the high hope it inspired, she
went and confronted the governor again. But he was no more tractable than
he had been before. He refused to send her to the King. She was
disappointed, but in no degree discouraged. She said:
"I must still come to you until I get the men-at-arms; for so it is
commanded, and I may not disobey. I must go to the Dauphin, though I go
on my knees."
I and the two brothers were with Joan daily, to see the people that came
and hear what they said; and one day, sure enough, the Sieur Jean de Metz
came. He talked with her in a petting and playful way, as one talks with
children, and said:
"What are you doing here, my little maid? Will they drive the King out of
France, and shall we all turn English?"
She answered him in her tranquil, serious way:
"I am come to bid Robert de Baudricourt take or send me to the King, but
he does not heed my words."
"Ah, you have an admirable persistence, truly; a whole year has not
turned you from your wish. I saw you when you came before."
Joan said, as tranquilly as before:
"It is not a wish, it is a purpose. He will grant it. I can wait."
"Ah, perhaps it will not be wise to make too sure of that, my child.
These governors are stubborn people to deal with. In case he shall not
grant your prayer--"
"He will grant it. He must. It is not a matter of choice."
The gentleman's playful mood began to disappear--one could see that, by
his face. Joan's earnestness was affecting him. It always happened that
people who began in jest with her ended by being in earnest. They soon
began to perceive depths in her that they had not suspected; and then her
manifest sincerity and the rocklike steadfastness of her convictions were
forces which cowed levity, and it could not maintain its self-respect in
their presence. The Sieur de Metz was thoughtful for a moment or two,
then he began, quite soberly:
"Is it necessary that you go to the King soon?--that is, I mean--"
"Before Mid-Lent, even though I wear away my legs to the knees!"
She said it with that sort of repressed fieriness that means so much when
a person's heart is in a thing. You could see the response in that
nobleman's face; you could see his eye light up; there was sympathy
there. He said, most earnestly:
"God knows I think you should have the men-at-arms, and that somewhat
would come of it. What is it that you would do? What is your hope and
purpose?"
"To rescue France. And it is appointed that I shall do it. For no one
else in the world, neither kings, nor dukes, no any other, can recover
the kingdom of France, and there is no help but in me."
The words had a pleading and pathetic sound, and they touched that good
nobleman. I saw it plainly. Joan dropped her voice a little, and said:
"But indeed I would rather spin with my poor mother, for this is not my
calling; but I must go and do it, for it is my Lord's will."
"Who is your Lord?"
"He is God."
Then the Sieur de Metz, following the impressive old feudal fashion,
knelt and laid his hands within Joan's in sign of fealty, and made oath
that by God's help he himself would take her to the king.
The next day came the Sieur Bertrand de Poulengy, and he also pledged his
oath and knightly honor to abide with her and follower witherosever she
might lead.
This day, too, toward evening, a great rumor went flying abroad through
the town--namely, that the very governor himself was going to visit the
young girl in her humble lodgings. So in the morning the streets and
lanes were packed with people waiting to see if this strange thing would
indeed happen. And happen it did. The governor rode in state, attended by
his guards, and the news of it went everywhere, and made a great
sensation, and modified the scoffings of the people of quality and raised
Joan's credit higher than ever.
The governor had made up his mind to one thing: Joan was either a witch
or a saint, and he meant to find out which it was. So he brought a priest
with him to exorcise the devil that was in her in case there was one
there. The priest performed his office, but found no devil. He merely
hurt Joan's feelings and offended her piety without need, for he had
already confessed her before this, and should have known, if he knew
anything, that devils cannot abide the confessional, but utter cries of
anguish and the most profane and furious cursings whenever they are
confronted with that holy office.
The governor went away troubled and full of thought, and not knowing what
to do. And while he pondered and studied, several days went by and the
14th of February was come. Then Joan went to the castle and said:
"In God's name, Robert de Baudricourt, you are too slow about sending me,
and have caused damage thereby, for this day the Dauphin's cause has lost
a battle near Orleans, and will suffer yet greater injury if you do not
send me to him soon."
The governor was perplexed by this speech, and said:
"To-day, child, to-day? How can you know what has happened in that region
to-day? It would take eight or ten days for the word to come."
"My Voices have brought the word to me, and it is true. A battle was lost
to-day, and you are in fault to delay me so."
The governor walked the floor awhile, talking within himself, but letting
a great oath fall outside now and then; and finally he said:
"Harkye! go in peace, and wait. If it shall turn out as you say, I will
give you the letter and send you to the King, and not otherwise."
Joan said with fervor:
"Now God be thanked, these waiting days are almost done. In nine days you
will fetch me the letter."
Already the people of Vaucouleurs had given her a horse and had armed and
equipped her as a soldier. She got no chance to try the horse and see if
she could ride it, for her great first duty was to abide at her post and
lift up the hopes and spirits of all who would come to talk with her, and
prepare them to help in the rescue and regeneration of the kingdom. This
occupied every waking moment she had. But it was no matter. There was
nothing she could not learn--and in the briefest time, too. Her horse
would find this out in the first hour. Meantime the brothers and I took
the horse in turn and began to learn to ride. And we had teaching in the
use of the sword and other arms also.
On the 20th Joan called her small army together--the two knights and her
two brothers and me--for a private council of war. No, it was not a
council, that is not the right name, for she did not consult with us, she
merely gave us orders. She mapped out the course she would travel toward
the King, and did it like a person perfectly versed in geography; and
this itinerary of daily marches was so arranged as to avoid here and
there peculiarly dangerous regions by flank movements--which showed that
she knew her political geography as intimately as she knew her physical
geography; yet she had never had a day's schooling, of course, and was
without education. I was astonished, but thought her Voices must have
taught her. But upon reflection I saw that this was not so. By her
references to what this and that and the other person had told her, I
perceived that she had been diligently questioning those crowds of
visiting strangers, and that out of them she had patiently dug all this
mass of invaluable knowledge. The two knights were filled with wonder at
her good sense and sagacity.
She commanded us to make preparations to travel by night and sleep by day
in concealment, as almost the whole of our long journey would be through
the enemy's country.
Also, she commanded that we should keep the date of our departure a
secret, since she meant to get away unobserved. Otherwise we should be
sent off with a grand demonstration which would advertise us to the
enemy, and we should be ambushed and captured somewhere. Finally she
said:
"Nothing remains, now, but that I confide to you the date of our
departure, so that you may make all needful preparation in time, leaving
nothing to be done in haste and badly at the last moment. We march the
23d, at eleven of the clock at night."
Then we were dismissed. The two knights were startled--yes, and troubled;
and the Sieur Bertrand said:
"Even if the governor shall really furnish the letter and the escort, he
still may not do it in time to meet the date she has chosen. Then how can
she venture to name that date? It is a great risk--a great risk to select
and decide upon the date, in this state of uncertainty."
I said:
"Since she has named the 23d, we may trust her. The Voices have told her,
I think. We shall do best to obey."
We did obey. Joan's parents were notified to come before the 23d, but
prudence forbade that they be told why this limit was named.
All day, the 23d, she glanced up wistfully whenever new bodies of
strangers entered the house, but her parents did not appear. Still she
was not discouraged, but hoped on. But when night fell at last, her hopes
perished, and the tears came; however, she dashed them away, and said:
"It was to be so, no doubt; no doubt it was so ordered; I must bear it,
and will."
De Metz tried to comfort her by saying:
"The governor sends no word; it may be that they will come to-morrow,
and--"
He got no further, for she interrupted him, saying:
"To what good end? We start at eleven to-night."
And it was so. At ten the governor came, with his guard and arms, with
horses and equipment for me and for the brothers, and gave Joan a letter
to the King. Then he took off his sword, and belted it about her waist
with his own hands, and said:
"You said true, child. The battle was lost, on the day you said. So I
have kept my word. Now go--come of it what may."
Joan gave him thanks, and he went his way.
The lost battle was the famous disaster that is called in history the
Battle of the Herrings.
All the lights in the house were at once put out, and a little while
after, when the streets had become dark and still, we crept stealthily
through them and out at the western gate and rode away under whip and
spur.
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