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Mark Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
Chapter 29
I KNEW she had seen the wisdom of the Tree. But when? I could not know.
Doubtless before she had lately told the King to use her, for that she
had but one year left to work in. It had not occurred to me at the time,
but the conviction came upon me now that at that time she had already
seen the Tree. It had brought her a welcome message; that was plain,
otherwise she could not have been so joyous and light-hearted as she had
been these latter days. The death-warning had nothing dismal about it for
her; no, it was remission of exile, it was leave to come home.
Yes, she had seen the Tree. No one had taken the prophecy to heart which
she made to the King; and for a good reason, no doubt; no one wanted to
take it to heart; all wanted to banish it away and forget it. And all had
succeeded, and would go on to the end placid and comfortable. All but me
alone. I must carry my awful secret without any to help me. A heavy load,
a bitter burden; and would cost me a daily heartbreak. She was to die;
and so soon. I had never dreamed of that. How could I, and she so strong
and fresh and young, and every day earning a new right to a peaceful and
honored old age? For at that time I though old age valuable. I do not
know why, but I thought so. All young people think it, I believe, they
being ignorant and full of superstitions. She had seen the Tree. All that
miserable night those ancient verses went floating back and forth through
my brain:
"And when, in exile wand'ring, we
Shall fainting yearn for glimpse of thee,
Oh, rise upon our sight!"
But at dawn the bugles and the drums burst through the dreamy hush of the
morning, and it was turn out all! mount and ride. For there was red work
to be done.
We marched to Meung without halting. There we carried the bridge by
assault, and left a force to hold it, the rest of the army marching away
next morning toward Beaugency, where the lion Talbot, the terror of the
French, was in command. When we arrived at that place, the English
retired into the castle and we sat down in the abandoned town.
Talbot was not at the moment present in person, for he had gone away to
watch for and welcome Fastolfe and his reinforcement of five thousand
men.
Joan placed her batteries and bombarded the castle till night. Then some
news came: Richemont, Constable of France, this long time in disgrace
with the King, largely because of the evil machinations of La Tremouille
and his party, was approaching with a large body of men to offer his
services to Joan--and very much she needed them, now that Fastolfe was so
close by. Richemont had wanted to join us before, when we first marched
on Orleans; but the foolish King, slave of those paltry advisers of his,
warned him to keep his distance and refused all reconciliation with him.
I go into these details because they are important. Important because
they lead up to the exhibition of a new gift in Joan's extraordinary
mental make-up--statesmanship. It is a sufficiently strange thing to find
that great quality in an ignorant country-girl of seventeen and a half,
but she had it.
Joan was for receiving Richemont cordially, and so was La Hire and the
two young Lavals and other chiefs, but the Lieutenant-General, d'Alencon,
strenuously and stubbornly opposed it. He said he had absolute orders
from the King to deny and defy Richemont, and that if they were
overridden he would leave the army. This would have been a heavy
disaster, indeed. But Joan set herself the task of persuading him that
the salvation of France took precedence of all minor things--even the
commands of a sceptered ass; and she accomplished it. She persuaded him
to disobey the King in the interest of the nation, and to be reconciled
to Count Richemont and welcome him. That was statesmanship; and of the
highest and soundest sort. Whatever thing men call great, look for it in
Joan of Arc, and there you will find it.
In the early morning, June 17th, the scouts reported the approach of
Talbot and Fastolfe with Fastolfe's succoring force. Then the drums beat
to arms; and we set forth to meet the English, leaving Richemont and his
troops behind to watch the castle of Beaugency and keep its garrison at
home. By and by we came in sight of the enemy. Fastolfe had tried to
convince Talbot that it would be wisest to retreat and not risk a battle
with Joan at this time, but distribute the new levies among the English
strongholds of the Loire, thus securing them against capture; then be
patient and wait--wait for more levies from Paris; let Joan exhaust her
army with fruitless daily skirmishing; then at the right time fall upon
her in resistless mass and annihilate her. He was a wise old experienced
general, was Fastolfe. But that fierce Talbot would hear of no delay. He
was in a rage over the punishment which the Maid had inflicted upon him
at Orleans and since, and he swore by God and Saint George that he would
have it out with her if he had to fight her all alone. So Fastolfe
yielded, though he said they were now risking the loss of everything
which the English had gained by so many years' work and so many hard
knocks.
The enemy had taken up a strong position, and were waiting, in order of
battle, with their archers to the front and a stockade before them.
Night was coming on. A messenger came from the English with a rude
defiance and an offer of battle. But Joan's dignity was not ruffled, her
bearing was not discomposed. She said to the herald:
"Go back and say it is too late to meet to-night; but to-morrow, please
God and our Lady, we will come to close quarters."
The night fell dark and rainy. It was that sort of light steady rain
which falls so softly and brings to one's spirit such serenity and peace.
About ten o'clock D'Alencon, the Bastard of Orleans, La Hire, Pothon of
Saintrailles, and two or three other generals came to our headquarters
tent, and sat down to discuss matters with Joan. Some thought it was a
pity that Joan had declined battle, some thought not. Then Pothon asked
her why she had declined it. She said:
"There was more than one reason. These English are ours--they cannot get
away from us. Wherefore there is no need to take risks, as at other
times. The day was far spent. It is good to have much time and the fair
light of day when one's force is in a weakened state--nine hundred of us
yonder keeping the bridge of Meung under the Marshal de Rais, fifteen
hundred with the Constable of France keeping the bridge and watching the
castle of Beaugency."
Dunois said:
"I grieve for this decision, Excellency, but it cannot be helped. And the
case will be the same the morrow, as to that."
Joan was walking up and down just then. She laughed her affectionate,
comrady laugh, and stopping before that old war-tiger she put her small
hand above his head and touched one of his plumes, saying:
"Now tell me, wise man, which feather is it that I touch?"
"In sooth, Excellency, that I cannot."
"Name of God, Bastard, Bastard! you cannot tell me this small thing, yet
are bold to name a large one--telling us what is in the stomach of the
unborn morrow: that we shall not have those men. Now it is my thought
that they will be with us."
That made a stir. All wanted to know why she thought that. But La Hire
took the word and said:
"Let be. If she thinks it, that is enough. It will happen."
Then Pothon of Santrailles said:
"There were other reasons for declining battle, according to the saying
of your Excellency?"
"Yes. One was that we being weak and the day far gone, the battle might
not be decisive. When it is fought it must be decisive. And it shall be."
"God grant it, and amen. There were still other reasons?"
"One other--yes." She hesitated a moment, then said: "This was not the
day. To-morrow is the day. It is so written."
They were going to assail her with eager questionings, but she put up her
hand and prevented them. Then she said:
"It will be the most noble and beneficent victory that God has vouchsafed
for France at any time. I pray you question me not as to whence or how I
know this thing, but be content that it is so."
There was pleasure in every face, and conviction and high confidence. A
murmur of conversation broke out, but that was interrupted by a messenger
from the outposts who brought news--namely, that for an hour there had
been stir and movement in the English camp of a sort unusual at such a
time and with a resting army, he said. Spies had been sent under cover of
the rain and darkness to inquire into it. They had just come back and
reported that large bodies of men had been dimly made out who were
slipping stealthily away in the direction of Meung.
The generals were very much surprised, as any might tell from their
faces.
"It is a retreat," said Joan.
"It has that look," said D'Alencon.
"It certainly has," observed the Bastard and La Hire.
"It was not to be expected," said Louis de Bourbon, "but one can divine
the purpose of it."
"Yes," responded Joan. "Talbot has reflected. His rash brain has cooled.
He thinks to take the bridge of Meung and escape to the other side of the
river. He knows that this leaves his garrison of Beaugency at the mercy
of fortune, to escape our hands if it can; but there is no other course
if he would avoid this battle, and that he also knows. But he shall not
get the bridge. We will see to that."
"Yes," said D'Alencon, "we must follow him, and take care of that matter.
What of Beaugency?"
"Leave Beaugency to me, gentle duke; I will have it in two hours, and at
no cost of blood."
"It is true, Excellency. You will but need to deliver this news there and
receive the surrender."
"Yes. And I will be with you at Meung with the dawn, fetching the
Constable and his fifteen hundred; and when Talbot knows that Beaugency
has fallen it will have an effect upon him."
"By the mass, yes!" cried La Hire. "He will join his Meung garrison to
his army and break for Paris. Then we shall have our bridge force with us
again, along with our Beaugency watchers, and be stronger for our great
day's work by four-and-twenty hundred able soldiers, as was here promised
within the hour. Verily this Englishman is doing our errands for us and
saving us much blood and trouble. Orders, Excellency--give us orders!"
"They are simple. Let the men rest three hours longer. At one o'clock the
advance-guard will march, under our command, with Pothon of Saintrailles
as second; the second division will follow at two under the
Lieutenant-General. Keep well in the rear of the enemy, and see to it
that you avoid an engagement. I will ride under guard to Beaugency and
make so quick work there that Ii and the Constable of France will join
you before dawn with his men."
She kept her word. Her guard mounted and we rode off through the
puttering rain, taking with us a captured English officer to confirm
Joan's news. We soon covered the journey and summoned the castle. Richard
Guetin, Talbot's lieutenant, being convinced that he and his five hundred
men were left helpless, conceded that it would be useless to try to hold
out. He could not expect easy terms, yet Joan granted them nevertheless.
His garrison could keep their horses and arms, and carry away property to
the value of a silver mark per man. They could go whither they pleased,
but must not take arms against France again under ten days.
Before dawn we were with our army again, and with us the Constable and
nearly all his men, for we left only a small garrison in Beaugency
castle. We heard the dull booming of cannon to the front, and knew that
Talbot was beginning his attack on the bridge. But some time before it
was yet light the sound ceased and we heard it no more.
Guetin had sent a messenger through our lines under a safe-conduct given
by Joan, to tell Talbot of the surrender. Of course this poursuivant had
arrived ahead of us. Talbot had held it wisdom to turn now and retreat
upon Paris. When daylight came he had disappeared; and with him Lord
Scales and the garrison of Meung.
What a harvest of English strongholds we had reaped in those three
days!--strongholds which had defied France with quite cool confidence and
plenty of it until we came.
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