Joan of Arc

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

OR JEANNE D'ARC, the Maid of Orleans; born of poor but devout parents, in the village of Domremy, Jan. 6, 1412. Her religious faith was ardent almost from her cradle. During the unhappy time of national JOAN OF ARC From the Sculpture by A. V. Hyatt. degradation a prophecy, ascribed to Merlin, was current in Lorraine, that the kingdom lost by a woman (Queen Isabella) should be saved by a virgin, and no doubt this, together with her visions helped to define her mission to the brooding and enthusiastic mind of the young peasant girl. Her story was at first laughed to scorn, but her persistence bore down all opposition, and at last she succeeded in making her way to the Dauphin and convincing him by secret signs of her sincerity. She put on male dress and a suit of white armor, mounted a black charger, bearing a banner of her device-white, embroidered with own lilies, on one side a picture of God ensoon called by the surrounding public, throned on clouds, on the other the shield with whom they were other the a of France supported by two angels, toby two angels gether with a pennon, on which was repwhich was resented the Annunciation. Her sword Her s was one that she divined would be found uld be f buried behind the altar in the Church the Ch of St. Catherine de Fierbois. Thus rbois. 5 equipped she put herself at the head of the hea an army of 6,000 men, dictated a letter ictated a l to the English, and advanced to aid vanced to Dunois in the relief of Orleans, which was hard beset by the Orleans, w victorious enemy. Her arrival fired the fainting hearts of lating heart the French with a new enthusiasm. On nthusiasm. April 29, 1429, she threw herself into the rew herself inte city, and, after 15 days of fighting, the ys of fighting, English were compelled to raise the elled to raise siege and retreat. The French spirit The French s again awoke, and within a week the within a week enemy were swept from the principal from the princ positions on the Loire. She urged the Loire. She urged weak-hearted Dauphin to his coronation. to his coronat Less than three months later she stood hs later she st beside him at Rheims, and with tears of and with tear joy saluted him as king. She continued She contin to accompany the French armies, and armiea, was present in many conflicts, and was icts, and mortified to the heart by the failure to the failure carry Paris. At length, on May 24, on May 1430, she threw herself with a handful અાન્ par of men into Compiègne, which was then besieged by the forces of Burgundy; and, rees of Burgundy; being driven back by them in a desperate by them in a despar sally, was left behind by her men, taken by her men, ta prisoner, and sold to the English by John English by J. of Luxembourg, in November, for 10,000 ember, for 10. livres. In December she was carried to she was carrid Rouen, the headquarters of the English, of the Engi and flung into a gloomy prison, and at prison, and length arraigned before the spiritual trithe spiritual bunal of Pierre Cauchon, then Bishop of on, then Bishop Beauvais, as a sorceress and a heretic, ess and a here while the king left her to die. Her eft her to die. trial was long, and was disgraced by is disgraced every form of shameful brutality. She brutality. was burned at the stake, May 30, 1431. stake, May 30, 14 She was beatified by Pope Pius X. in Pope Pins X. 1909 and canonized by Pope Benedict Pope Bened XV. in 1920. Monuments have been ents have be erected in her memory not only in France not only in Fra but in many other countries. Her story mtries. Her ste has been the basis for a number of or a number plays among which the most famous are the st famous Shakespeare's "Henry VI." and Schiller's VI." and Schille "Jungfrau von Orleans." The story of The story her life has been written by many n written by ma authors, including Andrew Lang, Ana Andrew Lang, Ar tole France, and Mark Twain. wain.