Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-07-02
Mi5ffllanrnus.
Death Of joan Dare.

We make the following extract from
Appelton's work, The World Noted
Women 1t is from the pen of Mary
Cowden Clarke.
There is something indefinitely touch
ing in the saints and hero's relapse into
simple humanity and womanhood, on the
dark, unnatural May morning, when the
heavy news was told her that she must
die before sunset. She wept bitterly
Like Jephthas daughter, she mourncd
that her pure and beauteous body should
be thus early sacrificed. exclaiming -
.Helas me traita-t-on ainsi horriblemcn.
ct cruellemcnt, xu'il faille que mon corps
net ct entier. qui ne fut jamais corrompu
soft aujolrd' hti consume ct rendu en- cen
dycs. She shrank, and shriekcd, and
writhcd at the thought of the flames,
pitying herself for the psin But the
saint triumph soon-even through the
fiery vista before her she secs better
kingdom than France a better home than
Domrcmy. Even in this death she rec
ognizes the deliverance' promised her
by the voices.
She appealed to God from the injustice
and cruelty OF earth; she partook of the
holy sacrament with many tears; she ut
tered her touching aud Tremendous
words to the Bishop Of Beauvais, a sum-
mons to answer fos her death before
God. What child like naturalness., a
plaintive navete marked the words she
adpressed to one of the preachers standing
by: 'Ah Maitrc Pierre, where will be this
EVENING"
We can fancy the fearful. wistful lcok,
the terrified treuble OF the hands, and
all the voice broken in sobs with which
she said this. Then, as the priest repli'
ed: Have you not good hope IN the
Saviour ? the light Of reassurance, the
smile the clasped hands, the heavenward
gaze, the voice clear and fervid, as she
said 'Oh, yess, God aiding, l shall be
in Paradise
Bound and borne in a cart, like a
common malefactor, surrounded by a
guard of eight hundred English soldiers
Joan d Arc passed through the streets of
Rouen to the market-place; but in the
eyes Of the angels that awful hour must
have thrown into shade all foregone hours
of acknowledgements to them than the
proudest conqueror in his triumphal car,
followed by p,incely captives and the
spoils of kingdoms.
At the stake the maid again bravely
proclaimed her faith in the voices, and
nobly defended her King. Her sublime
yet meek composure, her marvelou
womanly sweetness filed many of her
Prosecutors with wonder, pity, and vain
remorse. The people looked on as IN
horrible dream, weeping, groaning, pray
ing, but powerless to help. One last
word of reproach shivered the petritied
heart of tho Bishop of Beauvais, cleft its
way to deep inspected vein OF human
feeling. and let it out in tears.
The scatfold lowered high above the
crowd. huge pile of fagots lit it at the
base, a gigantic altar of the sacrifice
fiery Calvary.
When thu. flames uncoiled themselves
from below. and darted upward, IN angry
flashing lengths, kissing and writhing-
when they struck their fangs into hel
flesh, the nesn cTleu out III sn'SN '
must have echoed forever through thu
guilty and craven souls who heard.
Well had the young martyr Learned
the self.iorgetful spirit. In her agony
through the flame and smoke of her tor
mcnt. she saw the danger Of the faithiu
priest who held the crucifix above. ane
en,rea,ed him to leave her. He went
he bore from her sight the image o
her crucifed Lord, but he left beside he
in the midst of the flames. the Lord him
self. May not her last cry of Jesus
have le,n, not cry Of fear or suppllca
ton, but of JOY and recognition, as sh'
sprang throu ghithe fiery death of martyr
dom into the welcoming arms Of hi
compassion-into the bosom of his ilti
mite, inefab.e love:'