Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-05-10
NGRIS.y
Eminent women-Joan of Ar,

{. Eminent women-Joan OF Arc.
, There are those who profess to be-
lieye that no such female as Joan Of Arc
ever lived; that instead Of being Maid
of Orleans she was made out of whole
cloth. But we prefer to consider her
veritable personage. aud to believe that
she actually did lead an army and per-
form prodigies on the field. ss
Joan was born in the province Of Lor-
raine in l4l0, eighty-two years before
America was discovered. which accounts
for the delay we have been subjected to
in receiving accounts OF her exploits,
and must be our excuse for not publish
ing her biography before.
There was prophecy current among
the peasantry to the effect that a virgin
would relieve France of her enemies,
and Joan, afteriinhi biting that supersti-
ton. came fully to believe that she was
that virgin. She declined several ad
yantageous offers of marriage in order
not to interfere with the fulfillment OF
the prophecy, justly concluding that as
a welded virgin she might not prove
success. She heard voices in the night
calling upon her to gird on the sword,
and had supernatural visitations. She
would have made her fortune as a Hmes
dium" had she not been born so far in
advance of her time.
She at length put on her best harness
and went in search of Charles, the Or
leans prince, heir to the throne Of
France. whom she found among his
courtiers and singled out at once,
although Charles was not a single man !,
To him she divulged her plans for the
liberation Of France, and demanded OF
him a colonels commission to raise
regiment of one hundred, days men, The
King ordered her to be examined by the
faculties of the universities, to ascertain
whether she practiced the black art, and
thew failed to detect that she did, with
the exercise of their utmost faculties. A
anti of srmor was made for her at once
n being decided at once to arm err, and
tho suit seemed to suit her better than
any suitar she ever had. She sent for q
consecrateoi sword which she declared
was hurled beneath certain chnrcn,
and thus armed and equipped, as no law
ever directs, she was put at the head OF
Ton thousand troops. They were very
rroud of their commaudress and their
ewes followed aer wherever she turned.
loan must have been q very faselnatlne
wonan to have turned the heads OF 80
many mem
The English were besieging Orleans,
rayely defended by General jackson,
and she marched her troops against
them routing them SO completely that
tbev were Obliged to raise the siege,
which was the first SraiseP they had
made in a long time. in three months
t;r,e Charles was made king at khsims,
and ali the Rheimsters of the day ceie.
brated in glowing verse the victories OF
D'Arc. She became the idol OF the
hour, although she hadn't many idle
honrs. and was the center of brilliant
circls-4Arc Of circle we might sssyT'
wherever she appearedJ She was pan,
oueted and toasted, had bonnets ana
canal boats named after her, and the
american Literary BErean offered her
an enormous sum to lecture.
But loan continued to give battle to
the Fnelish. and was finally wounded
ond taken prisonsr. She was tried for
soreery on account Of some sorcy an,
swerS she made her captoss, convicted
and sentenced to be oyerdons = the
stake. The sentence was carried cutt'
although there are writer's who think
sbe escsped that hoTrid fate by putting
in q substitute. If Joan be still alive,
however, there is no cause tor taFther
eor eealment, as the judges who sen
trnee3 her have been dead over four
hanSred gears. Il wouldn't be 50 very
,sa6ge If she were alive, for we see 90
s. every day trying TO PASS themselves
mel ~. ng girls who look older than
p, 1u lor ETu Contributor. u ~