The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-04-15

boldly threw herself into Orleans; the
English were compelled to raise the
siege and abandon the city they mad
been trying to capture for SIX months'
For her heroism on this occasion, Joan
received the sObriquet of Maid OF Ut
leans" In less than three months after
she took the field she raised the siege of
Orleans, beat the English in four bat
ties, accompanied the dauphin in TIL,
umph to Rheims, and saw him anointed
and crowned as king of France with the
title of Charles VII, in the magnificent
cathedral (still one of the finest Gothlc
edifices in EurOpe), where his ancestors
before him had been crowned for centu-
ries past. -,
Now that her mission was ended,
Joan was anxious to return to her pa
rents. but her influence over the soldiers
was so powerful that King Charles
could not afford to give her up; at his
urgent entreaty she consented to remain:
Almost Immediately the King entered
on the siege of Paris, but his army was
driven back with loss, and Joan was
among the wounded. AS soon as her
wounds were dressed and she was able
to walk she went to the church OF
St. Denis, where she returned thanks to
| God for the benefits she had received,
and. hanging her arms on one of the
pillars before the shrine, declared her
resolution never to use them again;
hut for the second time King Charles
interfered, and she resumed her armor.
In December of this year, he rewarded
her great services by raising her and all
her family to the rank of nobility.
The English soldiers called Joan a
witch. and said she conversed but with
devils by whose aid she conquered; for
this reason they were secretly afraid of
her.
longer heard the heavenly voices, but
the most dreadful forebodings took their
Mace: she longed for her mothers kiss
and her solitary walks in the quiet valley
of the Meuse. But the king needed her;
the soldiers refused to fight without her
presence, and with noble self-renuncia-
ton she put her desires by, and devoted
herself to her country.
Finally after taking part in many sue
cessful combats, and having virtually
broken the strength of England IN
France, she was captured by the Bur
gundians, while heading sortie from
the town of Compiegne. They through
the Count of Ligny, transferred her, tol
16 900 francs, to the Duke of Bedford
This was what the English had long de-
sired; aud, once in their power, there
was no escape for her. She had been
taken openly fighting for King Charles
which could only be punished by impris
onment for life. That did suit not theil
, yindictive hatred, so they renewed thell
old charge of witchcraft. If she was
witch she was a hereto, the blackes
; offense in the catalogue of crime of the
Roman church. The University of Pari
! pronounced her guilty of witchcraft, 81
, her trial was taken out of the hands o
! the military, and the Bishop of Beau
vais. who was attached to the Engllsl
cause. demanded her as an otfende
= against the church. The officers of tn
Inuuisition found her guilty, but prom
| ised that punishment should be com
muted to confinement for life, If sh
Q would sign a paper which they read t.
her She readily consented as the pa
q nor only recorded the facts of her bear
t ing arms for King Charles and excitin
Il the enthusiasm of the soldiers in hi
], Cause, which was all true; so she affixed
u her mark to the paper. But it was nc
70 the one that had been read to her
, another had been substituted, contain
n J inn ley,@- l:-t -rI--L- -. -.
; The tirmness and sweet patience G
d this young girl, under the indignitie
L and cruelty of her trial, were little shol
2 of miraculous. 1t is painful to dwell o.
r the narrowing details. On the Both O
e May, l43l, she was burned at the stake
3 in the market-place at ROulen, amids
the boots and jeers of the rabble, leay
ing an everlasting stain on the name O
| the Duke of Bedford, disgracing the
English who participated in the murde
and the Burgundian faction who con
/, nived at it; but, for all time, shedding
a glorious radiance on the name of tn,
peasant girl who willingly, even joyfully
gave her life for her country.
The French call her, emphatically. LII
Pucelte, THE Maid" To the Englisl
speaking world she is known as Joan O.
J Arc.
Her grateful cGuntrymen bought the
cottage at Domremy and preserved it as
national relic. Opposite it there
stands handsome monument, with &
colossal bust of the heroine; and the
fateful spot at Rouen is also marked by
a monument raised to her memory.
ooh! never did thine eyes
through the green hauuts of happy infancy
| Wander again jeanne; too much OF fame
Had shed its radiance on thy peasant name;
And bought alone by gifts beyond all price,
me trusting hearts repose; the paradise
VI home with all its loves, doth fate allow
The crown Of glory unto woman's brow"
La Pucelie, in Woman'S Work.