Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-01-09
JOAN OF Aac.
a French student Says the Legend IL
Away 06 the Facts.

4 French student Says the Legend 10
Away O6 the Facts.
The numerous paintings OF Joan or
Arc in the recent French salons Ia al
most every case represent her as
Young girl suffering from neurosis.
says Adolphe Smith ia the Philadelphia
Telegraph. aud it is difficult to UNDER
stand how a proud people like the
French can care to believe that their
nation was saved by a girl afflicted
with nervous disease.
There is one Frenchman, however,
M. Ernest Lesigne, who has raised his
voice against anything but tlattering
description OF the deliverance of
France. His book. entitled LA Fin
dune Legendc Vie de Jeanne dare"
bears tue stamp of true history. and
it might with advantage be carefully
studied. 1t gives much more cred
liable account of what really occurred.
and the result of NJ. Lesionc's inyesti-
cations should be widely known. so
that sucii cobwebs of history as the
Joan of Arc legend may be swept
away. IL must, therefore, be loudly
proclaimed that Joan of Arc did not
save France; that she was not burned
alive; but, on the contrary, having
with the aid Of age and matrimony got
rid OF her nervous arrangements, lived
to be the happy mother Of numerous
family.
France was saved by the French
people and not by mad girl who pre-
tended to have seen visions. Joan of
Arc was an honest, virtuous, brave
country lass. The grand council of
France, after much hesitation. made
use of her 10 carry banner. The
spectacle of young woman on horse
back, who knew how TO ride well-for
her father being an innkecper she was
accustomed TO horscs-and who was
said TO have seen visions was caicu-
lated to encourage au ignorant and
superstitious soldiery. Her presence
was OF some use. She constituted
one of the many psychic Influences
which raised France from her abase-
ment; but she did not defeat the En-
glish. The slow. deliberate. gradual
reorganization Of the French nation,
the disorganization OF the English. and
their civil dissensions insured the
triumph Of tho one, the defeat Of the
other.
As NJ. Lesigne says. use was made
OF Joan Of Arc; she was given ban-
ner 10 carry, but was not intrusted
with any command. When she was
behind time for a combat the COM
batants did not wait for her arrival;
when she came too soon the conlDa
did not begin sooner than the appointed
hour. whatever she might say or do.
Joan OF Arc was in the army an in
dividual outside OF its ranks and dis
cipline; it was tho army that won the
battles and was equally successful
when Joan OF Arc was not there. The
soldiers listened TO the marvellous
| stories Of her visions. and they became
Il subject Of camp gossip; but 10 con-
| quer the enemy no one relied on this
idle talk. On the contrary every eff
fort was made first TO collect q large
sum OF money. then to bring together
numerous troops and select expe-
rienced captains. Nor was this all;
| enormous cannon were manufactured,
great pains taken 10 improve the artil-
lery. and diplomacy employed all its
arts. All the vital forces Of the coun-
try were brought TO bear.
With the use of gunpOwder. the En.
glish archers were beaten. the expen.
siye armor worn by the feudal lords
was shattered to pieces, and the great
walls Of the feudal castles were bat
tered aud crumbled to dust. But TO
bring about this revolution in the art
of war and the distribution OF political
power. thirty years constant lighting
was necessary, during which many
murderons sieges took place, numer-
Gus battles ragged. and great diplomatic
and political efforts were made. But
Joan OF Arc only participated for a
few months In these combats. which
I lasted moro tI.sn staA,rtsr- al % oS..
| tury.
The book before me quotes numer-
| Gus documents written at the time de-
scribinc Joan's visits tn Orleans and
other places after her escape from the
| English. 1t gives some account of her
marriage with knight named Robert
dcs Armoises, and the title deed is full,
by Which We, Robert des Armoiscs.
| knight, lord of Tichiemont. and Jehanne
dc Lys, la Pucellc, de France wife OF
the said Tichiemont," sell TO De Equary
| Collard ue flliy property OF theirs al
Haurancourt. Ii Is well known that
Joan OF Arc was given rs an honor
and reward the name of De Lye.
The documents quoted show that it
was the French clergy, and notably
the University of Paris. that wanted to
persecute her; that neither the duke Of
Luxembourg. by whom she was capt
ured, nor the duke of Burgundy would
give her up till the clergy persuaded
the English king to pay her ransom.
Tried aud convicted of witchcraft by
the French ecclesiastical court. she
was given over TO the secular arm.
which alone could carry out executions,
and ultimately allowed to escape. like
many other persons whom the clergy
condemned TO death. but whom the
secular authority readily released in
exchange for ransoms or simply from
feeling of humanity. These condem-
nations were sort OF moral salts.
faction allowed TO the clergy. but
which were very rarely followed by