The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-02-27
Story of the Heroic Girl Who Saved France
From Disgrace, Dismemberment
and Annhi1ation.
1t Was the Inspiration Of Her Courage Which
Forever Put an End to English
Rule in France.

The brightest pages OF earthly annals
record the noble deeds OF heroic
women. From Semiramis and Zenobia
to the still-living Florence Nightingale
we thrill as we read the stories OF their
bravery, Of their missions Of mercy,
but Of them all Joan OF Arc occupies
an absolutely unique place in history,
says the Cincinnati Enquirer. Queens
there have been who have ruled wisely
and we'll through many crisis i'll their
countries affairs. Hcroines there have
been who braved perils and even death
to shield loved ones from dangers, or
to bring comfort to the injured and
dying; but half millennium has not
sufliced to bring forth another who
like she, rallied the people and the
rulers of an almost subjugated and
supine country to one great, successful
effort to expel their naughty, triumph
ant invaders. More than this, she took
her place as the nations commander,
and upon the field of battle wrested
victory from defeat; not, perhaps, by
any wonderful military genius, but by
inspiring with almost superluman
courage the warriors who fought under
her standard. Had any man in France
accomplished this, succeeding ages
would have sung his praises, nor
would the luster Of the great Napoleon
have dimmed his fame. This simple
peasant girl, so unlcttered she could
not write her name. saved France from
utter ruin, only to be sacrificed by the
migrate prince she had restored to a
tottering throne.
A little history-only a little-is
necessary to understand how COM
pletely this Maid of Orleans fulfilled
her destiny and what deep debt oi
gratitude France owes her memory
1t must be recalled that at the begin
ming Of the fifteenth century that coun.
try, suffering from long misrule unde,
weak, selfish kings. was rent asundel
by the quarrcls of her barons anc
feudal lords, many of whom, in thei,
own provinces, we're more powerful
than their sovereign. The kings O
England already claimed dominion
over France and we're only waiting
favorable opportunity to assert thai
claim by an invasion. That opportun
ity came when Henry V.-of whom
Shakespeare writes so admirably-as
ccnded the throne in England III
made an offer of marriage to Gather
! inc, the daughter of the French king
Charles vi. This marriage would havl
been very acceptable to the Frcnc1
had not Henry attached the condition
that he should become not only tn
sonin-law but the heir to the thron,
OF the always incapable but now insane
Charles. This was refused, whcrcupol
the English king invaded France. Sue
cess followed success until, in I4I5, tn
flower OF French clivalry fell or he,
before British valor on the field o
Agincourt. The marriage which til
French people dreaded was consum
mated and the English Henry bccam
not only the heir but the actual, rec
ognizcd regent of the French king
Paris aud all northern France submit
ted and many powerful mobiles, es
pecially the Duke of Burgundy, allie
themselves with the British. Thi
compact was connivcd at by the in
glorious Queen Isabella, the power be
hind the throne Of the French king
who scruplcd not to disinherit tn
rightiul heir, her own son, the Dauphi
Charles.
Such was the piteous state to whic
France was reduced in the year 142z
The pronigatc mobiles of a prohigat
court danced on, careless of the ma
tional disgrace. and when the tw'
kings died within few weeks of eacl
other subjugated France accepted tn
English heir and did homage to hi
regent. the Duke of Bedford Onl
the southern provinces remained loya
to the uncrowned Dauphin Charles. T
subdue this section Bedford marche
] southwark, nor did he meet with muc
3 slresistence. Finally Orleans, the strong