The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-06-07

thoughts, conversation, and actions
hinged. She believed these saints to
come from God, and whatever duty
they told her to perform she must per-
form for her savior. They constantly
told her to deliver France from the
English, but her parents and all other
people we're opposed to this. At last,
she would no longer resist the sanity
counsel and started forth to perform
her task. At her trial, in telling of
her voices, she said, "They told me
two or three times a week, you must
go into France My father knew
nothing of my going, but would stay
no longer, and the voices urged me,
saying GO, raise the seige which is
being made before the city of Or
leans -. Her character is we'll illus
trated where she comes before the
king. II come" she said, mot in the
strength of steel, but mailed in the
armor of righteousness, to offer my
services to my king and my country.
I ask not the royal signet as proof
Of my commission, my credentials are
from heaven, and my chief sovereign
the Lord God, omnipotent. I have
seen everything destroyed, darkness
has deepened over my beloved land,
but light now streams upon it. The
arm of a woman in the hand of God is
to effect mighty deliverance. Will
an earthly sovereign refuse her per-
mission to lead his armies? Heaven
has issued it's mandate, be thine own
concurrent and Joan of Arc will on to
thy rescue" The king, having list
ened to this, with his gaze on the
beautiful, dark-eyed, dark-haired
maiden, would not withhold, and i'm
mediately intrusted the army to her,
Joan of Arc. Her first mission was
to raise the siege of Orleans. Even at
sight of her the English we're afraid,
and in very short time Orleans was
freed by the hand of a maiden. She
lead king Charles to Rheims to re-
ceive his crown and become the right
full ruler of France. Never before in
France had there been such corona
ton. Joan's two duties we're now
performed and she longed to return to
her humble home, but her worthy
country needed her and King Charles
persuaded her to remain in his SER
vice. Her courage was ever shown
in her actions. Many times she went
forth when other officers were not
willing to go. Although Joan knew
that her life was short and she would
be captured, her courage never failed.
She not only never refused to lead an
army into battle but was always anx-
ious to go. At the city of Compeigne,
where she had lead the army into bat
tie, she was captured by the English.
This city, to whose aid she had come
at dawn, saw her last before it's very
gates before shutdown and made no
effort to save her. For undaunted
courage and an exhibition of almost
superhuman strength of character his
tory furnishes but rare parallels to
Joan of Arc. Nor can history pre-
sent a more cursed stain upon the
human character than is pictured at
her death. In the midst of the cry of
the English, 'yield to me-" she said,
81 have sworn and pledged myself to
another than you, and I will keep my
OATH" She was cast into prison and
men flOcked to see her more joyful
than if they had taken five hundred
fighting men. Her life in prison be-
came darker and darker and finally
she was cast into heavy chains. TAX
ing into account the youth, sex and
Innocence of the victim, her pitiful
tragedy has no parallel in history.
In the long, weary and unlawful trial
Joan was SO cool and firm that even
her lawyers were amazed. She would
not take an oath to answer every
question put to her, for she might be
asked some that she would not answer.
Being asked the same question many
times, she still was firm and said, II
will hold and maintain what I have
said, if it were at the judgment and
saw the fire kindled and fagots ight,
and the executioner ready to feed the
fire, and if I were in the fire I would
not say otherwise. I will hold and
maintain what I have said even to
DEATH" Joan's last hours in prison
were the saddest of her life. The pic
ture Of an innocent maid fettered with
chains which were more than her own
weight is the most pitiable ever wit
messed by man. She heard the SEN
tence of her death with cool delibera-
ton, yet she was sick at heart. She
spent her last hours in prayer and
communion with God and the saints.
Very early on beautiful morning in