The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-09
ABSURD STORY TOLD
OF MAID OF ORLEANS
ny La MARau1sE DE FoNTENoY.

ny LA N1ARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.
~ HE Maid of Orleans left no de-
sssfs ibis + to
when Joan of Arcs name is so
much before the public in connection
with the Imminent completion OF the
maj stages OF her canonization. since
Gratis attribute the origin of their no
oihty to her. The majority OF them
insist that the Maid OF Orleans escaped
so, 1431. was rescued by her brothers
and carried off to Metz. where. after
remaining hidden for time. she mar
Of aaa eSdren the from moh Which Of 1heae
mobiles. both real and bogus. claim de-
scent. In fact. l have been shown BY
one one, OF the latter. who came over to
the, object of marrying some American
ff e5st 81 Se1salqgica tree the
her alleged husband
Now this fortune hunter, and all
they are descended from the Maid Of
Orleans, are evidently unaware of two
things. First Of all. that there is not
escape 70 Metz and OF her marriage.
and not the slightest doubt exists as to
ne asof fact Ct OF OF her death actually having
at Rouen in 1431. Then. too, it is evil
dent that they have never heard of the
peculiar arrangements made by the
french crown IN the hfteenth century
Tor honoring her family and which
are IN a measure responsible for the
| tairy tale OF her marriage.
Already two years prior to her be-
0S Rng csar ss v 511fks o%sdy pat
snts of hereditary nobility on the
father and mother Of Joan. and upon
lt;r,, brothers b the patents expressly
in reward for. her services should de-
scend In the female as we'll as in the
male line of the posterity Of her
it meant practically that that every every one ne
ANY way aes 5 e h ana From
of the Maid Of Orleans. was entitled
to the rank and all TIE preroga tives
Of a French noble. So big was the
CROWD GROW Is Of descendants Of her parents q
Henry II. issued decree restricting
the mobiles claiming descent from Joan
OF Arcs parents only to those persons
ion and who had means adequate to
support their rank. In 1914 Louis XIV,
issued still another decree. announcing
that no further applications for patents
OF nobility based on descent from Joan
Of Arcs parents would be granted. and
that the privilege originally conceded
py CHARLES VII. In 1879 was thereby
Since this decree OF Louis XIV. near
ly 800 years ago. there has been an ex-
traordinary decline In the number of
the bona-flde descendants of Joan Of
extinction through i massacre. Hemiigraas5
ton and ruin ofYso many noble families
at the time of the great revolution of
1913 has no doubt contributed, In
| families. left that can show q. perfectlS
| authentic descent. but only In the fe-
Imale line from the parents OF the Maid
Of Orleans. among them the Melcions
dare. who are as such entitled to bear
i the arms granted toiher by King Charles
|VII. near 500 years ago y
perpendicular sword of silver. pointed
Upwards, The point supports the gold
crown OF France, and the hilt of the
fWoEFa Y a! ahs4 da d ss s sSa e4s
aldic lily Of France, The crest shows
pf11reb It the Maid ST S1reans hsp
q as, course the golasn |ilisa On =.
/ Of the Kings of France. and the sword
4 added thereto was u secognttto Of the