The Holy State, Book 5 · Chapter 5
CHAP. 5. The life of JOAN of Arc.
IOan of Arc was born in a village called Domrenny upon the Marches of Bar, near to Vaucoleurs. Her parents, James of Arc and Isabell, were very poore people, and brought her up to keep sheep: where for a while we will leave her, and come to behold the miserable estate of the kingdome of France wherein she lived.
In her time Charles the seventh was the distressed French King, having onelyonly two entire Provinces left him, Gascoigne and Languedoc, and his enemies were about them, and in all the rest, which were possessed by the English, under their young King Henrie the sixth, and his aged Generalls the Duke of Bedford, and the Earls of Salisbury and Suffolk. Besides they had besieged the city of Orleance, and brought it to that passe that the highest hopes of those therein was to yield on good terms.
Matters standing in this wofull case, three French *Gyrard Seigneurdu Haillizan in Charles the seventh.Noblemen projected with themselves to make a cordiall for the consumption of the spirits of their King and Countreymen; but this seemed a great difficulty to perform, the French people being so much dejected: and when mens hearts are once down, it is hard to fasten any pullies to them to draw them up. However they resolved to pitch upon some project out of the ordinary road of accidents, to elevate the peoples phancies thereby, knowing that mens phancies easily slip off from smooth and common things, but are quickly catch'd & longest kept in such plots as have odde angles, and strange unusuall corners in them.
Hereupon they concluded to set up the foresaid Joan of Arc, to make her pretend that she had a revelation
JOAN of Arc the Victorious Leader of the French Armyes, She was condemned by the English for a Witch, & burnt at Rohan julij the 6th 1461. being about 22 yeares of Age. Pag… 373. W. Marshall sculp:
from heaven, to be the leader of an army, to drive all the English out of France: and she being an handsome, witty, and bold maid (about twentie years of age) was both apprehensive of the plot, and very active to prosecute it. But other Authours will not admit of any such complotting, but make her moved thereunto either of her own, or by some Spirits instigation.
By the mediation of a Lord she is brought to the presence of King Charles, whom she instantly knew, though never seen before, and at that time of set purpose much disguised. This very thing some heighten to a miracle, though others make it fall much beneath a wonder, as being no more then a Scholars ready saying of that lesson, which he hath formerly learned without book. To the King she boldly delivers her message, how that this was the time wherein the sinnes of the English, and the sufferings of the French, were come to the height, and she appointed by the God of heaven to be the French leader to conquer the English. If this opportunity were let slip, let them thank heavens bounty for the tender, and their own folly for the refusall; and who would pity their eternall slavery, who thrust their own liberty from themselves.
He must be deaf indeed who heares not that spoken which he desires. Charles triumphs at this news: Both his armes were to few too embrace the motion. The Fame of her flies through France, and all talk of her, whom the Divines esteem as Deborah, the Souldiers as Semiramis. People found out a nest of miracles in her education, that so lyon-like a spirit should be bred amongst sheep like David.
Ever after she went in mans clothes, being armed cap-a-pe, and mounted on a brave Steed: and which was a wonder, when she was on horseback, none was more bold and daring; when *Gerson. lib. de mirab. victoria cujusdam pu…llae pauló post initium.alighted, none more tame and meek; so that one could scarce see her for her self, she was so chang'd and alter'd as if her spirits dismounted with her body. No sword would please her, but one taken out of the *Polidor. Virg. in Hen. sixth, pag. 471.Church of S. Katharin in Fierebois in Tourain. Her first service was in twice victualling of Orleance, whilest the English made no resistance, as if they had eyes onelyonly to gaze, and no arms to fight.
Hence she sent a menacing *See the coppy thereof in Speeds King Hen. sixth, pag. 654.letter to the Earl of Suffolk, the English Generall, commanding him in Gods and her own name to yield up the keyes of all good cities to her, the Virgin sent by God to restore them to the French. The letter was received with scorn; and the trumpeter that brought it commanded to be burnt, against the Law of Nations, saith a French *Du Serres in his French Hist. translat. by Grimston, p. 326.Author, but erroneously: for his coming was not warranted by the authority of any lawfull Prince, but from a private maid, how highly soever self-pretended, who had neither estate to keep, nor commission to send a trumpeter.
Now the minds of the French were all afloat with this the conceit of their new Generall, which miraculously raised their Spirits. Phancie is the castle commanding the city; and if once mens heads be possest with strange imaginations, the whole body will follow, and be infinitely transported therewithall. Under her conduct they first drive away the English from Orleance: nor was she a whit daunted, when shot through her arm with an arrow; but taking the arrow in one hand, and her sword in another, This is a *Idem. p. 317.favour, said she; let us go on, they cannot escape the hand of God: and she never left off, till she had beaten the English from the city. And hence this virago (call her now John or Joan) marched on into other countreys, which instantly revolted to the French crown. The example of the first place was the reason of all the rest to submit. The English in many skirmishes were worsted and defeated with few numbers. But what shall we say? when God intends a Nation shall be beaten, he ties their hands behind them.
The French followed their blow, losing no time, lest the height of their Spirits should be remitted: (mens Imaginations when once on foot must ever be kept going, like those that go on stilts in fenny countreys, lest standing still they be in danger of falling) and so keeping the conceit of their souldiers at the height, in one twelvemoneth they recovered the greatest part of that the English did possesse.
But successe did afterwards fail this She-Generall: for seeking to surprise S. Honories ditch near the city of S. Denis, she was not onelyonly wounded her self, but also lost a Troup of her best and most resolute souldiers; and not long after, nigh the city of Compeigne, being too farre engaged in fight, was taken prisoner by the bastard of Vendosme, who sold her to the Duke of Bedford, and by him she was kept a prisoner a twelvemoneth in Rohan.
It was much disputed amongst the Statists what should be done with her: Some held that no punishment was to be inflicted on her, because
Nullum memorabile nomen
Foeminea in poena.
Cruelty to a woman,
Brings honour unto no man.
Besides, putting her to death would render all English men guilty which should hereafter be taken prisoners by the French. Her former valour deserved praise, her present misery deserved pity; captivity being no ill action but ill successe: let them rather allow her an honourable pension, and so make her valiant deeds their own by rewarding them. However, she ought not to be put to death: for if the English would punish her, they could not more disgrace her then with life, to let her live though in a poore mean way, and then she would be the best confutation of her own glorious prophesies; let them make her the Laundresse to the English, who was the Leader to the French army.
Against these arguments necessity of State was urged, a reason above all reason; it being in vain to dispute whether that may be done which must be done. For the French superstition of her could not be reformed except the idole was destroyed; and it would spoil the French puppet-playes in this nature for ever after, by making her an example. Besides she was no prisoner of warre, but a prisoner of Justice, deserving death for her witchcraft and whoredomes; whereupon she was burnt at Rohan the sixth of July 1461, not without the aspersion of *Sententia post homines natos durissima, Pol. Vir. pag. 477.cruelty on our Nation.
Learned *Gerson in the book which he wrote of her, after long discussing the point leaves it uncertain, but is rather charitably inclined.men are in a great doubt what to think of her. Some make her a Saint, and inspired by Gods Spirit, whereby she discovered strange secrets and foretold things to come. She had ever an old *Serres, pag. 325.woman which went with her, and tutoured her; and 'tis suspicious, seeing this clock could not go without that rusty wheel, that these things might be done by confederacie, though some more uncharitable conceive them to be done by Satan himself.
Two customes she had which can by no way be defended. One was her constant going in mans clothes, flatly against Scripture: yea mark all the miracles in Gods Word, wherein though mens estates be often chang'd (poore to rich, bond to free, sick to sound, yea dead to living) yet we reade of no old Aeson made young, no woman Iphis turn'd to a man, or man Tiresias to a woman; but as for their age or sex, where nature places them, there they stand, and miracle it self will not remove them. Utterly unlawfull therefore was this Joans behaviour, as an occasion to lust; and our English Writers say that when she was to be condemned she confess'd her self to be with Pol. Virgil. ut priùs.child to prolong her life; but being reprived seven moneths for the triall thereof, it was found false. But grant her honest: though she did not burn herself, yet she might kindle others, and provoke them to wantonnesse.
Besides, she shaved her hair in the fashion of a *Gerson.Frier, against God expresse word, it being also a Solecisme in nature, all women being born votaries, and the veil of their long hair minds them of their obedience they naturally owe to man: yea, without this comely ornament of hair, their most glorious beauty appears as deformed, as the sunne would be prodigious without beams. Herein she had a smack of Monkery, which makes all the rest the more suspicious, as being sent to maintain as well the Friers as the French Crown. And if we survey all the pretended miracles of that age, we shall find what tune soever they sung, still they had something in the close in the favour of Friers, though brought in as by the by, yet perchance chiefly intended, so that the whole sentence was made for the parenthesis.
We will close the different opinions which severall Authours have of her with this Epitaph,
Here lies Ioan of Arc, the which
Some count saint, and some count witch;
Some count man, and something more;
Some count maid, and some a whore:
Her life's in question, wrong, or right;
Her death's in doubt, by laws, or might.
Oh innocence take heed of it,
How thou too near to guilt dost sit.
(Mean time France a wonder saw,
A woman rule 'gainst Salique Law.)
But, Reader, be content to stay
Thy censure, till the Iudgement-day:
Then shalt thou know, and not before,
Whether Saint, Witch, Man, Maid, or Whore.
Some conceive that the English conquests, being come to the verticall point, would have decayed of themselves, had this woman never been set up, which now reaps the honour hereof as her action: Though thus a very child may seem to turn the waves of the sea with his breath, if casually blowing on them at that very instant when the tide is to turn of it self. Sure after her death the French went on victoriously, and wonne all from the English, partly by their valour, but more by our dissensions; for then began the cruell warres betwixt the Houses of York and Lancaster, till the Red rose might become White, by losing so much bloud, and the White rose Red by shedding it.