Jeanne D'arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents
1902
Jeanne D'arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents
1902
She was a peasant girl from a forgotten village who heard voices from God. Within months, she stood before the Dauphin of France and convinced him to give her an army. Within years, she had lifted the siege of Orleans, crowned a king, and rewritten the history of the Hundred Years' War. This 1902 account reconstructs her extraordinary life from original trial transcripts, contemporary testimonies, and documents sworn before authorities. It traces her transformation from unlettered farm girl to military commander, driven by voices she believed came from heaven, and the political betrayal that led to her capture by the Burgundians and sale to the English. The narrative presents her story through the words of those who witnessed her, allowing her defiance, her faith, and her suffering to speak directly across the centuries. It is both a tribute and a record: the account of a girl who believed she was sent by God to save France, and the tragedy of what that belief cost her.
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A peasant girl from Domremy who claimed divine visions commanding her to drive the English from France and crown the Dauphin. She was captured, tried for heresy, and executed at age 19.
The ecclesiastical judge who presided over Joan's trial. He was aligned with the English and pursued her condemnation with evident bias and malice.
The uncrowned king of France whom Joan served. Initially hesitant to trust her, he eventually accepted her mission and was crowned at Rheims through her efforts.
The reluctant co-judge in Joan's trial who was compelled to participate. He showed more restraint than Cauchon but ultimately participated in her condemnation.
About Jeanne D'arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents
Chapter Summaries
- Preface
- The editor explains that this account of Joan of Arc's life and death is unique in being based entirely on sworn testimony from contemporary witnesses. The documents were rescued from French archives and translated into English for the first time.
- Introduction
- Provides background on France's desperate situation during the Hundred Years' War, with the English controlling much territory and the Dauphin's legitimacy in question. Joan emerged from Lorraine claiming divine mission to save France.
- Part I - First Process: The Lapse
- Joan's initial interrogations begin in February 1431 at Rouen Castle. She refuses to take an absolute oath and maintains her divine mission while being questioned about her visions, male dress, and military actions.
Key Themes
- Divine Mission vs. Earthly Authority
- Joan's unwavering belief in her divine calling conflicts with the Church's demand for submission to earthly ecclesiastical authority. This tension drives the entire trial as she refuses to deny her visions even unto death.
- Justice and Corruption
- The trial reveals the corruption of justice when political interests override truth. The rehabilitation process later exposes how Joan's trial violated legal and canonical procedures, serving English political aims rather than seeking truth.
- Faith and Martyrdom
- Joan's steadfast faith in the face of death transforms her from accused heretic to martyr. Her final moments calling on Jesus and the saints demonstrate the triumph of spiritual conviction over physical destruction.
Characters
- Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc)(protagonist)
- A peasant girl from Domremy who claimed divine visions commanding her to drive the English from France and crown the Dauphin. She was captured, tried for heresy, and executed at age 19.
- Pierre Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais(antagonist)
- The ecclesiastical judge who presided over Joan's trial. He was aligned with the English and pursued her condemnation with evident bias and malice.
- Charles VII (the Dauphin)(major)
- The uncrowned king of France whom Joan served. Initially hesitant to trust her, he eventually accepted her mission and was crowned at Rheims through her efforts.
- Jean Lemaître, Deputy Inquisitor(major)
- The reluctant co-judge in Joan's trial who was compelled to participate. He showed more restraint than Cauchon but ultimately participated in her condemnation.
- Brother Martin Ladvenu(major)
- A Dominican friar who served as Joan's confessor and provided her spiritual comfort during her final days. He witnessed her execution and testified to her piety.
- Brother Ysambard de la Pierre(major)
- A Dominican friar who tried to counsel Joan during her trial and was threatened by the English for his efforts. He held the cross before her during her execution.
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Unknown. Jeanne D'arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents. Lex, lex-books.com/book/jeanne-d-arc-maid-of-orleans-deliverer-of-france-being-the-story-of-her-life-her-e1d158aa-aa5f-4c81-87e4-2e31838f9848.Unknown (1902). Jeanne D'arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/jeanne-d-arc-maid-of-orleans-deliverer-of-france-being-the-story-of-her-life-her-e1d158aa-aa5f-4c81-87e4-2e31838f9848Unknown. Jeanne D'arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/jeanne-d-arc-maid-of-orleans-deliverer-of-france-being-the-story-of-her-life-her-e1d158aa-aa5f-4c81-87e4-2e31838f9848.
