The Executioner's Knife; Or, Joan of ArcSue, Eugène
General
The Executioner's Knife; Or, Joan of Arc
Sue, Eugène
Biographical fiction; Christian fiction; Christian women saints -- Fiction; Joan, of Arc, Saint, 1412-1431 -- Fiction
BISHOP CAUCHON (writing)--"'Sister of the angels!' 'Sent by God!' Well,
the scamps will have contributed their fagots to the pyre."
CANON LOYSELEUR (reading)--"'Much to the annoyance of the Maid, the King
wished to stop at Senlis instead of pushing forward. He seemed satisfied
with the success he had so far had, and to wish for nothing more. His
council was of his opinion; the Maid, however, held that it would be
enough for the King to show himself before Paris for the town to open
its gates to its sovereign. "Fear not," Joan said to the King; "I shall
speak so sweetly to the Parisians that they will prefer to become French
again rather than to remain English"--'"
BISHOP CAUCHON--"What an impudence on the part of the she cowherd. She
is certain of everything. Well, she shall pay dearly for her infernal
vanity!"
CANON LOYSELEUR (reading)--"'On Tuesday, August 23, despite the
opposition of the King and his council, the Maid left Compiegne together
with the Duke of Alençon, leaving the prince behind with the bulk of the
army. The following Friday, August 26, without striking a blow, the Maid
entered St Denis, which declared itself royalist. At this news, the King
decided, not without considerable hesitation to proceed to that town,
where he arrived in safety. The King's council now opposed the Maid more
doggedly than ever before. Joan, however, affirmed that if she was
listened to she would render the Parisians to the King by the command of
God, and without shedding a drop of blood--'"
BISHOP CAUCHON (in a rage)--"The execrable hypocrite! To hear her speak
she is all honey--and yet at her homicidal voice the French have been
turned into the butchers of the English! (writing) We must not forget
above all to designate her as a furious monster of carnage."
CANON LOYSELEUR (reading)--"'Learning of the capture of Senlis and of
the Maid's march upon Paris, the Duke of Bedford reinforced his
garrison, and took vigorous measures against those of the Armagnac or
royalist party who wished to surrender the town. The Duke picked out
only Englishmen and bitter Burgundians to guard the gates, men who were
expected to be able to resist the charm of the Maid's sweet words.
Several times she advanced alone on horseback near the barriers of the
town, imploring all those who were French like herself no longer to
tolerate the rule of the English, who had inflicted so much damage upon
the poor people of France. But the men of the Burgundian party and the
English answered her with insults and threatened to fire at her although
she came for a parley. She would then return weeping over the
hard-heartedness or the blindness of men, who, although French, wished
to remain English. This notwithstanding, she every day heard "her
voices" assure her that Gaul would not be saved until all the English
were driven from her soil, or were exterminated--'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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