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
JOAN DARC--"My voices advised me. I fought--and God gave us the
victory."
A JUDGE--"If those voices are of St. Marguerite and St. Catherine, these
saints must hate the English."
JOAN DARC--"What God hates they hate; what He loves they love."
ANOTHER JUDGE--"Come, now; God loves the English, seeing He has so long
rendered them victorious and they conquered a part of France."
JOAN DARC--"He undoubtedly left them to the punishment of their
cruelty."
ANOTHER JUDGE--"Why should God have chosen a girl of your station rather
than some other person to vanquish them?"
JOAN DARC--"Because it pleased the Lord to have the English routed by a
poor girl like myself."
THE SAME JUDGE--"How much money did your King pay you to serve him?"
JOAN DARC (proudly)--"I never asked aught of the King but good arms,
good horses, and the payment of my soldiers."
BISHOP CAUCHON--"When your King put you to the work of war, you ordered
a standard to be made for you. What was its material?"
JOAN DARC--"It was of white satin." (She drops her head sadly at the
recollection of the past glories of her banner, that was so terrible a
device to the English, whose prisoner she now is. She smothers a sob.)
BISHOP CAUCHON--"What figures were painted on it?"
JOAN DARC--"Two angels holding a lily stalk. Two symbols; God and the
King."
These words are likewise noted down with great zest by the members of
the tribunal.
A JUDGE--"Was your standard frequently renewed?"
JOAN DARC--"It was renewed as often as its staff was broken in battle.
That happened frequently."
ANOTHER JUDGE--"Did not some of those who followed you have standards
made similar to yours?"
JOAN DARC--"Some did; others did not."
THE SAME JUDGE--"Were those who bore a standard similar to yours lucky
in war? Did they rout the English?"
JOAN DARC--"Yes, if they were brave, they then triumphed over the
English."
ANOTHER JUDGE--"Did your people follow you to battle because they
considered you inspired?"
JOAN DARC--"I said to them: 'Let us fall bravely upon the English!' I
was the first to fall to--they followed me."
THE JUDGE--"In short, your people took you to be inspired of God?"
JOAN DARC--"Whether they believed me to be inspired or not, they trusted
in my courage."
BISHOP CAUCHON--"Did you not, when your King was consecrated at Rheims,
proudly wave your banner over the prince's head?"
JOAN DARC--"No; but alone of all the captains, I accompanied the King
into the cathedral with my standard in my hand."
A JUDGE (angrily)--"Accordingly, while the other captains did not bring
their standards to the solemnity, you brought yours!"
JOAN DARC--"It had been at the pain--it was entitled to be at the
honor."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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