The Valet's Tragedy, and Other StudiesLang, Andrew
History
The Valet's Tragedy, and Other Studies
Lang, Andrew
History; World history
Two months later, in the spring of 1684, Vienne de Plancy wrote to the
‘Mercure Galant,’ saying that ‘the late illustrious brother’ of the Duc
de Grammont was fully persuaded, and argued very well in favour of
his opinion, that the actual Pucelle did not die at Rouen, but married
Robert des Armoises. He quoted a genuine petition of Pierre du Lys, the
brother of the real Maid, to the Duc d’Orleans, of 1443. Pierre herein
says he has warred ‘in the company of Jeanne la Pucelle, his sister,
jusqu’a son absentement, and so on till this hour, exposing his body and
goods in the King’s service.’ This, argued M. de Grammont, implied
that Jeanne was not dead; Pierre does not say, feue ma soeur, ‘my late
sister,’ and his words may even mean that he is still with her. [‘Avec
laquelle, jusques a son absentement, ET DEPUIS JUSQUES A PRESENT, il a
expose son corps.’)*
*The petition is in Quicherat, v. pp. 212-214. For Vienne-Plancy
see the papers from the Mercure Galant in Jeanne d’Arc n’a point ete
brulee a Rouen (Rouen, Lanctin, 1872). The tract was published in 100
copies only.
Though no copy of the marriage contract of Jeanne and des Armoises
exists, Quicherat prints a deed of November 7, 1436, in which Robert des
Armoises and his wife, ‘La Pucelle de France,’ acknowledge themselves to
be married, and sell a piece of land. The paper was first cited by Dom
Calmet, among the documents in his ‘Histoire de Lorraine.’ It is rather
under suspicion.
There seems no good reason, however, to doubt the authenticity of the
fact that a woman, calling herself Jeanne Pucelle de France, did, in
1436, marry Robert des Armoises, a man of ancient and noble family.
Hence, in the town accounts of Tours and Orleans, after October 1436, up
to September 1439, the impostor appears as ‘Mme. Jehanne des Armoises.’
In August 1436, she was probably not yet married, as the Orleans
accounts then call her ‘Jehanne la Pucelle,’ when they send their
pursuivants to her; men who, doubtless, had known the true Maid in
1429-1430. These men did not undeceive the citizens, who, at least
till September 1439, accepted the impostor. There is hardly a more
extraordinary fact in history. For the rest we know that, in 1436-1439,
the impostor was dealing with the King by letters, and that she held a
command under one of his marshals, who had known the true Maid well in
1429-1430.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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