Personal Recollections of Joan by Mark Twain

Personal Recollections of Joan

by Mark Twain

Personal Recollections of Joan

by Mark Twain

Consider this unique and imposing distinction. Since the writing of

human history began, Joan of Arc is the only person, of either sex,

who has ever held supreme command of the military forces of a

nation at the age of seventeen

LOUIS KOSSUTH.

Contents

Translator’s Preface

A Peculiarity of Joan of Arc’s History

The Sieur Louis de Conte

Book I — IN DOMREMY

1 When Wolves Ran Free in Paris

2 The Fa‰ry Tree of Domremy

3 All Aflame with Love of France

4 Joan Tames the Mad Man

5 Domremy Pillaged and Burned

6 Joan and Archangel Michael

7 She Delivers the Divine Command

8 Why the Scorners Relented

Book II — IN COURT AND CAMP

1 Joan Says Good-By

2 The Governor Speeds Joan

3 The Paladin Groans and Boasts

4 Joan Leads Us Through the Enemy

5 We Pierce the Last Ambuscades

6 Joan Convinces the King

7 Our Paladin in His Glory

8 Joan Persuades the Inquisitors

9 She Is Made General-in-Chief

10 The Maid’s Sword and Banner

11 The War March Is Begun

12 Joan Puts Heart in Her Army

13 Checked by the Folly of the Wise

14 What the English Answered

15 My Exquisite Poem Goes to Smash

16 The Finding of the Dwarf

17 Sweet Fruit of Bitter Truth

18 Joan’s First Battle-Field

19 We Burst In Upon Ghosts

20 Joan Makes Cowards Brave Victors

21 She Gently Reproves Her Dear Friend

22 The Fate of France Decided

23 Joan Inspires the Tawdry King

24 Tinsel Trappings of Nobility

25 At Last–Forward!

26 The Last Doubts Scattered

27 How Joan Took Jargeau

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF JOAN OF ARC

by THE SIEUR LOUIS DE CONTE

(her page and secretary)

In Two Volumes

Volume 1.

Freely translated out of the ancient French into modern English

from the original unpublished manuscript in the National Archives

of France

by JEAN FRANЂOIS ALDEN

Authorities examined in verification of the truthfulness of this

narrative:

J. E. J. QUICHERAT, Condamnation et R‚habilitation de Jeanne

d’Arc.

J. FABRE, ProcЉs de Condamnation de Jeanne d’Arc.

H. A. WALLON, Jeanne d’Arc.

M. SEPET, Jeanne d’Arc.

J. MICHELET, Jeanne d’Arc.

BERRIAT DE SAINT-PRIX, La Famille de Jeanne d’Arc.

La Comtesse A. DE CHABANNES, La Vierge Lorraine.

Monseigneur RICARD, Jeanne d’Arc la V‚n‚rable.

Lord RONALD GOWER, F.S.A., Joan of Arc. JOHN O’HAGAN,

Joan of Arc.

JANET TUCKEY, Joan of Arc the Maid.

TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE

TO ARRIVE at a just estimate of a renowned man’s character one

must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours. Judged by the

standards of one century, the noblest characters of an earlier one

lose much of their luster; judged by the standards of to-day, there

is probably no illustrious man of four or five centuries ago whose

character could meet the test at all points. But the character of

Joan of Arc is unique. It can be measured by the standards of all

times without misgiving or apprehension as to the result. Judged

by any of them, it is still flawless, it is still ideally perfect; it still

occupies the loftiest place possible to human attainment, a loftier

one than has been reached by any other mere mortal.

When we reflect that her century was the brutalest, the wickedest,

the rottenest in history since the darkest ages, we are lost in

wonder at the miracle of such a product from such a soil. The

contrast between her and her century is the contrast between day

and night. She was truthful when lying was the common speech of

men; she was honest when honesty was become a lost virtue; she

was a keeper of promises when the keeping of a promise was

expected of no one; she gave her great mind to great thoughts and

great purposes when other great minds wasted themselves upon

pretty fancies or upon poor ambitions; she was modest, and fine,

and delicate when to be loud and coarse might be said to be

universal; she was full of pity when a merciless cruelty was the

rule; she was steadfast when stability was unknown, and honorable

in an age which had forgotten what honor was; she was a rock of

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