Part 29 (1/2)

[Footnote 667: _Ibid._, p. 219. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 205. Mathieu Thoma.s.sin, _ibid._, p. 304. _Chronique de Lorraine_, _ibid._, p. 330. Philippe de Bergame, _ibid._, p. 523.]

[Footnote 668: _Relation du greffier de La Roch.e.l.le_, in the _Revue historique_, vol. iv, p. 336.]

[Footnote 669: St. Paul, Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Labbe, _Collection des conciles_, vol. vii, p. 978. Saumaise, _Epistola ad Andream Colvium super cap. xi, I ad Corynth. de caesarie virorum et mulierum coma_. Lugd-Batavor ex off. Elz. 1644, in 12mo. _Quelques notes d'archeologie sur la chevelure feminine_, in _Comptes rendus de l'Academie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres_, 1888, vol. xvi, pp.

419, 425.]

[Footnote 670: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 75; vol. iii, pp. 17, 92, 115. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 67. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p.

273. _Journal du siege_, p. 46.]

Afterwards there were those who marvelled that she should have recognised him in the midst of n.o.bles more magnificently dressed than he. It is possible that on that day he may have been poorly attired.

We know that it was his custom to have new sleeves put to his old doublets.[671] And in any case he did not show off his clothes. Very ugly, knock-kneed, with emaciated thighs, small, odd, blinking eyes, and a large bulbous nose, on his bony, bandy legs tottered and trembled this prince of twenty-six.[672]

[Footnote 671: De Beaucourt, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol. ii, p.

195.]

[Footnote 672: Th. Basin, vol. i, p. 312. Chastellain, vol. ii, p.

178. _Portrait historique du roi Charles VII_, by Henri Baude, published by Vallet de Viriville in _Nouvelles recherches sur Henri Baude_, p. 6. De Beaucourt, _Histoire de Charles VII_, p. 83.]

That Jeanne should have seen his picture already and recognised him by it is hardly likely. Portraits of princes were rare in those days.

Jeanne had never handled one of those precious books in which King Charles may have been painted in miniature as one of the Magi offering gifts to the Child Jesus.[673] It was not likely that she had ever seen one of those figures painted on wood in the semblance of her King, with hands clasped, beneath the curtains of his oratory.[674]

And if by chance some one had shown her one of these portraits her untrained eyes could have discerned but little therein. Neither need we inquire whether the people of Chinon had described to her the costume the King usually wore and the shape of his hat: for like every one else he kept his hat on indoors even at dinner. What is most probable is that those who were kindly disposed towards her pointed out the King. At any rate he was not difficult to distinguish, since those who saw her go up to him were in no wise astonished.

[Footnote 673: As in the miniature painted by Jean Fouquet, more than ten years later. Gruyer, _Les Quarante Fouquet de Chantilly_, Paris, 1897, in 4to.]

[Footnote 674: _Note sur un ancien portrait de Charles VII, conserve au Louvre_, in the _Bulletin de la Societe des Antiquaires de France_, 1862, pp. 67 _et seq._]

When she had made her rustic curtsey, the King asked her name and what she wanted. She replied: ”Fair Dauphin, my name is Jeanne the Maid; and the King of Heaven speaks unto you by me and says that you shall be anointed and crowned at Reims, and be lieutenant of the King of Heaven, who is King of France.” She asked to be set about her work, promising to raise the siege of Orleans.[675]

[Footnote 675: _Trial_, vol. ii, p. 103. _Relation du greffier de La Roch.e.l.le_, p. 337. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 273. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, pp. 67, 68.]

The King took her apart and questioned her for some time. By nature he was gentle, kind to the poor and lowly, but not devoid of mistrust and suspicion.

It is said that during this private conversation, addressing him with the familiarity of an angel, she made him this strange announcement: ”My Lord bids me say unto thee that thou art indeed the heir of France and the son of a King; he has sent me to thee to lead thee to Reims to be crowned there and anointed if thou wilt.”[676] Afterwards the Maid's chaplain reported these words, saying he had received them from the Maid herself. All that is certain is that the Armagnacs were not slow to turn them into a miracle in favour of the Line of the Lilies. It was a.s.serted that these words spoken by G.o.d himself, by the mouth of an innocent girl, were a reply to the carking, secret anxiety of the King. Madame Ysabeau's son, it was said, distracted and saddened by the thought that perhaps the royal blood did not flow in his veins, was ready to renounce his kingdom and declare himself a usurper, unless by some heavenly light his doubts concerning his birth should be dispelled.[677] Men told how his face shone with joy[678]

when it was revealed to him that he was the true heir of France.

[Footnote 676: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 103 (evidence of Brother Pasquerel).]

[Footnote 677: The Abridger of the _Trial_, in _Trial_, vol. iv, pp.

258, 259. Basin, _Histoire de Charles VII et de Louis XI_, vol. i, p.

67. _Journal du siege_, p. 48.]

[Footnote 678: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 116 (evidence of S. Charles). S.

Luce, _Jeanne d'Arc a Domremy_, p. lxi.]

Doubtless the Armagnac preachers were in the habit of speaking of Queen Ysabeau as ”_une grande gorre_” and a Herodias of licentiousness; but one would like to know whence her son derived his curious misgiving. He had not manifested it on entering into his inheritance; and, had occasion required, the jurists of his party would have proved to him by reasons derived from laws and customs that he was by birth the true heir and the lawful successor of the late King; for filiation must be proved not by what is hidden, but by what is manifest, otherwise it would be impossible to a.s.sign the legal heir to a kingdom or to an acre of land. Nevertheless it must be borne in mind that the King was very unfortunate at this time. Now misfortune agitates the conscience and raises scruples; and he might well doubt the justice of his cause since G.o.d was forsaking him. But if he were indeed a.s.sailed by painful doubts, how can he have been relieved from them by the words of a damsel who, as far as he then knew, might be mad or sent to him by his enemies? It is hard to reconcile such credulity with what we know of his suspicious nature. The first thought that occurred to him must have been that ecclesiastics had instructed the damsel.