第27章 THE CAMPAIGN OF THE LOIRE.JUNE,JULY,(1)

The rescue of Orleans and the defeat of the invincible English were news to move France from one end to the other,and especially to raise the spirits and restore the courage of that part of France which had no sympathy with the invaders and to which the English yoke was unaccustomed and disgraceful.The news flew up and down the Loire from point to point,arousing every village,and breathing new heart and encouragement everywhere;while in the meantime Jeanne,partially healed of her wound (on May 9th she rode out in a /maillet/,a light coat of chain-mail),after a few days'rest in the joyful city which she had saved with all its treasures,set out on her return to Chinon.

She found the King at Loches,another of the strong places on the Loire where there was room for a Court,and means of defence for a siege should such be necessary,as is the case with so many of these wonderful castles upon the great French river.Hot with eagerness to follow up her first great success and accomplish her mission,Jeanne's object was to march on at once with the young Prince,with or without his immense retinue,to Rheims where he should be crowned and anointed King as she had promised.Her instinctive sense of the necessities of the position,if we use that language--more justly,her boundless faith in the orders which she believed had been give her from Heaven,to accomplish this great act without delay,urged her on.She was straitened,if we may quote the most divine of words,till it should be accomplished.

But the Maid,flushed with victory,with the shouts of Orleans still ringing in her ears,the applause of her fellow-soldiers,the sound of the triumphant bells,was plunged all at once into the indolence,the intrigues,the busy nothingness of the Court,in which whispering favourites surrounded a foolish young prince,beguiling him into foolish amusements,alarming him with coward fears.Wise men and buffoons alike dragged him down into that paltry abyss,the one always counselling caution,the other inventing amusements."Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die."Was it worth while to lose everything that was enjoyable in the present moment,to subject a young sovereign to toils and excitement,and probable loss,for the uncertain advantage of a vain ceremony,when he might be enjoying himself safely and at his ease,throughout the summer months,on the cheerful banks of the Loire?On the other hand,the Chancellor,the Chamberlains,the Church,all his graver advisers (with the exception of Gerson,the great theologian to whom has been ascribed the authorship of the /Imitation of Christ/,who is reported to have said,"If France deserts her,and she fails,she is none the less inspired")shook their hands and advised that the way should be quite safe and free of danger before the King risked himself upon it.It was thus that Jeanne was received when,newly alighted from her charger,her shoulder still but half healed,her eyes scarcely clear of the dust and smoke,she found herself once more in the ante-chamber,wasting the days,waiting in vain behind closed doors,tormented by the lutes and madrigals,the light women and lighter men,useless and contemptible,of a foolish Court.The Maid,in all the energy and impulse of a success which had proved all her claims,had also a premonition that her own time was short,if not a direct intimation,as some believe,to that effect:

and mingled her remonstrances and appeals with the cry of warning:"Ishall only last a year:take the good of me as long as it is possible."No doubt she was a very great entertainment to the idle seigneurs and ladies who would try to persuade her to tell them what was to happen to them,she who had prophesied the death of Glasdale and her own wound and so many other things.The Duke of Lorraine on her first setting out had attempted to discover from Jeanne what course his illness would take,and whether he should get better;and all the demoiselles and demoiseaux,the flutterers of the ante-chamber,would be still more likely to surround with their foolish questions the stout-hearted,impatient girl who had acquired a little of the roughness of her soldier comrades,and had never been slow at any time in answering a fool according to his folly;for Jeanne was no meek or sentimental maiden,but a robust and vigorous young woman,ready with a quick response,as well as with a ready blow did any one touch her unadvisedly,or use any inappropriate freedom.At last,one day while she waited vainly outside the cabinet in which the King was retired with a few of his councillors,Jeanne's patience failed her altogether.She knocked at the door,and being admitted threw herself at the feet of the King.To Jeanne he was no king till he had received the consecration necessary for every sovereign of France."Noble Dauphin,"she cried,"why should you hold such long and tedious councils?Rather come to Rheims and receive your worthy crown."The Bishop of Castres,Christopher de Harcourt,who was present,asked her if she would not now in the presence of the King describe to them the manner in which her council instructed her,when they talked with her.Jeanne reddened and replied:"I understand that you would like to know,and I would gladly satisfy you.""Jeanne,"said the King in his turn,"it would be very good if you could do what they ask,in the presence of those here."She answered at once and with great feeling:

"When I am vexed to find myself disbelieved in the things I say from God,I retire by myself and pray to God,complaining and asking of Him why I am not listened to.And when I have prayed I hear a voice which says,'Daughter of God,go,go,go!I will help thee,go!'And when Ihear that voice I feel a great joy."Her face shone as she spoke,"lifting her eyes to heaven,"like the face of Moses while still it bore the reflection of the glory of God,so that the men were dazzled who sat,speechless,looking on.