the unseen world and other essays-第31部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ere　her　two　brothers；　one　of　whom　was　a　knight；　and　was　called　Messire　Pierre；　and　the　other　'petit　Jehan；'　a　squire；　and　they　thought　that　she　had　been　burnt；　but　as　soon　as　they　saw　her　they　recognized　her　and　she　them。　And　on　Monday；　the　21st　day　of　the　said　month；　they　took　their　sister　with　them　to　Boquelon；　and　the　sieur　Nicole；　being　a　knight；　gave　her　a　stout　stallion　of　the　value　of　thirty　francs；　and　a　pair　of　saddle…cloths；　the　sieur　Aubert　Boulle；　a　riding…hood；　the　sieur　Nicole　Groguet；　a　sword；　and　the　said　maiden　mounted　the　said　horse　nimbly；　and　said　several　things　to　the　sieur　Nicole　by　which　he　well　understood　that　it　was　she　who　had　been　in　France；　and　she　was　recognized　by　many　tokens　to　be　the　maid　Jeanne　of　France　who　escorted　King　Charles　to　Rheims；　and　several　declared　that　she　had　been　burnt　in　Normandy；　and　she　spoke　mostly　in　parables。　She　afterwards　returned　to　the　town　of　Marnelle　for　the　feast　of　Pentecost；　and　remained　there　about　three　weeks；　and　then　set　off　to　go　to　Notre　Dame　d'Alliance。　And　when　she　wished　to　leave；　several　of　Metz　went　to　see　her　at　the　said　Marnelle　and　gave　her　several　jewels；　and　they　knew　well　that　she　was　the　maid　Jeanne　of　France；　and　she　then　went　to　Erlon；　in　the　Duchy　of　Luxembourg；　where　she　was　thronged；。。。。　and　there　was　solemnized　the　marriage　of　Monsieur　de　Hermoise；　knight；　and　the　said　maid　Jeanne；　and　afterwards　the　said　sieur　Hermoise；　with　his　wife；　the　Maid；　came　to　live　at　Metz；　in　the　house　the　said　sieur　had；　opposite　St。　Seglenne；　and　remained　there　until　it　pleased　them　to　depart。〃

This　is　surprising　enough；　but　more　remains　behind。　Dining　shortly　afterwards　with　M。　des　Armoises；　member　of　one　of　the　oldest　families　in　Lorraine；　Father　Vignier　was　invited　to　look　over　the　family　archives；　that　he　might　satisfy　his　curiosity　regarding　certain　ancestors　of　his　host。　And　on　looking　over　the　family　register；　what　was　his　astonishment　at　finding　a　contract　of　marriage　between　Robert　des　Armoises；　Knight；　and　Jeanne　d'Arcy；　the　so…called　Maid　of　Orleans！

In　1740；　some　time　after　these　occurrences；　there　was　found；　in　the　town　hall　of　Orleans；　a　bill　of　one　Jacques　l'Argentier；　of　the　year　1436；　in　which　mention　is　made　of　a　small　sum　paid　for　refreshments　furnished　to　a　messenger　who　had　brought　letters　from　the　Maid　of　Orleans；　and　of　twelve　livres　given　to　Jean　du　Lis；　brother　of　Jeanne　d'Arc；　to　help　him　pay　the　expenses　of　his　journey　back　to　his　sister。　Then　come　two　charges　which　we　shall　translate　literally。　〃To　the　sieur　de　Lis；　18th　October；　1436；　for　a　journey　which　he　made　through　the　said　city　while　on　his　way　to　the　Maid；　who　was　then　at　Erlon　in　Luxembourg；　and　for　carrying　letters　from　Jeanne　the　Maid　to　the　King　at　Loicher；　where　he　was　then　staying；　six　livres。〃　And　again：　〃To　Renard　Brune；　25th　July；　1435；　at　evening；　for　paying　the　hire　of　a　messenger　who　was　carrying　letters　from　Jeanne　the　Maid；　and　was　on　his　way　to　William　Beliers；　bailiff　of　Troyes；　two　livres。〃

As　no　doubt　has　been　thrown　upon　the　genuineness　of　these　documents；　it　must　be　considered　established　that　in　1436；　five　years　after　the　public　execution　at　Rouen；　a　young　woman；　believed　to　be　the　real　Jeanne　d'Arc；　was　alive　in　Lorraine　and　was　married　to　a　M。　Hermoises　or　Armoises。　She　may；　of　course；　have　been　an　impostor；　but　in　this　case　it　is　difficult　to　believe　that　her　brothers；　Jean　and　Pierre；　and　the　people　of　Lorraine；　where　she　was　well　known；　would　not　have　detected　the　imposture　at　once。　And　that　Jean　du　Lis；　during　a　familiar　intercourse　of　at　least　several　months；　as　indicated　in　the　above　extracts；　should　have　continued　to　mistake　a　stranger　for　his　own　sister；　with　whom　he　had　lived　from　childhood；　seems　a　very　absurd　supposition。　Nor　is　it　likely　that　an　impostor　would　have　exposed　herself　to　such　a　formidable　test。　If　it　had　been　a　bold　charlatan　who；　taking　advantage　of　the　quite　general　belief；　to　which　we　have　ample　testimony；　that　there　was　something　more　in　the　execution　at　Rouen　than　was　allowed　to　come　to　the　surface；　had　resolved　to　usurp　for　herself　the　honours　due　to　the　woman　who　had　saved　France；　she　would　hardly　have　gone　at　the　outset　to　a　part　of　the　country　where　the　real　Maid　had　spent　nearly　all　her　life。　Her　instant　detection　and　exposure；　perhaps　a　disgraceful　punishment；　would　have　been　inevitable。　But　if　this　person　were　the　real　Jeanne；　escaped　from　prison　or　returning　from　an　exile　dictated　by　prudence；　what　should　she　have　done　but　go　straightway　to　the　haunts　of　her　childhood；　where　she　might　meet　once　more　her　own　friends　and　family？

But　the　account　does　not　end　here。　M。　Wallon；　in　his　elaborate　history　of　Jeanne　d'Arc；　states　that　in　1436　the　supposed　Maid　visited　France；　and　appears　to　have　met　some　of　the　men…at…arms　with　whom　she　had　fought。　In　1439　she　came　to　Orleans；　for　in　the　accounts　of　the　town　we　read；　〃July　28；　for　ten　pints　of　wine　presented　to　Jeanne　des　Armoises；　14　sous。〃　And　on　the　day　of　her　departure；　the　citizens　of　Orleans；　by　a　special　decree　of　the　town…council；　presented　her　with　210　livres；　〃for　the　services　which　she　had　rendered　to　the　said　city　during　the　siege。〃　At　the　same　time　the　annual　ceremonies　for　the　repose　of　her　soul　were；　quite　naturally；　suppressed。　Now　we　may　ask　if　it　is　at　all　probable　that　the　people　of　Orleans；　who；　ten　years　before；　during　the　siege；　must　have　seen　the　Maid　day　after　day；　and　to　whom　her　whole　appearance　must　have　been　perfectly　familiar；　would　have　been　likely　to　show　such　attentions　as　these　to　an　impostor？　〃In　1440；〃　says　Mr。　Delepierre；　〃the　people　so　firmly　believed　that　Jeanne　d'Arc　was　still　alive；　and　that　another　had　been　sacrificed　in　her　place；　that　an　adventuress　who　endeavoured　to　pass　herself　off　as　the　Maid　of　Orleans　was　ordered　by　the　government　to　be　exposed　before　the　public　on　the　marble　stone　of　the　palace　hall；　in　order　to　prove　that　she　was　an　impostor。　Why　were　not　such　measures　taken　against　the　real　Maid　of　Orleans；　who　is　mentioned　in　so　many　public　documents；　and　who　took　no　pains　to　hide　herself？〃

There　is　yet　another　document　bearing　on　this　case；　drawn　from　the　accounts　of　the　auditor　of　the　Orleans　estate；　in　the　year　1444；　which　we　will　here　translate。　〃An　island　on　the　River　Loire　is　restored　to　Pierre　du　Lis；　knight；　'on　account　of　the　supplication　of　the　said　Pierre；　alleging　that　for　the　acquittal　of　his　debt　of　loyalty　toward　our　Lord　the　King　and　M。　the　Duke　of　Orleans；　he　left　his　country　to　come　to　the　service　of　the　King　and　M。　the　Duke；　accompanied　by　his　sister；　Jeanne　the　Maid；　with　whom；　down　to　the　time　of　her　departure；　and　since；　unto　the　present　time；　he　has　exposed　his　body　and　goods　in　the　said　service；　and　in　the　King's　wars；　both　in　resisting　the　former　enemies　of　the　kingdom　who　were　besieging　the　town　of　Orleans；　and　since　then　in　divers　enterprises；'　&c。；　&c。〃　Upon　this　Mr。　Delepierre　justly　remarks　that　the　brother　might　have　presented　his　claims　in　a　much　stronger　light；　〃if　in　1444；〃　instead　of　saying　'up　to　the　time　of　her　departure；'　he　had　brought　forward　the　martyrdom　of　his　sister；　as　having　been　the　means　of　saving　France　from　the　yoke　of　England。〃　The　expression　here　cited　and　italicized　in　the　above　translation；　may　indeed　be　held　to　refer　delicately　to　her　death；　but　the　particular　French　phrase　employed；　〃jusques　a　son　absentement；〃　apparently　excludes　such　an　interpretation。　The　expression；　on　the　other　hand；　might　well　refer　to　Jeanne's　departure　for　Lorraine；　and　her　marriage；　after　which　there　is　no　evidence　that　she　returned　to　France；　except　for　brief　visits。　Thus　a　notable　amount　of　evidence　goes　to　show　that　Jeanne　was　not　put　to　death　in　1431；　as　usually　supposed；　but　was　alive；　married；　and　flourishing　in　1444。　Upon　this　supposition；　certain　alleged　difficulties　in　the　traditional　account　are　easily　disposed　of。　Mr。　Delepierre　urges　upon　the　testimony　of　Perceval　de　Cagny；　that　at　the　execution　in　Rouen　〃the　victim's　face　was　covered　when　walking　to　the　stake；　while　at　the　same　time　a　spot　had　been　chosen　for　the　execution　that　permitted　the　populace　to　have　a　good　view。　Why　this　contradiction？　A　place　is　chosen　to　enable　the　people　to　see　everything；　but　the　victim　is　carefully　hidden　from　their　sight。〃　Whether　otherwise　explicable　or　not；　this　fact　is　certainly　consistent　with　the　hypothesis　that　some　other　victim　was　secretly　substituted　for　Jeanne　by　the　English　authorities。

We　have　thus　far　contented　ourselves　with　presenting　and　re…enforcing　Mr。　Delepierre's　statement　of　the　case。　It　is　now　time　to　interpose　a　little　criticism。　We　must　examine　our　data　somewhat　more　closely；　for　vagueness　of　conception　allows　a　latitude　to　belief　which　accuracy　of　conception　considerably　restricts。

On　the　hypothesis　of　her　survival；　where　was　Jeanne；　and　what　was　she　doing　all　the　time　from　her　capture　before　Compiegne；　May　24；　1430；　until　her　appearance　at　Metz；　May　20；　1436？　Mr。　Delepierre　reminds　us　that　the　Duke　of　Bedford；　regent　of　France　for　the　English　king；　died　in　1435；　and　〃that　most　probably　Jeanne　d'Arc　was　released　from　prison　after　this　event。〃　Now　this　supposition　lands　us　in　a　fatally　absurd　conclusion。　We　are；　in　fact；　asked　to　believe　that　the　English；　while　holding　Jeanne　fast　in　their　clutches；　gratuitously　went　through　the　horrid　farce　of　burning　some　one　else　in　her　stead；　and　that；　after　having　thus　inexplicably　behaved；　they　further　stultified　themselves　by　letting　her　go　scot…free；　that　their　foolishness　might　be　duly　exposed　and　confuted。　Such　a　theory　is　childish。　If　Jeanne　d'Arc　ever　survived　the　30th　May；　1431；　it　was　because　she　escaped　from　prison　and　succeeded　in　hiding　herself　until　safer　times。　When　could　she　have　done　this？　In　a　sortie　from　Compiegne；　May　24；　1430；　she　was　thrown　from　her　horse　by　a　Picard　archer　and　taken　prisoner　by　the　Bastard　of　Vendome；　who　sold　her　to　John　of　Luxembourg。　John　kept　her　in　close　custody　at　Beaulieu　until　August。　While　there；　she　made　two　attempts　to　escape；　first；　apparently；　by　running　out　through　a　door；　when　she　was　at　once　caught　by　the　guards；　secondly；　by　jumping　from　a　high　window；　when　the　shock　of　the　fall　was　so　great　that　she　lay　insensible　on　the　ground　until　discovered。　She　was　then　removed　to　Beaurev