34 



THE FRENCH BLOOD IN AMERICA 



Last 

 Words 

 of the 

 Martyr 



in. On her head was placed a mitre-shaped paper cap, 

 on which were inscribed ''apostate, idolatress." She 

 was placed in a cart on which two priests mounted with 

 her, accompanied by eight hundred troops marching 

 along the road. A discourse was delivered by a monk by 

 the name of Midi. After the sermon the preacher added : 

 "Joan, the church, wishing to prevent infliction, casts 

 you out of her. She no longer protects you, depart in 

 peace." The bishop of Beauvais, the vile wretch who 

 presided at her trial, was present still to torment her, and 

 said : " We reject you, we cast you off, we abandon you 

 according to the usual formula of the Inquisition." She 

 ascended the platform and a chain was placed around her 

 to fasten her to the stake. She exclaimed : " Oh, Rouen, 

 must I die here I I have great fear lest you will suffer 

 for my death." The fire was kindled. She saw it and 

 shrieked. While the flames began to roll around her she 

 cried out for water, and cried on God, and then said : 

 "My voices have not deceived me." Her last words 

 were "Jesus — Jesus ! " Then her head fell on her breast 

 and her pure spirit went to paradise. Many were melted 

 to tears, and even the rude soldiers cried : " We are lost ; 

 we have burned a saint. Would God, my soul were where 

 hers is now." 



Estimates of 

 Historians 



Green 



DeQuincy 



V 



The eminent English historian, Richard Henry Green, 

 says : " The one pure figure which rises out of the greed 

 and lust, the selfishness and unbelief of the time, is the 

 figure of Joan of Arc." 



In one of his most powerful essays DeQuincy deals with 

 this subject. This is his conclusion from the facts: 

 "Never from the foundation of the earth was there such 

 a trial as this, if it were laid open in all its beauty of de- 

 fense, and all its hellishness of attack. Oh, child of 

 France ! shepherdess ! peasant girl trodden under foot by 

 all around thee ; how I honour thy flashing intellect, as 



