THE CAPTURE OF THE MAID
Monograph Number Five in The Mentor Reading Course
Joan had often prophesied that her mission would last but a year, and this year was now fast drawing to a close. Her Voices also spoke to her about this time, saying that she would be taken prisoner soon. They would never tell her when. Joan prayed that she might die before she was captured; for the English had often threatened that they would burn her as a witch if they caught her. She fought on bravely, however, and did not allow her fear to overcome her courage.
When the Duke of Burgundy began to besiege Compiègne, Joan, before dawn, on May 23, 1430, stole into the city with two or three hundred men. The people were overjoyed to see her.
That evening she led her little force out of Compiègne in a sortie against the besiegers. She charged the Burgundians at Margny, (Marn-yee) which is near Compiègne, and drove them twice back to another village called Clairoix (Klare-wah). But her enemies were there reinforced and finally drove her back. Again she rallied her men and charged them. But there were very few of her followers with her this time, and she was surrounded and captured. She would not yield at first, hoping to be killed; but the Burgundians did not wish this, as she was more valuable to them alive than dead. They hoped to get a great ransom for her.
It might be imagined that the king and the people of France would have been glad to pay any sum for the safe return of the Maid, who had so greatly helped their native land. But Charles was indolent, and his advisers, who did not like Joan, counseled him not to ransom her. Therefore, he never made an effort to save her, nor did he show any interest in her fate.
Jean de Luxembourg was Joan's captor, and he sold her to the English. She knew what her fate would be in their hands, and one day when she was taking the air on the flat roof of the great tower at Beaurevoir, (Bo-re-vwar), where she was imprisoned, she leaped, hoping to kill herself. Strangely, she was not hurt,—not a bone in her body was broken,—but after the fall she found that she could not move a limb. It was destined that she should not escape. She was recaptured and turned over to the English, who put her into a new prison.
ERECTED AT ORLEANS
JOAN OF ARC, BY PRINCESS MARIE OF ORLEANS