Her unknown historian adds; “Elle estoit au reste tres-devote, se confessoit souvent, & recevoit le precieux corps de N. S. Jesus Christ, estoit de tres-belle et bonne vie, et d’honneste conversation.”
In a very curious letter, written by the Sieur de Laval, we meet with some characteristic anecdotes of the Maid, to whom he was introduced by Charles VII. ‘Et-fit ladite Pucelle tres bonne chere a mon pere & a moy, estant armeé de toutes pieces, sauve la tete, et tenant la lance en main; et aprés que fumes descendus á selle, j’allay a son logis la voir; et fit venir le vin, et me dit, qu’elle m’en feroit bientot boire á Paris; et semble chose toute divine de son fait, et de la voir et de l’ouyr.——et la veis monter a cheval, armée tout en blanc, sauf la teste, une petite hache en sa main, sur un grand coursier noir qui a l’huis de son logis se demenoit tres fort, et ne souffroit qu’elle montast; et lors elle dit, menez-le a la croix, qui etoit devant l’eglise aupres, au chemin; et lors ell monta sans qu’il se meut, comme s’il fut lié; et lors se tourna vers l’huys de l’eglise, qui etoit bien prochain, et dit en assez voix de femme: Vous les Prestres et gens d’eglise, faites procession et prieres a Dieu.’
Upon her trial, as it is repeated by Chartier, she spoke with the utmost simplicity and firmness of her visions: ‘Que souvent alloit a une belle fontaine au pays de Lorraine, laquelle elle nommoit bonne fontaine aux Feés Nostre Seigneur, et en icelluy lieu tous ceulx de pays quand ils avoient fiebvre ils alloient pour recouvrer garison; et la alloit souvent ladite Jehanne la Pucelle sous un grand arbre qui la fontaine ombroit; et s’apparurent a elle Ste. Katerine et Ste. Marguerite qui lui dirent qu’elle allast a ung Cappitaine qu’elles lui nommerent, laquelle y alla sans prendre congé ni a pere ni a mere; lequel Cappitaine la vestit en guise d’homme et l’armoit et lui ceint l’epeé, et luy bailla un escuyer et quatre varlets; et en ce point fut monteé sur un bon cheval; et en ce point vint aut Roy de France, et lui dit que du Commandement de lui estoit venue a lui, et qu’elle le feroit le plus grant Seigneur du Monde, et qu’il lui fut ordonné que tretou ceulx qui lui desobeiroient fussent occis sans mercy, et que St. Michel et plusieurs anges lui avoient baillé une Couronne moult riche pour lui;’ &c.
Unquestionably, the temperament which disposes men to cultivate the higher and graver species of poetry, contributes to render them susceptible of impressions of this nature. Such a temperament, excited by the pathetic circumstances of a story, more interesting than any tale of fiction, produced the vision of Dr. Donne. When residing in Paris, he saw the figure of his wife, then in London, pass through the room, with her hair hanging loose, and carrying a dead child in her arms. After reading the exquisite poem which he wrote, previous to their separation, it is impossible to wonder at an impression of such a nature.
This is, indeed, an instance of that species of ecstasy, which is known, in the North of Scotland, under the name of ‘Second-Sight.’ Much has been written on this subject; I shall therefore only mention two instances, which will prove that the spectral impressions certainly take place; of their prophetic nature, there may be different opinions.
A gentleman connected with my family, an officer in the army, and certainly addicted to no superstition, was quartered, early in life, in the middle of the last century, near the castle of a gentleman in the North of Scotland, who was supposed to possess the Second-Sight. Strange rumours were afloat, respecting the old chieftain. He had spoken to an apparition, which ran along the battlements of the house, and had never been chearful afterwards. His prophetic visions excited surprize, even in that region of credulity; and his retired habits favoured the popular opinion. My friend assured me, that one day, while he was reading a play to the ladies of the family, the chief, who had been walking across the room, stopped suddenly, and assumed the look of a Seer. He rang the bell, and ordered the groom to saddle a horse; to proceed immediately to a seat in the neighbourhood, and to inquire after the health of Lady ——; if the account was favourable, he then directed him to call at another castle, to ask after another lady whom he named.
The reader immediately closed his book, and declared that he would not proceed till these abrupt orders were explained, as he was confident that they were produced by the Second-Sight. The chief was very unwilling to explain himself; but at length he owned, that the door had appeared to open, and that a little woman, without a head, had entered the room; that the apparition indicated the sudden death of some person of his acquaintance; and the only two persons who resembled the figure, were those ladies, after whose health he had sent to inquire.
A few hours afterwards, the servant returned, with an account that one of the ladies had died of an apoplectic fit, about the time when the vision appeared.
At another time, the chief was confined to his bed, by indisposition, and my friend was reading to him, in a stormy winter-night, while the fishing-boat, belonging to the castle, was at sea. The old gentleman repeatedly expressed much anxiety respecting his people; and at last exclaimed, my boat is lost! The colonel replied, how do you know it, Sir?—He was answered; I see two of the boatmen bringing in the third drowned, all dripping wet, and laying him down close beside your chair. The chair was shifted, with great precipitation; in the course of the night, the fishermen returned, with the corpse of one of the boatmen.
Martin, who has given a very particular account of Seers, in the western Islands, mentions a young woman, who was troubled, during four or five years, with the constant appearance of her own image before her, the back being turned towards her. No event was connected with this spectral impression.