第59章 COMPIèGNE.(6)

Pray that it may be His holy will to be more and more favourable to the enterprises of our royal master and to the restoration of his sway over all his good and faithful subjects."This royal master was Henry VI.of England，the baby king，doomed already to expiate sins that were not his，by the saddest life and reign.The French historians whimsically but perhaps not unnaturally，have the air of putting down this baseness on Philip's part，and on that of his contemporaries in general，to the score of the English，which is hard measure，seeing that the treachery of a Frenchman could in no way be attributed to the other nation of which he was the natural enemy，or at least，antagonist.Very naturally the subsequent proceedings in all their horror and cruelty are equally put down to the English account，although Frenchmen took，exulted over as a prisoner，tried and condemned as an enemy of God and the Church，the spotless creature who was France incarnate，the very embodiment of her country in all that was purest and noblest.We shall see with what spontaneous zeal all France，except her own small party，set to work to accomplish this noble office.

Almost before one could draw breath the University of Paris claimed her as a proper victim for the Inquisition.Compiègne made no sally for her deliverance；Charles，no attempt to ransom her.From end to end of France not a finger was lifted for her rescue；the women wept over her，the poor people still crowded around the prisoner wherever seen，but the France of every public document，of every practical power，the living nation，when it did not utter cries of hatred，kept silence.We in England have over and over again acknowledged with shame our guilty part in her murder；but still to this day the Frenchman tries to shield his under cover of the English influence and terror.He cannot deny La Tremo？lle，nor Cauchon，nor the University，nor the learned doctors who did the deed；individually he is ready to give them all up to the everlasting fires which one cannot but hope are kept alive for some people in spite of all modern benevolences；but he skilfully turns back to the English as a moving cause of everything.Nothing can be more untrue.The English were not better than the French，but they had the excuse at least of being the enemy.

France saved by a happy chance her /blanches mains/from the actual blood of the pure and spotless Maid；but with exultation she prepared the victim for the stake，sent her thither，played with her like a cat with a mouse and condemned her to the fire.This is not to free us from our share：but it is the height of hypocrisy to lay the blood of Jeanne，entirely to our door.

Thus Jeanne's inspiration proved itself over again in blood and tears；it had been proved already on battle-field and city wall，with loud trumpets of joy and victory.But the "voices"had spoken again，sounding another strain；not always of glory--it is not the way of God；but of prison，downfall，distress."Be not astonished at it，"they said to her；"God will be with you."From day to day they had spoken in the same strain，with no joyful commands to go forth and conquer，but the one refrain："Before the St.Jean."Perhaps there was a certain relief in her mind at first when the blow fell and the prophecy was accomplished.All she had to do now was to suffer，not to be surprised，to trust in God that He would support her.To Jeanne，no doubt，in the confidence and inexperience of her youth，that meant that God would deliver her.And so He did；but not as she expected.

The sunshine of her life was over，and now the long shadow，the bitter storm was to come.

Nothing could be more remarkable than the response of France in general to this extraordinary event.In Paris there were bonfires lighted to show their joy，the /Te Deum/was sung at Notre Dame.At the Court Charles and his counsellors amused themselves with another prophet，a shepherd from the hills who was to rival Jeanne's best achievements，but never did so.Only the towns which she had delivered had still a tender thought for Jeanne.At Tours the entire population appeared in the streets with bare feet，singing the /Miserere/in penance and affliction.Orleans and Blois made public prayers for her safety.Rheims，in which there was much independent interest in Jeanne and her truth，had to be specially soothed by a letter from the Archbishop，in which he made out with great cleverness that it was the fault of Jeanne alone that she was taken."She did nothing but by her own will，without obeying the commandments of God，"he says；"she would hear no counsel，but followed her own pleasure，"；and it is in this letter that we hear of the shepherd lad who was to replace Jeanne，and that it was his opinion or revelation that God had suffered the Maid to be taken because of her growing pride，because she loved fine clothes，and preferred her own will to any guidance.We do not know whether this contented the city of Rheims；similar reasoning however seems to have silenced France.Nobody uttered a protest，nor struck a blow；the mournful procession of Tours，where she had been first known in the outset of her career，the prayers of Orleans which she had delivered，are the only exceptions we know of.

Otherwise there was lifted in France neither voice nor hand to avert her doom.

[1]The three camps must have formed a sort of irregular triangle.The English at Venette being only half a mile from the gates of Compiègne.