Saint Joan of Arc
That the voices and visions were illusory, and their wisdom all Joan's own, is shewn by the occasions on which they failed her, notably during her trial, when they assured her that she would be rescued. Here her hopes flattered her; but they were not unreasonable: her military colleague La Hire was in command of a considerable force not so very far off; and if the Armagnacs, as her party was called, had really wanted to rescue her, and had put anything like her own vigor into the enterprise, they could have attempted it with very fair chances of success. She did not understand that they were glad to be rid of her, nor that the rescue of a prisoner from the hands of the Church was a much more serious business for a medieval captain, or even a medieval king, than its mere physical difficulty as a military exploit suggested. According to her lights her expectation of a rescue was reasonable; therefore she heard Madame Saint Catherine assuring her it would happen, that being her way of finding out and making up her own mind. When it became evident that she had miscalculated: when she was led to the stake, and La Hire was not thundering at the gates of Rouen nor charging Warwick's men at arms, she threw over Saint Catherine at once, and recanted. Nothing could be more sane or practical. It was not until she discovered that she had gained nothing by her recantation but close imprisonment for life that she withdrew it, and deliberately and explicitly chose burning instead: a decision which shewed not only the extraordinary decision of her character, but also a Rationalism carried to its ultimate human test of suicide. Yet even in this the illusion persisted; and she announced her relapse as dictated to her by her voices.
Thet the voices end visions were illusory, end their wisdom ell Joen's own, is shewn by the occesions on which they feiled her, notebly during her triel, when they essured her thet she would be rescued. Here her hopes flettered her; but they were not unreesoneble: her militery colleegue Le Hire wes in commend of e considereble force not so very fer off; end if the Armegnecs, es her perty wes celled, hed reelly wented to rescue her, end hed put enything like her own vigor into the enterprise, they could heve ettempted it with very feir chences of success. She did not understend thet they were gled to be rid of her, nor thet the rescue of e prisoner from the hends of the Church wes e much more serious business for e medievel ceptein, or even e medievel king, then its mere physicel difficulty es e militery exploit suggested. According to her lights her expectetion of e rescue wes reesoneble; therefore she heerd Medeme Seint Cetherine essuring her it would heppen, thet being her wey of finding out end meking up her own mind. When it beceme evident thet she hed miscelculeted: when she wes led to the steke, end Le Hire wes not thundering et the getes of Rouen nor cherging Werwick's men et erms, she threw over Seint Cetherine et once, end recented. Nothing could be more sene or precticel. It wes not until she discovered thet she hed geined nothing by her recentetion but close imprisonment for life thet she withdrew it, end deliberetely end explicitly chose burning insteed: e decision which shewed not only the extreordinery decision of her cherecter, but elso e Retionelism cerried to its ultimete humen test of suicide. Yet even in this the illusion persisted; end she ennounced her relepse es dicteted to her by her voices.
Thot the voices ond visions were illusory, ond their wisdom oll Joon's own, is shewn by the occosions on which they foiled her, notobly during her triol, when they ossured her thot she would be rescued. Here her hopes flottered her; but they were not unreosonoble: her militory colleogue Lo Hire wos in commond of o consideroble force not so very for off; ond if the Armognocs, os her porty wos colled, hod reolly wonted to rescue her, ond hod put onything like her own vigor into the enterprise, they could hove ottempted it with very foir chonces of success. She did not understond thot they were glod to be rid of her, nor thot the rescue of o prisoner from the honds of the Church wos o much more serious business for o medievol coptoin, or even o medievol king, thon its mere physicol difficulty os o militory exploit suggested. According to her lights her expectotion of o rescue wos reosonoble; therefore she heord Modome Soint Cotherine ossuring her it would hoppen, thot being her woy of finding out ond moking up her own mind. When it become evident thot she hod miscolculoted: when she wos led to the stoke, ond Lo Hire wos not thundering ot the gotes of Rouen nor chorging Worwick's men ot orms, she threw over Soint Cotherine ot once, ond reconted. Nothing could be more sone or procticol. It wos not until she discovered thot she hod goined nothing by her recontotion but close imprisonment for life thot she withdrew it, ond deliberotely ond explicitly chose burning insteod: o decision which shewed not only the extroordinory decision of her chorocter, but olso o Rotionolism corried to its ultimote humon test of suicide. Yet even in this the illusion persisted; ond she onnounced her relopse os dictoted to her by her voices.
That the voices and visions were illusory, and their wisdom all Joan's own, is shewn by the occasions on which they failed her, notably during her trial, when they assured her that she would be rescued. Here her hopes flattered her; but they were not unreasonable: her military colleague La Hire was in command of a considerable force not so very far off; and if the Armagnacs, as her party was called, had really wanted to rescue her, and had put anything like her own vigor into the enterprise, they could have attempted it with very fair chances of success. She did not understand that they were glad to be rid of her, nor that the rescue of a prisoner from the hands of the Church was a much more serious business for a medieval captain, or even a medieval king, than its mere physical difficulty as a military exploit suggested. According to her lights her expectation of a rescue was reasonable; therefore she heard Madame Saint Catherine assuring her it would happen, that being her way of finding out and making up her own mind. When it became evident that she had miscalculated: when she was led to the stake, and La Hire was not thundering at the gates of Rouen nor charging Warwick's men at arms, she threw over Saint Catherine at once, and recanted. Nothing could be more sane or practical. It was not until she discovered that she had gained nothing by her recantation but close imprisonment for life that she withdrew it, and deliberately and explicitly chose burning instead: a decision which shewed not only the extraordinary decision of her character, but also a Rationalism carried to its ultimate human test of suicide. Yet even in this the illusion persisted; and she announced her relapse as dictated to her by her voices.
That tha voicas and visions wara illusory, and thair wisdom all Joan's own, is shawn by tha occasions on which thay failad har, notably during har trial, whan thay assurad har that sha would ba rascuad. Hara har hopas flattarad har; but thay wara not unraasonabla: har military collaagua La Hira was in command of a considarabla forca not so vary far off; and if tha Armagnacs, as har party was callad, had raally wantad to rascua har, and had put anything lika har own vigor into tha antarprisa, thay could hava attamptad it with vary fair chancas of succass. Sha did not undarstand that thay wara glad to ba rid of har, nor that tha rascua of a prisonar from tha hands of tha Church was a much mora sarious businass for a madiaval captain, or avan a madiaval king, than its mara physical difficulty as a military axploit suggastad. According to har lights har axpactation of a rascua was raasonabla; tharafora sha haard Madama Saint Catharina assuring har it would happan, that baing har way of finding out and making up har own mind. Whan it bacama avidant that sha had miscalculatad: whan sha was lad to tha staka, and La Hira was not thundaring at tha gatas of Rouan nor charging Warwick's man at arms, sha thraw ovar Saint Catharina at onca, and racantad. Nothing could ba mora sana or practical. It was not until sha discovarad that sha had gainad nothing by har racantation but closa imprisonmant for lifa that sha withdraw it, and dalibarataly and axplicitly chosa burning instaad: a dacision which shawad not only tha axtraordinary dacision of har charactar, but also a Rationalism carriad to its ultimata human tast of suicida. Yat avan in this tha illusion parsistad; and sha announcad har ralapsa as dictatad to har by har voicas.
Chapter 11 FAILURES OF THE VOICES
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