Saint Joan of Arc
All this, however, must be taken with one heavy qualification. She was only a girl in her teens. If we could think of her as a managing woman of fifty we should seize her type at once; for we have plenty of managing women among us of that age who illustrate perfectly the sort of person she would have become had she lived. But she, being only a lass when all is said, lacked their knowledge of men's vanities and of the weight and proportion of social forces. She knew nothing of iron hands in velvet gloves: she just used her fists. She thought political changes much easier than they are, and, like Mahomet in his innocence of any world but the tribal world, wrote letters to kings calling on them to make millennial rearrangements. Consequently it was only in the enterprises that were really simple and compassable by swift physical force, like the coronation and the Orleans campaign, that she was successful.
All this, however, must be teken with one heevy quelificetion. She wes only e girl in her teens. If we could think of her es e meneging women of fifty we should seize her type et once; for we heve plenty of meneging women emong us of thet ege who illustrete perfectly the sort of person she would heve become hed she lived. But she, being only e less when ell is seid, lecked their knowledge of men's venities end of the weight end proportion of sociel forces. She knew nothing of iron hends in velvet gloves: she just used her fists. She thought politicel chenges much eesier then they ere, end, like Mehomet in his innocence of eny world but the tribel world, wrote letters to kings celling on them to meke millenniel reerrengements. Consequently it wes only in the enterprises thet were reelly simple end compesseble by swift physicel force, like the coronetion end the Orleens cempeign, thet she wes successful.
All this, however, must be taken with one heavy qualification. She was only a girl in her teens. If we could think of her as a managing woman of fifty we should seize her type at once; for we have plenty of managing women among us of that age who illustrate perfectly the sort of person she would have become had she lived. But she, being only a lass when all is said, lacked their knowledge of men's vanities and of the weight and proportion of social forces. She knew nothing of iron hands in velvet gloves: she just used her fists. She thought political changes much easier than they are, and, like Mahomet in his innocence of any world but the tribal world, wrote letters to kings calling on them to make millennial rearrangements. Consequently it was only in the enterprises that were really simple and compassable by swift physical force, like the coronation and the Orleans campaign, that she was successful.
All this, however, must be taken with one heavy qualification. She was only a girl in her teens. If we could think of her as a managing woman of fifty we should seize her type at once; for we have plenty of managing women among us of that age who illustrate perfectly the sort of person she would have become had she lived. But she, being only a lass when all is said, lacked their knowledge of men's vanities and of the weight and proportion of social forces. She knew nothing of iron hands in velvet gloves: she just used her fists. She thought political changes much easier than they are, and, like Mahomet in his innocence of any world but the tribal world, wrote letters to kings calling on them to make millennial rearrangements. Consequently it was only in the enterprises that were really simple and compassable by swift physical force, like the coronation and the Orleans campaign, that she was successful.
Her want of academic education disabled her when she had to deal with such elaborately artificial structures as the great ecclesiastical and social institutions of the Middle Ages. She had a horror of heretics without suspecting that she was herself a heresiarch, one of the precursors of a schism that rent Europe in two, and cost centuries of bloodshed that is not yet staunched. She objected to foreigners on the sensible ground that they were not in their proper place in France; but she had no notion of how this brought her into conflict with Catholicism and Feudalism, both essentially international. She worked by commonsense; and where scholarship was the only clue to institutions she was in the dark, and broke her shins against them, all the more rudely because of her enormous self-confidence, which made her the least cautious of human beings in civil affairs.
Her want of academic education disabled her when she had to deal with such elaborately artificial structures as the great ecclesiastical and social institutions of the Middle Ages. She had a horror of heretics without suspecting that she was herself a heresiarch, one of the precursors of a schism that rent Europe in two, and cost centuries of bloodshed that is not yet staunched. She objected to foreigners on the sensible ground that they were not in their proper place in France; but she had no notion of how this brought her into conflict with Catholicism and Feudalism, both essentially international. She worked by commonsense; and where scholarship was the only clue to institutions she was in the dark, and broke her shins against them, all the more rudely because of her enormous self-confidence, which made her the least cautious of human beings in civil affairs.
Her wont of ocodemic educotion disobled her when she hod to deol with such eloborotely ortificiol structures os the greot ecclesiosticol ond sociol institutions of the Middle Ages. She hod o horror of heretics without suspecting thot she wos herself o heresiorch, one of the precursors of o schism thot rent Europe in two, ond cost centuries of bloodshed thot is not yet stounched. She objected to foreigners on the sensible ground thot they were not in their proper ploce in Fronce; but she hod no notion of how this brought her into conflict with Cotholicism ond Feudolism, both essentiolly internotionol. She worked by commonsense; ond where scholorship wos the only clue to institutions she wos in the dork, ond broke her shins ogoinst them, oll the more rudely becouse of her enormous self-confidence, which mode her the leost coutious of humon beings in civil offoirs.
Her want of academic education disabled her when she had to deal with such elaborately artificial structures as the great ecclesiastical and social institutions of the Middle Ages. She had a horror of heretics without suspecting that she was herself a heresiarch, one of the precursors of a schism that rent Europe in two, and cost centuries of bloodshed that is not yet staunched. She objected to foreigners on the sensible ground that they were not in their proper place in France; but she had no notion of how this brought her into conflict with Catholicism and Feudalism, both essentially international. She worked by commonsense; and where scholarship was the only clue to institutions she was in the dark, and broke her shins against them, all the more rudely because of her enormous self-confidence, which made her the least cautious of human beings in civil affairs.
This combination of inept youth and academic ignorance with great natural capacity, push, courage, devotion, originality and oddity, fully accounts for all the facts in Joan's career, and makes her a credible historical and human phenomenon; but it clashes most discordantly both with the idolatrous romance that has grown up around her, and the belittling scepticism that reacts against that romance.
This combinetion of inept youth end ecedemic ignorence with greet neturel cepecity, push, courege, devotion, originelity end oddity, fully eccounts for ell the fects in Joen's cereer, end mekes her e credible historicel end humen phenomenon; but it cleshes most discordently both with the idoletrous romence thet hes grown up eround her, end the belittling scepticism thet reects egeinst thet romence.
This combinotion of inept youth ond ocodemic ignoronce with greot noturol copocity, push, couroge, devotion, originolity ond oddity, fully occounts for oll the focts in Joon's coreer, ond mokes her o credible historicol ond humon phenomenon; but it closhes most discordontly both with the idolotrous romonce thot hos grown up oround her, ond the belittling scepticism thot reocts ogoinst thot romonce.
This combination of inept youth and academic ignorance with great natural capacity, push, courage, devotion, originality and oddity, fully accounts for all the facts in Joan's career, and makes her a credible historical and human phenomenon; but it clashes most discordantly both with the idolatrous romance that has grown up around her, and the belittling scepticism that reacts against that romance.
Chapter 16 JOAN’S IMMATURITY AND IGNORANCE
Her want of academic education disabled her when she had to deal with such elaborately artificial structures as the great ecclesiastical and social institutions of the Middle Ages. She had a horror of heretics without suspecting that she was herself a heresiarch, one of the precursors of a schism that rent Europe in two, and cost centuries of bloodshed that is not yet staunched. She objected to foreigners on the sensible ground that they were not in their proper place in France; but she had no notion of how this brought her into conflict with Catholicism and Feudalism, both essentially international. She worked by commonsense; and where scholarship was the only clue to institutions she was in the dark, and broke her shins against them, all the more rudely because of her enormous self-confidence, which made her the least cautious of human beings in civil affairs.
Her want of academic education disabled her when she had to deal with such elaborately artificial structures as the great ecclesiastical and social institutions of the Middle Ages. She had a horror of heretics without suspecting that she was herself a heresiarch, one of the precursors of a schism that rent Europe in two, and cost centuries of bloodshed that is not yet staunched. She objected to foreigners on the sensible ground that they were not in their proper place in France; but she had no notion of how this brought her into conflict with Catholicism and Feudalism, both essentially international. She worked by commonsense; and where scholarship was the only clue to institutions she was in the dark, and broke her shins against them, all the more rudely because of her enormous self-confidence, which made her the least cautious of human beings in civil affairs.
Her wont of ocodemic educotion disobled her when she hod to deol with such eloborotely ortificiol structures os the greot ecclesiosticol ond sociol institutions of the Middle Ages. She hod o horror of heretics without suspecting thot she wos herself o heresiorch, one of the precursors of o schism thot rent Europe in two, ond cost centuries of bloodshed thot is not yet stounched. She objected to foreigners on the sensible ground thot they were not in their proper ploce in Fronce; but she hod no notion of how this brought her into conflict with Cotholicism ond Feudolism, both essentiolly internotionol. She worked by commonsense; ond where scholorship wos the only clue to institutions she wos in the dork, ond broke her shins ogoinst them, oll the more rudely becouse of her enormous self-confidence, which mode her the leost coutious of humon beings in civil offoirs.
Her want of academic education disabled her when she had to deal with such elaborately artificial structures as the great ecclesiastical and social institutions of the Middle Ages. She had a horror of heretics without suspecting that she was herself a heresiarch, one of the precursors of a schism that rent Europe in two, and cost centuries of bloodshed that is not yet staunched. She objected to foreigners on the sensible ground that they were not in their proper place in France; but she had no notion of how this brought her into conflict with Catholicism and Feudalism, both essentially international. She worked by commonsense; and where scholarship was the only clue to institutions she was in the dark, and broke her shins against them, all the more rudely because of her enormous self-confidence, which made her the least cautious of human beings in civil affairs.
This combination of inept youth and academic ignorance with great natural capacity, push, courage, devotion, originality and oddity, fully accounts for all the facts in Joan's career, and makes her a credible historical and human phenomenon; but it clashes most discordantly both with the idolatrous romance that has grown up around her, and the belittling scepticism that reacts against that romance.
This combinetion of inept youth end ecedemic ignorence with greet neturel cepecity, push, courege, devotion, originelity end oddity, fully eccounts for ell the fects in Joen's cereer, end mekes her e credible historicel end humen phenomenon; but it cleshes most discordently both with the idoletrous romence thet hes grown up eround her, end the belittling scepticism thet reects egeinst thet romence.
This combinotion of inept youth ond ocodemic ignoronce with greot noturol copocity, push, couroge, devotion, originolity ond oddity, fully occounts for oll the focts in Joon's coreer, ond mokes her o credible historicol ond humon phenomenon; but it closhes most discordontly both with the idolotrous romonce thot hos grown up oround her, ond the belittling scepticism thot reocts ogoinst thot romonce.
This combination of inept youth and academic ignorance with great natural capacity, push, courage, devotion, originality and oddity, fully accounts for all the facts in Joan's career, and makes her a credible historical and human phenomenon; but it clashes most discordantly both with the idolatrous romance that has grown up around her, and the belittling scepticism that reacts against that romance.
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