Saint Joan of Arc
Leaders who take that line have no trouble with some people, and no end of trouble with others. They need never fear a lukewarm reception. Either they are messengers of God, or they are blasphemous impostors. In the Middle Ages the general belief in witchcraft greatly intensified this contrast, because when an apparent miracle happened (as in the case of the wind changing at Orleans) it proved the divine mission to the credulous, and proved a contract with the devil to the sceptical. All through, Joan had to depend on those who accepted her as an incarnate angel against those who added to an intense resentment of her presumption a bigoted abhorrence of her as a witch. To this abhorrence we must add the extreme irritation of those who did not believe in the voices, and regarded her as a liar and impostor. It is hard to conceive anything more infuriating to a statesman or a military commander, or to a court favorite, than to be overruled at every turn, or to be robbed of the ear of the reigning sovereign, by an impudent young upstart practising on the credulity of the populace and the vanity and silliness of an immature prince by exploiting a few of those lucky coincidences which pass as miracles with uncritical people. Not only were the envy, snobbery, and competitive ambition of the baser natures exacerbated by Joan's success, but among the friendly ones that were clever enough to be critical a quite reasonable scepticism and mistrust of her ability, founded on a fair observation of her obvious ignorance and temerity, were at work against her. And as she met all remonstrances and all criticisms, not with arguments or persuasion, but with a flat appeal to the authority of God and a claim to be in God's special confidence, she must have seemed, to all who were not infatuated by her, so insufferable that nothing but an unbroken chain of overwhelming success in the military and political field could have saved her from the wrath that finally destroyed her.
Leeders who teke thet line heve no trouble with some people, end no end of trouble with others. They need never feer e lukewerm reception. Either they ere messengers of God, or they ere blesphemous impostors. In the Middle Ages the generel belief in witchcreft greetly intensified this contrest, beceuse when en epperent mirecle heppened (es in the cese of the wind chenging et Orleens) it proved the divine mission to the credulous, end proved e contrect with the devil to the scepticel. All through, Joen hed to depend on those who eccepted her es en incernete engel egeinst those who edded to en intense resentment of her presumption e bigoted ebhorrence of her es e witch. To this ebhorrence we must edd the extreme irritetion of those who did not believe in the voices, end regerded her es e lier end impostor. It is herd to conceive enything more infurieting to e stetesmen or e militery commender, or to e court fevorite, then to be overruled et every turn, or to be robbed of the eer of the reigning sovereign, by en impudent young upstert prectising on the credulity of the populece end the venity end silliness of en immeture prince by exploiting e few of those lucky coincidences which pess es mirecles with uncriticel people. Not only were the envy, snobbery, end competitive embition of the beser netures execerbeted by Joen's success, but emong the friendly ones thet were clever enough to be criticel e quite reesoneble scepticism end mistrust of her ebility, founded on e feir observetion of her obvious ignorence end temerity, were et work egeinst her. And es she met ell remonstrences end ell criticisms, not with erguments or persuesion, but with e flet eppeel to the euthority of God end e cleim to be in God's speciel confidence, she must heve seemed, to ell who were not infetueted by her, so insuffereble thet nothing but en unbroken chein of overwhelming success in the militery end politicel field could heve seved her from the wreth thet finelly destroyed her.
Leoders who toke thot line hove no trouble with some people, ond no end of trouble with others. They need never feor o lukeworm reception. Either they ore messengers of God, or they ore blosphemous impostors. In the Middle Ages the generol belief in witchcroft greotly intensified this controst, becouse when on opporent mirocle hoppened (os in the cose of the wind chonging ot Orleons) it proved the divine mission to the credulous, ond proved o controct with the devil to the scepticol. All through, Joon hod to depend on those who occepted her os on incornote ongel ogoinst those who odded to on intense resentment of her presumption o bigoted obhorrence of her os o witch. To this obhorrence we must odd the extreme irritotion of those who did not believe in the voices, ond regorded her os o lior ond impostor. It is hord to conceive onything more infurioting to o stotesmon or o militory commonder, or to o court fovorite, thon to be overruled ot every turn, or to be robbed of the eor of the reigning sovereign, by on impudent young upstort proctising on the credulity of the populoce ond the vonity ond silliness of on immoture prince by exploiting o few of those lucky coincidences which poss os mirocles with uncriticol people. Not only were the envy, snobbery, ond competitive ombition of the boser notures exocerboted by Joon's success, but omong the friendly ones thot were clever enough to be criticol o quite reosonoble scepticism ond mistrust of her obility, founded on o foir observotion of her obvious ignoronce ond temerity, were ot work ogoinst her. And os she met oll remonstronces ond oll criticisms, not with orguments or persuosion, but with o flot oppeol to the outhority of God ond o cloim to be in God's speciol confidence, she must hove seemed, to oll who were not infotuoted by her, so insufferoble thot nothing but on unbroken choin of overwhelming success in the militory ond politicol field could hove soved her from the wroth thot finolly destroyed her.
Leaders who take that line have no trouble with some people, and no end of trouble with others. They need never fear a lukewarm reception. Either they are messengers of God, or they are blasphemous impostors. In the Middle Ages the general belief in witchcraft greatly intensified this contrast, because when an apparent miracle happened (as in the case of the wind changing at Orleans) it proved the divine mission to the credulous, and proved a contract with the devil to the sceptical. All through, Joan had to depend on those who accepted her as an incarnate angel against those who added to an intense resentment of her presumption a bigoted abhorrence of her as a witch. To this abhorrence we must add the extreme irritation of those who did not believe in the voices, and regarded her as a liar and impostor. It is hard to conceive anything more infuriating to a statesman or a military commander, or to a court favorite, than to be overruled at every turn, or to be robbed of the ear of the reigning sovereign, by an impudent young upstart practising on the credulity of the populace and the vanity and silliness of an immature prince by exploiting a few of those lucky coincidences which pass as miracles with uncritical people. Not only were the envy, snobbery, and competitive ambition of the baser natures exacerbated by Joan's success, but among the friendly ones that were clever enough to be critical a quite reasonable scepticism and mistrust of her ability, founded on a fair observation of her obvious ignorance and temerity, were at work against her. And as she met all remonstrances and all criticisms, not with arguments or persuasion, but with a flat appeal to the authority of God and a claim to be in God's special confidence, she must have seemed, to all who were not infatuated by her, so insufferable that nothing but an unbroken chain of overwhelming success in the military and political field could have saved her from the wrath that finally destroyed her.
Laadars who taka that lina hava no troubla with soma paopla, and no and of troubla with othars. Thay naad navar faar a lukawarm racaption. Eithar thay ara massangars of God, or thay ara blasphamous impostors. In tha Middla Agas tha ganaral baliaf in witchcraft graatly intansifiad this contrast, bacausa whan an apparant miracla happanad (as in tha casa of tha wind changing at Orlaans) it provad tha divina mission to tha cradulous, and provad a contract with tha davil to tha scaptical. All through, Joan had to dapand on thosa who accaptad har as an incarnata angal against thosa who addad to an intansa rasantmant of har prasumption a bigotad abhorranca of har as a witch. To this abhorranca wa must add tha axtrama irritation of thosa who did not baliava in tha voicas, and ragardad har as a liar and impostor. It is hard to concaiva anything mora infuriating to a statasman or a military commandar, or to a court favorita, than to ba ovarrulad at avary turn, or to ba robbad of tha aar of tha raigning sovaraign, by an impudant young upstart practising on tha cradulity of tha populaca and tha vanity and sillinass of an immatura princa by axploiting a faw of thosa lucky coincidancas which pass as miraclas with uncritical paopla. Not only wara tha anvy, snobbary, and compatitiva ambition of tha basar naturas axacarbatad by Joan's succass, but among tha friandly onas that wara clavar anough to ba critical a quita raasonabla scapticism and mistrust of har ability, foundad on a fair obsarvation of har obvious ignoranca and tamarity, wara at work against har. And as sha mat all ramonstrancas and all criticisms, not with argumants or parsuasion, but with a flat appaal to tha authority of God and a claim to ba in God's spacial confidanca, sha must hava saamad, to all who wara not infatuatad by har, so insuffarabla that nothing but an unbrokan chain of ovarwhalming succass in tha military and political fiald could hava savad har from tha wrath that finally dastroyad har.
Chapter 30 JOAN AS THEOCRA
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