Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/77

Rh guests, to ride them without a saddle to the watering-place, and to perform other offices, which commonly fall to the share of men-servants. This girl, influenced by the frequent accounts of the rencounters at the siege of Orleans, and affected with the distresses of her country and youthful monarch, was seized with a wild desire of bringing relief to him in his present unhappy circumstances. Her inexperienced mind, working day and night on this favourite object, mistook the impulses of passion for heavenly inspirations; fancied she saw visions, and heard voices, exhorting her to reestablish the throne of France, and expel the foreign invaders. An uncommon intrepidity of spirit made her divine mission dispel all that bashfulness so natural to her sex, her years, and low condition. She went to Vaucouleurs, procured admission to Baudricourt the governor, and informed him of her inspirations and intentions. Baudricourt observed something extraordinary in the maid, or saw the use that might be made of such an engine, and sent her to the French court, which then resided at Chinon.

Joan was no sooner introduced to the king, than she offered, in the name of the Supreme Creator, to raise the siege of Orleans, and conduct him to Rheims, to be there crowned and anointed: and she demanded, as the instrument of her future victories, a particular sword, which was kept in the church of St. Catherine de Fierbois. The more the king and his ministers were determined to give into the illusion, the more scruples they pretended. An assembly of grave and learned divines was appointed, to examine her mission; and pronounced it undoubted and supernatural. Her request was granted; she was armed cap-a-pie, mounted on horseback, and shown, in that martial habiliment, to the whole people. Her