The Writings of Mark Twain, Volume 17Harper & brothers, 1899 |
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afraid answer armor army asked assault Bastard of Orleans bastille battle beautiful began believe called camp Catherine child Chinon command Count of Vendôme creatures crown Dauphin dear Domremy doubt dream Duke Duke of Alençon Dunois English eyes face fairies France French front girl give governor Grand Staff hand head hear heard heart Hire honor horse Jacques d'Arc Jargeau Jean Jeanne d'Arc Joan of Arc Joan's King King's knew La Hire laugh look Maid matter Metz mind never night noble Noël Rainguesson Paladin person Pierre Pierre Morel pity poor presently priest Rheims Robert de Baudricourt rose seemed sent shouting Sieur Bertrand sight soldier sort speech spirit stood storm sword talk tears tell thing thought told took Tree trouble true turned Vaucouleurs victory village voice wait wonder words wound young
Popular passages
Page i - She was perhaps the only entirely unselfish person whose name has a place in profane history. No vestige or suggestion of self-seeking can be found in any word or deed of hers. When...
Page 10 - As the years and the decades drifted by, and the spectacle of the marvelous child's meteor-flight across the war-firmament of France and its extinction in the smoke-clouds of the stake receded deeper and deeper into the past and grew ever more strange, and wonderful, and divine, and pathetic, I came to comprehend and recognize her at last for what she was — the most noble life that was ever born into this world save only One.
Page 108 - God knows I think you should have the men-atarms, and that somewhat would come of it. What is it that you would do ? What is your hope and purpose?
Page ii - FRANCE, which she bears to this day. And for all reward, the French King, whom she had crowned, stood supine and indifferent, while French priests took the noble child, the most innocent, the most lovely, the most adorable the ages have produced, and burned her alive at the stake.
Page 294 - And go it was. You never saw anything like it. We swarmed up the ladders and over the battlements like a wave — and the place was our property. Why, one might live a thousand years and never see so gorgeous a thing as that again. There, hand to hand, we fought like wild beasts, for there was no...
Page 226 - Maid who is sent by God the keys of all the good towns you have taken and violated in France. She is sent hither by God to restore the blood royal.
Page 333 - Who taught the shepherd girl to do these marvels — she who could not read, and had had no opportunity to study the complex arts of war ? I do not know any way to solve such a baffling riddle as that, there being no precedent for it, nothing in history to compare it with and examine it by. For in history there is no great general, however gifted, who arrived at success otherwise than through able teaching and hard study and some experience. It is a riddle which will never be guessed, /think these...
Page 220 - Joan. Joan was still burning with resentment over the trick that had been put upon her, and was not in the mood for soft speeches, even to revered military idols of her childhood. She said — • " Are you the Bastard of Orleans ?" "Yes, I am he, and am right glad of your coming." "And did you advise that I be brought by this side of the river instead of straight to Talbot and the English ?" Her high manner abashed him and he was not able to answer with anything like a confident promptness, but...
Page 170 - ... little while stopped and stood facing his house and so standing continued his talk. We went three nights in succession. It was plain that there was a charm about the performance that was apart from the mere interest which attaches to lying. It was presently discoverable that this charm lay in the Paladin's sincerity. He was not lying consciously; he believed what he was saying. To him, his initial statements were facts, and whenever he enlarged a statement, the enlargement became a fact too.