Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
By Mark Twain.




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Consider this unique and imposing distinction. Since the writing of human history began, Joan of Arc is the only person, of either sex, who has ever held supreme command of the military forces of a nation at the age of seventeen.
Louis Kossuth


Authorities examined in verification of the truthfulness of this narrative:


 J. E. J. Quicherat, Condamnation et Réhabilitation de Jeanne d’Arc.


 J. Fabre, Procès de Condamnation de Jeanne d’Arc.


 H. A. Wallon, Jeanne d’Arc.


M. Sepet, Jeanne d’Arc.


 J. Michelet, Jeanne d’Arc.


Berriat de Saint-Prix, La Famille de Jeanne d’Arc.


La Comtesse  A. de Chabannes, La Vierge Lorraine.


Monseigneur Ricard, Jeanne d’Arc la Vénérable.


Lord Ronald Gower,  F.S.A., Joan of Arc.


John O’Hagan, Joan of Arc.


Janet Tuckey, Joan of Arc the Maid.




Translator’s Preface
To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man’s character one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours. Judged by the standards of one century, the noblest characters of an earlier one lose much of their luster; judged by the standards of today, there is probably no illustrious man of four or five centuries ago whose character could meet the test at all points. But the character of Joan of Arc is unique. It can be measured by the standards of all times without misgiving or apprehension as to the result. Judged by any of them, it is still flawless, it is still ideally perfect; it still occupies the loftiest place possible to human attainment, a loftier one than has been reached by any other mere mortal.
When we reflect that her century was the brutalest,