第24章

WhatMr。FroudehasdoneforHenryVIII。weknow；andhemighthavedonemoreifhehadnottriedtodosomuch。HumpbackedRichardturnsouttohavebeenoneofthehandsomestkingsthateversatonthethroneofEngland。EdwardI。，inhisdealingswithScotland，isseentohavebeenscrupulouslyjust；whilethedignityofthepatriotheroWallacehasbeensomewhatimpaired。 ElizabethisprovedtohavebefriendedthefalseMaryStuartmuchlongerthanwasconsistentwithherpersonalsafety。EloquentCicerohasbeenheldupasanobjectofcontempt；andevenweightyTacitushasbeensaidtoowemuchofhisreputationtohisabilitytogivefalsetestimonywithagraveface。IthaslatelybeensuspectedthatgloomyTiberius，apartfromhisgloominess，mayhavebeenratheragoodfellow；notsolicentiousaspuritanical，notcruelsomuchasexceptionallymerciful，——araregeneral，asagaciousstatesman，andpopulartobootwithallhissubjectssavethemalignantoligarchywhichheconsistentlysnubbed，andwhichtookrevengeonhimbywritinghislife。And，tocrownall，evenCatiline，abuserofourpatience，seducerofvestalnuns，anddrinkerofchildren’sblood，——whoseverynamesuggestsmurder，incest，androbbery，——evenCatilinehasfoundanabledefenderinProfessorBeesly。ItisclaimedthatCatilinewasamanofgreatabilitiesandaveragegoodcharacter，awell-calumniatedleaderoftheMarianpartywhichCaesarafterwardsledtovictory，andthathisfamousplotforburningRomeneverexistedsaveintheunscrupulousCiceronianfancy。AndthosewhothinkiteasytorefutetheseconclusionsofProfessorBeeslyhadbettersettoworkandtryit。Suchareafewofthesurprisingquestionsopenedbyrecenthistoricalresearch；andinthefaceofthemthepublicisquiteexcusableifitdeclaresitselfatalosswhattobelieve。 These，however，arecasesinwhichcriticismhasatleastmadesomeshowofascertainingthetruthanddetectingthecausesoftheprevalentmisconception。ThatmenlikeCatilineandTiberiusshouldhavehadtheircharactersblackenedisquiteeasilyexplicable。PresidentJohnsonwouldhavelittlebetterchanceofobtainingjusticeatthehandsofposterity，ifthemostwidelyreadhistoryofhisadministrationshouldhappentobewrittenbyaradicalmemberoftheRumpCongress。ButthecaseswhichMr。 Delepierreinvitesustocontemplateareofadifferentcharacter。Theycomeneitherundertheheadofmythsnorunderthatofmisrepresentations。Someofthemaretrulyvexedquestionswhichitmayperhapsalwaysbeimpossiblesatisfactorilytosolve。Othersmaybedealtwithmoreeasily，butaffordnoclewtotheoriginofthepopularlyreceivederror。 LetusbrieflyexamineafewofMr。Delepierre’s“difficulties。“ Andfirst，becausesimplest，wewilltakethecaseoftheAlexandrianLibrary。 EveryonehasheardhowAmrou，afterhisconquestofEgypt，senttoCaliphOmartoknowwhatshouldbedonewiththeAlexandrianLibrary。“IfthebooksagreewiththeKoran，“saidtheCaliph，“theyaresuperfluous；iftheycontradictit，theyaredamnable； ineithercase，destroythem。“Sothebooksweretakenandusedtolightthefireswhichheatedwaterforthebaths；andsovastwasthenumberthat，usedinthisway，theylastedsixmonths！ AllthishappenedbecauseJohntheGrammarianwasover-anxiousenoughtorequestthatthebooksmightbepreserved，andthusdrewAmrou’sattentiontothem。GreathasbeentheobloquypoureduponOmarforthispieceofvandalism，andloudhasbeenthemourningoverthetreasuresofancientscienceandliteraturesupposedtohavebeenirrecoverablylostinthisignominiousconflagrationTheologians，CatholicandProtestant，havebeenfondofquotingitasaninstanceofthehostilityofMahometanismtoknowledge，andwehaveevenheardanedifyingsermonpreachedaboutit。Onseeingthestoryputtosuchuses，onefeelssometimeslikeusingtheadhominemargument，andquotingthewholesaledestructionofpaganlibrariesunderValens，theburningofbooksbytheLatinstormersofConstantinople，theallegedannihilationof100，000volumesbyGenoesecrusadersatTripoli，thebook-burningexploitsofTorquemada，thebonfireof80，000valuableArabicmanuscripts，lightedupinthesquareofGranadabyorderofCardinalXimenes，andtheirreparablecremationofAztecwritingsbythefirstChristianbishopsofMexico。Theseexamples，withperhapsotherswhichdonotnowoccurtous，mightbeappliedinjustthoughungentleretortbyMahometandoctors。Yetthemostdirectrejoinderwouldprobablynotoccurtothem:theAlexandrianLibrarywasNOTdestroyedbytheordersofOmar，andthewholestoryisafigment！ Theverypithinessofit，socharacteristicoftheexcellentbutbigotedOmar，isenoughtocastsuspicionuponit。DeQuinceytellsusthat“ifasayinghasaproverbialfame，theprobabilityisthatitwasneversaid。“HowmanyamusingstoriesstandachanceofgoingdowntoposterityastheinventionsofPresidentLincoln，ofwhich，nevertheless，heisdoubtlesswhollyinnocent！ HowcharacteristicwasCaesar’sreplytothefrightenedpilot！ YetinallprobabilityCaesarnevermadeit。 Nowfortheevidence。AlexandriawascapturedbyArmrouin640。 ThestoryoftheburningofthelibraryoccursforthefirsttimeintheworksofAbulpharagius，whoflourishedin1264。Sixhundredyearshadelapsed。ItisasifastoryaboutthecrusadesofLouisIX。weretobefoundforthefirsttimeinthewritingsofMr。Bancroft。TheByzantinehistorianswerefuriouslyangrywiththeSaracens；whydidthey，oneandall，neglecttomentionsuchanoutrageouspieceofvandalism？Theirsilencemustbeconsideredquiteconclusive。Moreoverweknow“thatthecaliphshadforbiddenunderseverepenaltiesthedestruction“ofJewishandChristianbooks，acircumstancewhollyinconsistentwiththisfamousstory。Andfinally，whatamediaevalrecklessnessofdatesisshowninluggingintothestoryJohntheGrammarian，whowasdeadandinhisgravewhenAlexandriawastakenbyAmrou！ Butthechiefitemofproofremainstobementioned。TheSaracensdidnotburnthelibrary，becausetherewasnolibrarythereforthemtoburn！Ithadbeendestroyedjusttwohundredandfiftyyearsbeforebyarabbleofmonks，incitedbythepatriarchTheophilus，whosawinsuchavastcollectionofpaganliteratureaperpetualinsultandmenacetoreligion。Intheyear390thisturbulentbigotsackedthetempleofSerapis，wherethebookswerekept，anddroveoutthephilosopherswholodgedthere。Ofthisviolentdeedwehavecontemporaryevidence，forOrosiustellsusthatlessthanfifteenyearsafterwards，whilepassingthroughAlexandria，hesawtheemptyshelves。Thisfactdisposesofthestory。 PassingfromEgypttoFrance，andfromtheseventhcenturytothefifteenth，wemeetwithamuchmoredifficultproblem。ThatJeanned’Arcwasburntatthestake，atRouen，onthe30thofMay，1431，andherbonesandashesthrownintotheSeine，isgenerallysupposedtobeasindisputableasanyeventinmodernhistory。Suchis，however，hardlythecase。PlausibleevidencehasbeenbroughttoprovethatJeanned’Arcwasneverburntatthestake，butlivedtoaripeage，andwasevenhappilymarriedtoanoblemanofhighrankandreputation。WeshallabridgeMr。 Delepierre’sstatementofthiscuriouscase。 InthearchivesofMetz，FatherVignierdiscoveredthefollowingremarkableentry:“Intheyear1436，MessirePhlinMarcouwasSheriffofMetz，andonthe20thdayofMayoftheaforesaidyearcamethemaidJeanne，whohadbeeninFrance，toLaGrangeofOrmes，nearSt。Prive，andwastakentheretoconferwithanyoneofthesieursofMetz，andshecalledherselfClaude；andonthesamedaytherecametoseehertherehertwobrothers，oneofwhomwasaknight，andwascalledMessirePierre，andtheother’petitJehan，’asquire，andtheythoughtthatshehadbeenburnt，butassoonastheysawhertheyrecognizedherandshethem。AndonMonday，the21stdayofthesaidmonth，theytooktheirsisterwiththemtoBoquelon，andthesieurNicole，beingaknight，gaveherastoutstallionofthevalueofthirtyfrancs，andapairofsaddle-cloths；thesieurAubertBoulle，ariding-hood，thesieurNicoleGroguet，asword；andthesaidmaidenmountedthesaidhorsenimbly，andsaidseveralthingstothesieurNicolebywhichhewellunderstoodthatitwasshewhohadbeeninFrance；andshewasrecognizedbymanytokenstobethemaidJeanneofFrancewhoescortedKingCharlestoRheims，andseveraldeclaredthatshehadbeenburntinNormandy，andshespokemostlyinparables。SheafterwardsreturnedtothetownofMarnelleforthefeastofPentecost，andremainedthereaboutthreeweeks，andthensetofftogotoNotreDamed’Alliance。Andwhenshewishedtoleave，severalofMetzwenttoseeheratthesaidMarnelleandgaveherseveraljewels，andtheyknewwellthatshewasthemaidJeanneofFrance；andshethenwenttoErlon，intheDuchyofLuxembourg，whereshewasthronged，…… andtherewassolemnizedthemarriageofMonsieurdeHermoise，knight，andthesaidmaidJeanne，andafterwardsthesaidsieurHermoise，withhiswife，theMaid，cametoliveatMetz，inthehousethesaidsieurhad，oppositeSt。Seglenne，andremainedthereuntilitpleasedthemtodepart。“ Thisissurprisingenough；butmoreremainsbehind。DiningshortlyafterwardswithM。desArmoises，memberofoneoftheoldestfamiliesinLorraine，FatherVignierwasinvitedtolookoverthefamilyarchives，thathemightsatisfyhiscuriosityregardingcertainancestorsofhishost。Andonlookingoverthefamilyregister，whatwashisastonishmentatfindingacontractofmarriagebetweenRobertdesArmoises，Knight，andJeanned’Arcy，theso-calledMaidofOrleans！ In1740，sometimeaftertheseoccurrences，therewasfound，inthetownhallofOrleans，abillofoneJacquesl’Argentier，oftheyear1436，inwhichmentionismadeofasmallsumpaidforrefreshmentsfurnishedtoamessengerwhohadbroughtlettersfromtheMaidofOrleans，andoftwelvelivresgiventoJeanduLis，brotherofJeanned’Arc，tohelphimpaytheexpensesofhisjourneybacktohissister。Thencometwochargeswhichweshalltranslateliterally。“TothesieurdeLis，18thOctober，1436，forajourneywhichhemadethroughthesaidcitywhileonhiswaytotheMaid，whowasthenatErloninLuxembourg，andforcarryinglettersfromJeannetheMaidtotheKingatLoicher，wherehewasthenstaying，sixlivres。“Andagain:“ToRenardBrune，25thJuly，1435，atevening，forpayingthehireofamessengerwhowascarryinglettersfromJeannetheMaid，andwasonhiswaytoWilliamBeliers，bailiffofTroyes，twolivres。“ Asnodoubthasbeenthrownuponthegenuinenessofthesedocuments，itmustbeconsideredestablishedthatin1436，fiveyearsafterthepublicexecutionatRouen，ayoungwoman，believedtobetherealJeanned’Arc，wasaliveinLorraineandwasmarriedtoaM。HermoisesorArmoises。Shemay，ofcourse，havebeenanimpostor；butinthiscaseitisdifficulttobelievethatherbrothers，JeanandPierre，andthepeopleofLorraine，whereshewaswellknown，wouldnothavedetectedtheimpostureatonce。AndthatJeanduLis，duringafamiliarintercourseofatleastseveralmonths，asindicatedintheaboveextracts，shouldhavecontinuedtomistakeastrangerforhisownsister，withwhomhehadlivedfromchildhood，seemsaveryabsurdsupposition。Norisitlikelythatanimpostorwouldhaveexposedherselftosuchaformidabletest。Ifithadbeenaboldcharlatanwho，takingadvantageofthequitegeneralbelief，towhichwehaveampletestimony，thattherewassomethingmoreintheexecutionatRouenthanwasallowedtocometothesurface，hadresolvedtousurpforherselfthehonoursduetothewomanwhohadsavedFrance，shewouldhardlyhavegoneattheoutsettoapartofthecountrywheretherealMaidhadspentnearlyallherlife。Herinstantdetectionandexposure，perhapsadisgracefulpunishment，wouldhavebeeninevitable。ButifthispersonweretherealJeanne，escapedfromprisonorreturningfromanexiledictatedbyprudence，whatshouldshehavedonebutgostraightwaytothehauntsofherchildhood，whereshemightmeetoncemoreherownfriendsandfamily？