have on this point.
He says in his deposition, made many years after her death: "Although
Jeanne sometimes talked playfully to amuse people, of things concerning
the war which were not afterwards accomplished, yet when she spoke
seriously of the war, and of her own career and her vocation, she never
affirmed anything but that she was sent to raise the siege of Orleans
and to lead the King to Rheims to be crowned."

If this were so was she wrong in continuing her warfare, and did she
place herself in the position of one who goes on her own charges,
finding the mission from on high unnecessary? Or in the other case did
her inspiration fail her, or were the intrigues of Charles and his
Court sufficient to balk the designs of Heaven? We prefer to think
that Jeanne's commission concerned only those two things which she
accomplished so completely; but that in continuing the war, she acted
only as a well inspired and honourable young soldier might, though no
longer as the direct messenger of God. She had as much right to do so
as to return to her distaff or her needle in her native village; but
she became subject to all the ordinary laws of war by so doing, exposed
herself to be taken or overthrown like any man-at-arms, and accepted
that risk. What is certain is, that every intrigue sprang up again
afresh on the evening of that brilliant and triumphant ceremonial, and
that from the moment of the accomplishment of her great work the failure
of the Maid began.

These intrigues had been in her way since her very first beginning, as
has been seen. At Orleans, in the very field as well as in the council
chamber and the presence, everything was done to balk her, and to cross
her plans, but in vain; she triumphed over every contrivance against
her, and broke through the plots, and overcame the plotters. But after
Rheims the combination of dangers became ever greater and greater, and
we may say that no merely human general would have had a chance in face
of the many and bewildering influences of evil. Charles who was himself,
at least at this period of his career, sufficiently indolent and
unenterprising to have damped the energies of any commander, was, in
addition, surrounded by advisers who had always been impatient and
jealous of the interference of Jeanne, and would have cast her off as a
witch, or passed her by as an impostor, had that been possible, without
permitting her to strike a blow. They had now grudgingly made use of