The Maid of Orleans, Friedrich Schiller [top novels to read txt] 📗

amid the angelic choir!

JOHANNA.
Thou comest, fearful one, to punish me?
Destroy, o'erwhelm, thy lightnings hurl,
And let them fall upon my guilty head.
Alas, my vow I've broken. I've profaned
And desecrated thy most holy name!

DUNOIS.
Woe's us! What may this mean? What unblest words?

LA HIRE (in astonishment, to DUCHATEL).
This strange emotion canst thou comprehend?

DUCHATEL.
That which I see, I see--I long have feared it.

DUNOIS.
What sayest thou?

DUCHATEL.
I dare not speak my thoughts.
I would to heaven that the king were crowned!

LA HIRE.
How! hath the awe this banner doth inspire
Turned back upon thyself? before this sign
Let Britons tremble; to the foes of France
'Tis fearful, but to all true citizens
It is auspicious.

JOHANNA.
Yes, thou sayest truly!
To friends 'tis gracious! but to enemies
It causeth horror!

[The Coronation march is heard.

DUNOIS.
Take thy banner, then!
The march begins--no time is to be lost!

[They press the banner upon her; she seizes it with
evident emotion, and retires; the others follow.

[The scene changes to an open place before the Cathedral.


SCENE IV.

Spectators occupy the background; BERTRAND, CLAUDE MARIE, and
ETIENNE come forward; then MARGOT and LOUISON. The Coronation
march is heard in the distance.

BERTRAND.
Hark to the music! They approach already!
What had we better do? Shall we mount up
Upon the platform, or press through the crowd,
That we may nothing lose of the procession?

ETIENNE.
It is not to be thought of. All the streets
Are thronged with horsemen and with carriages.
Beside these houses let us take our stand,
Here we without annoyance may behold
The train as it goes by.

CLAUDE MARIE.
Almost it seems
As were the half of France assembled here,
So mighty is the flood that it hath reached
Even our distant Lotharingian land
And borne us thither!

BERTRAND.
Who would sit at home
When great events are stirring in the land!
It hath cost plenty, both of sweat and blood,
Ere the crown rested on its rightful head!
Nor shall our lawful king, to whom we give
The crown, be worse accompanied than he
Whom the Parisians in St. Denis crowned!
He is no loyal, honest-minded man
Who doth absent him from this festival,
And joins not in the cry: "God save the King!"


SCENE V.

MARGOT and LOUISON join them.

LOUISON.
We shall again behold our sister, Margot!
How my heart beats!

MARGOT.
In majesty and pomp
We shall behold her, saying to ourselves:
It is our sister, it is our Johanna!

LOUISON.
Till I have seen her, I can scarce believe
That she, whom men the Maid of Orleans name,
The mighty warrior, is indeed Johanna,
Our sister whom we lost!

[The music draws nearer.

MARGOT.
Thou doubtest still!
Thou wilt thyself behold her!

BERTRAND.

See, they come!


SCENE VI.

Musicians, with flutes and hautboys, open the procession. Children
follow, dressed in white, with branches in their hands; behind them
two heralds. Then a procession of halberdiers, followed by
magistrates in their robes. Then two marshals with their staves;
the DUKE of BURGUNDY, bearing the sword; DUNOIS with the sceptre,
other nobles with the regalia; others with sacrificial offerings.
Behind these, KNIGHTS with the ornaments of their order; choristers
with incense; two BISHOPS with the ampulla; the ARCHBISHOP with the
crucifix. JOHANNA follows, with her banner, she walks with downcast
head and wavering steps; her sisters, on beholding her, express
their astonishment and joy. Behind her comes the KING under a
canopy, supported by four barons; courtiers follow, soldiers
conclude the procession; as soon as it has entered the church the
music ceases.


SCENE VII.

LOUISON, MARGOT, CLAUDE MARIE, ETIENNE, BERTRAND.

MARGOT.
Saw you our sister?

CLAUDE MARIE.
She in golden armor,
Who with the banner walked before the king?

MARGOT.
It was Johanna. It was she, our sister!

LOUISON.
She recognized us not! She did not feel
That we, her sisters, were so near to her.
She looked upon the ground, and seemed so pale,
And trembled so beneath her banner's weight
When I beheld her, I could not rejoice.

MARGOT.
So now, arrayed in splendor and in pomp,
I have beheld our sister--who in dreams
Would ever have imagined or conceived,
When on our native hills she drove the flock,
That we should see her in such majesty?

LOUISON.
Our father's dream is realized, that we
In Rheims before our sister should bow down.
That is the church, which in his dream he saw
And each particular is now fulfilled.
But images of woe he also saw!
Alas! I'm grieved to see her raised so high!

BERTRAND.
Why stand we idly here? Let's to the church
To view the coronation!

MARGOT.
Yes! perchance
We there may meet our sister; let us go!

LOUISON.
We have beheld her. Let us now return
Back to our village.

MARGOT.
How? Ere we with her
Have interchanged a word?

LOUISON.
She doth belong
To us no longer; she with princes stands
And monarchs. Who are we, that we should seek
With foolish vanity to near her state?
She was a stranger while she dwelt with us!

MARGOT.
Will she despise, and treat us with contempt?

BERTRAND.
The king himself is not ashamed of us,
He kindly greets the meanest of the crowd.
How high soever she may be exalted,
The king is raised still higher!

[Trumpets and kettle-drums are heard from the church.

CLAUDE MARIE.
Let's to the church!

[They hasten to the background, where they are lost among the crowd.


SCENE VIII.

THIBAUT enters, clad in black. RAIMOND follows him, and tries
to hold him back.

RAIMOND.
Stay, father Thibaut! Do not join the crowds!
Here, at this joyous festival you meet
None but the happy, whom your grief offends.
Come! Let us quit the town with hasty steps.

THIBAUT.
Hast thou beheld my child? My wretched child?
Didst thou observe her?

RAIMMOND.
I entreat you, fly!

THIBAUT.
Didst mark her tottering and uncertain steps,
Her countenance, so pallid and disturbed?
She feels her dreadful state; the hour is come
To save my child, and I will not neglect it.

[He is about to retire.

RAIMOND.
What would you do?

THIBAUT.
Surprise her, hurl her down
From her vain happiness, and forcibly
Restore her to the God whom she denies.

RAIMOND.
Oh, do not work the ruin of your child!

THIBAUT.
If her soul lives, her mortal part may die.

[JOHANNA rushes out of the church, without her banner.
The people press around her, worship her, and kiss her
garments. She is detained in the background by the crowd.

She comes! 'tis she! She rushes from the church.
Her troubled conscience drives her from the fane!
'Tis visibly the judgment of her God!

RAIMOND.
Farewell! Require not my attendance further!
Hopeful I came, and sorrowful depart.
Your daughter once again I have beheld,
And feel again that she is lost to me!

[He goes out. THIBAUT retires on the opposite side.


SCENE IX.

JOHANNA, People. Afterwards her Sisters.

JOHANNA (she has freed herself from the crowd and comes forward).
Remain I cannot--spirits chase me forth!
The organ's pealing tones like thunder sound,
The dome's arched roof threatens to overwhelm me!
I must escape and seek heaven's wide expanse!
I left my banner in the sanctuary,
Never, oh, never, will I touch it more!
It seemed to me as if I had beheld
My sisters pass before me like a dream.
'Twas only a delusion!--they, alas!
Are far, far distant--inaccessible--
E'en as my childhood, as mine innocence!

MARGOT (stepping forward).
'Tis she! It is Johanna!

LOUISON (hastening toward her).
Oh, my sister!

JOHANNA.
Then it was no delusion--you are here--
Thee I embrace, Louison! Thee, my Margot?
Here in this strange and crowded solitude,
I clasp once more my sisters' faithful breasts!

MARGOT.
She knows us still, she is our own kind sister.

JOHANNA.
Your love hath led you to me here so far!
So very far! You are not wroth with her
Who left her home without one parting word!

LOUISON.
God's unseen providence conducted thee.

MARGOT.
Thy great renown, which agitates the world,
Which makes thy name the theme of every tongue,
Hath in our quiet village wakened us,
And led us hither to this festival.
To witness all thy glory we are come;
And we are not alone!

JOHANNA (quickly).
Our father's here!
Where is he? Why doth he conceal himself?

MARGOT.
Our father is not with us.

JOHANNA.
Not with you?
He will not see me, then! You do not bring
His blessing for his child?

LOUISON.
He knoweth not
That we are here.

JOHANNA.
Not know it! Wherefore not?
You are embarrassed, and you do not speak;
You look upon the ground! Where is our father?

MARGOT.
Since thou hast left----

LOUISON (making a sign to MARGOT).
Margot!

MARGOT.
Our father hath
Become dejected.

JOHANNA.
Ah!

LOUISON.
Console thyself!
Our sire's foreboding spirit well thou knowest!
He will collect himself, and be composed,
When he shall learn from us that thou art