The Works of Frederick Schiller Part 437

JOHANNA, SOLDIERS.

JOHANNA (to the soldiers).

Ye English, suffer not that I escape Alive out of your hands! Revenge yourselves!

Unsheath your weapons, plunge them in my heart, And drag me lifeless to your general's feet!

Remember it was I who slew your heroes, Who never showed compa.s.sion, who poured forth Torrents of English blood, who from your sons s.n.a.t.c.hed the sweet pleasure of returning home!

Take now a b.l.o.o.d.y vengeance! Murder me!

I now am in your power; I may perchance Not always be so weak.

CONDUCTOR OF THE SOLDIERS.

Obey the queen!

JOHANNA.

Must I be yet more wretched than I was!

Unpitying Virgin! Heavy is thy hand Hast thou completely thrust me from thy favor?

No G.o.d appears, no angel shows himself; Closed are heaven's portals, miracles have ceased.

[She follows the SOLDIERS.

SCENE VII.

The French Camp.

DUNOIS, between the ARCHBISHOP and DUCHATEL.

ARCHBISHOP.

Conquer your sullen indignation, prince!

Return with us! Come back unto your king!

In this emergency abandon not The general cause, when we are sorely pressed, And stand in need of your heroic arm.

DUNOIS.

Why are ye sorely pressed? Why doth the foe Again exalt himself? all was achieved;-- France was triumphant--war was at an end;-- The savior you have banished; you henceforth May save yourselves; I'll not again behold The camp wherein the maid abideth not.

DUCHATEL.

Think better of it, prince! Dismiss us not With such an answer!

DUNOIS.

Silence, Duchatel!

You're hateful to me; I'll hear naught from you; You were the first who doubted of her truth.

ARCHBISHOP.

Who had not wavered on that fatal day, And been bewildered, when so many signs Bore evidence against her! We were stunned, Our hearts were crushed beneath the sudden blow.

--Who in that hour of dread could weigh the proofs?

Our calmer judgment now returns to us, We see the maid as when she walked with us, Nor have we any fault to charge her with.

We are perplexed--we fear that we have done A grievous wrong. The king is penitent, The duke remorseful, comfortless La Hire, And every heart doth shroud itself in woe.

DUNOIS.

She a deluder? If celestial truth Would clothe herself in a corporeal form, She needs must choose the features of the maiden.

If purity of heart, faith, innocence, Dwell anywhere on earth, upon her lips And in her eyes' clear depths they find their home.

ARCHBISHOP.

May the Almighty, through a miracle, Shed light upon this awful mystery, Which baffles human insight. Howsoe'er This sad perplexity may be resolved, One of two grievous sins we have committed!

Either in fight we have availed ourselves Of h.e.l.lish arms, or banished hence a saint!

And both call down upon this wretched land The vengeance and the punishment of heaven.

SCENE VIII.

The same, a n.o.bLEMAN, afterwards RAIMOND.

n.o.bLEMAN.

A shepherd youth inquires after your highness, He urgently entreats an interview, He says he cometh from the maiden----

DUNOIS.

Haste!

Conduct him hither! He doth come from her!

[The n.o.bLEMAN opens the door to RAIMOND, DUNOIS hastens to meet him.

Where is she? Where is the maid?

RAIMOND.

Hail! n.o.ble prince!

And blessed am I that I find with you This holy man, the s.h.i.+eld of the oppressed, The father of the poor and dest.i.tute!

DUNOIS.

Where is the maiden?

ARCHBISHOP.

Speak, my son, inform us!

RAIMOND.

She is not, sir, a wicked sorceress!

To G.o.d and all his saints I make appeal.

An error blinds the people. You've cast forth G.o.d's messenger, you've banished innocence!

DUNOIS.

Where is she?

RAIMOND.

I accompanied her flight Towards the woods of Ardennes; there she hath Revealed to me her spirit's inmost depths.

In torture I'll expire, and will resign My hopes of everlasting happiness, If she's not guiltless, sir, of every sin!

DUNOIS.

The sun in heaven is not more pure than she!

Where is she? Speak!

RAIMOND.