THE FETE OF JOAN OF ARC.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1188, 25 July 1911, Page 9

THE FETE OF JOAN OF ARC.

MAY 8, AT ORLEANS, (Br Evelyn Isitt.) Thcro is nothing like it to bo seen anywhere el.-e. in the world; this festival that Orleans holds on Jlay 7 and 8 each year in memory of Joan of Arc, tho Deliverer of France, (ho .Maid of Orleans. It is nearly live hundred years ago—lß2 i<> be exact—since the young village girl, miraculously inspired, filled with a divino belief in the great, destiny of France, when France lay beneath the heel of England, breathed life into her puppet king and vitality into his shattered army, ami swooped down upon the English, wtio had closed in round Orleans, wailing for the inevitable day when tho harassed city must become their prey. Looking at the city, which lies flat in the middle of a plain without, any natural defence other Hum the narrow shallow

river which curves around ono side, one cannot imagine how the Ixsieged held out so long. The English were absolutely in command of the position. They had torts set along the river side, ono o'f them Ihe Tourelles, so strong placed, right on tho river bank almost, opposite the cathedral, (hat it seemed hopele-s to attempt to take it. Yet it was (here that tha fate of Orleans, cf France, was decided one

summer evening in .May, 1-120. The French had boon beaten back- from ono assault, they were wavering, when. .loan, who had been wounded, heard of their retreat and galloped to the rescue. There was a splendid, brilliant assault, and almost before the French realised it (ho fort was in their hands, and Orleans, mad with joy at. this almost incredible victory, was ringing its bells, setting bonfires ablaze, and crowding lo the gate to welcome the victorious Maid. In all that tumult and cheering she had but ono great thought—to carry her banner to the Cathedral and return thanks for the victory, and moved by the. same impulse* thither all the people rushed with her. Orleans has changed since those days. The walls have gone, the Cathedral .twothirds destroyed, retains only the chapels that Jean knew; a white siiiiw «-t iu m-hs river wall marks the place where the dominant Tourelles onco stood, and though here and there are buildings that Joan must have often seen—the house built for Diana, of Poitiers, u,u berfry of lloll'roi, silent all the year except when it rings for Joan, a few aged houses, and tho very house where Joan lodged, with His room where they assure you she slept —five hundred years have 'made a new city of that medieval Orleans. But still Orleans remembers, and right through the centuries, except for the few short periods of- fierce internal strife when festivals were not to bo thought cf. Orleans has kept with due solemnity, ami with brilliant gaiety, the fete of Joan of Arc. Further, it regards it as a civic duty lo keep the festival, and when it has been feared that, the SI ato would bar the religious part of (lie celebration, Orleans has swern that its honour was at slake.

ihis year they were much Ircubled, for though the' Government had promised to allow tho troops to lake part: in tho celebration, jt w lls feared till the very last minute that a difficulty would Ira made about the religious celebration which is so dear lo the heart of Orleans. "It is no use going to Orleans," said one young Frenchman whom I consulted, a man who had come into conflict with tne authorities during the rejoicings over the beatification of Jonn of Arc, and had been arrested. "There won't he anything (o see. Tho Government won't allow it." However, 1 thought I should like to see even a maimed festival, lo be at least in Orleans on May S. and so very early on tho bright May morning I went down from Paris with an American girl. It only takes two hours from Paris, two hours travelling through lovely country, past fertile plains, and picturesque villages, with shining morning faces, past misty upland meadows studded with shadv groves and white with hawthorn and full of a dreamy beauty, a land wherc'one could well imagine radiant: visions appearing to a child mind, devout and as fair as the landscape.

it was not till we neared the town that the train became crowded, and then the people began to pour in, little old country women with wrinkled faces, happy as children in the thought of the holiday, fathers ant! mothers and small children who were going for the first time to make the acquaintance of Orleans' heroic Maid, to have their first lesson in the art of remembering. The fete is an almost purely local one, and during the whole day, with ono exception, wo saw only French folk, most ol them obviously provincial, which of course made one feel more than ever the sincerity of the celebration.

The city, was gay with (lags, hanging from houses and shops, across the road and from poles planted along the street, everywhere most conspicuously the tricolour of tho Republic, scarlet and yellow for Orleans, and blue and white, the colours of the Maid.

Ivory tinted is the city, very clean and fresh, with little short streets'of prosper-ous-looking picturesque buildings, and winding irregular alleys, whore tho houses, built right on to the footpath, liave an appearance of great age, with old pointed roofs, where people must have Haunted flags fiv* hundred years ago. Avenues there are, and groves of limes and chestnuts, which put on all their bravery of pink blossoms for this great occasion. The fete had begun the previous day (this is a p:odern innovation), with fanfare of trumpets, and the constant ringing nf that old Boffroi 1 ell, and in the evening a salute had been fired i'rom the site of the Tourellcs, and a military pro-ccs-ion following as nearly as possible the louto that Joan must have taken, marched to the Mairie to form an escort for the Mayor and councillors, who ihen set out through a brilliantly illuminated city to the Cathedral, by this time one blaze of light from its base to the tops of its lefty towners.

This was for tho impressive ceremony of the standard, .loan's own standard, which she carriel triumphantly to the cathedral that night, was destroyed a long time ago,- but a faithful copy has been made, and through long years has become precious to the Orleans folk. All the year this is treasured at the Town Hall, hut on every 7(h of May it is taken with solemn po.up by the Mayor and councillors and their military escort to the cathedral, where with eulogy and chant and stately service it is handed over to the care of the bishop, and for that one night kc?ps lonely vigil in the great cathedral, while cutsido the to,vnpponlo to a late hour maintain their festival. We could not find out exactly what was happening on Monday became the clerical and official programmes seemed to ignore each other, but chance led us straight to the Cathedral, beautifully placed at the end of the Rue Joan no d'Arc, its facade draped with the colours of I'lio dav, and Hanked by a grove of chestnuts in full bloom. Inside were brilliant decorations all down the long nave which was crowded with people, women on one ••'■'■'<. men on the other, according lo the Brittany custom, and In'ch above the altar, the banner of the Maid.

Thorp was a celebration of High Mass and nio-t glorious music, mainly from Gounod's .Tnan of Arc, with choir, orchestra, military band and organ, ami you can imagine how flic music pcnloil through those long aisles. Following (he music camp an eloquent panegyric on .Tonn pronounced by the Archbishop, while Bishops and a host of lesser clericals ranged themselves in a somi-circlo facing the pulpit and listened devoutly. It was very stalely and impressive, and rather overpowering. One could imagine the Maid hastening to the Cathedral, and joyfully joining in the service, hut to have heard such a tribute as this, from so high a dicnitary, how it would have over whelmed her.

Far less .stalely, but in its way not Je.ss impressive, was the procession that fol lowed. We stood at the end of the Kuo Joanne d'Arc gazing at a fine vista of ivorytinted, Hag-bedecked houses, t'/io expectant crowds lining Vlio streets, eager faces at, the oncn windows, and leaning from the iron balconies, and at the end of the Calhedr.il. What a setting for a great procession!

And il was not great—homely ratherled by bands of men in every-day clothes, townsfolk of various societies, bands of little slumbling boys whom Joan would have.loved, uniforms and regalia, scattered indifferently among cilivian suits, i',;> strict attention to time, or Mop, or for Ihe malfer of that to place. Any part of (ho roadway served, and the proedssnan was made up of long lines of banners, bands at intervals playing occasionally^'-the

Grant] March of the French Army, a clioir of men tinging valiantly,' and loading uii still more banners, then'a band of older boys, many of them wearing the white fringed ties of their first communion, and a grot!)) of young girls in their whito robes and veils, wJiile a man carried I heir banner, 100 heavy lor girlish arms lo hold —Ilm while satin banner with Iho pictureof thn Haiti. Then catno the little chorister boys from all the city parishes, in scarlet caps and cassocks, ami white lace-bordered cotlas, small brilliant iigures walking oil cit tier side of the- road for miles, as it seemed, their priests lending them, and reading as they led. A choir of men singing finely passed by and- then camo (ho banner draped across a horizontal polo carried by two men in uniform, a whito silk banner worked centuries ago, the silver of its fleur do lys a Utile frayed. Almost one believed it was .loan's very banner, ami from the way the pooplo cheered as it came into view, they thought so 100. Jloro banners held aloft, more bands, more priests, mid then at tho last came n group of church dignitaries, in (heir midst, (he Archbishop, scatterlngjjenedictions as ho passed. \Vo followed the procession on its way through another street, across a crowded long stone bridge which spanned the greygreen river, down an avenuo lo the church ot .loan of Arc, where on top of .a tall spire stands a figure of the Maid; through a picturesque crooked street of the poorer class we kept pace with the banner, (ill it came to tho I'lace de Tonrelles, tlio site of the old fort, and there, before a commemorative cross and altar n short prayer was said. The procession passed on to the centre of (ho (own, and then back to (ho Cathedral to the strains of the Te Dcum.

"And there," sail! Figaro next, dov, "thi real tele of Joan of Arc ended." Did it? Well, no. .loan mav have boon a. saint, but-she was also n military hero. By visions she was inspired; by arms -dm conquered, and one feels sure.'flint when Orleans thai first day rejoiced in its great doliyd-anO, the rough soldiers of. that assorted army tainted their wonderiul little commander with a. verv great respect, and so to-day, nothing in all tha celebrations is more impressive thou the homage paid to her memory by the soldiers of (ho garrison, and the district, and by (ho verorans. ' This takes place in tho Place do liar--troi, Ihe heart cf tlio town, where there here are scattered about the (own, but this is the one olliciaily recognised. Hero wore sent the wreaths from various parts n, ~r T ?'ia i "d , i ! c l' ° rouml lho bi 'M of the liedeslal had been arranged a garden ot while and pale blue, daisies and forcer, mc-nots: an artless decoration that mada one realise almost too poignantly (he extreme youth and girlishntss of (bis c o '|. (Her who sils above in full armour on her great horse, her head thrown bad;, Ihe point ot her unsheathed sword lowered, as she renders homage lo God for tlio great deliverance wrought through kcr- It is a lino'idea, finely carried

It was extremely liot as wo wailed in hat crowded square for Hie ceremony to Begin, the siiji shone oul glaringly'the, pavement seemed lo burn; ih (! contact 01 I lie crowd was oppressive, unendurable, until the first detachment of f.oliliers arrived (o tnlvo up its position in Hi,- square, and then all discomfort was forgotten in Hie interest of the scene. 'I'lie. stand filled quickly with officials and important citizens; (ho Mayor arrived in his carriage, to lie greeted with cheers by toe crowd, for the way ho had succeeded m maintaining the full programme, ot the fete, a:id a beautiful general rode, up with us slafi-, taking up his position at the side ol the square almost opposite in front of the slalue.

And then began tho mnrcli past, tho ianfares, the salutes, mounted men riding in to the Square at one side, ridiup; across ill (hey came in front of tho statue, and then, with lowering of the sword, and ling and banner, saluting, the statue of .loan of Arc. They liked doing this dramatic (lung, these French officers. Ono fell,, that they knew it was fine io olTer such homage (o (he memory of a girl who had done so valiantly" for Franco nvn hundred years ago, and so they put into the s-aluto a grave enthusiasm, and' poetry that one does not associate with tho ordinary march .past. It was undoubtedly more impressive than the procession. Other towns have their Saints, hut only Orleans has its soldier maid. ' And (ho impression deepened as tho march went on. One liad thought it would be over very soon, that (his was to \k a mcro formal recognition Ijv (ha military of the patriot, but as more and moro mounted men and men on foot appeared, as there was the approach, the-long-sustained salute, and tho clatteriiiß away into tho distance, it began to seem that there was no end to them. Still they came, a thousand men, three thousand, six thousand, soldiers of to-day and veterans of yesterday, and when they had passed there came the artillery, brought from the place outside tho town where the cannon had been roaring their salute. They lumbered past tho girl whoso chief military gift, according to ono historian was her extraordinary understanding in tho proper placing of guns. More mounted' men, and flags, and standards doing homage—just how many ono could not find out—but probably nearly eight thousand. They took an hour to file past, and then when the last rider had disappeared down a cross-street, came the salute of tho men ivho had boon holding the Square, the final salute of Ui« general, and then, tho band played tho "Marseillaise," tholast of the soldiers marched out, and .1 scene of amazing and thrilling interesti was over.

The fete itself would continue till midnight, but there would for a. whole year' be nothing to equal this scene in tho heart of Orleans before the statue of its marvellous Maid. Porno day ono thinks the celebrations will be not only local, but national, that the whole of France will hold a fete of Joan of Arc, who wed all France. That may or may not be, but nothing that can ever lx> done in Paris, so disloyal in. Joan's day, can compare with this whole-' lioartcd Iribule of loyal Orleans.