The Maid

The Maid by Kimberly Cutter

Statue of Joan of Arc in Paris from wikipedia:

(of gilt bronze)

A powerful and beautifully scripted story

of Joan of Arc. Magnificent in its scope

and also an inspirational story of an inspirational

young woman who inspired thousands of soldiers

to follow her.

I enjoyed reading this book. It is as though the reader

travels with Joan of Arc through her tumultuous life,

relating to her sadness and also her joy of life.

This book is descriptive and evokes a time in France of

the early fifteenth century when life was very different with

the English and Burgundy in opposition to the Holy Kingdom

of France, as Joan of Arc at the time believed the kingdom was

and that she had been sent on a holy mission from God to

free France and crown the king, Charles VII, at Reims Cathedral,

where all previous kings had been crowned.

The story is quite extraordinary as Joan of Arc was a young peasant

girl without material support or influence initially,

but who showed true faith, strength in opposition and determination.

Unfortunately, there are also gruesome battle accounts in the story

however the author does portray the times authentically and is most

likely reflecting the harsh reality of some of those more distant battles

in the past. Also, sometimes perhaps the harshness of life.

The sword of Charles Martel, who had freed France from the Saracens

was also carried by Joan of Arc. In her magnificent armour and splendid

war horse she must have presented quite a spectacle, a radiant vision, leading her soldiers on to

battle and riding with the wind across the beautiful fields of France holding her

white satin banner aloft with the inscription of Jesu Maria on both sides

and a picture of Jesus on the globe and two winged angels with golden lilies

in the background and was also trimmed with golden fringe.

Joan of Arc showed bravery and was a fearless

warrior. She also had many loyal supporters. She became quite the heroine

after the siege of Orleans.

This book gives an incentive to read more of

Joan of Arc. There is a site “Maid of Heaven” of poetry written by a

contemporary poet of the time, Christine de Pisan who wrote of Joan of Arc.

“The Maid” is a wonderful story to read with magnificent settings in the Valley

of the Loire and the castles where Joan of Arc often stayed with the king and

his courtiers.

The depiction of the characters surrounding Joan of Arc, her supporters and fellow

soldiers, including the The Duc D'Alencon, who had been a prisoner of the English

for five years, gives a personal perspective.

The dialogue is crisp and clear and the story flows from the pages.

A wonderful story to behold! Beautiful.

A Vision of Beauty

A Vision of Beauty

In 1693 at the time of his retirement, Le Notre, the King's gardener,

gave a gift to the King. He invited Louis XIV to select any paintings

he wished from his art collection of 250 paintings.

It is significant and noteworthy that many of the paintings which Louis XIV

selected are now available to view at the Louvre in Paris.

Included paintings of the 20 paintings which the king initially included in his small gallery are:

Albani's “Acteon Changing into a Stag”

“Apollo and Daphne”

“Salmacis and Hermaphrodite”

Claude Lorraine's “Seaport at Sunset”

“Village Fete”

Poussin's “Woman Taken in Adultery”

“Moses Saved from the Waters”

“Saint John Baptising the People”

Significant also that the themes of the paintings selected

were of a mythological nature, beauty (“Sea Port at Sunset” is

mystical, magical, beautiful) and religion.

The king had an eye for beauty, wished to create beauty.

He had a vision of Versailles from a young age. He had

often gone hunting there in his earlier days.

Where had stood atop the hill a little windmill which

his father would sleep in at nights after hunting in the

nearby forest of St Leger. Thereafter a little pavilion

was built by Louis XIII.

Nicholas Fouquet's “Vaux-le-Vicomte” may have been the

time for change and which eventually did inspire him to

start his own building plan. Prior to this time, Louis XIV

had been confined to older style palaces in Paris or Fontainebleu.

Vaux le Vicomte may have given him a glimpse of what was

achievable with new concepts, space and light, entertainment

areas and gardens.

His new finance Minister, Colbert, would have liked to have seen

Louis XIV devote more time and energy to the Louvre. However,

over time Louis XIV became so inspired by Versailles that he actually

would oversee personally the decorating and arranging of art works

himself at Versailles, including the gardens also.

If the king was not in attendance,

as he may have been away, he would write for updates to be given of

the progress of the works, fountains, flowers.

Louise de la Valliere was at one

time an inspiration for the beautiful gardens of Versailles. Being of a serene

and peaceful nature the softer images of the flowers and parterres would have

complemented her beauty also.

The Grand Canal and gondolas which were given by the Senate of

Venice enhanced the colours and magic of the landscaped scene with

their flags and pennants and sailors in bright coloured livery.

Beautiful white swans glided gracefully along the Grand Canal.

The king enjoyed water concerts and fire-works displays but at one time

his doctor told him he should forgo these activities.

In winter the royal party enjoyed sleigh rides and ice-

skating on the Grand Canal. The king's son enjoyed

these winter sports.

The fountains were magical. It was almost as a gift that the two

Francini brothers arrived at the right time to enhance the

fountains and gardens with beautiful water works.

Wonderful arches of spray would form on a summer's day

where the courtiers and ladies could walk

under the jets of water without becoming wet.

So many fountains and jets of spray, at least fourteen hundred.

The Labyrinthe being quite magical was the place of mythological

statues, animals and stories with the figures of Cupid and Aesop

at the entrance. Unfortunately, this Labyrinthe no longer exists.

At the time it was a marvel and admired by many influential people.

There was also a Marais which had belonged to Madame de Montespan,

creating the artificial with nature, lights from a fountain and tree.

Louis XIV ordered the Marais to be

replaced later. As also, the Trianon de Porcelaine, known as a Palace of

Flora, for its beautiful and rare flowers. Flowers of every kind. This was

subsequently replaced by the Marble Trianon. Sometimes in the evenings

the king and some of his attendants and ladies would visit these flower gardens.

There is a note written by an English author: from Project Gutenburg's

“The Story of Versailles” by Francis Loring Payne:

"In the midst of all the austerities imposed upon him by the ambition of Madame de Maintenon, the King went to Trianon to inhale the breath of the flowers which he had planted there, of the rarest and most odoriferous kind. On the infrequent occasions when the Court was permitted to accompany him thither to share in his evening collation, it was a beautiful spectacle to see so many charming women wandering in the midst of the flowers on the terrace rising from the banks of the canal. The air was so rich with the mingled perfume of violets, orange flowers, jessamines, tuberoses, hyacinths and narcissuses that the King and his visitors were sometimes obliged to fly from the overpowering sweets. The flowers in the parterres were arranged in a thousand different figures, which were constantly changed, so that one might have supposed it to be the work of some fairy, who, passing over the gardens, threw upon them each time a new robe aglow with color."

The Hall of Mirrors, the “Galerie des Glaces” was a wonderful show piece.

Thousands of wax candles glimmered in chandeliers of crystal

and silver ware creating an effect of extreme beauty. Silverware, beautiful

views overlooking the gardens, the rays of the sunlight which at different times

of the day would pattern the marble floor would have created a beauteous

and peaceful image.

At sunset the rays would have shone directly into the Hall of Mirrors in all of

its gilded splendour creating a magical scene, sublime with the beauty and

colour of the sun.

The marble floor and silverware, including orange trees in silver vases,

were subsequently replaced.

Flowers, clothing, ornamentation and entertainments created a wonderful

theatre of life.

Louis XIV was a magical king who created a show piece of magnificence

and wonderful landscaped gardens which were admired

and followed by other European courts.

Tradition and ceremony, religion, were all important to him.

He was also loved by the people.

I have visited Versailles three times and each time it is with a sense of wonder

that I first see a statue of the king on a horse at the entrance gates and the grand

setting of the courtyard and buildings which housed so many people when the

court and courtiers lived at Versailles. The centre of court and government.

A scheme of things.

Don't Fence Me In and A Visit to the Park

Once again the poetry of Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson proves popular
at Poetry in Paradise which was held at the library in the week-end.  These
poets wrote bush poetry of Australia and stories of the outback which is a
popular genre.

I include two poems which I wrote for the occasion.
(For poems of Versailles, please refer to earlier postings.)

I have commenced reading the powerful novel of Joan of Arc and read to
chapter 25 last night.  I will continue reading this riveting story and write a
review later.  The book
is "The Maid" by Kimberly Cutter and this is powerful writing indeed!  I
am finding the book enjoyable to read as it is set in early times in rural France,
 Domremy, the little village where Joan of Arc grew up with her family.
I love books which are set in France and also enjoyed reading of the early years
of Louise de la Valliere in rural French towns and villages in the Loire region
of France and Paris in Sandra Gulland's
novel of "Mistress of the Sun."

I sometimes think I would like to write a novel.  The  standard of writing by
new and contemporary writers is quite extraordinary. I am always impressed.

Don't Fence Me In

 

What a wonderful song!

A reminder of old times round a piano

A sing-song

Don't Fence Me In:

The Song would go

From a long time ago:

I think of beautiful meadows

where elk and deer roam free

Tall grasses, wild swan

And trees of glorious colour would see

And the antelope chases down a mountain stream

The Song of the antelope

As a dream

Wild nature at its best

Natural environment forms the rest;

Shingle pathways with wild flowers

Swaying in the breeze

fields and fields of corn and maize

and in the distance

a setting sun

glimmering in its haze-

A Sun's haze-

beautiful, enduring

creating a golden landscape

of spectacle;

The darkening shadows

The land at Sun-fall

Or-

an eclipse, a Star-light glimpse,

where Earth and Sun and Moon collide

“Now you see me,

Now you don't”-

In a magical Earth-like slide

And the Sun and the Moon do glide

In glorious wonder from Heaven's side

“Oh, to be a fairy on a magical Moon trip ride”

Through the celestial stars and skies so wide:

Nature and magic

It is so blessed

A beauteous world

golden, carressed;

Glimpsed with wonder in my eyes

The sparkling lights of Texas lie

Flying across American skies:

So beautiful for sure

This wondrous world

with sights unfurled;

“Beauty” and “Light”

Falls within

and falls without-

Now we know what the Song's about

“Don't Fence Me In.”

As the seasons are now changing and on the

Gold Coast the spring colours are quite vibrant,

noticeable and beautiful I will take some more

pictures and post some of the photos.

Next poem:

Visiting the Park

Visiting the Park

spring colours

Bright and stark.

Oranges, yellows

greens and blue

In shades and shadows

Budding flowers of every hue-

What a gift of nature be

Glorious in majesty:-

Lilies on a gleaming pond

Star-light, Star-bright

A glittering Sun:-

ducklings, starlings

can be found;

In trees of ever-green

bird song echoes

a magical sound

swirling in a care-free scene:

A beauteous light

Patterned bright

sets the scene:

A world is free:-

And here it was

that a golden friend

was met be chance

came across my path:

For as the day

deepened and became dark

He needed shelter from the park:

Golden labrador,

that he was-

His name “Amber” was because:

Amber eyes with golden coat

Knew instructions as by rote:

“Sit Down,

Come here.”-

Friendly, happy

socialised

As with people

he could cope:

Such a good boy

A cherished friend

And to his home

I had to send.

The Brother of Fire by Christian Jacq

The Brother of Fire by Christian Jacq

On New Year's Day in New Zealand Concert FM

would play the most popular pieces of music which

had been voted by the listeners. Invariably a musical

score by Mozart was in the top few favourite pieces of

music.

I remember listening to some of Mozart's music and found it

so beautiful, sublime, incredibly moving, spiritual and magical.

This was often the best.

Having read “The Brother of Fire” by Christian Jacq now gives me

more insights into the wonderful music of Mozart. As was mentioned

in the book, Mozart's music would echo through the centuries which

of course it has done.

The spiritual dimension of the music, the life and tribulations of Mozart,

his father, Leopold, his wife, Constanze, his bird, Star, and dog, Gaukerl,

his musical friends and fellow brothers of freemasonry all make for a wonderful

story in the setting of Vienna, a musically inspiring

city itself.

The story of freemasonry in this setting is also a major part of the

book. The rituals, the spiritual nature and the quest for the mysteries of

Ancient Egypt to be revealed give fascinating insights of a spiritual nature.

The dialogue, flow of conversation and story of Vienna in the eighteenth

century governed by the Emperor, Josef II are magnificent. This city was

soon to be engaged in battle with the Turks which was frightening for many

of its citizens.

I found this book to be one of the best of the Mozart series of books. There was

deep meaning to be found in the operas, “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don

Giovanni” which gave an extra dimension to the book and understanding of

the beauty and spiritual nature of the music of Mozart. The writer has a

clear affinity with the composer and an understanding of the composer's

life, music, world and need for perfection. The music of Mozart could

transport people to new dimensions, and Mozart did like to sometimes

listen to the music of the great Johann Sebastian Bach.

For great adventure and a wonderful read I would recommend this book

“The Brother of Fire” for people with a love of the beautiful music of

Mozart. This book is historical fiction with a ring of truth about it. It is

wonderful to read.

Sandra