When the famous chief Derar was fighting in Syria against the generals of the Emperor Heraclius, in the time of the caliph Abubeker, successor to Mahomet, Peter, who commanded at Damascus, took thither5 several women, whom he had captured, together with some booty, in one of his excursions; among the prisoners was the sister of Derar. Alvakedi’s “Arabian History,” translated by Ockley, says that she was a perfect beauty, and that Peter became enamored of her, paid great attention to her on the way, and indulged her and her fellow-prisoners with short marches. They encamped in an extensive plain, under tents, guarded by troops posted at a short distance. Caulah (so this sister of Derar’s was named) proposed to one of her companions, called Oserra, that they should endeavor to escape from captivity6, and persuaded her rather to die than be a victim to the lewd7 desires of the Christians9. The same Mahometan enthusiasm seized all the women; they armed themselves with the iron-pointed staves that supported their tents, and with a sort of dagger10 which they wore in their girdles; they then formed a circle, as the cows do when they present their horns to attacking wolves. Peter only laughed at first; he advanced toward the women, who gave him hard blows with the staves; after hesitating for some time, he at length resolved to use force; the sabres of his men were already drawn11, when Derar arrived, put the Greeks to flight, and delivered his sister and the other captives.
Nothing can more strongly resemble those times called heroic, sung by Homer. Here are the same single combats at the head of armies, the combatants frequently holding a long conversation before they commerce fighting; and this, no doubt, justifies12 Homer.
Thomas, governor of Syria, Heraclius’s son-in-law, made a sally from Damascus, and attacked Sergiabil, having first prayed to Jesus Christ. “Unjust aggressor,” said he to Sergiabil, “thou canst not resist Jesus, my God, who will fight for the champions of His religion.” “Thou tellest an impious lie,” answered Sergiabil; “Jesus is not greater before God than Adam. God raised Him from the dust; He gave life to Him as to another man, and, after leaving Him for some time on earth, took Him up into heaven.” After some more verbal skirmishing the fight began. Thomas discharged an arrow, which wounded young Aban, the son of Saib, by the side of the valiant13 Sergiabil; Aban fell and expired; the news of his death reached his young wife, to whom he had been united but a few days before; she neither wept nor complained, but ran to the field of battle, with a quiver at her back, and a couple of arrows in her hand; with the first of these she killed the Christian8 standard-bearer, and the Arabs seized the trophy14, crying, Allah achar! With the other she shot Thomas in the eye, and he retired15, bleeding, into the town.
Arabian history is full of similar examples, but they do not tell us that these warlike women burned their right breast, that they might draw the bow better, nor that they lived without men; on the contrary, they exposed themselves in battle for their husbands or their lovers; from which very circumstance we must conclude that, so far from reproaching Ariosto and Tasso for having introduced so many enamored warriors16 into their poems, we should praise them for having delineated real and interesting manners.
When the crusading mania17 was at its height there were some Christian women who shared the fatigues18 and dangers of their husbands. To such a pitch, indeed, was this enthusiasm carried that the Genoese women undertook a crusade of their own, and were on the point of setting out for Palestine to form petticoat battalions19; they had made a vow20 so to do, but were absolved21 from it by a pope, who was a little wiser than themselves.
Margaret of Anjou, wife of the unfortunate Henry VI. of England, evinced, in a juster war, a valor22 truly heroic; she fought in ten battles to deliver her husband. History affords no authenticated23 example of greater or more persevering24 courage in a woman. She had been preceded by the celebrated25 Countess de Montfort, in Brittany. “This princess,” says d’Argentré, “was virtuous26 beyond the nature of her sex, and valiant beyond all men; she mounted her horse, and managed him better than any esquire; she fought hand to hand, or charged a troop of armed men like the most valiant captain; she fought on sea and land with equal bravery,” etc. She went, sword in hand, through her states, which were invaded by her competitor, Charles de Blois. She not only sustained two assaults, armed cap-à-pie, in the breach27 of Hennebon, but she made a sortie with five hundred men, attacked the enemy’s camp, set fire to it, and reduced it to ashes.
The exploits of Joan of Arc, better known as the Maid of Orleans, are less astonishing than those of Margaret of Anjou and the Countess de Montfort. These two princesses having been brought up in the luxury of courts, and Joan of Arc in the rude exercises of country life, it was more singular, as well as more noble, to quit a palace for the field than a cottage.
The heroine who defended Beauvais was, perhaps, superior to her who raised the siege of Orleans, for she fought quite as well, and neither boasted of being a maid, nor of being inspired. It was in 1472, when the Burgundian army was besieging28 Beauvais, that Jeanne Hachette, at the head of a number of women, sustained an assault for a considerable time, wrested29 the standard from one of the enemy who was about to plant it on the breach, threw the bearer into the trench30, and gave time for the king’s troops to arrive and relieve the town. Her descendants have been exempted31 from the taille (poll tax)— a mean and shameful32 recompense! The women and girls of Beauvais are more flattered by their walking before the men in the procession on the anniversary day. Every public mark of honor is an encouragement of merit; but the exemption33 from the taille is but a proof that the persons so exempted were subjected to this servitude by the misfortune of their birth.
There is hardly any nation which does not boast of having produced such heroines; the number of these, however, is not great; nature seems to have designed women for other purposes. Women have been known but rarely to exhibit themselves as soldiers. In short, every people have had their female warriors; but the kingdom of the Amazons, on the banks of the Thermodon, is, like most other ancient stories, nothing more than a poetic34 fiction.
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1
fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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succor
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| n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助 | |
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avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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7
lewd
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| adj.淫荡的 | |
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8
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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10
dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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11
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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12
justifies
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| 证明…有理( justify的第三人称单数 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护） | |
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13
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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14
trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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18
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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absolved
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| 宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责） | |
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valor
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| n.勇气，英勇 | |
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authenticated
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| v.证明是真实的、可靠的或有效的( authenticate的过去式和过去分词 )；鉴定，使生效 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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besieging
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的现在分词 ) | |
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29
wrested
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| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
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30
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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31
exempted
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| 使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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33
exemption
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| n.豁免，免税额，免除 | |
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34
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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