The Maid of Orleans (poem) The Maid of Orleans (poem) The Maid of Orleans () is a satirical poem by François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name, Voltaire. It was first published in 1899, but Voltaire had written it over a century beforehand; while he had started writing the text in 1730, he never completed it. It was translated into English by W. H. Ireland. Voltaire was undoubtedly one of the most controversial writers and philosophers of the Enlightenment Age, and "The Maid of Orleans" was also certainly one of his more contentious works. An epic and scandalous satire concerning the life of the
Marie Émilie de Joly de Choin to the king, they were both exiled from court. The relationship to Louis did not end, however. Marie Émilie married Louis secretly in 1694. No details are known of the ceremony, but on 19 July 1694, Louis referred to her as his legal spouse in a letter to his father's wife, Madame de Maintenon. Marie Émilie did not, however, acquire the title of "Dauphine" but continued to be officially referred to as Mademoiselle de Choin; the marriage was not officially mentioned or recognized, and she did not participate in court life. Marie Émilie resided in the palace of Meudon, where