Magnificat Vol. LVI, No 5 133 coincidence. Let them tell us how, at the same moment, at the same precise hour, the German troops halted and then retreated the following day, and four children proclaimed that the BlessedVirgin had announced the end of our misfortunes. “For me, everything appears providential in the events of theWar of 1870, which ended with the famous and unforgettable Apparition. It is impossible not to see the arm of God chastising “The beautiful Lady – so beautiful that nothing like Her had ever been seen in person or in image – appeared to be young, eighteen or twenty years old, of a rather tall stature. Her clothing consisted of a very dark blue robe. [...] On this robe were strewn five-pointed gold stars, all the same size, in no particular order. [...] “The black veil rested on Her head, covered Her hair and ears, fell upon Her shoulders. It hid about half of Her forehead. [...] The gold crown was on top of the black veil. It resembled a diadem: taking the shape of Her head at the bottom, it rose almost straight in front and flared out on the sides. The crown was divided in the middle by a red border, five to six millimeters wide, which circled the crown. “Her hands were small, extended and lowered towards us as in the Miraculous Medal, but without emanating any rays. [...] Her eyes, of an unparalleled sweetness and incomparable tenderness, were directed towards us. Like a mother, She seemed happier to see us than we were to contemplate Her. “I must say that despite the darkness of the night (there was only beautiful starlight), despite the distance that separated us from the beautiful Lady (about a hundred meters), we saw all the details of Her face and Her clothing as clearly as if we had been close to the Vision and in broad daylight. The blue of the robe was perfectly distinguishable from the blue of the sky. [...] Nothing seemed diaphanous, translucent or nebulous: it was a living person, dressed in real cloth, that we had before us.” Récit d’un voyant – Account of a Seer, by Father Joseph Barbedette the guilty nation, and then, after the blood of atonement had been shed, pardon coming down from Heaven in the arms of Mary.” All the historians of Pontmain have quoted these words of General Schmidt, who declared to Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia: “It is over, we will go no further. Over there in the direction of Brittany, an invisible Madonna is blocking our way.” The armistice was signed on the following January 28.
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