Blois, and there found men of warre, vittels, and munition, ready to be conveied to Orleance."

Page 34. But the doctors found her so honest in appearance and so sage in her speech, &c.

Bernard de Girard, lord de Haillan, historian of France to Henry III., states, that upon the doctors presenting themselves to Jeanne, by order of the king, for the purpose of ascertaining whether she was a virgin or not, she expressed herself in these words:

"Je le crois, je ne sais ni A ni B ; je viens de la part du Roi du Ciel, pour faire lever le siège d'Orleans, et mener le roi à Rheims." -See Laverdy, CCCXII. and CCCLI., note 24.

"I believe it; I know neither A nor B; I come on the part of the King of heaven, to cause the siege of Orleans to be raised, and to conduct the king to Rheims."

Page 35. And he also willed and commanded that she should have a standard.

Jeanne d'Arc caused a banner to be made at Blois conformably to that which she stated to have been indicated to her in her visions; it was her chaplain who conducted this work, which represented our Saviour seated upon clouds, and an angel holding in its hand a flower de luce.

The king being further desirous of giving her a beautiful sword, &c.

As soon as Charles was satisfied concerning the celestial mission of Jeanne d'Arc, he caused her to appear at court caparisoned cap à pie, the weight of whose armour did not however prevent her from remounting on horseback unassisted, which the most robust knights could with difficulty accomplish. The king being desirous of presenting her with a fine sword, she requested his majesty to expedite a messenger to the church of Saint Catherine de Fiere Bois, in Touraine, stating, that he would there find an old weapon, on whose blade were engraved five crosses, and five fleurs de lys, with which it was decreed that she should conquer the English. Charles inquiring if she had ever visited the said church, was answered in the negative; and upon this, a person being despatched brought back the sword indicated, and whereof she made use during all her rencontres with the British.

Page 36. And he gave to accompany her, a very valiant and sage gentleman named John Daulon, &c.

On consulting the page of history for a description of the Maid of Orleans, we find it stated, that the knight Daulon, who was deputed to arm Jeanne d'Arc, affirmed, that she was young, and rather lusty; that he had seen her fine white bosom, while occupied in the performance of his duty; that he lived with her for the space of one year; during which period he states, in the most ex

pressive terms, that she always pursued the same modest line of conduct; in which assertion he is supported by the testimony of the duke d'Alençon; who sometimes during the war slept in the same apartment as the Pucelle, à la paillasse; that is to say, on a straw mattrass;" and who further attests, that her bosom, which he had seen by chance, was particularly beautiful.

All the pictorial representations upon which any reliance can be placed, as well as the written documents detailing Jeanne's external appearance, represent her as wearing a small green bonnet turned up round the brim, and adorned with an ample plume of feathers.

Whereat those of Orleans, seeing them depart, were not well content.

At the period when this dissatisfaction was testified by the people of Orleans, the Bastard Dunois, according to Dubreton, page 94, &c. delivered the following energetic speech, which merits well to be recorded.

"Gentlemen;

"I shall say nothing of the opinion of those who call a disgraceful servitude a very honourable agreement; and I think that they should neither be regarded as citizens nor admitted to the council of war. I have nothing to do with those whose advice is, that the city should be abandoned; it seems that your consent would only tend to preserve the recollection of their original valour. It is effeminate courage, and no generosity, not to be able to endure for a short period necessity and hunger. There are more found who will voluntarily brave death than of those who patiently endure misery. For myself, as

M

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honour is dear to me, I should highly approve this ad-
vice, if I found that when put into execution, we had
nothing to lose but our lives. Nevertheless, let us deli-
berate upon these things; place before yourselves,
gentlemen, your country exacting at your hands the
duty of good and loyal citizens, and conjuring you by
the soil of your birth, by the fidelity which you owe
to your legitimate prince, by the safety of your fathers,
your children, and your friends, as well as of yourselves.
Let me exhort you to fix your regard upon the whole
kingdom, whose sole dependence is placed on the pre-
servation of your city. You cannot, gentlemen, without
for ever dishonouring your name and your memory,
either deprive it of your succour by your own folly,
abandon it by your temerity, or subject it to per-
petual servitude by your want of courage. For, to what
else do the English aspire, envious as they are of your
liberty and your glory, but to incarcerate in their cities,
and eternally enslave those amongst you, whom they
have found to be the most valiant and illustrious? In all
the wars they have waged against you, they never had
any other aim or condition save that. Cast your eyes
towards all the other cities of France, groaning under the
yoke of hard servitude, and suffering every thing that the
cruelty and the rage of tyrants are accustomed to exer-
cise against towns that are oppressed. There they ravish,
pillage, beat, wound, and murder with impunity, without
any respect of age, sex, or of dignity. Daughters are
torn from the arms of their mothers, and cruelly violated
in their presence, and immolated at their feet like victims,
subject to the rage of soldiers. Cities are daily sacked

that freely surrender; by night and by day, from every quarter resound the cries and the groans of desolated families. Such being the case, consider, gentlemen, whether you prefer to protect your city with courage and with constancy; or, to betray and shamefully deliver it to a most avaricious and cruel enemy."

Page 38. The earl of Suffolk and the lords Talbot and

Escalles (Scales) sent by a herald as a present to the Bastard of Orleans, a dish full of figs, raisins, and dates, &c.

"At length, after sturdy blows being dealt on either side, the French were repulsed into the city; the Bastard of Orleans having acted worthily in this combat. Upon this account the inhabitants had great confidence in him; for relying upon his valour and his prudence, they often made sallies, finding nothing hazardous or difficult under the order of this great captain. So that it was no easy matter to discern whether he was most loved and obeyed by the soldiers, or by the citizens. Upon the most important and perilous occasions there was no one more esteemed by the citizens as a leader than himself, nor did the soldiers ever fight with greater confidence and hardihood than when led to the field by the Bastard. He was neither deficient on the score of courage in the midst of danger, nor of prudence during the conflict. He was indefatigable of body, and his valour invincible in war. He was abstemious in eating and in drinking, never yielding to voluptuousness, but following only the strict calls of nature. Neither by day nor by night was any difference made by him in the