English forces. The two armies then approach; some skirmishes took place, which were terminated by the drawing in of night, when the English retired along the margin of the small stream which runs from Senlis to Barron, and the French to Mont-Piloer.

By sunrise the following morning, Charles ordered his forces to march from the camp, and ranged them in order for battle. The army was divided into three principal bodies; that reserved for the command of La Pucelle, Dunois, and La Hire, being destined to skirmish, or despatch reinforcements, as emergency should require.

The duke of Bedford, equally prepared for the conflict, occupied a position very strong by nature, which he reinforced by digging wide fosses; his front being covered by very deep trenches, and an immense number of palings inclining forwards.

Charles having proceeded to a considerable distance from the three divisions of his army, in front of the English force, and from thence perceiving the strong position of the enemy, repressed the ardent desire he entertained of attacking the regent. The king, notwithstanding, made his troops advance until they arrived within two cross-bow shots of the enemy, when he signified by his heralds at arms, that if the English would quit their entrenched camp he would give them battle: this the duke, however, carefully avoided. Several hot skirmishes

took place, which continued until sunset, in the course of which great bravery was manifested on each side. During these brisk encounters La Pucelle, accompanied by Dunois, count d'Albret, and the intrepid La Hire, made herself conspicuous amidst the combatants; sometimes reanimating the discomfited soldiers and leading them back to the contest, and at others directing her lance with fury against those warriors who came to the attack. In the meantime Charles, accompanied by the duke de Bourbon, La Trimouille, and his guards, rode along the ranks, animating the troops, and showing himself worthy to command.

Darkness terminated these partial conflicts, the trumpets on both sides sounding a retreat; the English re-entered their camp, and the French returned to the spot near Mont-Piloer where they had slept on the preceding night. The following morning the duke of Bedford marched back to Paris, and the king to Crespy, in Valois.

While these transactions took place, La Pucelle was unremitting in her endeavours to prevail upon the king to renew his applications to the duke of Burgundy, because it appeared to her of the greatest importance to collect all the French princes under the banner of the fleur-de-lis. In compliance with her request, an embasy was despatched, which found the duke residing at Arras. The deputies being introduced, detailed to the prince

the strong desire the king entertained for a reconciliation; mentioning the youth of the latter in extenuation of the cruel act committed on the person of his father, the duke Jean. The chief minister of the prince made answer, that a reply should be forwarded in a few days.

These negotiations did not impede the operations of the royal army, and the castle and city of Creil were carried by the French, which gave them the command of the second passage over the river Oise. The most intrepid leaders of the king's forces ventured to pass that stream, and by this means extended their incursion as far as the confines of Normandy. The town and important fortress of Aumale were surprised; and the fortress of Torcy likewise fell into the power of the French, as well as Estrepagny, situate four leagues distant to the west of Gisors. Lastly, Castle Gaillard, built upon a high rugged rock on the banks of the Seine, seven leagues from Rouen, yielded without opposition to the royal forces.

Charles then repaired to Compiegne, to which place he had long been invited by the loyal prayers of its inhabitants. The king continued there for several days, and entrusted the command of the town to Guillaume de Flavy, who had rendered himself conspicuous by his promptitude and valour.*

Charles was welcomed to Compiegne with every demonstration of popular zeal, and a pomp befitting his royal dignity.

The deputation from the duke of Burgundy soon arrived; but it was evident that the duke, in sending it, had no other object in view than to make professions which he never intended to fulfil.

We have now to present our readers with a very curious document, tending to prove the high reputation which Jeanne d'Arc must have acquired, even in countries remote from the French territory.

The comte d'Armagnac had retired to the court of the king of Arragon, where he resided at the period to which our history now refers. At that time there were three claimants of the Papal See, two of whom greatly agitated the Catholic Church; and the count, believing that Jeanne d'Arc was divinely inspired, despatched a letter to inquire of her which of the contending parties possessed the most legitimate claim to the apostolic chair.

As the reply of La Pucelle, which follows, is dated Compiegne, the 22d August, 1429, it must have been forwarded from that town during her continuance there with Charles VII., at the present period of her history.

The king established there as governor a gentleman of Picardy, named Guillaume Flavy, afterwards suspected of having betrayed La Pucelle.-Lenglet, vol. i. p. 116.

The following is a copy of the before-mentioned letter:

"Lettre du Comte d'Armagnac à Jeanne la Pucelle. "Ma très chère Dame,

"Je me recommande humblement à vous, et vous supplie pour Dieu que attendre la division qui est à présent en la Sainte Eglise Universelle sur le fait des papes; car il y a trois contendans du papat : un demeure à Rome, qui se fait nommer Martin V.; auquel tous les rois Chrétiens obseïssent; l'autre demeure à Paniscelles au royaume de Valence, lequel se fait appeller le pape Clement VII.;* le tiers on ne sait où il demeure, sinon seulment le cardinal de Sainte Estiene, et peu de gens avec lui, lequel se fait appeller pape Benoit XIV. Le premier, qui se dit pape Martin, a été élu à Constance par le consentement de toutes les nations des Chrétiens. Celui qui se fait appeller Clement fut élu à Paniscelles, après la mort du pape Bénoit XIII., par trois de ses cardinaux. Le tiers, qui se nomme pape Bénoit XIV., à Paniscelles, fut élu sécrétement, même par le cardinal de Sainte Estiene. Veuillez supplier à nostre Seigneur Jesus Christ, que, par sa miséricorde infinie, nous veuille par vous déclarer qui est des trois dessus

Such is the name assigned by count d'Armagnac to this antipope. Had Clement been recognized as the legitimate possessor of the papal chair, he would have been designated, according to chronological order, Clement VIII.