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dits vrai pape, et auquel plaira que l'on obeïsse de cy en avant; ou à celui qui se dit Bénoit, ou à celui qui se dit Clement, et auquel nous devrons croire, si secrétement, ou par aucune dissimulation, ou publique, ou manifeste; car nous serons tous prêts de faire le vouloir et le plaisir, de notre Seigneur Jesus Christ. Le tout votre,

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"I commend myself humbly to you, and supplicate you in the name of God, on account of the division which at present exists in the Holy Universal Church respecting the affairs of the popes, for there are three pretenders to the papacy: one lives at Rome, who calls himself Martin V., to whom all the kings of Christendom obey; the other resides at Paniscella, in the kingdom of Valencia, who names himself pope Clement VII.; the third, no one knows where he lives except the cardinal of St. Stephen's, and a few others with him, and he calls himself pope Benedict XIV. The first, pope Martin, was elected at Constance, by the consent of all Christendom. Clement was elected at Paniscella, after the death of Benedict XIII., by three of his cardinals. The third, called pope

Benedict XIV., living at Paniscella, was elected in secret by the cardinal of St. Stephen's. Would you supplicate the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that by his infinite mercy he would declare to us by you which of the three above-mentioned is the true pope, and to which he would be pleased we should obey from the present henceforth, whether to Benedict or to Clement: and in whom we ought to believe, whether secretly or by any other dissimulation, public or manifest; for we shall be always ready to act the will and the pleasure of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every thing to you,

"COMTE D'ARMAGNAC."

To the above communication Jeanne d'Arc transmitted the following reply:

"JESUS MARIA.

"Comte d'Armagnac,

"Mon très cher et bon amy, Theanne la Pucelle vous fait sçavoir que votre message est venus par devers moi, lequel m'a dict que l'avez envoyé par de ça pour sçavoir de moi auquel des trois papes que mandez par mémoire vous deviez croire; de la quelle chose ne vous puis bonnement faire sçavoir au vray pour le présent, jusques à ce que je sois à Paris ou ailleurs à requoy; car je suis pour le présent trop empeschée aux faicts de la guerre: mais quand vous saurez que je serai

à Paris, envoyez moi ung message par devers moi, et je vous ferai sçavoir tout au vrai auquel vous devez croire,* et que en aurez sçu par le conseil de mon Souverain Seigneur le Roy de tout le monde, et que en aurez affaire à tout mon pouvoir. A Dieu vous commens. Dieu soit garde de vous! Escrit à Compiegne + le XXII. jour d'Août, 1429.

"JESUS MARIA.

"Count d'Armagnac,

66

My very dear and good friend, Jeanne la Pucelle makes known to you that your message has come to me; the which states that you have

Jeanne d'Arc complained, in the course of the fifth interrogatory, that her words had been changed. It seems that it was especially the case respecting this answer, wherein she professed herself dubious as to which of the popes was entitled to obedience. She says, that she obeyed the pope then sitting at Rome, (Martin V., elected by the Council of Constance, after the abdication of Gregory XII. and the deposing of John XXIII. and Benedict XIII.), and that the answer she gave to the messenger of the comte d'Armagnac was to that effect. — Observations of Lenglet. See also Laverdy, p. 44.

N. B. This comte d'Armagnac was Jean IV., son of the famous constable, of whom we have so frequently spoken in our Summary.

†The statement made in the Itinerary is thus substantiated, (vol. ii. note 27, page 22,) where it is said, "that the king arrived at Compiegne on the 22d of August, the monarch being usually accompanied by Jeanne d'Arc."

sent to me to know in which of the three popes, whom you name from recollection, you ought to believe; of the which thing cannot I verily know the truth for the present, until I shall be at Paris, or elsewhere, in quiet, for I am at present too much hindered by affairs of war; but when you shall learn that I am at Paris, send a messenger to me, and I will make known to you for a truth in whom you ought to believe, and that I shall have learned by the counsel of my Sovereign Lord the King of all the world, and then you will see the whole of my power. To God I commend you. May God be your guard! Written at Compiegne this XXIII. day of August, 1429."

The constable, comte de Richemont, thinking it humiliating to continue in a state of inactivity, quitted his retreat at Parthenay, and passing the Loire, took the castle of Gallerande, that of Ramefort, and the important fortress of Malicorne, from the English. He then advanced towards Evreux, with a force not so formidable from its numbers as from its bravery. The duke of Bedford, seeing Normandy threatened in two directions, (for he did not doubt but it was the king's intention to penetrate into that province,) took the route for Rouen, passing through St. Denis. Charles VII., apprized of the regent's departure, resolved to quit Compiegne, and direct his march

towards Paris. The royal forces, in consequence, encamped at Senlis, when Pont-Sainte, Maxence, Choisy, Chantvilly, and a number of less important places, opened their gates as soon as summoned to surrender by the king's heralds

at arms.

The various accounts which had arrived in the capital, the example of so many cities reduced to the obedience of Charles VII., the inactivity of the duke of Burgundy, and the absence of the duke of Bedford, all combined to raise a hope that an attempt upon Paris might be attended with success. The king first presented himself before St. Denis, which town threw open its gates to receive him, when the monarch immediately proceeded to offer up thanks to Heaven, in the great church where the remains of his royal ancestors were deposited.

While at this town, the people of Lagny *

*" Jeanne d'Arc was desirous of remaining with the garrison of Saint Denis, but the lords of the court obliged her to follow them. On the twelfth of September the king left Saint Denis; and being given to understand that the people of the city of Lagny on the Marne wished to submit to his authority, he repaired thither, accompanied by La Pucelle. During the period of her continuance in this town, a still-born infant was carried to the church, which, having been kept for three days, was black and livid, no appearance whatsoever of life being apparent in the babe. The girls of the city supplicated Jeanne d'Arc to visit the church

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