Pucelle, on hearing that Melun was threatened, repaired amongst the foremost to the scene of action, and was a sharer of the victory.

In the month of April, 1429, a conspiracy was discovered in Paris, which had for its object the surrender of the city to Charles VII.; but it proved unsuccessful, and the principal actors in the plot were executed as traitors.

The period was now fast approaching when the heroine of Domremy was herself to become a captive. The supernatural agents who visited her appeared on the fosse of Melun,* according to her statement, and announced: "That before the festival of St. John she would fall into the power of her enemies that it could not be avoided that she must not be affrighted, but accept the cross with gratitude; and that God would support her strength and her courage."

Jeanne d'Arc then prayed to her two protecting saints, that they would entreat the Lord that she might die as soon as taken, and thus be spared the torments of a lingering captivity. They answered her prayers by recommending patience and resignation, refusing to reveal to her the day and

Lenglet says, (vol. i. p. 124,) "She (Jeanne) stated, that passing through Melun about Easter, she had had either a presentiment, or a species of inspiration, that she would be taken and delivered over to the English before the festival of Saint John of 1430."

:

the hour when she would be deprived of her liberty. From this moment, Jeanne affirmed, the two saints almost daily warned her of the misfortune that awaited her and she entirely refrained from giving her advice during the deliberations of the council of war, being silently submissive to the decision of her superiors. She did not, however, make known these revelations; and she continued to display, upon all occasions, her accustomed hardihood, and to brave impending dangers with the same fearlessness as before.

La Pucelle once more took up arms. She had quitted Berri, and marched into the Isle of France, for the fulfilment of her commission. She was at the head of a small body of troops, having several captains under her command; but in this expedition Jean Daulon did not accompany her. She arrived at Lagny on the Marne, during the first days of May; being nearly the same season at which, about a year before, she had entered Orleans, preparatory to the raising of the siege of that town.

It was speedily announced to La Pucelle, that a body of three or four hundred English or Burgundians were traversing the Isle of France, on their return, loaded with plunder, from ravaging the country round about Lagny. This troop was headed by Franquet of Arras, a warrior as detested for his cruelties as renowned for personal valour. Jeanne d'Arc, with Ambrose de Loré, Jean Foucault, and

Twice

a small band of troops collected by those two captains, set forward in pursuit of the enemy, whom they speedily encountered. A halt took place on each side, and the troops were marshalled in excellent order, when the onset commenced, which was so bravely contested that the victory continued for a length of time undecided. the French were repulsed, and as often La Pucelle led them back to renew the combat: victory at length crowned the efforts of Jeanne with success; and the major part of the enemy were put to the sword, the remainder falling into the hands of the victors, among whom was the commander Franquet of Arras. La Pucelle, with her captive, entered Lagny in triumph; she was at first anxious to exchange him for the lord de Lours, who had been taken prisoner by the English; but Franquet of Arras having disgraced himself by numerous crimes, it was deemed expedient to consign him over to the hands of justice. Jeanne d'Arc, having ascertained that the prisoner for whom she was desirous of exchanging Franquet was no longer in existence, abandoned the latter to the bailiff of Senlis, where he was condemned to death by the judges of that town, and beheaded accordingly. This execution,

In Holinshed's Chronicle we have the following account of the taking of Franquet of Arras :

"In the month of Maie, 1430, with a valiant man in feats

whether unjust or not, but whereof it is proved La Pucelle was wholly innocent, formed one of the

of armes, on the duke of Bourgognion's side, one Franquet and his band of three hundred souldiers, making all towards the maintenance of the siege, the Pusell Jone, and a foure hundred with hir, did meet. In great courage and force did she and hir people sundrie times assaile him, but he with his, (though much under in number,) by meanes of his archers, in good order set, did so hardilie withstand them, that for the first and second push she rather lost than wan. Wherat this captinesse, striken into a fretting chafe, called out in all hast the garrison of Laignie, and from other the forts thereabout, who, thicke and threefold, came downe with might and maine, in armour and number so far exceeding Franquet's, that though they had doone hir much hurt in hir horsemen, yet by the verie multitude were they oppressed, most in hir furie put to the sword; and as for to Franquet, that worthie capteine himselfe, hir rage not appeased, till out of hand she had his head stroken off, contrarie to all manhood, (but she was a woman, if she were that,) and contrarie to common right and law of armes. The man for his merits was verie much lamented, and she by her malice then found of what spirit she was."-See p. 603.

"This capture (of Franquet) drew down upon La Pucelle the hatred of the Burgundians, as if his imprisonment, and the execution that ensued, were to be attributed to her. The bishop of Beauvais sought to attach it as a crime to Jeanne d'Arc that she had caused the death of this officer, although she did not officiate among the number of his judges: on the contrary, she sought to have this man exchanged for a French captive detained by the English. His trial was the result of innumerable complaints made by the inhabitants of the surrounding districts, and the judges themselves represented to La Pucelle, that it did not

grounds for accusation which the English produced against her when her trial took place.

Compiegne was, however, speedily after threatened, when Jeanne d'Arc, who was at Lagny, immediately proceeded thither with the comte de Clermont and some troops. They first arrived at Soissons, the governor of which town, upon frivolous pretences, would not grant permission for the army to pass through the city. In consequence of this impediment, the forces were under the necessity of taking a circuitous road, in order to arrive at a bridge for the passage of the Oise. As the troops were destitute of provisions, the comte de Clermont judged it expedient to retire to the Loire; and the result was a complete failure in the operations

become her to intercede for a cut-throat, who had stained himself by crimes and murders in defiance of the laws of war; and that he, in consequence, deserved death an hundred times."

"The bishop of Beauvais further alleged that Jeanne had given money to the soldiers who had made Franquet prisoner; and having reproached her for this, during one of the interrogatories, she contented herself with making the following answer: "Pensez-vous que je sois une argentière ou tresorière de France, pour donner ainsi de l'argent? Think you I am a money-changer, or the treasurer of France, that I should thus distribute money?"

Replies of this nature, so frequently made by La Pucelle, would not have failed to excite astonishment in more equitable judges.