which had been projected to render the enemy's plans abortive. Nevertheless Jeanne d'Arc refused to abandon a country where she conceived her presence to be necessary, and proceeded to Crespy, and from thence to Compiegne. She had made an appeal to all Frenchmen who were near enough to afford assistance to the city; and she was joined by Jacques de Chabanne, Theaulde Volpergue, Regnaut de Fontaines, Poton de Saintrailles, and many other knights renowned for valour, with about two thousand combatants. At this period the duke of Burgundy besieged the fortress of Choisy, situated in the peninsula which is formed by the rivers Aisne and Oise, affording a convenient point of communication between Compiegne and the other French cities.

In this state of affairs, Jeanne d'Arc resolved to attempt an attack on Pont l'Evêque and the other towns which furnished supplies to the enemy. Pont l'Evêque, garrisoned by the English, was on the point of being forced, when the troops which the duke of Burgundy had left at Noyon arrived to its succour. The French, being thus attacked by supeperior numbers, retreated in good order, and entered Compiegne laden with booty. In the interim the fortress of Choisy was obliged to capitulate, when the duke of Burgundy rased the castle to the ground, and rebuilt the bridge, over which his army marched to attack Compiegne to the north. This

event occurred during the absence of La Pucelle, who had retired to Lagny to procure fresh reinforcements; she, however, speedily returned, and threw herself into Compiegne, by which means she eluded the vigilance of the enemy.

The arrival of Jeanne d'Arc infused joy into the inhabitants of the town; who conceived that in this youthful heroine they beheld the protecting angel of France. Advantage was taken of this enthusiasm to march for the purpose of dislodging the enemy, from their station at Marigny, at the extremity of the causeway, where they had fortified themselves. For this purpose La Pucelle, accompanied by several captains, issued from Compiegne by the gate of the bridge, at the head of about six hundred fighting men, as well infantry as cavalry, which force proceeded across the meadow.

On descrying the French who issued from the boulevard of the bridge, the Burgundians fell back in the direction of Marigny, crying out," To arms!" The enemy then ranged themselves under Jean de Luxembourg, when the combat was begun under the most sanguinary auspices. Never did Jeanne d'Arc manifest more boldness and valour than upon this occasion: she twice repulsed the enemy, whose numbers continued increasing, until she drove the troops to their hold at Marigny. She attempted a third charge, and again compelled them to fall

back, but found it impossible to repulse them more than half way. The French, now perceiving that they must soon have to sustain the attack of the whole opposing army, gave way, directing their course towards the city. During this retrograde movement, La Pucelle marched in the rear, constantly turning round and facing the pursuers, in order to cover the retreat of her own party, and bring them back without further loss into the town. At this juncture the English advanced with the utmost celerity to cut off the retreat of the French forces; and the rapidity of this movement spread terror among the pursued, who hastened in tumult towards the barrier of the bridge boulevard, when the crush proved so dreadful that it was impossible to advance or to recede. The Burgundians, certain of being supported in every direction, made a most tremendous charge on the rear of the French squadrons, and thus spread disorder in all directions. Paralysed with terror, part of those who had fought at this spot precipitated themselves, armed, into the river, while many others surrendered themselves as prisoners. Jeanne d'Arc alone continued to defend herself with unshaken constancy. Being easily recognized by her purplecoloured dress, and the standard which she bore in one hand, while with the other she defended herself with her sword, she was soon surrounded by a crowd of warriors, who disputed with each other the honour

of making her captive. In spite of every impediment, La Pucelle arrived at the foot of the bridge boulevard: some writers have stated that she could not enter on account of the crowd, while others affirm that the gates were closed, which must have been the result of treachery. It is beyond all doubt that the fame of the heroine had awakened jealousy in the breasts of the chiefs of war, and therefore the treason of Guillaume de Flavi, who might have apprehended that Jeanne d'Arc would reap all the glory of saving Compiegne, is by no means improbable. Abandoned by all her companions in arms, and surrounded by assailants, La Pucelle displayed prodigies of valour to escape captivity. She sought to gain the open country on the side of Picardy; but a Burgundian knight, (some say, a bowman of Picardy,) seizing her by her vestments, dragged her from her horse. Thus, without pledging her faith to any one, was Jeanne captured, as she herself affirmed during her examination. The historian Monstrelet, a writer devoted to the Burgundian faction, pretends that she surrendered herself to Lyonel, Bastard of Vendôme, to whom she gave her word, and that he conducted her to Marigny, where she was placed under a very strong guard.*

In order to show the manner in which the capture of Jeanne, as well as many other important events, were recorded by English

The capture of Jeanne d'Arc spread consternation among the French forces, while it excited the most

writers, we insert the following quotations, extracted from five of our principal chronicle histories. From thence it will be obvious, that although the revisal of Jeanne's sentence had occurred when the major part of these tales were recorded, yet no notice is taken by our historians of the depositions of such honourable personages as the comte Dunois, the duke d'Alençon, the knight Daulon, &c. whose representations completely refute many of the following statements. As it is impossible to discredit for a moment the testimonies delivered on oath by such characters as the above, we must of course infer, either that our writers were misinformed, or wilfully stigmatized the memory of an unfortunate girl, who had, for a short period, tarnished the laurels of our countrymen. No document extant in France tends to impeach, in the smallest degree, the uniform chastity of Jeanne d'Arc's sentiments; yet it appears from the chronicles of Caxton and Higden, that she adduced the plea of pregnancy in order to escape execution and it is not less painful to observe that our divine Shakspeare has tarnished his pages by a repetition of that falsehood, rendered more disgusting by the manner in which it is told, in the First Part of Henry VI., act v. sc. 4, which runs as follows:

"Puc. Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts?

Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity,

That warranteth by law thy privilege.

I am with child, ye bloody homicides !

Murder not then the fruit within my womb,

Although ye hale me to a violent death.

York. Now Heav'n forefend! the holy maid with child?

War. The greatest miracle that e'er you wrought:

Is all your strict preciseness come to this?