JOAN of ARC. THE THIRD BOOK. Fair dawn'd the morning, and the early sun * The Governor of Vaucouleur appointed Deux Gentilshommes to conduct the Maid to Chinon. "Ils eurent peine à se charger de cette commission, à cause qu'il falloit passer au travers du pays ennemi; mais elle leur dit avec fermeté qu'ils ne craignissent rien, et que surement eux et elle arriveroient auprés du Roi, sans qu'il leur arrivât rien de fâcheux. Ils partirent, passerent par l'Auxerrois sans obstacle quoique les Anglois en fussent les maitres, traversérent plusieurs rivières à la nage, entrérent dans les pays de la domination du Roi, ou les parties ennemis couroient de tous côtes, sans en The autumnal rains had beaten to the earth The unreap'd harvest, from the village church Where he had slumber'd at his master's feet The rank weed flourish'd. Did they sometimes find A welcome, he who welcomed them was one rencontrer aucun; arrivérent heureusement á Chinon où le Roi étoit, et lui donnérent avis de leur arrivée et du sujet qui les amenoit. Tout le monde fût extrêmement surpris d'un si long voyage fait avec tant de bonheur. Pere Daniel. +"Nil Galliâ perturbatius, nil spoliatius, nil egentius esset, Sed neque cum milite melius agebatur, qui tametsi gaudebat prædâ, interim tamen trucidabatur passim, dum uterque rex civitates suæ factionis principes in fide retinere studeret. Igitur jam cædium satietas utrumque populum ceperat, jamque tot damna utrinque illata erant, ut quisque generatim se oppressum, laceratum, perditum ingemisceret, doloreque summo angeretur, disrumperetur, cruciaretur, ac per id animi quamvis obstinatissimi ad pacem inclinarentur. Simul urgebat ad hoc rerum omnium inopia; passim enim agri devastati Who lingered in the place where he was born, They past the Yonne, they past the rapid Loire, inculti manebant, cum præsertim homines pro vitâ tuendâ, non arva colere sed bello servire necessariò cogerentur. Ita tot urgentibus malis, neuter a pace abhorrebat, sed alter ab altero eam aut petere, vel admittere turpe putabat." Polydore Virgil. The effect of this contest upon England was scarcely less ruinous. "In the last year of the victorious Henry V. there was not a sufficient number of gentlemen left in England to carry on the business of civil government. But if the victories of Henry were so fatal to the population of his country, the defeats and disasters of the succeeding reign were still more destructive. In the 25th year of this war, the instructions given to the Cardinal of Winchester and other plenipotentiaries appointed to treat about a peace, authorise them to represent to those of France, " that there haan been moo men slayne in these wars for the title and claime of the coroune of France, of oon nacion and other, than been at this daye in both landys, and so much Christiene blode shed, that it is to grete a sorow and an orrour to think or here it." Henry. Rymer's Fœdera. Shunning Auxerre and Bars embattled wall And Romorantins towers. So journeying on, Fast by a spring, that welling at his feet "Art thou bound "For the Court Dunois?" exclaim'd the aged Knight; "I deem'd thee far away, coop'd in the walls "Of Orleans; a hard siege her valiant sons "Right loyally endure !" "I left the town," Dunois reply'd, "thinking that my prompt speed Might seize the hostile stores, and with fresh force "Re-enter. Fastoffe's better fate prevail'd, "And from the field of shame my maddening horse "Bore me, for the barb'd arrow gored his flank. "Fatigued and faint with that day's dangerous toil, "My deep wounds bleeding, vainly with weak hand "Check'd I the powerless rein. Nor ought avail'd "When heal'd at length, defeated and alone "Again to enter Orleans. In Lorraine "I sought to raise new powers, and now return'd "With strangest and most unexpected aid "Sent by high Heaven, I seek the Court, and thence "To that beleager'd town shall lead such force, "That the proud English in their fields of blood "Shall perish." "I too," Tanneguy reply'd, "May haply in the battle once again * Dunois was wounded in the battle of Herrings or Rouvrai Saint-Denys. |