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But not to share the hospitable board
And hear sweet minstrelsy, Dunois had sought
Sir Robert's hall; he came to rouse Lorraine,
And glean what force the wasting war had left
For one last effort. Little had the war

Left in Lorraine, but age, and youth unripe
For slaughter yet, and widows, and young maids
Of widowed loves. And now with his high guest

Cawny ended their lives. The next of kynne to the Lord Cawny chalenged the inheritaunce, which was worth foure thousande crounes a yere, alledgyng that the boye was a bastard: and the kynred of the mother's side, for to save her honesty, it plainly denied. In conclusion, this matter was in contencion before the presidentes of the Parliament of Paris, and there hang in controversie till the child came to the age of eight years old. At whiche tyme it was demanded of hym openly whose sonne he was; his frendes of his mother's side advertised hym to require a day, to be advised of so great an, answer, whiche he asked, and to hym it was granted. In the mean season, his said frendes persuaded him to claime his in-, heritance as sonne to the Lorde of Cawny, whiche was an ho-, norable livyng, and an auncient patrimony, affirming that if he said contrary, he not only slaundered his mother, shamed hymself, and stained his bloud, but also should have no livyng, nor any thing to take to. The scholemaster thinkyng that his

The Lord of Vaucouleur sat communing

On what might profit France, and knew no hope, Despairing of his country, when he heard

An old man and a maid awaited him

In the castle hall. He knew the old man well,
His vassal Claude, and at his bidding Claude

disciple had wel learned his lesson, and would reherse it ac cording to his instruccion, brought hym before the Judges at the daie assigned, and when the question was repeted to hym again, he boldly answered "my harte geveth me, and my tonge telleth me, that I am the sonne of the noble Duke of Orleaunce, more glad to be his bastarde, with a meane livyng, than the lawful sonne of that coward cuckolde Cauny, with his four thousand crownes." The Judges much merveiled at his bolde answere, and his mother's cosyns detested hym for shamyng of his mother, and his father's supposed kinne rejoysed in gaining the patrimony and possessions. Charles Duke of Orleaunce heryng of this judgment, took hym into his family, and gave hym greate offices and fees, whiche he well deserved, for (during his captivitie) he defended his landes, expulsed the Englishmen, and in conclusion procured his deliverance.

Hall. Folio 104.

Perhaps Shakespear recollected this anecdote of Dunois when he drew the character of the Baftard Falconbridge.

Approached, and after meet obeisance made,

Bespake Sir Robert.

"Good my Lord, I come

"With a strange tale; I pray you pardon me

"If it should seem impertinent, and like

"An old man's weakness. But, in truth, this Maid "Did with most earnest words importune me, "And with such boding thoughts impress'd my heart, "I think that I could not have slept in peace "Denying what she + sought. Her parents make

The following account of JOAN of ARC is extracted from a history of the siege of Orleans, printed at Troyes 1621; prise de mot à mot, sans aucun changement de langage, d'un vieil exemplaire escrit a la main en parchemin, & trouvé en la maison de la dicte ville d'Orleans.

"Or en ce temps avoit une jeune fille au pais de Lorraine, aagee de dix-huict ans ou environ, nommee Janne, natifue d'un paroisse nommee Dompre, fille d'un Laboureur nomme Jacques Tart; qui jamais n'avoit fait autre chose que garder les bestes aux champs, a la quelle, ainsi qu'elle disoit, avoit estè revelè que Dieu vouloit qu'elle allast devers le Roi Charles septiesme, pour luy aider & le conseiller a recouvrer son roy

"A mock of her ;-it is not well to mock
"The damsel, and altho' her mother be
"My sister, yet in honesty I think

"It is unkindly done to mock the Maid.
"And then her father Confessor, he says
"She is possess'd; indeed he knows her not.

"

'Possess'd! my niece by evil spirits possess'd!

aume & ses villes & places que les Anglois avoient conquises en ses pays. La quelle revelation elle n'osa dire à ses pere & mere, pource qu'elle scavoit bien que jamais n'eussent consenty qu'elle y fust allee ; & le persuada tant qu'il la mena devers un Gentelhomme nomme Messire Robert de Baudricourt, qui pour lors estoit Cappitaine de la ville, on chasteau de Vaucouleur, qui est assez prochain de la: auquel elle pria tres instanment qu'il la fist mener devers le Roy de France, en leur disant qu'il estoit tres necessaire qu'elle parlast a luy pour le bien de son royaume, & que elle luy feroit grand secours & aide a recouvrer son dict royaume, & que Dieu le vouloit ainsi, & que il luy avoit esté revelé par plusieurs fois. Des quelles parolles il ne faisoit que rire & se mocquer & la reputoit incensee: toutesfois elle persevera tant & si longuement qu'il luy bailla un Gentelhomme, nommè Ville Robert, & quelque nombre de gens, les quels la menerent devers le Roy que pour lors estoit a Chinon.

"My darling girl! there never was a thought “Of evil yet found entrance in her heart.—

"I knew her, good my Lord, before her smile, "Her innocent smile, and bright black-sparkling eye "That talk'd before the tongue had learnt its office, “ Did tell me she did love me.”

Whilst he spake

Curious they mark'd the Damsel. She appear'd
Of eighteen years; there was no bloom of youth

*This agrees with the account of her age given by Holinshed, who calls her " a young wench of an eighteene years old, of favour was she counted likesome, of person stronglie made and manlie, of courage great, hardie, and stout withall; an understander of counsels though she were not at them, greet semblance of chastitie both of bodie and behaviour, the name of Jesus in hir mouth about all her businesses, humble, obedient, and fasting divers daies in the weeke."

Holinshed, 600.

De Serres speaks thus of her, "A young maiden named Joan of Arc, borne in a village upon the Marches of Barre called Domremy, neere to Vaucouleurs, of the age of eighteene or twenty years, issued from bare parents, her father was named James of Arc, and her mother Isabel, poore coun

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