70AN of ARC.

THE SEVENTH BOOK.

Strong were the English *forts, by daily toil
Of thousands rear'd on high, when arrogant
With fancied conquest, Salisbury bade rise
The amazing pile, from succour to include
Besieged Orleans. Round the city walls.

*The patience and perseverance of a besieging army in those ages appear almost incredible to us now. The camp of Ferdinand before Granada swelled into a city. Edward III. made a market town before Calais. Upon the Captain's refusal to surrender, says Barnes "he began to entrench himself strongly about the city, setting his own tent directly against the chief gates at which he intended to enter; then he placed bastions between the town and the river, and set out regular streets, and rear'd up decent buildings of strong timber between the trenches, which he covered with thatch, reed, broom and skins. Thus he encompassed the whole town of

Stretch'd the wide circle, massy as the fence
Erst by the fearful Roman on the bounds

Of Caledonia rais'd, for, soul-enslaved

Her hireling plunderers fear'd the car-borne chiefs Who rush'd from Morven down.

Strong battlements

Crested the mighty bulwark, on whose top
Secure the charioteer might wheel along.
The frequent buttress at just distance, rose
Declining from its base, and sixty forts

Calais, from Risban on the northwest side to Courgaine on the northeast, all along by Sangate, at Port and Fort de Niculay, commonly by the English called Newland bridge, down by Hammes, Cologne and Marke; so that his camp looked like a spacious city, and was usually by strangers, that came thither to market, called New Calais. For this Prince's reputation for justice was so great, that to his markets (which he held in his camp twice every week, viz: on Tuesdays and Saturdays for flesh, fish, bread, wine and ale, with cloth and all other necessaries) there came not only his friends and allies from England, Flanders and Aquitain, but even many of King Philip's subjects and confederates conveyed thither their cattle and other commodities to be sold.

Lifted aloft their turret-crowned heads,

All firm and massy. But of these most firm,
As tho' of some large castle each the Keep,
Stood six square fortresses with turrets flank'd,
Piles of unequall'd strength, tho' now deem'd weak
'Gainst puissance more than mortal. Safely hence
The skilful archer entering * with his eye
The city, might, himself the while unseen,
Thro' the long opening shower his winged deaths.
Loire's waves diverted fill'd the deep-dug moat
Circling the pile, a bulwark vast, as what
Round their disheartened camp and stranded ships
The Greeks uprear'd, a common sepulchre

Of thousands slaughter'd, and the doom'd death-place
Of many a Chief, when Priam's patriot son

Rush'd in his wrath and scattered their pale tribes,

Nunc lentus, celsis adstans in collibus, intrat
Urbem oculis, discitque locos caussasque locorum.

Silius Italicus. xii. 567.

But cowering now amid their sheltering forts
Tremble the English host. Their leaders care
In anxious vigilance prepares to ward
Assault expected. Nor the Maid's intent

Did he not rightly areed; tho' vain the attempt
To kindle in their breasts the wonted flame
Of valour; for by prodigies unmann'd

They wait the morn; the soldiers pride was gone,
The blood was on their swords, their bucklers lay
Unburnish'd and * defiled, they sharpened not
Their blunted spears, the affrighted archer's hand
Relaxed not his bent bow. To them, confused
With fears of unknown danger the long night
Was dreadful, but more dreadful dawn'd the day.

* Abjecere madentes,

Sicut erant, clypeos; nec quisquam spicula tersit,

Nec laudavit equum, nitidæ nec cassidis altam
Compsit adornavitque jubam.

Statius.

The morning came. The martial Maid arose.
Lovely in arms she moved. Around the gate
Eager again for conquest throng the troops.
High towered the Son of Orleans, in his strength
Poising the ponderous spear. His batter'd shield.
Witnessing the fierce fray of yesternight,

Hung on his sinewy arm.

"Maiden of Arc,

"So as he spake approaching," cried the Chief,
"Well hast thou prov'd thy mission, as, by words
"And miracles attested when dismayed

"The stern Theologists forgot their doubts,
"So in the field of slaughter now confirm'd.

"Yon well-fenced forts protect the fugitives,

"And seem as in their strength they mock'd our force. "Yet must they fall."

"And fall they shall !" replied

The Maid of Orleans. "Ere the sun be set

"The lily on that shattered wall shall wave

"Triumphant.-Men of France! ye have fought well