je les prendray à mercy. Et n'ayez pas en vostre opinion, quar vous ne tendrez (tiendrez) point le royaume de Dieu, le Roy du ciel, filz de Saincte Marie ains le tendra le Roy Charles, vray héritier; car Dieu, le Roy du ciel, le veult, et lui est revelé par La Pucelle: lequel entrera à Paris à bonne compaignie. Se ne le voulez croire les nouvelles de par Dieu et La Pucelle, en quelque lieu que vous trouverons, nous ferrons dedens, et y ferons un si grant hahay que encore a il mil ans que en France ne fu si grant, si vous ne faictes raison. Et croiez fermement que le Roy du ciel envoiera plus de force à La Pucelle, que vous ne lui sariez mener de tous assaulz, à elle et à ses bonnes gens d'armes ; et aux horions verra on qui ara meilleur droit de Dieu du ciel. Vous, duc de Bedford, La Pucelle vous prie et vous requiert, que vous ne vous faictes mie destruire. Se vous lui faictes raison, encore pourrez vous venir en sa compaignie, l'où que les Franchois feront le plus bel fait que oncques fu fait pour la Xhrestpiente (Chrétienneté.) Et faictes response se vous voulez faire paix, en la cité d'Orleans. Et se ainsi ne le faictes, de vos bien grans dommages vous souviegne briefvement. Escrit ce Samedi, sepmaine sainte." (26 Mars, 1428, Old Style.)* That is to say, beginning the year at Easter, or 1429, calculating from the first of January.-This letter, which is written in a very plain style, occasioned numerous interro Every thing being in readiness for the departure of the expedition, Jeanne d'Arc, accompanied by marshals Saint Severe, admiral de Culan, the lord de Gaucourt, La Hire, and many other captains of less celebrity, quitted Blois, and directed her march for Orleans, about the close of April, 1429. La Pucelle on this occasion caused the priests to assemble under the banner she had destined for their use, directing them to proceed at the head of the forces, which amounted to about six thousand men.* This small army was well gatories during the process of condemnation, and the judges were desirous of construing into a crime the insertion of a cross before and after the words Jesus Maria. vol. i. p. 56. Lenglet, * To the present period we have witnessed nothing but promises made by Jeanne d'Arc; we shall now proceed to make known the effects produced. She strenuously urged the French to expedite the convoy, previously to quitting Blois, obliging them also to confess and receive the sacrament, and then gave them assurances of celestial aid. It might be looked upon as a kind of prodigy to behold a girl of seventeen or eighteen years of age, without education, performing the functions of missionary and general at the same time; and what is still more extraordinary, that the generals and officers should have been obedient to her cominand as if she had been their superior.-Depositions of Simon de Beaucraix and the Count Dunois, of 22d February, 1456. Vide Lenglet, vol. i. p. 57. In front of the army were assembled the priests of the city, disciplined, and marched in excellent order. La Pucelle had resolved that the troops should advance by the route of Beausse, where the principal forces of the enemy were garrisoned. The generals, who vainly expostulated with Jeanne on the rashness of such a proceeding, took advantage of her ignorance of the country to mislead her into the road of Sologne. La Pucelle was desirous that the troops should enjoy repose during the first night. She suffered much from indisposition: but soon recovered her strength, and continued the march, uniformly exhorting the warriors to go to confession, herself setting the example, and receiving the Host in the midst of them. On the third day the army arrived in the environs of Orleans, when Jeanne d'Arc found that she had been deceived, and conducted by a route contrary to that she had prescribed. The with a cross and a banner, the procession being conducted by La Pucelle. This march converted into a spectacle was well calculated to reanimate the drooping courage of the soldiers.— Luchet, p. 13. During this expedition the ecclesiastics chanted the Veni Creator and other prayers, the march continuing for three days. Two nights were spent in the open fields, and on the third day they approached Orleans near St. Loup, the vessels which contained the supplies coming up at the same time.—Chaussard, vol. i. P. 20. convoy was upon the banks of the Loire; and at the only spot where the vessels despatched from Orleans to receive the provisions might have passed, the English had constructed a fort. In every other direction the water was too shallow to permit the barks to approach for the removal of the convoy; and much danger was to be apprehended upon that account. Jeanne d'Arc wished that an attack should be immediately made on the bastilles of the English; when Count Dunois, who had the command of Orleans, having ascertained the arrival of La Pucelle, repaired to meet her, crossing the Loire in a small boat, accompanied by some captains, and arriving at the spot where the convoy was stationed. No sooner was the Bastard in presence of Jeanne than she exclaimed, "Estes vous pas le Bâtard d'Orleans? Are you not the Bastard of Orleans?" * As soon as the convoy arrived in the vicinity of Orleans, Jeanne on beholding Dunois exclaimed "Vous êtes le Bátard d'Orleans-You are the Bastard of Orleans:" to which the count having answered in the affirmative, she immediately uttered some reproaches in consequence of the convoy having been conducted by the road of Sologne, instead of that of Beausse as she had directed. The count Dunois, in reply, stated, that this measure had been adopted by order of council, to which Jeanne made answer: "Eh quoi! le conseil de mon Dieu n'est il pas plus sûr que le vôtre ? Vous croyez m'avoir trompée, mais vous-même vous êtes trompé; puisque je vous amene un secours de sa part: Ah, council, is not that of my God to which he replied in the affirmative, adding that he felt overjoyed at her arrival. La Pucelle immediately demanded if it was by his direction that she had been conducted on the side of the river where she then was, instead of that occupied by Talbot and his Englishmen; when Dunois having made answer, that such measures had been resorted to by the advice of himself and other captains, Jeanne briskly retorted: "En mon Dieu, le conseil de Dieu notre Seigneur est plus sûr et plus habile que le vôtre. Vous avez cru me decevoir, et vous êtes plus deçus que moi; car je vous assure le meilleur secours qui ait jamais été envoyé à qui que ce soit, soit à chevalier, soit à ville, c'est le secours du Roi des cieux, non mie par amour pour moi, mais procède de Dieu même, qui, à la prière de Saint Louis et de Saint Charlemagne, a eu pitié de la ville d'Orleans, et ne veut pas souffrir que les ennemis ayent ensemble le corps du duc d'Orleans et more certain than yours? You think that you have deceived me, but you are yourself deceived; because it is from him I bring you relief."-Lenglet, vol. i. page 60. M. Luchet, p. 13. on referring to this statement, says: "If it was Jeanne who conducted this convoy, she was mistress of her own actions; in which case, why did she not follow the impulse of her inspiration ?" And when adverting to her reply to count Dunois, respecting the advice of her God, he remarks, we may naturally suppose it was a matter of no consequence to the Omnipotent, whether the convoy in question arrived after traversing Sologne or Beausse. |