English immediately poured down upon her a shower of arrows and stones, when, being struck by one of these missiles, she fell at the bottom of the rampart. The enemy immediately rent the air with shouts of joy; but Jeanne, suddenly springing up, more haughty and terrible in demeanour than ever, exclaimed: "Amys! amys! sus, sus! Dieu a condamné les Anglais à cette heure-ils sont tous nostres! Friends! friends! upon 'em, upon 'em! God has condemned the English-from this time they are all curs!" The French immediately mounted in crowds to the assault, overthrowing every obstacle in their progress, following the English from street to street, and from house to house, with the implacable fury of vengeance and the intoxication of victory. Suffolk, perceiving that it was impossible to defend the city any longer, retreated to the fort erected on the bridge which joined the town to the right bank of the Loire; but all his attempts were vain, and he was at length compelled to surrender himself prisoner of war. *

The French, irritated at having experienced so sanguinary a resistance, put every thing to fire and sword, rendering the city one scene of desolation.

* Alexander de la Pole, one of the earl of Suffolk's brothers, was slain, and another also captured, while the loss of the English on this occasion amounted to eleven hundred killed.

Even the churches did not escape pillage, and the soldiers butchered prisoners while under the protection of those to whom they had surrendered. Jeanne d'Arc and the duke d'Alençon, fearful lest a similar fate should attend the earl of Suffolk, caused him to enter a boat, with several other English lords, for their safe conduct to Orleans, which city they gained without further molestation.

La Pucelle and the duke d'Alençon returned to Orleans the same night, and from thence they despatched to the king an account of the taking of Jargeau.

The regent duke of Bedford, dreadfully alarmed at these signal reverses, had recourse to the most strenuous endeavours for re-establishing the English affairs in the Orleanais; and to forward these views, he made the most pressing applications for fresh supplies from England.

While the Pucelle remained at Orleans, she witnessed the accession of many powerful noblemen of France, with their vassals, to the royal standard, by which increase the army was raised to nearly seven thousand men. It was now resolved to

besiege the town of Beaugenci. At this period Charles VII. repaired to Sully, that he might be nearer to the army, and be enabled to afford succour, if required. According to the advice of Jeanne d'Arc, the French possessed themselves

of the fortifications of the bridge at Meun,* for the purpose of facilitating the passage of the Loire, and laying siege before Beaugenci. This town was commanded by the famous lord Talbot; but he confided the charge to another experienced officer, while he proceeded to meet Fastolf, who was on his march from Paris with a plentiful supply of men and ammunition.

On the sixteenth of June, the French army took their station before Beaugenci, on the side of Beausse, which place they carried by assault without much difficulty. The English then retired to the castle, when La Pucelle and the other French captains planted the bombs and cannon, and got all things in readiness to besiege that fortress.

The earl of Richemont, constable of France, who was not in favour at the court of Charles VII., and whose succours the king would not receive, nevertheless presented himself at the siege of Beaugenci. His supplies were of no utility; but the situation in which he placed Jeanne d'Arc and the duke d'Alençon was not the less embarrassing, and

This was Meun, or Mehung, on the Loire. After the capture of Jargeau, the English garrison of La Ferte Hubert evacuated that place, and proceeded to reinforce Beaugenci. - See Monstrelet, vol. ii. folio 44.

Arthur earn Frritan, zostanie of France, brother of the duke, repust ʼn the sige, compamest by several other noblemen, aut from zvare teen numtrat cgs raised at their own expense. The af te cunstacie gave the king some uneasiness, because is vart, de kord de la Trimouile, mat prejudicet um

crown; aut the fuse Lac

uns ms frst ccer of the

nised to hoid any communication with the conscade, nga de múscurable sentiments entertained towards him by the kog. Suncrates, La Hire, and several other captatas, however, were of opinion that the mediation of La Pucelle sound be resorted to, in order to effect a reconciliation between the king and the constable. Jeanne, who had as yet songht no favour at the hands of royalty, freely consented, but only on condition that the constable would make oath, between the hands of the duke d'Alençon, to serve the king loyally; and that all the noblemen who sought to bring about this good understanding, should affix their seals, or give their signatures, with that of the constable, to be laid before the All this was executed, when Charles, apprized of king. the danger that might result from irritating the constable, acquiesced, although his favourite, La Trimouille, endeavoured to oppose the measure. — Lenglet, vol. i. pp. 86, 87.

Inchet says, "At the siege of Beaugenci an event occurred The constable Richemont, which merits some consideration.

bering heard of the successes attending the enterprises of Charles 17 hurried to the scene of action, either to share in * them. La Pucelle was opposed to his admission, hh to be an enemy of the Dauphin ; —her miracu

celle was in consultation with the duke d'Alençon, news was brought of the advance of the English with a powerful force, headed by the lord Talbot; and from every quarter the soldiers cried, "To arms!" It was at this juncture that our heroine addressed the prince, who was on the point of departing, in consequence of the arrival of the constable, and stated the necessity of immediate succour; and entreated, that in a moment when it was requisite to concentrate all the forces, he certainly would not think of abandoning his post. It is most probable that these exhortations of Jeanne prompted the duke to change his resolution, and continue with his forces under the royal standard.

The earl of Richemont, having learned that the head of the bridge of Meun, where a small number of French were posted, was in danger of falling into the power of the garrison of the city, despatched sixty horsemen and a body of archers to afford succour to that post.

lous voices should have instructed her that the intentions of Arthur were sincere. This lack of celestial intelligence might have been attended with very disastrous consequences, had not some lords fortunately interfered, and disposed the king to accept the services of the earl of Richemont. Count Dunois having apprized La Pucelle that the constable's arrival could not but prove advantageous to the royal cause, she hastened to effect his reconciliation with the king.” — See page 21.