The Life of Joan of Arc Part 53

[Footnote 1249: _Journal du siege_, p. 101. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 304. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 83.]

The Duke of Alencon stationed sentinels in front of the castle to watch the English. Just then, he saw coming towards him, two n.o.bles of Brittany, the Lords of Rostrenen and of Kermoisan, who said to him: "The Constable asks the besiegers for entertainment."[1250]

[Footnote 1250: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 97, 98. Gruel, _Chronique de Richemont_, p. 70.]

Arthur of Brittany, Sire de Richemont, Constable of France, had spent the winter in Poitou waging war against the troops of the Sire de La Tremouille. Now in defiance of the King's prohibition the Constable came to join the King's men.[1251] He had crossed the Loire at Amboise and arrived before Beaugency with six hundred men-at-arms and four hundred archers.[1252] His coming caused the captains great embarra.s.sment. Some esteemed him a man of strong will and great courage. But many were dependent upon the Sire de La Tremouille, as for example the poor squire, Jean d'Aulon. The Duke of Alencon wanted to retreat, alleging that the King had commanded him not to receive the Constable.

[Footnote 1251: E. Cosneau, _Le connetable de Richemont_, pp. 93 _et seq._]

[Footnote 1252: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 315, 516. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 84. _Journal du siege_, pp. 101, 102. Perceval de Cagny, p. 153.]

"If the Constable comes, I shall retire," he said to Jeanne.

To the Breton n.o.bles he replied, that if the Constable came into the camp, the Maid, and the besiegers would fight against him.[1253]

[Footnote 1253: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 98. E. Cosneau, _Le connetable de Richemont_, p. 168.]

So decided was he that he mounted his horse to ride straight up to the Bretons. The Maid, out of respect for him and for the King, was preparing to follow him. But many of the captains restrained the Duke of Alencon[1254] deeming that now was not the time to break a lance with the Constable of France.

[Footnote 1254: Gruel, _Chronique de Richemont_, pp. 70 _et seq._]

On the morrow a loud alarm was sounded in the camp. The heralds were crying: "To arms!" The English were said to be approaching in great numbers. The young Duke still wanted to retreat in order to avoid receiving the Constable. This time Jeanne dissuaded him: "We must stand together," she said.[1255]

[Footnote 1255: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 98.]

He listened to this counsel and went forth to meet the Constable, followed by the Maid, my Lord the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, and the Lords of Laval.

Near the leper's hospital at Beaugency they encountered a fine company. As they approached, a thick-lipped little man, dark and frowning, alighted from his horse.[1256] It was Arthur of Brittany.

The Maid embraced his knees as she was accustomed to do when holding converse with the great ones of heaven and earth. Thus did every baron when he met one n.o.bler than himself.[1257]

[Footnote 1256: Gruel, _Chronique de Richemont_, p. 71. Cf. E.

Cosneau, _Le connetable de Richemont_, pp. 169, 583. See a drawing in the Gaignieres collection reproduced by J. Lair, _Essai sur la bataille de Formigny_, 1903, 8vo.]

[Footnote 1257: _Lors le saluerent et le vinrent accoller par les jambes._ (Then they saluted him and embraced his knees.) J. de Bueil, _Le Jouvencel_, vol. i, p. 191.]

The Constable spoke to her as a good Catholic, a devout servant of G.o.d and the Church, saying: "Jeanne, I have heard that you wanted to fight against me. Whether you are sent by G.o.d I know not. If you are I do not fear you. For G.o.d knows that my heart is right. If you are sent by the devil I fear you still less."[1258]

[Footnote 1258: Gruel, _Chronique de Richemont_, pp. 71-72. I have here followed Gruel, who is not generally very trustworthy, but whose account in this particular seems probable, at least he is no mere hagiographer.]

He was ent.i.tled to speak thus, for he made a point of never acknowledging the devil's power over him. His love of G.o.d he showed by seeking out wizards and witches with a greater zeal than was displayed by bishops and inquisitors. In France, in Poitou, and in Brittany he had sent more to the stake than any other man living.[1259]

[Footnote 1259: _Ibid._, p. 228.]

The Duke of Alencon dared not either dismiss him or grant him a lodging for the night. It was the custom for new comers to keep the watch. The Constable with his company kept watch that night in front of the castle.[1260]

[Footnote 1260: _Ibid._, p. 72. E. Cosneau, _Le connetable de Richemont_, p. 170.]

Without more ado the young Duke of Alencon proceeded to the attack.

Here, again, those who bore the brunt of the attack and provided for the siege were the citizens of Orleans. The magistrates of the town had sent by water from Meung to Beaugency the necessary siege train, ladders, pickaxes, mattocks, and those great pent-houses beneath which the besiegers protected themselves like tortoises under their sh.e.l.ls.

They had sent also cannons and mortars. The gay gunner, Master Jean de Montesclere, was there.[1261] All these supplies were addressed to the Maid. The magistrate, Jean Boilleve, brought bread and wine in a barge.[1262] Throughout Friday, the 7th, mortars and cannon hurled stones on the besieged. At the same time from the valley and from the river the attack was being made from barges. On the 17th of June, at midnight, Sir Richard Gethyn, Bailie of evreux, who commanded the garrison, offered to capitulate. It was agreed that the English should surrender the castle and bridge, and depart on the morrow, taking with them horses and harness with each man his property to the value of not more than one silver mark. Further, they were required to swear that they would not take up arms again before the expiration of ten days.

On these terms, the next day, at sunrise, to the number of five hundred, they crossed the drawbridge and retreated on Meung, where the castle, but not the bridge, remained in the hands of the English.[1263] The Constable wisely sent a few men to reinforce the garrison on the Meung Bridge.[1264] Sir Richard Gethyn and Captain Matthew Gough were detained as hostages.[1265]

[Footnote 1261: _Journal du siege_, p. 97. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 301.]

[Footnote 1262: A. de Villaret, _Campagne des Anglais_, pp. 87-88, and proofs and ill.u.s.trations, pp. 153, 158.]

[Footnote 1263: _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 305. _Journal du siege_, p. 102. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 84. Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, pp. 279, 282. Monstrelet, vol. iii, pp. 325 _et seq._]

[Footnote 1264: Gruel, _Chronique de Richemont_, p. 72.]

[Footnote 1265: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, p.

279.]

The Beaugency garrison had been in too great haste to surrender.

Scarce had it gone when a man-at-arms of Captain La Hire's company came to the Duke of Alencon saying: "The English are marching upon us.

We shall have them in front of us directly. They are over there, full one thousand fighting men."

Jeanne heard him speak but did not seize his meaning.

"What is that man-at-arms saying?" she asked.

And when she knew, turning to Arthur of Brittany, who was close by, she said: "Ah! Fair Constable, it was not my will that you should come, but since you are here, I bid you welcome."[1266]

[Footnote 1266: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 98.]

The force the French had to face was Sir John Talbot and Sir John Fastolf with the whole English army.

CHAPTER XVI

THE BATTLE OF PATAY--OPINIONS OF ITALIAN AND GERMAN ECCLESIASTICS--THE GIEN ARMY

Having left Paris on the 9th of June, Sir John Fastolf was coming through La Beauce with five thousand fighting men. To the English at Jargeau he was bringing victuals and arrows in abundance. Learning by the way that the town had surrendered, he left his stores at etampes and marched on to Janville, where Sir John Talbot joined him with forty lances and two hundred bowmen.[1267]

[Footnote 1267: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, ed.

Dupont, vol. i, p. 281. Berry, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 44. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 85. _Journal du siege_, pp. 102, 103. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 306. Gruel, _Chronique de Richemont_, p. 72. Falconbridge, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 452.

Morosini, vol. iii, pp. 71-73.]

There they heard that the French had taken the Meung bridge and laid siege to Beaugency. Sir John Talbot wished to march to the relief of the inhabitants of Beaugency and deliver them with the aid of G.o.d and Saint George. Sir John Fastolf counselled abandoning Sir Richard Gethyn and his garrison to their fate; for the moment he deemed it wiser not to fight. Finding his own men fearful and the French full of courage, he thought the best thing the English could do would be to establish themselves in the towns, castles, and strongholds remaining to them, there to await the reinforcements promised by the Regent.

"In comparison with the French we are but a handfull," he said. "If luck should turn against us, then we should be in a fair way to lose all those conquests won by our late King Henry after strenuous effort and long delay."[1268]

[Footnote 1268: Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 331. Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, pp. 283 _et seq._]

His advice was disregarded and the army marched on Beaugency. The force was not far from the town on Friday, the 17th of June, just when the garrison was issuing forth with horses, armour, and baggage to the amount of one silver mark's worth for each man.[1269]