ORLEANS
We do not know the precise numbers of the army that Joan brought to the
relief of Orleans; it was probably under four thousand men. Of the army
already there, Dunois said that two hundred Englishmen could put to
flight eight hundred or a thousand French. The latter were utterly
discouraged and hardly attempted resistance. On the other hand the
English, sure of their victory, had grown careless and lazy. True, they
had pricked up their ears when word came of the Maid and her mission;
but weeks passed, and nothing happened. When they chased the French the
latter ran away as usual: they were somewhat bored, and thought it about
time to finish, and wind up the siege. Inside the walls, people awaited
the Maid as those who look for the morning.
She left Tours, as we have seen, and came to Blois, where she was joined
by La Hire, Gilles de Rais, and others. There was some delay here,
owing to lack of money for the expenses of the journey. Charles had
before this been obliged to pawn the "_fleurons_" of his crown and the
gold ornaments of his helmet to obtain ready money. By these means or
others he now raised the needed sum, and the army, with its "great
convoy of cattle and grain"[36] moved on once more. A company of priests
had joined them, and Joan insisted that every man-at-arms must make
confession before going into action. When they left Blois the clergy
went first, singing "Come, holy Spirit!" So, on April 28th, the Maid and
her army found themselves opposite Orleans, on the other side of the
river. Dunois, who had been watching from the battlements, took boat and
went across to greet the Maid; he found her in angry mood. She had
expected to find herself at the city gates, not with a broad and swift
stream flowing between. Moreover, she had been suffering much pain from
the weight of her armor, which she had worn all day. She greeted the
leader abruptly.
"Are you the Bastard of Orleans?"
"I am, and right glad of your coming."
"Was it you who gave counsel to come by this bank of the river, so that
I cannot go straight against Talbot and the English?"
"I, and others wiser than I, gave that counsel, and I think it the wiser
way and the safer."
"In God's name, the counsel of our Lord is wiser and safer than yours.
You think to deceive me, and you deceive yourself, for I bring you
better rescue than ever came to knight or city; the succor of the King
of Heaven."
Dunois himself says that as she spoke the words, "in a moment the wind,
which was contrary and strong, shifted and became favorable." This, to
the soldier's mind, was a manifest miracle. He begged Joan to cross with
him. She demurred, not wishing to leave her army, which must return to
Blois for another convoy. Without her they might go astray, might fall
into sin, possibly might not return. Dunois persisted, implored; the
city was awaiting her; the need was desperate. Let the captains go
without her! Joan yielded to his entreaties; the captains departed,
promising to return in good time; the Maid crossed the river with a
force of two hundred lances, the wind so favoring them that every third
vessel towed two others. Seeing this, all the bystanders were of Dunois'
mind; "A miracle of God!"
So, about eight o'clock on the evening of April 29th, Joan of Arc
entered Orleans.
The "_Journal du Siège d'Orléans_," kept by a citizen whose name is
lost, thus describes the entry. The Maid rode "in full armor, mounted on
a white horse, with her pennon carried before her, which was white,
also, and bore two angels, each holding a lily in his hand; on the
pennon was painted an Annunciation. At her left side rode the Bastard of
Orleans in armor, richly appointed, and behind her came many other noble
and valiant lords and squires, captains and soldiers, with the burghers
of Orleans who had gone out to escort her. At the gate there came to
meet her the rest of the soldiers, with the men and women of Orleans,
carrying many torches, and rejoicing as if they had seen God descend
among them; not without cause. For they had endured much weariness and
labor and pain, and, what is worse, great fear lest they should never
be succored, but should lose both life and goods. Now all felt greatly
comforted and, as it were, already unbesieged, through the divine virtue
of which they had heard in this simple maid; whom they regarded right
lovingly, both men and women, and likewise the little children. There
was a marvelous press to touch her, and to touch even the horse on which
she rode, while a torch-bearer came so near her pennon that it was set
afire. Thereupon she struck her horse with her spurs and put out the
fire, turning the horse gently toward the pennon, just as if she had
been long a warrior, which the soldiers thought a very wonderful thing,
and the burghers also. These accompanied her the whole length of the
city with right good cheer, and with great honor they all escorted her
to the house of James Boucher, treasurer of the Duke of Orleans, where
she was received with great joy."[37]
In this honored and patriarchal household, Joan, "venerated like an
angel sent from heaven," passed the week of the Deliverance. It was to
this friendly hearth that she went whenever a breathing-space allowed
her to return within the walls.
At these times, the press of people about the house would almost break
the doors in. The kindly household protected, cherished, revered their
gentle guest. When Jacques Boucher died, some thirteen years later, the
monument raised to his memory by his widow and children recorded, with
his name and rank, the fact that he had received into his house, as a
revered guest, "the Maid, by God's help the saviour of the city."
On the evening of her arrival she supped on a few slices of bread dipped
in wine and water. She begged that her host's daughter Charlotte, a
child of ten years, might share her couch. Every morning, crossing the
garden to the neighboring church, she assisted at mass, prayed for the
relief of the city, and received with tears the holy communion.
On Tuesday, May 3rd, a solemn procession, led by the Maid, went to the
cathedral to pray for the deliverance of the city. Here she was met by a
priest, "Dr. John of Mascon, a very wise man," who looked at her in pity
and in wonder.
"My child," he asked, "are you come hither to raise the siege?"
"In God's name, yes, my father!"
The good father shook his head sadly.
"My child, they are strong, and strongly fenced; it would be a mighty
feat of arms to dislodge them."
"To the power of God," replied Joan, "nothing is impossible!"
This was her word, on this and on all days.
"Throughout the city," says the old chronicle, "she rendered honour to
no one else!" The learned Doctor bowed his head, and from that moment
accepted her as a messenger of God.
The Maid's arrival was followed by a brief lull in hostilities. She
would not raise her sword till she had duly summoned the enemy, and
bidden him depart in peace. On April 2nd she despatched the letter
already quoted. The English replied promptly that if they caught the
so-called Maid, they would burn her for a witch. In the evening of the
same day, she went out on the bridge, and mounting on the barricades,
called to Glasdale and his garrison, bidding them obey God and
surrender, and promising to spare their lives if they would do so. They
replied with a torrent of abuse and ridicule. "Milkmaid" was the
gentlest term they had for her. They showed a bold front, Glasdale,
Talbot, de la Pole and the rest; but they were ill at ease. They knew
that their men were full of superstitious forebodings. They themselves
were strangely shaken at sight of the slender girlish figure in
snow-white armor, at sound of the clear ringing voice calling on them to
fear God and yield to his Emissary. They could and did answer defiantly,
but they attempted nothing more. On Monday, May 2d, Joan summoned them
again, and again their only answer was gibes and insults. She rode out,
a great multitude following her, to reconnoitre the enemy's position;
rode about and about the various bastilles, noting every angle, every
turret, every embrasure for cannon. The English watched her, but never
stirred. Talbot, the old lion, victor in a score of fights, must have
ground his teeth at the sight; but either he dared not trust his men, or
else knew them to be outnumbered. He lay still, while the gallant little
cavalcade, priests chanting in front, white-robed Maid in the midst,
lifting her snowy standard, delirious people thronging to touch her
stirrup, swept past their camp, and re-entered the city. A bitter hour
for John Talbot!
Joan was delaying her attack till the army should return from Blois with
the second convoy. On May 3d they appeared; at dawn on the fourth, Joan
rode out with five hundred men to meet them; by noon all were safe
within the walls, and the Maid sat down quietly to dinner with her
faithful squire d'Aulon. They were still sitting when Dunois came in
with news that Sir John Fastolf, the hero of the Battle of the Herrings,
was but a day's march distant with provisions and reinforcements for the
English.
Joan received the tidings joyfully. "In God's name, Bastard," she said,
"I charge you to let me know as soon as you hear of his arrival. Should
he pass without my knowledge--I will have your head!"
"Have no fear of that!" said Dunois. "You shall have the news the
instant it comes."
Weary with her ride, and her heavy armor, the Maid lay down beside her
hostess to rest. D'Aulon curled up on a little couch in the corner of
the room; both slept as tired people do.
Suddenly the Maid sprang up, calling loudly to d'Aulon.
"In God's name," she cried, "I must go against the English. My Voices
call me; I know not whether it is against their forts, or Fastolf
comes."
Bewildered and full of sleep, d'Aulon and good Mme. Boucher helped her
into her armor; even as they did so, voices rose in the street, crying
that the English were attacking with great slaughter. She ran downstairs
and met her page, Louis de Coulet.
"Miserable boy," she cried; "the blood of France is shedding, and you do
not call me? My horse on the instant!"
The boy flew for the horse; the Maid mounted, calling for her banner,
which he handed to her from an upper window, and rode off at full speed,
squire and page following as best they might.
It was not Fastolf. Unknown to the Maid, certain of the French had
planned an attack on the fort of St. Loup, about a mile and a half from
the town. Either ignorant or careless of Dunois' promise to the Maid,
they rode merrily to the attack, and surrounded the fort with warlike
shouts. Out swarmed the English like angry bees; swords flashed; the
struggle was sharp but brief. The French, with no adequate leader, gave
back before the rush of the defenders; broke, turned, and were streaming
pell-mell back toward the city, when they saw the Maid galloping toward
them. Alone she rode; her snowy armor gleaming, her snowy standard
fluttering. In the gateway she paused a moment at sight of a wounded man
borne past by his comrades. She never could look on French blood without
a pang: "My hair rises for horror," she would say. But only a moment;
the next, she had met the retreating troops; rallied them, led them once
more to the assault. They followed her shouting, every man eager to ride
beside her, or at least within sight of her, within sound of her silver
voice. On to the fort once more! this time with God and the messenger of
God!
The English saw and in their turn faltered; wavered; gave back before
the furious onset; broke and fled in disorder. The French pursued them
to the fort, which they captured and burned. The church of St. Loup
hard by had already been partly destroyed, but Joan forbade the
plundering of it, and spared the lives of certain English soldiers who
had thought to escape by arraying themselves in priestly vestments which
they had found in the church. "We must not rob the clergy," she said
merrily.
The French losses in this affair were insignificant; the English force,
about one hundred and fifty men, were all either killed or captured. The
victorious Maid rode back to the city, to weep for those who had died
unshriven, and to confess her sins to Father Pasquerel, her director.
She told her followers that the siege would be raised in five days. The
next day, Thursday May 5th, was Ascension Day, and she would not fight.
Instead, she summoned the enemy once more. Crossing to the end of the
bridge, where a small fort had been erected, she called across the water
to the English in the Tourelles, bidding them depart in peace. It was
God's will, she said simply, that they should go. They replied with the
usual gibes and insults. On this, she dictated a formal summons, ending
with these words: "This is the third and last time that I write to you.
I would have sent my letter in more honorable fashion, but you keep my
herald, Guienne. Return him, and I will return the prisoners taken at
St. Loup."
The letter was bound round the shaft of an arrow, and shot from the
bridge into the English camp. An Englishman picked it up, crying, "News
from the harlot of the Armagnacs!"
Joan wept at these brutal words, and called on the King of Heaven to
comfort her; almost immediately thereupon she was of good cheer,
"because she had tidings from her Lord"; and without wasting time began
to make ready for the morrow.
Early Friday morning (May 6th) troops and citizens issued through the
Burgundy gate, crossed the river in boats, and advanced upon the
Tourelles. This little fort had been restored by the English, and was
now a strong place, with its pierced walls and its boulevard, and the
fortified convent of the Augustines hard by. As the French advanced, the
English sallied forth to meet them, in such numbers and with so bold a
front that the assailants wavered, and began to fall back toward the
island on which the central part of the bridge rested. This troop was
commanded by De Gaucourt, the governor of the city, an old man and
timid. Seeing his men and himself in danger, he would have withdrawn
with them, but at the moment a cry was heard: "The Maid! the Maid!" Joan
and La Hire had brought their horses over by boat, and now were
galloping to the rescue, after them soldiers and townspeople in a rush.
De Gaucourt would have held his soldiers back, but in vain.
"You are an evil man!" cried the Maid. "Will you nill you, the
men-at-arms will follow me to victory!"
On she swept, lance in rest, crying, "In God's name, forward! forward
boldly!" On swept La Hire and the rest, De Gaucourt and his men with
them, carried away body and soul of them by the impetuous rush. They
charged the English and drove them back to their intrenchments. Many of
the defenders were slain, many taken; the rest took refuge in the
boulevard, or outwork of the Tourelles.
Many of the victorious French remained on the spot, to guard against a
possible night assault. Mounting guard in the captured Augustine
convent, they supped on provisions brought to them in boats from the
city, and slept on their arms, tired but joyful men.
The Maid, however, had been wounded in the foot by a calthrop, and was
besides mortally weary. She went back to Orleans, to the kindly shelter
of the Boucher roof. It was Friday; she usually fasted on that day, but
this time she felt the absolute need of food. To-morrow was before her,
when she must have her full strength; she must eat, must rest; for this
reason she had come back, though her heart was full of anxiety, dreading
the night attack which her keen military sense told her the enemy might
and ought to make. But the enemy was tired, too, and discouraged to
boot: no attack came.
"Rouse ye at daybreak to-morrow!" she charged her followers. "You shall
do better still than to-day. Keep by my side, for I have much to do more
than ever I had, and blood will flow from my body, above my breast."
Then the good Maid said her prayers, and lay down quietly to rest, and
to such sleep as her wound and her anxious heart would allow.
FOOTNOTES:
[36] Lang.
[37] Trans. F. C. Lowell.