The Maid had shown her sign, as she promised; she had rescued Orleans.
Her next desire was to lead Charles to Reims, through a country
occupied by the English, and to have him anointed there with the holy
oil. Till this was done she could only regard him as Dauphin--king,
indeed, by blood, but not by consecration.
After all that Joan had accomplished, the king and his advisers might
have believed in her. She went to the castle of Loches, where Charles
was: he received her kindly, but still he did not seem eager to go to
Reims. It was a dangerous adventure, for which he and his favourites
like La Tremouille had no taste. It seems that more learned men were
asked to give their opinion. Was it safe and wise to obey the Maid? On
May 14, only six days after the relief of Orleans, the famous Gerson
wrote down his ideas. He believed in the Maid. The king had already
trusted her without fear of being laughed at; she and the generals did
not rely on the saints alone, but on courage, prudence, and skill. Even
if, by ill fortune, she were to fail on a later day, the fault would not
be hers, but would be God's punishment of French ingratitude. 'Let us
not harm, by our unbelief or injustice, the help which God has given us
so wonderfully.' Unhappily the French, or at least the Court, were
unbelieving, ungrateful, unjust to Joan, and so she came to die, leaving
her work half done. The Archbishop of Embrun said that Joan should
always be consulted in great matters, as her wisdom was of God. And as
long as the French took this advice they did well; when they distrusted
and neglected the Maid they failed, and were defeated and dishonoured.
Councils were now held at Tours, and time was wasted as usual. As usual,
Joan was impatient. With Dunois, who tells the story, she went to see
Charles at the castle of Loches. Some nobles and clergy were with him;
Joan entered, knelt, and embraced his knees.
'Noble Dauphin,' she said, 'do not hold so many councils, and such weary
ones, but come to Reims and receive the crown.'
Harcourt asked her if her Voices, or 'counsel' (as she called it) gave
this advice.