Part 43 (2/2)
[Footnote 1033: _Ibid._, p. 75. _Journal du siege_, pp. 82, 83. Cf.
the evidence of S. Charles (_Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 116, 117).]
It will be seen that by this proceeding the secrecy of the deliberations had been violated, and that the n.o.bles had not been able to do what they had determined or at least not in the way they had determined. On that Ascension Day the Maid for the last time sent a message of peace to the English, which she dictated to Brother Pasquerel in the following terms: _Ye men of England, who have no right in the realm of France, the King of Heaven enjoins and commands you by me, Jeanne the Maid, to leave your forts and return to your country. If ye will not I will make so great a noise as shall remain for ever in the memory of man: This I write to you for the third and last time, and I will write to you no more._
Signed thus: Jhesus--Maria. Jeanne the Maid.
And below: _I should have sent to you with more ceremony. But you keep my heralds. You kept my herald Guyenne. If you will send him back to me, I will send you some of your men taken at the bastion Saint-Loup; they are not all dead._[1034]
[Footnote 1034: May 5th. _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 107 (Pasquerel's evidence).]
Jeanne went to La Belle Croix, took an arrow, and tied her letter to it with a string, then told an archer to shoot it to the English, crying: ”Read! This is the message.”
The English received the arrow, untied the letter, and having read it they cried: ”This a message from the Armagnac strumpet.”
When she heard them, tears came into Jeanne's eyes and she wept. But soon she beheld her saints, who spoke to her of Our Lord, and she was comforted. ”I have had a message from my Lord,” she said joyfully.[1035]
[Footnote 1035: _Ibid._, p. 108.]
My Lord the b.a.s.t.a.r.d himself demanded the Maid's herald, threatening that if he were not sent back he would keep the heralds whom the English had sent to treat for the exchange of prisoners. It is a.s.serted that he even threatened to put those prisoners to death. But Ambleville did not return.[1036]
[Footnote 1036: _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 286. _Journal du siege_, p. 79, gives a different account of this episode.]
CHAPTER XIII
THE TAKING OF LES TOURELLES AND THE DELIVERANCE OF ORLeANS
On the morrow, Friday the 6th of May, the Maid rose at daybreak. She confessed to her chaplain and heard ma.s.s sung before the priests and fighting men of her company.[1037] The zealous townsfolk were already up and armed. Whether or no she had told them, the citizens, who were strongly determined to cross the Loire and attack Les Tourelles themselves, were pressing in crowds to the Burgundian Gate. They found it shut. The Sire de Gaucourt was guarding it with men-at-arms. The n.o.bles had taken this precaution in case the citizens should discover their enterprise and wish to take part in it. The gate was closed and well defended. Bent on fighting and themselves recovering their precious jewel, Les Tourelles, the citizens had recourse to her before whom gates opened and walls fell; they sent for the Saint. She came, frank and terrible. She went straight to the old Sire de Gaucourt, and, refusing to listen to him, said: ”You are a wicked man to try to prevent these people from going out. But whether you will or no, they will go and will do as well as they did the other day.”[1038]
[Footnote 1037: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 108 (Pasquerel's evidence).]
[Footnote 1038: _Ibid._, pp. 116, 117. Evidence of S. Charles. P.
Mantellier, _Histoire du siege_, p. 105.]
Excited by Jeanne's voice and encouraged by her presence, the citizens, crying slaughter, threw themselves on Gaucourt and his men-at-arms. When the old baron perceived that he could do nothing with them, and that it was impossible to bring them to his way of thinking, he himself joined them. He had the gates opened wide and cried out to the townsfolk: ”Come, I will be your captain.”
And with the Lord of Villars and Sire d'Aulon he went out at the head of the soldiers, who had been keeping the gate, and all the train-bands of the town. At the foot of La Tour-Neuve, at the eastern corner of the ramparts, there were boats at anchor. In them l'ile-aux-Toiles was reached, and thence on a bridge formed by two boats they crossed over the narrow arm of the river which separates l'ile-aux-Toiles from the Sologne bank.[1039] Those who arrived first entered the abandoned fort of Saint-Jean-le-Blanc, and, while waiting for the others, amused themselves by demolis.h.i.+ng it.[1040] Then, when all had pa.s.sed over, the townsfolk gayly marched against Les Augustins. The bastion was situated in front of Les Tourelles, on the ruins of the monastery; and the bastion would have to be taken before the fortifications at the end of the bridge could be attacked. But the enemy came out of their entrenchments and advanced within two bow-shots of the French, upon whom from their bows and cross-bows they let fly so thick a shower of arrows that the men of Orleans could not stand against them. They gave way and fled to the bridge of boats: then, afraid of being cast into the river, they crossed over to l'ile-aux-Toiles.[1041] The fighting men of the Sire de Gaucourt were more accustomed to war. With the Lord of Villars, Sire d'Aulon, and a valiant Spaniard, Don Alonzo de Partada, they took their stand on the slope of Saint-Jean-le-Blanc and resisted the enemy. Although very few in number, they were still holding out when, about three o'clock in the afternoon, Captain La Hire and the Maid crossed the river with the free-lances. Seeing the French hard put to it, and the English in battle array, they mounted their horses, which they had brought over with them, and holding their lances in rest spurred on against the enemy. The townsfolk, taking heart, followed them and drove back the English. But at the foot of the bastion they were again repulsed.[1042] In great agitation the Maid galloped from the bastion to the bank, and from the bank to the bastion, calling for the knights; but the knights did not come. Their plans had been upset, their order of battle reversed, and they needed time to collect themselves. At last she saw floating over the island the banners of my Lord the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, the Marshal de Boussac, and the Lord de Rais. The artillery came too, and Master Jean de Montesclere with his culverin and his gunners, bringing all the engines needed for the a.s.sault. Four thousand men a.s.sembled round Les Augustins. But much time had been lost; they were only just beginning, and the sun was going down.[1043]
[Footnote 1039: _Journal du siege_, pp. 83, 84. Abbe Dubois, _Histoire du siege_, p. 535. Jollois, _Histoire du siege_, p. 39.]
[Footnote 1040: _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 290.]
[Footnote 1041: Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 76. _Journal du siege_, pp. 84, 85.]
[Footnote 1042: ”_Et les rebouterent ils par maintes fois et tresbucherent de hault en bas._” _Journal du siege_, p. 85.]
[Footnote 1043: _Trial_, vol. iii, pp. 214, 215 (Jean d'Aulon's evidence).]
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