Part 51 (2/2)

The attack had lasted four hours,[1213] when Jeanne, standard in hand, climbed up a ladder leaning against the rampart. A stone fired from a cannon struck her helmet and knocked it with its escutcheon, bearing her arms, off her head. They thought she was crushed, but she rose quickly and cried to the fighting men: ”Up, friends, up! Messire has doomed the English. They are ours at this moment. Be of good cheer.”[1214]

[Footnote 1213: _Journal du siege_, p. 100.]

[Footnote 1214: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 97. _Journal du siege_, p. 98.

_Chronique de la Pucelle_, pp. 301-302. Perceval de Cagny, pp.

150-151.]

The wall was scaled and the French King's men penetrated into the town. The English fled into La Beauce and the French rushed in pursuit of them. Guillaume Regnault, a squire of Auvergne, came up with the Earl of Suffolk on the bridge and took him prisoner.

”Are you a gentleman?” asked Suffolk.

”Yes.”

”Are you a knight?”

”No.”

The Earl of Suffolk dubbed him a knight and surrendered to him.[1215]

[Footnote 1215: _Journal du siege_, p. 99. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 302. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 82. Berry, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 65.]

Very soon the rumour ran that the Earl of Suffolk had surrendered on his knees to the Maid.[1216] It was even stated that he had asked to surrender to her as to the bravest lady in the world.[1217] But it is more likely that he would have surrendered to the lowest menial of the army rather than to a woman whom he held to be a witch possessed of the devil.

[Footnote 1216: Fragment of a letter concerning the wonders which happened in Poitou, in _Trial_, vol. v, p. 122.]

[Footnote 1217: _Relation du greffier de La Roch.e.l.le_, p. 340.

Morosini, vol. iii, p. 70. _Trial_, vol. v, pp. 121-122.]

John Pole, Suffolk's brother, was likewise taken on the bridge. The Duke's third brother, Alexander Pole, was slain in the same place or drowned in the Loire.[1218]

[Footnote 1218: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 72. Perceval de Cagny, p. 151.

_Journal du siege_, p. 99. Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 328. Morosini, vol.

iii, pp. 128, 129.]

The garrison surrendered at discretion. Now, as always, no great harm was done during the battle, but afterwards the conquerors made up for it. Five hundred English were ma.s.sacred; the n.o.bles alone were held to ransom. And over them, the French fell to quarrelling. The French n.o.bles kept them all for themselves; the train-bands claimed their share, and, not getting it, began to destroy everything. What the n.o.bles could save was carried off during the night, by water, to Orleans. The town was completely sacked; the old church, which had served the _G.o.dons_ as a magazine, was pillaged.[1219]

[Footnote 1219: _Journal du siege_, p. 99.]

Including killed and wounded, the French had not lost twenty men.[1220]

[Footnote 1220: Perceval de Cagny, p. 151. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 302. Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, pp. 82, 83. Berry, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 65.]

Without disarming, the Maid and the knights returned to Orleans. To celebrate the taking of Jargeau, the magistrates organised a public procession. An eloquent sermon was preached by a Jacobin monk, Brother Robert Baignart.[1221]

[Footnote 1221: Accounts of the town of Orleans at the end of _Le Journal du siege_, ed. Charpentier and Cuissard, p. 229. Le R.P.

Chapotin, _La guerre de cent ans, Jeanne d'Arc et les Dominicains_, Paris, 1889, 8vo, p. 82.]

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