Part 54 (1/2)
[Footnote 1269: _Chronique de la Pucelle_, J. Chartier, Gruel, Morosini, Berry, Monstrelet, Wavrin, _loc. cit_. _Lettre de Jacques de Bourbon, Comte de la Marche a Guill. de Champeaux, eveque de Laon_, according to a Vienna MS. by Bougenot, in _Bull. du Com. des travaux hist. et scientif. hist. et phil., 1892_, pp. 56-65. (French translation by S. Luce, in _La revue bleue_, February 13, 1892, pp.
201-204.)]
Informed of the army's approach the French King's men went forth to meet it. The scouts had not far to ride before they descried the standards and pennons of England waving over the plain, about two and a half miles from Patay. Then the French ascended a hill whence they could observe the enemy. Captain La Hire and the young Sire de Termes said to the Maid: ”The English are coming. They are in battle array and ready to fight.”
As was her wont, she made answer: ”Strike boldly and they will flee.”
And she added that the battle would not be long.[1270]
[Footnote 1270: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 120. Monstrelet, vol. iv, p.
328. The clerk who wrote down Thibault de Termes' evidence, being ill-informed, described these words as having been uttered at the Battle of Patay. At Patay, Jeanne and La Hire were not near each other.]
Believing that the French were offering them battle, the English took up their position. The archers planted their stakes in the ground, their points inclined towards the enemy. Thus they generally prepared to fight; they had not done otherwise at the Battle of the Herrings.
The sun was already declining on the horizon.[1271]
[Footnote 1271: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, p.
286.]
The Duke of Alencon had by no means decided to descend into the plain.
In presence of the Constable, my Lord the b.a.s.t.a.r.d and the captains, he consulted the holy Maid, who gave him an enigmatical answer: ”See to it that you have good spurs.”
Taking her to mean the Count of Clermont's spurs, the spurs of Rouvray, the Duke of Alencon exclaimed: ”What do you say? Shall we turn our backs on them?”
”Nay,” she replied.
On all occasions her Voices counselled unwavering confidence. ”Nay. In G.o.d's name, go down against them; for they shall flee and shall not stay and shall be utterly discomfited; and you shall lose scarce any men; wherefore you will need your spurs to pursue them.”[1272]
[Footnote 1272: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 11. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 307. It is clear that this pa.s.sage from Dunois' evidence and from _La chronique de la Pucelle_ cannot refer to the battle of June 18th, as has been thought. ”All the English divisions,” says Dunois, ”united into one army. We thought they were going to offer us battle.” He is evidently referring to what happened on the 17th of June. The Duke of Alencon's evidence confuses everything. How could the Maid have said of the English: ”G.o.d sends them against us,” when they were fleeing?]
According to the opinions of doctors and masters it was well to listen to the Maid, but at the same time to follow the course marked out by human wisdom.
The commanders of the army, either because they judged the occasion unfavourable or because, after so many defeats, they feared a pitched battle, did not come down from their hill. The two heralds sent by two English knights to offer single combat received the answer: ”For to-day you may go to bed, because it grows late. But to-morrow, if it be G.o.d's will, we will come to closer quarters.”[1273]
[Footnote 1273: Those who would attribute this saying to the Maid have misunderstood Wavrin. _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, p. 287.]
The English, a.s.sured that they would not be attacked, marched off to pa.s.s the night at Meung.[1274]
[Footnote 1274: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, p.
287. Monstrelet, vol. iv, pp. 326 _et seq._]
On the morrow, Sat.u.r.day, the 18th, Saint Hubert's day, the French went forth against them. They were not there. The _G.o.dons_ had decamped early in the morning and gone off, with cannon, ammunition, and victuals, towards Janville,[1275] where they intended to entrench themselves.
[Footnote 1275: _Chronique de la Pucelle_, _Journal du siege_, Gruel, J. Chartier, Berry, _loc. cit._]
Straightway King Charles's army of twelve thousand men[1276] set out in pursuit of them. Along the Paris road they went, over the plain of Beauce, wooded, full of game, covered with thickets and brushwood, wild, but finely to the taste of English and French riders, who praised it highly.[1277]
[Footnote 1276: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, p.
289. Fauche-Prunelle, _Lettres tirees des archives de l'eveche de Gren.o.ble_, in _Bull. acad. Delph._, vol. ii, 1847, pp. 458 _et seq._ Letter from Charles VII to the town of Tours, in _Trial_, vol. v, pp.
262, 263.]
[Footnote 1277: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, p.