Part 60 (2/2)
”The lords, knights and squires who are in the town, on behalf of King Henry and the Duke of Burgundy, have sworn with us, inhabitants of the city, that we will not receive into the town any who are stronger than we, without the express command of the Duke of Burgundy. Having regard to their oath, those who are in the town would not dare to admit King Charles.”
And the councillors added for their excuse:
”Whatever we the citizens may wish we must consider the men of war in the city who are stronger than we.”[1429]
[Footnote 1429: _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 289.]
The councillors had King Charles' letter posted up and below it their reply.
In council they read the letter the Maid had dictated at Saint-Phal and entrusted to Friar Richard. The monk had not prepared them to give it a favourable reception, for they laughed at it heartily. ”There is no rhyme or reason in it,” they said. ”'Tis but a jest.”[1430] They threw it in the fire without sending a reply. Jeanne was a braggart,[1431] they said. And they added: ”We certify her to be mad and possessed of the devil.”[1432]
[Footnote 1430: _Ibid._, p. 290.]
[Footnote 1431: In the _Mystery of the siege of Orleans_, the Englishman Falconbridge likewise treats Jeanne as a boaster, lines 12689-90:
_'Y nous fault prandre la coquarde, Qui veult les Francois gouverner._
”We must capture that braggart who desires to govern the French.”]
[Footnote 1432: J. Rogier, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 289.]
That same day, at nine o'clock in the morning, the army began to march by the walls and take up its position round the town.[1433]
[Footnote 1433: _Ibid._ Th. Boutiot, _Histoire de la ville de Troyes_, vol. ii, p. 492.]
Those who encamped to the south west could thence admire the long walls, the strong gates, the high towers and the belfry of the city rising in the midst of a vast plain. On their right they would see above the roofs the church of Saint-Pierre, the huge structure of which was devoid of tower and steeple.[1434] It was there that eight years before had been celebrated the betrothal of King Henry V of England to the Lady Catherine of France. For in that town of Troyes, Queen Ysabeau and Duke Jean had made King Charles VI, bereft of sense and memory, sign away the Kingdom of the Lilies to the King of England and put his name to the ruin of Charles of Valois. At her daughter's betrothal, Madame Ysabeau was present wearing a robe of blue silk damask and a coat of black velvet lined with the skins of fifteen hundred minevers.[1435] After the ceremony she caused to be brought for her entertainment her singing birds, goldfinches, chaffinches, siskins and linnets.[1436]
[Footnote 1434: L. Pigeotte, _etude sur les travaux d'achevement de la cathedrale de Troyes_, p. 9. A. Babeau, _Les vues d'ensemble de Troyes_, Troyes, 1892, in 8vo, p. 13. A. a.s.sier, _Une cite champenoise au XV'e siecle_, Paris, 1875, in 8vo.]
[Footnote 1435: Ermine (W.S.).]
[Footnote 1436: _Comptes de l'argenterie de la reine_, in Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. iii, pp. 236, 237. De Barante, _Histoire des ducs de Bourgogne_, vol. iii, pp. 122, 125. Vallet de Viriville, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol. i, p. 216. Th. Boutiot, _Histoire de la ville de Troyes_, vol. ii, pp. 418, 419.]
When the French arrived, most of the townsfolk were on the ramparts looking more curious than hostile and apparently fearing nothing. They desired above all things to see the King.[1437]
[Footnote 1437: It is impossible to take seriously those protestations of loyalty to the English, addressed to the people of Reims by the townsfolk of Troyes, when the latter were on the point of surrendering to the French King, and especially after the reply they had just sent to King Charles's letters. See J. Rogier, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 289.
”Which reply having been made each of them had gone up on to the walls, and a.s.sumed his guard with the intent and in the firm resolution that if any attack were made on them, they would resist to the death.”]
The town was strongly defended. The Duke of Burgundy had long been keeping up the fortifications. In 1417 and 1419 the people of Troyes, like those of Orleans in 1428, had pulled down their suburbs and destroyed all the houses outside the town for two or three hundred paces from the ramparts. The a.r.s.enal was well furnished; the stores overflowed with victuals; but the Anglo-Burgundian garrison amounted only to between five and six hundred men.[1438]
[Footnote 1438: J. Chartier, vol. i, p. 92. Th. Boutiot, _Histoire de la ville de Troyes_, vol. ii, pp. 391, 418, 419. A. a.s.sier, _Une cite champenoise au XV'e siecle_, p. 8.]
On that day also, at five o'clock in the afternoon, the Councillors of the town of Troyes sent to inform the people of Reims of the arrival of the Armagnacs, and despatched to them copies of the letter from Charles of Valois, of their reply to it and of the Maid's letter, which they cannot therefore have burned immediately. They likewise communicated to them their resolution to resist to the death in case they should receive succour. In like manner they wrote to the people of Chalons to tell them of the Dauphin's coming; and to them they made known that the letter of Jeanne the Maid had been brought to Troyes by Friar Richard the preacher.[1439]
[Footnote 1439: J. Rogier, in _Trial_, vol. iv, pp. 289, 290.]
These writings amounted to saying: like all citizens in such circ.u.mstances, we are in danger of being hanged either by the Burgundians or by the Armagnacs, which would be very grievous. To avoid this calamity as far as in us lies, we give King Charles of Valois to understand that we do not open our gates to him because the garrison prevents us and that we are the weaker, which is true. And we make known to our Lords, the Regent and the Duke of Burgundy, that the garrison being too weak to defend us, which is true, we ask for succour, which is loyal; and we trust that the succour will not be sent, for if it were we should have to endure a siege, and risk being taken by a.s.sault which for us merchants would be grievous. But, having asked for succour and not receiving it, we may then surrender without reproach. The important point is to cause the garrison, fortunately a small one, to make off. Five hundred men are too few for defence, but too many for surrender. As for enjoining the citizens of Reims to demand succour for themselves and for us, that is merely to prove our good-will to the Duke of Burgundy; and we risk nothing by it, for we know that our trusty comrades of Reims will take care that when they ask for succour they do not receive it, and that they will await a favourable opportunity for opening their gates to King Charles, who comes with a strong army. And now to conclude, we will resist to the death if we are succoured, which G.o.d forbid!
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