Part 78 (2/2)
232. Perceval de Cagny, p. 168. Vallet de Viriville, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol. ii, pp. 118, 119.]
[Footnote 1800: G. Lefevre-Pontalis, _Un detail du siege de Paris_, in _Bibliotheque de l'ecole des Chartes_, vol. xlvi, 1885, p. 12.]
On Sat.u.r.day the 10th, at daybreak, the Duke of Alencon, with a few knights, appeared on the bank above the city, where a bridge had been thrown over the Seine some days earlier. The Maid, always eager for danger, accompanied the venturesome warriors. But the night before, the King had prudently caused the bridge to be taken down, and the little band had to retrace its steps.[1801] It was not that the King had renounced the idea of taking Paris. He was thinking more than ever of the recovery of his great town; but he intended to regain it without an a.s.sault, by means of the compliance of certain burgesses.
[Footnote 1801: Perceval de Cagny, pp. 168, 169. Morosini, vol. iii, p.
219, note 4. Vallet de Viriville, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol. ii, p. 120, note 1. G. Lefevre-Pontalis, _Un detail du siege de Paris_, _loc. cit._]
At this same place of Saint-Denys there happened to Jeanne a misadventure, which would seem to have impressed her comrades and possibly to have lessened their faith in her good luck in war. As was customary, women of ill-fame followed the army in great numbers; each man had his own; they were called _amietes_.[1802] Jeanne could not tolerate them because they caused disorder, but more especially because their sinful lives filled her with horror. At that very time, stories like the following were circulated far and wide, and spread even into Germany.
[Footnote 1802: Diminutive of _amie_ (W.S.).]
There was a certain man in the camp, who had with him his _amiete_.
She rode in armour in order not to be recognised. Now the Maid said to the n.o.bles and captains: ”There is a woman with our men.” They replied that they knew of none. Whereupon the Maid a.s.sembled the army, and, approaching the woman said: ”This is she.”
Then addressing the wench: ”Thou art of Gien and thou art big with child. Were it not so I would put thee to death. Thou hast already let one child die and thou shalt not do the same for this one.”
When the Maid had thus spoken, servants took the wench and conveyed her to her own home. There they kept her under watch and ward until she was delivered of her child. And she confessed that what the Maid had said was true.
After which, the Maid again said: ”There are women in the camp.”
Whereupon two wantons, who did not belong to the army, and had already been dismissed from it, hearing these words, rode off on horseback.
But the Maid hastened after them crying: ”Ye foolish women, I have forbidden you to come into my company.” And she drew her sword and struck one of them on the head, so sore that she died.[1803]
[Footnote 1803: Eberhard Windecke, pp. 184, 186.]
The tale was true; Jeanne could not suffer these wenches. Every time she met one she gave chase to her. This was precisely what she did at Gien, when she saw women of ill-fame awaiting the King's men.[1804] At Chateau-Thierry, she espied an _amiete_ riding behind a man-at-arms, and, running after her, sword in hand, she came up with her, and without striking, bade her henceforth avoid the society of men-at-arms. ”If thou wilt not,” she added, ”I shall do thee hurt.”[1805]
[Footnote 1804: Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 90.]
[Footnote 1805: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 73.]
At Saint-Denys, being accompanied by the Duke of Alencon, Jeanne pursued another of these wantons. This time she was not content with remonstrances and threats. She broke her sword over her.[1806] Was it Saint Catherine's sword? So it was believed, and doubtless not without reason.[1807] In those days men's minds were full of the romantic stories of Joyeuse and Durandal. It would appear that Jeanne, when she lost her sword, lost her power. A slight variation of the story was told afterwards, and it was related how the King, when he was acquainted with the matter of the broken sword, was displeased and said to the Maid: ”You should have taken a stick to strike withal and should not have risked the sword you received from divine hands.”[1808]
It was told likewise how the sword had been given to an armourer for him to join the pieces together, and that he could not, wherein lay a proof that the sword was enchanted.[1809]
[Footnote 1806: _Ibid._, p. 99.]
[Footnote 1807: _Ibid._, vol. i, p. 76.]
[Footnote 1808: Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 90.]
[Footnote 1809: Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, pp. 122, 123.]
Before his departure, the King appointed the Count of Clermont commander of the district with several lieutenants: the Lords of Culant, Boussac, Lore, and Foucault. He const.i.tuted joint lieutenants-general the Counts of Clermont and of Vendome, the lords Regnault de Chartres, Christophe d'Harcourt and Jean Tudert. Regnault de Chartres established himself in the town of Senlis, the lieutenant's headquarters. Having thus disposed, the King quitted Saint-Denys on the 13th of September.[1810] The Maid followed him against her will notwithstanding that she had the permission of her Voices to do so.[1811] She offered her armour to the image of Our Lady and to the precious body of Saint Denys.[1812] This armour was white, that is to say devoid of armorial bearings.[1813] She was thus following the custom of men-at-arms, who, after they had received a wound, if they did not die of it, offered their armour to Our Lady and the Saints as a token of thanksgiving. Wherefore, in those warlike days, chapels, like that of Notre-Dame de Fierbois, often presented the appearance of a.r.s.enals. To her armour the Maid added a sword which she had won before Paris.[1814]
[Footnote 1810: Perceval de Cagny, p. 169. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, pp. 335 _et seq._ Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, pp. 112 _et seq._ Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 356. _Journal d'un bourgeois de Paris_, p. 246. Berry in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 48. Gilles de Roye, p. 208.]
[Footnote 1811: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 260.]
[Footnote 1812: Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 109. Perceval de Cagny, p. 170. Martial d'Auvergne, _Vigiles_, vol. i, p. 114. Jacques Doublet, _Histoire de l'abbaye de Saint-Denys_, pp. 13, 14.]
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