Part 86 (2/2)
CHAPTER VII
SOISSONS AND COMPIeGNE--CAPTURE OF THE MAID
Leaving Lagny, the Maid presented herself before Senlis, with her own company and with the fighting men of the French n.o.bles whom she had joined, in all some thousand horse. And for this force she demanded entrance into the town. No misfortune was more feared by burgesses than that of receiving men-at-arms, and no privilege more jealously guarded than that of keeping them outside the walls. King Charles had experienced it during the peaceful coronation campaign. The folk of Senlis made answer to the Maid that, seeing the poverty of the town in forage, corn, oats, victuals and wine, they offered her an entrance with thirty or forty of the most notable of her company and no more.[1976]
[Footnote 1976: Arch. mun. of Senlis in _Muse des archives departementales_, pp. 304, 305. J. Flammermont, _Histoire de Senlis pendant la seconds partie de la guerre de cent ans_, p. 245. Perceval de Cagny, p. 173. Morosini, vol. iii, p. 294, note 5.]
It is said that from Senlis Jeanne went to the Castle of Borenglise in the parish of Elincourt, between Compiegne and Ressons; and, in ignorance as to what can have taken her there, it is supposed that she made a pilgrimage to the Church of Elincourt, which was dedicated to Saint Margaret; and it is possible that she wished to wors.h.i.+p Saint Margaret there as she had wors.h.i.+pped Saint Catherine at Fierbois, in order to do honour to one of those heavenly ladies who visited her every day and every hour.[1977]
[Footnote 1977: Ma.n.u.script History of Beauvais by Hermant, in _Trial_, vol.
v, p. 165. G. Lecocq, _etude historique sur le sejour de Jeanne d'Arc a Elincourt-Sainte-Marguerite_, Amiens, 1879, in 8vo, 13 pages. A. Peyrecave, _Notes sur le sejour de Jeanne d'Arc a Elincourt-Sainte-Marguerite_, Paris, 1875, in 8vo. _Elincourt-Sainte-Marguerite, notice historique et archeologique_, Compiegne, 1888. Ch. vii, pp. 113, 123.]
In those days, in the town of Angers, was a licentiate of laws, canon of the churches of Tours and Angers and Dean of Saint-Jean d'Angers.
Less than ten days before Jeanne's coming to Sainte-Marguerite d'Elincourt, on April 18, about nine o'clock in the evening, he felt a pain in the head, which lasted until four o'clock in the morning, and was so severe that he thought he must die. He prayed to Saint Catherine, for whom he professed a special devotion, and straightway was cured. In thankfulness for so great a grace, he wended on foot to the sanctuary of Saint Catherine of Fierbois; and there, on Friday, the 5th of May, in a loud voice, said a ma.s.s for the King, for ”the Maid divinely worthy,” and for the peace and prosperity of the realm.[1978]
[Footnote 1978: _Trial_, vol. v, pp. 164, 165. _Les miracles de Madame Sainte Katerine de Fierboys_, pp. 16, 62, 63.]
The Council of King Charles had made over Pont-Sainte-Maxence to the Duke of Burgundy, in lieu of Compiegne, which they were unable to deliver to him since that town absolutely refused to be delivered, and remained the King's despite the King. The Duke of Burgundy kept Pont-Sainte-Maxence which had been granted him and resolved to take Compiegne.[1979]
[Footnote 1979: P. Champion, _Guillaume de Flavy_. Proofs and ill.u.s.trations, pp. 150, 154. Morosini, vol. iii, p. 276, note 3. Note concerning G. de Flavy, in _Trial_, vol. v, p. 176.]
On the 17th of April, when the truce had expired, he took the field with a goodly knighthood and a powerful army, four thousand Burgundians, Picards and Flemings, and fifteen hundred English, commanded by Jean de Luxembourg, Count of Ligny.[1980]
[Footnote 1980: Monstrelet, ch. x.x.x. Note concerning G. de Flavy, in _Trial_, vol. v, p. 175. P. Champion, _Guillaume de Flavy_. Proofs and ill.u.s.trations, xliv, xlv.]
n.o.ble pieces of artillery did the Duke bring to that siege; notably, Remeswelle, Rouge Bombarde and Houppembiere, from all three of which were fired stone b.a.l.l.s of enormous size. Mortars, which the Duke had brought and paid ready money for to Messire Jean de Luxembourg, were brought likewise; Beaurevoir and Bourgogne, also a great ”_coullard_”
and a movable engine of war. The vast states of Burgundy sent their archers and cross-bowmen to Compiegne. The Duke provided himself with bows from Prussia and from Caffa in Georgia,[1981] and with arrows barbed and unbarbed. He engaged sappers and miners to lay powder mines round the town and to throw Greek fire into it. In short my Lord Philip, richer than a king, the most magnificent lord in Christendom and skilled in all the arts of knighthood, was resolved to make a gallant siege.[1982]
[Footnote 1981: ”In this country the Emperor [of Constantinople] has a city called Capha, which is a seaport belonging to the Genoese and whence is obtained wood for the making of bows and cross-bows, likewise wine called Rommenie.” _Le Livre de description des pays de Gilles le Bouvier._ Ed. E.T. Hamy, Paris, 1908, p. 90.]
[Footnote 1982: De La Fons-Melicocq, _Doc.u.ments inedits sur le siege de Compiegne de 1430_ in _La Picardie_, vol. iii, 1857, pp. 22, 23. P.
Champion, _Guillaume de Flavy_. Proofs and ill.u.s.trations, p. 176.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: PHILIP, DUKE OF BURGUNDY]
The town, then one of the largest and strongest in France, was defended by a garrison of between four and five hundred men,[1983]
commanded by Guillaume de Flavy. Scion of a n.o.ble house of that province, forever in dispute with the n.o.bles his neighbours, and perpetually picking quarrels with the poor folk, he was as wicked and cruel as any Armagnac baron.[1984] The citizens would have no other captain, and in that office they maintained him in defiance of King Charles and his chamberlains. They did wisely, for none was better able to defend the town than my Lord Guillaume, none was more set on doing his duty. When the King of France had commanded him to deliver the place he had refused point-blank; and when later the Duke promised him a good round sum and a rich inheritance in exchange for Compiegne, he made answer that the town was not his, but the King's.[1985]
[Footnote 1983: Lefevre de Saint-Remy, vol. ii, p. 178. H. de Lepinois, _Notes extraites des archives communales de Compiegne_, in _Bibliotheque de l'ecole des Chartes_, 1863, vol. xxiv, p. 486. A.
Sorel, _La prise de Jeanne d'Arc devant Compiegne et l'histoire des sieges de la meme ville sous Charles VI et Charles VII, d'apres des doc.u.ments inedits avec vues et plans_, Paris, 1889, in 8vo, p. 268.]
[Footnote 1984: Jacques Duclercq, _Memoires_, ed. Reiffenberg, vol. i, p. 419. _Le Temple de Bocace_ in _Les oeuvres de Georges Chastellain_, ed. Kervyn de Lettenhove, vol. vii, p. 95. P. Champion, _Guillaume de Flavy, capitaine de Compiegne, contribution a l'histoire de Jeanne d'Arc et a l'etude de la vie militaire et privee au XV'ieme siecle_, Paris, 1906, in 8vo, _pa.s.sim_.]
[Footnote 1985: Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 125. _Chronique des cordeliers_, fol. 495 recto. Rogier, in Varin, _Arch. de la ville de Reims_, 11th part, Statuts, vol. i, p. 604. A. Sorel, _loc. cit._, p. 167. P. Champion, _loc. cit._, p. 33.]
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