Part 87 (1/2)

The Duke of Burgundy easily took Gournay-sur-Aronde, and then laid siege to Choisy-sur-Aisne, also called Choisy-au-Bac, at the junction of the Aisne and the Oise.[1986]

[Footnote 1986: Monstrelet, vol. iv, pp. 379, 381. _Chronique des cordeliers_, fol. 495 recto. _Livre des trahisons_, p. 202.]

The Gascon squire, Poton de Saintrailles and the men of his company crossed the Aisne between Soissons and Choisy, surprised the besiegers, and retired immediately, taking with them sundry prisoners.[1987]

[Footnote 1987: Monstrelet, vol. iv, pp. 382, 383. Berry, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 49.]

On the 13th of May, the Maid entered Compiegne, where she lodged in the Rue de l'Etoile.[1988] On the morrow, the Attorneys[1989] offered her four pots of wine.[1990] They thereby intended to do her great honour, for they did no more for the Lord Archbishop of Reims, Chancellor of the realm, who was then in the town with the Count of Vendome, the King's lieutenant and divers other leaders of war. These n.o.ble lords resolved to send artillery and other munitions to the Castle of Choisy, which could not hold out much longer;[1991] and now, as before, the Maid was made use of.

[Footnote 1988: According to a note by Dom Bertheau, in A. Sorel, _Sejours de Jeanne d'Arc a Compiegne, maisons ou elle a loge en 1429 et 1430_, with view and plans, Paris, 1888, in 8vo, pp. 11, 12.]

[Footnote 1989: Magistrates of the town. Cf. _ante_, p. 34, note 3.]

[Footnote 1990: _Accounts of the town of Compiegne_, CC 13, folio 291.

Dom Gillesson, _Antiquites de Compiegne_, vol. v, p. 95. A. Sorel, _La prise de Jeanne d'Arc_, p. 145, note 3.]

[Footnote 1991: Choisy surrendered on the 16th of May. _Chronique des cordeliers_, fol. 497, verso. _Livre des trahisons_, p. 201.

Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 382. Berry, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 49. A.

Sorel, _La prise de Jeanne d'Arc_, pp. 145, 146. P. Champion, _Guillaume de Flavy_, pp. 40-41, 162-163.]

The army marched towards Soissons in order to cross the Aisne.[1992]

The captain of the town was a squire of Picardy, called by the French Guichard Bournel, by the Burgundians Guichard de Thiembronne; he had served on both sides. Jeanne knew him well; he reminded her of a painful incident. He had been one of those, who finding her wounded in the trenches before Paris, had insisted on putting her on her horse against her will. On the approach of King Charles's barons and men-at-arms, Captain Guichard made the folk of Soissons believe that the whole army was coming to encamp in their town. Wherefore they resolved not to receive them. Then happened what had already befallen at Senlis: Captain Bournel received the Lord Archbishop of Reims, the Count of Vendome and the Maid, with a small company, and the rest of the army abode that night outside the walls.[1993] On the morrow, failing to obtain command of the bridge, they endeavoured to ford the river, but without success; for it was spring and the waters were high. The army had to turn back. When it was gone, Captain Bournel sold to the Duke of Burgundy the city he was charged to hold for the King of France; and he delivered it into the hand of Messire Jean de Luxembourg for four thousand golden _saluts_.[1994]

[Footnote 1992: Berry, in _Trial_, vol. iv, pp. 49, 50.]

[Footnote 1993: F. Brun, _Jeanne d'Arc et le capitaine de Soissons en 1430_, Soissons, 1904, p. 5 (extract from _l'Argus Soissonnais_). P.

Champion, _loc. cit._, p. 41.]

[Footnote 1994: Berry, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 50. P. Champion, _loc.

cit._, p. 168. Proofs and ill.u.s.trations, x.x.xv, p. 168. F. Brun, _Nouvelles recherches sur le fait de Soissons (Jeanne d'Arc et Bournel en 1430) a propos d'un livre recent_, Meulan, 1907, in 8vo.]

At the tidings of this treacherous and dishonourable action on the part of the Captain of Soissons, Jeanne cried out that if she had him, she would cut his body into four pieces, which was no empty imagining of her wrath. As the penalty of certain crimes it was the custom for the executioner, after he had beheaded the condemned, to cut his body in four pieces, which was called quartering. So that it was as if Jeanne had said that the traitor deserved quartering. The words sounded hard to Burgundian ears; certain even believed that they heard Jeanne in her wrath taking G.o.d's name in vain. They did not hear correctly. Never had Jeanne taken the name of G.o.d or of any of his saints in vain. Far from swearing when she was angered, she used to exclaim: ”G.o.d's good will!” or ”Saint John!” or ”By Our Lady!”[1995]

[Footnote 1995: _Trial_, vol. i, p. 273.]

Before Soissons, Jeanne and the generals separated. The latter with their men-at-arms went to Senlis and the banks of the Marne. The country between the Aisne and the Oise was no longer capable of supporting so large a number of men or such important personages.

Jeanne and her company wended their way back to Compiegne.[1996]

Scarcely had she entered the town when she sallied forth to ravage the neighbourhood.

[Footnote 1996: I have rejected the story told by Alain Bouchard of Jeanne's meeting with the little children in the Church of Saint Jacques. (_Les grandes croniques de Bretaigne_, Paris, Galliot Du Pre, 1514, fol. cclx.x.xi.) M. Pierre Champion (_Guillaume de Flavy_, p. 283) has irrefutably demonstrated its unauthenticity.]

For example, she took part in an expedition against Pont-l'Eveque, a stronghold, some distance from Noyon, occupied by a small English garrison, commanded by Lord Montgomery.

The Burgundians, who were besieging Compiegne, made Pont-l'Eveque their base. In the middle of May, the French numbering about a thousand, commanded by Captain Poton, by Messire Jacques de Chabannes and divers others, and accompanied by the Maid, attacked the English under Lord Montgomery, and the battle was pa.s.sing fierce. But the enemy, being relieved by the Burgundians of Noyon, the French must needs beat a retreat. They had slain thirty of their adversaries and had lost as many, wherefore the combat was held to have been right sanguinary.[1997] There was no longer any question of crossing the Aisne and saving Choisy.

[Footnote 1997: Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 382. Lefevre de Saint-Remy, vol. ii, p. 178. _Chronique des cordeliers_, fol. 498 verso.]

After returning to Compiegne, Jeanne, who never rested for a moment, hastened to Crepy-en-Valois, where were gathering the troops intended for the defence of Compiegne. Then, with these troops, she marched through the Forest of Guise, to the besieged town and entered it on the 23rd, at daybreak, without having encountered any Burgundians.

There were none in the neighbourhood of the Forest, on the left bank of the Oise.[1998]