Joan of Arc Read online

  The sorties which were attempted did not succeed:

  “Saturday fifteenth day of January, about eight o’clock at night, sallied out of the city the Bastard of Orleans, the lord of Saint-Severe and messire Jacques de Chabannes, accompanied by many knights, esquires, captains and citizens of Orleans, and thought to charge upon a part of the army at Saint-Laurent. . . .” (A fortified islet in the Loire off Orleans.) “. . . But the English perceived it and cried the alarm among their troops whereby they were armed, so that there was a great and hard affray. At last the French retired for the English were coming out in full strength.” (J.S.O.110)

  And above all there was the disastrous February 12, 1429, the “day of the herrings”. The English were bringing into their camp a convoy of victuals composed chiefly of barrels of salt herring, since it was Lent, the day being the eve of Brandons, first Sunday in Lent. Moreover, salt herring was, at that time, a staple food. The Bastard of Orleans, the Constable John Stuart, and other knights, joined by the count of Clermont and his troops, decided to attempt an assault against the convoy:

  “Many knights and esquires of the lands of England and France, accompanied by fifteen hundred combatants, as English, Picards, Normans and people of diverse other countries, were bringing about three hundred carts and small carts” (possibly hand barrows), “laden with victuals, and with much war gear as canons, bows, bundles, arrows and other things, taking them to the other English who were maintaining the siege of Orleans. But when they knew by their spies the countenance of the French and learned that their intention was to attack them, they enclosed themselves (by) making a park [sic] with their carts and pointed stakes by way of barriers . . . and put themselves in good order of battle, there waiting to live or die; for to escape they had scarcely hope, considering their small number against the multitude of French who were all come together by a common accord, and concluded that none would dismount except the archers and baggage bearers* . . .”

  However, the French Captains and the Constable of Scotland, who had joined forces with them, were unable to agree as to strategy. The battle opened in a tentative manner while they waited for the Count of Clermont, who kept sending messages asking that the enemy should not be engaged until he had brought up his reinforcements.

  “So that, between two and three o’clock in the afternoon, the French archers drew near to their adversaries, of whom some had already come out of their park” [sic: say, laager] “. . . whom they forced to withdraw hastily. . . . Those who were able to escape went back inside their fortification with the rest. Now, when the Constable of Scotland saw that they had held themselves thus shoulder to shoulder in their ranks, without showing any wish to come out, was he too wishful to attempt to assail them, so much so that he disobeyed the order which had been given to all that none should dismount, for he began to assault without waiting for the others and, at his example, to help him, dismounted likewise the Bastard of Orleans . . . and many other knights and esquires with about four hundred combatants. . . . But little did it avail them, for, when the English saw that the great battle” (i.e., the main body) “which were quite far off, came on timidly (or slowly), and joined not with the Constable, they charged out swiftly from their park and struck among the French who were on foot, and put them to rout and flight. . . . More than that, the English, not sated with the slaughter that they had done on the place, before their park, spread themselves swiftly over the fields, chasing the foot soldiers, so much so that at least twelve of their standards were to be seen far from each other in diverse places. Therefore, La Hire, Poton* and several other valiant men who were making off so shamefully, rallied to the number of sixty or eighty combatants and struck at the English who were thus scattered, so that they killed many. And certainly had all the other French turned about as they did, the honour and profit of the day would have been with them. . . . From this battle escaped among others the Bastard of Orleans, albeit at the beginning he was wounded by an arrow in the foot: two of his archers dragged him with great difficulty out of the press, put him on a horse and thus saved him. The Count of Clermont, who that day had been dubbed knight, and all his great army, never even pretended to succour their companions, as much because they had dismounted (to fight) on foot against the general agreement, as because they saw them almost all killed before their eyes. But when they saw that the English were the masters, they set out towards Orleans; in which they did not honourably, but shamefully.” (J.S.O.120–124)

  This inglorious day was also the last attempt to deliver the town before Joan’s arrival. The count of Clermont hastened to withdraw his troops (18 February). After which only Jean, the Bastard, later Count of Dunois, and the Marshal Saint-Sévère, with their men, were left to defend the town. It was at this point that the citizens of Orleans, feeling themselves abandoned, sent an embassy to the Duke of Burgundy imploring him, in the name of his kinsman Charles, Duke of Orleans, still a prisoner in England, to do something for them. According to chroniclers, Philippe the Good is supposed to have asked the regent Bedford that Orleans be given into his keeping, and neutralised. Bedford refused, saying—still according to the chroniclers—“That he would be very angry to have beaten the bushes that others might take the birds.” Philippe the Good, discontented with this answer, withdrew his troops from the force besieging Orleans.

  Nevertheless the siege continued and the Journal now mentions none but insignificant supplies reaching the town:

  “Friday 4 March, twelve horses laden with wheat, herrings and other victuals.

  Sunday the 6th, seven horses laden with herrings and other victuals.

  The Tuesday following, nine horses laden with victuals”—etc., showing to what extremities the inhabitants were reduced. The town was, in fact, so closely invested that only a single issue remained open: the Bourgoyne gate opening on to the old Roman road on the right bank of the Loire, that is in the direction of the zone controlled by the English.

  Numerous, subsequently, were those citizens of Orleans who bore witness to their anguish during those interminable days: thirty-six of them were to give evidence on the single day of March 16, 1456, during the Trial of Rehabilitation; and what they said may be summed up as follows:

  “The inhabitants and citizens found themselves squeezed in such necessity by the besieging enemies that they knew not whom to have recourse to for a remedy, excepting (or, unless it be) to God.” (R.139)

  It was at this point that news reached these same inhabitants and citizens that a young girl had gone to the King of France, saying that she was sent by the King of Heaven to recover his kingdom for him. Obviously if we are to get some idea of the effect produced, we must enter into the general mentality of the period. Everybody at that time—or let us say almost everybody, for who will ever be able to estimate individual adherences to the general beliefs?—believed in God, and in a God who was master of all eventualities and could, therefore, intervene at will to make the unexpected happen: in other words, everyone believed in miracles. Furthermore, in the kingdom’s state of disorganisation, and in view of the Orleanais’ feeling that they had been abandoned, there could be no hope excepting in a miracle.

  The Bastard of Orleans—that same brilliant captain who, two years before, had forced the enemy to raise the siege of Montargis—although his honour as a soldier was engaged, since he was in command of the defence of Orleans, was, when giving his evidence, foremost in declaring that all Joan’s acts seemed to him, in the event, “divinely inspired”. In any case, as soon as he heard of her, he sent to seek more information about her.

  Jean, Bastard of Orleans: “I was in Orleans, at that time besieged by the English, when certain rumours circulated according to which had passed through the town of Gien a young girl, the Maid so-called, assuring that she was on her way to the noble Dauphin to raise the siege of Orleans and to take the Dauphin to Rheims that he might be crowned. As the city was in my keeping, being Lieutenant-General in the matter of warfare, for more ample information in t
he matter of this maid, I sent to the King the Sire de Villars, Seneschal of Beaucaire, and Jamet du Tillay who later became bailiff of Vermandois. Returned from their mission to the King they told me, and said in public, in the presence of all the people of Orleans who much desired to know the truth concerning the coming of this Maid, that they themselves had seen the said maid arrive to find the King in Chinon. They said also that the King, in the first instance, was not willing to receive her, but that she remained during two days, waiting to be allowed to enter the royal presence. And this although she said and repeated that she was come to raise the siege of Orleans and to conduct the noble Dauphin to Rheims that he be there consecrated, and although she demanded immediately a company of men, horses and arms.

  “A space of three weeks or a month being passed, time during which the King had commanded that the Maid be examined by certain clerks, prelates and doctors of theology on her doings and sayings in order to know if he could in all surety receive her, the King called together a multitude of men to force some victuals into the city of Orleans. But, having gathered the opinion of the prelates and doctors—to wit, that there was no evil in this Maid—he sent her, in company with the lord archbishop of Rheims, then Chancellor of France (Regnault de Chartres), and of the lord de Gaucourt, now grand master of the king’s household, to the town of Blois wherein were come together those who led the convoy of victuals, to wit the lords de Rais and de Boussac, Marshal of France, with whom were the lords de Culant, Admiral of France, La Hire, and the lord Ambroise de Loré, since become Provost of Paris, who all together with the soldiers escorting the convoy of victuals and Joan the Maid, came by way of the Sologne in good military order (en armée rangée) to the river Loire directly and as far as the church called Saint Loup in which were numerous English forces.” (R.127–129)

  It was, in fact, at Blois that the army which the Dauphin had, at Joan’s instance, decided to raise, was concentrated. The Duke of Alençon told how he had been entrusted with the preparation of this expeditionary force:

  Jean d’Alençon: “The King sent me to the Queen of Sicily” (Yolande of Aragon, Charles VII’s mother-in-law) “to get together the victuals to be taken to Orleans for moving the army there. And there I found the lord Ambroise de Loré and a lord Louis whose other name I no longer recall who had prepared the provisions. But there was need of money, and to have money for these victuals I returned to the King and notified him that the victuals were ready and that it remained only to give the money for these victuals and for the soldiers. Then the King sent someone to deliberate of the money needful to conclude all this, so that the supplies and the soldiers were ready to go to Orleans to attempt to raise the siege if that was possible.” (R.148)

  This was confirmed by the man whom Charles VII was to appoint as his official chronicler, Jean Chartier, a monk of Saint-Denis:

  “Were laden in the town of Blois many carts and small carts (chars et charettes) of wheat and were taken great plenty of beeves, sheep, cows, swine and other victuals, and Joan the Maid set out as also the captains straight towards Orleans by the Sologne way. And lay one night in the open and on the morrow came Joan the Maid and the captains with the supplies before the town of Orleans.”

  Properly to understand the order of march and route adopted it is necessary to consider the English strategic positions before Orleans (see map, p. 71). As they had concentrated on fortifying the approaches to the bridge and had surrounded the west of the town with a series of forts, only the Bourgogne* Gate remained, as we have seen already, open to the east. Consequently the captains made a detour so as to reach Orleans on its eastern side, the side least exposed to danger. But this was hardly likely to satisfy Joan, anxious as she was to fight.

  The Bastard of Orleans: “As the King’s army and the soldiers escorting the convoy did not seem to me, any more than to the other lords-captains, sufficient to defend and conduct the supplies into the city, the more so in that there was need of boats and rafts which it would have been difficult to procure to fetch the supplies, for it was necessary to go upstream against the current and the wind was absolutely contrary, then Joan spoke to me these words which follow: ‘Are you the Bastard of Orleans?’ I answered her: ‘Yes, I am so and I rejoice at your coming.’ Then she said to me: ‘Did you give the counsel that I should come here, to this side of the river, and that I go not straight there where are Talbot and the English?’ I answered that myself and others wiser had given this counsel, thinking to do what was best and safest. Then Joan said to me: ‘In God’s name, the counsel of the Lord your God is wiser and safer than yours. You thought to deceive me and it is yourself above all whom you deceive, for I bring you better succour than has reached you from any soldier or any city: it is succour from the King of Heaven. It comes not from love of me but from God himself who, at the request of Saint Louis and Saint Charlemagne, has taken pity on the town of Orleans, and will not suffer that the enemies have the bodies of the lord of Orleans and his town.’ Forthwith and as in the same moment, the wind which was contrary and absolutely prevented the boats from moving upstream, in which were laden the victuals for Orleans, changed and became favourable. Forthwith I had the sails hoisted, and sent in the rafts and vessels. . . . And we passed beyond the Church of Saint-Loup despite the English. From that moment I had good hope in her, more than before; and I then implored her to consent to cross the river of Loire and to enter into the town of Orleans where she was greatly wished for.” (R.129)

  After having hesitated a little to leave the main body of the expeditionary force, Joan agreed to enter Orleans with him.

  “Then Joan came with me, bearing in her hand her standard which was white and upon which was the image of Our Lord holding a fleur-de-lys in his hand. And she crossed with me and La Hire the river of Loire, and we entered together into the town of Orleans.”

  He added: “For all that” (i.e., for these reasons), “it seems to me that Joan and also what she did in warfare and in battle was rather of God than of men; the change which suddenly happened in the wind, after she had spoken, gave hope of succour, and the introduction of supplies, despite the English, who were in much greater strength than the royal army.” (R.131)

  Jean d’Aulon: “After it came to the knowledge of my lord de Dunois, whom then was called my. lord Bastard of Orleans, who was in the city to preserve and keep it from the enemies, that the Maid was coming, he rallied together a number of soldiers to go out to meet her, as La Hire and others, and to this end and the more safely to bring and conduct her into the city, this lord and his men got into a boat and by the river of Loire went to meet her about quarter of a league and there found her.” (R.157)

  The Journal of the Siege recounts in detail Joan’s entry into the town on the Friday evening, April 29, 1429: “The Friday following twenty-ninth of the same month, came into Orleans certain news that the King was sending by the Sologne way victuals, powder, canon and other equipments of war under the guidance of the Maid, who came from Our Lord to re-victual and comfort the town and raise the siege—by which were those of Orleans much comforted. And because it was said that the English would take pains to prevent the victuals, it was ordered that all take up arms throughout the city. Which was done.

  “This day also arrived fifty foot soldiers equipped with guisarmes and other war gear. They came from the country of Gatinais where they had been in garrison.

  “This same day there was a great skirmish because the French wished to give place and time for the victuals to enter, which were brought to them. And to keep the English busy elsewhere, they went out in great strength, and went running and skirmishing before Saint Loup d’Orleans and engaged them so closely that there were many dead, wounded and taken on both sides, and so that the French bore into the city one of the English standards. While this skirmish was making, entered into the town the victuals and the artillery which the Maid had brought as far as Checy. To meet her went out to that village the Bastard of Orleans and other knights, esquires and me
n of war from Orleans and elsewhere, right joyful at her coming, who all made her great reverence and handsome cheer (i.e., right welcome) and so did she to them; and they concluded all together that she should not enter into Orleans before nightfall, to avoid the tumult of the people. . . . At eight o’clock, despite all the English who never attempted to prevent it, she entered, armed at all points, riding upon a white horse; and she caused her standard to be borne before her, which was likewise white, on which were two angels, holding each a fleur-de-lys in their hands; and on the pennon was painted an annunciation (this is the image of Our Lady having before her an angel giving her a lily).

  She entered thus into Orleans, having on her left hand the Bastard of Orleans very richly armed and mounted, and after came many other noble and valiant lords, esquires, captains and men of war, and several from the garrison, and likewise some burgesses of Orleans who had gone out to meet her. On the other hand came to receive her the other men of war, burgesses and matrons of Orleans, bearing great plenty of torches and making such rejoicing as if they had seen God descend in their midst; and not without cause, for they had many cares, travails and difficulties and great fear lest they be not succoured and lose all, body and goods. But they felt themselves already comforted and as if no longer besieged, by the divine virtue* which they were told was in this simple maid, who looked upon them all right affectionately, whether men, women, or little children. And there was marvellous crowd and press to touch her or the horse upon which she was. So much so that one of those bearing a torch drew so near to her standard that the pennon took fire. Wherefore she struck spurs to her horse and turned him right gently towards the pennon and extinguished the fire of it as if she had long served in the wars; which thing the men-at-arms held a great marvel and the burgesses of Orleans likewise who bore her company the whole length of their town and city, manifesting great joy, and by way of a very great honour, led her all to the near neighbourhood of the Regnard Gate, into Jacques Boucher’s great house (hotel) who was then Treasurer to the Duke of Orleans, where she was received with great joy, with her two brothers and two gentlemen and their body-servants who were come with them from the country of Barrois.”