Joan of Arc

by Regine Pernoud

  Both in the Journal of the Siege and in the depositions of the Rehabilitation Trial, we can follow, day by day, the events which followed in Orleans during a week which was to be decisive.

  Saturday, April 10th. No notable event. Much against her will Joan had to resign herself to wait, the other captains-at-war being of opinion that the enemy should not be engaged until the rest of the army, which had remained at Blois, had reached Orleans.

  Louis de Coutes: “Joan went to see the Bastard of Orleans and spoke to him, and on her return she was in great anger; for, said she, he had decided that on that day they would not go out against the enemy. However, Joan went to a boulevard which the King’s soldiers were holding against the English boulevard, and there she spoke with the English who were in the other boulevard, telling them in God’s name to withdraw that otherwise she would drive them out. And one called the Bastard of Granville spoke many insults to Joan, asking her if she expected them to surrender to a woman, calling the French who were with Joau miscreant pimps.” (R.170)

  “When evening fell, Joan went to the boulevard of the Belle Croix on the bridge and thence spoke to Classidas (Glasdale) and to the other English who were in the Tourelles and told them that if they would yield themselves at God’s command (de par Dieu) their lives were safe. But Glasdale and those of his company answered basely, insulting her and calling her ‘cow-girl’, shouting very loudly that they would have her burned if they could lay hands on her. At which she was much enraged and answered them that they lied, and that said, withdrew into the city.” (J.S.O.155)

  Sunday, May 1st. Still nothing happened. The Sunday truce was generally observed. On that day, in any case, the Bastard of Orleans left the town to go and fetch the reinforcements massed at Blois.

  “That day rode about the city Joan the Maid, accompanied by many knights and esquires because those of Orleans wanted so greatly to see her that they almost broke down the door of the mansion where she was lodged, to see her; there was such a press of townspeople in the streets she passed through that with great difficulty did she pass, for the people could not weary of seeing her, and it seemed to all a great marvel how she could sit her horse with such ease and grace (si gentiment) as she did. And in sooth, she bore herself as highly in all ways as a man of arms who had followed the wars since his youth would have been able to.” (J.S.O.155)

  Monday, May 2nd: Still nothing. It is self-evident that in the absence of the Bastard of Orleans, charged with the city’s defence, Joan could not and would not undertake any operations.

  Tuesday, May 3rd: Still nothing, unless it be what the town’s account books reveal. “For those who bore the torches in the procession of May 3rd last, being present Joan the Maid and other war chiefs, to implore Our Lord for the deliverance of the town of Orleans, 2 sous parisis.”

  And again, these details, at once typical and touching: “To Raoulet de Recourt, for a shad presented to the Maid the 3rd May—20 sous parisis. To Jean le Camus, for a gift to three companions (friends) who had come to see Joan and had not the means to eat—4 sous parisis.” (q. v. 259)

  Wednesday, May 4th. Dunois’ return with the reinforcements is heralded.

  Jean d’Aulon: “As soon as she knew they were come and that they were bringing the others that they went to seek for the reinforcement of the city, hastily the Maid sprang to horse and, with some of her men, went out to meet them and to strengthen and succour them if need there should be.

  “Within sight and knowledge of the enemies, entered the Maid, Dunois, the marshal (Boussac) La Hire, I who speak and our men, without any impediment whatsoever.

  “That same day, after dinner came my lord of Dunois to the Maid’s lodging where she and I had dined together. And speaking to her his lord of Dunois told her that he knew it fortrue by trustworthy men, that one Falstaff (John Falstaff, captain of freebooters), an enemy captain, would soon be coming to the besieger enemies, both to bring them succour and reinforce the army and to revictual them, and that he was already at Janville. At these words the Maid was right rejoiced, as it appeared to me, and she spoke to my lord of Dunois these words, or similar ones: ‘Bastard, Bastard, in God’s name I command thee that, as soon as thou knowest that Falstaff is come, thou shalt make it known to me, for if he pass without my knowing of it, I promise thee I will have thy head taken off!’ To which answered the lord of Dunois that she doubt not, for he would indeed make it known to her.

  “After these exchanges, I who was weary and fatigued cast myself down on a mattress in the Maid’s chamber, to rest a little. And likewise did she, with her hostess, on another bed, to sleep and rest. But while I was beginning to take my rest, suddenly the Maid rose from the bed, and making a great noise, roused me. At that I asked her what she wanted. She answered me: ‘In God’s name my counsel has told me to go out against the English and I know not whether I must go against their fortification (bastide) or against Falstaff who is to revictual them.’ Upon which I arose at once and, as swiftly as I could, put the Maid into her armour.” (R.159)

  Louis de Coutes also tells how Joan, after having slept a little, “Came down again and said to me these words: ‘Ah, bleeding boy, you told me not that the blood of France was spilling!’ while urging me to go fetch her horse. In the interval she had her armour put on by the lady of the house and her daughter, and when I came back from saddling and bridling her horse, I found her ready armed; she told me to go and fetch her standard which was upstairs and I handed it to her through the window. After having taken her standard, Joan hastened, racing towards the Burgundy Gate. Then the hostess told me to go after her, which I did. There was at that time an attack or a skirmish over towards Saint-Loup. It was in this attack that the boulevard was taken, and on her way Joan encountered many French wounded, which saddened her. The English were preparing their defence when Joan came in haste at them, and as soon as the French saw Joan, they began to shout (? cheer) and the bastion and fortress of Saint-Loup were taken.”

  Jean Pasquerel: “I recall that it was on the eve of Ascension of Our Lord, and there were many English killed. Joan lamented much, saying that they had been killed without confession, and she wept much upon them and at once confessed herself to me, and she told me publicly to exhort all the soldiers to confess their sins and to give thanks to God for the victory won; if not she would stay not with them but would leave them. And she said also, on that vigil of the Ascension of the Lord, that within five days the siege of Orleans would be raised and that there would linger no more English before the city. . . . That day, at evening, being returned to her lodging, she told me that on the morrow, which was the day of the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, she would make no war nor take up arms, out of respect for the Feast. And that day she wished to confess and to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist, which she did. And that day she commanded that no man should dare on the morrow go out of the city to assault or attack if he had not first been to confession. And let them take care that women of ill-fame follow not the army, for it was for those sins that God allowed the war to be lost. And it was done as Joan had commanded.” (R.80)

  Thursday, May 5th. Joan sent to the English the third and last letter of summons. We do not have the text of the second unless it did no more than repeat the letter already quoted.

  “You, Englishmen, who have no right in this Kingdom of France, the King of Heaven orders and commands you through me, Joan the Maid, that you quit your fortresses and return into your own country, or if not I shall make you such babay that the memory of it will be perpetual. That is what I write to you for the third and last time, and shall write no more. Signed: Jhesus-Maria, Joan the Maid.” “For my part I shall have sent you my letters honourably, but for yours you detain my messengers, for you have held my herald named Guyenne. Be so good as to send him back (veuillez le renvoyer) and I will send you some of your people taken in the fortress of Saint-Loup, for not all were dead there.”

  Jean Pasquerel: “She took an arrow, tied the letter with a thr
ead to the end of the arrow and ordered an archer to shoot the arrow to the English, crying ‘Read, it is news!’ The English received the arrow with the letter and read it. And having read it they began to utter great shouts, saying, ‘News of the Armagnacs’ whore!’ At these words Joan began to sigh and to weep copious tears, calling the King of Heaven to her aid. And thereafter was she consoled, as she said, for she had had news of her Lord. And that evening, after dinner, she ordered me to rise on the morrow earlier than I had done on Ascension Day, and that she would confess herself to me very early in the morning, which she did.”

  Friday, May 6th. Jean Pasquerel: “That day, Friday, the morrow of the Feast of the Ascension, I rose early in the morning and heard Joan’s confession and sang mass before her and her men in Orleans. Then they went out to the assault which lasted from morning until evening. And that day was taken the fortress of the Augustins, by grand assault; and Joan, who was accustomed to fast on Fridays, could not fast that day, for she had been too much fatigued and she dined.” (R.181)

  Yet this assault seems to have been a surprise (not a meditated) attack, if we are to believe the testimony given by Simon Charles: “Of what was done at Orleans I know nought but by hearsay, for I was not present there, but there is one thing which I heard said by the lord de Gaucourt when he was at Orleans: it had been decided by those who had charge of the King’s men that it was not advisable to make assault nor attack on the day when the bastion of the Augustins was taken, and this lord de Gaucourt was charged to guard the gates so that none should go out. Joan, however, was ill-content with that. She was of opinion that the soldiers should go out with the townsmen and attack the bastion. Many of the men of war and townsmen were of the same opinion. Joan said to this sire de Gaucourt that he was a bad man. ‘Whether you will or not, the fighting men will come and will obtain what they have elsewhere obtained.’ And against the will of the lord de Gaucourt, the soldiers who were in the town went out and made an attack to invade the Augustins bastion which they took by storm. And from what I have heard tell by the sire de Gaucourt, he was himself in great peril.” (R.104)

  Jean d’Aulon: “The Maid and her men went out of the city in good order to go and assail a certain bastion before the city, called the bastion of Saint-Jean-le-Blanc. To do this, as they saw that they could not goodly (well) reach this bastion by land given that the enemy had built another and very strong at the foot of the city bridge, so that it was impossible for them to pass that way, it was resolved between them to cross to a certain isle in the river Loire and that there they would assemble to go out and make their attack on the bastion of Saint-Jean-le-Blanc. And, to cross the other arm of the river Loire, they sent for two boats of which they made a bridge to go to the bastion.

  “That done, they went towards the bastion which they found all disordered because the English who were in it no sooner saw the French coming than they went away and withdrew into another stronger and bigger bastion called the bastion of the Augustins. The French, seeing that they were not strong enough to take this bastion, it was resolved that they would return from it without doing anything.

  “While the French were retreating from the bastion of Saint-Jean-le-Blanc to return to the island, the Maid and La Hire both crossed, each with a horse in a boat, from the other side of this island, and mounted these horses as soon as they were across, each with lance in hand, and when they perceived that the enemies were coming out of the bastion to charge their men, at once the Maid and La Hire, who were always before them to guard them, couched their lances and were the first to strike among the enemies. Thereupon the others all followed them and began to strike at the enemy in such fashion that by force they drove them to retire and enter again into the bastion of the Augustins. . . . Very bitterly and with much diligence they assailed it from every side so that in a little while they gained and took it by storm; and there were killed or taken the greater part of the enemies, and those who could escape retired into the bastion of the Tourelles at the foot of the bridge. And thus won the Maid, and those who were with her, victory over the enemies upon that day and was the great bastion taken, and there remained the lords and their men with the Maid, all that night.” (R.161–163)

  The taking of this bastion of the Augustins was an important feat of arms; the bastion was the most considerable of those which covered the Tourelles, the fortification commanding the approach to the bridge. The Orleanais were quick to realise the value of the achievement, a fact confirmed by the Journal of the Siege: “Those of Orleans were most diligent in bearing all night long bread, wine and other victuals to the men of war maintaining the siege.”* (J.S.O.159)

  Jean Pasquerel: “After dinner came to Joan a valiant and notable knight whose name I no longer recall. He told Joan that the King’s captains and soldiers had held counsel together and that they saw they were but few by comparison with the English and that God had shown them great mercies in the satisfactions already obtained, adding: ‘Considering that the town is well provided with victuals, we might well keep the city while awaiting help from the King, and it does not seem advisable to the council that the soldiers go out tomorrow!’ Joan answered him: ‘You have been at your counsel and I at mine; and know that my Lord’s counsel will be accomplished and will prevail and that that (other) counsel will perish.’ And addressing herself to me who stood at her side: ‘Rise tomorrow early in the morning and earlier than you did to-day and do the best that you can; be always at my side, for tomorrow I shall have much to do, and more than I ever had, and tomorrow the blood will flow out of my body above my breast.’ ” (R.181–182)

  Saturday, May 7th. Jean Pasquerel: “On the morrow, Saturday, I rose early and celebrated mass. And Joan went out against the fortress of the bridge where was the Englishman Classidas. And the assault lasted there from the morning until sunset. In this assault, after the morning meal, Joan, as she had predicted, was struck by an arrow above the breast, and when she felt herself wounded she was afraid and wept, and was consoled as she said. And some soldiers, seeing her so wounded, wanted to apply a charm to her wound, but she would not have it, saying: ‘I would rather die than do a thing which I know to be a sin or against the will of God.’ And that she knew well that she must die one day, but knew not when or how or at what time of the day. But if to her wound could be applied a remedy without sin, she was very willing to be cured. And they put on to her wound olive oil and lard. And after that had been applied, Joan made her confession to me, weeping and lamenting.” (R.182)

  The Bastard of Orleans: “The assault lasted from the morning until eight o’clock of vespers, so that there was hardly hope of victory that day. So that I was going to break off and wanted the army to withdraw towards the city. Then the Maid came to me and required me to wait yet a while. She herself, at that time, mounted her horse and retired alone into a vineyard, some distance from the crowd of men. And in this vineyard she remained at prayer during one half of a quarter of an hour. Then she came back from that place, at once seized her standard in hand and placed herself on the parapet of the trench, and the moment she was there the English trembled and were terrified. And the king’s soldiers regained courage and began to go up, charging against the boulevard without meeting the least resistance.” (R.132)

  Jean d’Aulon: “They were before that boulevard from morning until sunset without being able to take nor win it. And the lords and captains being with her, seeing that they could not well win it that day, considering the time, that it was very late, and also that all were very weary and tired, it was concluded between them to sound the retreat of the army, which was done, and as the clamour of the trumpets sounded each would retire for that day. In beating this retreat, he who bore the Maid’s standard and held it still erect before the boulevard, being weary and tired, passed the standard to one named Le Basque, who was the lord de Villard’s man. And because I knew this Basque to be a valiant man and that I feared lest because of this retreat the worst befall . . . it occurred to me that if the s
tandard was driven forward by reason of the great ardour which I knew to be among the men of war who were there, they might by this means win the boulevard. So I asked Le Basque, if I entered and went to the foot of the boulevard, if he would follow me. He told me and promised me that he would do so. Then I went into the trench and as far as the foot of the boulevard ditch (moat, trench), covering myself with my shield for fear of stones, and left my comrade on the other side, for I thought he would be following close in my footsteps. But when the Maid saw her standard in the hands of Le Basque and thought that she had lost it, for he who bore it had gone down into the trench, she went and seized the end of the standard in such manner that he could not carry it away, crying ‘My standard, my standard!’ and waved the standard in such fashion that I imagined that so doing the others would think that she was making them a sign. Thereupon I shouted, ‘Ah! Basque, what didst thou promise me?’ Then Le Basque tugged so at the standard that he tore it from the Maid’s hands and so doing came to me and raised the standard. This occasioned all who were of the Maid’s army to come together and to rally again, and with such bitterness assail the boulevard that a little time thereafter this boulevard and the bastion were taken by them and by the enemy abandoned; and thus went in the French to the city of Orleans by way of the bridge.” (R.163–164)

  “No sooner had the attack recommenced than the English lost all power to resist longer and thought to make their way from the boulevard into the Tourelles, but few among them could escape, for the four or five hundred soldiers they numbered were all killed or drowned, excepting some few whom were taken prisoners, and these not great lords. And thinking to save themselves the bridge broke under them, which was great disorder to the English forces and great pity for the valiant French, who for their ransom might have had much money (grand finance).” (J.S.O.162)