Jeanne d'Arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents
History
Jeanne d'Arc, Maid of Orleans, Deliverer of France: Being the Story of Her Life, Her Achievements, and Her Death, as Attested on Oath and Set Forth in the Original Documents
Joan, of Arc, Saint, 1412-1431 -- Trials, litigation, etc.
There is another fact which made me believe she was from God. The 27th
of May,[145] very early in the morning, we began the attack on the
Boulevard[146] of the bridge. Jeanne was there wounded by an arrow which
penetrated half-a-foot between the neck and the shoulder; but she
continued none the less to fight, taking no remedy for her wound. The
attack lasted throughout, from the morning until 8 o’clock in the
evening, without hope of success for us: for which reason I was anxious
that the army should retire into the town. The Maid then came to me,
praying me to wait yet a little longer. Thereupon she mounted her horse,
retired to a vineyard, all alone by herself, remained in prayer about
half an hour, then, returning and seizing her banner by both hands, she
placed herself on the edge of the trench. At sight of her the English
trembled, and were seized with sudden fear; our people, on the contrary,
took courage and began to mount and assail the Boulevard, not meeting
any resistance. Thus was the Boulevard taken and the English therein put
to flight: all were killed, among them Classidas[147] and the other
principal English captains of the Bastille, who, thinking to gain the
Bridge Tower, fell into the river, where they were drowned. This
Classidas was he who had spoken of the Maid with the greatest contempt
and insult.
The Bastille taken, we re-entered the town of Orleans—the Maid and all
the army—where we were received with enthusiasm. Jeanne was taken to her
house, to receive the care which her wound required. When the surgeon
had dressed it, she began to eat, contenting herself with four or five
slices of bread dipped in wine and water, without, on that day, having
eaten or drunk anything else.
The next day, early in the morning, the English came out of their camp
and placed themselves in order of battle. At this sight, Jeanne got up
and put on a light coat of mail; she forbade the English to be attacked
or in any way molested but [gave orders] that they should be allowed to
depart, which they did, without any pursuit. From that moment the town
was delivered.
After the deliverance of Orleans, the Maid, with myself and the other
captains, went to seek the King at the Castle of Loches, praying him to
attack immediately the towns and the camps on the Loire, Mehun,
Beaugency, Jargeau, in order to make his consecration at Rheims more
free and sure. This she besought the King often, in the most urgent
manner, to hasten, without longer delay. The King used the greatest
haste possible, and sent, for this purpose, the Duke d’Alençon, myself
and other captains, as well as Jeanne, to reduce these towns and camps.
All were reduced in a few days—thanks alone, as I believe, to the
intervention of the Maid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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