Happy indeed was Jeanne made by the coming of her brothers. It seemed like bringing her home to her. Now with Jean and Pierre with her, and the love and

blessing of her parents she could proceed on her appointed way with light heart.

By the twenty-fifth of April everything was ready for the march to Orléans.

Jeanne now left Tours and went to Blois to meet the captains and soldiers. She

found a busy scene at the little town. The roads were full of oxen, cows, sheep and swine all gathered for the victualling of Orléans. What with the lowing of the cattle, the bleating of the sheep, and the riotous noise of the soldiers in camp everything was in an uproar. Jeanne established her Household, and then sent for the captains to come to her. Officers of wide renown were they: De Gaucourt, the old commander of Orléans, whom she had already met; Rais and Boussac, two marshals of France; Culent, the Lord admiral; and La Hire, the Gascon freebooter. They revered her as a saintly child, but left her declaring among themselves that the Maid would inspire the army with courage, but as for war––

When had there been a woman since the time of Deborah who had known aught

of its art? This Jeanne found out afterwards.

After this meeting Jeanne sent by a herald to the English a letter which she had dictated at Poictiers just after the decision of the Doctors:

“JHESUS MARIA

“King of England, and you, Duke of Bedford, calling yourself Regent of

France, you, William de la Poule, Comte de Sulford, John, Lord of

Talbot, and you, Thomas, Lord of Scales, who call yourselves

lieutenants of the said Bedford, listen to the King of Heaven: Give back205

to the Maid who is here sent on the part of God the King of Heaven, the

keys of all the good towns which you have taken by violence in His France. She is sent on the part of God to redeem the royal rights. She is

ready to make peace if you will hear reason and be just towards France,

and pay for what you have taken. And you Archers, brothers-in-arms,

gentiles, and others who are before the town of Orléans, go into your own country, at God’s command; but if you do not, look to hear news of

the Maid, who will shortly go to see you to your great hurt. King of England, if you will not do this, I am the head of the army, and wherever

I meet your people in France I will make them flee, whether they will or

no, and if they will not obey, I will kill them all. I am sent from God, King of Heaven, body for body, to drive you all out of France; but if the

soldiers obey, I will have mercy on them. Be not obstinate, therefore, for

you shall not hold the kingdom of France from God, the King of

Heaven, Son of Saint Mary; from him shall Charles hold it, the true heir,

for God, the King of Heaven, wills it so, and so has it been revealed by

the Maid. If you do not heed the word of God and the Maid, in whatever

place we find you, we will put you to a greater rout than has been known

in France for a thousand years, if you will not hear reason. And be sure

that the King of Heaven will send greater strength to the Maid and to her

good soldiers than you can bring with all your might, and then we shall

see who has the better right, the King of Heaven or you. The Maid begs

you and bids you, Duke of Bedford, not to bring destruction on yourself.

If you will heed her you may come in her company where the French

shall do the greatest work that has ever been done for Christianity.206

Answer then if you will still continue against the city of Orléans. If you

do so you will soon recall it to yourself to your great misfortune.

“JEANNE THE MAID.”

Then into every part of the camp this girl of seventeen penetrated. Armies of the time were full of brutal license, and gambling, blasphemy, and other vices were prevalent. Wickedness of all kinds was the rule. But rude, rough, and lawless

though the soldiers were they had their adorations, and reverenced holy things.

To them the fair young girl was a saint. They adored her, and talked freely among themselves about her habits of life. She was good to the poor, she confessed daily, oftentimes she heard mass three times a day; there was too a grace of purity about her such as one might bear who descended from Heaven.

So when Jeanne declared that the war was a Holy War, and that all who followed

her must go clean of sin, gambling and dicing ceased, and men went to be shrived daily. La Hire, too, fierce ruffian though he was, gave up swearing, though he begged so hard to leave him something to swear by that she, having a

sense of humor, left him his baton.

All now being in readiness on the morning of the twenty-eighth of April the army started on its march to Orléans. The day was bright and beautiful, ideal for the beginning of such an enterprise. The brilliant sunlight flooded the fields and meadows gay with wild flowers. At the head of the army marched a long procession of priests bearing crosses, swinging censers, with holy banners as on a pilgrimage, and chanting the “Veni Creator”; the grave and solemn music of the church accompanied strangely by the fanfares and bugle notes of the army.

Following these came Jeanne on a great white horse that the King had given her.

She was clad in white armour inlaid with silver––all shining like her own Saint Michael himself. A radiance of whiteness and glory under the sun––her uncovered head rising in full relief from the dazzling breastplate and gorget.

With her rode D’Aulon, her squire, following immediately after were her own faithful knights, her brothers, confessor, and pages; while behind them stretched the main body of the army, a forest of glittering spears, the divisions commanded by the respective generals. Then came the long train of carts and cattle to which the army formed an escort. God’s Maid indeed seemed Jeanne as she rode, and

with hearts beating high with hope the citizens of the town blessed her as she passed up the road on the way to Orléans.

Blois was thirty miles from the besieged city, on the right bank of the River Loire, on which side Orléans was also situated. It was Jeanne’s plan, in accordance with directions from Her Voices, which told her to go forward boldly, nothing doubting, to go direct to Orléans by the road on the right bank, entering the city by its western gate, past the English fortifications. But, knowing nothing of the country, she left the guidance of the army to her captains, who deceived her.

The English had built a line of strong fortresses called bastilles around Orléans––fortresses which closed all the gates of the city but one. To the French