On the eleventh of June the advance was begun on the town, and on the way the
associate commanders were seized with hesitation, using many arguments to get
the Maid to postpone the attack. To which she replied:
“Success is certain. If I were not assured of this from God, I would rather herd sheep than put myself in so great jeopardy.”
The men of Orléans were in the van, and, encouraged by the marvellous success
of the month before, rushed to the attack without waiting for the men-at-arms or the artillery, and tried to storm the place. The garrison easily beat them off, and charged upon them, driving them back to the main body. Then Jeanne rode forward, standard in hand, and led the men-at-arms to the rescue. The English in
turn were driven back, the French occupied the environs to the very ditch, and passing the night there, after the Maid had summoned Suffolk to yield peaceably to the Dauphin.
The next morning the artillery was placed and Alençon wondered audibly at Jeanne’s expertness in laying the guns.
“Where got you such skill in military matters, Jeanne?” he exclaimed. “Who taught you where to set those guns? You go to work as though you were a captain of twenty or thirty years’ experience.”
“It is my Lord who tells me,” answered Jeanne, regarding him with reverent look in her large grave eyes. “When I see a place I know at once where the artillery should be placed.”
At which the young duke’s wonder grew; for he knew that she had never seen ordnance until at Orléans the month before. While the captains were planning the mode of attack word came that the Earl of Suffolk was parleying with La Hire, offering to surrender if not relieved within fifteen days, no doubt believing that Fastolf would arrive with reinforcements before that time.
“Tell them that they may leave in their tunics, without arms or armour,” cried Jeanne. “Otherwise the place will be stormed at once.”
The terms were refused by Suffolk, and immediately the cannon began their work. One of the towers of the town was destroyed, and the sharpshooters of the French picked off some of the garrison with their culverins. The English too used their artillery with telling effect. As Jeanne and Alençon stood watching the bombardment, she cried out to him suddenly, recalling the promise she had made
his wife to bring him back safe.
“Change your position. That gun will kill you!” pointing to a gun on the walls.
Alençon stepped aside quickly, and a few moments later a gentleman was killed
on that very spot.
Soon Jeanne urged an assault on the walls, which Alençon believed to be premature. He thought that the artillery should continue the bombardment before the attack should be made, and was therefore reluctant to follow. As the trumpets sounded the assault, and he did not advance, Jeanne turned upon him quickly:
“Why do you hesitate?” she asked. “Doubt not! When it pleases God the hour is
prepared. God helps those who help themselves.” As he still hesitated she added:
“Ah, gentle duke, are you afraid? Do you not know that I promised your wife to
bring you back safe and sound?” Thereupon they both rushed to the attack.
As the body of the men rushed into the fosse to plant the scaling ladders Suffolk tried to parley, but it was now too late. The English resistance was effective and stubborn, so that for several hours the struggle went on with Jeanne in the thick of it. The ditch was bridged and, banner in hand, the Maid started up one of the scaling ladders as at the Tourelles and tried to mount the wall. One of the garrison threw down a stone which crashed through the banner, struck on the light helmet that she wore, and stretched her stunned to the ground. For a moment only she lay, and then springing to her feet unhurt, she cried:
“Friends, friends, on! On! Our Lord has condemned the English. They are ours!
Have good courage.”
The French had learned that cry. They knew that victory awaited them, and swarmed over the walls in a rush that carried all before them. Suffolk retreated toward the bridge, hoping to escape across it into the Beauce, but the French followed him too closely. One of his brothers and many of the garrison were slain, but he and all who were left alive were captured. As Suffolk was surrounded a knight cried:
“Yield thee, Suffolk! Yield thee, rescue or no rescue!”
“I will yield to none but the most valiant woman in the world,” answered Suffolk proudly. And he would give his sword to none other than Jeanne herself.
So Jargeau was taken.
The town even to the churches was sacked, and Jeanne found herself powerless
to prevent the sacrilege, but she profited by the experience. Some of the prisoners had been butchered because their captors had quarreled over the right to ransom them, so that it was deemed best to send the other captives down to Orléans by boat during the night. This was another lesson that Jeanne took to heart.
Alençon and Jeanne returned in triumph to Orléans, where the burghers gave them a royal welcome, making them many presents. Among Jeanne’s were a hucque and a rich robe of the Orléans colors, green and crimson. In the old times the green had been bright and clear, but it had darkened after the murder of Duke Louis by Jean Sans Peur of Burgundy, and since Agincourt was almost black.
The hucque was of green, and the robe, or overcoat, was of crimson “cramoisy”
lined with white satin and embroidered with the device of Orléans, the nettle.
With Meung and Beaugency still left to attack Jeanne felt the necessity of immediate action. Sir John Fastolf was at that very time at Janville, only twenty-
five miles’ distant from Jargeau; since that town had fallen he would press forward to Talbot’s assistance. The Maid permitted but one day of rest in Orléans.
“Now we must go to see the English at Meung,” she told Alençon. “We will march to-morrow after dinner. Give orders to that effect.”
Meung, as has been said, was the nearest fortified town to Orléans down the river, being distant some ten miles. Its bridge was a mile upstream from the town, and well fortified. It was attacked the afternoon of the next day, as Jeanne had desired, and fell easily. Placing a French garrison in the bridge towers the Maid with her forces camped for the night in the fields and next morning passed on down the river to Beaugency. These towns with their castles and towers were
very conspicuous on the flat plain of the Loire; and bodies of men were easily seen by the watchmen on the walls. As soon, therefore, as the English saw the French approaching they did not try to defend the town, but retired into the castle, leaving men ambushed in houses and sheds to surprise the French. They
were under command of Matthew Gough, a brave Welshman, for Talbot, having
