To break the resistance on the Loire by taking Orleans was indeed a hazardous undertaking. The English made careful prep arations, and amassed a large quantity of military material for the siege. Salisbury had assembled a force of about 2,50o, to which were joined spearmen and archers under Bedford. The English army may have numbered about I o,000 men, in addition to the Burgundian forces, which were soon withdrawn. Orleans was strongly fortified, and possessed two hundred and fifty can non of various calibres. To invest the town the English had surrounded it with about a dozen bastions, which were then called bastilles. The siege began on Oct. 12, and on the 24th Salisbury was mortally wounded by a bullet as he was about to reconnoitre the town from one of the windows of the Tourelles. The citizens of Orleans were commanded by Dunois, the Bastard of Orleans and by the famous La Hire. The fighting amounted to no more than skirmishing, and French reinforcements continued to enter the beleaguered town. Although the situation was not so critical as it has been represented, the news of the siege aroused great emotion throughout France. When it reached Domremy, Joan decided to set out. About Jan. 12, 1429, she left the village to go to her cousins, the Lassois of Petit Burey. She soon reached Vau couleurs, and stayed there three weeks, seeking to convince the incredulous captain, Robert de Baudricourt, of her mission. She met there a bold young squire, Jean de Metz, in whom she con fided. Her idea was that the country should save itself rather than wait for the help of the Scots, and the arrival of little Mar garet, the daughter of James of Scotland, who was to marry Louis, the son of the Dauphin.
When she realized that Robert de Baudricourt would do nothing to bring her to the Dauphin, she borrowed clothes from Jean de Metz, and set out for France. The duke of Lorraine having sent her a safe-conduct as far as Nancy, she went first to him. She begged him to allow his son-in-law Rene to escort her to France, promising to pray for the duke's better health. Joan and her companions returned to Vaucouleurs, where Baudricourt, who had just learned of the disaster of Vouvray, was less unwilling to let the Maid try her fortune. He authorized her departure for Chinon, and Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulengy advanced money for the journey. The people of Vaucouleurs bought her a horse, and Joan exchanged her suit of red cloth for a page's dress. Baudri court gave her a sword saying : "Go, and let come what may." Travelling by night the little band evaded English and Burgundian marauders. They passed through Saint Urbain, Auxerre, Gien and Fierboys, near Chinon, to which soldiers made pilgrimages to invoke Saint Catherine. From there, Joan wrote to the Dauphin, asking for permission to go to Chinon to give him information which she alone possessed. The Council met to discuss whether he should hear her or not. Louis de Bourbon, the count of Ven dome, brought her into the presence of the king, who kept back in the midst of his knights. Joan came forward with meekness and simplicity, and said to him, "Most noble Dauphin, I have come from God to help you and your Kingdom." The Dauphin took her aside, and talked with her for more than two hours. Accord ing to her confessor, Pasquerel, the Maid said to him, "Je to dis de la part de Messire que to es le vrai heritier de France et fils du roi" (I am God's messenger, sent to tell you that you are the king's son, and the true heir to France). This was doubtless the sign which Joan would never explain. Lodged in the tower of Coudray, Joan was burning to be at work, but the king was unwilling to make use of her until she had been examined by an assembly of learned theologians. She was sent therefore to
Poitiers, the seat of the chief university and of the courts of justice. She lived in the household of Jean Rabuteau, the advocate-general, and was examined by a commission presided over by Friar Seguin, professor of theology. She assured them that she would raise the siege and have the king crowned, and dic tated a letter commanding the English to depart. The Poitiers commission made enquiry at Domremy. Nothing but what was honest and true was reported of Joan, and in April they pro nounced in her favour. Joan was accordingly sent to Tours to take up arms. She lodged with the lady in waiting upon the Dauphin's mother-in-law, the Queen of Sicily. In this city, famous for its armourers, she put on "white armour." She had brought to her from the church of Saint Catherine de Fierboys a sword on which were five crosses, doubtless an ex voto which she had seen in its place behind the altar. At the wish of the Dauphin she appointed a suite, including a confessor, Jean Pas querel, a squire, Jean d'Aulon and two pages. Like other com pany commanders, she carried a banner ; on it she had painted the King of heaven holding an orb, with the motto "Jesus Maria." The French army for the relief of Orleans numbered about four thousand men. This force left Tours for Blois, and, on April 28, escorted by a procession of priests, arrived before Orleans along the left bank of the Loire, accompanied by a convoy of cattle and several boats. They were met by Dunois. The Loire was crossed with a favourable wind. On the night of April 28, Joan entered Orleans, bringing hope to the beleaguered citizens. She was taken to the church of the Holy Cross, and then to the house of Jacques Boucher, treasurer to the duke of Orleans. On April 3o Joan summoned the English to be gone. Next day she sent them a further proclamation. On May 5, the Maid and her companions stormed the "bastille" of the Augustines, and on the 7th, they captured the Tourelles, which commanded the head of the bridge. Joan herself planted the first scaling-ladder, and was wounded in the shoulder by an arrow. Orleans was saved. On May 8 was held the first thanksgiving procession, the origin of the great festival of Orleans. Within a week the French captured Jargeau, where the earl of Suffolk was taken prisoner, and Beaugency. Sir John Falstolf was defeated at Patay. Joan entered Orleans in triumph, followed the king to Gien, and prevailed upon him to march on Reims. She reached Troyes on July loth and Reims on the i4th. Two days later the king was crowned. Beside him stood the Maid, a banner in her hand. "Gentle King," she said, kneeling before him, "now is fulfilled the will of God that I should raise the siege of Orleans, and lead you to the city of Reims to receive the holy coronation, to show that you are indeed the king, and the rightful lord of the realm of France." It was agreed to advance on Paris on July i8. Bedford was aware of the plan, and had informed the English council. Charles, however, wasted time over negotiations with the envoys of the duke of Burgundy, whom Joan had commanded to make peace with France, and she did not leave Reims till July 21. Instead of marching on Compiegne, which was prepar ing to receive him, the king turned back towards the Loire. The Maid wished to continue the march on Paris, whence Bedford had withdrawn his army. Between Aug. 18 and 22 the king and the Maid received the submission of Compiegne, Senlis and Beauvais, from which they expelled the bishop Pierre Cauchon.