a year, and but little longer: we must think to do good work in that year. Four things are laid upon me: to drive out the English; to bring you to be crowned and anointed at Reims; to rescue the Duke of Orléans from the hands of the English; and to raise the siege of Orléans.
And the King set to work, giving me ten or twelve thousand men, and I went to Orléans.
Letter, March 22, 1429
JHESUS MARIA
King of England, and you, Duke of Bedford, who call yourself Regent of the Kingdom of France; you, William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk; John, Lord Talbot; and you, Thomas, Lord Scales, who call yourselves lieutenants of the said Duke of Bedford: Do justice to the King of Heaven; surrender to the Maid, who is sent here from God, King of Heaven, the keys of all the good towns you have taken and violated in France. She is come from God to uphold the blood royal. She is ready to make peace if you will do justice, relinquishing France and paying for what you have withheld.
As to you, you archers and men-at-arms, gentle and others, who are before the town of Orléans, go hence into your own country in God’s name; and if you do not so, expect to hear news of the Maid, who will shortly come to see you, to your very great damage.
King of England, if you do not so, I am a commander, and in whatever place in France I come upon your men, I will make them leave it, will they or nill they; and if they will not yield obedience, I will have them all slain. I am sent here from God, King of Heaven, to put you, hand to hand, out of all France. Yet if they will yield obedience, I will grant them mercy.
And think not otherwise: for you shall not hold the Kingdom of France from God, King of Heaven, Saint Mary’s son, but King Charles shall hold it, the true heir. For so God, King of Heaven, wills it; and so it has been revealed to him by the Maid, and he shall enter Paris with a fair company.
If you will not believe this news from God and the Maid, wherever we find you, there we shall strike; and we shall raise such a battle-cry as there has not been in France in a thousand years, if you will not do justice. And know surely that the King of Heaven will send more strength to the Maid than you can bring against her and her good soldiers in any assault. And when the blows begin, it shall be seen whose right is the better before the God of Heaven.
You, Duke of Bedford: The Maid prays and beseeches you not to bring on your own destruction. If you will do her justice, you may yet come in her company there where the French shall do the fairest deed that ever was done for Christendom. So answer if you will make peace in the city of Orléans. And if you do not so, consider your great danger speedily.
Written this Tuesday in Holy Week.
Delivery of Orléans
April–May, 1429
March from Blois to Orléans, Apri1 28–29
TO HER SOLDIERS
TRUST IN GOD. Make confession, and be shriven, for so God will help you. Being shriven, you shall have the victory, by God’s help.
TO DUNOIS, COMING OUT FROM ORLÉANS TO MEET HER
Are you the Bastard of Orléans?
Was it you who counselled that we should come here on this side of the river, and not go straight to where Talbot and the English are?
(He answers, “Yes, I, and others wiser than I, believing it safer and surer.” Then Jehanne:)
In God’s name! our Lord God’s counsel is surer and wiser than yours. You thought to deceive me; it is yourself that you deceive. For I bring you better succour than ever carne to captain of town, which is succour from the King of Heaven. Nor is it granted for love of me; but God, at the prayer of Saint Louis and Saint Charlemagne, has taken pity on the town of Orléans, nor will he suffer the enemy to hold both the Duke of Orléans’ person and his town.
Entry into Orléans, Apri129
TO THE PEOPLE
My Lord has sent me to succour this good town of Orléans.
Hope in God. If you have good hope and faith in him, you shall be delivered from your enemies.
Orléans: Capture of the English Fortress of Saint-Loup, May 4
TO HER PAGE
Ha! wretched boy! you did not tell me that French blood was flowing!
Where are those who should arm me?
To horse! To horse!
Evening of the Same Day, Ascension Eve
TO HER CHAPLAIN
Tomorrow I will not go out to fight nor put on armor, in reverence to the feast day, I will make my confession and receive the sacrament.
Let none tomorrow dare to leave the town and go out to fight, unless he has first gone to confession. And let them beware lest women of evil fame follow them: because, for sin, God will permit the loss of this war.
Letter, May 5
(Fastened to an arrow and shot into the English lines)
You Englishmen, who have no right in this Kingdom of France, the King of Heaven sends you word and warning, by me Jehanne the Maid, to abandon your forts and depart into your own country, or I will raise such a war-cry against you as shall be remembered forever. And this I write to you for the third and last time, nor shall I write further.
I should send you my letter more decently, but you detain my heralds. For you have kept my herald Guyenne. Send him to me, and I will send you some of your men who were taken at Saint-Loup, for not all were killed.
Orléans: Capture of the English Fortress of the Augustines, May 6
TO HER SOLDIERS
In God’s name! let us go on bravely!
Evening of the Same Day: Council of War
TO ONE OF THE CAPTAINS
You have been with your council and I have been with mine. Believe me that the counsel of my Lord will be accomplished and will stand, and this counsel of yours will perish.
THEN TO HER CHAPLAIN
Tomorrow, rise very early, earlier than you did today, and do the best that you can. Keep close to me all day, for tomorrow I shall have much to do and greater things than I have had to do yet. And tomorrow blood will flow from my body, above my breast.
Orléans: Capture of the Bridge, May 7
I was the first to set a ladder against the fortress on the bridge, and, as I raised it, I was wounded in the throat by a cross-bow bolt. But Saint Catherine comforted me greatly. And I did not cease to ride and do my work.
TO HER SOLDIERS
Courage! Do not fall back: in a little the place will be yours. Watch! when you see the wind blow my banner against the bulwark, you shall take it!
In, in, the place is yours!
TO THE ENGLISH CAPTAIN
Glasdale, Glasdale, yield, yield to the King of Heaven. You have called me “whore” I pity your soul and the souls of your men.
TO THOSE WHO OFFERED TO CHARM HER WOUND
I would rather die than do what I know to be sin.
Orléans: The English Raise the Siege, May 8
TO HER SOLDIERS
In God’s name! they go. Let them depart. And go we to give thanks to God. We shall not follow them farther, for it is Sunday. Seek not to harm them. It suffices me that they go.
Return to Court
May–June, 1429
In Council
TO