mendicants, built outside the
towns, had all perished,--plundered and burnt by the English or pulled
down by the townsfolk; for, when threatened with siege, the
inhabitants always dealt thus with the outlying portions of their
town. The homeless monks found no welcome in the cities, which were
sparing of their goods; they must needs take the field with the
soldiers and follow the army. From such a course their rule suffered
and piety gained nothing. Among mercenaries, sumpters and camp
followers, these hungry nomad monks lived an edifying life. Those who
accompanied the Maid were doubtless neither worse nor better than the
rest, and as they were very hungry their first care was to eat.[911]

[Footnote 910: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 103. Boucher de Molandon,
_Premiere expedition de Jeanne d'Arc_, p. 47. L.A. Bosseboeuf,
_Jeanne d'Arc en Touraine_, Tours, 1899, pp. 34 _et seq._]

[Footnote 911: Le P. Denifle, _La desolation des eglises, monasteres,
hopitaux, en France, vers le milieu du XV'e siecle_, Macon, 1897, in
8vo, introduction.]

The men-at-arms were much too accustomed to seeing monks and nuns
mingling side by side in the army to feel any surprise at the sight of
the holy damsel in the midst of a band so disreputable. It is true
that the damsel was said to work wonders. Many believed in them;
others mocked and said aloud: "Behold the brave champion and captain
who comes to deliver the realm of France."[912]

[Footnote 912: _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 327. Tringant, _Le Jouvencel_,
vol. ii, p. 277, merely says that few soldiers went willingly to the
relief of Orleans, which is not strictly accurate.]

The Maid had a banner made for the monks to assemble beneath and
summon the men-at-arms to prayer. This banner was white, and on it
were represented Jesus on the Cross between Our Lady and Saint
John.[913] The Duke of Alencon went back to the King to make known to
him the needs of the company at Blois. The King sent the necessary
funds; and at length they were ready to set out.[914] At the start
there were two roads open, one leading to Orleans along the right bank
of the Loire, the other along the left bank. At the end of twelve or
fourteen miles the road along the right bank came out on the edge of
the Plain of La Beauce, occupied by the English who had garrisons at
Marchenoir, Beaugency, Meung, Montpipeau, Saint-Sigismond, and
Janville. In that direction lay the risk of meeting the army, which
was coming to the aid of t