mself and for his people. Since the fathers
were dead, he thought that the sons might forgive and forget. He
placed his hope in his cousin of Burgundy; and he was right, for the
fortunes of the English were in the hands of Duke Philip. Charles
brought himself, or at any rate he was to bring himself later, to
recognise the suzerainty of the King of England. It is less important
to consider the weakness of men than the force of circumstances. And
the prisoner could never do enough to obtain peace: "joy's greatest
treasure."[1243]

[Footnote 1243: _Poesies de Charles d'Orleans_, ed. A.
Champollion-Figeac, pp. 175-176.]

No, despite her revelations, the picture Jeanne imagined of her fair
Duke was not the true one. They were never to meet; but if they had
met there would have been serious misunderstandings between them, and
they would have remained incomprehensible one to the other. Jeanne's
elemental, straight-forward way of thinking could never have accorded
with the ideas of so great a noble and so courteous a poet. They could
never have understood each other because she was simple, he subtle;
because she was a prophetess while he was filled with courtly
knowledge and lettered grace; because she believed, and he was as one
not believing; because she was a daughter of the common folk and a
saint ascribing all sovereignty to God, while for him law consisted in
feudal uses and customs, alliances and treaties;[1244] because, in
short, they held conflicting ideas concerning life and the world. The
Maid's mission, her being sent by Messire to recover his duchy for
him, would never have appealed to the good Duke; and Jeanne would
never have understood his behaviour towards his English and Burgundian
cousins. It was better they should never meet.

[Footnote 1244: For him every treaty of peace was a good treaty, even
that of 1420, the Treaty of Troyes (Pierre Champion, _Le manuscrit
autographe des poesies de Charles d'Orleans_, Paris, 1907, 8vo, p.
32).]

The capture of Jargeau had given the French control of the upper
Loire. In order to free the city of Orleans from all danger, it was
necessary to make sure of the banks of the lower river. There the
English still held Meung and Beaugency. On Tuesday, the 14th of June,
at the hour of vespers, the army took the field.[1245]

[Footnote 1245: Perceval de Cagny, p. 152: "_Je veux demain, apres
diner, aller voir ceux de Meung_." ["To-morrow after dinner I will go
to the people