at Etampes
and marched on to Janville, where Sir John Talbot joined him with
forty lances and two hundred bowmen.[1267]

[Footnote 1267: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, ed.
Dupont, vol. i, p. 281. Berry, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 44. Jean
Chartier, _Chronique_, vol. i, p. 85. _Journal du siege_, pp. 102,
103. _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p. 306. Gruel, _Chronique de
Richemont_, p. 72. Falconbridge, in _Trial_, vol. iv, p. 452.
Morosini, vol. iii, pp. 71-73.]

There they heard that the French had taken the Meung bridge and laid
siege to Beaugency. Sir John Talbot wished to march to the relief of
the inhabitants of Beaugency and deliver them with the aid of God and
Saint George. Sir John Fastolf counselled abandoning Sir Richard
Gethyn and his garrison to their fate; for the moment he deemed it
wiser not to fight. Finding his own men fearful and the French full of
courage, he thought the best thing the English could do would be to
establish themselves in the towns, castles, and strongholds remaining
to them, there to await the reinforcements promised by the Regent.

"In comparison with the French we are but a handfull," he said. "If
luck should turn against us, then we should be in a fair way to lose
all those conquests won by our late King Henry after strenuous effort
and long delay."[1268]

[Footnote 1268: Monstrelet, vol. iv, p. 331. Wavrin du Forestel,
_Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, pp. 283 _et seq._]

His advice was disregarded and the army marched on Beaugency. The
force was not far from the town on Friday, the 17th of June, just when
the garrison was issuing forth with horses, armour, and baggage to the
amount of one silver mark's worth for each man.[1269]

[Footnote 1269: _Chronique de la Pucelle_, J. Chartier, Gruel,
Morosini, Berry, Monstrelet, Wavrin, _loc. cit_. _Lettre de Jacques de
Bourbon, Comte de la Marche a Guill. de Champeaux, eveque de Laon_,
according to a Vienna MS. by Bougenot, in _Bull. du Com. des travaux
hist. et scientif. hist. et phil., 1892_, pp. 56-65. (French
translation by S. Luce, in _La revue bleue_, February 13, 1892, pp.
201-204.)]

Informed of the army's approach the French King's men went forth to
meet it. The scouts had not far to ride before they descried the
standards and pennons of England waving over the plain, about two and
a half miles from Patay. Then the French ascended a hill whence they
could observe the enemy. Captain La Hire and the young Sire de Termes