said to the Maid: "The English are coming. They are in battle array
and ready to fight."

As was her wont, she made answer: "Strike boldly and they will flee."

And she added that the battle would not be long.[1270]

[Footnote 1270: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 120. Monstrelet, vol. iv, p.
328. The clerk who wrote down Thibault de Termes' evidence, being
ill-informed, described these words as having been uttered at the
Battle of Patay. At Patay, Jeanne and La Hire were not near each
other.]

Believing that the French were offering them battle, the English took
up their position. The archers planted their stakes in the ground,
their points inclined towards the enemy. Thus they generally prepared
to fight; they had not done otherwise at the Battle of the Herrings.
The sun was already declining on the horizon.[1271]

[Footnote 1271: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol. i, p.
286.]

The Duke of Alencon had by no means decided to descend into the plain.
In presence of the Constable, my Lord the Bastard and the captains, he
consulted the holy Maid, who gave him an enigmatical answer: "See to
it that you have good spurs."

Taking her to mean the Count of Clermont's spurs, the spurs of
Rouvray, the Duke of Alencon exclaimed: "What do you say? Shall we
turn our backs on them?"

"Nay," she replied.

On all occasions her Voices counselled unwavering confidence. "Nay. In
God's name, go down against them; for they shall flee and shall not
stay and shall be utterly discomfited; and you shall lose scarce any
men; wherefore you will need your spurs to pursue them."[1272]

[Footnote 1272: _Trial_, vol. iii, p. 11. _Chronique de la Pucelle_,
p. 307. It is clear that this passage from Dunois' evidence and from
_La chronique de la Pucelle_ cannot refer to the battle of June 18th,
as has been thought. "All the English divisions," says Dunois, "united
into one army. We thought they were going to offer us battle." He is
evidently referring to what happened on the 17th of June. The Duke of
Alencon's evidence confuses everything. How could the Maid have said
of the English: "God sends them against us," when they were fleeing?]

According to the opinions of doctors and masters it was well to listen
to the Maid, but at the same time to follow the course marked out by
human wisdom.

The commanders of the army, either because they judged the occasion
unfavourable or because, after so many defeats, they feared a pitched
battle,