v, p. 289.
"Which reply having been made each of them had gone up on to the
walls, and assumed his guard with the intent and in the firm
resolution that if any attack were made on them, they would resist to
the death."]

The town was strongly defended. The Duke of Burgundy had long been
keeping up the fortifications. In 1417 and 1419 the people of Troyes,
like those of Orleans in 1428, had pulled down their suburbs and
destroyed all the houses outside the town for two or three hundred
paces from the ramparts. The arsenal was well furnished; the stores
overflowed with victuals; but the Anglo-Burgundian garrison amounted
only to between five and six hundred men.[1438]

[Footnote 1438: J. Chartier, vol. i, p. 92. Th. Boutiot, _Histoire de
la ville de Troyes_, vol. ii, pp. 391, 418, 419. A. Assier, _Une cite
champenoise au XV'e siecle_, p. 8.]

On that day also, at five o'clock in the afternoon, the Councillors of
the town of Troyes sent to inform the people of Reims of the arrival
of the Armagnacs, and despatched to them copies of the letter from
Charles of Valois, of their reply to it and of the Maid's letter,
which they cannot therefore have burned immediately. They likewise
communicated to them their resolution to resist to the death in case
they should receive succour. In like manner they wrote to the people
of Chalons to tell them of the Dauphin's coming; and to them they made
known that the letter of Jeanne the Maid had been brought to Troyes by
Friar Richard the preacher.[1439]

[Footnote 1439: J. Rogier, in _Trial_, vol. iv, pp. 289, 290.]

These writings amounted to saying: like all citizens in such
circumstances, we are in danger of being hanged either by the
Burgundians or by the Armagnacs, which would be very grievous. To
avoid this calamity as far as in us lies, we give King Charles of
Valois to understand that we do not open our gates to him because the
garrison prevents us and that we are the weaker, which is true. And
we make known to our Lords, the Regent and the Duke of Burgundy, that
the garrison being too weak to defend us, which is true, we ask for
succour, which is loyal; and we trust that the succour will not be
sent, for if it were we should have to endure a siege, and risk being
taken by assault which for us merchants would be grievous. But, having
asked for succour and not receiving it, we may then surrender without
reproach. The important point is to cause the garrison, fortunately a
small