ics, a
kind of Protestants who were giving trouble. Bedford induced Winchester
to bring his men to France, but they had not arrived. The Duke of
Burgundy, the head of the great French party which opposed Charles, had
been invited by the Maid to Reims. Again she wrote to him: 'Make a firm,
good peace with the King of France,' she said; 'forgive each other with
kind hearts'--for the Duke's father had been murdered by the friends of
Charles. 'I pray and implore you, with joined hands, fight not against
France. Great pity it would be of the great battle and bloodshed if your
men come against us.'

The Duke of Burgundy, far from listening to Joan's prayer, left Paris
and went to raise men for the English. Meanwhile Charles was going from
town to town, and all received him gladly. But Joan soon began to see
that, instead of marching west from Reims to Paris, the army was being
led south-west towards the Loire. There the king would be safe among his
dear castles, where he could live indoors, 'in wretched little rooms,'
and take his ease. Thus Bedford was able to throw 5,000 men of
Winchester's into Paris, and even dared to come out and hunt for the
French king. The French should have struck at Paris at once as Joan
desired. The delays were excused, because the Duke of Burgundy had
promised to surrender Paris in a fortnight. But this he did merely to
gain time. Joan knew this, and said there would be no peace but at the
lance-point.

[Illustration: Joan challenges the English to sally forth]

Here we get the best account of what happened from Perceval de Cagny, a
knight in the household of the Duc d'Alencon. He wrote his book in
1436, only five years after Joan was burned, and he spoke of what he
knew well, as a follower of Joan's friend, 'the fair duke.' The French
and English armies kept watching each other, and there were skirmishes
near Senlis. On August 15 the Maid and d'Alencon hoped for a battle. But
the English had fortified their position in the night with ditches,
palisades, and a 'laager' of wagons. Come out they would not, so Joan
rode up to their fortification, standard in hand, struck the palisade,
and challenged them to sally forth. She even offered to let them march
out and draw themselves up in line of battle. La Tremouille thought this
a fine opportunity of distinguishing himself. He rode into the skirmish,
his horse fell with him, but, by evil luck, he was rescued. We do not
hear that La Tremouille risked