At last however a reluctant start was made.Jeanne with her "people,"her little staff,in which,now,were two of her brothers,a second having joined her after Orleans,left Gien on the 28th of June;and the next day the King very unwillingly set out.There is given a long list of generals who surrounded and accompanied him,three or four princes of the blood,the Bastard of Orleans,the Archbishop of Rheims,marshals,admirals,and innumerable seigneurs,among whom was our young Guy de Laval who wrote the letter to his "mothers"which we have already quoted and whose faith in the Maid we thus know;and our ever faithful La Hire,the big-voiced Gascon who had permission to swear by his /baton/,the d'Artagnan of this history.We reckon these names as those of friends:Dunois the ever-brave,Alen?on the /gentil Duc/for whom Jeanne had a special and protecting kindness,La Hire the rough captain of Free Lances,and the graceful young seigneur,Sir Guy as we should have called him had he been English,who was so ready to sell or mortgage his land that he might convey his troop befittingly to the wars.This little group brightens the march for us with their friendly faces.We know that they have but one thought of the warrior maiden in whose genius they had begun to have a wondering confidence as well as in her divine mission.While they were there we feel that she had at least so many who understood her,and who bore her the affection of brothers.We are told that in the progress of the army Jeanne had no definite place.She rode where she pleased,sometimes in the front,sometimes in the rear.One imagines with pleasure that wherever her charger passed along the lines it would be accompanied by one or other of those valiant and faithful companions.
The first place at which a halt was made was Auxerre,a town occupied chiefly by Burgundians,which closed its gates,but by means of bribes,partly of provisions to be supplied,partly of gifts to La Tremouille,secured itself from the attack which Jeanne longed to lead.Other smaller strongholds on the road yielded without hesitation.At last they came to Troyes,a large and strong place,well garrisoned and confident in its strength,the town distinguished in the history of the time by the treaty made there,by which the young King had been disinherited--and by the marriage of Henry of England with the Princess Catherine of France,in whose right he was to succeed to the throne.It was an ill-omened place for a French king and the camp was torn with dissensions.Should the army march by,taking no notice of it and so get all the sooner to Rheims?or should they pause first,to try their fortune against those solid walls?But indeed it was not the camp that debated this question.The camp was of Jeanne's mind whichever side she took,and her side was always that of the promptest action.The garrison made a bold sortie,the very day of the arrival of Charles and his forces,but had been beaten back:and the King encamped under the walls,wavering and uncertain whether he might not still depart on the morrow,but sending a repeated summons to surrender,to which no attention was paid.
Once more there was a pause of indecision;the King was not bold enough either to push on and leave the city,or to attack it.Again councils of war succeeded each other day after day,discussing the matter over and over,leaving the King each time more doubtful,more timid than before.From these debates Jeanne was anxiously held back,while every silken fool gave his opinion.At last,one of the councillors was stirred by this strange anomaly.He declared among them all,that as it was by the advice of the Maid that the expedition had been undertaken,without her acquiescence it ought not to be abandoned."When the King set out it was not because of the great puissance of the army he then had with him,or the great treasure he had to provide for them,nor yet because it seemed to him a probable thing to be accomplished;but the said expedition was undertaken solely at the suit of the said Jeanne,who urged him constantly to go forward,to be crowned at Rheims,and that he should find little resistance,for it was the pleasure and will of God.If the said Jeanne is not to be allowed to give her advice now,it is my opinion that we should turn back,"said the Seigneur de Treves,who had never been a partisan of or believer in Jeanne.We are told that at this fortunate moment when one of her opponents had thus pronounced in her favour,Jeanne,impatient and restless,knocked at the door of the council chamber as she had done before in her rustic boldness;and then there occurred a brief and characteristic dialogue.
"Jeanne,"said the Archbishop of Rheims,taking the first word,probably with the ready instinct of a conspirator to excuse himself from having helped to shut her out,"the King and his council are in great perplexity to know what they should do.""Shall I be believed if I speak?"said the Maid.
"I cannot tell,"replied the King,interposing;"though if you say things that are reasonable and profitable,I shall certainly believe you.""Shall I be believed?"she repeated.
