THE CORONATION OF CHARLES VII
Monograph Number Four in The Mentor Reading Course
After Joan of Arc had beaten the English at Pathay, she wanted to carry out her plan to have Charles VII crowned King of France in the Cathedral at Rheims. But Charles was badly advised. His counselors were lazy and cowardly, and they told him that it was unsafe for him to attempt to go to Rheims.
But at last he decided to march there with his army, and on July 16, 1429, he entered the city. The next day Charles was crowned King of France, while Joan stood beside him holding her sacred banner.
When the coronation was over, Joan knelt at the king's feet and said, "Gentle King, now is the will of God fulfilled."
Charles wished to reward her and asked what she wanted. She said that her only wish was that Domrémy, her native village, should ever after be free from taxes. Her wish was granted.
The next plan of the Maid was to capture Paris from the English. But she received no assistance from the king and his followers. He did not want to make war; for he hoped to gain the friendship of the Duke of Burgundy. Finally, however, Charles was persuaded to go to a little town called St. Denis (Song-Den-ee), which is near Paris. But he was not much help.
Joan led her soldiers against a gate in Paris called the Porte St. Honoré (On-er-ray). One of the men who fought in the battle tells of it in this manner:
"The fight was long and fierce, and it was wonderful to hear the noise of guns and culverins from the walls, and to see the arrows fly like clouds. Few of those who went down into the dry ditch with the Maid were hurt, though many others were wounded with arrows and stone cannon balls; but, by God's grace and the Maid's favour, there were none but could return without help. We fought from noon till darkness began. After the sun set, the Maid was wounded in the thigh by a bolt from a crossbow, but she only shouted louder, 'Come on and the place was ours.' But when it was dark and all were weary, men came from the King and brought her up out of the ditch against her will."
The next day, when Joan and her followers were riding to attack Paris, King Charles sent messengers forbidding them to do it. So they gave up their plans for the day, planning to seize the city the following day. But the king kept putting off the attack, until finally Joan gave up in despair, and her troops were disbanded.
Later Joan went to Normandy, but in December returned to the court of Charles, where on the 29th her family were ennobled with the surname of du Lis (Lee). She did not care for honors, however, but concentrated all her energies on driving the English from her native country.
In March, 1430, she went away from the court to assist in the defense of Compiègne against the Duke of Burgundy, who was attacking the city.
THE MAID OF ORLEANS, BY ROWLAND WHEELWRIGHT