Monograph Number Three in The Mentor Reading Course
Joan entered Orléans at nightfall. The people were all glad to see her, and lighted her way with torches. They tried to kiss her hands. In her white armor she was an inspiration to the French.
Joan wanted to sally out from Orléans immediately and attack the English; but the commander of the French forces did not think it wise to do so. Shortly afterward, however, Joan had her way.
The French planned an attack on the strongest of the English forts besieging Orléans. This was placed at the end of the bridge over the river Loire (Lwahr). It was a dangerous thing to do, as the fort was very strong; but Joan herself led the soldiers against its walls. The English were brave, and repulsed the attack throughout the day. At about one o'clock in the afternoon Joan was wounded by an arrow. She had prophesied this sometime before. The wound was not serious, however, and she went back into the battle. At eight o'clock Dunois, the commander of the French, wanted to withdraw, saying that they could not capture the fort that day; but Joan would not give up. She went away for awhile and prayed. When she returned, she seized her standard and led the soldiers up to the walls of the fort. The French, inspired by her bravery, followed, climbing the walls and killing or capturing all the English in the fort.
This defeat discouraged the English, and they withdrew from Orléans on May 8, 1429. In four days Joan had accomplished more than the French had been able to do in seven long months.
Joan next planned to take Charles to Rheims (English pronunciation—Reemz) and have him crowned with the holy oil; but most of the country was held by the English. So Joan determined to capture the cities, and thereby make it safe for the king to go to Rheims. She first captured Jargeau, then Meun, and after that Beaugency.
Shortly after this the English army was near a little town called Pathay. The French were pursuing them; so the main part of the English army was placed at the end of a long lane between two thick hedges. Then they hid their archers behind these hedges. They planned to trap the French in this long lane and shoot them down.
The French would have gone right into this trap, if a stag had not been roused by them and run up the lane into the English lines. The English archers could not resist a chance like this. They shot at the stag. This revealed their ambush to the French, and saved Joan's army from defeat. The English were beaten, and the Maid won a great victory.
