THE FRENCH SPIRIT • 29 



axe in her hand, the maid of Orleans rode forth, attended 

 by two pages, two heralds, a chaplain, valets, and special 

 guards. An army of ten thousand followed her from 

 Chinon. They were rough men, but her influence over 

 them was remarkably restraining. Her common sense 

 was as strong as her imagination. She seemed super- 

 natural to the soldiers, as she led them forward against 

 the English who held Orleans in siege. Her enthusiasm 

 and fearlessness were electrifying. She displayed skill in 

 the management of forces, including artillery, that as- 

 tonished experienced generals. Under such leadership 

 the French were irresistible, and the maid's prediction 

 that she would deliver Orleans and restore to the King of 

 France his kingdom was fulfilled. 



in 



The coronation of the Dauphin at Rheims soon took ^°«°>^ti„„ 

 place. Then Joan considered her mission ended and Fulfilled 

 asked leave to go home, saying, "O gentle King, the 

 pleasm-e of God is done." But the archbishop urged 

 her to remain. "Would it were the King's pleasure," 

 she said, "that I might go and keep sheep once more 

 with my sisters and brothers ; they would be so glad to 

 see me again." She was not permitted to leave, and 

 engaged afterwards in several battles and sieges, but her 

 conviction was that the chief mission was performed. 

 At the coronation she had occupied the highest place. 

 She was hailed as the saviour of her country. Briefly 

 she enjoyed the high honour rightly hers, and then began 

 the tragedy which was to be a lasting infamy to France. 

 She was betrayed into the hands of the English, who shameful 

 looked upon her as a sorcerer. She was brought to Rouen betrayal 

 in chains, cast into a cell, and fastened by a large iron 

 chain to a beam. So afraid were her captors that she 

 would elude them by miracle that they caused this help- 

 less girl to sleep with double chains round her limbs so 



