Si<2 ENGL 
During thefe political druggies, an Engliill army of 
three thonfand men, under the command of the earl of 
Warwick, A. D. 1426, had formed the (iege of Monfarges, 
and that place was reduced to the lad extremity. Charles 
collected a body of fixteen hundred men, and entruded 
them to a natural fon of that duke of Orleans who had 
been affaflinated by the duke of Burgundy. This gene¬ 
ral, who was afterwards fo famous under the titles of 
Badard of Orleans, and count of Dunois, attacked the 
enemy’s entrenchments, and compelled the Englidt to 
abandon the fiege with difgrace. The duke of Bedford, 
in the mean time, indignant at the defection of the duke 
of Brittany, on his arrival in France had fecretiy affem- 
bled a conliderable army to chadife that prince ; and fud- 
denly invading the province, unprepared for riddance, 
lie compelled its fovereign to renounce his alliance with 
France, and to yield homage to Henry for his duchy. 
Succefsful in this enterprife, lie entered on another equal¬ 
ly important, and determined to inved the city of Orleans. 
The army deftined for this (iege, confiding of ten thou- 
fand men, he entruded to the veteran abilities of the earl 
of Salidntry ; while, on the other hand, Charles reinforc¬ 
ing the garrifon, and replenifhing the magazines, appoint¬ 
ed as governor the lord of Gaucour, a brave and experi¬ 
enced officer. 
Soon after the fiege commenced, A. D. 1428, the earl 
of Salifbury was killed by a cannon ball, in a fpirited and 
fuccefsful attempt on the fortifications. The command, 
on his death, devolved on the earl of Suffolk. The army 
was reintorced by large bodies of the French and Burgun¬ 
dians ; and Orleans, under his directions, was completely 
inveded. The inclemency of the feafon, and the rigour 
of the winter, could not overcome the perfeverance of the 
befiegers ; a chain of forts was arduoufiy conftruCted ; 
yet the vacant fpaces dill allowed fuccours to be intro¬ 
duced ; and the garrifon, before the return of fpring, was 
fwelled by frequent ftipplies from twelve hundred to 
three thoufand men ; while their hopes were railed, and 
their efforts encouraged by the prefence and example of 
the badard of Orleans. In order to dijtrefs the befiegers, 
the French had ravaged and exhauded the adjacent coun¬ 
try ; and the Englidi were compelled to draw their fub- 
fi(fence from a eonfiderable didance. A convoy of pro- 
vifions was entruded to the conduit of fir John Faldotfe, 
with a detachment of two thoufand five hundred men. 
The king of France, determined to drain every nerve for 
the prefervation of the city, collecting a body of troops,' 
in number about four thoufand, appointed the count of 
Clermont to command them. On the approach of the 
French, Faldodc mod judicioufly drew up his men be¬ 
hind the waggons, and calmly received the fury of their 
charge. The French were broken by their own impetuo- 
fity ; and five hundred perifhed on the field. Fruilrated 
in this attempt to relieve Orleans, the king of France en¬ 
deavoured to preferve it by policy. The duke cf Or¬ 
leans, dill a prifoner in England, had obtained from the 
duke of Glouceder, and his council, the promife of a 
neutrality in his demefhes ; and that they fliould be fe- 
quedered during the war into tire bands of the duke of 
Burgundy : but this expedient was firmly rejected by the 
duke of Bedford : <uid to the importunities of the duke of 
Burgundy he coolly replied, “ he was not in a humour 
to beat the buflies, whilft others ran away with the game.” 
Difguded at this refufal, Burgundy feparated his forces 
from thofe of the Englifh.; but the latter dill preffed the 
fiege with increafe of ardour ; when Orleans was preferv- 
ed by an occurrence fo fingular as almod to dagger belief, 
were it not confirmed by the united tedimony of contem¬ 
porary hidorians. 
Charles, reduced to defpair, had already begun to me¬ 
ditate a retreat into Dauphine. From this intention, 
however, he was diverted by the intreaties of his queen, 
Mary of Anjou, a prineefs of prudence and fpirit; and by 
the more perfuafive remondrances of his beautiful mif- 
trefs, the celebrated Agnes de Sorele. Undetermined 
A N D, 
how to ail, and in hourly expectation of receiving intelli¬ 
gence that Orleans had furrendered, his attention was 
arreded by the appearance of a village girl, dedined to 
prop his falling fortunes, and redore him to the domi¬ 
nions of his ancedors. This was no other than Joan 
d’Arc, the Maid of Orleans; for whole hiftory, prowefs, 
and unfortunate end, fee vol. i. p.43. 
The Englifh heard with contempt the preparations of 
Charles, under the guidance of this woman, and derided, 
in ludicrous terms, the heavenly commiflion of Joan ; but 
the minds of the common foldiers were infenfibly im- 
preffed with dread, and they awaited the event with fu- 
perditious fear. The earl of Suffolk, apprifed of the 
difpofition of his troops, vainly flattered himfelf that 
time would difpel their apprehenfionS, and banidi the il- 
lufion. He determined to remain quietly >within his in- 
trenchments, while a convoy entered the city with Joan, 
and the French army returned to Blois without interrup¬ 
tion. A fecond convoy foon followed on the fide of 
Beaude, and was alfo fuffered to pafs without refiftance. 
Hence the French aflumed new fpirits; while the Eng¬ 
lifh, formerly elated with victory, and impatient for ac¬ 
tion, beheld the enterprifes of their enemies with filent 
adonifhment and religious awe. The enthufiafm of Joan, 
however, could not be redrained within the walls of Or¬ 
leans: die exhorted the garrifon to liften to her voice, 
and imitate her example. The count of Dunois confent- 
ed to feize the moment of returning fortune ; the garrifon 
fallied out with Joan at their head ; the Englifh were 
fucceflively chafed from their po-ds, with theJofs of above 
fix thoufand men ; and the Fiench, animated by this fir-ft 
elfiiy of the holy maid, prepared to improve their advan¬ 
tage, and tivail themlelves of the fuperdili.ous terrors of 
their adverfaries;. With fix thoufand feleCt troops, the 
earl of Stills k had retreated to Jergeau : he was attacked 
there by the French, commanded by Joan ; the place was 
obdinately defended ; but the Englifh were at length 
overpowered, and Suffolk was obliged to yield himfelf 
prifoner. The remainder of the Englifh army under the 
conduct of FaWlode, Scales, and Talbot, were prefled by 
the condable Richemont; they were overtaken at the 
village of Patay ; and, opprelfed by their fears, they 
never dood the charge of the enemy. Faldoffe himfelf, 
who had fo lately triumphed, was the fird to fly: two 
thoufand of the Englidt were daughtered; and both 
Scales and Talbot were made prifoners. 
The maid of Orleans, who had fulfilled part of her 
promife, was now determined to conduCt the king to re¬ 
ceive the crown at Rheims. The city itfelf lay didant 
from any place pofTeffed by Charles ; it was in the hands 
of the Englifh ; and the whole road which led to it was 
occupied by their garrifons. Yet Joan infilled on the 
execution of her miffion ; the king himfelf fhook oft’ his 
general indolence, and refolved to follow the exhortations 
of his warlike prophetefs ; the nobility of France crowded 
to the ftandard of their youthful fovereign, who began 
his march at the head of twelve thoufand men ; and pafs- 
ing without interruption through an enemy’s country, re¬ 
ceived in his progrefs the fubmidion of Troyes; was 
indantly admitted into Rheims; and in that city was 
folemnly inaugurated, A. D. 1429. The claim of Charles, 
from his coronation at Rheims, received new ludie ; and 
many towns in the neighbourhood difputed the honour 
of drd acknowledging the authority of their lawful fove¬ 
reign. 
The character of the duke of Bedford was never dis¬ 
played to more advantage than amidd thefe dorms of ad- 
verfity. He reinforced the garrifons of the different 
towns, replenifhed their magazines, and overawed the in¬ 
clinations of the inhabitants, ripe for revolt. The Pari- 
fians were retained in obedience by alternate carefres and 
menaces; and his arts foothed the angry paflions of the 
duke of Burgundy, and deferred the fatal hour of his final 
defection. HarafTed by the vigilance of the regent, the 
army of France, which had been compofed chiefly of 
a volunteers. 
