ARC 
years; keep them the firftfeafon under fliade and die]ter; 
water them in dry weather, and every fpring take away 
the earth from the furfacc of the pots, and replace it with 
fome which is f re Hi and rich. Mr. Boutcher fays, they 
require a generous dry foil, and that they fhould be plant¬ 
ed under the covert of trees, at a proper diftance. This 
tree is not fond of being much pruned at removal; this 
ought therefore to be performed a year before or after 
that operation. It will not fucceed in moift, heavy, or 
clay, lands, but will grow tolerably well in a thin fa'ndy 
foil; it mod affe&s that which is deep, loamy, and gene¬ 
rous. It will rife thirty feet high in a favourable foil and 
(ituation that is well dickered. 
Arbu'tus, Trailing, f. in botany. See Epigtea. 
ARC , f [arcus, Lat.i A fegment; a part of a circle; 
not more than a femicircie.—Their fegments, or arcs, for 
the mod part, exceeded not the third part of a circle. 
Newton. An arch : 
Load (bme vain church with old theatric date, 
Turn arcs of triumph to a garden-gate. Pope. 
Arc (Joan d’), called the Maid of Orleans, was born 
in 1407, in the village of Domremi, near Vaucouleurs, on 
the borders of Lorraine. She rendered herfelf famous in 
hidory, by commencing the expuldon of the Englifli out 
of France, after the conqueds made in that country by 
Henry V. She had lived for fome time fervant at an inn, 
where die had been accudomed to ride the horles of her 
loader's gueds to water ; her employment and conversa¬ 
tion with the company whom die attended had given her 
a degree of boldnefs above her fex ; and, though only 
twenty-one years of age, (he lidened with pleafure to the 
martial atchievements, the condant topics of converfation 
in a warlike age. The calamities of her country, and the 
didrefs of her fovereign, Charles VII. were the objects of 
her daily thoughts and nightly dreams. She was foon in¬ 
flamed with the defire of avenging on the Eiiglifli the mu 
fery of France ; and an ignorant mind might poflibly mif- 
take the impulfe of her paflions for heavenly infpirations. 
She procured admifllon to Baudrecourt, the governor of 
Vaucouleurs ; (he declared to him that die had been ex¬ 
horted by frequent vifions and diflinbt voices, to atchieve 
the deliverance of her country ; and the governor, either 
equally credulous himfelf, or fufficiently penetrating to 
forefee the effedt fuch an enthufiad might have on the 
minds of the vulgar, granted her an efcort to the French 
court, which at that time redded at Chinon, in Touraine. 
On her arrival at Chinon, (lie is faid to have didinguirtied 
Charles from his courtiers, though diveded of every enflgn 
of royalty; to have revealed a fecret to him unknown to 
all the world befide himfelf; and to have demanded, and 
deferibed by particular marks, a fword (he had never feen, 
and which (he required as the indfument of her future 
victories; (lie afferted, that die was commiflioned to raife 
the fiege of Orleans, and to conduit her lawful prince to 
Rheims, to be there crowned and anointed king of the 
French. Charles and his miniders pretended to examine 
her pretenfions with fcrupulous exadtnefs : they aff'edled 
at length to be convinced of the fincerity of her declara¬ 
tions, and of her fupernatural powers ; their opinion was 
folemnly and publicly countenanced by an affembly of 
dodlors and theologians, and by the parliament of France, 
then redding at Poidliers. After repeated examinations, 
the million of Joan of Arc was pronounced to be divine ; 
and the fpirits of a defpairing people were again elevated 
by the hope that heaven had declared itfelf in favour 
of France. 
The Englifh were at that time befieging the city of Or¬ 
leans, the lad refource of Charles, and every thing indi¬ 
cated a fpeedy furrender. Joan undertook to raife the 
fiege; and, to render herfelf dill more remarkable, girded 
herfelf with the miraculous fword, of which (lie before 
had fuch extraordinary notices. Thus equipped, (he or¬ 
dered all the foldiers to confefs themfelves before they fet 
out; (he difplayed in her hand a confecrated banner, and 
A R G 43 
aflured‘ the troops of certain fuccefs. Such confidence on 
her fide foon railed the fpirits of the French army ; and 
even the Englifli, who pretended to defpife her elTorts, 
felt themielves fecretly influenced with the terrors of her 
midion. When (lie arrived near Orleans, (he wrote to the 
Englifli to h it the fiege; but her medenger was detained 
and loaded with irons; (he complained of this violation of 
good faith, and her herald was then lent back with a let¬ 
ter full of contempt". She then addrefled a feeond letter, 
which (lie (aliened to the end of an arrow, and (hot it into 
the Englifli fort railed before the city. The (uperlcrip- 
tion was, “ To the Duke of Bedford, who calls himfelf 
Regent of France in the name of the King of England. 
Having no right to this kingdom, God commands you, 
by me, the Maid of Orleans, to abandon the forts you 
have raifed, and to retire.” A (upply of provifions want¬ 
ing to be conveyed into the town, Joan, at the head of 
fume French troops, covered the embarkation, and entered 
Orleans at the head of the convoy which Ihe had fafely 
protected. While (he was leading her troops along, a 
dead (Hence and allonifimient reigned among the Kngliih ; 
and they regarded with religious awe that temerity, which 
they thought nothing but fupernatural afiillance could 
infpire. But they were foon rouzed from their Hate of 
amazement by a Tally from the town ; Joan led on the be- 
fieged, bearing the facred (fartdard in her hand, encourag¬ 
ing them with her words and actions, bringing them to 
the trenches, and overpowering the beliegers in tlieir own 
redoubts. In the attack of one of the forts, (lie was 
wounded in the neck with an arrow ; but inllantly pulling 
out the weapon with her own hands, and getting the 
wound quickly dreffed, (he haflened back to head the 
troops, and to plant her vidlorious banner on the ramparts 
of the enemy. Thefe fucceffes continuing, the Englifh 
found that it was impoflible to refift troops animated by 
fuch fuperior energy ; and the earl of Suffolk, who con¬ 
ducted the attack, thinking it dangerous to remain any 
longer in the prefence of fuch an enthufiaflic enemy, raf¬ 
fed the fiege, and retreated with all imaginable precaution. 
The fiege of Orleans was raifed in 1425 ; and the French, 
animated by this firft effay of the holy maid, prepared to 
improve their advantage. The earl of Suffolk, with part 
of his forces, had retired to Jergeau ; he was there invefted. 
by the French, animated by the prefence of Joan, and in 
ten days the town was taken by affault, and Suffolk him¬ 
felf made prifoner. Joan of Arc entered the town in tri¬ 
umph at the head of her army. The conflable Richemont 
preffed the remnant of Englifli, who endeavoured to re¬ 
treat :■ they were overtaken at the village of Patay ; op- 
preffed by their fears, they fcarcely awaited the charge of 
their enemies; two thoufand were (laughtered on the field, 
and among the numerous captives were Talbot and Scales. 
Thus the Maid of Orleans had early fulfilled great part of 
her million; but a more arduous enterprife remained, to 
condudt the king to receive the crown at Rheims. The city 
itfelf lay far diftant from any place poffelfed by Charles; 
it was in the hands of the Englifli; and the whole road 
which led to it was occupied by their garrifons. Yet Joan 
infifted on the execution of her defign ; the king himfelf 
(hook off his general indolence, and refolved to follow 
tile exhortations of his warlike prophetefs ; the nobility of 
France crowded to the (landard of their youthful fove¬ 
reign, who began his march at the head of twelve thou¬ 
fand men ; he paffed without interruption through an ene¬ 
my’s country ; received in his progrefs the fubmiflion of 
Troyes; was inflantly admitted into Rheims, the inhabi¬ 
tants of which drove out the Englifh, and in that city he 
was folemnly inaugurated ; the Maid of Orleans (landing 
by his fide in complete armour, and difplaying, during the 
ceremony, her holy banner. The claim of Charles, from 
his coronation at Rheims, received new lullre,; and Laon, 
Soiffons, Chateau-Thierri, Provins, and many other towns 
in the neighbourhood, inllantly revolted from the Englifh. 
Joan of Arc had decl.arcd, that with the inauguration 
of Charles VII, at Rheims h.er million expired ; and that 
2 ‘ it 
