sh should leave the kingdom of France, and
depart to their own land; if so, there is no need of men-at-arms, for
God's pleasure alone can discomfit them, and force them to return to
their homes." "In the name of God," answered Joan, "the men-at-arms will
do battle, and God will give them victory." Master William did not urge
his point. The Dominican, Seguin, "a very sour man," says the chronicle,
asked Joan what language the voices spoke to her. "Better than yours,"
answered Joan. The doctor spoke the Limousine dialect. "Do you believe
in God?" he asked, ill-humoredly. "More than you do," retorted Joan,
offended. "Well," rejoined the monk, "God forbids belief in you without
some sign tending thereto: I shall not give the king advice to trust
men-at-arms to you, and put them in peril on your simple word." "In the
name of God," said Joan, "I am not come to Poitiers to show signs; take
me to Orleans, and I will give you signs of what I am sent for. Let me
have ever so few men-at-arms given me, and I will go to Orleans;" then,
addressing another of the examiners, Master Peter of Versailles, who was
afterwards Bishop of Meaux, she said, "I know nor A nor B; but in our
Lord's book there is more than in your books; I come on behalf of the
King of Heaven to cause the siege of Orleans to be raised, and to take
the king to Rheims, that he may be crowned and anointed there." The
examination was prolonged for a fortnight, not without symptoms of
impatience on the part of Joan. At the end of it, she said to one of the
doctors, John Erault, "Have you paper and ink? Write what I shall say to
you." And she dictated a form of letter which became, some weeks later,
the manifesto addressed in a more developed shape by her from Orleans to
the English, calling upon them to raise the siege and put a stop to the
war. The chief of those piously and patriotically heroic phrases were as
follows:--

"Jesu Maria,

"King of England, account to the King of Heaven for His blood royal.
Give up to the Maid the keys of all the good towns you have taken by
force. She is come from God to avenge the blood royal, and quite
ready to make peace, if you will render proper account. If you do
not so I am a war-chief; in whatsoever place I shall fall in with
your folks in France, if they be not willing to obey, I shall make
them get thence, whether they will or not; and if they be willing to
obey, I w