h. They raised the siege, abandoning the artillery
furnished by the good towns, those fine cannon bought with the savings
of thrifty citizens.[1875] Their action was the less excusable because
the town which had not been relieved and could not well expect to be,
must have surrendered sooner or later. They pleaded that the King had
sent them no victuals and no money;[1876] but that was not considered
an excuse and their action was deemed dishonourable. According to a
knight well acquainted with points of honour in war: "One ought never
to besiege a place without being sure of victuals and of pay
beforehand. For to besiege a stronghold and then to withdraw is great
disgrace for an army, especially when there is present with it a king
or a king's lieutenant."[1877]

[Footnote 1874: _Memoires de la Societe des Antiquaires du Centre_,
vol. iv, 1870-1872, pp. 211, 239.]

[Footnote 1875: Vallet de Viriville, _Histoire de Charles VII_, vol.
ii, p. 126. Lanery d'Arc and L. Jeny, _Jeanne d'Arc en Berry_, p. 89.]

[Footnote 1876: Perceval de Cagny, p. 172.]

[Footnote 1877: _Le Jouvencel_, vol. ii, pp. 216, 217.]

On the 13th of December there preached to the people of Perigueux a
Dominican friar, Brother Helie Boudant, Pope Martin's Penitentiary in
that town. He took as his text the great miracles worked in France by
the intervention of a Maid, whom God had sent to the King. On this
occasion the Mayor and the magistrates heard mass sung and presented
two candles. Now for two months Brother Helie had been under order to
appear before the Parlement of Poitiers.[1878] On what charge we do not
know. Mendicant monks of those days were for the most part irregular
in faith and in morals. The doctrine of Friar Richard himself was not
altogether beyond suspicion.

[Footnote 1878: Extract from the Book of Accounts of the town of
Perigueux, in _Bulletin de la Societe historique et archeologique du
Perigord_, vol. xiv, January to February, 1887. S. Luce, _Jeanne d'Arc
a Domremy_, proofs and illustrations, ccxvii, p. 252. Le P. Chapotin,
_La guerre de cent ans et les dominicains_, pp. 74 _et seq._]

At Christmas, in the year 1429, the flying squadron of _beguines_
being assembled at Jargeau,[1879] this good Brother said mass and
administered the communion thrice to Jeanne the Maid and twice to that
Pierronne of Lower Brittany, with whom our Lord conversed as friend
with friend. Such an action might well be regarded, if not as a formal