mpany of
men-at-arms, into Orleans town, under the artillery of the English. For
the English held the pass of the broken bridge, as I said, and therefore
all crossing of the water must be by boat.

Now, herein it was shown, as often again, that the ways of the saints are
not as our ways. For the captains, namely, the Sieur de Rais (who
afterwards came to the worst end a man might), and La Hire, and Ambroise
de Lore, and De Gaucourt, in concert with the Bastard of Orleans, then
commanding for the King in that town, gave the simple Maid to understand
that Orleans was on the left bank of the river. This they did, because
they were faithless and slow of belief, and feared that so great a
company as ours might in nowise pass Meun and Beaugency, towns of the
English, and convey so many cattle through the bastilles on the right
bank. Therefore, with many priests going before, singing the Veni
Creator, with holy banners as on a pilgrimage; with men-at-arms, archers,
pages, and trains of carts; and with bullocks rowting beneath the goad,
and swine that are very hard to drive, and slow-footed sheep, we all
crossed the bridge of Blois on the morning of April 25th.

Now, had the holy saints deemed it wise and for our good to act as men
do, verily they would have spoken to the Maid, telling her that we were
all going clean contrary to her counsel. Nevertheless, the saints held
their peace, and let us march on. Belike they designed that this should
turn to the greater glory of the Maid and to the confusion of them that
disbelieved, which presently befell, as I shall relate.

All one day of spring we rode, and slept beneath the stars, the Maid
lying in her armour, so that as one later told me who knew, namely,
Elliot, her body was sorely bruised with her harness. Early in the
morning we mounted again, and so rode north, fetching a compass inland;
after noontide we came to a height, and lo! beneath us lay the English
bastilles and holds on the left bank, and, beyond the glittering river
and the broken bridge, the towers and walls of Orleans. Then I saw the
Maid in anger, for well she knew that she had been deceived by them who
should have guided her. Between us and the town of Orleans lay the wide
river, the broken bridge, and the camps of the English. On the further
shore we beheld the people swarming on the walls and quays, labouring to
launch boats with sails, and so purposing to ascend the river against the
stream and m