第40章 HOW NORMAN LESLIE WAS OUT OF ALL COMFORT(5)

Meantime the town of Blois was in great turmoil--the cattle lowing in the streets，the churches full to the doors of men-at-arms，waiting their turn to be shrived，for the Maid had ordained that all who followed her must go clean of sin.And there was great wailing of light o'loves，and leaguer lasses that had followed the army，as is custom，for this custom the Maid did away，and drove these women forth，and whither they wandered I know not.Moreover，she made proclamation that all dice，and tabliers，and instruments of gambling must be burned，and myself saw the great pile yet smoking in the public place，for this was to be a holy war.So we lodged at Blois，where the Maid showed me the best countenance，speaking favourable words of Elliot and me，and bidding me keep near her banner in battle，which I needed no telling to make me resolve to do.So there，for that night，we rested.

第一章HOW THE MAID CAME TO ORLEANS，AND OF THE DOLOROUSSTROKE THAT FIRST SHE STRUCK IN WAR

Concerning the ways of the saints，and their holy counsel，it is not for sinful men to debate，but verify their ways are not as our ways，as shall presently be shown，in the matter of the Maid's march to Orleans.

For the town of Blois，where now we lay，is，as all men know，on the right bank of the water of Loire，a great river，wider and deeper and stronger by far than our Tay or Tweed，and the town of Orleans，whither we were bound，is also on the same side，namely，the right side of the river.Now，Orleans was beleaguered in this manner：

The great stone bridge had been guarded，on the left，or further side of the stream，first by a boulevard，or strong keep on the land，whence by a drawbridge men crossed to a yet stronger keep，called "Les Tourelles，"builded on the last arches of the bridge.

But early in the siege the English had taken from them of Orleans the boulevard and Les Tourelles，and an arch of the bridge had been broken，so that in nowise might men-at-arms of the party of France enter into Orleans by way of that bridge from the left bank through the country called Sologne.

Yet that keep，Les Tourelles，had not been a lucky prize to our enemies of England.For their great captain，the Lord Salisbury，had a custom to watch them of Orleans and their artillery from a window in that tower，and，to guard him from arrow-shots，he had a golden shield pierced with little holes to look through，that he held before his face.One day he came into this turret when they who worked the guns in Orleans were all at their meat.But it so chanced that two boys，playing truant from school，went into a niche of the wall，where was a cannon loaded and aimed at Les Tourelles.

They，seeing the gleam of the golden shield at the window of the turret，set match to the touch-hole of the cannon，and，as Heaven would have it，the ball struck a splinter of stone from the side of the window，which，breaking through the golden shield，slew my Lord of Salisbury，a good knight.Thus plainly that tower was to be of little comfort to the English.

None the less，as they held Les Tourelles and the outer landward boulevard thereof，the English built but few works on the left side of the river，namely，Champ St.Prive，that guarded the road by the left bank from Blois；Les Augustins，that was a little inland from the boulevard of Les Tourelles，so that no enemy might pass between these two holds；and St.Jean le Blanc，that was higher up the river，and a hold of no great strength.On the Orleans side，to guard the road from Burgundy，the English had but one fort，St.

Loup，for Burgundy and the north were of their part，and by this way they expected no enemy.But all about Orleans，on the right bank of the river，to keep the path from Blois on that hand，the English had builded many great bastilles，and had joined them by hollow ways，wherein，as I said，they lived at ease，as men in a secure city underground.And the skill of it was to stop convoys of food，and starve them of Orleans，for to take the town by open force the English might in nowise avail，they being but some four thousand men-at-arms.

Thus Matters stood，and it was the Maid's mind to march her men and all the cattle clean through and past the English bastilles on the right side of the river，and by inspiration she well knew that no man would come forth against us.Moreover，she saw not how，by the other way，and the left bank，the cattle might be ferried across，and the great company 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 Ishall relate.