第44章 THE SECOND PERIOD.1429-1430.(4)

It was believed that Charles would put all the inhabitants to the sword，and their desperation of feeling was rather that which leads to a wild and hopeless defence than to submission.The Duke of Bedford，governing in the name of the infant Henry VI.Of England，was their seigneur，instead of their natural sovereign.It is a fact which to us seems scarcely credible，but it was certainly true.There seems to have been no feeling even，on the subject，no general shame as of a national betrayal；nothing of the kind.Paris was English，holding by the English kings who had never lost a certain hold on France，and thinking no shame of its party.It was a hostile town，the chief of the English possessions.In the /Journal du Bourgeois de Paris/--who was no /bourgeois/but a distinguished member of that university which held the Maid and all her ways in horror--Jeanne the deliverer，the incarnation of patriotism and of France is spoken of as "a creature in the form of a woman."How extraordinary is this evidence of a state of affairs in which it is almost impossible to believe！Paris is France nowadays to many people，though no doubt this is but a superficial judgment；but in the early part of the fifteenth century，she was frankly English，not by compulsion even，but by habit and policy.

Perhaps the delays，the hesitation，the terrors of Charles and his counsellors are thus rendered more excusable than by any other explanation.

In the meantime it is almost impossible to follow the wanderings of this vacillating army without a map.If the reader should trace its movements，he would see what a stumbling and devious course it took as of a man blundering in the dark.From Rheims to Soissons the way was clear；then there came a sudden move southward to Chateau-Thierry from which indeed there was still a straight line to Paris but which still more clearly indicated the highroad leading to the Orleannais，the faithful districts of the Loire.This retrograde movement was not made without a great outcry from the generals.Their opinion was that the King ought to press on to conquer everything while the English forces were still depressed and discouraged.In their mind this deflection towards the south was an abandonment at once of honour and safety.An unimportant check on the way，however，gave an argument to the leaders of the army，and Charles permitted himself to be dragged back.They then made their way by La Ferté-Milon，Crépy，and Daumartin，and on this road the English troops which had been led out from Paris by Bedford to intercept them came twice within fighting distance of the French army.The English，as all the French historians are eager to inform us，invariably entrenched themselves in their positions，surrounding their lines with sharp-pointed posts by which the equally invariable rush of the French could be broken.But the French on these occasions were too wise to repeat the impetuous charge which had ruined them at Crécy and Agincourt，and the consequence was that the two forces remained within sight of each other，with a few skirmishes going on at the flanks，but without any serious encounter.

It will be more satisfactory，however，to copy the following /itineraire/of Charles's movements from the Chronicle of Perceval de Cagny who was a member of the household of the Duc d'Alen？on，and probably present，certainly at all events bound to have the best and most correct information.He informs us that the King left Rheims on Thursday the 21st of July，and dined，supped，and lay at the Abbey of St.Nanuol that night，where were brought to him the keys of the city of Laon.He then set out on /le voyage àvenir devant Paris/.

"And on Saturday the 23d of the same month the King dined，supped and lay at Soissons，and was there received the most honourably that the churchmen，burghers and other people of the town were capable of：for they had all great fear because of the destruction of the town which had been taken by the Burgundians and made to rebel against the King.

"Friday the 29th day of July the King and his company were all day before Chateau-Thierry in order of battle，hoping that the Duke of Bedford would appear to fight.The place surrendered at the hour of vespers，and the King lodged there till Monday the first of August.On that day the King lay at Monmirail in Brie.

"Tuesday the 2d of August he passed the night in the town of Provins，and had the best possible reception there，and remained till the Friday following，the 5th August.Sunday the 7th the King lay at the town of Coulommièrs in Brie.Wednesday the 10th he lay at La Ferté-Milon，Thursday at Crespy in Valois--Friday at Laigny-le-Sec.The following Saturday the 13th the King held the field near Dammartin-en-Gouelle，for the whole day looking out for the English：but they came not.