633. Joan of Arc: Saviour of France (Part 2)

King of England, and you, Duke of Bedford, who call yourself regent of the Kingdom of France, you, William Paul, Count of Suffolk, John Tolbot, and you, Thomas Lord Scales, who call yourselves lieutenants of the said Duke of Bedford, make satisfaction to the King of heaven, surrender to the maid who is sent here by God, the King of heaven, the keys of all the good towns which you have taken and violated in France. She is come here, by God's will, to reclaim the kingdom for its rightful king. She is perfectly ready to make peace if you are willing to grant her satisfaction by abandoning France and paying for what you have held. And you, archers, men at war, gentlemen and others, who are before the town of Orléans, get going back to your own country in the name of God.

And should you not do so, then expect tidings from the maid, who will come to see you shortly, to your very great arm. King of England, if you do not do so, I am a captain of war, and in whatever place I meet your people in France, I shall compel them to depart, whether they want to or not. And if they refuse to obey, then I will have them all put to death, I am sent here by God, the King of heaven, to drive you out of France. So that's one of the most remarkable letters in history, and it was dictated, not written, dictated, on the twenty second of march, fourteen twenty nine, by an illiterate

peasant girl to the King of England and his captains who were in France, and these captains, since the previous October 1428, had been laying siege to the city of Orléans on the River Loire, the linchpin of the front line between the English and Dauphin held possessions. in France. Now by the spring of 1429 the city of Orléans seemed about to fall, and if it did fall, then the English would be able to drive a stake into the heart of their enemy's holdings, and possibly bring an end at last to the noble crusade. of the Hundred Years War. But this peasant girl, Tom, had other ideas.

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