and actions, bringing them up to the trenches, and overpowering the befiegers in their own redoubts. In the attack of one of the forts, she was wounded in the neck with an arrow; but inftantly pulling out the weapon with her own hands, and getting the wound quickly dreffed, fhe haftened back to head the troops, and to plant her victorious banner on the ramparts of the enemy. Thefe fucceffes continuing, the Englifh found that it was impoffible to refift troops animated by fuch fuperior energy; and Suffolk, who conducted the attack, thinking that it might prove extremely dangerous to remain any longer in the prefence of fuch a courageous and victorious enemy, raised the fiege, and retreated with all imaginable precaution.

From being attacked, the French now in turn became the aggreffors. Charles formed a body of fix thoufand men, and fent them to befiege Jergeau, whither the English, commanded by the earl of Suffolk, had retired, with a detachment of his army. The city was taken; Suffolk yielded himself a prifoner; and Joan marched into the place in triumph, at the head of the army. A battle was foon after fought near Patay, where the English were worsted as before; and the generals, Scales and Talbot, were taken prisoners.

The railing of the fiege of Orleans was one part of the Maid's promife to the king of France; the crowning him at Rheims was the other. She now declared that it was time to complete that ceremony; and Charles, in pursuance of her advice, fet out for Rheims, at the head of twelve thousand men. The towns through which he paffed opened their gates to receive him; and Rheims fent him a deputation, with its keys,

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upon

upon his approach. The ceremony of his coronation was there performed with the utmost folemnity; and the Maid of Orleans (for fo fhe was now called), feeing the completion of her miffion, defired leave to retire, alleging that she had now accomplished the end of her calling. But her fervices had been fo great, that the king could not think of parting; he preffed her to ftay fo earnestly, that the at length complied with his request.

A tide of fucceffes followed the performance of this folemnity; Laon, Soiffons, ChateauThierri, Provins, and many other towns and fortreffes in that neighbourhood, fubmitted to him on the first fummons. On the other hand the English, difcomfited and difpirited, fled on every quarter, unknowing whether to afcribe their misfortunes to the power of forcery, or to a celeftial influence; but equally terrified at either. They now found themselves deprived of the conquests they had gained, in the fame manner as the French had formerly fubmitted to their power. Their own divifions, both abroad and at home, unfitted them entirely for carrying on the war; and the duke of Bedford, notwithftanding all his prudence, faw himfelf divefted of his ftrong holds in the country, without being able to stop the enemies' progrefs. In order, therefore, to revive the declining ftate of his affairs, he refolved to have Henry crowned king at Paris, knowing that the natives would be allured to obedience by the fplendour of the ceA.D. 1430. remony, Henry was accordingly crowned, all the vaffals that ftill continued under the English power fwearing fealty and homage. But it was now too late for the ceremonies of a coronation to

give a turn to the affairs of the English; the generality of the kingdom had declared against them; and the remainder only waited a convenient opportunity to follow the example.

An accident enfued foon after, which, though it promised to promote the English caufe in France, in the end ferved to render it odious, and conduced to the total evacuation of that country. The duke of Burgundy, at the head of a powerful army had laid fiege to Compiegne; and the Maid of Orleans had thrown herself into the place, contrary to the wishes of the governor, who did not defire the company of one whofe authority would be greater than his own. The garrifon, however, were rejoiced at her appearance, and believed themfelves invincible under her protection. But their joy was of fhort duration; for Joan having, the day after her arrival, headed a fally, and twice driven the enemy from their entrenchments, he was at laft obliged to retire, placing herself in the rear, to protect the retreat of her forces. But in the end, attempting to follow her troops into the city, fhe found the gates fhut, and the bridge drawn up by order of the governor, who is faid to have long wished for an opportunity of delivering her up to the enemy.

Nothing could exceed the joy of the befiegers, in having taken a person who had been fo long a terror to their arms. The fervice of Te Deum was publicly celebrated on this occafion; and it was hoped that the capture of this extraordinary perfon would reftore the English to their former victories and fucceffes. The duke of Bedford was no fooner informed of her being taken, than he purchased her of the count Vendome who had

made her his prifoner, and ordered her to be committed to clofe confinement. The credulity of both nations was at that time fo great, that nothing was too abfurd to gain belief, that co-incided with their paffions. As Joan but a little before, from her fucceffes, was regarded as a faint, fhe was now, upon her captivity, confidered as a forcerefs, forsaken by the dæmon who had granted her a fallacious and temporary affiftance. Accordingly it was refolved in council to fend her to Rouen to be tried for witchcraft; and the bishop of Beauvais, a man wholly devoted to the English intereft, prefented a petition against her for that purpofe. The univerfity of Paris was fo mean as to join in the fame request. Several prelates, among whom the cardinal of Winchefter was the only Englishman, were appointed as her judges. They held their court in Kouen, where Henry then refided; and the Maid, clothed in her former military apparel, but loaded with irons, was produced before this tribunal. Her behaviour there no way difgraced her former gallantry; fhe betrayed neither weakness, nor womanish fubmiffion; but appealed to God and the pope for the truth of her former revelations. In the iffue, fhe was found guilty of herefy and witchcraft, and fentenced to be burnt alive, the common punishment for fuch offences.

But, previous to the infliction of this dreadful fentence upon her, they were refolved to make her abjure her former errors; and at length fo far prevailed upon her, by terror and rigorous treatment, that her fpirits were entirely broken by the hardships fhe was obliged to fuffer. Her former vifionary dreams began to vanish, and a gloomy

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gloomy diftruft to take place of her late infpirations. She publicly declared herself willing to recant, and promifed never more to give way to the vain delufions which had hitherto misled her and impofed on the people. This was what her oppreffors defired; and, willing to fhow fome appearance of mercy, they changed her fentence into perpetual imprisonment, and to be fed during life on bread and water. But the rage of her enemies was not yet fatiated. Perfectly fatisfied of her guilt, they were willing to know if her reformation was equally certain. Sufpecting that the female drefs, which she had confented to. wear, was difagreeable to her, they purposely placed in her apartment a fuit of men's apparel, and watched for the effect of their temptation upon her. Their cruel artifice prevailed. Joan, ftruck with the fight of a dress in which the had gained fo much glory, immediately threw off her penitent's robes, and put on the forbidden garment. Her enemies caught her equipped in this manner; and her imprudence was confidered as a relapse into her former tranfgreflions. No recantation would fuffice, and no pardon would be granted to her. She was condemned to be burnt alive in the marketplace of Rouen; and this infamous fentence was accordingly executed upon her.

Superftition adds virulence to the natural cruelty of mankind; and this cruel fentence ferved only to inflame the hatred between the contending powers, without mending the caufe of the invaders. One of the first misfortunes which the English felt after this punishment, was the defection of the duke of Burgundy, who had for fome time seen the error of his conduct, and

wished