Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History's Most Notorious Women Read Online Free PDF Page B

rose.
    When she arrived in Orléans, she was greeted by an enormous crowd who wanted to touch her or her horse. Joan was impatient to get the show on the road. The French had gotten so used to losing that although they outnumbered the English, Joan practically had to push them onto the battlefield. She dictated a letter to the English and had it shot by arrow to the fort where the English were entrenched. “I’ve been sent by God to drive you out of France. We will strike you wherever we find you.” The English laughed themselves silly at the idea of surrendering to a girl. But Joan had the last laugh. She led several furious assaults and sent the English running with their tails between their legs.
    While scaling a ladder, she was wounded by an arrow in the shoulder but continued fighting. Even though her troops were exhausted and her captains suggested retreat, Joan demanded they press on. By the next day, the French held both sides of the river, and the English retreated. Joan had her first real victory. The city of Orléans rejoiced, ringing the bells in the city. As she prepared to leave, she was offered gifts, which she refused, never taking credit for the victory. More victories followed in June at Jargeau, Meung, Patay, and Beaugency. Men now flocked to fight for her.
    But while her supporters thought her deeds were miracles, to the establishment Joan was a threat on many levels. Her claim that she’d talked directly to God without benefit of a priest threatened the church. She managed to instill among the French a sense of nationalism and patriotic pride in the king, which threatened powerful men like the Duke of Burgundy. And she stepped outside the bounds of what was acceptable behavior for women, which meant that she must be a witch.
    Joan now decided that it was time to crown the Dauphin at Reims, where French kings traditionally had their coronation. She believed that once Charles was crowned, the power of his enemies would be diminished. Though a teenage girl, with no education, she understood the power of symbols and propaganda. Reims was deep in the heart of Burgundian territory, which didn’t faze Joan a bit, although it made Charles tremble. With the future king by her side, she fought her way to the city. On July 17, 1429, with Joan at his side, Charles was crowned King of France. Joan’s father, Jacques, traveled all the way to see her triumph, and the king rewarded them by exempting their village from taxes.
    The coronation was the turning point of Joan’s short career. She believed that France could not be unified without Paris, which was under the control of the Duke of Burgundy. Joan wanted Charles to fight on to Paris but now that he was king, Charles didn’t feel that he needed Joan anymore, and he and his advisers certainly didn’t see any need for more fighting. They preferred negotiating with the Duke of Burgundy. Joan also had powerful enemies at court, such as Georges de La Trémoille, who disliked her influence over the king and her popularity with the people.
    Only when his diplomatic efforts with the Burgundians failed did Charles turn to Joan. By the time he actually agreed to fight, Joan had been cooling her heels impatiently for weeks. Because of the delay, the Burgundians had had time to fortify the city against attack. She was wounded, her page was killed, and her banner tumbled to the ground. After two days the king called off the siege. Joan was crushed at her first failure. The king, hoping that she’d take the hint and go away, ennobled her and her family. Joan couldn’t have cared less but her brothers and their descendants took advantage of the opportunities nobility brought. The only advantage to her was that now she didn’t need the king’s permission to fight.
    The Burgundians had taken the city of Compiègne. With only three hundred men, Joan’s army traveled through the night to take the Burgundians by surprise. At first it worked, and they were able to make