The other towns, which had so recently returned to their allegiance to Charles, were again abandoned to the English, who punished them by levying large ransoms on the citizens.  The surrounding country was laid waste, and Joan of Arc had the mortification of seeing that, without any attempt being made to defend her people, the places which had so shortly before been the scene of her triumphs were now allowed to be reoccupied by the English and their allies.  Normandy, Picardy, and Burgundy were once more in possession of the enemy.

At length Joan obtained Charles’ permission to attack La Charite, where the enemy were in force, and from whence they threatened the French forts on the Loire.  At Bourges she assembled a few troops, and in company with the Sire d’Albret she laid siege to Saint Pierre-le-Moutier.  Then, although feebly supported, Joan led the first column of attack.  This attacking column might have been called a forlorn hope, so few men had she with her.  The little party were repulsed, and at one moment her squire, d’Aulon, saw that his brave mistress was fighting alone, surrounded by the English.  At great peril she was rescued from the melee.  Asked how she could hope to succeed in taking the place with hardly any support, she answered, while she raised her helmet, ‘There are fifty thousand of my host around me,’ alluding to the vision of angels that in moments of extreme peril she relied on.  D’Aulon in vain urged her to beat a retreat, and retire to a place of safety; she insisted on renewing the attack, and gave orders for crossing the moat on logs and fascines.  A roughly constructed bridge over the fosse was then made, and after a desperate struggle the fortress was taken.

This occurred early in the month of November (1429).  A few years ago a stained-glass window commemorative of the Maid of Orleans having saved the church in Saint Pierre-le-Moutier (it had been converted by the besieged into a warehouse for the goods and chattels of the citizens) was placed in the building she had preserved from destruction.

The next siege undertaken by Joan of Arc was that of La Charite—­a far larger and more strongly garrisoned town than the other.  La Charite was held by one Peter Grasset, who had been its governor for seven years.  It was not only strongly defended by fortifications, but fully victualled for a prolonged siege.  Joan and her little army had not the material necessary for carrying on such a siege as that of La Charite would require—­the very sinews of war were wanting.  Charles would not or could not contribute a single ecu d’or, and Joan had to solicit help and funds from the towns.  In the public library at Riom is preserved the original letter addressed by the Maid of Orleans to ’My dear and good friends the clergy, burghers, and citizens of the town of Riom.’  It was sent to that place on the 9th of November from Moulins.  In this letter, the only one to which is affixed the Maid’s signature, spelt ‘Jehonne,’