United States or Cameroon ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


'What is there that a man does not dare? he said to the angry Queen Elizabeth. But Dunois, d'Alençon, Xaintrailles, La Hire, dared all things. Something which we do not know of must have held these heroes back, and, being ignorant, it does not become us to blame them. Joan was the very spirit of chivalry, but in that age of chivalry she was shamefully deserted.

It was a heavy convoy of revictualment, protected by a body of ten or twelve thousand men, commanded by Marshal de Boussac, and numbering amongst them Xaintrailles and La Hire. The march began on the 27th of April, 1429. Joan had caused the removal of all women of bad character, and had recommended her comrades to confess.

We rose and went to the Jacobins, where Xaintrailles was lodged, and there found him at his dejeuner. He was a tall young knight, straight as a lance, lean as a greyhound; for all his days his sword had won his meat; and he was hardy, keen, and bright, with eyes of steel in a scarred face, and his brow was already worn bald with the helmet.

Now there came shouts on the wind, cries of venerie, loud laughter, and snatches of songs. And now, up in my perch, I myself broke into a laugh at that I saw. "Silence, fool!" whispered Xaintrailles. "Why laugh you, in the name of Behemoth?" "The Burgundians are hunting hares," I whispered; "they are riding all disorderly, some on the road, some here and there about the plain.

Then he roared to draw up portcullis and open gates; the men-at-arms charged forth, the multitude trampled over each other to be first in field, I was swept on and along with them through the gate, and over the drawbridge, like a straw on a wave, and, lo! a little on our left was the banner of Pothon de Xaintrailles, his foremost men dismounting, the rearguard just riding out from the forest.

"Let no man stir, or speak, save when I speak to him, whatever befalls, on peril of his life," said Xaintrailles, when we were all disposed in hiding. Then touching me on the shoulder that I should rise, he said "You are young enough to climb a tree; are your eyes good?" "I commonly was the first that saw the hare in her form, when we went coursing at home, sir."

But you know the King, and men say that the Archbishop of Reims openly declares that the Maid is rightly punished for her pride. He has set up a mad shepherd-boy to take her place, Heaven help him! who can fight as well as that stone can swim," and he dropped a loose stone over the bridge into the water. "Whoever stays at home, we take the field," I said; "let us seek counsel of Xaintrailles."

The two bands joined, we from Compiegne, the four hundred of Xaintrailles from the wood, and, like two swollen streams that meet, we raced towards the bastille, under a rain of arrows and balls. Nothing could stay us: a boy fell by my side with an arrow thrilling in his breast, but his brother never once looked round.

She was very willing to hear all the tale of the long siege, and her face, that was thin and wan, unlike her bright countenance of old, flushed scarlet when she heard how we had bearded and shamed the noble Duke of Burgundy, and what words Xaintrailles had spoken concerning his nobleness. "There is one true knight left in France!" she said, and fell silent again.

Now, if once the King ranges up with the Bastard of Orleans, and Xaintrailles, and the other captains, who hate La Tremouille, then his power, and the power of the Chancellor, the Archbishop of Rheims, is gone and ended.