Identifier: greatestnations05elli (find matches)
Title: The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916 Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis), 1870-1942
Subjects: World history
Publisher: New York : F.R. Niglutsch
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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refusal ofthat shrewd offer to surrender to Burgundy alone. The English commanderhad been slain by a cannon ball; and now came word that a mysterious, super-natural angel was coming against them, with all France at her back. Theywere half-beaten before Joan even reached them. It is not the heroines mili-tary qualities which make her great. It is her supreme faith in her own mis-sion, a faith which compelled the answering belief of two whole nations ofreckless soldiers. When Joan reached Orleans she sent the English a straightforward peas-ants note. She had no wish to hurt them; they were to go away, or itwould be the worse for them. They were not quite ready for such an openadmission of their fear; but they did what was next to it, stayed hidden behindtheir defenses, and permitted Joan with all her reinforcements to march intoOrleans unopposed. Then began a remarkable scene of warfare, the besieged storming theworks of the besiegers. The English had built a number of strong fortifica-
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JOAN OF ARC ENTERING ORLEANS France—Joan of Arc 843 tions around the city, and under Joans lead these were assaulted and capturedone after another. She bore her white banner ever in the van. She used hersword too, though sparingly, but she loved her banner best. The resistance of the English was only half-hearted. Dunois, the com-mander in Orleans, has himself left us testimony that, Before her coming twohundred English would put to flight a thousand of the French; but after shearrived, four or five hundred French would drive back the whole power of theEnglish. Eight days after Joan entered the city, the English abandoned the re-mainder of their forts and retreated ignominiously from Orleans. Joans troops,following, cleared them out of the whole Loire valley. The backward tide ofthe conquest had begun (1429). Once more Joan sought King Charles. Half her mission had been accom-plished, the remainder was to see him crowned at Rheims. That city lay inthe far north, the region held by h

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