Joan of Arc sent her first letter to the English on March 22, 1429 asking them to peacefully withdraw from France and give up all of the cities and territories they had conquered and warning them of the consequences if they refused. This letter shows the boldness of Joan as well as her chivalric nature as she believed in giving her enemies a warning before engaging in battle. There is no record of how the English reacted upon receiving this letter however it is not hard to imagine them laughing at what they considered a preposterous threat from a presumptive teenage girl. They were soon to regret not taking Joan and her letter more seriously.
+ Jesus Maria +
King of England, and you, Duke of Bedford, who call yourself Regent of the kingdom France; you William de la Pole, Count of Suffolk; John, Lord Talbot; and you Thomas, Lord Scales, who call yourselves lieutenants of the said Duke of Bedford, do justly by the King of Heaven; render to the Maid who is sent here of God, the King of Heaven, the keys of all the good cities that you have taken and violated in France. She has come here from God to restore the royal blood. She is all ready to make peace, if you will deal rightly by her, acknowledge the wrong done France, and pay for what you have taken. And all of you, archers, companions of war, nobles and others who are before you; and if this is not done, expect news of the Maid, who will go to see you shortly, to your very great damage. King of England, if you do not do this, I am Chef de Guerre, and in whatever place I shall find your people in France, I will make them go
Read the Rest of Joan of Arc's letter to the English here
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment