Joan of Arc Letter to the people of Reims, August 5, 1429
Following the coronation of Charles VII at Reims on July 17, 1429, the King's ministers, Archbishop of Reims and Chancellor of France Regnault de Chartres and the Grand Chamberlain, Georges de la Trémoille, carried on negotiations, already begun informally before the coronation, with the Duke of Burgundy for a truce and diplomatic end to the war that had escalated following Joan of Arc's entry to it at Orléans in May of 1429.
When a fifteen day truce was announced in late July or early August, Joan of Arc, who was already frustrated at the delays to move on Paris, was furious. Instead, the Duke of Burgundy orchestrated delays with promises and conciliatory talks with de Chartres that went on for another two years before de la Trémoille was forcibly removed from the French court by his rival and Joan of Arc's fellow commander, Arthur de Richemont who resumed Joan's strategy of military and not solely diplomatic reunification. (Joan offered diplomatic terms from the outset, but demanded surrender, not compromise).
On August 5, 1429, having learned of the truce, Joan wrote a letter to the people of Reims promising to continue the fight -- and threatening not to respect the treaty.
Source:
Letter of Joan of Arc to the people of Reims, August 5, 1429: in original French
The original letter no longer exists, but we have a transcription of it from the early 1600s by a Reims clerk, Jean Rogier who wrote it out as:
Mes chiers et bons amis les bons et loyaux François de la cité de Rains, Jehanne la Pucelle vous faict à savoir de ses nouvelles, et vous prie et vous requiert que vous ne faicte nul doubte en la bonne querelle que elle mayne pour le sang royal ; et je vous promet et certiffy que je ne vous abandoneray poinct tant que je vivray ; et est vray que le roy a faict trêves au duc de Bourgoingne quinze jour durant, par ainsi qu'il ly doibt rendre la cité de Paris paisiblement au chieff de quinze jour. Cependant ne vous donnés nulle merveille, se je ne y entre si brieffvement, combien que des trêves, qui ainsi sont faictes, je ne soy point contente et ne scay si je les tendroy ; mais si je les tiens, ce sera seulement pour garder l'honneur du roy, combien aussy que ilz ne rabaisseront point le sang royal : car je tiendray et maintiendray ensemble l'armé du roy pour estre toute preste au chief desdictz quinze jours, s'ils ne font la paix. Pour ce, mes très-chiers et parfaicts amis, je vous prie que vous ne vous en donnes malaise tant comme je vivray ; mez vous requiers que vous faictes bon guet et gardez la bonne cité du roy, et me faictes sçavoir s'il y a nuls traiteurs qui vous veullent grever, et, au plus brief que je pourray, je les en osteray ; et me faictes sçavoir de vos nouvelles. A Dieu vous commande, qui soit garde de vous. Escript ce vendredy, cinquiesme jour d'aoust, emprès un logis sur champ, ou chemin de Paris. Cachettée et scellée. Et pour superscription : A Aux loyaux Francxois, bourgois habitans en la ville de Reims.
Letter of Joan of Arc to the people of Reims, August 5, 1429: English translation
Translation mine (paragraph breaks added)
My dear and good friends, the good and loyal French of the city of Reims,
Jeanne the Maid makes her news known to you, and prays and requests of you to make no doubt in the just cause that she leads for the blood royal; and I promise and assure you that I will not abandon you so long as I live; and it is true that the king has made truces with the Duke of Burgundy of a duration of fifteen days, so that he must peacefully render the city of Paris to him at the end of fifteen days.
Meanwhile, do not be surprised if I do not enter there so soon, although as for the truces which are thus made I am not at all content, and I do not know if I will uphold them; but if I do keep them, it will be only to protect the honor of the king, since they [the treaties] will in no way dishonor the blood royal: I will hold and maintain together the army of the king so as to be ready at the end of the said fifteen days, if they do not make peace.
For this, my very dear and perfect friends, I beg you not to trouble yourselves about it so long as I shall live; but I ask that you keep good watch and guard well the good city of the king, and let me know if there are any traitors who wish to harm you, and, as soon as I can, I will remove them; ; and let me know your news.
To God I commend you, who will be your guardian.
Written this Friday, fifth day of August, beside a lodging in the field, on the road to Paris.
Stamped and sealed.
[And for superscription:[1]]
To the loyal French, bourgeois inhabitants in the city of Reims.
- ↑ The clerk's note