Scott Alexander (author/host)

And the maid answered me, ''I am come here to a king's chamber,'' that is, to a royalist place, ''to talk with Robert de Baudricourt, that he might be willing to lead me or send me to the king, but he pays no attention to me nor to my words.''

And yet, before we are in Midland, I must be at the king's side, though I wear my feet to the knees.

For indeed there is nobody in all the world, neither king nor duke, nor daughter of the king of Scotland, nor any other who can recover the kingdom for France.

And there will be no help for the kingdom if not from me.

although I would rather have remained spinning at my mother's side, for it is not my condition, yet must I go and must I do this thing, for the Lord wills that I do so.

I asked her who was her lord, and she told me that it was God, whereupon I, Jean, who bear witness here, promised the maid, putting my hand in hers as a gesture of good faith, that, God helping, I would lead her to the king.

End quote.

There's a footnote here about daughter of the King of Scotland.

There's a discussion of a royal marriage at this time to strengthen the alliance.

Back to the text.

So when she came to de Baudricourt the third time, he had her exorcised.

Footnote.

Catherine Leroyer, quote,

and that if there was a good thing, then let her approach them.

And Joan approached this priest and went down on her knees, and she said that this priest had not done well since he had heard her confession.

Back to the text.

We just read that de Baudricourt had had her exorcised.

When that didn't stop her, he said yes and either gave her or had crowdfunded for her everything she asked for.

Sword, horse, men's clothes, knight, squire, that's Jean de Metz quoted above, and either four servants or three servants and an archer, depending on which source you prefer.

The entire town chipped in to get her what she asked for, and de Baudricourt himself gave her a sword as she prepared to leave.