8 Chapter 7 Capture

CHAPTER 7 Capture Many of the soldiers in King Charles's army wanted to keep fighting. They hoped to capture even more French towns from the English. But Joan was ordered to do nothing. While waiting for instructions from Charles, she traveled with the king's court. Joan grew impatient. She didn't like waiting.

Over in England, in November 1429, the young son of England's Henry V was crowned king of France. Now there were two kings who believed they ruled France, one French and one English. Charles VII declared Joan's family to be noble—a royal honor—and gave her a new last name: du Lys. The name meant "of the lily." He also gave them a coat of arms. But Joan continued to call herself the Maid. She didn't much care about being noble. She still

just wanted to free France. She was not happy when Charles signed another truce with the duke that would last until Easter 1430.

Coats of Arms Coats of arms were pictures that identified important families. Knights wore them over their armor—coat armory—to protect and identify themselves. They were also used as a seal on important letters. A coat of arms was made up of symbols that stood for ideas, such as bravery, that were important to a particular family. At first, men chose their own symbols, but some could be awarded only by the king. Joan's family's coat of arms had two fleurs-de-lis (lilies) and a sword holding up a crown, along with the motto Vive Labeur (Long live labor). Women weren't ever given coats of arms, so the fact that Joan's family received one

from the king shows how special she was.

In the spring of 1430, Joan was given permission to take her two brothers and a few hundred volunteers to capture a French town from the English. While on the road, during Easter week, she had a vision telling her that by Saint John's Day (June 24), she would be captured. On her journey she stopped in a town to find the people gathered around a statue of the Virgin Mary, praying. They told Joan that a baby had just been born who seemed to be dead. Could she heal him?