Their mission was to pray and entreat the Duke to look favourably on the town, and for the sake of his good kinsman, their Lord, Charles, Duke of Orleans, a prisoner in England, and thus prevented from defending his own domain, to induce the English to raise the siege until such time as the troubles of the realm should be set at rest.[565] Thus they were offering to place their town as a pledge in the hands of the Duke of Burgundy.

Such an offer was in accordance with the secret desire of the Duke, who, having sent a few hundred Burgundian horse to the walls of Orleans, was helping the English, and did not intend to do it for nothing.[566] [Footnote 565: _Journal du siege_, p.

52.] [Footnote 566: Monstrelet, vol.iv, p.317._Journal du siege_, p.

52.
_Chronique de la Pucelle_, p.269.Jean Chartier, _Chronique_, vol.i, p.65.Morosini, pp.

16, 17, vol.iv, supplement xiv.