We thus discard a strong trump in the hand of believers that the
impostor was the real Maid; had a Pucelle actually sent ambassadors
to Spain in 1436, their case would be stronger than it is.

Next, why is the false Pucelle styled 'Jeanne des Armoises' in the
town accounts of Orleans in 1439?

This leads us to the proofs of the marriage of the false Pucelle, in
1436, with a Monsieur Robert des Armoises, a gentleman of the Metz
country. The evidence is in a confused state. In the reign of
Louis XIV. lived a Pere Vignier, a savant, who is said to have been
a fraudulent antiquary. Whether this be true or not, his brother,
after the death of Pere Vignier, wrote a letter to the Duc de
Grammont, which was published in the 'Mercure Galant' of November,
1683. The writer says that his brother, Pere Vignier, found, at
Metz, an ancient chronicle of the town, in manuscript, and had a
copy made by a notary royal. The extract is perfectly genuine,
whatever the reputation of the discoverer may be. This portion of
the chronicle of the doyen of Saint-Thibaud de Metz exists in two
forms, of which the latter, whoever wrote it, is intended to correct
the former.

In the earlier shape the author says that, on May 20, 1436, the
Pucelle Jeanne came to Metz, and was met by her brothers, Pierre, a
knight, and Jehan, an esquire. Pierre had, in fact, fought beside
his sister when both he and she were captured, at Compiegne, in May
1430. Jehan, as we have already seen, was in attendance on the
false Maid in August 1436.