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made of a reform in the Chamber of Accounts and inferior judicatures.

The state of the country prevented a resort to the Court and Parliament at Paris and to the Parliament at Poictiers, while it interrupted the trade of all the towns; and Bedford as well as Charles was induced to devise measures of relief. They both issued Ordinances with this view; and among other expedients they endeavoured to encourage commerce by opening the ports and inducing foreign merchants to resort thither. These Ordinances, though made without any authority from the States, were not likely to occasion a difference of opinion in any quarter. But deep and general discontent had been excited in the northern parts of the country by the insolent and overbearing demeanour of the English, who even set the Parisians against them-a consummation which all Henry's haughtiness and cruelty had failed to bring about; and in the provinces still under Charles, the calamities of the war, with its attendant anarchy

-ascribed, and justly ascribed, to the English invasion—roused in the people such a spirit of resistance as secured him their zealous support, while it crippled his adversary. For some years, therefore, he rarely convoked the States. From one

1434.

of their meetings at Vienne he obtained a supply, which was followed by a similar grant the year after from the States of Languedoc. In the next four years he frequently assembled them, but

1 Note LXIX,

their proceedings were of so little importance that few or no traces of them remain.

Now, however, the successes of the war, the reconcilement with the Duke of Burgundy,

1439.

the prospect of finally expelling the English by a vigorous effort, above all, the dreadful state of the country, appear to have produced an effect upon Charles of which history affords scarcely any other example. His whole character suffered an extraordinary change-it seemed as if his nature had undergone a transformation. Shaking off the habits of an indolent voluptuary, the tool of intriguers and dupe of favourites, he devoted himself without reserve to public affairs, and displayed talents yet more remarkable than the pleasing manners and other trivial accomplishments which had hitherto made him be rather loved than respected, and chiefly the two highest qualities of a ruler, firmness of purpose, with the power as well as the will ever to choose capable servants. He was thus able to restore the independence of his country; but he bestowed upon his people an equally precious gift by re-establishing domestic peace through the restored dominion of the law. These truly great triumphs were attended with considerable changes in the constitution.

1439.

When he began what may be termed his own reign, he found the wretchedness of the people so dreadful, from the anarchy every where prevailing, that he was not only enabled by the assent of all classes, but compelled by their in

tolerable sufferings, to provide an effectual remedy, or to witness the entire dissolution of society. The distractions of the Government for above half a century—the civil war, so long dividing the people—the resort of foreign adventurers, attracted by the prospect of plunder-above all, the occasional disbanding and constant desertion of the soldiers in the contending armies, had subjected the whole country to bodies of freebooters, who at length became so strong in numbers, and so desperate in audacity, that they undertook military operations upon a considerable scale when united, as when dispersed they carried on the work of general massacre and pillage. Bedford (we have seen) had unsuccessfully opposed a body of those Ecorcheurs (flayers, as they delighted to call themselves), had lost one of his most distinguished captains, with a considerable division of his choicest troops, and had with difficulty prevented another body from sacking Paris, after taking a fortified suburb and massacreing its garrison. The less defended districts of the country were entirely exposed to their ravages by fire and sword.' It thus became the most vehement desire of the whole community to see those lawless depredators put down. Upon this feeling Charles acted, as his grandfather had done in similar circumstances eighty years before; but he was enabled to obtain from it more important results. Nov. 1439.

He assembled the States at Orleans, where

their meeting was more thronged, and their pro

1 Note LXVII.

ceedings more solemn, than had ever before been known.

Three several subjects were brought before them for debate the question of peace connected with the pending negotiations; the grant of a supply for continuing the war; the establishment of a military force equal to cope with the difficulties both external and internal of the country. These questions appear to have been fully discussed. In compliance with the opinion pronounced for peace, an embassy was promised to treat with the English envoys. All arbitrary exactions, whether by the Crown or the Barons, were prohibited, but a taille of 1,200,000 livres was granted for the support of an armed force; the provisions respecting which formed the most important feature of the Ordinance made with the consent of the States. The power was vested or recognised in the King to employ at all times a hired body of cavalry 9000 in number, and to name all their officers; all other persons whatever were forbidden to appoint commanders of any armed body; the Barons were held responsible for excesses committed by their followers; the persons named by the King to command the cavalry were to choose their men, but to be answerable for their conduct; and all persons were declared subject to the ordinary judicatures of the country.

It being found impossible to put this important Ordinance in execution immediately, the continuance of the Robber-bands gave the Barons a pretext for opposing Charles and exciting discontent against him.

They had been restrained at the meeting of the States partly by the alarm generally prevailing, and in which they partook; partly by the strong feeling of the other classes: but now they joined in a conspiracy to dethrone him, and put the Dauphin in his place. When foiled by the combined firmness and temper of the King, they held a meeting at Nevers with the discontented princes, and presented a remonstrance against his proceedings as injurious to the common people. This, with their having yielded at Orleans, is a sure proof of the importance which the Third Estate had acquired. But these occurrences, and the interruptions occasioned by the war, prevented him from giving full effect to the Ordinance for several years. He then established the regular force of lancers authorised by that Ordinance to be raised and paid. They were distributed in fifteen companies; and by the help of his most confidential nobles he so arranged the appointments, that the more able and experienced of the banditti chiefs became the officers, and recruited their men from among their Bands as well as the French cavalry at large. The bodies thus raised were called from their origin Compagnies d'Ordonnance; they were subjected to a strict discipline, and were distributed over the whole kingdom, each town paying its proportion of the taille, which thus became a yearly and permanent tax, levied without any new authority from the States, or even any new Ordinance.' All the

1 P. Dan., vii. 214; Mez., ii. 51.

1445.

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