execution of Cambridge, Scrope, and sir Thomas Gray. They were led out at the north gate, and had their heads stricken off just as Henry's fleet hoisted sail, and steered, with a favourable wind, out of the port of Southampton, August 7th, 1415.1

Henry landed at the mouth of the Seine, three miles from Harfleur, and after tremendous slaughter on both sides, took that strong fort of the Seine by storm, in the beginning of October. Notwithstanding this success, disease and early winter brought Henry into a dangerous predicament, until he turned at bay at Agincourt, and finished the brief campaign with one of those victories which shed an everlasting glory on the annals of England. The dreadful panic into which this victory threw France, and the number of her nobles and princes slain and taken prisoners, were the chief advantages Henry gained by it. He returned to England, November 27th, 1415, and deviating from his favourite motto, UNE SANS PLUS, for a time, he gave up all thoughts of obtaining Katherine as a bride, and despatched his favourite valet, Robert Waterton,2 to open a private negotiation for the hand of the princess of Arragon, if the beauty of the lady was considered by that confidential servant as likely to suit his taste.

Meantime, Katherine and her family were thrown into the utmost consternation by the victories of this lion-like wooer. The death of the eldest brother of Katherine, the dauphin Louis, was said to have been accelerated by grief for the day of Agincourt; and his demise was followed with such celerity by the decease of her next brother, the dauphin John, that all France took alarm. The loss of the princes was attributed to their unnatural mother, Isabeau of Bavaria, to whom the crime was imputed of poisoning them both. The unfortunate

1 The pardon requested by the earl of March is, in the Fœdera, dated the same day. It is a pardon, not only for listening to treasonable communications, but for such a list of transgressions, that if March (who was really a highly moral young prince) had spent the whole of his short life in sinning, he could scarcely have found time to commit them all. The unfortunate orphan of the earl of Cambridge, Richard of York, was left in the custody of Waterton, the brother of Henry V.'s favourite valet.-Fœdera, vol. viii.

2 Guthrie, vol. ii.; reign of Henry V.

father of Katherine was in a state of delirium, the duke of Burgundy and the count of Armagnac were fiercely contesting for the government of France, while Paris was convulsed with the threefold plague of anarchy, pestilence, and famine. Queen Isabeau, taking advantage of all this confusion, escaped from her palace-restraint at Tours; and, joining with the duke of Burgundy, not only gained great power, as regent for her distracted consort, but obtained the control of her daughter Katherine.'

However the queen might have neglected Katherine when an infant, she was no sooner restored to her an adult, than she obtained prodigious influence over her. The maternal feelings of Isabeau seemed centered on this her youngest daughter, to the unjust exclusion of her other children. Katherine had very early set her mind on being queen of England, and it will soon be shown how completely her mother entered into all her wishes. In order to fulfil this object, when it was found that Rouen could no longer sustain its tedious and dolorous siege, Isabeau sent ambassadors, with Katherine's picture, to ask Henry "whether so beautiful a princess required such a great dowry as he demanded with her?" The ambassadors declared they found Henry at Rouen, "proud as a lion;" that he gazed long and earnestly on the portrait of Katherine, acknowledged that it was surpassingly fair, but refused to abate a particle of his exorbitant demands.2

The close of the year 1418 saw the fall of the wretched city of Rouen, and increased the despair of Katherine's country and family. Queen Isabeau resolved that, as the picture of the princess had not succeeded in mollifying the proud heart of the conqueror, she would try what the personal charms of her Katherine could effect. A truce was obtained with Henry V., who had now pushed his conquests as far as Melun. The poor distracted king of France, with the queen Isabeau and her beautiful daughter Katherine, in a richly ornamented. barge came to Pontoise, in hopes of effecting an amicable. arrangement with the conqueror. At Pontoise a large en1 Mezerai, vol. ii.; reign of Charles VI. folio edition.

? Monstrelet.

closure was made with planks, within which the conferences were to be carried on; it was also surrounded by a deep ditch, having on one side the bank of the Seine. There were several entrances well secured by three barriers, and tents and pavilions, made of blue and green velvet worked with gold, were pitched for repose and refreshment.

Notwithstanding the king of France was very much indisposed, he and queen Isabeau, the princess, the duke of Burgundy, and his council, escorted by a thousand combatants, went to the place of conference near Melun, and entered the tents without the enclosure. Then the king of England arrived, attended by his brothers the dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, and a thousand men-at-arms. He entered the tent pitched for him, and when they were about to commence the conference, the queen on the right hand, followed by the lady Katherine, entered the enclosure. At the same time the king of England, with his brothers and council, arrived on this neutral ground by another barrier, and with a most respectful obeisance met and saluted queen Isabeau; and then king Henry not only kissed her, but the lady Katherine. They entered the tent pitched for the conference, king Henry leading queen Isabeau. Henry seated himself opposite to Katherine, and gazed at her most intently, while the earl of Warwick was making a long harangue in French, which he spoke very well. After they had remained some time in conference, they separated, taking the most respectful leave of each other.

This barrier scene is evidently meant to be depicted by the celebrated ancient painting once in the possession of Horace Walpole.1 Henry VII. had this picture painted for his chapel at Shene, and, as the well-known likeness of Henry V. is striking, there is reason to believe the same care was taken in portraying the features of Katherine of Valois. She wears an arched crown, and a species of veil, trimmed at each side with ermine, and reaching to the shoulders. Her mantle,

1 This picture was sold at the late sale at Strawberry-IIill, where it was, in 18-12, submitted to public inspection. It is painted on board.

of the regal form, is worn over a close gown, tight to the throat; a strap of ermine passes down the front, and is studded with jewels.

Three weeks afterwards, all the royal personages, with the exception of the lady Katherine, met for another conference at the barrier-ground of Pontoise. As the view of Katherine's beauty had not induced Henry to lower his demands, queen Isabeau resolved that the English conqueror should see her no more.' Henry was exceedingly discontented at this arrangement; "for," says Monstrelet, "the princess was very handsome, and had most engaging manners, and it was plainly to be seen that king Henry was desperately in love with her." Yet the second conference ended without the least abatement in his exorbitant requisitions.

After the English hero had waited unavailingly a few days, in hopes of being courted by the family of his beloved, he impatiently demanded a third interview, meaning to modify his demands; when, lo! to his infinite displeasure, when he arrived at Pontoise he found the tents struck, the barriers pulled down, and the pales that marked out the neutral ground taken away, every thing showing that the marriage-treaty was supposed to be ended. Henry V. was infuriated at the sight, and in his transports betrayed how much he had become enamoured of Katherine. He turned angrily to the duke of Burgundy, who was the only person belonging to the royal family of France attending the conference, and said abruptly,—“Fair cousin, we wish you to know that we will have the daughter of your king, or we will drive him and you out of his kingdom.' The duke replied, Sire, you are pleased to say so; but, before you have succeeded in driving my lord and me out of this kingdom, I make no doubt that you will be heartily tired.' Many high words passed, too tedious to report, and, taking leave of each other, they separated, and each went his way."

Before two years had elapsed, the family of Katherine were

1 Guillaume de Gruel.

2 Monstrelet.

Monstrelet. The duke of Burgundy went to his death on the bridge of Monterean-sur-Yonne, where the partisans of young Charles the dauphin revenged on that prince his treacherous assassination of the duke of Orleans.

forced by dire distress to sue for the renewal of the marriagetreaty. Henry's career of conquest proceeded with terrific. rapidity; he made himself master of most of the towns between Normandy and the French capital, while his brother, the duke of Clarence, and his friend, the earl of March, had already thundered at the gates of Paris. Henry was requested to name his own terms of pacification. He haughtily replied, "That he had been deceived and baffled so many times, that he would treat with no one but the princess Katherine herself, whose innocency, he was sure, would not try to deceive him." Notice of this speech being immediately conveyed to queen Isabeau, she made the bishop of Arras return instantly to tell king Henry, "That if he would come to Troyes, Katherine should espouse him there; and that, as her inheritance, he should have the crown of France after the death of king Charles." And to gain the more credit, the bishop of Arras secretly delivered to the king a love-letter, written by the fair hand of Katherine herself, so full of sweetness, that Henry V. considered his happiness as certain."

The English monarch was now to receive with the hand. of Katherine, not only the provinces he demanded, but the reversion of the whole sovereignty of France, with immediate possession under the name of regent. By this treaty the elder sisters and the only brother of Katherine were to be disinherited. As soon as these terms were agreed upon, Henry, accompanied by his brothers Clarence and Gloucester, with sixteen hundred combatants, mostly archers, advanced to Troyes, where he arrived on the 20th of May, 1420. The new duke of Burgundy, clothed in the deepest mourning for his murdered sire, met Henry at a little distance from Troyes, and conducted him in great pomp to the hôtel de Ville, where lodgings were prepared for him. When Henry was presented the next day to Katherine, who was with her mother enthroned in the church of Nôtre Dame,' he was attired in a magnificent suit of burnished armour; but, instead of a plume, 2 Ibid.

1 Sir Winston Churchill's Divi Brit.

3 Monstrelet. Notes of London Chronicle, edited by sir Harris Nicolas, p. 161, say it was St. Peter's church.