clergy, but the government itself. Henry, to turn their minds from fuch hideous fcenes, refolved to take the advantage of the troubles in which France was at that time engaged, and pursue the advice of bis dying father, who gave it as his last instructions, that he should employ his fubjects in foreign expeditions, and thus give all the reftlefs fpirits occupation for their inquietude. Charles the fifth, who was then king of France, was fubject to frequent fits of lunacy, which totally difqualified him from reigning. During the paroxyfms of his difeafe, the ambition of his vaffals and courtiers had room for exertion; and they grew powerful from their fovereign's weaknefs. The adminiftration of affairs was difputed between his brother Lewis duke of Orleans, and his coufin-german, John duke of Burgundy. Ifabella, his queen, alfo had her party; and the king vainly attempted to fecure one alfo in his favour. Each of thefe, as they happened to prevail, branded their captives with the name of traitors; and the gibbets were at once hung with the bodies of the accufed and the accufers. This, therefore, was thought by Henry a favourable opportunity to recover from France, thofe grants, that had been formerly given up by treaty. But previously, to give his intended expedition the appearance of juftice, he fent over ambaffadors to Paris, offering a perpetual peace and alliance, on condition of being put in poffeffion of all thofe provinces, which had been ravifhed from the English during the former reign, and of efpouling Catharine, the French king's daughter, in marriage, with a fuitable dowry. Though the French court was at this time extremely averfe to war, yet the exorbitance of thefe demands could not be complied with; and Henry very probably made F5 them them in hopes of a denial. He therefore affembled a great fleet and army at Southampton; and having allured all the military men of the kingdom to attend him, from the hopes of conqueft, he put to fea, and landed at Harfeur; at the head of an army of fix thousand men of arms, and twenty four thoufand foot, moftly archers. His first operations were upon Harfleur; which being preffed hard, promifed at a certain day to furrender, unlefs relieved before that time. The day arriving, and the garrifon, unmindful of their engagement, ftill refolving to defend the place, Henry ordered an affault to be made, took the town by ftorm, and put all the garrifon to the fword. From thence, the victor advanced farther into the country, which had been already rendered defolate by factions, and which he now totally laid wafte. But although the enemy made but a feeble refiftance, yet the climate feemed to fight against the English; a contagious dyfentery carrying off three parts of Henry's army. In fuch a fituation he had recourfe to an expedient common enough in that barbarous age, to infpire his troops with confidence in their general. He challenged the dauphin, who commanded in the French army, to fingle combat, offering to stake his pretenfions on the event. This challenge, as might naturally be expected, was rejected; and the French, though difagreeing internally, at last feemed to unite, at the appearance of the common danger. A numerous army of fourteen thoufand men at arms, and forty thousand foot, was by this time affembled, under the command of count Albert; and was now placed to intercept Henry's weakened forces on their return. The English monarch, when it was too late, began to repent of his rah inroad into a country, where disease, and and a powerful army, every where threatened deftruction; he therefore began to think of retiring into Calais. In this retreat, which was at once both painful and dangerous, Henry took every precaution to infpire his troops with patience and perfeverance; and fhewed them in his own perfon the brightest example of fortitude and refignation. He was continually haraffed on his march by flying parties of the enemy; and when ever he attempted to pass the river Somme, over which his march lay, he faw troops, on the other fide, ready to oppofe his paffage. However, he was fo fortunate as to feize by furprize a paffage near St. Quin'tin, which had not been fufficiently guarded; and there he fafely carried over his army. But the enemy was ftill refolved to intercept his retreat;, and after he had paffed the fmall river of Tertrois at Blangi, he was furprifed to obferve from the heights, the whole French army drawn up in the plains of Agincourt; and so posted, that it was impoffible for him to proceed on his march without coming to an engagement. No fituation could be more unfavourable than that in which he then found himfelf. His army was walked with difeafe; the foldiers fpirits worn down with fatigue, deftitute of provifions, and difcouraged by their retreat. Their whole body amounted but to nine thousand men; and these were to fuftain the fhock of an enemy near ten times their number, headed by expert generals, and plentifully fupplied with provifions. This difparity, as it depreffed the English, fo it raifed the courage of the French in proportion; and fo confident were they of fuccefs, that they began to treat for the ransom of their prifoners. Henry, on the other hand, though fenfible of his extreme danger, did i not omit any circumftance that could affift his fituation. As the enemy were fo much fuperior,. he. he drew up his army on a narrow ground between two woods, which guarded each flank; and he patiently expected, in that pofition, the attack of the enemy. The conftable of France was at the head of one army; and Henry himself, with Edward duke of York, commanded the other. For a time both armies, as if afraid to begin, kept filently gazing at each other, neither being willing to break their ranks by making the onfet; which Henry perceiving, with a chearful countenance cried out, "My friends, fince they will not be"gin, it is ours to fet them the example; come ་ on, and the Bleffed Trinity be our protection." Upon this the whole army fet forward with a fhout, while the French ftill continued to wait their approach with intrepidity. The English archers, who had long been famous for their great fkill, first let fly a fhower of arrows three feet Jong, which did great execution. The French cavalry advancing to repel thefe, two hundred bow-men, who lay till then concealed, rifing on a fudden, let fly among them, and produced fuch a confufion, that the archers threw by their ar rows, and rufhing in, fell upon them fword in hand. The French at firft repulfed the affailants, who were enfeebled by difeafe; but they foon made up the defect by their valour; and refolving to conquer or die, burft in upon the enemy with fuch impetuofity, that the French were foon. obliged to give way. In the mean time a body of English horse, which had been concealed in a neighbouring wood, rufhing out, flanked the French infantry, and a general diforder began to enfue. The first line of the enemy being routed, the fecond line began to march up to interrupt the progrefs of the victory. henry, therefore, alighting from his horfe, prefented himself to the enemy with an undaunted countenance; countenance; and at the head of his men fought on foot, encouraging fome, and affifting others. Eighteen French cavaliers, who were refolved to kill him, or die in the attempt, rufhing from the ranks together, advanced; and one of them ftunned the king with a blow of his battle-ax. They then fell upon him in a body; and he was upon the point of finking under their blows, when David Gam, a valiant Welfhman, aided by two of his countrymen, came up to the king's affiftance, and foon turned the attention of the affailants from the king to themselves, till at length being overpowered, they fell dead at his feet. Henry had by this time recovered his fenfes; and fresh troops advancing to his relief, the eighteen French cavaliers were flain; upon which he knighted the Welfhmen, who had fo valiantly fallen in his defence. The heat of the engagement still increafing, Henry's courage feemed alfo to increase, and the most dangerous fituation was where he fought in perfon: his brother, who was ftunned by a blow, fell at his feet; and while the king was poufly endeavouring to fuccour him, he received another blow himself, which threw him upon his knees. But he foon recovered; and leading on his troops with fresh ardour, they ran headlong upon the enemy; and put them into fuch diforder, that their leaders could never after bring them to the charge. The duke of Alençon, who commanded the fecond line, feeing it fly, refolved by one defperate ftroke, to retrieve the fortune of the day, or fall in the attempt. Wherefore running up to Henry, and at the fame time, crying aloud, that he was the duke of Alençon, he difcharged fuch a blow on his head, that it carried off a part of the king's helmet; while, in the mean time, Henry not having been able to ward off the blow, returned it, by ftriking the duke to the |