the ground, and he was foon killed by the fur-. rounding crowd; all the king's efforts to fave him proving ineffectual. In this manner, the French were overthrown in every part of the field; their number, being crowded into a very narrow space, were incapable of either flying, or making any refiftance; fo that they covered the ground with heaps of flain. After all appearance of oppofition was over, the English had leifure to make prifoners; and having advanced with uninterrupted fuccefs to the open plain, they there faw the remains of the French rear-guard, which still maintained a fhew of oppofition. At the fame time was heard an alarm from behind, which proceeded from a number of peasants who had fallen upon the Englifh baggage, and were putting those who guarded it to the fword. Henry, now feeing the enemy on all fides of him, began to entertain apprehenfions: from his prifoners, the number of whom exceeded. even that of his army. He thought it neceffary, therefore, to iffue general orders for putting them to death; but on the difcovery of the certainty of his victory, he stopped the flaughter, and was ftill able to fave a great number. This feverity tarnished the glory which his victory would otherwife have acquired; but all the hero fm of that age is tinctured with barbarity...

This battle was very fatal to France, from the number of princes and nobility flain or taken prifoners. Among the number of the flain, was the conftable of France, the two brothers of the duke of Burgundy, the duke of Alençon, the duke of Barre, and the count de Morle. Among the pri foners, were the duke of Orleans, the duke of Bourbon, with feveral others of inferior quality. An archbishop of Sens alfo perifhed fighting in this battle. The killed are computed on the whole to have amounted to ten thousand men;

and

and as the lofs fell chiefly upon the cavalry, it is pretended, that of thefe eight thoufand were gentlemen. The number of prifoners are computed at fourteen thousand. All the English who were flain did not exceed forty, a number amazingly inconfiderable, if we compare the lofs with the victory.

A. D.

This victory, how great foever it might have been, was attended with no immediate effects. Henry did not interrupt his retreat a moment after the battle of Agin- Oct. 25. court; but carried his prifoners to Calais,

1415.

A. D.

1417.

and from thence to England, where the parliament, dazzled with the fplendour of his late victories, granted him new fupplies, though unequal to the expences of a campaign. With thefe fupplies and new levies, he once more landed an army of twenty-five thousand men in Normandy, and prepared to ftrike a decifive blow for the crown of France, to which the English monarchs had long made pretenfions. That wretched country was now in a moft deplorable fituation. The whole kingdom appeared as one vaft theatre of crimes, murders, injuftice, and devastation. The duke of Orleans was affaffinated by the duke of Burgundy; and the duke of Burgundy, in his turn, fell by the treachery of the dauphin. At the fame time, the duke's fon, defirous of revenging his father's death, entered into a fecret treaty with the English; and a league was immediately concluded at Arras, between Henry and the young duke of Burgundy, in which the king promised to revenge the murder of the late duke; and the fon feemed to infift upon no further ftipulations. Henry, therefore, proceeded in his conquests, without much oppofition from any quarter. Several towns and provinces

provinces fubmitted on his approach; the city of Rouen was befieged and taken; Pontoife and Gifors he foon became mafter of. He even threatened Paris by the terror of his power, and obliged the court to remove to Troye. It was at this city that the duke of Burgundy, who had taken upon him the protection of the French king, met Henry in order to ratify that treaty, which was formerly begun, and by which the crown of France was to be transferred to a stranger. The imbecillity into which Charles had fallen, made him paffive in this remarkable treaty; and Henry dictated the terms throughout the whole negotiation. The principal articles of this treaty were, that Henry fhould efpouse the princess Catharine; that king Charles fhould enjoy the title and dignity of king for life; but that Henry fhould be declared heir to the crown, and should be entrusted with the present administration of the government; that France and England should for ever be united under one king, but should still retain their respective laws and privileges; that Henry fhould unite his arms with those of king Charles, and the duke of Burgundy, to deprefs and fubdue the Dauphin and his partizans. Such was the tenor of a treaty, too repugnant to the real interefts of both kingdoms to be of long duration; but the contending parties were too much blinded by their refentments and jealoufies, to fee that it is not in the power of princes to barter kingdoms, contrary to the real interefts of the community.

It was not long after this treaty, that Henry married the princefs Catharine; after which he carried his father-in-law to Paris, and took a formal poffeffion of that capital. There he obtained, from the eftates of the kingdom, a ratification of the late compact; and then turned his arms, with

fuccefs,

fuccefs, against the adherents of the Dauphin, who, in the mean time, wandered about a tranger in his own patrimony, and to his enemies Lucceffes only oppofed fruitless expoftulations.

Henry's fupplies were not provided in fuch plenty, as to enable him to carry on the war, without returning in person to prevail upon his parliament for fresh fuccours; and upon his arrival in England, though he found his fubjects highly pleased with the fplendour of his conquefts, yet they seemed fomewhat doubtful as to the advantage of them. A treaty, which in its confequences was likely to transfer the feat of empire from England, was not much relished by the parliament. They therefore, upon various pretences, refused him a fupply equal to his exigencies or his demands, but he was refolved on purfuing his Schemes; and joining to the supplies granted at home, the contributions levied on the conquered provinces, he was able once more to affemble an army of twenty-eight thousand men, and with thefe he landed fafely at Calais.

In the mean time the Dauphin, a prince of great prudence and activity, omitted no opportunity of repairing his ruined fituation, and to take the advantage of Henry's abfence from France. He prevailed upon the regent of Scotland to fend him a body of eight thoufand men from that kingdom; and with thefe, and fome few forces of his own. he attacked the late duke of Clarence, who commanded the troops in Henry's abfence, and gained a complete victory.

This was the first action which turned the tide of fuccefs against the English. But it was of hort duration, for Henry foon after appearing with a confiderable army, the Dauphin fled at his approach; while many of the places, which held

out

out for the Dauphin in the neighbourhood of Paris, furrendered to the conqueror. In this manner, while Henry was every where victorious, he fixed his refidence at Paris; and while Charles had but a fmall court, he was attended with a very magnificent one. On Wednesday the two

A. D.

kings and their two queens with crowns 1421. on their heads, dined together in public; Charles receiving apparent homage, but Henry commanding with abfolute authority.

In the mean time, the Dauphin was chafed beyond the Loire, and almoft totally difpoffeffed of all the northern provinces. He was even pu’fued into the fouth, by the united arms of the English and Burgundians, and threatened with. -total deftruction. In this exigence, he found it neceffary to fpin out the war, and to evade all hazardous actions with a rival who had been long accustomed to victory. His prudence was every where remarkable; and, after a train of long per fecutions from fortune, he found her at length willing to declare in his favour, by ridding him of an antagonist that was likely to become a master.

Henry, at a time when his glory had nearly reached its fummit, and both crowns were just devolved upon him, was feized with a fiftula; a diforder, which, from the unfkilfulness of the phyficians of the times, foon became mortal. Perceiving his diftemper incurable; and that his end was approaching, he fent for his brother the duke of Bedford, the earl of Warwick, and a few other noblemen, whom he had honoured with his confidence; and to them he delivered, in great tranquillity, his laft will with regard to the government of his kingdom and family. He recommended his fon to their protection; and though he regret

ted