ted the being unable to accomplish the great object of his ambition, in totally fubduing France, yet he expreffed great indifference at the approach of death; he devoutly waited its arrival, and expired with the fame intrepidity with which he had lived, in the thirty-fourth year of his age, and the tenth year of his reign.

This prince poffeffed many virtues, but his military fucceffes gave him credit for more than he really poffeffed. It is certain, however, that he had the talent of attaching his friends by affability, and of gaining his enemies by address and clemency. Yet his reign was rather fplendid than profitable; the treasures of the nation were lavished on conquefts, that even though they could have been maintained, would have proved injurious to the nation. Nevertheless he died fortunate, by falling in the midst of his triumphs, and leaving his fubjects in the very height of his reputation. Charles, who died two months after him, finished a wretched reign, long paffed in frenzy and contempt, defpifed by his friends, infulted by his allies, and leaving the moft miferable fubjects upon earth.

Henry left by his queen Catharine of France, only one fon not full nine months old, who fucceeded him on his throne; and whofe misfortunes, during the courfe of a long reign, furpaffed all the glories and fucceffes of his father.

The English triumphs, at this time in France, produced scarce any good effects at home; as they grew warlike, they became favage, and panting after foreign poffeffions, forgot the arts of cultivating those that lay nearer home. Our language, inftead of improving, was more neglected than before; Langland and Chaucer had begun to polifh it, and enrich it with new and elegant conftructions;

ftructions; but it now was feen to relapfe into its former rudeness, and no poet or hiftorian of note was born in this tempeftuous period.

СНАР.

HE

CHAP. XVIII.

HEN NR Y VI.

A. D.

1421.

ENRY VI. fucceffor to Henry V. was not quite a year old when he came to the throne; and his relations began, foon after, to difpute the adminiftration of government during his minority. The duke of Bedford, one of the moft accomplished princes of the age, and. equally experienced, both in the cabinet and the field, was appointed by parliament protector of England, defender of the church, and first counsellor to the king. His brother, the duke of Gloucefter, was fixed upon to govern in his abfence, while he conducted the war in France j and, in order to limit the power of both brothers, a council was named, without whofe advice and approbation: no measure of importance could be carried into execution.

Things being adjusted in this manner, as the conduct of military operations was at that time confidered in a much fuperior light to civil employments at home, the duke of Bedford fixed his ftation in France, to profecute the fucceffes of the English in that part of their dominions, and to reprefs the attempts of Charles VII. who fucceeded his father to a nominal throne. Nothing could be more deplorable than the fituation of that monarch on affuming his title to the crown. The English were mafters of almost all France; and Henry VI. though yet but an infant, was folemnly invefted with regal power by legates from Paris. The duke of Bedford was

A. D.

1423.

at

at the head of a numerous army, in the heart of the kingdom, ready to oppofe every infurrection; while the duke of Burgundy, who had entered into a firm confederacy with him, ftill remained steadfast, and seconded his claims. Yet, notwithstanding these unfavourable appearances, Charles (who though yet but twenty, united the prudence of age with the affability of youth) found means to break the leagues formed against him, and to bring back his fubjects to their natural interefts and their duty.

However, his first attempts were totally deftitute of fuccefs; wherever he endeavoured to face the enemy he was overthrown, and he could scarcely rely on the friends next his perfon. His authority was infulted even by his own fervants; advantage after advantage was gained against him, and a battle fought near Verneuil, in which he was totally defeated by the duke of Bedford, feemed to render his affairs wholly defperate. However, from the impoffibility of the English keeping the field without new fupplies, Bedford was obliged to retire into England, and in the mean time his vigilant enemy began to recover from his late confternation. Demois, one of his generals, at the head of a thousand men, compelled the earl of Warwick to raise the fiege of Montargis; and this advantage, flight as it was, began to make the French fuppofe that the English were not invincible.

But they foon had ftill greater reafon to triumph in their change of fortune, and a new revolution was produced by means apparently the moft unlikely to be attended with fuccefs. The affiftance of a female of the humbleft birth, and meanest education, ferved to turn the tide of victory in their favour; and impress their enemies with thofe terrors, which had hitherto rendered them unequal

qual in the field. By this feeble aid, the vanquifhed became victors; and the English, every where worsted, were at length totally expelled the kingdom.

In the village of Domremi, near Vaucouleurs, on the borders of Lorrain, there lived a country girl, about twenty-feven years of age, called Joan of Arc. This girl had been a fervant at a small inn; and in that humble ftation had fubmitted to thofe hardy employments which fit the body for the fatigues of war. She was of an irreproachable life, and had hitherto teftified none of those enterprizing qualities which difplayed themfelves foon after. She contentedly fulfilled the duties of her fituation, and was remarkable only for her modefty, and love of religion. But the miferies of her country feemed to have been one of the greatest objects of her compaffion and regard. Her king expelled his native throne, her country laid in blood, and ftrangers executing unnumbered rapines before her eyes, were fufficient to excite her refentment, and to warm her heart with a defire of redrefs. Her mind inflamed by these objects, and brooding with melancholy steadfastness upon them, began to feel feveral impulfes, which fhe was willing to mistake for the infpirations of heaven. Convinced of the reality of her own admonitions, fhe had recourfe to one Baudricourt, governor of Vaucouleurs, and informed him of her deftination by heaven, to free her native country from its fierce invaders. Baudricourt treated her at first with fome neglect; but her importunities at length prevailed; and, willing to make a trial of her pretenfions, he gave her fome attendants, who conducted her to the French court, which at that time refided at Chinon.

The French court were probably fenfible of the weakness of her pretenfions; but they were