cant, and promised never more to give way to the vain delufions which had hitherto mifled her, and imposed on the people. This was what her oppreffors defired; and willing to fhew fome appearance of mercy, they changed her fentence into perpetual imprisonment, and to be fed during life on bread and water. But the rage of her enemies was not yet fatiated. Perfectly fatisfied of her guilt, they were willing to know if her reformation was equally certain. Sufpecting that the female drefs which he had confented to wear, was difagreeable to her, they purposely placed in her apartment a fuit of men's apparel, and watched for the effect of their temptation upon her. Their cruel artifices prevailed. Joan ftruck with the fight of a drefs in which he had gained fo much glory, immediately threw off her penitent's robes, and put on the forbidden garment. Her enemies caught her equipped in this manner; and her imprudence was confidered as a relapfe into her former tranfgreffions. No recantation would fuffice, and no pardon would be granted to her. She was condemned to be burnt alive in the market-place of Rouen; and this infamous fentence was accordingly executed upon her.

Superftition adds virulence to the natural cruelty of mankind; and this cruel fentence ferved only to enflame the hatred between the contending powers, without mending the caufe of the invaders. One of the firft misfortunes which the English felt after this punishment, was the defection of the duke of Burgundy; who had for some time feen the error of his conduct, and wished to break an unnatural connection, that only ferved to involve his country in ruin. A treaty was therefore begun and concluded, between him and Charles, in which the latter made all the atonements poffible for his offence; and the former agreed to affist

G 3

him.

This

him in driving the English out of France. was a mortal blow to their cause; and fuch was its effects upon the populace in London, when they were informed of it, that they killed feveral of the duke of Burgundy's fubjects, who happened to be among them at that time. It might perhaps alfo have haftened the duke of Bedford's death, who died at Rouen a few days after the treaty was concluded; and the earl of Cambridge was appointed his fucceffor in the regency of France.

From this period, the English affairs became totally irretrievable. The city of Paris returned once more to a fenfe of its duty. Lord Willoughby, who commanded it for the English, was contented to ftipulate for the fafe retreat of his troops to Normandy. Thus ground was continually, though flowly, gained by the French; and notwithstanding their fields were laid wafte, and their towns depopulated, yet they found pro· tection from the weaknefs and divifions of the English. At length, both parties began to grow weary of a war, which, though carried on but feebly, was yet a burden greater than either could fupport. But the terms of peace infifted upon by both were fo wide of each other, that no hopes of an accommodation could quickly be expected. A truce, therefore, for twenty-two months was concluded, which left every thing on the prefent footing between the parties. No fooner was this agreed upon, than Charles employed himself with great 1443 induftry and judgment in repairing those numberlefs ills, to which his kingdom, from the continuance of wars, both foreign and domeftic, had fo long been expofed. He eftablished difcipline among his troops, and juftice among his governors. He revived agriculture, and repreffed faction.

A. D.

A. D.

1443.

faction. Thus being prepared once more for taking the field, he took the firft favourable occafion of breaking the truce; and Normandy was at the fame time invaded by four powerful armies; one commanded by Charles himself, a fecond by the duke of Britany, a third by the duke of Alençon, and a fourth by the count Dunois. Every place opened their gates almost as soon as the French appeared before them. Rouen was the only town that promised to hold out a fiege; but the inhabitants clamoured fo loud for a furrender, that the duke of Somerfet, who commanded the garrifon, was obliged to capitulate. The battle, or rather the fkirmish, of Fourmingi, was the last stand which the English made in defence of their French dominions. However, they were put to the rout, and above a thousand were flain. All Normandy and Guienne, that had fo long acknowledged fubjection to England, were loft in the space of a year; and the English at length faw themselves entirely difpoffeffed of a country, which for above three centuries they had confidered as annexed to their native dominions. Calais alone remained of all their conquefts; and this was but a finall compenfation for the blood and treasure which had been lavished in that country, and only ferved to gratify ambition with a tranfient applause.

It may easily be fuppofed, that the bad fucceffes in France, which began almost with young Henry's reign, produced diffentions and factions among the rulers at home. The duke of Gloucefter, who had been appointed regent of England during his brother's abfence, was not fo fecure in his place, but that he had many who envied his fituation. Among the number of thefe was Henry Beaufort, bishop of Winchefter, great uncle to the king, and the legitimate fon of John of Gaunt.

G. 4

This

This prelate, to whom the care of the king's per-
fon and education had been entrusted, was a man
of great capacity and experience, but of an intri-
guing and dangerous difpofition. As he afpired to
the government of affairs, he had continual dif-
putes with the duke of Gloucefter, and gained
frequent advantages over the open temper of that
prince. It was in vain that the duke of Bedford
employed all his own authority and that of par-
liament, to reconcile them; their mutual ani-
mofities ferved for feveral years to embarrass
government, and to give its enemies every advan-
tage.
The fentiments of these two leaders of
their party were particularly divided with regard
to France. The cardinal encouraged every pro-
pofal of accommodation with that country; the
duke of Gloucefter was for maintaining the
honour of the English arms, and winning back
all that had been loft by defeats or delay. In
tiis conteft, the powers feemed nearly divided;
and it became incumbent on one fide to call in
new auxiliaries, before either party could turn
the political scale. For this purpose the cardi-
nal was refolved to ftrengthen himfelf, by procu-
ring a fuitable match for Henry, who was now
twenty-three years old; and then, by bringing the
new made queen over to his interefts, to turn the
balance in his favour. Accordingly, the earl of
Suffolk, a nobleman whom he knew to be steadfast
in his attachments, was fent over to France, appa-
rently to fettle the terms of the truce which had
been then begun; but, in reality, to procure a
fuitable match for the king. The duke of Glou-
cefter had before propofed a daughter of the count.
Armagnac, but had not influence fufficient to pre-
vail.

The cardinal and his friends had caft their eye on Margaret of Anjou, daughter of Regnier, titular

titular king of Sicily, Naples, and Jerufalem; but without either real power or poffeffion. This princefs was confidered as the moft accomplished of the age, both in mind and person; and it was thought would, by her own abilities, be able to fupply the defects of her confort, who already appeared weak, timid, and fuperftitious. The treaty was therefore haftened on by Suffolk, and the marriage foon after ratified in England.

The cardinal now ftrengthened by this new alliance (for the queen came immediately inA. D. to his measures), the duke of Gloucester foon found himself poffeffed of only the 1443. fhadow of power without the fubftance; all his measures were over-ruled by his powerful antagonist; and he daily found himfelf infulted in the most cruel manner. One of the principal fteps his enemies took to render him odious was to accuse his wife, the duchefs, of witchcraft. She was charged with converfing with one Roger Bolingbroke, a prieft, and reputed necromancer; and alfo one Mary Gurdemain, who was faid to be a witch. It was afferted that these three in conjunction had made a figure of the king in wax, which was placed before a gentle fire; and as the wax diffolved, the king's ftrength was expected to wafte; and upon its total diffolution his life was to be at an end. This accufation was readily attended to in that credulous age; and the more it departed from reason, the fitter it was for becoming an object of belief. The prifoners were pronounced guilty; neither the rank of the dutchefs, nor the innocence of the accufed, could protect them; fhe was condemned to do penance, and to fuffer perpetual imprifonment; Bolingbroke, the priest, was hanged, and the woman was burnt in Smithfield.