By the Rev. J. Wilkinson. 309 
had the other two-thirds. The reversion of the entire half be- 
longed to her husband’s younger brother, John Talbot, the first 
_ Earl of Shrewsbury; and, on Ancaret’s death (on the festival of St. 
Lucia, 13th Dec., 1421),! he surrendered to Beatrix the two-thirds 
which thus came to him; so that she died possessed of the whole 
moiety.” 
Our next lord was the second son of Ancaret le Strange, the 
illustrious Sir John Talbot— 
‘The great Alcides of the field, 
Valiant Lord Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, 
Created for his rare success in arms, 
Great Earl of Washford, Waterford, and Valence, 
Lord Talbot of Goodrig and Urchinfield, 
Lord Strange of Blackmere, Lord Verdun of Alton, 
Lord Cromwell of Wingfield, Lord Furnival of Sheffield, 
The thrice victorious Lord of Falconbridge ; 
Knight of the noble order of St. George, 
Worthy St. Michael, and the Golden fleece ; 
Great Marshal to Henry the sixth 
Of all his wars within the realm ‘of France.” 
The popular sympathies went entirely with our medizval French 
wars, and Talbot was the popular hero of those wars. Every in- 
cident in Shakespeare (who doubtless only followed the general 
opinion) is made to turn to Talbot’s glory. Nor was this feeling 
unreasonable, either in respect of the wars in general, or of Talbot 
the idol of them. Quicquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi, a 
general maxim in war, does not seem to have applied here. The 
slaughter fell chiefly on the knights (reges); the common men at 
arms were highly paid under the feudal system, and better cared 
_ for in war than in peace. Though our great French victories left 
* Butler makes the feast of St. Lucia 3 Dec. But the inquisition on Ancaret 
Talbot says that in 1421 the feast fell on a Sunday. The usual calculations 
_ show that the 3rd was on a Wednesday, the 13th on a Sunday. 
__ * This is another error in the printed extracts of the inquisitiones post mortem, 
They make Beatrix to die seized of her dower only (tertia pars medietatis), A 
reference to the original explains minutely the whole transaction. ‘ Inquisitio 
post mortem taken at Wilton 22 April 26 Henry VI. ‘The Jurors find that 
| the said Beatrix on 4 March 9 Henry V. (after her daughter Ancaret’s death) 
Teleased her 4 of of Manor of Broughton to John Earl of Shrewsbury, who 
rwards restored to her the whole } to hold at his will, and Beatrix being so 
seized of the } manor died on Christmas day last past.” 
