ENGLAND. 



633 



Hi*tory. 



Conspiracy 

 of the Earl 

 of Cam- 

 bridge. 



Henry in- 

 vades 

 Prance. 

 A.D. 1U5 



Battle of 

 Aeincourt. 

 A.D. HIT. 



A. D.H19 



Treat/ of 

 Troye. 



fleet and army at Southampton, and was ready to em- 

 bark with his principal nobility, when he was arrested 

 by the intelligence of a conspiracy at home. 



The Earl of Cambridge, second son of the late Duke 

 of York, had married the sister of the Earl of Marche, 

 and had, along with Lord Scrope of Masham, and Sir 

 Thomas Grey of Heton, formed the design of raising 

 :hat nobleman to the throne. But they were discovered 

 before their measures were ripe for execution ; and ha- 

 ving confessed their guilt, they were immediately brought 

 to trial, condemned, and executed. This short delay, 

 however, had nearly proved fatal to Henry's enterprize. 

 He landed at Harfleur about the middle of August, with 

 6000 men at arms, and 2-1,000 foot, and began his ope- 

 rations with the siege of that place. But the vigorous 

 defence of the garrison, and the unusual heat of the sea- 

 son, had so wasted his army with fatigue anil disease, 

 that he had no sooner got possession of the town, than 

 he was obliged to think of returning to England. The 

 interval of the siege, however, had been improved by 

 the French in assembling a numerous army of 14,000 

 men at arms, and 40,000 foot, commanded by the Con- 

 stable D'Albert ; and as Henry had dismissed his tran- 

 sports, he was under the necessity of marching by land to 

 Calais, in the face of this overwhelming f >rce. Aware of 

 the danger of such an attempt, he offered to .sacrifice the 

 conquest of Harfleur for a safe retreat. But the proposal 

 was objected by the enemy, and lie had no alternative but 

 to force his way by his valour and conduct. He directed 

 his course towards the Somme, proceeding by easy 

 marches, and encouraging his men by submitting him- 

 self to all their fatigues and privations ; and seized by 

 surprize a passage of that river near St Quintin. But 

 as he approached the small village of Agincourt, he be- 

 held the whole French army drawn up in the plain, with 

 a determination to arrest his progress. A battle was 

 now inevitable, though against the most fearful odds ; 

 and the safety of the English army depended on its is- 

 sue. But the victory of Agincourt, which was the con- 

 sequence of it, saved Henry from his perilous situation, 

 and enabled him to continue his march without molesta- 

 tion to Calais. For a particular account of this battle, 

 see AGINCOURT. 



Two years elapsed before he could collect a sufficient 

 treasure to undertake another expedition with any pros- 

 pect of success. He then embarked with 25,000, and 

 subdued, almost without opposition, the whole of lower 

 Normandy. The contending factions in France were 

 now headed by the Dauphin and the Duke of Burgundy, 

 in concert with the Queen. Henry entered into a nego- 

 ciation with the Burgundians, and offered peace upon 

 condition of receiving all the provinces which had been 

 ceded to Edward III. by the treaty of Bretigni, with 

 the addition of Normandy. The terms were accepted j 

 but before matters could be finally adjusted, the treaty 

 was broken off by the reconciliation of Burgundy and 

 the Dauphin. This reconciliation, however, was but of 

 short duration ; and the assassination of the Duke of 

 Burgundy opened to Henry more certain prospects of 

 aggrandisement. The young Duke, intent only on aven- 

 ging his father's murderers, entered into a league with 

 the King of England, and sacrificed to his passions the 

 true interest^ (if his country. The parties met at Troye, 

 whither the French court had retired, and it was there 

 agreed that Henry should espouse the Princess Cathe- 

 rine ; that he should be declared and acknowledged law- 



TOL. Till. PART II. 



ful heir of the monarchy ; that he should be entrusted Uut**^. 

 with the administration of the government during the s "*"Y~ 

 life of Charles ; and that England and France should 

 for ever be united under one king. It was also stipu- 

 lated, that they should unite their arms against the Dau- 

 phin, and make no peace or truce with him, but by 

 common consent and agreement. This treaty was im- 

 mediately followed by Henry's marriage, when he con- Marriage f 

 ducted his father-in-law to Paris, and put him in pos- the kin,;. 

 session of the capital. The treaty of Troye was con- A. D. 14ft. 

 firmed by the parliament of Paris and the three estates, 

 and the King of England administered the government 

 at his pleasure. 



Henry now turned his arms against the Dauphin, 

 who was unable to keep the field. He made himself 

 master of Sens and Montereau, and after an obstinate 

 resistance, took Melun. But the want of supplies obli- 

 ged him to go over to England. During his absence, 

 the Dauphin had been reinforced by 7000 Scots, under 

 the Earl of Buchan, and had obtained considerable suc- 

 cesses in Anjou. At the battle of Bauge, the English, 

 under the Duke of Clarence, the king's brother, were 

 completely defeated ; the Duke himself slain, and the 

 Earls of Somerset, Dorset, and Huntingdon, taken pri- 

 soners. But the return of Henry with a numerous ar- His suc- 

 my, soon restored the fortune of his arms. The Dan- ceaet, 

 phin was compelled to retire before him. The principal 

 fortresses which were held by the adherents of that prince, 

 fell into his hands ; and he himself was driven beyond 

 the Loire, and threatened with total destruction. In 

 the midst of these successes, the Queen of England was 

 delivered of a son, which occasioned great rejoicings, 

 both at London and Paris. The infant prince was cal- 

 led by his father's name, and seemed to be universally 

 regarded as the future heir of the two most powerful mo- 

 narchies in Europe. 



But Henry was cut off in the zenith of his glory by 

 the stroke of death. He was seized with a fistula, a 

 disease at that time not sufficiently understood, and sen- 

 sible that his end was approaching, he proceeded to re- 

 gulate the government of his kingdom and family. He 

 left the regency of France to his elder brother, the Duke 

 of Bedford ; that of England to his younger brother, 

 the Duke of Gloucester ; and the care of his son's per- 

 son to the Earl of Warwick. He advised them never 

 to restore the prisoi>er$ taken at Agincourt till his son 

 came of age ; and to endeavour, by every mean, to 

 maintain the friendship of the Duke of Burgundy, by 

 whose assistance alone they would be enabled to place 

 young Henry upon the throne of Fiance. He also en- 

 treated them to continue towards his son that fidelity 

 and attachment which he himself Imd so happily experi- 

 enced during his lifetime. He then applied himself to 

 his devotions, and expired at the castle of Vincennes in am i , 

 the 34th year of his age, and 10th of his reign. The A. D. 142?. 

 general character of this prince, as well as his splendid 

 achievements, endeared him to his subjects, and his me- 

 mory is still held in reverence by his countrymen. He 

 attached his friends, by his affability and engaging man- 

 ners ; and he overcame his enemies, by his address and 

 clemency. His magnanimous conduct towards the Earl 

 of Marche, who was the rightful heir to the throne, 

 shews his superiority to the petty jealousies which gene- 

 rally influence princes in similar situations ; and his cha- 

 racter for candour and sincerity must have been firmly 

 established, when his rival could rely so entirely on his 



