FRANCE. 
t se, ana his general imbe- 
1 pelente, on a ain imbe. 
jpse was occasion 
with rosin, powdered over, while 
Combustible habit of one of eid 
ptally set on fire: the Bains Slain : 
‘some of the others, and the king was Nagel 
the 
Dukesof of Orleans, the ki 
Burgundy thority, hot so inuch on his relationship, as on the in- 
Or- “fluence which the duchess had over Charles’s mind, 
even’ in its most violent and disordered state. The 
great height ; but at last, A. 
ROM cae ta ee persuaded to enter 
gu amity, -17 : 
But the Duke of Burgundy was meditating treachery, 
jen wh ori for he bired 
every mod 
Butchery in 
carpenters ;—the fate of the capital de- 
id ey il 
During’ Jamitous state ance, En 
frained from invading her, till Henry V. ascended the 
was obliged td return to England 
sid ey: time 
ie was enabled to accomplish, 
of some qi rrels in lp batt 
was seized by him ; the dauphin 
difficulty; and t numbers of 
ere butchered. By this time 
~ seeured to the 
TU 
Naru a 
irene ae Hm file? Boo- 
551 - 
as the dauphin heard of this treaty, he assumed the History. 
‘style and authority of regent, and:appealed to God and 
his sword for the maintenance of his title ; but being 
‘unequal to his adv: , he was obliged to avoid a bat- 
tle. In less than two months after the death of Hen- 
d ‘ty V. A. D. 1422, Charles VI. terminated his unhappy 
‘life; and the dauphin was crowned at Poictiers, 
(Rheims being in the possession of the English) under 
“the name of Charles VII. ; 
This sovereign was very popular in France ; and the 
Charles 
VIL. 
A. D. 1422. 
“situation of that kingdom required the exercise of all 
‘his talents, and the influence of all his popularity, On 
‘the Duke of Bedford was successful. 
‘the other hand, the Duke of Bedford, the regent durin 
the minority of Henry VI. was a man of great talents 
“and prudence, and fully sensible of the difficulty of pre- 
“serving a newly acquired kingdom against the legiti- 
“mate sovereign, so well beloved as Charles was. At first, 
He defeated the 
French, and their allies theScots, in 1424, in the battle of 
Verneuil ; but his next enterprize was destined to pro- 
duce the ruin of the English, and their expulsion from 
France, by’ means so extraordinary, as in that age uni- 
versally to be deemed miraculous. In 1428, the Duke 
of Bedford tindertook the siege of Orleans. The affairs 
of Charles seemed desperate. He entertained thoughts 
‘of retiring ‘into the remote provinces of his kingdom, 
where the influence of his Queen, Mary of Anjou, and 
‘of his mistress, Agnes Soreille, who lived in perfect 
amity with’ the Shen’ changed his mind; and he 
declared his resolution to perish with honour in the 
“midst of his friends, rather than yield ingloriously to 
his enemies. In the meantime Orleans still held out ; 
and the Maid of Orleans appeared, who, by inspiriting. 
her countrymien, and appalling the English, obliged 
the latter to raise the siege. This extraordinary wo- 
“man had promised not only to raise the siege of this 
“city, but also to crown Charles at Rheims, which ‘was 
in } jon of the English. As soon as she had 
achieved thé first part of her prediction, ‘she insisted 
“that the King should march against Rheims. She was 
Maid of 
Orleans. 
“obeyed. Charles ‘set out for that city at the head of 
‘12,000 men, and scarcely perceived as he passed along, 
that he was marching through an pet country. 
Every lace ior its gates to him, and Rheims sent 
him its keys. He‘was accordingly crowned there King 
“of Francé with’ the ustial ceremonies.’ Soot after this, 
the Maid of Orleans was taken prisoner, and condemned 
burnt for sorcery and magic; but she had already 
OR cis recovered the King’s affairs; and the Duke 
1 
: theit possessions ‘on the continent except Calais. 
~’” Charles now had time to direct his industry and judg- 
“ment, to remove the numerous and v t 
“which 'Fran¢e had been ‘so long e 
of Bedford dying soon after, He 
weak prince, was obli 
from France, the 
7 Viswho was’a very 
to withdraw his forces éntire- 
nglish Being ‘expelled: from all 
Charles's 
wise plans. 
ressive evils to 
He restored 
“the oo course of public justice ; introduced order 
mito the 
2 
Spee ay of Francs ~ but hrs 
¢ King of England, and he received the © 
_, Princess Catherine in marriage, A.D, 1420. ‘As soon ~ Discontented ‘at court, he' retired into his province of 
. ‘ H : S af. ints > uv ‘ Ss , 
finances ; ~ established discipline among’ his 
“ 3 Tepressed factién in his court ; revived the lan- 
guid state of agriculture and the arts ; and in the cou¥%e 
of afew years, rendered the kingdom flourishing’ with- 
in itself, and formidable to its neighbours, In the midst 
of his’ and wise administration, Charles was 
ince was possessed of spirit aiid Courage ; 
qualities were tarnished ‘the roughness 
of his manners, and the savageness of his disposition. 
“extremely troubled by the conduct: of the Dauphin. 
in 
¢ him ; afterwards he concluded the treaty 
~ of Troyes, with the Queen and the Duke of Burgundy, | 
Ayn ths tacuibtal’ 9 the taeour Le, 
1) 
