ful of them, the French king's cousin, the Duke of Burgundy, had murdered the king's brother, the Duke of Orleans. Now the friends of the Duke of Orleans murdered the Duke of Burgundy, and the young prince, the eldest son of the king, looked on with approval whilst the deed was being done. The new Duke of Burgundy joined Henry, in order that he might take revenge for his father's murder. This gave Henry great advantage, and before long a treaty was signed by which Henry and his successors were to be kings of France as soon as King Charles died. It was also agreed that Henry should marry the French king's daughter Catharine. Not long afterwards Henry died, and Charles soon followed him to the grave.

9. The English Rule in France. The heir to all this bloodshed and glory was an infant, Henry VI. of England. The baby was crowned King of France in Paris, and a great part of France submitted because it could not help it. His uncle, the Duke of Bedford, a brave and able man, the brother of the late king, ruled the north of France in the name of his infant nephew. To the south of the Loire king Charles's son, known as Charles VII., was obeyed. The English however were winning town after town. At last they besieged Orleans. If that were taken Charles would hardly be able to resist much longer. The English believed that they would soon have everything their own way. Happily violence cannot last for ever. Armies might march backwards and forwards amidst blood and corpses for a time, as if to spread death and ruin amongst those whose only wish

is to be at peace were the only object worth living for. The time was now coming when this blood should be required at their hands. The England of Henry V., like the England of Edward III., had been very strong because it was better governed, and because men lived better and happier lives in it than elsewhere in Europe. But it had used its strength to oppress and not to help other nations. Therefore it was hated with a bitter hatred, a hatred which would make even the divided French strong to resist. They waited but for a word to rouse them against their tyrants.

10. Joan Darc.-The word came, as it always does, when it was little looked for. Far away in Lorraine there was a young peasant girl, Joan Darc, known usually in England, by a curious mistake, as Joan of Arc. She was pure and simple, and utterly without learning. But she had a warm heart of pity, and as she saw around her the trampling of the English horsemen over the cornfields, and heard the tales of woe and agony which reached her from every side, her soft woman's breast was melted in pity for the realm of France. The words of hope which rose within her seemed as though they came from without. She fancied that she heard angels' voices bidding her deliver her native land, and telling her to go forth and not to rest till Orleans was saved from the English, and till Charles was crowned at Rheims, and anointed with the holy oil which, as was then believed, had come down from heaven. I must go to the king,' she said, 'even if I wear my limbs to my very knees. I had far rather rest and spin by my mother's side,

for this is no work of my choosing, but I must go and do it, for my Lord wills it.' Her father and her friends tried in vain to hinder her. At last she persuaded a passing knight to take her to the king. 'My name,' she said, when she was brought before him, 'is Joan the Maid. The Heavenly King sends me to tell you that you shall be anointed and crowned in the city of Rheims, and you shall be lieutenant of the Heavenly King, who is King of France.' Charles had by this time lost all hope of gaining a victory by human means, and he let her do as she wished. A suit of armour was made for her, and she mounted her horse astride like a man, with a banner in her hand. The rude soldiers believed that she was indeed sent from heaven. They followed her where they would follow no one else. At her bidding they burst through the English army before Orleans, and entered the town in triumph.

11. Capture and Death of Joan.-From that moment the English lost all chance of conquering France. The French had hope again, and hope gave them the courage which they had lost. The Maid marched to Rheims. There, in her presence, Charles received the crown of France. The Maid had done her work, and would gladly have gone back to her home; but the French soldiers did not think that they could conquer without her, and persuaded her to stay. A baser feeling sprang up in the minds of the commanders. They did not like to hear all the praise given to the Maid and none to themselves. They left her in the midst of a fight

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to be taken prisoner. The English who took her treated her shamefully. If the French soldiers believed her to be a saint, the English soldiers believed her to be a witch, who had defeated them with the help of the devil. They carried her to Rouen, and accused her of being a heretic, because she said that the voices which had bidden her go forth were sent by God. She was condemned to be burnt alive. She died declaring that the voices were from God. The last word which she spoke amidst the flames was Jesus.' An English soldier who was looking on was struck with terror. We are lost!' he cried. 'We have burnt a saint!'

12. The Loss of France.-The English cause was indeed lost. They had no longer to fight only against the gay French nobles, but against the whole French people. The Maid had been a peasant girl, and the French people, who had been first in her thoughts, rose as one man against its oppressors. She had had, as she so often said, pity upon the realm of France. In thirty-one years after the death of Henry V. Calais was the only spot in France left to the English king.

13. Weakness of Henry VI.-The English king was Henry VI. Gentle and pious, but without strength or wisdom, he could not even keep England in order, far less recover France. His subjects were in that temper which usually makes people who have done wrong blame every one except themselves. They were displeased when the king married a French wife, Margaret of Anjou, and made peace with France. They were more rightly displeased

when Henry, not knowing how to govern, let the affairs of the kingdom be managed by men who used their power to enrich themselves. One of these men, the Duke of Suffolk, was particularly hated. He was accused of all sorts of crimes and banished. As he was leaving England he was dragged out of

KNIGHT, LADY, AND CHILD, TIME OF HENRY VI.

the ship in which he was, and murdered. As in the time of Richard II., the men of Kent were the first to rise. Putting Jack Cade at their head they marched to London. Happily, during the years which had passed since Wat Tyler's rebellion, the peasants had ceased to be serfs. They were now free men, and there was no longer any complaint