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A. C. 1449. ville; the duke of Alençon conducted the third; and the duke of Brittany commanded the fourth, totally composed of his own forces. All the places in Normandy were ill provided with garrisons and ammunition, and the majority of the governors confiding in the truce, had repaired to England; fo that Charles met with very little oppofition in fubduing the province. Many places furrendered at fight of the French army. In fome towns the inhabitants expelled the English garrifons; others were fold by their commanders. None of them made any refiftance but Pont-audemer, and Chateau-gaillard in a word, before the end of the campaign, Charles was in a condition to befiege the capital of Rouen, which was invested on the eighth day of October.

He takes

Rouen, and whole pro

reduces the

vince.

He did not think it neceffary to undertake the fiege in form, because he knew that the duke of Somerset and the earl of Shrewsbury, who commanded the garrifon, which did not exceed three thousand men, would not be able to defend the place against the inhabitants, for he carried on a correfpondence with the townfinen, and they affured him that they would take arms in his favour. On the first day of the fiege, the count of Dunois was on the point of being introduced with three hundred men, when Shrewfbury chancing to come up, had the good fortune to repulfe the detachment. This mifcarriage did not alter the refolution of the inhabitants, who, on the nineteenth day of October, rofe as one man, and opened the gates to the befiegers. All the regent could do, was to ftation the garrifon at the principal pofts of the city, from which, however, they were foon diflodged. Somerfet and Shrewsbury retreated to the palace with eight hundred men; but, as they forefaw their provifion would foon fail, the duke demanded a parley with king Charles. This being granted, he offered

to

to retire on honourable conditions; but the king 4.C. infifted upon his furrendering at difcretion, unles he had a mind to treat for the reft of Normandy that remained in the hands of the English. Thus repulfed, the duke retired to the palace, which he defended twelve days; at the expiration of which he faw himself obliged to capitulate, on condition of leaving all his artillery, paying fifty thoufand crowns of gold, and reftoring to the French king Caudebec, Arques, Lillebonne, Tancarville, Montrevilliers, and Harfleur. The earl of Shrewfbury remained as hoftage for the performance of these articles; and the English garrison marched out of Rouen, which Charles entered in triumph on the nineteenth day of November. As the governor of Harfleur did not think himself obliged to fubmit to the capitulation, the count de Longueville was detached with the army to form the fiege of that place, which furrendered about the beginning of January. Although Charles had a right to detain the earl of Shrewsbury, as the capitulation of Rouen had not been obferved by the English, he, in token of esteem for the earl's character, released him without ranfom. During thefe tranfactions, the count de Foix, who commanded for Charles in Guienne, reduced the caftle of Mauleon, which was fituated on a rock, and deemed almost impregnable, and thus ended the first campaign, Hift. de fo fatal to the English interest.

Ch. VII.

A. C. 1450

queen and

These disasters were the more feverely felt at the court of England, as they were followed by a Murmurs rebellion in Ireland, which hindred the miniftry against the from fending the neceffary fupplies to France, the duke of Nevertheless, the queen and the duke of Suffolk Suffolk, hoped to derive fome advantage from that insurrection. They feized this opportunity of removing the duke of York, on pretence of creating him governor

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A. C. 1450, governor of Ireland, where they thought he would perish. But he baffled their expectation; and, by his obliging and infinuating manners, not only appeafed the commotion, without drawing his sword, but even engaged the people of that country in his intereft, to which they continued firmly attached in the fequel. The lofs of Normandy in one campaign, after fo much blood and treasure had been expended in the conqueft of that province, together with the rapid progrefs of Charles in other parts of France, began to produce a violent fermentation in the impatient humour of the English. The whole kingdom refounded with complaints againft the duke of Suffolk, who was publicly reproached with having betrayed the ftate, and co-operated with the queen in favour of the French monarch. The council confifted wholly of their creatures, who likewife filled all the pofts of dignity and profit. The duke of Somerfet, who had contracted for the defence of Normandy, was accused of having mifapplied the money payed for that fervice. A numerous body of men at arms having been raised by Humphrey duke of Buckingham, on condition that they fhould receive a whole year's pay advance; the treasurer refufed to comply with the terms of the contract, and the duke returning to court from the fea-fide, when they were ready to embark, refigned his commiffion, faying publicly to the king, "Sir, take heed of your government; you are "mised by traitors: and if I had landed in Nor"mandy with your forces, I am perfuaded we "fhould have been fold to the enemy." Suffolk being prefent, and fuppofing this declaration aimed at him, was fo incenfed that he drew his dagger, and would have flain Humphrey, had not the byders interpofed. This infolent behaviour, in the royal prefence, roufed even the indignation of Henry, who could scarce be diffuaded from fend.

ing him to the Tower; and it ferved to complete A. C. 1450 the averfion of the nobility and people, who not only exclaimed against the queen and him in all public places, but also published a great number of libels, affixing them to the doors of churches, and every remarkable place in the city of London.

the ccm

Tho' this was a very dangerous conjuncture for who is imthe miniftry to call a parliament, the neceffities of peached by the crown were fo urgent, that they had been mons. obliged to fummon one in November of the preceding year. But it proved very backward in the article of fupply, and feemed ftrongly difpofed to profecute the duke of Suffolk. It had been for thefe reafons prorogued from Westminster to London; and, during this interval, the city was filled with tumult and confufion. The populace murdered Adam Molyns bishop of Chichester, who had been concerned in the ceffion of Le Maine; and that prelate, in his last moments, charged Suffolk with having boasted in the council, of his great influence at the French court. When the parliament met after this adjournment, the duke thinking it was incumbent on him to vindicate his character in this particular, harrangued both houses, in a fpeech containing an enumeration of the fervices of himself and his family, and a vehement profeffion of his loyalty; and he concluded with defying all the world to prove him guilty of difloyalty or misconduct. The commons, far from being intimidated by this declaration, petitioned the crown that Suffolk might be committed to ward, according to law, until he fhould clear himself of the crimes charged upon him by common fame and report. The judges being confulted on the nature of this petition, were of opinion, that as no fpecial matter of flander or infamy was declared, he fhould not be committed. The commons, informed of this decifion, reprefented next day a special matter of report; namely,

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A. C. 1450. that the realm of England would be fold to France; and that preparations were making in that kingdom for an invafion, by contrivance of the duke of Suffolk, who had fortified Wallingford-caftle, to ferve as a place of refuge. On the feventh day of February, the commons, by their speaker, impeached Suffolk of divers articles of treafon, contained in a bill delivered to the chancellor, importing, That he had confulted with the count of Dunois, Bertrand de Preffigny, and W. Coufinat, the king's enemies, advising them to incite the French king to invade England, depofe Henry, and raife to the throne his fon John de la Pole, who, by marrying Margaret, daughter and heir to John late duke of Somerfet, might claim the crown in her right, as next heir to Henry, who had no iffue: That he had received money and promifes from the duke of Orleans, to perfuade the king to confent to his enlargement, that he might affift Charles in the re covery of France: That, by his inftigation, the duke of Orleans had prevailed upon the French king to violate the truce, and renew the war in Normandy That he had, without fufficient power, engaged for the ceffion of Le Maine; and, after his return, executed that engagement, which was the cause of Normandy's being loft to the Englifh nation: That he had difcovered the fecrets of the king's council to the count de Dunois, and other French ambaffadors: That he had made. them acquainted with the ftate of all the French fortreffes belonging to the English in France; difcovered the fecret inftructions of the English envoys fent to treat of a peace between the two crowns; boafted of his credit with Charles; received bribes from the enemy, for hindering reinforcements from being fent to the continent; and in the truce which he concluded, not only neglected comprehending the king of Arragon, the old ally of England, but included the duke of Bre

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