During the ceremony Joan stood at the king's side with her banner unfurled. As soon as it was concluded she threw herself at his feet and, begged, with tears, that as her mission was now accomplished she might return home. But he implored her to stay with the army; and she unwisely consented.

Whilst attempting to raise the siege of Compeigne, the Maid of Orleans (as she was now called) fell into the hands of the English, and her ungrateful sovereign made no effort to procure her release. She was delivered by her captors to the clergy, who accused her of sorcery and heresy, and condemned her to be imprisoned for life, and to be fed on "the bread of grief and the water of anguish." She publicly acknowledged the illusion of her imaginary revelations, and promised never more to maintain them; but her enemies were bent upon her death, and shortly after charged her with a relapse into heresy. She was then burnt to death in the market-place of Rouen, 1431.

Two modern French writers have published documents, which, if reliable, prove that Joan was alive in 1439; and it has hence been inferred that the story of her execution is false. It is to be hoped that it is.

The English power in France from this time gradually declined. In 1435 Bedford died, and thenceforward fortress after fortress was lost, until, in 1451, Calais was the sole remnant of our continental possessions.

This war was characterised by the most atrocious severities on both sides. Quarter was rarely given; and the prisoners were frequently butchered in cold blood. On one occasion 400 English captains were marched in chains through the streets of Paris, and then thrown into the river Seine.

3. The quarrels betwen Gloucester and Beaufort never ended until their deaths, which took place in 1447, the latter dying within six weeks of the death of his nephew.

Gloucester is generally supposed to have been murdered in prison, whither he had been sent on a charge of treason. He was highly popular with the people on account of his generosity and hatred of the French, and was long bewailed by them as "the good Duke Humphrey."

Edward, the
Black Prince.

Richmond.

Henry VII.

On his mother's side Richard was descended from the third son of Edward III., and on the father's side from the fifth son. By the right of primogeniture, therefore, the House of York had a superior claim to that of Lancaster, which sprang from the fourth son.

5. In 1449 the Duke of Suffolk was accused of traitorous intercourse with France, and of misappropriating public money. Henry acquitted him of the former charge, but banished him for five years.

As he was leaving England a fleet of war-ships bore down upon his vessel and seized him. When he stepped upon the deck of the ship to which he was transferred, the captain greeted him with the words, "Welcome traitor!" He then underwent a mock trial, and two days after was despatched; but at whose orders the crime was perpetrated has never been discovered.

6. The disasters in France, together with the mismanagement at home, gave rise to a formidable insurrection in Kent. It was headed by an Irishman named Jack Cade, who assumed the name of Mortimer, the cousin of the Duke of York. Supported by 20,000 men, he marched to Blackheath, and there issued two papers; the first styled "The Complaints of the Commons of Kent,' and the second, The Requests by the Captain of the Great Assembly in Kent.'

The chief grievances were:-(1) that the people were plundered and the royal revenue wasted; (2) that the great nobles interfered in the elections; (3) that justice was delayed in the law-courts. The demands were: (1) that these grievances should be redressed; (2) that the Duke of York should be admitted to the council; and (3) that the murderers of Gloucester and the conductors of the French wars should be punished.

Henry marched against the insurgents at the head of a large army, and they thereupon retreated to Sevenoaks; but here they suddenly turned upon a body of their pursuers, and completely defeated them. Again they advanced on London; and Henry now withdrew to Kenilworth. Cade entered the city without meeting any resistance, and occupied it two days;

but on the third his followers excited the Londoners against them by pillaging some houses. A fight ensued which lasted six hours. A truce was then concluded, and a free pardon offered to all who would immediately return to their homes. This offer was accepted, and the army dispersed. Cade made another attempt to raise a rebellion, but failed, and was obliged to take flight. He was pursued by Iden, the Sheriff of Kent, taken prisoner, and beheaded.

It is generally believed that York instigated this rising, in the hope that the rebels would place him on the throne.

7. About this time Henry became insane, and York was placed at the head of the government, with the title of Protector. The king, however, speedily recovered; whereupon the duke resigned office. In 1453 Margaret gave birth to a prince; and this completely precluded the hopes of York's succession to the throne. This event appears to have induced him to resort to arms; and in 1455 he declared war.

The chief supporters of York were the Earl of Salisbury and his son, the famous Earl of Warwick; Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk; and Courtnay, Earl of Devon. On the side of Henry were Percy, Duke of Northumberland, and the Dukes of Somerset and Buckingham.

The chief engagements in the war which followed were, during this reign :

(1.) The First Battle of St. Albans (1455), in which the Yorkists were victorious, Somerset and Northumberland were slain, and the king was taken prisoner.

(2.) Blore Heath, in Staffordshire (1459), in which Salisbury defeated the Lancastrians with great slaughter.

(3.) Northampton (1460), in which Warwick defeated the Lancastrians, Buckingham was slain, and Henry again taken prisoner.

The queen and prince escaped to Scotland; and York followed up the victory by making a triumphal entry into London. On entering the House of Lords he advanced straight up to the throne, placed his hand upon it, and seemed to ex

pect that he should be invited to seat himself on it. But he was disappointed. No one welcomed him ; and in great disgust he left the house.

He now publicly claimed the throne; and the question was discussed in parliament. The lords were unwilling to depose Henry, but compromised the matter by declaring York his

successor.

(4.) Wakefield Green, in Yorkshire (1460), in which York was defeated and slain.

His second son was taken prisoner and murdered by lord Clifford, whose father had fallen at St. Albans. The head of the duke was cut off and stuck upon the gates of York, crowned with a paper diadem. His title and claims were assumed by his eldest son Edward, a youth of nineteen.

(5.) Mortimer's Cross (1461), in which Edward Earl of March, now Duke of York, completely defeated the Lancastrians. The young duke now marched to London, and was at once proclaimed king with the title of Edward IV.

(6.) Second Battle of St. Albans (1461), in which Margaret defeated Warwick, and recovered possession of the king.

8. In this reign Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, were founded. In 1444 the art of making metal type was invented by Guttenberg. The earliest printed book in existence is a Latin Bible, supposed to have been published about 1452. Meat at this time was a farthing and a half a pound, and wheat six shillings a quarter. The wages of an ordinary artisan were on an average 54d. a-day, or about 7s. 6d. present money. A labourer earned about 24s. a-week.

Contemporaries.-9. Scotland, James I., James II., James III.; France, Charles VI., Charles VII. ; Bishop Pecock, an eminent reformer; Faust, Guttenberg, and Schoeffer, the inventors of printing, natives of Germany.

GOVERNMENT, MANNERS, TRADE, ETC.

Government. During this period the following great principles were clearly recognised and established :