The archbishop of Canterbury (Thomas Arundel) holds a synod at St. Paul's from Nov. 20 to Dec. 4, for repression of the opinions of Wickliffe.

A.D. 1414. The king seizes a party of the Lollards, near London, in the night of Jan. 6, 7; they are accused of designs against his life, are condemned, and many of them executed.

An inquiry into and reformation of the state of hospitals ordered", [2 Hen. V. c. 1].

The breach of truce or safe conduct declared high treason, [c. 6].

FRANCE.

Henry forms alliances with the emperor (Sigismond), the king of Arragon (Ferdinand I.), and other princes. He despatches the archbishop of Canterbury, (Henry Chicheley,) Lord Grey, and other envoys to demand

The statute alleges that their goods are for the most part decayed, and spent to other uses, and directs the ordinary of each diocese to remedy the abuse.

• This eminent man was born at Higham Ferrers, in Northamptonshire, about 1362, and educated at Wykeham's foundation in Winchester and Oxford. He particularly studied the civil and canon law, and though he became archdeacon of Salisbury, bishop of St. David's, and archbishop of Canterbury, he was for many years chiefly employed in embassies and other state business. He was present at the council of Pisa in 1410, and also attended Henry V. in his invasion of France; but after this king's death he devoted himself almost exclusively to the discharge of his duties as primate. In this capacity he firmly withstood the attacks of the papal court on the independence of the Church, and also repressed the vehemence of the Lollards, whence he is by some

D

Arms of All Souls' College,
Oxford.

from the king of France (Charles VI.) the restoration of the former possessions of England, June. A compromise is proposed, which Henry rejects, and prepares for war.

The rivalry of parties by which France had been so long afflictedt was not in any manner abated by the prospect of attack from England. The duke of Orleans, who at that time was at the head of affairs, raised troops to defend the kingdom; Burgundy refused all co-operation, but preserved for a while a suspicious neutrality, until his rival was captured at Agincourt, when he seized on many of the strong cities of Normandy, and at length openly joined the English; his sincerity was, however, doubted by them, and French chroniclers assert that he was at the same time negotiating with the dauphin.

A.D. 1414. The council of Constance" holds its first sitting Nov. 16.

writers, though unjustly, designated a persecutor. In the midst of these contentions he carried out his design of adding a new college to Oxford, and in the year 1437 founded All Souls, a noble monument of his pious liberality. Worn out with years and infirmity, he desired to resign his see, but before the transaction could be completed he died, April 12, 1443, and was buried at Canterbury, where his splendid tomb still remains, and has been recently reedified by his college.

t See p. 25.

This council sat until April 22, 1418. It was attended by both bishops and laymen from England. The schism in the Church was healed, by the deposition of three rival popes, and the election of Otho Colonna as Martin V. The opinions of Wickliffe were condemned, and his bones ordered to be burnt, a task which was committed to Richard Flemmyng, bishop of Lincoln, who had formerly been one of his party. The most memorable act of this council, however, was the burning of John Huss, in spite of a safe conduct which had been granted to him by the emperor.

A.D. 1415. The king assembles his forces in May;

and joins them at Portsmouth in July.

The earl of Cambridge, Lord Scrope of Masham, and Sir Thomas Grey, charged with conspiring against the life of the king, are executed, Aug. 2, 5. Nothing is known of the history of this conspiracy except from the record of the brief trial of the parties. We learn from this that they were charged with intending to kill Henry of Lancaster, the usurper," and then to flee into Wales, where they were to proclaim the earl of March king. They are also charged, rather inconsistently with this last intention, with asserting King Richard to be still alive, and with sending into Scotland "for a certain man who in his shape of body and countenance did much resemble him;" for if this had been believed there must have been an end of the assumption of royalty by the earl of March.

The king sails with a large force, on board 1,500 ships, from Southampton, Aug. 11; lands in the pays du Caux, Aug. 13; lays siege to Harfleur, and captures it Sept. 22.

He was the second son of Edmund of Langley, duke of York, and had lately received the title of Cambridge from Henry. His son Richard became duke of York, and his daughter Isabel married Lord Bourchier, who was created earl of Essex by his nephew, Edward IV.

99 66

The king had with him, beside the more ordinary warlike engines, as tripgettes, sows, bastiles, &c. several cannon of large size, called bombards, and named " "London," Messagere,' "The king's daughter;" these pieces, which seem to have somewhat resembled the modern mortar, and which, Elmham says, "vomited from their fiery mouths vast quantities of stones, with a vehement explosion and a terrific and intolerable noise," were worked by gunners from Germany, and they contributed most materially to his success in other sieges.

He sends many of his sick to England, appoints the earl of Dorset (Thomas Beaufort) governor of Harfleur, and sets out on his march towards Calais, Oct. 8.

The French, under the dukes of Bourbon and Orleans, harass his march. He attempts in vain to cross the Somme, at Blanche Tache, Oct. 14; then proceeds up the stream through Abbeville and Amiens to Peronne, where he crosses the river at night, Oct. 20.

The French, having cut up the direct road, take post at Agincourt, to intercept his road to Calais; the two armies come in sight, Oct. 24.

Arthur of Britanny' attacks the English camp at midnight, during a storm of wind and rain, but is beaten off.

The French are defeated with terrible slaughter, at Agincourt, Oct. 25.

The king resumes his march, Oct. 26, reaches Calais Oct. 29, where he remains until Nov. 17; he lands at Dover with his chief prisoners, Nov. 17, and makes a triumphant entry into London. Nov. 23.

A.D. 1416. The emperor (Sigismond) endeavours

The son of Joan of Navarre, mother-in-law of the king. He was made prisoner the next day, and was confined until 1421, when he took service under the king, and served at the siege of Meaux. He soon after abandoned the English party, and became constable of France.

The French leaders acted with so little judgment that their vast army was cut to pieces with very slight resistance, yet it is impossible to believe, as is often stated, that the victors lost only the duke of York, the earl of Suffolk, and about 20 others; St. Remy, a French historian, more probably makes their loss 1,600; 10,000 at least of the French were slain, 3,000, or more, being princes, nobles, or knights. Some of the more eminent were interred in the neighbouring churches, but the rest were buried in deep trenches in the field, which was consecrated by a bishop, and enclosed with a hedge and ditch by the pious care of Philip, count of Charolois, afterwards duke of Burgundy.

to bring about a peace; he visits England, and is most honourably receiveda.

The earl of Dorset makes an inroad in Normandy, in March. He fights an indecisive battle at Cany, March 14, and with difficulty regains Harfleur.

The French land in Portland, and lay it waste by fire, in May.

Harfleur being besieged, is relieved by the duke of Bedford, August 15, and again in October by the earl of Huntingdon, many French and Genoese ships being captured on each occasion.

The duke of Burgundy (John sans Peur) allies himself to the English, and obtains possession of Rouen, Dieppe, and other places in Normandy.

A.D. 1417. The earl of Huntingdon captures a Genoese fleet off Harfleur, July 25.

The king embarks at Southampton, July 23; lands at Touque (near Harfleur), Aug. 1; captures the castle, Aug. 9; besieges Caen, which is taken by assault, Sept. 4; the castle surrenders, Sept. 20, when Bayeux and many other towns and fortresses submit.

The Scots invest Berwick and Roxburgh, but soon retire.

All Bretons not denizened expelled from England, [4 Hen. V. c. 3].

a The king consented to a three years' truce, but the French in the meantime besieged Harfleur, and the negotiations were broken off. b John Holland, afterwards duke of Exeter, and constable of the Tower, who is said to have invented new modes of torture for his prisoners there, whence the rack was styled "Exeter's daughter."

• Several of these ships, termed carracks, were of large size, and were at once taken into the king's service.

The misconduct of "some dwelling near the queen [the widow of Henry IV.] and about her person" is particularly mentioned as giving occasion for this statute.