The earl of Salisbury besieges Orleans; he is wounded there, Oct. 27, and dies Nov. 3.

A.D. 1429. The siege of Orleans is continued by the earl of Suffolk, (William de la Pole). The French are defeated at Roveroy, near Orleans, Feb. 12a.

The siege of Orleans is raised by Joan of Arcb; she

been once a Wickliffite, but had changed his opinions, and beside performing the task imposed on him by the Council of Constance, of burning Wickliffe's bones, erected this college as a nursery for controversialists. The pope wished to promote him to the archiepiscopal see of York, but the king's council opposed it, and he died bishop of Lincoln in 1431. Thomas Rotherham, another bishop of Lincoln, (subsequently archbishop of York,) so greatly augmented the revenues of the college that he is regarded as a second founder.

Arms of Lincoln College,
Oxford.

a The French attempted to cut off a convoy of Lenten provisions sent for the use of the besiegers, whence this action was called the battle of Herrings.

b Joan of Arc, styled La Pucelle, or the Maid of Orleans, was a peasant-girl, born at Domremy, in Lorraine, about the year 1410. Her mind, naturally contemplative and pious, became disordered by brooding over the sufferings of her country, and she imagined that voices from heaven commissioned her to become its deliverer. In the year 1428, when the English had almost completed the conquest of France, she appeared before Charles VII., who kept his court at Chinon, announced herself as sent by Heaven to establish him on the throne, and though at first repulsed, at length obtained from him a horse, a suit of armour, and a few followers, with whom she proceeded to Orleans, then besieged by the earl of Suffolk, and on the point of surrender. She speedily raised the siege, next defeated Talbot at Patay, and finally conducted Charles to Reims, where she placed the crown on his head, July 18. The Maid, considering her mission complete, now wished to retire, but it was considered that she could render further service, and she was, unhappily for herself, persuaded to remain. Anxious to relieve Compeigne, then besieged by the Burgundians, she threw herself into it, and kept up the spirits of the garrison by many acts of daring courage, but was at length captured in heading a sortie. The Burgundians surrendered her for a sum of money to the duke of Bedford, who, though in general a wise and merciful prince, seems to have seriously believed that her former successes were owing to witchcraft. By his direction she was, after a long and rigorous imprisonment, brought before an ecclesiastical tribunal, at which the bishop of

entered the city April 29, and the English retired May 8.

The French begin to act on the offensive; they capture the earl of Suffolk at Jergeaux, June 12; defeat the Lord Talbot at Patay, June 18; and conduct their king

In

Beauvais presided, and was condemned to death as a sorceress. consequence, she was burnt alive at Rouen, May 30, 1431, but this barbarity was far from producing its expected effect; the English cause declined from day to day, while the memory of the Maid was gratefully cherished by her countrymen; her family was ennobled, and her native village freed from taxes; and more modern times have witnessed the celebration of fêtes and the erection of numerous statues, which testify the sense justly entertained of her services to France.

John Talbot, a younger son of Sir Gilbert Talbot, a knight on the Welsh border, married an heiress, and in her right became Lord Furnivall. For some reason now unknown he was imprisoned in the Tower early in the reign

soon

of Henry V., but was
after released, and appointed
lieutenant of Ireland, a post
which he held for many years,
though ordinarily employed in
France, where he was one of
the firmest supports of the
English rule. He was, how-
ever, defeated and taken pri-
soner at Patay, and though
soon exchanged for a distin-
guished French captain, and
employed for several years
longer in the country, he was
obliged to retire when Nor-
mandy was overrun by the
troops of Charles VII. Talbot
was, however, more successful
in Ireland, where he captured
several potent chieftains, and

John Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury.

he received abundant honour and rewards. He was created earl of Shrewsbury in 1442, and earl of Waterford in 1447; his eldest son was appointed chancellor, and himself hereditary lord steward, of Ireland. When the Gascons appealed for aid against the French, the fame of Talbot pointed him out as the proper leader of reinforcements, and he accordingly sailed on the expedition, but after some slight successes he was defeated and killed at Castillon, in his 81st year, his son John, Lord Lisle, falling with him. Their bodies were

E

to Reims, where he is crowned July 18; many of the strong towns expel their English or Burgundian garrisons.

The duke of Bedford raises fresh forces, and endeavours to bring the French to an engagement with

out success.

The duke of Burgundy is appointed governor of Paris. The king is crowned at Westminster, Nov. 6.

A.D. 1430. Joan of Arc is captured at Compeigne, May 26, but the English are shortly after obliged to raise the siege.

The truce with Scotland renewed until May 1, 1436.

A.D. 1431. The king is crowned at Paris, Dec. 17. The French recapture Harfleur..

A.D. 1432. The duchess of Bedford dies, Nov. 14; the duke of Burgundy (her brother) takes offence at a marriage soon after contracted by the duke of Bedford, and inclines to the French party.

A.D. 1433. Various conferences for peace are held, under the mediation of the pope, (Eugenius IV.,) and through the means of the duke of Orleans, but without effect.

A.D. 1434. An insurrection against the English in Normandy is suppressed by the earl of Arundel (John Fitzaland).

A.D. 1435. A congress held at Arras to treat of peace, Aug. 20; the English envoys, offended at the

brought to England, and buried with great pomp at Whitchurch, in Shropshire. He was succeeded by his eidest son, also named John, who was made treasurer of England, received large grants of the forfeited estates of the duke of York, and was killed on the Lancastrian side at the battle of Northampton, in 1460.

He was killed shortly after at Gerberoi.

offers of the French, withdraw Sept. 6, and the duke of Burgundy formally abandons their alliance, Sept. 21. The duke of Bedford dies at Rouen, Sept. 14.

James of Scotland resumes estates granted, particularly those of the earls of March and of Strathearn, which occasions much discontent among his nobles, and they begin to conspire against him.

A.D. 1436. The bishop of Winchester and the duke of Gloucester thwart each other's designs, and thus hinder reinforcements being sent to France.

Paris is retaken by the French, April 13.

The duke of Burgundy besieges Calais, July 19; he is forced to retire by the duke of Gloucester, Aug. 2. War breaks out with Scotland; James besieges the castle of Roxburgh, in August.

The duke of York and Talbot are successful in Normandy, and ravage the country as far as Paris.

A.D. 1437. Guilds and incorporate companies ordered to have their charters duly recorded before justices of the peace %, (15 Hen. VI. c. 6).

• They offered to cede Normandy and Guienne to be held by the ordinary homage, on condition of Henry resigning all claim to the crown and surrendering Calais and all other places that he then possessed in France.

The

The earl of March (George Dunbar) had been engaged in intrigues with the English during the king's captivity, but had been pardoned by the regent, Albany; the king now seized his earldom, on the plea that the regent had no power to pardon treason. earl of Strathearn (Malise Graham) was great-grandson of Robert II., by whom the fief had been limited to males; the earl's mother, however, had been allowed to hold it, and to convey it to her husband, who possessed it for many years unquestioned, and transmitted it to his son; Malise had been one of the king's hostages in England, and his treatment was highly resented by his fellow nobles.

The preamble states that these bodies oftentimes made unlawful and unreasonable ordinances "for their own profit and common damage to the people," and for remedy the justices are empowered

James of Scotland murdered at Perth, Feb. 20h; he is succeeded by his son James II., a child of six years oldi.

The duke of York is recalled from France, and the earl of Warwick (Richard Beauchamp) appointed regent in his stead, July 16.

The duke of Burgundy's territories ravaged by Talbot. A.D. 1438. England is afflicted with plague and famine.

31.

A nine years' truce concluded with Scotland, March

A.D. 1439. Fresh conferences for peace are held in the summer, but without effect; a three years' truce is agreed to between England and Burgundy.

The constable of France captures Meaux.
The Public Schools at Oxford are founded.

A.D. 1440. The title of viscount created by patentk.

to revoke and repeal such; those who afterwards endeavour to enforce them being liable to a fine of £10 for each transgression.

The chief conspirators were the earl of Athol, uncle to the king, and Robert Graham, uncle of the disinherited earl of Strathearn (see p. 51); they were both tortured to death.

His minority was disturbed by the struggles of the lords Crichton and Livingstone, the chancellor and governor of the realm, who held, the one Edinburgh, the other Stirling, and contended for the possession of the king; by the intrigues of his mother and her second husband, Sir James Stuart, of Lorn; and by the turbulence of two successive earls of Douglas, who set all law at defiance, and made treasonable leagues with England and the lords of the Isles. The crowned heart in the Douglas arms is an augmentation in memory of the journey of Sir James Douglas to the Holy Land with the heart of King Robert Bruce.

Arms of Douglas.

John, lord Beaumont, was the first person who received this new title, Feb. 10, 1410, accompanied by a grant of lands in France.