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of nation, iron-hearted against the appeals of his countrymen, mindful only of that dread purpose to which he regarded his life as consecrated, he gave his assent, and, in the King's name, the royal assent, to the most disgraceful treaty, perhaps, ever concluded upon French soil. On the second of December, Burgundy and Warwick met at Arras, north of Troyes, on the river Aube. They there, on behalf of their respective sovereigns, put their signature to that celebrated instrument known as the Treaty of Arras, and the articles of which embraced the following stipulations. First: a marriage was contracted between King Henry the Fifth and the Princess Katharine of Valois. Secondly: King Charles the Sixth was not to be disturbed in the nominal and peaceable possession of the French crown during his life. Thirdly: Queen Isabella was to retain her rank and dignity as consort of the French throne for life, and an allowance made to her for that purpose from the royal exchequer. Fourthly: The Dauphin Charles was to be set aside forever from the succession, and his descendants entirely debarred of the crown. Fifthly: King Henry the Fifth was to be declared and to assume the office of Regent of France during Charles's lifetime. Sixthly: King Henry the Fifth, after Charles's decease, was to succeed to the French crown, which was to descend to Henry's heirs forever. Seventhly: All the dignitaries, civil and ecclesiastical, of the kingdom, were to be required to swear allegiance to Henry, as Regent in presenti, and as King in futuro. Eighthly: Henry would forever defend, succor, and befriend Philip Duke of Bur gundy, would aid him to subdue the Orleanists and all other enemies, would bring the murderers of the late Duke to condign justice, and would cede to him,

as dependent fiefs, several French counties bordering upon Philip's hereditary dominions.

These were, in main, the terms of the treaty. To these provisions there was added an understanding, that the Duke of Bedford, Henry's brother, should have for a wife the sister of Burgundy. Such terms, however, though promptly agreed to by Philip and Isabella, were not received by the chief councillors of state without much murmuring and hesitation. Whilst their consent was being obtained, and the nation was being schooled to accept a foreign king as their gov ernor, an armistice was made between the parties, extending to the twenty-fourth of March, 1420. Henry and Philip determined to employ the interval in conducting a campaign against Prince Charles, who held nearly one-half the kingdom, and, notwithstanding the unpopularity of his councillors, was still a formidable adversary.

The military operations, however, were of a desultory character, and the French people, doubtless thoroughly wearied of the bitter contentions which had so long distracted them, grew gradually to look without repugnance upon the marriage of the Princess, and the assumption of the Regency by Henry. One by one the court yielded to the persuasions of Philip the Good and the intrigues of Isabella of Bavaria― both foreigners, who sought to set another foreigner over the nation. The feeble mind of the King acquiesced in any design the effect of which would give him rest. In the bosom of Isabella no motherly feeling seems to have existed; for, without a sigh, she cut off her son's hopes of the throne, and sacrificed with little remorse the hand of her beautiful and innocent daughter at the shrine of her ambition. Negotiations

continued on the basis of the treaty of Arras, which was regarded as a preliminary one; and in the spring of 1420 several modifications were made. It was stipulated that the Queen's pension should be two thousand francs a month; a sum equal to fifty thousand pounds sterling was settled as a jointure on the Princess Katharine; the rights of the legislature, the city corporations, the ancient order of nobility, and the courts of justice were secured; no tax was to be levied contrary to French precedent; all the conquests of the Regency were to be added to the crown; Normandy was to be reannexed to France as a fief of the crown, on Henry's accession; Henry was bound not to assume the title of King of France during Charles's life.

It was finally arranged that Henry, who had made his winter quarters at Rouen, should repair to Troyes, and that the treaty should be there solemnly ratified by the two Kings and their ministers with all the ceremony which in those days added weight to contracts of so important a nature. Henry, who was unquestionably in love with the fair Katharine, made an earnest request that his nuptials should be cele brated immediately after the ratification. Isabella sent him a message that this desire should be gratified; and the young King awaited with impatience the consummation of his marriage.

The most dazzling object of his ambition, after a warfare of three years, seemed now within Henry's reach. His love for Katharine was sincere, devoted, ardent; he was about to lead her to the altar. He was to succeed to the French throne upon Charles's death; Charles was evidently sinking under his royalty and his malady. Henry's success made him pop

ular at home; his moderation and wise administration were drawing toward him the hearts of a foreign, rival, and subject people. He looked forward to an early day when in his own person he would unite the two most powerful of diadems; when he would achieve that which Edward the Third and Edward the Black Prince had in vain sought to achieve; which Edward the Great dared not aspire to; which the heroic and ambitious Bolingbroke had not thought it possible to accomplish-the complete subjugation of France to English domination.

CHAPTER X.

"Her gentle spirit

Commits itself to you to be directed

As from her lord, her governor, her king."

THE TREATY OF TROYES-THE MARRIAGE OF HENRY THE FIFTH-CAMPAIGNS IN FRANCE-RETURN TO ENGLAND-THE CORONATION AND TOUR OF KATHARINE.

On the 14th day of May, 1420, King Henry the Fifth departed from Rouen, and proceeded toward Troyes. Distrustful both of Isabella and of Burgundy, he had communicated directly with the Princess Katharine on the subject of their marriage. "I have been deceived and baffled so many times," declared he, "that I will treat with no one but the Princess Katharine herself, whose innocency, I am sure, will not try to deceive me."* The Bishop of Arras, immediately upon the delivery of this message, came to Henry at Rouen, declared to him that if he would come to Troyes he should marry Katharine without delay, and slyly slipped into the King's hand a love-letter, secretly written by Katharine herself. This letter was so tenderly and affectionately expressed, that Henry was almost beside himself with joy. So on the 14th of May, having with him two thousand archers in gorgeous array, Clarence, Gloucester, and the prin

*Churchill.

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