CORONATION OF HENRY V. OF ENGLAND. THE THRONE SURROUNDED BY THE FIRST ECCLESIASTICAL AND LAY PEERS; THE FORMER DOING HOMAGE.

CHAPTER V.

Henry V. succeeds to the Throne of England-Makes War on France-Siege of Harfleur.

HENRY V. of England succeeded to the crown in March, 1413. His father, who in reality possessed no claim to the throne, had felt throughout his reign the difficulty of his position, and the necessity of keeping the minds of the people from examining too closely the grounds of his title. Domestic disturbances had prevented him from engaging in foreign war, but we have seen that he looked with interest upon the distracted condition of France, and had taken measures to continue those dissensions, until he should be prepared to take advantage of them. His dying advice to his son was not to allow the English to remain long in peace, but "to busy giddy minds with foreign quarrels." The memory of the successes of Edward III., and his gallant son the Black

Prince, was still fresh, and the English looked with discontent upon the loss of the greatest part of the French territory which they had won. The attempt to regain those possessions was one likely to be pleasing to the people at large; it would occupy those lords who, in peace, might have been inclined to turn their thoughts to the restoration of the rightful heir to the throne; and if conquest crowned his arms, it was sure to give the sovereign such a hold over the nation which should partake his glory, as to outweigh any objections on the score of his deficiency of title.

It was, therefore, King Henry's first care when he came to the crown, to make preparations for a war with France; and, in the mean time, he sent over ambassadors to Paris, to make proposals in his name for a peace. But the conditions on which he was alone willing to make a lasting peace were so extravagant, that he well knew they would never willingly be granted. He demanded, first, the king's daughter, Katha

rine, in marriage; two millions of crowns as her portion; one million six hundred thousand as the arrears of the ransom of King John, who had been taken prisoner at the battle of Poictiers, and which had never yet been paid; and besides all this, he required that all Normandy, Aquitaine, Anjou, Touraine, Ponthieu, Mans, and Poitou, and every other part of France which had at any time belonged to an English monarch, should be given up to him in free sovereignty.

The French king, who was at that time directed by the queen and the Armagnacs, was desirous of securing Henry's friendship, but could not grant all his demands, without depriving himself all power, and becoming a dependant, instead of a sovereign. He offered, however, to give him his daughter, the county of Guienne, and a greater extent of territory in the South of France than Edward III. had been content to accept in lieu of Normandy. But Henry, who refused to accept any thing short of his de

mand, had not ceased to push forward his preparations, and when he gave his final answer to the French ambassadors, he was already at Winchester, on his way to join the army he had assembled at Southampton.

Having completed his preparations, Henry put to sea with a numerous army, and landing near Harfleur, on the 24th of August, 1415, immediately proceeded to lay siege to that town.

He pushed the siege vigorously, and the town was defended stoutly; but finding themselves unable to hold out without assistance, the inhabitants made an agreement to surrender it, if they received no aid before the 18th of September. They sent notice of this to the King of France, but he was unable to assist them in time, and they were, consequently, obliged to open the gates to King Henry, who entered and took possession of the place. The nobles and men-at-arms in the town were suffered to go on condition of surrendering themselves prisoners, or giving ransom at Calais on