A new revolution was produced in that kingdom, by means apparently the most unlikely to be attended with fuccefs.

In the village of Domreni, near Vaucoleurs, on the borders of Lorrain, there lived a country girl, about twenty-feven years of age, called Joan of Arc. This girl had been a fervant at a fmall inn; and in that humble ftation had fubmitted to thofe hardy employments which. fit the body for the fatigues of war. She was of an irreproachable life, and had hitherto teftified none of those enterprifing qualities which difplayed themfelves foon af ter. Her mind, however, brooding with melancholy ftedfaftnefs upon the miferable fituation of her country, began to feel feveral impulfes, which fhe was willing to niftake for the infpirations of Heaven. Convinced of the reality of her own admonitions, she had recourse to one Baudricourt, governor of Vaucoleurs, and informed him of her destination by Heaven to free her native country from its fierce invaders. Baudricourt treated her at firft with fome neglect; but her importunities at length prevailed; and willing to make a trial of her pretenfions, he gave her fome attendants, who conducted her to the French court, which at that time refided at Chinon.

The French court were probably fenfible of the weaknefs of her pretenfions; but they were willing to make ufe of every artifice to fupport their declining fortunes. It was therefore given out, that Joan was actually infpired; that he was able to difcover the king among the number of his courtiers, although he had laid afide all the diftinctions of his authority; that he had told him fome fecrets, which were only known to himfelf; and that she had demanded and minutely defcribed, a sword in the church of St. Catharine de Firebois, which he had never feen. In this manner the minds of the vulgar being prepared for her appearance, fhe was armed cap-a-pee, mounted on a charger, and fhewn in that martial drefs to the people. She was then brought before the doctors of the univerfity; and they, tinctured with the credulity of the times, or willing to fecond the impofture, declared that she had actually received her commiffion from above.

When

When the preparations for her miffion were completely blazoned, their next aim was to fend her against the enemy. The English were at that time befieging the city of Orleans, the laft refource of Charles, and every thing promifed them a fpeedy furrender. Joan undertook to raife the fiege; and to render herself ftill more remarkable, girded herself with the miraculous fword, of which fhe had before fuch extraordinary notices. Thus equip. ped, the ordered all the foldiers to confefs themselves be fore they fet out; fhe difplayed in her hand a confecrated banner, and affured the troops of certain fuccefs. Such confidence on her fide foon raised the fpirits of the French army; and even the English, who pretended to defpife her efforts, felt themfelves fecretly influenced with the terrors of her miffion, and, relaxing in their endeavours, the fiege was raifed with great precipitation.

From being attacked, the French now in turn became the aggreffors. One victory followed another, and at length the French king was folemnly crowned at Rheims, which was what Joan had promifed fhould come to pass.

A tide of fucceffes followed the performance of this folemnity; but Joan having thrown herself into the city of Compeign with a body of troops that was then befieging by the duke of Burgundy, he was taken prifoner in a fally which the headed against the enemy, the governor fhutting the gates behind.

The duke of Bedford was no fooner informed of her being taken, than he purchased her of the count Ven. dome, who had made her his prifoner, and ordered her to be committed to clofe confinement. The credulity of both nations was at that time fo great, that nothing was too abfurd to gain belief that coincided with their paffions. As Joan, but a little before, from her fucceffes, was regarded as a faint, fhe was now, upon her captivity, confidered as a forcerefs, forfaken by the dæmon who had granted her a fallacious and temporary affiftance; and accordingly, being tried at Rouen, fhe was found guilty of herefy and witchcraft, and fentenced to be burnt alive, which was executed accordingly, with the meft ignorant malignity.

F4

From

1:

From this period the English affairs became totally irretrievable. The city of Paris returned once more to a fenfe of its duty. Thus ground was continually, A. D. though flowly, gained by the French. And in the 1443. lapfe of a few years Calais alone remained of all the conquefts that had been made in France; and this was but a fmall compenfation for the blood and treafure which had been lavished in that country, and which only ferved to gratify ambition with tranfient applaufe.

But the incapacity of Henry began to appear in a fuller light and foreign war being now extinguished, the people began to prepare for the horrors of inteftine ftrife. In this period of calamity, a new intereft was revived, which had lain dormant in the times of profperity and triumph. Richard, duke of York, was defcended, by the mother's fide, from Lionel, one of the fons of Edward the Third, whereas the reigning king was defcended from John of Gaunt, a younger fon of the fame monarch; Richard, therefore, flood plainly in fucceffion before Henry; and he began to think the weakness and unpopularity of the prefent reign a favourable moment for ambition. The enfign of Richard was a white rofe, that of Henry a red; and this gave name to the two factions, whofe animofity was now about to drench the kingdom with flaughter.

Among the number of complaints which the unpopularity of the government gave rife to, there were fome which even excited infurrection; particularly that head. ed by John Cade, which was of the most dangerous nature. This man was a native of Ireland, who had been obliged to fly over to France for his crimes; but feeing the people upon his return prepared for violent measures, he affumed the name of Mortimer; and, at the head of twenty thoufand Kentish men, advanced towards the capital, and encamped at Blackheath. The king being informed of this commotion, fent a meffage to demand the caufe of their affembling in arms; and Cade, in the name of the community, anfwered, that their only aim was to punifh evil minifters, and procure a red refs of grievances for the people. But committing fome abuses, and engaging with the citizens, he was abandoned by most of his followers; and retreating to Rochefter, was obliged to

fly

fly alone into the woods of Kent, where a price being fet upon his head, by proclamation, he was difcovered and flain.

In the mean time, the duke of York fecretly fomented thefe disturbances, and pretending to efpoufe the caufe of the people, ftill fecretly afpired at the crown; and though. he wifhed nothing fo ardently, yet he was for fome time prevented by his own fcruple from feizing it. What his intrigues failed to bring about, accident produced to his defire. The king falling into a diftemper, which fo far increafed his natural imbecility that it even rendered him incapable of maintaining the appearance of royalty, York was appointed lieutenant and protector of the kingdom, with powers to hold and open parliaments at pleafure.

Being thus invefted with a plenitude of power,

he continued in the enjoyment of it for fome time; A. D. but at length the unhappy king recovered from his 1454. lethargic complaint, and, as if awaking from a dream, perceived, with furprise, that he was ftripped of all his authority. Henry was married to Margaret of Anjou, a woman of a mafculine understanding, who obliged him to take the field, and in a manner dragged him to it, where both fides came to an engagement, in which the Yorkifts gained a complete victory. The king himfelf being wounded, and taking fhelter in a cottage, near the field of battle, was taken prifoner, and treated by the victor with great refpect and tenderness.

Henry was now but a prifoner treated with the fplendid forms of royalty; yet indolent and fickly, he feemed pleafed with his fituation, and did not regret that power which was not to be exercifed without fatigue. But Mar

garet once more induced him to affert his preSept. 23. rogative. The contending parties met at Blore1459. heath, on the borders of Staffordshire, and the Yorkifts gained fome advantages; but Sir Andrew Trollop, who commanded a body of veterans for the duke of York, deferted with all his men to the king; and this fo intimidated the whole army of the Yorkifts, that they feparated the next day, without ftriking a fingle blow. Several other engagements followed with various fuccefs. Margaret being at one time

F 5.

time victorious, at another an exile, the victory upon Wakefield-Green, in which the duke of York was flain, feemed to fix her good fortune.

But the earl of Warwick, who now put himself at the head of the Yorkifts, was one of the molt celebrated ge. nerals of his age; formed for times of trouble, extreme. ly artful, and inconteftibly brave, equally fkilful in council and the field, and infpired with a degree of hatred. against the queen that nothing could fupprefs. He commanded an army in which he led about the captive king to give a fanction to his attempts. Upon the approach of the Lancaftrians he conducted his forces, ftrengthened by a body of Londoners, who were very affectionate to his caufe, and he gave battle to the queen at St. Alban's. In this however he was defeated. Above two thousand of the Yorkifts perished in the battle, and the perfon of the king again fell into the hands of his own party, to be treated with apparent refpect, but real contempt.

In the mean time, young Edward, the eldest son of the late duke of York, began to repair the loffes his party had lately fuftained, and to give fpirit to the Yorkifts. This prince, in the bloom of youth, remarkable for the beauty of his perfon, his bravery, and popular deportment, advanced towards London with the remainder of Warwick's army; and obliging Margaret to retire, entered the city amidst the acclamations of the people. Per. ceiving his own popularity, he fuppofed that now was the time to lay his claim to the crown; and A. D. his friend Warwick, affembling the citizens in St. 1461. John's fields, pronounced an harangue, fetting forth

the title of Edward, and inveighing against the tyranny and ufurpation of the houfe of Lancafter. Both fides at length met near Towfon, in the county of York, to decide the fate of empire, and never was England depopulated by fo terrible an engagement. It was a dreadful fight to behold a hundred thousand men of the fame country engaged against each other; and all to fatisfy the empty ambition of the weakest, or the worst of mankind. While the army of Edward was advancing to the charge, there happened a great fall of fnow; which driving full in the faces of the enemy, blinded them; and this advantage,

2