to London for
reinforcements.(814) In September of the following year he was able to
inform the City of the success that had attended his recruited army.(815)
He was then within a short distance of Orleans, before which town he
shortly afterwards met his death. Bedford continued the siege, but the
town held out until May, 1429, when it was relieved by the Maid from the
little village of Domremi, and the English army was compelled to retreat.

(M432)

Whilst Bedford was conducting the siege of Orleans, and Jeanne Darc was
meditating how best to relieve the town, the citizens of London were
suffering from a severe dearth. At length the Common Council resolved (22
July, 1429) to send agents abroad for the purpose of transmitting all the
corn they could lay their hands on to England. The assistance of Bedford,
who had by this time been compelled to raise the siege of Orleans, was
invoked.(816)

(M433)

Bedford had recently been joined by Beaufort, who had become more than
ever an object of hatred to Gloucester, and had lost to a certain extent
the goodwill of the nation by the acceptance of a cardinal's hat. He had
set out on the 22nd June (1429), carrying with him a small force which he
was allowed to raise for the avowed object of prosecuting a Hussite
crusade in Bohemia, but which was eventually sent to France.(817) The
question of his position in parliament and the council, now that he was a
cardinal, was decided by the parliament which met on the 22nd September.

(M434)

Members of parliament representing the City of London had hitherto been
allowed a certain amount of cloth and fur trimming at the City's expense,
wherewith to dress themselves and their personal attendants in a manner
suitable to the position they held. Those who had from time to time been
elected members appear to have abused this privilege--where a yard had been
given, they had literally taken an ell--and it was now thought to be high
time to take steps to check the abuse in future. Accordingly it was
ordained by the mayor and aldermen, on the 12th August of this year (and
the ordinance met with the approval of the commoners on the 29th day of
the same month), that for the future no alderman elected to attend
parliament should take out of the chamber or of the commonalty more than
ten yards for gown and cloak, at 15_s._ the yard, and 100_s._ for fur if
the alderman had already served as mayor, otherwise he was to have no more
than five marks.