impartially, whatever may be the result; and, whether he looks to
Henry or his accuser, he must adhere rigidly to the golden maxim,
"Friends are dear, but truth is dearer!"

[Footnote 73: Here, however, the Author begs to
state his most unfeigned conviction that, had the
Editor of the "Battle of Agincourt" allowed himself
more time for reflection and reconsideration of his
subject, his love of truth and justice (which
evidences itself in various parts of his works)
would have induced him to withdraw this triple
accusation. The Author sincerely gives that
valuable writer full credit for his generous
indignation at the idea of any thing savouring of
falsehood, as well as for his anxious desire to
enlist all our ancient documents, whether published
or yet in manuscript, in the cause of historical
truth; and he sincerely trusts that not one
expression may escape his pen which may give,
unnecessarily, the slightest pain to an Editor for
the assistance derived from whose labours he will
not allow this note to escape him (even at the risk
of tautology) without again expressing his
obligations.]

An Author,[74] then, to whom (as we gladly and gratefully acknowledge)
we are largely indebted for many helps supplied to the biographer and
historian, and from whom we have borrowed copiously in this part of
our work, brings a wide and violent charge against Henry's character
in those very points on which the general tenour and complexion of his
whole life would lead us to regard him as of all least assailable. He
charges him with _falsehood_, _hypocrisy_, and _impiety_. The
groundwork on which he founds these accusations is a series of letters
recorded in M. Le Laboureur's History of Charles VI. of France.

[Footnote 74: Sir Harris Nicolas.]

To ascertain more satisfactorily whether the charge is really (p. 091)
substantiated, or whether it has been built upon an unsound
foundation, we will first extract the whole passage as it stands in
his work, "The Battle of Agincourt," and then sift the evidence which
the writer alleges in supp