the Duke of
Bedford at its head: to be represented, in his absence only, by the Duke
of Gloucester. The Parliament would seem to have been wise in this, for
Gloucester soon showed himself to be ambitious and troublesome, and, in
the gratification of his own personal schemes, gave dangerous offence to
the Duke of Burgundy, which was with difficulty adjusted.

As that duke declined the Regency of France, it was bestowed by the poor
French King upon the Duke of Bedford. But, the French King dying within
two months, the Dauphin instantly asserted his claim to the French
throne, and was actually crowned under the title of CHARLES THE SEVENTH.
The Duke of Bedford, to be a match for him, entered into a friendly
league with the Dukes of Burgundy and Brittany, and gave them his two
sisters in marriage. War with France was immediately renewed, and the
Perpetual Peace came to an untimely end.

In the first campaign, the English, aided by this alliance, were speedily
successful. As Scotland, however, had sent the French five thousand men,
and might send more, or attack the North of England while England was
busy with France, it was considered that it would be a good thing to
offer the Scottish King, James, who had been so long imprisoned, his
liberty, on his paying forty thousand pounds for his board and lodging
during nineteen years, and engaging to forbid his subjects from serving
under the flag of France. It is pleasant to know, not only that the
amiable captive at last regained his freedom upon these terms, but, that
he married a noble English lady, with whom he had been long in love, and
became an excellent King. I am afraid we have met with some Kings in
this history, and shall meet with some more, who would have been very
much the better, and would have left the world much happier, if they had
been imprisoned nineteen years too.

In the second campaign, the English gained a considerable victory at
Verneuil, in a battle which was chiefly remarkable, otherwise, for their
resorting to the odd expedient of tying their baggage-horses together by
the heads and tails, and jumbling them up with the baggage, so as to
convert them into a sort of live fortification--which was found useful to
the troops, but which I should think was not agreeable to the horses. For
three years afterwards very little was done, owing to both sides being
too poor for war, which is a very expensive entertainment; but, a council
was then held in Par