at a desperate project was entertained of
undermining the wall and suddenly rushing out upon the besiegers, he
consented to grant them conditions, and the city capitulated on January
19th. The few places that remained unconquered in Normandy then opened
their gates to Henry; others in Maine and the Isle of France did the
same, and the English troops entered Picardy on a further career of
conquest.

Both the rival factions were now seriously anxious to stop the progress
of the English, either by coming at once to terms with Henry or by
uniting together against him; and each in turn first tried the former
course. The Dauphin offered to treat with the King of England; but Henry
demanding the whole of those large possessions in the north and south of
France which had been secured to Edward III by the treaty of Bretigni,
he felt that it was impossible to prolong the negotiation. The Duke of
Burgundy then arranged a personal interview at Meulan between Henry on
the one side and himself and the French Queen on behalf of Charles, at
which terms of peace were to be adjusted. The Queen brought with her the
princess Catharine, her daughter, whose hand Henry himself had formerly
demanded as one of the conditions on which he would have consented to
forbear from invading France. It was now hoped that if he would take her
in marriage he would moderate his other demands. But Henry, for his
part, was altogether unyielding. He insisted on the terms of the treaty
of Bretigni, and on keeping his own conquests besides, with Anjou,
Maine, Touraine, and the sovereignty over Brittany.

Demands so exorbitant the Duke of Burgundy did not dare to accept, and
as a last resource he and the Dauphin agreed to be reconciled and to
unite in defence of their country against the enemy. They held a
personal interview, embraced each other, and signed a treaty by which
they promised each to love the other as a brother, and to offer a joint
resistance to the invaders. A further meeting was arranged to take place
about seven weeks later to complete matters and to consider their future
policy. France was delighted at the prospect of internal harmony and the
hope of deliverance from her enemies. But at the second interview an
event occurred which marred all her prospects once more. The meeting had
been appointed to take place at Montereau, where the river Yonne falls
into the Seine.

The Duke, remembering doubtless how he had perfidiously murdered the
Duke o