This change in the indolent, heartless, pleasure-loving sovereign, is by many contemporary and other writers attributed to no very creditable source-the influence of his spirited mistress, Agnes Sorel.

In the middle ages, we often find a singular zeal for religion combined with a want of purity in morals; and even ladies who were correct themselves, frequently winked at immorality in others. This was said to be the case with the Dowager Yolande. Her daughter, Marie D'Anjou, was the wife of Charles; but Marie was too serious and gentle to have any influence over her luxurious and supine husband. She was one of those characters, most amiable in private life, who affectionately glide down the stream of domestic duty, are led and never oppose, but who are wanting in energy to encounter difficulties, and have not courage enough to hold forth the hand in a time of trial to avert a threatened danger. Yolande saw how it was with Charles. Her daughter had no influence over him; he must have a mistress, and she resolved to give him one who should be serviceable in his affairs, and thus, by an intermediate mode of action, she would rule the King by ruling the lady. For this purpose she chose for him the lovely, animated, and highly endowed Agnes Sorel.

'Agnes,' said a contemporary writer, was of a benevolent disposition. She was good to the poor, delighted in men of merit, and brought to the notice of the King

1 Olivier de la Marche.

many young nobles who served him well. Seeing how much Charles gave himself up to idleness and luxury, she threatened him with going over to Henry; for she said an astrologer had predicted that she was to be loved by the most valiant king in Christendom, and she saw plainly that this courageous prince was not Charles, but in due time would be the King of England.'1

French writers agree respecting the tradition that ascribes to Agnes the saving of France, when there was no heroic Jeanne left to serve him, by rousing the King to action. They all repeat the lines which Francis 1. wrote under her portrait :

'Gentille Agnes, plus d'honneur tu mérite,

La cause étant de France recouvrer,

Que tout ce qu' en cloître peut ouvrer,

Close nonain ni en désert ermite.' 2

The bourgeois citizen, who left to posterity his curious Journal de Paris, notices Agnes in no very gracious manner, and says: "This demoiselle kept high state like a duchess, and came and went with the Queen, without showing any shame for her conduct. The poor wife felt much grief, but bore it patiently; and that the King might make manifest his great sin, he gave the lady the Chastel de Beauté,' whence she was called the Lady of Beauty.

Richmond, to whom Charles had become reconciled very soon after the removal of La Trémoille, soon found 2 Mémoires de Pierre de Jenin, p. 326.

1 Brantôme.

how much these ladies assisted by their influence the great purposes he had in view, and of which we shall shortly have to speak more at large.

There was now a reviving hope that Paris might be gained, as the citizens showed much dissatisfaction with their English rulers. Two plots were formed to shake off the yoke, but unfortunately discovered, and punished with cruel slaughter. But this affair helped to show Bedford that power was daily slipping from his hands. With a view, if possible, to overawe the people, he determined on a solemn entry, and in order to give it a religious character, caused a procession of mendicant friars to come forth and conduct him within the city walls,—' as if,' says the bourgeois chronicler, he had been a god.' This shocked the more serious portion of the inhabitants; and Bedford's welcome was of so very cold and doubtful a nature, that he left the place early in the spring, and never more passed within its gates.

All this was not unobserved by Richmond, who possessed considerable ability, not only as a general, but as a member of the Government, and his patriotic spirit was admitted by all parties. He listened, therefore, with attention to the desire now expressed by the Burgundians for a general peace; but with the reservation that it should not be made to the injury of France, and frankly told as much to the Duke, who by no means opposing, he promised to communicate with Charles on the subject.1

1 Mémoires de Richemont.

THE ARRAS CONFERENCE.

289

After many debates, it was agreed that a conference should be opened at Arras, in the approaching summer, to treat for a general peace with the English, and that Charles should then make some suitable offers to Henry. But should such offers be declined, the Duke would do all he could, his honour saved, to give peace to France, and Charles should surrender to him various cities on the Lower Somme.

In order to forward these proceedings, the Duke of Burgundy, by far the most ostentatious prince of his time, set off for Arras with a noble company. He first visited Paris, and entered with great pomp, accompanied by his Duchess, his young heir the Count de Charolais, and three beautiful children picked out of his bastard. family of fifteen left behind him. These beaux jouveneaux rode admirably well on little horses by their father's side, though the eldest was not ten years old. The Duke kept his Easter festival in Paris, and his Duchess held a Court open to all comers. He then proceeded to the conference at Arras. It was attended by all the chief princes of England, France, and various countries in Europe, and ended, as many other conferences had done before, in nothing but talk; for as the principal potentates would not listen to any measures, but for their own interest, nothing could be done for a general settlement. Charles, however, made peace with, and large concessions to the Duke of Burgundy.

In the midst of these discussions came the news that

T

the Regent Duke of Bedford, after a short illness, had died at Rouen, in the very castle where he had imprisoned the heroic Maid. He paid this debt to nature on the 14th of September 1435; and on the 24th of the same month died Isabella of Bavaria, the mother of Charles VII. Thus were the two chief persons who helped to bring about the disgraceful treaty of Troyes removed from all possibility of making any fresh opposition to the rightful claims of the heir to the throne of France.

The Parisians were overwhelmed with joy at the news, as it was to Bedford they attributed the continuance of the war. The renewal of hostilities, however, was certain after the conference was broken up; for the garrisons of Charles, under Richmond's authority, had the command of the Upper and Lower Seine. Paris was held within an iron girdle of fortresses, and was soon as much distressed as it had been in the year 1418 under the Armagnac faction. The English tyrannic governors were determined to make a vigorous resistance; and if any one murmured, or their orders were disobeyed, the offending person was tied up in a sack and thrown into the Seine, or in some other way murdered.

At this time there was in Paris a noted bourgeois, Michael Laillier, who in former days for some offence had been sent into exile, and had lately returned in the hope that his fault was forgotten. He contrived during the night to send beyond the walls a trustworthy person with a secret communication to Richmond, to tell him on the