made upon these sad events, which give too true a picture of the miserable state to which the country was reduced:

"A chief by dolorous mischance oppress'd,
A prince who rules by arbitrary will,
A royal house by discord sore distress'd,
A council prejudiced and partial still,
Subjects by prodigality brought low,
Will fill the land with beggars, well we trow.

"Nobles made noble in dame Nature's spite,
A tim'rous clergy fear, and truth conceal,
While humble commoners forego their right,
And the harsh yoke of proud oppression feel:
Thus, while the people mourn, the public wo
Will fill the land with beggars, well we trow.

"Ah, feeble wo! whose impotent commands
Thy very vassals boldly dare despise :
Ah, helpless monarch! whose enervate hands
And wavering councils dare no high emprize:
Thy hapless reign will cause our tears to flow,
And fill the land with beggars, well we trow."

Each party was alternately successful; but the aid of the Parisians, who, led on by

the butchers, took up arms for Burgundy, and kept the king and the dauphin prisoners in the Louvre, gave the advantage to the Burgundian party. The whole party of the Armagnacs were excommunicated by Pope Urbun, and the sentence, with all the terrible formalities prescribed by the Church of Rome, with bell, book, and candle, was pronounced against them in all the churches of Paris. This seemed the signal for fresh cruelties. Many of the Armagnacs were put to death, and others who

were in the prisons of Paris," says Monstrelet, "perished miserably through cold, famine, and neglect. When dead, they were inhumanly dragged out of the town, and thrown into the ditches, a prey to dogs, birds, and wild beasts. The reason of such cruel conduct was, their having been several times denounced from the pulpits, and proclaimed from the squares,

as excommunicated persons. It seemed, however, to many discreet men, as well noble as of the church, that it was a great scandal thus to treat those who were Christians, and acknowledged the laws of Jesus Christ. At this time, therefore, all who sided with the Armagnacs, and were taken ran great risk of their lives; for there were few that dared speak in their favour, however near their connexions might be.'

Anxious to strengthen himself yet further, the Duke of Burgundy now ventured on a step which could not fail to bring further misfortunes on the country. He endeavoured to make an alliance with England, and Henry IV., who saw his own advantage in keeping up the disturbances of France, sent him a small body of men; but the next year, receiving more advantageous proposals from the Armagnacs,