power, he determined that it was more for his profite to abstaine from battayle without daunger, then to enter into the conflict with jeopardie: fearing least that with a rashe courage he might overthrowe all his affayres, which so effectuously proceeded. And so well advised, he turned with his armie a little out of the way. The duke of Bedford perceyving his faint courage, followed him by mountaynes and dales, till he came to a towne in Barre, not farre from Senlis, where he found the French king and his army. Wherefore he ordered his battayle, lyke a man expert in marciall science, setting the archers before, and himselfe with the noble men in the mayne battayle, and put the Normans on both sides for the wings. The French king also ordered hys battayles, according to the devise of his capitaynes. Thus these two armies, without any great doing (except a fewe skirmishes, in the which the duke's light horse men did very valyauntly,) laye eche in sight of other, by the space of two dayes and two nightes. But when the French king sawe, and perceyved, how glad, howe diligent and couragious the Englishe men were to fight and geve battayle, he imagined that by his taryeng, one of these two things must nedes chaunce; that is to say, eyther he should fight against his will, or lye still like a coward, to his great rebuke and infamie. Wherefore in the dead of the night (as prively as he could) he brake up his campe and fled to Bray. When this flight was perceyved in the morning, the regent could scarce refraine his people, from folowyng the French army, calling them cowardes, das tardes, and loutes; and therefore, he perceyving that by no meanes he could allure the newe French king to abide battayle, mistrusting the Parisians,

and giving no great credite to their fayre, swete, and flattering wordes, returned agayne to Paris, to assemble together a greater power, and so to prosecute his enemies."

Page 106. At about this period, proceeded many French lords unto the city of Beauvais.

The city of Beauvais is of great antiquity, and the principal town of the Oise; being celebrated for the siege it sustained in 1472, under Jeanne Hachette, who headed the women of the place, against the duke of Burgundy, commanding eighty thousand men. The inhabitants, to the present moment, pride themselves on their city's never having been taken. One curious circumstance appertaining to Beauvais it may not be amiss to record, which was, that, on the fourteenth of January, annually, was celebrated the Ass's festival, or holiday, being a representation of the Virgin's flight into Egypt. Upon this solemn occasion, all the clergy of the city being assembled in the cathedral, a beautiful damsel was presented to them, placed upon an ass most sumptuously caparisoned; and thus conducted from the principal church to that of Saint Stephen, into the chancel of which the maid and her bearer were escorted, and stationed on the right side of the altar. During the service which. followed, the whole congregation at intervals imitated the brayings of a jack-ass; and at the conclusion of the mass, the deacon, in lieu of repeating the ita missa est, articulated three stentorian brays, whereto his auditors

gave the loudest nasal responses. The whole of this ceremony, together with a hymn in Latin, sung upon the occasion, have been preserved by Charles du Cange, the French antiquary, who transcribed the same from a manuscript five hundred years old.

Page 107.

Under the pretext of marching them against the Bohemian heretics, &c.

Grafton, at page 539, thus explains this affair. "In this season, the Bohemians (which belike had espyed the usurped authoritie of the bishop of Rome) began to rebell against his sea. Wherefore, Martin the fift, bishop of Rome, wrote unto them to absteyne from warre, and to be reconciled by reason, from their damnable opinions. But they (beying perswaded to the contrary) neyther gave eare unto him, nor yet obeyed his voyce. Wherefore the bishop of Rome wrote to the princes of Germanie, to invade the realme of Beame, as the den of heretykes. Beside this, he appoynted Henry bishop of Winchester, and cardinall of Saint Eusebie, a man very well borne (as you have heard) but no better borne then high stomacked, to be his legate in this great iourney, and to bring out men from the realme of England, into the countrie of Beame. And because the war touched religion, he licenced the sayd cardinall to take the tenth part of every spiritual dignitie, benefice and promocion. This matter was declared in open parliament in England, and not dissented, but gladly assented to; wherefore the bishop gathered the money, and assembled foure thou

sand men, and mo, not without great grudge of the people, which daily were with tallages and aydes weried and sore burdened. And when men, municions, and money were redie for his high enterprise, he with all his people came to the sea strond at Dover, redie to pass over the sea into Flaundyrs.

"But in the meane season, the duke of Bedford, consideryng how townes dayly were gotten, and countries hourely wonne in the realme of Fraunce, for lacke of sufficient defence and number of men of warre, wrote to his brother the duke of Gloucester, to relieve him wythe ayde, in that tempestuous tyme and troubleous season. When this letter was brought into England, the duke of Gloucester was not a little amazed, because he had no armie redie to sende at that tyme: for by the reason of the crewe sent into Beame, he could not suddenly rayse a new armie. But because the matter was of such importance, and might neyther be from day to day differred, nor yet long delayed, he wrote to the bishop of Winchester, to passe with all his armie toward the duke of Bedford, which at that tyme had both nede of men and assistaunce, consideryng that nowe all stood upon losse or gaine: which thing done, and to his honor achieved, he might performe his iourney agaynst the Bohemians. Although the cardinall was somewhat moved with this countermaund, yet least he should be noted, not to ayde the regent of Fraunce in so great a cause, and so necessary an enterprise, he bowed from his former iourney, and passed the sea with all his companie, and brought them to his cousin, to the citie of Parys."

Page 112. Wherefore he was with much difficulty reseated.

This appears to confirm a former suggestion hazarded in regard to the unwieldy armour with which the knights in the fifteenth century were wont to be accoutred.

Page 113. And when it was made known unto the duke of Bedford, he marched forth from Paris, with a great power of men at war.

Holinshed, in his quaint manner, at page 602, describes the proceedings of the regent of France in the following manner; which refutes the statements of the writer of our Diary, who plainly wishes to have it inferred, that, the English were uniformly averse to deliver battle to the French king.

"The duke of Bedford, advertised of all these dooings, assembled his power about him, and having togither ten thousand good Englishmen (beside Normans) departed out of Paris in warlike fashion, and passing thorough Brie to Monstreau fault Yonne, sent by his herald Bedford, letters to the French king, signifieng to him; that where he had (contrarie to the finall conclusion accorded betweene his noble brother k. Henrie the fift, and king Charles the sixt, father to him that was the usurper) by allurement of a divelish witch, taken upon him the name, title, and dignitie of the king of France; and further had by murther, stealing, craft, and deceitfull meanes, violentlie gotten, and wrongfullie kept diverse cities and townes belonging to the king of England his nephue; for proofe thereof he was come downe from Paris with his