102 Constitutional JUstory. [chap.
He mai ɪies
Jacqueline
of Hainault,
and alien-
ates Bur-
gundy, 1423.
He invades
Hainault,
1424.
His return
to England,
1425.
half-divorced wife of the duke of Brabant, and an heiress whose
claims were Irreconcileable with the interests of the house of
Burgundy. All that was to have been gained by the one
marriage was thrown to the winds by the other ; the strongest
injunction of Henry V was disregarded by Humfrey, and the
alienation of the duke of Burgundy began at the moment when
his friendship might have been secured for ever. With the
same insolent impolicy Gloucester undertook to recover in arms
the estates to which Jacqueliiiewas entitled. The year 1423
saw Burgundy delivered from the French by the aid of an
English force at Crevant; and in August, 1424, Charles VH
was reduced to the lowest point of degradation by the great
victory won by Bedford at Verueuil. In October, 1424, Glou-
cester invaded Hainault, drawing off the duke of Burgundy
from France and putting an end to the cordiality of the
national alliance,. In this attempt he failed even to show
the military skill and perseverance that became an English
prince : he challenged the duke of Burgundy to single combat ;
he assumed the title of count of Hainault and Zealand ; he
persisted in spite of the reproaches of Bedford, who was obliged
to purchase the continuance of the alliance by great sacrifices
of territory in France. Then he returned to England and left
his young wife behind him. When he was once in England
Bedford did his best to keep him there, but he soon began to
do worse harm still.
Parliament
υf 1423-4,
The government of England whilst Gloucester was thus
employed had rested in the hands of the council. A parlia-
ment which sat from October, 1423, to February, 14242,
continued the grants of the year 14223; the members of the
council were most of them continued in office, and additional
rules framed for council businessi. Sir John Mortimer, who
1 Chron. Angl. ed. Giles, p. 7 ; Monstrelet, liv. ii. c. 22.
a Bot. Parl. iv. 197. It opened Oct. 20; John Russell was speaker.
The little king was brought into parliament on Nov. 18. The chronicler
tells how ‘ he Schriked and cryed and sprang ’ before he would leave his
lodging at Staines; Chron. Lond. p. 112.
3 The grants were made Feb. 28, the last day of the session; Rot. Farl.
iv. 200.
4 Rot. Parl. iv. 201, 202 ; Rymer, x. ʒɪo.
χvι∏∙]
Parliament of ɪ423-4.
103
was charged with a treasonable design in favour of the earl s⅛ John
0f March, was declared guilty by both lords and commons, and
sentenced to death1. Peace was made with Scotland and the
long-imprisoned king released in January 1424 2. Inthe fol- Beanfort
lowing July bishop Beaufort was again made chancellor3, either dιu⅛j'1°r
as a check put by Bedford on the vagaries of his brother or 8.S absence,
a compromise with Gloucester himself before he started on his j"ly ɪ44'
expedition. The government remained in his hands during
the protector’s absence, and he received an additional salary of
£2000 for his services4. The parliament of 14 255 was opened
by the little king in person ; the chancellor in his opening His speech
speech inferred the good qualities of a counsellor from the ɪɪɪg of par-ɪɪ
wonderful physical fact that the elephant has no gall, is of 1425.
inflexible purpose, and of great memory. The work of this
session was chiefly financial3 : Beaufort received security for
his loans7; Gloucester, who had returned from his inglorious
expedition, was allowed to borrow 20,000 marks on security
given by the council8 ; the subsidies were continued for three
years9. The three estates condescended further to inhibit the Parliament
*, ... . forbids war
duke from continuing his quarrel with Burgundy, and referred ʌ`ith Bur-
it for arbitration to the queens of England and France and the
duke of Bedford10. A dispute for precedency between the earl
1 Hall, p. 128 ; Hot. Parl. iv. 202 ; Amundesham, i. 6, 7. The earl of
March attended this parliament with so large a retinue that the council in
alarm sent him to Ireland, where he died soon after ; Chron. Giles, ρ. 6.
2 Bymer, x. 302-308. On the 13th of February, 1424, King James was
released from the payment of 10,000 marks, out of the £40,000 due for
his ransom, in consideration of his marriage with Johanna Beaufort, the
bishop’s niece ; ib. p. 322.
3 July 16; Rymer, x. 340.
4 Ordinances, iii. 165.
5 Rot. Parl. iv. 261. Itbegan April 30; SirThomas Wautonwasspeaker;
the grant was made on the last day of the session, July 14; ib. p. 75. The
convocation granted a half tenth in July ; Wilk. Cone. iii. 438.
6 i In that parlyment was moche altercacyon bytwyne the Iordys and
the comyns for tonage and poundage. And at that parlyment was
grauntyd that allé maner of alyentys shuld be put to hoste as Englysche
men benne in othyr Iondys, and ovyr that condyscyon was the tonage
grauntyd ; the whyche condyscyon was brokyn in the same yere by the
Byschoppe of Wynchester, as the moste pepylle sayde, he beyng chaunseler
the same tyme, and therefore there was moche hevynesse and trowbylle in
thys Ionde ;, Gregory, p. 157.
7 Rot. Parl. iv. 275, 277. 8 lb. iv. 289. ° lb. iv. 275.
10 lb. iv. 277.