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2

ndy--which for many years devastated France, caused a prodigious destruction of life and property, and was not even relaxed in the presence of a common enemy-- is very fully recorded in the pages of Monstrellet and other contemporary historians. I have here only attempted to relate the events of the early portion of the struggle--from its commencement up to the astonishing victory of Agincourt, won by a handful of Englishmen over the chivalry of France. Here the two factions, with the exception of the Duke of Burgundy himself, laid aside their differences for the moment, only to renew them while France still lay prostrate at the feet of the English conqueror.

At this distance of time, even with all the records at one's disposal, it is difficult to say which party was most to blame in this disastrous civil war, a war which did more to cripple the power of France than was ever accomplished by English arms. Unquestionably Burgundy was the first to enter upon the struggle, but the terrible vengeance taken by the Armagnacs,--as the Orleanists came to be called,--for the murders committed by the mob of Paris in alliance with him, was of almost unexampled atrocity in civil war, and was mainly responsible for the terrible acts of cruelty afterwards perpetrated upon each other by both parties. I hope some day to devote another volume to the story of this desperate and unnatural struggle.

G. A. HENTY.

CONTENTS

I. A FEUDAL CASTLE

II. TROUBLES IN FRANCE

III. A SIEGE

IV. A FATAL ACCIDENT

V. HOSTAGES

VI. IN PARIS

VII. IN THE STREETS OF PARIS

VIII. A RIOT

IX. A STOUT DEFENCE

X. AFTER THE FRAY

XI. DANGER THREATENED

XII. IN HIDING

XIII. THE MASTERS OF PARIS

XIV. PLANNING MASSACRE

XV. A RESCUE

XVI. THE ESCAPE

XVII. A LONG PAUSE

XVIII. KATARINA

XIX. AGINCOURT

XX. PENSHURST

ILLUSTRATIONS

GUY AYLMER SAVES THE KING'S LIFE AT THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT.

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