cordingly, in 1449, Normandy was at once invaded by four powerful armies; one commanded by King Charles himself, a fecond by the Duke of Brittany, a third by the Duke of Alen. con, and a fourth by the Count of Dunois. The towns were fo ill prepared for defence, that they opened their gates almost as foon as the French appeared before them. Gifors, Mante, Vernon, Argentan, Lifieux, and feveral other places, fell immediately into the hands of the enemy. The Duke of Somerset, Governor of Normandy, was fo far from having an army able to take the field, or to relieve thofe places, that he was unable to fupply them with garrifons or provifions.

It appears that the brave Earl of Shrewsbury was now in France. Accordingly he attempted to interupt the fiege of Verneuil, with the few troops he could collect; but the Count of Dunois getting between him and the befiegers, he found it impracticable, and therefore was obliged to retire to Rouen, where he advised the Duke of Somerset to make his principal ftand. But King Charles, at the head of a formidable army, fixty thousand strong, prefented himself before the gates of that city. Charles confided very much in the attachment, which he believed great numbers of the inhabitants had for him; and that confidence appears to have been well founded. When he had been three days before the place, he received information, that if an attack was made upon the tower of St. Hillary, a poft guarded by the citizens, the latter would introduce his troops; and it was afterwards intimated to the Count of Dunois, that he must provide a good number of ladders for the troops which were to mount the wall of the tower that was to be delivered. Every thing being ready, Dunois made a falfe attack towards the gates Beavoifine and le Montfortin, while he ordered a confiderable body of choice troops to take a large compafs behind a rifing ground towards the gate of St. Hillary. This difpofition would probably have produced the defired effect, had it not been for the vigilance and activity of the Earl of Shrewsbury. Our brave General watched fo narrowly the motions of the enemy, that he fufpected that the attack which had been made, was but a feint to draw his attention to the wrong quarter; he, therefore, kept fo vigilant an eye on all the other pofts, that he foon found reason to believe fomething more than ordinary was tranfacting at St. Hillary. He immediately ran up to it with a party of three hundred men, and found that fifty of the French had already mounted the walls, and were joined by the inhabitants who were intrufted with that poft. Shrewfbury attacked them inftantly with fuch fury, that of all the inhabitants, and French affailants, only two efcaped being put to the fword, and they by leaping into the ditch.

But though this fcheme of the French was thus defeated, the English Generals and garrifon were still in a very difagreeable fituation, on account of the difaffection of the inhabitants of

the

the inhabitants of the city. The people of Rouen exclaimed violently against the Earl of Shrewsbury, on account of his having put fo many of their fellow-citizens to death; though it does not appear that he had done any thing contrary to the rules of war, or which indeed could have been avoided, in the then fituation of affairs. However, the citizens at length became quite mutinous, and called loudly to have the place delivered up. Great numbers of them affembled in a body, and prevailed upon the Archbishop of Rouen to go at their head, and declare their fentiments to the Duke of Somerset. Accordingly they set out, and happened to meet the Duke in the ftreets, attended by about fifty of his guards. The Archbishop immediately opened to him the purport of his commiffion, which at firft put Somerset into a violent rage; and accordingly he was going to order his guards to feize upon the mutineers. But when he perceived that they were not fewer than eight hundred, and thofe of the principal inhabitants of the city, all well armed, and appearing refolute, prudence dictated to him to reprefs his indignation; and therefore he agreed to give them a meeting in the town-house, and difcourfe the matter with them. However, he found the inhabitants more univerfally mutinous than he at first imagined; for when he came to the place of meeting, he found all the burghers drawn out under arms, with an intention of oppofing any attempt of the English to the prejudice of their fellow-citizens.

If we confider how matters were fituated at Rouen, we shall be fo far from wondering that the English should think of furrendering the place, that we shall rather be amazed that they fhould make any hesitation about it. For it appears that the Duke of Somerset had not above twelve hundred men under his command; the citizens were mutinous, and in arms; and the French King at the head of a very numerous army at the gates of the city. Somerfet, therefore, was obliged to confent to the citizens fending a deputation to, Charles; but it was agreed that the deputies fhould treat in his name. Accordingly the Archbishop of Rouen, with fome of the chief citizens, in the name of the city, to whom the Duke of Somerset added fome English gentlemen, went out to treat with the deputies of the French King. And a capitulation was agreed upon between the deputies of the city, and thofe of Charles, which would have been figned that very night, had not the deputies acting in the name of the Duke of Somerfet refused to agree to the fame. It was, therefore, neceffary to have it ratified by the Duke; but when it came to be laid before him and the Earl of Shrewfbury, they were fo far from agreeing to it, that they immediately feized the bridge, and filled all the posts of strength about the city with their foldiers. Upon this, the citizens took arms likewife, and a severe encounter enfued, in which the English were driven from all their posts, excepting the old castle, the

palace,

palace, and the bridge. In the mean time, the inhabitants delivered the keys of the city to the Count of Dunois, who introduced a body of troops, in order to attack the posts still held by the English. These were invested on all fides, and King' Charles was about to give orders for a general affault, when the Duke of Somerset demanded to treat with him in perfon about a capitulation. The Duke accordingly offered fome terms to Charles, which were rejected by him; and he, on the other hand, infifted on terms which were rejected by Somerset. Upon which hoftilities were again commenced; however, the Duke was at length obliged to furrender Rouen, and to agree to deliver up Honfleur, Tankarville, and fome other places in Normandy, and to pay fifty-fix thousand crowns, and to give hostages for the performance of the articles, among whom was the Earl of Shrewsbury. The Governor of Honfleur, however, refufed to obey his orders, upon which Shrewsbury was detained prifoner; and the English (fays Mr. Hume) were thus deprived "of the only General, capable of recovering them from their "prefent diftreffed fituation.”

Our brave General was thus once more in the hands of his enemies. He did not, however, remain long in this fituation; for the French having made themselves mafters of Caen, laid fiege to Falaife; and as this town had been under the command of the Earl of Shrewsbury, the garrifon made it one of the articles on which they agreed to furrender the place, that the French fhould deliver up that Nobleman. This being agreed to, and Falaife furrendered, our brave general was again fet at liberty. The English, however, were foon after completely ftripped of the fmall remainder of their conquests in France; which was greatly owing, as well as their former loffes, to the divifions in the English Councils, and to the negligence of thofe to whom the management of the national buliness was intrusted.

In 1452, several Gafcon Lords, who were well affected to the English Government, and disgusted with the new dominion of the French, came to London, and offered to return to their alle giance under King Henry. And the fcheme of their revolt from the French King, being laid before the Council, was approved; and accordingly the Earl of Shrewsbury, on the ad of September, received a commiffion to be Governor of all Gui. enne, with very full powers. He fet out, therefore, at the head of five thousand men, with whom he landed at Medoc in the October following. He made himself matter of feveral places, and then marched immediately to Bourdeaux. And on the 23d of October, that city furrendered to him, the French Governor and garrifon being made prifoners of war. Shortly after the taking of Bourdeaux, the Earl of Shrewsbury's fon, Lord Lifle, arrived in France with a reinforcement of upwards of two

thousand men ; fe that the number of the Earl's troops now

amounted

amounted to feven thousand, befides Gafcons. He then made himfelf matter of Chatillon and Fronfac, which he garrisoned and fortified; and many other places furrendered to him, particularly Cadillac, and Liburn.

The Earl of Shrewsbury retained poffeffion of his conquefts for fome time, and continued to extend them. But in the year 1453, a numerous French army was affembled to oppofe his progrefs. And a part of these troops having taken Chalais, they formed, on the 15th of July, under the command of Marefchal de Loheac, the fiege of Chaftillon. When the Earl of Shrewsbury understood this, he put himself at the head of a thoufand horfe, and went to reconnoitre the enemy, ordering five thousand foot to follow him. The French Generals were too well acquainted with the military talents and intrepidity of Talbot, to venture to fight him without vaft advantages on their own fide. Inflead, therefore, of befieging Chaftillon, they formed a ftrong camp, confifting of fifteen thousand men, which they fortified with redoubts, entrenchments, and lines, and a very great train of well-difpofed artillery. When the Earl of Shrewsbury arrived within fight of the camp, he attacked an abbey which had been fortified by the French, and which was defended by Gammaches, one of their best officers, whom the Earl beat from it with great lofs. However, he was still fenfible of the danger of attacking the French in their prefent fituation without more troops; and, therefore, fent to Bourdeaux for a reinforcement. But the inhabitants declined fending any; alledging, that it would be very unfafe to leave their city without a very strong garrison.

The Earl foon after received information from Chastillon, that, by the motion within the French camp, it appeared as if their defign was to abandon it. Upon this, without further hefitation, he put himself at the head of thofe troops he had, and, with the utmost ardour, led them on to the attack of the camp itself, notwithstanding the advantageous fituation of the enemy, and their fuperior numbers. The French, in the mean time, had drawn out, without their intrenchments, about four thousand men, the Commander of which made fome fhew as if he would oppofe the English in their march to the intrenchments. But the Earl of Shrewsbury attacked them fo furiously, that the French Commander was driven within the barriers of the intrenchments; while the eager pursuit of the English brought them within the whole fire of their enemies. The gallant Talbot then faw the danger of his fituation; however, he made a moft dreadful effort upon the barriers, amidst all the thunder of the French artillery, and even broke into their intrenchments; though the French Commanders continued to pour in fresh troops to the affiftance of their wea ried men. In fhort, the fortune of the day feemed ready to declare for the English, when a large body of Bretons, who had

never yet been engaged, all of them cavalry, paffing their own intrenchments on the oppofite fide, wheeled round and fell upon the rear of the English, just time enough to prevent the total rout of the French army. The gallant Shrewsbury was then engaged in the hotteft of the battle; and his fon, the young Lord Lifle, was fighting by his fide, learning from his father the paths to glory. But the Earl now faw that the total defeat of the English was inevitable; he found himself hemmed in on every fide, while the French, having new-. pointed their artillery, plied him with greater fury than ever. In this defperate fituation, he advised his fon to fave himself by flight, faying to him, "As to my own death, that in respect of my former exploits, cannot but be honourable; and in refpect of thy youth, it can neither be honourable for thee to die, nor difhonourable to fly." But the generous youth, who inherited the fpirit and the heroifm of his father, de.. clared that he would fhare his fate. And after performing acts of the moft defperate valour, the fon was, at laft, killed by his father's fide; while the brave Earl himself, after lofing his horse by a cannon ball, was run through the neck with an archer's bayonet, which put a period to his life.

Thus fell, on the 20th of July, 1453, the venerable and illuftrious warrior, John, Earl of Shrewsbury; who, for a long courfe of years, by his undaunted courage, and fuperior military talents, acquired the most diftinguished reputation to himfelf, and to his country. It has been obferved of him, that he was victorious in forty different battles and dangerous fkir. mishes. "General Talbot (fays Father Daniel) was one of "the greatest warriors of his time, and the most able Captain

the English then had, who called him their ACHILLES. He "had carried on the war in France with a great deal of glory almost all his life long, and died at the age of eighty years, "with his fword in his hand."

After the death of the Earl of Shrewsbury, the rout of the English army was completed; Chaftillon furrendered to the French the next day; and Charles recovered poffeffion of Bourdeaux, and all Guienne. The Earl's body was brought over to England, and buried at Whitchurch in Shropshire, where a noble monument was erected for him on the fouth wall of the chancel. In his epitaph he was ftiled, " Earl of Shrewsbury, "Lord Talbot, Lord Furnival, Lord Verdon, Lord Strange of "Blackmore, and Marshal of France." But an old English hiftorian, who has affirmed, though as it appears erroneously, that he was buried at Rouen in Normandy, has given the following enumeration of his titles: John Talbot, Earl of "Shrewsbury, Wexford, Waterford, and Valence, Lord Tal"bot of Goodritch and Orchenfield, Lord Strange of Blackmore, Lord Verdon of Acton, Lord Cromwell of Wingfield, "Lord Lovetoft of Worfop, Lord Furnival of Sheffield, Lord 2 E 2 "Fauconbridge,

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