CHARLES VII., King of France (1422-61), the son and successor of Charles VI., was b. on 22d Feb., 1403. On his father's death he was at the head of an army, with which he held possession of the southern provinces of the kingdom; Paris and the north being in the hands of the English, who proclaimed Henry VI. of England king of France, and appointed the duke of Bedford regent. For some time the events of war were unfavor able to C., who was compelled, in 1424, to evacuate Champagne, and, in 1425, Maine. In 1426, the count Dunois gained the first victory over the English at Montargis; but in the year following they besieged Orleans, a place of great importance to C., as securing a connection with the north, and he was roused to fresh energy. At this time, also, Joan of Are (q.v.), the maid of Orleans, by her wonderful courage and confidence of a heavenly mission, roused the fervor both of nobles and people. The siege of Orleans was raised in May, 1429; the English retired disheartened, and gradually lost their acquisi tions in France. A treaty between the French king and the duke of Burgundy greatly advanced the French cause. In 1436, C. entered Paris; and during the further progress
of the war, the English lost all their strongholds except Calais. In 1452, they were finally defeated at Castillon. After he was established on his throne, C. devoted him self to the reorganization of the government, in which everything had fallen into con fusion, but showed a strong anxiety to frame it according to a scheme of perfect despotism, and for this purpose to provide himself with a powerful and well-disciplined standing army, which caused some discontentment among the nobles of his kingdom. His government, however, was mild, and under it France recovered in some measure from the effects of the terrible calamities which it had endured. His last years were embit tered by the conduct of his son, the dauphin, afterwards Louis XI.; and his apprehen sion that his son would poison him was so strong, that his consequent abstinence from food is supposed to have hastened his death, which took place at 3Ielun on 22d July, 1461.