But the mind of Henry, though endowed with tho most shining qualities, and sublimest virtues, had not escaped the superstition of the age, and in the religious differences which then agitated the kingdom, he was led to support, with his countenance and authority, the esta blished clergy in all their oppressions. The Lollards had become formidable to the church by their numbers and popularity, and at their head was Sir John Oldcastle, Lord Cobham, a man of valour and abilities, who had been distinguished with the favour both of Henry and his father. The zeal and high character of this noble man pointed him out to the clergy as a fit object of per secution. His punishment would strike terror into his party, and convince them that the laws enacted during the last reign for their suppression, would be rigorously enforced. The Archbishop of Canterbury, accordingly, applied to Henry for permission to bring Lord Cobham to trial for his heretical opinions ; but the generous na ture of the king was averse to such violent measures ; and he first endeavoured, by a private conversation with that nobleman, to bring him to renounce his errors. Cob ham, however, was resolute in maintaining his opinions; and Henry finding him immoveable, gave him up to the fury of his enemies. He was then indicted by the pri mate, and condemned to suffer death by fire. But he made his escape from the Tower before the execution of his sentence ; and provoked by persecution, and sti mulated by religious zeal, he was induced to attempt the most criminal enterprizes. He endeavoured to rouse his party in defence of their principles, and formed the design of seizing the king's person, and taking ven geance on their enemies. But the attempt was frus trated by the activity of Ilenry, and the conspirators dis persed. Some of them were taken and executed, but the greater number were pardoned. Cobham, who had made his escape, after undergoing a variety of distresses, was apprehended about four years after. He was first hanged as a traitor, and his body was then burned on the gibbet as a heretic: This insurrection served only to bring discredit upon the reformers, and checked for a time the progress of their party. More severe laws were enacted by parliament against their opinions, which were now regarded as treasonable and dangerous to the state; and all magistrates were obliged to take an oath that they would use their utmost endeavours for the extirpation of heresy.
The ambitious spirit of Henry was now invited to engage in enterprizes more congenial to his wishes. The animosities of the rival families of Orleans and Burgundy had broken out afresh, and their hatred be came more implacable than ever. The Duke of Burgun dy, by an act of the basest treachery, had procured the assassination of his rival in the streets of Paris; and the princes of the blood, combining with young Orleans, rose to avenge the murder of their relative. The civil wars were thus renewed, and consumed the very vitals of the monarchy. The unhappy king, seized sometimes by one party, sometimes by another, transferred alter nately to each the appearance of legal authority. Henry resolved to profit by these confusions, and to attempt the recovery of those dominions which had formerly been given up in successive treaties with France. He accord
ingly sent ambassadors to Paris, demanding Catharine, the French king's (laughter, in marriage, with two mil lions of crowns as her portion; the restitution of Nor mandy, with all the other provinces that had been wrest ed from England, together with the superiority of Brit tany and Flanders. This message threw the French court into the utmost consternation. They knew the abilities of their enemy, and were conscious of their own desperate condition. They therefore endeavoured to avert the danger by negotiation. They replied that they were willing to give him the princess in marriage, with eight hundred thousand crowns ; to resign the full sovereignty of Guienne, and to annex to it the country of Perigord, Rovergue, Xaintonge, the Anjou mois, and other territories. But Henry was deaf to their proposals; and as he could have no expectation of his own demands being complied with, lie had been di ligently preparing for war. lie had assembled a large fleet and army at Southampton, and was ready to em bark with his principal nobility, when he was arrested by the intelligence of a conspiracy at home.
The Earl of Cambridge, second son of the late Duke of York, had married the sister of the Earl of Alarche, and had, along with Lord Scrupe of Masham, and Sir Thomas Grey of Henan, formed the design of raising that nobleman to the throne. But they were discovered before their measures were ripe for execution ; and hat ing confessed their guilt, they were immediately brought to trial, condemned, and executed. This short delay, how ever, had nearly proved fatal to Henry's enterprize. Ile landed at Harfieur about the middle of August, with 6000 men at arms, and 24,000 foot, and began his ope rations with the siege of that place. But the vigorous defence of the garrison, and the unusual heal of the sea son, had so wasted his army with fatigue and disease, that he had no sooner got possession of the town, than he was obliged to think of returning to England. The interval of the siege, however, had been improved by the French, in assembling a numerous army of 14,000 me.:1 at arms, and 40,000 foot, commanded by the Coo stable D'Albert; and as Ileury had dismissed his trans ports, he was under the necessity of marching by land to Calais, in the face of this overwhelming force. Aware of the danger of such an attempt, he offered to sacrifice the conquest of Ilarfieur for a safe retreat. But the proposal was objected to by the enemy, and he had no alternative but to force his way by his valour and conduct. 1Ic directed his course towards the Somme, proceeding by easy marches, and encouraging his men by submitting him self to all their fatigues and privations ; and seized by surprize a passage of that river near St Quintin. But as he approached the small village of Agincourt, he be held the whole French army drawn up in the plain, with a determination to arrest his progress. A battle was now inevitable, though against the most fearful odds ; and the safety of the English army depended on its is sue. But the victory of Agincourt, which was the con sequence of it, saved Henry from his perilous situation, and enabled him to continue his march without molesta tion to Calais. For a particular account of this battle, see AGINCOURT.