rival parties had reduced England to comparative impotence. I-Ier

successive losses in France were due ts much to her neglect of her subjects there as to any desire on their part to become French, or as to the ability of France to compel them against their will to range themselves on her side. This was shown in 145, when the Gaseous betrayed a decided desire to resume their old alleance, and when, had they been properly supported, they would probably have returned to it. The Earl of Shrewsbury, who was sent thither, took Bordeaux by sm'prise, and gained some other sue- eesses; lint the advantage was not followed up, and the G,seons, disgusted, easily resinruled themselves a few months later to final severance from England, after three hundred years of union with it.

The misfortmes of England were precipitated by the insanity from which the king began to suflbr in 1453. The queen's party could not prevent the appointment of the Duke of York as Protector; but when Hcnry temporarily recovered his faculties in 1455, the duke found it expedient to retire to the north, and to take up arms. The first battle of St. Albans and the death of Somerset in 5Iay, 1455, combined with the renewed insanity of the king, restored York to the Protectorship, and, for a brief space, some sort of quiet to the country; but the intrigues of the queen did not cease; and, Henry once more recovering in Februmj, 1456, the duke was again displaced, aud Margaret found better opportunity than ever for the prosecution of her treasonMle designs.

One of the results of her machinations was a descent by France upon the coast of Kent. In August, 1457, Pierre de Br6z, Seneschal of Normandy, with a fleet and four thousand soldiers, threw eighteen hundred men tinbore near Sandwich, sm'prised the place, taking some vessels which were there, pillaged and burnt the town, aud then retired, though not until the inhabitants had caused them considerable loss. In the fight, three hundred English are said to have fMleu. The moral eflkct of the raid was uot great, for the French remained at Sandwich only for one tide; a and, on the other hand, the nom than suspected complicity of the queen increased the distrust with which she was regarded, and improved the position of the Yorkists in the estimation of the more patriotic of the people. Nevertheless, in March, 1458, a solenm pacification was a'eed to in St. Paul's between the rival parties; and, for the

Fabian, 462; Graf ton, 630; Hall, L 88a.

Gurin, i. 268; Daniel, vi. 2"-.