thro' any great Matters thefe Forces did. It's true, they took Chaftillon, Bar, Semur, and divers other Places, and with fo much Eafe, that if the Emperor had affifted his Son ever fo little, he had at that Time reconquered all the Dutchy: But d'Amboife, who had Men and Money enough, foon chafed poor Maximilian out of the Places he had taken; 1479 whereupon the Truce was again renewed for fome Months.

But, as foon as the fecond Truce was expired, Chaumont, the French General, fcoured all the Country before him, even to Doll, which was delivered up thro' the Treachery of the German Forces; and they introduced the French, who facked and destroyed it in fuch a Manner, that it became a Heap of Ruins. At the fame time, Maximilian, with his Forces, laid Siege to Tournay; but on the Approach of the French Army under Defquerdes, he drew off to give him Battle: They engaged near the Village of Guynegafte, where the Flemings at firft were forced to give Ground; but the French pufhing their Charge too far, the Counts of Naffau and Romant, rallying their Troops, put them to Flight, and obliged the Enemy to quit the Field, which gained Maximilian no little Reputation, and was the Means of putting the Affairs of Burgundy upon a much better Footing.

In March this Year, Lewis happened to be 1480. at a Village near Chinon, where he was fud

denly deprived of his Speech and Senfes, neither of which did he recover for two Days; and even then his Body remained weak and languifhing, under which Indifpofition he laboured to his Death. Being in this Condition, he was glad to make a

Truce with Maximilian for feven Months, 1481. to commence from Auguft; and the fame was afterwards prolonged for a further Time. Thro' thefe Proceedings, the Dutchefs of Burgundy's Affairs begun to have a favourable Afpect, and had

a

a good Profpect of enjoying Peace for the fu-
ture; but she was then taken off by a Fall from her
Horse as she was going a Hunting, and died
at Ghent the 25th of May, being pregnant; 1482.
however the left two Children behind her,

Philip and Margaret, of whom we shall speak more in
the Course of this History.

Philip,
Duke of

Burgundy.

Upon the Death of the Dutchefs, her only Son Philip fucceeded as Duke of Burgundy; and foon after War between Lewis and Maximilian was again renewed, and carried on with great Vigour and various Success on both Sides; but at length it was terminated by a Match between Charles the Dauphin, and Margaret, Maximilian's Daughter, who was then fcarce two Years of Age, and Charles not thirteen.

This Treaty was concluded at Clory, where Lewis then was; but Margaret was not carried into France till the April following, and the Wedding was celebrated at Amboife in July, 1483, which Match, as was faid, gave fo great Uneafiness to our Edward, that it hastened his Death, tho' it afterwards came to nothing.

Lewis was now, by this Agreement, at full Liberty to put his Designs on Brittany in Exe- 1483. cution; and for that End he again prepared for the Conqueft of that Dutchy. In the first Place he feized a large Quantity of Arms, which Duke Francis had caufed to be made for him at Milan; next he endeavoured to prevail on the King of Arragon to abandon the Duke, and drop the Alliance he had lately made with him for his Defence. So fure was Lewis of being able to reduce Brittany, that he rejected the Alliance of Richard the IIId of England, who earnestly fought his Friendship: But the Subduction of Brittany was not yet come; for Lewis's Death put an End to his vaft Designs, and left the Completion of them to his Succeffor.

H

This King died in the Month of March this Year, who had, without all Difpute, great Talents for governing, having a wonderful Vivacity of Judgment, a fingular Quickness of Imagination, a great deal of Art and Facility of Speech, great Courage in War, and a Liberality worthy the primitive Heroes. Nevertheless, he had no Sincerity of Heart, his Refolutions never aimed at any Thing but Craft and Difguife; he had really a Medley of Qualities as oppofite to each other, as they were contrary to his own Repofe and Glory. During his Time Iron Cages were made to confine State Prifoners; and a finifhing Stroke was put to the Authority of the antient Parliaments of France.

Two Things happened very remarkable in his Reign, to wit, a League was made between the French and the Swifs, whereby the latter undertook to affift the former with Troops for hire, which was the first League that was made of that kind; the other was the Settlement of the Poft, which has fince been of infinite Advantage to the Publick in general. To fum up Lewis's Character in a Word, tho' he was allowed to have fome good Qualities, yet he was generally esteemed a very cruel Prince.

He caufed Charles his only Son to be educated at Amboife, and, fave his ordinary Servants, none were admitted to his Prefence.

Notwithstanding this Prince had met Charles VIII, with fuch Ufage, he afcended the Throne King of France. on his Father's Death, by the Name of Charles the VIIIth; and there was no Difpute about a Regency, becaufe, as he was entered into his fourteenth Year, he was no longer a Minor, according to the irrevocable Ordinance of Charles the Vth, who fettled the Age of Majority: But this Age did not exempt him from the Neceffity of having fome Perfon about him, on whom he might rely for the Management of Affairs, and who in his Name might exercise the chief Authority in the Government,

The

The late King had, before his Death, declared it to be his Pleasure, that Ann of France, his eldest Daughter, should have the Administration (during the Minority of his Son) who was called Madam de Beaujeu. She is described in History as a Lady of fuperior Talents, of a penetrating and judicious Understanding, couragious and conftant, exempt from the ordinary Foibles of her Sex, and every way qualified by fundry great Endowments for the Direction and Command of the State.

At the fame time the Court was divided between two other Rivals for the Regency, namely Lewis Duke of Orleans, and John Duke of Bourbon; each of whom had his Abettors, and thought of forming a Party, which unhappy Competition held all France in Sufpenfe. Madam de Beaujeu, who forefaw the dangerous Confequences of thefe Divifions, proposed an Expedient whereby to end them, viz. to refer the Matter to the Determination of the Affembly of the States; to which Propofal the Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon were obliged to confent, and the States were ordered to affemble to settle the Point: But the Duke of Orleans, in the mean time, to fecure a proper Retreat, in cafe he should be disappointed in his Pretenfions, entered into a clofe Alliance with the Duke of Brittany, whereby he fecured fuch Affiftance as would enable him to defend himself against his Enemies ; and the Reason, that at first prevailed on the Duke of Brittany to declare for the Duke of Orleans, was owing to the following Accident.

Francis the IId, Duke of Brittany, had a Favourite, named Landois, who we have before mentioned; he was, as fome Hiftorians relate, only the Son of a poor Taylor at Vitre, and, by being employed by the Duke's Taylor as a Journeyman, had fome Accefs to the Palace; where he was firft taken Notice of, for his Vivacity, by fome of those that had been employed by the Duke in his Love Intrigues, He no fooner got Admiffion

Admiffion to Court, than he made his Way, even over the Shoulders of those who had been the Inftruments of his being taken notice of; for he was bold and ambitious, and never tied down by Conscience, Honour, or Gratitude: He was fo affiduous in his Function of Pimping, that the Duke thought it proper to raise him to the important Poft of Treasurer, against the Advice of those who was his most faithful Servants. But others aver, Landois was a Man of as much Craft and Subtilty as any at that Time in Europe. The Breton Nobility, whom he depressed, confpired to destroy him; their first Attempt proved unfuccefsful, and the Sentence, that was given against them, was no less than Death, which obliged feveral of them to quit Brittany, in order to avoid falling a Sacrifice to the Favourite's Revenge, who applied to the Lady Ann of Beaujeu, to obtain the King, her Brother's Protection, which he was pleafed to grant them.

Landcis, on the other hand, feeing his Enemies had recourfe to the Lady Ann, thought he could not do better than rely on the Affiftance of the Duke of Orleans. To that End he intreated him to come to the Court of Brittany, affuring him, that he should not want the Duke his Mafter's Affiftance upon all Occafions; and the Duke, pleased with the Hopes Landois had infpired him with, came to Brittany, where he was extremely careffed.

Madam de Beaujeu, who had Reafon to fufpect, that fome Ill might enfue from the Duke of Orleans being fo kindly received, and staying in Brittany, procured an Order from the King, to require him to return immediately to France, to affift in the States affembled at Tours, and at the King's Coronation. There could have been no Pretence for recalling him more fpecious than this, and the Duke of Orleans had no visible Reason to excufe his Compliance with these two Duties; therefore he took Leave of the Duke