• cruel Design? This was really to feeth the Kid in "the Mother's Milk, and to make an innocent Youth ⚫ obnoxious to the most heinous Crime that could be committed: Whatever Curtains could be fpread to ' over-fhadow and cover this Mifchief, the. Horror of this Fact poffeffed this Prince to his laft Hour, and God, out of his Juftice, executed the Revenge of his Cruelty upon the Nobles, Commons, and the • Prince himself at the Field of Flodden, where some • of the chief Actors of this Parricide were in their 6 own Persons, and others in the Perfons of their Succeffors, facrificed to the Ghost of this King.'

The Prince was immediately, upon his Father's Death, proclaimed King, as has been related; but many of the Scotch refufed at firft to own him as fuch; because, faid they, he murdered his Father: This being the Cafe, that Country was for fome time in no little Confufion, in which Condition we fhall at prefent leave it, and proceed to Germany.

Frederick the IIId was elected Emperor Affairs of of Germany about the Year 1440, and was Germany. Frederick crowned at Aix-la-chapelle. In the Beginning the IIId. of his Reign he made divers good Laws for the Adminiftration of Juftice, the Civil

Government, and the Coinage.

Frederick had one Son, named MaxiMaximilian. milian, who, in his Infancy, was fubject to fo many Infirmities, that, even when he was nine or ten Years old, it was queftioned whether he would not be dumb, or a Natural: But this Defect was fo well corrected in his riper Years, that there appeared in him all the Qualifications neceffary to form a great Prince, being admired for his Eloquence, and Elegance, in fpeaking divers Languages. He had a ftrong Inclination for Learning, and was a great Patron to all who made Profeffion of it; and, not content with barely reading Hiftorians, and

other

Affairs of
Lewis the

France.

XItb.

1461.

other Authors, he often took Pen in Hand, and employed fome Hours in writing History. Lewis the XIth received the Kingdom of France in a more flourishing Eftate than it had been in for many Years before; that Crown having regained Anjou, Normandy, and Provence, which Provinces, as well as Brittany, were anciently Portions of it, but had been diffevered fo as they were allied to her only in Homage, being for a long Time governed by abfolute Princes of their own. There remained only what the Englife poffeffed about Calais, with Burgundy and Brittany, to be reunited, which once effected, the French Monarchy would be established upon the ancient Footing.

To fhew how far this was accomplished, in respect to the two laft mentioned Provinces, we fhall for a while leave our firft Purfuit, and trace the Steps taken by Lewis the XIth.

Affairs of
Britanny.
Francis the

IId.

1462.

The Dukes of Brittany exercised all Acts of Sovereignty, without any Exception: They entered into Alliances, and even against the King of France himself, without Apprehenfion of incurring any Difpleasure. They were conftantly fupported by England, Arragon, and Burgundy; fo that, till the Reign of Lewis the XIth, the Dukes of Brittany may te faid to have been rather like Allies than Feuditaries.

Lewis, a few Weeks after his Coronation, took a Tour into Brittany, under pretence of visiting the Abby of St. Saviour's of Radon, where Francis paid him Homage: But his real Defign was to obferve the Situation and Condition of the Country.

Burgandy.

Philip.

Philip, Duke of Burgundy, was prefent at Affairs of Lewis's Coronation, and paid him Homage in Perfon for the Earldoms of Flanders, Artois, &c. which was not expected from the Duke of Brittany, which we think plainly fhews,

1463.

that

that the Dukes of Brittany were not looked upon, by even the French Court, to have been dependent on that Crown.

Notwithstanding this prefumptive Proof 1464 of the Independency of the Dukes of Brittany, in which all French Authors concur, Lewis, who had formed Designs of defpoiling the Duke of his Poffeffions, raised a formidable Army this Year : But, juft as he was on the Point of fetting out for the Invasion of Brittany, a domestick Storm arofe, which feemed to threaten both his Life and Crown. The Princes of the Blood, and the far greater Part of the ancient Nobility, who had been neglected and unemployed ever fince his Acceffion to the Throne, entered into a League for the Maintenance of their own Dignities, and the Rights of the Subjects in general. This Confederacy, called the League of Publick Good (Lique du bien publique) was fermented and fupported by Edward the IVth, and the Dukes of Burgundy and Brittany; the Duke of Berry, the King's Brother, being at the Head of it, fupported by the Duke of Bourbon, Brother-in-law to Lewis, the Duke of Nemours, the Count de Dunois, the Count d'Arminac, the Count d'Albert, of the House of Navarre, and most of the prime Nobility, and the City of Paris.

The great Men, concerned in this League, retired from Paris, fome into Picardy, to join Charles, Son to the Duke of Burgundy, who was ready to enter France on that fide; fome into the Southern Provinces to raife Forces; and fome, among whom was the Duke of Berry, into Brittany, to join Duke Francis, who was preparing to act offenfively against his Oppreffor, Lewis, thus environed on every fide, by foreign_and domestick Foes, was obliged to poftpone his Designs upon Brittany, in order to preferve his own Life, Crown, and Poffeffions.

Our Intention not being to enter further into the Detail of this War, than what relates to Brittany and

Burgundy,

Burgundy, we fhall only fay, that, after the King had
been repulfed by Charles at Mont-lery, near Orleans,
and at other Pofts in the Neighbourhood of Pa-
ris, and fome of his Generals defeated by
the Duke of Brittany about Chartres, a Peace 1465.
was concluded at Conflans on the 30th of
October, 1465; in which Treaty Lewis agreed to the
Demands of the Confederates, particularly thofe of
the Duke of Brittany, in relation to the Rights and
Immunities of his Dutchy, and paid him a

Sum of Money to defray the Expences of his 1466.
Armament. But we fhall foon fee, that
Lewis was one of thofe Princes, who paid no other
Regard to Treaties, than that of Convenience.

For it appears, that in 1467, he difpoffeffed 1467. his Brother of the Dutchy of Normandy, which he had given him by the Treaty of Conflans, and conftrained him to take Refuge in Brittany, where Duke Francis received him as an Ally, whom he was ob liged to maintain in the Poffeffion of Normandy, not only as Guarantee of the Treaty of 1465, but for his own Preservation; therefore he fent Ambaffadors to Lewis to mediate a Reconciliation between him and his Brother: But Lewis had other Views; he defigned nothing less than the Conquest of Brittany, and had purposely laid his Snare for the Duke, whom he was fure would not abandon his Brother; the Ambaffadors of Brittany were difmiffed, and the Preparations for War were diligently carried on.

The Dukes of Brittany and Berry, having about this Time concerted Measures with their other Ally, the Duke of Burgundy, entered Normandy with a good Force, imagining the Burgundians would attack Lewis on the Side of Picardy at the fame time: But he had artfully cut out other Work for the Duke of Bur gundy, that he might meet with lefs Oppofition in his Defcent on Brittany: This was by fermenting an Infurrection at Liege, and his Expectations were fo F

fully

fully anfwered, that he entered Brittany at the Head of fifty thousand Men, and carried all before him: Yet being apprehenfive, that the Rebellion at Liege would be quelled before he could compleat the Conqueft, he condefcended to grant Duke Francis a Peace, but on very hard Terms: One Condition of which was, That he fhould for ever renounce all Alliance with 'the Dukes of Burgundy and Berry.' This Treaty was concluded at Amiens in 1467.

of Burgundy.

Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, died Charles Duke on the 15th of June this Year, aged 72, and was fucceeded by his Son Charles, who had had, for fome time before his Father's Death, the fole Direction of Affairs. This Duke was twice married; by his firft Wife he had one Daughter, named Mary; but no Children by his fecond, the famous Margaret, Sister to Edward the IVth, whom we have already mentioned.

Charles had always been zealous for the Duke of Brittany; and, looking with Regret on the hard Conditions imposed on him by Lewis, in the last Treaty, was induced to prepare to enter France, after On the he had quelled the Infurrection at Liege.

other hand, Lewis found Means to ftir up the Inhabitants of Liege a fecond time; and, that he might take away all Sufpicion from the Burgundians, he propofed an Interview, the better to adjust their Differences; but, happily for Duke Francis, the Gallic Fox was caught himself in the Snare he laid for the other.

To carry off his Difguife the better, Lewis would needs meet Charles at Peronne, a Fortress belonging to Burgundy; where being met, after the ufual Compliments, Lewis proposed to affift him with Troops, in order to reduce the Rebellion at Liege, and offered him three hundred thousand Crowns, if he would abandon the Duke of Brittany.

But