“God forgive us,” exclaimed one of Henry’s courtiers who was present, “we are lost!  We have burned a saint!” It was the truth; and from the martyred girl’s ashes a new spirit seemed to go forth to bless her ungrateful country.  The heart of the French people was touched; they rose and drove the English invaders from the soil of France.

Before Henry VI reached his thirtieth year the Hundred Years’ War with France, which Edward III had begun (S237), was ended (1453), and England had lost all of her possessions on the Continent, except a bare foothold at Calais, and that was destined to be lost a few generations later (S373).

295.  Henry VI’s Character and Marriage.

When Henry became of age he proved to be but the shadow of a King.  His health and character were alike feeble.  At twenty-five he married the beautiful and unfortunate French Princess, Margaret of Anjou, who was by far the better man of the two.  When years of disaster came, this dauntless “Queen of tears” headed councils, led armies, and ruled both King and kingdom.

296.  Poverty of the Crown and Wealth of the Nobles.

One cause of the weakness of the government was its poverty.  The revenues of the Crown had been greatly diminished by gifts and grants to favorites.  The King was obliged to pawn his jewels and the silver plate from his table to pay his wedding expenses; and it is said on high authority[1] that the royal couple were sometimes in actual want of a dinner.

[1] Fortescue, on the “Government of England” (Plummer).

On the other hand, the Earl of Warwick and other great lords had made fortunes out of the French wars,[2] and lived in regal splendor.  This Earl, it is said, had at his different castles and his city mansion in London upwards of thirty thousand men in his service.  Their livery, or uniform, a bright red jacket with the Warwick arms—­a bear erect holding a ragged staff—­embroidered on it in white, was seen, known, and feared throughout the country.

[2] First, by furnishing troops to the government, the feudal system having now so far decayed that many soldiers had to be hired; secondly, by the plunder of French cities; thirdly, by ransoms obtained from noblemen taken prisoners.

Backed by such forces it was easy for the Earl and other powerful lords to overawe kings, parliaments, and courts.  Between the heads of the great houses quarrels were constantly breaking out.  The safety of the people was endanged by these feuds, which became more and more violent, and often ended in bloodshed and murer.

297.  Disfranchisement of the Common People, 1430.

With the growth of power on the part of the nobles, there was also imposed for the first time a restriction on the right of the people to vote for members of Parliament.  Up to this period all freemen might take part in the election of representatives chosen by the counties to sit in the House of Commons.