KATHERINE 0 E FRANCE, (Èira nî Irartj tljt fiîïi). CHAPTER I. Katherine*s birth, parentage, and unfortunate childhood—Her hand demanded in marriagefor Henry the Fifth, then Prince of Wales—On his accession, Henry repeats the demand, which is refused—Preparations for war—The Southampton conspiracy—Henry invades Prance—Reduces Harfleur—Battle of Agincourt—Terrible state of France—Katherine's portrait—Fall of Rouen—Conferences at Maulent —Henry falls in love with Katherine—Failure of her mother sfinesse—Warrenewed—Henry is made regent of France, and married to Katherine—Johan Oforts letter—Sieges of Montereau and Milan—Henry and Katherine enter Paris in triumph—Voyage to England—Coronation of Katherine—Progress to the north—• Death of the Duke of Clarence—Release of the King of Scots. s ATHEPJNE OF with the Duke of Orleans, emptied the FRANCE, young-treasury, plundered the revenues of the cst sister of Isabella, royal household, and shutting up her tbe second consort helpless husband and children in the of the unfortunate Hotel do St. Pol, left them to starve Richard the Second, there, without money, clothing, or food. was born on the The superior attendants and domestics, twenty - seventh of being without food or wages, quitted October, 1401, at the Hotel de St. Pol, the hotel one after the other, and at in Paris, where sho passed the early last, the king and his children were only years of her truly unfortunate childkept alive by the kind attention of a hood. Her father, Charles the Sixth, few grateful menials, who, in this hour of of 1·'ranee, was incapacitated from rultrouble, had not the heart to desert them. ing either his household or his kingIn 1405, the hapless sufferings of the dom, by severe fits of insanity. In 1404, royal children of France were brought say the chroniclers, France was in a to an unexpected termination. Towards truly pitiable plight. Pestilence, famine, the summer time, King Charles suddenly and civil commotion, were rife throughrecovered his senses and assumed the out the laud. The king was mad, the regal reins, which so alarmed the Queen court distracted with party strife, when j and the Duke of Orleans, that, conscious Katherine's mother, Isabella of Bavaria, of their guilt, they precipitately fled to a woman detestable in her character, and ! Milan. The royal children they ordered capable of the greatest crimes, intrigued I to be brought after them ; but whilst in