Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 28.djvu/249

Humphrey of Burgundy for the mastery of the Netherlands. The French rejoiced at the prospects of the overthrow of the Anglo-Burgundian alliance. Letters of Gloucester and others were forged (probably at the instigation of the new constable, Arthur of Richmond; but cf., Le Connétable de Richemont, pp.501-3) to make Philip believe that Bedford was in secret league with his brother and was plotting his assassination (, Hist. de Charles VII, ii. 658-60;, Mémoires de l'Académie de Bruxelles, tome 32, 1867, publishes the forgeries from the Lille archives and maintains the reality of the plot). But Bedford, though requesting the pope to legitimatise his brother's marriage (, ii. 388), really strained every effort to check Humphrey's ambition. He joined at once with Burgundy in offering to mediate between Gloucester and Brabant. On 15 Feb.' 1424 Gloucester accepted the offer, provided that the case were settled by March. It was not till June that the arbiters referred the question to Pope Martin V, whom Gloucester had already requested to pronounce against the validity of Jacqueline's marriage to Brabant (ib. ii. 392-3, 401-4). But Gloucester now collected five thousand soldiers and crossed over to Calais on 16 Oct., accompanied by Jacqueline, bent on conquering Hainault (ib. ii. 397; cf. Beckington Correspondence, i. 281). He delayed a few days at Calais, whence he wrote on 27 Oct. an intemperate letter to the pope against a papal collector (ib. i. 279-80). He marched peaceably through the Burgundian territories, and, reaching Hainault, found no open resistance. On 4 Dec. the estates of Hainault recognised him as count, and next day he took the oaths and entered formally on that office. The faction of the Hoeks in Holland also rose in arms to support his claims (, ii. 18, 362-8; Particularités Curieuses sur Jacqueline de Bavière, No. 7 des publications de la Société des Bibliophiles de Mons, 1838; F., Jakobäa von Bayern und ihre Zeit, 1869; , Beiträge zur Geschichte der Jacobäa von Bayern in Abhandlungen der historischen Classe der bayerischen Academic der Wissenschaften, x. 1-112 and 205-336).

Philip of Burgundy concluded a truce with France and hurried to the delivery of Brabant. After a hot correspondence (printed with some variations of text in, ii. 213-25; ; and , ii. 95-105) he challenged Gloucester to a duel, and Humphrey accepted the proposal. But his enthusiasm for Jacqueline and her cause was over. He had found a new mistress in one of the ladies who had accompanied her from England. This was Eleanor Cobham, daughter of Lord Cobham of Sterborough, a handsome, greedy, sensual woman of doubtful antecedents. Taking an affectionate farewell of Jacqueline, Gloucester went back to England with Eleanor on pretence of preparing for his duel with Philip, but that Bedford and the pope forbade (, iv. 231;, 1422-31, i. 176; , ii. 412-14). Burgundy overran Hainault and captured Jacqueline in June 1425. He had already occupied Holland and Zealand as the heir of the ex-bishop of Liege, who had died in January. In September Jacqueline escaped to Holland and made herself mistress of most of the country. Gloucester, though unwilling or unable to go in person, sent five hundred troops under Lord Fitzwalter to her help (, p.200). But in January 1426 she was beaten by Philip at Brouwershaven, and Gloucester grew more indifferent as her prospects darkened.

During Gloucester's absence abroad the council had governed and Beaufort had become chancellor. He came back in April 1425 embittered by failure, broken in health, and crippled by debt. He was present at the parliament which met on 30 April, and was forbidden to continue further his quarrel with Burgundy. He was treated with great forbearance and allowed to borrow large sums of money. The council, however, strongly rebuked him, although it gave him the lucrative wardship of the Mortimer estates of the Duke of York, who was a minor. A personal quarrel between Gloucester and Beaufort followed. A riot between their supporters took place in London on 30 Oct. The council implored Bedford to return to heal the feud, and on 10 Jan. 1426 he arrived in London [see Beaufort, Henry (DNB00), bishop of Winchester, d. 1447]. It was the first time that Gloucester had seen him since Henry Vs death. Gloucester signed a bond of unity, in which he agreed to form no alliance without his brother's consent (Beckington Correspondence, i. 139-45), but efforts to reconcile his feud with Beaufort at first failed. On 18 Feb. parliament, however, met at Leicester, and the peers arbitrated between nephew and uncle. Beaufort denied a series of wild charges brought against him by Gloucester, and on 12 March Gloucester accepted his disavowal and took him by the hand. But Beaufort resigned the chancellorship.

Bedford remained in England and acted as protector. 'Let my brother govern as he list whilst he is in this land,' Gloucester said to his friends, 'for after his going over into France I will govern as me seemeth good.' He also boasted that 'if he had done anything that touched the king in his sovereign Rh