These pretences he put forward, hardly a year after his accession to the
throne, basing them, as Edward III. had done, on the alleged right of
Isabel of France, wife of Edward II., to succeed King John. No reply was
vouchsafed from Paris to this demand. Only the Princess Catherine, who
was but thirteen, was presented to the envoys of the King of England, and
she struck them as being tall and beautiful. A month later, in August,
1414, Henry V. gave Charles VI. to understand that he would be content
with a strict execution of the treaty of Bretigny, with the addition of
Normandy, Anjou, and Maine, and the hand of the Princess Catherine with a
dowry of two million crowns. The war between Charles VI. and John the
Fearless caused a suspension of all negotiations on this subject; but,
after the peace of Arras, in January, 1415, a new and solemn embassy from
England arrived at Paris, and the late proposals were again brought
forward. The ambassadors had a magnificent reception; splendid presents
and entertainments were given them; but no answer was made to their
demands; they were only told that the King of France was about to send an
embassy to the King of England. It did not set out before the 27th of
the following April; the Archbishop of Bourges, the most eloquent prelate
in the council, was its spokesman; and it had orders to offer the King of
England the hand of the Princess Catherine with a dowry of eight hundred
and forty thousand golden crowns, besides fifteen towns in Aquitaine and
the seneschalty of Limoges. Henry V. rejected these offers, declaring
that, if he did not get Normandy and all the districts ceded by the
treaty of Bretigny, he would have recourse to war to recover a crown
which belonged to him. To this arrogant language the Archbishop of
Bourges replied, "O king, what canst thou be thinking of that thou
wouldst fain thus oust the King of the French, our lord, the most noble
and excellent of Christian kings, from the throne of so powerful a
kingdom? Thinkest thou that it is for fear of thee and of the English
that he hath made thee an offer of his daughter together with so great a