nces on the
frontier.

[Illustration: View of Bordeaux.]

[Sidenote: Guienne.]

There were still large possessions held by the English in the
southwestern part of France on the Garonne. The capital of this
territory, which was the celebrated province of Guienne, was
Bordeaux,[11] a large and important city in those days as now. It
stands on the bank of the river where it begins to widen toward the
sea, and thus it was accessible to the English in their ships as well
as when coming with their armies by land. It was a place of great
strength as well as of commanding position, being provided with
castles and towers to defend it from the landward side, and thick
walls and powerful batteries along the margin of the water.

[Footnote 11: See map.]

[Sidenote: Bordeaux lost.]

Suffolk did all in his power to raise and send off re-enforcements to
the army in Guienne, but it was in vain. The English were driven out
of one town and castle after another, until, at last, Bordeaux itself
fell, and all was lost.

[Sidenote: Excitement in England.]

The resentment and rage of the people of England now knew no bounds.
Suffolk was universally denounced as the author of all these dire
calamities. Lampoons and satires were written against him; he was
hooted sometimes by the populace of London when he appeared in the
streets, and every thing portended a gathering storm. At length, in
the fall of 1449, a Parliament was summoned. When it was convened,
Suffolk appeared in the House of Lords as usual, and, rising in his
place, he called the attention of the peers to the angry and
vindictive denunciations which were daily heaped upon him by the
public, declaring that he was wholly ignorant of the crimes which were
laid to his charge, and challenging his enemies to bring forward any
proof to sustain their accusations.

[Sidenote: Braving the storm.]

A spirit of bold defiance like this might have been successful in some
cases, perhaps, in driving back the tide of hostility and hate which
was rising so rapidly, but in this instance it seemed to have the
contrary effect. The enemies of Suffolk in the House of Commons took
up the challenge at once. They were strong enough to carry the house
with them. They passed an address to the peers, requesting them to
cause Suffolk to be arrested and imprisoned. They would, they said,
immediately bring forward the proofs of his guilt.

[Sidenote: Accusations made.]

The Lords replied