ing's death. John, or Bedford, as he was commonly called, was in
France, where he had been pursuing a very renowned and successful
career, in extending and maintaining the English conquests in that
country.

[Sidenote: Division of power.]

The leading nobles and officers of the government were assembled in
council soon after the old king's death, and in order to prevent the
breaking out of the quarrels which were otherwise to have been
anticipated between these uncles, they determined to divide the power
as nearly as possible in an equal manner among them. So they appointed
Thomas, the Duke of Exeter, who seems to have been less ambitious and
warlike in his character than the rest, to the charge and custody of
the young king's person. Humphrey, the Duke of Gloucester, was made
Protector of England, and John, the Duke of Bedford, the Regent of
France. Thus they were all seemingly satisfied.

[Sidenote: Quarrels.]

[Sidenote: Beaufort and Gloucester.]

But the peace which resulted from this arrangement did not continue
very long. Pretty soon a certain Henry Beaufort, a bishop, was
appointed to be associated with Henry's uncle Thomas in the personal
charge of the king. This Henry Beaufort was Henry's great-uncle, being
one of the sons of John of Gaunt. He was a younger son of his father,
and so was brought up to the Church, and had been appointed Bishop of
Winchester, and afterward made a cardinal. Thus he occupied a very
exalted position, and possessed a degree of wealth, and power, and
general consequence little inferior to those of the grandest nobles in
the land. He was a man, too, of great capacity, very skillful in
manoeuvring and intriguing, and he immediately began to form ambitious
schemes for himself which he designed to carry into effect through the
power which the custody of the young king gave him. He was, of course,
very jealous of the influence and power of the Duke of Gloucester, and
the Duke of Gloucester became very jealous of him. It was not long
before occasions arose which brought the two men, and their bands of
followers, into direct and open collision.

[Sidenote: Progress of the quarrel.]

I can not here go into a full account of the particulars of the
quarrel. One of the first difficulties was about the Tower of London,
which Beaufort had under his command, and where there was a prisoner
whom Gloucester wished to set at liberty. Then there was a great riot
and disturbance on London Bridge,