hout waiting for
a papal dispensation; without endeavoring to reconcile the duke of
Burgundy to the measure; he entered into a contract of marriage with
Jaqueline, and immediately attempted to put himself in possession of
her dominions. Philip was disgusted with so precipitate a conduct: he
resented the injury done to the duke of Brabant, his near relation:
he dreaded to have the English established on all sides of him: and
he foresaw the consequences which must attend the extensive and
uncontrolled dominion of that nation, if, before the full settlement of
their power, they insulted and injured an ally to whom they had already
been so much indebted, and who was still so necessary for supporting
them in their further progress. He encouraged, therefore, the duke of
Brabant to make resistance: he engaged many of Jaqueline's subjects to
adhere to that prince: he himself marched troops to his support: and as
the duke of Glocester still persevered in his purpose, a sharp war was
suddenly kindled in the Low Countries. The quarrel soon became personal
as well as political. The English prince wrote to the duke of Burgundy,
complaining of the opposition made to his pretensions; and though, in
the main, he employed amicable terms in his letter, he took notice of
some falsehoods into which, he said, Philip had been betrayed during
the course of these transactions. This unguarded expression was highly
resented: the duke of Burgundy insisted that he should retract it; and
mutual challenges and defiances passed between them on this occasion.[*]

* Monstrelet, vol. ii. p. 19, 20, 21.

The duke of Bedford could easily foresee the bad effects of so ill-timed
and imprudent a quarrel. All the succors which he expected from England,
and which were so necessary in this critical emergence, were intercepted
by his brother, and employed in Holland and Hainault: the forces of the
duke of Burgundy, which he also depended on, were diverted by the
same wars: and besides this double loss, he was in imminent danger of
alienating forever that confederate whose friendship was of the utmost
importance, and whom the late king had enjoined him, with his
dying breath, to gratify by every mark of regard and attachment. He
represented all these topics to the duke of Glocester: he endeavored to
mitigate the resentment of the duke of Burgundy: he interposed with his
good offices between these princes, but was not successful in any of his
endeavors; and