m back, by degrees, to his natural connections with his family
and his native country.

About the same time, the duke of Brittany began to withdraw himself
from the English alliance. His brother, the count of Richemont, though
connected by marriage with the dukes of Burgundy and Bedford, was
extremely attached by inclination to the French interest; and he
willingly hearkened to all the advances which Charles made him for
obtaining his friendship. The staff of constable, vacant by the earl of
Buchan's death, was offered him; and as his martial and ambitious temper
aspired to the command of armies, which he had in vain attempted to
obtain from the duke of Bedford, he not only accepted that office, but
brought over his brother to an alliance with the French monarch. The new
constable, having made this one change in his measures, firmly adhered
ever after to his engagements with France. Though his pride and
violence, which would admit of no rival in his master's confidence,
and even prompted him to assassinate the other favorites, had so much
disgusted Charles, that he once banished him the court, and refused to
admit him to his presence, he still acted with vigor for the service of
that monarch, and obtained at last, by his perseverance, the pardon of
all past offences.

{1426.} In this situation, the duke of Bedford, on his return, found the
affairs of France, after passing eight months in England. The duke
of Burgundy was much disgusted. The duke of Brittany had entered into
engagements with Charles, and had done homage to that prince for his
duchy. The French had been allowed to recover from the astonishment
into which their frequent disasters had thrown them. An incident too
had happened, which served extremely to raise their courage. The earl of
Warwick had besieged Montargis with a small army of three thousand men,
and the place was reduced to extremity, when the bastard of Orleans
undertook to throw relief into it. This general, who was natural son to
the prince assassinated by the duke of Burgundy, and who was afterwards
created count of Dunois, conducted a body of one thousand six hundred
men to Montargis, and made an attack on the enemy's trenches with so
much valor, prudence, and good fortune, that he not only penetrated into
the place, but gave a severe blow to the English, and obliged Warwick
to raise the siege.[*] This was the first signal action that raised the
fame of Dunois, and opened him the road to tho