The Countess of Hainault, pleading the ties of family and royal interests, managed to give the _dauphin_ a bias towards peace; and the _dauphin_ in his turn worked upon the mind of the king, who was becoming more and more feeble and accessible to the most opposite impressions.

It was in vain that the most intimate friends of the Duke of Orleans tried to keep the king steadfast in his wrath from night to morning.

One day, when he was still in bed, one of them softly approaching and putting his hand under the coverlet, said, plucking him by the foot, "My lord, are you asleep ?" "No, cousin," answered the king; "you are quite welcome; is there anything new ?" "No, sir; only that your people report that if you would assault Arras there would be good hope of effecting an entry." "But if my cousin of Burgundy listens to reason, and puts the town into my hands without assault, we will make peace." "What! sir; you would make peace with this wicked, this disloyal man who so cruelly had your brother slain ?" "But all was forgiven him with the consent of my nephew of Orleans," said the king mournfully.

"Alas! sir, you will never see that brother again." "Let me be, cousin," said the king, impatiently; "I shall see him again on the day of judgment." Notwithstanding this stubborn way of working up the irreconcilable enmities which caused divisions in the royal family, peace was decided upon and concluded at Arras, on the 4th of September, 1414, on conditions as vague as ever, which really put no end to the causes of civil war, but permitted the king on the one hand and the Duke of Burgundy on the other, to call themselves and to wear an appearance of being reconciled.

A serious event which happened abroad at that time was heavily felt in France, reawakened the spirit of nationality, and opened the eyes of all parties a little to the necessity of suspending their own selfish disagreements.