The Sun in Splendour - Plaidy Jean (электронную книгу бесплатно без регистрации .txt) 📗

Edward's suspicion that the Duke of Burgundy had wished the English to fight his battles with the French was confirmed when the Duke came to meet him, not at the head of an army but with nothing more than a personal bodyguard and in the first meehng explaining, with some embarrassment that he had to leave at once for the defence of Luxembourg.

Louis in the meantime had followed Edward's lead in sending a herald to the English camp who was more than he appeared to be. This man told Edward in a private interview that Louis was prepared to consider the suggestions which had been put to him and suggested a meeting at Picquigny.

Edward called together a council of his commanders. This included his brothers Clarence and Gloucester, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, his stepson Thomas, Rivers, Hastings and a few others. Edward laid the proposition before them. The Duke of Burgundy had gone to Luxembourg and had therefore deserted them; the King of France was ready to treat for peace. It seemed to Edward that they might come very well out of the excursion without having been engaged in the smallest battle.

Richard spoke up. The people paid their benevolences to win victory in France. The soldiers have joined your banner in the hope of capturing booty to take home. The people want to hear of victories. You have taken their money under false pretences if you do not fight.'

Edward looked at his brother quizzically. 'My dear brother,' he said, 'you are over concerned with this scrupulous reckoning of yours. Wars have done no good to our country. We have lost all we won. Now we stand a chance of getting something very substantial from the King of France without bloodshed or the loss of our equipment.'

'I see your point,' said Richard. 'But what will the people say? They will not get what they paid their taxes for . . . call them benevolences if you will, they are still taxes.'

'I tell you great good will come from this. You will be surprised what the King of France is ready to pay for peace.'

'To pay to whom?' asked Richard. 'To the soldiers who have come for booty? To the people at home who have paid for a war?'

Edward laid his hand on his brother's shoulder. 'Richard,' he said, 'the others among us see my point. They will follow me in this.'

'And you would do it if they did not/ said Richard with a shrug of his shoulders.

'You will see/ said Edward.

He then discussed the terms he would put before Louis. First there should be a truce of seven years duration; there should be free trading between the two countries. Louis would pay Edward seventy-five thousand gold crowns immediately and fifty thousand a year; the Dauphin should marry Edward's eldest daughter Elizabeth.

These terms seemed very harsh but to the amazement of the English Louis accepted them. It had all been so much easier than Edward had thought and he could not see that the arrangement was anything but a triumph of strategy. He had amassed an enormous army which seemed invincible; he had come to France and so frightened Louis that he had been eager to make terms at once.

When Charles of Burgundy came riding with all speed to Edward's camp he demanded to know why Edward had made such terms with the enemy.

'The King of France is no longer my enemy/ said Edward. 'My daughter is to marry his son.'

Burgundy sneered. 'And you think Louis will ever allow that to come to pass?'

'We are coming to an amicable agreement about the matter. . . and others.'

Burgundy was furious. 'So you come with your armies like a conqueror and slink away like a paid lackey of the King of France.'

Edward retained his imperturbable good humour. 'Not so. Not so. I shall leave as triumphantly as I came—a richer man and my armies intact to make sure the peace stays with us.'

Burgundy left in a rage and Edward could not repress his gratification to see the mighty Duke so nonplussed.

There followed the meeting with Louis. The two Kings made a startling contrast. Edward was splendid, wearing a gown of cloth of gold lined with red satin. Out of compliment to the French he wore a black velvet cap aglitter with jewels in the shape of the fleur-de-lis. Louis was very soberly clad and so drab did he look beside the brilliant King of England that Hastings murmured that he looked like a mountebank.

The terms were agreed and the King of France was extremely

affable not only to Edward but to all those who, he thought, would be important to keeping the peace.

There was one notable absence and this disturbed him. Richard Duke of Gloucester had declared that he would have none of the treaty and therefore he would not be present on the occasion. Louis made up his mind that he must talk to Gloucester and see if it were not possible to offer him something which would be irresistible to him.

He was alert watching for those who were against the peace, even though they dared not come out in the open—as Gloucester had—and say so. There was Louis de Bretaylle, one of the English King's foremost captains who it had been reported to Louis had been heard to comment that the treaty was a disgrace to England. It was important to have the support of such men so Louis entertained him personally and offered him a high post in France which de Bretaylle immediately refused. However when Louis came up with a gift of one thousand crowns, this was irresishble and de Bretaylle did accept them. Money was always so hard to refuse; and all Louis asked in return was that the captain should work for conhnued peace between the two countries.

But Louis' chief anxiety was of the Duke of Gloucester. Richard could be a power in the land and he had showed his disapproval more openly than anyone. Louis invited him to dine—not a great banquet but a personal meal when they could talk together as good friends and come to some understanding of each other's actions.

Richard could scarcely refuse such an invitation but he went along determined not to be bribed as his brother had been.

Louis surveyed the young man shrewdly. A strong young man, thought Louis, and obviously one of principles, loyal to his brother always, even when he did not approve of what Edward was doing. Edward was fortunate to have inspired such devotion.

Louis asked Richard questions about his life at Middleham, enquired after his wife and young son and in due course came to the point of the meeting. Louis was delighted to be on such good terms with the King of England and he was happy that they had settled their differences without loss of life. War brought miseries to thousands and if it could be avoided that was a matter for rejoicing. He believed that it was the duty of all to do everything to maintain peace between the two countries.

Richard agreed that peace was desirable . . . honourable peace, he stressed.

'Indeed you are right/ said Louis. 'Your brother is astute, my lord. He knows how to strike a good bargain. But I want to show you some very fine horses which have come into my stables. I venture to think they are the best in the world. And what think you of this plate? It is some of the best to be found in France. My lord, I am going to ask you to accept a gift from me. . . . Plate such as this and some of those new fine horses which have come into my stables.'

Richard did not employ the finesse of his brother. He came straight to the point.

'If these are meant for bribes to bring me to your way of thinking, if in accepting them I am to announce that I think my brother was right. . . .'

'My lord, my lord, what can you be thinking of me? These are gifts to an honoured guest. I ask nothing in return iorgifts.'

Etiquette demanded that Richard accept the plate and horses for when they were offered in such a way there was no alternative, but he made it clear that he did not approve of the treaty and would never say he did.