lord Cordes being at Ipres with a great power of men, thinking to recover the loss and disgrace of the fight at Dixmude, camé presently on, and sat down before Newport, and besieged it; and after some days siege, he resolved to try the fortune of an assault. Which he did one day, and succeeded therein so far, that he had taken the principal tower and fort in that city, and planted upon it the French banner. Whence nevertheless they were presently beaten forth by the English, by the help of some fresh succours of archers, arriving by good fortune, at the instant, in the haven of Newport. Whereupon the lord Cordes, discouraged, and measuring the new succours, which were small, by the success, which was great, levied his siege. By this means matters grew more exasperate between the two Kings of England and France, for that, in the war of Flanders, the auxiliary forces of French and English were much blooded one against another. Which blood rankled the more, by the wain words of the lord Cordes, that declared himself an open enemy of the English, beyond that that appertained to the present service; making it a common by-word of his, "That he could "be content to lie in hell seven years, so he might win "Calais from the English.'

The King having thus upheld the reputation of Maximilian, advised him now to press on his marriage with Britain to a conclusion. Which Maximilian accordingly did, and so far forth prevailed, both with the young lady and with the principal persons about her, as the marriage was consummated by proxy, with a ceremony at that time in these parts new. For she was not only publicly contracted, but stated, as a bride, and solemnly bedded; and after she was laid, there came in Maximilian's ambassador with letters of procuration, and in the presence of sundry noble personages, men and women, put his leg, stript naked to the knee, between the espousal sheets; to the end, that that ceremony might be thought to amount to a consummation and actual knowledge. This done, Maximilian, whose property was to leave things then when they were almost come to perfection, and to end them by imagination;

like ill archers, that draw not their arrows up to the head; and who might as easily have bedded the lady himself, as to have made a play and disguise of it, thinking now all assured, neglected for a time his further proceeding, and intended his wars. Mean while the French King, consulting with his divines, and finding that this pretended consummation was rather an invention of court, than any ways valid by the laws of the Church, went more really to work, and by secret instruments and cunning agents, as well matrons about the young lady as counsellors, first sought to remove the point of religion and honour out of the mind of the lady herself, wherein there was a double labour. For Maximilian was not only contracted unto the lady, but Maximilian's daughter was likewise contracted to King Charles. So as the marriage halted upon both feet, and was not clear on either side. But for the contract with King Charles, the exception lay plain and fair; for that Maximilian's daughter was under years of consent, and so not bound by law, but a power of disagreement left to either part. But for the contract made by Maximilian with the lady herself, they were harder driven: having nothing to alledge, but that it was done without the consent of her sovereign lord King Charles, whose ward and client she was, and he to her in place of a father; and therefore it was void and of no force for want of such consent. Which defect, they said, though it would not evacuate a marriage after cohabitation and actual consummation; yet it was enough to make void a contract. For as for the pretended consummation, they made sport with it, and said: "That it was an ar"gument that Maximilian was a widower, and a cold 66 wooer, that could content himself to be a bridegroom by deputy, and would not make a little jour"ney to put all out of question." So that the young lady, wrought upon by these reasons, finely instilled by such as the French King, who spared for no rewards or promises, had made on his side; and allured likewise by the present glory and greatness of King Charles, being also a young King, and a bachelor, and loth to make her country the seat of a long and miserable war:

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secretly yielded to accept of King Charles. But during this secret treaty with the lady, the better to save it from blasts of opposition and interruption, King Charles resorting to his wonted arts, and thinking to carry the marriage as he had carried the wars, by entertaining the King of England in vain belief, sent a solemn ambassage by Francis lord of Luxemburg, Charles Marignian, and Robert Gagvien, general of the order of the bons hommes of the Trinity, to treat a peace and league with the King; accoupling it with an article in the nature of a request, that the French King might with the King's good will, according unto his right of seigniory and tutelage, dispose of the marriage of the young duchess of Britain, as he should think good; offering by a judicial proceeding to make void the marriage of Maximilian by proxy. Also all this while, the better to amuse the world, he did continue in his court and custody the daughter of Maximilian, who formerly had been sent unto him, to be bred and educated in France; not dismissing or renvoying her, but contrariwise professing and giving out strongly, that he meant to proceed with that match. And that for the duchess of Britain, he desired only to preserve his right of seigniory, and to give her in marriage to some such ally as might depend upon him.

When the three commissioners came to the court of England, they delivered their ambassage unto the King, who remitted them to his council; where somè days after they had audience, and made their proposition by the prior of the Trinity, who though he were third in place, yet was held the best speaker of them, to this effect.

"My lords, the King our master, the greatest and "mightiest King that reigned in France since Charles "the Great, whose name he beareth, hath neverthe"less thought it no disparagement to his greatness at "this time to propound a peace; yea, and to pray a peace with the King of England. For which purpose he hath sent us his commissioners, instructed "and enabled with full and ample power to treat and "conclude; giving us further in charge, to open in

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"some other business the secrets of his own inten❝tions. These be indeed the precious love tokens "between great Kings, to communicate one with "another the true state of their affairs, and to pass by "nice points of honour, which ought not to give law "unto affection. This I do assure your lordships; "it is not possible for you to imagine the true and "cordial love that the King our master beareth to "your sovereign, except you were near him as we "are. He useth his name with so great respect; he "remembereth their first acquaintance at Paris with "so great contentment; nay, he never speaks of him, "but that presently he falls into discourse of the mi"series of great Kings, in that they cannot converse "with their equals, but with servants. This affec *tion to your King's person and virtues God hath "put into the heart of our master, no doubt for the "good of Christendom, and for purposes yet unknown "to us all. For other root it cannot have, since it "was the same to the earl of Richmond, that it is "now to the King of England. This is therefore "the first motive that makes our King to desire peace "and league with your sovereign: good affection, " and somewhat that he finds in his own heart. This "affection is also armed with reason of estate. For "our King doth in all candour and frankness of dealing open himself unto you; that having an ho"nourable, yea, and an holy purpose, to make a voy❝age and war in remote parts, he considereth that "it will be of no small effect, in point of reputation "to his enterprise, if it be known abroad that he is "in good peace with all his neighbour princes, and "especially with the King of England, whom for good causes he esteemeth most.

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"But now, my lords, give me leave to use a few "words to remove all scruples and misunderstandings "between your sovereign and ours, concerning some "late actions; which if they be not cleared, may per

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haps hinder this peace. To the end that for mat"ters past neither King may conceive unkindness of "other, nor think the other conceiveth unkindness of him. The late actions are two; that of Britain,

and that of Flanders. In both which it is true, that "the subjects swords of both Kings have encountered "and stricken, and the ways and inclinations also of "the two Kings, in respect of their confederates and "allies, have severed.

"For that of Britain, the King your sovereign "knoweth best what hath passed. It was a war of "necessity on our master's part. And though the "motives of it were sharp and piquant as could be, "yet did he make that war rather with an olive"branch, than a laurel-branch in his hand, more de"siring peace than victory. Besides, from time to "time he sent, as it were, blank papers to your King, "to write the conditions of peace. For though both "his honour and safety went upon it, yet he thought "neither of them too precious to put into the King "of England's hands. Neither doth our King on "the other side make any unfriendly interpretation "of your King's sending of succours to the duke of "Britain; for the King knoweth well that many

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things must be done of Kings for satisfaction of "their people; and it is not hard to discern what is "a King's own. But this matter of Britain is now, by the act of God, ended and passed; and, as the

King hopeth, like the way of a ship in the sea, "without leaving any impression in either of the "King's minds; as he is sure for his part it hath not "done in his.

"For the action of Flanders: as the former of Bri"tain was a war of necessity, so this was a war of

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justice; which with a good King is of equal neces"sity with danger of estate, for else he should leave "to be a King. The subjects of Burgundy are subjects in chief to the crown of France, and their duke "the homager and vassal of France. They had wont "to be good subjects, howsoever Maximilian hath of "late distempered them. They fled to the King for

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justice and deliverance from oppression. Justice he "could not deny; purchase he did not seek. This was good for Maximilian, if he could have seen it "in people mutinied, to arrest fury, and prevent despair. My, lords, it may be this I have said is need

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