They go to treat for the
marriage of the princess of France with the English king. I had an
audience with the king at Winchester as soon as we heard that the royal
army was marching towards Artois, and he gave assurance that he would
instruct the governor of Calais to furnish what assistance he could should
the castle be attacked, and that he himself would at once on hearing of it
send a remonstrance to the King of France, urging that I, as a vassal of
his as well as of France, had avoided taking any part in the troubles, and
had ever borne myself as a loyal vassal of his Majesty.
"He was at Winchester when the young countess arrived, and I rode over to
him to tell him that I had news that it was not probable that Villeroy
would be attacked. It was then that his Majesty informed me that the Earl
of Dorset with a large body of nobles would ere long cross the Channel for
the purpose that I have named, and begged me to ride with them. The king,
being disengaged at the time, talked with me long, and questioned me as to
the former defence of the castle, and how Dame Margaret had fared when, as
he had heard, she was obliged to go as a hostage to Paris. I told him all
that had befallen her, at which he seemed greatly interested, and bade me
present you to him at the first opportunity.
"'He must be a lad after my own heart,' he said, 'and he shall have an
opportunity of winning his spurs as soon as may be, which perchance is not
so far away as some folks think.
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