Do not trouble about it, the thing will right itself
in time; and besides, you will shortly be going off to the war."
In fact, preparations were being already made for it. A French embassy of
nobles and knights, with three hundred and fifty horsemen, had come over,
and, after passing through London, had gone to Winchester, and there met
the king and his great lords. The Archbishop of Bourges, who was their
spokesman, at once set forth that the king could not hand over so large a
portion of his kingdom, but that he would give with his daughter large
estates in France, together with a great sum in ready money. This offer
was refused, and preparations for war went on in both countries. France
was, indeed, but in poor condition to defend itself, for the Duke of
Aquitaine had seriously angered both parties. He had made a pretext to get
the great lords to ride out from Paris, he being with them; but he had
secretly returned, and had ordered the gates to be closed, had called the
citizens to arms, and had resumed the supreme authority of the realm.
Having done this, he sent his wife, Burgundy's daughter, to a castle at a
distance, and surrounding himself with young nobles as reckless and
dissipated as himself, led a life of disorder, squandering money on his
pleasures, and heavily taxing the city for his wants. The Duke of
Burgundy, indignant at the treatment of his daughter, sent an ambassador
to demand that she should be taken back, and that all the persons, five
hundred in number, who had been exempted from the terms of the treaty,
should be allowed to return to Paris.
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