The king for answer, signified againe by his letters to the emperour, that for the zeale which he had to make an accord betwixt him and his aduersarie Philip de Valois, that named himselfe French king, he could not but much commend him, and for his part he had euer wished, that some reasonable agréement might be had betwixt them: but sith his right to the realme of France was cléere and manifest inough, he purposed not to commit it by writing vnto the doubtfull iudgement or arbitrement of anie. And as concerning the agréement which the emperour had made with the French king, bicause (as he alledged) it was lawfull for him so to doo, sith without the emperors knowledge he had taken truce with the same French king, he said, if the circumstances were well considered, that matter could not minister any cause to mooue him to such agréement: for if the emperour remembred, he had giuen to him libertie at all times to treat of peace, without making the emperour priuie thereto (so that without his assent, he concluded not vpon any finall peace) which he protested that he neuer meant to doo, till he might haue his prouident aduise, counsell, and assent therevnto. And as concerning the reuoking of the vicarship of the empire from him, he tooke it doone out of time; for it was promised, that no such reuocation should be made, till he had obteined the whole realme of France, or at the least, the more part thereof. ¶ These in effect were the points of the kings letters of answer vnto the emperour. Dated at London the thirtenth of Iulie, in the second yeare of his reigne ouer France, and fiftéenth ouer England.
The deceasse of the lord Geffrey de Scrope, & of the bishop of Lincolne. The quéene brought to bed.
This yeare, about Midsummer, or somwhat before, at Gant in Flanders, died the lord Geffrey Scrope the kings iustice, and Henrie bishop of Lincolne, two chéefe councellors to the king. The quéene after hir returne into England, was this yeare brought to bed in the tower of London of a daughter named Blanch, that died yoong, and was buried at Westminster. ¶ In this meane while, during the warres betwixt France and England, the French king in fauour of Dauid king of Scotland, had sent men of warre into Scotland, vnder the conduct of sir Arnold Dandreghen, who was after one of the marshals of France, and the lord of Garrentiers, with other, by whose comfort and helpe, the Scots that tooke part with king Dauid, did indeuor themselues to recouer out of the Englishmens hands, such castels and fortresses as they held within Scotland, as in the Scotish historie ye shall find mentioned, and how about this time, their king the foresaid Dauid returned foorth of France into Scotland by the French kings helpe, who hauing long before concluded a league with him, thought by his friendship to trouble the king of England so at home, that he should not be at great leisure to inuade him in France.
The commissioners that met at Arras.
This truce was prolonged about the feast of the decollation of S. Iohn to indure till Midsummer next following, as the addition to Ad. Merimuth hath.
But now to tell you what chanced of the méeting appointed at Arras. For the cōmissioners that shuld there treat of the peace, when the day assigned of their méeting was come, there arriued for the king of England the bishop of Lincolne, the bishop of Duresme, the earle of Warwike, the erle of Richmond, sir Robert Dartois, sir Iohn of Heinault, otherwise called lord Beaumont, and sir Henrie of Flanders. For the French king, there came the earle of Alanson, the duke of Burbon, the earle of Flanders, the earle of Blois, the archbishop of Sens, the bishop of Beauuois, and the bishop of Auxerre. The pope sent thither two cardinals, Naples and Cleremont; these commissioners were in treatie fiftéene daies, during the which, manie matters were put forth and argued, but none concluded; for the Englishmen demanded largelie, and the Frenchmen would depart with nothing, sauing with the countie of Pontieu, the which was giuen with quéene Isabell in marriage to the king of England. So the treatie brake, the commissioners departed, and nothing doone, but onelie that the truce was prolonged for two yeares further.
The occasion of the wars of Britaine.
Thus were the wars partlie appeased in some part of France, but yet was the truce but slenderlie kept in other parts, by reason of the duke of Britaine. For whereas contention arose betwixt one Charles de Blois, and Iohn earle of Mountfort, about the right to the duchie of Britaine, as in the historie of France maie more plainelie appeare; the earle of Mountfort, thinking that he had wrong offered him at the French kings hands, who fauoured his aduersarie Charles de Blois, alied himselfe with the king of England. And (as some write) after he had woone diuerse cities and townes within Britaine, he came ouer into England, and by doing homage to king Edward, acknowledged to hold it of him, as of the souereigne lord thereof, so that he would promise to defend him and that duchie against his aduersaries: which the king promised him to doo. After this, the French king made such warres against this earle of Mountfort, that he was at length taken prisoner in the towne of Naunts, and committed to safe kéeping within the castell of Loure at Paris. But his wife being a stout woman, and of a manlie courage, stood vp in the quarrell of hir husband, and presented a yoong sonne which she had by him, vnto such capteins and men of warre as serued hir husband, requiring them not to be dismaid with the infortunate chance of hir husbands taking; but rather like men of good stomachs, to stand in defense of his right, sith whatsoeuer happened to him, the same remained in that yoong gentleman his sonne: meaning that although the enimies should deale tyrannicallie with him, & without regard of his nobleness practise his ouerthrow; yet there was hope in hir son, as increase of yeares should minister strength and courage, both to be reuenged on his fathers enimies, and to ad an inlargement of glorie and renowne to his present honor by practises of his prowesse: which to be singular the séemelie symmetrie or goodlie proportion of his person and his iolie countenance séemed to testifie; for
Hor. lib. car. 4. Ode 4.
Fortes creantur fortibus, & bonis
Est in iuuencis, est in equis patrum
Virtus; nec imbellem feroces
Progenerant aquilæ columbam.