An. Reg. 14.
The K. with an armie passeth ouer into France.
When all things conuenient for such an enterprise were in a readinesse, the king came to Douer, where he found fiue hundred ships and hoies readie to transport him and his armie. And so the fourth daie of Iulie he passed ouer, and landed at Calis with great triumph; but his armie, horsses, and munitions of war scarse passed ouer in twentie daies. In this armie (being one of the best appointed that had passed out of England into France in manie yeares before) were fifteene hundred men of armes well horssed, of the which the most part were barded and richlie trapped, and manie of them trimmed in one sute. There were also fiftéene thousand archers with bowes and arrowes, of the which a great number were on horsbacke. There were also a great companie of other fighting men, and of such as serued to set vp tents and pauilions, to attend the artillerie and to inclose their campe, and otherwise to labour and be imploied in seruice.
The siege of Nusse.
The lord Scales.
In all this armie was there not one page. The king of England was at his ariuall highlie displeased with the duke of Burgognie, who in the word of a prince had promised to meet him at his landing, with two thousand men of armes and light horssemen, besides a great number of lanceknights and halberdiers, and that he would haue begun the war three moneths before the kings transporting; whereas contrarilie the duke laie lingering at the siege of Nusse, and let passe the occasion of atchiuing a more profitable enterprise. King Edward incontinentlie dispatched the lord Scales in post vnto the duke, to put him in remembrance of his promise, and to aduise him to come and ioine with him before the summer were spent.
A defiance sent to the French king.
Abr. Fl. ex Edw. Hall. fol. Ccxxvij.
Before king Edward departed from Douer, he sent an officer of armes vnto the French king with a defiance. The French king, receiuing the king of Englands letters at the messengers hand, read the same; and after he had considered thereof at leasure, he called the English herald aside, and to him declared the little trust that was to be put in the duke of Burgognie and the constable, by whose procurement he knew that king Edward was procured to come at that season into France; and therefore it should be better for him to haue peace with an old enimie, than to staie vpon the promises and familiaritie of a new dissembling freend, which peace did highlie please God, & was the thing that he most desired. ¶ But to giue the greater grace to the matter in hand, it is good to laie downe the forme of the French kings spéech to the said herald, to whome he vttered these words in his wardrobe, as Edward Hall reporteth.
"Sir I know and well wot, that the king of England your maister, is neither decended in these parts of his owne frée motion, nor yet of vs required; but onelie entised and prouoked by the duke of Burgognie, and somewhat inforced by the commons of his realme. But now you may sée that the season of the yeare passeth, and the duke of Burgognie is in poore estate, returning from Nusse almost discomforted. The constable also, with whome the king your souereigne lord (I am sure) hath some intelligence, for fauour that your maister hath maried his néece, is not so sure a freend as he is taken for. And if all the world knew how I haue promoted him, and what I haue doone for him, they would little thinke, that he would so vntrulie handle me as he dooth. For I assure you, he is a déepe dissembler, & in continuall dissimulation intendeth to lead his life, interteining all men for his owne profit. And although the king your maister be vnsure of all his other promises, yet of one thing he shall be sure, that is, he shall be euer dissembled withall. And therefore I saie to you, and not to your maister, that he were better haue a peace with an old enimie, than the promises and familiaritie of a new dissembling fréend, which peace most pleaseth God, and is the thing that I most doo desire."