business as his own: and therewith brake off, and denied any farther conference for treaty.

Urswick returned first to the French King, and related to him what had passed. Who finding things to sort to his desire, took hold of them, and said; That the ambassador might perceive now that, which he for his part partly imagined before. That considering in what hands the duke of Britain was, there would be no peace but by a mixed treaty of force and persuasion and therefore he would go on with the one, and desired the King not to desist from the other. But for his own part, he did faithfully promise to be still in the King's power, to rule him in the matter of peace. This was accordingly represented unto the King by Urswick at his return, and in such a fashion, as if the treaty were in no sort desperate, but rather stayed for a better hour, till the hammer had wrought and beat the party of Britain more pliant. Whereupon there passed continually packets and dispatches between the two Kings, from the one out of desire, and from the other out of dissimulation, about the negociation of peace. The French King mean while invaded Britain with great forces, and distressed the city of Nantz with a strait siege, and, as one, who though he had no great judgment, yet had that, that he could dissemble at home, the more he did urge the prosecution of the war, the more he did, at the same time, urge the solicitation of the peace. Insomuch as during the siege of Nantz, after many letters and particular messages, the better to maintain his dissimulation, and to refresh the treaty, he sent Bernard D'Aubigney, a person of good quality, to the King, earnestly to desire him to make an end of the business howsoever.

The King was no less ready to revive and quicken the treaty; and thereupon sent three commissioners, the abbot of Abingdon, Sir Richard Tunstal, and chaplain Urswick formerly employed, to do their utmost endeavours to manage the treaty roundly and strongly.

About this time the lord Woodvile, uncle to the Queen, a valiant gentleman, and desirous of honour,

sued to the King that he might raise some power of voluntaries under-hand, and without licence or passport (wherein the King might any ways appear) go to the aid of the duke of Britain. The King denied his request, or at least seemed so to do, and laid strait commandment upon him, that he should not stir, for that the King thought his honour would suffer therein, during a treaty, to better a party. Nevertheless this lord, either being unruly, or out of conceit that the King would not inwardly dislike that, which he would not openly avow, sailed directly over into the isle of Wight, whereof he was governor, and levied a fair troop of four hundred men, and with them passed over into Britain, and joined himself with the duke's forces. The news whereof, when it came to the French court, put divers young bloods into such a fury, as the English ambassadors were not without peril to be outraged. But the French King, both to preserve the privilege of ambassadors, and being conscious to himself, that in the business of peace he himself was the greater dissembler of the two, forbad all injuries of fact or word against their persons or followers. And presently came an agent from the King, to purge himself touching the lord Woodvile's going over; using for a principal argument, to demonstrate that it was without his privity, for that the troops were so small, as neither had the face of a succour by authority, nor could much advance the Britain affairs. To which message although the French King gave no full credit, yet he made fair weather with the King, and seemed satisfied. Soon after the English ambassadors returned, having two of them been likewise with the duke of Britain, and found things in no other terms than they were before. Upon their return, they informed the King of the state of affairs, and how far the French King was from any true meaning of peace; and therefore he was now to advise of some other course; neither was the King himself led all this while with credulity merely, as was generally supposed; but his error was not so much facility of belief, as an illmeasuring of the forces of the other party.

For, as was partly touched before, the King had cast

the business thus with himself. He took it for granted in his own judgment, that the war of Britain, in respect of the strength of the towns and of the party, could not speedily come to a period. For he conceived, that the counsels of a war, that was undertaken by the French King, then childless, against an heir apparent of France, would be very faint and slow; and, besides, that it was not possible, but that the state of France should be embroiled with some troubles and alterations in favour of the duke of Orleans. He conceived likewise, that Maximilian King of the Romans was a Prince warlike and potent; who, he made account, would give succours to the Britains roundly. So then judging it would be a work of time, he laid his plot, how he might best make use of that time for his own affairs. Wherein first he thought to make his vantage upon his parliament; knowing that they being affectionate unto the quarrel of Britain, would give treasure largely which treasure, as a noise of war might draw forth, so a peace succeeding might coffer up. And because he knew his people were hot upon the business, he chose rather to seem to be deceived, and lulled asleep by the French, than to be backward in himself; considering his subjects were not so fully capable of the reasons of state, which made him hold back. Wherefore to all these purposes he saw no other expedient, than to set and keep on foot a continual treaty of peace, laying it down, and taking it up again, as the occurrence required. Besides, he had in consideration the point of honour, in bearing the blessed person of a pacificator. He thought likewise to make use of the envy that the French King met with, by occasion. of this war of Britain, in strengthening himself with new alliances; as namely, that of Ferdinando of Spain, with whom he had ever a consent even in nature and customs; and likewise with Maximilian, who was particularly interested. So that in substance he promised himself money, honour, friends, and peace in the end. But those things were too fine to be fortunate and succeed in all parts; for that great affairs are commonly too rough and stubborn to be wrought upon by the finer edges or points of wit. The King

was likewise deceived in his two main grounds. For although he had reason to conceive that the council of France would be wary to put the King into a war against the heir apparent of France; yet he did not consider that Charles was not guided by any of the principal of the blood or nobility, but by mean men, who would make it their master-piece of credit and favour, to give venturous counsels, which no great or wise man durst or would. And for Maximilian, he was thought then a greater matter than he was; his unstable and necessitous courses being not then known.

After consultation with the ambassadors, who brought him no other news than he expected before, though he would not seem to know it till then, he presently summoned his parliament, and in open parliament propounded the cause of Britain to both houses, by his chancellor Morton archbishop of Canterbury, who spake to this effect.

My lords and masters, the King's grace, our sovereign lord, hath commanded me to declare unto 66 you the causes that have moved him at this time to "summon this his parliament; which I shall do in "few words, craving pardon of his grace, and you "all, if I perform it not as I would.

"His grace doth first of all let you know, that he "retaineth in thankful memory the love and loyalty "shewed to him by you, at your last meeting, in "establishment of his royalty; freeing and discharging of his partakers, and confiscation of his traitors "and rebels; more than which could not come from subjects to their sovereign, in one action. This he "taketh so well at your hands, as he hath made it a "resolution to himself, to communicate with so loving "and well approved subjects, in all affairs that are "of public nature, at home or abroad.

"Two therefore are the causes of your present "assembling: the one, a foreign business; the other, "matter of government at home.

"The French King, as no doubt ye have heard, "maketh at this present hot war upon the duke of "Britain. His army is now before Nantz, and holdeth

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"it straitly besieged, being the principal city, if not "in ceremony and preeminence, yet in strength and "wealth, of that duchy. Ye may guess at his hopes, "by his attempting of the hardest part of the war first. "The cause of this war he knoweth best. He al"ledgeth the entertaining and succouring of the duke "of Orleans, and some other French lords, whom the King taketh for his enemies. Others divine of other "matters. Both parts have, by their ambassadors, "divers times prayed the King's aids; the French

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King aids or neutrality; the Britains aids simply: "for so their case requireth. The King, as a Chris"tian Prince, and blessed son of the holy Church, hath "offered himself, as a mediator, to treat of peace be"tween them. The French King yielded to treat, but "will not stay the prosecution of the war. The Bri"tains, that desire peace most, hearken to it least; not upon confidence or stiffness, but upon distrust of "true meaning, seeing the war goes on.

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So as the

King, after as much pains and care to effect a peace, "as ever he took in any business, not being able to "remove the prosecution on the one side, nor the dis"trust on the other, caused by that prosecution, hath "let fall the treaty; not repenting of it, but despairing of it now, as not likely to succeed. Therefore "by this narrative you now understand the state of "the question, whereupon the King prayeth your "advice; which is no other, but whether he shall "enter into an auxiliary and defensive war for the "Britains against France?

"And the better to open your understandings in "this affair, the King hath commanded me to say "somewhat to you from him, of the persons that do "intervene in this business; and somewhat of the "consequence thereof, as it hath relation to this kingdom, and somewhat of the example of it in general: making nevertheless no conclusion or judg"ment of any point, until his grace hath received your faithful and politic advices.

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"First, for the King our sovereign himself, who is "the principal person you are to eye in this business;