the letter had been read, Louis delivered it to Rapine the
constable's messenger, who was mightily pleased with it, and took it as a
great compliment in the king to write that he wanted such a head as his
master's, for he did not perceive the ambiguity and sting of the
expression.

We are now arrived at the closing reflections of Commines upon the course
which events had taken in France at this memorable crisis. "At the
beginning of our affairs with the English, you may remember that the king
of England had no great inclination to make his descent; and as soon as he
came to Dover, and before his embarkation there, he entered into a sort of
treaty with us. But that which prevailed with him to transport his army to
Calais was first the solicitation of the duke of Burgundy, and the natural
animosity of the English against the French, which has existed in all ages;
and next to reserve to himself a great part of the money which had been
liberally granted him for that expedition; for, as you have already heard,
the kings of England live upon their own demesne revenue, and can raise no
taxes but under the pretence of invading France. Besides, the king had
another stratagem by which to content his subjects; for he had brought with
him ten or twelve citizens of London, and other towns in England, all fat
and jolly, the leaders of the English commons, of great power in their
countries, such as had promoted the wars and had been very serviceable in
raising that powerful army. The king ordered very fine tents to be made for
them, in which they lay; but, that not being the kind of living they had
been used to, they soon began to grow weary of the campaign, for they
expected they should come to an engagement within three days of their
landing, and the king multiplied their fears and exaggerated the dangers of
the war, on purpose that they might be better satisfied with a peace, and
aid him to quiet the murmurs of the people upon his return to England; for,
since king Arthur's days, never king of England invaded France with so
great a number of the nobility and such a formidable army. But, as you have
heard, he returned immediately into England upon the conclusion of the
peace, and then reserved for his own private use the {xlvi} greater part of
the money that had been raised to pay the army; so that, in reality, he
accomplished most of the designs he had in view. King Edward was not of a
complexion or turn of mind to endure much hardsh