and evasive
promises, they let the negotiation drop, and, while Count Louis was on
his way to rejoin Philip at St. Quentin, Artevelde with the deputies
from the Flemish communes started for Brussels.

Edward, who was already living on very confidential terms with him, told
him that "if the Flemings were minded to help him to keep up the war and
go with him whithersoever he would take them, they should aid him to
recover Lille, Douai, and Bethune, then occupied by the King of France.
Artevelde, after consulting his colleagues, returned to Edward, and,
'Dear sir,' said he, 'you have already made such requests to us, and
verily, if we could do so while keeping our honor and faith, we would do
as you demand: but we be bound, by faith and oath, and on a bond of two
millions of florins entered into with the Pope, not to go to war with
the King of France without incurring a debt to the amount of that sum
and a sentence of excommunication; but if you do that which we are about
to say to you, if you will be pleased to adopt the arms of France, and
quarter them with those of England, and openly call yourself King of
France, we will uphold you for the true King of France; you, as King of
France, shall give us quittance of our faith; and then we will obey you
as King of France, and will go whithersoever you shall ordain.'"

This prospect pleased Edward mightily: but "it irked him to take the
name and arms of that of which he had as yet won no title." He consulted
his allies. Some of them hesitated; but "his most privy and especial
friend," Robert d'Artois, strongly urged him to consent to the proposal.
So a French prince and a Flemish burgher prevailed upon the King of
England to pursue, as in assertion of his avowed rights, the conquest of
the kingdom of France. King, prince, and burgher fixed Ghent as their
place of meeting for the official conclusion of the alliance; and there,
in January, 1340, the mutual engagement was signed and sealed. The King
of England "assumed the arms of France quartered with those of England,"
and thenceforth took the title of King of France.

BATTLES OF SLUYS AND CRECY

A.D. 1340-1346

SIR JOHN FROISSART[47]

The sea fight of Sluys began the Hundred Years' War between
England and France. It is also memorable as England's first
great naval victory. The origin of the war lay in the Salic
Law, which excludes women from the throne of France. This
overruled the claims of Queen Isab