obstinacy displayed in the wrong place. The
belief expressed several times by Commines that God troubled Charles's
understanding out of very pity for France, was a current rumour.

At the end of April an English embassy arrived at the camp, which was
kept in a marvellous state of luxury, even though disease was not
successfully curbed in the ranks. The urgent entreaty of the embassy
was that Charles should raise this useless siege, fruitless as it
promised to be, owing to the difficulty of cutting off the town's
supplies. Edward IV was almost ready to despatch his invading army.
He implored his dear brother to send him transports and to prepare to
receive him when he landed. A letter from John Paston gives a glimpse
into the situation[13]:

"For ffor tydyngs here ther be but ffewe saffe that the assege
lastyth stylle by the Duke off Burgoyn affoor Nuse, and the
Emperor hath besyged also not fferr from there a castill and
another town in lykewyse wherin the Duke's men ben. And also, the
Frenshe Kynge, men seye, is comen right to the water off Somme
with 4000 spers; and sum men have that he woll, at the daye off
brekyng off trewse, or else beffoor, sette uppon the Duks contreys
heer. When I heer moor, I shall sende yowe moor tydyngs.

"The Kyngs imbassators, Sir Thomas Mongomere and the Master off
the Rolls be comyng homwards ffrom Nuse; and as ffor me, I thynke
I sholde be sek but iff I see it....

"For it is so that to morrow I purpose to ryde in to Flaundyrs
to purveye me off horse and herneys and percase I shall see the
essege at Nwse er I come ageyn."

There was more reason for Charles to be heartsick at the sight than
for John Paston, and he did grow weary of the further waiting and
anxious, for his truce with Louis was drawing to a close. On May 22d,
there was a skirmish between his troops and the imperial forces,
wherein Charles claimed the victory. In reality, there was none on
either side, but the semblance was sufficient to soothe his _amour
propre_, and to convince him that an accommodation with Frederic would
not detract from his dignity.

A large fleet of Dutch flatboats had been despatched to help convey
the English army, thirsting for conquest, across the sea. Six thousand
men in the duke's pay, too, were to be ready to meet Edward IV., and
swell his escort as he marched to Rheims for his coronation. Other
matters also demanded Charles's perso