Then they left that place and made their way to
Windsor, where the
king of England and the
queen were residing. These four men made it known to the
king why they had come and who had sent them. The
king had them brought forward, to honour the
king of France, his cousin, and received them respectably, as did the young
queen, his wife. They delivered their messages and were very attentively heard. The
king responded that his council was not present, but that he would send for them in such wise as should be considered satisfactory to all. After they had dined in the
king and queen's chamber, they departed on these words and lodged at
Colebrook and the following day in
London.
Not long after that, the
king arrived in
London at his
palace of Westminster, and there, on a day appointed by him, his council gathered to whom the French ambassadors expounded their letters with which the
king, their lord, had furnished them. When they had spoken thus, they went outside the chamber and the
king asked for counsel with regard to the request. It would seem to me that the
king was advised that he should do fealty and homage to the
king of France in exactly the same fashion as his predecessors,
kings of England and
dukes of Aquitaine had done, nor should he do otherwise.
The council was brought to a close and the French ambassadors were called in, who once more entered the council chamber. The
bishop of London spoke for the
king, saying,
"You lords, who are here on behalf of the
king of France, you are most welcome. We have heard what you have had to say and have read your letters and examined them as thoroughly as we might and taken careful counsel concerning them. And so we can tell you that our advice to our
lord here present is that he should go to
France to see the
king, his cousin, who has summoned him so amiably, and as regards the fealty and homage still outstanding, he should do his duty, for he is in truth bound so to do. You should therefore now return to
France and tell the
king, your lord, that our lord the
king of England will soon follow you over there and fulfil all of his commitments without contestation."
This response was most pleasing to the French ambassadors. They duly took their leave of the
king and of his whole council, yet first of all they dined at the
palace of Westminster. The
king entertained them handsomely and at their departure gave them great gifts and fine jewels. After that they did not linger in
England but departed. They travelled back to
France and went straight to
Paris where they found
king Philippe, to whom they recounted all of their news, what they had achieved and under what circumstances they had left the
king of England, how fittingly and honourably they had been received by the
king and how, upon their departure, he had given them of his substance.
King Philippe was most content to hear this, saying that he would be glad to meet him for he had never laid eyes on him before.
News spread throughout the kingdom of
France that the
king of England was to come to
France to pay homage to the
king;
pb 24 v