The king avowed what the archbishop had said, and added, that thus, with God's aid, he would act,--and promised it on the word of a king. The archbishop of Bourges then, according to the custom in France, demanded permission to speak, and said, 'O king! how canst thou, consistently with honour and justice, thus wish to dethrone, and iniquitously destroy the most Christian king of the French, our very dear and most redoubted lord, the noblest and most excellent of all the kings in Christendom. O king! with all due reverence and respect, dost thou think that he has offered by me such extent of territory, and so large a sum of money with his daughter in marriage, through any fear of thee, thy subjects or allies? By no means; but, moved by pity and his love of peace, he has made these offers to avoid the shedding of innocent blood, and that Christian people may not be overwhelmed in the miseries of war; for whenever thou shalt make thy promised attempt, he will call upon God, the blessed virgin, and on all the saints, making his appeal to them for the justice of his cause,--and with their aid, and the support of his loyal subjects and faithful allies, thou wilt be driven out of his dominions, or thou wilt be made prisoner, or thou wilt there suffer death by orders of that just king whose ambassadors we are. 'We have now only to entreat of thee, that thou wouldst have us safely conducted out of thy realm; and that thou wouldst write to our said king, under thy hand and seal, the answer which thou hast had given to us.' The king kindly granted their requests; and the ambassadors, having received handsome presents, returned by way of Dover to Calais, and thence to Paris. They reported to the duke of Acquitaine in the presence of the members of the grand council, many knights and other persons, the ill success of their embassy. At the same time, the duke of Acquitaine and the council received letters from the king of England, dated from Winchester, containing his final answer to the proposals that had been made him. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 22: The _commissioners_ were Richard Clitherow and Symon Flecte, esquires.--_Foedera._ I would refer the reader to this excellent work for the whole detail of the negotiations with France respecting the marriage of Catherine. The demands of the english ambassadors are detailed at length, with the handsome proposals on the part of France, in answer to such exorbitant and unjust pretensions.] [Footnote 23: See the Foedera.] CHAP. XXIV. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AMBASSADORS TO THE DUKE OF ACQUITAINE. THE ANSWER THEY RECEIVE.--HE TAKES THE OATH.