206 HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 



chiefly in respect of the great party that the Duke of 

 Orleans had in the kingdom of France, and thereby 

 means to stir up civil troubles, to divert the French 

 king from the enterprise of Britain. And lastly, in 

 regard of the power of Maximilian, who was corrival 

 to the French king in that pursuit, the enterprise 

 would either bow to a peace, or break in itself. In 

 all which the king measured and valued things 

 amiss, as afterwards appeared. He sent therefore 

 forthwith to the French king Christopher Urswick, 

 his chaplain, a person by him much trusted and em 

 ployed : choosing him the rather, because he was a 

 churchman, as best sorting with an embassy of 

 pacification : and giving him also a commission, 

 that if the French king consented to treat, he should 

 thence repair to the Duke of Britain, and ripen the 

 treaty on both parts. Urswick made declaration to 

 the French king, much to the purpose of the king s 

 answer to the French ambassadors here, instilling 

 also tenderly some overture of receiving to grace 

 the Duke of Orleans, and some taste of conditions of 

 accord. But the French king on the other side 

 proceeded not sincerely, but with a great deal of 

 art and dissimulation in this treaty ; having for his 

 end, to gain time, and so put off the English suc 

 cours under hope of peace, till he had got good 

 footing in Britain by force of arms. Wherefore he 

 answered the ambassador, that he would put himself 

 into the king s hands, and make him arbiter of the 

 peace ; and willingly consented, that the ambassador 

 should straightways pass into Britain, to signify this 



