HISTORY OF KING HENKY VII. 271 



sign that the war would not be long. Nevertheless 

 the king gave out the contrary, thus : &quot; That he 

 &quot; intending not to make a summer business of it, but 

 &quot; a resolute war, without term prefixed, until he had 

 &quot; recovered France ; it skilled not much when he 

 &quot; began it, especially having Calais at his back, 

 &quot; where he might winter, if the reason of the war 

 &quot; so required.&quot; The sixth of October he embarked 

 at Sandwich ; and the same day took land at Calais, 

 which was the rendezvous, where all the forces were 

 assigned to meet. But in this his journey towards 

 the sea-side, wherein, for the cause that we shall now 

 speak of, he hovered so much the longer, he had 

 received letters from the Lord Cordes, who the 

 hotter he was against the English in time of war, 

 had the more credit in a negotiation of peace ; and 

 besides was held a man open and of good faith. In 

 which letters there was made an overture of peace 

 from the French king, with such conditions as were 

 somewhat to the king s taste ; but this was carried 

 at the first with wonderful secrecy. The king was 

 no sooner come to Calais, but the calm winds of 

 peace began to blow. For first, the English ambas 

 sadors returned out of Flanders from Maxamilian, 

 and certified the king, that he was not to hope for 

 any aid from Maximilian, for that he was altogether 

 unprovided. His will was good, but he lacked 

 money. And this was made known and spread 

 through the army. And although the English were 

 therewithal nothing dismayed, and that it be the 

 manner of soldiers upon bad news to speak the more 



