222 Chaucer^ s Knight and his Exploits in the South 



king sends the Earls of Derby, Arundel, Warwick, and others, 

 to treat of certain matters with Pope Clement VI at Avignon.^ 



The English documents next in time would make it appear 

 that Henry was not starting from England till September, but, 

 like that of July 6 mentioned above, they must be understood 

 as missives dispatched to travelers already residing in foreign 

 coimtries. The first is of Aug. 29, and empowers Henry and 

 eleven others to treat with the ambassadors of France in the 

 presence of the Pope. The second, of Aug. 30, is a credence for 

 Derby and Salisbury, addressed to Alfonso. The third, of Sept. 

 2, empowers the two earls to treat with Alfonso.^ 



On Nov. 24 Edward IH informs the Pope that he will send 

 Derby and Warwick as ambassadors, with reference to the pro- 

 longation of the truce concluded with France in February.^ 



^Rymer. Kervyn (23. 459) tells of his being sent by Edward III on 

 July 6 as ambassador to the Pope, and relates that, having reached 

 France, he learned that a crusade against the Moors was in progress, 

 and so passed over into Spain. In view of the above documents (cf. 

 p. 223, note 7), however, the latter part of this statement looks mythical. 



^All in Rymer. The shocking story told by Jean le Bel (2.' 30-34; 

 cf. Chronique Normande, pp. 54, 59; Chronographia Regum Francorum, 

 pp. 197. 204-5; Istore et Croniques de Flandres 2. 6, 9), as to tlTe reason 

 for Salisbury's departure from England, is discredited by Froissart and 

 his editor (Kervyn 4. 273, 458-461; cf. Diet. Nat. Biog. 17. 56). Jean 

 le Bel is certainly inaccurate in saying that Salisbury perished at the 

 siege, since he died in England on Jan. 30, 1344. 



'Rymer. On March 24, 1344, Edward grants power to Derby and 

 Arundel to treat with Alfonso. On May 30 Edward congratulates 

 Alfonso on the conquest of Algeciras, as he had done June 12, 1341, 

 on the victory at Salado (see above, p. 217). In a letter to Alfonso, 

 dated Aug. 12, 1344, Edward III speaks of the desire he had cherished 

 to take part himself in the siege of Algeciras, and to visit Compostella, 

 and touches upon Derby's plan of rejoining Alfonso's forces, on which 

 account the king had communicated to Derby his thoughts concerning 

 the resumption of a project for the imion of Alfonso's eldest son 

 (Peter the Cruel, then 11 years of age) with Edward's eldest daughter 

 (Isabella, aged 12) ; Derby, however, had abandoned his plan on hearing 

 of the surrender of Algeciras. On Sept. 10 of the same year, 'Edward, 

 in accrediting certain commissioners to Alfonso, refers to Derby's having, 

 when lately in Spain, broached the idea of such a union with one of 

 Edward's daughters, and relates that Derby and the Earl of Arundel, 

 being bound for Spain [spring of 1344?], the king had bestowed upon 

 them authority to treat concerning the matter, but that the capture of 

 Algeciras had had the effect above described. 



