a2k 
into their views, and know their inten- 
tions. Let us come to the point: tell 
- us frankly the last offers which you are 
charged to make us... We will tell you at 
the same time, what are the last demands 
to which we confine ourselves.” 
Neverdid plenipotentiaries answer in 
earnest to a simular request, because 
they could never reckon upon the 
good faith of these who made it, and both 
sides are afraid of being too forward.— 
The ambassadors then said, that the of- 
fers'which they had made were the last 
which they had to make, and that they - 
were reasonable and adv antageous. ag 
you have no others,” replied Suffolk, “we 
inust break up our conference ; but hap- 
pily I know that you have some others. 
As to the rest, it is late, let us go to din- 
ner, and afterwards proceed directly to 
business, and, without losing more time, 
hasten to say the last word.” 
These debates had lasted till the 20th: 
that day they began by insisting upon 
the first offers, by wishing to keep to 
sen and lastly, on urgency to ad- 
vance, and give ake last word, the 
French said, “ Well! all that wecan pro- 
mise you is, to read over our instructions, 
to study t them to the bottom, and to see, 
jointly, if, in interpreting them the most 
fa avourably for peace, we can without pre- 
varication pretend to add any thing to 
these offers ; but do you also, on your side, 
declare in cood earnest what is the last 
limit which you put to your demands, 
your hopes, and your projects.” 
The next day (21) the ambassadors 
went to see the Cardinal of England, who 
had just come to London: by this term 
they denominated the Cardinal of Win- 
chester, because he was of the royal 
family, and because he had the greatest 
interest in England. He was, as we have 
said, entirely devuted to the Queen and 
the French party; the English plenipo- 
tentiaries were all his creatures : his dis- 
course was entirely conformable to theirs, 
and breathed nothin ng but peace. / 
In the. conference of that day, the 
French ambas:adors added to their offers 
the Limousin. The Cardinal de Yorck 
said, that in the evening he had con- 
ceived good hopes, from the last words 
which the French ambassadors had 
spoken, on quitting his hotel: thathesaw 
Inthe steps, which they havejusttaken, the 
pacific disposition of the King of France, 
of which M,. de Suffolck bad been the 
witness, and with which he had so enter- 
tained them in the transports of his sa-' 
tisfaction and delight; but that it was 
not possible for such dispositions not to 
{ 
E mbassy of Louis de Bourbon, Kc. to i enry VI. 
[April 1 : 
have produced more; that assuredly the . 
powers of the ambassadors were much 
further extended ; that, in short, the time 
was come for developing the whole, and 
that peace was so great a good, that 
there ought not to be the least delay.— 
The ambassadors, having goné a little \ 
aside to deliberate together, agreed to 
add to Limousin the Saintonge and the 
Pays @’ Annis, since a hint of that kind 
had been dropped by M. de Precigny to 
M.-de Suffolck. 
The French plenipotentiaries, in their 
turn, then pressed the English in the 
most urgent manner to imitate their 
frankness, ahd say the last word. . 
“ Tf we have delayed till now to say it,” 
replied the Cardinal d’Yorck, “it was 
‘for two reasons only ; one, that your of- 
fers are the smallest which have been hi- 
therto uiagie on the part of France, ‘al- 
though the situation of ourafiairs is much 
better than it has ever been since we 
began to treat; the other, that being so 
near the King, we can say and do no- 
thing without taking his orders.” “ Ah!? 
cried Precigny, ‘ would to God, that 
_ the two Kings were within reach of each 
other ; in the disposition in which a 
both are peace would be soonconcluded.” 
Every one cried, Amen—and after this 
‘unanimous voice, the French ambassa- 
dors begged the English plenipotentiaries 
to prgeoks this interview to Henry. Suf- 
folk was charged with the office. 
On the Saeh July, the Comte de Ven- 
dosme, the Archbishop of Rheims, and 
the Seigneur de Precigny, had a private 
audience of the King of England at Fo- 
lem (Fulham), a country house of the 
Bishop of London. .The Archbishop of 
Rheims, speaking in. the name of all, 
said, that he believed that the King had 
alread y been informed of the proposition 
which they had to make to him ; that all 
minds were disposed to peace, but that 
the objects upon which they treated with 
the purpose of definitive settlement were 
so delicate and important, that servants _ 
hesitated to meddle with and lay their ~ 
hands upon it. It had been avowed, 
that if the two Kings could meet, and 
converse together, the matter would be 
better and sooner brought to an, issue; 
and that, in truth, they knew that the 
King his uncle had a very great desire to 
see him, and that it would be a very great 
satisfaction to him. They proposed then 
that he should come to France in the fol- 
“owing spring or later; but as the truce 
expired on April 4, 1446, they had powe 
ers to continue it till All- Saints (Nov. 30), 
of the same year. 
These 
