THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD. (Fleurange's Memoirs.) A.D. 1520. quite near the castle, and it was of marvellous bigness; and the said house was all of wood, of linen, and of glass, and it was the most beautiful glass work that had ever been seen, for half of the Now the King of France thought | house was at the gates of Guisnes, that the King of England and he should meet in the field, in tents and pavilions, as had been formerly agreed; and the said lord | had made the most beautiful tents that were ever seen, and the greatest number. And the prin-house was all of glass, and I ascipal ones were of cloth of gold within and without; so many chambers, halls and galleries, all full of cloth of gold, and linen embroidered with gold and silver and other such things. And there were above the said tents many devices and ornaments of gold; and when they were spread out to the sun it made them splendid to look upon. And on that of the king there was a St. Michael, all of gold, that it might be known from the rest; but it was hollow inside. Now that I have devised to you the equipage of the King of France, I must describe also that of the King of England, which only made one mansion, but it was much beautiful than that of the French, and of little cost. And the said more sure you that it looked very bright. And the house had four parts, in the least of which a prince might have been lodged. And the court was of good size, and in the middle of the said court, and before the gate, were two fine fountains which spouted through three pipes, the one ippocras, the other wine, and the other water; and inside the house made the most splendid lodging that man could see. And the chapel, of wonderful size, and well furnished, both with relics and all other ornaments; and I assure you that if all that was well provided, so also were the cellars, for during the journey the houses of both prisoners were not shut to any one. They being come, to wit the King of France to Ardres, and the King of England to Guisnes, were there eight days to consider their affairs. And during the said time the princes of France and the council of the king went and came often towards the King of England, to settle the said matters; and from the side of the English also, and, among others, the legate, who had the whole government of the kingdom of England. The meeting of the said princes was arranged with great difficulty. And the King of France was very sorry that they did not accord their faith, one to another; and they were three or four days over these disputes, and there was still | something left to say two hours before they met each other. The matter being undertaken | and determined, the interview of the two princes was fixed for a certain day, which was a Sunday. This done, the said princes took thought what people they should take with them, and agreed to bring each two men; and at the tent where they were to see one another attended the legate of England, and Robertet on the side of the King of France, who had the papers of their masters. And the King of France brought with him Monsieur | de Bourbon and Monsieur L'Admiral; and the King of England had the Duke of Suffolk, who had married his sister, and the Duke of Norfolk. And the said camp was all surrounded with barriers, at the distance of about a ball's throw from the tent, and each had four hundred men for their guard, and the princes of the two houses, and each prince a nobleman with him; and there were three hundred archers of the. King of France, and the hundred Swiss that L'Advantureux commanded; and the King of England had four hundred archers. And in this good array they came to the barriers, and when they saw each other approach, the said guards remained at the barriers, and the two princes passed beyond with the two persons aforesaid, and came to embrace one another on horseback, and made wondrously good countenance to each other; and in embracing the King of France, the horse of the King of England stumbled; and each had his lackey, who took the horses. And they entered within the pavilion on foot, and began to embrace one another anew, and made more good cheer than ever; and when the King of England was seated he himself took the articles and began to read them. And when he had read those of the King of France which were to come first, he commenced to speak of himself, and it was, I, Henry, King, he was fain to say, of France and of England, but he left out the title of France, and said to the king, I will not put it since you are here, for I should lie; and he said, I, Henry, King of England. And the said articles were very well made and well written, if only they had been well kept. This done, the said princes parted, marvellously well pleased with one another; and in good order, as they had come, returned, the King of France to Ar dres, and the King of England to | pledged themselves to him, he Guisnes, where he lay by night, and by day kept himself in the fine house which he had had made. In the evening there came to the king, by command of the King of England, the legate and one of the council, to consider how and in what fashion they might often meet each other, and have surety of one another, and it was said that the queens should feast the kings, and the kings the queens, and that when the King of England came to Ardres to see the Queen of France, the King of France should set out to go to Guisnes to see the Queen of England; and thus they should be each in hostage for one another. also inquired of them the chamber of his brother king, the which was shown him by the said governor of Guisnes, who said to him, Sire, he is not yet awake. He passed right on, and goes up to the said chamber, knocks at the door, awakes him and enters in. And never was man more amazed than the King of England, and he said to him: "My brother, you have done me the best turn that ever man did to another, and have shown how great trust I should put in you; and as for me, I render myself your prisoner from this hour, and pledge you my faith." And he took off his neck a collar which was worth fifteen thousand angels, and begged the The King of France, who was King of France to be willing to not a suspicious man, was very take it and wear it that day for love sorry that they trusted so little to of his prisoner. And of a sudden each other's good faith. He got our king, who wished to do the up one morning very early, which same for him, had brought with is not his habit, and took two him a bracelet which was worth gentlemen and a page, the first more than thirty thousand angels, that he found, and mounted his and he prayed him that he would horse without having it capari- wear it for love of him, which thing soned, and came in a Spanish rid- | he did and put it on his arm, and ing-cloak towards the King of the King of France took his on his England, to the castle of Guisnes. own neck. And then the King And when the king was on the of England wished to get up, and bridge of the castle, all the English the King of France said to him were mightily amazed, and could that he should have no other valet not understand that he was come de chambre than himself, and warmto them; and there were two ed his shirt for him, and gave it him hundred archers on the said bridge, when he had risen. The King of and with the said archers was the France wished to go back, although governor of Guisnes, who was the King of England wished to much astonished. And passing keep him to dinner with him ; among them, the king demanded but as they were to joust after faith of them, and when they had dinner, he wished to go, and mounted his horse and returned to Ardres. He fell in with many persons of note who came to meet him, and among others, L'Advantureux, who said to him: "My master, you were a fool to have done what you have done, and I am very glad to see you here again, and the devil take him who has counselled you thus ;" on which the king made answer and said to him that never any man had counselled him to this, that he knew well there was no one in his kingdom who would wish to give him such counsel, and then began to relate what he had done at the said Guisnes, and so speaking, returned to Ardres, for it was not far off. If the King of England was glad of the good turn that the King of France had done him, still more glad were all the English, for they had never thought that he would have been willing to put himself in their hands, being less strong, and because there had been great trouble about their meeting, that the one might not be stronger than the other. The King of England, seeing what a good turn the king of France had done him, on the morning of the next day, did the same to the King of France as the king had done to him the former day, and they made to one another presents and good cheer, as much as or more than before. And this being done on both sides, the jousts began, which lasted eight days, and were marvellously fine, both on foot and on horse. And there were six French men and six Englishmen holding the lists, and the kings came to tilt with them. And the princes and captains brought each ten or twelve men-at-arms, equipped in their colours, and L'Advantureux had fifteen; and there might be in all, both French and English, three hundred men-at-arms, and I assure you it was a fine thing to see. The place where the jousts were done was well fortified, and there was a barrier on the side of the King of France, and another on the side of the King of England, and when the kings were inside and all their lords, it was told by number how many were to enter on each side; and the archers of the King of England and the captains of his guard guarded the side of the King of France, and the captains of the guard of the King of France, the archers and the Swiss, guarded the side of the King of England, and every time one entered but those who were to joust, and when this band was tired, another entered, and there was wondrously good order on all sides, and without disputing, which is a great thing in such an assembly. no After the jousting, the wrestlers of France and England came forward, and wrestled before the kings and the ladies, which was fine pastime ; and there were some strong wrestlers there, and because the King of France had not made to come the wrestlers of Brittany, the English ones gained the prize. Afterwards they went to shoot with the bow, and the King of England himself, who is a wondrously good archer and strong, and did it good to see. After all these pastimes finished, the King of France and the King of England retired into a pavilion, where they drank together. This done, the King of England took the King of France by the neck, and said to him, "My brother, I wish to wrestle with you," and gave him a push or two; and the King of France, who is a very good wrestler, gave him a twist and threw him on the ground, and gave him a marvellous fall. And the King of England still wished to wrestle again, but all that was stopped, and it was necessary to go to supper. And thus two days they came to see one another, without a day to repose themselves, and when the French were at Guisnes, the English came to Ardres. And the lords and ladies of England came often to sleep at the lodgings of the French, and the French did in like manner, and every day were held many banquets and festivals. After that was the great festival, where all the courts of the two princes came to lodge within the | lists, where was made a fine house all of wood. And in the morning was sung the high mass by the English cardinal, upon a scaffold that had been made on purpose; and the chapel was made in one night, the most beautiful that ever I saw to have been made in so little time, and the best furnished; for all the choristers of the King of France and of the King of England were there, and it was very grandly sung; and after the mass the said cardinal gave the sacrament to the two kings. And there was the peace again confirmed and proclaimed by the heralds. And there was made the marriage of Monsieur the Dauphin of France to Madame the Princess of England, daughter of the said king. After this were held still three or four jousts and banquets, and afterwards they took leave of one another in the greatest peace that is possible between princes and princesses. King of England returned to Guisnes, and the King of France into France, and it was not without exchanging great presents at parting from one another. And that done, the |