Scots.'
`But I want the Scots in my crusade!' said Valois.
Robert of Artois was knocking his huge fists impatiently together. He was utterly indifferent to the crusade and, to tell the truth, had no wish to go on it. To begin with, he was always seasick. He would undertake anything on shore, but not at sea; a newborn babe would be better at it than he was. Besides, his thoughts were concerned in the first place with the recovery of his County of Artois, and to go and wander about the ends of the earth for five years was unlikely to benefit his affairs. The throne of Constantinople was no part of his inheritance, and to find himself one day governing some desert island amid forgotten seas had no attraction for him. He had no interest in the spice trade, nor any need to go and capture Saracen women; Paris was overflowing with houris at fifty sols and with bourgeoises for even less; and Madame de Beaumont, his wife, the daughter of Monseigneur of Valois, closed her eyes to all his infidelities. It was therefore in Robert's interest to postpone the date of the crusade as long as possible and, while pretending enthusiasm for it, to do his best to delay it. He had a plan in mind, and it was not for nothing he had brought Roger Mortimer to see his father-in-law.
`I wonder, Charles,' he said, `whether it is really wise to leave the Kingdom of France deprived of its men for so long and, without either its nobility or your hand at the helm, at the mercy of the King of England, who has given so much evidence of his ill-will towards us.'
`The castles will be provisioned, Robert; and we shall leave sufficient garrisons,' Valois replied.
But without the nobility and most of the knights, and without you, I repeat, who are our one great general, who will defend the kingdom in our absence? The Constable, who is nearly seventy - five and can only remain in the saddle by a miracle? Our King Charles? If Edward, as Lord Mortimer tells us, does not much care for war, our dear cousin is still less skilled in it. Indeed, if it comes to that, what can he do except show himself fresh and
smiling to the people? It would be folly to leave the field open to Edward's sly tricks without having first weakened him by a defeat.'
`Then let's help the Scots,' suggested Philippe of Valois.. `Let's land on their coasts and supp ort their war. For my part, I'm ready to do so.'
Robert of Artois looked down so as not to show what he was thinking. There'd be a pretty mess if brave Philippe took command of an expedition to Scotland. The heir to the Valois had already shown his capacity in Italy, where he had been sent to support the Papal Legate against the Visconti of Milan. Philippe had arrived proudly with his banners, and had then allowed himself to be so imposed on and out-manoeuvred by Galeazzo Visconti that he had, in fact, yielded everything while believing himself victorious, and had come home without even having engaged in a skirmish. One needed to beware above all of any enterprise in which he was engaged. None of which prevented Philippe of Valois being Robert's best and closest friend, as well as his brother-in-law. But, indeed, you can think what you like of your friends, provided you don't tell them.
Roger Mortimer had paled a little on hearing Philippe of Valois' suggestion. For if he was King Edward's adversary and enemy, England was nevertheless still his country.
`For the moment,' he said, `the Scots are being more or less peaceful; they appear to be respecting the treaty they imposed on Edward a year ago.'
`But, really,' said Robert, `to get to Scotland you have to cross the sea. Let's keep our ships for the crusade. But we have better grounds on which to defy that bigger Edward. He has failed to render homage for Aquitaine: If we forced him to come and defend his rights to his duchy in France, and then went and crushed him we should, in the first place, all be avenged and, in the second, he'd stay quiet enough during our
`But I want the Scots in my crusade!' said Valois.
Robert of Artois was knocking his huge fists impatiently together. He was utterly indifferent to the crusade and, to tell the truth, had no wish to go on it. To begin with, he was always seasick. He would undertake anything on shore, but not at sea; a newborn babe would be better at it than he was. Besides, his thoughts were concerned in the first place with the recovery of his County of Artois, and to go and wander about the ends of the earth for five years was unlikely to benefit his affairs. The throne of Constantinople was no part of his inheritance, and to find himself one day governing some desert island amid forgotten seas had no attraction for him. He had no interest in the spice trade, nor any need to go and capture Saracen women; Paris was overflowing with houris at fifty sols and with bourgeoises for even less; and Madame de Beaumont, his wife, the daughter of Monseigneur of Valois, closed her eyes to all his infidelities. It was therefore in Robert's interest to postpone the date of the crusade as long as possible and, while pretending enthusiasm for it, to do his best to delay it. He had a plan in mind, and it was not for nothing he had brought Roger Mortimer to see his father-in-law.
`I wonder, Charles,' he said, `whether it is really wise to leave the Kingdom of France deprived of its men for so long and, without either its nobility or your hand at the helm, at the mercy of the King of England, who has given so much evidence of his ill-will towards us.'
`The castles will be provisioned, Robert; and we shall leave sufficient garrisons,' Valois replied.
But without the nobility and most of the knights, and without you, I repeat, who are our one great general, who will defend the kingdom in our absence? The Constable, who is nearly seventy - five and can only remain in the saddle by a miracle? Our King Charles? If Edward, as Lord Mortimer tells us, does not much care for war, our dear cousin is still less skilled in it. Indeed, if it comes to that, what can he do except show himself fresh and
smiling to the people? It would be folly to leave the field open to Edward's sly tricks without having first weakened him by a defeat.'
`Then let's help the Scots,' suggested Philippe of Valois.. `Let's land on their coasts and supp ort their war. For my part, I'm ready to do so.'
Robert of Artois looked down so as not to show what he was thinking. There'd be a pretty mess if brave Philippe took command of an expedition to Scotland. The heir to the Valois had already shown his capacity in Italy, where he had been sent to support the Papal Legate against the Visconti of Milan. Philippe had arrived proudly with his banners, and had then allowed himself to be so imposed on and out-manoeuvred by Galeazzo Visconti that he had, in fact, yielded everything while believing himself victorious, and had come home without even having engaged in a skirmish. One needed to beware above all of any enterprise in which he was engaged. None of which prevented Philippe of Valois being Robert's best and closest friend, as well as his brother-in-law. But, indeed, you can think what you like of your friends, provided you don't tell them.
Roger Mortimer had paled a little on hearing Philippe of Valois' suggestion. For if he was King Edward's adversary and enemy, England was nevertheless still his country.
`For the moment,' he said, `the Scots are being more or less peaceful; they appear to be respecting the treaty they imposed on Edward a year ago.'
`But, really,' said Robert, `to get to Scotland you have to cross the sea. Let's keep our ships for the crusade. But we have better grounds on which to defy that bigger Edward. He has failed to render homage for Aquitaine: If we forced him to come and defend his rights to his duchy in France, and then went and crushed him we should, in the first place, all be avenged and, in the second, he'd stay quiet enough during our
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