cross and collected an immense army nominally for the recovery of
Jerusalem. Whether his intentions were honest or not I cannot say, but
certainly King Edward considered that Phillip's real aim in creating so
great an army was to attack England. Whether this was so or not would need
a wiser head than mine, Walter, to tell. Certainly Phillip of Valois
invited Edward to cooperate with him in the crusade. The king in reply
stated his belief that the preparations were intended for war in Europe
rather than in Asia; but that if the King of France would agree to conclude
a firm league of amity between the two countries, to restore the castles
and towns of Aquitaine, whose surrender had been frequently promised but
never carried out, and would bind himself by oath to give no assistance,
direct or indirect, to Scotland, he would join him in his war for the
delivery of the Holy Land."

"I must say that King Edward's demands were reasonable, for it was clear
that he could not march away from England with his whole force and leave
Baliol unsupported against the assaults of his Scotch enemies, aided by
France. Phillip was willing to accede to the first two conditions; but in
regard to the third positively declined treating until David Bruce should
be restored to the throne of his father. Now, had the French king openly
supported Bruce from the first, none could have said that his conduct in
befriending a dethroned monarch was aught but noble and generous; but he
had all along answered Edward's complaints of the aid afforded by Frenchmen
to the Bruce by denials that he himself supported him; and this declaration
in his favour now certainly seemed to show that he had at last determined
openly to throw off the veil, and that his great army was really collected
against England. Robert of Artois craftily seized a moment when the king's
indignation against Phillip was at the highest. At a great banquet held by
King Edward, at which all his warlike nobles were present, Robert entered,
preceded by two noble maidens carrying a heron, which, as you know, Walter,