hollow was the hope of steady aid from the hot but reckless and
unprincipled Duke of Burgundy, and how different now was the condition
of France under a king of consummate sagacity and with an overflowing
treasury to its distracted state in the former conquests of the
English. This opposition to the king's will gave every opportunity
for Warwick's enemies to renew their old accusation of secret and
treasonable amity with Louis. Although the proud and hasty earl had
not only forgiven the affront put upon him by Edward, but had sought
to make amends for his own intemperate resentment, by public
attendance on the ceremonials that accompanied the betrothal of the
princess, it was impossible for Edward ever again to love the minister
who had defied his power and menaced his crown. His humour and his
suspicions broke forth despite the restraint that policy dictated to
him: and in the disputes upon the invasion of France, a second and
more deadly breach between Edward and his minister must have yawned,
had not events suddenly and unexpectedly proved the wisdom of
Warwick's distrust of Burgundy. Louis XI. bought off the Duke of
Bretagne, patched up a peace with Charles the Bold, and thus
frustrated all the schemes and broke all the alliances of Edward at
the very moment his military preparations were ripe. [W. Wyr, 518.]

Still the angry feelings that the dispute had occasioned between
Edward and the earl were not removed with the cause; and under
pretence of guarding against hostilities from Louis, the king
requested Warwick to depart to his government of Calais, the most
important and honourable post, it is true, which a subject could then
hold: but Warwick considered the request as a pretext for his removal
from the court. A yet more irritating and insulting cause of offence
was found in Edward's withholding his consent to Clarence's often-
urged demand for permission to wed with the Lady Isabel. It is true