But that was not his language towards his cousin of Burgundy, whom he assured that there should be no infringement of their treaty, and that it was greatly to his royal displeasure that Flemish property captured at sea in defiance of that treaty should be sold in French market-places.  There is a hot correspondence,[15] that is, it is hot on the side of Charles, while Louis’s phrases are smoothly surprised at there being any cause for dissatisfaction.  The circumstances shall be investigated, his cousin satisfied, etc.  One letter from the duke to two of Louis’s council is emphatic in its expressions of doubt as to the good faith of these royal statements: 

    “ARCHBISHOP AND YOU ADMIRAL: 

“The vessels which you assure me are destined by the king for an attack on England have attempted nothing except against my subjects; but, by St. George, if some redress be not seen to, I will take the matter into my own hands without waiting for your motions, tardy and dilatory as they are."[16]

Reprisals were made accordingly, and the innocent French merchants, coming peaceably to the fair at Antwerp, suffered confiscation of their private property, while the duke felt fully justified in stationing his fleet off the coast of Normandy to guard the Channel.  Philip de Commines was one of the company who went at the duke’s behest to Calais to urge the governor, Wenlock, to be faithful to King Edward, and to give no shelter to the rebellious earl and his protege Clarence.[17]

Louis feared an outbreak of hostilities at an inconvenient moment.  He temporised.  To Warwick, he denied a personal interview, but at the same time he sent him a confidential emissary, Sr. du Plessis, to whom he wrote as follows: 

“Monsieur du Plessis, you know the desire I have for Warwick’s return to England, as well because I wish to see him get the better of his enemies—­or that at least through him the realm of England may be embroiled—­as to avoid the questions which have arisen out of his sojourn here....  For you know that these Bretons and Burgundians have no other aim than to find a pretext for rupturing peace and reopening the war, which I do not wish to see commenced under this colour....  Wherefore I pray you take pains, you and others there, to induce Mons. de Warwick to depart by all arguments possible.  Pray use the sweetest methods that you can, so that he shall not suspect that we are thinking of anything else but his personal advantage."[18]

To gain time was Louis’s ardent wish at that moment.  The envoys sent by Louis to placate the duke’s resentment at the incidents in connection with the Warwick affair, and to assure him that Louis meant well by him and his subjects, found Charles holding high state at St. Omer.  When they were admitted to audience, the duke was discovered sitting on a lofty throne, five feet above floor level, “higher than was the wont of king or emperor to sit.”  His hat remained on his head as the representatives of his feudal overlord bowed to him and he acknowledged their obeisance by a slight nod and a gesture permitting them to rise.