Louis's own personal
exertions, directed, doubtless, by the information of which he was previously
possessed, did more to accomplish that object in a few hours than his agents had
effected in years of negotiation.
    One man alone the King missed, whom he had been particularly desirous of
conciliating, and that was the Count de Crèvecoeur, whose firmness, during his
conduct as Envoy at Plessis, far from exciting Louis's resentment, had been
viewed as a reason for making him his own if possible. He was not particularly
gratified when he learnt that the Count, at the head of an hundred lances, was
gone towards the frontiers of Brabant, to assist the Bishop, in case of
necessity, against William de la Marck and his discontented subjects; but he
consoled himself that the appearance of this force, joined with the directions
which he had sent by faithful messengers, would serve to prevent any premature
disturbances in that country, the breaking out of which might, he foresaw,
render his present situation very precarious.
    The Court upon this occasion dined in the forest when the hour of noon
arrived, as was common in those great hunting parties; an arrangement at this
time particularly agreeable to the Duke, desirous as he was to abridge that
ceremonious and deferential solemnity with which he was otherwise under the
necessity of receiving King Louis. In fact, the King's knowledge of human nature
had in one particular misled him on this remarkable occasion. He thought that
the Duke would have been inexpressibly flattered to have received such a mark of
condescension and confidence from his liege lord; but he forgot that the
dependence of this Dukedom upon the Crown of France was privately the subject of
galling mortification to a Prince so powerful, so wealthy, and so proud as
Charles, whose aim it certainly was to establish an independent kingdom. The
presence of the King at the Court of the Duke of Burgundy imposed on that prince
the necessity of exhibiting himself in the subordinate character of a vassal,
and of discharging many rites of feudal observance and deference, which, to one
of his haughty disposition, resembled derogation from the character of a
Sovereign Prince, which on all occasions he affected as far as possible to
sustain.
    But although it was possible to avoid much ceremony by having the dinner
upon the green turf, with sound of bugles, broaching of barrels, and all the
freedom of a silvan meal, it was necessary that the evening repast should, even
for that very reason, be held with more than usual solemnity.
    Previous orders for this purpose had been given, and, upon returning to
Peronne, King