and created the eldest son Earl of Somerset. But this kingly favour, although pleasing to Lancaster, by no means appeased the ferment into which the Court had been thrown. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Countess of Arundel, and other royal lords and ladies, declared that as the low-born, immoral Duchess would, in right of her husband, take rank as second lady in the kingdom, they would leave others to do the honours of the Court if she attended the Queen, as disgrace themselves by entering her presence they would not. Whilst the Court was thus embroiled, the Count St. Pol, who had married Richard's half-sister, Matilda Holland, was sent to England by the Erench King. Richard promised the Count that he would go to Calais, meet the French King, receive his bride, and if a peace could not be concluded, at least to establish a truce for thirty or forty years. King Richard, accompanied by Count St. Pol, the Dukes and Duchess of Lancaster, York, and Gloucester, numerous other nobles, and several prelates, went to Calais, held a conference with the Duke of Burgundy, returned again to England to dispatch important business, and immediately afterwards crossed once more to Calais ; the ι rench King and Queen with their infant daughter proceeding at the same time from Paris to St. Omer, where they were waited upon by the English King's uncles and their wives, with many other English lords, knights, esquires, and ladies. These noblemen the French cordially welcomed, entertained with show and feasting, and presented with valuable gifts of jewels, and gold and silver plate. But, although all the others felt proud and grateful at the honour done them by their polite French neighbours, the Duke of Gloucester, on whom the most marked attention and valuable presents had been bestowed, greatly murmured ; whenever the peace was mentioned, he, in tones of anger, declared that France was too rich a country to be on other than terms of war with. Nor, indeed, was his powerful voice obtained in favour of the marriage till Richard promised, on returning home, to present him with fifty thousand nobles, and to elevate hie only son Humphrey to the earldom of Rochester, with a yearly pension of two thousand nobles. The obstacles to the marriage and peace being now removed, "in every part about there were pitched up tenta and pavilions, and all the country was full of French and English people." On the morning of the twenty-seventh of October, 1396, the two kings left their lodgings and went in grand procession to their tents, which were placed not far asunder. From their tents thev proceeded on foot to an appointed* spot, which was surrounded by four hundred French and four hundred English knights, armed cap-à-pie, and with drawn swords. Through the ranks of these knights the two kings passed, Richard being supported by the Dukes of Berri and Burgundy, and the French King by those of Lancaster and Gloucester; when the Kings neared each other, the eight hundred knights, weeping for joy, went down on their knees. Richard and the French King met together bare-headed and warmly saluted each other, when the French King led Richard into his tent, which was noble and rich; and the four dukes joined hands and followed the two Kings. The knights all the time stood regarding each other with pleasant countenances till the ceremony was concluded. When the two Kings, hand in hand, entered the tent, the four dukes fell on their knees before them. The dukes, after they had risen at the bidding of the Kings, went and talked together at the front of the tent, whilst the Kings remained inside and held conversation by themselves. In the meantime wine and spices were brought in. The Duke of Bcrri served the comfit box, and the Duke of Burgundy the wine to the French King, and the Dukes of Lancaster and Gloucester served the King of EngLand ; and after the Kings had partaken of wine and spices, the other knights and esquires setved the prelates and lords. On the day following, about eleven o'clock, the King of England and his