lead you to with to carry an expedition againft the infidels beyond fea, to conquer the holy land.9 4 That is very true/ anfwered the king,: c it Con* ftitutes the occupation of my thoughts night and day/ 1 believe the propofai ' was made by the lord de la Riviere or fir John le Mercier ; for they were both too much attached to pope Cle-ment, and fo greatly in the king's favour, that whatever they faid was done* Others, who were at the time in the king's company, faid ; * Sire, you cannot, in confcience, undertake fuch an ex-pedition, while the church is difunited : begin with the head, and your enterprife will end the better/ • ' How would you have me begin V afked the king. 1 Sire/ replied they, * at this moment you have nothing on your hands. You are at peace with the Englifli ; and you may, du-ring the truce, undertake, if you pleafe,, an expe-dition : we do not fee a more brilliant one, than to march a large army to Rome and deftroy this anti-pope, whom the Romans, through error, have eleâed and placed on the throne of St. Peter. This may be done, if you exert yourfelf : a more meritorious or honourable fervice cannot be per-formed ; and the inftant the anti-pope and his car* dinats fhail learn you are advancing againft them with a large army, they will furrender themfelves to your mercy. The king liftened attentively to this, and' faid he would confider of it. In truth, he was warmly attached to pope Clement ; for the preceding year, - when at Avignon, he had received the greateft R 4 honours