Chap. 14.
Discords betwixt the French and English; The death and disposition of Meladine King of Egypt.
ABout this time brake out the dissensions betwixt the French and English. The cause whereof (as some say) was, for that the Earl of Sarisbury in sacking a fort got more spoil then the French. But surely the foundation of their discontents lay much lower, being on old enmity betwixt the two nations, and Robert Earl of Artois used Earl William and his men with much dis∣courtesie.
The Robert stood much on the Royaltie of his descent, being brother to King Lewis, though nothing of kin in conditions, being as bountifull to deal injuries and affronts as the other alms and charitable deeds. The English Earl, though he stood on the lower ground in point of birth, yet conceived himself to even him in valour and martiall knowledge. And though godly King Lewis used all his holy-water to quench these heart-burnings, his successe answered not this pains, much lesse his desires; onely his cooling perswasions laid their enmities for the present fairly asleep.
Amidst these broils died Meladine the Egyptian King. A worthy Prince he was; though some write very coursely of him: as he must rise early, yea, not at all go to bed, who will have every ones good word. Let Christians speak of him as they found: whose courtesies to them when they were half-drown∣ed in Egypt, if they will not confesse, they deserve to be whol∣ly drowned for their ingratitude. In the latter end of his age he quite lost the good will of his subjects, and lived unloved, and died unlamented, though a deserving and fortunate man, which oftentimes covereth a multitude of faults. The chief reason whereof was, because they suspected him to be unsound in his religion, and offering to Christianity: Besides, having reigned above thirty years, his government became stale; and good things, if of long continuance, grow ••edious, they being rather affected for their variety then true worth: Lastly, the rising