A century had greatly changed the relations of England and France. In
1420 Henry V. had recently won the great victory of Agincourt, and
France lay almost prostrate at his feet. In 1520 the English possessions
in France were confined to the seaport of Calais and a small district
around it known as the "English pale." The castle of Guisnes stood just
within the English border, the meeting between the two monarchs being
fixed at the line of separation of the two kingdoms.
The palace we have described, erected for the habitation of King Henry
and his suite, had been designed and ordered by Cardinal Wolsey, to
whose skill in pageantry the management of this great festival had been
consigned. Extensive were the preparations alike in England and in
France. All that the island kingdom could furnish of splendor and riches
was provided, not alone for the adornment of the king and his guard, but
for the host of nobles and the multitude of persons of minor estate, who
came in his train, the whole following of the king being nearly four
thousand persons, while more than a thousand formed the escort of the
queen. For the use of this great company had been brought nearly four
thousand richly-caparisoned horses, with vast quantities of the other
essentials of human comfort and regal display.
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