Greasy palms

8 October 1297. On this day Henri III, Comte de Bar – known on the German side of the border as Heinrich III von Bar – sends a letter to his father-in-law Edward I. He apologises for not responding earlier to the king's summons, but he was absent from Bar when it arrived. Henri is now raising soldiers as quickly as possible, and will march from Stenay to join the king at Ghent within a few days.

Stenay lies within the province of Bar, an outlier state of the Holy Roman Empire, about halfway between Rheims and Luxembourg. Ghent in Flanders is about 150 miles away, so Henri and his men will have to shift.

In his letter Henri mentions that Count Amadeus of Savoy is with him. The role of Amadeus in this conflict is a shadowy one. Although on Edward's payroll, he shuttles back and forth between the English and French courts, acting as adviser to both kings. This might seem odd, since England and France are at war, but it seems the count is being employed as an unofficial go-between.

Ultimately, it is neither Edward or Philip the Fair's interest to destroy each other. While the two kings beat their chests in public and make aggressive noises, their agents are scuttling about in the background, greasing palms, exchanging hefty bribes, arranging this or that favour for milord and messire. The one thing everyone wants to avoid is a pitched battle. Battles are far too unpredictable, and where's the profit in mindless slaughter?

Away from the present tense, much of this cloak-and-dagger work has only come to light recently. A current research project at Antwerp university is studying the role of English agents such as Robert de Segre, Jean de Cuyck and Count Amadeus, as well as King Edward's relations with the princes and merchants of the Low Countries. The subject is fiendishly complex – one is left with the impression that these men rather enjoyed it. Like a massive game of chess.