A private agent, whom the municipal government had despatched to the French court for assistance, was not more successful than his character and course of conduct would have seemed to warrant; for during his residence in Paris, he had been always drunk, and generally abusive.

This was not good diplomacy, particularly on the part of an agent from a weak municipality to a haughty and most undecided government.
"They found at this court," wrote Stafford to Walsingham, "great fault with his manner of dealing that was sent from Gaunt.

He was scarce sober from one end of the week to the other, and stood so much on his tiptoes to have present answer within three days, or else that they of Gaunt could tell where to bestow themselves.

They sent him away after keeping him three weeks, and he went off in great dudgeon, swearing by yea and nay that he will make report thereafter." Accordingly, they of Ghent did bestow themselves very soon thereafter upon the King of Spain.

The terms were considered liberal, but there was, of course, no thought of conceding the great object for which the patriots were contending--religious liberty.