others in the diftant countries wondered much that the king of France fhould force them from his jurifdi&ion. Others faid, it was not in his power thus to free them ; and it was not his right fo to do ; for, as they were Gafcons, they had very old charters and privileges from the noble Charlemagne (who was king of France), which placed them under the jurifdi&ion of his court, and of no other. On which account, thefe lords would not at firft yield obedience to the commiffioners ; but the king of. France, who wifhed to uphold and maintain what he had fworn and fealed, fent thither his dear coufin fir James de Bourbon, who appeafed the greater part of thefe nobles ; and thofe who were bounden became liege men to the king of England ; h as the count d'Armagnac, the lord d'Albret and many others, who at the intreaties of the king or France and of fir James de Bourbon, obeyed, but very unwillingly. On the other hand, it was very difpleafing to the barons, knights and inhabitants of the towns on the fea-coaft, and in the country of Poitou, the Rochel-lois and all Saintonge, that they (hould be given up to the Englifh : in particular thofe in the town of la Rochelle would not confent to it : they made frequent excufes, and vgnild not, for upwards of a year, fuffer any Englifhman to enter their town. The letters were very affe&ing which they wrote to the king of France, befeeching him, by the love of God, that he would never liberate them from their fidelity, nor feparate them from his government and place them in the hands of ftrangers ; for they would 7*