the town ; and when this was full, he lodged them in tents and pavilions in thefine meadows along the fide of the river. He remained thus from Magdalen day until the feaft of our Lady in September, expecting week after week the arrival of the lords of the Empire, efpecially the duke of Brabant, for whom all the others were waiting. When the king of England faw that they came not, he fentftrong meflages to each of them, and caufed them to be fummoned to be at the city of Mechlin on St. Giles's day, according to their promifes, and to give reafons for their delays. King Edward was obliged to remain at Vilvorde, where he maintained daily, at his own coft, full fixteen hundred men at arms, that had come there from beyond fea, and ten thoufand archers, without counting the other followers of his army. This muft have been a heavy expenfe ; not including the large fums he had given to the German lords, who thus paid him back by fair promifes ; and the great force he was obliged to keep at fea againft the Genoefe, Bretons, Normans, Picards, and Spaniards, whom king Philip fupported at his coft, to harafs the Englifh, under the command of fir Hugh Quiriel, fir Peter Bahucet, and Barbenoire, who were the admirals and conductors of this fleet, to guard theftraits and paflages between England and France ; and thefe corfairs only waited for information of the war being commenced, and the Engliih king, having challenged the king of France as they fuppofed he would, to invade England and ravage the country. The