A.D. 1296. PEACE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND ELAND E ES. In the meantime, a certain ship belonging to the kingdom of France, bearing the name of king Philip, being of greater fame and size than the common vessels of either country, was encountered by some English sailors, who accidentally fell in with her, and after a severe conflict, was taken and brought into Sandwich harbour. At that time the count of Flanders, having been released from a French prison, returned to his own country. And the following had been the cause of his arrest. Before the beginning of this war, the king of England and the aforesaid count had made an agreement that the son of the king and the daughter of the count should be united in lawful wedlock ; therefore, the count of Flanders was summoned before the French court, and being examined touching this contract, he made answer to the king, that this connection having been thus agreed to, could not be dissolved. But the king of France, fearing that a confederacy of this king would be injurious to him, adopted a cunning plan for bringing about a divorce, commanding that the aforesaid damsel should be given up to his supervision in guardianship. But the count, dreading the sentence of excommunication pronounced against disturbers of matrimony, made answer, that he would by no means agree to what was asked of him. Therefore he himself was committed to liberal custody. And immediately people came wishing to give bail for the old man ; but the king of France refused any bail whatever for him. And the count, seeing that he could not procure his liberation by any other means than those before mentioned, gave up his daughter to them with bitterness of spirit, and so was allowed to depart in freedom. And when he had returned to his own country, he summoned his comrades and related to them the injurious way in which he had been treated. And his people answered him, " My lord, we are merchants, and without the arrival of the English in Flanders, and the passage of Flemings into England, we cannot traffic to any advantage, let peace, therefore, be made between your nation and theirs ; and then, supported by their assistance, we may despise the injuries already inflicted on us by the king of France, and any others which he may endeavour to subject us to." When these events had been related to the king of England by regular ambassadors, by formal security having been given and taken, peace was made between the two nations, and