at that time were dependent On the king of Eng-land ; fuch as the lord d'Albret, the lord de Pu-miers, the lord de Montferrant, the lord of Duras, the lord of Craton, the lord of Grailley, and many others ; and fome were likewife fent by the cities of Bourdeaux and Bayonne. Thefe ambaffadors were molt courteoufly entertained and received by the king and his council ; to whom they explained the weaknefs of the country of Gafcony, and that his good friends in that country and the loyal city of Bourdeaux wanted aid : they therefore intreated, that he would fend thither fuch a captain and force of men at arms, as he might think able to make head againft the French, who kept the field in op-pofition to all that were fent to meet them. The king foon afterward appointed his coufin the earl of Derby leader of this expedition, and nomi-nated thofe knights that he had fixed upon to be under him : firfi, the earl of Pembroke, the earl of Oxford, the lord Stafford, fir Walter Manny, fir Frank van Halle,, fir Henry Earn of Brabant, fir Richard Fitzfimon, fir Hugh Haftings, fir Ste-phen Tombey, fir Richard Haydon, fir John Nor-wich, fir Richard Radcliffe, fir Robert Oxendon, and feveral more. They were fully three hundred knights and fquires, fix hundred men at arms, and two thoufand archers. The king advifed the earl his coufin to take plenty of gold and filver with him, and to bellow it liberally among the knights and fquires, in order to acquire their good opinion and affeélion. •E 2 The 51