bis prifon in the caftle of Crevecour in Cambrelis, where he was confined ; for it appeared to many members of the three eftates, that the kingdom would be ftronger and more ably defended,%pro-vided he would be true and loyal ; for there were few noblemen at that time in France that were able to make any good defence, the greater part having been flain or made prifoners at the battle of Poitiers. They therefore requefted the duke of, Normandy to give him his liberty ; for they thought he had been unjuftly ufed, nor did they know for what reafon he was a prifoner. The duke replied, that he could not advife his being fet at liberty; for the king his father had ordered him to be confined, and he was ignorant of the caufe or reafon of it. At this period, news was brought to the duke and to three eftates,. that fir Godfrey de Har-court was waging a deftruBive war againft Nor-mandy; that his army, which was not very nume-rous, overran the country twice or thrice a-week, as far as the fuburbs of Caen, of Saint Lo*, Evreux and Coutances, and no one went out to oppofe him. The duke and the three eftates ordered an expe-dition of men at arms, confifting of three hundred •lances and five hundred with iron armour : they nominated four captains to command them, the lord de Reyneval, the lord de Chauny, the lord de Riville, and the lord de Frianville. This army fet * A city of Normandy, fituated on the Vire, diocefe of Cou-tances* out 361