bourhood, with other knights and fquires of the counties of Rethel and Laon, marched and laid liege to the caftle of Roucy : they prefled it fo hard for five weeks, that the garrifon furrendered, on condition of faving their lives and fortunes. For this efteél, they had letters, with permiffion to go wherever they pleafed in furety, under the hands of the archbifhop, the count *de Porcien and the count de Braine, who were there : but when they were fetting out, the common people came forth to meet them, and flew the greater part, in fpite of the lords, who with much difficulty faved the life of their leader, Hannequin François. Thus had the count de Roucy once more pofleflion of his town and caftle. CHAP. CC. SIR ÇUSTACE O'AMBRETICOURT OBTAINS HIS LI-BERTY BY A GREAT RANSOM. gOON after the re-capturcof the caftle of Roucy, fir Peter Audley fell fick, and died in his bed, at the caftle of Beaufort in Champagne, which caufed great grief among all the followers of his for-tunes. Upon this, the Englifh and Germans, who were united in carrying on the war in the name of the king of England, confulted together, and deter-mined that they could not fix on a more proper leader than fir Euftace d'Ambreticourt, who was then recovered from his wounds. ,/ The/ 460