lately put fir John Chandos in full poffeffion of the cities, lands, towns and, caftles of the duchy of Guierjne, as has been before mentioned,) ordering him to put himfelf at the head of the force that was fo be fent againft thefe freebooters, and to take a fnf* ficient number of men at arms to give them combat. When the lord James de Bourbon received thefe orders, he fet off immediately for the city of Agen *, without (topping any where, and fent off letters and meffengers to the nobles, knights and fquires, re-quiring, in the king's name, their inftant attendance. « Every one moft willingly obeyed his orders, and followed him to the city of Lyon j for he was eager to fight with thefe wicked people. The lord James of Bourbon was much beloved throughout the kingdom of France, and all moft cheerfully obeyed his orders. Knights and fquires, therefore, came to him from all quarters ; from Auvergne, from Limoufin, Provence, Savoy and .Dauphiné. On the other hand, many attended him from the duchy of Burgundy, whom the young duke of Burgundy had fent to him. This army began its march, making no halt at Lyon, but advanced into the county of Mafcon. The lord James entered the county of Foretz, which was dependant on his After in right of her children, for the count de Foretz was lately dead, and was governed by Reginald de Foretz, in the interim, * Agen is a coniiderahle city in Guienne, the capital of the Agenois, twenty-eight leagues from Touloufe, and thirty-fix from Bourdeaux, who 76