1%' men at arms, who were every day increafing, were • quartered between the rivers Loire and Allier % and had overrun a part of the Bourbonnois and Auvergne, between Moulins tj St. Pierre le Mou* Her J and St. Pourfaint §. From this body, whom the Lord Lewis de Navarre commanded, a com-pany of about three thoufand were detached under the orders of Bertrand de la Salle and Qrtingo« They croffed the Loire above Marcilly les Non* nains ||, and pufhed forward with fo much h^fte, that by day-break they came before la Charité f f a large and well inclofed town upon the Loire. This they immediately fcaled without any çppo-fition ; and, having entered the town, took poffef-fion of that part of it ; but, as they were fearful left the townf-people might have laid an ambufcade for them, they dared not advance further until it ihould be broad day. During this delay, the inhabitants of the town embarked all their moft valuable things in boats which were on the river Loire, and, having alfo placed their wives and children in them, foiled off # Allier,—a river in Languedoc, which pfes in the Gc-vaudan, near the village of Coudray, whence, flowing north-wards, it traverfes Auvergne and the Bourbonnois. and then, entering the Ntvernois, falls into the Loire, about a league above Never*. f Moulins,—capital of the Bourbonnois, on the Allier. I St. Pierre le Mouftier,—a town of the Nivernois. § Saint Pourfaint,—a town of Auvergne. 1 Mkrcilîy les Nonnains,—a village in Berry, election of la Charité. % La Charité—a town h the Nivèrnoii. M3 h