tinte one of the prince's knights. Sir John âb Harcourt fell fick, which happened to him very opportunely ; for it lafted until the renewal of the war5 fo that he never again returned to England. Sir Guy de Blois, who at that time was a young fquire, and brother to the earl of Blois, obtained his liberty alfo ; for when he perceived that the king of France, for whom he was hoftage, had not thought of ranfoming him, he made overtures to the lord de Coucy, who had married one of the king's daughters* and who had a very great revenue in right of his wife, aligned to him on the king's treafury. This treaty advanced fo well be-tween the king, his fon-in-law, and fir Guy, that the latter, with the permiffion of his tWo brothers Louis and John, and with the confent of the king of France, gave up wholly and abfolutely into the hands of the king of England, the county of Soi fions j which county the king of England gave again, and prefented to the lord de Coucy, who-re-leafed it for four thoufand livres a-year annual rent. Thus were thefe agreements and covenants finifhed. The earl Peter d'Alençon had, through the good will of the king of England, returned alfo to France, where he remained fo long, and made fo many excufes, that he never went back to refume his duty as hoftage : but, I believe, at laft he paid thirty thoufand francs, to acquit his faith and oath. Before this time, a fortunate circumftance hap-pened to duke Louis de Bourbon, who was one of the hpftages in England. By favor of the king of England, he had returned t$ France j and while he was 3»3