Pontchardon. Thefe knights, with their companies, made frequent attacks upon the forces of the earl of Armagnac, the lord d'Albret, the earls of Perigord and Comminges, the vifcounts of Carmaing and of Tharide, the lord de la Barde, and feveral other barons and knights of the fame connection, who, with their companies, were upon this frontier. Sometimes one fide was victorious, fometinaes the other, as in war fuch things commonly happen. The duke of Anjou remained very quiet, and made not the fmallefl movement, notwithftanding the rumours he heard ; for the king of France had ftri&ly ordered him not to make war upon the prince of Wales, nor on his fubjeds, until he fhould receive from him pofitive orders for fo doing. CHAP. CCXL1X. THE KING OF FRANCE GAINS OVER SEVERAL CAPTAINS OF THE FREE COMPANIES. , SENDS HIS DEFIANCE TO THE KING OF ENG-LAND. *2"HE king of France, all this time was fecretly and ably gaining over feveral of the captains of the free companies, and others attached to the party of the Englifh, who had afcended the river Loire, and were on the confines of Berry and Auvergne, where the king pf France had given his permiflion for them to refide. Not one of the companies of France was in motion ; for the king did not wifh that 39°