lie might boldly fet out on his return, for he would not meet with any obftacle to his ' fo doing, as indeed he did not : he therefore went back to France as fpeedily as poflible. The earl dauphin of Auvergne, the earl of Porcien, the lord dé Maulevrier, and feveral others as this time in England, as hoftages for the king of France, were in the greateft anxiety on hearing thé above intelligence ; for they were doubtful of the intentions of the king of England and hts council, and what they meant to do to them. k is proper to be known that the king and his council were greatly offended that this challenge fhould have been brought by a valet: they faid it was not decent that a war between two fuch great lords as the kings of France and of England fhould he announced and declared by a common fervant 5 that it would not h^ve bsen unworthy of a prelate, AT of a valiant baron or' knight, to have been the biearer of fuçh a declaration : however, nothing more was done* • , In this council, the king was advifed to fend di~ reûiy reinforcements of men at arms to Ponthieu, to guard that country, more particularly to Abbe-ville, which rjan mu£h rifk of being taken. The king approved of this, and ordered the lord Percy, the lord Nevijle? the lord Garbeftone# and fir William Windfor on this bufmefs, with three hun? dred men at arms aid one thoufand archers. * Barnes fays, lord Henry Percy, lord Wlllîajn Neville and lord William Windfor, and one lord more, but does not •name hire. 15 " While 3#