lord de Bourfiers, he returned with him towards Ri-bemont. His force might now confift of about forty fpears and thirty crofs-bows. • , As they were approaching Ribemont, having fent forward one of their fcouts to inform tfee in-habitants that they were coming to their aid, they perceived a body of Englifh/ advancing, who ap-peared to confift of at leaft fourfcore men on horfe-back. The French faid, c Here are our enemies returning from pillage : let us meet them/ Upon which they ftuck ipurs into their horfes, and gal-loped off as faft as they could, crying out, c Nôtre Dame Ribemont •/ they fell upon the Englifh, whom they defeated and flew, Happy were they who could efcape. » . When the French had thus conquered thefe Englifh, they came to Ribemont, were they found the lord du Chin, who à little before had entered the town with forty fpears and twenty crofs-bows. Whilft thefe three noble knights were on the fquare of the town before the caftle, and many of their men had gone to their quarters to difarm themfelves, they heard the fentinel on the caftle-wall cry out, f Here are men at arms advancing to the town/ On tfhich they went nearer the caftle, and afked how many he thought there might be : he anfwered, c About fourfcore/ Upon which, the lord de Bourfiers faid • € It behoves us to go and fight with them, for otherwife we fhall have much blame in having fuffered them thus to come up to our very walls unnoticed.* •The «39