The princefs, mother of king Richard, refided at'that time at Windfor, with her daughter, the lady Maude, the mod beautiful woman in England,. The young çpunt de St. Pol and this lady fell loyally in love with each othçr; they frequendy met at dancings, carollings, and at other ^mufe-ments ; fo that it was fufpe&ed the young lady tenderly loved the count, and fhe difcovered the » whole to her mother. • A treaty of marriage was then çnterçd into be-tween the count de St. Pol and the lady Maude Holland : fhe count was ranfomed for fix fcore thoufand francs ; of which one half was to be re-mitted on his marriage, the rem^incler he was to pay. When the treaty had been concluded be-tween the young people, the king of England granted permifiion for the count to crofs the fea, in order to procure his ranfom, on his promife to return within the year. The count went to France to fee his friends, the king and his coufins of France, the earl of Flanders, the duke of Brabant, and alfo duke Albert. , In this year, a cruel charge was laid againft the count dc St. Pol : he was accufed of an intention to deliver up to the Englifh the ftrong caftle of JJouchain. The king ordered him to be arrefted and clofely guarded, declaring that the count ir\ faft meant to have entered into treaties inimical towards hip ; from which charge the count could never clear himfeif. On this occafion alfo, the Jpftf canon de ftobefart, tfie lord de Vertaing, fir James