declared, that it was unjuft and illegal in the king of Caftille to difinherit, without caufe, his two coufins -, and that it was not becoming that two noble ladies of fuch high birth Ihould be difinhe-rited from their rights : it was alfo improper that this affair fhould become old and forgotten, fo that thefe ladies would never be able to regain their pof-feffions :, that for him, who was one of the heareft relations they had, he would never confent to it, both for the love of God and his/ délire to main-tain juftice, to which every good Chriftian fhould incline. He fent therefore his defiance to the king of Caftille, whom all Spain had crowned -, and the king of Portugal made war upon him for the rea-fons above mentioned. Don John defended him-feif valiantly, and ordered to'the frontiers and to his garrifons numbers of men at arms, to oppofe his enemies, fo that he loft nothing at the breaking* out of hoftilkies. He had'with him fome of the ablcft and moft prudent of French chivalry, who aflifted him greatly by their arms and advice ; fuch as the bègue de Vilaines, fir Peter his fon, fir John de Bergettes, fir William de Lîgnac, fir Walter de Puiffec, the lord de la Tande, fir John and fir Triftram de Roye, and many more, who had gone to Spain dp the departure of the earl of Bucking-ham from Brittany j for the king of France, who . had grtfar connexions and of i long ftanding with the king of Caftille, had fent them thither. The kiri£ of Portugal i on fifcdiogthis, thought it advifable to fend àmbaffadôh to England to the • .. f king 324