wifh fuch alliances to be made in a hurry, nor at all if we were not thus circumftanced ; but I would that our ambafladors ihould demand privately, of the king of England and his coun-cil, the fum of two hundred thoufand old crowns, which we have a juft right to, and which Jacob von Artaveld, my father, and the ftates of Flanders, lent to the king of England when before Tournay, to pay his troops. Let them alfo tell the king of England, his uncle* and his counfdlors, that the Hates of Flanders |n general, and the chief towns who made this loan, demand the repayment of it; and that when this (hall have been done, which the king of England is obliged to perform, he and his fubjeots Jhall have free entry into Flanders for the time U come. It is much better/ added Philip, ^that we make ufe of what is our otfn than .that foreigners ihduld do fo ; and we never can faave à better opportunity than now to get it back again, for the king and realm of Eûg-' l$nd tfill not hefitate to gain the entry, love and alliance of fuch a country as Flanders now is : befides, the Englifh have not in the whole coaf| from Bourdeaux to Sluys any port, except Ca-lais/ Cherbourg and Breft, to gain entrance into France. Flanders, therefore, will open he* ports to them very opportunely; for Brittany,' excepting Breft, is quite fhut againft them, and the duke of Brittany has fwore to be a true m Frenchman, which, if he were not, he would fo become, through love to his • coufin-german the earl of Flanders/ • '