CHAP. XXXVII^ _ • PHILIP VON ARTAVELD TAKES MEASURES TO RE-SIST THE FORCE OF THE KING OF FRANCE.— HE RECEIVES AN ANSWER FROM HIS AMBASSA-DORS IN ENGLAND. BAD news foon flies abroad. Ôn Tuefday rooming Philip von Artaveld heard, while he lay before Oudenarde, that the French had croffed the Lis on the Monday in boats, and had advanced as far as Commines, having conquered the Flemings polled there and in the adjacent parts ; that about fix thoufand Flemings had been (lain, and that Peter du Bois was fupp'ofed to be dead. . Philip was thunderftruck at this intelligence ; and he afked the lord de Harzelles who was pre-fent, c what was to be done/ The lord de Har-zelles replied, c You muft go to Ghent, and col-lect as many people as you can in th£ town, and return with them hither :. youmuft then march your whole ' army to Courtray ; for when the king of France learns that you are marching in full force againft him, he will eonfider well be-fore he advances further into the country. We ought in a fhort time to receive news from our ambaffadors in England. , It may be that the king of England and* his uncles will crofs the fea with a large army, or ^erhap^ they have already done tol which will be fortunate for us/ 'VOL. VL O ' • «Iam 193