command of the conftabie and marfhals of France, and encamped a league and a half from Ypres, between Rollers and Rofebecque : on the morrow, the king and all the lords, with the main battalion and rear-guard, quartered them-felves there alfo. I muft fay that thefe lords, whilft they were in the field, fuffered greatly; for it was in the heart of winter, the beginning of December, and it rained every day. They flept on the roads every night, for they were daily and hourly in expectation of a battle : it was commonly faid in tfee army, cThey will come to-morrow;* which they believed, from the news the foragers brought when they returned from their excur-fions. • The king was quartered in the midft of his ' army. The lords of France were much vexed at Philip for delaying, for they were very im-patient of being out in -fuch bad weather. - It fhould be known, that with the king was all the flower of French knighthood : it was therefore highly prefumptuous in Philip von Artaveld and the Flemings to think of fighting with them ; for if they had been fatisfied with continuing their fiege of Oudenarde, and had flightly en-trenched themfelves, the French, confidering the .wetndEs of the feafon, would never have marched to feek them ; and, if they had done fo, they would have combated them under the greateft difadvantages. But Philip was fo vain of the good fortune he had met with at Bruges, that he thought nothing could withftand him, and 107 "