Thefe two knights took great pains to ftir up the country and to collect altmenof courage : they • amounted at làft to twelve thoufand men, armed with pikes; ftavçs, coats of mail,jackets, iron caps ahd helmets, and "all of them were, for the greater part, as I was informed, vafials of madame de Bar reading between Gravelines and Dunkirk. . Three leagues off, and near the road, is. Mar-dyke, a large village quite open on the fea-shore, whither the ".Englifh advanced; and at times there were fkirmishes. ' .* - SirJohn Villain and fir John du Moulin arrived. at Gravelines with a paffport, for which they had waited at Bourboiirg, where one of their heralds brought ft. On their arrival at Gravelines, and foon after they had difmounted, they waited OH the bishop of Norwich, who outwardly gave them . a handfome reception and good entertainment. He had that day at dinner all the barons of his army ; for he well knew that the knights of the earl of Flanders were coming, and therefore wish-ed they might meet with them all together. • The knights opened their bufinefs, and Mi to the bishop,—* Sir, we are fent hither by my lord of Flanders.* *• • What lord ?' faid the bishop. * The earl of Flanders, fir: Flanders.has no other lord.' c By my God,* replied the bishop, ( we con-sider it as belonging to the king of France or to the duke of Burgundy, our enemies, for by. force of arms have they juft conquered it/ ' * Under refpect to your grace,' anfwerèd the •; . ' . . knights, 274.