• embarked with his army atlifbon, notwffhftand-ing ||e had betrothed his fen John to the lady Beatrice, daughter of don Fernando king of Portugal. The earl was discontented witb Fernando, be-cause he had remained for fifteen days encamped with his army before king John of Castile, with-out any engagement, and had entered into a trea-ty with the Castiliians against his opinion* This - had greatly difpleafedhim ; and, when the treaty - was negotiating, he thus spoke; « Sir king, take • good heed what you do ; for we are not come iato this country to eat, drink and to roby but to make k war on this fon of a bastard who calls himfelf king of Castille and count of Transtamare, to conquer our lawful inheritan ce,which thisJohi* de Tranfta-mare holds and poflelTes. You well know, that by marriage with the heireffes of the kingdom of Castille, daughters of don Pedro, who was ytmr coufin-german, my brother and myfelf hare the t claims of right ; and you have offered to affistîm the recovery of this kingdom (for every good lord ought to lean to the lawful right, and not to its oppofite) by your knight who here stands, and • whom you fent to England to fay, that if wewould bring into this country two thoufand fences and from two to three thoufand archers, with the aid you would give us, you had great hopes that we might regain our inheritance. I am therefore come hither, not indeed with as many in number as you wrote for ; but those I have are well inclin. ed, and bold enough to abide the even a battle* ' ' * ' if • - ' 114