Iff leagues off: they cannot, therefore, eafily run thither, even if they fhouldtake advantage of the night, without being overtaken on the road. We therefore, fir, advife, fince we know where they are, that we be drawn up in battle array, and march to combat them, while your men are in a good difpofition to behave well.' The king then afked his countrymen their opinions, such as don Gonzales Nunez de Giif-man, don Diego de Mendoza, Peter Gonzales de Mendoza, Peter Lopez d'Ayala, and the grand mafter of Calatrava, who replied,—c My lord, we have well heard the French knights advife you to march inftantly againftyour enemies ; but we wifh you and them to-'know, that before we can arrive thither it will be night, for the fun js now on the decline, and we have not yet arranged our order of battle. It would be better to wait until morning, and approach them fo near that we may difcover by our fcouts, whom we can fpread over the plain, in what manner they have pofted themfelves and if they fhould incline to march away during the night, we might alfo de* camp, when they cannot efcape, fbr the coun-try is quite open, and there is not any ftrong place except Lifbon, fo that they muft fall an eafy prey to us. This is the advice we give/ * The king, on hearing this, was filent, and looked firft on the ground and then on the foreigners, when fir Reginald de Limoufin, • marfhal of the army, thus fpoke (in order to pleafe the French) in Spanifh, that he might be heard and understood by all, for he spoke that language fluently, fo long bad