hàd hé refide4 among themf ^dreffing himfelf to . the Spaniards who were near the king, and who had given him ^he laft advice.—•* How can you, • my 'lords, (calling each. of them by, their name, for he was well acquainted with them all) pre-tend to have more knowledge of battles or more. experience in war than, the valiant knights and fquires here prefent ? How can you imagine you , càn dëvife any plan fuperior to theirs, or even that could be of any value ? For their whole life has been employed in travelling from one king-dom to another in fearch of adventures. How can you dare offer any other opinion, or thus de-tract from what they have fo nobly faid, in the defence of the honour of the king and country y in which you are more interefted than they are,. for you have therein your properties as well as your perfons, whilft they have only their perfons. They have offered a proof of their attachment by requeuing of the king to be potted in front of the battalions, which his majefly has di (approved. Confider how difinterefted they mutt be, when, they made this offer. It would appear to fome perfons as if you were envious, and wifhed not that any honour or profit might accrue to them, or that the king fhouldgain the victory over his enemies. Honourable menât arms, who feek per-fection, fhould be above low jealoufies and fuch bafe paffions, and always be of one and the fame way of .thinking. Befides, through your advice, has the king been thus long and expenfively kept at the fiege .of Lifbon, without having any oppor-tunity of a battle, until now when the matter VOL. VII. T of