lie watchmen remained night and day on the look-out. They were ordered, the moment they fhould obferve the fleet of France fleering towards land, to light torches and • make great fires on the hills«o alarm the country, and the forces within fight of thefe fires were to haften thither. It had been refolved to allow tfre king of France to land* and even to remain unmolefted for three or four days ; they were firft to attack the fleet, and de-flroy it and all their flores, and then to advance on the king of France, not' to combat him im-mediately, but to harafs his army, fo that they might be difabled and afraid to forage ; for the corn countries were all to be burnt, and England at bell is a difficult foraging country ; by which plan they would be ftarved and eafily deftroyed. Such was the plan laid down by the council of England. Colchefter bridge was ordered to be broken down, for a deep river runs under it, which floors through Effex, and fails into "the Thames, oppofite the ifland of Shepey. The Londoners would pull this bridge down for the greater fecurity of their town. - If the taxes were burdenfome on towns mà perlons in France.. I muft fay they were not much lighter in England, and the country fuffered from them a long time afterward? ; but they were paid cheerfully that they might be more effe&ually guarded. There were at this time ten thoufand men at arms and ohe hundred thoufand archers in England, although the duke of Lancafter had led fo large a force to Caftille. I will 4S