you mull fwear, that fhouid the king of Caftille come m 'perfon, or fend hither any troops, you will defend yourfclves boldly againft him and all his allies/ c We willingly fwear this; and fhouid he come himfelf, or fend any troops, we will fhut our gates againft him or them, and inform you of. it. Should you prove the ftrongeft, we will re-main fteady to your intereft; for you will never find any deceit in us/ f I am fatisfied/ anfwered the marfhai, ' and do not require more. Before the expiration of the year, the difpute will be decided ; and the crown of Caftille, Cordova, Galicia and Seville, will fall to the ftrongeft; for, by the end of Auguft, there will be fuch numbers of men at arms in Caftille as have not been feen for thefe hundred years/ • Well, my lord/ anfwered the elder, 4 let hap-pen what may, and the right fall where it ought, we of Galicia venture tp wait the event/ - c Upon this, the holy facrament was brought, and thofe who governed the town fwore upon it, to behave loyally and faithfully, like good fubjeds, to the duke and duchefs of I^ancafter, and to ac-knowledge them as their fovereigns, in the fame manner as other towns had done. The marfhai, in the name of the duke of Lancafter, received them as his fubjeds, and fwore to defend and go-vern them in peace and juftice, • When all this had been done, the barriers and gates were thrown open, when all entered who chofe, arid lodged themfelves where they could. They remained there four dajys, to recruit themfelves and horfes, and alfq m «g