him by the hand, faid,—4 Sir Walter, you are welcome : • what bufinefs;has brought you to Beam ?' * My lord,5, replied the knight, 4 fir William de Lignac and myfelf, whom the king of France has appointed commanders of the force which, you muft have heard, he is fending to afiift the king of Caftille, have been given to underftand that you-intend to prevent us, by fhutting your - country of Beam againft ps and our men/ The count re-plied,—* Sir Walter, under favour, I never mean to clofe my country againft you, nor any perfon who may travel peaceably through it, and pay honeftly and fairly for whatever they may want, to the fa-tisfa&ion of my people ; for I have fwom to defend and protect them in their rights, as good landhold-ers ought to do, for upon thefe terms do they pof-fefs them. But I have heard that you have a fet of Bretons, Barrois, Lorainers and Burgundians, who never think of paying. It is againft fuch I lhall clofe my country ; for I will not have my people harafled nor oppreffed/ 4 It is the intention of my brother-commander and myfelf/ replied fir Walter,.4 that no one pafs through your lands without paying for all things peaceably and to the contentment of your, people, otherwife let him be arrefted and punched accord-ing to your laws, and make reftitution for the da-mage he may have done, or we will make fatisfec-tioi* for him, on having him given up to us ; and, if no gentleman, we will infliâ: fuch exemplary juf-tice on him, in the prefence of your people, that all may take warning. Should the offender be a gen- O 2 tleman, 195