blamed, fliould ibis happen, more than any others j for it will be faid, tfiat we propofed the battle, and were ignorant advifers. Befides, we know not if the country be unanimous in their affeftion to the king, or whether they may not have fent, under-hand, for the duke of Lancafter and bis lady, as the legal heirefs of Caftille, for fhe is the daughter of don Pedro, as is well known to all. Now (hould the Caftillians fay, on feeing the duke and the Eng-lifli in the field, that his is the jufteft caufe, for that king John is a baftard, they may turn about towards the latter end of the day, as they did at Najara, and leave us to be (lain on the fpot. Thus there is a double danger, for the king and for us. They muft be mad or foolifh who advife a battle ; and why have not thofe who ought to have fpoken, fuch as fir William de Lignac and fir Walter de Paflac, de-livered their fentiments?' € Becaufe,* replied others, c they wifhed to knpw our opinions firft ; for it is not poffible but that, when they left the council of France and the duke of Bourbon, they were well in-ftru&ed how to ad. We (hall all know to-morrow.* There was much difputing this evening between the knights from France, as well as among thofe of Caftille. The wellwifhers to the king would not advife him to offer battle, for the reafon that if they (hould be defeated, the kingdom was infallibly loft. The king himfelf was of this opinion : he dreaded the chances of war, for he was ignorant of the fup-port he fhould have, and whether he was beloved by all his fubje&s or not. The matter thus remained until the morrow, when 219