Wehad advanced four long leaguesbetween Mont-lihargne and Preuilly, riding at a gentle pace, what he told me many things on the road, refpeâing Brittany, which I treafured up in my memory. As we were thus riding, we entered a meadow near to Preuilly, when he difmounted, ^nd faid,—* Ah, may God keep the foul of the good conftable of France; for he had, on this fprit, a moft honourable combat, and greatly profitable to the country; but he was not thqn conftable, and ferved under the banner of fir John de Bueil, on his return from the expedition into Spain/ € Pray have the goodnefs to relate it to me/ 61 will/ faid he ; 6 but let us remount our horfes/ We did fo, and, continuing our journey, he thus began : . * In the time I am fpeaking of, this country was. quite filled with Englifh, and thieves from Gafcony,, Brittany, Germany: adventurers from all nations faaCd fixed- their quarters on both fides of the Loire, for the war between England and France was re-newed. A party of them had fortified themfelves in the caftle of Beaufort en Vallée, which you have feen, and fupported themfelves by plundering the country all round it. But to come to the imme-diate objeét of ray ftory : fome Englifh and Gafcons had poffeffed themfelves of Preuilly, and ftrength-ened it fo much, that none attempted to diflodge them : they had alfo fome other fmaller forts near ; and when they made any excurfions, they could af-femble between eight hundred and a thoufand com-batants* € The conftable, fir Bertrand du Guefclin, fir • John 4 294