to âû fo. took the cup and put it to his mouth and drank, or at leaft pretended to drink. Sir John Chandos was not far off, and heard and faw the whole, and his fquire, whilft the prince was in con-verfation with others, came and told him what had paffed. Sir John Chandos took no notice of it until the prince had retired, when, ftepping up to the earl of Oxford, he faid ; c What, fir Aubrey*, are you difpleafed that I drank fir ft, who am the conftable of this country ? I may well drink and take precedence before you, fince my moil renowned fovereign, the king of England, and my lords, the princes, affent to it. True it is, that you were at the battle of Poitiers ; but all now prefent do not know the caufe of it fo well as I do : I will declare it, that 4hey may remember it. When my lord, the prince, had finiflied his journfcy to Languedoc, Carcaffone and Narbonne, and was returned to this city of Bordeaux, you took it into your head that you would return to England j but what did the king ' fay to you ? I know it well, though I was not pre* fent% . He aiked, if you had accomplished your fee-vice j and, afterward, what you had done with his fon. You replied, 1 Sir, I left him in good health at Bordeaux/ 4What!* faid the king, «and have you been bold enough to return hither without . * This earl of Oxfords name was Thomas. Sir Alberic de Vere was his brother. He was employed in different negotiations by Richard II. Robert was the fon and Wir of Thomas, the lad earl of Oxford, wnd created duke of Ireland. See Dugdaie's Baronage. him?, J09