lord John de Blois, whofe brother, count Lewis, was ftill alive, to open the matter to him, and, if he were agreeable, fhe would make him duke of Gueldres; for, by the death of her two brothers, without male iflue, the duchy had become her inheritance, aftd none other had any legal claim to it. The lord John de Mois, who had been brought up in Holland and Zea-land, having fair inheritances there, and fpeak-ing the language, willingly liftened to the pro-pofal ; for he would never marry in France, thinking he fhould acquire a large tract of country in the parts he liked bell. The knights of his council, in Holland, advifed hint to ac-cept of the lady. He confented to thig; but, before he made it public, he rode to Hainaplt, to confult his Coufin, duke Albert, and hear what he would fay to it. Duke Albert, in truth, knew not what ad-vice to give him, or, if he did, he kept it to himfelf, and delayed fo long, before he could make up his mind, that lord John de Blois was tired of waiting, and, mounting his horfe, rode to Gueldres, married the lady I have mentioned, and took poffeffion of the duchy. He was not, however, acknowledged duke by the whole country, nor were her claims univerfally al-lowed; the majority of knights, fquires and chief towns, inclined more to the lady of Juliers, who, having a handfome family of children, had gained their hearts. The lord John, therefore, had with his wife a war, which coft him much. • By the death of • his 58"