clofed their gates, and remained guarding them for a day and a half. Intelligence came from la Palice, that the force of the Englifh amounted to no more than twenty-two veffels, driven thither by ftrefs of weather, and defirous only of putting to fea again ; that, however, the earl of Arundel, fir Henry Beaumont, fir William Elmham, and upwards of thirty English knights were there. The Rochellers, on this, confulted how to act; and, having well considered the matter, they faid they fhould not do their duty if they did not march to fkirmifli with the enemy. At this period, the lord Lewis de Sancerre, marfhal of France, was arrayed and marfhalled before the caftle of Bouteville, with a large body of the chivalry of Poitou, Saintonge and other parts, and had there inclofed William de Sainte Foix, a Gafcon ; for all men at arms had not ac-companied the king of France, and the lord de Sancerre was lieutenant of the country, from Montpellier to la Rochelle, during the abfence of the lord de Çoucy with the army in Germany. The Rochellers determined to fend information of the arrival of the Englifh to the lord de San-cerre, who on hearing it was much rejoiced. He ordered the townfmen to arm fix or eight galleys, and to embark on board, for he was-on his march to combat the Englifh.—This they did; and fir Lewis broke up his fiege and marched away, thinking it would be more to his honour and profit to engage the earl of Arundel and the Englifh knights lying at anchor, than to con-tinue 306