of.hi* wine. Puring'this, a council was fummoned of the lord de ' la Tour, fir William le Bouteiller, fir Robert Dauphin» fir Louis d'Abiere* the lord de Montagu, and fir Berald de la Riviere, for this Iaft was of the houfehold of the vifcount. When they were affembled, the vifcount ex-plained to them the caufe, and laid before them the letters he had received. The knights were muchfiirprifed how intelligence of their fiege could have been carried to England for fuch letters to be fent from thence, • as their fiege had not lafted one month. i I will tell you what I imagine,' laid the vifcount : € this Aymerigot is -a cunning fellow j and the moment he perceived we intended befieging him, he fent a perfon to England to requeft fuch letters might be written as are now before you, and which I fhall obey or not as I pleafe. I inform you, that I fhall inftantly anfwer them : but, in regard to the orders of the king of Eng-land and thé duke of Lancafter, I fhall not pay any attention to them, for I am no way bound to obey them, but folely the king of France, my lord, who has intrufted me with this command, and fent me hither; Let the herald and fquire be introduced, and I will give them my anfwer A They were fought for, and conduced to the affembly of the yifçount and his knights: when in their prefence, they bowed their heads, and the vifcount thus fpoke: c You Derby* and you Thomas Cherbury, for fuch I think are the names you are defigned by in the letters which you have brought from the king of England and the duke VouX. M ' at . 161 •