duke of Brittany more for having invited and re-tained him ; but the duke was indifferent to the king of France's anger or love, and provided all his towns and caftles plentifully with flores and provifion, plainly (hewing he cared not whether it was war or peace between, him and France. Every thing he did was known to the king and his council ; and thofe moft in the king's favour thought him prefumptuous, andv menaced him for his conduft The duke held their menaces cheap, and declared he would wage war on the count de Penthievre in earneft, and on all his abettors, for he had juft caufe of quarrel. He faid; e This count de Penthievre, our coufin, figns himfelf John of Brittany, as if he was our heir. We have no obje&ion to his figning John, for that is his name, or count de Penthievre ; but we are refolved he ihall lay down the ermines, and title himfelf John of Blois, or of Châtillon, and bear none other arms but thofe : if he refufe, we will force him to do it, and take from him his lands, which he holds in vaflalage from us. With re-gard to the duchy of Brittany, he need not think of that, for we have a fon and a daughter who are our heirs. Let hisn feek fome other inherit-ance, for he will be difappointed in ours.' Such were the converfations of the duke with fir Peter de Craon, who, far from contradi&ing any of his future plans, rather urged him on, from hatred to the conftable and council of France. We will now leave this fubjeft, and fpeak of a more 287