. . 14ft "f thty have certainly this day very ably ex-. plained the caufe of refufirig their obedience to the duke of Lancafter, and have given the king and his council ' enough to think upon. ' They will probably fucceed in their million, and I will tell you my reaforis for fo thinking ; but you will keep them fecret, until the matter (hall become more ^public* I replied, that he might depend on my doing it. He then continued; f I believe it was the official of Bordeaux, who, for his learning was their (pokefman : he began by (hewing their procurations from the different towns, that greater faith might be given to what he fhould fay. He then declared, that the cities of Bordeaux, Bay-onne, Dax, and all the lord/hips dependant on •them, or within their limits and jurifdi&ions, arc of fuch noble condition, that no king of England, by any a& of his, can disjoin them from the do-main of the crown of England, nor alienate' or difpofe of them to any child* uncle or brother he may have, nor by any way of marriage-fettlement nor otherwife. They above-named towns have received, from different kings of England, certain, privileges, which their fucceflbrs have fworn to maintain without any infringement ; and the mo-ment a king of England comes into pofieffion of die crown of England and its dependancies, he fweàrs, on the miflal in his hand, to prefervc in-violate all their privileges, which you, dear fire, have alfb done, as thefe papers will prove. He then produced charters, (airly engroffed and fealed with the great feal of England, which king llichird^