Picardy, and on the borders of the Boulonoïs, and had clofed the river Somme, fo that no mer* chandife nor corn could come to England, nor pafs Abbeville. The merchants of the two coun-tries who were ufed freely to vifit each, were now afraid of doing fo ; and thofe on the borders of Calais and Guifnes were ruined, although there were not any hoftilities commenced, for orders to that cffedl had not been given. The king of England was advifed by his coun-cil to be on his guard ; for the French, they faid, were making great preparation of fhips at Har-fleur, and plainly (hewed they-were inclined for war. The count de Saint Pol açd the lord Charles tTAlbreth were appointed commanders, and it was to be fuppofed, that if the earls of Huntingdon and Salifbury were alive, they would have crofled the fea, for they had many connexions in Eng-land. They added, € Sire, fo long as Richard of Bourdeaux lives, the country will never have peace/ c I believe#what you fay may be true,' replied the king ; 1 but, with regard tô me, I will never put him to death. I have given him my word, that no bodily harm fhall 4)efal him ; and I will ' keep my. promife, until it fhall appear that he enters into any plots againft me/ € Sire/ an-fwered the knights, € his death would be more to your advantage than his life ; for, fo long as the French.know he is alive, they will exert them-felves to make war againft you, in. the hope of . re-placing