king of France, where they found John 'Bon Enfant and John,Picard, juft returned from the fiege of Oudenarde. They told thefe cotnmif-' iioners that Philip von Artaveld had declared to them, on taking leave, that the Flemings would never enter into any treaty until Oudenarde and Dendremonde were in their power. - • € Well,' replied the commiffioners, c Philip, with all his pride and prefumption, of which he has enough, is not mafter of all the great towns in Flanders. We will therefore write to Ghent. Bruges, and Ypres, and fend to each town let-• ters by a meflenger. We muft enter on this tu-finefs by fome means or other. The commiffioners wrote letters to the three principal towns in Flanders, and directed them , to Philip von Artaveld as the chief leader. Thefe letters contained as follows : c To Philip von Artaveld and his compa-nions, and to the good people of the three towns of Flanders and the Franconate of Bruges. May it pleafe you to know, that the king of France has fent us hither with the good intentions of eftablishing" a peace, as lord paramount, be-tween the noble lord of Flanders, his coufin, and the commonalty of Flanders. Public re-port fays, that you feek to form an alliance with the king of England and the English ; which will be unreasonable, and prejudicial to the kingdom of France, and which the kiflg declares he will not fuffer. We therefore entreat you, in the king's name, to fend us pafTports, that we may endeavour to bring this peace to a good and folid conclufion, for which the king . will 146