his council, with the french knights. The king, hav* ing fuch an opinion of them, believed all they faid, and took comfort They indeed thought what they had faid was truth ; for they concluded the king of France had invaded England, according to the rumours fpread throughout Caftille. Yon muft know, that the duke of Lancafter did not hear from his people one quarter o£ what was told them by pilgrims and merchants from Flanders ; and, though the king of Portugal wrote frequently to inquire after the duke's health, thefe rumours prevented him from haftening his preparations* and from demanding the lady Phiiippa for his queen. His council faid, that as all the intelli-gence from France and Flanders agreed England to be in a moft perilous ftate of being destroyed, neither the alliance nor marriage with the duke of Lancafter or his daughter Would be of any advan* tage to him, and that he fhouid diflemble his thoughts, but ftill preferve an outward appear-ance of great affeûion to the duke and duchefs, by letters and otherwife, until he fhouid fee what turn affairs would take/ # • . We will now for a while leave fpeaking of Spain and Portugal, and return to France. • * f CHAP. 94