Winter was now over, and summer come, when the feast of St. John the Baptist approaching, the lords of England and Germany made preparations for their intended expedition. The king of France also made his preparations to meet them; for he was well acquainted with part of what they intended, though he had not yet received any challenge. King Edward collected his stores in England, where he made his armaments ready, and, as soon as St. John's day was passed, transported them across the sea to Vilvorde1, wither he went himself. He made all his people, on his arrival, take houses in the town; and when this was full, he lodged them in the fine meadows along the side of the river. He remained thus from Magdalen day until the feast of our Lady in September, expecting week after week the arrival of the lords of the empire, especially the duke of Brabant, for whom all the others were waiting. When the king of England saw that they came not, he sent strong messages to each of them, and caused them to be summoned to be at the city of Mechlin on St. Giles day, according to their promises, and to give reasons for their delays.
King Edward was obliged to remain at Vilvorde, where he maintained daily, at his own cost, full sixteen hundred men at arms, that had come there from beyond the sea, and ten thousand archers, without counting the other followers of his army. This must have been a heavy expense; not including the large sums he had given to the German lords, who thus paid him back with fair promises; and the great force he was obliged to keep at see against the Genoese, Bretons, Normans, Picards, and Spaniards, whom king Philip supported at his cost, to harass the English, under the command of sir Hugh Quiriel, sir Peter Bahucet, and Barbenoire, who were admirals and conductors of this fleet, to guards the straits and passages between England and France; and there corsairs only waited for information of the war being commenced, and the English king, having challenged the king of France as they supposed he would, to invade England and ravage the country. The lords of Germany, in obedience to the summons, came to Mechlin, where, after many debates, they agreed, that the king should be enabled to march in a fortnight, when they would be quite ready; and, that their cause might have a better appearance, they determined to send challenges to king Philip. At the head of the defiance was the king of England, the duke of Gueldres, the marquis of Juliers, sir Robert d'Artois, sir John of Hainault, the marquis of Nuys, the marquis of Blanckenburg, the lord of Fauquemont, sir Arnold de Bacqueghen, the archbishop of Cologne, his brother sir Waleran, and all the lords of the empire, who were united as chief with the king of England. These challenges were written and sealed by all, except the duke John of Brabant, who said he would do his part in proper time and place. They were given in charge of the bishop of Lincoln, who carried them to Paris, an performed his message so justly and well, that he was blamed by no one. He had a passport granted him to return to his lord, who, as said before, was at Mechlin.
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