n extorted from the inhabitants in the city and
neighborhood the sum of a hundred thousand livres, and offered it to
Du Guesclin. "It is not my purpose," cried that generous warrior, "to
oppress the innocent people. The pope and his cardinals themselves can
well spare me that sum from their own coffers. This money, I insist,
must be restored to the owners. And should they be defrauded of it, I
shall myself return from the other side of the Pyrenees, and oblige you
to make them restitution." The pope found the necessity of submitting,
and paid him from his treasury the sum demanded.[*] The army, hallowed
by the blessings, and enriched by the spoils, of the church, proceeded
on their expedition.

These experienced and hardy soldiers, conducted by so able a general,
easily prevailed over the king of Castile, whose subjects, instead
of supporting their oppressor, were ready to join the enemy against
him.[**] Peter fled from his dominions took shelter in Guienne, and
craved the protection of the prince of Wales, whom his father had
invested with the sovereignty of these conquered provinces, by the title
of the principality of Aquitaine.[***]

* Hist. du Guesclin.

** Froissard, liv. i. chap 230.

*** Rymer, vol. vi. p. 384. Froissard, liv. i. chap. 231.

{1367.} The prince seemed now to have entirely changed his sentiments
with regard to the Spanish transactions: whether that he was moved by
the generosity of supporting a distressed prince, and thought, as is but
too usual among sovereigns, that the rights of the people were a matter
of much less consideration; or dreaded the acquisition of so powerful
a confederate to France as the new king of Castile; or, what is most
probable, was impatient of rest and ease, and sought only an opportunity
for exerting his military talents, by which he had already acquired so
much renown. He promised his assistance to the dethroned monarch; and
having obtained the consent of his father, he levied a great army, and
set out upon his enterprise. He was accompanied by his younger brother,
John of Gaunt, created duke of Lancaster, in the room of the good prince
of that name, who had died without any male issue, and whose daughter
he had espoused. Chandos, also, who bore among the English the same
character which Du Guesclin had acquired among the French, commanded
under him in this expedition.

The first blow which the prince of Wales gave to Henry of Transtamare,
was the