ms ârmy marched out of Lifbon, and encamped that day on the banks of a fmall river, two leagues from the town, with their front towards Santa-ren : they faid, they would never return before they had feen their enemies, and that it was much better they fhould offer battle than for the enemy to come to them. They had remarked the-differ-ence between thofe who fought and thofe who waited for a battle, and that inferior numbers had frequently gained the day : for, in almost all the viétories the Englifh had obtained over the French, they had been the first to offer battle ; and they obferved, that an attacking army is naturally more courageous than one on the defence. This was the opinion of the inhabitants of Lifbon when they marched out of the town, and they thus continued their converfation ; f Some of us were with the men of Ghent when they marched to Bruges atid offered battle to the count of Flanders and his army in that town; and \ye well know, that Philip von Artavdd, Peter du Bois, John Cliqueriel, François Atre-men and Peter le Nuitre, the leaders of the Ghentmen, had not under them more than feven thoufand men ; but they fought the battle, and defeated eleven thoufand. This is a known fact, for there was not any treachery : fortune was., favourable to Ghent on the day of battle, which was fought oh a Saturday, a long league dis-tant from Bruges, as we were informed on the morrow when they had conquered that city.* They comforted themfelves that there was as good a chance to win as to lofe, and that, if they . S 4 wiflje^