pointed againft the caftle four large machines, which kept continually throwing, night and day, ftones and logs of wood, fo that they broke through the roofs of all the houfes, and beat down the greater part of the towers. The mother of the duke of Bourbon, who was a prifoner within the caftle, was much alarmed, and fent frequently to entreat her fon to abftain from this mode of attack, for thefe machines an-noyed her exceedingly ; but the duke, who knew for certain that thefe requefts came from his ene-mies, replied that he would not defift happen what would. . When the garrifon found themfelves fo much harraffed, and that the French force was daily in-creafing; for fir Louis de Sancerre, marfhal of France, had juft arrived with a large body of men at arms ; they refolved to fend and acquaint fir John Devereux, fénéchal of Limoufin, who refided at la Souteraine*, two fhort days journey from them, of their diftrefs, and who knew that, when thefe lords of Poitou and Gafcony had made an excurfion from Quercy, it was upon the faith, that if they fliould take any caftles in France, and were bc-fieged in them, they wouM be affifted. They wrote their letters, and fent them off in the night by one of their fervants to the caftle of fir John Devereux. Sir John recognized the mef-fenger by the tokens he mentioned, and, having • La Soute/aine,—a tawn m Limoufin, about two league* from Limoges, . ... read 59