The merchants of Flanders procured the earle to conclude this league with king Edward, as some write, the rather in respect of the great commodities which rose to their countrie, by reason of the intercourse of merchandize vsed betwixt England and Flanders, and for that through aid of the Englishmen, they might the better withstand the malice, both of the French and of all other their enimies. This league being proclaimed in England, there were sent ouer into Flanders, the treasurer of the excheker, and diuerse other noble men, to fetch hostages from thence, and to giue to the earle fiftéene thousand pounds of siluer, towards the fortifieng of his castels and holds. King Philip being hereof aduertised, by counsell of the péeres of his realme, sent two honorable personages, as the capteine of Mounstrell, and the capteine of Belquerke, which should attach the earle of Flanders by his bodie, and summon him to yéeld himselfe prisoner at Paris, within the space of fiftéene daies next insuing. [Sidenote: The earle of Flanders defieth the French king.] [Sidenote: The earle of Flanders accurssed.] [Sidenote: His sonne appealeth from the interdiction.] This attachment made, and summons giuen, the earle of Flanders sent his full defiance vnto the French king by the abbats of Gemblois, and Senefles, vnto whome he gaue sufficient letters procuratorie, to authorise them thereto, dated at Male in the yeare of Grace 1296, after the accounts of the chronicles of Flanders, which begin their yere at Easter: and so this chanced in the fiue and twentith yeare of king Edwards reigne, the Wednesdaie next after the feast of the Epiphanie. Herevpon was the earle accurssed, & Flanders interdicted by the archbishop of Reims, and the bishop of Senlis comming vnto Terwane for that purpose, about the fiftéenth day of Iune, in the yeare 1297. But the lord Robert the earles sonne appealed from that interdiction to the pope, and so the Flemmings tooke themselues frée & out of danger of the same. Earle Guie also obteined of king Edward, that it might be lawfull for them of Bruges to buy wools, through England, Scotland and Ireland, as fréelie as the Italians might by their priuilege and grant. [Sidenote: Ambassadors sent to the K. of Scots.] But to returne now to the dooings of king Edward, who in this meane time, hauing a perfect knowledge of the league concluded betwixt the king of France and the king of Scotland, prepared an armie, and first sent ambassadors into Scotland, to giue summons to king Iohn to appeare at Newcastell within certeine daies, that he might there shew the cause whie he had broken the league: and further, to declare vnto him that he was deceiued, if he thought he might serue two maisters, contrarie to the words of the gospell, and according to the old saieng which seldome neuer faileth in consequence, Deficit ambobus qui vult seruire duobus.