They thence went to Crotoy, where the duke d'Alençon was prisoner, whom the regent sent for into his presence, and reasoned long to prevail on him to take the oath of allegiance to king Henry of Lancaster, as then he would be released from his confinement, and all his lands and lordships restored to him, adding, that should he refuse to comply, he would run much personal danger. The duke d'Alençon replied, that he was firmly resolved never, during his life, to take any oath contrary to his loyalty to king Charles of France, his true and legal lord. On hearing this answer, the regent ordered him from his presence into confinement, and then, passing through the country of Caux, returned to Paris. During the time the regent was at Hesdin, the bastard de St Pol and Andrew de Humieres appeared there with silver rings on their right arms, whereon was painted a sun with its rays. They had put them on as a challenge to the English and their allies, maintaining that duke John of Brabant had a more just right to the government and possession of Hainault and the other territories of Jacquiline of Bavaria, his lady, than the duke of Glocester. The regent was at first desirous that these rings should be taken from them by some of his men, for he had been given to understand that their wearing them was owing to another quarrel, for which they wanted to fight with the English; but, in the end, he was well satisfied with them,--and nothing farther was done in the matter. When the duke of Glocester was returned to London, he was sharply reprimanded by the council, in presence of the young king Henry, on his expedition into Hainault, and on the manner in which he had conducted himself in regard to the duke of Burgundy, the most potent prince of the blood-royal of France: he was much blamed,--because they said from such conduct a coolness might arise between the king and the duke, the alliances between them broken, and all their conquests in France lost. The duke of Glocester was plainly told, that he would not, in this business, have any aid of men or money from the king, which very much dissatisfied him, but, at the moment, he could not remedy it. CHAP. XXXIV. THE SULTAN OF EGYPT AND SARACENS DETERMINE TO CONQUER THE WHOLE KINGDOM OF CYPRUS. When the Saracens, whom we have before mentioned, left Cyprus, they waited on the Sultan, and, as a sign of their victory, carried with them the head and spurs of the knight whom they had slain with a lance. They proclaimed throughout the town of Cairo that it was the head of the brother to the king of Cyprus, Henry prince of Galilee,--but in this they lied.