58 Edw. Iil. Naval Expeditions, &c of the English,

TC.t

1372. France, the King of Cajiille, had ob-

57 2 '

Walsingh.

liVed himself to maintain a Fleet at Sea

Squadron ,

Burchett.

the Earl of

Pembroke

Prisoner.

fwSiieJ, to ° ann °y the on the Coast of

Ii.de laMil. Guienne and PoiSlou. The King ofFr - France having laid Siege to Roches King

2 Spanish sent a strong Squadron (?) to

A’/j/pj defeat it’s Relief, under the Command ot thean English Earl of Pembroke, a young Nobleman ofabout five and twenty Years of Age.Charles being informed of this Design,by his Spies in England, gave timelyNotice of it to the Admirals of Cajiille,who immediately came with the SpanishFleet, and cruised off of PoiElou andXaintonge. The" English Fleet appear-ing in Sight of the Spaniards in the E-vening, they attacked immediately, butNight separating them, the Earl thenonly lost two Ships, laden with Provi-sions. The Battle was renewed the nextMorning, by the united Fleets of Franceand Spain. In this second Engagementthe Earl was so unfortunate to fee his -whole Squadron defeated, (r) and him-self taken Prisoner. Most of his Menwere stain in the Fight, and almost eve-ry Ship taken or funk. Among the lat-ter was one that had a great Sum ofMony ( Walsingham fays, twenty Thou-sand Marks) on Board, to pay the Ar-my. The Rochelers were Spectators ofthis Defeat, and (if we may believethe French Historians) were not sorryfor it. F. Da:del observes upon this

Battle, that this Spanish Fleet, whichwas in the Service of France, was com-posed of the same Kind of Ships, asthose destroyed off of Sluys, in theYear 1340. That they made Use ofBallista’s, and other Machines, to throwBars of Iron and great Stones to sinkthe English Ships, and that they hadsome Cannon.

The Loss of this Fleet was veryfatal to Edward, and was followed bythat of several Towns. Fhouars, aPlace of great Strength , being verymuch streightned, signed a Capitula-tion, by which the Garrison engagedto surrender on a certain Day, if Ed-ward. or one of his Sons, did not come

His. de laNlilice deFrance.

IVhat theirShips andWeaponswere.

This Lossfatal toEdward.

Froissard.

Walsingh.

in the mean Time, in Person, to itsRelief. The Besieged sent some Lordsto England to press a Supply ; And a

Edward having, at that Time, a Fleet Fi Jfpuiof four Hundred Sail almost in Readi- $ eaness, to transport ten Thousand Ar-chers, and three Thousand Spearmento Calais, he resolved this Fleet siiouldgo to Guienne. The King embarked,himself, the Beginning of September,with the Prince ot'Wales, the Duke ofLancaster , and the Earl of Cambridge :

But Fortune again forsook him ; For as- hack ag^ter having beat the Sea nine Weeks, to Engl aflcontrary Winds not allowing him toland in France, he was forced to returnto England with his whole Fleet.

The next Year King Edward madeanother Attempt to retrieve his Affairs Fleetin France. To this End, a Fleet was fit- out.ted out, and sent to Calais , with a con-siderable Army, which was encreased Daniel'

. there to the Number of thirty ThousandMen, under the Command of the Dukesof Lancaster and Bretagne. This Armymarched thro' France to Bourdeaux,without Opposition, fays IValstrgham,but according to F. Daniel, continuallyannoyed by the Constable of France, at ddi^ftheir Heels, without being able to ef- ps^cs ' fsect any Thing: And the two Dukes France-returned by Sea from Guienne toEngland ,having lost the greater Part of the Ar-my. {f)

In the Year, 1376. the eighth of 1 w'June, died the incomparable Prince of Ech ? r< ftPWales, a Prince the greatest for Magna- p^ e ofnimity, Valour and Bravery, and she Wales,noblest for Humanity, Courtesy andWisdom, that ever graced the EnglishName and Nation. He was (fays Wal-stngham) an excellent Soldier, and a j,,great Commander; brave without Fero- Walcity, courageous in the Field, but affablein Conversation, and of a singular Mo-desty. He was so dutiful and observantto the King his Father, that he neveronce incur'd his Displeasure. He wasof a generous Mind, and took Pleasurein rewarding Merit, wheresoever hefound it. In lhort, he possessed every

Qualification,

Rapin.

Echard.

[q) According to the Accounts we find of itin the French Historians, it consisted of five andthirty Sail. Rapin and Echard fay, forty.

(r) Some of the French Historians fay, not aShip escaped.

p) Rapin, by Mistake, places this in 1374-In the preferring of a certain Bill in Parlia-Rot. Par I. lnent, in the forty-sixth Year of this King's Reign,

4 (5 Tifi jtt we find, that he was usually accounted and filledFirm. 20. ' King, or Sovereign, of the Sea, by all Nations:

" <ge XX. Ans passer &tout diz a devant, la

Rapin .

" Navie de dit Roialme esto’t en tour portz 8c" ^ones Villes, fur Mier & fur Riviers fi noble“ * fi plentinoufe, qu tour les pais tenoient 8c“ appelloyent nostre avant dit Seignieur, Le" K°v de la Mier: " That is, « That the“ Navy of the said Kiugdom ( England) was“ ever in the Ages past so renown'd in all Ports“ pities, on the Sea, or on Rivers, that all" Nations esteemed and called our King, the" Ring or Sovereign os the Sea,

C