Attended by a number of lords and barons, Edward rode slowly through the crowded street, acknowledging the acclamations by the faintest inclination of his head. He was then in his thirty-fourth year, yet the cares of his kingdom and the claims of his Lombard and Flemish creditors had made him look considerably older. A longish dark beard partially concealed a hard, firm mouth, while his dark piercing eyes, glittering beneath his broad forehead and bushy eyebrows, betokened a war-like temperament. His coat of plate-armour, fashioned in the latest style, was covered by a surcoat, upon which were embroidered his newly-assumed arms, the fleur-de-lis of France, quartered with the silver lions of England, while a velvet cap took the place, for the time being, of his plumed bascinet.
At his right hand rode his fifteen-year-old son, Edward, afterwards known to fame as The Black Prince; while at his left rode Lord Godfrey of Harcourt, the King's much-esteemed councillor.
Burning with ill-concealed impatience Edward, with his suite, embarked that very evening, and ere morning dawned the fleet had left the shelter of Southampton Water, and was heading westward for the English Channel, the Portsmouth ships, with the Constable and his company, rolling sluggishly in the rear, about a league astern of the main body.
With the favouring north-easterly breeze all went well, and steadily the floating army neared the coasts of France; but on the third day came a flat calm, so that the ships were compelled to use their sweeps to prevent themselves drifting into one another.
The calm was succeeded by a strong south-westerly gale, so that all advantage of the previous favourable breeze was totally lost; and, unable to make headway, the fleet was driven back towards the English coast, taking shelter in the Cornish harbour of Fowey.
For six days the fleet lay weather-bound, till Sir Godfrey of Harcourt counselled the King to give up the idea of landing in Gascony.
"Sire," he exclaimed, "Normandy is one of the plenteous countries of the world. On jeopardy of my head, if thou wouldst land there, there is none to resist thee. The people of Normandy are not used to war, and all the knights and squires of the country are now at the siege before Aiguillon."
The advice, though hardly correct, the King took, and, the wind moderating and blowing more in their favour, the fleet again put to sea, and reached La Hogue without further incident.
Arrived on the coast of Normandy, the English began to make a revengeful attack on the ports of Cherbourg and Barfleur, the ships of these ports having harried the coasts of England in times past, and with fierce shouts the soldiers pillaged the defenceless towns, burning every ship they found in the harbours.
One night, Sir John Hacket, who had been in audience with the King, returned to his quarters in high glee.