Debate and fighting betwixt the mariners of the cinque ports and others.
The kings answer therevnto was, that he could not alter any thing, without the aduise of his councell, of the which part were alreadie passed ouer into Flanders, and part were at London; and therfore he required the said earles, that if they would not attend him in that iournie into Flanders, they would yet in his absence doo nothing that might be preiudiciall to the realme: for he trusted by Gods fauour to returne againe in safetie, and set all things in good order. At length, about the 21 daie of August, the king tooke the sea, and landed in Flanders néere to Sluice, about the 27 day of the same moneth. He was no sooner on land, but that through old enuie and malice depending betwéene the mariners of the cinque ports, and them of Yermouth and other quarters, a quarell was picked, so that they fell togither, and fought on the water in such earnest sort, notwithstanding the kings commandement sent to the contrarie, that there were 25 ships burnt and destroied of theirs of Yermouth, and other their partakers: also thrée of their greatest ships, part of the kings treasure being in one of them, were tolled foorth into the high sea, and quite conueied awaie.
Ia. Meir.
Lisle yéelded to the French king.
Charles de Valois sent to Bruges.
The king from Sluice first went to Bruges, and after to Gaunt, finding the countrie in euill state, by reason that the good towns were not all of one mind: for diuers of them misliked with the dooings of the earle, in that he had alied himselfe with the French kings aduersaries. About the beginning of September was Lisle yéelded vnto the French king, and after that they of Doway, Curtray, and Bruges, did likewise submit themselues to the same king. Then was Charles earle of Valois sent to Bruges to fortifie that towne, and to take the English nauie that laie at anchor in the hauen of Dam: but the Englishmen hauing warning thereof, got foorth with their vessels into the sea, and so the earle of Valois being disappointed of that preie, set in hand to fortifie Bruges and Dam. But the earle of Austrich, & Robert de Neuers son to earle Guy, being sent with a power of Englishmen, Flemings, and other souldiors vnto Dam, fought with the Frenchmen, slue foure hundreth of them, besides diuers that were taken, and recouered the towne. They might also haue recouered Bruges, as was thought, if the Englishmen and Flemings had not fallen at strife, & fought togither about diuiding of the preie.
The emperor Adulfe breaketh promise.
Finallie, after this, the French king came to Bruges, and when the king of England and the earle of Flanders had long looked and all in vaine for the emperor Adulfe, who had promised to come to their aid with a great armie; for the charges and wages wherof he had receiued great summes of monie both of the king of England, and also of the earle of Flanders: they concluded in the end (when they perceiued he would not come) to make some agréement with the French king: and so first was a truce taken, from the middest of October, vnto the calends of December, and after by mediation of Charles (surnamed Claudius) king of Sicill, the same truce was prolonged as hereafter ye shall heare.
In this meane while, to wit, about the end of August, the earle of Surrey, when he saw that the Scotishmen would not performe promise touching the deliuerie of the pledges, and that William Waleis still mooued the people to rebellion, he assembled his armie, & with the same entring Scotland, came vnto Striueling. Then the lord steward of Scotland, and also the earle of Lenox came vnto him, requiring him to staie till they might haue leasure to sée if they could bring the people of Scotland vnto the kings peace. But when they could not doo it, they returned on the tenth day of September, promising to bring to the aid of the earle of Surrey on the morrow after fortie horssemen, vpon the which day two friers of the order of preachers were sent vnto William Waleis, and to the other Scotishmen lieng beyond the hill aboue the monasterie of Scambeskin, to mooue them to the kings peace. But their answer was, that they were not come to haue peace, but to trie the matter by battell.
The pride of Hugh Cressingham.