Genowaies reteined in the French kings wages.
There be that write, how the lord Walter de Mannie, tooke a truce indéed with the lord Charles de Blois, to indure till Alhallontide next insuing, but with condition, that if the king of England were contented therewith, then the same to be firme and fullie ratified, otherwise not. Whervpon, when about the beginning of Iulie, the said lord Walter came ouer into England, bringing with him the lord of Lions, and other such prisoners as he had taken, and signified to king Edward what he had concluded touching the truce, the king liked not thereof, and so sent ouer the earles of Northampton and Deuonshire, the lord Stafford, and sir William de Killesbie his chapleine, and one of his secretaries, with fiue hundred men of armes, and a thousand archers, which taking ship, on the vigill of th'Assumption of our ladie, sailed foorth towards Britaine. The Frenchmen therfore vnderstanding that this succour was comming, appointed the lord Lewes of Spaine, sir Charles Grimaldo, and sir Antonie Doria, with thrée thousand Genowaies, and a thousand men of armes, imbarked in two and thirtie great ships, to lie on the sea in wait to incounter with the English fléet, as the same should approch towards Britaine.
The English men and Genowaies méet and fight on the Seas.
Vannes won.
About Easter, the countesse of Mountford with the English armie, appointed to attend hir, tooke the sea at Southampton, and at length met with the lord Lewes of Spaine, and his fléet, where betwixt them was fought a sore battell. Of the Englishmen there were six and fortie vessels, but the lord Lewes of Spaine had nine great ships, and of more force than anie of those which the Englishmen had, and also he had thrée gallies. They began to fight about euensong time, and continued till that night parted them, and had gone togither againe in the morning, if by a tempest, that rose about midnight, the same night, they had not béene scattered in sunder. The Spaniards and Genowaies tooke awaie with them foure English ships, which being vittellers, were left behind. And bicause the same Spaniards and Genowaies were able to abide the sea better than the Englishmen, by reason of their great ships, they kept the maine sea; but the Englishmen were aduised by their mariners to drawe vnto the land, and so they did, arriuing at a little hauen, not farre from Vannes, where comming on land, they streightwaie made towards that citie, and besieged it, not ceassing to assault it both day and night, till at length they wan it, by giuing the assault in two places at once, whilest an other number of them set vpon it in a third place, where was no suspicion, and so entred.
After this, the most part of the Englishmen departed from Vannes, as some with the countesse, to bring hir vnto Hanibout, and some with the earls of Salisburie, Suffolke, and Cornewall, who went and laid siege to Rennes, so that the earle of Richmond remained in Vannes, with the lords Spenser and Stafford, to kéepe it, hauing a certeine number of archers and other men of warre with them. The lord Clisson, and sir Henrie de Leon, which were within Vannes, when it was taken by the Englishmen, and found means to escape, were abashed at the matter, that they had so lost the citie, wherevpon they secretlie assembled a great power of men thereabouts, and came againe vnto Vannes, and so fiercelie assailed the gates and wals, that in the end they entred by more force. The earle of Richmond was sore hurt, but yet he escaped out at a posterne gate, and the lord Stafford with him, but the lord Spenser was taken by sir Henrie de Leon.
Additions to Nic. Triuet.
Other write otherwise, both of the landing, and also concerning the misfortune of the lord Spenser, alledging letters sent from the earle of Northampton (whome the same authors repute as generall of that armie into Britaine) directed to the king, in which was signified, how that within the octaues of the Assumption of our ladie, they ariued on the coast of Britaine, néere to the towne and castell of Brest, in the which the dutchesse of Britaine with hir children were of the enimies besieged, both by sea and land, by sea with thirtéene great gallies, by land by the lord Charles de Blois, the earls of Sauoie and Foiz. But the gallies perceiuing the English fléet to be approched vpon them, yer they were aware, so that they were compassed in, to their great danger, thrée of the same gallies fled, and so escaped, the residue got vp into a riuer of the same hauen, where they that were aboord, left their vessels and fled to the land, and as well they, as the other that held siege before Brest and such as kept a castell there, not farre off, called Goule forrest, packed awaie without anie more adoo. The English mariners following the gallies (that were withdrawn vp the riuer) with their small boats and barges, set fire on the gallies, and so burnt them.
Thus all the Englishmen came on land, and leauing the lord Saie capteine in the said castell of Goule forrest, they passed forward into the countrie, and comming to a castell commonlie called Monsieur Relix, gaue an assault thereto, where manie of their men of warre were wounded, and sir Iames Louell slaine. After this, staieng a time for the comming of their confederats, which after a fortnights space came to them on the mondaie, being the morrow after Michaelmas daie, they heard that the lords Charles de Blois was comming in all hast with a power of thrée thousand men of armes, twelue hundred Genowaies, & a great multitude of commons to raise the siege. Whervpon the earle of Northampton with his armie marched softlie towards them, and choosing a plot of ground conuenient for his purpose, fought with his enimies, slue and tooke of them at the least thrée hundred men of armes. The earle of Northampton lost not any noble man in this fight, the lord Edward Spenser onelie excepted.
The king passeth ouer into Britaine.