In the meane time had the French king not onelie made himselfe strong by land, but also by sea, hauing sent foorth a strong nauie of ships and gallies towards the coasts of England, which arriuing at Southampton the mondaie after Michaelmas day, tooke and spoiled the towne, and the morrow after set fire vpon it in fiue places, so that a great part of it was burnt. Also thirtéene sailes of the French fléet met with fiue English ships, and after a sore fight which continued nine houres, tooke two of those fiue being tall and goodlie ships, the one called the Edward, and the other the Christopher; the other thrée being smaller vessels, as two of them barks and the other a caruell escaped by their swiftnesse of sailing. There was slaine in that fight vpon both parts about the number of six hundred men. [Sidenote: The French kings armie.] [Sidenote: _Iacob Meir._] [Sidenote: Townes burnt by the Englishmen in France.] [Sidenote: The towne of Guise burnt.] [Sidenote: The earle of Heinault.] The French king himselfe hearing that the king of England would inuade his realme, made his generall assemblie of his armie at Peronne; and when he heard that he was entred France, he remooued towards him with his whole power, being at the point of an hundred thousand men, as in the French chronicle yée may read more at large. The king of England had not past thréescore thousand in his armie at the most: but whilest he laie there vpon the borders of France, his people did much hurt, making roads abroad beyond the water of Some, burning and spoiling abbies, towns, and villages, as Orignie, saint Benoit, Ribemont in Thierasse, saint Gouan, Marle, and Cressie. Also the lord Beaumont of Heinault burnt the towne of Guise, though his daughter was as then within the same towne wife vnto Lewes earle of Blois: his brother William earle of Heinault was latelie before deceassed, leauing the earledome to his sonne named also William, who continued with the king of England so long as he laie before Cambrie, & kept him within the bounds of the empire, as though his allegiance had bound him to no lesse, but after the said king was passed the riuer of Lescault, otherwise called the Skell, and in Latine Scaldis, which diuideth the empire from the kingdome of France, he would no longer serue the king of England, but departed from him for feare to offend the French king, accounting that the matter perteined not now to the empire, but to the priuate quarell and businesse of the king of England: notwithstanding his vncle the said sir Iohn like a faithfull gentleman continued still in king Edward his seruice. [Sidenote: The armies approch néere togither.] [Sidenote: _Froissard._] [Sidenote: Robert king of Sicill dissuadeth the French king to fight with the king of England.] [Sidenote: The armies retire without battell.]