Wherefore he required him either to surceasse the warres which he had in hand against the Britons, or else not to be gréeued though he condescended to the iudgement and determination of the lords both spirituall and temporall, and commons of his realme, in taking vpon him the defense of the duke of Britaine; promising neuerthelesse that the English armie should onelie take land within the duchie of Britaine, and séeke to defend the same against all those that did inuade it, and not to make anie warre within the French dominions. This message was nothing regarded of the French king, in so much that the French armie procéeded in oppressing the Britons, destroieng the countrie, and besieging townes. [Sidenote: The battell of saint Aulbin in Britaine, betwéene the duke of Britaine and the French king.] [Sidenote: Lord Wooduile slaine.] At length on the seuen and twentith, or (as the chronicles of Aniou haue) the eight and twentith daie of Iulie, the duke of Britains armie gaue battell to the French host néere to a towne called saint Aulbin, hauing apparelled a thousand and seuen hundred of the Britons in coates with red crosses, after the English fashion, to make the Frenchmen beléeue that they had a great number of Englishmen, although they had but foure hundred onelie with the lord Wooduile. The victorie in this battell fell to the Frenchmen, so that almost all the Englishmen were slaine with the lord Wooduile, beside six thousand Britons. The duke of Orleance and the prince of Orainge were taken prisoners, which were there on the Britons part. The Frenchmen lost twelue hundred men, and amongst other, that valiant Italian capteine Iames Galeot. [Sidenote: King Henrie sendeth foorth his armie against the French.] These newes being brought into England, caused king Henrie to make hast in sending foorth his armie, and therefore was the lord Brooke, with sir Iohn Cheinie, sir Iohn Middleton, sir Rafe Hilton, sir Richard Corbet, sir Thomas Leighton, sir Richard Laton, and sir Edmund Cornewall sent ouer into Britaine with all conuenient spéed, hauing with them an eight thousand men, well armed and furnished in warlike wise, to aid the duke of Britaine against the Frenchmen. These lustie capteins being arriued in Britaine, after they had a little refreshed them, marched forward, and comming néere to their enimies, pitched downe their field, not farre from the Frenchmens campe. [Sidenote: When the French be inuincible.] [Sidenote: Francis duke of Britaine dieth.]