I shall never put in writing, and would not undertake to set down, what barons, and how many knights, how many vavassors, and how many soldiers the duke had in his company, when he had collected all his navy; but I heard my father say--I remember it well, although I was but a lad--that there were seven hundred ships, less four[6], when they sailed from St. Valeri; and that there were besides these ships, boats and skiffs for the purpose of carrying the arms and harness. I have found it written (but I know not whether it be true) that there were in all three thousand vessels bearing sails and masts. Any one will know that there must have been a great many men to have furnished out so many vessels. [Illustration] They waited long at St. Valeri for a fair wind, and the barons were greatly wearied[7]. Then they prayed the convent to bring out the shrine of St Valeri, and set it on a carpet in the plain; and all came praying the holy reliques, that they might be allowed to pass over sea. They offered so much money, that the reliques were buried beneath it; and from that day forth, they had good weather and a fair wind. The duke placed a lantern on the mast of his ship, that the other ships might see it, and hold their course after it. At the summit was a vane[8] of brass, gilt. On the head of the ship, in the front, which mariners call the prow, there was the figure of a child in brass, bearing an arrow with a bended bow.[9] His face was turned towards England, and thither he looked, as though he was about to shoot; so that whichever way the ship went, he seemed to aim onwards. [Illustration] Of so large a fleet with so many people, only two ships were in any peril, and those perhaps from being overloaded. The duke had a great chivalry in his ships; and besides these, he had many archers and Serjeants, many brave men and warriors, carpenters and engineers, good smiths and other handicraftsmen. [Footnote 1: Ou est ewe, Ou est chastel Ke seit sor l'ewe d'Ou mult bel.] [Footnote 2: AIMERI, viscount of THOUARS, the fourth of the name. ALAIN FELGAN and the other chiefs in the expedition will be more conveniently noticed hereafter. The only list which _Benoit_ gives will be found in our appendix.] [Footnote 3: _Benoit_ goes into much detail concerning William's previous arrangements with the Bretons.] [Footnote 4: Fol m'en revins, fol i alai, Fol i alai, fol m'en revins, Folie quis, por fol me tins.] [Footnote 5: _Benoit de Sainte-More_ thus expresses himself on the subject: Ci receveront les granz loiers Qu'aveir deivent bons chevaliers; Les terres, les fieus, les honors, Plus c'unc n'orent lor anceisors; Par lor valor, par lor proeces, Auront dès or les granz richesces, Les granz tenures e les fieus.]