The boy's Froissart : $b being Sir John Froissart's Chronicles of adventures, battle, and custom in England, France, Spain, etc.Froissart, Jean
History
The boy's Froissart : $b being Sir John Froissart's Chronicles of adventures, battle, and custom in England, France, Spain, etc.
Froissart, Jean
France -- History -- House of Valois, 1328-1589; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century; Hundred Years' War, 1339-1453
This sea-fight between the English and Spaniards was well and hardly
fought; but, as night was coming on, the English exerted themselves to
do their duty well, and discomfit their enemies. The Spaniards, who are
used to the sea, and were in large ships, acquitted themselves to the
utmost of their power. The young Prince of Wales and his division were
engaged apart: his ship was grappled by a great Spaniard, when he and
his knights suffered much; for she had so many holes, that the water
came in very abundantly, and they could not by any means stop the leaks,
which gave the crew fears of her sinking. They therefore did all they
could to conquer the enemy’s ship, but in vain; for she was very large,
and excellently well defended. During this danger of the prince, the
Duke of Lancaster came near, and, as he approached, saw he had the worst
of the engagement, and that his crew had too much on their hands, for
they were bailing out water: he therefore fell on the other side of the
Spanish vessel, with which he grappled, shouting, “Derby to the rescue!”
The engagement was now very warm, but did not last long, for the ship
was taken, and all the crew thrown overboard, not one being saved. The
prince, with his men, instantly embarked on board the Spaniard; and
scarcely had they done so when his own vessel sunk, which convinced them
of the imminent danger they had been in.
The engagement was in other parts well contested by the English knights,
who exerted themselves; and need there was of it, for they found those
who feared them not. Late in the evening, the “Salle du Roi,” commanded
by Lord Robert de Namur, was grappled by a large Spaniard, and the fight
was very severe. The Spaniards were determined to gain this ship; and,
the more effectually to succeed in carrying her off, they set all their
sails, took advantage of the wind, and, in spite of what Lord Robert
and his crew could do, towed her out of the battle; for the Spaniard was
of a more considerable size than the Lord Robert’s ship, and therefore
she more easily conquered. As they were thus towed, they passed near the
king’s ship, to whom they cried out, “Rescue the ‘Salle du Roi,’” but
were not heard, for it was dark; and, if they were heard, they were not
rescued. The Spaniards would have carried away with ease this prize, if
it had not been for a gallant act of one Hanequin, a servant to the Lord
Robert, who, with his drawn sword on his wrist, leaped on board the
enemy, ran to the mast, and cut the large cable which held the mainsail,
by which it became unmanageable; and with great agility he cut other
four principal ropes, so that the sails fell on the deck, and the course
of the ship was stopped. Lord Robert, seeing this, advanced with his
men, and, boarding the Spaniard sword in hand, attacked the crew so
vigorously that all were slain or thrown overboard, and the vessel won.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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