While the war was carrying on in Picardy, and a little before the siege of Therouenne, an engagement at sea took place between Pregent, a french captain, and the lord Howard, lord-admiral of England, on the 22nd and 25th days of April. Pregent, thinking to join the french fleet in Brest harbour, was met at sea, on the vigil of St George's day, by a fleet of forty or fifty sail, and was instantly attacked by two galeasses and four or five other vessels. The combat lasted two hours, with great slaughter on both sides; but at length the English were forced to retire, with the loss of two vessels sunk. On the Monday following, which was the feast of St Mark, Pregent and his fleet fell in again with that of the English, amounting to twenty or thirty vessels, and about thirty large boats. The galley of Pregent was attacked by two galeasses and three ships, but he fought well,--and all on board the first galeass were killed by pikes, or drove into the sea, excepting two prisoners, one of whom was thrown overboard. In this combat, sir Edward Howard was killed, whose body was embalmed to carry to England for interment[54]. The captains of the other ships, seeing that these five vessels had not made any impression on the galley of Pregent, whom they had courageously attacked, held a council, and afterwards made sail, leaving the sea open to Pregent. A large fleet had been collected at Honnefleur, to attack the king of England as he crossed the channel, and cut off his return; but when they were at sea, a violent storm arose that separated this fleet, and some of the vessels were sunk. The winter of this year was very long and severe, so that the Seine and other rivers were frozen hard enough for carriages to pass over them with safety; and when the thaw came, numbers of houses and mills were destroyed by the floods. About this time, news was brought that the Swiss had intentions of again entering Burgundy, when the king ordered thither the lord of Bourbon with a large force of men at arms, infantry, and artillery,--but the Swiss did not come. This same year, the garrisons that had guarded different places in Italy returned to France, in consequence of the treaty concluded with the Swiss before Dijon,--namely, those from the castle of Milan; the lord of Aubigny, his lance on his thigh, with his garrison, from the castle of Brescia. When these garrisons marched away, the Spaniards took possession of the castles, which the Venetians thought had been done for them; but when the Spaniards had established themselves securely, they chaunted to the Venetians the Evangile des Vierges. Such are the chances of war. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 53: I believe this town was gained by a ruse de guerre. Henry drew up before the walls a large train of what appeared battering cannon, (but were only of wood painted, and are now shown in the Tower) which frightened the inhabitants into an instant surrender. This is the popular story.]