Link LinkWe must now return to Lord Robert d’Artois and his army. Easter fell so late that year, that it was about the beginning of May; and the middle of that month was the period when the truce between lord Charles and the countess of Montfort was to expire. The lord Charles had received information of the countess of Montfort’s journey into England, of her solicitations for assistance, and of the succour the king of England was to give her: on which account, the lord Lewis of Spain, sir Charles Grimaldi, and sir Otho Doria, were stationed off Guernsey, with thirty-two large vessels, having on board three thousand Genoese, and a thousand men at arms. The lord Robert d’Artois, the earl of Pembroke, the earl of Salisbury, the earl of Suffolk, the earl of Oxford, the baron of Stamford, the lord Despencer, the lord Bouchier, with many other knights from England, and their followers were accompanying the countess of Montfort to Brittany, and had a wind to their wish: when in an afternoon, as they were near the island of Guernsey, they perceived the large fleet of the Genoese, of which the lord Lewis was commander. Upon this, the sailors cried out, “Gentlemen, arm yourselves and make ready, for here are the Genoese and Spaniards bearing down upon us.” The English then sounded their trumpets, spread out their pennons to the wind, ornamented with the devices of their arms and with the banner of St. George. Every one posted himself properly at his quarters, and filling up the intervals with archers, they advanced full sail toward the enemy. They might be about forty-six vessels, great and small; but there were none so large as nine of those under the lord Lewis, who had likewise three galleys; in each of which were the three chiefs, the lord Lewis, sir Charles Grimaldi, and sir Otho Doria. The fleets approached each other, and the Genoese began to shoot with their cross-bows at random, which the English archers returned. This continued some time, and many were wounded: but when the barons, knights, and squires, were able to come to close combat, and could reach each other with their lances, then the battle raged, and they made good trial of each other’s courage. The countess of Montfort was equal to a man, for she had the heart of a lion; and, with a rusty sharp sword in her hand, she combated bravely.
The Genoese and Spaniards, who were in these large vessels, threw down upon their enemies great bars of iron, and annoyed them much with very long lances. This engagement began about vespers, and lasted until night parted them; for, soon after vespers, there came on such a fog, they could scarcely distinguish each other; they therefore separated, cast anchor, and got their ships in order, but did not disarm, for they intended renewing the fight the next day. About midnight, a violent storm arose; and so tremendous was it, that it seemed as if the world would have been destroyed: there were not, on either side, any so bold, but who wished themselves on shore; for these barges and vessels drove so furiously against each other, that they feared they would go to pieces. The English lords inquired of the sailors what was best to be done: they answered, to disembark as soon as they could; for there were such risks at sea, that if the wind should continue as violent as it then was, there would be danger of their being all drowned. They therefore drew up their anchors, set their sails about half a quarter, and made off. On the other hand, the Genoese weighed their anchors, and put off to sea; for their vessels, being so much larger than the English, could weather the tempest more securely; and also, if they should drive too near the shore, they ran a risk of being wrecked, which made them take to the deep. As they were going off, they fell in with four English vessels, laden with provisions, which had kept out of the engagement: they seized them, and took them in tow. The wind and tempest were so vehement, that, in one day, they were driven more than a hundred leagues from the place where they had fought. The lord Robert gained land at a small port near the city of Vannes; and they were all rejoiced when they set foot on shore.
