While the battle lasted, there was so great a storm that King Hakon saw no way of getting his force on land. But Rognvald and Eilif of Nautsdale rowed in a swift boat to the land. Eilif got on shore in a boat, but Rognvald was driven out back to his ship. Eilif came to the battle with some men, and behaved very daringly, as well as those Northmen who had got into the boats and landed on the shingle. Then the Northmen began to gather force, and the Scots gave way on to the hillock, and then there was a lingering fight between them for awhile with shot and stone.

When the day was wearing away the Northmen made an onslaught on the Scots upon the hillock, and there fell on them most boldly. Then the Scots fled away from the hillock as fast as each man could to the fells. And when the Northmen saw that, they went to the boats and rowed out to the ships and got off with difficulty owing to the storm. On next morning they went to seek for the bodies of those who had fallen, and King Hakon had them borne to church. The Northmen could not clearly tell what number of their enemies fell, for the Scots took each man that fell and bore him off to the woods.

The following Thursday King Hakon had the anchors weighed, and his ship moved under the isle; and that day there came to him the host which he had sent into Shipfirth (Loch Long). The Friday after the weather improved, so the King sent his guests on land to burn those ships which had driven on shore. That same day the King sailed away from the Cumbraes and out to Malas-isle (Lamlash), and lay there some nights. Thence he sailed for home. On his way he was taken ill and died at Kirkwall in Orkney.

FIGHT IN THE CHANNEL

1293

THE first naval transaction of any moment in the reign of Edward I arose out of a quarrel between two common sailors, and led to the most important consequences. In 1293 two of the crew of an English ship, in some port of Normandy, landed to get water, and meeting with several Norman sailors, a dispute ensued which produced blows on both sides. One of the Englishmen was slain, and the other fled to his ship followed by twenty of the Normans. The vessel immediately put to sea and was pursued by many of the Norman ships. Shortly afterwards the French squadron fell in with six English ships, which they attacked, and having captured two of them, they hung their crews, together with some dogs, to the yards of the vessels. They then cruised in the Channel for some time, committing such outrages, that they "made no distinction between an Englishman and a dog." It was never in the nature of English sailors to submit to such infamous treatment; and without waiting for the approval or assistance of their sovereign, they determined to be revenged.

The four ships that had escaped were joined by many others from the Cinque Ports, and eagerly sought the enemy; but not finding them at sea, they entered the Seine, where they were discovered at anchor, and instantly attacked. A sanguinary conflict took place,

which terminated in the defeat of the French and the loss of six of their ships. Several other partial engagements occurred, attended "by great slaughter on both sides, shipwreck, and rapine-both thirsting for blood" but no particulars are mentioned of any of these affairs. It was at length determined to try their strength in a pitched battle, on the 14th of April, at a spot midchannel between England and France, indicated by anchoring a large and empty ship. The English enlisted the Irish and Dutch sailors in their cause, while the Normans had obtained the assistance of the French, Flemish and Genoese.

On the appointed day the two fleets, well armed, met at the rendezvous. The weather was very tempestuous: hail and snow fell heavily, accompanied by a high wind, and the chroniclers observe that the courage of the respective combatants was as unequal as the elements. The English fleet does not appear to have exceeded sixty ships, while their opponents had more than two hundred. After a desperate conflict, "Almighty God," say Knyghton and Hemingford, "was pleased to give the victory to our side" and they add, with their usual exaggeration, that " many thousands perished by the sword, beside those who went down in their ships, who were almost countless. Our men brought away about two hundred and forty ships laden with spoil."

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Trivet's account is equally brief, and varies so much from that of the other writers as to make it difficult to believe that he is speaking of the same transaction. He states that the French fleet, which amounted to two hundred sail and upwards, had gone to Gascony, intending to plunder and destroy all they met with, and being, on their return, laden with wine, glorifying themselves as if the liberty of the sea belonged only to

them, were seized by sixty English ships and brought to England on the sixth feria before the eve of Pentecost, all their crews having been slain or drowned, except those who had with difficulty saved themselves in skiffs.” SIR N. H. NICOLAS

THE BATTLE OF SLUYS

1340

EDWARD sailed from the Orwell, on Thursday, the 22nd of June, “about the first hour of the day, in the name of God and St. George." On the morrow, being the eve of St. John the Baptist, they came to the coast of Flanders, about Blankenberg, and as they approached the Zwijn, and discovered so great a number of ships that their masts and streamers made them resemble a wood, the King asked the master of his vessel what he supposed them to be. "May it please your Majesty," replied the master, "I take them to be Normans and others, sent out by the French king to rob and spoil your coasts, and to take your Majesty's person if they can: and among them I doubt not we shall find those very men who burnt your good town of Southampton, and took your two good ships, the St. Edward and the Christopher." "Ha!" said the king, "I have long desired to fight with the Frenchmen; and now I shall meet with some of them, by the grace of God and St. George; for truly they have done me so many displeasures, that I shall be revenged, an I may!"

He then commanded the Lord Reginald Cobham, Sir John Chandos, and Sir Stephen de la Burkin, to land, and ride along the shore, "to view the countenance of the enemy." They did this at safe leisure, all Flanders being then friendly to the English; and they approached near enough to see that the fleet, which they estimated at