A, D. 1340, 527 



granted protedions to the vefTels of Cadile, Catalonia, and Majorca, 

 trading peaceably with Flanders, and giving fecurity to the magiftrates 

 of thofe cities, that they fliould do no damage to him or his friends. 

 Such was the advantage which thofe nations reaped from being conned- 

 ed in trade with the principal commercial nation in the weft part of Eu- 

 rope : and, on the other hand, fo valuable was the trade of thofe Span- 

 ifh nations to the Flemings, that they bound themfelves to indemnify 

 them for any damage they might fuffer from the Englifh ; an obliga- 

 tion, which Edward thought it incumbent upon him to take upon him- 

 felf \_Foedera, V. \,pp, 179, 183, 203.] 



June 24'" — King Edward, underflanding that the king of France had 

 colle6ted a fleet of 400 veffels*, the largefl; of which belonged to Spain 

 and Genoa, in order to intercept him on his paflage to the continent, 

 boldly refolved to engage them with the fleet he had, confifting of 260 

 vefl^els great and fmall. On the 23'' of June he came in fight of the 

 enemy lying at anchor at the Swyn on the coafl: of Flanders. Early in 

 the morning of the next day the French fleet got up their anchors, and, 

 forming in three divifions, advanced about a mile to meet the Englifli, 

 who, having the wind of them, bore down to the attack, which they 

 commenced with a fhower of arrows, in the management of which they 

 excelled all other nations, and afterwards clofed in with them, and fought 

 with ftones thrown from the tops, and with pikes, poll-axes, and fwords. 

 The Englifli made but little impreflion upon the lofty flups of Spain, 

 but in the French vefl^els the carnage was moll horrible, about 25,000 

 men by the moft moderate accounts being either flain or drowned by 

 leaping overboard f. At the conclufion of the battle, which lafled all 

 the day and the enfuing night, 200 fhips and 30 barges fell into the 

 hands of the Englifli. Next day the king landed his forces amidft the 

 fliouts and applaufes of his Flemifli allies. [Fadero, V. "v^pp. 195, 197. 

 — Hcniingford, p. 319. — K?iyghtoii, col. 2577 — Walfinghani^ p. 148 — P. 

 ^myl.p. 276 Stow, p. 369.] 



The fplendour of this naval vidory, the only one gained by a king ot 

 England in perfon fince the days of Alfred, dazzled the eyes of the Eng- 

 lifli, and made them chearfuUy exhaufl: their wealth in order to make 

 their brave king the fovereign of a foreign country, and themlelves the 

 fubjeds of the king of France. It encouraged Edward to proceed in his 

 career : and it induced thofe allies, who wiflied to be on the fuccefsful 

 flde, to ftand by him longer than they would otherways have done. And 

 thus were the miferies and defolation of war prolonged. The phantom 

 of the kingdom, though repeatedly grafped, at laft totally vaniftied : but 



* According to Knyghton, 19 very large (liips — 3C0 French fliips, and ?o of Bretagne. [i?. 

 and 200 other (hips of war, befides fmaller veffels J'Emyl.'\ 



arid barges. — 200 fiiips and many gallies. {_l'/alf,'] f Tliere was no fafety for them on the (here, . 



which was occupied by the Flcmilh army. 



