1 88 THE CALL OF THE SEA 



gain a victory. And so they all now made up their 

 minds to retreat by land. 



Thucydides. 



Sluys (1340) -o •<:> ^c> ^;> 



(From Chronicles) 



T^HE French king being aduertised, that the 

 king of England meant shortlie to returne 

 into Flanders with a great power, in purpose to 

 inuade the realme of France on that side, assem- 

 bled a nauie of foure hundred ships vnder the 

 leading of three expert capteins of the warres by 

 sea, as sir Hugh Kiriell, sir Peter Bahuchet, and a 

 Geneweis named Barbe Noir, appointing them to 

 the coasts of Flanders to defend the king of 

 England from landing there, if by any meanes they 

 might. These three capteins or admerals came 

 and laie with their ships in the hauen of Slujse, for 

 that it was supposed the king of England would 

 arriue there, as his meaning was indeed, wherevpon 

 when his men, ships, and prouisions were once 

 readie in the moneth of June, he tooke the sea 

 with two hundred saile, and directing his course 

 towards Flanders, there came vnto him the lord 

 Robert Morley, with the north nauie of England, so 

 that then he had in all about three hundred saile, or 

 (as other saie) two hundred and three score. The 

 French nauie laie betwixt Sluise and Blancbergh 



