6 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



enthusiastic valour, the Frenchmen put to sea. In 

 October then, as now, the North Sea was better to 

 behold from the shore than from the water, especially 

 when crude, unseaworthy craft were concerned, and the 

 result was that, of the braggart ships which put forth, 

 most foundered and the rest were lucky to return to 

 Flanders. 



Naval history contains no year more memorable 

 than that which followed 1340. At the very beginning 

 Edward in. took the name and arms of King of France, 

 and determined to enforce his rights and title. Early 

 in June, at Ipswich, he had forty ships to take him 

 and his followers to Flanders. He knew that at Sluys 

 the King of France had gathered an enormous army 

 to prevent him from landing. 



Early on an afternoon in June he sailed for Flanders 

 with two hundred vessels. He was joined by fifty more 

 ships under Sir Robert Morley. This great fleet arrived 

 off Blankenberg, ten miles from the mouth of the Sluys, to 

 the west, and found a French fleet of 190 ships, galleys, 

 and great barges lying at anchor, fastened to each other 

 with iron chains and cables. Small boats were sus- 

 pended from the masts, the boats being filled with stones 

 which were to be hurled upon the assailants. Amongst 

 the French fleet were several ships which had been 

 taken from the English, notable of these being the 

 Christopher, renowned as the greatest vessel of her 

 time. 



Thirty-five thousand Normans, Picards, and Genoese 

 manned the French ships, the English force being con- 

 siderably less. Nobles, knights, and gentlemen abounded 

 on both sides, and there were present with Edward many 



