70 ENGLISH GARRISON OF GUERNSEY. 



gents qi Dieu defent permi vos chastiaulx porez toiours 

 recouvrer votre terre." 



The main idea at this period, as we see by the foregoing, 

 was not so much the protection of the islands from invasion, 

 this was left to the trained bands of the islanders, " le power 

 del pais," who had assisted de Koches shortly after his arrival 

 in repelling an attack of Norman pirates ; but the point of 

 vital importance was the guarding of the king's castles, as 

 strongholds where reinforcements could assemble previous to 

 expelling such invaders as might temporarily occupy the 

 islands. This accounts for what seems to our eyes the exceed- 

 ingly small number of men kept in garrison. The position of 

 Castle Cornet was an exceptionally strong one, it was then 

 much smaller than we now see it, and the islet on which it 

 stands offered no lodgment for an attacking force. In fact, 

 except through treachery or neglect, it was almost impregnable, 

 so long as the English held command of the sea, and it was 

 only when Behuchet swept the English fleet into their ports 

 by his sudden raid in the spring of 1838, and cut the castle 

 off from all chance of succour, that, as we are told in the 

 " Precepte d'Assize," for lack of foresight on the part of the 

 Constable to prepare for such a contingency, it Avas forced to 

 capitulate in the month of September following. 



From the Accounts of Thomas de Ferrers we gather that 

 from the 20th June, 1337, to the date of the capture of Castle 

 Cornet, on the 8th iSe])tember, 1338, its garrison consisted of 

 Sir Symon de Goldingham, the Constable, his son, six men-at- 

 arms and fifty archers and cross-bowmen. Besides these a 

 small force of six archers, under a Constable, were quartered 

 at Jerbourg Castle. The small number of this latter force 

 clearly indicates that it was intended as a post of observation 

 only. These are the official figi res of the number of men in 

 garrison in the island at this date from State Papers. If, 

 however, we turn to the story told by an old chronicler, quoted 

 by M. Charles de la Ronciere, in his Histoire de la Marine 

 Franqaise^ which was recently the subject of an article in The 

 Star, we find it stated that the number of the garrison at 

 Castle Cornet at the time of its capture was 1,200 men, who 

 were commanded by Amaury de Valence and the Comte de 

 Cleeves. It is hardly necessary to point out that it was 

 impossible for the castle at any time to have held such a large 

 number, or the provisions to sustain them during a siege. The 

 veracity of the whole story is best judged by the fact that 

 their supposed commander, Amaury de Valence, Earl of 

 Pembroke, the last of his race, was already dead, he having 



