678 FRA 
under the command of Edward without the direction of 
the emperor, who (till remained at peace with France; 
and the Flemings pretended the fame Temples, with regard 
to the invalion of their liege lord. The firft*difficulty 
was overcome by the emperor appointing Edward, Vicar 
cf the Empire-, an empty name, but which ferved to banifli 
the doubts of the German princes: and to obviate the 
fecund, Edward, by the advice of James d’Arteville, the 
celebrated Flemifn brewer, alfumed the title of hereditary 
king of France, and branded Philip de Valois with the 
name of ufurper. 
After having loll a few weeks in the fruitlefs fiege of 
Cambray, Edward advanced towards the frontiers of 
Prance ; and was foon convinced of the difficulties he had 
to contend with, by the defection of his brother-in-law the 
count of Hainault, and the count of Namur ; who disre¬ 
garding the claim of Edward to the crown of France, re¬ 
filled to a£t againfl their liege lord, and retired with the 
troops under their immediate command. Yet this dimi¬ 
nution of his forces did not deter Edward from palling 
the Scheld, and appearing in the fields of Veronfoffe 
near Capelle, with an army of fifty thoufand men. Near 
100,000 French, commanded by the flower of their nobi¬ 
lity, and animated by the prefence of their monarch, ap¬ 
proached thofe plains : but the prudence of Philip was 
confpicuous pn this occafion ; and he was determined to 
avoid a decifive aftion, in which he would gain but little, 
and would hazard much. It was his duty to defend his 
country, without unneceffarily expofing it to the chance of 
war; and he foon realized the fruits of his caution, fince 
the exhauffed finances of his adverfary compelled him to 
difband his army, after having anticipated his revenue, 
and incurred a heavy debt, in the hopelefs enterprife. 
On the retreat of Edward in 1339, the attention of 
Philip was firft occupied in reconciling the Flemings to 
their exiled lord, and alluring them to favour the caufe 
of France ; but his efforts were baffled by the influence 
of the rich burgher James d’Arteville, or Arteveld, 
who firmly adhered to the caufe of Edward. After a 
year waded in ufelefs defeentson either coafi, the French 
monarch was awakened by the formidable preparations of 
the king of England to the inflant defence of his crown 
and kingdom. He fitted out a fleet of 400 veffels, manned 
with 40,000 men, and fiationed them off Siuys, to inter¬ 
cept the paflage of Edward. 
The Englilh navy confided only of 240 fail ; but the 
wind was favoucable to their hopes, and they were en¬ 
couraged by the prefence and example of their king. 
The engagement was fierce and bloody, and fuch as might 
•be expected in an age when the fovereignty of the fea 
depended rather on perfonal courage than naval fkiil. In 
the heat of the action the Flemings, near whofe coad the 
French had imprudently engaged, id'ued from their har¬ 
bours, to co-operate with the Englifh : 230 of the French 
fliips were taken ; and with two admirals of Fiance perifli- 
ed thirty thoufand of her braved feamen. 
The fuccefs of Edward raifed the hopes of his allies, 
who from every quarter crowded to his dandard : at the 
head of a various army, compofed of different nations, 
and amounting to 100,000 men, he directed his march 
towards the frontiers of France ; while 50,000 Flemings, 
under the command of Robert of Artois, laid fiege to St. 
Omer. But this undifeiplined and tumultuous crowd 
was routed by a filly from the garrifon, and was not to 
be rallied again by the capacity or exertions of their 
leader. Philip had drawn together the fcattered forces 
of his kingdom ; and the numbers of his hod were en¬ 
nobled by the quality of his adherents ; the kings of Bo¬ 
hemia, of Scotland, and Navarre, marched under his 
banner. For ten weeks Edward had prefled the fiege of 
Tournay ; but the approach of Philip now diflipated his 
hopes of fuccefs. To the oder of the Englidi monarch 
to decide their differences in lingle combat, the king of 
France coldly replied, “ That Edward having done ho¬ 
mage to him for Guienne, and folemnly acknowledged 
N C E. 
him for his fuperior, it ill became him to fend a challenge 
to his liege lord ; but that, if he would put the kingdoiu 
of England on the iffue of their perfonal provvefs, he 
would readily accept the challenge.” Although thefe 
mutual defiances and the blaze of war might ferve to 
dazzle the eyes of the vulgar, yet both monarchs were 
equally tired with a fruitlefs campaign, and therefore 
liflened to the peaceful remondrances of Jane countefs- 
dowager of Hainault. This princefs was mother-in-law 
to Edward, and fider to Philip. To affuage the animo- 
fities of contending kings die had left the walls of htr 
convent ; and her pious efforts, in 1340, were productive 
of a truce for a year, which left both parties in podeflicn 
of their different acquifitions, and allowed eacli time to 
prepare for fredi hodilities. 
No fooner had this fhort term elapfed, than an event 
as unfortunate as it wa.s unforefeen, kindled again the 
flames of war. John duke of Brittany, fenfible of his 
approaching end, was folicitous to prevent thofe diforders 
to which a difputed fucceflion might expofe his fubjeCts; 
he confidered a daughter, the only iffue of his brother 
the count of Penthievre, as h’is heir ; and preferred her 
title to that of the count of Mountfort, his brother by a 
different mother. Fie was farther confirmed in this opi¬ 
nion by his own family having inherited the duchy from 
a female ; he accordingly befiowed the hand of his niece 
on Chaifles-of Blois nephew of the king of France, by his 
mother Margaret of Valois fider of tHat monarch. The 
Bretons concurred in his choice ; and, among his vaffals 
the count of Mountfort, the male heir, fwore fealty to 
Charles and his conforr, as his future fovereigns. But 
the death of John revived the ambition of Mountfort; 
and, while Charles was employed in foliciling at the 
court of France the invediture of the duchy, his compe¬ 
titor, by force or intrigue, made himfelf mader of Rennes, 
Nar.tz, Bred, and Hennebonne ; and had fecretiy engaged 
to yield homage to Edward III. as king of France, for 
the duchy of Brittany. Such a powerful valfal opened 
to the king of England a paffage into the heart of Franee ; 
and Edward, in 1341, confented to a treaty which at once 
flattered his hopes of dominion and his third for glory. 
Philip had early information of this treaty between 
Mountfort and the king of England ; and took his mea- 
fures accordingly. John duke of Normandy, the elded 
fon of Philip, entered Brittany, and inveded Mountfort 
in the city of Nantz. The fortifications of that place 
might'perhaps have redded for fome time the attack of 
the befiegers, but Nantz was betrayed by the treachery 
of the inhabitants ; and Mountfort conducted a captive 
to Paris, and confined in the Louvre. Thus was Philip, 
who had fucceeded to the throne of France by the exclu- 
fion of the female line, now armed in fupport of his ne¬ 
phew, whofe claim was derived from his marriage with 
a niece of the late duke of Brittany, and held in chains a 
prince whofe preter,lions were fimilar to his own. 
The.party of Mountfort, however, was dill animated 
by the manly fpirit of his confort, wdio, indead of de¬ 
ploring with female weaknefs the captivity of her huf- 
band, roufed the dates of Brittany to redd an ufurper 
impofed upon them by the arms of France. Inveded in 
Hennebonne, (he fudained with undaunted courage the 
affaults of Charles of Blois ; and when the drength of 
that city feemed exhauded, die broke through the lines 
of the'befiegers, retired to Bred, and forced her paffage 
back with the important fuccour of 500 horfe. Thefe 
examples of female valour might retard, but could not 
have averted, the fate of Hennebonne ; a capitulation had 
already been propofed by the bifliop of Leon, when the 
exulting countefs beheld from the rampart the long-ex¬ 
pected fleet of England, fleering to her relief. Six thou¬ 
fand archers, with a body of heavy cavalry, were imme¬ 
diately landed under the command of dr Walter Manny; 
and Charles of Blois, in 1342, was compelled to retire 
with the difgrace of being foiled by a woman. 
Edward, eager to follow up the advantage of his ally, 
landed 
