RETREAT OF THE FRENCH.

211

army, bearing with him three arrows in his buckler, and one in the sleeve of his mail, as his share of the booty.*

The dauphin and his brother, the duc d'Orleans, had both so little consideration, or so little feeling, that they jested at this disaster, and laughed at Montluc, as if he and the old soldiers of Piedmont had lost their character. But when Montluc seriously asked the dauphin if he was of opinion that he had behaved ill, for if he were, he would instantly return to the town and find his death there; adding, that men were fools, indeed, to expend their lives in his service, the prince perceived his error, and made amends for it. The failure of the camisado, and the severe loss which had attended it, had abated the hope and the confidence with which he had taken the field. Heavy rains at this time set in; and the difficulties which Henry had foreseen, of obtaining provisions in a devastated country, and where the roads were so bad, were soon severely felt: the army was three days without bread, and the soldier was known to give his armour for a loaf. The dauphin †, therefore, retreated to Montreuil, dismissed there his Swiss and Gascon mercenaries, left mareschal du Biez with the troops which had been drawn from Piedmont to act against the English at Boulogne, and leaving the army himself, went to join the king, his father. Soon after Christmas, M. du Biez, with all the force that had been left in Picardy (about 14,000), came down to the coast, and encamped at Portet, a little fishing port, about a mile to the west of Boulogne. Before he could fortify his camp, the earl of Hertford (afterwards the protector Somerset), the lord admiral, who had then returned to his charge as lord deputy of that town, lord Grey of Wilton, and Poynings, sallied about four one morning, with all the strength they could collect, consisting of 4000 Montluc, 304-320. Nott's Surrey and Wyatt, i. lxii. lxiii. Holinshed, 844.

Norfolk says, in one of his despatches at this time, "The dauphin being disappointed to have environed our whole army at Boulogne, and to have hobbled us with horsemen (on the farther retreat to Calais), hath now hopped and leaped hither and thither, and lost well-favouredly in both places, and so is likely to return without damages."- Nott's Surrey and Wyatt, 1. lxxiii.

foot and 700 horse.* Coming to the place where the king had encamped during the siege, they placed themselves there in order of battle; and at low water, captain Edward Braye, with 300 shot, passed over to give the enemy an alarm in their camp. At the same time the trumpets sounded, and the drums struck up. The army then showed themselves, in three battles, each with 200 horse; and the French, not thinking it prudent to await this unexpected attack, drew off in two bodies, with all haste, towards Hardelot. The English captains, in equal haste, followed with their horse only. During the night their workmen, protected by a company of harquebussiers, had repaired a bridge called Pont de Bricque, over one of the streams which unite to form the harbour of Boulogne: this they crossed, advanced to St. Estienne, surprised 500 Germans, "called Swart rutters," who were stationed there, and took most of them prisoners; but these poor prisoners, being left with the followers of the army, were afterwards slain," because they knew not where to bestow them!"

66

Having thus gained the hill of St. Estienne, the lords appointed 100 of their men-at-arms "to follow and keep aloof, as a stale to relieve their fellows in time of need." Then arraying themselves again in order of battle, they rode up and down among the troops, and, using many comfortable words,” desired that, although they were but a handful, they would yet, for the honour of England, make proffer of an onset, and follow as they should see them lead the way. Then pushing forward, they came up with the enemy some "three miles on the hitherside of Hardelot sands," and, valiantly giving the charge, "thrust in between the two French battles, overthrew their carriages, took their ordnance and munition, and slew and bare down many of them that pressed forward to defend it." M. du Biez upon this brought up his best men, and began to array them with

* Some eighty or 100 of these were Albanians, a people who often appear among the mercenaries of that age.

sea.

SALLEY FROM BOULOGNE.

213

a view to enclose the English between his forces and the The lord admiral perceived his purpose: by his encouragement the English made a new charge, broke through the enemy, came to the hundred men-at-arms whom they had left as a reserve, and there halted for their infantry, by this time in sight, but at the distance of about two miles. The French also saw them; and M. du Biez, covering his retreat with the troops on whom he had most reliance, continued it till he came to Hardelot sands, - 66 - a place of such strength and advantage, by reason of the strait, that being once there he might account himself out of all danger." Halting there, he sent a herald to the English chieftains, saying that there he meant to abide, and would give them battle if they chose to engage him; an offer which they thought it as unwise to accept as he did to meet them upon the fair field to which they invited him in reply. "Whereupon the English, says Holinshed, to light them a candle that they might see where they were, set all the villages and houses about on fire, continuing there all that afternoon and most part of the following night. Early on the morrow they returned to Boulogne with all their spoil and prisoners." They took in this affair two brazen and five iron guns, and "the pieces of advantage' of six mareschals, which were sent to the king as proof of the "good success that had happened to his people in this famous enterprise."—" Apparel, plate, and furniture,” in great plenty, were taken, both in the field and in the camp, where the French left their tents standing and all their provisions. This success was obtained with the loss of less than twenty men in killed and wounded. *

66

* Holinshed, 845. Du Bellay, 206. Dr. Nott (lxxv.) follows Du Bellay in giving the command that day to Surrey; adding, in a note, that Herbert, in his MS. collection, speaks of Surrey as the commander, but that in his published account he is silent respecting him. Herbert probably relied upon Du Bellay, when he made his notes, and saw good reason for rejecting his authority when he wrote his history. The credit which Holinshed ascribes to M. du Biez is assigned to another by Du Bellay: "Sans l'ordre qui fût mis par le Capitaine Ville-Franche maître de camp des vielles bandes François, lequel demoure sur la queue, il y avoit grande apparence qu'il y fût advenu une roupte. Si est ce qu'il mourut de gens de bien, tant d'une part que d'autre."

The English government did not at this time trust to its own maritime strength, but now, for the first time, issued a proclamation, allowing and exhorting all its subjects, who should be so inclined, to arm ships at their own costs and charges, for the annoyance of its enemies, the French and Scots. This they were authorised to do without taking out any licence, or entering into any recognisance; and whatever they made prize of was to be wholly for their own benefit, without paying any part or share to the lord admiral, the lord warden of the Cinque Ports, or any other officer or minister of the king. Moreover, no officer might take from them any mariners, munition, or tackle, against their own consent, unless the king, for the furnishing of his own ships, should send for them by special commission, and when need might require. One proviso, more likely to be needful than efficacious, was made, that they should not presume to spoil his majesty's subjects, nor his friends, nor any one having his safe-conduct, on pain of the laws enacted for such offences.* Adventurers hastened to take advantage of this general licence; and being so numerous, they scoured the Channel with extraordinary good fortune. More than 300 French prizes were brought into the English ports; and so large a part of their cargoes was brought to London, that the Grey Friars' church was filled with wine, and both St. Austin's and Black Friars' with herrings and other fish intercepted on the way to France.

At the commencement of his reign, Henry had endeavoured to promote the interests of commerce. At a later period he sent out a squadron of six stout ships under Christopher Coo, to protect our trade from French and Scotch freebooters, who, taking advantage of a dispute between the emperor and the king of France, pirated at large, expecting that their depredations would be imputed to the ships of the two contending powers. But

*Charnock, ii. 110.

Holinshed, 846.

Sir Thomas More, in his poem upon the accession of this king, says,"Mercator variis deterritus ante tributis

Nunc maris insuetas puppe resulcat aquas."

in his latter years, the licence which he had given to privateers produced evils as great as those which he had formerly repressed. When the first harvest was over, and French trade afforded little farther spoil, neither Spaniard, Portugueze, nor Fleming, escaped these adventurers, some of whom called themselves Scotch, and others, when they boarded a ship, wore visors.* The ill consequences which the lord admiral Dudley apprehended from these outrages came to pass: English ships were detained in the Spanish ports, as the surest way of obtaining restitution. In one case an officer † in the king's service was the offender; and when the matter was investigated, an unwillingness was found in some persons in authority, who had to refund their shares of the captures.

The French, on their part, made unusual exertions for increasing their naval force. Francis saw how greatly the English pale would be strengthened by the addition of Boulogne, if Henry were allowed to retain it; and that the opportunity for speedily recovering it had been lost. Great efforts were now necessary, and these he determined upon making, both by sea and by land. The first business was to collect such a naval force as might boldly seek the English fleet and give it battle; and naval superiority being once attained, it would be possible to seize upon the Isle of Wight, establish a French force there, and then get possession of Portsmouth. Ten galleys were built at Rouen, twenty-five ordered from Marseilles, and some large

State Papers, 841.

"His majesty will be pleased that such things as Reneger took be restored; for that the same cannot be well defended; and then Reneger, to have justice against them who unjustly stayed his prize in Spain. This private case of Reneger hath made all this bruslery; wherein, if some other men had been as ready to have rendered for their parts such portions as they have received of Reneger's prey, as his majesty hath been to deliver his (which his majesty commanded long ago to be done), all these matters had been long ago past and depeched."-State Papers, 889. John Reneger appears in the list of Dudley's fleet (ibid. 812.) as captain of the Galigoe Reneger, of 80 tons and 80 men-probably, by its name, a Spanish vessel.

"Laissant longuement les Anglois dedans Boulogne, ils pourroient de jour en autre se renforcer, et prendre pied en son royaume, ce qui seroit une mauvaise semence."- Du Bellay, 208.