other, and the sense of their common interest, soon reconciled them. They stood out to sea that night, being in fear of meeting an English fleet; on the morrow turned back along the coast, till they came to Plymouth: a good town it was at that time, and with a good fortress, where there was no landing against the will of the inhabitants, except at some distance from the place, which, if attacked from the land side, was not strong. It stood upon the banks of the river, about a gunshot from the sea, and there was a bridge of boats laid across the river, like that at Seville, some seven or eight barks sufficing. There were many vessels lying there, which, upon sight of the Spaniards, drew up to the bridge. The adventurers entered the river, hoping to capture, or at least set fire to some of these; but such a fire* was opened upon them from the town, that they found it necessary to make off with all speed, lest the galleys should be sunk. Both artillery and the old engines appear to have been in use here: a stone is said to have been projected to twice the height of a tower, and to have fallen in the sea half a league off.†

The

Their next attempt was upon the Isle of Portland, where they landed in the hope of carrying off some cattle, and what other booty they could find. The islanders, who were few and ill-armed, saw the galleys in time to retire into the caves, which they had converted into places of security or shelter on such occasions. marauders made but few prisoners, and were soon recalled by sound of trumpet to their vessels; for the tide having gone out, archers and men at arms were hastening thither from the main land. Before they withdrew, the French set fire to some of the houses; but the Spaniards took no part in this, and prevented their friends from doing more mischief in this way, because the people were poor, and it was their captain's will that they should never thus make war against the weak; a rule, however, which neither he thought proper to * Lanzaron tantas bombardas é truenos- que los de las galeras cuidaron ser anegados.

† Cronica del Conde D. Pero Niño, part ii. c. 23, 24.

When the two

enforce nor they to observe at all times. commanders saw that they could not prevent succours from entering the island, they landed to support their men, and there was sharp-shooting from the archers on one side and the arbalisters on the other, arrows falling as thick as snow till night came on, and the invaders reimbarked. From thence they coasted on, landing for wood and water, and to carry off cattle, and to burn the houses and the standing corn, till Pero Niño learned that he was not far from Poole. "This place," says the chronicler, "belongs to a knight called Arripay, who scours the seas, as a corsair, with many ships, plundering all the Spanish and French vessels that he could meet with. This Arripay came often upon the coast of Castille, and carried away many ships and barks; and he scoured the channel of Flanders so powerfully, that no vessel could pass that way without being taken. This Arripay burnt Gijon and Finesterra, and carried off the crucifix from Santa Maria de Finesterra, which was famous as being the holiest in all those parts, (as in truth it was, for I have seen it,) and much more damage he did in Castille, taking many prisoners, and exacting ransoms; and though other armed ships came there from England likewise, he it was who came oftenest."* It is edifying to perceive that every nation regarded this sort of piratical warfare, when it was carried on by their enemies, in its proper light, — and yet all pursued it in the same spirit themselves! The sea captain, whose name when thus Hispaniolised looks as if it belonged to an Indian cacique, is no other than the Henry Paye of the English chroniclers.

Pero Niño no sooner heard that he was near Arripay's place of abode, than he determined to return the visits which that corsair, as he deemed him, had paid to the Spanish coast. Accordingly they entered the harbour, and came at daybreak in sight of Poole. The town was not walled, and a handsome tower with a cupolat, which * Cronica del Conde D. Pero Niño, part ii. c. 25, 26.

Una fermosa torre cubierta de una capella de estaño, redonda toda entera á facion de una taza.

the chronicler describes, must have been erected for the sake of the view which it commanded over that beautiful inlet, not for defence. Here, as at Falmouth, the French commander thought it would be rash to attempt a landing; and when the Spaniard, as if the honour of his country required him to take some vengeance here, persisted in his purpose, Mosen Charles forbade any of his people to land with him. The Spaniards landed under the command of Pero's kinsman, Fernando Niño, with orders not to encumber themselves with plunder, but to plant their banner before the place, and set the houses on fire. One large building was maintained awhile against them; but when, after a stout resistance, they forced an entrance, the defendants escaped at the back part; and here the invaders found arms and sea stores of all kinds: they carried off what they could, and then set the storehouse on fire. By this time the English had collected, in some force, archers and men-atarms; and having put themselves in array, they came so near that it might well be seen, says Gutierre Diez, who was of a ruddy complexion and who of a dark one. They had taken the doors out of the houses, which they contrived, by means of supports, to place before them as pavaises, to protect them against the crossbow-shot. Under this cover the archers kept up a brisk discharge with such effect that the arbalisters dared not expose themselves, while they stooped to charge their arbalists. Many were wounded, and those whose armour protected them are described as fledged with arrows. Pero Niño seeing his people in danger, and that they were beginning to fall back*, landed with the rest of his men ; and the French then, notwithstanding their previous deter mination, hastened with all speed, like brave men, to support him. He set up the cry of Santiago, Santiago! and the English, who by their enemies' account fought

* Gutierre Diez has not failed to expatiate here upon the importance and danger of a standard bearer's office. Without directly extolling himself, he lets the reader understand that he stood that day a mark for the archers, like another St. Sebastian, but with this difference-que le mamparaban las buenas armas que tenia, aunque en algunos lugares yá eran falsadas.

SOUTHAMPTON THREATENED.

29

right well, were at length compelled to retreat, leaving among the slain a brother of Arripay's, a gallant man-atarms, who distinguished himself by his great exertions before he fell.*

Here Pero Niño learnt from his prisoners that the Welsh were in arms, and had baffled the king's forces: this made him regret the more that Martin Ruiz should have refused to co-operate in this expedition; for with such a force he felt confident that they might have taken many towns, that the strength of the country would have been drawn from the coast, and that they might have levied contributions, and returned with great reputation and wealth. "If he had twenty galleys, as others have had there before and since," says his standard bearer, "it is to be believed that he would have done marvellous things." Gutierre Diez was, indeed, devotedly attached to his lord; and had it not been for his labours, Pero Niño's name would now be known only to Spanish genealogists. But though he was an excellent alferez, and a good chronicler, he was by no means the best of geographers; for he says that they went up the Southampton river, and came in sight of London, which stands about two leagues from the open sea, a great river called the Thames coming from the north, and encompassing the place on which it stands, and on the other side is the Isle of Wight. They found a Genoese carrack lying there, which the English had captured; and they would have brought it off, but it had no sails: they were then about to burn it, when the Genoese came off to them in a boat, and, representing themselves as friends to the king of Castille, said their carrack had been taken, though it was provided with the king of England's safe-conduct, and that they were now

* Cronica del Conde D. Pero Niño, part ii. c. 27.

-dixo el capitan que queria ir ver à Londres; é mandó facer la via de allá. E llegaron las galeras á un puerto que llaman Antona cerca de Londres. Londres parescia en un llano una grand cibdad: debia aver de la mar larga á alla dos leguas. Vienele de la parte del norte un grand rio que anda cercando la tierra donde alla está, que llaman el Artamisa. Es ahi luego de la otra parte una isla que llaman Isla Duy. It is remarkable that the editor has taken no notice of this extraordinary mistake.

making suit for its restitution, wherefore they prayed that it might be left unhurt. The reasonable request was granted: the galleys then made for the Isle of Wight, where they landed, and after some skirmishing found it necessary to re-embark, and then returned to France.*

Reflecting upon this expedition, the author says that a man who makes war against Christians may be saved if he pleases; for in such a war the king is to see whether his cause be just or not, and the subjects, according to the law of Castille, are bound to do what he commands them. But in such a war the Christian must observe four things: he must never put to death one whom he has in his power, either as a prisoner, or as one who is overcome and at his mercy: he must neither rob churches, nor offer any injury to those who have taken refuge in them; nor help himself to any thing that may be found there, except a meal for himself and his horse: he must offer no violence to any woman, whether married or single; and he must neither burn houses nor standing corn, because the mischief falls upon the innocent and helpless. These rules, he says, Pero Niño ordered to be observed every where, except in Arripay's country, because he had burnt places in Castille. Soon after their return to Harfleur, Martin Ruiz arrived there, and was reproached by Pero Niño as caring little for the king's service: high words ensued; and Niño at last said, that he had not acted like a good knight, and that he would compel him to acknowledge this. The French interposed to prevent the combatt, to which this would otherwise have led, and they parted in enmity. Encouraged by the success of their late enterprise, or, rather, by the little resistance which they had found, the Spanish captain and Mosen Charles, with a reinforcement of three French vessels, set forth upon another expedition; but they were driven back by storms, and, as it was now late in the season, * Cronica del Conde D. Pero Niño, part ii. c. 28. † Ib. c. 29, 30.