France . neland sacked Portsmouth, Plymouth, Southampton. Theywere now moored off Sluys, and endeavoured to pre-vent Edwards landing, when he sailed from the Thameswith a large army on June 22, 1340. But their leaderswere at variance and foolish. They gave Edwardthe advantage of the sea, and huddled their 200 shipstogether in a narrow creek. Their massed crews werean easy mark for the English archers. Two days laterthey had lost all but thirty ships, and 20,000 men wereslain or taken prisoners. The Flemings, who had helpedEdward thus to annihilate the French fleet, joined him WAR IN BRITTANY 1
France . neland sacked Portsmouth, Plymouth, Southampton. Theywere now moored off Sluys, and endeavoured to pre-vent Edwards landing, when he sailed from the Thameswith a large army on June 22, 1340. But their leaderswere at variance and foolish. They gave Edwardthe advantage of the sea, and huddled their 200 shipstogether in a narrow creek. Their massed crews werean easy mark for the English archers. Two days laterthey had lost all but thirty ships, and 20,000 men wereslain or taken prisoners. The Flemings, who had helpedEdward thus to annihilate the French fleet, joined him WAR IN BRITTANY 139 in force on land. With Arteveldt and the Duke ofBrabant, he laid siege to Tournai. But nothing cameof the campaign. Edward was obliged to raise the resources were exhausted ; the Scots were rising, theFlemings, discouraged by a check before St. Omer,melting away and returning to their looms ; the Frenchwere meeting with successes in Guienne. He signed atruce for six months in September, Hardly was the truce signed, when a war broke out inBrittany, which was to provide Edward with more zealousand martial allies than the Germans and Flemings. The Duke of Brittany had died, and the successionwas disputed between his niece, who was married toCharles of Blois, nephew of the King, and her uncle, theCount of Monttort. The King of England was soon inthe field in support of the latter and the Bretagne Breton-nante, who favoured England, whilst Philippe took the 140 PRANCE field on behalf of his nephew. The Papal Legates, how-ever, persuaded them to a truce which was to last tillMichaelmas, 1346, whilst the Pope acted as arbiter(January, 1343). But the turning-point of the war wasdestined to be reached before that date. Philippetreacherously seized, and beheaded without trial, on avague charge of treason, some dozen Breton nobles whowere friends of the English King. Edward regarded thisoutrage as putting an end to the truce. A successfuicampaign was inaugurated by the
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