Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

XV. (a) translation of froissart. 157archers he had one shypp^ wt'tk men of armes ; & than hemade an-other batell to \y a-lofe with archers, to confort euerthem that were moost wery, yf nede were. And ther^ were 3°a great nombre of countesses, ladyes, knyght^i" wyues, «feother damosels, /kat were goyng tose the quene at Gauntthese ladyes /he kyng caused to be well kept with threhundred men of armes, and .v.C. archers.Whan the kyng, and his marshals had ordered his batayls, 35he drewe vp thescales & cam with a quarter wynde, to hauethe vauntage of the sonne. And so at last they tourned alytell to get the wynde at wyll : and whan the normayns sawethem recule backe, they had maruell why they dyde so. Andsome sayd, ' they thynke them selfe nat mete to medyll with 40vs : wherfore they woll go backe ;' they sawe well howe thekyng of England was ther^ personally, by reason of hisbaners. Than they dyd appareyle their flete in order, forthey wer^ sage and good men of warr^ on the see : and dydset the Christofer, the which they had won the yer^ before, 45to be formast, with many trumpettes and instrumentes :so set on their ennemies.andTher^ began a sore batell on bothepartes : archers and crosbowes began to shote, and men ofarmes aproched and fought hande to hande ; and thebetter to come togyder, they had great hokes, & grapers of 5°yron to cast out of one shyppe into an-other ; And so tyedthem fast togyder; ther^ were many dedes of armes done,takyng and rescuyng agayne. And at last, the great Christoferwas first won by the;zglysshmen, and all that were withinit taken or slayne. Than ther^ was great noyse and cry, and S5thenglysshmen aproched and fortifyed the Christofer witharchers, and made hym to passe on byfore to fyght with thegenoweys. This batayle was right fierse and terryble: forthe batayls on the see ar more dangerous and fierser, than thebatayls by lande. For on the see ther^ is no reculyng nor 60