CHAPTER XLVI
A SEA-FIGHT
While Blanche of Castile and Eustace the Monk were fitting out thearmament at Calais for completing the conquest of England, Hubert deBurgh, keeping watch from the castle of Dover, and in constantcommunication with the mariners of the Cinque Ports, was well informedof what was going on, and Hubert, being bold as a lion, resolved to riskeverything in order to prevent the French force that had just embarkedat Calais from setting foot in England.
“By the blood of Christ!” said he to the Bishop of Winchester, “if thesepeople are allowed to come to England the kingdom is lost. Let us,therefore, go forth and encounter them with courage, for God is with us,and they are excommunicated.”
Now Hubert de Burgh had no fleet which appeared sufficiently formidableto encounter the French armament. However, he had about sixteen largeships, and twenty small vessels belonging to the Cinque Ports, hisgalleys being peaked with iron, and likely, therefore, to do terribleexecution in the event of coming to a close conflict, with the wind intheir favour. Moreover, the English were elated when they called to mindthe great naval victory which the Earl of Salisbury had won over theFrench some years earlier at the mouth of the Seine; and in theseamanship of the mariners of the Cinque Ports, whose superiority overthe sailors of France had been repeatedly proved, they had great andwell-grounded confidence. It was, therefore, with something like thehope of a happy result, in spite of the odds against him, that Hubertsent for Luke, his chaplain, took the sacrament, and prepared to go onboard his little fleet. Before doing so, however, he intrusted thecastle of Dover to knights on whose fidelity he could depend, andcharged them not on any account to surrender.
“I beseech you, by the blood of Christ!” said he earnestly and solemnly,“not to waver or yield to threats. If I happen to be made prisoner,allow me to be hanged rather than surrender this castle to the French,for it is the key of England.”
“We promise faithfully to defend it, or die in the attempt,” replied theknights; and Hubert de Burgh then went on board, with many crossbowmenand archers, and accompanied by Henry de Turville and Richard Siward,two gallant knights, as well as by Richard, one of King John’sillegitimate sons, who married Rohesia, heiress of Fulbert de Dover, andwho on this day was destined to signalise at once his courage and hiscruelty.
And now the mariners of the Cinque Ports--weatherbeaten men who had longfought with the winds, and the waves, and the French--having liftedtheir anchors and set their sails, put out to sea, and the ships wenttilting over the waves, and proceeded boldly on their course, andsteered as if bound for Calais. Suddenly, however, when near the Frenchfleet, they altered their course, and, having gained the weather-gage,sailed, much to the surprise of Eustace the Monk, right among theFrench, and, driven by the wind, charged at the enemy’s ships with theiron beaks of their galleys, and sank several large French vessels withall on board.
This, however, was but the beginning of the battle, which speedilyassumed a terrific aspect, and became sanguinary and stubborn, “for,” asFroissart remarks, “combats at sea are more destructive and obstinatethan upon land, for it is not possible to retreat or fly, every onebeing under the necessity of abiding his fortune and exerting hisprowess and valour.” Throwing out grapnels and iron hooks and chains, tobe more certain of having their enemies in close fight, the Englishmoored their ships to those of the French, and while the mariners of theCinque Ports, with loud shouts of defiance, threw hot lime-dust into theair to blind their adversaries, which, blown by the wind, did its workwell, the archers and crossbowmen made such terrible execution, thatEustace the Monk, seeing that all his calculations were baffled, stampedand roared with rage and vexation.
It was indeed most mortifying for the monk to be beaten by foes for whomhe had recently expressed such contempt, and Eustace made great effortsto redeem the fortune of the day, and a terrible struggle ensued. TheEnglish, bearing their axes, boarded the ships of their adversaries,and engaged hand to hand with all the fury which national animositycould inspire, directing their energy especially against the ship onboard of which Eustace the Monk was fighting with the courage of despairand hurling defiance at his foes. Great indeed was his fury.
The combat, however, became every moment less and less doubtful. TheEnglish, accustomed to the narrow seas, fought as if on their nativeelement, while the French, unused to naval warfare, found that they werefighting at great disadvantage, and soon lost courage and hope. Many intheir despair and perplexity threw themselves into the sea, and sank torise no more, while others, seeing that all was lost, threw down theirarms and yielded themselves prisoners. But still Eustace struggled on,as if sternly resolved rather to die than yield. At length, however,Richard, son of King John, who had boarded the ship of the pirate chief,axe in hand, shouted to his men to cut away the rigging that supportedthe mast and yards, and “the expanding sail falling,” says thechronicler, “the French were caught like birds in a net.”
The English now raised the cry of victory, and the heart of Eustace theMonk at length failing him, he attempted to save himself by hiding inthe hold. But he could not avoid any more than he could resist his fate,and being discovered he was instantly dragged on deck and surrounded byhis foes. Overwhelmed by a sense of the danger in which he foundhimself, the pirate begged that his life might be spared, and offered topay a large sum of money as ransom.
“No,” cried the English, who hated him for the mischief he had wroughtthem, and also because his brothers had seized some of the isles, andcommenced a system of piracy which was ruinous to English commerce; “youare a pirate, and not entitled to the privileges of honourablewarriors.”
“I will not only pay a large ransom,” urged Eustace, passionately, “butI promise faithfully in future to serve your King Henry. Only spare mylife!”
“No, wicked traitor!” cried Richard, the son of King John. “Never againin this world shall you deceive any one with your false promises.” Andas he spoke the bastard’s sword waved in the air, and next moment thehead of Eustace the Monk rolled on the deck.
And now all was over, and the mariners of the Cinque Ports, takingtheir prizes in tow, returned with them and a host of prisoners toDover. As soon as they neared the coast, the Bishop of Winchester,attended by the garrison of Dover and the people of the town, came forthto meet them, singing psalms and praising God for the victory that hadbeen vouchsafed to them. The news of Hubert de Burgh’s success at searan quickly through the country; and Prince Louis, and the captains whocommanded the castles which he held, learned with dismay that the greatarmament fitted out by Blanche of Castile, and intended to complete theconquest of England, no longer existed. Louis and his captains trembledat the perils of their position, as they well might, for the destructionof the armament commanded by Eustace the Monk was not the only blowwhich Fortune had struck at the enterprise on which the heir of Francehad ventured at the request of the Anglo-Norman barons.
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