s own defeat; for it lay at anchor in three divisions, each
division with all the vessels lashed together, and the whole three in
one line with a flank to the sea. The English officers who had landed
to look at it saw at once that if this flank was properly attacked it
could be smashed in on the next bit of the line, and that on the next,
and so on, before the remaining bits could come to the rescue. On the
turn of the tide Edward swooped down with his best ships, knocked this
flank to pieces, and then went on till two divisions had been rolled up
in complete confusion. Then the ebb-tide set out to sea; and the
Genoese of the third division mostly got away.

Ten years later (1350) the English for the first time fought a Spanish
fleet and won a battle sometimes called Winchelsea and sometimes
Espagnols-sur-mer or Spaniards-on-the-sea. Edward III had sworn
vengeance against the Basque traders from the coast of Spain who had
plundered the English vessels coming in from France. So he made ready
to attack the Spanish Basques sailing home from Antwerp, where they had
hired Flemings and others to join the fray. This time each fleet was
eager to attack the other; and a battle royal followed. On the fine
afternoon of the 28th of August King Edward sat on the deck of his
flagship listening to Sir John Chandos, who was singing while the
minstrels played. Beside him stood his eldest son, the famous Black
Prince, then twenty years of age, and his youngest son, John of Gaunt,
then only ten. Suddenly the lookout called down from the tops: "Sire,
I see one, two, three, four--I see so many, so help me God, I cannot
count them." Then the King called for his helmet and for wine, with
which he and his knights drank to each others' health and to their
joint success in the coming battle. Queen Philippa and her ladies
meanwhile went into Winchelsea Abbey to pray for victory, now and then
stealing out to see how their fleet was getting on.

The Spaniards made a brave show. Their fighting tops (like little
bowl-shaped forts high up the masts) glinted with armed men. Their
soldiers stood in gleaming armour on the decks. Long narrow flags gay
with coloured crests fluttered in the breeze. The English, too, made a
brave show of flags and armoured men. They had a few more vessels than
the Spaniards, but of a rather smaller kind, so the two fleets were
nearly even. The King steered for the Spaniards; though not so as to
meet them en