Accordingly, next morning he drew off his army and marched to Carhaix.

Shortly afterwards the news came that the Earl of Northampton and Robert
of Artois, with their force, had sailed, and Don Louis, with the Genoese
and other Italian mercenaries, started to intercept them with a
large fleet. The fleets met off the island of Guernsey, and a severe
engagement took place, which lasted till night. During the darkness
a tremendous storm burst upon them and the combatants separated. The
English succeeded in making their way to Brittany and landed near
Vannes. The Spaniards captured four small ships which had been separated
in the storm from their consorts, but did not succeed in regaining the
coast of Brittany, being driven south by the storm as far as Spain. The
Earl of Northampton at once laid siege to Vannes, and Sir Walter Manny
moved with every man that could be spared from Hennebon to assist him.

As it was certain that the French army would press forward with all
speed to relieve the town, it was decided to lose no time in battering
the walls, but to attempt to carry it at once by assault. The walls,
however, were so strong that there seemed little prospect of success
attending such an attempt, and a plan was therefore determined upon by
which the enemy might be thrown off their guard. The assault commenced
at three points in the early morning and was continued all day. No great
vigour, however, was shown in these attempts which were repulsed at all
points.

At nightfall the assailants drew off to their camp, and Oliver de
Clisson, who commanded the town, suffered his weary troops to quit the
walls and to seek for refreshment and repose. The assailants, however,
did not disarm, but after a sufficient time had elapsed to allow the
garrison to lay aside their armour two strong parties attacked the
principal gates of the town, while Sir Walter Manny and the Earl of
Oxford moved round to the opposite side with ladders for an escalade.
The plan was successful. The garrison, snatching up their arms, hurried
to repel their attack upon the gates, every man hastening in that
direction. Sir Walter Manny with his party were therefore enabled to
mount the walls unobserved and make their way into the town; here they
fell upon the defenders in the rear, and the sudden onslaught spread
confusion and terror among them. The parties at the gates forced their
way in and joined their friends, and the whole of the garrison were
kill