Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Thus were the wars partlie appeased in some part of France, but yet was the truce but slenderlie kept in other parts, by reason of the duke of Britaine. For whereas contention arose betwixt one Charles de Blois, and Iohn earle of Mountfort,The occas [...]o [...] of the war [...] [...] Britaine. about the right to the duchie of Britaine, as in the historie of France maie more plainelie appeare; the earle of Mount|fort, thinking that he had wrong offered him at the French kings hands, who fauoured his aduersarie Charles de Blois, alied himselfe with the king of England. And (as some write) after he had woone di|uerse cities and townes within Britaine, he came o|uer into England, and by doing homage to king Ed|ward, acknowledged to hold it of him, as of the soue|reigne lord thereof, so that he would promise to de|fend him and that duchie against his aduersaries: which the king promised him to doo. After this, the French king made such warres against this earle of Mountfort, that he was at length taken prisoner in the towne of Naunts, and committed to safe kéeping within the castell of Loure at Paris. But his wife be|ing a stout woman, and of a manlie courage, stood vp in the quarrell of hir husband, and presented a yoong sonne which she had by him, vnto such capteins and men of warre as serued hir husband, requiring them not to be dismaid with the infortunate chance of hir husbands taking; but rather like men of good sto|machs, to stand in defense of his right, sith whatsoeuer happened to him, the same remained in that yoong gentleman his sonne: meaning that although the e|nimies should deale tyrannicallie with him, & with|out regard of his noblenesse practise his ouerthrow; yet there was hope in hir son, as increase of yeares should minister strength and courage, both to be re|uenged on his fathers enimies, and to ad an inlarge|ment of glorie and renowne to his present honor by practises of his prowesse: which to be singular the séemelie symmetrie or goodlie proportion of his per|son and his iolie countenance séemed to testifie; for

Fortes creantur fortibus,Mor. lib. ca [...] 4 Ode 4. & bonis

Est in iuuencis, est in equis patrum

Virtus; nec imbellem feroces

Progenerant aquilae columbam.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This countesse of Mountfort was sister vnto Lewes earle of Flanders, and named Margaret, Ia. Meir. and not Claudia (as some write.) She was verie diligent in hir businesse, and spared no trauell to aduance hir cause, so that she wan not onelie the harts of the men of warre, but also of the people of Britaine, the which fauoured hir husband, and lamented the mishap of his taking. She first furnished such cities, townes, Froissard castels, and fortresses as hir husband had in possessi|on, with men, munition and vittels, as Renes, Di|naunt, Guerand, Hanibout, and others. This doone, she sent ouer into England, sir Emerie de Clisson, a noble man of Britaine, to require the king of Eng|land of succors, with condition, that if it pleased him, hir sonne Iohn should marrie one of his daughters. ¶ The king of England glad to haue such an entrie into France, as by Britaine, thought not to refuse the offer, & therevpon granted to aid the countesse: & foorthwith raising a power, sent the same ouer into Britaine, vnder the conduct of the lord Walter of Mannie, and others: the which at length, after they had continued long vpon the sea, by reason of contra|rie winds, arriued in Britaine; in which meane time, a great armie of Frenchmen were entred into Bri|taine and had besieged the citie of Reues, and finallie woone it by surrender, & were now before the towne of Hanibout, which with streict siege, and sore brusing of the walles, they were néere at point to haue taken, and the countesse of Mountfort within it If the suc|cours of England had not arriued there, [...] at such time as the Frenchmen were in talke with them within, about the surrender. But after that the Eng|lish EEBO page image 363 fleet was seene to approch, the treatie was soone broken off, for they within had no lust then to talke anie further of the matter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 The lord of Mannie, and the Englishmen arri|uing at Hanibout thus in time of imminent danger,The english succour [...]riued in good time. wherein the countesse, and the other within that towne were presentlie beset, greatlie recomforted the said countesse, as she well shewed by hir cheere|full countenance in receiuing them.Archers. Shortlie after their arriuall, a certeine number of the English ar|chers, issuing foorth, beat the Frenchmen from an engine which they had reared against the walles, and set fire vpon the same engine. To conclude, the Frenchmen liked the Englishmen so well, that shortlie after being wearie of their companie, they raised their siege to get themselues further from them: and in an other part of the countrie indeuou|red themselues to win townes and castels as they did indéed, hauing their armie diuided into two parts, the lord Charles de Blois gouerning the one part,Charles de Blois. Lewes de Spaine. and a Spaniard called the lord Lewes de Spaine the other (which was the same that thus de|parted from the siege of Hanibout, after the arriuall of the Englishmen) and then winning the townes of Dinant and Guerand, passed into the countrie of Britaine Britonant,Britaine Britonant. and there not farre from Quin|percorentine, were discomfited by the Englishmen, who followed them thither. Of six thousand Geno|waies, Spaniards, and Frenchmen, which the lord Lewes of Spaine had there with him, there escaped but a few awaie. A nephue which he had there with him named Alfonse was slaine, howbeit he himselfe escaped, though not without sore hurts.