Compare 1577 edition: 1 As they passed by Britaine, they landed at Brest, the capteine whereof, at that time named sir Iohn Roche, finding himselfe greatlie annoied by the Frenchmen that were lodged in two bastides erec|ted before the castell, declared to the duke in what state he stood. Wherevpon he caused the said bastides to be assailed, which was doone by the lord Fitz Wal|ter, and others, who bare themselues so manfullie, that the bastides were woone, broken downe, and a great preie with prisoners obteined, although not without losse of diuerse valiant personages. Thus were they within Brest castell deliuered of their vn|freendlie neighbours by the duke of Lancaster and his people. Anno Reg. 10. The duke of Lancaster landeth at [...]. Who hauing doone their feat tooke the seas, and sailed foorth till they came on the coasts of Gallis, where on S. Laurence eeuen, they arriued in the hauen of Groigne, otherwise called Coron,Le Groigne Corone. and there they vnshipped all their prouisions, determining to inuade the countrie on that side. ¶ Héere, bicause it is not vnprofitable to know the absolute truth of things doone, by the collection of writers, Abr. Fl. out of Henrie Knigh|ton canon of Leicester abbeie. I haue translated the beseeging of Brest, as the same is set downe by Henrie Knighton in his annales, in a lar|ger and more ample sort, with a fuller certificat of circumstances than hath hitherto béene declared. At the same time (saith he) the duke of Britaine had laid siege both by sea and land, to a certeine towne in Britaine, in old time subiect to the king of England, which was called Brest, with a great multitude of Frenchmen and Britains. Now on the twelfth of the kalends of Iulie, he began to build a fort before the said towne of Brest, of a woonderfull bignesse, the walles thereof being ten foot thicke, and seauen towres about it. A thousand workemen did worke daie by daie vpon it, and to defend the said worke|men (that they might not be hindered in their busi|nesse by the citizens) ten thousand fighting men were appointed. So that this fort was begun and en|ded in ninetéene daies space, and called the Dooue|house, bicause a doouehouse stood in the same place be|fore. Furthermore he stored this fort with all necessa|ries, as vittels, armour, guns, and other engins, and he placed therin as capteine of the warriors the lord Iohn Maletret with a hundred and fiftie armed men, and as manie other soldiors, the whole number be|ing thrée hundred.

The good duke of Lancaster hauing knowledge hereof, directed his fléet or nauie towards the hauen of Brest, where when he had arriued, they all fled from the siege, both by sea and land, those onlie, which were in the fort, remaining behind. Now the prior of S. Iames in Calis desired the good duke that he might giue the first assault against the fort; who ta|king the repulse with his retinue, he ceased and gaue ouer. In like sort did manie more giue the assault to the same for the space of two daies and more: in so|much that some digging vnder the wals, and vnder|mining the foundations of one towre, the same fell downe vpon sir Robert Swinarton a valiant knight of Staffordshire, and manie more, among whome was Iohn de Bolton a couragious gentle|man and an esquire by degree of Yorkeshire. As for those that were vpon the towre, they also came tum|bling downe, and were presentlie slaine.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 In the meane time the lord Maletret gardian of the fort, sent word to the duke of Lancaster, that he would yeeld and surrender the hold into his hands vpon condition, that he and all his might freelie de|part with such armour, goods, chatels and victuals as they had reposed and laid vp in store for their necessa|rie prouision: wherevnto the good duke (as he was al|waies good) verie gentlie agréed; vpon condition al|so, that before their departure, they should ruinate the said fort, and laie it eeuen with the ground; and should likewise allow and paie him towards his costs and charges defraied in the siege of the same, twentie thousand s [...]utes of gold. Then might you sée the people flocking from all parts of the countrie, some with beires, some with cabbins, some with carts, and some with crutches to fetch awaie the dead and the wounded: in so much that there was not one, either slaine outright, or deadlie maimed, for whome his freends did not mou e and lament. Yea, the lord Maletret himselfe was so mangled and hurt, that he could not go on his legs, but as he leaned on mens shoulders, and was borne vp on either side. It was reported, that manie dead bodies were hidden in heaps of salt, to the end that the Englishmen should not glorie and triumph in the multitude of the slaine, of whome [in sight] the number amounted to aboue EEBO page image 450 150. Thus farre goeth Henrie Knighton, whose re|port giueth no small light to the matter vnder hand. After the duke had remained a moneth at Groigne, he went to Compostella, and there soiourned for a season, during the which, his constable sir Iohn Hol|land woone diuerse townes and fortresses which the enimies kept: diuerse yeelded to the duke with better will, for that the duchesse his wife was there with him, whom they knew to be right inheritour to the realme. ¶ At Mouson a towne on the confines be|twixt Spaine and Portingale, the king of Portin|gale and the duke of Lancaster met, where they com|muned and tooke counsell togither for the more spée|die procéeding in their enterprise against their ad|uersaries of Castile. Also there was a mariage con|cluded betwixt the said king of Portingale,Philip the dude of Lan|casters daugh+ter married to the king of Portingale. and the ladie Philip daughter to the said duke, which marri|age shortlie after was wholie consummated, the said ladie being first married by procuration at Compo|stella, and after sent into Portingale right honorablie accompanied.