¶ Howe they of Rochell towne wol¦de nat socour the erle of Penbroke / & howe the seueschall of Rochell / & the lorde of Tanyboton and other / came to socour hym. Cap. CC .lxxxxviii.
ANd as I haue herde re¦ported by theym that were there at ye same batayle / that the englysshmen and poycte¦nyns that were there / desy∣red greatly to cōquer laude & prayse in armes. For there were neuer men that dyde more valyantly / for they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but a fewe people in regarde to the 〈…〉〈…〉des and also farr lasse nombre of shyp¦pes: and lesse of quantyte. Therfore it myght well be marueyled howe they endured so long / but the noble knightode that was in them / re∣conforted them / and helde thē in their strength. For if they hadde ben lyke in shyppes / the spa∣nyerdes hadde taken but lytell aduauntage of them. They helde them selfe so close toguyder / that none durst abyde their strokes / withoute they were well armed and pauessed / but the ca∣styng downe of plommes of leed / great stones / and barres of yron / hurte and troubled theym marueylously sore. And hurt and wounded dy¦uers knightes and squyers. The people of the towne of Rochell sawe well this batayle / but they neuer auaunsed them to come to helpe the erle of Penbroke and his company / who so va∣lyantly there fought with their ennemyes / but dyde lette thē alone. Thus in this batayle and stryfe they endured tyll it was night / and than they departed eche fro other and cast their an∣cres but this first day the englysshmen lost .ii. barges / laded with their {pro}uisyon / and all that were within putte to dethe. The same night sir Johan of Hardan: who as than was seneshall of Rochell made gret desyres to thē of the tow∣ne. As to the mayre Johan Chaudron / and to other: that they shulde arme them / and cause to be armed all the cominalte of the towne / & to en¦tre in to barges and shyppes. And to go ayde and cōfort their company / who all the day had so valiantly fought with their ennemyes. But they of the towne / who hadde no wyll to the ma¦ter: excused them selfe / and sayd: that they had ynough to do to kepe the towne. And how they were no menne for the see / nor wyst nat howe to fight with the spanyerdes on the see / but yf the batayle were on the lande / they sayd they wold than gladly go forthe. So the seneschall coude nat get them forthe / for nothynge that he coude do. The same tyme within ye towne: ther was the lorde of Tanyboton / sir Jaques of Surge res / sir Maubrune of Linyers: who also desy∣red theym of the towne to go forthe. But whan they sawe that their request coude nat auayle: they foure knightes went and armed them and all their cōpany / suche as wolde go forthe with them / the whiche was but a small nombre. and so they entred in to four barkes / and at the bre∣kynge of the daye whan the fludde came / they wente to their company / who gaue them great thanke for their commynge. And so there they she wed vnto the erle of Penbroke / and vnto sir Guyssharde Dangle. Howe they of the tow∣ne of Rochell / wolde nat come forthe to helpe to ayde and socour hym and his company. Than