Leicester hastened to the sea-coast to encounter the foreigners, the arrivai of whom, with a great multitude and exceeding valour, under the guidance o f the queen and of Peter, count of Savoy, and of many others, was greatly feared in England, as if they were the evils which afflicted- the* whole o f Europe. And to resist them all the strength of the kingdom,was collected from all quarters, at Canterbury, and around the comities on the sea-coast, and was summoned by the royal edict from every city, and town, and village. The bishops, too, re-? ceived from all the religious houses, and from all the rectors of churches, a tenth part of their spiritual revenues, as a subsidy for this purpose. And at this time, you might have seen on Berhandown, such a multitude of both cavalry and infantry collected into one multitude to oppose the foreigners, as you would not have believed existed able to bear arms in all England. But the queen of England, with the army which she had collected from many nations, and with such a number of dukes and earls, and such a fleet as would scarcely appear credible to any one, remained for some time at Bruges, in Flanders, , having stationed that vast fleet in the harbour of Dam, which was every day threatening to invade England, the leaders showing themselves panting and eager for the heat of battle, boasting with swelling language. And our men, and especially the Cinque Ports and the pirates, fearlessly desired their armai, and had not, as it seemed, the least fear of their power in any respect. But at length, all that countless host of noble men, both knights who received pay, and others who went to the war at their own expense, and àie kinsmen and friends of the queen, returned to their own country, being by the mercy of God utterly disappointed of their wishes. There were some who said, knowing their strength and the number of their army, that if they had landed in freedom, they would, beyond a doubt, from their enormous multitude and their valour, have reduced this land under their power. But the Father of mercies and God of all consolation, knowing the secrets of all men, is aware of everything and searches the hearts of every one, and condescended to look down from on high on his people of England, and so caused the magnanimous hearts of those mighty men to waste away, and ordered all those enemies who were approaching to return to their own country, without having succeeded in their objecte, after having