• Thus was this bufinefs carried on, without any deeds of arms being performed worth mentioning-* the French keeping on one fide the water, the Englifh on the other. The flood beginning to in-create, the Englifh retreated out of the river, and returned to their quarters : the French followed their example. Whilft thefe appearances of a battle were carried on, the fiege of St. Malo was continued, and feveral feats of arms were done. The French guarded the banks fo well, that the Englifh were afraid to crofs the water. It frequently happened that feveral knights or fquircs of Brittany, well acquainted with the coun-try, forded the river, and in their excurfions met the Englifh foragers, with whom they engaged -, and fuccefs, as is ufual in fuch cafes, was fome-times on one fide, fametimes on the other. The lords of England rcfolved to employ a mine, to gain entrance into St. Malo ; for other-wife they thought they could not win it, as it was well provided with men at arms, who carefully de-ferred it, as well as with all forts of flores and ar-tillery. : The Englifh were obliged to be conti-nually armed, and to keep in a body ready for bat-tle, ftould the French advance ; and for this rea-fon, they had not leifure to afîàult the town, ex-cept by their cannon, of which they had plenty, that greatly annoyed it. Having fixed on a fpot, they fet their miners to work. We will now leave for a while the fiege of St. Malo, and return to that of Mortain in Poitou. ' • " CHAP. 14