the _Mary Rose_ was lost, not, as the French say, in
consequence of their fire, but because it was attempted to keep her
ports open when a considerable sea was running, and a strong breeze had
suddenly sprung up. The French king had sent over a large fleet to
annoy the English coasts. Henry, hearing of the expedition, hurried
down to Portsmouth to hasten the equipment of 100 sail, which he had
ordered to be got ready. The French appearing, the English sailed out
to Saint Helen's to meet them. A squall came on, and the _Mary Rose_
foundering, the _Great Harry_ which was attacked by the French
row-galleys, bore the brunt of the action. The French quickly retired,
though they attempted to make a lodgment on the Isle of Wight, but were
compelled to return to their ships. The English are described as using
pinances, which are vessels of great length and little beam, moving very
rapidly, and fitted both with sails and oars. We hear, also, that the
_Carracon_ the ship of the French Admiral, was destroyed by fire before
the fleet left their coasts. She is described as appearing like a
castle among the other ships of the fleet, and so strong that she had
nothing to fear at sea but fire and rocks. It is stated that she had
100 brass cannon on board; but as she was not more than 800 tons burden,
they must have been very small ones. Still, it is certain that she was
the stoutest ship possessed by the French.

From a French account of one of the attacks made on the English fleet
before Portsmouth, we ascertain the character of the galleys employed by
the French. We are told that they were worked by oars, and we read that
so many galley-slaves were killed. It is said, also, that "the galleys
had all the advantage of working that they could desire, to the great
damage of the English, who, for want of wind, not being able to stir,
lay exposed to the French cannon, and being so much higher and bulkier
than their galleys, hardly a shot missed them; while the galleys, with
the help of their oars, shifted at pleasure, and thereby avoided the
danger of the enemy's artillery." The same writer says that, later in
the day, "the violence of the wind, and the swelling of the sea, would
deprive us of our galleys." We thus see at once that these galleys,
though from their lightness easily manoeuvred in smooth water, were
unfit to buffet with the winds and waves. They were probably similar to
the galleys I have before described, and