the Spaniard captured
the small fortress of Conquet and put the garrison to the sword. Sir
Walter Manny, in spite of the inferiority of his force, sallied out
to relieve it, but it was taken before his arrival, and Don Louis had
marched away to Dinan, leaving a small garrison in Conquet. It was again
captured by Sir Walter, but finding it indefensible he returned with
the whole of his force to Hennebon. Don Louis captured Dinan and then
besieged Guerande. Here he met with a vigorous resistance, but carried
it by storm, and gave it up to be pillaged by his soldiers. He now
sent back to Charles of Blois the greater part of the French troops
who accompanied him, and embarked with the Genoese and Spanish, 8000
in number, and sailed to Quimperle, a rich and populous town in Lower
Brittany.

Anchoring in the River Leita, he disembarked his troops, and leaving
a guard to protect the vessels marched to the interior, plundering
and burning, and from time to time despatching his booty to swell
the immense mass which he had brought in his ships from the sack of
Guerande.

Quimperle lies but a short distance from Hennebon, and Sir Walter Manny
with Almeric de Clisson, a number of English knights, and a body of
English archers, in all three thousand men, embarked in the ships in
the port, and entering the Leita captured the enemy's fleet and all his
treasure. The English then landed, and dividing into three bodies, set
out in search of the enemy.

The English columns marched at a short distance apart so as to be able
to give each other assistance in case of attack. The news of the English
approach soon reached the Spaniards, who were gathered in a solid body,
for the enraged country people, armed with clubs and bills, hung on
their flanks and cut off any stragglers who left the main body. Don
Louis at once moved towards the sea-coast, and coming in sight of one of
the English divisions, charged it with his whole force.

The English fought desperately, but the odds of seven to one were
too great, and they would have been overpowered had not the other two
divisions arrived on the spot and fallen upon the enemy's flanks.
After a severe and prolonged struggle the Genoese and Spaniards were
completely routed. The armed peasantry slew every fugitive they could
overtake, and of the 7000 men with whom Don Louis commenced the battle
only 300 accompanied him in his flight to Rennes, the troops of Sir
Walter and de Clisson pursuing him to