it by most of the historians of the time. These, living in an age of
chivalry, when noble blood and lofty deeds were held in extraordinary
respect, had little sympathy with the brewer of Ghent, and deemed it
contrary to the fitness of things that the chivalry of France should
have been defied and worsted by mere mechanics and artisans. But there
can be no doubt that Artevelde was a very great man. He may have been
personally ambitious, but he was a true patriot. He had great military
talents. He completely remodelled and wonderfully improved the internal
administration of the country, and raised its commerce, manufactures,
and agriculture to a pitch which they had never before reached. After
his death his memory was esteemed and revered by the Flemings, who long
submitted to the laws he had made, and preserved his regulations with
scrupulous exactitude.

Edward now hastened to get together a great army. Every means were
adopted to raise money and to gather stores, and every man between
sixteen and sixty south of the Trent was called upon to take up arms and
commanded to assemble at Portsmouth in the middle of Lent. A tremendous
tempest, however, scattered the fleet collected to carry the expedition,
a great many of the ships were lost, and it was not until the middle of
July, 1346, that it sailed from England.

It consisted of about 500 ships and 10,000 sailors, and carried 4000
men-at-arms, 10,000 archers, 12,000 Welsh, and 6000 Irish.

This seems but a small army considering the efforts which had been
made; but it was necessary to leave a considerable force behind for
the defence of the Scottish frontier, and England had already armies in
Guienne and Brittany. Lionel, Edward's second son, was appointed regent
during his father's absence. On board Edward's own ship were Godfrey of
Harcourt and the Prince of Wales. Walter, as one of the personal squires
of the prince, was also on board.

The prince had been greatly interested in the details of Walter's escape
from Van Artevelde's house, the king himself expressed his approval
of his conduct, and Walter was generally regarded as one of the most
promising young aspirants to the court. His modesty and good temper
rendered him a general favourite, and many even of the higher nobles
noticed him by their friendly attentions, for it was felt that he stood
so high in the goodwill of the prince that he might some day become
a person of great influence with him, and one whose