deputies, being possibly the senior officer; and enormous preparations were made to resist an anticipated invasion by the Scots and their continental sympathisers.[1] All ships of forty tons and upwards were arrested; Bayonne was applied to for vessels; and a great council of national defence was summoned to meet in London.[2] In August, Sir John Cobham was censured for remissness and apathy, and bidden to lose no time in collecting the fleet under his commands and in putting to sea, against the enemy;[3] and to ensure the proper fitting out of the ships in the Thames, Henry de Kendall was appointed to survey them, and to make a verbal report concerning them to the king;[4] while the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of London were enjoined to dispatch to sea all their ships, well manned and armed.[5] But in September the fear of invasion died away, and the ships under arrest were released.[6]
In 1336, Edward resumed the offensive on shore. In February, all vessels of forty tons and upwards were again impressed,[7] and Sir Thomas Ughtred was appointed captain and admiral of the North Sea fleet, with authority to impress seamen.[8] In April, Sir John Norwich seems to have superseded him; and Sir Geoffrey Say became admiral to the westward.[9] These two admirals were stringently enjoined, in case they met at sea, to compel their crews to behave amicably, so that no dissensions might arise; and they were warned that, if any quarrel took place, they, and all concerned, would be considered as supporters of the enemy.[10] This indicates that the ancient hatred between the seamen of the east coast and those of the Cinque and western ports was still rife. Further orders on the same subject were transmitted to the admirals, and also to the bailiffs of Yarmouth, on August 5th.[11]
On August 16th, the king issued a noteworthy mandate to the two admirals, declaring that twenty-six of the enemy's galleys were in the ports of Brittany and Normandy, waiting for an opportunity to act against England, and that they were to be proceeded against. It is noteworthy because it contains the following explicit claim to the dominion of the seas: "We, considering
