a Cheuron betweene three Hawthornes A.
But I will returne to the towne. During the warlike raignes of our two valiant Edwards, the first & third, the Foyens addicted themselues to backe their Princes quarrell, by coping with the enemy at sea, and made returne of many prizes: which purchases hauing aduanced them to a good estate of wealth, the same was (when the quieter conditioned times gaue meanes) heedfully and diligently employed, and bettered, by the more ciuill trade of marchandise; and in both these vocations they so fortunately prospered, that it is reported, 60. tall ships did, at one time, belong to the harbour, and that they assisted the siege of Callais, with 47. saile. Heereon, a full purse begetting a stout stomack, our Foyens tooke heart at grasse, and chauncing about that time (I speake vpon the credit of tradition) to sayle neere Rye, and Winchelsea, they stifly refused to vaile their bonets at the summons of those townes; which contempt (by the better enabled Sea-farers, reckoned intolerable) caused the Ripiers to make out with might and mayne against them; howbeit, with a more hardy onset, then happy issue: for the Foy men gaue them so rough entertaynment at their welcome, that they were glad to forsake patch, without bidding farewell: the merit of which exploit, afterwards entitled them Gallants of Foy: and (it may bee) they fought to eternize this memorable fact, after the Greeke and Romane maner, by inuesting the towne of Golant with that name: notwithstanding, quaere, whether a causelesse ambition in the posteritie, turned not rather Golant into Gallant, for their greater glory. Once, the townesmen vaunt, that for reskuing certaine ships of Rye from the Normans in Henrie the thirds time, they beare the armes, and enioy part of the priuiledges appertaining to the Cinque ports, whereof there is some memorie in their Chauncell window, with the name of Fisart Bagga, their principall Commaunder in that seruice. Moreouer, the prowesse of one Nicholas, sonne to a widdow, neere Foy, is deskanted vpon, in an old three mans songs, namely, how he fought brauely at sea, with Iohn Dory (a Genowey, as I coniecture) set forth by Iohn the French king, and (after much bloudshed on both sides) tooke, and slew him, in reuenge of the great rauine, and crueltie, which hee had forecommitted, vpon the English mens goods and bodies. Yet their so often good successe, sometimes tasted the sawce of crosser speeding; for Tho. Walsingham telleth vs, that Sir Hugh Calueley, and Sir Th. Percy, deputed to gard the sea, by R. the 2. Anno. 1379. chanced there to meete a Cornish barge, belonging to Foy harbour, which hauing worne out his victuals, and [136] time, limited for the like seruice, was then sayling homewards, neither would be entreated by those knights, to ioyne companie with them: howbeit they bought this refusall verie deare. For no sooner was the English fleete past out of sight, but that a Flemmish man of warre lighted vpon them, and (after a long, and strong resistance) ouermastered them as well, at last in force, as they did at first in number, tooke the Barge, sunk it, and slaughtered all the Saylers, one onely boy, excepted, who in the heate of the bickering, seeing which way the game would goe, secretly stole aboord the Flemming, and closely hid himselfe amongst the ballast. Ouer a while, this Pirate cast Anker in an English harbor, where the boy, hearing his Countrimens voice, that were come aboord, riseth from his new buriall, bewrayeth the fact, & so wrought meanes, for their punishment, and his owne deliuery.
Not long after, our Foy gallants, vnable to beare a low sayle, in their fresh gale of fortune, began to skum the Seas, with their often piracies, (auowing themselues vpon the Earle of Warwicke, whose ragged staffe is yet to be seene, pourtrayed in many places of their Church Steeple, and in diuers priuate houses) as also to violate their dutie at land, by insolent disobedience, to the Princes Officers, cutting off (amongst other pranckes) a Pursiuants eares: whereat king Edward the fourth conceiued such indignation, as hee sent Commissioners vnto Lostwithiel, (a towne thereby) who, vnder pretence of vsing their seruice, in sea affaires, trained thither the greatest number of the Burgesses; and no sooner come, then laid hold on, and in hold, their goods were confiscated, one Harrington executed, the chaine of their hauen remoued to Dartmouth, & their wonted iolity transformed into a sudden misery: from which they striued a long time, in vaine, to releeue themselues: but now of late yeres doe more and more aspire to a great amendment of their former defeats, though not to an equall height of their first aboundance.