ships, and victuals, verie freelie. The French king also did as
much for his part as laie in him to helpe forwards this so high an
enterprise. Wherefore when all things were now in a readinesse, he
came to the towne of S. Valerie, where he had assembled togither an
huge nauie of ships, to the number (as some authors affirme) of
[Sidenote: The chronicles of Normandie haue 896 ships.]
three hundred saile; and when he had taried there a long time for a
conuenient wind, at length it came about euen as he himselfe desired.
Then shipping his armie which consisted of Normans, Flemings,
Frenchmen, and Britains, with all expedition he tooke the sea, and
[Sidenote: Duke William landed at Peuensey, now Pemsey.]
directing his course towards England, he finallie landed at a place in
Sussex, ancientlie called Peuensey, on the 28 day of September, where
he did set his men on land, & prouided all things necessarie to
incourage and refresh them.

At his going out of his ship vnto the shore, one of his féet slipped
as he stepped forward, but the other stacke fast in the sand: the
which so soone as one of his knights had espied, and séeing his hand
wherevpon he staied full of earth, when he rose, he spake alowd and
said: "Now sir duke, thou hast the soile of England fast in thy hand,
& shalt of a duke yer long become a king." The duke hearing this tale,
laughed merilie thereat, and comming on land, by and by he made his
proclamation, declaring vpon what occasion he had thus entered the
realme.

[Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._]

[Sidenote: 1]
The first and principall cause which he alleged, was for to