Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 3.djvu/632

612 History closes over the scene. We know not whether the gallant Calverley lived or died; and the pageantry of war soon gave place to its harder realities. But, on the whole, the campaign lingered. Though superior in number the French declined an action, and contented themselves with fortifying the towns which they had taken at the outset. The garrisons of Guisnes and Calais were successful in several slight enterprises on the Marches. The eleven French ships which had been driven into Leith, and had been reduced to nine, either by the loss or departure of two of their number, were again waylaid, and four more of them were captured. But de Rieulx waited for the arrival of Charles before attempting to act on the offensive; and on the side of the Low Countries, the summer was passing away undistinguished by any event of importance. In Piedmont de Guasto had won a victory, but he had been unable to follow it up into substantial success. In the Mediterranean, Barbarossa was omnipotent, and was wasting the coasts at his pleasure. He passed along the shores of Italy, pillaging and destroying. At Ostia alone, of all places which he visited, he brought disgrace upon the Pope by abstaining from violence, and, with suspicious clemency, paid for the supplies which he required. From thence he passed on to Toulon, where,