Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 4.djvu/339

1548.] THE PROTECTORATE.

country for six miles round Edinburgh, at their leisure, they fell back the first week in June upon Berwick.

In the same week Villegaignon, the French admiral, sailed from Brest with sixty transports, twenty-two galleys, and six thousand men. D'Essy, the successful defender of Landrecy in 1544, was in command of the army. He was accompanied by Pietro Strozzi, Catherine de Medici's cousin, by several companies of Italians, the Rhinegrave, de Biron, and other persons of note and name. War was not declared against England; Strozzi said, briefly, that for the time they were to be considered Scots, and they sailed out of harbour with the red lion at the admiral's masthead.

On the 16th of June they landed at Leith. The troops were allowed a few days rest at Edinburgh to recruit themselves after their sea-sickness, and the work of driving out the English was commenced in the siege of Haddington.