The Burning of the Regent
Thomas Wolsey

Farnham, 26 August 1512

Our folks, on Tuesday was fortnight, met with 21 great ships of France, the best both sail and furnished with artillery and men that ever was seen. And after innumerable shooting of guns and long chasing one another, at the last the Regent most valiantly boarded the great carrack of Brest wherin were four lords, 300 gentlemen, 800 soldiers and mariners, 400 crossbowmen, 100 gunners, 200 tuns of wine, 100 pipes of beef, 60 barrels of gunpowder and 15 great brazen curtalls with so marvellous number of shot and other guns of every sort. Our men so valiantly acquit themselves that within one hour fight they had utterly vanquished with shot of guns and arrows the said carrack, and slain most part of the men within the same. And suddenly as they were yielding themselves, the carrack was on a flaming fire, and likewise the Regent within the turning of one hand. She was so anchored and fasted to the carrack that by no means possible she might for her safeguard depart from the same and so both in fight within three hours were burnt, and most part of the men in them.

The residue of the French fleet, after long chasing, was by our folks put to fight and driven off into Brest haven. There were six as great ships of the said fleet as the Regent or Sovereign, howbeit as cowards they fled.

A. Spont. War with France, 1512-13. (London: 1894), p. 49.