SIr Iohn̄ Bourchier who had y ^e gouernyng of Gaūt vnder kynge Rycharde of Englande / & the capiteyns of the cōmontie of the tow­ne / as Peter de Boyes / frā ces Atreman / and Peterle Myttre. They prouyded surely for the warre / and duryng the truse / they had greatly vitay­led and refresshed the towne with all prouision parteyning to the warre: and also the castell of Gauure / and other places vnder their rule.

In the same season there was a cōpany of rut­ters gadered togyder in the wode of Respayle / and there they had fortifyed a house / so that it coude nat lightly be wonne. They were people chased out of Alos / of Grantmount / and out of other places in Flaūders / and had lost all that euer they had and wyst nat how to lyue / but by robbyng and pillyng / wheresoeuer they coude gete it: so that there was as than no spekynge but of these pygges of Respayle. This woode is bytwene Reguays and Grauntmount / An­ghien and Lysen: they dyde moche hurt in the lordship of Athe / & in the lande of Floberge and of Lyssues / and in the lande of Danghien. and these pyllers were borne out by them of Gaunt / for vnder the coloure of them they dyde moche hurt as in robbynge and sleynge. They wolde go in to Heynalte and take men and women in their beddes / and leade them to their forteresse and raunsome thē at their pleasure: they made warre to euery man. The capitayne of Athe / who was called Baudrius dela Mocte / layde often tymes awayte for them / but he coude ne­uer trappe them / they knewe so many shyftes. They were so feared in the frōters of Heynalte and Brabant / that none durst go that waye in to the countre.

THe duke of Burgoyne on the other parte / for the war [...] that he loked for / he garnysshed and prouided for all his townes in Flā ders. There was capitayne of Bruges the lorde of Guystelles / and of Courtrey sir Iohan Ieumount / and sir Willyam of Namure. As than sir Willm̄ of Guystels was lorde of Dan / and of Courtray sir Iohan Ieumount and sir Peter of Neyper. In lykewise in all the tow­nes on the fronter of Fraunce / there were men of warre set by the duke of Burgoyne. In the towne of Ardenbourcke / there was in garyson sir Guy of Pontaillyer marshall of Burgoyn / sir Ryflarte of Flaunders / sir Iohan of Ieu­mont / sir Henry of Coynge / the lorde of Mon­tigny in Ostrenant / the lorde of Longueuall / sir Iohan Barnet / sir Peter Baylleull / Phil­pot Gany / Raoleyn dela Foley / and dyuers o­ther. These men of armes were two hundred / and so they toke aduyse toguyder / and were in wyll to ryde in to the foure craftes and distroy that countre / for moche vitayle came fro thens in to Gaū [...]. And so on a day they departed and toke that way / and the same day that the fren­che men were rydden forthe / there was rydden forthe out of Gaunt a two thousande men mete for the warre / and Fraūces Arreman was their capitayne / And so sodainly they mette with the frenchmen in a village: and whan eche of them knewe other they sawe well they shuld haue batayle. Than the frenchmen valiantly set fote to the erthe and approched their ennemyes / and the gauntoyse in lykewise set on them. There they beganne to shole and to fight eche with o­ther: they were on suche a place that the gaun­toyse coude nat passe at their aduaūtage. there was a sore batayle and many feates of armes done on bothe partes / and dyuers caste to the grounde. Sir Riflart of Flaunders was the [...] a good knight / and dyd valiantly. The knightes and squyers fought valiantly with the gaū toyse / & so it behoued them to do / for there was no raunsome. But finally the gauntoyse were of suche nombre that they obteyned the place / and the frenchmen were constrayned to lepe on their horses or els they had been all lost / for the gauntoyse surmounted them. And there was slayne sir Iohn̄ Varlet / sir Peter of Bailleule Bell Forrier / Philyppe of Gancy / Raolen dela Foley / and dyuers other whiche was great domage. And the other were fayne to flye and to entre in to Ardc̄bourcke / or els they had ben deed without recouerie. And after this aduen­ture the vycount of Meaulx was sent in gary­son to Ardenbourcke / with a certayne nombre of men of armes / and they newly repayred the towne: and he had with hym a hūdred soeares of good men of armes. And as than sir Iohan of Ieumont was great baylye of Flaunders / & [Page] so he had ben two yere before. He was greatly douted in all the countre of Flaunders bycau­se of his valyantnesse / And whan he might get any of the gauntoyse / there went no raunsome for them: For he outher putte them to dethe / or els cutte of their handes and fete or putte oute their eyen and sende them home / to gyue ensā ­ple to the other gauntoyse. He was so renou­med in Flaunders to do iustyce without pytie / in correctyng the gauntoyse / that there was no spekyng in all Flaunders but of hym.

THus in euery Realme the worlde was in trouble / as well bitwene Fraūce and Englande as Castell and Portyngale for the [...] the warre was newly renewed. and the lady of Auiowe / who wrote her selfe quene af Naples and of Hierusalem / was come to Iuygnon to the pope / and there kepte her house and her son Loyes with her / who was called kynge of Ce­cyle / the whiche his father hadde conquered. The quenes entencyon was to make warre in Prouence / without they of that countre wolde take her for their lady / and become vnder her obeysaūce. And sir Bernarde de la Salle was entred in to Pronence / and made warre there in her quarell. The same season y ^e lorde of Coucy was also at Auygnon / and had layen a .xv. wekes in his bedde / of a hurte that he hadde on his legge with rennyng of a horse. And whan he was hole / than he oftentymes dyde vyset the quene and recōforted her / the whiche he coulde do rightwell. The quene taryed therefor to a­byde for the duke of Berrey / who was also co­mynge to Auignon to speke with the pope / and to ayde his suster the quene. The frenche kyng and his vncles hadde sente in to Prouence / sir Loyes of Sanxere marshall of Fraunce with fyue hūdred men of armes to warre in that coū tre / without they wolde come to obeysaunce vnder the quene. Some submytted themselfe but nat all / howe be it the cytie of Marcell / and the grettest parte of the countre yelded them to the quene / but the cytie of Ayes in Prouence / and Tarraston / and dyuers knyghtes of the countre wolde nat yelde them to the quene / sayeng: howe she had no ryght to demaunde the coun­tie of Prouence / tyll she were peasably recey­ued for lady / and her sonne as kynge of Pulle and Calabre in Naples and Cecile. and whan she hath possession of these / than Prouēce shall obeye her / as reason requyreth. In those mat­chesse there made warre for the erle / Sir Charles dela Pa [...]e / the erle Conuersaunt / and sir Iohan of Luzenbourge his sonne. And with me quene at Auignon as chefe of her counsayle was sir Iohan of Baylleule.

IN the same season there fell in Lombar­dye a marueylous insydence / which was moche spoken of / throughe out all the worlde. and that was of the Erle of Vertus / called sir Galeas / and of his brother sir Barnabo / the grettest in all Lombardy. They had raygned longe and gouerned all Lōbardy lyke two bre­therne. The one of them ruled nyne cyties and the otehr tenne. & the cyte of Millayne was gouerned one yet by the one & thother yere by the other. Whan sir Galeas dyed / he left behynde hym a sonne / who was than erle of Vertus / & named like his father sir Galeas / but than swaged the loue bitwene him and sir Barnabo his vncle / for than sir Galeas doughted hym of sir Barnabo his / vncle leest that he wolde take a­way his lādes fro him / lyke as he dyde fro his father. For his vncle of olde tyme toke awaye the lande fro their brother sir Mauffe / and caused him to dye. So thus therle of Vertus dou­ted hym greatly of his vncle. howe be it he wrought subtelly to bringe hym selfe insuretie / I shall shewe you howe. Sir Barnabo had in vsage / that all suche landes as he had rule of / he raunsomed thē so greuously and wolde taxe the men two or thre tymes in a yere / to paye the halfe or thirde parte of their goodes / and none durst saye agaynst hym for feare. And sir Ga­leas erle of Vertus dyde otherwyse / for the en­tent to gete loue he toke none ayde of his men / but lyued all onely by his reuenewes / And that rule he kept a fyue yere after the dethe of his father / so that he had the loue of all Lombardy / and euery man said / they wolde be gladde to lyue vnder hym. And euery man spake yuell of (ser) Barnabo priuely as they durst / bycause he to­ke so excessyuely of them. So finally the Erle of Vertus thought to execute his entent / as he that doughted greatly his vncle / and as it was sayde / he sawe some lykelyhode. On a day he sente secretely for suche as he trusted best / And to some he shewed his entent / but nat to all / for feare that his purpose shulde be knowen.

And so it fortuned / that sir Barnabo on a daye rode forthe fro one Castell to another to sporte hym. The erle of Vertus his nephewe knewe therof and layde for hym thre busshemeutes / to the entent that his vncle shulde nat scape / for he must nedes at least passe by one of them. The erle cōmaūded to take hym but nat to slee him / [Page ii] without he made great defēce. So as sir Bar­nabo roode forthe and thought none yuell / nor was in no feare of his nephewe / So he fell in the daunger of one of the busshmentes / the whiche opyned and approched hym with their spe­res couched in the rest. sir Barnabo had with hym a squyer of Almaygne / who came to hym and sayd. Sir / saue your selfe / for yonder company maketh but yuell countenaunce agaynst you / they are parteyning to youre nephewe sir Galeas / Sir Barnabo aunswered / I knowe nat howe to saue my selfe / if they owe me any yuell wyll / But I haue done no trespasse to my nephue / wherby that I ought to flye awaye. so alwayes they of the busshement drewe nerer & nerer streight vpon hym. There was a knight of Almaygne with sir Barnabo / and whan he sawe this company approche towarde his maister: He had sir Barnabos swerde in his hāde and drewe it oute of the sheth / and tooke it his maister and sayd. Sir / defende your selfe / and than the knight drewe out his owne swerde ly­ke a valyant man to stande at his defence / how be it all aueyled hym no thyng / For incōtynent he was enuyroned / and his mayster also with their ennemyes. and the sayd knight was the [...] slayne / bycause he putte hym selfe to defence / wherof sir Galeas was afterwarde ryght sore displeased. So sir Barnabo was there taken for he made no defence / nor none of his men / & so he was brought to a castell whe [...] his nephue was / who was gladde of his comynge. The same day (ser) Barnabos wyfe and chyldren were taken / who were to mary / and they were kepte in Myllayne in prison. Than sir Galeas toke all the seignories / townes and castels / that parteyned to sir Barnabo in all Lombardy to his possessyon: and his vncle dyed I can nat saye howe. I thynke he was lette blode in the necke accordynge to the blode lettyng in Lombardy whan they wyll auaūce a mannes ende. Anone these tidynges sprang abrode / some were glad therof and some were sorte. For this sir Bar­nabo hadde done in his tyme / many cruell and horryble dedes / and pytuous iustyce withoute reason / so that but fewe people complayned his trouble / but sayde / He hadde well deserued it. thus ended sir Barnabo / who had in his dayes raygned puissauntly in Lombardy.

¶Nowe lette vs retourne to the duke of Burbons and the Erle of Marchesse army / & what they dyde in Poictou and in Lymosyn.

THey depted fro Moleyns in Burbonoyse / and so rode forthe with great reuell: And the duke had in his company his nephewe Iohan of Harcourte. The specyall nom­bre of his army came out of Berry / Auuergne / Poictou / Rouergue / Xaynton / and Lymosyn / And they met togider at Nyorte / a .xii. leages fro Poicters. In this meane season sir Wyllm̄ of Lynacke / a right valyant knyght seneschall of Xaynton / who was as than gouernoure of Myllayne (in those marchesse) and so he came in to Angoulinoys / with a certayne nombre of men of armes / a two hundred: He rested before the castell of the Egle / in the whiche were En­glishemen. And all the wynter and somer past before had greatly domaged the countre. than this sir Wyllyam lyghted a fote / and so dyd all his cōpany / and valyantly assayled the castell. It was a sore assaute and well contynued / for they within defēded them selfe for feare of their lyues. Sir Wylliam hym selfe that day dyde right nobly / and gaue ensample howe his men shulde assayle withoute any sparynge. This assaut was so well contynued / that the Castell was taken byforce: the Frenche men entred in by ladders / & all that were within slayne and taken. Thus this sir Wylliam of Lygnac dyde the first enterprise in that season / abydinge for the duke of Burbone and his route.

wHan the duke of Burbone was come to Nyorte / and his company: There he founde a great nombre of men of warre / abydinge for hym. And there was redy his cosyn the erle of Marche / with a great nō ­bre / and also the Vycount of Tonnere / and sir Henry of Thouars seneschall of Lymosyn / the lorde of Pons / the lorde of Parteney / the lorde of Thouars / the lorde of Puyssaunce / and dy­uers other barons of Poytou and of Xaynton. And than sir William of Lignacke came to the duke / who had newly wonne the Castell of the Egle / wherfore the duke gaue hym great than­kes. Whan all these men of warre were assem­bled toguyder / they were a seuyn hundred speares besyde the Geneuoys and other varlettes: They were in nombre two thousande fightyn­ge men. Thasie they toke aduyse whyder they shulde go / outher to Vertuell or to Taylboure or to Mountlewe. And all thynges consyde­red / they determyned to go to Mountlewe / by cause it was a castell / standyng on the laundes [Page] of Burdeaur. They thought if they might get that castell [...] all other shulde be the more easyer to wynne. And also / than shulde no man come out of Burdeaur without their knowledge. so they rode thyderwarde and passed Angolesme and so came before Mountlewe / and they layd their siege. The chefe leaders of all the dukes hoost / was sir Iames Pounsarte / and Iohan Bonne Launce. Incontynent they made redy to assyle the castell / and so enuyroned the ca­stell aboute / and gaue assaulte with great cou­rage / and they within defended them selfe va­liantly. Surely there was an harde assaute & well contynued / and many a proper dede of armes done / For the frenchmen dilygently moū ­ted vp on their ladders / and fought with dag­gers hande to hande on the walles. So moche dyde the frenche men / that by pure assaute they wan the castell / and they within slayne / There were but a fewe that were saued. Whan the frē the men had possession of Moūtlewe / they new lye furuysshed it with men of warre and other prouisyon. And than they toke the waye to tayl bourcke / of the whiche forteresse Dynaudon of Perat was capitayne / a proper man of armes he made but lytell counte of the frenchmen. and whyle the duke laye at siege before this castell / his company wanne two lytell fortresses / whi­che had sore harryed the fronters of Poictou & Lymosyn / by reason of the Englyss [...]men that were in them. These two fortresses were called Troucet and Archat / and all that were within were slayne / and the castelles delyuered to thē of the countre / and they dyde beate thē downe to the grounde. ⸪ ⸪

THus the siege was layd before Tailbourcke by four bastedes▪ there was in Tail bourcke a bridge on the ry­uer of Charent / and the En­glysshe men and Gascoyns had well fortifyed it / so that all the season before they coude no shyppe passe to Rochell nor in to Xaynton / without daūger or by truage. Than the frenche lordes aduysed to wynne the bridge to haue the lesse to do / and to lye the more surer in their bastydes. They caused to come to Rochellshippes by the ryuer of Charent / and in theym certayne Geneuoys and crosbowes / and made them to scrymysshe with them of the bridge. There was a sore as­saute / for the Englysshe men and gascons had ryght well fortifyed the bridge / and valyant­ly dyde defende thēselfe / So they were assay­led by lande and by ryuer. ¶Iohan the sonne of the erle of Harcourt was there made knight and reysed his baner / the duke of Burbone his vncle made him knight. This assault was well cōtinued / and many a feate of armes the [...] done the Geneuoys and crosbowes that were in the shyppes shotte so rudely and so hole toguyder at them on the bridge / that none of them durste scantely shewe any defence. What shulde I make longe tale? By force of assault the bridge on the ryuer was wonne / and all that were foūde theron slayne and drowned / none scaped. thus the french men had the bridge of Taylbourc / their siege was the easyer. It was but thre lea­ges fro faynt Iohn̄s Dangle / and two leages fro Xauntes / in the best countre of the worlde.

OF the losse of Tayllebourke / they within Dynaudon & other were sore dismayed / as they had good cause / for they had lost ther­by the passage of the ryuer / howe be it yet they wolde nat yelde them. They thought thēselfe in a stronge place / and trusted on some rescue fro Burdeaux / For it was shewed in all those fronters and englysshe forteresses / that the du­ke of Lancastre / or elles the erle of Buckyng­ham with two thousande men of armes & four thousande archers / shulde come to Burdeaux to fyght with the frenche men / and to reyse all their siege. Of this they greatly trusted / but it fortuned otherwyse / as I shall shewe you. It was ordayned in Englande / that the Duke of Lancastre and sit Iohan Hollande brother to [Page iii] the kynge / Sir Thomas Percy / six Thomas Tryuet / the lorde Fitz water / six Wylliam wyndesore / sit Iohn̄ Fitzwaren / and other barons knightes and squyers with a thousande spea­res and thre thousande archers / shulde haue gone to Burdeaux to haue ben there all the so­mer / and to haue refresshed Mortayne / Bout­uyll / and other fortresses in Gascoyne and Lā guedocke / and to fight with the Frenche men / if they founde them in the countrey. And after that they had taryed there a season / than to ha­ue gone fro thens in to Castell / to Bayon / and to Nauarre: For they were in treatie with the kyng of Nauer. This was ymagined in En­glāde / but all tourned to nought / for whan they knewe the certaynte that the admyrall of Fraū ce / with a thousande speares of chosen knigh­tes and squyers were come in to Scotlande. Than they chaunged their purpose / and durst sende none of their men oute of the realme / for they doughted greatly the dedes of the frenche men and Scottes / ioyned toguyder. Also the same tyme there ranne a voyce through all Englande / howe they shulde be the same Somer assayled with the frenchmen in thre ꝑtes. One by Bretaygne. for the duke there was become frenche: And another by Normandye / for the whiche (as it was sayd) The constable of Frā ce made his prouisyon at Harflewe and Depe / and so a longe the Scesyde to saynt Valeries and to Crotoy: And the thirde by the Scottes so that for dought of this / they wolde suffre no knightes nor squyers to go out of Englande / but made prouisyon to defende their hauyns & portes of the see. The same season the Erle of Arundell Richarde was admyrall of the See / and was on the See / with a thre or fourescore great shyppes / furnysshed with men of armes and archers. And he hadde small shippes that ranne in and oute / and viewed the boundes of the yles of Normandy to knowe tidynges.

¶Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of the duke of Burbone and of the siege of Tayllebourcke / where as he laye a nyne wekes: & let vs shewe howe the admyrall of Fraūce toke lande in the realme of Scotlande / and what chere they had made to them at their firste lodgynge.

tHe Frenche army that went in to scotlande had wynde at wyll. It was in the monethe of Maye / whan the wa­ters be peaseable and meke / and the ayre softe and swete. First they costed Flāders / Holande zelande / and Frise: and at last aproched to the sight of Scotlande. But are they aryued / the [...] fell an harde aduenture / to a yonge knyght of Fraunce a proper man of armes / called sir Au­bert Dāgyers. The knyght was yong and of haute courage / and to shewe his strength and lyghtnesse of body / he lepte vp clene armed on the walle of the shyppe / and in the lightynge / his fete slypped / and so fell ouer the borde in to the see / so that he coulde nat be holpen: For in­cōtynent he sanke downe / bycause of y ^e weight of his harnes / & also the ship sayled euer forthe. Of this knightes aduenture / all the barownes and knyghtes were sore dyspleased / but there was no remedy. And so longe they sayled that they arryued at Edenborowe / the chiefe towne in Scotlande. And whe [...] as the kyng in tyme of peace moost cōmenly laye. And as soone as the erle Duglas and the Erle Morette knewe of their cōmynge / they wente to the hauyn and mette with them / and receyued them swetely: Sayeng / howe they were right welcome in to that countrey: And the barons of Scotlande / knewe ryght well sir Geffray de Charney / for he had been the somer before two monethes in their company: sir Geffray acquaynted them with the Admyrall / and the other knyghtes of Fraunce. As at that tyme the kynge of Scot­tes was nat there / for he was in the wylde scot­tysshe: But it was shewed these knight [...] / howe the kyng wolde be there shortly / wherwith they were well content: and so were lodged there a­bout in the vyllages. For Edenborough / tho­ughe the kynge kepte there his chefe resydence and that it is Parys in Scotlāde / yet it is nat lyke Tourney or Valencēnes / for in all the towne there is nat foure thousande houses. Ther­fore it behoued these lordes and knyghtes to be lodged about in vyllages: As at Donfer / Me lyne / Castell / Dōbare / Aluest / and suche other. Anone tidynges sprange about in Scotlande that a great nombre of men of armes of Fraū ­ce were come into their countre. Some therat dyde murmure and grudge / and sayde: Who the deuyll hath sente for theym? What do they here? Can nat we maynteyne our warre with Englande well ynoughe withoute their helpe? We shall do no good as longe as they be with vs? Let it be shewed vnto them / that they may retourne agayne? And that we be stronge y­nough in Scotlande to maynteyne our warre without theym: And therfore we wyll none of their company. They vnderstande nat vs nor [Page] we them / therfore we can nat speke toguyder. They wyll anone ryffle / and eate vp all that e­uer we haue in this countrey. They shall doo vs more dispytes and domages / than thoughe the Englysshe men shulde fyght with vs. For thoughe the Englysshe men brinne our houses we care lytell therfore / We shall make them a­gayne chepe ynough / We axe but thre dayes to make them agayne / if we maye geate foure or fyue stakes and bowes to couer them. ⸪ ⸪

THus the scottes sayde in Scotlande / at the comynge of the frenchmen thyder / for they dyde sette nothynge by them / but hated them in their courage and diframed theym in their language / as moche as they myght / lyke rude people with­out hououre as they be. All thynges consyde­red / It was to great an armye of so many no­ble men to come in to Scotlande / and knewe no reason why / a twentie or thrittie knyghtes of Fraunce / had been better than all that nom­bre of fyue hūdred or a thousande / and the cau­se why is this.

¶In Scotlande ye shall fynde no man light / lye of honoure nor gentylnesse: They be lyke wylde and sauage people: They wyll be with no man acquaynted / and are greatly enuyous with the honoure or profyte of any other man / and they dought euer to lese that they haue / for it is a poore countre. And whan the Englysshe men maketh any roode or voyage in to the coū ­trey / as they haue done often before this tyme / If they thynke to lyue / they muste cause their prouysion and vitayle to folowe theym at their backe / for they shall fynde nothyng in that coū ­trey but with moche payne. Nor they shall fynde none yron to showe their horses / nor leddar to make harnesse / sadelles / or bridelles: For all suche thynges cometh to them redy made oute of Flaunders. And whan that prouisyon fay­leth / there is none to gette in the countrey.

Whan the barownes and knightes of Fraunce who were wonte to fynde fayre hostryes / hal­les hanged / and goodly castelles and softe beddes to reste in: Sawe them selfe in that neces­site: they began to smyle / and said to the admyrall. Sir / What pleasure hath brought vs hy­der? We neuer knewe what pouertie ment tyll nowe? We fynde nowe / the olde sayengꝭ of our fathers and mothers true: Whan̄e they wolde saye. Go your waye: and ye lyue long / ye shall fynde harde and poore beddes / whiche nowe we fynde. Therfore / lette vs go oure voyage that we be come for. Lette vs ryde in to Englā de: The longe taryenge here in Scotlande / is to vs / nother honourable nor profytable. The admyrall apeased them as well as he myght / & sayde. Sirs / it behoueth vs to suffre a lytell / and to speke fayre / sithe we be in this daunger. We haue a great longe waye yet to passe / and by Englande we can nat retourne: Therfore lette vs take in gree that we fynde / We can nat be alwayes at Parys or Dygeon / at Beautie or at Chalous. It behoueth them that wyll ly­ue in this worlde / thynkynge to haue honoure / to suffre somtyme as well pouertie as welth.

THus sir Iohan of Vien admyrall of Fraunce / apeased to his companyons / with these wordes and suche other / whiche I can nat all reherce They acquaynted them as mothe as they might with the barownes of Scotlande / but they were visyted by them but very ly­tell: For as I haue sayde before / there is in thē lytell honour / & of all people yuell to be aquaynted withall. The moost company that the frenche men had was the erle Duglas and the erle Morette. These two lordes dyde theym more solace / than all the resydue of Scotlande. yet there was another thyng that was right harde to the frenchmen / For whan they were in Scotlande and wolde ryde they foūde horses to dere for that that was nat worthe tenne florens they coude nat bye vnder threscore or a hūdred / and yet with moche payne to gette any for money / and yet whan they had any horses / than hadde they nother harnesse / sadell / nor bridell / with­out they had brought it with them out of Flaū ders. In this trouble and daunger were the [Page iiii] frenchemen: yea and moreouer / Whan̄e their varlettes went forthe a forragynge / and hadde charged their horses with suche as they coulde gette / In their retouruynge home / the scottes them selfe laye in wayte for theym / and all that they had taken from them / and they well beten and some slayne: so that there was none that durste go a forragynge for feare to be slayne. For in a moneth the frenche men loste of their varlettes mo than a hundred: For if they went forthe thre or foure toguyder / they neuer returned agayne. Thus the frenche men were han­deled: And besyde that / the kynge of Scottes was desyred to comeforthe / and so were the o­ther lordes / knightes / and squyers of the real­me. But they aunswered and sayd: Howe they wolde make no warre in to Englande / as at that tyme. And that they sayd / to thentent that the Frenche men shulde paye well for their co­myng. For or the kyng wolde come out of the wylde scottysshe to Edenboroughe / he demaū ­ded to haue a great somme of money / for hym and for his people: And the admyrall of Fraū ­ce was sayne to promyse and to seale / that the kynge shulde haue a certayne somme of money or he and his company auoyded the Realme: It he had nat done thus / he shulde haue hadde none ayde of the scottes: He was fayne to ma­ke that marchaundise or elles a worse. And yet whan he had made the best accorde and a [...]oyntment that he coude make with theym / he hadde by them but lytell profyte nor helpe / as ye shall here further in the hystorie.

¶But nowe a lytell I wyll retourne and tell of the aduentures of Flaunders and of the ma­ryage of the yonge frenche kyng / and howe Ardenbourcke hadde nere been taken by stelthe / where as the Vycont of Meaulx and sir Iohn̄ of Ieumont laye in garyson.

AFter the disconfyture that sir Ry­flarte of Flaunders had made in the lande of the foure craftes with out Gaunt / than he came to Ardē ­bourcke: And thyder was sente in garyson sir Robert of Bethune vycoūt of Meaulx / and there he foūde sir Iohan of Iumont and his company: And thyder was sente a .xl. speares knightes and squiers / suche as desyred to seke aduentures. Whan̄e the Vycount was come thider / he entended to fortify and repayre the towne in all poyntes. Fraunces Atreman and they of Gaunte / subtelly ymagyned night and day / howe they might anoye and do domage to their enemyes / as they shewed rightwell to their neighbours / as And warp / Teremōde Ardenbourcke / Bruges / Danne [...] and Scluse. They euer ymagined / howe to wynne any of them by crafte: And to say the trouth / they had suche cōpany as were mete to execute suche de­des. So it fortuned / about the ende of Maye Fraūces Atreman and a seuyn thousande with hym departed fro Gaunt / to thentent to wynne Ardenbourke by stelth / and all the knightꝭ and squyers therin: And specially they desyred to haue the capitayne sir Iohan Iumont / bycau­se he had done them many great domages / as in takyng and sleyng / and puttyng out of their cyen / and cuttyng of handes / fete / and eares of their men. So thus on a Wednisdaye aboute the dawnynge of they day / they came to Ardē ­bourcke / and had with them scalynge leddars redy. The Vycounte of Meaulx / sir Iohan Iumount / sir Ryflarte of Flaunders / the lorde of Damert / sir Tercelette of Montigny / and sir Parducas of Pount saint Marke / the lorde of Langueuall and sir Iohan his sonne / sir Hewe Desnell / the lorde de Lalayne / sir Reynolde of Lōmye / and dyuers other lay slepyng in their beddes / on trust of the watche. Nowe beholde what aduēture they were in. The watche that had watched all nyght / was as than departed / and their reliefe nat come as than. The same season Fraunces Atreman & the gaūtoise with their ladders were redy come in to the dikes / & so cāe to the walles & dressed vp their ladders / and began to mount. The same season by aduēture / there was walkynge within the wall / the lorde of saynt Albyne / and with hym a squyer of Picardy named Enguerant zēdequyn a pi­carde with a morespike. I thynke they had ben of the watche the same night / & was nat as than departed / To say the trouthe and they had nat ben / Ardenbourcke had been taken / and all the knightes in their beddes. ⸫ ⸫

[Page] WHan sir Gousseaux of saynt Martyne and Enguerant zendequen: sawe howe the gauntoyse mounted vp the walles by ladders / and they saw wher ther was one puttynge his legge ouer the wall to haue entred in to the towne▪ they were thā sore abasshed / but yet nat so moche but that they toke conforte to them selfe: For they sawe well if they fledde / the towne were lost without recouery▪ for they parceyued well that theyr en­tryng was bytwene the departyng of the wat­che / and the comynge of the reliefe. Than En­guerant sayd to the mores pyke: Seppe on forwarde: Beholde yonder the gauntoyse are en­trynge / helpe to defende vs / or elles the towne is loste. And so they thre went to the same pla­ce where as they sawe the gauntoyse entrynge / and the Pycarde with the mores pyke / strake hym that was entrynge ouer the wall suche a stroke / that he hare hym clene fro the wall and ladder / and so fell downe in to the dyke. & ther­with the watche arose / & sawe howe there were in the dykes and there aboute / a great batayle of the gauntoyse. Than̄e he sowned his trum­pette: Treason treason. Therwith the towne styrred euery man oute of their beddes / & har­kened to the crye / and sawe howe the gaunte is wolde haue stollen their towne. Than they ar­med them as fast as they might: howe be it for all this the gauntoyse dyde all their best to ha­ue entred in to their towne. And the sayde thre persones valyantly defended the walles / more than the space of halfe an hour / agaynst all the comers the whiche turned to their great pray­se. Than̄e the other lordes and knightes came thyder in good array / as the Vycount of Me­aulx with his bauer before hym / sir Iohan of Ieumont his penon before hym / and sir Ry­flarte of Flaunders / and other: and they foun­de the knight / the squyer / and the mores pyke / fightynge and defendynge the walles. Than̄e they cryed their cryes to the rescue. And whan Fraunces Atreman and the gauntoyse parceyued the matter / and howe they hadde fayled of their ententes / they withdrewe themselfe fayre and casely / and reculed their people / and so departed and retourned in to the rule of the four craftes. And so than they of the garyson of Ardenbourke toke more hede to the kepyng of the towne than they dyde before / and they honou­red greatly among them / the foresaid thre per­sones / for and they had nat been / the towne had ben loste and all their throtes cutte.

yE haue herde here before / howe the duke of Aniou / who called hym selfe kynge of Naples / of Cecyle / and of Hie­rusalem / made warre thre yeres / In Pule / Calabre / and in Naples / agaynst sir Charles dela Paix: and in the makynge of that warre he dyed / and in lykewise so dyde sir Charles dela Paix. Some sayd he was slayne in the realme of Hungry by the consentment of the quene / for after the dethe of the kyng of Hungry / bycause this sir Charles was sonne to the kynges bro­ther / therfore he maynteyned that the Realme shulde fall to hym: For his vncle the kynge of Hungry after his dethe / lefte behynde hym but doughters. So therfore the quene feared leest he wolde disheryte her doughters: And ther­fore (as it was sayd) she caused this sir Char­les dela Paix to be slayne / of whose dethe ther was had great marueyle / & so therby the quene was sore enforsed / and of her yonge sonne the kyng beyng at Auignon / & so they made wary in Prouence / the kynge of Hungry lyuenge. The barons and prelates of Hungry coūsay­led hym to gyue Margarete his eldest dough­ter / whiche was likely to be a great enheritour to Loyes of Fraunce erle of Valoyes sonne / & brother to the frenche kynge / bycause they tho­ught he shulde than abyde among them in Hū ­gry. And whan the kynge was deed / they sent ambassadours in to Fraunce to the kynge and to his vncles / shewyng howe the quene of Hungry wolde haue for her eldest doughter the erle of Valoyes. This request semed to the kynge and to his vncles and to the barons of Fraun­ce / to be right noble and profitable / excepte one thynge. They thought therby / that the erle of Valoyes shulde be very farre of fro his owne nacion / Howe be it all thynges consydred / they thought it a noble and a right profitable thyng for the erle of Valoyes to be kyng of Hungry / the whiche is one of the grettest realmes in crystendome. So these ambassadours were gret­ly feested and nobly receyued / and to thē gyuen many great gyftes: And so agayne with them there went to Hūgry other ambass. out of Fraū ce: As the bysshop of Maylleretꝭ and sir Iohn̄ la Parson / who by ꝓcuracyon generall / whan they were come in to Hūgry / he wedded in the name of the erle of Valoyes the lady Marga­rete / and thanne the bysshoppe retourned in to [Page v] Fraūce. And also sir Iohan Parson / who had wedded the lady and lyen by her a bedde / cur­tesly / accordynge to the custome in suche mat­ters requyred. And of this whan he came in to Fraunce / he shewed letters patentes & publyke instrumentes / so that they of Fraūce were well content. And so longe after / the erle of Valoys wrote hymselfe kyng of Hungry.

ALso ye haue herde / how the duke of burgoyne and the duke Aubert of Bauier / lorde of Heynalte / Hollande zelande / & Frise / had maryed their chyldren at Cambray toguyder / At which maryage the frenche kyng was with great tryumphe. Some sayde / howe the same tyme that the frenche kynge and his vn­cles: the duke of Burgoyne / the duke of Bur­bone / and the duke Aubert were there at Cambray / & the lady of Burgoyne / the lady of Bra­bant / and the lady of Heynalte. Howe that by the procurement of the duchesse of Brabante / there was secretely a treatie of maryage mo­ued bytwene the yonge kyng Charles of Fraū ce and the lady Isabell / doughter to duke Stephyn of Bauyer. For kyng Charles of Fraunce that laste dyed before in his dethe bedde / he ordayned / that Charles his sonne shulde be maryed in to Almaygne / if they sawe any place cō ­uenyent / wherby the almayns shulde be alyed to Fraūce: For he sawe well / howe the kyng of Englande was maryed to the kyng of Almay­nes suster / wherby he spedde moche the better. This duchesse of Brabant / who was a ryght sore ymaginatyue lady / shewed many reasons to the kynges vncles / and to his counsayle: sayenge / howe this lady was doughter to a great lorde in Almaygne / and the greattest of all the Bauyers. And howe that thereby / they shulde haue great alyaunce in Almaygne / For duke Stephyn (she sayde) was so great a manne / that he myght well breke the purposes of the great lordes of thempyre / For he was as great or greatter / than the kynge of almaygne / the whiche enclyned sonest the counsayle of Fraū ­ce / to parceyuer in that mater / Howe be it the matter was handeled right secretely / For there were but fewe that knewe therof tyll it were doone: And the cause why this was. It is the vsage in Fraunce / that any lady doughter to any great lorde / yf the Kynge shulde mary her / firste she shulde be sene and viewed all naked / by certayne ladyes therto admytted / to knowe if she were proper and mete to brynge forthe chyldren: and also bycause this lady was of a farre countre / so that if she shulde be pleasaunt to the kyng or nat / or elles all were broken. for these causes the matter was kepte secrete / but the lady about the feest of Penthecost after / she was brought to Brabant to the duchesse there / who ioyfully receyued her and ordered her / ac­cordynge to the vsage of Fraunce. And with her in company was duke Frederyke of Ba­uyer her vncle / by whom to saye trouthe the maryage was firste procured / by suche wayes as I shall shewe you. ⸫ ⸫

WHan that duke Frederyke of Bauier cāe first in to Frā ce to serue the frēche: kyng in his iourney that he made in to flaunders / and came to the siege of Boutbourcke. True it was / he was feested and receyued by the kynges vncles / bycause he was come so farre of to serue the kynge / as out of the coūtre of Bauyer / the whiche was more than two hundred leages of. This was repu­ted for a great seruyce / and he was alwayes loged nere to the kyng / in token of good loue and fauour. And whan he departed out of Bauyer he thought surly that there shulde be batayle bytwene the Frenche kyng and the kyng of Englande / in the marchesse of Flaūders or of fraū ce / for so ranne all the brute in all Almaygne. Therfore the kynge and his vncles gaue hym the more thanke. And thus as he was with the kyng in that voyage before Burbourke & Bergues / the kingꝭ vncles curtesly demaūded on a day of hym / if he had any doughters to mary▪ sayeng / howe they lacked a wyfe for the kyng / and howe that they had rather the kynge shul­de mary in Bauyer / rather than̄e in any other place / For aunciently the buyers were of the counsayle of Fraunce. The duke aunswered and sayd: surely I haue no doughter to mary / but myne elder brother / duke Stephyn of Ba­uyer [Page] hath a right fayre Lady to his doughter. Of what age is she of quod the lordes? By­twene. xiii. and fourtene quod the duke. That is all that we desyre / quod the kynges vncles. Therfore sir / whan ye do retourne home in to Bauyer speke to your brother of the mater: & bring your nese a pylgrimage to saynt Iohn̄s of Amyence / & the kyng shalbe there if it please hym. We drynke he wyll desyre it / for he loueth gladly to se fayre thynges. and if he wysshe to haue her / she shall be quene: So this was the first procurement: and as at y ^t tyme there was no more done nor sayde. The kynge knewe no thynge of these wordes. And whan̄e this duke Federyke of Bauyer was retourned home / he shewed all this mater to duke Stephyn of Bauyer his brother / who studyed somewhat at his wordes / and at last sayd: Fayre brother / I be­leue well it is as ye saye. My doughter shulde be happy if she myght come to so highe an ho­nour / as to be frenche quene: But Fraunce is very farre of / and it is a matter wisely to be re­garded / to make a Quene. I shulde be ryght soore displeased / if my doughter shulde be ca­ryed in to Fraūce for suche a purpose / and than sente home agayne. yet I had rather mary her at myne ease / nerer home. This was the aun­swere that duke Stephyn gaue to his brother duke Frederyke / where with duke Frederyke was well content / and wrote all his aunswere to Fraunce to the Kynges vncles and to his vncle duke Auberte / and to the Duches of Bra­bant. They hadde went that duke Frederyke had forgoten the matter For they were aboute maryages for the kynge in other places. And the kynge was nere agreed to the doughter of the duke of Lorayne / for she was a fayre damosell of her age, nere to the kyngꝭ age. She was of noble and great generacyon of the house of Bloyes. Also there was spekyng for the doughter of the Duke of Lancastre / who was after quene of Portyngale: but there was no cōclu­sion / bycause of the warre. Therfore the mat­ter hanged styll in suspence (& as ye haue herde before) The duches of Brabant whā she was at Camb [...]ay / at the maryages of Burgoyne & Heynalte: and that the frenche kyng was they and the duke of Burbone and Burgoyn were there / Than she moued forthe this maryage of Bauyer / for the kyng affirmynge that it was moost profitable and honorable for the kynge / bycause of the alyaunce with Almaygne. Madame quod the kynges vncles / we here nothynge therof. Well quod the duchesse / I warrant you ye shall here somwhat therof / or this somer be paste. Her promyse was well fulfylled / for she dyde so moche / that duke Frederyke / vncle to the damosell was so agreed with his brother duke Stephyn / that he shulde be conuey the lady in to Fraunce: And that it shulde be noysed all the waye / that they went a pylgrimage to saīt Iohans of Amyence. Euery man supposed the same / for Almayns go the often on pylgrimage it is their vsage.

wHan duke Frederyke and his nese the lady Isabell of Bauyer / had ben thre dayes at Brusels / than they toke leue / but it was the duchesse intensyon to be as soone at Amyence / or soner than they. So than they came in to Heynaulte to Quesnoy / where they founde the duke and the duchesse / and sir Wyl­lyam erle of Ostrenaunt and his wyfe. There thy were nobly receyued for duke Aubert was her vncle / and had great marueyle what bro­ught them in to that countre: And than demaū ded why they came thyder? Certaynlye quod duke Frederyke / I haue had moche payne to bringe the mater to this purpose: And so there he shewed hym all the mater / and sayd. I haue brought my brother in that mynde / that I ha­ue brought my nese hyder as ye saye / but whan I departed my brother sayd to me. Nowe Frederike my fayre brother / ye leade with you Isabell my doughter without any sure estate / For if the frenche kyng wyll refuse her / than is she shamed for euer / therfore aduyse you well: For if the matter come nat well to passe / ye shall ha­ue me your enemy for euer. Therfore fayre vn­cle / ye maye se what daunger I haue putte my selfe in. Than duke Aubert sayd: fayre nephue be nat dismayde / for by the pleasure of god / she shalbe the frenche quene / and than̄e shall ye be quyte / & haue the loue of duke Stephyn your brother.

THus they taryed at Quesnoy the space of thre wekes / and y ^e duchesse who was sage / endoctryned the yonge damosell of Ba­uyer / in maner and in countenaunce / and chaū ged her appayrell / for she was but simplye ar­rayed / after the state of Fraunce: Thanne she arrayed her / as thoughe she had ben her owne doughter. And whan euery thyng was redy / y ^e duches and the damoselle rode forthe / tyll they came to Amience. And by that tyme was come thyder / the duches of Burgoyne and of Bra­bant / and also the frenche kynge and his coun­sayle / [Page vi] The lorde de la Ryuer and sit Guy de la Tremoyle. Barownes and knightꝭ issued out of Amyence to mete and receyue them of Hey­nalte. Thus they were brought in to Amyence and had moche honoure done to them / and the lordes and ladyes eche of theym dyde vysite o­ther louyngly. But with moche payne the kynge might slepe / for the inwarde desyre y ^t he had to se her that shulde be his wyfe. And he demaū ded of the lorde de la Ryuer whan he shulde se her. of those wordes the ladies had great sporte so that the Fridaye whan the damosell was re­dy / the thre duchesses ledde the damosell to the kynge. and than she kneled downe / but the kynge toke her vp by the hāde and behelde her well by whiche regarde / loue entred in to his herre. Than the constable of Fraunce sayd to the lor-Coucy. Sir / by my faythe this ladye shall a­byde with vs / I se well by y ^e kyng / for his eyes gothe neuer from her. So whan they had ben with the kynge certayne space / the ladyes toke leaue of the kyng and went to their lodgynges as yet they knewe nat the kynges intencyon. Than the duke of Burgoyn charged the lorde de la Ryuer to enquere of the kyng his mynde / who dyde so right dilygently / sayeng. Sir / & it lyke youre grace / howe lyke you this yonge lady? Shall she abyde with vs? yea truely ꝙ the kynge / she right well pleaseth vs. Therfore shew? vnto myne vncle of Burgoyne / that she maye be delyucred to vs. Whan the lorde de la Ryuer herde hym saye so / he incontynent she­wed it to y ^e duke of Burgoyne. And he streight waye went and shewed it to the ladyes / wher­of they had great ioye and cryed No well. thus the lordes and ladyes were in great ioye / & the kynges vncles were in mynde to haue had the maryage at Arras / but it pleased nat the kyng to go soo farre. Therfore he desyred his vncle / that it might be done ther. Well quod the duke in a good hour be it / so let it be.

THan the duke of Burgoyne / the constable / the lorde de la Ryuer / and the lorde de la Tremoyle / and dyuers other in his com­pany went to the lady of Heynault / and foūde her with her nese by her / There he shewed thē these tidynges / how the kyng had broken their purpose / as the mariage to be had at Aras / sayeng / howe the matter touched the kyng so nere wherfore to morowe next we must heale him of his sicknesse / the duches began to smyle. And so than they departed eche fro other with great ioye and solce. The same saturday at night Fraunces Atreman and the gauntoyse / with a seuyn thousande with hym wente out of the lā ­des of the foure craftes / after he had fayled of takynge of Ardenbourke. and he promysed to them of Gaunt at his departynge that he wol­de neuer retourne in to Gaunt / tyll he had won some good towne / for the gauntoyse dyd what they might to putte the frenche men to suche busynesse / that they shulde sende no more compa­nye in to Scotlande to the admyrall / to make warre agaynst the Englysshmen / for ther was a cōmon brute / that the Constable and dyuers other men of arme / & certayne cros bowes of Gene / shulde entre into the see & go in to Scotlande to reconforte their men that were ther allredy / makyng warre agaynst Englande. Frā ces Atreman who was a proper man of armes issued the sayd saturday out of the quarter cal­led the foure craftes / and all night he went co­styng Bruges / trustyng to haue wonne it / but it wolde nat be. Whan he sawe that he fayled there / he wente to Danne: and there his spyes mette with hym / and sayde. Sir / it were good ye went to Danne / for sir Roger of Guystelles who is capitayne there / is nat nowe in the towne. and true it was / he was goone to Bruges / wenyng that the towne of Dan had ben strong ynoughe for their defence / but he was discey­ued. ⸫ ⸫

WHan̄e Fraunces Atre­man knewe by his espyes / y ^t sir Roger of Guystels was nat in Dan / he deuyded his company in two / and tooke hym selfe the lesse nombre / & sayd. Sirs / go you yonder wayes to suche a gate / and whasie ye here me blowe go to the barryers & backe thē downe / & I and my cōpany shall bete downe the gate / for it wyll be ouer long or we entre by ladders / the towne shalbe ours I put no dout: It was done as he ordayned & so wente with the lesse nōbre. [Page] And so the first went with ladders in to the dy­kes. They founde no withstandyng / and pas­sed the myre and dressed vp their ladders and so entred in to the towne and came to the gate / sownynge their hornes without any daunger / for the good men of y ^e towne were in their bed­des this was the .xvii. day of Iuly. thus they came to the gate and brake the barriers / & they without brake downe y ^e barriers there / so that euery man entred. Than they of the towne be­gan to styre but that was to late / for they were taken in their houses / & as many as were founde in harnesse and at defence / were slayne with out mercy. Thus the good towne of Dan was taken. wherein was founde great richesse / and specially the sellers full of Maluesey and wyne Granade. And it was shewed me / howe there was great richesse there of thē of Bruges / whiche they had brought thyder / for feare that they had of rebellyon of the cōmon people.

ERaūces Atreman / whan he sawe that he was lorde of Dan / he was greatly reioysed and sayd. Nowe haue I well kept my pro­myse with them of Gaunte. This towne shall serue vs well to maister Bruges / Sluse / & Ar­denbourcke. Than incontynent he made a crye that no man shulde be so hardy to touche or do any displeasure to any lady or gētylwoman in the towne. There was the same tyme there / a seuyn knightes wyues / who were come thyder to se the lady of Guystelles / she was redy to lye downe a chylde beed. Thus after they had pil­led the towne and slayne all suche as wolde nat take their parte / than they went to repayre the towne agayne. Whanne they of Bruges herde therof they werefore displeased / and nat with­out a cause and armed them: And with baner displayed came before the towne of Dan / and began to scrimysshe / and to assayle the towne / but all was for nought. they lost more than thei wan / & so retourned agayne to Bruges. Whan these tidynges came to Gaunt they were greatlye reioysed / and reputed that enterprise for a noble dede / and Fraūces Atreman for a valy­ant man. ¶Nowe let vs returne to the frenche kynges weddyng.

wHan the duches Margarete of Hey­naulte, who had the yonge lady in her kepynge. Whan she sawe the day was come she apparelled the lady honestly / and to them came the duches of Burgoyne and the duches of Brabant / accompanyed with many la­dyes and damosels. These thre ladies cōueyed the lady Isabell of Bauiers in a chayre / ryche­lye couered with a crowne on her heed / worthe the richesse of a realme / whiche the kynge had sent her before. and the bysshoppe of the same place dyde wedde them in the presens of all the lordes and ladyes. After the masse and solem­pnyte finysshed the kyng and all they went to dyner / whiche was great and sumptuous / and erles and barownes serued the kynge in ryche array. Thus the day cōtynued in great sporte tyll it was night / than the kyng went to bedde with his newe wyfe / So the feest endured tyll the wednisday after. Than tidynges came to the kynge and his counsayle / howe Fraunces Atreman had wonne the towne of Danne. also there came an haraude from the duke of Bur­bone & brought letters to the kyng / signifyeng hym howe Taylbourcke was wonne and tur­ned frenche / and howe the duke of Burbone & his cōpany was goyng to ley siege to Vertuell and howe they had in Poyctou / Xaynton / and Limosyn / recōquered sixe forteresses. These tidynges somwhat reioysed the court / and sette at nought the lesyng of Danne / sauyng that it was cōcluded that the kyng shulde do no thing tyll he had ben in Flaunders / and won agayne Danne / and to entre so farre in to the four craf­tes / out of the whiche all the venym issued / that he shulde leaue no house standynge / but to dy­stroy all. Than messangers were sent ouer all the realme of Fraunce / cōmaūdynge all men of warre to be by the first day of August in y ^e marchesse of Picardy to ley siege to Dan. These tidynges spredde abrode in the realme of Fraunce / and euery knight and squyer made them redy to come to the kyng / as they were cōmaun­ded. The same day duke Federyke of Bauyer and duke Aubert / and all the barony toke leue of the kyng / and euery man retourned home to their owne / & lefte with the kyng the lady Isa­bell of Bauyer / as than the frenche quene.

THe frenche kyng / who had made his cō maundement throughe all his realme / sayd howe he wolde neuer come in Parys tyll he had ben before the towne of Danne. And so the .xxv. day of Iuly he departed fro Amyence with the constable / and dyuers other lordes of his house and went to Arras / where he taryed but one night / and the next day he went to Lan in Atthoyse: and dayly men of warre came to hym fro all ꝑtes / and so at last he came to Ipr­so that by y ^e firste day of August he was before [Page vii] Dan / and laye so nere to it / that the gonne shot passed ouer his heed. A thre dayes after came to the kynge Wylliam of Neynaulte / who was ryght welcome to the kynge and to the duke of Burgoyne. So there they layde a goodly sie­ge about Dan / and therin was enclosed Fraū ­ces Atreman / who bare him selfe valiantly / for euery day there was outher scrimyshe or assaut without it were truse. The lorde of Clary who was mayster of the ordynaunce with the lorde of Coucy / was striken with a quarell out of the towne: of whiche stroke he dyed / whiche was great domage / for he was a noble knight. To the siege of Danne there came men oute of the good townes of Flaunders: as Ipre / Bruges and out of Franke. At this siege were beyond a hundred thousande men. The kyng laye by­twene Dan and Gaunte: and capitayne of the Flemmynges was the lorde of saynt Pye and the lorde of Guystels with a .xxv. speares / and laye myddes amonge them for feare of discen­cion.

AT an assault there was made knyght by the kynge Wylliam of Heynalte: that day he reared vp his baner / and quytte hym selfe lyke a good knight: But at that assaute the Frenche men loste more than they wanne / for Fraunces Atreman had with hym certayne archers of Englande / who greatly greued the assaylantes: Also he had great plentie of artillary / for whan the towne was wonne it was well furnyssed: And also he caused moche to be brought fro Gaūt / whan he knewe that he shulde haue siege layde to the towne. In the same season whyle the siege laye thus before Danne / some of the greattest of the towne of Sluse / suche as than bare moost rule in the towne / were so wrapped with treason / y ^t they wolde haue deliuered the towne to the kinges enemyes / and to haue murdred their capi­tayne and his company in their beddes / and to haue set fyre in the kynges nauy / that lay there at ancre / laded with prouisyon for the kynge. Before he wente to Danne / he was in purpose to haue gone in to Scotlande after his admy­rall. And also these treators had thought to haue broken downe the see bankes / therby to haue drowned the greattest parte of the kyngꝭ hoost / Of all this they had made marchaundise with them of Gaūte / and all these treasons shuld haue ben done in one night: but ther was a good man in the towne as he was in an hostry herde all this treason / that they were purposed to do / And incontynent he went to the capitayne and shewed hym the mater / and named to hym cer­tayne of them that had thus conspyred the treason. Whan y ^e capitayne herde that he sore marueyled / and toke a threscore speares of his company and wente fro house to house of the trea­tours / and so toke and sette them in dyuers prisons in sure kepynge. Than he toke his horse and rode to the kyng and so came to his tente / before hym and the duke of Burgoyne: he she­wed all y ^e mater howe the towne of Sluse was likely to haue ben lost / and all the kynges host likely to haue been in the water to the brestes / wherof the kyng and the lordes had great marueyle. And than the capitayne was cōmaunded that he shulde retourne to Sluse / and incontynent to stryke of all their heedes withoute any respyte / therby all other to take ensample. So the capitayne retourned / and incontynent strake of all their heedes / This was the conclusion of that busynesse. Than the duke of Bur­goyne cast in his aduyse to fynde some meanes to entreat his cosyn sir William of Namure / to haue of hym the towne of Sluse by exchaunge for other landes / and to ioyne that towne to the countie of Flaunders. And this was moche by thaduyse of sir Guy de la Tremoyle / who had the sormer before soiourned in Sluse with a certayne nombre of men of warre.

wHan̄e sir Wylliam of Namure herde first spekynge of that matter / he was marueylously displeased: for the towne of Sluse / with the apendauntes and profy­tes of the see was a fayre and a profitable herytage / & it was fallen to him by his auncestours wherfore he loued it the better: Howe be it the duke of Burgoyne lay so sore on hym therfore that there was no remedy / but to make the ex­chaunge: For the dukes entensyon was to make there a stronge castell / to subdue all comes [Page] and goers by the see entryng in to the hauen of Sluse and to kepe it with mē of warre / so that none shulde entre by the see in those marchesse / without their daunger / and to make a towre so highe to se troētie leages in to the see. So thus breuely this sir wylliam of Namure was so sore desyred by the duke of Burgoyne and his counsayle / that he was contente to exchaunge Sluse for the landes of Bethune / whiche is a fayre and a great herytage in that countrey / he to haue that to hym and to his heyres for euer: And so than incontynent the duke of Burgoyn sette worke men a worke to make the Castell of Sluse. ¶Nowe lette vs speke of the siege of Danne.

THere was nere euery daye an assaute / & dyuers scrimysshes at the gates & bar­riers / so that dyuers were hurt and slayne day lye. The frenchmen coude nat well come to the walles bycause of the dykes were full of myre / for if it had ben rayny wether / the hoost shulde haue had moche a do / and shulde haue ben fay­ne to haue dislodged wheder they wolde or nat But by the space of a moneth that the siege en­dured it neuer rayned / and they had vitayle y­noughe: Howe be it bycause of the yuell ayre & the stynkynge of deed beestes & horses the ayre was so corrupte / that dyuers knightes & squy­ers were therby sore sicke / so that dyuers went to refresshe them at Bruges and other places / to forsake the yuell ayre.

tHe kynge hym selfe went and laye at Marles / howe be it his tentes were styll pight vp in the felde. The entent of Fraūces Atreman was to holde styll the towne / tyll socours came out of Englande to reyse the siege / and surely they of Gaunte had sende in to Englande for rescue / and surely the kyng of Englandes vncles had come ouer the see sufficiently garnysshed with men of warre and at tillarye to haue reysed the siege / but that they were lette bycause of the admyralles beyng in Scotlande / with acertayne nombre of men of armes. And also it was sayde in the realme of Englande / that the constable of Fraūce shulde come after in to Scotlande with a great puis­san̄ce for to make warre into Englande / wher­by the gauntoyse were nat resrued. Wher fore it behoued them within the towne of Dan to make an yuell bargayne. ⸪

THe .xxvii. day of August the towne of Dan was won For whan Fraunces Atre­man parceyued that he had no socour / and that his artillary began to fayle / than he was som what disconforted in hymselfe / and sayd to them of his coūsayle. Sirs / I wyll that we of Gaunt go our wayes and lette vs shewe this one to another secretely for if they of the towne knewe of our deꝑtyng / to saue them selfe / their wyues and chyldren: Paraduenture they wyll make a shrewdemar chaundyse for vs. yea / and delyuer vs to oure enemyes / so that they may be in rest and peace / and that shulde coste vs oure lyues / but I shall kepe theym well therfro. Wherfore let vs kepe vs all toguyder / and let vs go about the towne to vysite the watche / and lette vs cause the men and women of the towne to go in to the myn­ster / makynge theym to beleue that to morowe next we shall haue a great assaute / and bicause we would y ^t they shulde haue no domage / ther­fore we wyll haue them in suretie in the churche out of the waye. And we shall saye to the wat­chemen / that we wyll go out and make a scry­mysshe with the hoost. And whan we be in the feldes / lette vs ryde on the spurres to Gaunte. They of his counsayle sayd: Sir ye haue well sayd / so lette it be. And so euery man ordayned them selfe as they had purposed / and in the euenyng they trussed redy all their goodes / suche as they might cary awaye / and put all women and children and other prisoners in to the myn­ster / and specially all ladyes and gētyl women / Sayeng to them: Fayre ladyes / we shall ha­ue to morowe in the mornyng a great assaute / and we wolde nat that ye shulde be abasshed / or take any domage. So thus they lefte them in the churche / and at the first hour of the night the gauntoise went and dyde visyte the watche and on the walles there were none but they of the towne. Than Fraunces Atreman sayde to them. Sirs / make this night good watche / & depart nat fro the walles for any thyng ye here orse / for in y ^e mornyng we shall haue an assaut / [Page viii] but yet first this night I wyll awake the hoost / his wordes were well beleued euery man went he had sayd trouthe. Whan he had ordayned e­uery thynge accordynge to his mynde / than he caused a gate to be opyned / and so he & all his company issued out / & he was nat halfe a leage fro the towne but it was day light. Than they of the towne parceyued well that Fraunces A­tremen and all his company were gone. Than they thought them selfe desceyued / than y ^e thefe of the towne began to entreate with the men of the kynges / that were there as prisoners / say­eng to theym / howe they had slayne Fraunces Atreman the same night.

wHan dyuers of the towne of Dan vn­derstode howe Fraūces Atreman and his cōpany were gone / and howe the gate was opyn / they ran out of the towne that best might: & whan this was knowen in thoost the bretons and burgonyons desyring to wyn / mounted on their horses and fell in the chase / & pursued the gauntoise tyll they cāe within two leages of Gaunte. So in the chase there were many slayne and taken mo than fyue hundred / but of them were but fewe gaūtoise / but moost of Danne / that fledde out of the towne. In the meane season the towne was assayled / where was made no defence. So the frenche men en­tred on euery syde by ladders / and had passed the dykes with moche payne. And whan they were within / they had wende to haue won gret riches / but they foūde there nothyng but poore people / men women & chyldren / and great plentie of good wynes / and so for dispyte and dis­pleasure they sette fyre in the towne / so that it was nighe all brent / wherof the kynge and the duke of Burgone was sore displeased / but they coude nat amende it: Howe be it the ladyes & gentyl women with moche payne were saued fro hurt of their bodyes or losse of their goods.

AFter the takyng of Dan / the kyng was counsayled to dissodge and so the king went and lodged a two leages fro Gaunte / at a towne called Artulle / and whyles the kyng lay there / his men of armes rode in the countrey of the four craftes & distroyed all the countre: by­cause in tyme past / the gauntoysehad chiefe cō ­fort euer fro them. Therefore they brent downe towres / churches / and houses / and chased the men women / and chyldren in to the woodes. Whan the Frēchmen had done that distruction / than it was ordayned to go and lay siege to the castell of Gaure and than after to Gaunte / but all that tourned to nothyng / for tidynges came to the kynge beyng at Artuelle fro the quene of Hungry / by the bysshop of Wasselure / the sayd quenes ambassadour with dyuers knightes & squyers in his company: and they brought letters of credence / certifyeng how the said quene was comyng in to Fraunce / to fetche Lewes of Fraunce erle of Valoys / to haue hym in to Hū gry to her doughter / Whom sir Iohan la Par­son had wedded by procuracion in the name of the erle of Valoyes. These tidynges pleased greatly the kynge and his counsayle / and so it was thought that for the honoure of the yonge Lewes erle of Valois / that they shulde returne in to Fraunce / and thought they hadde done ynoughe for that season in the countre of Flaū ­ders.

THan the frenche kyng departed fro Artuell the. xii day of Septembre / & gaue leaue to all men of warre to retourne to their owne hou­ses / of the whiche deꝑtynge the Gauntoyse were ryght gladde. Than the kyng went to Craye where the quene his wyfe was / for whan he went fro Amyens to Flaūders / he sent her thyder to ke­pe her estate / and so he taried they certen dayes and so the kyng wente to Parys and the quene to Boyse de Vyncens. And they the kyng & his counsayle entended for the ordring of the yong erle of Valoyes for he wolde that he shulde go nobly in to Hūgry / where as they toke hym for kyng. But the mater chaunged otherwyse mashorte season after in the realme of Hungry as ye shall here after. It is of trouthe y ^t the quene of Hūgry mother to the yonge lady / whome the erle of Valoys had wedded by ꝓeuracion (as ye haue herde before) had all her entēt to make [Page] that if god be pleased they wolde make suche a voyage / y ^t shulde be to their honour and ꝓfyte The kyng than sent out his cōmaundement to assemble his power / and so at the day assigned he had redy a .xxx. thousande men all on horse backe / and as they came / they lodged accordynge to the vsage of their countrey / I thynke nat all at their ease.

SIr Iohan de Vyen who had great desyre to ryde / and to enploye his tyme in to Englande / to do some great en­terprise / Whan he sawe the scottes were come he sayd. Sirs / nowe it is tyme to ryde / we ha­ue lyen to long styll: so than the settyng for war­de was publysshed to euery man / thā they toke their waye to Rosebourcke. In this iourney the kyng was nat / he abode styll at Edēborow but all his sonnes were in the army. The thou sande complete harnesse that the Frenche men brought with thē / was delyuered to the knigh­tes of Scotlande and of Norwiche / who were before but yuell harnessed / of the whiche har­nesse they had great ioye / And so they rode to­warde Northumberlande: And so longe they rode that they came to the abbey of Mauues / & there they lodged all about the ryuer of Tym­bre / and the nexte day they cāe to Morlane and than before Roseboucke. The kepar of Rose­boure vnder the lorde Mōtagu / was a knight called sir Edwarde Clyfforde. The admyrall of Fraunce and the scottes taryed and behelde well the castell / and all thynges considred / they sawe well to assayle it shulde lytell aucyle them for the castell was stronge and well furnysshed with artillary. And so than they passed by and drewe a long the ryuer syde aprochyng to Berwyke. And so long they rode that they came to two towres right strong / whiche were kept by two knightes / the Father and the sonne / bothe were called sir Iohan Strande. Aboute these towres were fayre landes and a fayre place / the whiche incontynent were brent / & the two towres assayled. Ther was many feates of armes shewed: and dyuers scottes hurte with shotte and cast of stones / Finally the towres were wonne / and the knightes within by playne assaut / yet they defended thē as longe as they might endure. ⸪

AFter the conquest of thes two towres / than they went to another castel called Varley / parteyning to the hery­tage of sir Iohn Montagu and Capitayne there vnder hym was sir Iohan of Lus­senborne / who had there with hym his wyfe & his chyldren / and all his good. He knewe well before that the scottes wolde come thyder / ther­fore he had purneyed the castel to the best of his power to abyde the assaute. So about this ca­stell taryed all the armye. This castell stode in a fayre countre / by a fayre ryuer whiche cometh out of Tymbre / and ronneth in to the see. So on a day there was a great assaut / and the frenche men bare thē well the same day / moche bet­ter than the scottes dyd / for they entred in to the dykes / and passed through with moche payne / There was many feates of armes done / what by them aboue and them beneth: The frenche men moūted vp by ladders and fought hande to hande with daggars on the walles. Sir Iohan Lussēborne dyd quyte hym selfe lyke a valyant knight / and fought with the frenche men hande to hande on the ladders. At this assaute there was slayne a knight of Almaygne called sir Bleres Gastelayne / whiche was great domage. There were many hurt that day / but fi­nally there was so moche people and thassaute so well contynued / that the castell was wonne / and the knight / his wyfe and chyldren taken / & a .xl. other prisoners. And than the castell was brent and rased downe / for they sawe well that it was nat to be kept / seyng that it was so farr in Englande as it was. Than the admyrall & scottes rode towarde Auwike in y ^e lande of the lorde Percy / & lodged there about / & brent cer­tayne villages: and so came to another castell of therle of Northūberlandes / standyng on the see syde / but they assayled it nat / for they knew well they shulde lese their payne. And so they rode all about that fronter / halfwaye bytwene [Page x] Berwyke & Newcastell on the ryuer of Tyne / and there they vnderstode / howe y ^t the duke of Lācastre / therle of Northūberlande / the erle of Notingham / the lorde Neuell / and the barons of those marches of Northūberlande / & of the bysshoprikes of yorke & Dyrham / were comynge on them with a great power. Whan thadmyrall of Fraunce knewe therof he was right ioy full / and so were all the barons of Fraūce that were in his cōpany / for they desyred to haue batayle / but the scottes cared Iytell therfore. there they were counsayled to returne againe towarde Berwyke / bycause of their prouisyon that folowed them: & also to be nere their owne coū tre / and there to abyde for their ennemyes. So thadmyrall beleued thē / and returned towarde Berwyke / wherof sir Thomas Redman was capitayne / & with hym right good men of ar­mes. So the french men and scottes lay before the towne / but assayled it nat / & so passed by the next day and toke the waye to Burbourcke / to retourne to their owne countrees.

Tidynges was brought anon in to Englāde howe the frēchmen & scottes were in Northum berlāde / & distroyed and brent the coūtre. The kynge of Englande knewe rightwell before of their comynge / wherfore y ^e lordes were redy in the felde / & toke their way towarde the scottes. Thenglysshmen had made that somer the grettest prouisyon / that euer they made to go in to Scotlande bothe by lande & water. They had a .xxvi. vessels on the fee charged with ꝓuision costyng the frōters of Englande / redy to entre in to euery hauen of Scotland. And the kyng cāe him selfe acōpanyed with his vncles / therle of Cābridge & sir Thoin̄s Holand: Ther was also therle of Salisbury / therle of Atūdell / the yong erle of Penbroke / the yong lorde Spēsar therle of Stafforde / & therle Mysien / & so ma­ny barons & knightes that they were four .M. speres / besyde them that were before w ^t the du­ke of Lācastre / therle of Northūberlāde / therle therle of Notynghm̄ / the lorde Lucy / the lorde Neuell. The lordes & barons that were on be­fore pursuyng the scottes / were a two .M. speares & .xv. M. archers / And the kynge & the lor­des were fyftie .M. archers besyde varlettes.

The kyng folowed the duke of Lancastre so fast / that he and all his host came in to the mar­ches about yorke: for on the way tidynges cāe to the kyng / howe that his people that were be­fore / were likely to fight with the scottes in the marches of Northūberlande / therfore he made the gretter hast. & so the kyng cāe at last to sait Iohn̄s of Beuerley in the marches of Dyrhin̄ / And ther tidynges came to the kyng / how that the scottes were returned in to their owne countre: so all the men of warre lodged about in the marches of Northūberland. ¶Nowe shall I shewe you of an aduēture that fell in thēglysshe hoost / wherby that voyage was broken & mor­tall warre bytwene certayne of the lordes.

IN the marches of sait Iohn̄ of Beuerley in y ^e dyo­ces of yorke / The kynge of England was lodged with a great nombre of erles / ba­rons / and knightes / for eue­ry man lay as nere the kyng as they might / and specially his two vncles / (ser) Thomas Holande erle of Lien and sir Iohan Holande his brother. In the kynges company there was a knyght of Boesme was come to se the quene of Englande / and for loue of y ^e quene the kyng and the lordes made hym good chere. His name was sir Myles / he was a fresshe lu­stye knight after the vsage of Almaygne. And so it fortuned besyde a vyllage nere to sait Io­hans of Beuerley / y ^t there fell wordes bitwene this knight & two squyers of sir Iohan of Hollandes brother to the kynge / and to the wordes there came two archers of sir Iohan Staffor­des. The wordes so multiplyed / that the two archers toke parte with the straunger / and blamed the two squyers / sayng: Sirs / yedo wrō ­ge to medyll with this knight / for ye knowe he is belongyng to the quene / and of her countre. ye ought rather to support him than otherwise Than one of the squyers sayd: What enuyous knaue? Hast thou to do thoughe I blame hym for his folly. What haue I to do quod the ar­cher? I haue right well to do therwith / for he is companyon to my mayster / Therfore I wyll nat be in the place / to suffre hym to receyue a­ny villany. yea quod the squyer / if I thought thou woldest ayde hym agaynste me / I wolde put this swerd through thy body / & made coūt­naūce / [Page] as thoughe he wolde haue stryken him. The archer stepped backe with his bowe / whiche was redy bente: And sette an arowe therin and drewe it vp / and shotte agaynst the squyer that the arowe pearsed thoroughe body & hart / and so fell downe deed. Whan the other squyer sawe his felowe deed he fledde awaye / and sir Myles retourned to his lodgynge. The two archers went to their maister and shewed hym all the aduenture. Sir Richarde Stafforde sayde / Thou hast done right yuell. Sir quod the archer / I coude do none otherwise without I wolde haue been slayne my selfe / and I had rather haue slayne hym thā he shulde haue slayne me. Well quod sir Rycharde / Go thy waye that thou be nat founde / and I shall entreate for thy peace with sir Iohan of Holande / by my father or by some other. So the archer deꝑted.

TIdynges anone was brought to sir Iohan of Holande / that an ar­cher of sir Richarde Staffordes / had slayne a squyer of his / y ^t man that he loued best in all the worlde / and it was shewed hym the maner howe: And that it was for the cause of sir Myles the straū ger. Whan sir Iohan of Holande was well en­fourmed of this aduenture / he was ryght sore displeased and sayd. I shall neuer eate nor dri­ke tyll it be reuenged. Than he lepte on his horse and toke certayne of his men with hym / and departed fro his owne lodgynge. It was as than right late and so rode in to the feldes / and enquered / Where sir Myles was lodged. It was shewed hym / he was lodged in the rere­garde with the erle of Deuurynters and therle of Stafforde. Than sir Iohan Hollande toke the waye thyder warde / and sought to fynde sir Myles: And as he and his men rode vp & downe amonge the hedges and busshes / in a straite waye he mette at aduenture with sir Richarde Stafforde / and bicause it was night he demaū ded who was there? I am quod he Rycharde Stafforde. And I am Hollande quod the o­ther / and I seke for the. One of thy seruauntes hath slayne my best beloued squyer: And ther­with drewe out his sworde and strake Richar­de Stafforde / so that he slewe hym & fell dow­ne deed / whiche was great pytie. So he pas­sed for the and knewe nat well what he had do­ne / but he sawe well one falle to the grounde. Sir Richarde Staffordes men were sore dis­mayd whan they sawe their maister deed. than they cryed: A Holande Holande / ye haue slay­ne the sonne of therle of Stafforde. This wyll be heuy tidynges to the father whan̄e he kno­weth therof. Some of sir Iohan of Holandes seruauntes herde well these wordes / and sayde to their mayster. Sir / ye haue slayne sir Ry­charde Stafforde. Well quod sir Iohan Hol­lade / what than? I had leauer haue slayne him than a worse: The better haue I reuenged the dethe of my squyer. Than sir Iohan of Hol­lande wente streyght to saynt Iohans of Be­uerley / and tooke the fraunchesse of the towne and abode there styll / For he knewe well there wolde be moche a do in the hooste / for the dethe of that knight: And he wyst nat what the kyn­ge wolde saye or do in the mater. So to eschue all paryllce / he tooke sentuarye in the towne of saynt Iohans of Beuerley.

TIdynges anone came to the Erle of Stafforde / howe his sonne was slay­ne by yuell aduenture. Thafie the erle demaunded who had slayne hym: And suche as were by hym whan he was slayne sayd. sir / the kynges brother / sir Iohen of Holande dyd slee hym: And shewed hym the cause why / and howe it was. ye maye well knowe / that he that loued entierly his sonne and hadde no mo but hym / and was a fayre yonge knyght and a coutagyous / was marueylously sore dyspleased / and sente incontynent for all his frendes to ha­ue their counsayle / howe he shulde vse hym sel­fe in the reuengynge of his dethe. The moost wysest man of his counsayle sayd. Sir / to morowe in the mornynge / shewe all the matter to the kyng / and desyre hym to haue lawe and iu­styce. Thus they suaged som what his yre / and so passed that night. And the nexte mornynge Rycharde Stafforde was buryed in the chur­che of the vyllage therby. And at his buryeng were all those of his lynage / barons / knightes and squyers that were in armye. And the obsequy done / the erle of Stafforde and a thre score of his lygnage mounted on their horses and so came to the kynge / who was well enfor­med of that yuell aduenture. And so the Erle founde the kyng and his vncles toguyder / and a great nombre of knightes with them. Whan the erle came before the kyng he kneled downe / and all wepynge / sayde with a soroufull harte. Sir / ye are kynge of Englande / and haue so­lemly sworne to kepe Englāde in all right / & to do iustyce. (ser) / ye knowe how your brother w ^tout [Page xi] any tytell of reason hath slayne my sonne and ayre. Sir / I requyre you do me right and iu­styce / or els ye shall haue no worse enemy than I wyll be. And sir / I wyll ye knowe / the dethe of my son toucheth me so nere / that and it were nat for brekynge of this voyage that we be in / I shulde bring the host in to suche trouble / that with honour it shulde be amended / and so coū teruenged / that it shulde be spoken of a hūdred yeres hereafter in Englande: But as nowe I wyll cease tyll this voyage in to Scotlande be done / for our ennemyes shall nat reioyse of the trouble of the erle of Stafforde. The kyng answered. Knowe for trouthe that I shall do you iustyce and reason / as fatforthe as all my barones wyll iudge. I shall nat fayle therof / for no brother that I haue. Than they of the erles ly­nage sayd. Sir / ye haue sayd well / we thanke you therof. Thus the lynage of sir Richarde Stafforde was apeased / and so helde on their iourney in to Scotlande. And all the iourney the erle of Stafforde made no semblant of the dethe of his sonne / wherin all the barons repu­ted hym right sage. ⸪ ⸫

THus auaunsed forthe the kyng of Englande with seuyn thousande men of ar­mes and threscore thousand archers. All the strength of the realme of Englāde was there: For it was sayd howe the admyrall of Fraunce wolde fight with thē / and in dede he had great desyre and wyll so to do / for he sayde to the barons of Scotlande or they came forthe. Sirs / make your sommons to gette as moche strength as ye can / for if the Englysshe men come in to Scotlande / I wyll surely fight with thē. The scottes sayd as than howe they were content therwith / howe be it after they toke other aduyse. The kynge of En­glande passed forthe so fary / that he passed Duresme and Newe castell on the ryuer of Tyne / and all the lande of Northumberlande: and so at laste came to Berwyke / wherof sir Mathue Redman was capitayne who receyued the kynge ioyfully / and the kyng taryed nat ther long / but passed forthe ouer the ryuer of Twede / and toke his lodgynge at the abbey of Mewrous / the whiche for all the warres that had been by­twene Englande and Scotlande had neuer no hurt nor domage but as than it was clene brnet and exiled: For it was thentent of the englyssh men nat to retourne agayne in to Englande / tyll they had distroyed all Scotlande / bycause they were fortifyed at that tyme by the frenche men. Whan̄e the admyrall of Fraunce / knewe that the kynge of Englande was passed the ry­uer of Twede / and was entred in to Morlane in Scotlande: Than he sayd to the barons of Scotlande. Sirs / why do we sytte styll? Let vs go forthe and aduyse our ennemyes & fyght with them. It was shewed vs or we came here that if ye had out of Fraunce but one thousāde of good men of armes / ye shulde be stronge ynoughe to fyght with the Englysshe men. And I ensure you / ye haue mo than a thousāde and fyue hundred cror bowes. And surely the knightes and squyers that be here in my company ar parfyte men of armes / and the floure of chiualrye / and wyll nat flye / but abyde suche aduen­ture as god wyll sende you and them.

TO these wordes answered the barones of Scotlāde / who knewe so well the puissaunce of the Englysshe men / that they hadde no wyll to fight with them: Wherfore they said Sirs / we beleue well that ye and your compa­ny be chosen men and of great valure: But sir we haue knowledge that all the power of En­glande is here / there were neuer so many En­glysshe men toguyder assembled / as be nowe / And ye wyll / we shall bringe you in to suche a place / that ye shall well se and aduyse theym. And thanne if ye counsayle that they shall be fought with all / it shall nat be refused by vs. For surely sir / all suche wordes as ye haue said we dyde speke them. A goddes name quod the admyrall / let me ones se thē. And so anon after therle Dugles and other barons of Scotlāde brought thadmyrall vnto a highe mountayne / and vnder the hyll there was a passage / wher­by thēglysshe host must passe: on this hyll was thadmyrall / w ^t diuers knightꝭ of Fraūce in his [Page] company / And there clerely they sawe the En­glysshe men and all their puissaunce / and ther they nombred them as nere as they coude to be a sire thousande men of armes / & threscore thousande archers and other. Than all thynges cō ­sydred they sayd howe they were nat of puys­saunce suffycient to fight with the Englysshe­men / for they passed nat a thousande speares & a .xxx. thousande of all other men / and but yuell armed. Than the admyrall sayd to the etle Du­glas and to therle Morette. Sirs / ye saye but good reason / thoughe ye haue no wyll to fight with the Englisshe men. Therfore aduyse you what ye wyll do / they are stronge ynoughe to ouer ryde all your countrey / and to distroy it. And sithe ye maye nat fight with them / I pray you bring me throughe your countre / by some priuye waye in to Englande if it maye be: and we shall make them warre in some other parte as they do to vs here. Sir ꝙ the barones / that shall we well do / for we knowe dyuers wayes.

TO thus the admyrall and the barones of Scotlande determyned to forsake Scotlande / and to lette the Englyssh men alone / and to go & entre into Wales / and to go to the cytie of Carlyle and there to reuen­ge them. So they lefte the Englysshe men and toke the forestes and mountayns / and as they rode throughe out Scotlande / they distroyed all as they wente and brent townes / vyllages / and maners: and caused all the men / women / & chyldren of the coūtre to driue all their catayle / and to go into y ^t wylde forestes / for they knewe well the Englisshe men wolde nat folowe them thyder. And the kynge of Scottes wente in to the wylde scottysshe / bicause he wes nat ī good poynt to ryde a warfare / and they he taryed all the warre durynge / and lette his men alone. So the Frenche men and Scottes passed the highe mountayns / bytwene. Northumberlāde and Scotlande / and entred in to the lande of Wales / and began to brenne villages / and dyd moche hurte in the Mombrayes landes. And the erle of Notyngham / the erle of Stafforde / and the barone of Grasoppe / and the Mosgr [...] ­ues landes / and so they toke the waye to the cy­tie of Carlyle.

THe admyrall of Fraūce was the erle of Graunt Pre / and the lorde of saynt Croix / sir Geffray of Charney / (ser) Wyl lyam de Brume / sir Iames of Boesme / the lorde of Pe­gny / the lorde of Hees / the lorde of Marnell / sir Valeran of Rauenall / the barone D [...]ery / the barone of Fountayns / the lorde of Croye / sir Brake of Braquemont / the lorde of Landury / and well a thousande speres of barons & knightes of Fraunce. And so they and the lordes of Scotlande rode in Northū ­berlande bytwene the mountayns on the fron­ters of Wales / brennyng townes / maners / and countrees: And the kyng of Englande and his vncles / with barons and knightes of Englāde and their companyes entred in to Scotlande / and brent and exyled on their parte. And so the kyng came and lodged in Edenborowe / y ^e chefe towne in all Scotlande / and there taryed fyue dayes / and at his departyng it was set a fyre & brent vp clene / but the castell had no hurt / for it was stronge ynough and well kept. Whyle the kyng lay at Edenborowe / thenglysshmen rode abrode in the countre and dyd moche / hurt / but they foūde nother man nor beest abrode / for all was withdrawen in to the forestes. In the En­glysshe hoost were mo than a hūdred thousāde men / and well as many horse / wherof they had nede of great prouisyon / and they foūde none in Scotlande / but out of Englande there cāe to thē great plentie / bothe by lande and by see. Than the kyng departed fro Edēborowe and rode towarde Estruleyn a good towne / wher­in there was a great abbey of blacke monkes / and moost cōmenly the kynges of Scotlande are there buryed. The kyng lay in the abbey & at their deꝑtyng / abbey & all was brent. Than they passed the ryuer of Taxe / whiche ronneth to saint Iohn̄s towne / at the castell of Strulyn there was a great assaute / but it wolde nat be wonne: yet the towne and all the landes of the lorde Vercy they brent.

THe entent of the duke of Lancastre and of his bretherne / was to passe through Scotlande and to pursue the scottes and fren­che men / for, they knew well they were gone the [Page xii] waye to Wales to go to Carlyle: And so they thought to enclose thē bytwene Englande and Scotlande / and to fight with them at their aduauntage. This purpose they thought veryly to holde. Thenglysshe men spredde abrode in Scotlāde / there was no resystence agaynst thē for the countre was voyde of all men of warre: they were gone in to Englande with the admyrall of Fraunce. And so there the Englysshmen brent the towne of saynt Iohn̄s / where as the ryuer of Taxe rynneth / and there is a good hauen to sayle thens ouer all the worlde / and after they brent the towne of Donde. The Englyssh men spared nother abbeys nor minsters but set all on fyre. And so they of the vowarde ran to Bredan / whiche is a cytie on the see syde / It is on thentre of the wylde scottysshe / but they dyd no hurte therto / howe be it they of the countrey were right sore afrayed. They of that cytie thought to haue assaute / for they feared leest y ^e kynge of Englande wolde haue come thyder / and haue ouer ron all that countre.

THus in lykewise as the Englysshemen dyde in Scotlande / so dyd the frenche men and scottes in Englande / in the marchesse of Northumberlande and Wales. & they brent a great countre as they went out of Northum­berlande and entred in to Wales / whiche was otherwise called Wynslande / and passed by the landes of the lordes of Graystocke and Clyf­forde / and brent in their voyage dyuers great villages / for they were no men of warre in that coūtre as than / for they were all with the kyng. So they came to the cyte of Catlyle in Wales / whiche was well closed with gatꝭ / walles / & dykes: It was a place that of auncyent tyme kynge Arthure loued rightwell / bycause that there were great woodes / and many dedes of armes there was done. There laye in Carlyle in garison sir Lewes Clyfforde / brother to sir Wyllm̄ Neuell / and with hym sir Thom̄s Mosgraue and Dauy Holgraue his sonne / and sir Don­gorsse / and dyuers other of the marchesse and fronters of Wales / for the cytte of Carlyle was chiefe cytie of all that countre / and it was nede full for good men of warre to be the [...]: for whan the admyrall of Fraunce came thyder he assayled the cytie by great force / the whiche assaute was cruell and fierse. So thus before the cytie there were many no­ble dedes of armes done. ⸪

THe kyng of Englandes vn­cles knewe well what waye the admyrall of Fraūce and the scottes helde / & said how they thought it for y ^e best to folowe theym / and to serche tyll they myght fynde them / and so to fight with them: Sayeng / howe they coude in no wyse escape them. In this purpose was the duke of Lancastre and his bretherne / and dyuers other of the great barons of En­glande / and the moost parte of the cōmons of the hoost. And as than all their prouisyon was come as well by lande as by see / and the kynge also was agreed to the same purpose and than on a night the erle of Oxenforde / who was as than chiefe of counsayle with the kynge & bare all the rule: the kyng trusted no man so moche. He turned the kyng cleue fro his purpose I can nat shewe you for what cause / but the enformed the kyng as it was knowen after / and said: sir What thynke ye to do? Wyll ye folowe the way that your vncles hath counsayled? Sir knowe for trouth that if ye do so / ye shall neuer returne agayne. For sir / the duke of Lācastre desyreth none other thynge but that ye were deed / that he might be kyng. Howe durst he coūsayle yor grace to go this wynter season in to a strange countrey? Sir / I wolde nat counsayle you to passe the moūtayns of Northumberlande / for there be mo than .xxx. streightes and passages / that if ye were closed in them / ye shulde neuer come out agayne without daunger of the scot­tes. Sir / putte nat youre selfe in to that daun­ger / what soeuer they saye to you. If the duke of Lancastre wyll go lette hym go / and haue the charge therof / but by my counsayle ye / shall nat go. Sir / ye haue done ynough for this one tyme. youre father was neuer so farre within Scotlande / nor yet Kynge Edwarde youre graunt father. Therfore sir / this oughte to contente you / and saue youre owne persone. [Page] ye be yonge and lusty: And suche there be / that sheweth you sayre semblant and loueth you but l [...]tell. The kynge gaue suche audyence to the sayeng of this erle / that it went neuer out of his mynde / as ye shall herafter.

THe next mornyng the lordes of Englande and their people / ordred them selfe to deꝑte out of Scotlāde / and to folowe their en­nemyes to fight with them: as it was conclu­ded the night before. Than the duke of Lanca­stre came to the king his nephue / nat knowyng of the trouble and chaunge of his purpose▪ and the kynge beyng in his malencoly / assone as he sawe hym / he sayd in great yre. Certesse vncle of Lācastre / ye shall nat attayne as yet to your entent. Thynke you for all your wordes / y ^t we wyll lese our selfe folisshely? I wyll nat beleue you nor yet your coūsayle? for I se therby more domage than profyte / to vs and to our people. For if ye wyll make this voyage / do it and ye lyste / but as for me I wyll nat: For I wyll re­tourne into Englande the nexte waye / and all suche as loue vs wyll folowe vs. Than the du­ke of Lancastre sayd: Sir / I shall folowe you for ye haue neuer a man in your company / that loueth you so well as I do / & also my bretherne And if there be any man wyll saye (except your persone) that I wolde any thynge otherwyse than well to you or to your people / here is my guage to the cōtrarie. So there was none that wolde speke any worde: And the kynge helde his peace and spake to other of his seruauntes of other maters / and orderyng hymselfe to re­turne into Englande the same way y ^t he came / and the duke of Lācastre departed fro the kyn­ge right sore troubled in his mynde / and returned to his cōpany / and made newe ordynaūce / for in the morning they had thought to haue folowed the frenchmen in to the marches of Wa­les / but they dyde nat so for they retourned the next waye in to Englande. Lo / thus ye may se howe thetle of Oxēforde who was great with the kyng brake all this voyage / and dyuers of the great lordes / sayd that the kyng was yuell counsayled / Seynge / that all the prouisyon was come / For they sayd they might well haue folowed the scottes in to Wales / For in their so doyng / they shulde euer haue drawen in to Englande warde. And some ꝑsons that were we­ry of payne and trauell said / howe that all thynges cōsidred / they were better to retourne than to go any further: Sayeng / howe a great ꝓui­sion must be had to scrue suche an host / & howe it was yuell to passe the mountayns that wyn­ter season / wherby they sayd they might rather lese than wynne.

THus in his season brake vp the iorney and army of Englande: and the kynge and his lordes retourned in to Englande / the same way they came / but they hadde distroyed the moost parte of the realme of Scotlande. These tidynges came to the admyrall of Fraū ­ce and to the scottes / than they tooke counsayle what was best for them to do / and so concluded to retourne agayne in to Scotlande / for their vitails began to fayle and they were in a poore countrey / for they had distroyed the marches of Carlyle / and the landes of the barone of Clyf­forde / the lorde Maubray / and the bysshoprike of Carlyle / but the cytie they coude nat wynne. And the frenche men sayd / howe they had brent and distroyed in the bysshorike of Dyrhame & Carlyle / that was better worthe than all y ^e townes in Scotlande. So the frenchmen and scottes retourned in to Scotlande the same waye they came: And whan they came into Scotlā ­de they founde the countrey distroyed / but the people of the countre dyde sette but lytell ther­by and said / howe with thre or four poles / shortely they wolde make agayne their houses / for they had saued moche of their catayle in the fo­restes: But all that the frenche men tooke they were fayne to paye truely therfore / and dere. The frenche men were often in great daunger / for the scottes and they were at many debates for vitayle: And the scotes sayd / howe the frenche men dyde them more demage than the En­glysshe men had done: & when it was demaunded of them why so they answered and sayde: howe the frenche men as they rode abrode they beate downe & desoyled their cornes / as whete barley / and otes: and wolde nat kepe the highe wayes / but rather ryde throughe the corne. Of whiche demages / they said they wolde haue of them a trewe recōpence or they departed out of Scotlande: & sayde / Howe they shulde nother haue shyppe nor maryner to passe thē ouer the see / without their leaue and lycēce. and dyuers other knightes and squyers complayned / that their woodes were cutte downe by the frenche men to make their lodgynges.

WHan the admyrall and his company were returned in to Scotlande / and were come to Edenborowe / they had endured great payne / & as than they coude fynde nothing to bye for their money wynes they had but lytell / and but small ale or bere / and their bredde was of barley or of otes / and their horses were deed for hunger and foū dred for pouertie. And whan they wolde haue solde thē they wyst nat to whom / nor ther was none wolde gyue thē one peny / nother for horse nor for harnesse. The soudyers shewed to their capitayns howe they were delte with all / and they knewe it right well by experyence of them selfe: And their men said / howe they coude nat long endure in that payne: They said that the realme of Scotlande was suche a countre nat to kepe an hoost in wynter / and if they shulde abyde there tyll somer they shulde be deed for pouertie. And if they shulde departe a sonder and serche for their lyueng abrode ī the coūtre / they douted that the scottes wolde slee them in their beddes. The admyrall consydred well all these thynges: and sawe clerely how it was likely to be as they sayde / howe be it he was in purpose to abyde there all the wynter / & to sende to the frenche kyng and to the duke of Burgoyne / certifyeng them what case they were in / and to haue newe prouisyon of money and vitayls / and to make a newe fresshe warre agayne the nexte somer to in Englande / howe be it he sawe well the yuels of the scottes / and consydred the yell of his people. Than he gaue leaue to departe / all suche as wolde / but at their departyng was the mischefe / for the lordes coude fynde no pas­sage for thēselfe nor for their men. The scottes wolde that such knightes and squyers as were but poore shulde departe / to thentent that they might rule the remnant at more ease: and sayd to the admyrall. Sir / lette youre men departe whan they wyll / but as for youre selfe / ye shall nat departe out of this coūtre / tyll we be full sa­tisfied of all suche charges as we haue borne all this season for your army.

THese tidynges were right harde to the admyrall & to the other barons of Fraū ce / and shewed all the mater to the erle Duglas and to the erle Morette / who besemynge were right sore displeased / that they were so hardely dalte with all / and said: We be right sorie / For this dealynge wyll cause that neuer scottysshe knight shall come in to Fraunce to haue good there. And so these two erles spake to the other erles & barons of Scotlande / who said / howe they had loste as well as they / wherfore dissy­mule you with them / for we wyll be recōpensed Than these two erles sayd to the admyrall and to the other lordes of Fraūce / howe they coude nat rule the other lordes nor the cōmons / Wherfore it behoued them if they purposed to go out of the realme / to satisfy the cōmons & to restore agayne all their domages. And whan the ad­myrall sawe that it wolde be non otherwise / he thought he wolde nat lese the more for the lesse. He consydred well / howe he was without con­forte and closed in with the see / and sawe howe the scottes were of a wylde opynion / wherfore they were fayne to agre to the scottes entent & caused a crye to be made / that all maner of per­sons shulde come to the admyrall of Fraunce & proue that any of his men had done thē any domage / and he wolde recōpence them to the va­lue therof / whiche crye apeased the scottes▪ and so the admyrall became de [...]tour to them all and sayd / howe he wolde nat departe out of Scot­lāde tyll all the complaynātes were fully satis­fyed and payed. Than dyuers knightes & squiers hadde passage and so retourned some in to Flaūders / and as wynde & weder wolde briue them / without horse and harnesse ryght poore and feble / cursyng the day that euer they came in Scotlande. Sayeng / howe there were ne­uer men had so harde a voyage, wysshing that the french kyng had peace with Englande one yere or two / and so bothe kynges togider to go in to Scotlande / vtterly to distroy that realm for euer: For they said / they neuer sawe so yuell people nor so false traytours / nor more folysshe people in feates of warre.

THe admyrall of Fraunce by thē that de­parted first / wrote letters to the frenche kyng and to the duke of Burgoyne / certifyeng them what case he was in / and how the scottes [Page] delte with hym / & that if they wolde haue hym to come home / they must sende thyder suche sō ­mes of money as he was become dettoure / for to be payed to the knightes / squyers / and com­mens of Scotlande / for the scottes sayd playnly / that the warre that they made in to Englande at that season / was for Fraunce and nat for them selfe. therfore all suche domages as they haue taken by that iourney / they wolde be ful­ly recompēsed agayne or he deꝑted out of scot­lande / to the whiche he had sworne and agreed The frenche kyng & his counsayle were boūde to redeme agayne the admyrall / for they sende hym thyder. Than̄e the sōmes of money were ordayned for / and the money payed by exchāge in the towne of Bruges / so that the scottꝭ were contente. Than the admyrall departed out of Scotlande whan all thynges was payed / and so toke his leaue of the kynge who was in the wylde scottysshe / and of the erles Duglas and Morette / who conueye [...] them to the seesyde / & so he toke shyppynge at Edenborowe and had wynde at wyll and arryued at Sluse in Flaū ­ders. Some knightes and squyers of his company returned nat agayne with hym / they tho­ught they wolde se other countrees / and so they went in to dyuers partes. The moost parte re­tourned in to Fraunce so poore / that they were nat able to get thē selfe any horse. some bought them horses / & specially the burgonions / the cā penoise / the barroise / and the lorayns. ⸪ ⸫

WHan the admyrall was retourned in to Fraunce to the yonge kynge Charles & to y ^e duke of Burgoyne they made hym good chere / as it was reason / and demaūded of hym the condycion of the kynge & of the lordes of Scotlande: He sayd / howe the scottes somewhat resembled, the En­glysshe men / bicause they be enuyous ouer strā gers: And moreouer he sayd / that he had ra­ther be erle of Sauoy or erle of Arthoyse than to be kyng of scottes / and sayd / howe he hadde sene all the power of Scotlande in one daye to gyder / as the scottes sayd them selfe / and yeche neuer sawe togyder past fyue hundred speares and about a .xxx. thousande other men of warr the whiche nombre agaynst Englisshe archers or agaynst a thousande of other good men of armes coude not longe endure. Than the admy­rall was demaunded / if he had sene the puys­saunce of Englande. He answered yea. For on a day quod he / whan I sawe the scottes flye a­waye for feare of the Englysshmen / I desyred them to bring me where as I might se and ad­uyse the Englysshe hoost / and so they dyde / I was set in a straite passage where as they must nedes passe / and to my demyng / they were a .ix thousande men of warre. And the scottes sayd that it was all the power of England / and that there were none abydinge behynde. Than the kyng and his counsayle studyed a lytell / and at laste sayd. It is a great thyng of threscore thousande archers & of sixe or seuyn thousande men of armes. It maye well be quod the Constable that they may make that nombre / but yet I had rather fight with theym at home in their owne marches than with halfe the nombre here / and so I herde my maister saye often tymes whan I was yonge. By my faithe quod the admy­rall / if ye had ben there with a great nombre of men of armes as I supposed ye shulde haue bē I thynke we hadde famysshed all Scotlande. Thus the constable and admyrall deuysed to­guyder / and they sette the duke of Burgoyne in great desyre to make an armye in to Englā ­de. ¶Nowe let vs leaue a lytell to speke of thē and retourne to the busynesse of Flaunders.

IT is of trouthe / the duke of Burgoyn had ymagined in his mynde to make the nexte Somer folowynge / whiche shulde be in the yere of oure lorde god / a thou­sande thre hundred fourscore and fyue / a great army / and to moue the frenche kyng as moche as he might to go into Englande. And also the constable of Frāce / who was an expert knight and well beloued in the realme of Fraūce / and had ben brought vp in his youthe in the realm of Englande: He in lykewise gaue counsayle to the same enterprise / and so dyde the lorde dela T [...]emoyle. And bycause y ^t the duke of Berrey was in Poictou and Lymosyn / and knewe [Page xiiii] nothynge of this counsayle / the duke of Bur­goyne who was chiefe about the kynge / he had dyuers ymaginacions. he thought well that as long as the warre contynued in Flaūders / the voyage ouer the see in to Englande / coude nat well be done: Wherfore he was more troubled with them of Gaunte / and enclyned rather to their desyres. for he knewe well how they were alyed to thenglysshe men. And howe they had in Gaunte a knight of Englande called sir Iohan Bourchier / sent thyder by kyng Richarde to gouerne the towne and to counsayle theym: Howe be it the gauntoyse desyred to haue pea­ce for they were so ouerlayd by the warre / that the moost ryche and notablest persones of the towne / were nat maisters of their owne goodꝭ for the wylde soudyours gouerned them. And the wyse men sawe well / that at length it coude nat endure / but that they were all in great pa­rell. And whan they were toguyder / dyuers of ten tymes marueyled / howe they had endured so longe as they hadde done: they sawe well it was rather by force than by loue / For Peter de Boyse alwayes parceyuered in his yuell opy­nions and domages / So that non durst speke before hym of peace / for if he knewe any ꝑsone though he were neuer so sage that spake of any treatie of peace / incōtynent he was slayne and murthered without pytie or remedy.

THis warre that they of Gaunte hadde maynteyned agaynst their lorde therle Loyes of Flaunders and the Duke of Bour­goyne had / endured a seuyn yere / wherby ther was suche hurte done / that it were great mar­ueyle to reherse. The turkes / paynims / and sarasyns sorowed that warre: For of trouthe the marchaundyses of eightene realmes / arryued lightely at Sluse / and had their delyueraunce at Danne or at Bruges / whiche was all let by this warre. Than beholde and cōsydre if these farre ꝑties sorowed this warre: Moche more ought to be sorie the landes nexte adioynynge therto / & there was none coude fynde any mea­ne of peace. And so firste by the grace of god & diuyne inspyracion / and by the hūble prayers of good folkes / that god opened their eares / & had pytie of the poore people of Flaunders. And how the peace came by them I shall shewe you fro poynt to poynt / as I shewed you before the begynning / so shall I declare the endynge. The begynnyng of the hatte was by Iohn̄ de Bare / Iohan Piet / Gylbert Mathue / Iohan Lion and suche other / and I desyre you to her­ken thervnto.

IN this season in the towne of Gaunt was sir Iohan Bourchyer ruler there vn­der the kynge of Englande / and Peter de Boyse dyd assyst hym and susteygned all their yuell opinyons. Ther were some wysemen right sore displeased with the dyscēcion bytwene their naturall lorde and the towne: how be it they durst nat shewe forth the ententes of their hartes / but one of them to another as they durst secretely. For if Peter de Boyse had knowen that they had made any [...] ­blant of peace / they shulde haue ben slayne w ^t ­out mercy. In lyke maner as he and Philyppe Dartuell had slayne sir Symon Bec [...]e and sir Gylbert Brute / and to kepe the people of Gaūt in feare: He had caused dyuers to be slayne in that season. In that season afore or Fraunces Atremau was putte oute of the towne of Dan by the frenche kyng / and had distroyed the coū trey of the foure maysters / and that the kynge was returned agayne in to Fraunce (as ye ha­ue herde before) They of Gaūt began to dout and the notable men of the towne supposed / y ^t the nexte Somer the frenche kynge wolde re­tourne agayne and besiege the towne / but Pe­ter de Boyse and suche other of his secte made but lyght therof: Sayenge / howe they wolde gladly se the kynge before their towne / for they sayd / they had suche alyaunce with the kyng of Englāde / that they shulde soone be ayded and conforted. In this season there was in the towne two valyant men of good lyfe and of good conuersacyon / of a meane lygnage / nat of the best nor of the worst. Whiche ꝑsones were sore displeased to se the discorde bytwene the towne and their naturall lorde / howe be it they durste [Page] nat speke therof for feare of Peter de Boyse / One of them was a maryner & the other a bo­cher / the one called Roger de Creuyn / and the other Iaques Dardenbourke.

[...]I these two persones the matter was first set a warke / and with thē a wyse knight of Flaunders called sir Iohan Delle / who tooke great payne therin: But he nor all the knyghtes in Flaūders coude neuer haue brought it to passe / and it had nat ben by the meanes of these two persons. This knight sir Iohan Delle was welbeloued in the towne of Gaunt / and came and wente at his pleasure without any suspection. These two forsayd ꝑ­sons had great displeasure of this debate [...] and spake priuely togyder therof: And Roger said to Iaques. Wyll there be no remedy foūde by­twene the towne of Gaunte (in the whiche we were borne / and is nowe in a harde case) & the duke of Burgoyn our naturall lorde? It were a great almes dede to make a peace [...] & they that so coude do / shulde haue thanke of god & great prayse of the worlde: for by that meanes y ^e trouble shulde be ceased for euer, ye saye trouthe ꝙ Iaques: But it is a harde thynge to bringe a­bout: for Peter de Boyse is a paryllous man / there is none dare speke of peace for feare of hī. Well ꝙ Roger / yet it can nat be alwayes thus / at last it must nedes haue an ende. Shewe me quod Iaques by what meanes it myght be / & I wyll gladly here you. Than quod Roger / ye be the chefe of all the bochery / and moost belo­ued and dradde. ye might secretely shewe your corage and entent to them that be your frēdes / and as ye se howe they enclyne / ye maye speke further lytell and lytell. And on the other syde / I that am a maryner and beloued with all maner of men. and I knowe some of their coragꝭ howe that the warre displeaseth them / for they haue great domage therby. And I shall shewe my mynde to some / who shall drawe other to y ^e same purpose. And if we maye gette these two craftes of our accorde / the other craftes & other good people suche as desyreth peace / wyllnsone euclyne to vs. Well quod Iaques / and I shall speke gladly to thē of my crafte / and speke you to yours. And as they deuysed so it was done / ryght secretely and wisely / so that by the grace of the Holygost / Iaques Dardenboure foūde all tho of the bochery well enclyned to his wyll And Roger on his part by meanes of his fayre language / founde the maryners ryght well a­greed therto / for their crafte was nere loste for lacke of vsage.

Hus these two wyse men shewed eche to other / howe they founde their peo­ple disposed to haue peace. Than they said / howe they must haue some other sage persone to shewe all this matter to their lorde. At last they remembred them of a knight called sir Iohan Dell / and so they went to hym and dis­couered to hym all their ententes secretly / and sayd. Sir / we haue laboured so moche to thē of our craftes / that they be well enclyned to haue peace / so that our lorde the duke of burgoyn wolde pardon them / and to graunt vs our aū ­cyent fraunchesses / according to the tenours of our charters and bulles. Than this sir Iohan sayd / I shall gladly go and entreate hym. And so this knight went out of the towne to y ^e duke / who was in Fraūce with the kyng / and he she­wed hym all the forsaid mater / & dyd so moche with his fayre langage / that the duke enclyned to here what he wolde saye: And for the desyre that the duke had to make a voyage in to En­glande / the lightlyer he condiscended to haue peace with them of Gaunt: And also his coun­sayle sir Guy de la Tremoyle and sir Iohan de Vyen / and the constable and the lorde Coucy / counsayled him to take peace with thē: than the duke answered and sayd to sir Iohn̄ Delle I am content to do in this mater as ye wyll deuyse / and so retourne ye agayne to thē that sent you hyder: And the duke demaunded of hym / if Fraunces Atreman were a counsayle of this treatie or nat. Sir quod he / I thynke he kno­weth nothynge therof / he kepeth the Castell of Gaure / and I knowe nat if they that sent me hider / wolde that he shulde knowe it or nat. Tell thē quod the duke that they speke hardely with him in the mater / for I thynke he wyll nat be agaynst me / for as I vnderstāde he desireth gretly to be at peace w ^t me. as the duke cōmaunded so this knyght dyd / and retourned to Gaunt & brought these good tidyngꝭ. And than he went to the castell of Gaure to speke with Fraunces Atreman / and discouered all his entent secretely to him. And whan Fraunces had a lytell studyed / merely he said. And if my lorde the duke wyll pardon them of Gaunt and vpholde their frauncheses / I shall nat be rebell agaynst hym but be right diligent to haue peace. Than this knight departed fro hym and went agayne in to Fraunce to the duke / and shewed hym all the [Page xv] mater. The duke herde hym gladly / and wrot letters open & close sealed with his seale / to thē of Gaūte. And this knyght with those letters retourned in to Flaunders / & so came to Gaūt / but he shewed nat the letters as than / but he ꝓ­mysed Roger and Iaques to accōplysshe their ententes. Beholde nowe what ꝑell this knight and they were in: For if sir Iohan Bourchier and Peter de Boyse had knowen of the mater all the worlde shulde nat haue saued their ly­ues. ⸫ ⸪

THan̄e Roger and Ia­ques said to sir Iohn̄ Dell / Sir / ye shall come on mon­day nexte comyng in to this towne at nyne of the clocke / and bringe with you the dukes letters / and shewe them openly to the cōmons of Gaunte / wherby they shall gyue the more credence / for by that houre / we wyll be lordes of the towne / or elles slayne in the quarell. Well quod sir Iohan / be it as ye saye: and so ended their coūsayle for that tyme And sir Iohan Delle went out of the towne to accomplysshe his purpose. These other two wysemen studyed howe to bringe aboute their purpose / and so spake with some of their fren­des and aldermen of the craftes / so that they had a great nombre of their accorde: And de­termyned that on the nexte monday at nyne of the clocke / they shulde departe out of their hou­ses / with the banner of Flaūders before them: Cryeng the Lyon of Flaūders / the lorde of the countrey / hath gyuen peace to the good towne of Gaunte / and hath pardoned clerely all tres­passes. For all this mater was sagely hādeled yet it came to the knowlege of Peter de Boise. And as soone as he knewe therof / he went streight to sir Iohan Bourchyer / who was soue­raygne capitayne there vnder the kyng of En­glande / and sayd to hym: Roger Creuyn and Iaques Dardēbourke / wyll be to morowe by nyne of the clocke in the market place / with the banner of Flaunders before theym: And they wyll crye through the towne / the Lyon of Flaū ders lorde of this countre / hath gyuen peace to the towne of Gaunte / and hath ꝑdoned all tres­passes. What shall we do? The kynge of En­glande shall nat be than̄e obeyed / without we preuent them / and putte them out of our iurys­dyctions. What is best than to do quod sir Iohan Bourchier? Than aunswered Peter and sayd. It behoueth / that to morowe in the mor­nyng / we assemble in harnes all our men in the house de la Vale: And than let vs go throughe the towne with the kynge of Englandes baner before vs / and lette vs crye also: The Lyon of Flaunders kynge of Englande / lorde of this countrey and towne of Gaunte. And whan we come in to the market place / suche as be on our partie wyll drawe to vs / and than lette vs flee all the other treatours. It is well deuysed ꝙ sir Iohan Bourchier / lette it so be done.

¶Nowe beholde / if god dyde nat moche for these two / Roger and Iaques: For they were enfourmed of Peter de Boyse deuyse. & whan they knewe it they were nat abasshed: But late in the euenynge they sente to all their frendes / that where as they shulde be the nexte daye in the market place by eight of the cloke / in any wyse they desyred them to be there by seuyn of the clocke / and that they dyde to preuent Peter de Boyse. To this poyntment euery man was agreed / and on the monday in the mornyng sir Iohan Bourchyer and his company came to the house called de la Vale / & with hym a thre­score / and Peter de Boyse came thyder with a xl. there they armed thē / & in good ordynaunce sette them selfe forwarde. And Roger and Ia­ques assembled their frendes togyder / and the moost parte of the aldermen and burgesses of Gaunt came to them. Than they toke the erles baner and went through the towne / cryeng the foresaid crye / and suche as herde the crye / and sawe the aldermen of their craftes and the ba­ners of the erle / they folowed after and came to the same cōpany: And so by seuyn of the clocke they came to the market place / and there set thē selfe in good order / with therles baners before them / and euer there came mo and mo to them. These tidynges came anone to sir Iohn Bourchier [Page] and to Peter de Boyse / who were assem­blynge of their people. Than they went forthe with the baners of Englāde before them / and as they wente / they cryed their cryes before deuysed. And so they came to the said market place / and there araynged them selfe before the o­ther / but euer suche as came / the moost parte went to the Erles baners / so that if a hundred came fourscore went thyder: In so moche / that all the place was full of men of armes / and so they stode eche regardyng other.

WHan Peter de Boyse / sawe howe the aldermen of the craftes drewe to Ro­ger and Iaques he was sore abasshed and douted greatly of his lyfe: For he sawe su­che as were wont to serue hym / flye awaye fro hym: and so priuely he stale awaye oute of the prease / and hydde hym selfe for feare of dethe. And whan Roger and Iaques sawe y ^t / nighe all the people drewe to their parte / they were right ioyouse and well cōforted / and nat with­out good cause: For than they sawe well / that the people of Gaunt wolde be in peace w ^t their lorde / Than they departed with a certayne of their company / with the baners of Flaunders before them / and so came to sir Iohan Bour­chyer and to the Englysshemen / who were nat very sure of their lyues / whan they sawe them come towarde them. Than Roger demaūded of sir Iohan Bourchier / wher Peter de boyse was and what was his entent / and whyder he was their frende or enemy. The knight answered and said. I thynke Peter de Boyse be here by me / and whan he sawe that he was gone / he sayd. I knowe nat wher he is become: I went he had been in my company. But as for me / I am and wyll be seruaunt to my naturall lorde the kyng of Englande / who sende me hyder at your owne desyres / if ye well remembre. It is true quod they / for if ye had nat ben desyred to come hyder by the towne of Gaunte / ye shulde haue ben slayne. But for the honour of the kynge of Englande who sende you hyder at our request / ye shall nat nede to feare nor non of yo [...]s ye shall haue no hurte. We shall saue you from all domages / and conducte you to the towne of Calayes: Wherfore departe to your lodgynges peasably / and [...]lyrre nat for any thynge ye here or se / For we wyll be vnder the obeysaūce of oure naturall lorde the duke of Burgoyne / and wyll make no more warre. The knyght was ryght Ioyouse of that aunswere to be so quyte / and sayd. Sir / sythe it wyll be none o­therwyse so be it: and I thanke you of that ye offre me at this tyme. ⸪ ⸫

THan sir Iohan Bour­chier departed peasably fro the place with all thenglissh men / and suche Gauntoyse as were in his Companye fledde awaye and hydde thē selfe. And anone after en­tred in to the towne sir Iohan Delle / and came in to the market place with the dukes letters / sende thyder by the duke: And there they were opyned and reed to all the people / whiche gretlye pleased theym. Than Fraunces Atreman was sent for fro the castell of Gaure / who incō ­tynent came to them and agreed to the treatie / and sayd it was well: And so thervpon sir Io­han Delle was sente agayne to the duke / who was as than at Arras / & shewed hym all the demeanour of the gauntoyse: And howe that Peter de Boyse had as than no rule nor audyence in the towne: and howe that if he had ben foū ­de he had been slayne: and howe that Fraūces Atreman dyde acquyte hym selfe valyātly and confyrmable to the Peace. All these thynges pleased moche the duke: and so he sealed a charter of peace and a truse to endure / vntyll the firste day of Ianuarye / and in the meane sea­son a counsayle to be had for that matter in the cytie of Tourney / And all the sir Iohn̄ Delle brought agayne with hym to Gaunte / wherof all the people had great ioye / For they shewed than howe they had great desyre to haue peace [Page xvi] All this season sir Iohan Bow (ser) and the En­glysshe men and Peter de Boyse were styll in Gaunte / but there was no man wolde do any thynge after them: and Peter de Boyse lyued styll in rest. With that he sware that he shulde nat procure nor moue any thynge that shulde cause any warre bytwene the towne and their naturall lorde. And thus was done by the meanes of Fraunces Atreman who spake for hym wherby Peter lyued in reste / for they knewe well that Peter alwayes helde with their opy­nions / and was a true and a good capitayne.

THis truce durynge / they of Gaūte apoynted theym that shulde go to Tourney to conclude this treatie / And Fraūces Atreman was sent thyder as chiefe / bycause he was a man reasonable and well knowen with all lor­des / and with hym wente Roger Creuyn and Iaques Dardēbourke / and they came to Tur­ney in the vtas of saynt Andrewe with a fyftie horse / and were all lodged toguyder at the sy­gne of the Samon / in the strete of saynt Brise And the .v. day of Decembre / thyder came the duke of Burgoyne and the duchesse his wyfe / and the lady of Neuers their doughter / & they entred into Turney at the gate towarde Lyle And agaynst their entrynge the gaūtoyse that were there issued out to mete with theym. And whan they sawe the duke / they enclyned theym selfe on their horses bare heeded: And the duke passed lightely by theym / for he made haste to mere with the duchesse of Brabante / who was comynge to the cytie by the gate of Malynes / and she was lodged in the bysshoppes palays. So thus began the treatie bytwene the Duke and the towne of Gaunt / and sir Iohan Delle toke great payne to go and come bytwene the ꝑties / and at the desyre of the duches of Bourgoyne & of the lady Neuers / the duke forgaue all his yuell wyll: And the peace was made / cryed / accorded / written / and sealed bytwene the par­ties / in maner as foloweth. ⸪

IT is longe nowe sith I made any mencion of the busynesses of farre Coun­treis / for the busynesses ne­rer home hath ben so fresshe that I lafte all other maters to write therof: Howe be it all this season valyant men desyring to auaūce them selfe on the realme of Castell and Portyngale: In Gascoyne / in Rouergue / in Quercy / in Lymosyn / and in Bygore: Euery day they ymagined / by what subteltie they coulde gette one of another by dedes of armes / or by stea­lyng of townes / castels / & fortresses. And ther­fore I Iohn̄ Froyssart / who haue taken on me to cronycle this present hystorie / at the req̄st of the highe renomed prince sir Guy of Chatellon erle of Bloyse / lorde of Dauesnes / Beauuoys / Destonhon / & of la Guede / my souerayne mayster & good lorde. Cōsydring in my selfe / howe there was no great dedes of armes likely to­warde in the parties of Picardy or Flaūders / Seyng the peace was made bytwene the duke and them of Gaunt. And it greatly anoyed me to be ydell / for I knewe well that after my deth this noble and highe hystorie shulde haue his course / wherin dyuers noble men shulde haue great pleasure and delyte. And as yet / I thāke god I haue vnderstandyng and remembraūce of all thynges passed / and my wyt quicke and sharpe ynough to conceyue all thinges shewed vnto me / touchyng my princypall mater / & my body as yet able to endure and to suffre payne. All thynges cōsydred / I thought I wolde nat lette to pursue my sayde first purpose. And to [Page] [...]tent to knowe the trouthe of dedes done in [...] countrie [...]/ I founde occasion to go to the [...]ghe and mighty prince Gascone erle of Foiz and of Byerne / for I knewe well y ^t if I might haue that grace to come in to his house and to be there / at leysar I coude nat be so well enfor­med to my purpose / in none other place of the worlde for thyder resorted all maner of knigh­tes and strāge squyers / for the great noblenes of the sayd erle / and as I ymagined so I dyd / And shewed to my redoubted lorde the Erle of Bloyes myne entent / and he gaue me letters of recōmendacions to therle of Foiz. And so rong I tode without parell or domage that I cāe to his house called Ortaise / in the coūtre of Berne on saynt Katheryns day / the yere of grace .M. thre hundred fourscore and eight. And the sayd erle as soone as he sawe me / he made me good chere and smylyng sayd / howe he knewe me / & yet he neuer sawe me before / but he had often herde spekyng of me / and so he reteyned me in his house to my great ease / with the helpe of the letters of credence that I brought vnto hym / so that I might tary there at my pleasure. & there I was enfourmed of the busynesse of the real­mes of Castyle / Portyngale / Nauar / and Aragon / yea and of the realme of Englande / & coū tre of Burbonoyse and Galcoyne. And the erle him selfe if I dyd demaunde any thyng of him he dyde shewe me all that he knewe / Sayenge to me howe thy storie that I had begon shulde hereafter be more praysed than any other / and the reason he sayd why / was this. Howe that .l. yere passed / there had been done more maruey­lous dedes of armes in the worlde / than in thre hundred yere before that. Thus was I in the court of the erle of Foiz / well cherysshed and at my pleasure / it was the thyng that I moost desyred to knewe newes / as touchyng my mater. And I had at my wyll lordes / knightes / & squiers euer to enforme me / and also the gentle erle hym self. I shall nowe declare in fayre langage all that I was enfourmed of / to encrease ther­by my mater / and to gyue ensample to thē that lyste to auaunce them selfe. Here before I ha­ue recounted great dedes of armes / takynge and sautynge townes and castelles / and batayles and harde encountrynges / and yet here af­ter ye shall here of many mo / the whiche by the grace of god I shall make iust narracion.

ye haue herde here before / that whan the lor­de Edmonde / sonne to the kynge of Englande erle of Cambridge / was de (er)ted fro the realme of Portingale and had take shypping at Lust­bourke / and howe he had made c [...]u [...]nant that Iohan to recouer our herytage. So thus we become byder / paraduēture nat so many as ye wrote for: but suche as I haue here be of suche good wylles / that they dare well abyde the ad­uenture of batayle agaynst all those y ^t be nowe present with the erle of Tryslmate / and surely we shall nat be content with you without we haue batayle. Suche wordes or lyke / the Erle of Cambridge shewed to the kyng of Portingale or he departed / the whiche kyng herde thē well / howe be it he neuer durste gyue batayle on the playne of Saluence / whafic he was before the spaynierdes / nor they of the countre wolde nat gyue hym counsayle therto / but sayde to hym. Sir / the puyssaunce of the kyng of Castell is as nowe so great / and that by fortune or mysad [...]enture that ye lese the [...]elde / ye lese than youre realme for euer. Wherfore it were better ye suf­fred than to do a thyng wherby ye shulde haue domage and parell. And whan t [...]e erle of Cambridge sawe it wolde be none otherwyse / Here tourned to Lusenborne and aparelled his shyppes and toke leaue of the kyng of Portyngale / and so toke the see with his company / & wolde nat leaue Iohan his sonne in Portingale with the kyng / nor with the lady that he shulde ma­ry with all: The chylde was but yonge / and so thus the erle reteurned in to Englande. Thus was the dealyng as than of the iourney in Portyngale.

THe erle of Cambridge retourned in to Englande on the maner as ye haue her de before, and shewed his brother the Duke of Lancastre all the dealynge of kynge Ferant of Portyngale. The duke was sorie therof, for he sawe thereby that his conquest of Castell was farre of / and also kyng Richarde of Englande had abouth h [...]m c [...]ūsayle that were nat after his apetyte / and specially the [...]le of Or [...]forde / who was chefe in the kinges fauour. This erle dyd set as great trouble bytwene the kyng and his vncles as he might / and said oftentymes to the kyng. sir / [...]fye wyll folowe the myndes of your vncles the duke of Lancastre & the crle of Cambridge / it shall well cost all the treasure in En­glande about their warre in Spayne / and yet they shall cēquere nothyng. It were better for you to kepe your owne people and your money than to spende it abrode where as ye can gette no profyte / and kepe and defende your owne he rytage / wherin ye haue war [...]e on all sydes / as [Page xix] well by Fraunce as by Scotlande / rather than to enploy your tyme in other countreis. The yonge kynge enclyned lightely to his wordes / for he loued him with all his hart bicause they had been norisshed vp toguyder. And this erle had great alyaunces / with dyuers lordes and knightes of Englande / for he dyde all his ma­ters by the counsayle of sir Symon Burle / sir Robert Treuelyen / (ser) Nicholas Brambre / sir Iohan Beauchampe / sir Iohan Salisbury / and sir Mychaell de la pole. And also sir Thomas Tryuet and sir Wylliam Helmon / were named to be of the same ꝑte / so that by the dyf­fernes and discorde bitwene the kynge and his vncles / and the nobles and commons of the realme / many yuels came therby in Englāde / as ye shall here hereafter in this hystorie.

IT was nat longe after that the erle of Cambridge departed out of Portyn­gale / but that the kynge Feraunt felle sicke / and so contynued a hole yere and dyed. & than he had no mo chyldren but the Quene of Spayne. Than kynge Iohan of Castell was enformed of his deth / and howe that the realm of Portyngale was fallen in to his hādes / and howe that he was ryghtfull heyre thervnto / by reason of the dethe of the kynge. Sother was dyuers coūsayls kept on that mater / and some sayd / howe that the Portingales were so harde harted people / y ^t they wold nat be had without it were by conquest. And in dede whan the portyngales sawe howe they were without a kyng than they determyned by counsayle to sende to a bastarde brother of the kynges / a sage and a valyant man called Deuyse / but he was a man of relygton / and was mayster of the hospytals in all the realme / They sayd they had rather be vnder the rule of this maister Denyse than vnder the rule of the kynge of Castell / for they re­puted hym no bastarde / that hath good corage to do well. Whan this mayster Denyse vnder­stode the cōmens wyll of foure chiefe cyties of Portyngale (for they hadde great affectyon to crowne hym kyng) wherof he had great ioye / and so wrote secretely to his frendes and came to Lurbone / whiche is the kay of the realme. The people of the towne receyued hym with great ioye and demaūded of hym / if they crowned him kyng: wheder he wolde be good to thē or nat / and kepe the lande in their fraunchese. And he aunswered and sayd / he wolde be to thē as they desyred / and that they had neuer a bet­ter kynge than he wolde be. Than they of Luxbone wrote to Connubres / to Pount de portugale / and to them of Dourke: These were the kayes of the Realme / and so they determyned to crowne to their kyng this mayster Denyse / who was a sage & a valyant man and of good gouernaūce / and was brother to kyng Ferant for they sawe well the realme coude nat be lon­ge without a kyng / as well for feare of the spay mardes as of the myscreātes of Granado and of Bongie / who marched on them. So these sayde townes and certayne of the lordes of the lande enclined to him / but some of y ^e lordꝭ sayd that it was nat mete a bastarde to be crowned kyng: And the people of the good townes said that it shulde be so: for of necessyte they must so do / sithe they had none other / and seyng that he was a valyant and a sage man / bothe in wy [...]te and in dedes of armes. And they toke ensam­ple by kynge Henry / who was crowned kyng of Castell by electyon of the countrey / and for the cōmon profyte / and that was done kynge Peter beynge a lyue. So thus the electyon a­bode on this maister Denyse / and solemynely he was crowned in the Cathedrall churche of Connubres / by the accorde and puyssaunce of the cōmons of the realme. And there he sware to kepe iustyce & to do ryght to his people / and to kepe and maynteyne their frauncheses / and to lyue and dye with them / wherof they hadde great ioye.

Whan these tidynges came to the hearyng of don Iohan kyng of Castell / he was sore displeased therwith / and for two causes. The one was bycause his wyfe was enheryter there / & the other bycause the people by election hadde crowned maister Denyse kynge there. Wher­fore this kyng Iohan toke tytell to make warr and to demaūde of them of Luxbone the sōme of two hundred thousande florens / whiche Fe­rant promysed hym whan he toke his dough­ter to his wyfe. So than he sende the Erle of Terme / therle of Ribydea / and the bysshoppe of Burges in to Portyngale / as his ambassa­dours to them of Luxbone. & whan they were at saynt prayne / the laste towne of Castell to­warde Luxbone: Than they sent an haraulde to the kyng and to them of Luxbone / to haue a saue conducte to go and come and to furnysshe their voyage / whiche was graunted lightly / & so they came to Luxbone / and so the towne as­sembled their counsayle toguyder / and the am­bassadours shewed why they were come thy­der / and finally sayde. ye sirs of Luxbone / ye [Page] ought iustely nat to marueyle / if the kyng our souerayne lorde demaundeth of you the sōme of money that ye are bounde for: And is nat cō tent that ye haue gyuen y ^e noble crowne of Portyngale to a clerke a man of relygion and a bastarde: It is a thynge nat to be suffred / for by rightfull election / there is non nerer to y ^e crowne thā he: And also / ye haue done this without the assent of the nobles of the realme. Wherfore the kyng our maister saythe / that ye haue done yuell. And without that ye shortely do remedy the make / he wyll make you sharpe war [...]. To the whiche wordes don Feraunt Gallopes de vyle fois / a notable burgesse of the cyte / answered and sayd. Sirs / ye reproche vs greatly for our electyon but your owne election is as mo­che reprouable / for ye crowned in Spaygne a bastarde / sonne to a iewe: And it is clerely knowen, that to the ryghtfull election / your kynge hath no right to the realem of Portyngale / for the right resteth in the doughters of kyng Pe­ter / who be in Englande maryed / bothe Con­staūce and Isabell / maryed to the duke of I an castre & to therle of Cambridge. Wherfore (ser)s / ye may departe whan ye wyll / and retourne to them that sent you hyder / and say that our ele­ctyon is good / whiche we wyll kepe / and other kyng we wyll haue none / as long as he lyste to be our kyng. And as for y ^e sōme of money that ye demaūde of vs / we say we are nothyng boū de therto / take it of them that were boūde ther­fore / and of suche as had the profyte therof. At this answere the kynge of Portyngall was nat present [...] howbeit he knewe well what shulde be sayd. And whā these ambassadours sawe they coude haue non other answere / they toke their leaue and departed / and retourned to Cyuell / where they lafte the kyng and his coūsayle / to whom they shewed all the said answere. Than the kyng of Spayne toke coūsayle what was best to do in this mater. Than it was determyned that the kyng of Portyngale shulde be de­sied / and howe that the kyng of Spayne had a good quarell to moue the warre for dyuers reasons. So than kyng Denyse was defyed & all his helpers in Portyngale. Than the kyng of Spayne made a gret sōmons of men of war [...] to lay siege to the cytie of Luxbone / & the kyng sayd / he wolde neuer departe thens tyll he had it / for they had answered hym so proudely / that they shuld derely repent it / if he might ouercōe them. Thus the king of Castell with all his puissaūce came to saynt yrayne. At y ^t season there was a knight chased [...]ut of his court / who was called sir Nauret / For if the kyng myght haue gette hym / it shulde haue cost hym his h [...]ed. the knight had knowledge therof / for he hadde many good frendes. So he auoyded the Realme of Castell and came to Luxbone to the kyng of Portyngale / who had great ioye of his comynge / and retayned hym & made hym a great ca­pitayne / and he dyde after moche hurte to the spayniardes. The kynge of Castell departed fro saynt yrayne / and came and layde siege be­fore the cytie of Luxbone / and enclosed therin the kynge of Portyngale. The siege endured more than a hole yere / and constable of the host was the erle of Longueuyll / and Marshall of the hoost was sir Raynolde Lymosyn / he was a knight of Limosyn / who long before came in to Spaygne with sir Bertram of Clesquy in the firste warres that he made in Spaygne. This sir Raynolde was a valiant knight and well proued / And the kynge had well maryed hym to a fayre lady / & to a fayre herytage: And by her he had two sonnes Raynolde and Hen­ry. And he was greatly praysed in the realme of Castell for his prowes / and with the kynge of Castell there was Dagheynes Mandake / sir Dygo Persement / don Peter Roseament / don Maryche de Versaulx portugaleys / who were turned spaynisshe / and the great mayster of Calestrane and his brother / a yong knyght called don Dighemeres / Pier Goussart of sel­me / Iohan Radigo de Hoyes / & the great mayster of saint Iaques. The kyng had well with hym a thyrtie thousande men. There were dy­uers assautes and scrimysshes / and many fea­tes of armes done / on the one parte and on the other. The spaygnierdes knewe well that the kynge of Portyngale shulde haue none ayde of the nobles of his realme, for the commons had made hym kyng agaynst their wylles. So the kyng of Castell had intensyon to cōquere Luxbone and all the countre / or he retourned / for he sawe well they shulde haue none ayde without it were out of Englande / wherof he had moost doute. And yet whan he had well ymagined▪ he sawe well the Englysshe men were farr of / and he had herde howe they kynge of Englāde and his vncles were nat all of the best acorde. wherfore he thought hym selfe the more of sur [...]tie at his siege / whiche siege was right plentyfull of all thynges. There was in no market in Ca­stell more plentie than was ther. And the kyng of Portyngale lay styll in the cytie of Luxbone at his case / for they coude nat take the See fro hym. And he deimyned to sende in to Englāde [Page xx] to the kyng and to the duke of Lancastre tru­stie ambassadours / to renewe the aliances ma­de before / bytwene the kyng and kyng Ferant his brother: And also the ambassadours had in charge to shewe the duke of Lancastre / that in maryage he wolde gladly haue his dough­ter Philyppe / and to make her quene of Por­tyngale / and to swere and seale a ꝑpetuall pea­ce and alyance bytwene them: And also promysynge hym (that if he wolde come thyder with two or thre thousāde men of warre / and as many archers) to helpe and ayde hym to cōquere his enherytaunce of Castell. On this message was apoynted two knightes / sir Iohan Rade goe & sir Iohn̄ Tetedore / and an archedeaken of Luxbone / called Marche de la Fugyre. So they made them redy and toke the see and had good wynde / and so sayled towarde the fron­ters of Englande. On the other ꝑte the kyng of Castell laye a siege / and he was counsayled to write in to Fraunce and in to Gascoyne / for some ayde of knightes & squyers. for the spay­nierdes supposed well / that the kynge of Por­tyngale had sende for socoure in to Englande / to reyse their siege: & they thought they wolde nat be so taken / but that their puissaūce might be stronge ynoughe to resyst the Englysshmen and portugaleyse. And as he was counsayled so he dyde / and sende letters and messangers in to Fraunce / to dyuers knyghtes and squy­ers / suche as desyred dedes of armes / and spe­cially in the countrey of By [...]rne in the countie of Foiz / for there were plentie of good knightꝭ desyring dedes of armes: For though they had ben brought vp with the erle of Foiz / as than there was good peace bitwene hym and therle of Armynake. So these messages of these two kyngꝭ were nat sone brought about / howe be it the warres in other places ceased neuerthelesse as in Auuergne / in Tholousyn / in Rouergue / and in the lande of Bygore. ¶Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of the busynesse of Portyngale a lytell / and speke of other maters.

BItwene the countie of foiz and the countre of Bi­erne / lyeth the coūtie of Bi­gore / whiche countie ꝑtey­ned to Fraunce / and mar­chesed on the coūtre of Tholousin on the one parte / and on the countie of Con [...]uges and of Bierne on the other parte. And in the countie of Bygore lyeth the strong castell of Lourde / whiche was englysshe euer sythe that the countie of Bigore was yelded to the kyng of England and to the prince / for the redempcion of kynge Iohan of Fraūce / by the treatie and peace made at Ber­tigny before Charters / and after confyrmed at Calais / as it hath ben shewed before in y ^e other hystorie. Whan the prince of Wales was come out of Englande / and that the kyng his father bad gyuen hym in herytage / all the lande and duchy of Acqustayne / wherin there were two archebisshoppes and .xxii. other bysshoppes / & that he was come to Burdea [...]x on the ryuer of Gyrone / & had taken the possessyōs of all these landꝭ and lyen there a yere. Than he & the princesse were desyred by the erle Iohan of Army­nake / that they wolde come in to the countre of Bigore / in to the cytie of Tarbe to se that coū ­tre whiche as than he had nat sene before. And the erle of Armynake thought that if the prince and princesse were in Bygore / that the Erle of Foiz wolde come and se them: and wher as he dyd owe hym for his raunsome two hundred & fyftie thousande frankes / he thought he wolde desyre the prince and princesse to requyre the erle of Foiz / to forgyue hym the same sōme or parte therof. So moche dyd the erle of Army­nake that at his instance / the prince and princes cāe to the cytie of Tarbe. This towne is fayre and standeth in a playne countre / amonge the fayre vynes: And it is a towne / cytie / and ca­stell / closed with gates and walles / and seperated eche fro other. Fro the mountayns of By­erne and Catheloyne cometh the fayre ryuer of Lysse / whiche ronneth throughe Tarbe / and is as clere as a fountayne. And a fyue leages thens is the towne of Morlance / parteyninge to the erle of Foiz / at the entre of the countie of Bierne / and vnder the mountayne / a site lea­ges fro Tarbe is the towne of Panne / whiche also ꝑteyneth to the sayd erle. The same tyme that the prince & princes was at Tarbe / therle of Foiz was at Panne. He was there bylding of a fayre castell / ioyninge to the towne with­out [Page] on the ryuer of Grane. Assone as he knewe the comynge of the prince and princesse beyng at Tarbe / He ordayned to go and se theym in great estate / with mo than sixe hundred horses and threscore knightes in his company. And of his comynge to Tarbe / was the prince and prī cesse right ioyouse and made hym good chere: and there was the erle of Armynake & the lorde Dalbret / and they desyred the price to requyre the erle of Foiz to forgyue therle of Armynake all / or els parte of the somme of florens that he ought to haue. And the prince who was wyse and sage / consyderynge all thynges / thought that be might nat do so / and sayde. Sir erle of Armynake / ye were taken by armes in y ^t iour­ney of batayle / and ye dyde putte my cosyn the erle of Foiz in aduenture agaynste you. And thoughe fortune were fauourable to hym and agaynst you / his valure ought nat than to be made lesse. By lyke dedes / my lorde my father nor I wolde nat be contente that we shulde be desyred to leaue that we haue wonne by good aduenture / at the batayle of Poicters / wherof we thanke god. Whan̄e the erle of Armynake herde that he was a basshed / for he fayled of his entente: Howe be it / yet the lefte nat of so / But than he re [...]red the princesse / who with a good hert / desyred therle of Foiz to gyue her a gyfte. Madame quod the [...]le / I am but a meane man therfore I can gyue no great gyftes. But madame / if the thyng that ye desyre passe nat the valure of threscore thousande frankes / I wyll gyue it you with a gladde chere. yet the prin­cesse assayed agayne / if she coude cause hym to graunt her full desyre. But the [...]rle was sage and subtell / and thought verily that her desyre was to haue hym to forgyue clerely the Erle of Armynake all his dette. And than he sayde a­gayne. Madame / for a poore knight as I am / who buyldeth townes and castelles / the gyfte that I haue graunted you ought to suffyce. the princesse coude bringe hym no farther: & whan she sawe that / she said. Gentyll erle of Foiz / the request that I desyre of you / is to forgyue clerely the erle of Armynake. Madame quod the erle to your request I ought well to condiscend [...]. I haue sayd to you / that if your desyre passe nat the valure of threscore thousande frankes / that I wolde graunt it you. But madame / the erle of Armynake oweth me two hundred and fyftie thousande frankes: and at your request / I forgaue hym therof threscore thousande frankes. Thus the mater stode in that case / and the erle of Armynake / at the request of the princes wan the forgyueng of threscore thousande frankes. And anone after the erle of Foiz returned to his owne countre.

I Sir Iohan Froissarde make narra­cion of this busynesse / bycause whan I was in the countie of Foyz and of Bierne / I passed by the coūtie of Bygore. and I demaunded and enquered of the newes of y ^t countrey / suche as I knewe nat before: And it was shewed me / howe the prince of wales and of Aquitayne / whyle he was at Tarbe / he had great wyll to go se the castell of Lourde / whi­che was a thre leages of / nere to the entre of the mountayne / And whan he was there / and had well aduysed the towne / the castell / and the coū tre / he praysed it greatly: aswell for the strēgth of the castell / as bycause it stode on the fronter of dyuers countreis / For the garysone there / might ronne well in to the realme of Arragon / in to Catellon / and to Barselon. Than the prī ce called to hym a knyght of his housholde / in whom he had great truste / and loued hym en­tierly: and he had serued hym truely / and was called sir Pyer Ernalde / of the countre of Bi­erne / an experte man of armes and cosyn to the erle of Foiz. Than the prince sayde to hym. sir Ernalde / I instytue and make you Chateleyn and capitayne of Lourde / & gouernour of the countre of Bygore. Loke that ye kepe this ca­stell / se well that ye make a good accompte ther of / to the kyng my father and to me. Sir quod the knyght I thanke you / and I shall obserue your cōmaundement. There he dyde homage to the prince / and the prince put hym in posses­sion. It is to be knowen / that whan the warre began to renewe bytwene Englande & Fraūce as it hath ben shewed before: The erle Guy of saynt Poule and sir Hugh of Chatellon may­ster of the crosbowes in Fraunce / in that tyme beseged the towne of Abuyle / and wan it / with all the countre of Poitou. The same tyme two great barons of Bigore / thone called sir Marnalte Barbesan and the lorde Danchyn tour­ned frenche / and toke the towne / cytie / and ca­stell of Tarbe / whiche was but easely kept for the kynge of Englande: But styll the castell of Lourde / was in the handes of sir Pier Ernalt of Bierne / who wolde in no wyse yelde vp the castell / but made euer great warre agaynst the realme of Fraūce / and sent for great company of aduenturers in to Bierne and Gascoyne / to helpe and to ayde hym to make warre / so that [Page xxi] he had togyder many good men of armes. and he had with hym sixe capitayns / & euery man fyftie speares vnder hym.

The first was his brother Iohan of Bierne a right expert squyer / and Pier Danchyne of Bygore / brother germayne to the lorde Dan­chyne / he wolde neuer tourne frenche / Nandon of saynt Colombe / Ermalton of mount Ague of saynt Basyll / and the Bourge of Carnela. These capitayns made dyuers iourneys in to Bygore / in to Tholousyn / in to Carcassene / & in to Albygoise: For euer assone as they were out of Lourde / they were in the lande of their enemyes / and somtyme they wolde aduenture thyrtie leages of fro their holde. And in their goynge / they wolde take nothyng / but in their retourne there was nothynge coulde scape thē. Somtyme they brought home so great plentie of beestes & prisoners / that they wyst nat howe to kepe them. Thus they raūsomed all the coū ­trey excepte the erle of Foiz landes / For in his landes they durste nat take a chekyn / withoute they payed truely therfore: For if they had dis­pleased the erle / they coulde nat longe haue en­dured. These companyons of Lourde ranne ouer all the countre at their pleasure / & I rode nat farre fro theym. Thus the cytie of Tarbe was in great doute / so that they were fayne to make couynaunt with thē. And bytwene Tar­be and Lourde / there was a great vyllage and a good abbey called Gynors / who in lykewise were fayne to agre with them. Also on y ^e other parte on the ryuer of Lysse / there was a great towne called Bagueres / they of that towne had a harde season / for they were so haryed by the garyson of Maluoysen standynge on a hylle / and the ryuer of Lysse rynnyng vnderneth / vnto a walled towne called Turney / in to the whiche towne they of Lourde and of Maluoysen hadde euer their recourse / to the whiche towne they dyde no hurte / bycause they had their re­sorte thyder: And they of the towne had euer a good market of their pyllage / and so dissymu­led euer with them / whiche they were fayne to do / or elles they coulde nat haue lyued / for they had no ayde nor socoure of any persone: the capitayne of Maluoysen was a gascoyne / & his name was Remonet de Lespe / an experte man of armes. He and his company & they of Lour­de / raūsomed as well the marchauntes of Ara­gon and Catheloyne as of Fraunce / without they agreed with them.

In the season that I enterprised to go se the erle of Foiz / and to se the dyuersities of the coū treys / where as I had neuer ben before. Whan I departed fro Carcassene / I lefte the waye to Tholous and wente to Monterorall and so to Fonges / than to Bell / and than to the first towne of therle of Foiz / and than to Masters / and so to the castell of Sanredyn. And than I cāe to the good cytie of Pauyers / ꝑteyning to the erle of foiz / and there I taryed / abydinge for some company goyng in to the countre of By­erne / where the erle was: And whan I had ta­ryed there a thre dayes in great pleasure / for y ^t cytie was deleetable / stādyng among the fayre vynes / and enuyroned with a fayre ryuer lar­ge & clere / called Liege. And on a day it so for­tuned / that thyder came a knyght of the erle of Foiz fro Auignon warde / called sir Espaenge de Lion / a valyant & an experte man of armes / about the age of .l. yeres. And so I gate me in to his company / and he was greatly desyrous to here of the maters of Fraunce / & so we were a sixe dayes in our iourney / or we came to Or­tayse. And this knyght euery day after he had sayd his prayers moost parte all the day after / he toke his pastyme with me / in demaundyng of tidynges: and also whan I demaūded any thyng of hym / he wolde answere me to my purpose. And whan we departed fro Pauyers we past by the moūt of Cesse / whiche was an yuell passage / and so we came to the towne & castell of Ortayse whiche was frenche / but we passed by it / and so came to dyner to a castell of the [...]le of Foiz halfe a leage thens called Carlat / stan­dynge highe on a mountayne. and after dyner the knight sayd to me. sir / let vs ryde toguyder fayre & easely / we haue but two leages to ryde to our lodgyng / & so I was content to do. than the knight said / we haue this day passed by the castell of Ortayse / which dothe moche domage in this countre. Peter Danchyn kepeth it / and bath taken and stollen out of the realme of Frā ce / more than threscore thousande frākes. than I demaūded how that might be. I shall shewe you quod the knight. On our lady day in Au­gust there is euer a great fayre / and all the coū tre resorteth thyder / for there is moche marchā dise. That day Pier Danchyn and his cōpanions of Lourde had taken their aduyse / & were determyned to get this towne and castell. And so they sent two simple varlettꝭ (by semyng) to the sayd towne in the moneth of Maye / to get them selfe some seruyce in the towne / & so they dyde / and were reteyned with two maisters / & they dyde right dilygent seruyce to their may­sters. And so went in and out on their maisters [Page] busynesse [...] without any suspeciousnes of thē. & so on our lady day in August ther were many marchantes strangers. of Foiz / of Bierne / & of Fraūce. And as ye knowe well / whan machantes do mete that sawe nat togyder long before / they wyll make good chere togyder. & so in the same houses where as these two varlettꝭ were ī seruice / were many marchantes drinkyng and makyng good chere / & their ostes with them. & by apoyntment about midnight / Pier Dāchin and his cōpany cāe to Ortaise / & enbusshed thē selfe in a wode whiche passed throughe. And so they sent sixe varlettꝭ to the towne with .ii. lad­ders / & they passed the dykes & came to the walles and reared vp their ladders / & the other .ii. varlettes that were in seruice in the towne dyd ayde thē / while their maysts sat makyng good chere: so these sayd varlettes dyde put thē selfe in aduenture / and one of the said two varlettes brought the other sixe to the gate within / wher there was two men kepyng the keys / than this varlet said to the other sixe. sirs▪ kepe your selfe here priuy & close / and styrre nat tyll ye here me whistle. I trust to make the porters to open the gate of their warde / they haue the keyes of the great gate / & therfore assone as they haue opy­ned their warde I wyll whystle: Than steppe forthe & slee the porters / I knowe well ynoughe the keyes of the gate / for I haue oft tymes hel­ped to kepe the gate with my maister / & as they deuysed so they dyd. & so the varlet went to the gate / and sawe & herde howe the porters were drīkyng within their warde: than he called thē by their names & said. sirs open yor dore / I ha­ue brought you of the best wyne that euer you dranke / which my maister hath sent you / to the entent you shulde kepe your watche the better. And they who knewe right well the varlet / beleued that he had said trouthe & opyned the dore / and than he whistled / & thother sixe stept forthe and entred in at the dore / & there they slewe the porters so priuely / that none knewe therof. thā they toke the keyes & went and opyned y ^e gate / and let downe the bridge easely y ^t none knewe therof: Than they blewe a blast in a horne / so y ^t they that were enbusshed moūted on their hor­ses / & came on the spurres & entred on the brid­ge & come in to the towne: & so toke all the men of the towne syttyng drīkyng or [...]ls in their beddes. Thus was Ortayse taken by Pier Dan­chin of Bigore & by his cōpanyons of Lourde / than I demaūded of the knight howe they gat the castell / I shall shewe you ꝙ he. The same tyme that Ortaise was thus taken / the capiten of the castell by his yuell aduenture was in the towne & supped with certayne marchauntes of Carcassen / and was there taken among other: and in y ^e next mornyng Pier Dāchyn brought him before the castell / wher as his wyfe & chyl­dren were / & made thē beleue that he wolde strike of his heed / w ^tout his wife wolde delyuer vp the castell. & if she wolde so do / he ꝓmised to delyuer her husbande quyte / & to suffre hym & all his to deꝑte with bagge & baggage w ^tout any hurt. and the lady who sawe herselfe in a harde case / & sawe she was nat able to make ware her selfe / & for sauyng of her husbādes lyfe / she yelded vp the castell: & so her husbāde and she & all theirs / deꝑted & went to Pauiers. Thus had Pier Dāchin the towne & castell of Ortayse. & the same tyme that they entred / he & his cōpany wan aboue .xxx.M. frākes / what in marchan­dise & prisoners of Frāce: but all suche as were of the coūtie of Foiz or of B [...]erne / were clene delyuered w ^tout any domage. & this Pier Dan­chyn kept Ortaise after / the space of .v. yere: & he & his cōpany oftymes wolde ron to the gatꝭ of Carcasson / whiche was a sixe leages thens and dyde great domage to the countre / as well by raunsomynge of the townes / as by pyllage ouer all the countrey.

In the meane season that Pier Dāchin was in the garison of Ortaise / On a night certayne of his cōpany went out & came to a castel called Paiel [...]er a good leage thens / wherof a frenche knight called Raymon du Pailier was owner they had ben ther often before & fayled of their purpose but as thā their happe was suche that they scaled the castell & toke it / & the knight and the lady in their beddes: And let the lady & her children go fre / but they kept styll the knight in his owne castell the space of foure monethes / & at last he payed a .M. frākes for his raūsome. And fi [...]ally whan they had sore ouerryden the coūtre they solde these two castels / Ortaise and Paielier to thē of the coūtre for .viii.M. fran­kes / & than they went to Lourde their prīcipall garyson. So thus in this aduenture knightes dyd put thē selfe dayly. also the same tyme ther was an expert man of armes in y ^e castell of lourde a gascone borne / he was called le Mēgeant of saynt Basyll: On a tyme he & .xxx. with him deꝑted fro Lourde & rode at all aduenturee in to Tho [...]ousyn / & had thought to haue gote the castell of Penne in Allugois / but he myst of his [...]ent. and whan he sawe that he fayled of his purpose / he cāe to the gate & made a great scry­misshe: [Page xxii] and the same proper hour the seneshall of Tholous rode forthe & with hym sir Hughe de Froid wyll and a .lx. speares / & came by ad­uenture to Pan while the sayd scrimysshe was in doyng. Than incontynent they sette fote to the erthe & came to the barryers: and so than the Mengeant was ouer matched / but ther he fought valiantly hande to hande / and woūded the other knight in two or thre places / howe be it finally he was taken by force / & his men ou­ther taken or slayne / ther were but a fewe that scaped. So this Mēgeant was ledde to Tho­lous / and than the cōmons of the towne wolde haue slayne hym bitwene the handꝭ of the seneshall / he had moche payne to saue his lyfe / & so brought hym in to the castell / for he was ryght yuell beloued in Tholous. yet after it happed so well for hym / that the duke of Berry cāe thi­der / and this knyght had suche frendes that he was delyuered / & the seneshall had a thousande frankes for his raūsome: and whan he was de­lyuered he retourned to Lourde / and began a­gayne to make newe enterprises. And so on a tyme he departed fro Lourde & fyue with hym without any armoure / and he dyde on the ab­byt of a monke & lyke other thre monkes with hym / and they had all shauen crownes / so that euery man that sawe them / wende surely that they had ben monkes / the abbit and gesture be came them so well. And in this maner he came to Mountpellyer and toke vp his lodgynge at the signe of the Egle / and said howe he was an abbot of high Gascon / & was goyng to Parys on certayne busynesse ꝑteyning to his house. & so he gate famylier aquayntaūce with a ryche man of the towne called Barēger / who had al­so to do at Paris for certayne busynesse. Than this abbot said howe he wolde pay for his costꝭ if he lyst to go in his cōpany Wherof the good man was right ioyouse / in that he shulde haue his charges borne / & so he and one varlet with hym went forthe with this monke. And whan they had ryden a thre leagꝭ / this coūterfet monke sir Mēgeant toke him prisoner / & ledde him secret wayes to his garison of Lourde / & after dyd raūsome him at .v.M. frākes. than I said ah saint Mary / was this Mēgeant suche an expert man of arme [...] ▪ ye truely sir ꝙ he / & in war he dyed / in a place wher as we shall passe with in this thre dayes / in a coūtre called the Layre ī Bigore / by a towne called Lachmache. well sir quod I / & I shall remēbre you therof whan we come ther. & so we rode tyll we came to Mōste que [...] a good towne closed / ꝑteyning to therle of Foiz / whiche the Armynagois & the labrisyēce toke by stelthe on a season / but they kept it nat but thre dayes. & in the mornyng we deꝑted fro Mōstequen & rode to the towne of Palamuche a good towne closed on the ryuer of Garon / ꝑ­teyning to therle of Foiz: And whan we were almost ther we had thought to haue passed the bridge of Garon / to haue entred in to the tow­ne / but we coulde nat / for y ^e day before it had so sore rayned fro the moūtayns of Chataloyne & Aragon / wherby another ryuer was so encrea­sed whiche was called Saluz & ran so fast / that it reysed vp the ryuer of Garon in suche wise / y ^t it brake one of the arches of the bridge / whiche was of tymbre / wherfore we returned agayne to Montestquen / and taryed there all the day. Than the next day the knight had coūsayle to passe the ryuer by botes by the towne of Casseres: so we rode thider & dyd so moche y ^t we past the ryuer of Garon with great payne & ꝑell / for the bote that we were in was nat very great / it coude nat take at one tyme but two horses and their kepars / & they that ruled the bote: and so whan we were ouer we rode to Casseres and a bode there all that daye / & in the meane tyme y ^t our supper was a dressyng / this knight said to me. sir Iohan / let vs go & se the towne: & so we passed a long through the towne and cāe to the gate towarde Palamuche and went out therat and came to the dykes: Than the knyght she­wed me a pane of the wall and said. sir / se you yonder par [...]e of the wall whiche is newer than all the remnant? yea sir ꝙ I▪ well ꝙ he / I shall shewe you why it is so / it is a ten yere past sithe it fortuned. ye haue herde or this / of the warre that was bytwene the erle of Armynacke and therle of Foiz / howe be it nowe they are in pea­ce: But the armynagoise and Labrisience wan but lytell by that warre. For on a saynt Ny­cholas euyn / the yere of our lorde a thousande thre hūdred threscore and two: Therle of Foiz toke in batayle therle of Armynake & the lorde Dalbret his nephue / and all the noble men that were with them / and so ledde thē as prisoners to Ortaise / wherby the erle of Foiz hath recey­ued ten tymes a hundred thousande frankes. And it fortuned after / that the father of the erle of Armynake nowe lyueng / called sir Iohan of Armynake / made a iourney & toke this towne of Casseres / and they had with them a .ii. hun­dred men of armes / and so thought to kepe the towne by strength. These tidynges whan they came to the knowledge of the erle of Foiz / be­ynge as tha [...]e at Panne. He lyke a sage and a [Page] valyant knight / called to hym two bastard bretherne of his▪ called [...] Arnalt Guyllam and sir Pier de Bierne / and sayd to them. sirs / I wyll ye ryde incontynent to Cass [...]eres / I shall sende you men on euery syde / and within thre dayes I shalbe with you my selfe: and let none come out of the towne / but that ye fight with thē / for ye shalbe stronge ynoughe. And whan ye come there / cause the men of the countre to bring thy­der great plentie of wode / busshes / and fagottꝭ and choke the gates therwith: and than w ^tout that / make stronge barryers / for I wyll y ^t they that be within be so enclosed / that they issue nat out of the gares / I shall cause them to take another way. These two knightes dyd his cōmaū dement and so wente to Palamuche / & all men of warre of Bierne folowed them / and so they came before this towne of Casseres. they that were within sette lytell by them / but they were nat were howe they were enclosed within the towne / so that they coulde nat issue oute at any gate. And the thirde day / the erle of Foiz came thider with fyue hūdred men of armes: and as sone as he came / he caused barryers to be made rounde about the towne / & also barriers roūde about his host / bycause they shulde nat be troubled in the night tyme. so in this case they laye longe without any assaut / in so moche that vi­tayle began to fayle them within / for thoughe they had wyne great plentie they had nothyng to eate: Nor they coulde nat flye awaye by the ryuer / for it was as than̄e to depe. Than they thought it were better to yelde thē selfe as pri­soners / than to dye so shamefully for famyne / & so fell in treaty. Therle of Foiz agreed to their treatie / so that they shulde nat issue oute at no gate / but to make a hole in the wall and go out therat / to come one by one without armoure / & so to yelde them as prisoners. It behoued thē to take this waye / and so made a hole in y ^e wall and issued oute one by one. And there was the erle redy and all his people in order of batayle to receyue them as prisoners. and euer as they came out / the Erle sent them to dyuers castel­les as prisoners: and his cosyn sir Iohn̄ of Armynake / sir Bernarde Dalbret / and sir Ma­nalt of Barlabason / sir Raymōde de Benache sir Benedicke de la Corneyle / and a twentie of the beste personages he ledde with hym to Or­taise / and or they departed / he had of them two hundred thousande trāke [...]: and thus was this hole in the wall made / & than we wente to our supper. And the nexte day we rode a longe by the ryuer of Garon and passed by Palamuche and than we entred in to the lande of the erle of Comynges and Armynake / and on the other syde was the ryuer of Garon / and the lande of therle of Foiz. And as we rode / this knight shewed me a stronge towne called Marteras the Toussa [...] / ꝑteyninge to therle of Comynges / & on the other syde of the ryuer on the moūtayne He shewed me two castelles parteyninge to the erle of Foiz / the one called Mountarall and the other Mountclare. And as we rode bytwene these townes and castelles a longe by the ryuer of Garon in a fayre medowe / this knight sayd to me. sir Iohan / I haue sene here many fayre scrimysshes and encountrynges / bytwene the foizois and armynakes / for as than there was no towne nor castell but that was well furnys­shed with men of warre / & so they warred eche vpon other. The armynakes agaynst yonder two castelles made a bastyde / and kept it with men of warre / and dyde moche hurt in the erle of Foiz lande: But I shall shewe you howe it fortuned. The erle of Foiz on a night sent his brother Peter de Bierne with two hūdred spe­res / and with them a four hundred villayns of the countre / charged with fagottꝭ moche wode and busshes / and brought it to the bastide. and than sette fyre theron and so brent the bastyde / and all them that were within without mercy. and sithe it was neuer made agayne. So in suche deuyses we rode all that day a longe by the ryuer of Garon / and what on the one syde and on the other / we sawe many fayre castelles and fortresses. All that were on our lyfte hande parteyned to therle of Foiz / and the other syde parteyned to therle of Armynake. And so thus we passed by Montpesac a fayre castell & a strōge standyng on an highe rocke / & vnderneth was the towne and the highe way: and without the towne a lytell / there was a place called ala gardea / and a towre bitwene the rocke and the ry­uer / whiche towre had a gate and a portcolyse of yron. sixe men might well kepe this passage agaynst all the worlde / for there coulde no man passe but two on a front / what for the towre on the one syde & the ryuer on the other syde. than I sayd to the knyght / sir / here is a stronge pas­sage and a myghtie countre / it is true quod the knight: and though thentre be stronge / yet the erle of Foiz dyde conquere it ones / and he & all his passed the same waye with the helpe of the archers of Englāde / that he had as than in his company / and the great desyre that they had to passe in to the countre. Come ryde nere me sir quod he / & I shall shewe you howe it was / and [Page xxiii] so I rode iuste by hym [...] and than he sayd: Sir / on a tyme the Erle of Armynake and the lorde Dalbret with a fyue hūdred men of warre / cāe in to the countre of Foiz and to the marches of Pauyers. And this was in the begynnynge of August / whan men dyd gather in their cornes and y ^e grapes were rype / at whiche tyme there was great habundaunce in the countre. Than sir Iohan of Armynake and his company lodged before the towne Sauredun / a lytell leage fro the cytie of Pauyers. And he sente to them of Pauyers / that without they wolde bye their cornes and wynes / and pay for them: they said els they wolde brinne and distroy all togyder. Than they of Pauiers were in great feare / for the Erle their lorde was farre of fro them: for he was as than in Byerne. And so they were fayne to bye their owne cornes / and payed for them fyue thousande frankes / but they desyred fyftene dayes of respyte / whiche was graūted them. Than the erle of Foiz was enformed of all this būsynesse / and he hasted hym as moche as he might / and assembled toguyder his men and came sodaynly in to the cytie of Pauyers with .xii. hundred speares. And so had fought with sir Iohan of Armynake if he had taryed / but he departed and wente in to the countie of Comynges. So he had no money of them of Pauyers / for they had no leysar to tarye ther­fore. But than therle of Foiz claymed the same some / for he sayd he was come / and saued their money and corne: and had put awaye all their ennemyes. And so he had it to paye his men of warre therewith / and there he taryed tyll they had inned all their corne and vyntage. And so we passed than foreby a castell called Bretytte / and also by another castell called Bacelles / all parteyninge to the erle of Comynges: and as we rode a long by the ryuer / I sawe a fayre ca­stell and a great towne / & I demaunded of the knight what the castell was called. and he said it was named Montesplayne / parteyninge to a cosyn of the erle of Foiz / called sir Roger Despaygne / a great barone in the countre / and in Tholousyn: and as than was seneshall of Carcassoney. Than I demaunded of this knight / if he were a kynne to sir Charles of Spayne / who was constable of Fraunce: and he answe­red and sayde / no / he is nat of that blode. For sir Loyes of Spaygne and this sir Charles that ye speke of [...]came bothe out of the realme of Spayne / & were lynially extraught of spayne and of Fraunce / by their mothers syde / & were cosyn germayns to kynge Alphons of Spay­gne: and I serued in my youthe / sir Loyes of Spaygne in the warres of Bretaygne / for he was alwayes on the partie of sir Charles of Bloyes / agaynst the erle Moūtforde. And so we lefte spckynge of that matter / and rode to saynte Gouffens / a good towne of the Erle of Foiz. and the next day we dyned at Monreyle a good stronge towne of the Frenche kynges / and sir Roger de Spaygne kepte it. And af­ter dyner we rode the waye towardes Lourde and so rode throughe a great launde / endurynge a fyftene leages / called the laundes Lann [...] de vous / wherin were many daungerous pas­sages / for theues and yuell doers. And in this launde stode the castell of Mesere / parteynin­ge to the erle of Foiz / a good leage fro the tow­ne of Tourney / the whiche castell the knyght shewed me and sayd. Sir / beholde yonder is Maluoysen / But sir / haue ye herde here before howe the duke of Aniou / whan he was in this countrey and wente to Lourde? What he dyde in this countre / & howe he layde siege to Lour­de / and wanne it. And also the castell of Gryn­galet / on the ryuer side that ye se yonder before vs / parteyneth to the lorde de la Batte. Than I remembred my selfe / and said. Sir / I trowe I neuer herde therof as yet / therfore I pray [...] you shewe me the mater. But sir / I praye you shewe me where is the ryuer of Garon become for I can se it no more. ye say trouthe quod the knight / it departeth here / in thentryng of these mountayns / and it groweth and cometh out of a foūtayne a thre leages hens / the way to Cha­telomy / by a castell called saynt Beart / the fronter of the realme of Fraunce towarde Aragon: And there is as nowe / a squyer called Ermal­ton / otherwyse called Bourge de Spaygne. He is lorde therof / and [...]hatelayne of all the coū trey / and he is cosyn germayne to sir Roger de Spayne / if we se hym I shall shewe you him. He is a goodly persone and a good man of ar­mes / and he hath done more domage to theym of Lourde / than any other knyght or squyer of all the countre: and the erle of Foiz loueth him ryghtwell / for he is his companyon in armes. ¶I wyll leaue to speke of hym / for I thynke at this feest of Christmas / ye shall se him in the erle of Foiz house: but nowe I shall shewe you of the duke of Aniou howe he came in to this countre / and what he dyde. Than we rode forthe fayre and easely / and he began to saye as fo­loweth. ⸪

AFter the begynnynge of the warres / whan̄e they began to wynne on the En­glysshe men / that they helde in Acquitayne / and that sir Olyuer ¶lesquyn was be­come frēche. He ledde y ^e du­ke of Aniou in to Bretaygne / on the landes of sir Robert Canoll▪ who was at the sege before Dyriuall / as ye haue herde before: as I thynke and of the treatie that six Hughe Br [...]ce his co­syn made to the duke of Antou / as to rēdre the castell and delyuer good hostages / so that the duke of Aniou shulde nat cōe to reyse the siege But whan sir Robert Canoll was within the castell of Dyriuall / than he wolde holde no tretie. All this is true sir quod I. well quod he / but haue you herde of the scrimysshe that was before the castell / where a [...] sir Ol [...]uer de Cles­quyn was wounded? Sir I can nat tell you quod I / I can nat remembre all. Wherfore sir I praye you shewe me of the scrimysshe / and of the siege what came therof / For paraduen­tureye knowe it some other wayes than I do / and ye shall retourne agayne well ynoughe to your purpose of them of Lourde and of Mal­uoysen. It is true quod the knyght: it was so that sir Garses of the castella right valyaunt knight of the countre and good frenche / wente to the duke of Aniou / to cause hym to come be­fore Beauuosyn. The duke had made his sommons to holde his iourney before Dyriuall / & made this sir Garses for his valyantnesse marshall of his host▪ and true it is as I herde say / y ^t whā he sawe that sir Robert Canoll wolde nat kepe the tr [...]atie that was made before / nor wolde nat delyuer the castell of Dyriuall. Than he came to the duke and sayd. Sir What shall we do with these hostages? It is no faulte in them that the castell is nat gyuen vp / & it were great pytie that they shulde dye / for they be gē ­tylmen and haue deserued no dethe. Than the duke said: Were it good than to delyuer them? yea truely sir quod the knyght / it were great [...]ytie otherwyse. Well quod the duke / do ther­in as ye lyste. Than this sir Garses went to delyuer them / and as he wente / sir Olyuer Cles­quyn mette him & demaunded wheder he went and fro whens he came. I come fro my lorde the duke of Aniou / and am goynge to delyuer the hostages. To delyuer them quod sir Oly­uer abyde a lytell and retourne agayne with me to the duke. and so they cāe to the duke who was in his lodgynge in a great study sir Oly­uer saluted hym and said. Sir / What is your entent? Shall nat these hostages suffre deth? By my faythe they shall / in the dispyte of (ser) Robert Canoll & sir Byrre / who hath falsed their faithe. Wherfore (ser) I wyll ye knowe w ^tout they dye / I shall weare no armure this hole yere af­ter / in none of yor watres. If they shulde scape thus it were good chep [...]. The siege hath coste you threscore. M. frankes / and newe you wyll shewe grace to your enemies, who [...]epeth with you nother faythe nor trouthe. With those wordes the duke began to chafe and sayd▪ sir Oly­uer do therin as ye thynke best. Than quod sir Olyuer / I wyll that they lese their lyues / there is good cause why / sithe they kepe nat their ꝓ­myse. Than sir Olyuer departed fro the duke and came to a place before the Castell / and sir Garses durst nat speke one worde for them / for if he had / he shulde haue lost his labour / sith sir Olyuer had taken on hym the enterprise, than he called the hangman / & made hym stryke of the heedes of two knyghtes and two squyers / whiche was great pytie / & there were mo than two hundred in the ho [...]st that wepte / for them. And incontynent sir Robert Canoll opyned a posterne gate / and on the brimme of the dykes in dispyte of the frenche men / he caused to stry­ke of the heedes of all the prisoners that he had without any respyte / and incentynent opyned the castell gate and lette downe the bridge / and issued out and [...] to the barryers / and scry­mysshed with the frenche men. And as sir Garses shewed me / they was a sore scrimysshe / and there sir Olyuer Cl [...]squyn was hurt / and so returned to his lodgyng. There were thre good men of armes (two squyers of the countrey of B [...]erne) Bettram de Baruge and Eualton de Payne / and they were bothe sore hurt. and the next day the duke dislodged and went fro Dy­ryuall to Tholous to the entente to distroye Lourde / for they of Tholous cōplayned greatly of the garyson of Lourde.

¶So than the duke went first and layd siege [Page xxiiii] to Maluoysen / whiche we maye se yonder be­fore vs: and the duke had in his company an vi [...]i. thousande men of warre / besyde the gene­uoys and the cōmons of the good townes. Ca­pitayne as than of Maluoysen / was a squyer of Gascoyne called Raymonde de Lesp [...]an experte man of armes. Euery day at the barriers there was scrimysshes and goodly feates of armes done: & the duke laye in yonder fayre me­dowes / bytwene the towne of Turney and the castell by the ryuer syde of Lysse. This siege enduryng sir Garses marshall of thoost / went with fyue hundred men of armes and two hundred archers and crosbowes / and a two thou­sande of other cōmons / and layd siege to the castell of Trygalet / whiche we haue lefte here be hynde vs / whiche castell a squyer of Gascoyne kepte / for the lorde de la Barde: for he was his cosyn / and was called the Bastot of Manlyon and he had within the castella .xl. companyons and they dyd in that countre suche maystries / that none coude go that waye but they were taken prisoners / without it were the pylgrimes that wente to saynt Iames / with the ayde of a nother fortresse called Nemeluz. In these two garysons all the robbers and pyllers of the coū tre assembled / And euer they were agaynst the erle of Foiz / and also agaynst the erle of Army nake / wherfore they cared nat / though the duke of Aniou came in to that coūtre. And whan sir Garses was come before the castell of Tryga­let / he coulde nat approche on the one parte for the ryuer / and so gaue a great assaute / & many men hurte bothe within and without with shot and fyue dayes togyder this sir Garses made assautes / so that at laste the artillary within began to fayle them / and the frēche men ꝑceyued it very well. Than by gentylnesse / sir Garses caused the capitayne to come & speke with him vnder saue conducte / and sayd to hym. Bastot I knowe well what case ye be in. ye haue no artillary within / nor nothyng to defende you fro the sante / but speares. Knowe for trouthe / that if ye be taken by force / I can nat saue your lyfe nor none of youre company / for the cōmons of the countre wyll slee you all / which I wolde be lothe to se / for ye are my cosyn. Therfore I coū ­sayle you to yelde vp the fortresse: And sythe y ^t I desyre you so to do / ye can beare no blame in your so doyng / and departe hens wheder as ye lyste / for ye haue kepte this castell long ynough Sir quod the squyer / I wolde gladly folowe your coūsayle / if it were out of dedes of armes for in dede I am your cosyn. But sir / I can nat yelde vp this fortresse all alone / for suche as be within / haue as good parte therof as I haue / though they holde me for their capitayne. Sir I shall go to them and shewe them as ye haue said / if they accorde to rendre it vp / I shall nat say nay: and if they wyll kepe it styll whatso­euer aduēture fall / I shall take suche parte as they do. It is well said quod sir Garses / deꝑte whan ye wyll / I knowe your entent. Than the Bastot of Manlyon retourned to the castell of Trygalet / and called all his company toguy­der / and ther shewed them all the sayeng of sir Garses / and so demaunded of them what they thought was best to do. And so they counsay­led toguyder a longe space / some wolde abyde the aduenture and sayd / howe they were stronge ynough: and some wolde departe and said / howe it was a good tyme so to do / seynge that they had no more artillary / & sawe well howe the duke of Aniou was cruell / and the cōmons of Thoulous / of Carcasson [...]y / & of other tow­nes there about / sore displeased with them / for the great domages that they had done to thē. So all thynges consydred / they concluded to yelde vp the castell / so that they might be safely conducted and all theirs to the castell Culyer / the whiche was kepte by some of their compa­nyons / on the fronter of Tholousin. So thus the capitayne retourned agayne to the host to speke with sir Garses / and he agreed to their desyres: For he sawe well the castell wolde nat lightely be wonne by assaute / without losse of moche people. So than they prepared to de­parte & trussed all their baggage / for they had moche pyllage / they toke with them the best & lefte the resydue. And sit Garses conueyed thē to Culyer without daunger. Thus the frenche men at that tyme gate this castell Trygalette. Than sir Garses dyd gyue the castell to the cō ­mens of the countre / and they dyd rase it dow­ne / as ye se: so that there was neuer none sithe that wolde reedify it agayne. And so fro thens sit Garses wente towarde the castell Nantyl­leur / standyng on these laundes nere to the ca­stell Lameu. And as he wente thyderwarde / one shewed hym y ^t the castell Nantylleur was voyde / and they departed that kepte it. Than̄e sir Garses taryed in the selde & deuysed what was best than to do. Than the seneshall of No besen sayd. sir / this castell of Nantylleur is in my bayliwyke / and it ought to parteyne to the erle of Foiz. I praye you let me haue it / and I shall make it to be so kepte / on my proper coste and charge / that no man that wyll any hurte [Page] to the contrarye shall neuer entre therin. Sir quod they of Tholous / he sayeth well / and he is a valyant man / it were better he had it than another. Well quod sir Garses I am content. Thus the castell of Nātylleur was delyuered to the seneschall of Nobesen / who incontynent rode thyder and founde it clene voyde. Than he newly fortifyed that was broken / and heset therin a capitayne / a squyer of the countre called Fortefey saynt Poule / & than he retourned to the siege of Maluoysen / where y ^e duke was and also thyder was come sir Garses & all his company / and shewed the duke all that he had done. This siege endured about a .vi. wekes and nighe euery day there was scrimysshinge at the barryers / at laste they withoute stopped their water / so that their sesterns began to drie and in sixe wekes their fell nat a droppe of rayne / the season was so drie and hote / and they w ^t out had ease ynoughe by reason of the fayre ry­uer. Whan they w ^tin sawe what case they were in / they were sore abasshed / for they sawe well they coude nat long endure. Wyne they hadde plentie / but fresshe water fayled them: Than̄e they aduysed to fall in treatie with the duke / & so they dyde: And Raymonde de lespee purchased a saue conduct to go in to the hoost to speke with the duke / and so he dyd / and sayd. Sir / if ye wyll be courtesse to me and to my company / I shall render in to youre handes the castell of Maluoysen. What curtesy wolde ye quod the duke / that I shulde shewe you? Departe your waye / you and all yours in to your owne coū ­treis / and entre nat in to no forteresse that hol­deth agaynst vs / for if ye do: and if I get you or any of you / I shall delyuer you to Ioselyn / that shall make your beerdes without any ra­soure. Sir quod Raymonde / if we shall deꝑte shall we haue with vs all our bagges and baggages / for that we haue wonne it by armes / & in great aduenture? Than the duke studyed a lytell and sayd. I am content that ye bere with you / as moche as ye may beare in males and somers / and none otherwise. And if ye haue any prisoners / that ye delyuer them to vs. I am cō ­tent ꝙ Raymonde. Thus all they within deꝑ­ted and yelded vp the castell to the duke of An­to we: But Raymonde de lespe tourned and be came frenche / and serued the duke of Aniowe longe tyme after / and went with him in to Italy / and there dyed in ascrimysshe before Naples / whan the duke of Aniou & the duke of / Sauoy made their voyage.

THus quod the knight the duke of Aniou gatte the castell of Maluoysen / wherof he great ioye / and made it to be kepte by a knyght of Bygore / called sir Cyquart of Luperier / & after he gaue it to the erle of Foiz who kepeth it yet / and wyll do as longe as he lyueth: And he hath made capitayne there a knyght of Bygore / one of his owne lynage / called sir Raymon de Lane / and whan the duke of Aniou had the possessyon of Maluoysen / and had delyuered his countrey fro the Englysshmen / and fro the pyllers of the conntre. Than he wente and layd seige before the castell of Lourde. Than therle of Foiz douted greatly the duke of Aniou / bycause he cam so nere hym / and wyste nat what he entended. Than therle of Foiz assembled togyder knightes and squyers / and sent thē aboute to dyuers garysons / and sette his Brother sir Arnolde Guyllame in the towne of Morlens with two hundred speares in the towne of Panne / and sir Peter of Cabeston in to the cite of Lestrade with other two hundred speares / and sir Mo­nant of Nōnalles went in to the towne of Hart let with a hundred speares / and Arnolde Gehe rell in to the towne of Montgeberell with a hū dred speares / sit Foulquant Dortery in to the towne of Sanetere with a hundred speares / & I Espaygne of Lyon was sente to the Mount Marson with two hundred speares. There was no castell in all Bierne / but that was well prouyded with men of warre / and the erle himselfe laye styll at his Castell of Ortayse by his florens. Why sir quod I / hath he so great plen­tie of florens? sir quod he at this houre / I thynke he hath well to the nōbre of .xxx. tymes a hundred thousande. There is no lorde lyuenge as now / that is so large and lyberall in gyueng of gyftes / as he is. Than I demaunded of hym to what maner of people he was so lyberall / he answered and said / to straungers / to knightes and squyers comyng through his countre / and to haraldes and mynstrels / and to euery man that speketh with hym / there is none departeth fro him without some reward / for if any refuse his gyfte he is nat content. A saynt mary sir ꝙ [Page xxv] I / to what entent kepeth he so moche money / & wher dothe he get it. Is his renenues so great to gader toguyder suche treasure? sir / I wolde gladly knowe this / if it pleased you. Well sir ꝙ the knight ye shall know it / but ye haue demaū ded of metwo thynges. First ye haue demaū ­ded of me / to what entent he kepeth suche trea­sure / I shall shewe you. Therle of Foiz alway douteth of the warre that he had with therle of Arminake / & also for the busynesse of his neighbours / the frenche kyng and the kynge of En­glande / whom he wolde nat wyllingly displease: For he hath alwayes dissymuled bytwene them / duryng all the wary season vnto this present tyme / for he neuer armed hym selfe for any of their parties / He hath alwayes been euer in good case with bothe parties I saye to you: & so ye shall saye youreselfe whan̄e ye haue ones knowlege of hym and herde him speke / & ones knowe the order and state of his house / ye shall se that he is at this daye / the moost sage prince in the worlde. And there is none so great a lor­de / nother the frenche kyng nor the kyng of Englande / y ^t wyll wyllingly haue his yuell wyll: as for his other neighbours / as the kyng of Arragon or the kyng of Nauer / he estemeth them but lytell / for he wyll fynde mo men of armes (by reason of suche frendes as he hath gote w ^t his giftes / and money that he hath in treasure) than bothe those kynges can do: For I haue herde hym saye / that whan the kyng of Cyper was in his countre of Byerne / and moued him to haue gone to the voiage of the holy Sepul­ture. He hadde thought the same tyme to haue made suche a iourney / that if the frenche kyng or the kyng of Englande had taken that enter­prise / howe ther shulde haue ben no lorde shul­de haue brought suche a company as he wolde haue done / and as yet he is of the same mynde: and in parte / that is one of the causes that he gadereth suche treasure.

tHe prince of Wales / the season that he raigned in the countre of Acquitayne beyng at Burdeux on the ryuer of Geronde / thought to haue made hym warre. The prince manassyde him for the coūtre of Bierne and wolde haue had hym to haue holde his coū tre of hym / and the erle sayd he wolde nat: and sayd / howe his countre of Bierne was so free a lande / that it ought to do homage to no man of the worlde. And the prince / who at that tyme was great and sore feared / said howe he wolde compell hym ꝑforce / for therle of Armynake & the lorde Dalbret who loued nat therle of Foiz bycause of suche victories as he hadde won on them before. They tytled the prince euer in his eare / and entysed hym to haue made warre a­gaynst the erle of Foiz / but the voiage that the prince made in to Spayne brake his purpose. Also sir Iohn̄ Chandos / who was chefe of coū sayle with the Prince was agaynst it / that the prince shulde make any watre to the erle. The erle of Foiz loued right well sir Iohan Chan­dos and he hym / but the erle douted the prince / bycause he was fierse and coragious. and therfore he gadered togyder as moche treasure as he coude gette / to thentent therwith to defende hym if nede were. And so he set great tayles & taxes in all his coūtre and in euery towne / whiche as yet endureth / and shall do as long as he lyueth. He had of euery fyre euery yere two frā kes / and the ryche to beare out the poore / ther­by he gadered and yet dothe great riches / and the people payeth it with a marueylous good wyll. For by reason therof / there is nother En­glysshe nor frenche / nor robbers nor reyuers / y ^t dothe them any hurte / to the value of one pēny. And so his countre is in sauegarde and iustice truely kepte / for in doyng of iustyce he is right cruell: he is the moost rightfull lorde y ^t is nowe lyueng. And so with these wordes we came to the towne of Turney / where as we shulde rest all night. So than the knight seased of his talkyng / and I remembred well where we lefte agaynst the next day / and we were lodged at the signe of the Starre and toke our ease. And at supper tyme the capitayne of Maluoysin / cal­led sir Raymonde of Lane / came to se vs & supped with vs / and brought with hym four flag­gons of the best wyne that I drāke of in all my iourney: those two knightes talked long togi­der: and whan it was late the knight departed and retourned to the castell of Maluoysin. and the next mornyng we mounted on out horses / and departed fro Tourney & passed by a gyde the ryuer of Lysse / and rode towarde the cytie of Tarbe / & entred in to Bigore: And we lefte the waye to Lourde / to Bagueres / and to the castell of Mountgaylliard on the lyfte hande. And we rode towarde a vyllage called Tera­cimytat / and dyd coost it / and came to a wode in the lande of the lorde of Barbasan / and we came nere to a castell called Matheras / at the entre of the countre of Layre. Than the knight said to me. Sir Iohan / beholde here the place of Layre / and beholde it well & aduyse the coū ­tre / which semed to me right strāge / I thought [Page] my selfe but as lost ther / if I had nat ben in the company with that knight. Than I remēbred the wordes that this knight had shewed me .ii. or thre dayes before of that countre of Layre / and of the Mēgeant of Lourde. Than I sayd to hym. Sir / ye shewed me the last daye / that whan we shulde be in the coūtre of Layre / that ye wolde shewe me the maner of the Mēgeant of Lourde / and howe he dyed. It is true sir ꝙ the knyght / come on & ryde by me and I shall shewe you. Than I rode nere hym to here his wordes / and than he sayde. Sir / in the season that Peter Danchyne helde the castell and ca­stell of Ortyngas / as I haue shewed you be­fore this tyme. They of the garison of Lourde sōtyme rode forthe at aduenture farre fro their garyson / howe be it they had nat alwayes the aduauntage / for ye maye beholde here the ca­stell of Barbason and the Castell of Marthe­ras / wherin there was alwayes many men of warre there / and in other garysons / as Bagueces / Tourney / Mountgalyarde / Salenges / Benache / Gorre / and Tarbe / all frenche tow­nes and garysons. And whan these garysons knewe that they of Lourde rode outher towardes Tholous or Carcassone: Thā they wolde laye busshementes for them / and somtyme take fro them of Lourde their praye and pyllage / & somtyme they scaped without any rencounter. And on a tyme it fortuned / that Eruaulton of saynt Colombe and the Mengeant of saynte Cornyle / and to the nombre of sixscore speares of good men of warre departed fro Lourde / about the moūtayns / bytwene these two ryuers Lysse and Lesse / and so rode nere to Tholous / and at their retournyng they founde in the me­dowes a great nombre of beestes / oxen & keen / hogges / mottons / and lambes: and also they toke dyuers of the good men of the countre prisoners / and so droue all their pray before them. Than it was shewed to the capitayne of Tar­be a squyer of Gascoyne / called Erualton By­sette / an experte man of armes / Howe they of the garyson of Lourde were abrode / and were comyng homewarde with a great praye: than he sente to the lorde of Benache and to Engue­rose / eldest sonne to sir Raymonde / and also to the lorde of Barbason / Certifyeng them howe he wolde ryde out agaynst theym of Lourde. The knyghtes and squyers of the countrey of Bigore agreed to ryde forthe / and assembled to guyder at Tourney / and with them ther was the Bourcke of Spaygne / who came fro his garyson of saynt Bearte. So they were to the nombre of two hundred speares / and they had their spyes abrode in the Countrey / to knowe what they of Lourde dyde. On the other syde / they of Lourd had abrode their spies to knowe if any men of warre were abrode to lette them of their enterprise. And so moche dyde these y ^t eyther partie knewe what other dyde. Whan̄e they of Lourde knewe howe they of the frenche garysons were abrode and taryed for them at Tourney / Than they were in doute / and toke coūsayle what they might best do / to saue their pray. Than they determyned to departe their company in two. The one company to driue before them their praye with all their varlettꝭ / and to go couertly by the lane of Bourge / and so to passe the waye by the bridge of Tourney and to passe the ryuer of Lesse / bytwene Tourney and Lymosyn. And the other company to ryde in batayle by the mountayns / and to ma­ke shewe to go agayne in to the countre of Layre by Martheras / & so to fall in bytwene Bar­bason and Mountgalyarde: And sayd / that if they mete toguyder about Mountgaylliarde / than they shulde be in sauegarde / for than we shall be soone at Lourde. Thus as they orday­ned so they dyde. And the bastarde of Caruyl­lacke / Guyllonet of Harmyes / and Perot Burcyer / Iohn̄ Calleuyn of Basile / the reed squier and fourtie speares with all their varlettꝭ with all their pray / toke the waye by the lane of Burge / & so to passe the ryuer at the bridge bitwene Tourney and Maluoysin / thynkynge to mete all togyder bytwene Eynitat and Moūtgay­lyarde: and so they departed / and the other cō ­pany as Erualton of Restue / Erualton of saīt Colombe / and the Mēgeant of saynt Coruyle with fourscore men of armes / there was nat .x. varlettes among them. So they made thē self redy and rode close toguyder / euer lokyng for their enemyes: For they knewe well they were abrode to watche for them. In lyke maner as they of Lourde had taken their aduise and coū sayle howe to retourne / in lykewise the frenche men tooke counsayle howe they might encoun­ter their enemyes / and sir Monant of Barba­san and Erualton Bysset / sayd to their companye. Sirs / we knowe well howe they of Lourde are abrode in the feldes / and driueth before them great praye and many prisoners. It shulde be a great dyspleasure to vs / if they shulde scape: Therfore lette vs put our selfe in to two busshementes / we are company ynough so to do. Than it was ordayned that Erualton and the Bourge of Spayne / sir Raymonde of Benache [Page xxvi] and Anguerot Lane with a hundred speres / shulde kepe the passage at Tourney: For they knewe well that they of Lourd with their praye must nedes passe the ryuer of Lysse. and it was ordayned / that the lorde of Barbasone and Erualton Byset with a hundred speares / shulde ryde at aduentures. So this they deꝑ­ted / and the lorde of Benache and the Bourge of Spaygne put them selfe in a busshment / bytwene Maluoysin and Turney / and the other company rode and toke the same waye that we be nowe in / which is called the Layre / and here they mette with thē of Lourde. And whan eche of them sawe other / they a lyghted and made them redy to fyght / And so came eche agaynst other cryeng their cryes / saynt George Lourd and the other our lady of Bigore. and so there eche came to other with hande strokes / foynin­ge with their speares eche at other a great spa­ce / and as I herde reported of them that were ther / at the first brunt there was none ouerthrowen. And so whan eche of thē had a great spa­ce foyned eche at other / they caste downe their speares and toke their axes and gaue therwith eche to other great and horrible strokes / euery man with his matche / and in that maner they fought toguyder more than two houres: And whan any of them had fought so long that they lacked brethe / than they wolde fayre and ease­ly departe / and go sytte downe by a dyke syde that was full of water / and put of their basse­nettes and refresshe them selfe. And whan they were well refresshed / they putte on their basse­netes and retourned agayne to fight. I beleue there was nat suche a busynesse nor a batayle so well fought (sithe the batayle y ^t was in Bre­tayne of .xxx. agaynst as many) As this was here at Martheras in Bigore. Thus they fought hande to hande / and Erualton of saynt Colombe was at the poynt to haue ben disconfyted by asquyer of the countre called Guyllo­net of Salynges. This Erualton of saint Colombe had a varlet / who stode by and sawe the batayle and fought nat / for ther was none that sayd any thyng to hym. And whan he sawe his maister almost at vttraunce he was sorie / and so came to his maister and tooke his axe out of his handes and sayd. Erualton / go your waye and rest you / ye can no lengar fight. And than he with the axe wente to the squyer & gaue him suche a stroke on the heed that he was astonied and had nere hande fallen to the erthe. Whan̄e Guyllonet felte hym selfe stryken he was sore displeased / and came agaynst the varlet to ha­ue stryken hym / but the varlet stepte vnder the stroke and enbrased the squyer / who was sore traueyled with so long fightyng / & so the var­let ouerthrewe hym wrestlyng vnder hym. thā the varlet sayde. I shall slee the / without thou wylte yelde thy selfe to my maister. Who is thy mayster quod the squyer? Erualton of saynt Colombe quod the varlette / with whome thou haste fought all this season. The squyer sawe that he had nat the vauntage / but that he was vnder the varlette / who had a daggar redy to stryke hym. So he yelded hym to rendre his body prisoner at Lourde within fyftene dayes after / rescues or no rescues. This seruyce dyd this varlet to his maister. And sir Iohn̄ / I as­sure you / ther were many feates of armes done and many ouerthrowen and taken prisoners / some to yelde them selfe in a certayne space at Tarbe / and some to come to Lourde. They fought this day hande to hande / Erualton By set with the Mengeant of saynt Basyll / they dyde many a feate of armes bytwene thē: and they fought so long till they were so wery / that they coude ayde them selfe no lengar. and ther was slayne on the place two capitayns / the mē geant of Lourde / and on the other parte Erualton Bysset. Than ceased the batayle by agre­ment of bothe parties / for they were so wery / that they coude scante holde their axes in their handes. Some vnarmed them to refresshe thē selfe / and lefte their armure in the place. They of Lourde bare awaye with them the Menge­ant slayne / and the frenche men bare Erualton Bysset to Tarbe. And to thentent that this batayle shulde be had in remembraunce wher as the two squyers fought / there was set a Crosse of stone / beholde yonder is the Crosse. & with those wordes we came to the Crosse / and there we sayd for their soules a Pater noster and an Aue maria. By my faythe sir quod I / I am gladde I haue herde this / for this was a shar­pe busynesse of so lytell people. But sir / what became of them that wente with the praye? I shall shewe you quod he. They came to the ꝑte of Tourney besyde Maluoysin / to haue pas­sed there as they had ordayned / And ther they founde the busshment of the Bourge of Spaygne / who brake out of their busshment / & they of Lourde coude nat recule backe / they had no remedy / but to aduēture their selfe. And I tell you trouthe / there was as sore a fight and as long endured or lengar / than that at Marthe­ras: [Page] and there Erualton of Spayne dyde marueylous in armes / He had an axe in his hande / who soeuer he strake therwith went to the erth for he was bygge and well made / and nat ouer charged with moche flesshe. He toke ther with his owne handes the two capitayns / the Bur­ge of Coruyle and Perot Palatyne of Bierne and there was slayne a squier of Nauar called Ferādo of Myrando / who was an expert man of armes. some that were at the busynesse sayd that the Bourge of Spaygne slewe hym / and some sayd he was ouercome for heat in his harnesse. Finally the praye was rescewed / and all taken or slayne that wente therwith / ther were but thre saued them selfe / and they were varlet­tes [...] who departed and wente ouer the ryuer of Lysse. Thus became of this aduenture: They of Lourde neuer loste before so moche as they dyde than: They were courtesly raunsomed / and dyuers delyuered by exchaunge one for a nother / For dyuers of them that fought here at the place of Layre / were taken by thē of Lourd Therfore euery parte were courteyse one to a­nother / in raunsomyng of their companyons. Ah saynt Mary sir quod I / is the Bourge of Spaygne so bygge a man as ye speke of? yea sir truely quod he / for in all Gascoyne there is none lyke hym in strength of body / therfore the erle of Foiz hath hym euer in his company. It paste nat a thre yere that he dyde in a sporte a great dede / as I shall shewe you.

So it was on a Christmas day / the Erle of Foiz helde a great feest and a plentifull of kni­ghtes and squyers / as it is his vsage: And it was a colde day / and the erle dyned in the hall / and with hym great company of lordes. And after dyner he deꝑted out of the hall and wente vp in to a galarye of .xxiiii. stayres of heyght / in whiche galarye ther was a great Chymney wherin they made fyre / whan therle was ther. and at that tyme there was but a small fyre / for the erle loued no great fyre / how be it he hadde woode ynoughe there about / and in Bierne is wode ynoughe. The same daye it was a great frost and very colde: And whan the erle was in the galarye and sawe the fyre so lytell / he sayde to the knightes and squiers about hym. Sirs this is but a small fyre / & the day so colde: than Erualton of Spayne went downe the stayres and beneth in the courte he sawe a great meny of Asses laden with woode to serue the house / Than he wente and toke one of the grettest As­ses with all the Woode and layde hym on his backe / and went vp all the stayres in to the ga­lary / and dyde cast downe the Asse with all the woode in to the chymney / and the Asses fete vpwarde / Wherof the erle of Foiz had great ioye and so hadde all they that were there / and had marueyle of his strength / howe he alone came vp all the stayres with the Asse and the woode in his necke. I toke great pleasure in this tale and in other that this knyght sir Espaygne de Leon shewed me / wherby I thought my iour­ney moche the shorter. And in shewyng of these maters / we passed the pase of Layre and the castell of Martheras / where as the batayle was / and so we rode nere to the castell of Barbason / whiche is stronge & fayre / and is within a leage of Tarbe / whiche we sawe before vs / and a fayre waye costyng the ryuer of Lysse comyng fro the mountayns. Than we rode fayre and easely at our leysar to refresshe our horses. and there he shewed me the ryuer / the castell / & the towne of Mountgalyarde / and the waye that laye to Lourde. Than̄e it came to my remem­braunce to demaunde the knight / howe the du­ke of Aniou whan he was in the countrey / and that the castell of Maluoysin was yelded to hī / came before Lourde / and what he dyd there. & with right a good wyll he shewed me and said. Whanne the duke of Aniowe departed frome Maluoysin withall his host / he passed ouer the ryuer of Lysse at the bridge of Tourney / and wente and lodged at Baguiers / where as is a good ryuer goynge to Tarbe / for this ryuer of Tourney cometh nat thyder / but falleth in to the ryuer of Garon besyde Moūtunllyon / and so the duke went and layd siege to Lourde. sir Peter Erualton of Bierne and Iohan his brother / Peter Danchyn / Erualton of Restue / Erualton of saynt Colombe / and the Mengeant / who as than was lyueng / and Ferando of Myrando with Olyuer Barbe / the Burge of Cor­uyllacke / and the Burge Canuse / and certayne other cōpanions beyng within Lourde. Whan they were well enfourmed of the dukes comyn­ge thyder / they fortifyed them and their gary­son agaynst hym / & helde the towne of Lourde for all the sautes that the duke made / Whiche fyftene dayes contynually endured / and there were many feates of armes done. The duke ordayned many Instrumentes of warre for the saute / so that finally the towne was wonne / but they loste neyther man / woman / nor good: for they were all withdrawen in to the castell / For [Page xxvii] they knewe well at length the towne wolde nat holde / for it was closed but with dykes and pales. Whan the towne of Lourde was won the Frenche men had great ioye / and so lodged in the towne roūde about the castell / whiche was nat prignable without it were with long siege There the duke taryed more than sixe wekes / and lost more than he wanne / for they without coulde do no hurte to them within / for the Ca­stell standeth on a rounde rocke / made in suche maner / that no man coude aproche it by scalyn­ge nor other wyse / but by one entre: And there at the barryers were many scrimysshes & ma­ny feates of armes done / and dyuers knightes and squyers of Fraunce were hurte / suche as wolde prese to nere. Whan the duke sawe howe he coude nat haue his entent to gette the castell of Lourde / than he fell in treatie with the capi­tayne within / and offred him moche money to gyue vp the garyson. The knight who was of great valyantesse excused hymselfe and said. Howe the garyson was nat his / but it partey­ned to the herytage of the kynge of Englande / and sayd: Howe he coude nat sell it nor gyue it nor putte it awaye / without he shulde be a tray tour / whiche in no wyse he wolde be / but trewe to his naturall lorde durynge his lyfe: & more­ouer sayd / that whan the castell was delyuered hym / it was on a condycion / whiche he sware solempnely by his faythe in the prince of Wa­les hande / y ^t he shulde kepe the castell of Lour­de agaynst all men durynge his lyfe / excepte it were agaynst the kyng of Englande. The du­ke coude neuer haue other answere of hym / for gyfte nor promyse that he coulde make. And whan the duke of Aniou and his coūsaile sawe howe they coude haue nothynge els / and sawe that they loste their payne / they dislodged / and at their departynge they clene brent the towne. Than the duke of Aniowe drewe backe in coo­stynge Bierne / and rode towarde the Mount Marsen / and had knowledge howe the erle of Foiz had fortifyed all his garysons with men of warre / wherof he was nothyng dyscontent / but he was displeased / in that the knyghtꝭ and squyers of Bierne helde Lourde agaynst hym The erle of Foyz (as I haue shewed you here before) doughted greatly the duke of Aniowe / thoughe the duke dyde hym no hurte: But the erle of Arminake and the lorde Dalbret wolde haue had the Duke to haue made hym warre / but the duke had no wyll there to: But whyle he lodged bytwene Mounte Marsen and the Boce Dalbret / he sent to the erle to Ortaise sir Peter of Beule / whom the erle receyued hono­rably and lodged hym in the castell of Ortaise / and made hym as good chere as he coude / and gaue hym mulettes and coursers / & to his men great gyftes. And he sente by hym to the duke of Aniowe foure coursers and two Allans of Spaygne / fayre and good. And there were se­crete treaties bytwene the erle and this sir Pe­ter of Beule: of whiche treaties no man knewe the entent therof of a good space after. But af­ter by suche euydent tokens as appered we supposed somewhat / and the mater I shall shewe you / and by that tyme we shall come to Tarbe.

ANone after that the duke of Aniou had made his voyage / and that he was at Tholous / Than the erle of Foiz sende by his letters / certayne messangers to Lourde to his cosyn sir Peter Erualton of Bierne / desyring hym to come and speke with hym at Ortayse. And whan the knyght had reed therles letters / and sawe his notable message / he had dyuers ymaginacions / and wyst nat wheder he might go or abyde. All thynges consydred / he sayd he wolde go / bycause in no wyse he wolde displease the erle. And whan he departed fro Lourde / he sayd to Iohan of Bierne his brother / in the presens of all the companyons of the garyson. Brother Iohan / the erle of Foyz hath sente for me / I can nat tell you why / But sythe it is his pleasure to speke with me I wyll go to hym. I feare me greatly that I shalbe requyred to gy­ue vp this fortresse of Lourde: For the duke of Aniou whan he was in the countrey he costed Bierne / and entred nat therin. And the erle of Foyz hath longe entended to haue the castell of Maluoysin / to the entent to be lorde of the lanede Bourge / and of the fronters of Comynges and of Bigore. I knowe nat what treatie ther is made / bytwene hym and the duke of Aniou / But one thynge I saye playnly: as longe as I lyue / I shall neuer yelde vp the garyson / but to myne owne naturall lorde the kyng of Englā ­de. Wherfore brother Iohan / in case that I stablysshe you in myne absence to be Capitayne here / that ye shall swere to me by the faythe of your gentylnesse / that ye shall kepe this castell / in lyke maner and fourme as I do / and that for lyfe or dethe ye fayle nat. And Iohan of byerne sware to fulfyll his desyre: Than sir Peter Erualton wente to Ortayse and a lyghted at the signe of the Moone / And whan he thought it [Page] was tyme / he wente to the castell of Ortayse to therle / who with great ioye receyued hym and made hym syt at his borde / and shewed him as great semblant of loue as he coude. And after dyner he said. Cosyn Peter / I haue to speke w ^t you of dyuers thyngꝭ / wherfore I wyll that ye departe nat without my leaue. The knight an swered and sayd. sir / I shall nat departe tyll it be your pleasur. Than the thirde day after the erle of Foiz said vnto hym / in the presens of the vycount of Gousserant his brother / and before the lorde Dāchyn of Bigore / and dyuers other knightes and squyers. The erle sayd a loude y ^t euery man might here hym: Peter I sende for you and ye become. I wyll ye knowe / the duke of Aniou wolde me moche yuell bycause of the garison of Lourde / whiche ye kepe: for the whiche cause my lande was nere hāde ouerron and good frendes had nat been. And it is his opy­nion and dyuers other of his company / that he hateth me / bicause (as they say) howe I maynteyne & sustayne yon / bycause ye be of Byerne: And it is nat mete for me to haue the yuell wyll of so great a prince / as the duke of Aniowe is. Wherfore I cōmaunde you as ye wyll eschewe my displeasure / and by the faythe and lignage that ye owe to me / that ye yelde vp the garyson of Lourde in to my handes. Whan the knyght herde these wordes he was sore abasshed / & studyed a lytell / remembringe what aunswere he might make / for he sawe well the Erle spake in good faithe. Howe be it all thynges consydred he sayd. Sir / true it is I owne to you faythe & homage / for I am a poore knyght of yo [...] blode and of your countrey: But as for the castell of Lourde / I wyll nat delyuer it to you / ye haue sent for me / do with me as ye lyst. I holde it of the kyng of Englande he sette me there / and to none other lyueng wyll I delyuer it. Whan the erle of Foyz herde that answere his blode cha­fed for yre / and sayd drawyng out his daggar: A treatour / sayest thou nay? By my heed thou hast nat sayd that for nought: and so therwith strake the knight that he wounded hym in fyue places / and there was no knyght nor barone y ^t durst steppe bytwene them: Than the knyght sayd. Ah sit / ye do me no gentylnesse / to sende for me and slee me. And yet for all the strokes that he had with the daggar / therle cōmaūded to cast him in prison downe in to a depe dyke / & so he was and ther dyed / for his woundꝭ were but yuell loked vnto. Ah saynt Mary quod I to the knyght / Was nat this a great crueltie? Whatsoeuer it was ꝙ the knyght thus it was. Lette one aduyse hym well or he displease him / for and he be angry there is no pardon. He hel­de ones his cosyn germayne the vicoūt of Chateau Bein / who is his heryter eight monethes in the towre of Ortaise in prison / and after raū somed him at fourtie thousande frankes. Why sir quod I / hath the erle of Foyz no chyldren? No truely sir quod he by any wyfe / but he hath two yonge knightes y ^t be his bastardes / whom ye shall se / and he loueth them as well as hym selfe / they be called sir Iohan and sir Gracyen / Than I demaunded yf euer he were maryed. yea truely quod he / and is yet / but his wyfe is nat with hym. Why sir wher is she? Sir quod he she is in Nauar / for the kyng there is her cosyn / she was doughter to kynge Loyes of Na­uar. yet than I demaunded if euer the erle had any chyldren. yes sir ꝙ he / he had a fayre sonne who had the fathers harte / and all the countrey loued hym / for by hym all the countre of Biern was in rest and peace / where as it hath ben sith in debate and stryfe / for he had maryed the su­ster of therle of Armynake. Sir quod I / what became of that sonne / and it maye be knowen? Sir ꝙ he I shall shewe you / but nat as nowe / for the mater is ouer longe / and we are nere the towne / as ye se. Therwith I left the knight in peace and so we came to Tarbe / and toke oure lodgynge at the Starre / and there taryed all that day / for it was a towne of great easement / bothe for man and horse / with good hay & otes and a fayre ryuer.

THe nexte day after masse we mounted a horsbacke / and departed fro Tarbe / & came to a towne called Iorre / whiche valyantlye alwayes helde agaynst them of Lourde: & so we passed by the towne withoute / and than entred in to the countrey of Bierne. Than the knight stode styll and sayd. Sir / beholde here is Bierne / and we stode in a crosse waye: The knight aduysed bym whiche waye to take / ou­ther to Morlens or to Panne. At laste we toke the way to Morlens / ridynge ouer the laūdes of Bierne / whiche were right playne. Thafie I demaunded of hym / if the towne of Panne were nere vs / and he sayde yes: and so he she­wed me the steple. Howe be it the distaūce was farther of than it semed / for it was anyuel way to ryde bycause of the myres / to thē that knewe nat the countre / and nat farre thens was the castell of Lourde: and I demaunded who was [Page xxviii] as than capitayne there / He sayd. that as than the seneschall of Bigore was capitayne there / admytted by the kynge of Englande / brother to (ser) Peter of Bierne (as ye haue herde before) That is trewe sir quod I: But dyde he neuer after go to se the erle of Foiz / He answered and sayd. Sithe the dethe of his brother he neuer came there / but other of his company hath ben often with the erle / as Peter Dauchyn / Erualton of Restue / Erualton of saynt Colome / and other. Sir quod I / hath the erle of Foiz made any amendes for the dethe of that knight / or sorie for his dethe? yes truely sir quod he / he was right sorie for his dethe / but as for amendes I knowe of none / without it be by secrete penaū ­ce / masses / or prayers: He hathe with hym the same knightes sonne called Iohan of Byerne a gracyous squyer / & the erle loueth hym right well. Ah sir quod I / the duke of Aniowe who that wolde so fayne haue the castell of Lourde / ought to be well content with the erle of Foyz / whan he slewe suche a knight his owne cosyn / for to accomplysshe his desyre. By my faythe sir quod he / so he was: For anone after that the duke came to the Frenche kyng / the kynge sent in to this countre sir Roger of Spaygne / and a presydent of the parlyament chambre of Pa­rys / and letters sealed / makyng mencion howe the kynge dyde gyue to the erle of Foiz the coū tie of Bygore / duryng his lyfe / to holde y ^e same of the crowne of Fraunce. The Erle thanked greatly the kyng / for the great loue that he she­wed him / and for that great gyfte / without any request makynge. But for all that the sayd sir Roger of Spaygne coude do [...] saye / or shewe / the erle in no wyse wolde take the gyfte / but he toke the castell of Maluoysin / bycause it was a fre lande: For that castell and the purteynaūce holdeth of no man / but of God: and also auncyently it parteyneth to his enherytaunce. The frenche kyng by the meanes of the duke of An­iowe / dyd gyue it hym: And the erle sware and ꝓmysed to take it on a condycion / that he shuld neuer sette man there that shulde do any yuell to the realme of Fraunce: and so he dyde / For suche as were ther feared as moche thenglisshe men / as any other Frenche garysons in Gascoyne / but the Bernoyse durst nat tonne in to the countre of Foyz. ⸪

ALl these maters that sir Espayne de Leon shewed me / right well cō ­tented me / & euery nyght assoone as we were at our lodgynges / I wrote euer al [...] [...]hat I herde in the day / the better therby to haue thē in remēbraū ­ce / for writyng is the best remēbraūce that may be [...] & so we rode the sayd mornyng to Morlens but are we came there I said. sir / I haue forget to demaūde of you / whan ye shewed me the aduentures of Foiz / dyde dissymule with the du­ke of Berrey / who had to wyues / the doughter and suster of therle of Armynake / and wheder that the duke of Berry made him any warre / & howe he dyd: Howe he dyd quod the knight I shall shewe you. In tyme past the duke of Ber­rey wolde him as moche yuell as he coude ymagyn / but as nowe / by meanes whiche ye shall hereof whan ye come to Ortaise / they be accor­ded. Why sir ꝙ I / was there any cause why the duke shulde be displeased with hym? As helpe me god ꝙ the knight non / but I shal shewe you the cause. Whan Charles the frenche kyng / fa­ther to kyng Charles that nowe is was dysses­sed / the realme of Fraūce was deuyded in two partes / as in the gouernyng therof. For the duke of Aniou who entended to go in to Italy as he dyd / he gaue vs the rule: & than his two bre­therne the duke of Berry and the duke of Bur­goyne had y ^e rule. The duke of Berry had the gouernynge of Languedocke / and the duke of Burgoyne ruled Languedoyle and Picardy. Whan they of Languedocke vnderstode y ^t the duke of Berry had the gouernyng ouer them / they were sore abasshed / and specially they of Tholous / for they knewe well that y ^e duke was a sore taker of golde and syluer / and a sore op­pressar of the people. Also ther was in Carcas­sone and in Rouergue / bretons and tholousins whiche the duke of Aniou had left in the coūtre and they robbed & pylled: & the brute ran / y ^t the duke of Berry maynteyned them / to thētent to ouer maister y ^e good townes. but in this season that I speke of / the duke of Berrey was nat in the coūtre there / he was with the kyng in Flaū ders. They of Tholous who be great and pu­issant / [Page] parceyued howe the frenche kyng was yonge / and was greatly busyed in Flaunders / for the ayde of his vncle the duke of Burgoyn. And they sawe well howe they were dayly robbed and pilled by the britons and other / so that they wyste nat what to do. Than they sent and treated with the erle of Foiz / desyring hym for a certayne sōme of money that they offred hym euery moneth to be payed / that he wolde take on him the gouernynge of Tholous / and of the coūtre of Tholousin: and also he was desyred of other townes in lykewise. they desyred hym bycause they knewe hym for a iuste man and a rightwyse in iustyce / redouted of his enemyes / and fortunate in all his businesse / and also they of Tholous loued hym / for he had been euer to them a good neyghbour. Thus he toke on him the charge and the gouernynge / and sware to maynteyne and kepe the countre in their ryght agaynst all men that wolde do any wrong therto / reseruyng all onely the frenche kynges per­sone. Than he sette men of warr to watche the wayes and passages / where as these robbers & pyllars vsed to passe / & on a daye he toke / slewe and drowned of them at Robeston in Tholou­sin mo than four hūdred / wherby he gate great grace and honoure of them of Tholous and of Carcassone of Besyers / and Mountpellyer / and of other good townes there about / so that the renome ran in Fraunce / howe they of Lan­guedoke were tourned / and had taken to their lorde the erle of Foyz. And the duke of Berry who was souerayne there / toke therat great displeasure: and had therle of Foiz in great hate / bycause he medled so farre in the busynesse of Fraunce / and wherby he maynteyned them of Tholous / styll in their rebellyon agaynst him. Than he sente men of warre in to the countre / but they were fiersly driuen backe agayne by the erles men / so that wheder they wolde or no they were fayne to drawe backe / orels they had loste more than they shulde haue wonne. With this the duke of Berrey was sore displeased w ^t the erle of Foiz / & he sayd: Howe therle of Foiz was the most presumptuous & proudest knight of all the worlde: The duke as than coude suf­fre no good to be spoken of hym / howe be it he made hym no warre / for the erle of Foiz had alwayes his townes and castelles so well prouy­ded for / that none durste entre in to his lande. But whan the duke of Berry came in to Lan­guedocke than he left his rule / for he wolde thā no lengar exercyse agaynste the duke / but the displeasure rested styll after a certayne space: But nowe shall I shewe you by what meanes the peace was norisshed bytwene them.

IT was a ten yere paste that the lady El­lyanour of Comynges / as nowe coūtesse of Bouloyne / and nere cosyn to therle of Foiz / and right enherytour to the countie of Comynges / thoughe that the erle of Armynake hadde it in possession. She came to Ortaise to therle of Foiz / and brought with her a yonge dough­ter of thre yere of age. Therle her cosyn made her good chere / and he demaunded her of her busynesse [...]and wheder she was goynge. Sir quod she / I am goynge in to Arragon to myne vncle and Aunte / the erle of Vrgell / and there I purpose to abyde: For I haue great displea­sure to abyde with my husbande sir Iohan of Boloyne / for I thought he wolde haue recoue­red myne enherytaunce of Comynges fro the erle of Armynake / who kepeth it fro me: And he hath my suster in prisone / and he wyll do no thyng in the mater: He is so softe a knight that he wyll do nothynge / but take his ease and eate and drinke / and to spende that he hath folyssh­lye: and I thynke whan he is erle / he wyll take his pleasure more. Therfore I wyll no lengar abyde with hym / and I haue brought with me my doughter / whom I wyll delyuer in to your handes / prayenge you to kepe and to norisshe her vp / for I trust by reason of her lygnage / ye wyll nat fayle thus to do / for I haue hoope in you that ye wyll kepe her. I had moche payne to gette her awaye out of the countrey / and out of the handes of my husbande her father: But bycause I take thē of Armynake myne aduer­saries and yours [...] who wolde gladly steale my doughter awaye / bycause she is enherytour of Comynges / therfore I haue brought her vnto you. Wherfore sir / I requyre you fayle me nat at this busynesse: And I am sure her father my husbande whan he knoweth y ^t I haue lefte her with you / he wyll be right ioyfull▪ For he hath sayd often tymes to me / that this his doughter shulde put hym to great doute. And whan the erle had well herde the wordes of the lady Elyanour his cosyn he was right ioyfull: And ymagined in him selfe / howe that childe after shuld do hym some pleasure / as by the meanes of her mother / to haue a ferme peace w ^t his enemyes / or els to marry her in so highe a place / that his ennemyes shulde doute hym therby: Than he answered the lady and said. Madame and co­syn / [Page xxix] all that ye desyre I shall do it with right a good wyl / for I am bounde therto by lynage: and as for your doughter my cosyn I shall ke­pe her as well / as though she were myne owne proper chylde. Sir quod she / I thanke you. Thus the yong doughter of Bouloyne abode with the erle of Foiz at Ortaise / and she neuer departed thens sithe: and the lady her mother went to Arragon. She hath been sithe ones or twyse tose her doughter / but she neuer desyred to haue her agayne / for therle kepte her as well as if she were his owne chylde. And to the purpose as to the meane of the peace that I shewed you / the erle ymagined to gette by her / the loue agayne of the duke of Berrey: And as nowe at this present tyme the duke of Berry hath gret desyre to be marryed: and I thynke by that I herde at Auygnon by the Pope / who is cosyn germayne to the ladyes father. He shewed me howe the duke of Berrey desyreth to haue her in maryage. Ah saynt Mary sir quod I / howe your wordꝭ be to me right agreable / for it hath done me great pleasure / all that euer ye haue shewed me whiche shall nat be loste / for it shall be putte in remēbraunce and cronycled / if god wyll sende me the grace to retourne to the tow­ne of Valencēnes / where as I was borne. But sir / I am sore displeased of one thynge. What is that ꝙ he? I shall shewe you. By my faithe that so hyghe and valyant a prince as the Erle of Foiz is / shulde be without laufull issue. sir quod the knight / if he had one as ones he had / he shulde be the most ioyouse prince of the worlde / and so wolde be all the coūtre. Why sir than quod I / is his lande than withoute an heyre? Nay sir ꝙ he / the Vycount of the castell Bone his cosyn germayne is his heyre. Is he a valy­ant man in armes quod I? Nay be my faythe sir quod he / and therfore the Erle loueth hym nat / and thynketh to make his two bastarde sō nes / who be right valyant / his heyres. & thyn­keth to marry them in an highe lygnage / for he hath golde and syluer ynough / wherby he thynketh to gette theym wyues / suche as shall ayde and conforte them. Sir quod I / it maye well be. Howe be it the thyng is nat reasonable / that bastardes shulde be made herytours of landes Wherfore nat sir quod he / if there lacke good heyres. Se you nat howe the spaynierdes ha­ue crowned Henry a bastarde to be kyng? and also they of Portyngale crowned a bastarde to their kynge. It hath been sene in the worlde in dyuers realmes / that bastardes by force hathe reygned. Was nat Wyllyam Conquerour ba­starde sonne to a duke of Normandy / who conquered all Englande / and was kynge there / so that all the kynges syth are discended fro hym? Sir quod I / all this might well be / ther is no thyng but that may fall / but they of Armynake are right stronge: and so therby this countrey shalbe euer in warre and stryfe. but sir / I pray you shewe me the iust cause why the warre first moued bytwene them of Foiz and Armynake. I wyll shewe you ꝙ the knight. I ensure you it is a marueylous warre / for as they saye / eche of thē haue cause. Sir aunciently about a hū ­dred yere past / there was a lorde in Byerne called Gascone / a ryght valyant man in armes / & is buryed in the freres right solempnely at Or­taise / and there ye may se what persone he was of stature and of body / for in his lyfe tyme his pycture was made in latyn / the whiche is yet there. This Gascone lorde of Bierne had two doughters / the eldest was maryed to the erle of Armynake that was than̄e / and the yongest to the erle of Foiz / who as than was nephue to the kyng of Aragon / and as yet therle of Foiz bea­reth his armes / for he discended out of Aragon his armes are palle golde and goules: And so it fortuned / that this lorde of Biern had a gret warre agaynst the kynge of Spayne that was than / who came through all Bisquay w ^t a gret nombre of men of warre to entre in to Bierne. The lorde Gascone of Bierne whan he was enformed of his comyng / he assembled people on all sydes / where he might get men of warre / & wrote letters to his two sonnes in lawe / therle of Armynake and therle of Foiz / y ^t they shulde come to serue and ayde hym to defende his he­rytage. These letters sene / the erle of Foiz as sone as he myght assēbled his people / & prayed all his frendes / so moche / that he had a fyue hū ­dred knightꝭ and squiers armed / and two thousande varlettes with speares / dartes / & paues­ses / all a fote: And so he came in to the countre of Bierne to serue his father / who had of hym great ioye. And so all they passed the bridge at Ortaise ouer the ryuer / & lodged bytwene Sanetere and thospytall. & the kyng of Spayne / who had .xx.M. men was lodged nat far thens and ther the lorde Gascon of Bierne & therle of foiz taryed for therle of Armynac / & thought e­uer y ^t he wolde cōe. & so taried for hi thre dayes and on the .iiii. day therle of Armynac sent his [Page] letters by an haraulde to the lorde Gascoine of Bierne / and sente hym worde howe he myght nat come / nor howe he hadde nothyng to do to beare armes for the countre of Bierne. Whan the lorde Gascoyne herde those tidynges of ex­cusacions / and sawe howe heshulde haue none ayde nor conforte of the Erle of Armynake / he was sore abasshed / and demaunded counsayle of the erle of Foiz / and of the other barones of Bierue / howe they shulde maynteyne thē selfe. Sir quod the erle of Foiz / sithe we be here as­sembled let vs go and fight with our enemyes. this counsayle was taken / than they ordayned their people / they were a twelfe hūdred men of armes and sixe thousande men a fote. The erle of Foiz tooke the first batayle / and so came on the kyng of Spaygne and sette on his lodgynges. And there was a great batayle and a fierse and slayne mo than ten thousande spayniardꝭ / and there therle of Foiz toke prisoners the kyn­ge of Spaygnes sonne and his brother / & sent them to his father in lawe the lorde Gascoyne of Bierne / who was in the areregarde. & there the spaynyerdes were so disconfyted / that the erle of Foiz chased them to the porte saynt Adrian in Bisquay / and the kynge of Spayne toke the abbey / and dyde on the vesture of a monke or els he had ben taken. Than the erle of Foiz retourned to the lorde Gascone of Bierne / who made hym good chere / as it was reason / for he had saued his honour and kepte his countre of Bierne / the whiche els was lykely to haue ben loste / bycause of this batayle and disconfyture that the erle of Foiz made on the spaygnierdes and for the takyng of the kynges sonne and brother / and the lorde of Bierne hadde peace with the spaygnierdes / at his owne wyll: And whan the lorde Gascoyne was retourned to Ortaise / there before all the barons of Foiz and Bierne / that were there present: Hesayd to his sonne of Foiz. Fayre sonne / ye are my true and faithfull sonne / ye haue saued myne honour and my coū trey. The erle of Armynake who hath maryed myne eldest doughter / hath ercused hym selfe fro this busynesse / and wolde nat come to defē ­de myne herytage wherin he shulde haue part / Wherfore I saye / that suche parte as he shulde haue by reason of my doughter / he hath forfait and lost it / And here clerely I enheryte you my sonne of Foiz after my dyscease of all the hoole lande / and to your heyres for euer. And I de­syre / wyll / and commaunde all my subiectes / to seale / accorde / and agre to the same. And all an­swered / howe they were well contente so to do. Thus by this meanes / as I haue shewed you / aunciently the erles of Foiz were lordes of the countre of Bierne / and bare the crye / armes / & name: and had the profyte therof. Howe be it / for all this they of Arminake had nat their clay me quyte. This is the cause of the warre by / twene Foiz and Armynake. By my faythe sir than quod I / ye haue well declared the mater; I neuer herde it before. And nowe y ^t I knowe it / I shall putte it in perpetuall memorie / if god gyue me grace to retourne in to my countrey. But sir / if I durste I wolde fayne demaunde of you one thynge. by what insydent the erle of Foiz sonne dyed? Thafie the knyght studyed a lytell and sayd. Sir / the maner of his dethe is right pytuous / I wyll nat speke therof: Whan ye come to Ortaise / ye shall fynde thē that wyll shewe you if ye demaunde it: And than I helde my peace / and we rode tyll we came to Mor­lens. ⸪ ⸫

THe next day we departed and roode to Dyner to Moūtgarbell and so to Er­cye / & there we dranke: And by sonne setting we came to Ortaise. The knight a lighted at his owne lodgynge & I a lyghted at the Mone / wher dwelte a squi­er of the erles Erualton de Pyne / who well receyued me / bycause I was of Fraunce. Sir Spayne of Leon wente to the castell to therle and founde hym in his galarye / for he had but dyned a lytell before: For the erles vsage was alwayes / that it was hyghe noone or he arose out of his bedde / and supped euer at mydnight The knight shewed hym howe I was come thider / and incontynent I was sente for to my ladgynge / for he was the lorde of all the worlde y ^t moost desyred to speke with straūgers / to here tidynges. Whan the erle sawe me he made me good chere & reteyned me as of his house / wher [Page xxx] me was / bycause I had brought with me a bo­ke / whiche I made at the contēplacion of Vm­slance of Boesme / duke of Luzenbourge and of Brabant: Whiche boke was called the Me­lyader / conteyninge all the songes / baladdes / rundeaux / and vyrelayes / whiche the gentyll duke had made in his tyme / whiche by imagy­nacyon I had gadered toguyder / whiche boke the erle of Foiz was gladde to se. And euery night after supper I reed theron to hym / and whyle I reed / there was none durst speke any worde / bycause he wolde I shulde be well vn­derstande / wherin he tooke great solace. And whan it came to any mater of questyon / than he wolde speke to me / nat in Gascoyne / but in good and fayre frenche. And of his estate and house I shall somewhat recorde / for I taryed thereso long / that I might well parceyue and knowe moche. This erle Gascone of Foiz with whom I was / at y ^t tyme he was of a fyftie yere of age and nyne: and I say / I haue in my tyme sene many knightes / kynges / princes & other / but I neuer sawe none lyke hym / of personage nor of so fayre forme / nor so well made. His vysage fayre / sanguyne / & smylyng: his eyen gray and amorous / where as he lyst to set his regar­de: in euery thyng he was so parfite that he can nat be praised to moche. He loued that ought to be beloued / & hated that ought to be hated: He was a wyse knyght / of highe enterprise / and of good counsayle: he neuer had myscreant with hym: He sayd many orisons / euery daye a no­cturne of the psalter / matyns of our lady / of the holy goost / and of the crosse: and dirige euery day. he gaue fyue florens in small money at his gate to poore folkes / for the loue of god: he was large and courtesse in gyftes: He coulde ryght well take where it parteyned to hym / and to delyuer agayne where as he ought: He loued hoū des of all beestes wynter and somer: He loued huntyng: he neuer loued folly outrage nor foly larges: Euery moneth he wolde knowe what he spended. He tooke in his countre to receyue his reuenewes and to serue him notable ꝑsons / that is to saye .xii. receyuouts / and euer fro .ii. monethes to two monethes / two of them shulde serue for his receyte: For at the two monethes ende / he wolde change and put other two in to that offyce / and one that he trusted best shulde be his comptroller / and to hym all other shulde accompt: and the comptroller shulde accōpt to hym by rolles and bokes written / and thaccōp­tes to remayne styll with therle. he had certeyne cofers in his chambre / out of the whiche ofte tymes he wolde take money to gyue to lordꝭ / knyghtes / and squyers / suche as came to hym: for none shulde departe fro him without some gift and yet dayly multiplyed his treasure / to resyst the aduētures and fortunes that he douted: He was of good and easy acquayntance with eue­ry man / and amorously wolde speke to thē: He was shorte in counsayle and answers: He had four secretaries / and at his risyng they must e­uer be redy at his hande without any callynge. And whan any letter were delyuered him / and that he had reed it / than he wolde calle them to write agayne / or els for some other thynge. In this estate therle of Foiz lyued / & at mydnight whan he came out of his chambre in to the hall to supper / he had euer before hym .xii. torches brennyng / borne by .xii. varlettes standyng before his table all supper: they gaue a gret light / and the hall euer full of knightes and squyers / & many other tables dressed to suppe who wol­de: There was none shulde speke to hym at his table but if he were called: his meate was lightlye wylde soule / the legges and wyngꝭ alonely / and in the day he dyd but lytell eate and drike: He had great pleasure in armony of instrumē ­tes / he coude do it right well hym selfe: he wol­de haue songes song before him: he wolde gladlye se conseytes and fantesies at his table. And whan he had sene it / than he wolde sende it to y ^e other tables / bruely all this I consydred & ad­uised. And or I came to his court I had ben in many courtes of kynges / dukes / princes / erles and great ladyes / but I was neuer in none y ^t so well liked me / nor ther was none more reioysed dedes of armes / than the erle dyde. There was sene in his hall / chābre / and court / knigh­tes and squyers of honour goyng vp & downe / and talkyng of armes and of amours. All ho­nour ther was founde / all maner of tidyngꝭ of euery realme and countre ther might be herde for out of euery coūtre there was resort / for the valyantnesse of this erle. Ther I was enfourmed of the moost parte of the dedes of armes y ^t was done in Spayne / in Portyngale / in Ara­gon / in Nauar / in Englande / & in Scotlande and in the fronters and lymitacions of Lāgue docke: For I sawe come thyder to therle while I was there / knightes and squyers of all nacyons: And so I was enformed by them & by the erle him selfe of all thynges that I demaūded. Ther I enq̄red howe Gascon therles son died for (ser) Espayn of Leon wolde nat shewe me any thing therof. & somoch I enq̄red / y ^t an aūcient squyer & a notable māshewed y ^e mater to me / & [Page] began thus. True it is quod he / that the erle of Foiz and my lady of Foiz his wife agreeth nat well toguyder / nor haue nat done of a long season. And the discorde bytwene thē first moued by the kyng of Nauar / who was brother to the lady: For the kyng of Nauar pledged him sel­fe for the lorde Dalbret / whom the erle of Foiz had in prisone / for the sōme of fyftie thousande frankes. And the erle of Foiz / who knewe that the kyng of Nauarr was craftie & malycious / in the beginnyng wolde nat trust hym / wherw ^t the countesse of Foiz had great displeasur and indignacyon agaynst the erle her husbande / & sayd to hym. Sir / ye repute but small honour in the kyng of Nauar my brother / whā ye wyll nat trust hym for fyftie .M. frankes / thoughe ye haue no more of the armynakes nor of the labrisyence than ye haue / it ought to suffyce. & also (ser) / ye knowe well ye shulde assigne out my dower / whiche moūteth to fyftie thousande frā kes / whiche ye shulde put in to the hādes of my brother the kyng of Nauarr: Wherfore sir / ye can nat be yuell payed. Dame quod he ye saye trouthe / but if I thought that the kyng of Na­uarr wolde stoppe the payment for that cause / the lorde Dalbret shulde neuer haue gone oute of Ortayse / and so I shulde haue ben payed to the last penny. And sithe ye desyre it I wyll do it / nat for the loue of you but for the loue of my sonne. So by these wordes and by the kyng of Nauars oblygacion / who became dettoure to the erle of Foiz / the lorde Dalbret was delyue­red quyte and became frenche / & was maryed in Fraūce / to the suffer of the duke of Burbone and payed at his ease to the king of Nauar the sōme of fyftie thousande frankes for his raun­some: For the whiche sōme the kyng was boū ­de to therle of Foiz / but he wolde nat sende it to the erle. Than the erle of Foiz sayd to his wyfe Dame / ye must go in to Nauarre to the kynge youre brother / and shewe hym howe I am nat well content with hym / that he wyll nat sende me that he hath receyued of myne. the lady an­swered / howe she was redy to go at his cōmaū dement. And so she departed and rode to Pan­pylone to the kynge her brother / who receyued her with moche ioye / the lady dyd her message fro poynt to poynt. Than the kyng answered / fayre suster / the sōme of money is yours / therle shulde gyue it for your dowre / it shall neuer go out of the realme of Nauarr / sithe I haue it in possessyon. Ah sir quod y ^e lady / by this ye shall sette great hate bytwene therle my husbande & you / & if ye holde your purpose / I dare nat re­toure agayne in to the countie of Foiz / for my husbande wyll slee me / he wyll saye I haue disceyued him. I can nat tell quod the kyng what ye wyll do / outher tarye or deꝑte / but as for the money I wyll nat departe fro it / it parteyneth to me to kepe it for you / but it shal neuer go out of Nauer. the countesse coude haue none other answere of the kyng her brother. And so she taryed styll in Nauar and durst nat retourne a­gayne. The erle of Foiz whan he sawe the dea­lynge of the kynge of Nauar / he began to hate his wyfe and was yuell content with her / howe be it she was in no faute / but that she returned nat agayne whan she hadde done her message / but she durst nat: for she knewe well therle her husbāde was cruell where he toke displeasure. Thus the mater standeth. The erles sonne called Gascone / grewe and waxed goodly / & was maryed to the doughter of therle of Armynake a fayre lady / suster to therle that nowe is / The lorde Bertrande of Armynake. and by the contūctyon of that maryage / ther shulde haue ben peace bytwene Foiz & Armynake. The chylde was a fyftene or sixtene yere of age / and resembled rightwell to his father: On a tyme he desyred to go into Nauar to se his mother and his vncle the kynge of Nauarr / whiche was in anyuell hour for hym & for all this countre. Whan he was come in to Nauarre / he had there good there / and taryed with his mother a certayne space and than toke his leaue: but for all that he coude do / he coude nat gette his mother out of Nauer / to haue gone with hym in to Foiz / for she demannded if the erle had cōmaunded hym so to do or no: and he answered / that whan he departed / therle spake nothyng therof. Ther­fore the lady durst nat go thider / but so taryed styll / Than the chylde wente to Panpylone to take his leaue of the kyng his vncle. The kyng made hym great chere and taryed hym there a ten dayes / and gaue to him great giftes and to his men: also the last gyfte that the kyng gaue hym was his dethe. I shall shewe you howe.

Whan this gētylman shulde depte / the kyng drewe hym a parte in to his chambre and gaue hym a lytell purse full of poudre / which poudre was suche / that if any creature lyueng dyd ete therof / he shulde incōtynent dye without remedye: Than the kynge sayd / Gascone fayre ne­phue / ye shall do as I shall shewe to you: ye se howe the erle of Foiz your father / wrongfully hath your mother my suster in gret hate / wher of I am sore displeased / and so ought ye to be: [Page xxxi] Howe be it to performe all the mater / and that your father shulde loue agayne your mother / to that entent ye shall take a lytell of this pow­der / and put it on some meate that your father maye eate it / but beware that no man se you. & as soone as he hath eaten it / he shall entende to nothynge / but to haue agayne his wyfe / and so to loue her euer after / whiche ye ought greatly to desyre: And of this that I shewe you let no man knowe / but kepe it secrete / or els ye lese all the dede. The chylde who thought all that the kyng sayd to hym had ben true / sayde. Sir / it shalbe done as ye haue deuysed / and so depar­ted fro Panpylone and retourned to Ortayse / the erle his father made hym good chere / & de­maunded tidynges of the kyng of Nauar / and what gyftes he had gyuen him. And the chylde shewed hym howe he had gyuen hym dyuers / and shewed hym all excepte the purse with the pouder. Ofte tymes this yong Gascone & yuan his bastarde brother laye toguyder / for they loued toguyder lyke bretherne / and were lyke arrayed and apparelled / for they were nere of a greatnesse and of one age. And it happened on a tyme as their clothes laye toguyder on their beddes / yuan sawe a purse at Gascons cote / & sayd. What thyng is this that ye beare euer a­bout you? Wherof Gascoyne had no ioye / and sayd. yuan / gyue me my cote / ye haue nothyng to do therwith: and all that day after Gascone was pensyue. And it fortuned a thre dayes af­ter / as god wolde / that the erle shulde be saued. Gascone and his brother yuan fell out toguy­der playeng at tennes / and Gascone gaue hym a blowe: and the chylde wente in to his fathers chambre and wepte / and the erle as than hadde herde masse. And whan the erle sawe him wepe he said. Sonne yuan / What aylest thou? Sir quod he / Gascone hath beaten me / but he were more worthy to be beaten than I. Why so quod therle? and incontynent suspected some thyng. By my faithe sir ꝙ he / sithe he retourned out of Nauar / he beareth priuely at his brest a purse full of pouder / I wote nat what it is / nor what he wyll do therwith. But he hath sayde to me ones or twyse / that my lady his mother shulde shortely be agayne in your grace / and better be loued than euer she was. Peace quod the erle and speke no more / and shewe this to no man lyuenge. Sir quod he no more I shall. Than the erle entred in to ymaginacyon [...] and so came to the houre of his dyner / and wasshed and sat downe at his table in the hall. Gascone his son was vsed to sette downe all his seruyce / and to gyue the sayes. And whan he had sette downe the first course / the erle cast his eyen on hym / & sawe the strynges of the purse hangyng at his bosome: Than his blode chaūged & said. Gas­cone cōe byder / I wyll speke with the in thyne eare. The chylde came to him / and the erle toke hym by the bosome and founde out the purse / & with his knyfe cut it fro his bosome. the chylde was abasshed & stode styll and spake no worde and loked as pale as asshes for feare / & began to trymble. The erle of Foiz opyned the purse and toke of the pouder / and layde it on a tren­chour of bredde / and called to him a dogge and gaue it hym to eate: and assoone as the dogge had eaten the first morsell / he tourned his eyen in his heed and dyed incontynent [...]. And whan̄e the erle sawe that he was sore displeased / & also he had good cause: and so rose fro the table and toke his knife / and wolde haue stryken his son. Than the knightes and squyers ran bytwene them and said. Sir / for goddes sake haue mercy / and be nat so hastye: Be well enformed first of the mater / or ye do any yuell to your chylde. And the first worde that therle said was. A gascone treatour / for to encrease thyne herytage y ^t shulde come to the / I haue had warre and hatered / of the Frenche kyng / of the kyng of Englā de / of the kyng of Spayne / of the kyng of Na­uar / and of the kyng of Arragon. and as yet I haue borne all their malesses / and nowe y ^u wol­dest murther me / it moueth of an yuell nature / but first thou shalt dye with this stroke / and so stept forthe with his knife & wolde haue slayne him / but than all the knightes and squyers kneled downe before hym wepynge / and sayd. Ah sir / haue mercy for goddes sake / [...]ee nat Gas­cone your sonne / remēbre / ye haue d [...] more chyldren. Sir / cause hym to be kepte / & take good enformacion of the mater. Paradnenfure he knewe nat what he bare / and paraduenture is nothyng gyltie of the dede. Well quod the erle incontynent put hym in prisone / and let hym be so kepte / that I may haue a reconyng of hym. Than the chylde was put in to the towre. & the erle toke a great many of them that serued his sonne / and some of them departed / and as yet the bysshoppe of Lascalle is at Pan out of the countre / for he was had in suspect / and so were dyuers other. Therle cansed to be put to dethe a fyftene right horribly / and the cause that the erle layde to them was / he sayde. It coulde be none otherwyse / but that they knewe of y ^e chyl­des secretes / wherfore they ought to haue she­wed it to hym / and to haue said. Sir / Gascone [Page] your sonne beareth a purse at his bosome. By­cause they dyde nat thus / they dyed horribly / wherof it was great pytie / for some of thē were as fresshe and as ioly squyers / as were any in all the coūtre / for euer the erle was serued with good men. This thynge touched the erle nere to the herte / and that he well shewed: For on a day he assembled at Ortaise / all the nobles and prelates of Foiz and of Bierne / and all the no­table persons of his countrey. And whan they were all assembled / he shewed theym wherfore he sente for thē / as howe he had foūde his sonne in this defaute: For the whiche he fayd / his en­tent was to putte hym to dethe / as he had well deserued. Than all y ^e people answered to that case with one voyce / and sayde. Sir / sauynge your grace / we wyll nat that Gascoyne shulde dye / he is your heyre / and ye haue no mo. And whan the erle herde the people howe they desy­red for his sonne / he sōwhat refrayned his yre. Than he thought to chastyce hym in prisone a moneth or two / and than to sende hym on some voyage for two or thre yere / tyll he might som­what forget his yuell wyll / and that the chylde might be of greatter age & of more knowledge Than he gaue leaue to all the people to depart but they of Foiz wolde nat departe fro Ortaise tyll the erle shulde assure them / that Gascoyne shulde nat dye: they loued the chylde so well. Than the erle promysed them / but he sayd: he wolde kepe hym in prisone a certayne space to chastice hym. And so vpon this promyse euery man departed / and Gascone abode styll in pri­sone. These tidynges spredde abrode in to dy­uers places / and at that tyme pope Gregorie the .xi. was at Auygnon. Than he sente the cardynall of Amyens in legacion in to Byerne: to haue come to therle of Foiz for that businesse. & by that tyme he came to Besiers he herde suche tidynges / that he neded nat to go any further for that mater / for there he herde howe Gascon sonne to the erle of Foyz was deed. Sythe I haue shewed you so moche / nowe shall I shewe you howe he dyed.

THe erle of Foyz caused his sonne to be kepte in a darke chambre / in the towre of Ortayse a tenne dayes / lytell dyde he eate or drinke / yet he had ynoughe brought hym eue­ry daye: but whan he sawe it he wolde go ther­fro / and sette lytell therby. And some sayd / that all the meate that had been brought hym stode hole and entier / the day of his dethe: wherfore it was great marueyle that he lyued so longe / for dyuers reasons. The erle caused hym to be kepte in the chambre alone withoute any com­pany / outher to coūsayle or conforte hym. And all that season the chylde laye in his clothes as he came in / and he argued in him selfe and was full of malencoly / and cursed the tyme that euer he was borne and engendred / to come to suche an ende. The same day that he dyed they that serued hym of meate & drinke / whan they came to hym / they sayde. Gascone / here is meate for you: he made no care therof / and sayde: Sette it downe there. He that serued hym / regarded and sawe in the prison all the meate stande hole as it had been brought hym before: And so de­parted and closed the chambre dore / and went to the erle and sayd. Sir / for goddes sake ha­ue mercy on your sonne Gascone / for he is nere famysshed in prisone there he lyeth. I thynke he neuer dyde eate any thynge sythe he came in to prisone / for I haue sene there this daye / all that euer I brought hym before / lyeng toguy­der in a corner. Of those wordes the Erle was sore dyspleased / and withoute any worde spe­kyng went out of his chambre / and came to the prisone where his some was / and in anyuell houre. He had the same tyme a lytell knyfe in his hande to pare withall his nayles: He opy­ned the prisone dore and came to his sonne and had the lytell knyfe in his hande / nat an ynche out of his hande. And in great dyspleasure he thruste his hande to his sonnes throte / and the poynt of the knife a lytell entred in to his throte in to a certayne vayne / and sayd. Ah treatour / Why doest nat thou eate thy meate? And ther­with the Erle departed without any more do­ynge or sayeng / and went in to his owne cham­bre. The chylde was abasshed and afrayed of the comynge of his father / and also was feble of fastynge / and the poynt of the knyfe a lytell entred in to a vayne of his throte / & so fell dow­ne sodaynly and dyed. The erle was scante in his chambre / but the kepar of the chylde came to hym and sayd. Sir / Gascone your sonne is deed. Deed quod the Erle? yea truely sir quod he. The erle wolde nat beleue it / but sente thy­der a squyer that was by him / and he went and came agayne and sayd. Sir / surely he is deed. Than the Erle was sore displeased / and made great complaynt for his sonne / & sayd. A Gas­cone: What a poore aducnture is this for the & for me? In an yuell hour thou wentest to Na­uar to se thy mother: I shall neuer haue y ^e ioye that I had before. Than therle caused his barbour to shaue hym / and clothed him selfe in blacke / [Page xxxii] and all his house. and with moche sore we­pyng / the childe was borne to the Freres in Ortaise / and there buryed. Thus as I haue she­wed you / the erle of Foyz slewe Gascoyne his sonne / but the kynge of Nauar gaue the occa­syon of his dethe.

WHan I had herde this tale of the dethe of Gascone sonne to the erle of Foyz / I hadde great pytie therof / for the loue of therle his father / whome I founde a lorde of hyghe recōmendacyon / no­ble / lyberall / and curtesse: And also for loue of the countrey / that shulde be in great stryfe tor lacke of an heyre. Than I thanked the squyer and so departed fro hym / but after I sawe him dyuers tymes in the erles house / and talked of­ten tymes with hym. And on a tyme I demaū ­ded of hym of sir Peter of Byerne / bastarde brother to therle of Foyz (bycause he semed to me a knyght of great valure) wheder he were riche / and maryed or no. The squyer aunswe­red & sayd. Truely he is maryed / but his wyfe and chyldren be nat in his company: And why sir quod I? I shall shewe you quod the squier. ¶This sir Peter of Bierne hathe an vsage / that in the night tyme whyle he slepeth / he wyll ryse & arme hym self / and drawe out his swerde and fyght all aboute the house / and can nat tell with whome / and than gothe to bedde agayne. And whan he is wakynge / his seruautes do shewe hym howe he dyde: And he wolde saye / he knewe nothymg therof / and howe they lyed. sōtyme his seruautes wolde leaue non armure nor swerde in his chābre. & whan he wold thus ryse & fynde non armour / he wolde make suche a noyse and rumoure / as though all the deuyl­les of helle had ben in his chambre. Than I demaunded yf he had great landes by his wyfe. yes truely sir quod he: But the lady by whom cometh the lande / ioyeth of the profytes therof. This sir Peter of Bierne hath but the fourthe parte. Sir quod I / where is his wyfe? sir ꝙ he she is in Castell with the kynge her cosyn. her father was erle of Bisquay / and was c [...]syn germayne to kyng Dampeter who slewe him: and also he wold haue had the lady to haue put her in prisone. And he toke the possession of all the lande / and as long as he lyued the lady had nothynge there. And it was sayd to this lady / who was countesse of Bisquay / after the dys­sease of her father. Madame / saue youre selfe / for kyng Dampeter if he may gette you / wyll cause you to dye / or els put you in prisone. He is so sore displeased with you / bycause he sayth ye shulde report and beare wytnesse / y ^t he cau­sed the quene his wyfe to dye in her bedde / who was suster to the duke of Burbone and suster to the frenche quene / & your wordes (he sayth) are beleued / rather than̄e another / bycause ye were preuy of her chambre. And for this cause / the lady Florens countesse of Bisquay / depar­ted out of her countre with a smalle company / as the cōmon vsage is: to flye fro dethe as nere as men can. So she went in to the countrey of Bascles and passed throughe it / and so came hyder to Ortayse to the Erle / and shewed hym all her aduenture. The erle who had euer pyte of ladyes and damoselles / reteyned her: and so she abode with the lady of Carase / a great lady in his countre. As than this sir Peter of byerne his brother was but a yonge knyght / and had nat thanne / this vsage to ryse a nyghtes / as he dothe nowe. The erle loued hym well and ma­ryed hym to this lady / and recouered her land▪ And so this sir Peter had by this lady a sonne and a doughter / but they be with their mother in Castell / who be as yet but yong / therfore the lady wolde nat leaue them with their father. Ah saynt Mary quod I / howe dyde sir Peter of Bierne take this fantasy? First that he dare nat slepe alone in his chambre / and that whan he is a slepe / ryseth thus and maketh all that be synesse / they are thynges to be marueyled at. By my faithe quod the squyer / he hath ben of­ten demaunded therof / but he saythe he can nat tell wherof it cometh. The first tyme that euer he dyde so / was the night after that he had ben on a day a huntynge in the wodes of Bisquay / and chased a marueylous great Beare: and y ^e beare had slayne four of his houndes / and hurt dyuers / so that none durst come nere him. than this sir Peter toke a swerde of Burdeanx and came in great yre / for bycause of his houndes / and assayles the beare and fought longe with hym / and was in great parell / and tooke great payne or he coulde ouercome hym. Finally he slewe the beare / and than retourned to his lod­gyng [Page] to the castell of Lāguedon in Bisquay / & made the beare to be brought with him. Euery man had marueyle of the greatnesse of the beest and of the hardnesse of y ^e knight / howe he durst assayle the beare. And whan̄e the countesse of Bisquayes wyfe sawe y ^e beare / she fell in a sow­ne and had great dolour / and so she was borne in to her chambre / and so all that day / the night after / and the nexte day she was sore disconfor­ted / and wolde nat shewe what she ayled. On the thirde dayeshe sayd to her husbande: Sir / I shall nat be hoole / tyll I haue been a pylgri­mage at saynt Iames. Sir / I praye you gyue me leaue to go thyder / and to haue with me my sonne and Adrian my doughter: her husbande agreed therto. She toke all her golde / towels / and treasure with her / for she thought neuer to retourne agayne / wher of her husbande toke no hede. So the lady dyde her pylgrimage / and made an errande to go and se the kynge of Ca­stell her cosyn / and the quene. They made her good chere / and ther she is yet / and wyll nat retourne agayne / nor sende her chyldren. And so thus the next night that this sir Peter had thus chased the beare and slayne hym / while he slept in his bedde / this fātasy toke hym. And it was said / that the countesse his wyfe knewe well / as sone as she sawe the beare / that it was the same that her father dyde ones chase. And in his chasyng / he herde a voyce and sawe nothynge / that sayd to him. Thou chasest me and I wolde the no hurte / therfore thou shalt dye any yuell dethe. Of this the lady had remembraunce / whan she sawe the beare / by that she had herde her father saye before: and she remembred well howe kynge dan Peter strake of her fathers heed / with­out any cause / & in lykewise she feared her hus­bande. And yet she say the and maynteyneth / y ^t he shall dye of an yuell dethe / and that he dothe nothyng as yet / to that he shall do herafter.

NOwe sir / I haue shewed you of sir Pe­ter of Byerue / as ye haue deman̄ded of me / and this is a true tale / for thus it is / & thus it be fell. Howe thynke you quod he therby? & I who mused on the great marueyle sayd. sir / I beleue it well / that it is as ye haue sayde. sir / we synde in olde writyng / that aūciently suche as were called goddes and goddesses / at their pleasure / wolde chaunge and transforme men in to beestes and in to foules / and in lykewyse women. And it might be so / that this [...]ere was before some knight chasyng in the forest of Bisquay / and paraduenture displeased in y ^t tyme / some god or goddes / wherby he was transfor­med vnto a beare / to do there his penaunce / as aunciently Acteon was chaūged vnto an hart. Acteon quod the squyer / I pray you shewe me that storie / I wolde fayne here it. Sir quod I accordyng to the auncyent writynges / we fyn­de howe Acteon was a iolye & an expert knight and loued the sporte of huntynge aboue all ga­mes. And on a day he chased in the wodes / and an Harte arose before hym / marueylous great and fayre: he hunted hym all the daye / and lost all his company / seruauntes / and hoūdes / and he was right desyrous to folowe his pray. And folowed the fewe of the Harttyll he came in to a lytell medowe / closed rounde about with wo­des and highe trees. And in the medowe there was a fayre fountayne / in the whiche Dyana / goddesse of Chastyte was bayninge her selfe / and her damoselles about her. The knight cāe sodaynly on them or he was ware / and he was so farre forwarde / that he coulde nat go backe. And the damoselles were abasshad to se a strā ­ger / and ran to their lady and shewed her / who was a shamed / bycause she was naked. & whan she sawe the Knyght she sayde. Acteon / they that sente the hyder / loued the but lytell. I wyll nat that whan thou arte gone hens in other places / that thou shuldest reporte that thou haste sene me naked / and my damoselles. and for the outrage that thou hast done / thou mayst haue penaunce. Therfore I wyll that thou be tran­formed in the lykenesse of the Iame Harte / that thou haste chased all this daye, and incōtynent Acteon was tourned vnto an Harte / who naturally loueth the water. In lykewise it might be of the beare of Bisquay: and howe that the la­dy knewe paraduenture / more than she wolde speke of at that tyme / therfore she ought the better to be excused. The squier answered & sayd. Sir / it maye well be. Than we lefte oure tal­kynge for that tyme. ⸪ ⸪

[Page xxxiii] AMonge other solem­ynities that the erle of Foyz kepte on the hyghe feestes of the yere / he kept euer the fest of saynt Nycholas in great solemynytie / he and all his lande / as great as at the fest of Ester. And this was shewed me by a squier of his house the thirde day that I came hyder / and I sawe it my selfe right well apparent / for I was there on the same day. First all the clergie of the towne of Ortayse / and all the people / men / women / & chyldren with processyon came to the castell to fetche the erle / who all a fote de­parted fro his castell / and went with the clergy a processyon to the churche of saynt Nycholas / and there the clergy sange a psalme of the psal­ter. Benedictus dominus deus meus, qui docet manus meas ad praelium, et digitos meos ad bel lum. &c. And whan this psalme was songe / than they began to syng as they dyde on Chri­stmas day or Eester daye / in the popes chapell or in the Frenche kynges / for he had with hym many syngars / the bysshoppe of Pauyers san­ge the masse / and there I herde as good play­eng at organs / as euer I herde in any place. to speke breuely and accordyng to reason / the erle of Foiz than was right parfyte in all thynges / and as sage and as parceyuing / as any hyghe prince in his dayes. There was none coude cō pare with hym in wytte / honour / nor in larges At the feestꝭ of Christmas whiche he kept euer right solemyne / came to his house many knightes and squyers of Gascone / and to euery man he made good there. There I sawe the Burge of Spayne / who layde the wodde and the Asse on the fyre toguyder / of whom sir Espayne de Lion shewed of his force / and I was gladde to se hym: and therle of Foiz made hym good sē ­blant. There I sawe also knightes of Aragon & of Englande of the duke of Lācastres house / who as than laye at Burdeux. The erle made them good chere and gaue them great gyftes / I acquaynted my selfe with those knyghtes / & by them I was enformed of many thyngꝭ that fell in Castell / in Nauar / & in Portyngale: of the whiche I shall speke of whan tyme re [...]reth herafter. And on a day I sawe asquyer of Gascone called the Bastot of Manlyon / a man of a fyftie yere of age / an expert man of armes and a hardy / be semynge. He a lighted at my lod­gynge in Ortaise at the signe of the Moone / at Erualton de Pyns. He brought with hym his somers and caryages / as thoughe he had ben a great barone / & was serued bothe he & his ser­uaūtes in syluer vessell. and whan I herde his name and sawe therle of Foiz and euery mā do hym so moche honour. than I demaūded of sir Espaygne de Lion / and sayd. Sir / is nat this the squyer that departed fro the castell of Try­galet / whan the duke of Aniou laye at siege be­fore Maluoysin? yes truely quod he it is the same / and he is a good man of armes & a good capitayne. and so than I fell in aquayntaunce with hym / for he was lodged there as I was. & a cosyn of his called Erualton capitayn of Carlate in Auuergne / with whome I was well ac­quaynted / helped me to be aquainted with him and in lykewise so dyd the Burge of Compare and at a tyme as we were talkyng & deuysinge of armes / sytting by the fyre abyding for myd­night / that therle shulde go to supper / than this squiers cosyn began to reken vp his life / and of the dedes of armes that he had ben at. sayeng / howe he had endured as moche losse as profite Than he demaunded of me and sayd. sir Iohn̄ haue ye in your hystorie / any thyng of this maters that I speke of? and I answered & said. I coude nat tell / tyll I here thē / shewe forthe your mater and I wyll gladly here you: For parad­uēture I haue herde som what but nat all. that is true quod the squyer / than he began to saye thus. The first tyme that I bare armure was vnder the captall of Beufz at y ^e batayle of Poyters. and as it was my happe / I had that daye thre prisoners / a knight & two squiers / of whōe I had one with another four .E. thousande frā kes. The next yere after I was in Pruce with the erle of Foyz and the Captall his sonne / vn­der whom I was / & our retourne at Meulx in Brye / we founde the duchesse of Normandy that was than / and the duchesse of Orlyance / & a great nombre of ladyes and damoselles / who were closed in and besieged by them of the Ia­query: and if god had nat helped thē / they had ben enforsed & defouled / for they were of great puissance / and in nōbre mo than ten thousande and the ladyes were alone / and so we in y ^e ayde of those ladyes dyd sette on thē / and there were slayne of the Iaquery mo than sixe thousande / and they rebelled neuer sythe. at y ^t tyme it was truse bytwene Fraunce and Englande / but the kyng of Nauar made warre in his owne qua­rell / agaynst the frenche kyng and Regent. the erle of Foiz retourned in to his owne countre / but my maister the captall and I & other abode styll with the kyng of Nauar for his wages. & than we & other that ayded vs made great way [Page] in Fraūce / and specially in Picardy / and toke many townes and castelles in the bysshoprike / these of Beauuoise and Amyens / and as than we were lordes of the feldes and ryuers / & con­quered great fynance. And whan the truse fay­led bytwene Englande and Fraunce / than the [...] of Nauarre seased his warre / and toke a peace bytwene the Regent and hym. Than the kyng of Englande with a great puyssance pas­sed the see / and came and layde siege to the towne of Remus. Than the kyng of Englāde sent for my maister who was at Cleremont in Beamoysin / and there made warre for the kynge agaynst all the countrey. Than we came to the kyng of Englande and to his chyldren. & than [...]od the squyer to me. Sir Iohan / I thynke ye knowe all redy all that mater / and howe the kyng of Englande wedded his wife / and howe he came before Charters / and howe the peace was made there bytwene these two kynges. That is true sir quod I in writyng I haue it / and the contynue of all the treaties. Than the Bastot of Manlyon spake agayne and sayde. whan this peace was thus made bitwene these two kynges / It was ordayned / that all men of warre and companyōs shulde a voyde / & leaue their fortresses and castels that they helde. than all maner of men of warre and poore company­ons drewe toguyder / and the capitayns tooke counsayle what they shulde do. And than they sayde. Thoughe these two kynges haue taken peace toguyder / yet we muste lyue. Than they wente in to Burgoyne / & there were capitayns of all nacyons / Englysshe / Gascons / Spany / ardes / Naue [...]o [...]se / Almayns / Scottes / and of all maner of nacyons: and there I was as a capitayne / and there we foūde in Burgoyne and about the ryuer of Loyre of our cōpany / a .xii. thousande of one and other. And in the same cō pany ther were a thre or four thousāde of good and chosen men of warre / and as subtell in all dedes of armes as might be / and apte to aduise a batayle / and to take their aduantage / and as hardy to scale and assayle towne or castell. and that was well sene at y ^e bataile of Brinay / wher as we ouerthrue the cōstable of fraūce & therle of Forestz / and two thousande speares knightꝭ and squiers. This vataile dyd great profite to the cōpanyons / for before they were but poore / and than they were all riche by reason of good prisoners / townes and castels that they wan in the bisshoprike of L [...]on / & on the ryuer of Rone and whan they had [...]he ꝓont saynt Esprite they departed their warre / & made warr to the pope and to the cardynalles / who coude nat be quyte of them / nor had nat ben tyll they founde ano­ther remedy. The pope sent in to Lōbardy for the Marques of Moūtferant a right valyant knight / who had warre with the lorde of Myl­layne. Whā he was come to Auignon the pope and the cardynals spake to hym in suche wyse / that he entreted with the capitayns / Englysshe gascons / and almayns for threscore thousande frākes / that the pope and cardynals shulde pay to certayne of these capitayns and to their cō ­panyes / as sir Iohan Hastourde a valyant en­glysshe knyght / sir Robert Briquet / Carsnell nandon le bagerant / the bourge Camus / & dy­uers other: & so than went in to Lōbardy / and gaue vp y ^e poūt saynt Esprite. & of all their routes they toke but the .vi. parte / but we taried be hynde. sir Seguin of Bate [...]oile / sir John̄ ioell sir James Plāchyn / sir John̄ Aymery / the burge of Piergourt / Espiot / Loys Rābalt / Lymosyn / Iaques tryturell / I / & dyuers other. & we kepte styll & lay at saynt Clement / at Barell / at Terrare / at Brinay / at the pont saynt Denys / at thospitall of Ortifart / for we had mo than .xl fortresses & houses / in the conutreis of forestz / Velay / base Burgoyn / & on the ryuer of Loyre and we raūsomed all the coūtre / they coude nat be quyte of vs / nother for payng well nor otherwise. & in a night we toke the fortresse of Charite / and there we abode a yere & a halfe & all was ours fro Charite to Puy in Auuergne: sir Seguyn of Batefoile had lefte his garison of anse & helde Bride in Auuerne / wherby he had gret profite / what there & in the coūtre / to the value of a .C.M. frankes / & on the ryuer of Loyre to Orlians & the ryuer of Dalyer was all ours. & the archprest who was capitayne of Neuars & was good frenche coude nat remedy the coun­tre / but in that he knewe many of the cōpanyōs and so by his desyre sōtyme the lesse hurte was done / & the archprest dyd the same tyme moche good in Neuernoise / for he caused y ^e cite of Neuers to be closed / els it had been ouerron & rob­bed diuers tymes / for we had in those marches townes / & castelles / mo than .xxvi. There was neyther knight nor squyer nor riche man / with out he were agreed with vs / that durst loke out of his house. And this warre we made in the tytell of the kyng of Nauar.

¶Howe dyuers capitayns englisshe and other were discōfited before the towne of Sāxere by the frenchmen.

[Page xxxiiii] IN the same season fell the batayle of Cocherell / where the captall of Beufz was capitayne: for the kyng of Nauar & dy­uers knightes and squyers of our com­pany went to hym. sir Iaques Planchyn & sir Iohan Ioell went to serue hym with two hundred speares. The same season I kept a castell called the Becke Dalyer nere to Charyte / go­yng toward Barbanoise / and I had vnder me a .xl. speares / and I made in the countre myl­les greatly to my profyte / about saynt Purcyn and saynt Peter de moustier. & whan I herde howe the captall my mayster was in Constan­tyne and assembled men of warre. for the great desyre that I had to se hym / I departed fro my garyson with a .xii. speares / and I fell in com­pany with sir Iohan Ioell & sir Iaques Planchyn / And without any busynesse or reencoun­ter we came to the captall. I thynke sir Iohan ye haue all redy the knowlege what became of that busynesse: That is true quod I / for there was taken the captall of Beusz / and sir Iohan Ioell slayne and sir Iaques Planchyn: That is true quod the B [...]tefoyle of Manlyon / there I was also taken / howe be it I fortuned mete­ly well: ther was a cosyn of myne who was called Bernard of Terryde / he dyed after in Por­tyngale at the batayle of Iuberot. & this Ber­narde who was as than vnder sir Aymenon of Pomyers / he toke me and raūsomed me in the felde at a thousande frankes / & gaue me a good sauecōducte to retourne to my garyson of Bec Dalyer. assoone as I came to my castell I sent a seruaunt of myne with a thousande frankes / to my cosyn to Parys / and had my quytaunce for the same. The same season sir Iohan Ay­mery an Englysshe knight and the greattest capitayne that we had rode forthe / costyng the ryuer of Loyre to come to Charite / and he was encoūtred by abusshment of the lorde Rugemōt and the lorde of Wodnay / & by some of the archprestes men. They were farre stronger than he and so there he was taken and ouerthrowen / & raunsomed to a .xxx. thousande frankes / which he payed incontynent. Of his takyng and losse he was sore displeased and sware / that he wold neuer entre in to his owne garyson / tyll he had won agayne as moche as he had lost. Than he assembled togyder a great nombre of companyons / and came to Charyte on Loyre / and desy­red the capitayns ther / as Lamyt and Carsnell and the burge of Piergourt and me / for I was there as than to sporte me. Ther he desyred vs all to ryde forthe with hym: We demaunded of hym wheder he wolde ryde? By my faythe ꝙ he / we wyll passe y ^e ryuer of Loyre at saint Thybalte: and lette vs scale and assayle the towne & castell of Sāxere. For quod he / I haue sworne and auowed / that I wyll nat entre in to no for­tresse that I haue / tyll I haue sene the chyldren of Sanxere. And if we maye gette that gary­son and the erles chyldren within / Iohn̄ / Loys / and Robert: Than we shall be well reuenged / and therby we shalbe lordes of the countre / and I thynke we shall lightly come to oure entent / for they take no hede of vs / and this lyeng styll here dothe vs no maner of ꝓfyte. That is true sir quod we / & so all we promysed to ryde with hym / and incontynent we made vs redy. And so it fortuued / y ^e all oure purpose was knowen in the towne of Sanxere. The same tyme ther was▪ there a capitayn a valyant squyer of But goyne of the lowe marchesse called Guyssharte Albygon / who toke great hede to kepe well the towne and castell of Sanxer / and the chyldren within. This sir Guysshart had a mōke to his brother / of the abbey of saynt Thybalt / whiche is nere to Sanxere. This monke was sent to Charyte on the ryuer of Loyre for his brother / to beare a certayn raūsome thider y ^t the townes owed by couynant. so we toke no hede to him & he knewe all our ententes / howe I can nat tell / and all our names that were capitaynes there / and what nombre we were of / and what houre we shulde departe / and howe we were determyned to passe the ryuer at the porte of saynt Thybalte: And so he retourned and went to San­xere / and shewed his brother all oure myndes. Than therle there and his bretherne prouyded for remedy / and they sente for knightes & squy­ers of Berry and Burbonoyse / and to the capitayns & garysons therabout / so that they were a foure hundred speares of good men of warre and made abusshment of two hundred speares without the towne of Sanxere in a wode. and we knewe nothyng of all this / and at the sonne goynge downe / we departed fro Charyte and rode a good pase tyll we came to Penly / and at the porte there / we hadde redy bootes & barges to passe vs ouer & oure horses. And so we paste ouer the ryuer of Loyre as we had ordayned / and we were ouer by mydnight / and bycause y ^e daye came on / we ordayned a hundred speares to abyde there to kepe oure horses and bootes / and the remynaunt of vs passed forthe / for [...] by the frenche busshment. Whan we were paste a quarter of a myle / than they brake out of their busshment / and rode to them that we had lefte [Page] behynde vs at the ryuer syde. & anone they had disconfyted them and all slayne or taken / & our horses wonne / and the botes arested. and than they mounted on our horses and came after vs on the spurres / and were as soone in the towne as we. They cryed our lady of Sāxere for the erle was there hym selfe with his men / and his bretherne / sir Loyes and sir Robert had made the busshement. So thus we were inclosed on all partes / for they a hors backe assoone as they cāe to vs / they a lighted afote and assayled vs fiersly. And the thynge that moost greued vs / was we coude nat enlarge our selfe to fight / we were in suche a narowe waye closed on bothe sides / with hay / hedges / and vyngardes / & also some of our enemyes suche as knewe the coūtre were rydden about and gette in to the vyngar­des / and dyd hurt vs sore with castyng of sto­nes and we coude nat go backe / & moche payne to gette to the towne / it stode so hygh on a moū tayne. So we were sore traueyled / & sir Iohn̄ Aymery was hurt our souerayne capitayn / by the hādes of sir Guysshart Albygon / who toke hym prisoner & had moche a do to saue his lyfe he put hym in to a house in y ^e towne / and made hym to be layde on a bedde / and sayd to the owner of the house. kepe well this prisoner / and / se his woundes staunched / for if he lyue / he shall paye me .xx. thousande frankes. & so sir Guys­shart lefte his priso [...]er and retourned to the batayle / and quytte hymselfe lyke a good man of armes. & there was w ^t the chyldren of Sāxere / come thider to their ayde and to the countreis / sir Guysshart dalphyn / the lorde Marney / sir Gerarde and sir Wylliam Burbone / the lorde of Cousant / the lorde de la Pier / the lorde de la Palys / the lorde of Neutry / the lorde de la coise and the lorde of Syette / and dyuers other. I say sir to you / this was a batayle right fell and cruell. we defēded our self as long as we might so that on bothe partꝭ there were slayne dyuers persones / and many hurte: for by that they shewed they had rather haue taken vs a lyue than to slee vs / and finally we were all taken / Car­sayle launt / Nandon / le bourge de Pyergourt Espyot / the burge of Lespare / Angerot le moūt gyse / Philyppe of Roe / Peter of Corthue / the Pesat of Palyuiers / the bourge of Darusen / & all our capitayns [...] and I my selfe and we were brought to the castell of Sāxere. Neuer before in the realme of Fraunce / the companyons lost so moche as they dyde at that iourney / howe be it Guysshart Albygon loste his prisoner by ne­glygence / he bledde so sore that he dyed [...] for de­faute of lokyng vnto. Thus ended Iohan Ay­mery / by this iourney that was thus done be­syde Sanxere / Charyte was delyuered / & all the garysons therabout by composycion / that we shulde be quyte out of prison / and so we had saue conducte to departe out of the countre whider we lyst. And it fortuned as than for vs / that the same season sir Bertram of Clesquy / the lorde of Beayne / sir Arnolde Dandrehen / and the erle of Marche / they toke their voiage to go in to Spaygne to ayde the kyng Dampeter / but first I was in Bretayne at the bataile of Alroy vnder sir Hughe Caurell / and there I recoue­red my losse / for the iourney was ours. and I had to my ꝑte good prisoners / by whom I had two .M. frankes. Than I went with ten spea­res with sir Hugh Caurell in to Spayne / and there helped to put kyng Dampeter out of his realme. And than whan y ^e alyances were made bytwene the kyng Dampeter and the prince of Wales / and that he wolde abyde in Castell / I was there in the company of sir Hugh Caurell and I retourned with hym in to Acquitayne. Than the warre renewed bytwene the frenche kyng and the prince: than we had moche a do / for we had sore warre / and many capitayns englysshe and Gascoyns were slayne / and yet I thāke god I am a lyue. Ther dyed sir Robert Briquet bytwene the lande of the duke of Orliance and the countre of Bloyse / in a place cal­led Oliuet / and there he & all his company were ouerthrowen by asquyer of Heynalt a valyant man of armes & a good capitayne / called Alars Doustienes / surnamed Barbason / for he was of that lynage. He was as than gouernoure of Bloys / and kepar of all the countre / sette there by the lordes therof / as Loys / Iohn̄ / and Guy. So it was his fortune to encoūtre with sir Robert Briquet & sir Robert Cheney. & they and all their cōpany were slayne / for ther were non taken to raunsome. and at the batayle of Ny­orthe in Xayntaine / Carsnell was slayne by sir Bertram of Clesquy / and a seuyn .C. englyssh men were slayne there / & at saint Seuere were slayne other englysshe capitayns / as Rychard Elys and Richarde Helyn. I knewe but fewe expert my selfe but y ^t were slayne. I haue hold fronter & made warre for the kyng of Englāde for myne herytage lyeth in Burdelois. Som­tyme I haue been so ouerthrowen and pulled downe / that I had nat wherwith to lepe a hors backe. And another tyme I haue been riche y­nough whan good fortunes came / & in a season I and Raymonet de la Pee were companions [Page xxxv] togyder: and we had in Tholousyn on the frō ­ters of Bygore. The castell of Maluoysin / the castell of Trygalet / and the castell of Vāteulx / whiche as than dyde vs great profyte. Than̄e the duke of Anion toke them fro vs / byforce of puyssaunce. but than Raymonet de Pee tour­ned Frenche / and I abyde styll good englisshe and shall do whyle I lyue. True it was / whan I had loste the castell of Trygalet / and was cō ducted to the castell Cuyllet / and that the duke was gone backe agayne in to Fraunce / I de­termyned to do somwhat / outher to gette some profyte or els to lose all / or to dye in the payne. I caused by spyall / the towne & castell of Thu­ry in Albygo is to be well a viewed / whiche ca­stell after aueyled to me / what by good fortu­nes and [...]atesfyeng of the countrey a hundred thousande frankes. I shall shewe you howe I wanne it.

WIthout the towne there is a fayre foū ­tayne / and of vsage euery mornynge / the women of the towne wolde come thyder with pottes and other vesselles on their heedes / to fetche of the clere water ther. Than I toke fyftie cōpanyons of the garyson of Cu­illet / and we rode all a daye throughe wodes & busshes / and the nexte night about mydnight / I sette a busshment nere to Thury / and I and a sixe other all onely / dyde on vs womens aray and with pottes in our handes. And so we cāe to a medowe right nere to y ^e towne / and hydde ourselfe behynde great cockes of hay that were there standyng / for it was about the feest of saīt Iohan / whan they make hay. & whan the hour came that the gate was opyned to lette the wo­men go out for water / we seuyn toke our pottꝭ and fylled them at the fountayne and wente to­warde the towne / oure faces wrapped in ker­chers / so that we coude nat be knowen: the women that we mette goyng for water said to vs. Ah saynt Mary gosseppes / ye were vp be ty­mes: We aunswered in their lauguage with a faynt voyce / that is true. And so paste by them and came to the gate / and we founde no body there but a souter dressynge forthe of his bag­gage. Than one of vs blewe a horne to drawe thyder out cōpany out of the busshment. The souter toke no hede but whan he harde y ^e horne blowe he demaūded of thē. What is this? Who was that blewe the horne? One answered and sayd. It was a preest wente into the feldes. Ah that is true quod the souter / it was sir Fraūces our preest / gladly he gothe a mornyngꝭ to seke for an Hare. Than our company came and we entred in to the towne / where we foūde no man to drawe his swerde to make any defence. thus I toke the towne and castell of Thury / wher­by I haue had great profite yerely / more than the castell of Trygalet with the appurtenaūce is worthe. But as nowe I wote nat what to do for I am in a treatie with therle of Armynake and with the dolphyn of Auuergne / who hath expresse authoritie by the Frenche kyng / to bye all townes and fortresses of the companyons / such as they holde in their handes whersoeuer they be / outher in Auuergne / Rouerg [...]e / Ly­mosyn / Quercy / Pyergourt / Albegois / Agen & of all suche as hath or dothe make any warre in the kyng of Englandes tytell / and many are departed and haue rendred their fortresses / I can nat tell if I wyll rendre myne or nat: With that worde sayd the Burge of Compayne. Cosyn / it is true: For of Carlat whiche I holde in Auuergne / I am cōe hyder to here some tidyn­ges / For sir Loys of Sanxere marshall of Frā ce wyll be here shortely / he is as nowe at Tar­be / as I haue herde of suche as come thens. w ^t these wordes they called for wyne and dranke. Than the Bastot sayd to me. sir Iohan / are ye well enformed of my lyfe? yet I haue had other aduētures whiche I haue nat shewed / nor wyll nat speke of all. sir ꝙ I / I haue well herde you.

THan agayne I demaunded of hym / where Rambalt an expert squier and a great capitayne of mē of Warr was becōe / bycause I sawe him ones in Auignon in great aray. I shall shewe you quod the Bastot of Manlyon. In tyme past whan sir Seguyn of Batefoyle helde Bride in Ve­lay / a ten myle fro Puy in Auuergne / and that he had made warre in the countre & conquered moche / than he retourned in to Gascon & gaue to Loyes Rābalt & to another cōpanyon of his called Lymosin / Bride & Anse / on the water of Sōme / the countre as than was so desolate & full of cōpanyons in euery corner / y ^t noue durst go out of their houses / & bitwene Bride in Au­uerne & Anse / is more than .xxvi. myle / a coūtre [Page] full of moūtayns. and whan Loyes Rambalt wolde ryde for his pleasure fro Bride to Anse / he rode without doute or feare / for he helde dy­uers fortresses in the countie of Forestes / and therabout / wher he refresshed hym: For as thā the gentylmen of Auuergne / of Forestz / of Velaye / and the fronters were sore traueyled / and ouer layde with the warre. they were so taken and raunsomed that they doughted the warre / For there was none of the great lordes of Fraū ce that sente any men of warre in to the coūtre / for the frenche kynge was yonge / and had mo­che a do in dyuers ꝑtes of the realme / for in euery parte / the companyōs and companyes rode and dyd moche hurte / so that the realme coude nat be quyte of thē / And also dyuers of the lor­des of Fraunce were in Englande in hostage / and in the meane season their countreys & men were pylled and robbed / and had no remedy: for the men of the countre were without corage to defende themselfe. And so it was / that Rambalte and Lymosin / who were companyons in armes fell out / I shall shewe you howe.

LOyes Rambalte had at Bride a fayre woman to his louer / whome he loued parfitely: and whan he rode fro bride to Anse / he cōmaunded Lymosin to take good hede to her. And Lymosin who was his com­panyon in armes / and in whome he moost tru­sted / he toke so good hede to the damosell / that he had his pleasure of her whan he lyste / so that Loyes Rambalte was enfourmed therof / and he coude suffre it no lengar: So that he toke suche a hate agaynst his companyon / that he caused hym to be taken by his seruauntes / & made hym to be driuen all naked saue a breche: about the towne / and beaten with scourges / and trū ­pettꝭ to be blowen before him: And at certayne places his dede to be openly cryed & than banisshed the towne lyke a treatour / and in a symple cote putte out. This dispyte dyd Loyes Ram­balte to Lymosin / whiche dispyte Lymosin to­ke greuously / and sayd: Howe he wolde be re­uēged if euer it laye in his power / as he was a­none after. And this Lymosin whyle he was in prosperite / in ridyng bytwene Bride and Anse he euer forbare the landes of the lorde of Voult dwellyng on the ryuer of Rone / for he had ser­ued him in his youthe. Than he thought to go to hym and to crye hym mercy / & to desyre hym to make his peace in Fraūce. and so in his cote a fote he went to Voulte / for he he knewe ryght well the way / and so went in to a house / & whan he sawe his tyme he wente to the castell / and the porter wolde nat suffre hym to entre / but at last he spake so fayre / that the porter dyde lette him in / and cōmaunded hym to go no farther in w ^t ­out he were cōmaunded / and he obeyed. Whan the lorde was vp he went downe in to the court to sporte hym / and so came to the gate: Than Lymosin felle downe on his knees / and sayde. sir / do ye nat knowe me? by my faithe quod the lorde no: He thought lytell it shulde haue been Lymosin: and whan he had well aduysed hym he sayd. Thou resemblest well Lymosin / who was ones my seruaunt. Sir quod he [...] Lymo­syn I am and your seruaunt. than he cryed him mercy for all thynges paste before / and shewed hym fro poynt to poynt all his busynesse / and howe Loyes Rambalte had dalte with hym at the ende. Than the lorde sayd. Lymosyn / Is it as tho sayest / and that thou wylte becōe good frenche I shall make thy peace. By my faith sir quod he / I neuer dyde so moche hurte to the realme of Fraūce / but I shall do agayne more ꝓ­fyte therto / that wolde I se gladly quod the lor­de of Voult. the lorde kept him in his house tyll he had made his peace in euery place. and whā Lymosin myght in suretie ryde / than the lorde of Voult armed hym / and brought hym to the seneshall of Velay and acquaynted hym there. and ther he was examyned of the state of bride and of Loyes Rambalte / and whan he rydeth what waye he taketh: and than he sayd. Whan Loyes rydeth he hath nat with him past a .xxx. or a .xl. speares: and the wayes that he kepeth I knowe them by harte. For with hym & with­out hym / I haue rydden them ofte tymes. And sir / if ye wyll sende forthe a company of men of armes / on ieopardy of my heed / ye shall haue him within fyftene dayes. The capitayns ther toke hede to his sayeng and sent out spyes / and Rambaulte was spyed as he was rydinge fro Bride to Anse besyde Lion / on the ryuer of Rone. Whan Lymosin knewe it / he shewed it to y ^e lorde of Voult and sayd. Sir / Loyes Rābalte is nowe at Anse / and at his retournyng I shall bring you to a streight / wher as he must nedes passe by. Than the lorde of Voult made an as­semble and was capitayne hymselfe / and sente for the bayly of Velay / the lorde of Mountelan sir Gerarde of Salyers and his sonne / sir Plā seart of Vernet / the lorde of Newcastell / & for other men of armes therabout: so that he was a thre .C. speares / and they all assembled at Nonnay / and by the coūsaile of Lymosin they made two busshmentes. the vicoūt of Polygnac & the [Page xxxvi] lorde of Chalencon had the rule of the one / and the lorde Voulte and the lorde of Mount Clan had the guydynge of the other busshment / and with them sir Loyes of Tornon / and the lorde of Salyers: and they hadde equally deuyded their company. The firste company kepte the pase nere to saynt Rambart in Forestes / wher as Loyes Rambalte shulde passe the ryuer of Loyre / or els he muste haue gone by Guyde or Pynne. And whan Loyes Rambalt had done that he came for to Anse / he departed with a .xl. speares / and thought nat to haue any rencoun­ter / and douted nothynge of Lymosin / it was the leest thought he had. And lightely euer the way that he rode outwarde he wolde nat come homewarde. And as he came outwarde he cāe by saynt Rambalte / and at his retourne he to­ke another waye / & toke the mountayns aboue Lyon and aboue Vyenne / and vnder the Burge Darlentall / And rode streyght towarde the Mounastier / a thre lytell myle fro Puye. And he hadde passed bytwene the castell of Mone­strole and Mountfaucon / and so came aboute the countre / towarde a vyllage called Batery / bytwene Nonnay and saynt Iulyane. And in the wode there was a streyght passage / whiche he muste [...] nedes passe / or els to go by Nonnay. at whiche streight laye the lorde of Voult with two hundred speares / and Loyes Rambalt to­ke no hede tyll he was among them. Than the lorde of Voulte / who was redy to do his enter­prise / layde the speare in the rest and came cry­inge la Voulte / and dasshed in among the companyons / who rode abrode withoute good ar­raye. And so at the first metyng / many of them were ouerthrowen to the erthe / and Loyes Rā ­baulte was stryken fro his horse / by a squyer of Auuergne called Amblardon: & so he toke hym prisoner / and all other taken or slayne none scaped. And ther they foūde in boiettes a thre .M. frankes / whiche Loyes Rābalte had receyued at Anse / for trybute of certayne vyllages ther­about / wherof they were gladde / for euery man had his parte. And whan Lymosin sawe Rambalt this trapped he came before hym / and sayd in reproche. Loyes Loyes: here fauteth com­pany. Remembre ye of the blame & shame that ye dyde put me to at Bride for your maystres? I wolde haue thought lytell for a woman / ye wolde haue put me to that ye dyd. For if ye had done as moche to me / I wolde nat haue been so angry. for two suche cōpanyōs in armes as we were / myght haue past our tyme well ynoughe with one woman. With those wordes the lordꝭ laughed / but Loyes Rābalt had no sporte herat. By the takyng thus of this Loyes Rābalte Bride was delyuered to the seneshall of Auuergne / for after they had lost their capitayne and the chefe men they had / they wolde kepe it no lē ­gar: And in lykewise so dyde they of Anse / and other fortresses in Velay & Forestes / that was on their parte. for they within any of these for / tresses were right ioyouse to yelde vp their holdes to saue their lyues. Than Loyes Rābalte was brought to Nonnay and there set in pri­sone / and the frēche kyng had great ioye of his takyng. & as I herde reported / he was behee­ded at Newcastell besyde Auygnon. Thus Loys Rambalt dyed / god haue mercy on him. Thus sir quod the Bastot of Manlyon / I ha­ue holde you with talkyng / to passe awaye the night / how be it sir / all that I haue said is true Sir quod I / with all my herte I thanke you. Sir / I trust your sayenges shall nat be loste. For sir / & god suffre me to retourne in to myne owne countre / all that I haue herde you saye / and all that I haue sene and founde in my voyage / I shall put it in remembraunce / in the no­ble cronycle that the erle of Bloys hath set me a warke on: For I shall write it & cronycle it by the grace of god / to the entent it shalbe in par­petuall remembraunce. Than the Bourge of Compayne / called Erualton began to speke / & wolde gladly that I shulde parceyue by hym / that he wolde I shulde recorde his lyfe / and of the Bourge Englysshe his brother / and howe they had done in Auuergne / and in other pla­ces. But as than he had no leysar / for the wat­che of the castell sowned to assemble all mē that were in the towne to come vp to the Castell / to suppe with the erle of Foiz. Thanne these two squyers made them redy and lyghted vp tor­ches / and so we wente vp to the Castell / and so dyde all other knightes and squyers that were lodged in the towne. ⸪ ⸪

[Page] OF the astate and order of the erle of Foiz can nat be to moche spoken nor pray­sed: For the season y ^t I was at Ortaise / I foūde hym su­che / and moche more than I can speke of: But whyle I was there / I sawe & herde many thynges that turned me to great pleasure. I sawe on a Christēmas day sytting at his borde / four bysshop­pes of his countre / two Clementynes and two Vrbanystes: the bysshoppe of Pauyers & the bysshoppe of Lescalle Clementynes / they satte highest. Than the bysshoppe of Dayre and the bysshop of Rone on the fronters of Burdeloys and Bayon / Vrbanestes: Than satte therle of Foiz / and than the vycount of Roquebertyn of Gascone / and the vycount of Brunyquell / the vycount of Iosseraūt / and a knight of Englād of the duke of Lancasters / who as than laye at Narbone / the duke had sent hym thyder: The knight was called sir Wyllyam Wylloughby. And at another table satte fyue abbottes & two knightes of Arragon / called sir Raymonde de Mount florentyne and sir Marten de Ruane: And at another table satte knightes and squy­ers of Gascone and of Bigore. First the lorde of Daychin / than sir Gaylari de la Mote / sir Raymōde of Newcastell / the lorde of Chamōt / Gascone / the lorde of Compane / the lorde de la Layne / the lorde of Mountferant / sir Wylliam Bernarde / sir Peter of Corton / the lorde of Valenchyn / and sir Aungalle named the Basell. & at other tables knightes of Bierne a great nō ­bre / and the cheife stewardes of the halle were sir Espaygne of Leon sir Siquart de Boyes Verdune / sir Nonnans of Nonnallys / and sir Peter of Vaulx of Bierne / and the two Erles bastarde bretherne serued at y ^e table / sir Erual­ton Guyllame and sir Peter of Byerne: And the erles two sonnes. sir yuan of Leschell was shewer and sir Gracyen bare his cuppe. And there were many Mynsttelles / as well of his owne as of straungers / and eche of them dyde their deuoyre in their faculties. The same day therle of Foiz gaue to harauldes and minstrel­les / the sōme of fyue hundred frākes: and gaue to the duke of Tourayns mynstrelles gownes of clothe of golde furred with Ermyns / valued at two hundred frankes. This dyner endured foure houres. Thus I am gladde to speke of the erle of Foyz / for I was there in his house a xii. wekes / and well entreated in all thynges / & whyle I was there / I might lerne and here ti­dynges of all countreis. And also the gentyll knyght sir Espaygne of Leon / in whose com­pany I entred in to the countre: He caused me to be acquaynted with knyghtes and squyers / suche as coude declare to me any thyng that I roude demaunde: For I was enformed of the busynesse of Portingale and of Castell / & what maner of warre they had made / and of the ba­tayls and rencounters bytwene those two kynges and their assysters / of whiche busynesses I shall make iuste report.

yE haue herde here before: Howe kynge don Iohan of Castell hadde besie­ged the castell of Luxbone / & the king Iohan of Portyngale therin / whom the good townes had crowned to their kyng for his va­lyantnesse / howe be it in dede he was a bastar­de. And also ye haue herde how the same kyng sende in to Englande to the duke of Lancastre and to the erle of Cambridge / who had in ma­ryage his cosyns / to haue socour of thē. These messangers were two knyghtes and a clerke / sir Iohan Radyngos and sir Iohn̄ Dore / and with them a clerke lycensiate in the lawe / arche deaken of Lysbone. These messangers dyd so moche by the see / that they came to Hampton and there taryed a daye / and there gate horses for they had none of their owne / and so rode to London. This was in the moneth of August. And the kyng was in the marches of Wales a huntyng at his pleasure / & his vncles / the duke of Lācastre / therle of Cābridge / sir Edmonde and sir Thomas erle of Buc­kyngham / were also in their owne countreis a sportynge / wherfore the kyng of Portyngales messangers had more to do: so first they spake with the duke of Lancastre / who was at Hert­forde / a twentie myle fro London. The duke receyued them ioyously / and opyned y ^e letters that they brought him / and the duke reed them thre tymes / the better to vnderstande thē / and than he sayd. Sirs / ye be right welcome in to this countre / but ye be come in the worst tyme of the yere / to haue spedy delyueraūce of your ambassade / for the kyng and my bretherne are sparcled abrode here and the [...] / and ye can haue no full answere tyll the counsayle come toguy­der at London at the feest of saynt Mighaell: But sythe the great parte of your message toucheth me and my brother / therfore I will write to hym / that he and I shalbe shortely at Lon­don / or therabout: and than we shall take coū ­sayle / toguyder. Wherfore as nowe ye shall re­tourne [Page xxxvii] to London / & whan my brother is come nere ye shall haue tidynges fro vs. The ambassadours of Portyngale were content / and so retourned to London and were well lodged and toke their ease. The duke of Lancastre forgate nat that they had sayd to hym / and so inconty­nent wrote to his brother therle of Cambridge of that busynesse. and whan therle had reed his brothers letters / he prepared hym self and rode to Hertforde besyde Ware whe [...] the duke was / and there they were thre dayes togyder in coū ­sayle. and so ordayned to go to London as the duke had promysed to the ambassadours / and so they came to London. Than these two lordꝭ and they of Portyngale had great coūsayls bytwene them / For the erle of Cābridge who had ben before in Portyngale / was nothyng cōtent with kyng Ferant of Portyngale last deed / for he sayd he made his warre but slackely. and also agaynst t [...]wyll of hym and all the Englyssh men / he toke peace with the spanyerdes / wher­fore the erle sayd / he had doute that at the coun­sayle at Myghelmas / the cōmontie wolde nat agre lightly to make another vyage in to Portyngale / for the iourney thyder before had cost greatly the realme of Englande / and no ꝓfyte therby. The ambassadours cōceyned well the erles wordes / and sayde. Sir / than was than and nowe is nowe. The kyng whom god par­don / redouted greatly y ^e fortunes of the worlde but the kyng our mayster that nowe is / hath a­nother mynde & ymaginacion / For if he fynde in the felde his enemyes / thoughe he be lesse of power / yet he wyll gyue the settyng on / whatso euer fall therby. And this sir / we dare faythfully assure you. and my lordes besyde / that your quarell is clere to ouerron and to conquere the realme of Castell / for the enherytaunce partey­neth to you and to your wyues / & to your chyl­dren. & to conquere it / ye can nat haue so good an entre in to Castell / as by Portyngale / sythe ye haue all that realme according therto. Therfore sir / and one of you wyll come thyder with suche a suffycient nombre / and by the ayde ye shall haue there / ye shalbe able to kepe the felde The duke of Lancastre answered. Sirs / this lyeth nat in vs / but in the kyng & in the realme / but we shall do oure good wylles / ye maye be sure therof. Thus they ended their counsayle / and the portyngalo is laye styll at London abydyng Mighelmas / and the duke of Lancastre and the erle of Cambridge returned in to their owne countreis on the marches of the Northe. Than came Myghelmas and the parlyament at Westmynster / and the kynge approched and came to Wyndesore and so to Chertsey / and the quene with hym / and than to Stanes / and al­so his chefe of counsayle the erle of Oxenforde / for by him euery thyng was done / and without hym nothynge. The same season there was in Flaūders bytwene the duke of Burgoyne and the gaūtoise great warre. And the [...] were new­ly retourned out of Flaunders in to Englande the bysshoppe of Norwiche / sir Hugh Caurell / sir Wylliam Helman / sir Thomas Tryuet / & other / who had in the same somer ben at the siege with the gauntoise before Ipre / Than came the frenche kyng and closed them in / in Burbo­noise (as is rehersed here before ī this hystorie) but as than there was truse bytwene Fraunce / Englande / and Flaunders / to endure tyll myd­somer after / but the scottes had moche to do. also there was at London the counsayle of Gaūt / and they desyred to haue a gouernour to helpe to sustayne the kepyng of their towne: They desyred one of the kynges vncles / or els the erle of Salisbury. So at this counsayle at London there were many counsayls / as well for the flē ­mynges as for Portyngale & Scotlande / who made thē warre. The duke of Lancastre drewe to that parte that he might haue a nōbre of men of warre and archers / to go in to Portyngale. And he shewed the lordes / prelatꝭ / and comons / howe they were all bounde by faythe and othe / to ayde hym and his brother to wynne the herytage in Castell: and that he sayde / they promy­sed whan the kyng his nephue was crowned. & it apered by their letters sealed. and moreouer / the duke complayned hym howe they of the re­alme dyd hym and his brother wronge / in that whan his brother therle of Cambridge was in Portyngale / that they kepte but smally the co­uynaunt that they had promysed: For he sayd / it was ꝓmysed to sende to hym thider two thousande speares and as many archers / & nothyng was done / Wherby their quarell of the right of their enherytaunce was greatly hyndred. The dukes wordes were well harde / as it was rea­son / And the moost notablest ꝑsons of y ^t coun­sayle said / howe he had right to speke as he dyd howe be it they sayd / that the busynesses of the realme that touched them nere / must first be ꝓ­ferred. Some wolde that his wyll shulde haue ben accomplysshed / and some other said / that it shulde be a great outrage to sende out of the realme two thousande men of warre & four thou­sande archers / to so long a iourney as ī to Portugale / for the fortunes of the see be daūgerous [Page] and the ayre of Portyngale marueylous hote / sayeng / that if the realme of Englande shulde lese suche a company / it shulde be a domage ir­recuparable: Howe be it all thynges alledged / finally it was ordayned / that the duke of Lan­castre shulde passe the See with seuyn hūdred speares and four thousand archers / and euery man payed for a quarter of a yere. Howe be it they reserued / that yf any accydent touchynge the realme of Englāde by the meanes of Fraū ce or Scotlande / shulde happen to falle before their departure in to Portingale / than to tary. The duke agreed therto sythe he sawe it wolde be none otherwyse: And than as ye haue herde before / whan̄e the duke of Lancastre was redy with all his men at Hampton / to take his voy­age in to Portyngale / & that the ambassadurs were retourned and had brought worde in to Portyngale / howe the duke of Lancastre was comyng with suche a nombre of men of warre / Than the portyngalois had great ioye. So it fortuned than that a lette fell in Englande / whiche taryed the duke of Lancastre for a season / for the admyrall of Fraunce sir Iohan of Vien with a thousande speares of good men of ar­mes / toke shippyng at Scluse and sayled in to Scotlande and made warre in to Englande / so that all the realme came to resyst thē. All this is shewed here before in this hystorie / wherfore I nede nat to speke therof agayne / but I wyll speke of the siege of Lixbone and of the kynge of Spayne / of whome I shall make true rela­cyon / accordynge as I was enformed.

Kynge don Iohan of Castell beyng at siege before Lixbone / tidynges came in to his hoost by marchauntes of his countrey that came fro Flaunders / howe the duke of Lancastre with a great nombre of men of warre were comynge thyderwarde / to reyse the siege the [...]. These ti­dynges were well beleued / for the spanyardes knewe well / howe the duke of Lancastre wolde do his payne and dilygence to make warre on the realme of Castell / bycause he claymed part therof by the ryght of his wyfe / howe be it the kyng helde styll his siege / and he had sent mes­sangers and letters to haue ayde out of Fraūce and specially he sent in to the coūtre of Bierne / and in to the lande of the erle of Foiz. And out of Byerne there issued in a four dayes respyte / a thre hundred speares of chosen men of armes and there was come to Ortaise out of the real­me of Fraūce to go into Castell to serue y ^e king there / Sir Iohan of Rue burgonyon / and sir Geffray Richon breton / & sir Geffray de Par­tenay / and eche of thē had a company by them selfe. Than they of Bierne made thē redy / as the lorde of Lynguasshe a great barone / & companyon to the erle of Foiz / and sir Peter Lyer / sir Iohan de Lespres / the lorde of Bordes / sir Bertrande of Baruge / the lorde of Moriage / sir Raymonde Dansac / sir Iohn̄ of Salagre / sir Monan of Saruen / sir Pyer of Robier / sir Stephyn of Valentyne / and sir Raymonde of Rarasse / sir Peter of Hanefan / sir Ogert of domesson / and dyuers other. And sir Espayng­nolet of Spaygne eldest sonne to sir Roger of Spaygne / cosyn of lygnage and armes to the erle of Foiz / he went in the company of them of Bierne. These lordes and knightes of Bierne made their assemble at Ortaise and therabout / and it was shewed me by them that sawe them deꝑte fro Ortaise. howe that they were the best armed and apoynted company / that wente out of Byerne many a daye before. And whan the erle of Foiz sawe surely howe they wolde deꝑte to go in to Spaygne (thoughe at the begyn­nynge he somwhat consented therto / and that they shulde receyue the kyng of Castelles wa­ges) yet he was angry and soroufull of their departyng / for he sawe well that his countre was sore febled therby. Than he sent sir Espaygne de Leon and sir Cabestan to these sayd lordes knightes and squyers / desyringe them to come toguyder to his castell of Ortaise / to the entent to gyue theym a dyuer to their farewell. The knightes obeyed as it was reason / and came to Ortaise to se the erle / who receyued them with gladde chere / and after masse caused thē all to come to him in to his secrete chambre / and than in maner of counsayle he said to them. sirs / it is than your ententes to deꝑte out of my countre / and to leaue in my handes the warre with the erle of Armynake / and ye to go & make warre for the kyng of Spayne. This departure tou­cheth me right nere. Sir quod they / we muste nedes go / for to that entent we haue receyued y ^e kyng of Castels wages. And sir / the warre bytwene Spayne & Portyngale ones atchyued / than we shall retourne agayne in sauegarde. atchyued ꝙ therle / nay nat so soone: for as nowe it dothe but begyn / for there is a newe kynge in Portyngale / and he hath sent for ayde in to Englande: therfore this warre is likely to endure a long season / & ye to kepe the felde / for ye shall nat be fought with / tyll the duke of Lancastre and his cōpany be come thyder: and so ye shall derely bye the wages ye haue receyued. Sir ꝙ [Page xxxviii] they / sythe we haue done so moche we must ne­des parforme our voyage. Well god spede you quod the erle / let vs go to dyner it is tyme. and than therle with these lordes and knightꝭ went in to his hall / and there the tables were. There they had a great dyner at great leaser / and was serued with euery thyng that to that day ꝑtey­ned. And after dyner therle ledde with hym all this cōpany in to the galarye / than he entred in to comunyng with them and sayd. Fayre lordꝭ and frendes / it shall greue me to se your depar­tynge out of my countre / nat for that I am dys­pleased with your auauncementes & honours / for in all cases I wolde gladly augment and exalte your honours & profyte: But I haue great pytie of you / for ye are the chefe flour of chiual­ry of my countre of Bierne. and ye thus to go in to a straunge countre / I wolde coūsayle you yet agayne to leaue this voyage / and to let the kynge of Castell and the kynge of Portyngale make their warre bytwene theym selfe / for ye are nat bounde none otherwyse. Sir ꝙ they / sauynge your displeasure / we can nat do thus. And sir / ye knowe more than ye speke of. We haue taken wages and gyftes of the kyng of Ca­stell / wherfore we must nedes deserue it. Well quod therle yespeke well / but I shall shewe you what shall come of this vyage: Outher ye shall retourne so poore and so naked that lyfe shall strāgle you / or els ye shalbe all slayne or taken. The knightes began to laughe and sayd. Sir we must abyde the aduenture. Than therle fell in other talkyng and lefte that in rest / and that than he shewed them in maner of communyca­sion / all the nature of the Spanyardes / howe they be sluttysshe and lousy / and enuyous of o­ther mennes welthe. Wherfore quod he / I reed you take good counsayle / and than he demaunded for wyne and spyce / and he made euery mā drinke: and than toke euery man by the hande and badde them farewell / and departed fro thē and went in to his chambre. And at the fote of the castell the knightes moūted on their horses and so rode to Sanetere / and the [...] lodged that night. And the nexte day they departed and entred in to the lande of Baseles & toke the waye to Panpylone / and they passed surely / for they payed truely for all that they tooke. And in the same season whyle the kyng laye in Lixbone / & had layen there the space of a yere: Than they of the towne of saynt yrayne rebelled agaynst y ^e kyng of Castell / and closed their gates & sayde. that nother French nor spaynisshe shulde entre in to their towne / bycause of the domage that they had done to them / and oppressyons. And some sayd / it was in the faute of Geffray Ry­cous company and sir Parteney / who had a cō pany of bretons / who toke euer that they might gette / for they set nothyng by peace. Than the cytezins toke the two castelles & sayd / how they wolde kepe them and their towne agaynst all ꝑsons that wolde do thē any hurte. and the same day that they rebelled / they slewe mo than thre­score bretons / and had nere slayne sir Geffray Partenay / but that he saued hym selfe vnder y ^e walles of the towne y ^t were nere his lodgynge. Than the frenchmen & bretons that were there fiersly assauted them of saynt yrayne / but they lost more than they wonne / and so dyd nothyn­ge. These tidynges came in to the hoost to the kyng of Castell / howe that they of saynt yrayn were tourued portyngalois / & howe they were in mynde to delyuer the towne and castelles to the kyng of Portyngale. Of whiche newes the kynge was nat content / and called to hym his marshall sir Raynolde Lymosin and said. take a hundred or two hundred speares & go to saīt yrayne / and knowe why the men of the towne do rebell / and what occasion they haue to do as they haue done. So the marshall rode forthe & with hym a two hundred speares and came to saynt yrayne: & he sent before hym an haraulde to shewe them of his comyng / & howe he wolde speke with them at the barryers / and so he dyde his message: and it was answered hym by thē of the towne / sayeng. Sir haralde / we knowe right well / Sir Raynolde Lymosin is a gen­tylman and a valyant knight / and is marshall with the kyng / he may rightwell come hyder if it please hym vnarmed in to the towne / or els nat. This was all the message that the haralde brought to his mayster. Than̄e sir Raynolde sayd / I am nat come hyder to do thē any domage / but to knowe their ententes. It is all one to me to entre armed or vnarmed / to knowe their wylles. And so he and sixe with hym rode thy­der vnarmed / and lefte all his cōpany behynde hym: and so he a lyghted before the barryers / & whan they within sawe him in that estate / they opyned the gate & receyued him in to the towne and made hym good chere / and than he assem­bled the people in the market place and sayde. Sirs / all ye that dwell in this towne take hede what I saye. I am sente hyder by the kynge of Castell to demaunde of you / for what entēcion ye do rebell & close your gates / and haue slayne of them that be come hyder to serue the kynge. Knowe for trouthe / the kyng is sore displeased [Page] with you / and also he is enfourmed / howe that ye haue taken in possessyon the two castelles of this towne / whiche parteyneth to his enhery­taunce / and howe that ye wyll delyuer them to his aduersary the kyng of Portyngale. Than they aunswered and sayd. Sir Raynolde / sa­uynge the kynges grace we are nat so disposed nor to rendre them to any mannes handes / but to our kynge. The kynge of Castell of whome we holde them / so that he gouerne vs in peace & iustice and y ^t we do or haue done / was in y ^e faut of these robbers and pyllers the bretons / who were lodged in this towne / for yf we had been sarazyns or worse people / we coulde nat haue ben worse dalte withall than we were. as in rauysshinge of our wyues and doughters brea­kynge vp our coffers / and breakynge out of the heedes of our vesselles of wyne / beatynge and meamynge of vs / whan we speke any worde to them. Therfore it can nat be marueyled (whan we sawe these outrages done to vs and to ours by thē that shulde defende vs) though we were displeased. Men wyll be displeased for lesse cause. Sir / ye maye shewe all this if it please you / for we be of one accorde: that whosoeuer come / we wyll receyue in to our towne nother frenche nor breton / nor none but the kynges owne per­sone / with suche as shall please hym / so that we be nat traueyled nor putte to vyolence. Whan̄e sir Raynolde herde them saye so / he was a pea­sed: for it semed to hym / that they dyd no wron­ge to putte out of their towne their enemyes / & than he sayde. O ye good people / I haue well herde you and well vnderstande you. ye shall abyde in peace / and I wyll retourne to the kynge / and shewe hym all that ye haue sayd / and in good faythe I shall do for you as moche as in me is possyble to do. Sir we thanke you quod they / and we trust in you that if the kyng haue any yuell informacyon of vs / y ^t ye wyll be oure good meane. And than sir Raynolde tooke his leaue and departed and retourned to his com­pany / who abode for hym in the feldes. And so he rode tyll he came to the hoost before Lixbone and lyghted at his lodgynge / and went to the kynge and shewed hym all that he hadde harde and founde with thē of yrayne. Whan the kyng knewe the trouthe he sayd: By my faythe they haue done wisely / for no man can be sure of thes robbets.

And whan sir Geffray Richone and sir Geffray Partenay & their companyes / sawe howe they coulde haue none other remedy of them of saynt yrayne / and that the kynge of Castell dis­symuled with them: They were sore displeased and sayd among them selfe. We haue well lefte the realme of Fraunce to come hyder / to serue the kyng of spayne / thus to be shamed & domaged by a sorte of villayns / and we can haue no right. We trust shortly hyder wyll come a sorte of knightes of Gascone / we wyll suffre tyll they come / And than we wyll all agree togyder / and reueng our companyons that they haue slayne and yuell entreated. Tidynges came in to the hoost to the kyng and to his counsayle / that the bretons sore manasshed them of saynt yrayne / and maketh their auaunte / that the Gascoyns ones cōe / howe they shulde derely paye for that is done. Wherfore the kyng was counsayled to departe fro the siege / and to go & refresshe hym a season at saynt yrayns / and to sette the mater in a good waye / and so the [...] to tary the comyng of the gascoyns / of whome there were a foure hundred speares of good men of warre. Wher­of they kynge was ioyfull / and wolde nat that they shulde fynde the coūtre in trouble at their comynge. And also moche of his people desy­red to refresshe theym / for there they had layen longe / and nothynge done. Than it was com­maunded euery man to dislodge / and to drawe towarde saynt yrayne. Than the spanyardes dyslodged and all other / and so came in to the marchesse of saynt yrayne. Whan they of saint yrayne knewe howe the kynge of Castell was comyng towarde their towne / They ordayned twelfe men / the most notablest persons of their towne to mount on their horses / & so they dyde / and rode tyll they came where the kyng was to knowe his pleasure. And the kynge was a lighted vnder the shadowe of Olyue trees / to re­fresshe hym / for the great heate that was than: And this was a two leages fro saynt yrayne. & there was sir Raynolde Lymosin marshall of the hoost / who knewe of their comynge. and so he was present by the kynge whan they came and kne­led downe / and said as fo­loweth. ⸪

[Page xxxix] RIght redouted prince and noble kynge of Castell / we are come hyder to youre presens / sende fro the poore cōmynaltie of your poore towne & bayliwike of saynt yrayne. To thē it is gyuen to vnderstande / howe ye be greatly with them displeased. And sir / wheder it be thus or shalbe right redouted sir / the faute came nat by them / but by reason of the iniuryes and oppressyons that the bretons hath done to thē / suche as were in their towne. Sir / all their yuell dedes can nat come to knowledge. sir / we blame nat the maysters / squiers / nor knightes / nor capitens / but all onely them that dyded vs hurte. For sir / these pyllers and robbers bretons / haue doone with vs suche dedes / that it were marueyle to thynke or to recorde it. Sir / they helde a sea­son in subiectyon / the towne and countre about saynt yrayne / so that we herde of theym many great complayntes. And sir / in the dispyte of vs / they wolde breake vp oure cofers / and take all that we had: and vyolate our wyues & our doughters before our faces. And whan we spake any worde / we were beten / maymed / or slayne: In this pouertie we were a two monethes or more: wherfore right redouted & noble kyn­ge / we besech your grace / if we haue displeased you for this cause or for any other / that it maye please you / that we may haue true iustyce / and laufull informacyon / and to maynteygne vs in our ryght / as ye promysed and sware to vs / to kepe vs in our lyberties / the first tyme we swa­re you kynge / in the towne of saynt yrayne. sir / ye shall do great almesse on vs. For sir / whan ye be come thyder / we truste in you and in your counsayle to be suche noblenesse / that the towne of saynt yrayne shalbe opyned agaynst your comynge. And that it may please yor grace / your poore people there cryeng for mercy / and com­playnynge of their iniuryes and oppressyons done to them. That youre royall maiestie and your noble counsayle / wyll graunt them grace and remyssyon of that is paste / and to remedy their wronges. The kyng stode styll a lytell: & sir Raynolde Lymosin kneled downe and said. Dere sir / ye haue herde your people of saynt y­rayns complaynt / shewyng what hath ben don to them: Wherfore may it plase you to answere them. Raynold quod the kyng / we knowe well they had a iuste cause to do as they dyde. Go to them and bydde them ryse and go their wayes to saynt yrayne / and make redy for my comyng for the [...] we wyll lye this night: And also shewe thē / howe they shalbe well maynteyned in their right. Than sir Raynolde rose and went to thē and sayd. Sirs a ryse / the kyng hath well con­ceyued your sayeng / ye desyre but right and iu­styce / & that ye shall haue. Go your wayes and apparell as ye ought to do the towne of saynte yrayns agaynst the kynges comyng / and do so that he may gyue you thāke: your maters shall come well to passe / by suche meanes as ye shall haue in your ayde. Sir quod they we thanke you: Than they toke their leaue of the kyng & retourned to their towne / and shewed all that they had herde of the kyng / & the answere that sir Raynolde Lymosin made them / on the kynges behalfe / wherof all they of the towne were gladde. Than they apparelled their towne ri­chely agaynst the kyngꝭ comyng / and strawed the stretes with fresshe grene herbes. So the kyng entred in the euenyng / and lodged at the castell called the Lyon / and his men in the tow­ne as many as might / and the moost ꝑte in the feldes and in the villages therabout. The [...] the kyng was well a moneth / and so y ^e mater stode / for if they had done more / more had they lost. ⸫ ⸪

WHyle the kynge of Ca­stell was at saīt yrayns / the [...] come to hym the gascons of Bierne with a fayre cōpany sir Raynolde Lymosin rode to receyue them and welco­med them ryght swetely / as he that coulde right well do it / and brought thē to the kyng / who had great ioye of their comynge / and cōmaunded sir Raynolde Lymosin to se them well lodged at their ease / and he dyde so that they were contented. Thus these busynes­ses rested / & the kyng laye styll at saynt yrayns and his people there about. The kynge of Ca­stell hadde as than abrode lodged in the feldes and therabout / a four thousande men of armes and .xxx. thousande of other. And on a daye he called the barones of Fraunce to counsayle to knowe their myndes / howe he shulde mētayne [Page] forthe his warre / for he had layen at great cost before Li [...]bone and had done nothynge. And surely if the gascoins had nat come and encoraged the kynge / he had deꝑted fro saynt yrayns and gone outher to Bergus or into Galice / for his people were sore anoyed to lye so longe in y ^e feldes. Whan the knyghtes of Fraunce and of Bierne were come before the kynge / he sayde. Fayre sirs / ye be all good men of warre / wher­fore I wolde haue your coūsayle / howe I may maynteyne my warre agaynst the lyxbonoyes and portyngaloyes / that haue kepte me here in the felde a yere / and yet I haue done nothynge to them. I had thought to haue gotte them out of Lixbone to haue fought with them / but they wolde in no wyse issue out / wherfore my people gyue me counsayle / to gyue euery man leaue to departe to their owne houses / wherfore I pray you gyue me youre aduyse. The knyghtes of Fraunce and of Byerne who were but newely come / and desyred armes / and as than had no­thynge done / thynking to deserue their wages that they had receyued / aunswered and sayde. Sir / ye be a puyssant man of landes / and ly­tell costeth you the payne and traueyle of your people / and specially sithe they be in their owne countrey. We wolde nat saye so moche yf they were in a straunge countre clene without pro­uysion / but as nowe we saye / they ought nat to gyue you any suche counsayle / for they be here in as great ease / as we se / as though they were at home. Sir / we saye to you nat in maner of a determynate coūsayle / for ye are wyse ynough but we thynke by your highe prudence / the best were to chuse / as yet to kepe the felde. ye maye well kepe it tyll the feest of saint Michaell / and paraduēture by that tyme your enemyes wyll assemble togyder and drawe out in to the felde whan ye take leest hede therto / and so thā without fayle they shalbe fought withall. Sir / we haue great desyre to wyn sōwhat / for this iour­ney hath cost vs moche / and great payne & tra­ueyle / bothe to our self and to our horses / or we came in to this coūtre. Therfore sir / it shall nat be the opinyon of our company thus to departe agayne. By my faithe quod the kyng / ye speke well and truely. In this warre & other / I shall vse fro hens forthe after your counsayle: for the kyng my father & I also / haue founde alwayes in youre countreis great trouthe and faythful­nesse. And god haue mercy of sir Bertram of Clesquyes soule / for he was a true knyght / by whome in his tyme we had many recoueraun­ses / and good iourneys.

THe wordes and counsails that the kyng had of them of Fraunce and of Bierne / were anone knowen among the lordes & knightes of Spaygne / wherwith they were sore dis­pleased / for two causes. One / bycause it semed to them / that their kyng had more trust and cō ­fydence in straungers / than in them who were his liege men / and had crowned hym kyng. the seconde was / in that they of Fraunce counsay­led the kyng to kepe styll his warre / and they felyng them selfe so wery of the warre: & so spake among them selfe in dyuers maners / nat open­lye but priuely. They wolde saye the kyng coude make no warre but by the frenchmen / and in lykewise no more coude his father. so they had great enuy at the frenche men / whiche well ap­pered: For whan the frēche varlettes went out a forragyng / if the spaynisshe forrengers were stronger / than they wolde take their forage fro them and beate them and mayme them / so that complayntes came therof to the kynge / and he blamed therfore his marshall sir Raynolde Lymosyn / and sayde. Why haue ye nat prouyded for this mater? The marshall excused hym and sayde: As god might helpe hym / he knewe no­thynge therof / and that he wolde prouyde a re­medy fro thens forthe. Incontynent he stablys­shed men of armes to kepe the feldes / that the frenche forrēgers rode at their suretie / and also he made a crye and a cōmaundement / that eue­ry man that had any vitayle or prouision to sell that they shulde bringe it to the felde before saīt yrayns / and they shuld haue a prise reasonable for euery thyng. So than the straungers had largely their parte / for the kyng ordayned that they shulde be serued before all other / wherof the spanyar­des had great dis­pyte.

So it was the same weke / that the kyng of Castell departed fro the siege of Lixbone: thre great shyppes of men of warre and Englysshe archers aryued at Lixbone / they were to the nō bre of fyue hundred one & other: And the thirde parte of them were of the cōpanyons aduentu­rers / hauyng no wages of no man. some were of Calys / of Chierburge / of Brest in Bretayne of Mortaygne in Poytou: They had herde of the warre bytwene Castell and Portyngale / & they came to Burdeux and ther assembled and sayd. Let vs go at aduenture in to Portyngale we shall fynde them there that wyll receyue vs and sette vs awarke. Sir Iohan Harpedan / [Page xl] who as than was marshall of Burdeux / coun­sayled thē greatly therto / for he wolde nat they shulde abyde in burdeloys / for they might ther haue done more hurte than good / bycause they were companyons aduenturers / and had no­thyng to lese. Of them that arryued at Lixbon I can nat name all. There were thre squyers englysshe that were their capitayns: One was called Northbery / and another Morbery / and the thirde Huguelyn of Harcerell. And there were none of them paste the age of fyftie yere / and good men of armes / & well vsed in the fea­tes of war [...]. Of the comyng of these Englysshe men they of Lixbone were right gladde / and so was the kyng of Portyngale who wolde se thē and so they went to the palays where the kyng was / who made them great chere: And demaū ded of them / if the duke of Lancastre had sent them thyder. Sir quod Northbery / it is a longe season sythe he had any knowledge of vs or we of hym. Sir / we be men of dyuers sortes / sekynge for aduentures / here be some are come to serue you fro the towne of Calays. By my faythe quod the kynge / you and they bothe are right hartely welcome / your comyng dothe me great good and ioye / and shortely I shall sette you a warke. We haue ben here inclosed a gret season / so that we be wery therof / but nowe we wyll be at large in the felde / as well as our ene­myes hath been. Sir quod they / we desyre no­thynge els: and sir / we desyre you that shortely we maye se youre enemyes. The kynge made them a dyner in his palays at Lixbone / and cō maunded that they shulde all be lodged in the cytie at their ease / and to be payed for their wages for thre monethes. Than the kyng set his clerkes awarke and made letters / and sente thē ouer all his realme / cōmaundynge euery man able to beare harnesse to drawe to Lixbone.

ALl suche as these letters came vnto o­beyed nat / for many abode styll ī their houses / for thre partes of the Realme dissymuled with the kynge / and with theym of Lixbone / bycause they had crowned kynge / a bastarde / and spake great wordꝭ ther agaynst priuely: And bycause of the great trouble and dyfferēce that the kynge of Castell and his coū sayle sawe in the realme of Portyngale / made hym to auaunce hym selfe / to the entent to ha­ue conquered the countre: Sayenge / howe all shulde be wonne with one dayes iourney of batayle / and that yf they of Lixbone might be o­uerthrowen / the resydue of the countrey wolde nat be sorie of it / but put out of the realme that mayster Denyce / or elles slee hym / and than it shulde be a lande of conquest for hym / for his wyfe was ryght enherytoure. yet with a good wyll kynge Iohan of Castell wolde haue lefte the warre / but his people wolde nat suffre him for they euer gaue hym corage: Sayeng / how his quarell and cause was iuste. And whan the kynge of Portyngale sawe that his commaun­dement was nat obserued / and that moche of his people disobeyed to (ser)ue hym / he was right pensyue and malencolyous: He called to hym suche as he trusted best of Lixbone / and of the knyghtes of his house / who dyde their payne to crowne hym / and also they had serued kyng Ferant: As sir Iohan Radygos and sir Iohn̄ Teatedore: the lorde of Siegere / and sir Gō ­me of Tabeston / Ambrise Condricho and Pe­ter his brother / (ser) Ouges of Nauaret a knyght of Castell / who was tourned Portyngaloyes / for kynge Iohan hadde chased hym out of his realme / and the kynge of Portyngale hadde reteyned hym and made hym a chiefe capitayne. At this counsayle the kyng shewed many thynges and sayde. Sirs / ye that be here I knowe well ye be my frēdes / for ye haue made me kynge. Beholde nowe / howe dyuers folkes of my realme excuseth them selfe / so that I canne nat gette them to the felde / for yf they had as good wyll to fight with oure enemyes / as I haue / I wolde be right gladde therof / but they be nat so dysposed: I se howe they refrayne and dyssy­mule the mater / wherfore I haue nede of counsayle on this mater / howe I maye order myselfe: and therfore I praye you lette me haue your aduise. Than sir Gōme of Tabeston a knight of Portyngale sayde. Sir / I counsayle you for youre honoure / that as soone as ye maye / drawe your selfe and all youre people in to the felde / and aduenture you and we also / and we shall ayde you to dye in the quarell / for ye be our kynge / And if there be any in Portyngale rebelles and disdaynfull to serue you. I saye and so saythe dyuers of this towne / that it is bycause ye haue nat issued oute to shewe youre face agaynst your enemyes. ye haue the grace as yet to be reputed a valyaunt man in armes: and they saye / that nowe at nede your valyant­nesse fayleth you. This it is that hath set your enemyes in pride / and hath cooled your subie­ctes / For if they sawe in you dedes of valure & of prowes / they wolde obey and dout you / & so wolde do yo [...] enemyes. by my heed ꝙ the king ye say well / and so it is. wherfore sir I wyll in­contynent / [Page] that euery man make hym redy [...] for we wyll ryde out shortely and loke on our ene­myes / outher we wyll wyn all at this tyme or lese all. Sir quod the knyght / it shalbe done: for if the iourney be yours / and god sende you good fortune / ye shall be kynge of Portyngale for euer / and ye shall be praysed in all straunge realmes / where as the knowledge therof shall come. and to the parfyte herytage of Portyn­gale ye can nat attayne / but by batayle. ye may take ensample of kyng don Henry your cosyn / father to kyng Iohan that nowe is kyng of Castell / of Spaygne / of Tolle [...] / of Galyce / of Corduane / and of Sibyle. He came to all these he­rytagꝭ by batayle / otherwyse he had neuer had them. For ye knowe howe the puissaunce of the prince of Wales and of Acquitayne put kynge don Peter yo [...] cosyn in to possession o [...] all these herytages and landes closed within Spayne / and afterwarde by a iourney of batayle y ^t don Henry had at Nauntuell agaynst don Peter / who there loste all agayne / and don Henry put in possession as he was before / at whiche iour­ney he aduentured hymselfe and his / or els he had nat ben kyng ther. In lykewise sir ye must aduenture if ye thynke to lyue with honour. sir quod the kynge ye saye true / I wyll haue none other counsayle but this / for this is profytable for vs.

THus departed that counsayle / & than it was ordayned y ^t within thre dayes / euery man shulde drawe in to the feldꝭ and there to take some grounde to abyde their enemyes. Those thre dayes they kepte the ga­tes so close of Lixbone / that nother man nor woman coude issue out / for they wolde nat y ^t their enemyes shulde be preuy of their entensyon. & whan the Englysshmen that were there vnder­stode that they shulde issue oute and drawe to­wardes saynt yrayns to loke on their enemyes / they were ioyfull. Than euery man made hym redy / and the archers dressed redy their bowes and arowes and all other / in euery thynge that they neded. And on a thursdaye they departed out of Lixbone / and that day they lodged by a lytell riuer syde a two leages fro Lixbone / with their faces towarde saynt yrayns. And euery man sayde with good herte and wyll / that they wolde neuer retourne to Lixbone / tyll they had sene their enemyes: Saye [...]g / howe it was bet­ter for them that they shulde go and requyre batayle of their enemyes / rather than they shulde come on them. For they said / they had sene and herde dyuers ensamples of requyrers and nat requyrers: and euer of fyue / foure hath optay­ned / and in a maner all the vyctories that the englysshmen haue had in Fraūce / they were euer the requyrers. For naturally the secars for ba­tayle are more strongar and couragyous in as­saylinge / than the defendars be. Of this opy­nyon they were nere all and some of the burgesses of Lixbone sayde. We were at Bruges in Flaūders whan the gauntoyse came before the towne / and requyred batayle agaynst the Erle of Flaunders / and all his puissaunce. And we knowe well that Philyppe Dartuell / Petre de Boyse / Iohan Clyquetiell / Fraūces Atreman and Peter le Myttier / who as than were capi­tayns of the gauntoyse. They brought oute of Gaunte no mo but seuyn thousande men / & yet they requyred batayle of their enemyes / & ouer came and disconfyted a .xi. thousande. This is true / and this was without any treason / but by clene fortune of batayle. This was done on a saturdaye a leage fro Bruges / as we herde re­ported the nexte day whan they had wonne the towne of Bruges. So thus they dyde putte in aduenture / outher to wynne or to lese: and thus must we do if we thynke to haue any good spe­de. Thus these lixbonoyse that thursday spake one to another: and whan the kyng was enfor­med of their wordes and of their great confort he had great ioye.

ANd on the Friday in the mornyn­ge / they sowned their trumpettes and made them redy / and toke the waye on the right hāde folowyng the ryuer and the playne countre / for their caryage that folowed them / & so rode that daye four leages. That day tidynges cāe to the kynge of Castell where he laye at saynte yrayns / that the Portyngalois and the Lixbo­noyes were cōmyng towardes hym. These ti­dynges anone were spredde abrode in the host / wherof the Spaygniardes / Frenche men / and gascoyns had great ioye / and sayde: Beholde yonder Lixbonoyes be valyant men / sithe they come to seke for batayle. Shortely let vs go in to the feldes / and lette vs close them among vs and we waye / to the entent that they retourne nat agayne. Than̄e it was ordayned and pu­blysshed in the hoost / that euery man the Sa­turdaye in the mornynge a foote and a horse­backe / shuld issue out of saynt yrayns / & drawe towardes their ennemyes to fyght with them / euery man made hym redy and were ioyfull of [Page xli] that iourney. And on the saturday in the mor­nynge they sowned their trumpettes: And the kynge herde masse in the castell and drāke / and than lepte on his horse / & euery man with hym / and so drewe in to the felde / in good aray of ba­tayle. Sir Raynolde Limosin marshall of the hoost formast / and he sente forthe scurrers to aduyse the dealynge of their ennemyes / and to se where they were / and what nombre they were of: and the frenchmen sente forthe two squyers one a Burgonion and the other a Gascone. the burgonyon was called Wylliam of Mōtigny / and he was there with sir Iohan of Rey: and they of Gascoyne and Bierne sent forthe Ber­trande of Barge / and they were bothe the same day made knightes. And with them rode forth a Chatellayne of Castell a good man of armes called Peter Ferant of Medyne. He was on a marueylous light Genet. and whyle these thre rode forthe to aduyse their enemyes / y ^e resydue of the hoost rode a softe pase / and they were in nombre two thousande speares knyghtes and squiers / Gascoyns / Burgonyons / Frenchmen Picardes / and Bretons: as well apoynted and armed as any men might be / and a twētie thousande spanyardes all a horsbacke / they had nat rydden forthe a vowe shotte but they stode styll On the other syde the kynge of Portyngale in lykewise had sent forthe thre scurrers to a vieu iustely the demeanyng of the spaniardes / wherof two of them were Englysshe squyers / expert men of armes / one called Iaquyne Dartebery and the other Philippe Barqueston / and with them Ferrant de la Grosse of Portingale. they were all well horsed & rode forthe tyll they came to a lytell hyll / and there they might well se the behauynge of the spanyardes. Than they re­tourned to the kynge of Portyngale and to his counsayle / and ther made relacyon of that they had done / and sayd. Sir / we haue ben so farre forwarde that we haue sene your enemyes. sir / surely they be a great nombre / they are welle a thyrtie thousāde horse. Therfore sir / take your aduyse. than the kyng demaunded if they rode all in one batayle or nat. Sir quod they / sute­lye they be in two batayls. Than the kyng turned hym towarde his people / and sayd a loude Sirs / nowe aduyse you well / for there nedeth nowe no cowardnesse / for we shall fight shortelye / for our enemyes be comyng / and hath gret desyre to fynde vs. and so they shall / for we can nat flye nor retourne: We are issued out of Lixbone a great nombre of people. Thynke sirs to do well / and lette vs selle our lyues dere. ye ha­ue made me kyng. This daye shall I se yf the crowne of Portyngale wyll abyde with me peasably or nat. And sirs / of one thyng be yesure / I shall nat flye / but abyde the aduenture with you: than they all answered / with a good wyll so be it / and we shall all abyde with you. Than the Englysshe capitayns were called forthe / as Northbery and Hartefell / and other of thē that were moost experte in armes. The kynge de­maunded of them what counsayle they wolde gyue hym: howe to abyde the aduenture of the batayle. for he sayd / he knewe well they must nedes fyght / for his enemyes aproched faste / and they be in nombre four agaynst one of vs. than the Englysshmen sayd. Sir / sithe we shall ha­ue bataile / and that they be greatter in nombre than we be / wherfore it is a harde ꝑtie / we can nat cōquere / without we take some aduaūtage of some hedges or busshes. Lette vs take suche a groūde as we may fortify / and that they shall nat entre vpon vs so lightely / as they shulde do on the playne felde. Sirs quod the kynge / ye speke wysely / and it shalbe as ye haue deuysed.

On this counsayle of the Englysshmen / the kyng rested and ther toke aduyse what groūde they might take: and nat farre of fro them was the towne of Iuberothe a great vyllage. Thy­der the Lixbonoyes had sent all their prouision somers and caryages: For it was their enten­sion that night to lodge there / wheder they had batayle or no / if they might scape with honour And without the towne a quarter of a leage or therabout / ther was a great abbey of monkes whyder they of Iuberothe and of other vylla­ges were wonte to come to here masse. And the churche standeth a lytell oute of the waye in a moote / enuyroned about with great trees / hed­ges / and busshes: it was a stronge place with a lytell helpe. Than the Englysshmen were cal­led to counsayle to the kynge / for thoughe they were but fewe / yet the kynge wolde folowe moche their aduyse: Than̄e they sayde. Sir / we knowe hereby a place / the mynster without Iuberoth among the trees / it standeth in a stron­ge place / with a lytell amendement and helpe. and suche as knewe the countre sayd. sir / it is true. Than the kyng sayd / let vs drawe thyder and let vs order there our selfe / as men of warr ought to do / so that whan oure enemyes come / let thē nat fynde vs vn ꝓuided. incōtynēt it was done / & so they came wher as the churche was. Than whan the Englysshe men and sir Mon­ges of Naueret / and dyuers other valyāt men [Page] [...] [Page xli] [...] [Page] of Portugale and of Lixbone / had well aduy­sed the place roūde about: they sayd. This place is stronge ynough with a lytell helpe / so that we maye here abyde the aduenture. Than on the syde nexte the feldes they cutte downe the trees and layde them one ouer another / to then­tente that horsemen shulde nat come with full course on them / They lafte one waye open nat very large / and suche archers and cros bowes as they had / they sette them on euery syde of the waye / & their men of armes all a fote in a play­ne within the way / and the churche on their one syde / and ther was the kyngꝭ baners pight vp. And whan they had thus ordered euery thynge they were in great ioye & sayd. That if it plea­sed god they were well / and in suche a place to kepe longe / and to make a good iourney. than the kynge sayd. Fayre sirs / this day euery man do his parte and thynke nat to flye / for that can nat aueyle vs. We are farr of fro Lixbone / and also in the chase ther is no recoueryng / for thre wyll slee and beate downe .xii. that be flyenge. Therfore shewe this daye that ye be men of prowes / and selle derely your lyues / and ymagyn in your selfe / howe the iourney shalbe ours / as it shalbe if god be pleased / and than shall we be moche honoured and spoken of in straūge countreis / where as the tidynges shall come / for al­wayes the victours be exalted / and they that be disconfyted dispraysed. & sirs / thynke howe ye haue made me kynge / wherfore ye ought to be the more hardy & coragyous. And of one thyng be ye sure / that as long as this axe endureth in my hādes I shall fight / and if it fayle orbreke I shall get another / & shewe my selfe / that I wyll mentayne & defende the crowne of Portyngale for my selfe / and for the right that I haue by successyon of my brother / the whiche I take on my soule that myne enemyes traueyleth me wrong fully / and that the quarell is myne.

Than all suche as harde the kynge sayd / sir of your grace and mercy / ye admonest vs wyselye. And sir / we shall helpe to ayde and mayn­teyne that we haue gyuen you / whiche is your owne. Sir / we shall all abyde with you here in this same place / and shall nat departe / without god departe vs. Sir / make a crye to all youre people / for euery man hath nat herde you speke cōmaundyng on payne of dethe no man to flye And sir / if there be any that are faynt harted to abyde the batayle / let them come forthe / & gyue thē leaue to departe fro the other / for one faynt harte may dyscourage two dosyn of good men or els stryke of their heedes in your presens / to gyue ensample to other. The kyng answered / I wyll it be so. Than there were two knightes ordayned to go and sertche euery cōpany / and to demaunde if any were abasshed to abyde the batayle. The messangers reported to the kyng whan they retourned / that they coude fynde no man but that was redy to abyde the aduenture of batayle. It is so moche the better quod the kyng. Than the kyng caused all that wolde be made knightes to come before hym / & he wolde gyue them the order of knighthod / in the name of god & of saynt George. and as I vnderstāde ther were made a threscore newe knightꝭ / wherof the kyng had great ioye / and dyd sette them in the front of the batayle / and sayd to thē. sirs the order of knighthode is as noble and highe / as any herte can thynke. and there is no knight that ought to be a cowarde nor shamefull / but ought to be fierse and hardy as a lyon / whā his helme is on his heed and seyth his ennemyes. & bycause I wolde ye shulde this day shewe pro­wes / wher it ought to be shewed: therfore I ordayne you in the first front of the bataile. & sirs do so that we maye haue honour and you also / otherwyse your spurres are but yuell set on. & euery knight answered as his tourne fell / as he passed by the kynge. Sir / with the pleasure of god we shall so do / to haue your grace and loue Thus the portyng alois ordred them selfe / and fortifyed them besyde the churche of Iuberoth in Portyngale. That daye there was no En­glisshman that wolde be made knight / yet they were desyred of the kyng and other / but they excused them selfe for that day.

NOwe let vs retourne to the kynge don Iohan of Castell / and of the knyghtꝭ and squyers of Fraūce and of Gascone / who were ther with him: And such as they had sent to aduyse their enemyes / retourned agayne and sayd. Sir kyng / and ye lordes and knightes here present / we haue rydded so forwarde / that we haue sene oure enemyes. And accordyng as we can iuge / they be nat paste ten thousande men in all / one and [Page xlii] other / and they be about the mynster of Iube­rothe / and ther they be rested and sette in order of batayle / and there they shall be founde / who soeuer wyll seke for them. Than the kyng cal­led to hym his counsayle / and specially the ba­rons and knightes of Fraunce / and demaūded of them what was best to do: They answered and sayd. Sir / we thynke it were best let them be fought with all incontynent / we se nothyng elles. For by that is reported / they be a frayed & in great doute / bycause they be so farre of fro any fortresse. Lixbone is farre of a sixe leages / they can nat ronne thyder with their ease / but they shalbe ouertaken by y ^e waye / without they take the aduaūtage of the night. Therfore sir / we counsayle sithe ye knowe where they be / or­der your batayls and go and fyght with them / whyle your people be of good wyll to do well. Than the kyng demaunded of thē of his owne countre their opinyons / as of sir Dangonyes Mendant / sir Dygo Parsement / Pier Gous­sart of Moūtdasque / and Pier Ferrant of Valesque / and of the great mayster of Caletrane: They answered the kynge and sayd. Sir / we haue well harde the knightes of Fraunce / howe they wolde haue you hotely to sette on your enemyes. Sir / we wyll that ye knowe and they al­so / that are we can come to thē it wyll be nyght / for ye se the sonne draweth downe warde / and as yet ye haue nat ordred youre batayls. Sir / therfore we thynke it were good ye taryed tyll the mornynge / and lette vs drawe so nere them and laye so good spyall in dyuers places / that if they wolde dislodge aboute mydnight and de­parte / than lette vs also dyslodge / for they can nat flye nor scape vs / the countre is so playne. & there is no place to hyde them by Lixbone / whiche we can nat gette with our ease. sir this counsayle we gyne you. Than the kyng stode styll a lytell and caste downe his loke to the erthe / and after he tourned his regarde on the straūgers. Thā the marshall sir Raynolde Lymosin sayd to please the frēchmen / in the langage of Spaygne / to the entent he might the better be vnder­stande of euery man: and so turned hym to the spanyardes / suche as had gyuen the kyng that counsayle / Sayeng and callyng euery man by his name. sirs / howe can ye be more sage in batayls or more vsed in armes / than these valyant knightes be that be here present? Howe can ye deuyse any thyng beyond them / that shulde be of any valure? for they haue done nothyng els all their life dayes / but traueyll fro realme to realme to fynde and to do dedes of armes. Howe can you or durst you deuise any thyng agaynst their wordes / whiche are so noble and so highe for to kepe the honour of the kyng and of his realme / wherin ye haue greatter parte than they? For ye haue there your herytages and your bo­dyes / and they haue nothyng there but nowe al onely their bodyes / whiche they wyll firste and formast put in aduenture: and so they haue de­syred of the kyng to haue the first batayle / and the kyng hath graunted them. Than regarde their great and noble courage / whan they wyll first of all aduenture thē selfe for you. It shulde seme that ye haue enuy at them / & that ye wolde that profyte nor honoure shulde come to them / whiche ye ought nat to do / but to be all of one accorde and wyll. And also / by you and by youre counsayle / the kyng hath ben here in the feldes longe at great cost and charge / for hym & for all his / and layne at siege before Lixbone / & coude neuer haue the aduenture of batayle tyll nowe with hym that writeth hym selfe kyng of Por­tyngale / wherin he hath no right / for he is a bastarde and nat dyspensed with all: and now he is in the felde with suche frēdes as he hath / whiche is no great nombre. And if nowe by crafte he shulde agayne withdrawe hym selfe and nat fought with all / ye put your selfe than in aduē ­ture / that all the hole hoost shulde ryse on you & slee you / or els that the kyng shulde repute you for traytours / and strike of your heedes and cō fyske all your landes. Therfore I se no better way for you than to be styll / and let them alone that hath sene more than you in suche busynes­ses / for ye neuer sawe that they haue done nor neuer shall. And than y ^e kynge loked vp and by semynge was gladde with those wordes / & the spanyardꝭ were abasshed / and feared they had done gretter trespace than they dyd / for though the marshall reproued them and spake agaynst them / yet they had well spoken and truely coū ­sayled the kyng / but what for valyantnesse & to please the strangers / who desyred batayle / the marshall spake as he dyde.

Than euery man was styll / and the kynge sayd. I wyll in the name of god and saynt Ia­mes / that our enemyes be fought with all: and all suche as wyll be made knyghtes to cōe forth before me / for I wyll gyue thē thordre of knight hode / in the honour of god and saynt George. Than ther came forthe many squyers of Frāce and of Byerne / & there they were made knigh­tes of the kyngꝭ hande: as sir Roger of spayne / Edmōde son to sir Roger of the coūtie of foiz / (ser) [Page] Bertrand of Barroge / sir Peter of Salebere / sir Peter of Valentyne / sir Wylliam of Quere sir Angers of Sollenayre / sir Peter of Vande sir Wyllyam of Montigny / and of one & other / to the nōbre of a hundred and .xl. and ther were certayne barons of Bierne that raysed vp ther first their baners / and also dyuers of Castell / & also sir Iohan of Rey. There might haue ben sene amonge these newe knightes great noble­nesse / and they maynteyned them selfe so goodly / that it was pleasure to beholde thē / for they were a fayre batayle. Than the lorde of Loyn­giache came before the kyng / and all other that were strangers / what soeuer nacyon they were of / so they were no spanyardꝭ / they were all na­med in the name of strangers. Than they said to the kynge. Sir / we become fro farre partes to serue you. Sir / we requyre you do vs that grace / to let vs haue the first batayle. I am content quod the kyng / in the name of god and saīt Iames / & saynt George be in your ayde. than the spanyardes sayd one to another softely / be­holde for goddessake beholde / howe our kynge putteth all his truste in these frēchmen. He hath no parfyte trust in none other: they shall haue the first batayle / they prayse vs nat so moche y ^t they wyll take vs with them / they wyll do their dede by them selfe / and than lette vs do ours be our selfe / let vs let them alone with their enter­prise: they haue made their auaunt / howe they be stronge ynough to discomfyte the Portuga­loys. Lette it be so we are content / but it were good we demaunded of the kynge / wheder he wyll abyde with vs / or els go with the frenche­men. So thervpon they were long in murmuryng / wheder they shulde demaūde it or els be styll / for they douted greatly the wordes of sir Raynolde Lymosin / how be it all thynges con­sydred / they thought it none yuell to demaunde hym the questyon. Than sixe of the moost notablest of them wente to the kynge / and enclyned them selfe and sayd.

RIght noble kyng / we se & vnderstand well by aparent signes / that this day ye shall haue batayle with youre ene­myes / god sende grace it be to your honoure & vyctorie / as we greatly desyre. Sir / we wolde knowe wheder your pleasure lyeth / to be amonge the fenēchmen or els with vs. Fayre sirs ꝙ the kyng / though I haue graunted the first batayle to these knightes and squyers straūgers / who are come farre of to serue me / and are va­lyant and expert men in warres / yet for all that I renounce you nat / for I wyll be and abyde amonge you: therfore sirs / helpe to defende me. Of this answere the spanyerdes had great ioy and were well contented and sayd. sir / so shall we do / and nat to fayle to dye in the quarell. for sir / we are sworne to you and so haue promised by the faithe of our bodyes whan ye were crowned. For sir / we loued so well the kyng your fa­ther / that we can nat sayle you in any wise. that is our trust quod the kyng. So thus the kyng of Spayne abode among his owne men / who were well a twentie thousande horsmen / all co­uered in stele. Sir Raynolde Lymosin was in the first batayle / for it was his right so to be / by cause he was marshall.

The same saturday was a fayre daye / & the sonne was tourned towarde euynsong. Than the first batayle came before Iuberoth / where the kyng of Portugale and his men were redy to receyue thē. Of these frenche knightes there were a two thousāde speares / as fresshe and as well ordred men as coulde be deuysed. And as soone as they sawe their enemyes / they ioyned toguyder lyke men of warre / and aproched in good order tyll they came within a bowe shotte And at their first comyng ther was a harde rē ­countre / for suche as desyred to assayle to wyn grace and prayse / entred in to the strayte way / where the Englysshmen by their policy had fortyfied thē. And bycause thentre was so narowe there was great prease and great mischefe to y ^e assaylātes / for suche englysshe archers as were there shot so holly toguyder / that their arowes pearsed men & horse / and whan the horses were full of arowes they fell one vpon another. than the Englysshmen of armes / the portugaloys / & Lyxbonoyes / came on them cryeng their cryes our lady of Portugale / with good speares and sharpe heedes / wherwith they strake and hurte many knightes and squyers. There was the lorde of Lanache of Bierne beaten downe / and his baner won and he taken prisoner / and ma­ny of his men taken and slayne. also sir Iohan of Ree / sir Geffray Richon / sir Geffray of parteney / and all their cōpanyes that were entred within the strayte / There horses were so hurte with tharchers / that they fell on their maysters and one vpon another. There these frenchmen were in great danger / for they coulde nat helpe one another / for they had no roume to enlarge them selfe / nor to fight at their wyll. And whan the portugaloys sawe that myschefe fall on the first assaylers they were gladde / and as fresshe [Page xliii] and coragyous to fyght as any men might be. There was the kynge of Portugale with his baners before hym / mounted on a good horse / trapped with the armes of Portugale / and he had great ioye to se y ^t myschefe fall on his ene­myes: and to conforte his people he laughed & sayd a highe. On forthe good men / defēde you and fight with good wyll / for if ther be no mo but these we nede nat to feare / and if I knewe euer any thynge in batayle / all these be ours. Thus the kyng of Portugale reconforted his people who fought valiātly / and had enclosed in the streight all the first assaylers / of whome ther were many slayne. True it was that this first batayle whiche these knightes of Fraūce and of Bierne ledde / had thought to haue ben quickelyer ayded of the spaynerdes than they were / For if the kyng of Castyle and his com­pany / who were a twentie thousande men / had come by another parte and assayled the portu­galoys / it had been lykely the iourney to haue ben theirs / but they dyde nothynge / wherfore they were to blame and receyued domage. Al­so in dede the frenchmen sette on to soone / but they dyde it to thentent to haue won honoure / and to maynteyne the wordes they had spoken before the kyng: and also as I was enformed / the spaynierdes wolde nat sette on so soone / for they loued nat the frenchmen / for they had said before: Lette them alone / they shall finde right well to whōe to speke / these frēchmen ar great vantours and highe mynded / & also our kyng hath no ꝑfite trust but in thē / and sith the kyng wolde they shulde haue the honour of the iourney / let vs suffre them to take it / or els we shall haue all at our entētes. Thus by thse meanes the spanynierdes stode styll in a great batayle / and wolde nat go forwarde / whiche was right displesant to the kyng / but he coude nat amēde it / but the spaynierdes sayd / bycause ther was none retourned fro the batayle. sir / surely these knightes of Fraūce haue disconfyted your enemyes / thonour of this iourney is theirs / God gyue grace quod the kyng that it be so / Let vs ryde than somwhat forwarde / that they rode a crosbowe shotte forwarde and than agayne rested: It was a great beautie to se them / they were so well moūted & armed / and in the mean season the frenchmen fought / and suche as had leysar to a light fought valiātly. dyuers knightes and squyers of eyther partie dyd many feates of armes one vpon another / & whan their speares fayled / they toke axes and gaue many great strokes on the helmes / sleyng and may­mynge eche other.

Who soeuer were in suche case of armes as the frenchmen and portugaloys were at Iuberoth / must abyde the aduenture as they dyde / without they wolde flye awaye / and in flyeng there is more paryll than to abyde the batayle / for in flyeng lightly are moost slayne / & in ba­tayle whan one seith he is ouermatched he yel­deth hym selfe prisoner: It can nat be said but that the knightes of Fraunce / of Bretayne / of Burgoyne / and of Byerne / but that right va­liantly fought / but at their first encountre they were hardely handled / and all that was by the counsayle of the Englysshmen to fortyfie their place. So at this first batyle the portugaloys were strōger than their enemyes / so they were all taken or slayne / but fewe that were saued / so that there were at that firste brunt a thousande knightes and squyers taken prisoners / wher­of the portugaloys were ioyfull / and thought as that day to haue no more batayle / & so made good chere to their prisoners / and euery man sayd to their prisoners. Sirs be nat abasshed for ye are won by clene feate of armes / we shall kepe you good company as we wolde ye shuld do / if ye hadde vs in lyke case / ye shall come to Lixbone and refresshe you there / and shalbe at your ease / and they thanked theym whan they sawe none other bote. & so there some were put to their fynaunce incōtynent / and some wolde abyde their aduenture / for they ymagined that the kynge of Spaygne with his great armye wolde shortely come and delyuer them. ⸫ ⸫

TIdynges came in to the felde to the kyng of Castyle and to his companye / who were aprochynge to Iube­roth by thē that fledde / who cāe cryeng with great feare and sayd. sir kyng auaunce your selfe / for all they of y ^e vowarde are outher taken or slayne / there is no remedy of their de­lyueraunce / [Page] without it be by your puyssaunce / And whan the kyng of Castyle herde those ti­dyngꝭ he was sore displeased / for he had good cause / for it touched hym nere. Than he cōmaū ded to ryde on and sayd auaūce for the baners / in the name of god and saynt George / lette vs ryde to the rescue / sithe our men haue nede therof. Than the spaynierdes began to ryde a bet­ter pase cloose toguyder in good order / and by that tyme the sonne was nere downe / thā some sayd it were best to abyde tyll the mornyng / bycause it was so nere night / they said they coude make but an easy iourney. The kynge wolde they shulde sette on incontynent / and layde his reasons and said. What / shall we leaue our enemyes in rest nowe they be wery / to gyue them leysar te refresshe them selfe / whosoeuer do gy­ue that counsayle loueth nat myne honoure. Than they rode forthe makyng great noyse & brunt / with so wnyng of trumpettes & tabours to abasshe therwith their enemyes. nowe shall I shewe you what the kyng of Portugale dyd and his company.

AS soone as they had discōfited the vo­warde and taken their prisoners / and that they sawe none other batayle comyng w ^t ­in their sight yet for all that they wolde put no trust in their first vyctorie. Therfore they sent sixe notable persons to go and aui [...]we the coū trey / to se if they shulde haue any more to do: They that rode forthe came and sawe the kynge of Castelles great batayle comyng to them warde / fast approchynge to Iuberothe / more than twentie thousande horsmen. Than they retourned as fast as they might / and sayde all an highe to the people. Sirs aduyse you well for as yet we haue done nothyng. beholde yonder cometh the kyng of Castyle with his great batayle / with mo than twentie thousande men there is none taryed behynde. Whā they herde those tidynges they toke shorte counsayle whiche was of necessyte. Than incontynent they ordayned a pyteous dede. for euery man was cōmaunded on payne of dethe to slee their pri­soners without mercy / noble / gentyll / ryche / nor other / none except. Than the lordes / knightes / and squyers that were prisoners were in a harde case / for there was no prayer that auay­led them fro the dethe / and so they were slayne some in one place and some in another as they were spredde abrode vnarmed / wenyng to haue ben saued but they were nat. To say trouth it was great pytie for euery man slewe his prisoner / and he that dyd nat / other men slewe th [...] in their handes: And the portugaloys and the Englysshmen who had gyuen that counsayle / sayd it was better to slee than to be slayne / For if we kylle them nat / whyle we be a fightynge they wyll escape and slee vs / for the [...] is no trust in a mānes enemy. thus was slayne by great mischiefe the lorde of Longnache / sir Peter of Byerne / the lorde of Lespres / the lorde of By­ [...]rne / the lorde of Boordes / sir Bertrande of Bergues / the lorde of Morayne / sir Raymōde of Douzanche / sir Iohan of Fologe / sir Ma­nant of Sarenen / sir Peter of Salybers / sir Stephyn Valentyne / sir Raymon Courase / sir Peter Hansame / and to the nombre of thre hundred squyers of Byerne and of Fraunce / sir Iohan of Rue / sir Geffray Richon / sir Gef­fray Partenay / and diuers other. Lo / beholde the great yuell aduenture that felle that satur­day / for they slewe as many good prisoners as wolde well haue ben worthe one with another / foure hundred thousande frankes.

WHan the lixbonoise / englysshe / and Portugaloyse / had delyuered the place and slayne all their prisoners / neuer a one scaped without he were before conueyed to the vyllage of Iuberoth / where as all their caryages were. Than they drewe all togyder with a feirse wyll / on the same pla­ce where as they were first assayled / & as than the sonne was goyng downe. Than the kyng of Castell in a puyssant array with his baners and penons dysplayed and mounted on their horses well couered / came on cryeng Castell / & began to entre in to y ^e place that was fortified / and there they were receyued with speres and axes / and at the first comyng the shotte of aro­wes greued sore their horses / so that many therby were slayne and ouerthrowen. And all that season the kyng of Castell nor his men. knewe nat of the myschiefe that was fallen to the vo­warde / nat how they were all slayne / but he beleued they had ben styll prisoners / thynkynge to recouer them agayne / as ye haue herde.

[Page xliiii] There was a harde batayle and a fyerse / and many a man caste to the erthe / the portugalois had no suche aduaūtage / but and they had nat fought valiantly they had ben loste and discō ­fyted: that saued thē / was their enemyes coude nat come on theym but by one narowe waye. There the kyng of Portyngale lyghted a fote and toke an axe in his hande and dyd marueylous in armes / and beate downe a thre or four with his owne handes / so that he was feared / that none durst aproche nere him. I shall shew some parte of the cōdycions of the spaniardes.

TRewe it is / at their first settyng on they are fierse and coragyous / and of great aduauntage / and hyghe mynded if they haue auauntage: They fight well a hors backe / but as soone as they haue caste two or thre dartes / and gyuen a stroke with their swerde / and se that their enemyes be nat discōfyted therwith / than they feare and turne their horses and flye awaye to saue them selfe that best maye. And at this bataile of Iuberoth they vsed the same playe / for they foūde their enemyes harde and strong / and as fresshe in the batayle as though they had done nothynge of all the daye before / wherof they had marueyle / and also that they harde no tidynges of the vowarde / nor where they were become. There the spayniardꝭ that euenyng were in the harde fortune of batayle and perylous for them / for as many as entred into their strength / were by valyantnesse and feates of armes all slayne. They toke no man to raūsom whatsoeuer he were noble or other. so the Lixbonoys had ordayned / for they wol­de nat be charged with prisoners: The [...] were slayne of them of Castell suche as foloweth. Sir Dangonnes Nendreche / sir Digo Per­sement / sir don Peter of Rosermont / sir Mare of Versaux / the great maister of Calestrane & his brother / who was that daye made knight / called sir Dygomor / sir Peter Goussart of mō desque / don Peter Goussart of Sonuyll / don Iohan Radigo of Rousell / and a threscore ba­ronnes and knightes of Spaygne. At the ba­tayle of Naders / where the prince of Wales disconfyted kyng don Henry of Castell / there were nat slayne so many noble men of Castell / as there was at this batayle of Iuberoth whiche was the yere of grace / a thousande thre hū ­dred fourscore and fyue / on a saturday on oure lady day in August.

Whan the kyng of Castell vnderstode and sawe howe his menne were thus disconfyted / and howe that his vowarde was clene discon­fyted without recouery / and that sir Raynalt Lymosin was deed / who was his marshall / & sawe howe all his noble chiualty were lost / as well of his owne realme as of Fraunce / & elles where / suche as were come thider to serue him with their good wylles: He was than sore dis­pleased and wyste nat what counsayle to take / for he sawe his mē began to flye on euery syde / and he herde howe some sayd to hym / sir deꝑte hens it is tyme / the mater is in a herde case. ye can nat alone disconfyte your enemyes / nor recouer your domages: your people flyeth all about / euery man intendeth to saue hym selfe. Sir / saue youre selfe and ye do wysely / if for­tune be this day agaynst you / another tyme it shall be better. The kynge of Castyle beleued coūsayle & than chaunged his horse & mounted on a fresshe courser / strong and light / wheron no man had rydden before of all daye. Than the kyng strake the horse with his spurres / and tourned his backe towarde his enemyes / and toke the waye towarde saynt yrayne / whyder all suche as wolde saue themselfe fledde. The same tyme the kyng of Castell hadde a knight of his house who bare his bassenet / whervpon there was a sercle of golde and stones / valued to twentie thousande frankes. It was orday­ned or they went out of saynt yrayne / that this knight shulde beare it tyll they came to the bu­synesse / and than to delyuer it to the kynge to weare on his heed / but this knight dyd nat so / For whan they came to the ioyninge of the ba­tayle the prease was so great / that this knyght coude nat cōe to the kynge / nor also he was nat called for / wherfore he aproched nat to y ^e kyng. And whan he sawe howe his cōpany were dis­comfyted / and that the portugaloys optayned the vyctorie / and sawe howe euery man fledde on euery syde / he feared than the lesyng of such a riche iowell / and set than the bassenet on his owne heed and so fledde / but he toke nat y ^e way to saynt yrayne / but toke another waye to the towne of Arpent. Thus some fledde this way and some that waye / lyke people sore disconfy­ted and abasshed / but the moost parte fledde to saynt yrayne: and that euenynge thyder came the kyng sore abasshed.

AT this disconfyture of the spaynierdes at Iuberothe / where the Portugaloys and lixbonoys optayned the place / the [...] was a great slaughter of men / and it had ben gretter if they had folowed in the chase / but thenglissh [Page] men whan they sawe the spaygniardes tourne their backes / they sayd to the kyng of Portu­gale and to his men. Sirs / demaunde for yo [...] horses and folowe the chase / and all they that be fledde shalbe outher taken or slayne. Naye nat so quod the kynge / it suffyceth that we ha­ue done / oure men be wery and sore traueyled and it is nere hande night / we shall nat knowe whyder to go. And thoughe they flye yet they be a great nombre / and paraduenture they do it to drawe vs out of our strength / and so to haue vs at their ease: Let vs this daye kepe them that be deed / and to morowe take other coun­sayle. By my faythe sir quod Hartesell an En­glysshman / the deed bodyes are easy to be kept they shall neuer do vs any hurte / nor we shall haue of them no profyte. We haue slayne ma­ny good prisoners / and we be straungers and are come farre of to serue you / therfore we wolde fayne wynne somwhat of these calues that flye without wynges / with their banners wa­uyng with the wynde. Fayre brother quod the kyng / they that all coueteth all leseth: It is better we be sure / sythe the honour of the vyctorie is ours / & that god hath sende it vs rather than to putte our selfe in paryll / whan it nedeth nat: We thāke god we haue ynowe to make you all ryche. Thus in this case the busynesse rested.

THus as I haue shewed you / felle of the busynesse at Iuberothe / where as the kynge of Portugale optayned the vyctorie: & the [...] were slayne a fyue hundred knightes and as many squyers / whiche was great pytie and domage / and about a sixe or seuyn thousande of other men / god haue mercy on their soules. And all that night tyll on the sōday to the hour of prime / the kyng of Portugale and his men remoued nat fro the place that they were in nor neuer vnarmed thē / but eate a lytell and drāke euery man as they stode / whiche was brought them fro the vyllage of Iuberothe. And on the sonday in the mornyng after the sonne rysinge the kynge caused twelfe knightes to mount on their horses / and to ryde forthe to sertche the felde [...] to se if there were any newe assemble and whan they had [...]ydden here and there / they re­tourned and shewed how they founde no body but deed men. Well quod the kyng of them we nede nat to doute. Than it was publysshed to departe thens and to go to the vyllage of Iube rothe thereto abyde all that day and night tyll monday in the mornynge. So thus they de­parted and lefte the churche of Iuberothe / and went to the vyllage and there lodged / and ta­ryed out all that sondaye and the nexte nyght: And on the monday in the mornyng they coū ­sayled to drawe towarde Lixbone / Than they sowned trumpettes to dislodge / and so in gode order they deꝑted and rode towarde Lixbone / and the tuesday the kynge entred into y ^e towne with moche people / glorie / and tryumphe / and was receyued with processyon and so brought to his palays: And in ryding through the stre­tes the people and chyldren made feest and re­uerence / and cryed with highe voice. Lyue the noble kyng of Portugale / to whome god hath gyuen that grace to haue vyctorie of the puys­saunt kynge of Castyle / and hath disconfyted his enemyes.

bI this iourney that the kyng of Por­tugale had of the kyng of Castyle / he felle in to suche grace and loue of his countrey and realme of Portugale / so that all suche as before the batayle dyd dissimule with hym / than came all to hym to Lixbone to do to hym their homage: sayeng / howe he was well worthy to lyue / and howe that god loued hym / in that he had disconfyted a more puissaūt kynge than he was himselfe / wherfore he was worthy to beare a crowne. Thus the kynge gatte the grace of his people / and specially of all the commons of the realme. ¶Nowe let vs a ly­tell speke of the kyng of Castyle / who after he was thus disconfyted / went to saynt yrayn we pynge and lamentyng for his people / and cur­syng his harde fortune / that so many noble mē of his owne countre & of Fraunce were slayne in the felde.

THe same tyme that he entred in to saynt yrayne / yet he knewe nat the domage that he had / but on the sō daye he knewe it / for he had sende his haraldꝭ to sertche out the deed bodyes. And he thought before / that the moost parte of all suche as the harauldes foūde deed / had bene but prisoners & saued a lyue / but they were nat as it appered. than he was so sore displeased and sorie / that no man coulde comforte hym. Whan he herde the reporte of the haraul­des / and knewe the certentie of them that were deed / Than he sayd and sware / that he shulde neuer haue ioye sythe so many noble men were deed in his quarell. And after the thirde daye that the kyng had taryed at saynt yrayne / there came to him his knight with his bassenet / who [Page xlv] was called sir Martyn Haren / and delyuered the bassenet to the kynge / whiche was valued as ye haue herde before: And before there had ben herde wordes spoken of hym. Some said that falsely he was ronne awaye fro the kynge and wolde neuer retourne agayne. Than the knight kneled downe before the kyng and ex­cused hym selfe so largely / that the kynge & his counsayle were well content with hym. Than a fyftene dayes after the kynge of Castyle re­tourned to Bergus in Spayne / and gaue euerye man leaue to deꝑte. Than after the [...] was meanes and treaties made bytwene the kynge of Castyle and the kyng of Portugale: Than a truce was taken fro the feest of saynt Mychaell to the first day of May / bothe by lande and by See. And the deed bodyes slayne at Iube­rothe / were buryed in the churche of Iuberoth and in mother churches there aboute: and the bones of dyuers caryed by their seruaūtes in to their owne countreis. ⸪ ⸪

IT is great marueyle to consyder one thynge / the whiche was shewed me in therle of Foiz house at Or­tayse / of hym that enfour­med me of the busynesse at Iuberothe / He shewed me one thyng that I haue oftentymes thought on sithe / and shall do as longe as I lyue. As this squyer tolde me / that of trouthe the nexte daye after the bataile was thus fought at Iuberoth the erle of Foiz knewe it / wherof I had great marueyle: For the sayd sonday / monday / and tuesday / therle was very pensyfe / and so sadde of chere / that no man coulde here a worde of hym. And all the same thre dayes he wolde nat issue out of his chambre / nor speke to any man thoughe they were neuer so nere about hym. And on the Tuesday at night he called to hym his brother Arnault Guyllyam / and sayde to hym with a softe voyce. Our men hath had to do wherof I am sorie / for it is come of them by their voyage / as I sayd or they departed. Ar­nault Guyllyam who was a sage knyght / and knewe right well his brothers cōdicions / stode styll and gaue none answere. And than therle who thought to declare his mynde more plainlye (for long he had borne the trouble therof in his herte) spake agayne more hygher than̄e he dyd before / and sayd. By god sir Arnault it is as I saye / and shortely ye shall here tidynges therof / but the countrey of Bierne this hūdred yere / neuer loste suche a losse at no iourney / as they haue done nowe in Portugale. Dyuers knyghtes and squyers that were there present and herde hym say so / stode styll and durst nat speke but remembred his wordes. And within a ten dayes after they knewe the trouthe therof by suche as had ben at the busynesse / and there they shewed euery thyng as it was fortuned at Iuberothe. Than therle renewed agayne his dolour and all the countrey were in sorowe / for they had loste their parentes / bretherne / chyl­dren / and frendes. Saynt Mary quod I to the squyer that shewed me this tale. Howe is it that therle of Foiz coude knowe on one day / what was done within a day or two before / beynge so farre of? By my faythe sir quod he as it appered well / he knewe it. Than he is a de­uyner quod I / or els he hathe messangers that flyeth with the wynde / or he muste nedes haue some crafte: The squyer began to laughe and sayd. Surely he muste knowe it by some arte of Nigromansye / or otherwyse. To saye the trouthe we can nat tell howe it is / but by oure ymaginacions. Sir quod I / suche ymagina­cion as ye haue therin / if it please you to shewe me I wolde be gladde therof: & if it be such a thynge as ought to be secrete / I shall nat pu­blysshe it / nor as long as I am in this countre I shall neuer speke worde thereof. I praye you therof ꝙ the squyer / for I wolde nat it shulde be knowen that I shulde speke therof / But I shall shewe you as dyuers men speketh secretelye / whan they be togyder as frendes. Than he drewe me a parte into a corner of the chapell at Ortayse / and than began his tale and sayd.

IT is well a twentie yeres paste / that there was in this countrey a barone / called Raymon lorde of Corasse / whiche is a seuyn leages fro this towne of Ortaise This lorde of Corasse had y ^t same tyme a plee at Auygnon before the pope / for the dysmes of his churche / agaynst a clerke curate there: the whiche preest was of Cateloygne. He was a [Page] great cleke / and claymed to haue ryght of the dysmes in the towne of Corasse / whiche was valued to a hūdred florens by the yere / and the right that he had he shewed and proued it. And by sentence diffynityue / pope Vrbane the fyfte in consistory generall / condempned the knight and gaue iugement with the preest. and of this last iugement he had letters of the pope for his possession / & so rode tyll he came in to Bierne / and there shewed his letters & bulles of the po­pes for his possession of his dismes. The lorde of Corase had great indignacion at this preest and cāe to hym & said. mayster Pe [...] or maister Marten / as his name was: Thynkest y ^u that by reason of thy letters / that I wyll lese myne herytage? Nat so hardy y ^t thou take any thyn­ge that is myne / if thou do it shall coste the thy lyfe / Go thy waye in to some other place to get the a benefyce / for of myne herytage thou get­test no parte / and ones for alwayes I defende the. The clerke douted the knight for he was a cruell man / therfore he durste nat parceyuer. Than he thought to retourne to Auygnon as he dyde / but whan he departed he came to the knight the lorde of Corasse and sayd. Sir / by force and nat by right / ye take away fro me the right of my churche / wherin ye greatly hurte your cōscience. I am nat so strong in this coū ­trey as ye be. But sir / knowe for trouthe / that as soone as I maye / I shall sende to you suche a champyon / whome ye shall doute more than me. the knight who douted nothyng his thret­nynges sayd: God be with the / do what thou mayst / I doute no more dethe than lyfe / for all thy wordes / I wyll nat lese myne herytage. Thus the clerke departed fro the lorde of Co­rasse / and went I can nat tell wheder / to Auy­gnon or into Cateloygne / and forgate nat the promyse that he had made to the lorde of Co­rasse or he departed. For afterwarde whan the knyght thought leest on hym / about a thre mo­nethes after / as the knyght laye on a nyght a bedde in his castell of Corasse with the ladye his wyfe / there came to hym messangers in vi­syble / and made a marueylous tempest & noise in the castell / that it semed / as thoughe the ca­stell shulde haue fallen downe / and strake gret strokes at his chambre dore / that the good la­dye his wyfe was soore afrayde. The knyght herde all but he spake no worde therof / bycause he wolde shewe no abasshed corage / for he was hardy to abyde all aduentures. This noyse & tempest was in sondrie places of [...] castell / and dured a longe space / and at laste cessed for that nyght. Than the nexte mornynge / all the ser­yaūtes of the house came to the lorde whan he was rysen and sayd. Sir / haue you nat herde this night that we haue done? The lorde dys­symuled and sayd no / I herde nothyng. What haue you herde. Than they shewed him what noyse they hadd herde / and howe all the vessell in the kechyn was ouertourned. Than the lor­de began to laughe and sayde. yea sirs / ye dre­med / it was nothynge but the wynde. In the name of god quod the ladye / I herde it well. The nexte night there was as great noyse and greatter / and suche strokes gyuen at his chambre dore and wyndowes / as all shulde haue broken in peces. The knyght starte vp out of his bedde / and wolde nat lette to demaunde who was at his chambre dore that tyme of y ^e night: and anone he was aunswered by a voyce that sayde / I am here. Quod the knyght / who sent the hyder? The clerke of Catelloygne sent me hyder quod the voyce / to whom thou dost gret wronge / for thou hast taken fro hym the rygh­tes of his benefyce / I wyll nat leaue the in rest tyll thou haste made hym a good accompte / so that he be pleased. Quod the knyght / what is thy name / that arte so good a messangere? ꝙ be I ame called Orthone. Orthone quod the knyght / the seruyce of a clerke is lytell profyte for the / He wyll putte the to / to moche payne if thou beleue hym. I pray the leaue hym & come and serue me / & I shall gyue the good thanke. Orthone was redy to aunswere / for he was in amouts with the knyght and sayde. Woldest thou fayne haue my seruyce? yea truely quod the knyght / so thou do not hurte to any persone in this house. No more I wyll do quod Or­thon for I haue no power to do any other yuel but to awake the out of thy slepe or some other Well quod the knyght do as I tell the / and we shall soone agree / and leaue the yuell clerke for there is no good thyng in him / but to put the to payne / therfore cōe and serue me. well ꝙ orthon and sythe thou wylte haue me we are agreed.

SO this spyrite Orthone loued so the knight / that often tymes he wolde cōe and vysite hym / whyle he laye in his bedde a slepe / and outher pull hym by the care or els stryke at his chambre dore or wyndowe / to awake hym. And whan the knyght awoke than he wolde saye. Orthon let me slepe. Nay quod Orthone that wyll I nat do / tyll I haue shewed the suche tidynges as are fallen a late. The lady the knyghtes wyfe wolde be sore a­frayed [Page xlvi] that her heer wolde stande vp / and hyde her selfe vnder the clothes. Than̄e the knight wolde saye. Why / what tidynges haste thou brought me? Quod Orthone / I am come out of Englande or out of Hungry / or some other place / and yesterdaye I came thens / and suche thynges are fallen or suche other. So thus the lorde of Corasse knewe by Orthon euery thyn­ge that was done in any parte of the worlde. And in this case he contynued a fyue yere and coude nat kepe his owne counsayle / but at laste discouered it to the erle of Foiz / I shall shewe you howe.

THe firste yere the lorde of Corasse came on a daye to Orthayse to the erle of Foiz / and sayd to hym. sir suche thynges are done in Englā ­de / or in Scotlande / or in Almay­gne / or in any other countrey. and euer the erle of Foiz founde his sayeng true / and had great marueyle howe he shulde knowe suche thyngꝭ so shortly. And on a tyme therle of Foiz examyned hym so straitly / that the lorde of Corase shewed hym all toguyder howe he knewe it / and howe he came to hym firste. Whan the Erle of Foiz herde that he was ioyfull and sayd. Sir / of Corasse / kepe hym well in your loue / I wolde I hadd suche a messangere: He costeth you nothynge / and ye knowe by hym euery thynge that is done in the worlde: The knight answered and sayd. sir / that is true. Thus the lorde of Corasse was serued with Orthon a long season / I can nat saye if this Orthone hadde any mo maysters or nat. But euery weke twyse or thrise he wolde come and vysite the lorde of Corasse / and wolde shewe hym suche tidynges of any thyng that was fallen fro whens he came. And euer the lorde of Corasse whan he knewe any thynge / he wrote therof euer to the Erle of Foiz / who had great ioy therof / for he was the lorde of the worlde that moost desyred to here newes out of straunge places. And on a tyme the lorde of Corasse was with the erle of Foiz / and the erle demaunded of hym and said. Sir of Corasse / dyd ye euer as yet se your messan­gere? Naye surely sir quod the knyght / nor I neuer desyred it. That is marueyle quod the Erle / if I were as well acquaynted with hym as ye be / I wolde haue desyred to haue sene hi / wherfore I praye you desyre it of hym / & than to tell me whet forme and facyon he is of: I haue herde you say howe he speketh as good gas­cone as outher you or I. Truely sir quod the knight so it is / he speketh as well and as fayre as any of vs bothe do. And surely sir / sithe ye counsayle me I shall do my payne to se hym & I can. And so on a night as he lay in his bedde with the lady his wyfe / who was so enured to here Orthon / that she was no more afrayde of hym. Than came Orthon and pulled the lord by the eare / who was fast a slepe / and therwith he awoke and asked who was the [...]. I am here quod Orthon. Than he demaūded / fro whens comest y ^u nowe? I come ꝙ Orthon fro Prage in Boesme. Howe farre is that hens quod the knyght? A threscore dayes iourney quod Or­thone. and arte thou come thens so soone quod the knight? ye truely quod Orthon / I came as fast as the wynde or faster. hast thou than wynges quod the knight? Nay truely ꝙ he. Howe canste thou than flye so faste quod the knyght? ye haue nothyng to do to knowe that quod Orthone. No quod the knight / I wolde gladly se the / to knowe what forme thou arte of. Well ꝙ Orthon / ye haue nothing to do to knowe / it sufficeth you to here me / & I to shewe you tidyngꝭ In faythe ꝙ the knyght / I wolde loue the mo­che better and I myght se the ones. Well ꝙ Orthone. sir sithe ye haue so great desyre to seme / the firste thynge that ye se to morowe whan yt ryse out of your bedde / the same shalbe I. that is sufficient quod the lorde. Go thy way I gyue the leaue to departe for this nyght. And the next mornynge the lorde rose / and the lady his wyfe was so afrayd that she durst nat ryse / but fayned her selfe sicke / & sayd she wolde nat ryse Her husbande wolde haue had her to haue ry­sen. sir quod she than I shall se Orthone / & I wolde nat se him by my good wyll. Well ꝙ the knight I wolde gladly se hym. and so he arose fayre and easely out of his bedde / & sat downe on his bedde syde / wenyng to haue sene orthon in his owne ꝓperforme / but he sawe nothyng wherby he might saye / Loyonder is Orthon / So that daye passed and the nexte night came and whan the knyght was in his bedde orthon came and began to speke / as he was accusto­med. Go thy waye quod the knight / thou arte but alyer: Thou promysest that I shulde haue sene the / and it was nat so. No quod he / & I shewed my selfe to the. that is nat so ꝙ the lorde. why ꝙ Orthon / whā ye rose out of your bedde sawe you nothynge? Than the lorde studyed a lytell and aduysed hymselfe well. yes truely quod the knyght nowe I remembre me / as I [Page] satte on my beddes syde / thynkynge on the / I sawe two strawes on the pauement tumblyng one vpon another. That same was I ꝙ Or­thone / in to that fourme I dyde put my selfe as than / That is nat ynoughe to me quod the lor­de. I praye the putte thy selfe in to some other fourme / that I maye better se and knowe the. Well ꝙ Orthon / ye wyll do so moche y ^t ye wyll lese me and I go fro you / for ye desyre to moch of me. Naye quod the knyght thou shalte nat go fro me / let me se the ones and I wyll desyre no more. Well quod Orthone ye shall se me to morowe / take hede / the firste thynge that ye se after ye be out of your chābre it shalbe I. Well quod the knight I am than cōtent / go thy way lette me slepe. And so Orthone departed / and the nexte mornynge the lorde a rose and yssued out of his chambre and went to a wyndowe / & loked downe in to the courte of the castell / and caste about his eyen. And the firste thynge he sawe was a Sowe / the greattest that euer he sawe / and she semed to be so leane and yuell fa­uoured / that there was nothyng on her but the skynne & the bones / with long eares and a lon­ge leane snout. The lorde of Corasse had mar­ueyle of that leane Sowe / and was wery of y ^e sight of her / and cōmaunded his men to fetche his houndes / and sayd. Lette the dogges hunt her to dethe / and deuoure her. His seruauntes opyned the kenelles and lette out his houndes / and dyde sette them on this sowe. And at the laste the sowe made a great crye / and loked vp to the lorde of Corasse as he loked out at a wyndowe / and so sodaynely vanysshed awaye no man wyste howe. Than the lorde of Corasse entred in to his chambre right pensyue: & than he remembred hym of Orthon his messangere and sayd. I repent me that I sette my hoūdes on hym: It is an aduenture and euer I here any more of hym / for he sayd to me often tymes that if I displeased hym I shulde lese hym. the lorde said trouthe / for neuer after he came in to the castell of Corasse / and also the knight dyed the same yere next folowynge. Lo sir quod the squyer / thus I haue shewed you the lyfe of Or­thone / and howe a season he serued the lorde of Corasse with newe tidynges. It is true sir ꝙ I / but nowe as to your firste purpose / Is the erle of Foiz serued with suche a messangere? Surely quod the squier it is the ymaginacion of many that he hath suche messāgers / for the [...] is nothynge done in any place / but and he sette his mynde therto he wyll knowe it / and whan men thynke leest therof. And so dyde he whan the good knightes and squyers of this coun­trey were slayne in Portugale at Iuberothe. Some saythe the knowledge of suche thynges hath done hym moche profyte / for and there be but the value of a Spone loste in his house / a none he wyll knowe whe [...] it is. So thus than I toke leaue of the squyer and went to other cō pany / but I bare well awaye his tale.

¶Nowe I wyll leaue to speke of the busynes of Portugale and of Spaygne / and speke of the busynesse in Languedocke and in Fraūce. ⸫ ⸪

IN the season whyle these aduentures thus felle in Castyle and in far [...] marchesse / it was ordayned by sir Olyuer of Clysson con­stable of Fraunce / to make a bastyde before the strong castell of Brest in Bretaygne / whiche the En­glysshmen helde and had done longe / & wolde nat departe / nother for the frenche kyng nor for the duke of Bretayne / to whom the castell shulde partayne. The duke of Berrey and the du­ke of Burgoyne / and the frenche kynges counsayle / hadde oftentymes written to the duke of Bretayne / desyring hym to putte to his payne and dilygence to gette agayne his enheritaūce the castell of Brest / for it was gretly to his pre­iudyce to suffre the Englysshmen to enioye it. And the duke / what for the prayer of the sayde lordes / and also bycause he wolde gladly haue had the possession of Brest in his owne hādes. On a tyme he layd siege therto but nothyng he wan there / and so departed thens & sayd / howe he coude do nothyng the [...] / wherat some knightes & squyers murmured and sayde / howe the duke dyd but dissimule / for suche as were the [...] he tooke theym nat for his frendes / nor wolde nat / for all the Peace that was made / that the [Page xlvii] castell of Brest shulde be in the frenche kynges handes / for if the frenchmen helde it / he shulde nat be lorde therof / yet he had rather it were in the Englysshe mens handes / for the Englysshe men durst nat displease him. wherfore all thynges cōsydred / the constable of Fraūce thought that the castell of Breest and the towne / were nat mete to be enemy to the realme of Fraunce / And thought it nat honorable for the duke nor for the knyghtes of Bretaygne / to suffre it as they dyde. Therfore he ordayned to laye siege therto / with a great nombre of knyghtes and squyers of Bretaygne: and he made chiefe ca­pitaynes of them / the lorde of Molestroyt / the vycount of Barleere / Morfane / and the lorde of Roche Duraunt: These foure valyant men wente and layde siege as nere to Brest as they might / and made a bastyde and closed it about with pales and stones / and tooke fro Brest all their issues / excepte the See / whiche was nat in their power to close fro them. And often ty­mes there were scrimysshes and feates of ar­mes done before y ^e barryers / for suche as were without / desyringe dedes of armes / wolde cōe valyantly to the barryers / and they within re­ceyued theym as valyantly / so that often there were dyuers hurt on bothe ꝑties. There were but fewe dayes but that some dedes of armes were done.

THe same season there was in the mar­chesse of Tholousyn a valyant knyght of Fraūce / called sir Galtier Paschac / a good capitayne of men of warre / he was of the na­cyon of Berrey / on the fronters of Lymosyn / and or his comynge / the seneschall of Tholous sir Roger of Spaygne / and sir Hugh of Fro­deuyll / and the seneschall of Carcassone / hadde written in to Fraunce to the Constable there / of the state of the countre of Tholous and Robestan / and howe that dyuers of the company­ons aduenturers / suche as were yssued out of Lourde and of castell Cuyllet / and had made warre for the Englysshmen / helde in their handes the fortresses folowyng. As saynt Forget / the Bassere / the Mesuylle Purpuron / Cōuall Roch [...]fort / Th [...]dos Iulyen / Naueret / and dyuers other / wherby they had so enuyroned the cytie of Tholous / that the people coude nat yssue oute to labour their vynes and landes / nor go on marchandyse / but in great paryll / with­out they had truce / or patesed with them. And of all these castels / the chiefe capitayne was an expert man of warre of Basque / called Espai­goullet / he dyd many marueylous dedes in armes. He toke on a tyme by scalynge the castell of Armayle / whyle the lorde therof / sir Ray­monde was gone to Tholous / and he kepte it more than a yere. & in the meane season whyle he kepte it / he caused to be made a myne and a caue / whiche went out of the castell in to the feldes: And whan the caue was made / he closed vp the entre with stones / so that it coulde nat be parceyued that any waye was there vnder the yerthe. And in the same meane season the lorde Raymonde of Armayle treated with Es­payguollet / to haue agayne his castell for mo­ney. Whan the caue was finysshed / he agreed with the lorde to delyuer vp the castell for two thousande frankes / and he and all his to deꝑte Than the lorde entred agayne in to his castell and repayred it where it was in defaulte. And a fyftene dayes after Espaiguollet with his cō pany in a night came to the wode where the ys­sue of the caue was / and entred in to it. And so at the hour of mydnight they toke the castell / & the lorde lyenge in his bedde / and raunsomed hym agayne at two thousande frankes / & than let hym go / but Espayguollet kept styll the ca­stell and a good garison / whiche after sore tra­ueyled the countrey with other of his alyaunce and company.

FOr these maner of people that robbed & pylled thus in the marches of Tho­lous / of Rouergue / and there about / vnder the colour of the Englysshmen / Ther­fore thyder was sente sir Gaultier of Paschac with a certayne nombre of men of armes / to delyuer the countre fro their enemyes. And so he came to Tholous / & sent for the knyghtes and squyers therabout / and wrote to sir Roger of Spaygne seneschall of Carcassone who came to serue hym / for sir Gaultier had a cōmissyon generall ouer all the offycers of Languedocke and so all suche as were sent for / came with su­che nombres as they might make. Sir Roger of Spayne came with a threscore speares and a hundred pauesses / and the seneschall of Ro­uergue and sir Hugh Frodeuyll came with as many or mo. So whan they were all togyder / they were a four .C. speares & a .M. pauesses. And also there was the sonne of therle of Tereache with a fayre cōpany / the lorde of barbason sir Benedic of Faguell / & Willm̄ Caudron breto [...] & their cōpanyes: so one day they departed [Page] fro Tholous and came before saynt Forgette / and there rested: & there was capitayne a man of Bierne a great robber / called the bourge of Taylsacke. Whan these lordes and their com­panyes were come before Forget / they incontynent went to the assaut / and the genowayes began sore to shote / so y ^t scant they within durste apere at their defence / but the frenchmen myst of their purpose at this first assaute▪ & so there they lodged all night & toke their ease / for they had ynoughe wherwith. In the mornyng be­tymes they armed them throughe the host / and sowned their trumpettes to the assaute / and so they came in good ordre to the fote of the dyke / he that had sene than (the men of armes entre in to the dykes with their targettes ouer their heedes / and tasted the dyke with their speares and passed ouer to the fote of the wall) wolde haue taken great pleasur. Whan the first were passed ouer the dyke / and had shewed the way to other: than other folowed with great wyll / for it had ben great blame to them / if they had than taryed behynde / and their cōpany before. and suche as folowed them had matockes and pykes in their hādes to pearse withall the wal­les / and couered their heedes with targettes to receyue the stones that were caste downe / whi­che were no great plentie / for the genowayes shotte so surely with their crosbowes / that non durste put out their heedes to their defence / for the genoways crosbowes shotte so surely / that lightly they myst nat of their leuell / so that ther were many within sore hurte with their qua­relles / in so moche that they doughted sore the shotte. This saute was so sore contynued that the mynours ouerthrewe a pane of the walle: Than they within were sore abasshed & wolde than haue yelded them their / lyues saued / but their enemyes had no luste therto / for they felle in to so good handes that they were all slayne. for sir Galtier their capitayne cōmaūded that it shulde so be. so there were none taken to mercye / but all slayne / nat one that scaped. Thus these lordes of Fraunce at their first comynge had the castell of Forget / and sir Gaultier de­lyuered it to the owner therof / who loste it the same yere before for lacke of good ke­pyng / as dyuers other castel­les had bene before in Fraunce. ⸪

AFter the takyng of the castell of Forge [...] and that sir Gaultier had delyuered it to y ^e owner / the knight newe repayred it where as nede was / for the frenche men had sore dy­stroyed it in y ^e assayling therof or it were won. Than they went to the castell of Basse / of whiche Erualton of Batefoyle was capitayn / and had greatly fortifyed it / for he thought the frenche men wolde visyte hym / as they dyde. And whan the frenche men came thyder they layde siege therto / and than aduysed on whiche ꝑte they might best for their aduauntage gyue as­saute / and determyned on a place / and so on a day they came to the saut on that parte as they thought moost feble. There the Genowayes crosbowes were ordayned to shote / and the assauters behynde thē / and they acquyted them selfe truely in doyng of their feate / for they shot so rudely at them within / that non durst shewe thēselfe. Erualton of Batefoyle was at y ^e gate where there was a great assaute / and there he dyde marueylous in armes / so moche / that his enemyes sayd among them selfe. Beholde yonder is a squyer of great herte / on whome his harnesse is well enployed / for he valyantly de­fended hym selfe. It were well done some bo­dye to shewe hym / that it were best for hym to yelde vp the castell / and to departe some where elles / And to shewe hym that if sir Gaultier of Paschac wynne hym parforce / ther is no man can saue hym fro the dethe / for he hath sworne as many as he wynneth parforce / shall all dye or be hanged. Than the seneschall of Tholous cōmaunded a squyer of Gascoyne called Wyl­lyam Alyedell / who knewe ryght well Erual­ton / for he had ben dyuers tymes with hym in armes as his companyon / and he was gladde to go / for he was lothe that Erualton shulde haue hadd any domage / if he myght do hym any good: And so he came to the assaute and made token / that he wolde speke with Erualton for his great profyte / and he answered he was content. Than the saut rested on that syde but nat on the other parte: Than this Wylliam sayd. Erualton ye are happy / for certayne of yonder lordes haue sende me to you for they haue pyte on you / for if ye be taken parforce there is no remedy but dethe: Oure soueraygne capitayne hath so ordayned / that you nor none of yours shall scape dethe / but to be (ser)ued as they were of saynt Forget. therfore they & I also wolde coū sayle you to yelde vp y ^e fortresse / rather than to abyde thaduēture: for of one thyng ye may be / [Page xlviii] sure / we shall nat departe hens tyll ye be taken / Than Erualton sayd / William / I knowe well thoughe at this tyme ye be agaynst me / that ye wolde nat coūsayle me to any thyng to my dis­honour. Knowe for trouthe that if I rendre vp the holde / it shalbe so that I and all myne may safely departe / and carye with vs as moche as we maye / and to be safely conducted to the ca­stell of Lourde. On this condycion I wyll her ken to you or elles nat. Sir quod Wylliam / I haue nat so farre charge to commen with you / but gladly I shal speke for you to my maisters And so he retourned to the seneschall of Tho­lous and shewed hym all these wordes / Than sir Hughe of Frodeuyll sayd. Lette vs go and speke with sir Gaultier / for I can nat tell what he wyll do / sithe I haue gone so farr in the mater I wyll se what he will do. Than they came to sir Gaultier who was styll at the saute / and sir Hughe of Frodeuyll sayd. Sir Gaultier / I haue treated with the capitayne of the castel and he is well wyllynge to yelde vp the castell to vs as it is / so that he & all his maye go quite with all that they maye cary with them / and to be safely conducted to the castell of Lourde. Therfore nowe sir loke what ye wyll do / if we shulde lese one of our knightes or squyers / outher by shotte or cast of stones / or by any pery­lous accident it shulde be gretter domage than we can haue any profyte by puttyng of them to dethe whan we haue won them / whiche is nat yet / for or they be won it wyll coste vs some of our people. sir that is true quod the seneschall of Carcassone / suche assautes can nat be with­out some dethe and sore hurtyng.

TO those wordes sir Galtier of paschac sayd. I am well cōtent / cease the assaut we haue more to do in other places. Thus ly­tell and lytell we shall wynne the castelles that these pyllers holde / though they departe nowe with a good market. Paraduenture herafter they maye fall agayne in our hādes / and than one tyme they shall paye for all / euer yuell de­des come to an yuell ende. In my dayes I ha­ue hanged and drowned of suche robbers fyue hundred / and hereafter they shall come to the fame pricke. Than they that went on this treatie / came agayne to the barryers to Erualton Batefoyle: Than Wylliam said / by my faithe Erualton / you and all yours maye thāke god and sir Hughe of Frodeuyll / for he hath made your treatie as ye demaunde. ye may departe safely and all yours / and beare awaye as mo­che as ye can / and ye shall be safely brought to Lourde. Well quod Erualton I am contente / sythe it wyll be no better. Knowe for trouthe Wylliam / I shall departe fro this fortresse sore agaynst my wyll / for I haue had great profite therby / syth I was taken at the bridge at Turnay besyde Maluoysin / by the Burge of spaygne / who had of me for my raūsome two thou­sande frankes. To saye trouthe / I haue well recouered my self here / and euer haue ben here in these fronters whiche I loue well / for whan so euer I rode forthe / lyghtely I founde some good auēture / outher by some marchaūt of Robeston of Tholous / or of Rodes / for the moost parte euer I gatte somwhat: Than Wylliam sayd / sir I beleue you well / but and ye wyll be­come frenche I vndertake ye shalbe clene par­doned / and to haue a thousande frākes gyuen you / and I wyll become youre suretie that ye shalbe euer good frenche / if ye wyll swere your selfe so to be. Sir ꝙ Erualton I thanke you / but as for that I wyll nat / for I wyll be still as yet Englysshe: as god helpe me I can nat fynde in my herte to be good frenche. Returne to your company and shewe them that this daye we wyll order oure busynesse / and to morowe in the mornyng we shall delyuer vp the castell / and departe / Wherfore se that oure conducte be redy.

So than ceassed the saute and the frenche­men went to their lodgyngꝭ / and so passed the night at their ease / they hadde well wherwith. and in the mornyng whan euery man was re­dy in the hoost / & that they were redy y ^t shulde conducte the cōpanyons to the castell of lourde Than sir Hughe Frodeuyll seneschall of Tholous went to take possessyon of the castell: and whan he came to the castell / he founde Erual­ton of Batefoyle and his company redy to de­parte / and had trussed all that they wolde cary Than a knight of Lourde called sir Monant of Salenges conueyed thē safely wheder they wolde. Thus the castell of Basse was wonne / and a squyer of the countrey had the kepynge therof gyuen hym / and of the countrey / who was called Bertram of Montesquyen. Than these frēchmen went forthe and came to the ca­stell of Pulpuron / wherof the lytell Mechyne was souerayne capitayn / who had done great domage to the countre therabout / wherfore sir Galter of paschac sware by his fathers soule y ^t non ther shuld be take to [...] nor raūsome but all to be hanged if he might gette thē / & so there [Page] [...] his siege. This castell stode on a rocke a goodly castell to loke on / and there sir Gaul­tier sware neuer to departe thens tyll he hadde them at his pleasure / the [...] were many assautes but they wan but lytell / for the castell was well defended. Well quod sir Galtier / I can nat tell howe it wyll be. The frenche kynge is ryche y­nough to kepe a sege here / but as for me I wyll nat departe in one yere / without I haue the castell at my pleasure / & suche as were with hym beleued hym well / and ordred them selfe ther­after: And I shall shewe you howe it fortued. Whan the capitayns within sawe surely howe the frenchmen wolde nat deꝑte thens tyll they had the castell / what soeuer it cost them: Than they douted thē / and aduysed to departe thens wheder the frēchmen wolde or nat / which they might well do / for they hadde a caue that went out of the castell vnder the groūde in to a wode halfe a leage of: so whan Angerot capiteyne of the castell sawe the dealyng of the frenchmen / and knewe howe they had promised nat to de­ꝑte thens tyll they had the castell / outher by fa­myne or otherwise / than he douted and sayd to his companye. Sirs / Ise well sir Gaultier of Paschac hath vs greatly in hatered / & I feare by longe siege he shulde famysshe vs / & that to do he nedeth nat / but to make a bastyde & let it be kept but with a hūdred speares so that none of vs than dare deꝑte: Therfore I shall shewe you what we shall do Lette vs take all that we haue and in the nyght we wyll departe by this caue vnder the erthe / which is fayre and great and without faut it shall bring vs in to a wode a leage hens / than shall we be out of all parell / for there is no man in the host that knoweth it. They all agreed to his counsayle / & in a night whan they hadde all trussed than they toke tor­ches and fagottes & entred in to the caue / whi­che was fayre and clere / and so they issued out therof in to a wode halfe a leage fro the castell / Than the [...] were ynowe that knewe the wayes to other forteresses in Lymosin and in Rouer­gue / and some of them whan they were oute of all parelles / toke other wayes and sayd / Howe they wolde folowe the warres no lengar / Angerot and fyue with hym wente to a towne and a castell in Piergourt called Mountroyall / and the lorde therof receyued hym swetely / for he & all his landes were good englysshe / nor he wolde neuer tourne frenche whan other dyd howbeit there were dyuers other of his opynion. ⸪

THus they of the garyson of Pulpuron saued them selfe / and left no persone be hynde them / and were nere the [...] as they wolde be / or the frenchmen knewe of their deꝑtynge / The thirde day after their departyng / the frē ­chemen ordayned to gyue assaut / and they had made an ingyn with four stages / and in euery stage there might be twentie cros bowes: And whan all was redy they set forthe this ingyn / the whiche they named / Passe on before to the weykest syde of the castell / and the geno ways within the ingyn: & whan it was there as they wolde haue it / there they shotte agaynst the ca­stell & no body dyde appere. Than anone they parceyued that the castell was voyde / bycause no body came to their defēce / than they ceassed their shot bicause they wolde nat lese their quarelles. Than they came downe fro the ingyn & came to y ^e capitayns who had marueyle what they ment / and than they sayd. Sirs / without fayle there is no body within the castell. Howe knowe you that quod sir Gaultier? Sir quod they we knowe it / for there is none appereth at their defence for all our shot. Than the [...] were ordayned ladders to sette vp agaynst the wal­les / and they that moūted on them passed ouer the walles and entred in to the castell / & founde no creature therin: And than they wente to the gate and there they founde a great bundell of kayes / and among other they founde the kaye of the gate and opyned it / and than all the bar­ryers one after another / wherof the lordes had great marueyle / and specially sir Gaultier of Paschac / he wende they had ben deꝑted out of the castell by enchaūtment / & than demaūded of them that were about hym howe it might be The seneschall of Tholous sayd to hym. Sir surely they can nat be thus gone without they haue some secrete waye vnder the erthe / which I thynke there be. Thanne all the castell was sought in euery corner / where any suche waye shulde be. There they founde in a Cellar the mouthe of the alley open / and there all the lor­des dyde beholde it / and sir Galtier had great marueyle therof / and demaunded of the S [...] ­neschall of Tholous if he knewe before of any [...] sir ꝙ he / I haue herde or this ther­of / but I thought nothyng that they wolde haue thus departed by that waye. By my faythe quod sir Gaultier / they begone the same waye Haue the castelles of this countre suche ordy­naunce: Sir quod sir Hughe / there be dyuers suche castelles as of olde tyme ꝑteyned to Raynalt of Montabon / that hath suche cōueyaūce / [Page xlix] for whan he and his bretherne kepte warre agaynst kynge Charlemayne of frannce they were made all after this maner by the coun­sayle and aduyse of Maugis theyr cosyn / for when y ^e kynge besyeged them by puyssaunce and that they sawe they coulde not resyst hym then they wolde departe without ony leue ta­kynge by meanes of these passages vnder the erthe. Surely sayd syr Brews I lawde gret­ly y ^t ordynaunce / I can not say yf euer I shall haue ony warre agaynst me or not other by kynge duke / or by ony other neyghboure that I haue / but as sone as I am retourned in to my countrey I shall cause suche a myne to be made in my castell of Pasac. So thus they toke possessyon of the castell and set therin men of warre to kepe there a garyson / and so then they wente further towardes y ^e castell of Conuall where Espaygnolet of papereaw basque was capytayne & with hym a good nombre of these pyllers and robbers.

SO these lordes and theyr company ca­me to the garyson of Conuall in Ro­bestan and layde syege therto / & then syr Gaultyer demaunded of the seneshall of Tholous yf Conuall auncyently perteyned to raynalte of Monutalban / & he sayd yes / then there is a caue vnder the grounde sayd syr Gaultyer / syr that is true sayd syr Brews for by reason ther of Espaygnolet wanne it the seconde tyme & the owner within it / then fyr Gaultyer sente for y ^e knyght that was owner therof & sayd to hym / syr it were good ye enfourmed vs of the myne y ^t is out of this castell & the yssue therof Then syr Raymonde of Conuall sayd / syr su­rely there is a way vnder the grounde for ther by I was taken and lost this my castel / it was before of longe tyme decayed & destroyed but these robbers newe repayred it / and by y ^t way they came on me / and syr the yssue therof is in a wood not farre hence / wel sayd syr Gaultyer all is well / and so .iiii. dayes after he wente to the same wood & had with hym .CC. men wel armed / and when he sawe the hole where the yssue was he caused the erthe and busshes to be auoyded / and then he lyghted vp many fa­gottes and sayd to them y ^t were ordeyned to go into the caue / syr folowe this caue & it shal brynge you in to the hall of Conuall and there ye shal fynde a dore breke it vp ye are stronge ynough so to do and to fyght with them with in / so they entred and came to y ^e grece nere to the hall dore in y ^e castell / then with grete axes they strake at the dore & by y ^t tyme it was nere nyght / they within the castell made good watche & perceyued howe by the myne they wolde haue entred in to the castell and Espaygnolet was goynge to his rest / then he came thyder / and there they cast stones / benches / and tym­bre before the caue dore to y ^e entente that none sholde entre there thoughe the dore were bro­ken vp. This was done for other shyfte had they none of defence / but for all that they with in the myne anone brake the dore all to peces / and yet wer. neuer the nere / for then they had more to do then they had before / and whē they sawe it was impossible for them to entre there they retourned agayne to the oost / and by that tyme it was myduyght / thē they shewed what they had founde & howe they of Conuall had perceyued them and had so fortefyed the caue dore that it was not possyble to entre by that way in to the castell.

THen syr Gaultyer of Pas­chat sente to Basse for the grete engyne whiche was taken downe and brought thyther & raysed vp on his wheles as it sholde be / and also they apparelled other instrumentes for y ^e assawre / and when al was redy then syr Gaultyer who gretly desyred to wynne this castell caused his Trompettes to sowne to the assawte / there was the seneshall of Tholouse with his company on y ^e one syde and syr Roger of spayne seneshal of Carcassō on the other syde / also there was the lorde of Barbaran / syr Benedic and lorde of Benoch / the lorde of the countye of Desterac / syr Ray­monde of lysle and other knyghtes and squy­ers of the countrey / then they began the sawte and they within to defende themselfe whiche was nede for they sawe themselfe in a harde parte / they knewe wel how syr Gaultyer wolde take none to mercy / therfore they thought to defende themselfe as longe as they myght & to sell theyr lyues derely / there the Geneways crosse bowes shot sore and hurte many with­in so that there were none within but doubted gretely / and there syr Gaultyer of Pasac dyd [Page] meruayles in armes and sayd to his compa­ny / what syr [...] shall these rascalles holde vs in hande all this daye thus / yf it were agaynste good men of armes I wolde not meruayle / for in them were mo feaces of warre then in these rascalles that be within. It is myne entent to dyne within the castell. Nowe it shall be sene yf ye wyll accomplysshe my desyre / with those wordes suche as desyred his good wyl aduaū ced themselfe forthe / they toke many ladders & set them vp agaynst the wall where as the en­gyne stode with the crosse bowes / who shot so fyersly that none within durst shew themselfe Thus by clene assawte y ^e Frensshe men entred in to y ^e castel of Conual theyr swordes in theyr handes chasynge theyr enemyes / & there were many slayne & the other taken / then euery mā entred in at y ^e gates / then it was demaunded of syr Gaultyer what sholde be done with thē that were taken. By saynt George sayd he / I wyll they be all hanged / and incontynent his commaundement was done / and Espaygnoy let began fyrst. So the lordes dyned in the ca­stel / and the other people in the towne / & there they taryed all that day [...]. And syr Gaultyer delyuered agayne to y ^e lorde of Conuall his towne & castell / & then ordeyned to departe thens.

THus after the takynge of the castell of Conuall as ye haue herde / the Frenssh men wente to another holde called Mastull whiche had done grete domage to y ^e countrey with other & there they made assawte / & they w ^tin defended themselfe / but y ^t was not longe for by clene assawte they were wonne and the castell also / and all that was within slayne & hanged vp. And when they of Ratchfort and of other castelles knewe howe syr Gaultyer had wonne so many castelles / and that he toke none to mercy / but outher slayne or hanged / they doubted moche for comynge to the same ende / wherfore they departed in y ^e nyght tyme I can not tell whether they wente vnder the grounde or aboue / for bytwene y ^e castell of Rochefort and the castell of Royr were caues vn­der the erthe / for auncyently they perteyned to Raynolde of Mountalban. So the Frenssh­men founde these castelles clene voyde when they came thyder / then they newely repeopled it with men of warre & prouysyon. Then they toke theyr way towarde Tholous to go in to Bygore / for on y ^e fronter of Tarbe there were two castelles the one called Thedos Iulyan / and the other Nauaret whiche gretely trauayled the countrey and y ^e good towne of Tarbe and the londes of the lorde Dauchyn.

WHen syr Gaultyer of Pasac and the lordes of Fraunce and of Languedoc had well refresshed theym in the Cyte of Tholous then they departed & toke the waye in to Bygore / and so came before the castell of ledos Iuly ā / & there taryed & sayd they wolde goo no further tyll they had wonne it / thyder came to syr Gaultyer of Pasac y ^e Seneshal of Nob [...]san perteynynge to the Erle of Foys for syr Gaultyer had sente for hym to helpe to dryue out of the countrey the pyllers and robbers who had renne as well in the countrey of No­bessan as in other places. Also y ^e Erle of Foys consented that he sholde so do / or elles he durst not haue done so / they were before dos Iulyā xv. dayes or they had it / y ^t castell was stronge and a good capytayne therin a squyer of Gas­coyn called Bruer de Brome. ¶Howbeit they at the last hadde it / not by assawte / but by treaty / they within departed theyr lyues and goodes saued. And also they were falsely con­uayed to Lowrde by a squyre called Bertram of Mountdyghen. And when these lordes of Fraunce had Dos Iulyen then they toke ad­uyse whether they myght kepe it styll or rase it downe to the erthe / then it was counsayled to bete it downe bycause of them of Lowrde who were crafty and subtyle / fearynge y ^t whē they sholde be gone that they wolde wynne it agayne / so it was better downe and as yet the stones lye on a hepe & lykely neuer to be buyl­ded agayne / thus became of Dos Iulyan / thē they wente before Nauaret wherin there was also companyons aduēturers who had kepte it more then a yere / & when they knewe howe they of dos Iulyā were departed in lyke wyse dyde they and had a saufconduyte & wente to lowrde whiche was theyr chefe refuge for they knewe well no man wolde seke thē there with out they wolde lese theyr payne for y ^e castell of Lowrde was impossyble to be taken by force.

WHen the Frensshe men had rased the castel of Dos Iulyā / then they wente to Nauaret and founde it all voyde / then it was ordeyned to be beten downe & so it was / Wherof they of Tarbe were nothynge myscontent / for y ^t garyson had done thē grete domage / then they wente to the castell of Dauchen in Bygore standynge amonge the mountaynes in the entre of Byerne. And there they [Page l] were a .xv. dayes and in that season made dy­uers assawtes and wanne the base courte and al theyr horses / but there was a stronge towre on the rocke y ^t coulde not be wonne. And whē the lordes sawe howe they lost there but theyr payne / & y ^t Wyllyam Morenton who kepte y ^e holde wolde not yelde it vp / nor sell it / nor her­kē to no treatye / thē they departed & retourned to Tarbe / & then syr Ganltyer of Passac gaue leue to all his men of warre to departe / & they were payde of theyr wages / or had suffycyent sygnement / so y ^t they were pleased / & he wente to Carcasson and theraboute / and refresshed hym. And whyle he lay there / tydynges came to hym out of Fraunce and a cōmaundement fro the kynge that he sholde drawe to the garyson of Bounteuyll Xainton on the marches of Burdeloys & Poyctou / whiche garyson was kepte by a capytayne called Saynt Foy a gascoyne. And it was sayd in fraunce y ^t syr Iohn̄ Harpedan seneshall of Burdeaus made a grete assemble of men of warre at Lyborne to rayse the bastydes y ^t they of Poictou & of Xainton hadde layde before Bounteuyll. To the kyn­ges commaundement obeyed syr Gaultyer as it was reason and toke with hym a .lx. speres and a .C. crosse bowes Geneuoys / and so de­parted fro Carcasson / & passed by Rouergue / Agen / and costed Pierregourt and so came to Bounteuyll and founde there the seneshalles of Rochel / of Poictou / of Pierregourt / and of Dagen and a grete nombre of men of warre. ¶In farre countres it maye be well meruay­led of the noble royalme of Fraunce / therin is so many Cytees / townes / castelles / whiche be without nombre / and that as well in farte partyes therof / as in the harte of the royalme / ye shall fynde goynge from the cyte of Tholous to the cyte of Burdeaus stondynge on the ry­uer of Garon. Fyrst Langurant / Rions / Cal­diac / Bangou / saynt Macayre / the castell of Dorthe / Candoch / Geronde / larull myllant / saynt Basyll / Marmande / Cōmont / Tannus Lemnas / Dagenes / Montour / Agyllon / tho­uars / porte saynt Mary / clermont / Agen / am­byllart / castell sarasyne / Iehedo / verdun / and vell mote / and then takynge the way by the ryuere of Dordone whiche falleth in to Garon / ye shall fynde these castelles on the one syde & on y ^e other. Brouech / Frousach / liborne / saynt Milion / Chatellon / the mote / saynt Pesant / Montremell / & saynt Foy / Bergerach / Mortquinormons / and the castell oftene. And these castels some were Englysshe & some Frensshe & so contynewed all the warre season / the Gascoynes wolde haue had it none otherwyse to haue chosen / for in .xx. yere they neuer made othe nor promyse to ony man / true it was of y ^e Gascoynes. Fyrst by theyr meanes kynge Edwarde had chefe possessyon of Gascoyne / and also the prynce his sone and after they put the agayne fro it as it is clerely conteyned in this hystory / & by the good wyt & aduyce of kynge Charles sone to kynge Iohn̄ / he drewe to his loue by fayre meanes & grete gyftes y ^e grettest lordes of all Gascoyne / as y ^e erle of Armynake & the lorde Dalbret. The prynce lost them by pryde / for I Iohan Froysarde who wrote this hystory the same season that I was at Buroe­aus / & y ^t the prynce wente in to Spayne y ^e Englysshe mē were so prowde y ^t they set nothyng by ony nacyon but by theyr owne / for the gen­tylmen of Gascoyne & of Acquitayne suche as lost theyr goodes in y ^e warre / yet they coulde gete no maner of offyce in theyr coun [...]rees / for the Englysshemen sayd they were not worthy nor able to haue ony wherwith they were sore grudged in theyr myndes / and when they myght they shewed it for bycause of the hardnes that y ^e Erle of Armynacke & the lorde Dalbret founde in y ^e prince / they forsoke hym & became Frensshe / & so dyde dyuers other knyghtes & squyers of Gascoyne / kynge Phylyp of Fraū ce / & kynge Iohn̄ his sone had lost thē by pry­de & hyghe mynde / in lyke wyse so dyde y ^e prince & kynge Charles wynne them by fayrnes / by larges and humylyte / for so wolde Gascoynes be delte withall / & kynge Charles to the entente that the loue of these lordes sholde the longer contynewe / he made a maryage bytwene the syster of the lady Isabell of Burbon / & the lorde Dalbret / & bytwene them were fayre chyldren / & for this cause the loue endured the longer / & on a tyme at Paris where as I was I herde the lorde Dalbret speke a worde / whiche I well noted / but I byleue he spake it but in sporte / howbeit he spake it in grete sadnes to a knyght of Brytayne who had serued hym before / for the knyght had demaunded hym of y ^e busynes of his countrey / & howe he was contente to be frensshe / he answered and sayd / I thanke god I do metely well / howbeit I had more money / & my mē also / whē we made war for the kynge of Englonde then we haue now for when we rode forthe at aduenture we foū ­de euer some ryche merchaunt other of Tho­lous / Condon / or Bergerath lyghtely there was no day but we gate cuer some good pray [Page] Then we were fresshe & Ioly / & nowe we be as deed then the knyght began to laughe and sayd truely this is a lyfe of Gascoynes / lyghtly they wolde euer haue other mēnes domage Therfore I that harde these wordes say as I thought y ^t the lorde Dalbret repented hym in y ^t he was become frensshe as y ^e lorde of Musy­dent Gascoyne who was taken at the batayle of Anne [...] / & sware in to the handes of the duke of Aniow y ^t he wolde come to Parys / and be­come frensshe euer after / so he came to Paris & kynge Charles made hym good chere / but for all y ^t euer the kynge dyd / y ^e lorde of Musydent departed agayne fro Parys without ony leue & wente in to his coūtrey & became agayne Englysshe / & brake all y ^e promyses y ^t he had made with the duke of Aniow. In lykewyse so dyde the lorde of Rousen / the lorde of Duras / & the lorde of Languerant. Suche is the nacyon of Gascoyne they be not stable / for they loue yet the Englysshe men better then the frensshemē for theyr warre agaynst y ^e Frensshe men were more profytabe for them then agaynst the En­glysshe men / this is the pryncypall incydent y ^t moost inclyneth them therto.

IN this same season there came other tydynges ī to fraū cefor th [...]der came kyng Lyō of Armony / not w ^t no grete company / but as a man chased out of his royalme wherof he was kynge / by the tur­kes / & al his royalme was wonne / excepte one castel standynge on y ^e see / called Courthe / whiche was kepte by the Gen [...]uoys / bycause that castell was the key / yssue & entre by the see / to go to Alexandria / & in to the Sowdans londe for these Geneuoys gothe a marchaundyse by the meanes of truage y ^t they pay in to Rude / & in to Prester Iohn̄s londe / and in euery place they are welcome / bycause of y ^e golde & syluer y ^t they brought thyder / & for other merchaūdy se y ^t they exchaunge in Alexandria / in Cayr / in Damas / & in other places amonge the Sara syns / for in suche maner the worlde is gouer­ued / for y ^t is not in one countrey is in another & therby euery thynge is knowen / & the Gene­uoys be those y ^t furthest doth aduenture theyr merchaūdyse. They be lordes of y ^e portes of y ^e se aboue y ^e Venisiās / & more feared & doubted amonge the sarasyns thē ony other people on the see / they be valyaunt men & of grete entre­pryse. A Galy well furnysshed of y ^e Geneuoys dare well assay .iiii. Galeys of the Sarasyns The turke & Tartaryes sholde do moche do­mage to crystendome yf the Geneuoys were not / bycause they be renomed to be chefe lor­des of the see / marchynge on infydelles / ther­fore they haue euer .l. Galeys & grete shyppes rynnynge on the see to defende the Iles / as y ^e Ile of Cypres the Ile of Rodes / y ^e Ile dostye & all the boundes of the see & Grece vnto Tur­kye / & they haue the towne & castel of Pere stō dynge on the see before Constantyne le noble / whiche is kepte at theyr cost & charge / & .iii. or iiii. tymes euery yere it is refresshed with y ^t / y ^t is necessary / the Tartaryes & Turkes haue dyuers tymes assayed to gete it / but they coulde neuer attayne therto / for they haue euer lost there more then they haue wonne / for y ^e castell of Pere stondeth on a rocke / & there is but one entre / whiche the Geneuoys gretely dyde for­tefye. Also the Geneuoys haue the towne & ca­stell of Iason / whiche is ryght noble & a grete profyte to them & to other nere countres of crystendome / for yf Pere / Iason / Stycye / & Ro­des were not with the ayde of the Geneuoys / the infydelles wolde soone come to Gaiet / yea & to Naples / to the porte of Cornet / & to Rome but y ^e sayd garysons / whiche alwayes be well prouyded for with men of warre / & Geneuoys with the shyppes & galeys are euer redy to defende them / wherfore the Turkes dare not aduenture on that partyes / but y ^t they do is on y ^e fronters of Constantyne le noble / & towarde Hungery / yf the noble kynge of Cypres Peter of Liesieguen who was so noble & valynnt a prynce & had conquered y ^e grete cyte of Alexā ­drie & Satalye yf he had lyued longer he wolde haue gyuen the Sowdan & Turkes so moche a do / that syth Godfrey of Boloyns dayes they had neuer so moche / & y ^t ryght wel knewe the Turkes / & Tartaryes / & infydelles / suche as knewe his prowes & hygh dedes / & therfore to haue hym dystroyed they made merchaun­dyse with the kynges broder called Iaquet y ^t he sholde slee the kynge his broder / & so he dyd for he slewe him in his bed / whiche was a fowle dede for bloode / to slee so valyaunt a mā as was the kynge of Cypres / who intended and [Page li] ymagened nyght & day on none other thynge but how he myght wynne the holy londe / & to haue it out of the handes of y ^e infydelles / & syr Phelyp of Maysyeres chauncellour to Peter of Liesiegnen kynge of Cypres wrote on his tombe as it foloweth / the copy wherof is in y ^e chapytre house of the freer Celestynes in Pa­ris Peter of Liesiegnen y ^e .vi. kyng latyne of Iherusalē after Godfrey of Boloyne / & kynge of Cypres / who by his grete prowes & hyghe empryse toke by batayle at his cost these Cy­tees. Alexandrie in Egypte / Triple in Surie Layas in Armony / Sytalie in Turkye / & dyuers other Cytees & castelles on y ^e infydelles & enemyes of the lawe of Ihesu Cryst (Animaeius requiescat in pace) ¶And when the Ge­neuoys who loued hym gretely as it was reason / when they knewe of his dethe they prepa­red .vii. Galyes & sente them in to Cypres & toke there perforce the cyte of Samagose & Ia­quet within it / & ouer ranne the best parte of y ^e royalme / & wolde haue destroyed the royalme but bycause there were stronge townes & for­tresses to kepe fronter warre agaynst the tur­kes / therfore they lefte them styl in the mennes handes of the countre / excepte the cyte of Sa­magose / whiche they kepte styll & fortefyed it / but when they wanne it fyrste they had there grete ryches / & so they ledde with them to Ge­nes this Iaquet who had murdred his broder True it was this kyng of Cypres had a fayre sone whom they maryed & crowned kynge / & put this Iaquet in to strayte pryson / & wolde not put hym to dethe / & kepte styll in theyr hā ­des Samagose / I knowe not yf they kepe it as yet or no / then within a season after y ^e yon­ge kynge of Cypres dyed in his bed / wherof y ^e Geneuoys were sore dyspleased / but they coulde not amende it / so y ^e lande was without ony heyre / I can not tell who gouerneth it nowe / but the same yere y ^t I was in the erle of Foys house / it was shewed me by a knyght of Biern the lorde of Valenchyn / howe the Geneuoys had a grete parte of the lande / & helde styl Samagose / & how they of the countrey had crowned to theyr kynge / the sayd Iaquet for lacke of other heyre / I can not tell by what meanes he came out of pryson & out of the handes of y ^e Geneuoys / when the sayd kynge Lyon of Ar­mony came fyrst in to Fraunce / y ^e kynge there & the lordes made hym good chere / as it was reason / for he was come thyder out of a farre countre / & so by hym & his was knowen tydynges of the royalme of Grece / & of the Empyre of Constantyne le noble / for he was examyned of the puyssaunce of y ^e Turkes & of the Tarcaries who had put hym out of his royalme / he answered & sayd y ^t the grete Tacō of Tarcarie had alway made hym warre / & it was he y ^t had put him out of his royalme / thē he was demauded yf y ^t Tacon of Tartarie were puys;saunt / ye truely sayd he / for by his puyssaunce with the puyssaunce of the sowdan he hath subdued the emperoure of Constantyne le noble kepte the lawes of the Tartaries. The kyng answered & sayd nay. But the Tacon of Tactarie & the sowdan haue longe made warre agaynst the Emperour of Constantyne le noble / at the last he was fayne to make his ende or elles he coulde haue no peas / whiche emperour of Cō stantyne le noble was sone to my lady Mary of Burbon / & sone to the emperour Hugues of lesiegnē / whiche emperour was fayne to giue his doughter in maryage [...]o y ^e sone of y ^e Tacō of Tarcarie. Howbeit the emperour abydeth styll in his cry [...]tē lawe / & all is by reason of comyctyon of this maryage. Thē it was demaū ded of hym what y ^e erle Co [...]er of Sauoy dyd in y ^t countrey seyng he was so valyaunt a mā & had so grete a puyssaunce / then the kynge answered & sayd / y ^t when the erle of Sauoy was in y ^e empyre of Hūgry & made warre agaynst the turkes & tartaryes / there by his valyauntnes he conquered on the Tartaryes / & on the Sowdans lande two good townes / as Cali­pole / & Lobeme / & lefte men there to kepe them & after the retourne of the erle of Sauoy / the townes were kepte styll crystē as longe as the good kynge of Cypres lyued / but as soone as the Sowdan & the Tacon of Tartarie knew of his dethe / they feared nothynge the Empe­of Constantyne le noble / but raysed an army of a .C.M. horsemen / & so came & ranne before Cōstantyne le noble / & fro thens they wente & besyeged Calipole / & conquered it perforce / & slewe all the crysten men y ^t were within it / & had made so grete warre agaynst the Empe­rour of Cōstantyne le noble y ^t all his puyssaū ­ce coulde not resyst thē / but they forbare hym by reason of his doughter whom the sone of y ^e grete tacon coueted to haue in maryage / whi­che is a harde case for the tyme to come / for the offycers of the Tacon be as now in the cyte of Constantyne le noble / so y ^t the grekes there lyue vnder thē / & by truage / & yf the kynges cry­sten put not therto a remedy / or at lengthe the matter shall go so euyll y ^t the Turkes & Tar­taries shall conquere all Grece / & tourne it to [Page] theyr byleue / for so they make theyr auauntes / they do mocke the popes / wherof one is at Rome / & another at Auignyon. They say y ^t the .ii goddes of crystendome warreth eche agaynst other / wherby they afferme our lawe to be the more feble & the lyghter to be dystroyed / & condempned / they lay therto reason in y ^t they that sholde cxalte the crysten fayth / are y ^e fyrst that mynyssheth it / & dystroy it / then it was demaū ded of the kynge of Armony whether that the Sowdan / & the Tacon of tartarie were .ii. of the grettest prynces amonge the infydelles y ^t were knowen with the Grekes / the kynge an­swered & sayd / nay surely / they be not y ^e gretest for alwayes the turkes are more noble / more greter / more sage / & more redoubted in warre as longe as they haue a good heed and gouernour / as they haue had this .C. yere / for thou­ghe y ^e Tacon of Tartarie holde in subieccyon the Emperoure of Constantyne le noble / yet y ^e lorde of Turkey holdeth in lykewyse y ^e Tacō & this lorde of Turkey is called Lamoraba­qum / & to say the trouthe he is a valyaunt mā in armes / & a wyse man in his lawe of Lamo­rabaquin I cōplayne me not / for he neuer dyd me hurte / for he hath alwayes kepte his warre agaynst the Emperoure of Hungery. Then y ^e lordes of Fraunce demaunded of hym yf this Lamorabaqum were so grete / & so feared as he sayd / ye truely sayd the kynge of Armony / and more then I speke of / for the Emperour of Cōstantyne le noble / & the Emperoure of Hū ­gery feareth hym in lykewyse doth the Sowdan of Babylon / & the Tacon of Tartarie / & as I haue herde say of y ^e Tartaryes / y ^t Tacon wolde or this tyme further haue put vnder y ^e Emperoure of Constantyne le noble / but for doubte of Lamorabaqum / y ^e Tacon knoweth hym & his nature so well / for as sone as he knoweth one gretter then hymselfe / he wyll neuer haue ioy tyl he haue put hym vnder / Wherfore the Tacon wyll not do to Cōstantyne le noble y ^t he myght well do yf he wolde / then he was demaunded yf this Lamorabaquin had ony grete power of men / y ^e kynge sayd / ye surely / for in .xxx. yere where soeuer he wente / he had euer in his company a .C.M. horses alwayes lodged in y ^e feldes / and neuer entreth in to ony towne / & for his garde he hath euer .xx.M. turkes [...] whereso euer he goeth he hath his fader with hym / & he hymselfe is of a .lx. yere of age / & his fader .lxxx. & .x. & he loueth moche y ^e fren­she language / & suche as cometh thens / he de­syreth to se all the grete lordes of y ^e worlde / & y ^e frensshe kynge & his estate & ordre / & one speke to hym of Fraunce he is well content. Then y ^e kynge was demaūded why y ^e Lamorabaqum suffred y ^e Tacon in peas syth he was so grete an Emperour / bycause sayd y ^e kynge y ^t the Tacon feareth hym & dare make hym no warre / & also there be certayne townes & portes in Tartarie y ^t yerely payeth trybute to Lamoraba­quin / & also they are al of one lawe / & they wyl not lyghtly dystroy theyr owne lawe / & he meruayleth gretely of y ^e warre amonge crystē mē howe eche of them dystroyeth other / wherfore he is often in mynde to come in to crystēdome & to wyn all before hym I wolde he had won my lāde rather thē y ^e Tacon / for it had ben better for me / he was demaūded why / & he answeswered & sayd. Lamorabaquin is a lorde of noble cōdycyon / & yf he were .xxx. yere yonger he were lykely to make grete cōquestes where as he wolde employ his warre / for when he hath wonne a countrey / towne / or sygnory / he desy­reth nothynge but truage / & leueth styll euery man in his owne byleue / & he putteth neuer no mā fro his herytage / he desyreth nothynge but the souerayne domynacyon / Wherfore I saye yf he had conquered y ^e royalme of Armony / as the Tartaries haue suffered me in peas / & my royalme styll in our owne byleue by knowled gynge hym as my souerayne / as other grete lordes do / y ^t marche nere hym / as the Grekes & Tracyens who take hym for theyr souerayne lorde / wherby they are out of doubte of the so­ueraynte of the Sowdan / & of the Tacon of Tartarie / the lorde of Satalie / & the lorde dela Palice / & the lorde of Hawlte lodge / these .iii. lordes & theyr landes are in peas by reason of a truage y ^t they pay to Lamorabaquin / ther is no Turke nor Tartarien y ^t dare do thē ony wronge or domage / then it was demaūded of y ^e kynge of Armony yf his lande were so clere­ly lost that it myght not be recouered agayne / truely sayd the kynge it is without recouery / without the puyssaunce of crystendome come thyder stronger thē the Turkes & Tartaries for as I haue sayd / the ferther they come for­warde / more they are lykely to cōquere / for ex­cepte one towne called Courth / whiche is the fyrst towne of the royalme of Armony / & is as yet in the crysten mennes handes / al y ^e resydue of y ^e royalme is in y ^e infydels handes / & where as y ^e chyrches were wonte to be / there they set vp theyr ydolles & theyr mawmettes / then it was demaunded if the towne of Courth were stronge / ye truely sayd y ^e kynge / it wyll not be [Page lii] wonne without it be by lōge syege / or elles be­trayed / for it standeth nere to the see in a drye place bytwene .ii. rockes / whiche cā not be ap­proched / for yf y ^t Turkes or Tartaries had it in theyr hādes & another good towne not ferre thens called Adelphe / all Grece were dystroy­ed / & Hungery sholde haue moche a do. Then it was demaunded yf Hungery marched nere to Tartarie & to the Turkes / the kynge sayd / ye truely & nerer to the Turkes & Lamoraba­quin then to ony other / then the lordes sayd / it is grete meruayle y ^e Lamorabaquin suffereth hym to be in rest syth he marcheth soo nere to Hungery / & he beynge so valyaunt a man & so grete a conquerour. In the name of god sayd the kynge of Armony / or this tyme he hath studyed as moche as he myght how to haue done domage to the royalme of Hungery / & yf an incydent had not ben or this / he had ben farre in the countrey of Hungery / he was demaunded what incydent it was / & the kynge sayd I shal shewe you.

WHen Lamordbaquin saw y ^t all y ^e lordes y ^t marched nere to hym fe­red & doubted hī what for his cō ­questes & prowes / & how y ^t al the boūdes of y ^e see to hūgery obeyed to hym / also he saw wel how y ^e valyaunt kyng of Hungery Frederycke was deed / & how the royalme was fallen to a womā / wherfore he aduysed hym to conquere y ^t royalme / & so ma­de a grete somons in Turkye / and suche as he sente for came to hym / & so thē this Lamoraba­quin went forthe & lodged in y ^e playnes of Satalie bytwene Palice & Haulte lodge / to gyue more feare to his enemyes / & his entencyō was to entre in to y ^e royalme of Hūgery / & bycause y ^t Hungery is a royalme & coūtrey closed & en [...]yronned w ^t hygh rockes & moūtaynes / wherby it is y ^e stronger / thē he sente before hym his ambassadours & heraldes w ^t a mulet charged w ^t wylle / & he cōmaunded thē to go in to Hun­gery to y ^e erle of Lazaran whose lādes lyeth by twene y ^e mountaynes of Melcabe & of Robee / whiche way he purposed his army sholde pas & to shewe hym how he cōmaunded hym yf he thynke to lyue in rest / and to haue his lande in peas y ^t he obey to vs / in lykewyse as the lorde of Palice & the lorde of Satalie / & the lorde of Haulte lodge hath done / & y ^t he open & gyue vs fre passage thrughe his landes / & yf he say s [...]ay & be rebell agaynst vs / then shewe hym on our behalfe y ^t I shall brynge as many men to dy­stroy his coūtrey as there be graynes of mylle in the sacke. The ambassadours departed wel īstructed of y ^t they sholde do / & so rode by theyr iourneys tyll they came in to Hungery in to y ^e lande of the erle Lazaran / & soūde hym in a castell of his called Archforme / & the erle lyke a sage lorde receyued these ambassadours right swetely & made thē / good chere / but he had meruayle when he sawe entre in to his courte the mule charged with a sacke / & wyst not what it was / he thought it had ben golde or precyous stones y ^t Lamorabaquin had sente to hym / to drawe hym therby to consente to suffre hym to haue fre passage thrugh his coūtrey / howbeit he sayd to hymselfe y ^t he wolde neuer be corrupted for no maner of ryches y ^t sholde be presented to hym. Thē these messagers came before the erle & sayd / syr of Lazaran vnderstāde / we be sente fro the hyghe & redoubted lorde & souerayne kynge Lamorabaquin lorde of Turkye w ^t the apertenaūces / & we say to you on his behalfe y ^t he cōmaūdeth you to come to his obey saunce / in lyke maner as ye knowe y ^t your neyghbours haue done / as the lorde de la Palice y ^e lorde of Haulte lodge / & the lorde of Satalie haue done to hym homage / & y ^t ye open to hym the passages of your countrey / yf ye thynge to lyue in rest / & in your so doynge ye shall deser­ue gretely his grace & loue / & yf ye rebell and disobey we are charged to say to you y ^t our lorde Lamorabaquin wyl brynge in to your coū trey mo mē of armes then there be graynes of mylle in this sacke / & therw ^t they opened y ^e sa [...] & shewed hym what was w ^tin it / & when y ^e erle of Lazaran vnderstode y ^e ambassadoure of Lamorabāquin / & determyned in hymselfe to an­swere temporatly / & wolde not dyscouer his thought sodaynly but sayd / close vp y ^e sacke I se ryght wel what is therin / & I haue well harde what thynge Lamorabaquin demaundeth of me / & w ^tin these .iii. dayes I shall make you an āswere / for his request demaūdeth coūsayl they answered & sayd / syr ye speke wel / so tru­styng to haue an [...]swere they taryed there .iii. dayes. Now shall I shewe you what y ^e erle of Lazaran dyd in y ^e space of these .iii. dayes / he sent & ꝓuyded in to y ^e castell mo then .ii.M. capōs & hēnes & closed thē vp in to a house w ^tout ony maner of mete / so y ^t in .iii. dayes they etc no thynge / And when the daye came that he [Page] wolde answere the ambassadours / thē he sent for them in to a galary lokynge downe in to a courte & sayd / syrs come hyder and leane here with me / & I shal shewe you a newe thynge / & so answere you / & they knowynge not what he wolde doo / leaued downe in a wyndowe by hym / then the gates were closed / & the courte was grete / so his men were redy to doo as he had ordeyned / then they opened a chambre do­re or .II. where as all the pollayne were y ^t had eten no mete of .ii. dayes before. Then the ser­uauntes toke the grayne y ^t was in the sacke / & cast it all aboute before the capons & hennes / so y ^t within halfe an houre al the corne was etē vp clene / & wolde haue eten more yf they had had it / then the erle sayd to the messagers / syrs ye haue sene howe this grayne whiche you haue brought hyder from your mayster is clene eten / & deuoured / and brought to no thynge by these pollayne / and yet they wolde ere more yf they had it y ^t is truesyr sayd they / wherby speke you y ^t / I say sayd y ^e erle your answere lyeth therin / as by ensāple ye haue sene / Lamoraba quin sayth y ^t yf I obey hym not he wyl brynge in to my lande men of armes without nombre wherfore say vnto hym fro me / I wyl abyde it & he shall not brynge so many / but they shal be al deuoured as this corne is deuoured by this pollayne.

WHen the ambassadours harde this an swere they were ryght pensyue / & so toke theyr leue & departed / & dyde so moche by theyr iourneys y ^t they came to La­morabaquin & shewed hym what the erle sayd saynge by semynge he set but lytell by his ma­nassyng / w ^t this answere Lamorabaquin was sore dyspleased / & sayd howe the matter sholde not rest so / but whether the erle wolde or not / he wolde entre in to his coūtre & in to hūgery & how he wolde dystroy the erles countrey by cause he answered hym so presumptuously. ¶Nowe shall I shewe you what the crle dyd for he sawe well he was defyed of Lamoraba­quin / & knew wel he sholde shortely here other tydynges of hym therfore he made prouysyon to defende hym / & wrote to al knyghtes & squyers / & to other to come to hym to stoppe the en­tre of Lamorabaquin in to Hungery / cōmaundynge euery man after the syght of his letters to drawe to hym / certefyenge thē howe Lamorabaquin was as then in y ^e playnes of Haulte loge / all suche as the erle sente for obeyed wyl­lyngly / & so came to the erle to defende crysten dome / & dyuers came to hym y ^t were not sente for / suche as harde therof / to exalte crysten faythe / & to dystroy y ^e infydelles. Also the erle Lazaran caused forestes & hyghe trees to be hewē downe / and layde trauers one ouer another / wherby the Turkes sholde not fynde out ony newe way / & then he with all his power came to a certayne passage / where as Lamoraba­quin sholde passe / to entre in to Hungery / the erle had with hym a .x.M. men of Hungery & x .M. crosse bowes & dyd set thē on bothe sides of the way. And also he had redy .ii.M. mē of the countre hauynge grete axes to cut downe the trees when he wolde haue them / & when al this was done / then he sayd to them y ^t were a­boute hym / syrs without doubte Lamoraba­quin wyl come / syth he sente me worde he wolde do so / therfore syrs quyte yourselfe well & valyauntly to kepe & defende this passage / for yf y ^t Turkes wynne it al Hungery is in grete peryll to be lost / we be here in a stronge place / one of vs is worth .iiii. of them / & also we were better to dye with honoure in defendynge our herytages / & the fayth of Iesu cryst thē to lyue inshame & seruage vnder the dogges infydels thoughe Lamorabaquin be a noble wyse man in his lawe / syr sayd they we shal abyde y ^• ad­uenture with you / let the Turkes come when they wyll / we shall be redy to receyue them / of this ordenaunce & passage the Turkes knewe nothyng / for the erle of Lazaran for doubte of spyes had set men suche as he trusted as well as hymselfe to kepe y ^e passages y ^t no mā sholde go to the Turkes nother day nor nyght.

LAmorabaquin forgate not his entre­pryse / but sayd how he wolde go vysy­te the lande of the erle of Lazaran / to his grete domage / for he wolde not be reputed for a lyer in y ^t he had promysed / so he toke .lx.M. of his mē / & set ouer thē .iiii. capytaynes of his house holde / as the duke of Mansyon of Mecque / y ^e keper of Dan [...]et / Alphalor [...] of Samarie / & y ^e prynce of Corde called Brachyn / & at theyr de­partynge he sayd to thē / syrs go your waye w ^t your cōpany / ye be suffycyent to open y ^e passa­ges in to Hūgery / & entre in to y ^e lāde of y ^e erle of Lazaran / & dystroye it / & as soone as I may know y ^e ye be there I shal come thyder to you with all y ^e resydue of my people / for I wyl put all Hungery vnder my subiectyon / & after the royalme of Almayne / the enchauntours of my countrey & of Egypte saye it is my desteny to be lorde and kynge of all the worlde / & the place that I wolde moost gladlyest se is Rome / for auntyently it was of our enherytaūce / for [Page liii] our predecessours cōquered & gouerned it dy­uers tymes / & there I wyll be crowned / & Ga­lafre of Landas / the racon of Tartarye / & the Sowdan of Babylone shal crowne me / then they who were before hym on theyr knees an­swered & sayd / syr we shall accomplysshe your desyre: & cōmaundement / & so they departed w ^t a .lx.M. Turkes / amonge whom there were .xx.M. of the moost experte men of warre and best armed of all Turkye / & they ledde the vo­warde. So longe they iourneyed y ^t they came in amonge the mountaynes of Lazaryn they founde no let in the entrynge in to y ^• countrey so y ^e vowarde entred in / & the duke of Mecque & the duke of Daniuet ledde them / & so this vowarde passed the Erle of Lazaryus enbusshe­ment / & when the erle & the Hungeryons sawe theyr tyme they set theyr worke mē a worke to cut downe trees & to stoppe so y ^e wayes y ^t there coulde no mo entre / nor they that were comen in to recule they were so closed in y ^t it was not possyble for ony mā to go ony further / so there was thus enclosed a .xxx.M. turkes / who we refyersly assayled by the Hungaryons / and so handeled on bothe sydes of the way that they were there all slayne / not one y ^t skaped / & the .ii. dukes also slayne / some thought to haue sa­ued themselfe in the woodes / but they were so chased y ^t they were all slayne / then they of the areregarde tourned backe whē they saw they coulde not entre for the trees y ^t stopped y ^e way so they retourned to Lamorabaqum & shew­ed hym the grete myschef y ^t was fallē on his people / wherof he was meruayllous sory and dyspleased / thē he called his coūsayle to know what was best for hym to do / for he had lost y ^e floure of all his chyualry / and so retourned & dyd no more at that tyme.

WHen y ^e kynge of Armony had shewed all this / & his owne estate to the frenshe kynge / & to the barons of Fran̄ce & to his counsayle / they had of hym grete pyte and bycause he was come fro so ferre a coūtre as Grece to seke counsayle & ayde there / & by­cause he was a kynge & chased out of his roy­alme / and had as then no thynge to lyue on to maynteyne his estate. ¶The frensshekynge as yonge as he was sayd / we wyl y ^t the kynge of Irmony who is come hyder to se vs in hope to haue some cōforte / helpe & ayde of vs to ke­pe his estate as it aperteyneth to hym / who is a kyng as wel as we be / & whē we may weshal ayde hym w ^t men of warre / & helpe to recouer his [...]herytaūce wherto we haue good wyl / for we are bounde to exalte y ^e crysten faythe. The frensshe kynges wordes were well harde and vnderstande / as it was reason / & there were none y ^t sayd the contrary / the kynges vncles & counsayle were desyrous to accomplysshe his entent / so the kynge of Armony to maynteyne his estate there was assygned to hym a certayne rente & reuenues out of the chambre of ac­comptes / & so was well & truely payde euery moneth / his assygnement was a .vi.M. fran­kes by the yere / & he had delyuered hym at the fyrst .v.M. frākes to prouide for his lodgyng vessel & other thynges necessary / & his lodgynge apoynted at saynt Andon besyde saynt Denyce there to kepe his house. Thus y ^e kynge of Armony was reteyned by y ^e Frensshe kyng at his fyrst comynge / & dayly he encreased / & not apayred / & was somtyme with the frensshe kynge / and specyally at hyghe feestes.

THe same season there came to Au [...] gnyon to se the pope Clement / syr Othes of Bresnyl to haue money for y ^e warre he had made for hym agaynst y ^e Romayns & Bertram of A [...]gles / who wrote hymselfe pope Vrban y ^e vi. as it is cōteyned in his hystory here before & there syr Othes shewed dyuers thynges to the pope / & to y ^e Cardynalles / wherin he was wel byleued & harde / but as for money he coulde gete none / for y ^e popes chambre was so cle­ne voyded fro golde & syluer / y ^t y ^e Cardynals coulde not haue y ^e money y ^t perteyned to theyr hattes. So this syr Othes of Bresnyll departed fro thē not wel content. At Auyg [...]yon there was delyuered hym a .M. frankes / & he set lytell therby / wherby pope Clementes warre was sore weked / for syr Othes wolde in no wyse medle ony more in the popes warres. Thē Margaret of Duras who was at Gaiecte / & was aduersary agaynst the quene of Naples wyfe sōtyme to kynge Lewes duke of Aniow She sente for this syr Othes to ayde her in y ^• warre y ^t she made agaynst the Napolytanes / and this syr Othes a certayne space exscused hymselfe / and dyssymuled and foded forth the tyme as he that wyst not what to do / then so­me of his counsayle dyde put hym in mynde to go to this Margaret of Duras who was [Page] enherytoure to Naples & to Cycyle / & to helpe to ayde & to defende her heritage / & to take her to his wyfe / for she was contente to mary hym bycause he was of a noble blood & of hyghe extraccyon / & was lorde & kynge of the countrey called Daure / and some other of his coūsayle counsayled hym contrary / saynge how he my­ght therby come to an euyll ende / for the chyl­drē of kynge Lewes of naples who was crowned kynge in the Cyte of Bare thoughe they were but yonge / yet they had grete frendes & kynsmen / & specyally the frenlshe kynge theyr cosyne germayne who wyl ayde them / & theyr moder Iohan duches of Amowe & of Mayneal these doubtes some of his counsayle shewed hym / wherfore syr Othes forbare a longe sea­son & dyssymuled the mater and toke none of bothe partyes. The same season y ^e sowdyours of pope Clement enclosed in y ^e Cyte of Peras pope Vrban / & was besyeged by the lorde of Moctroy a valiaunt knyght of the countye of Genes & of Sauoy syr Talebart a knyght of the Rodes / and syr Bernarde de la sale. And there pope Vrban was sore constrayned & on y ^t poynte to haue ben taken / for as I was then enformed for the some of .xx.M. frankes a ca­pytayne almayne / who had a grete company with hym called the erle Courant wolde haue delyuered pope Vrban in to y ^e handes of pope Clement / whervpon syr Bernarde de la sale was sent to Auygnyon to pope Clement for y ^e sayd some of money / but the pope nor the Cardynalles there coulde not make the money for y ^e popes courte was so poore that they had no money / and so syr Bernarde de la sale retour­ned euyll content to the syege of Pruce / and so then they dyssymuled the matter / and the Prucyens in lykewyse / and also this erle Courant and so pope Vrban yssued out of Pruce & out of peryll and wente to Rome and abode there

I Knowe ryght well that in tyme to come there wolde be had moche of these thyn­ges howe the churche sholde fall in suche troubles & endure so longe / but it was a plage sent fro god / for the clargy to aduyse & to consydre well theyr grete estate & superfluyte that they were in but many dyde sette lytell therby / for they were so blynded with pryde that eche one thought to be as good as another / wherfore it wente euyll / & yf our fayth had not ben confyrmed in y ^e handes & grace of y ^e holy goost who [...]nlumyned the harte of them y ^t were gone out of the ryght way / & helde them ferme in vnyte elles our fayth had be gretely defourmed / but the grete lordes of the erthe at the begynnyng dyd nothynge but laughe at the chyrche / tyl I Cronycled these Cronycles in the yere of our lorde Ihesu Cryst .M.CCC.lxxx. and .x. moche of the comon people meruayled howe the grete lordes as the Frensshe kynge / the kynge of Almayne / and other kynges and prynces of crystendome / dyd prouyde no remedy in that case. There was one thynge reasonable to appease the comon people / & to escuse the hyghe prynces & kynges / dukes & Erles / & other lor­des. As by ensample the yolke of the egge can not be without the whyte / nor the whyte with out the yolke / no more maye the Clergy & the lordes be one without another / for the lordes are gouerned by y ^e Clergy / or they coulde not lyue but as beestes & the Clergy were not / & y ^e Clergy counsayleth and exhorteth the lordes to do as they do. And I say surely I haue ben in my tyme in dyuers partyes of the worlde / what for to accomplysshe my pleasure / and to se noueltyes in the worlde / and to haue knowledge of the conquestes & aduentures wryten in this boke. And truely the season y ^t I wente thus aboute in the worlde I coulde lyghtly se no grete lorde / but that he had a marmoset / or of y ^e Clergy / or a boy of symple lygnage mounted vp to honoure / by reason of theyr Iange­lyng & raylynge / excepte the erle of Foys / for he had neuer none suche / for he was naturally sage / for his wysdome was better / than ony y ^t coulde be gyuen hym / yet I say not that suche lordes as are ruled by suche marmosettes be fooles / but rather more then fooles / for they be sore blynded / & yet they haue two eyen / whan the knowledge came fyrst to y ^e frensshe kynge Charles of the dyfference bytwene these two popes he dyd put the matter on y ^e Clergy whiche way he sholde take them / they of the clergy of Fraunce determyned & toke pope Clement for the moost surest parte / and to the Frensshe opynyon acorded the kynge of Castel and the kynge of Scottes bycause all the season that the scysme was thus in the chyrche / Fraunce / Castell & Scotlande were ioyned togyder by alyaunce / & the kynge of Englonde / & y ^e kynge of Portyngale were of the contrary oppynyō agaynst theyr enemyes / the erle of Flaundres neuer inclined in his courage to pope Clemēt y ^t he sholde be ryght pope bycause Vrbā was fyrst chosen at Rome / who was archebysshop of Bare. This Clement beynge Cardynall of Geane wrote lettres vnto the noble Erle of [Page liiii] Flaunders howe there was a pope chosen by due electyon at Rome & named Vrban / wher­fore he wolde not byleue after on y ^t Clement / & as longe as he lyned he was of that opynyon / so was the kynge of Almayne and all the Em­pyre / and also y ^e kynge of Hungry. Thus then I put in wrytynge the state and dyfferences y ^t I had sene in my dayes in the worlde and in y ^e chyrche / it was no meruayle thoughe y ^e lordes of the worlde suffered & dyssymuled y ^e matter. This brought to my remembraunce howe y ^t when I was but yonge / and pope Innocent caygned in Auygnyon / he helde in pryson a freer mynoure called freer Iohn̄ Roche Tayllad / this clerke as it was sayd / & I haue herde it pryuely in dyuers places / he shewed & aled­ged dyuers auctorytes of the incydentes and fortunes y ^t fell after in his dayes in y ^e royalme of Fraunce. And also he spake of the takynge of kynge Iohn̄ / and shewed certayne thynges reasonable howe the chyrche sholde suffre moche for y ^e grete superfluytes y ^t he sawe in them and while he was in prison it was shewed me what he sayd to the Cardynall of Ostie called Dearras / and to y ^e Cardynall of Auxere who wente to vysyte hym and to argue with hym / thē he layde to them an ensample as hereafter ye shall here.

LOrdes sayd this freer / there was ones a fowle appered in this worlde with­out ony fethers / & when al other fowles knew y ^t he was borne they came to se hym bicause he was so fayre and pleasaunt to beholde. Then they ymagyned amonge them what they my­ght do for this byrde / for without fethers they knewe well he coulde not lyue / and they sayd they wolde he sholde lyue bycause he was so fayre / thē euery fowle there gaue hym of theyr fethers / and the fayrer byrde the mo fethers he gaue hym / so that then he was a fayre byrde & a well fethered and began to fle. And y ^e byrdes that had gyuen hym of theyr fethers whē they sawe hym flee they toke grete pleasure / & whē this byrde sawe hymselfe so well fethered and that all other fowles honoured hym / he began to ware prowde and toke no regarde of them that had made hym / but pycked and spurred at them and was contrary to them. Then the other byrdes drewe togyder and demaunded eche other what was best to be done with this byrde that they had made vp of nought & now so dysdayneth them / then the Pecocke sayd / he is gretly beautyed by reason of my fethers / I wyl take them agayne fro hym / in the name of good sayd the Fawcon so wyll I haue myne / and so sayd al the other byrdes. And then they began to take agayne fro hym al the fethers y ^t they had gyuen hym. And whē this byrde saw that / he humbled hymselfe & knowledged of y ^e welth and honour that he had / not of hymselfe but of them / for he knewe that he came in to y ^e worlde naked and bare / and y ^e fethers that he had they myght wel take fro hym agayne whē they lyst / then he cryed them mercy / and sayd that he wolde amende hymselfe and noo more be prowde / & so then agayne these gentyll byrdes had pyte on hym & fethered hym agayne / & sayd to hym we wolde gladly se y ^e f [...]e amōge vs / so thou wylte be humble as thou oughtest to be / but knowe surely / If thou be ony more prowde and dysdaynous we wyll take from y ^u all thy fethers and set the as we founde y ^u fyrst ¶Thus sayd y ^e freer Iohn̄ y ^e Cardynalles that were in his presence. Syrs thus shall it fall on you of the chyrche / for the Emperour of Rome and of Almayne and the other kynges crystened / & hyghe prynces of the worlde haue gyuen you the goodes & possessyons & ryches to the entente to serue god / and ye spende it in pryde and superfluyte. ¶ye rede not the lyfe of saynt Syluester pope of Rome after saynt Peter / ymagyne and consyder howe the Em­perour Cōstantyne gaue hym fyrst y ^e dysmes of y ^e chyrche and on what condycyon. Saynt Syluester rode nother with .CC. nor .CCC horse abrode in the worlde / but he helde hym­selfe symply closed in Rome / and lyued sober­ly with them of the chyrche / when the aungell of god shewed hym how y ^e Emperour Coustā tyne who was as then but an infydell sholde fende for hym / in lykewyse the Emperour had it by reuelacyon of an aungell that Syluester sholde shewe hym y ^e way of helthe / for he was syke of the lypper / so y ^t his fless he fell in peces & whē Syluester came before hym he shewed hym the way of baptyme / & so crystened hym / and incontynent he was hole / for the whiche y ^e Emperoure Constantyne byleued in god and all his Empyre / and gaue to Syluester & to the chyrche all the dysmes / for before the Em­peroure of Rome helde them / and besyde that gaue hym many fayre gyftes & grete sygnyo­ryes augmentynge out fayth and the chyrche but it was his entencyon that the goodes and syguyoryes that he had gyuē hym y ^t he sholde gouerne it humbly and truely / and not to spē ­de it in pompe and pryde / but nowe a dayes [Page] they of the chyrche do the contrary wherwith god is dyspleased / and hereafter wyll be more dyspleased / so that the grete lordes of the erthe wyll ware colde in theyr deuocyons / and not be so lyberall in gyuynge ony thynge to y ^e chirche. But rather to be redy to take fro it / y ^t was gyuen before and I thynke it wyll not be lon­ge or this besene. ¶Thus this freer Iohn̄ of Roche tayllayd whome the cardynalles helde in pryson in Auignyon shewed to them these wordes / and dyuers other wherof the cardy­nalles were abasshed / and wolde gladly haue put hym to dethe yf they myght haue founde ony iust cause agaynst hym. But they coulde fynde none / & so suffred hym to lyue / but they durst not let hym out of pryson / for he shewed his matters so parfyte / and layde for hym hy­ghe scryptures / that peraduenture he myght haue made many in the worlde to haue arred / Howbeit suche as toke more hede to his sayenge then I dyde sawe many thynges fall after accordynge as he sayd and wrote in pryson / & all y ^t he sayd he wolde proue by the apocalyps the true prowes wherwith he armed hymselfe who saued hym fro brennynge / and also some of the Cardynalles had pyte on hym and wol­de not do theyr vttermoost to hym.

NOwe let vs leue to speke of these narracyons and retourne to our pryncypall matter & hystory of Spayne / of Portyngale / of Fraunce and of Englonde / and recorde the fortunes that fell in that season whiche be not to be forgotten. ¶ye haue herde here before howe kynge Iohn otherwyse called mayster denyce of portyngale bastarde broder to kyng Don Ferant was in possessyon of the royal­me of Portyngale / by the helpe all onely of .iiii. Cytees in Portyngale. But as for the no­bles and knyghtes of the royalme of Portyn­gale at the begynnynge acquyted them truely to kynge Don Peter & to kynge Iohn̄ of Ca­stell and to his wyfe the lady Beatryce & yet thoughe some helde the opynyon of that lady / neuerthelesse other named her a bastarde for she was doughter to a lady in Portyngale called Elynoure / who had as then her fyrst hus­bande on lyue a knyght of y ^t countre syr Iohn̄ Laurence of Coygne / and y ^e kynge of Portyngale had taken her fro hym / and the kynge maryed her and put her husbande out of Portyngale who wente and dwelled with the kynge of Castell for he durst not dwell in Portyngale for fere of the kynge who helde his wyse / & yet he was of hyghe lygnage. These thynges are to be meruaylled at. For kynge Ferant of Portyngale reputed his doughter as lawful­ly begotten for he had a dyspensacyon of pope Vrban the .vi. And then y ^e peas was made bytwene the .ii. kynges of Castell & Portyngale & that a knyght of the royalme of Portyngale called syr Iohn̄ Ferant Andere who was che­fe of counsayle with the kynge of Portyngale treated of peas and made y ^e mariage bytwene kynge Ferant of Portyngalles doughter and kynge Iohn̄ of Castell who was as thē a wyddower / and had maryed before y ^e doughter of Don Peter kynge of Aragon / thoughe y ^e kynge of Castell & his counsayle dyd cast all these doubtes / and howe they fered lest the kynge of Portingales doughter sholde not be taken as heyre of Portyngale after her faders dysseas but to put in suretye therof y ^e kynge of Castell the kynge of Portyngale caused dyuers of the chefe lordes of Portyngale to swere that after the kynges dysseas to take her as theyr lady / & to tourne the royalme of Portyngale to y ^e kynge of Castel. Also y ^e kynge of Portyngale had bounde certayne good townes to the kynge of Castel to take hym as theyr kynge on y ^e payne of forfayture of .ii. thousande frankes / & thou­ghe this knyght Iohan Ferant Andere dyde his busynes for a good entente to make peas & concorde bytwene Castell and Portyngale at y ^e instaunce of his lorde / yet y ^e comons of Lyr­bone slewe hym / and chase to theyr kynge this mayster Deuyce / for they sayd they wolde not be vnder the subiectyon of them of Castell / they hated them so moche / for they coulde ne­uer loue togyder / & also they sayd y ^t the crow­ne of Portyngale myght not go to a woman / and that the quene of Castell was not true he­rytour but a bastarde & worse then a bastarde for kynge Ferantes lyuynges / and after his dethe Iohan Ferant of Coygne lyued / who was husbande to that ladyes moder / and therfore they chase this mayster Denyce and was crowned by these .iiii. Cytees Lyrbone / Vyc / Eure / and the porte of Portyngale / they sayd they wolde haue a kynge amonge them / & one of the chefe incydentes that moued y ^e comons to be agaynst the kynge of Castell was as I shall shewe you. The Spanyardes whom I call Castellyans when the maryage was ma­de bytwene them and Portyngale / and that y ^e kynge of Portyngale had graunted that after his dysseas the royalme sholde go to the kyng of Castell / euer when the Spanyardes mette [Page lv] ony of the Portyngales they wolde mocke thē and say / syrs whether ye wyll or not nowe ye shall come to our daunger / we shall holde you vnder subiectyon and seruage / and kepe you lyke slaues and Iues / and do with you as we lyst / & they wolde answere & saye they trusted that sholde neuer be / & neuer to be vnder sub­iectyon of ony other man lyuyng excepte god / and for suche causes and wordes reprouable of the Spanyardes / y ^e Portyngales toke this mayster Denyce basterde broder to kynge Ferant & made hym kynge / in his broders dayes there was no rekenynge made of hym / nor the kynge / that the comons wolde neuer haue chosen hym to theyr kynge / and forsake his dou­ghter as they dyd. Howbeit often tymes this sayd knyght syr Iohn̄ Ferant Andere sayd to the kynge / how that this mayster Denyce his basterde broder had gretely the grace of the comons of the royalme / wherfore he sayd it had ben good he had ben put to dethe / but kynge Ferant answered and sayd howe the comons sholde neuer haue puyssaūce to do ony thynge agaynst the wyll of the noble men of his countrey / and how that his sone in lawe the kynge of Castell sholde euer be puyssaunt ynough to constrayne them / and to chastyce them yf they rebelled after his dyssease / Wherfore he sayd there was noo cause to put his bastarde bro­der to deth nor put hym in pryson / sayng how he was his broder and a man of relygyon and had ynoughe to lyue on besyde the crowne of Portyngale / and so he was lefte alyue.

THese foresayd poyntes and artycles be true / for I the auctoure of this booke haue ben sufficyently enfourmed therof by the nobles of Portyngale / it is a thynge to be meruayled at / to make a bastarde a kynge / & they of Portyngale saye / and as yet sayth / that the quene of Castel the lady B [...]autryce / doughter to y ^e lady Elynour of Coygne was a bastarde therfore they wolde not take her as quene of Portyngale / nor none heyre that came of her / the same opynyon the erle of Foys layde to y ^e knyghtes of his countrey when they wente in to Spayne to ayde the kynge of Castel / for he had ben suffycyently infourmed in the matter bytwene Portyngale and Castel / wherfore he sayd to thē at theyr departyng. Syrs ye haue nothynge to do to busy yourselfe bytwene Castell and Portyngale / for the quene of Castell who was doughter to kynge Ferant of Por­tyngale / it is a warre euyll begon / there maye moche euyl come to them that be busye in that matter / but they answered hym syth they had receyued wages of suche a man as the kynge of Castell was / they must nedes go and serue hym / and so they wente / & moost parte of them there dyed / as ye haue herde here before.

NOwe let vs retourne to the busynes of Portyngale. For they be not for to be lefte for the grete aduentures that there hathe fallē. And to cronycle al thynges as they haue fallen / to the entente that in tyme to come they sholde be founde / wryten / and regystred / yf aduentures were not knowen it were grete do­mage. And by clerkes y ^t auncyently haue wryten and regystred the hystoryes and bookes / therby y ^e hystories are knowen / there is not so perpetuall a memory as is wrytynge / & truely I saye to you & wyll that they that come after me sholde knowe / that for to knowe the trouth of this hystory I haue taken therin grete payne in my dayes / and haue serched many royalmes and countreys to knowe the trouthe / and haue had acquayntaūce of many valyaunt mē and haue sene dyuers bothe of Fraunce / of Englonde / of Scotlande / Castell / Portyngale / & of other landes / Duchyes / and Countyes / su­che as they and theyr landes hath ben conioy­ned in these warres / & with them I haue spo­ken and ben instructed and infourmed / and I wolde not that ony enquest sholde passe vn­knowen / syth I knewe it to be true and nota­ble. And whyle I was in Byerne with y ^e erle Gaston of Foys / I was there enfourmed of dyuers busynesses / suche as fell bytwene Ca­stell and Portyngale / and when I was re­tourned agayne in to my countrey in the countye of Heynalte / and in the towne of Valen­cennes / and that I had refresshed me there a season / then I determyned me to folowe the hystory y ^t I had begon / then I aduysed in myne ymagynacyon / howe I coulde not suffycyently be instructed by the herynge of them that susteyned the opynyon of the kynge of Castell / but that in lykewyse I ought to here the Por­tyngales as well as the Gascoynes and Spanyardes that I herde in the house of the erle of Foys / and in the waye goynge thyder and re­tournynge / I toke noo regarde to the payne or trauayle of my body / but so I wente to Bruges in Flaundres to fynde there some of y ^t royalme of Portyngale and of Lyxbone / for there were euer some of y ^• countrey / beholde if myne aduenture were good or no yf I had sought a [Page] season .vii. yere I coulde not haue come to a better poynte then I dyd then / for then it was shewed me that if I wolde go to Meldeboure in Selande I sholde fynde there a knyght of Portyngale / a valyaunt man and a sage / and of the kynge of Portyngales counsayle / who was newly come thyder / & was goynge thens by see in to Pruce / & howe he coulde iustly and playnly shewe me of the busynes and aduen­tures of Portyngale / for he knewe & had ben ouer all the countrey. These tydynges reioy­synge me and so I wente fro Bruges with one of Portyngale in my company / who knewe ryght wel this knyght / and so we came to Sluse and there toke the see / and dyd so moche by the grace of god that we came to meldeboure / and the Portyngales that were in my company a­quaynted me with this knyght / and I founde hym ryght gracyous / sage / honourable / cour­toys / amyable / and acquayntable / & so I was with hym .vi. dayes or there aboute. And this knyght enfourmed me of all y ^e busynes bytwene the royalme of Castel and Portyngale syth the dethe of kynge Ferant tyll the departynge of that knyght out of that countrey / he shewed me euery thynge so playnly and so gracyously that I toke grete pleasure to here hym / and to wryte it. And when I was enfourmed by hym of all that I desyred to knowe / I toke leue of hym / and he conueyed me to my shyp / & so dyd dyuers other ryche merchauntes of his coun­trey / who were come fro Bruges / & fro other places to se hym / & in his company there was the sone of Nauarre in Portyngale / & dyuers other knyghtes and squyers of that royalme / but he had the chefe honoure amonge them / & certaynly by that I coulde se and ymagyne of hym and of his estate he was worthy to haue honour / for he was of noble porte / and goodly stature / and lykely to be a valyaunt man. And whē I retourne agayne fro Rome in to myne owne countrey I shall busy me to make rela­cyon of the wordes of this gentyll knyght cal­led syr Iohn̄ Ferant Porteler / and shall cronycle all that hathe fallen in Portyngale and in Castell vnto the yere of our lorde .M.CCC.lxxx. and x.

HOwe sheweth the hystory y ^t after this mayster Denys kyng Iohn̄ of Portyngale had dyscomfyted kynge Iohn̄ of Castell at y ^t batayle of Iuberoth nere to y ^e abbaye called y ^e Cabbase where as so many noble knyghtes & squyers of Fraunce / Gascoyne / and Byerne were slayne / and that the kynge of Portyngale for that fayre & vyctoryous iourney was gretely doubted and honoured of the Portyngales / & was receyued after his vyctory in to Lyxbone with grete glory of al the people / & there with grete tryumphe was crowned with lawrell / as auncyently kynges were wonte to be crowned / after they had dyscomfyted ony kyng in batayle and there in Lyxbone was grete feest or the departure of suche knyghtes and squyers as were there / and the counsayles of the good tow­nes and cytees of y ^t royalme. Then there was a parlyament and a counsayle holden / howe they might perceyuer in theyr opinyon on honourably / for certayne of the sages of the royalme sayd howe it was necessary for them to se how they myght fortefye themselfe agaynst y ^e kyng of Castel & his puyssaunce / so y ^t they myght honourably abyde in theyr victory / & multiply & exalte in this parlyament at Lyxbone holdē in the cathedrall chyrche of saynt Dominicke. There were many deuyses recyted whiche nede not to be rehersed / but the rest and conclu­syon of this parlyament was that they sholde sende in to Englonde to the duke of Lancastre who claymed of ryght the enherytaūce of Castell / by reason of y ^t lady Constaunce his wyfe eldest doughter to kynge Don Peter of Ca­stell / and to wryte to hym that if euer he wolde clayme ony ryght in the royalme of Castell / & to set forwarde his busynes / whiche longe ha­th hanged in balaunce / and in aduenture to be lost / y ^t wolde come in to Portyngale with a company of men of armes and archers / for as then it was tyme conuenyent for hym so to do Then the erle of Nauarre constable of Por­tyngale in fayre language sayd. Syth we be agreed to sende in to Englonde to the duke of Lancastre by whome we thynke to be ayded / whiche is the moost profytablest waye for vs / to cause our enemyes to feare vs / therfore let vs aduyse in our royalme sage personages & notable to do this message / & to enfourme so y ^e duke of Lancastre and his counsayle to come in to this countrey so stronge as to resyst our [Page lvi] enemyes with suche ayde as he shall haue of vs / for we may well suppose that the kynge of Castell wyll gete grete ayde of the Frensshe kynge. The Frensshe men of warre wote not where better to enploy theyr season / for they haue peas w ^t Englonde vnto the feest of saynt Iohn̄. And also the Frensshe men haue ferme peas with y ^t Flemynges / who hath occupyed them before dyuers yeres. The erle of Nauerres wordes were well accepted / and euery mā sayd howe he spake well to the poynte / and y ^t so they wolde do. Then there were named by sad dely beracyon of counsayle that the grete mayster of saynt Iaques in Portyngale and Laurence Fongasse a ryght sage and dyscrete squyer who coulde ryght well speke y ^e language of Fraunce / howe they sholde goo on this message in to Englonde / for they coulde sende none of the counsayle of Portyngale that better coulde doo that message then they. Then there were letters wryten in good Frensshe & in Latyn to the kynge of Englonde / to y ^t duke of Lancastre / & to his bretherne y ^e erle of Cambrydge and Bokyngham. And when these letters were wryten and grosed vp in Frensshe & in Latyn / then they were redde before y ^t kyng & his counsayle there / & well lyked / & so sealed & delyuered to the grete mayster of saynt Ia­ques / & to Laurence Fongase / who toke on thē y ^e charge to bere them in to Englonde / so they myght passe the daungere of the see / & encoūteryng of ony enemyes & robbers of y ^e see / for as wel there were robbers on y ^e see as on y ^e lande So they toke a shyp called y ^e Lyn whiche wolde sayle with all maner of wyndes more sure­lyer then ony other shyp. So on a day they toke theyr leue of the kyng & of the archebysshop of Connymbres / and of the grete counsayle of Portyngale / and wente to the see / and sayled towarde Englonde / and were .iii. dayes on y ^e see without syght of lande / and on the fourthe day they sawe Cornewall.

THey sped so well by theyr iourneys / & by the ayde of god and good wynde y ^t they costed Cornewell and y ^t boundes of En­glonde / and so aryued saufely without peryll in the hauen of Hampton / and there cast ancre and so yssued out of theyr shyppe / and wente & refresshed them in y ^t towne / & there they we­re examyned by the baylyffe of Hampton & suche other as were kepers of y ^• cost of what coū trey they were / & fro whens they came / & why­ther they wolde / they answered to all theyr demaundes / & sayd howe they were of the royal­me of Portyngale / and sente thyder fro theyr kynge and his counsayle / then they were wel­come and had good chere / and when they had refresshed them there and prouyded for horses for them / and for theyr seruauntes. Then they rode to London by guydes / for they knew not the countrey / and so were lodged at the sygne of the Fawcon / and sente backe agayne theyr horses / and it fortuned so well for them that y ^e kynge and his vncles were at Westmynstre / wherof they were ioyfull / they came to Londō in the fore noone / & so dyned / and after dyner they toke theyr letters & wente to the duke of Lancastre & to the duches. And when y ^t duke & the duches knewe of theyr comynge they were ryght ioyfull / for they desyred to here tydyn­ges fro Portyngale / there had ben shewed thē dyuers tydynges / but gretely they dyd nor byleue it / bycause they had no letters therof out of y ^• countrey. Then y ^e grete mayster of saynt Iaques & Laurence Fongase entred in to the dukes chambre / and the duches there present / and because y ^t Laurence Fongase coulde spe­ke frensshe he spake fyrst / & when he had made his reuerence to the duke and to the duches / & delyuered them letters fro Portyngale / y ^e du­ke toke his / & the duches hers / and so red theyr letters / & then the duke sayd to the messageres Syrs ye be ryght welcome into this coutrey and to morowe ye shall go to the kynge / & we shall do you the ayde we can / as it is reason. Then the duches drewe Laurence Fongase a parte & demaūded of hym tydynges out of Castell & Portyngale / to euery thynge this Lau­rence answered. Then y ^t duke called for wyne and spyce / & so they dranke / & toke theyr leue & retourned to theyr lodgynge / & in y ^e mornyng they wente agayne to y ^e duke / who had herde masse / and so then they entred in to a barge & wente by water to Westmynstre / where y ^e kynge and the moost parte of his counsayle was. The duke entred in to the counsayle chambre & sayd to the kynge. Syr here is y ^e grete may­ster of saynt Iaques in Portyngale who hath brought you letters fro y ^e kynge / wyl it please you to se them / with a good wyll sayd y ^e kynge Then the .ii. messagers kneled downe before the kynge / & Laurence Fongase delyuered his letters / the kynge toke them / and caused them to be redde / also they delyuered letters to the erle of Cambrydge / & to the erle of Bokynghā eche of them redde theyr letters. The kyng answered y ^e messageres ryght swetely and sayd.

[Page] ¶Syrs ye are welcome in to this countrey / your comynge dothe vs grete ioy / and ye shal not departe without answere suche as shall please you and all your busynes / let myne vn­cles here haue them in remembraunce / so they thanked the kynge and departed out of y ^• counsayle chambre / and wente downe in to the pa­lays abydynge for the duke of Lancastre who taryed tyll it was hyghe noone. Then the du­ke of Lancastre toke his two bretherne with hym to dyner / and wente by water / and these messageres with thē. The erle of Cambrydge knewe ryght well the grete mayster of saynt Iames and Laurence of Fougase / for he had sene them before in Portyngale / wherfore af­ter dyner he comoned with thē of dyuers thynges in the presence of his other two bretherne and demaunded them of the maryage of Ca­stell / and of her that sholde haue ben his dou­ghter in lawe the lady Beautyce. To all his demaundes the ambassadours answered wy­sely and truely / wherby the lordes were ryght well contente and pleased.

TRewe it was that before these ambassadours were comen into Englonde the duke of Lancastre / and the erle of Cambrydge his broder had dyuers counsayles togyder for the ryght they claymed by theyr wystes. The Erle of Cambrydge as ye haue herde before / was not well contente with kynge Ferant of Portyngale nor with the men of warre there / for they had lodged .xv. dayes in the feldes before y ^e Castellyans / and yet kynge Ferant nor the Portyngales wolde neuer fyght with thē yet the erle the same tyme shewed y ^e kynge his defaulte & sayd / syr I haue here in my compa­ny of poore Englysshe mē a .C. speres & a .M. archers. And al we are wyllyng to fyght with our enemyes / and to abyde the aduenture that god wyll sende vs / but kynge Ferant answe­red euer that he was not counsayled to fyght / wherfore when the Erle saw that he departed thens / and toke with hym agayne his sone out of Portyngale / and when he was departed / then the kynge of Portyngale accorded with kynge Iohn̄ of Castell / & maryed his doughter to hym to make the peas / and this treatye was made by syr Iohn̄ Audre a knyght of portyngale. The kynge there had all his trust in hym. The kynge of Portyngale demaunded of his doughter whether she had rather haue the kynge of Castel / or the erle of Cambrydge sone. She answered and sayd howe she loued better Iohn̄ of Englonde then Iohn̄ of Castel The kynge demaunded why she sayd soo / she answered / bycause Iohn̄ of Englonde was a goodly personage and of her age / & that was the cause she wolde not haue the kynge of Ca­stell / howbeit her fader to haue peas with the Spanyardes made that maryage. Also the erle had sayd to the duke of Lancastre his broder that kynge Ferant ones deed / he doubted that the comons of the royalme of Portyngale wolde rebell agaynst the lady Beautryce / for the moost parte of the royalme (For al y ^t theyr kynge had maryed her moder the lady Elya­noure of Coygne.) yet they helde not the kyn­ges doughter to be borne in lawfull maryage but reputed her as a bastarde / and mermured theron whyle the erle was there. Wherfore he was the gladder to take away his sone thens. The duke of Lancastre to whom y ^• matter touched nerer then to the erle of Cambrydge by­cause he had maryed the eldest syster heyre to Castell / and he had a fayre chylde by the lady Constaunce his wyfe / wherfore he euer desy­red to be truely and iustly enfourmed of y ^t bu­synes in those partyes / and dyd set his mynde howe he myght exalte and further his tytle / & he sawe clerely that as then he coulde not haue so good an entre in to Castell as by the royal­me of Portyngale / specyally seynge howe he was desyred and requyred of the kyng of Portyngale / and of the barons and comons of the royalme / & also consyderynge howe the kynge of Portyngale that was then was a noble sa­ge prynce and valyaunt / seynge howe he had dyscomfyted the kynge of Castel in playne batayle and all his puyssaunce / Wherby the du­ke y ^e soner enclyned to go in to Portyngale. And also the kynge of Englonde and his counsayle was agreed therto / but to the entente to be iustly enfourmed of all the busynes / state / and condycyon of the countrey of Castell / and of the ryght that the lady Beautryce claymed to the crowne of Portyngale / and also of the ryght of kynge Iohn̄ of Portyngale whome the comons had crowned to theyr kynge. For this entente on a daye the duke made a dyner to these ambassadours of Portyngale in his owne lodging / and after dyner he made euery man to departe / & called these ambassadours to hym ryght amorously / and demaunded of them of the busynes of Portyngale / and by­cause that Laurence Fougase coulde speke / Frensshe the duke addressed his wordes vnto [Page lvii] hym & sayd. Laurence I requyre you to shew me from poynte to poynte the conducyon and maner of your londe of Portyngale / & what hath fallen there / and in Castell syth my bro­der the erle of Cambrydge was there / for the kynge of Portyngale hath wryten to me that there is no man in Portyngale y ^t can enforme me more iustly then ye can do / and in this ye shall do me a grete pleasure / syr sayd y ^• squyer I shall fulfyll your pleasure / and then began to speke and sayd in this maner.

Syrsyth the departure of your broder the erle of Cambrydge out of Portyngale there hath fallen grete trouble and dyscencyō in the royalme / and in grete aduenture to ha­ue ben lost / but thanked be god the busynesses there / are as nowe in good poynte and fermely stablysshed / but and god had not wrought by his grace the matter had gone euyll / and all thrughe the defaulte of kynge Ferrant last dysseased. This is the oppynyon of the moost parte of the royalme / for kynge Ferrant in his dayes loued sore a lady wyfe to a knyght of his called syr Iohn̄ Laurence of Coygne / and bycause of her beautye he wolde haue her by force. The lady withstode the kynges desyre as longe as she myght / but at the laste he had her and sayd. Dame I shall make you quene of Portyngale / for thoughe I loue you / it is not for your hurte / but to exalte you / for I wyl mary you. Then the lady on her knees wepynge sayd / syr sauynge your dyspleasure. I can haue none honour to be quene of Portyngale for you knowe and so doth all the worlde that I haue an husbande all redy / and haue hadde this .v. yere / Elyanoure sayd the kynge make none escuse / for I wyll haue none other wyfe but you / but I shall quyte you from your hus­bande or I mary you. The lady coulde gete none other wordes of the kynge / and she shewed all the matter to her husbande / and when y ^t knyght knewe therof / he was sory and malen­eolyous / and regarded and studyed what we­re best for hym to do / and sayd to hymselfe / I wyll not thus leue my wyfe / howbeit he doubted the kynge / and wente out of the royalme of Portyngale / into Castell to kynge Henry who receyued hym / and reteyned hym to be of his house as longe as he lyued / and soo dothe kynge Iohn̄ that nowe is. Thus the kynge of Portyngale to accomplysshe his folysshe pleasure / sente for the knyght and for the lady but the knyght was goone. Then the kynge sente for the bysshophe of Connymbres / who was as then chauncelloure of Portyngale / and of the kynges counsayle / and the kynge shewed hym his entent / how he wolde wedde Elyanoure of Coygne / and the bysshop fered the kynge bycause he knewe hym of an hyghe and a fyerce condycyon / therfore he durst not saye contrary to the kynges pleasure / and also syr Iohn̄ Ferant Audere / who was chefe of counsayle with the kynge to please the kynge ayd to y ^e bysshop. Syr ye may wed them wel ynoughe / ones y ^e kynge shal make recompence for all / so y ^e bysshop wedded them / & this lady was crowned quene / & so reputed in al y ^e grete Cytees in Portyngale / and had as moche ho­noure and reuerence as euer hadde ony other quene in the royalme of Portyngale / and the kynge had by her a doughter / who as nowe is quene of Castell. True it was that whyle kynge Ferant lyued / he sente on a day / to Lyxbone for all the prelates and noble men of the coun­trey / and for the counsayles of the Cytees / portes / and townes of Portyngale / and this was or your broder the erle of Cambrydge came in to Portyngale / and there the kynge made euery man to swere and to promyse that after his dyssease they sholde take his doughter the la­dy Beautryce / Who was as then but fyue ye­res of aege / for herytoure of y ^e royalme of Portyngale euery man sware whether they wol­de or not. Howbeit the moost parte of them y ^t were there knewe ryght well that she was but a bastarde / and borne in aduoutrye / for her moders husbande was styll lyuynge / called syr Iohn̄ Laurence of Coygne / who lyued in Castell with the kynge there as longe as kynge Ferant of Portyngale lyued / and lenger / how bert syr I thynke surely yf the kynges dough­ter had ben a sone / that all the comonaltye of Portyngale wolde soner haue agreed to hym thē to his doughter. For to her they sayd they wolde neuer agree / but had rather dye then to be vnder the subiectyon of the royalme of Ca­stell. ¶For as yet the royalme of Portyngale and the royalme of Castell neuer loued parfy­tely togyder / But hathe often tymes haryed / and made warre eche with other / In lykewy­se as the royalme of Scotlande dothe with y ^t royalme of Englonde.

THen the duke of Lancastre demaunded of Laurence Fongase / where kynge [Page] Iohn̄ that nowe is broder to kynge Ferrant was in kynge Ferrantes dayes. Syr sayd the squyer he was in the royalme of Portyngale in a house of relygyon wherin be knyghtes of an ordre in whyte habytes with a reed crosse and he was souerayne of that house / and was called mayster Deuyce. The kynge set lytell by his broder but made hym ruler of that house of Denyce / nor also kynge Iohn̄ that nowe is / medled nothynge with the busynes of the royalme / nor thought nothyng of the crowne therof. For yf kynge Ferrant of Portyngale had thought ony thynge of that is fallen syth he loued his lady Elyanoure & the lady Beautryce her doughter / he wolde haue slayne his broder who is nowe kynge / but bycause he sa­we that he kepte his house with the bretherne of his ordre so mekely and duely he had no su­specte in hym / but so let hym lyue in peas. And syr as for the dyssencyon that is nowe bytwe-Portyngale and Castell / surely syr to saye the trouthe therin / y ^e Spanyardes are cause ther of / Why so sayd y ^e duke / I shall shewe you sayd the squyer. The Castellyans when they sawe that kynge Ferrant had maryed his dough­ter to theyr kynge / then they began to be prowde / and began to speke grete wordes / whiche sore greueo the Portyngales / for the Spany­ardes wolde say. Oye Portyngales rude people lyke beestes / The tyme nowe is come that we shall haue a good market of you / for ye ha­ue ben and shall be ours / we shall deuyde and set you in companyes as we do the Iues who dwelleth by truage vnder vs / ye shall be our subiectes with other venymous wordes / often tymes they sayd thus when they met the Por­tyngales. And whyle kynge Ferrant lyued / & had maryed his doughter in to Castell / they engendred suche an hate that they murmured and sayd / it were better to be deed thē to be vnder the daunger and subieccyon of y ^e Castelly­ans / and so kynge Ferrant fell syke whiche endured a hole yere. And when he was deed and buryed in the chyrche of saynt Fraunce a re­lygyous house of freers in the cyte of Lyxbone Then the cytees / good townes / and castelles in Portyngale closed theyr gates / & they sente for the kynge that nowe is to Lyxbone / who knewe ryght well the ententes of the .iii. other cytees / as Connymbres / Porte / and Eure. Then they sayd. Mayster Deuyce (so he was called as then) We wyll make you kynge of this royalme thoughe ye be a bastarde / but we say that your cosyn the lady Beautryce quene of Castell is borne rather a basterde than you for as yet lyueth her moders fyrst husbande. / And syth it is so that the crowne of Portyngale is fallen in two wayes / we wyll take for vs the moost profytable / and also the moost parte of the royalme enclyneth to make you our kynge / and that the crowne of Portyngale shall not go to a woman / nor we wyll not be vnder the subieccyon of the kynge of Castell / nor of the Castellyans / we had rather ye sholde take all that we haue / to ayde and to maynteyne vs and our fraunches / thē the Castellyans sholde be maysters ouer vs / wherfore syr receyue our gyfte / for we wyl it shal be thus / then this mayster Denyce who is as nowe kynge wolde not receyue theyr offre at the fyrst nor seconde re­quest but answered and sayd. Good people I knowe well of good affeccyon and entyer loue ye offre me the crowne of Portyngale / whiche is a grete thynge / and where as ye saye that I haue as grete ryght or more to the crowne as my co [...]yn the quene of Castell. In lykewyse I thynke the same / for true it is she is a basterde for as yet lyueth her moders husbande and is in Castel / but there is one poynte / ye all alone can not do this matter / it behoueth that al the nobles or grete parte of them agre therto / thē they of Lyxbone answered and sayd / syr we haue ynowe / We knowe all redy the courage of dyuers / and also the oppynyon of them of the .iii. chefe cytees of this royalme besyde vs / as Connymbres / Porte / and Eure / then the kyng sayd / let it be as ye wyl I am content / ye know well that this lady Elyanoure who is called quene of this royalme is as yet here in this cyte / and her counsaylloure with her syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere who wyll kepe the crowne of Portyngale and the herytage therof for y ^e quene of Castell / for he made fyrst the maryage to make peas bytwene Castell and Portyngale & peraduenture the kynge of Castell wyll sen­de for hym hastely to helpe to subdue his rebelles. Wherfore nowe at the obsequye of my broder whiche shal be shortely / wherat most parte of the nobles of this royalme and Cytees wyl be / it were good to prouyde for remedy in that behalfe / then they that were presente sayd / syr that ye saye is true we shall prouyde therfore / as we shall here syr Iohn̄ Ferrant speke / and so as then theyr counsayle ended.

[Page lviii] IT was not longe after but that the obsequye was kepte at Lyxbone in the freers where as kynge Ferrant lyeth / and there were many of the nobles of Portyngale / for they were desyred so to be by y ^e quene and by syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere who gouerned the quene / & there was the kynge that nowe is with a grete nombre of the comons of the countrey / and specyally of the thre cytees Connymbres / Eure / and y ^e porte of Portyngale / for they all agreed and consented to them of Lyxbone. And when the obyte was done syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere desyred in the quenes name the nobles that were there presente that they sholde not departe thens that daye nor the nexte / saynge howe the quene wolde haue theyr counsayles what sholde be done to sende in to Castel for kyng Iohn̄ and his wyfe the lady Beautryce theyr lady / who was herytoure by ryght to the royalme of Portyngale / all the nobles or a grete parte of them that herde his wordes made lytel ther of / for they doubted sore the comons that were there essembled / for they had herde dyuers of them murmure saynge how they wolde crow­ne to be theyr kynge mayster Denyce. Also syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere had herde lyke wordes Therfore he desyred the nobles of the royalme to abyde there with hym to ayde and susteyne his opynyon / but they fayled hym / for as sone as the kynges obyte was done in the foresayd freers / and y ^t quene Elyanour was retourned to her lodgyng / then euery man cryed to horse and so al or the moost parte mounted on theyr horses / & so departed fro Lyxbone / some taryed ftyll suche as were on the kynges partye y ^t nowe is / and they wente to theyr lodgynges / and kepte themselfe pryuely and dyssymuled the matter / for they well ymagyned the matter to fall as it fell / as I shall shewe you howe. when the kynges obyte was done the comons of Lyxbone and of the other thre cytees suche as were there retourned not shortely to theyr lodgynges but wente to the cathedral chyrche of Lyxbone called saynt Domynycke / and there they assembled and mayster Denyce with them / there they had grete counsayle togyder Whiche counsayle endured not longe. For the kynge that nowe is sayd vnto them. ¶All ye good people I vnderstande ye wolde make me your kynge. And surely I saye it is my ry­ght. And yf ye wyll perceyuer in that purpose it is tyme to sette a worke / and to shewe your dede and [...]uyssaunce / for ye knowe ryght well that syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere dothe procure the nobles of the royalme to sende for y ^e kynge of Castell / and he sayth and maynteyneth that the crowne of Portyngale perteyneth to the kynge of Castel by the ryght of my cosyne his wyfe / and I saye yf ye wyll ayde me it is my ryght rather then hers / ye knowe all the ma­ner / for I am a man / & broder to kynge Ferrāt and sone to good kynge Peter of Portyngale who gouerned you valyauntly. True it is my cosyne the quene of Castell was doughter to kynge Ferrant / but that was not by lawfull maryage. Then they of Lyxbone sayd vnto hym. Syr all this is true / we wyll haue none other kynge but you / and we wyll make you our kynge / loke theron who wyll / but ye shall swere vnto vs that ye shall be good to vs and kepe Iustyce / and ye shall not flatter no more with the grete lordes then with the small peo­ple / and ye shall kepe and susteyne with good herte with the ayde that we shall gyue you / all the ryght perteynynge to Portyngale. Then the kynge answered and sayd. Syrs all this I swere / but pryncypally I requyre you to go with me to y ^e lodgynge called y ^e Monnoy where syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere is with Elya­noure of Coygne / for I wyll that he be slayne for he hath deserued it agaynst me / and agaynste you when he susteyneth and maynteyneth other quarelles agaynst your wylles / t [...]enne they all with one voyce answered. We wyll that this be done / for surely he is disobeysaunt and a rebell agaynst you / Wherfore lette hym be put to dethe / and all the other that be rebel­lyons agaynst you Wherby other of the roy­alme shall take ensample. Then they depar­ted togyder from the mynstre of saynt Domynycke to the nombre of .xv.C. all of one oppy­nyon / and the kynge that nowe is with them / and soo they wente thrughe the towne to the lodgynge called the Monnoy where the que­ne and syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere were. And when they came there / they brake vp the ga­tes of the lodgynge and entred therin perforce and they wente in to the chambre where as the quene was / Who was ryght sore afrayde whē she sawe so moche people comynge vpon her / then incontynent she fell downe on her knees before this mayster Denyce / and prayed hym to haue pyte and compassyon vpon her / sayn­ge vnto hym that she knewe nothynge of ony dyspleasure that she hadde done agaynst hym or agaynst ony other. And also she sayd vnto hym howe that as touchynge the crowne and herytage of Portyngale she claymed no parte [Page] But mayster Denyce I requyre you and all the people here present to consydre how kynge Ferrant made me quene agaynst my wyl / then this mayster Denyce sayd. Fayre lady doubte ye nothynge / for ye shall haue no hurte / for we be not come therfore / but for this traytoure / Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere / he shall dye to begyn withall / and then lette the kynge of Castell re­uenge his deth yf he can / he hath ben to longe his proctoure in this countrey / with that worde auaunced forth suche as was ordeyned ther to / who toke the knyght and put hym to dethe & more hurte they dyd not to no persone / but so retourned to theyr lodgynge / and the kynge y ^t nowe is wente to his.

ANd after the dethe of Iohn̄ Ferrant / the lady Elyanoure who had ben que­ne of Portyngale / toke counsayle and deter­myned herselfe to go out of Portyngale in to Castell to the kynge there / and to the quene her doughter / for she was in suche fray by the dethe of her knyght syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Audere that she thought no lenger to abyde in Por­tyngale / for she sawe she coulde haue there no ther honoure nor rest / then she caused mayster Denyce now kynge to be desyred to suffre her to departe / and he lyghtly agreed therto / and sayd howe that it pleased hym well y ^t she shol­de peparte / for he sayd she had good cause soo to do. The lady departed fro Lyxbone with all her company / and she rode so longe by her iourneys that she came to Syuyll where the kynge of Castell and the quene laye / and the same season that this lady came thyder / there were assembled nere all the nobles of Castell / for there they had a grete counsayle on the bu­synes for Portyngale / for kynge Iohn̄ there toke counsayle howe he myght do / scynge the royalme of Portyngale was fallen to hym by successyon / by the dethe of kynge Ferrant / fa­der to the quene his wyfe / Who agreed or he dyed that it sholde so be / and all the countrey in lyke wyse. This lady Elyanoure was re­ceyued with the kynge and with the quene her doughter ryght honourably as it was reason Then she was examyned of all the busynes in Portyngale / and she shewed them the trouthe of that she hadde sene and knowen / and also she sayd howe that it well appered that by all lykelyhede the comons of Portyngale wolde crowne to theyr kynge mayster Denyce / with out the kynge of Castell there agaynst made resystence and defence / and for that cause they hadde slayne her knyght syr Ihon̄ Ferrant of Audere bycause he susteyned / and alwayes he had done the kynge of Castelles quarell / and in all that this lady sayd she was wel byleued for they sawe it well apparent. And also cer­tayne barons and knyghtes of the royalme of Portyngale suche as hadde better affeccy­on to the kynge of Castell / thenne to she kyn­ge that nowe is / bycause of kynge Ferrantes doughter / and for to accomplysshe and fulfyll theyr othes that they had made to the kynge of Castell / at the desyre of theyr kynge Iohn̄ Ferrant when he gaue his doughter in maryage to the kynge of Castell / therfore to acquyte theyr promyse they departed out of the royal­me of Portyngale and wente in to Castell / and lefte theyr owne landes and herytages on the aduenture to recouer them agayne / as the erle Alphons Seroll / y ^e grete pryour of saynt Ihn̄s in Portyngale / syr Delagare his bro­der Ange Syluaste of Geneull / Iohn̄ Aussall and dyuers other to the nombre of .xxv. Wherby y ^e royalme of Portyngale was sore febled / and the royalme of Castell enforced. Then the kynge of Castell made his somons thrughe out all his royalme that all noble men / and all other able to bere armure bytwene .xv. and .xl. sholde in all hast come to hym in to the felde of Sebyll / for he sayd he wolde with puyssaun­ce entre in to the royalme of Portyngale / and conquere it as his owne herytage / at his commaundement euery man obeyed as it was rea­son / for suche as helde of hym / and so they ca­me to the felde of Sebyll / and there assembled to the nombre of .lx.M. men of one and other.

ANd when syr Laurence of Coygne husbande to the lady Elyanoure whome kynge Ferrant of Portyngale toke to his wy­fe and was quene of Portyngale vnderstode that she was come out of Portyngale in to Castell. Then he wente to certayne of the kynge of Castelles counsayle / and sayd to them as in demaundynge of them counsayle. My lor­des and my grete frendes howe shall I do w ^t Elyamoure my wyfe who is come out of Portyngale in to this countrey / I knowe ryght well kynge Ferrant toke her by force agaynst her wyll / and nowe kynge Ferrant is deed / and ye knowe well by reason I ought to haue my wyfe agayne / what counsayle wyll ye gy­ue me therin / and suche as he spake vnto gaue hym counsayle and sayd. Iohn̄ we counsayle [Page lix] you to make no sc [...]blaunt therof / nor demaun­de her not agayne / nor take her not / for if ye do ye shall gretely abate the honoure of the lady and also blemyssheth the honoure of the quene of Castell her doughter / for then ye sholde make her worse then a basterde / ye se howe y ^e kyng of Castell wyll demaunde and thynke to con­quere the royalme of Portyngale as his owne ryghtfull herytage by the ryght of his wyfe. Thus ye shode open clerely whiche is nowe somwhat in doubte and trouble / and without ye take good hede it wyll cost you your lyfe yf ye make y ^e quene of Castel a bastarde / for they of this countrey susteyne her quarell / and say that she was borne in iust maryage by dyspen­sacyon of the pope. Well sayd the knyght / then what is it best for me to do / we shall shewe you sayd they / the best that we thynke is y ^t as sone as ye can gete you out of Castell and go agayne to your enherytaunce in to Portyngale / & leue the lady Elyanoure here with her doughter / we se none other saufegarde for you but this / by my fayth sayd y ^e knyght I byleue you well for ye counsayle me truely and lyke good frendes. So this syr Iohn̄ Laurence of Coy­gne taryed not longe after in Castell / but de­parted and wente to Lyxbone / & there he founde mayster Denyce now kynge and sayd how he was come to serue hym / and wolde be vn­der his obeysaunce / for he wolde take hym for his kynge. Mayster Denyce had grete ioye & sayd howe he was welcome to hym / & so gaue hym agayne all his herytage and made hym capytayne of Lyxbone. Thus syr as I haue shewed you fell the busynes bytwene Portyngale and Castell.

THe duke of Lancastre toke grete pleasure to [...] Laurence Fongase spe [...] he spake so attemperaci [...] [...]o good Frensshe / and [...] bycause the matter touch [...] hym nere and to the en [...]e [...] that he wolde come to the botom of his desy [...] he sayd Laurence speke on hardely / I [...] harde no straunger speke this two yere tha [...] had rather here speke then you / for ye go to [...] trouthe of the matter. Also the letters that [...] haue brought to me fro the kynge of Portyn­gale / testefyeth howe there is nothynge th [...] hath ben done bytwene Portyngale and Ca­stell / but that ye can iustly informe me ther [...] ▪ Syr sayd the squyer lytell thynge hath the [...] ben done as in dedes of armes / but that I ha­ue ben at them / wherfore I can well speke of them / and syth it is your pleasure and volan­te y ^t I shall pursewe my wordes I shall shewe you euery thynge as I knowe. Thus as I shewed you before kynge Iohn̄ of Castel ass [...] ­bled his people as soone as he myght / and so came with a grete puysaunce and strength towardes Lyxbone or the kynge of Portyngale that nowe is was crowned to put the Portyngales in feare / and to shewe howe he hadde ryght to the herytage of Portyngale. And so fyrst he came before saynt yrayne whiche was the entre of Portyngale / & there he rested two dayes / they of the towne with the gouernours therof were in grete feare with his comynge / bycause of y ^e grete nombre of men of warre y ^t were with hym / and soo they yelded vp theyr towne to hym. And after he had taken theyr possessyon / and lefte men of armes to kepe the towne for feare of rebellyon. Then he depar­ted with all his oost / and soo wente tyll he ca­me before the towne of Tuy whiche was ry­ght stronge / there he layde his syege / and a grete parte of them of Tuy helde with the que­ne of Castell / For the lady Elyanoure had it lymytted to her for her dowry / Wherfore ly­ghtely they yelded them to the kynge of Ca­stell / and became his subiectes / and was vn­der his obeysaunce. And when the kynge of Castell hadde taken possessyon there / he lefte men of armes to kepe it. And when he hadde soo done / he passed the ryuer and wente to the towne of Valencennes in Portyngale / and thereto layde his syege / and he sente his messagere vnto them that were whithin / that they sholde yelde them and theyr towne vnto hym. [Page] And they of Valence answered and sayd / let the kynge of Castell passe forth and go to Lixbone / and as soone as they myght knowe that he hath wonne that cyte outher by loue / feare / or perforce / that then incontynente they wol­de delyuer vp the keyes of theyr towne to hym This answere pleased ryght well the kynge of Castell / and so departed fro Valence / In lykewise dyd they of another cyte called Serpe whiche was stronge and fayre / the kyng thought to haue gone thyder / but when he knewe theyr composycyon / he was content and came not there / but so toke the waye to Lyxbone / for he knewe yf he myght subdue that cyte he sholde haue all the resydue of the countrey at his case / and where soeuer he wente he had with hym the quene his wyfe to shewe therby to y ^e Portyngales that the ryght was his and that by good and iust cause he wolde conquere his wy [...]es herytage.

THus kyng Iohn̄ of Castell came with all his oost before Lyxbone / and there layde a grete syege / & shewed wel by his syege that he wolde not departe thens tyll he had y ^e cyte at his pleasure / and gretly thretened mayster Denyce / who was within y ^e cyte and sayd howe that yf he myght gete hym / he sholde dye an euyll dethe / and all the rebelles with hym. The kynge of Castelles oost was grete for he had moche people / for the Spanyardes and Frensshe men that were there closed so y ^e Cyte aboute that none coulde yssue out nor entre w ^t out he were taken or slayne / & somtyme it fell by skyrmysshes and otherwyse that the Spa­nyardes toke some Portyngales / then y ^e Spanyardes wolde put out theyr eyen / or stryke of a fote or an arme or some other membre / and so sente them in agayne in to the cyte commaū dynge them to saye that they dyd / they dyd in dyspyte of y ^e Lyxbonoys and of theyr mayster Denyce whom they wolde make theyr kynge and also shewe them playnly that we shall hol­de this syege here so longe that we shall haue them perforce / by famyne or otherwyse / & then they shall all dye an euyll dethe / and set fyre on the cyte without mercy or pyre. And when the Lyxbonoys toke ony of them they dyd not so / for the kynge that nowe is of Portyngale made them to be well kepte at theyr ease / & so sent them agayne in to the oost without ony hurte or domage of theyr persones / wherfore some sayd in y ^e oost that it was done of a grete gen­tylnes / for he rendred good for euyll. And syr whyle this syege endured whiche was an ho­le yere and more / euery weke there was one or two skyrmysshes and dedes of armes done / & some hurte and slayne on the one parte or on the other. The kynge of Castell helde as well his syege by water as by lande and had plen­te of vytaylles / for it came to his oost from all partyes out of Castell / and on a day it happe­ned at a skyrmysshe that was made at one of y ^e gates / syr Iohn̄ Laurence of coygne who was capytayne of the Cyte yssued out of the barry­ers with his penon of the armes of Coygne before hym / and with hym a good nombre of propre men of warre / and at that skirmysshe there was done many a propre feate of armes / and many a darte cast. By my fayth sayd the duke of Lancastre of all the feates of armes that the Castellyans and they of your countrey dothe vse / the castynge of theyr dartes best pleaseth me / & gladly I wolde se it / for as I here say yf they stryke one aryght / without he be well ar­med the darte wyll perce hym thrughe / by my fayth syr sayd the squyer ye saye trouthe / for I haue sene many a grete stroke gyuen w ^t them / whiche at one tyme cost vs derely and was to vs grete dyspleasure / for at y ^e sayd skyrmysshe syr Iohn̄ Laurence of Coygne was stryken w ^t a darte in suche wyse that the heed perced all the plates of his cote of mayle and a iacke stopped with sylke and passed thrughe his body / so that he fel downe deed / and therwith seased the skyrmysshe bycause of y ^e dethe of y ^t knyght and so was the lady Elyanoure a wydowe in one yere of bothe her husbandes.

FOr this syr Iohan Laurence of Cygne was made grete mone / for he was a valyaūt knyght & full of good counsayle / & after his dethe there was chosen to be capytayne of Lyxbone a cosyne of his a ryght valyaunt mā called pouuasse of Coyne / he made agaynst y ^e Spanyardes thre or foure yssues / and dyd to them grete domage. ¶Thus contynued the syege at Lyxbone / and surely often tymes they within the towne were sore abasshed / for they coulde se no comforte come to them frome ony parte / and when they sawe that none came out of Englonde wheron lay all theyr trust. Thē the kynge that nowe is was counsayled to ha­ue taken a shyp / and so to haue come hyder in to Englonde / for syr Iohn̄ Vadigothz of passe [Page lxv] syr Iohn̄ Cete Dore / and the archedeacon of Lyxbone whom they had sent hyther in to Englonde to the kynge here & to you / & to the erle of Cambrydge your broder for to haue some cōforte & ayde / when they retourned in to Lyx­bone they brought tydynges howe y ^t ye wolde haue comforted them / in the name of god sayd the duke / all that is of trouthe / & so had I done and was redy and at y ^e poynte to haue depar­ted / but as then the warre of Flaundres and of Gaunte dyd let me / for the Gauntoys came hyder for ayde and helpe / and so all suche or the moost parte of them that sholde haue gone w ^t me in to Portyngale wente in to Flaundres with y ^e bysshop of Norwyche syr Henry percy & so that letted my iourney in to Portyngale / in the name of god sayd y ^e squyer / it was thou­ght amonge vs that there was some grete let in Englonde so y ^t you coulde not come hyder / howbeit we dyd as well as we myght / & maynteyned ourselfe valyauntly agaynst the kyng of Castell and all his puyssaunce / whiche was no small thynge / for he had mo then .lx.M. mē by see and by lande / and thretened to byrne / & to exyle vs without mercy. And syr thus why­le this syege endured an erle of our countrey of Portyngale called the erle of Angouse dyd vs on a day grete socour / wherby he attayned grete honoure / for he with .xx. Galeys aryued at the porte of Portyngale with a good nom­bre of men of armes & prouysyon / & so came saylynge by y ^e see before Valence / and thrughe y ^e grace of god he came by y ^e kynge of Castelles army as they lay at ancre before Lixbone who were mo then a .C. grete vesselles / howbeit he dyd his entrepryse so gracyously / and had the wynde at so good a poynte / that in dyspyte of all his enemyes / he entred saufely without pe­ryll with all his galeys in to the hauen of Lyxbone / and at his comynge in conquered .iiii. shyppes of his enemyes / & brought them with hym in to y ^e hauen / of whose comynge all that were in Lyxbone were ryght ioyous / for it cō ­forted them gretely. By my fayth sayd the du­ke of Lancastre the erle of Angouse at y ^t tyme dyd you a fayre seruyce. But nowe fayre Laurence shewe me howe was this syege raysed / and by what maner / I wolde gladly here you speke therof / syr sayd the squyer I shall shewe you with ryght a good wyll.

AS I haue shewed you the syege endu­red more then a yere before Lyxbone / & the kynge of Castell had sworne and auowed that he wolde not departe frome the syege tyll he had the cyte vnder his obeysaunce / without the puyssaunce of a gretter kynge then he was raysed hym therfro by force. And truly al thynges consydered the kynge of Castel kepte wel his auowe / for y ^e puyssaunce of a gretter kyng then he was raysed hym / and caused hym to departe / I shall shewe you howe / a pestylence & mortalyte meruaylous ferefull fell in his oost in suche wyse that mē dyed sodeynly / spekyng one to another / there dyed mo then .xx.M. persones / wherof y ^e kyng was sore afrayde / wher­fore it was counsayled hym to departe thens / and to drawe to saynt yrayne / or to some other parte / and breke vp the syege / and to gyue le­ue to his people to departe tyll the pestylence were seased / whiche he dyd sore agaynst his wyll / bycause he had sworne so solemply to kepe y ^e syege / howbeit of necessyte he was fayne to departe. Therfore syr we say / and hath ben sayd in Portyngale / and it is the comon opy­nyon / that god dyd sende that pestylence in to the kyng of Castelles oost to ayde vs and our kynge that nowe is / for in the cyte wherin we were closed / there dyed nother man nor womā of y ^• sykenes / this grace god dyd for vs. And when the kynge of Castell dyslodged fro Lyxbone / the kynge of Portyngale that nowe is caused all suche as were within the cyte to be armed / and to lepe on theyr horses / and to fo­lowe the trayne of the kynge of Castelles oost and there we dyd then grete domage / for they dyslodged not in good aray / wherby they [...]ost parte of theyr men & promocyon / but the kyng of Portyngale made a crye / that on payne of dethe no ma to take ony thynge y ^t they founde in the felde / nor to brynge ony thyng therof in to the cyte / but commaunded euery thynge to be brente to the entent that it sholde brynge no infeccyon in to the cyte. So prouysyon & eue­ry thynge was conuerted in to flame of fyre / howbeit I thynke suche as founde other gol­de or syluer in money or place brent it not / but saued it as well as they myght. So thus the kyng of castel wente to saynt prayne at y ^e entre of his countrey / & there taryed a season / & sent for more socour in to Fraūce / & specyally in to Gascoyne & Byerne / & in to y ^e lādes of y ^e erle of Foys / & he sent thyder .iii. somers laden w ^t no­bles of castel & floreyns to gyue in prest to knyghtes & squyers / for he knewe well otherwyse [Page] he sholde not haue them come out of theyr houses. And when the barons and knyghtes of y ^e royalme of Portyngale on y ^e partye of y ^e kyng that nowe is sawe howe the kynge of Castell had raysed his syege / whiche had endured more then a yere / they toke then grete courage / & so dyd all the comons of the countrey / and spe­cyally they of Porte Ewre / and Connymbres Then they toke counsayle togyder shortely to crowne to theyr kynge mayster Denyce whom they had chosen and gyuen hym theyr loue / & sayd how that it was goddes wyll y ^t he sholde be theyr kynge / for he had shewed his vertue agaynst the Spanyardes / then a commaun­dement was made thrughout all Portyngale euery mā to come to Cōmmbres at a certayne daye lymytted to the Coronacyon of mayster Denyce / all suche as toke his parte came thy­der / and accordynge to the puyssaunce of that royalme there was moche people / there kyn­ge Iohn̄ of Portyngale was crowned by the bysshoppes and prelates of the royalme with grete solempnyte as it aperteyned / on trynyte [...]ondaye the yere of our lorde god .M.CCC.lxxx. and .iiii. In the cathedrall chyrche of Cō ­nymbres called saynt Maries / whiche daye y ^e kyng made newe knyghtes / what of his owne countrey as of straungers to y ^e nombre of .lx. There was kepte a grete feest .ii. or .iii. dayes and there the kynge renewed all homages of Erles / barons / knyghtes / and squyers / and suche as helde of hym / and there the kyng sware to kepe the royalme in ryght and Iustyce / and to maynteyne al theyr iurysdyccyons / and euery man sware to take hym for theyr kynge and his heyres comynge of hym / male / or female that to dye in the payne neuer to forsake them thus kynge Iohn̄ of Portyngale was crow­ned kynge.

WHen the kynge of Castell knewe how the comons of Portyngale had crow­ned mayster Denyce to theyr kynge / & had sworne to hym faythe and homage / then he was more dyspleased then he was before / for he had thought they wolde not haue done it so sodeynly bycause he had many of the no­bles of Portyngale with hym / then he sayd. I se well it behoueth me perforce to conquere y ^t is myne yf I wyll haue it / there shall neuer be peace bytwene Castell and Portyngale tyll y ^e Portyngales haue amended y ^t they haue done And so after the kynge was crowned he came to Lyxbone / and there taryed & toke grete dy­lygence to set in a good way y ^e busynes of his royalme / & to gete therby the grace / good wyl and loue of his people / and sent his knyghtes and men of warre in to dyuers garysons / in to townes & castelles on the fronters of Spayne / for y ^e kynge of Castell lay at Sybyll. The kyng of Portyngale sent in garyson to Trentouse syr Iohn̄ Ferant Perteler / an experte man of armes / a valyaunt knyght & of hyghe entrepryse / and with hym syr Martyn Vas of Coygne / & his broder syr Wyllyā Vas two experte knyghtes / & they had vnder them .CC. speres of good men of warre well horsed / & to y ^e castell of Lene towarde Iuberoth was sente syr Iohn̄ Radygos with a .l. speres / and to y ^e cyte of Valence in Portyngale was sente syr Iohn̄ Iames of Saulles / to lye in garyson agaynst the stronge towne of Tuy / whiche was as then yelden to y ^e kynge of Castell whē he came towarde Lyxbone / and in Tuy there lay in a garyson a grete nombre of men of ar­mes Frensshe and Castellyans / and to y ^e cyte of Serpe was sente syr Nondech Radygo a noble knyght with .l. speres / but to Porte / to Ewre / and to Connymbres was sente no men of warre / for the kynge thought them stronge ynoughe of themselfe / and true and faythfull to hym. Thus syr in the same yere y ^t the kyng was thus crowned / the garysons were well prouyded for / and often tymes there were en­countrynges / skyrmysshes / and assawtes on bothe partyes / one tyme our men wanne / and another tyme they lost as the aduenture of ar­mes falleth / but specyally there was afore en­countre by them of the garyson of Treucouse agaynst the Castellyans. A Laurence sayd y ^e duke of Lanclastre passe not the matter so breuely / but let me knowe howe it was and what was done when they mette in the feldes / for I wolde gladly here spekyng of dedes of armes Syr sayd the squyer I shall shewe you what was there done / for at the same renconntre I was present & bare y ^t day y ^e baner of syr Iohn Ferant Perteler by whom the busynes began for he was as then capytayne of Treutouse.

THe kynge of Castell had prouyded mē of warre on y ^e fronters of Portyngale who somtyme do to vs domage assembled thē selfe togyder and toke y ^e feldes / and somtyme lost and somtyme wanne. And so on a season a vii. capytaynes of Spanyardes good knyghtes and of hyghe lygnage assembled them to­gyder with the nombre of .iii.C. speres well [Page lxi] horsed hauynge grete desyre to do vs domage as they well shewed / for they came and entred in to Portyngale and toke a grete praye and many prysoners / and yf they had wolde they myght haue entred agayne in to Castell with out ony encountrynge / but they were soo hy­ghe mynded and prowde that they sayd they wolde goo and se the garyson of Treutouse / they of y ^e playne countrey fledde before them / soo that tydynges of them came in to Treu­touse / and when syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Partelere knewe the Castellyans rode abrode / he called for his harneys / and caused the trompettes to besowned / and so awoke all the knyghtes and squyres in the towne / euery man armed hym in grete haste / and mounted on theyr horses / and yssued out of Treutouse / and when they were in y ^e feldes they were a .CC. & so put thē ­selfe in good ordre / and shewed howe they had grete affeccyon to fynde theyr enemyes / and demaunded of them that came flyenge in to y ^e towne where theyr enemyes were / and they answered and sayd howe they were not farre thens / and howe they rode but a softe pace by­cause of the grete praye that they caryed with them / With those tydynges syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Partelere was ryght ioyous and sayd to his company / as to syr Iohn̄ Martyne of Vas / & syr Wyllyam Vas his broder. Syrs I requyre you let vs auaunce forwarde I wyll not entre in to ony towne or Castell in Portyngale tyll I haue sene our enemyes / and fyght with them / and put to my payne and trauayle to re­couer the praye and prysoners that they leede with them / and then he sayd to me. Laurence dysplay my baner / for it is tyme / we shall fyn­de shortely our enemyes / then I dyd as he cō ­maunded me / and so we rode forthe a good pace / and at the last we sawe where the dust rose with the horses of our enemyes / then we toke the vauntage of the sone and came on them / & when y ^e Castellyans sawe vs they helde them­selfe close togyder / and ordred themselfe / and set theyr prysoners and pray on theyr one syde & we approched so nere togyder that we my­ght speke to them / and they to vs / and then we sawe howe they had .iii. baners / and .iiii. pe­nons / and to our Iudgement a .CCC. horse. Fyrst there was syr Iohn̄ Radigos de Caste­nans knyght and baron in Castell / syr Sylue grefye of Albenes / syr Adioutall of Tolet of Cassell / syr Iohn̄ Radigo of Eure / and Dio­stenses of Angouse / & when we were before thē we lyghted on foote / and in lykewyse soo dyd they / and delyuered theyr horses to pages and varlettes / and or we began to cast darces or to doo ony feate of armes the capytaynes spake eche to other / I that was there present herde all the wordes that were spoken on bothe par­tyes / for my mayster syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Partelere whose baner I bare was one of y ^e formest and y ^e wordes that were spoken were by hym and to hym. Fyrst he demaunded why they ro­de in Portyngale ledynge away suche prayes and prysoners as they had taken / then syr Adi­outall of Tolet answered and sayd they wol­de ryde as they lyst / to punysshe them that be dysobeysaunt to the kynge of Castel to whom the herytage of Portyngale perteyned / and by rause they founde them rebelles / therfore they sayd they ouer rynne y ^• countrey & take prayes and prysoners. Well syrs sayd syr Iohn̄ Fer­rant ye shall not lede them longe / for we wyll rescue them / ye haue noo ryght to come and to ouer rynne this countrey / ye knowe wel ynoughe we haue a kynge all redy who wyll kepe his royalme in ryght and kepe Iustyce / & pu­nysshe theues and robbers. Therfore we saye vnto you in his behalfe / all that ye haue taken in the royalme of Portyngale leue it behynde you and departe hens / or elles in our ryght & iust quarell we wyll fyght with you / then the Spanyardes answered / y ^e prysoners that we haue taken we wyll not delyuer agayne / but as for y ^e other praye we wyll take aduyse. Thē the .vii. capytaynes of Castell drewe them to­gyder / and shewed that for all that they were come to se the garyson of Treutouse / yet they wolde haue ben glad to haue departed with­out batayle / and when they had counsayled / thē they sayd howe they wolde leue theyr pray behynde them / but the prysoners they wolde lede with them / Nay not so sayd the Portyn­gales / for we wyll ye leue all / or elles ye shall haue batayle / and so wente togyder / and there was a sore batayle for there were on bothe partyes good men of warre / and the felde where as they fought was fayre and playne they cast eche at other dartes so sore that who soo euer was stryken without he were wel armed was slayne or sore hurte / there were many propre feates of armes done / and there syr Iohn̄ Fer­rant Partelere fought with an axe ryght va­lyauntly / and so dyd his .ii. companyons / on the other partye the Spanyardes fought ry­ght valyauntly. Thus they fought the space of .iii. houres / whiche was meruayle that mē coulde endure so longe in theyr armure fygh­tynge / [Page] but the grete dysyre that eyther partye had to wynne honoure caused them to endure the more payne / and syr surely Spanyardes and Portyngales are harde men in batayle / & specyally when they se it is of necessyte / thus they fought longe that no mā knewe who had the better / theyr batayle was so egall. And syr thanked be god there was nother baner nor penon on our syde that day ouerthrowen / but fynally theyr syde began to open and were be­ten downe on euery syde / so that the dyscomfyture fell on them / then theyr pages fled awaye to saue themselfe / and of the .vii. capytaynes y ^t were there present / there scaped away but one & that was y ^e meanes of his page who brought hym his horse / he dyd his mayster good seruyce that day / and y ^t was Adyentall Cassel all the other .vi. were slayne / for there was ne­uer a man taken to raunsome. Thus syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Partelere & his company obtayned the vyctory of theyr enemyes / who were thre agaynst two / and this was on a tuysday in the moneth of Octobre nere to Treutouse / in the yere of our lorde .M.CCC.lxxx. and .iiii.

ANd after this dyscom­fyture on our enemyes our men mounted on theyr hor­ses / and there we delyuered suche prysoners as the Ca­stellyans had taken before / & also gaue them suche pylla­ge as theyr enemyes had gotten / excepte y ^e bee­stes whiche were in nombre an .viii. hundreth all those we draue in to the garyson of Treu­touse for vatayllynge of the towne as it was reason / & there we were receyued with grete ioye they wyst not what chere to make vs by­cause we had delyuered y ^• coūtrey of theyr enemyes / & rescued that they had lost / wherby we had grete prayse thrughe all y ^e townes of Por­tyngale / & syr in the same yere our men had an­other fayre iourney on theyr enemyes in y ^e fel­de of Sybylle / but syr fyrst I shall shewe you the moost happyest iourney that the kynge of Portyngale had or ony kynge before hym in .CC. yere before / whiche was done within .iiii monethes before that y ^t kynge sente vs hyther our enemyes were .iiii. agaynst one of good men of warre and of hyghe empryse / wherfore our iourney ought to be y ^e more praysed. But syr I thinke ye haue herde therof al redy / wherfore I thynke best to speke not therof / nay sayd the duke ye shall not leue so / ye shall shewe me the hole processe / for I wolde gladly here you speke therof / yet of trouthe I haue an heraulte here with me called Derby who was there at the batayle as he sayth / and he shewed me that suche Englysshe men as were there dyd mer­uaylles in armes / and more by his reporte thē I bileue was of trouth / for there was no grete nombre of them wherby ony grete feate sholde be done by them / for my broder y ^e erle of Cam­brydge when he came out of Portyngale brought agayne with hym suche Englysshmen as wente thyder. But there be many of these He­raultes be suche lyers that they wyll exalte su­che as they lyst beyonde measure / But for all that the noblenes of them that be good is not lost nor enpayred thoughe it be not shewed by them. Therfore it is good to knowe it by the reporte of other that knoweth it. ¶Syr sayd Laurence of all the straungers that were at the batayle of Iuberoth with y ^e kynge of Portyngale / there passed not a two hundred men Englysshe / Gascoynes / and Almaynes / and the grettest capytaynes that were there of the straungers were two Gascoynes / and one of Almayne of the duchy of Guerles. The Gas­coynes were called syr Wyllyam of mountfer­rant / and Bernardon / and y ^e Almayne Albert of Englysshmē there were a certayne archers but I herde none named / but .ii. squyers Northbery and Hartecell / and they were called to counsayle with the kynge and other lordes be­fore the batayle. Well sayd the duke prosede forthe & tell me of that iourney & howe it was fought I requyre you / syr sayd y ^e squyer with ryght a good wyl / for syr to shewe you & other howe it was I am sente hyther fro the kynge my mayster.

THen Laurence Fongase renewed his tale and spake of the busynes of Iube­roth and sayd thus / syr ye haue herde by me / & also by other that after the coronacyon of the kynge of Portyngale at Connymbres / y ^t kyng of Castell who had raysed his syege fro Lyx­bone / for the dethe of pestylence that fell in his [Page lxii] [...]ost / and so wente to yrayne / and it was sayd howe it greued hym sore when he was enfourmed of the coronacyon of my redoubted lorde kynge Iohn̄ of Portyngale / for the kynge of Castell claymed and yet dothe ryght in the herytage and crowne of Portyngale by the tytle of his wyfe doughter to kynge Ferrant whi­che we denyed and yet do / for suche cause as I haue shewed you before / so thus the kynge of Castell was counsayled to sende for mē of war where he myght gete them / and specyally in to Fraunce / for y ^e frensshmen had alwayes ayded hym & susteyned his quarell / and y ^e kynge his fader in lykewyse / and it was sayd to hym by his counsayle / ye nede nothynge but one iourney agaynst them of Portyngale / for by puys­saunce if ye may kepe the felde and fyght with them thē ye shal come to your entente / for there is grete varyaunce all redy in Portyngale as ye se and perceyue well / for there is here with you of the noblest persones of y ^e royalme / and they haue submytted thēselfe vnder your obeysaunce / whiche thynge gretely furdereth your warre / if ye auaunce yourselfe with puyssaūce to fyght to this bastārde of portyngale whom y ^t comons haue crowned to theyr kynge or he gete ayde of the Englysshemen / ye are lyke to ouerthrowe hym / and yf ye wynne the iourney all the royalme is yours / for it is no grete matter to wyn it after / soo by suche counsayle and other thynges Iohn̄ of Castell auaunced hym selfe to sende letters & messageres in to Fraunce / Poictou / Bretayne / Normandy / Borgon & in to dyuers other places where as he thou­ght to haue men of armes / knyghtes & squyres for his money or for loue / or suche as helde ony thynge of hym / and specyally there came ma­ny knyghtes & squyres to hym out of Byerne / and so on a daye as he was at saynt yrayne he auewed his people to y ^e nombre of .vi. or .vii.c. speres & .xxx.M. spanyardes all on horsoacke all hauynge desyre to do vs domage.

TIdynges came in to Portyngale to the kynge and to y ^e lordes there / & to them of the good townes and cytees suche as were of the kynges partye / and it was shewed there what nombre and puyssaunce the kynge of Castell was of / and howe he was fully determy­ned to come and lay fyege agayne to Lyxbone then the kynge of Portyngale & his counsayle assembled togyder / & there the most notablest persones of his royalme sayd y ^t the kyng were best to go out of the cyte and to mete with his enemyes rather then to be enclosed in ony cyte or towne in Portyngale / for yf they were be­syeged they sholde haue moche busynes to de­fende them & theyr cyte / and in the meane sea­son y ^e Castellyans myght ryde abrode at theyr ease where as they lyst and conquere townes / Cytees / & Castelles / outher by force or by loue and dystroy all y ^e playne countrey / and perad­uenture at lengthe them within the cyte / wherfore they sayd to the kynge. Syr yf we go out agaynst them and take a place conuenyent to fyght / we thynke this were best and moost profytable / for syr we knowe well ye shall not peasybly enioy the crowne of Portyngale wher­with we haue crowned you without it be by batayle / and that at the leest ones or twyse to ouerthrowe your aduersary the kynge of Ca­stell and his puyssaunce & yf we may dyscom­fyte hym / then we shal be lordes of the country And yf we be ouercome the royalme is in ad­uenture / but better it were for vs to seke batayle then to be sought on / and more honourable it were for vs / for syr it hathe ben often tymes sene that the setters an hath auauntage of the defenders / therfore syr we wyll counsayle you to sende forthe your letters and messagers to all suche as ye thynke wyll serue you. Then y ^e kynge answered and sayd / syrs ye speke wel & I wyl do as ye haue ordeyned. Then y ^e kynge set his clarkes on warke to wryte letters and wrote to euery man that they sholde come to the porte of Portyngale or nere there aboute at a certayne day lymytted / howbeit all suche as were wryten vnto came not thyder / for as then all the royalme toke not full parte with hym / but dyssmuled and taryed to se howe y ^e matters sholde frame at lengthe / & some were gone out of theyr owne countrey to the kynge of Castell bycause they sayd that the kynge of Castell had more ryght to the crowne of Por­tyngale then our kynge had / howbeit for all y ^t the kynge my souerayne lorde wente to Con­nymbres and there made his assemble of suche men of warre as he coulde gete / and truely he had with hym y ^t choyse men of all Portyngale and of moost auctoryte as of Erles / Barons / knyghtes & squyers / & also he had a .xxv. hun­dred speres of squyers / and a .xii.M. foote mē Then he ordeyned a Constable and marshall The constable was the erle of Nauare / y ^e marshall syr Alne Perriere bothe ryght sage kny­ghtes to conduyte men of warre / then they de­parted fro Connymbres and toke the waye to Cabase that is Iuberoth and rode fayre and [Page] easely to ease themselfe and theyr horses / and y ^t theyr / prouysyon myght folowe them in good ordre / and they had rore ryders one before to a [...]ewe the demeanynge of the Castellyans / at this tyme syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Pertelere was not come to the kynge / he was at the garyson of Dorech a .v. legges fro Iuberoth / & I thynke he knewe not as then that the kynge sholde fyght with his enemyes.

I Suppose the kynge of Castell was wel enfourmed howe the kynge of Portyn­gale was comynge to hym warde with his puyssaunce / and when he knewe it he had therof grete ioy / & so had all his men as they shewed / & anone they determyned to come on agaynst vs / and to tyght with vs / & specyally y ^e gascoynes of Byerne that were there sore desyred to fyght with vs / for they desyred to haue y ^e fyrst batayle / and so they had / and syr Wyllyam of Mounferrant a Gascoyne who was there on our partye sayd surely howe we sholde haue batayle bycause they of Byerne were agaynst vs who euer desyreth nothynge but batayle. ¶Then the kynge of Castell with all his ba­tayle came the nexte daye and lodged at the castell of Lerre a two legges fro Iuberoth / and the nexte day we came to the Cabase & lodged there and y ^t nyght the kynge of Castel lodged but a lytell legge fro Iuberoth / for he knewe well what way we toke / and howe we lodged at Iuberoth.

Syr the Portyngales hath had alwayes gre [...]e trust and confydence in god & in y ^e good [...]ortune of y ^t place of Iuberoth & ther­fore they at that tyme rested there / Why sayd y ^e duke haue they so good hope in that place ra­ther then in another / syr layd the squyer / aun­cyently y ^e grete Charlemayne who was kyngge of Fraunce and of Almayne / & Emperoure of Rome who was in his tyme a grete conqueroure at this place of Iuberoth / he dyscomfy­ted .vii. kynges of y ^e mysereauntes / and there were slayned of y ^e infydelles a .C.M. This syr is auncyently founde in hystoryes and crony­cles and by reason of that batayle he conque­red Coanymbres & all the countrey of Portyngale & brought it in to crysten fayth / and by­cause of y ^e grete victore y ^t he had there agaynst goddes enemyes he founded there an abbaye of blacke monkes / and gaue them grete rente in Portyngale & in Castell / & also syr aboute a CC. yere past there was at the same place a grete betayle & fayre iourney acheued by a lorde that was at that tyme broder to the kyng of Castell / for before that tyme there was neuer kynge in Portyngale / it was called the coun­tye of Portyngale / and so it was that these .ii. bretherne y ^e kynge of Castell & the erle of Por­tyngale had mortall warre togyder for party­cyon of landes so y ^t there coulde be founde no peas bytwene them but mortall warre togy­der. The matter touched soo moche the erle of Portyngale & the Portyngales y ^t they had rather to haue ben deed then to haue ben vnder the subieccyon of the kynge of Castel / & so they toke a day of batayle / & there the kynge of Ca­stell was so puyssaūt y ^t he was .x. agaynst one so y ^t he set nothynge by the Portyngales / so at the cabase of Iuberoth was theyr batayle ry­ght cruell / & fynally the Portyngales obtey­ned y ^• vyctory / & the Castellyans dyscomfyted & the kynge of Castell taken / by whose takyn­ge the erle of Portyngale had peas as he lyst / then the boundes were set of the departyng of Castell and Portyngale.

ANd then bycause y ^e Portyngales saw y ^t god had sente them the vyctory with so smal a nombre agaynst so grete a puyssaunce / then they thought to augment theyr lande & to make it a royalme / so y ^e prelates & nobles of the countrey crowned theyr fyrst kynge at Connymbres & made hym to ryde thrughout his royalme with a crowne of Lawrell on his heed / sygnyfyenge honoure & vyctory as aun­ently kynges were wonte to do / & so euer syth the royalme hath had a kynge / for syr surely rather then the Portyngales wolde be vnder y ^e subieccyon of the Castellyans they wolde take one or other that were ferre of fro the blood of y ^e kynge of Portyngale / & the kynge were deed without yssue male / & syr when y ^e kynge of portyngale that nowe is came to the place of Iu­beroth / all these matters were shewed hym / & thus whyles that the constable and marshall were orderynge of theyr batayles there came to the kynge syr Iohn Ferrant Partelere who came the same morenynge fro his garyson of Dorech & brought with hym .lx. speres / y ^e kyn­ge had grete ioye of his comynge / & when all our bataylles were ordeyned & that we abode for nothynge but for our enemyes / & that our fore ryders were sente forth to aspye theyr dealynge / the kynge then my souerayne lorde ca­me in amonge his men & caused fylence to be made / & then he sayd / syrs ye haue crowned me [Page lxiii] kynge / shewe nowe your trouth & faythfulnes for syth I am so forwarde / & specyally in this place of Iuberoth I shal neuer retourne agayne in to Portyngale without I fyght w ^t myne enemyes / then euery man answered and sayd syr we shall all abyde w ^t you / & knowe for trouthe we shall not flye this daye.

TThus the batayles approched / for the Castellyans had grete desyre to fynde vs & to fyght as they well shewed / & we sente forthe our fore ryders to se & knowe what our enemyes dyd / & they taryed fro vs more then .iii. houres / & that we herde no / tydynges of thē so that we thought we had lost them / howbeit at y ^e last they retourned & brought vs sure worde of them & what nombre they were of by all lykelyhode / & they shewed vs howe theyr vo­warde were a .vii.M. men of armes armed capa pee as fresshe & as well horsed as coulde be deuysed / & in y ^e kynge of Castelles rerewarde there were a .xxx.M. horse of good men of ar­mes. And when our kynge and his company knewe the nombre of theyr enemyes & howe y ^t theyr vowarde were a .ii. legges before y ^e kyn­ge / for the Gascoynes & straungers were not well of accorde with the Castellyans / then we determyned to kepe vs close togyder in our strength / & to make .ii. wynges to our batayle & our men of armes wherof we had but .ii.M. & .CCCCC. speres to be bytwene the .ii. wynges / syr there myght well haue ben sene good ordre of batayle & people well recomforted / & then it was cōmaunded by the kyng on payne of dethe y ^t no man take that daye no prysoner / this was determyned amonge vs for the best / for as y ^e lordes & capytaynes sayd / if we sholde entende to take prysoners it sholde deceyue vs & make vs take no hede of y ^t we sholde do / for it was sayd that it were better for vs to fyght wel then to take hede of takynge of prysoners & to sel our lyues derely as good people ought to do. This worde was vpholden & obserued then our enemyes came before vs close togy­der lyke good men of warre / & then alyghted on foote & trymmed theyr harneys & let theyr horses go / & so came & approched vs fyersly / surely there was the floure of chyualry / and that they shewed well / bytwene vs and them there was a lyt [...]ell dyke no gretter but y ^t a knyght armed myght well passe ouer / howbeit to vs it was a ly [...]tell aduauntage for in y ^e passynge ther of our m [...]en y ^t were on bothe wynges w ^t theyr dartes d [...]yd hurte & mayme dyuers & dyd sore trouble them / & when they were ouer the dyke then they assembled them agaynst vs / for they thought y ^t the kynge of Castell with his grete batayle had folowed them at hande but it was not so / for they were all dyscomfyted & slayne or the kynge of Castell came nere hande vs / I shal shewe you by what meanes they were closed in bytwene vs / & the comons of our coun­trey / who layde on behynde them with axes & other wepons without sparynge & our men of armes who were fresshe came on agaynst thē / & caused thē to recule backe / & to fall in y ^e dyke one vpon another / syr al this was done in lesse then halfe an houre / & there was slayne in the felde of men of armes mo then .iiii.M. & none taken to raūsome / for whē ony knyght or spere of ours wolde haue taken ony prysoner / other of theyr cōpany wolde slee thē in theyr hādes.

THus clerely without recouery the vo­warde of our enemyes were dyscomfy­ted / then came the kynge of Castel with his batayle wherin he had .xxx.M. men well horsed but when they approched it was nere nyght / & they knewe nothynge what myschefe was fal­len on theyr vowarde / & then they came & mu­stred themselfe before vs & a .CCCCC. of thē lepte with theyr horses ouer the dike / but syr al suche as passed ouer neuer repassed agayne / for there was slayne a grete parte of the noble men suche as desyred feates of armes & a grete nombre of the barons & knyghtes of Portyn­gale suche as were there with y ^e kynge of Ca­stell agaynst vs / & when our people sawe our enemyes so dyscomfyted / then we passed ouer the dyke for m .xl. places y ^e dyke was stopped w ^t deed mē / & toke our horses & folowed y ^e chase but y ^t was not ferre for it was nyght / we wol­de not folysshly go ferre for doubte of busshmē tes / nor also we were not so well horsed as the Castellyans / for surely yf we had they had re­ceyued more domage then they dyd / & y ^e kynge of Castell taken or slayne / but the nyght came on so darke saued hym and many other / syr I shall shewe you the names of y ^e moost parte of the noble men of Fraunce / Gascoynes / & Por­tyngales that dyed in the felde at the batayle of Iuberoth.

FIrst the erle Don Iohn̄ Alphons / Serole of Portyngale / the grete pryour of saynt Iohn̄s in Portyngale / Don Dilgaures his broder / Ange Saluace of Geneue / Don Iohn̄ Ausalle / syr dangoues / Medrich / dricho [Page] Persement / Peter Resermant / Lugares of Versaunt / the grete mayster of Calestrane / & his broder called Don Dygo Dygares / Pe­ter Goussart of Seball / Iohn̄ Radigo of Herriers / the grete mayster of saynt Iaques. And of Fresshmen / syr Iohn̄ of Rys / syr Ieffrey Ricon / syr Godfrey Pertenay / syr Espaynolet of Spayne / syr Reynolde of Solyere / a knyght called Lymosyn marshall of the kynge of Ca­stelles oost / & of gascoyns of Bierne / the lorde of Bierne / y ^e lorde of Mortan / y ^e lorde of Bryngoles / syr Raymonde Durach / syr Bertram of Varuge / syr Iohn̄ of Asolgme / syr Raymonde of Valentyne / syr Adam of mourase / syr menuent of Sarement / syr Peter of Sarembiere & dyuers other / mo then .xii.C. knyghtes & squyers all gentyll men. Nowe syr I shall shewe you y ^e names of them that were slayne on our party. Fyrst y ^e erle of Nauare cōstable of Por­tyngale / Galopes Porteke / Peter Porteke / & Agalype ferrant Porteke his broder / Pōnase of Coygne / Egeas Toille of Podich / Dassue & vasse martyne of mielx / & his sone vasse martyne who was stryken with a darte clene thrughe his body. Also there was slayne Goussalenas of Merlo / Alue Porie marshall of y ^e oost a good knyght / Radigos Perriere / Iohn̄ Iames of Salues / Iohn̄ Radigo cosyn to y ^e kynge of Ammoudesque / Radigo Radiges Va­lero [...]ceaux mendignes of valconseaux. Then the duke of Lancastre began to laughe / & Laurence Fongase demaunded & sayd / syr why do you laughe / Why sayd the duke / there is good cause why / I neuer herde so straunge names as I haue herde you reherce. Syrsayd he by my fayth all these names we haue in our countrey & more straunger / I byleue you well sayd the duke. But Laurence what became of the kynge of Castell after this dyscomfyture / ma­de he ony recouery / or dyd he close hymselfe in ony of his townes / or dyd y ^e kynge of Portyn­gale folowe hym the nexte day. Nay surely syr sayd Laurence we folowed them no furder but abode styl in the same place where y ^t felde was all nyght / & the nexte daye tyll noone / then we retourned to the castell of Alerne a .ii. lytel legges fro Iuberoth / & so fro thens to Connym­bres / & y ^e kynge of Castel went to saynt yrayne & there toke a barge & .xiiii. w ^e hym / & rowed to a greteshyp and so wente by the see to Sybyll where y ^e quene was & his men wente some one way & some another lyke people dysmayde w ^t out recouery / for they lost moche / & of theyr domage they are not lyke to recouer it of a grete soason w ^tout it be by y ^e puyssaūce of y ^e frensshe kynge / & bycause the kynge of Portyngale & his counsayle knowe well y ^t the Castellyans wyll pourchace ayde out of Fraunce bycause they be alyened togyder. Therfore we be sent in to this countrey to y ^e kynge of Englande & to you / then y ^e duke sayd / Laurence ye shal not departe hens tyl ye bere w ^t you good tidinges But I pray you shewe me of the other encountrynge y ^t your men had in the felde of Sybyll as ye spake of ryght nowe / for I wolde gladly here of dedes of armes / thoughe I be no good knyght myselfe / syr sayd y ^e squyer with ryght a good wyll I shall shewe you.

AFter the fayre & honourable iourney y ^e kynge Iohn̄ of Portyngale had at the Cabase of Iuberoth / & that he was retourned with grete tryumphe to y ^e cyte of Lyxbone / & y ^t there was no tydynges of ony newe assembly of y ^e Castellyans or Frensshmen / but helde thē in garysons. Then the kynge of Castel departed fro Sybyl & the quene his wyfe with hym & wente to Burgus in Castell / & so our men & theyrs made warre togyder by garysons / & so on a tyme the erle of Nauare constable of Portyngale entred in to Castell in to the feldes of Sybyl with .xl. speres / & came before a towne called Valewyde within whiche there was a .CC. men of armes of castell / y ^e erle of Nauare came to the baryeres & shewed wel howe he demaunded batayle of thē within / who made no semblaūt to yssue out / howbeit they armed thē & when our men had ben there as longe as it pleased thē / thē they retourned / & they had not ryden past a legge of y ^t coūtrey but y ^t they saw thē of y ^e garyson of Valewyde come galopyng after them / & the capytaynes of thē was Dio­genes of Padillo an experte man of armes / & y ^e grete mayster of saynt Iaques in Galyce / & when our men saw thē so comynge they lygh­ted on fote and delyuered theyr horses to theyr pages / & the Spanyardes who were a grete nombre wolde haue set on y ^e pages & varlettes to haue taken theyr horses fro them / some sayd let vs wyn theyr horses / we can not do them a gretter dyspleasure / nor put thē to more payne then to make them retourne on foote / then the mayster of saynt Iaques sayd / naye let vs not do so / for if we wyn the maysters we shal soone haue y ^e horses / let vs alyght a fote & fight with thē / they shall not endure agaynst vs / & thus whyle y ^e Castellyans were arguynge our mē passed oure a lytell water y ^t was behynde thē / [Page lxiiii] & there toke a grete groūde & fortefyed it / & made semblaunt as though they caryed nothyng for theyr horses / & when the Castellyans sawe y ^t they were passed the water / then they repen­ted thē y ^t they had not set on soner thē they dyd howbeit they thought soone to ouercome our men / & so came on them & began to cast dartes & when the Castellyans had enployed al theyr artyllery & had no mo dartes to cast / & had soo contynued theyr assaulte fro noone tyll it was nere nyght. When our men sawe y ^t theyr ene­myes had spente all theyr artyllery / then y ^e erle of Nauare made his baner to passe the water & all his company / so & dasshed in amonge the Castellyans who anone begā to open for they weresore trauayled / weryed / & chased in theyr harneys / so y ^t they coulde not helpe themselfe / but were all ouerthrowne & dyscomfyted / & the mayster oesaynt Iaques slayne / & mo then .lx. with hym & the other fled / & so they saued theyr horses & wan many other fro the Castellyans. How say you syr had not our mē y ^t day a fayre aduenture / yes by my faythe sayd the duke of Lancastre.

And syr bycause of suche rencountres & dedes of ar­mes y ^t our men haue had on theyr enemyes syth y ^e elecey­on of kyng Iohn̄ of Portyngale / the Portyngales are entred in to grete ioy & most comonly say y ^e god is for them & theyr ryght / & syr they say not moche amys to say y ^e god is w ^t thē / for in euery thynge as touchyng ony dede of armes lytell or moche euer syth the dethe of kynge Ferrant / they haue had the vyctory / & y ^e erle of Foys y ^t nowe is one of y ^e gretest lordes of the worlde & full of hyghe prudence / as we knowe by them of his countrey / he sayd y ^t for­tune was with vs of Portyngale / & yf the knyghtes of Byerne had byleued hym whā he de­parted out of his couutrey / they sholde not ha­ue armed themselfe agaynst the kynge of Portyngale y ^t nowe is a wyse and a dyscrete man & fereth god & loueth holy chyrche / & exalteth it as moche as he may / and is often tymes in his oratory on his knees in herynge of deuyne seruyce / he hath ordeyned y ^t for what so euer busynes it be y ^t none speke to hym tyll he be out of his oratory / and is a grete clerke / & taketh ly­tell hede of ony grete sermones / and specyally he wyll haue iustyce kepte in all his royalme and poore men maynteyned in theyr ryght. Thus syr at your request I haue shewed you the maner of our countrey / and all y ^t I knowe of the kynge and all his counsayle / and by thē I was cōmaunded at my departyng fro them to shewe you euery thynge y ^t I knewe. Wher­fore syr it maye please you that I myght haue an answere / Laurence sayd the duke or this tyme▪ I haue shewed you / and yet agayne I say it that your comynge and these tydynges doth me grete pleasure / and ye shall not departe fro me tyll ye be satysfyed of all your requestes / & well answered in that ye be come for / syr sayd the squyer I thanke you / then the duke called for wyne & spyces / & so toke theyr leue & wente to theyr lodgynge to Arcorch to the house of y ^e Fawcon in London / there they were lodged with Thomelyn of Colebrunque.

ANd it was not longe after but that the duke of Lancastre and the erle of Cambrydge his broder had counsayle togyder of y ^t busynes▪ of Castell and Portyngale / wherof y ^e erle of Cambrydge was well contente / for he had ben in y ^t countrey before / more then a yere and he was glad to here of the condycyons & tytles of the kynge of Portyngale / and of the quene of Castell / and sayd to his broder / syr when kynge Ferrant lyued / the Chanon Robsart and syr Wyllyam Wyndesore and dyuers other knyghtes y ^t were there with me shewed me as it is nowe fallen / for they sayd how they had herde dyuers of y ^e same coūtrey murmure on the quene of Castelles tytle to Portyngale therfore I toke away with me my sone / & had no grete affeccyon to that maryage / In the name of god sayd y ^e duke / the squyer that is here of Portyngale hathe declared all the matter / and I thynke we can not haue so fayre an en­tre in to Castell as by Portyngale / for the royalme of Aragon is ferre of / and also the kynge there and his chyldren haue alwayes ben mo­re fauourable to the frensshe partye thenne to vs / Therfore it were not good syth the kynge of Portyngale maketh for vs this good [...] [Page] to refuse it. So on a day for this matter there was a parlyament holden at Westmynstre / & there it was accorded y ^t the duke of Lancastre sholde haue at the costes of y ^e royalme bitwene a .M. & .xii.C. speres of chosen men / & .ii.M. archers / & a .M. of other yomen / & they were all paydein hande for halfe a yere & therwith all the kynges vncles were well contente & specyally the duke of Lancastre to whom pryncypally y ^e matter touched / & as he y ^t sholde be chefe of y ^e armye / and to dyspatche these ambassa­dours of Portyngale / the kynge of Englande wrote to the kynge of Portyngale louynge letters conteynyng grete amyte y ^t he wolde bere to Portyngale / & grete gyftes were gyuē to y ^e mayster of saynt Iaques in Portyngale / & to Laurence Fongase who was alwayes with y ^e duke of Lancastre / & w ^t the erle of Cambrydge & so on a day these ambassadours toke theyr leue of y ^e kyng & his coūsayle / & dyned y ^t daye w ^t y ^e duke of Lancastre & the erle of Cambrydge / & the nexte day they were delyuered / & as I vn derstode the duke of Lancastre sente letters to the kynge of Portyngale / & also by credence y ^t he sholde sende a .vii. galeys / & an .xviii. or .xx. other vesselles to the porte of Brystowe on the fronters of Wales for hym & his company to passe in to Portyngale / so the ambassadoures departed & wente to Hampton / & there founde theyr shyp y ^t taryed for them / & so entred in to the see & had wynde at theyr wyl / & so entred in to y ^e hygh Spaynysshe see / & within .v. dayes they were in the hauen of the porte of Portyn­gale / at whiche tyme the kynge was there and was ryght ioyfull of theyr comynge.

ANd there y ^e grete mayster of saynt Ia­ques in Portyngale & Laurence Fon­gase shewed y ^e kynge & his counsayle al y ^t they had sene & herde in Englande as well of y ^e kynge as of his vncles & delyuered theyr letters whiche certefyed al theyr saynges / then anone after the kynge of Portyngale (Who gretely desyred the ayde out of Englande to y ^e entente to cause his enemyes to haue the more fere) determyned w ^t his coūsayle y ^t mayster Alphons V [...]etat chefe patron & mayster of all his shyp­pes and galeys in Portyngale y ^t he sholde prepayre redy .vii. galeys and .xviii. other grete Chyppes / & to sayle in to Englande to fetche y ^e duke of Lancastre & his cōpany / & so Alphons was cōmaunded thus to do / & he incontynent dyd so and so on a daye departed fro the porte of Portyngale and in .vi. dayes he arryued at Brystowe / at whiche season the lordes of En­glande / for y ^e moost parte were aboute y ^e mar­ches of Wales / for the kynge was there when the duke of Lancastre knewe of the comynge of these shyppes he was ryght ioyfull. Then knyghtes & squyers and al suche as sholde go with hym were sente for / so that in the porte of Brystowe there were .CC. vesselles with the flete of Portyngale redy apparelled for y ^e du­ke and his company / and the dukes entencyon was to haue with hym his wyfe & his chyldrē & to make with them some good maryages in castel & in Portyngale or his retourne agayne in to Englande / for he thought not shortely to retourne / for he saw the busynes in Englande lykely to be harde and sharpe / & how the kyng his neuewe was yonge and had aboute hym peryllous counsayle / wherfore he was y ^e gladder to be gone / & or he departed in the presence of his bretherne / he ordeyned his sone y ^e lorde Henry erle of Darby his lieutenaunt of all y ^t he had in Englande & set aboute hym wyse & sad counsayle / he was a lusty yonge knyght / & was sone to the duches of Lancastre the lady Blaunche doughter to quene Phylyp of En­glande / I neuer sawe .ii. better ladyes nor of more noble condycyon nor neuer shal thoughe I sholde lyue this thousande yeres whiche is impossyble.

WHen duke Iohn̄ of Lancastre had or­dred all his busynes in Englonde thē he toke leue of the kyng & of his bre­therne / and so he wente to Brystowe / & there taryed a .xv. dayes & shypped all his horses & bagages mo then .ii.M. with hay / lytter / and fresshe water for them. Then the duke entred in to a galey well apparelled & had by hym a grete shyp yfnede were for hym / & for the du­ches Constaunce his wyfe who wente in this iourney with a good courage / for she trusted then to recouer her herytage of Castell and to be quene there or she retourned agayne / & she had with her a doughter called Katheryne / & by her fyrst husbande .ii. other doughters Izabel and Phylyp / whiche Phylyp was maryed to syr Iohn̄ Holande who was constable of y ^e oost & the marshall was syr Thomas Mor [...] ­aur who had also in maryage one of his dou­ghters / howbeit she was a bastarde & was moder to y ^e lady mercell damoysel Mary of saynt Hyllary of Hauman / & admyral of y ^e dukes nauey was syr Thomas Percy / also there was syr yon fythwaren / the lorde of Lucy / syr Hen­ry Beaumond de poumins / syr Iohn̄ of But nuell / the lorde Talbot / the lorde Basset / syr [Page lxv] Wyllyam Bea [...]champ / syr Wyllyam Wynde­fore / syr Thomas Tracon / syr Hughe Spenser / the lorde Wylloughby / the lorde Braston / syr wyllyā Fermiton / sir Iohn̄ Dambricourt syr Hughe Hastynges / syr Thomas Wance­stre / syr Mauburyn Liniers / syr Loys of Ro­chestre / syr Iohn̄ Soustre / syr Phylyp Ta­cyel / syr Iohn̄ Bouboufer / syr Robert Clycon syr Nycholas Trenton / Hugyn of Caurele / Dauyd Houlegiax / Thomas Allerey / Hobe­quyn Beaucestre / and dyuers other all with penons besyde y ^e barons they were a .M. spe­res of knyghtes and squyers of good men of armes / and .ii.M. archers / and a .M. of other tawle yomē / they had a fayre season as in y ^e moneth of May whiche is lyghtly pleasaunt and peasyble / and so they sayled coostynge the Ile of wyght and Gernsey tyll they came open on y ^e coost of Normandy they were .CC. sayles & it was a grete beautye to se the galeys glyde on the see approchynge the lande full of men of armes and arches sekynge for some aduentures / for it was sayd to them that the armye of Normandy was on the see / and truely so they were tyll the Englysshe flete appered before y ^e boundes of Ouarentyne / but they knewe by theyr balengers that the armye of Englande was comynge / and therfore they withdrewe themselfe in to the hauen of Harflewe.

THere is lyghtely nothynge but that it is knowen / and specyally of dedes of armes / for lordes / knyghtes / and squyers wyl gladly talke togyder therof / When the dyscomfyture was at Iuberoth where as the kynge of Castell toke suche losse as ye haue herde / tydynges therof came in to Franuce as it was reason / for there were many there that had lost at y ^e batayle theyr frendes and kynsmen / and as then there was no warre so lykely to be as in Castell / also they herde true reporte howe y ^e duke of Lancastre claymed as his ryght enherytaunce the herytage of Castell / and howe he had raysed in Englonde a grete armye to the entente to drawe in to Castell or in to Portyngale / so then knyghtes & squyers of y ^e low marches to auaunce theyr honoure drewe & sente eche to other to determyne howe they myght best drawe in to Castell / some coūsayled to go thyder by lande to eschewe y ^e perylles of y ^e see / & also to scape fro the encountrynge of y ^e En­glysshe nauye / & some sayd nay therto / for they sayd y ^e passage by lande was ouer longe. And also they thought y ^t the kynge of Nauare was not clerely fauourable to y ^e frensshe partye / for the frensshmen & he loued but smally togyder / for it was sayd / & true it was the frensshe men had taken fro hym all his enherytaūce in Normādy / howbeit I can not tell yf his quarel were iust or not / so thus these cōpanyōs doubted gretely the perylles y ^t myyght fall by goynge by lande as well for the kynge of Nauare as for other / & they thought they sholde neuer co­me there by the way thrugh Aragon / so at last they concluded to go to Rochell as they dyd / & there to take these / there they rygged an .xviii vesselles & toke but fewe horses w ^t them / & whē they were all redy & had wynde at theyr wyll / they entred in to theyr vesselles & so sayled to­warde Bayon / for y ^t waye or nere therto / they must nedes passe / & in y ^t company there was y ^e lorde of Coursey / syr Iohn̄ Handoy / y ^e vycoūt of Verliere / syr Peter of Vellamines / syr Guy of Baueux / syr Iohn̄ of castell Morant / y ^e lor­of saynt Liger / syr Iames of Fougeres / y ^e lor­of Bellannes / syr Trystram of Langurant / y ^e lorde Bartoys of Barres / & dyuers other / so y ^t they were a .CCC. knyghtes & squyers of chosen men desyrynge armes / thus they sayled by the see & had wynde and wether as they wolde wysshe / & so aryued without peryl or domage at the porte of saynt Andrewe in Bysquay / in y ^e yere of our lorde .M.iii.C.lxxx. & .vi. y ^e .xiiii day of the moneth of May.

WHen these knyghtes & squyers of Fraū were aryued at saynt Andrewes there they refresshed them .ii. dayes / & in that space they drew out of theyr shyppes theyr horses & bagages / then they set forthe & demaun­ded where they sholde fynde the kynge of Ca­stell / & it was shewed them howe they sholde fynde hym in the cyte of Burgus in Spayne where as thē he had a grete counsayle for y ^e busynes of his royalme. These knyghtes & squy­ers toke theyr way to Burgus / & so came thy­der / & the kynge of Castell was ryght ioyfull of theyr comynge / & demaūded of them tydyn­ges of Fraunce & what way they came thyder They answered howe they came by the see fro Rochel & how it was sayd in fraūce y ^t the duke of Lancastre had a grete army of mē of armes & archers to come y ^e same season in to Castel or elles in to Portyngale / & also how y ^e kynge of Portyngale had sent a nōbre of galeys & other shyppes in to Englāde for hym / of these tydyn­ges y ^e kyng of Spayne was more pensyue thē he was before / how be it he made no semblaunt but well he thought he sholde haue sore warre [Page] in that season / how be it he made good chere to these knyghtes and squyers of Fraunce & thanked them gretely of theyr comynge. And then he sayd to syr Robert of Braquemont / and to syr Iohn̄ his broder. Syrs when ye departed fro me the yere that is past I desyred you that when soeuer ye retourned agayne hyder that ye sholde brynge with you tenyse balles of Parys for vs to play togyder / how be it it had ben better I hadde charged you to haue brought good ba [...]senetes / & good harneys / for I thyn­ke we shall fynde the season well to enploye them. Syr sayd the knyght / we haue brought of bothe / syr alwayes we can not be armed nor alwayes play. Thus the kynge of Castell made them ryght good chere / then they had affec­cyon to god on pylgrymage to saynt Iames syth they were in y ^e countrey and some of them had auowed so to do / so they rode all togyder for company / and trussed with them all theyr harneys as thought they sholde haue gone to batayle / & they dyd wysely in theyr so doynge / for it stode them in good stede or they retour­ned agayne as ye shall here after. Nowe let vs retourne to y ^e duke of Lancastres armye who were on the coost of Normandy.

IN lyke maner as by cōparyson as faw­cons / pelegrynes that haue stande and [...]ested longe on the perche hath grete desyre to flye abrode / In lyke maner the knyghtes and squyers of Englonde desyred to fynde dedes of armes to auaunce themselfe / and sayd eche to other / Why do ye not aryue & go se the boundes & portes of Normandy / there be knyghtes and squyers to awake vs / and to fyght with vs / these wordes multyplyed that it came to y ^e dukes eyres / and the duke or he departed out of Englonde knewe that syr Iohn̄ of Male­stroyt / and the lorde of Cambor & Morfonac / and a grete nombre of knyghtes and squyers of Bretayne lay at the syege in bastydes befo­re the castell of Brest by the commaundement of the constable of Fraunce. So when y ^e duke herde of the grete desyre y ^t his men had to fyn­de some dedes of armes / then he sayd to his admyrall syr Thomas Percy / and to the consta­ble of his armye syr Iohn̄ Holande commaundynge them to addresse theyr nauey towarde Bretayne sayenge howe he wolde goo and se the castell of Brest to vysyte & comforte y ^e com­panyons therin & to loke on thē y ^t be without in the bastyde / of these tydynges y ^e Englysshe men were ioyful. Then Alphons Vietat chefe patron of the nauey of Portyngale who knew ryght well the way and the entrees in to Bre­tayne / whiche were ryght peryllous & daun­gerous / he made his Galey to lede the trace & shewed y ^e way to other. The season was sayre & pleasaunt / & the see peasyble / soo they sayled towarde the hauen of Brest / & then taryed for the tyde / for they knewe well with the fludde they sholde in to y ^e hauen of Brest / grete plea­sure it was to here the trompettes & claryons The same season syr Iohn̄ of Malestroyt the vycount of Combor & Morfonac were syttynge at dyner / whē tydynges came to them how the Englysshe armye was come then they rose and armed them / for they knewe wel that whē y ^e duke of Lancastre had taken lande he wolde fyght with them and rayse theyr bastydes / soo they were all well armed and of good mynde to defende them yf they were assaylled. They were a .CCC. knyghtes and squyers / the En­glysshe men were ryght ioyful whē they were in the hauen of Brest / and vnderstode howe y ^e Bretons helde theyr bastydes / and sayd howe they wolde go and se them and fyght with thē for they had grete desyre to doo some dedes of armes.

THus the duke of Lan­castre and his company to­ke lande a lytell besyde the castell of Brest and lefte all theyr horses & prouysyō styl in theyr shyppes / but all the ladyes & damoyselles toke lande to refresshe them y ^e fyrst day they dyd no thynge but apparelled themselfe to lodge on y ^e erthe / for .ii. or .iii. dayes in pauylyons along y ^e see syde / & so there they lay all y ^t day and that nyght / & the nexte mornyng y ^e constable & marshall of the army sowned theyr trompettes to cause euery mā to be armed / & so they dyd & in good ordre wente towarde y ^e castell to y ^e bastydes whiche were strongely made in maner to haue endured a .ix. or .x. yeres & aboute y ^e bastides / there were dykes / gates / towres / & good walles all made of grete tymbre / then the kny­ghtes & squyers of Englonde suche as desyred dedes of armes came to the barryers of y ^e bastides / & there begā to skyrmysshe w ^t feruent wyl to wyn y ^e bastydes / & the Bretons knyghtes / & [Page lvii] squyers that were within the bastydes were redy to defende them / and to the entente to fy­ght more at large hande to hande / they dyd put away the barryers of theyr defences wherin they dyd grete foly / but they trusted to mo­che in theyr owne chyualry / there was doone many a goodly feate of armes / and herde ren­countrynges / and sore foynynge with speres / and they dyd best that had best breth / howbeit there were many of y ^e Englysshmen / & therfore they gaue the Bretons moche a do / and so by clene force of armes the Englysshmen wanne the baylles so y ^t within the closure of y ^e towne there were mo then .C. men of armes so that y ^e Bretons were at the poynte to haue lost all / & when syr Iohn̄ of Malestroyte & the vycount of Combor sawe the maner / then he cryed his crye and sayd what how syrs / shall we lose all thus / on forwarde in fyghtynge we sholde not faynte but outher dethe or honoure. Then the bretons closed togyder with grete courage / & pytched theyr speres and glayues in the erthe and helde strongly theyr place and fought couragyously / there were many fayre dedes of ar­mes done / so that by force the Englysshe men were fayne to recule backe / for they were soo wel resysted that they coulde gete no grounde on them / so that they were clene beten out of y ^e baylles / and so as on that day they coulde not wyn it agayne. And at another corner of theyr bastydes they had a towre of stone descendyn­ge downe from a rocke / whiche the Bretons helde to theyr aduaūtage for kepynge of theyr bastydes. Therat was made a grete assaulte with archers and other in the meane season whyle the other men of armes were fyghtyng at the barryers / and there the Englysshe men passed ouer a lytell dyke that was there / and so came to the foote of the towre w ^t pycke axes and mattockes in theyr handes / and so began to myne sore y ^e towre / and suche as were with in defended themselfe & theyr towre valyauntly / but the Englysshe archers shotte soo hooly togyder that none durst appere at theyr defence without they were sore pauessed / and y ^e En­glysshe men vndermyned so sore the founda­cyon of the towre that it raue clene in sondre / & the one parte fel downe / and they y ^t were with in when they sawe it wolde fall / they drewe them all in to the parte that stode. Then y ^e Englysshe men made a grete showte / and by that tyme it was late / then they sowned y ^e retrayte for they sayd they had done ynoughe for that daye. So then the Englysshe men departed & sayd to the Bretons / syrs abyde there al nyght and make good watche / for to morow we wyll come / and loke on you agayne / ye se well ynoughe what case ye be in / there is nothyng before you to shadowe you from vs.

THe entente of the Englysshe men was the nexte daye to retourne agayne to assayle the bastydes / and to conquere them & all suche as were within them / whiche was ryght well in theyr puyssaunce soo to haue done So thus the Englysshe men passed the nyght it is often tymes sayd / moche thynges sholde fall of mennes thoughtes yf there were no coū tre thoughtes there agaynst / I say it bycause thoughe there were in the Englysshe oost subtyll and wyse men of warre / yet the Bretons y ^t were within the bastydes were suffycyently prouyded with wysdome / and welconsydered what thynge myght auayle them / & what thynge was for theyr domage / they sawe well they must nedes departe thens / or elles to be taken or slayne / then they determyned to truise that they myght / and to departe and leue theyr bastyde / as they ordeyned so they dyd / and lepte on theyr horses / and lefte theyr bastydes & to­ke the feldes / and so toke the way to Hambont a .iiii. myle thens / they dyd wysely therin / for they feared no pursute of the Englysshe men / bycause theyr horses were not a lande. Thus syr Iohn̄ Malestroyte and his company rode y ^e same nyght to Hānybout / they founde it opē then they feared but lytell the Englysshe men The nexte day the trompettes blewe and eue­ry man in the oost armed hym / and drewe to­warde the assaulte of the bastyde. Then they herde tydynges how the Bretons were departed and had lefte the bastyde voyde / then y ^e Englysshmen repented them in that they had not layde a busshment for them / wherby they sholde not haue lost so theyr pray. Then they bra­ke downe the bastyde & set fyre theron. Thus by the duke of Lancastre y ^e bastydes were raysed before Brest / & the same day the duke & syr Iohn̄ Holande & certayne other lordes wente to se the castell of Brest & the ladyes w ^t them & there they ete a drāke & made chere & so wente agayne to theyr lodgynges / & y ^e nexte day whiche was y ^e .iii. day they refresshed theyr shyp­pes w ^t fresshe water & the .iiii. daye toke shyp­pynge & so departed.

THe fourthe day after the duke and his company and the maryners toke counsayle togyder whiche waye they sholde drawe [Page] and whether they sholde take lande at Lyx­bone or at the porte of Portyngale / or in Bys­quay / or at Coulongne / and longe they were in counsayle or they were fully determyned / & Alphons Vietat patron of the galeys of Por­tyngale was sente for to them / and y ^e questyon was demaunded of hym / and he answered & sayd. Syrs for this cause I was sente to you out of Portyngale fro the kynge my mayster and syr knowe for trouthe that where soeuer ye aryue in his countrey / ye shall be ryght welcome to hym / & it shall be ryght ioyfull to hym for gretely he desyreth your comynge and to se you. So thus the space of an houre they were at a poynte to haue landed at the porte of Portyngale a .xxx. myle from Lyxbone / Howbeit after they chaunged theyr purpose / for it was sayd amonge them that it were ferre more ho­nourable for them to lande in the marches of theyr enemyes then in the lande of theyr fren­des / saynge also that yf theyr enemyes knowe y ^t they be landed on them they shal be the more feared then they rested to take lande at Cou­longne in Galyce / y ^e maryners set theyr course that way / and had wynde and wether at wyll and so after they departed fro Brest y ^e .v. daye they came to the hauen of Coulongne and ta­ryed for the fludde / wherfore they sholde not approche nere to the lande.

NOwe shall I shewe you of the knygh­tes of Fraunce as the lorde of Barroys syr Iohn̄ Braquemont / syr Iohn̄ of Castell Morant / syr Peter of Bellames / syr Trystrā and other that were come in pylgrymage to y ^e towne of Compostella / where lyeth the body of saynt Iames / and whē they had done theyr pylgrymage / and offered / and were in theyr lodgynges tydynges came to them howe the Englysshe men were on that coost / and by ly­kelyhode to aryue at Coulongne or they coul­de vntrusse theyr harneys and discharge theyr mules. Then they armed them quyckely / and determyned to go thyder to defende the porte / castell and towne there / and suche as knewe y ^e countrey sayd syrs auaunce forwarde shorte­ly for yf the Englysshe men happen to wynne the towne or Castell of Coulongne they wyll be lordes of all the countrey aboute / these kny­ghtes dyd suche dylygence that they came the same nyght to the towne of Coulongne whi­che was a .xiiii. longe myles thens / and a coū ­trey full wylde to laboure in. They came so to the poynte that they entred in to y ^e towne and Castell the same season that the Englysshmen came in to the hauen / & of theyr comynge they of the towne and castell were ryght ioyfull / & all that nyght came after them theyr caryages and somers / and in the mornyng it was grete beautye to beholde entrynge in to the hauen y ^e galeys and shyppes charged with men and prouysyon / and to here the trompettes & claryons sounde / and the trompettes and claryons of y ^e towne and castell dyd sounde in lykewyse agaynst them / thē y ^e Englysshe men knew wel that men of warre were in the towne and Ca­stel. Then they yssued out of theyr galeys and shyppes in to y ^e feldes / not as then approchyn­ge the towne / for they sawe well y ^e towne was stronge and well prouyded of men of warre / & without the towne there were certayne fissher houses. There y ^e Englysshe lordes made theyr lodgynges / and soo laye styll a .iiii. dayes do­ynge none other thynge / but dyschargynge of theyr shyppes / they had so grete prouysyon / & theyr horses were set a lande / whiche had ben on y ^e see a .xv. dayes sore oppressed what with the furoure of the see / and with the nombre of people in euery shyppe / yet they had ben well kepte / and had haye / ootes / and fresshe water sufficyent / whā euery thynge was voyded out of the galeys and shyppes / then it was demaū ded of y ^e duke what he wolde haue done with his nauey / he answered and sayd / I wyll that al the maryners be payde of theyr wages / and then let euery man do his owne profyte I gy­ue them good leue / for I wyll that euery man do knowe that I wyll neuer passe agayne the see in to Englonde tyll I haue my full plea­sure of the royalme of Castell / or elles I wyll dye in the quarell / then y ^e maryners were payde so that euery man was contente / and so de­parted when they myght out of the hauen of Coulongne / and some wente in to Portynga­le / and some to Lyxbone / and some to Bayon or to Albay in Bretaygne / or in to Englande soo that none abode there behynde. Thus the duke of Lancastre and his men lodged with­out Coulongne in suche lytell houses as they founde there / and abrode in the feldes in bowers made of grene bowes lyke men of warre.

ABoute the space of a moneth and more the duke laye at Coulongne and remeued not without it were a huntynge or a haw­kynge / for y ^e duke & other lordes of Englande had brought with them hawkes and houndes for theyr sporte / and sparowe hawkes for the [Page lxvii] ladyes. Also they brought with them in y ^e shyppes mylles to grynde corne and ouyns to bake in / theyr foragers wente dayly a foragynge where as they thought to spede / howbeit they founde no grete plenty of forage / for they we­re lodged in a poore countrey and a deserte / Wherfore they were dryuen to go ferre of for forage. And also they of the garyson of Cou­longne as y ^e barroys of barres who ryght wel coulde take a vauntage of his enemyes if nede were and his other companyons / When they sawe the Englysshe foragers ryde forthe so folysshly / they thought on a daye to be before thē and to make them pay for all they had before / so on a daye they armed them a .CC. and rode by guyde in the nyght aboute the woodes and mountaynes / and so at the brekyng of the day they came to a wood and to a mountayne cal­led the Espynet and there taryed / For it, was shewed them howe the Englysshe foragers rode abrode / & true it was to y ^e nombre of .iii.C. And when these foragers had ben a brode a .ii. dayes and gotten moche forage / then they re­tourned towarde theyr oost / and theyr waye laye to passe the pace of the pynet. Then they of the busshment brake out on them and cryed Barroys of barres. Then the foragers were abasshed / for the moost parte of them were vn­armed / they had a syxe socore archers who dyd put themselfe in good ordre of defence / and be­gan to shote / and dyd hurte and wounde men and horses / and when theyr shot was past they cast away theyr bowes and fell to other defen­ce with suche wepons as they had / & some hyd them to saue themselfe / what sholde I make longe tale of these Englysshe foragers / there were slayne a .C C. and the other saued them­selfe as wel as they myght in busshes & hedges where as horsmen coulde not come to them / & suche as fled came to Coulongne & there shewed how y ^e barroys of barres had ouerthrowen them / then they of the oost began to styre and to arme them / & syr Thomas Moreaux mar­shal of the oost with a .CCCCC. mounted on theyr horses with the penon of saynt George & set forth with grete desyre to fynde the frensshe men / and rode soo longe that they came to the Espynet / and there they founde theyr men ly­enge deed / and no thynge elles / for the frensshe men were departed / soo they retourned with­out doynge of ony thyng elles / and when they were w ^tin halfe a myle of theyr oost they sawe where the frensshmen entred in to theyr gary­son of Coulongne / Wherwith they were sore dyspleased / but they coulde not amende it / and that day the marshal was sore blamed of some of the oost in that he sente forthe or suffered to go forth ony foragers without sure conduyte / consyderynge theyr enemyes beynge lodged so nere them in a sure holde / and of suche nom­bre able to ouerthrowe .v. or a .vi.C. foragers / the duke of Lancastre & the Constable so bla­med hym that he was sore ashamed therof / but he excused hymselfe & sayd howe they had ben forth more then .x. tymes before / & had no hurte Well sayd the duke take better hede another tyme / for a case may fall in an houre or in a daye that peraduenture shall not fall agayne in an hundreth dayes.

ANd when the duke of Lācastre had soiourned at Coulongne y ^e space of a moneth and more / then he was coūsayled to dyslodge thēs & to drawe towardes saynt Iames in Galyce / where was a better countrey and a more plentyfull for men and horses / so he departed and rode in thre batayles. Fyrst the marshal with .CCC. speres & .vi.C. archers. Then the duke with .CCCC. spere and all the ladyes and damoyselles in his company / and in the arrere garde the constable syr Iohn̄ Hollande w ^t a .CCCC speres & .vii.C. archers. Thus they rode fay­re & easely in .iii. batayles / and were rydynge thre dayes bytwene Coulongne and saynt Iames. The countrey of Galyce was sore afray­de of the dukes comynge thyder / for they fered gretely his puyssaūce. The marshall with his vowarde came to Compostelia where y ^e body of saynt Iames lyeth / and the towne was clo­sed agaynst hym / howbeit there were no men of warre there in garyson / but men of y ^e towne y ^t kepte it / for there were no frensshmen wolde vndertake to kepe it to the vtteraunce / for it was not stronge ynoughe to be kepte agaynst suche men of warre as the duke had brought thyder. The marshall of the oost sente thyder an heraulde of armes to knowe theyr ententes what they wolde do / the heraulde came to the [Page] barryers & there foūde y ^e capytayne of y ^twarde called Alphons of sene / then the heraulde sayd syr capytayne here a lytel besyde is the duke of Lancastres marshall who hath sent me hyder & he wolde gladly speke with you. Wel sayd y ^t capytayne / it pleseth me wel / let hym come hyder & we shal speke w ^t hym / y ^e heraulde retourned & shewed the marshall as they sayd / then y ^e mar­shall w ^t .xx. speres w ^t hym wente thyder & foūde at the barryers y ^e capytayne & certayne of y ^e chefe heedes of the towne / then y ^e marshal lyghted on fote & .iii. with hym & the lorde Basset & syr Wyllyā Fremyton / then y ^e marshall sayd / ye capytayne & your men. My lorde the duke of Lā castre & my lady & your lady of Lancastre doughter to kynge Don Peter your lorde & kynge hath sent me hyder to speke with you to know what ye wyll do or say / outher to receyue them as ye showe do your souerayne lorde & lady / or elles they to assayle you & take you perforce / & surely knowe for trouth if ye be taken perforce al ye within the towne shall suffre dethe w ^t the swerde to gyue ensample to all other / syr sayd the capytayne we wyl not vse vs but by reason we wolde gladly acquyte vs to them y ^t we be­longe / we know ryght well y ^t my lady Cōstaū ce or Lancastre was doughter to kynge Don Petero of Castel [...]s y ^t if kynge Don Peter had abyden peasybly styl kyng she had ben then ryghtfull enherytoure of Castell / but the matter chaūged otherwyse / for al y ^e royalme of Castel abode peasybly to kyngē Henry his broder by reason of the batayle y ^t was at Nātuel / so y ^t we al of the countrey sware to holde kynge Henry for our kyng / & he kepte it as longe as he lyued & also we haue sworne to holde kyng Iohn̄ his sone for our kyng / but syr shewe vs what haue they of Coulongne done or sayd to you / for it maye be so syth ye haue lyne there more then a moneth y ^t they haue made some maner of trea­ty with you / y ^t is true sayd the marshal we are at a treaty w ^t them / or elles they had not scaped as they dyd / & yet the towne of Coulongne is twyse so stronge as is this towne / I shall shew you what treaty they haue made with vs y ^e mē of y ^e towne haue pryuely made a composycyon with [...] vs saynge how they wyll do euery thyng accordynge as ye do but though ye wyl suffre yourselfe to be assayled and dystroyed / yet soo wyll not they do / for yf the countrey of Galyce do yelde them to my lorde the duke and to my lady / they wyll do in lyke wyse / and in this we haue good pledges and suffycyent / that is wel sayd sayd the capytayne / we in lykewyse wyll holde the same treatye / there be in the royalme many mo good cytees & townes / ryde on forth & leue vs in pease / & we wyll do as they do / & in y ^t we wyl delyuer you good pledges & ostages Nay syr not so sayd the marshall. My lorde y ^e duke nor my lady wyl not suffre y ^t / for they wyl come & lodge here in this towne & kepe theyr estates as they sholde do in theyr owne herytage / therfore answere vs shortely what ye wyll do / outher to yelde or to be assayled & taken by force & destroyed / syr sayd the capytayne gyue vs lytell leysure y ^t we may speke togyder & we shal answere you shortely / I am contente sayd the marshall / then the capytayne entred in to y ^e towne and caused euery man to come before hym. Then wysely he shewed to them frome poynte to poynte as ye haue harde before / and fynally they agreed to receyue the duke and y ^e duches peasybly as theyr lorde & lady / and to abyde in theyr towne as longe as it pleased them without the puyssaunce of kynge Iohn̄ dyd dryue them thens / and also that whē they had taryed there as it pleased them a yere or .ii. longer or shorter / and that when they departed out of y ^e countrey without they lefte there a suffycyent garyson to defende them fro theyr enemyes / elles they to rendre it agayne to kynge Iohn̄ or to his marshall yf they were / soo commaunded / and so they to be quyte of theyr fayth and promyse then made. This treatye y ^e marshall syr Thomas Moreaur accepted & sayd how they sayd as they ought to do & that the duke and y ^e duches desyred nothynge elles of them. Then the marshall retourned to his men & so to the duke who taryed for hym in the feldes / there he shewed y ^e duke this trety wher w ^t the duke was content / & soo in good ordre of batayle the duke rode to the towne of saynt Iames.

WIthin .ii. lytell frensshe myles of saynt Iames in Galyce there came in pro­cessyon all the clergy of y ^• towne with crosses & relykes & mē women & chyldren tomete with the duke & the duches / & the men of the towne brought the keys with thē whiche they presēted to the duke & to the duches with theyr good wylles by all semblaunt / I can not say if they dyd it with theyr good hartes or no / there they kneled downe & receyued theyr lorde & la­dy / & they entred in to y ^e towne of saynt Iames & the fyrst voyage they made they wente to the chyrche & all theyr chyldren & made theyr prayers & offrynge w ^t grete giftes / & it was shewed me y ^t the duke & y ^e duches & theyr .ii. doughters [Page lxviii] Phylyp & katheryn were lodged in an abbay & there kept theyr house & y ^e other lordes as syr Iohn̄ Holāde / & syr Thomas moreaux & theyr wyues lodged in y ^• towne / & al other barons & knightes lodged abrode in y ^e felde / in houses & bowres of bowes / for there were ynowe in the coūtrey they foūde there flesshe & strong wyne ynough whereof y ^e Englysshe archers drāke so moche y ^t they were ofte tymes drōken / wherby they had y ^e feuers / or elles in y ^e mornyng theyr hedes were so cuyl y ^t they coulde not helpe thē selfe all the day after.

ANd whē y ^e Barroys of barres & Iohn̄ of Castel morant & y ^e other knyghtes & squyers as were in y ^e castel of Coulōgne herde how y ^e duke & duches were entred peasybly in to saynt Iames / & y ^t they were there receyued / thē they toke coūsayle togyder what was best for thē to do / & sayd it was but foly to tary ther ony lenger / for here we can haue no good aduē ture / let vs go to Burgus to y ^e kynge & se what he wyl do / it can be none otherwyse but that he wyll go agaynst these Englysshmen / for yf he suffre thē to lodge thus in rest by lytell & lytell they shall cōquere & be lordes of Castell wher­fore it is more honourable for vs to go thyder thē to abyde here / this coūsayle they helde for y ^e best / so they made thē redy to departe & trussed y ^t they had / & so yssued out of y ^e castell of Cou­longne / & toke theyr leue of them y ^t they foūde there when they entred fyrst / & they toke gydes suche as knew y ^• coūtrey / elles they had ben encoūtred / so they rode thrugh Bysquay costyng Galyce / & so came to Lyon in spayne / & as then y ^e kynge & the quene were there / y ^e kynge there welcomed the frensshe knyghtes as it was reason & demaunded of thē tydynges / howbeit he knew ynoughe al redy / they shewed hym how they entred in to coulongne y ^e same tyme y ^t the englysshmen entred in to the hauen / & how the englysshmen foūde in the hauen .vii. galeys & other vesselles of Bysquay laden with wynes whiche the englysshmen had to theyr profyte / the merchauntes had sone solde it / ye sayd the kynge so it goth by the warre / they were not wyse to tary when they knew the army of En­glonde on these they myght haue gone in to some other quarter / syr sayd y ^e knyghtes they were come thyder in trust of saufegarde for they sayd the wynes & other marchaundyse y ^t they had sholde go in to flaundres / for they had her de wel by y ^e maryners of saynt Andrewes y ^t the englysshmen were on the see / & on the boundes & coost of Bysquay / & true it is y ^• kynge of Portyngale sent to thē galeys & gret shyppes thyn kynge how they wolde haue landed at y ^e porte of Portyngale or at Lyxbone / but they dyd the cōtrary as it appered / for they entred in to Ga­lyce by Coulongne / Well syrs sayd the kynge / among you knyghtes of fraūce who knoweth more of dedes of armes thē mē of this coūtrey / for ye haue more haunted & vsed the warre thē they haue / how thynke you by the englysshmē how haue they borne thēselfe al this season / syr sayd they they haue borne themselfe lyke good mē of warre / for they be so close & pryuy y ^t har­de it is to knowe what they entende to do / but supposyng we thynke y ^e duke of Lācastre wyl abyde all this nexte wynter in saynt Iames towne & his people theraboute & ouer rynne y ^e coūtrey of Galyce & wyn y ^e small holdes & gete vytayles & prouysyons / & tyl somer come by lykelyhode there shall be some treatye made bytwene hym & the kynge of Portyngale or elles neuer / there is one poynte y ^t causeth vs to byleue y ^t some alyaunces shal be cōcluded bytwene thē / & y ^t is y ^e duke hath brought out of Englāde with hym al his doughters maryed & to mary he hath .ii. to mary & we thynke y ^e kyng of Portyngale your aduersary shal haue one of them wel sayd y ^e kyng what thynge were best for me me to do / syr sayd y ^e knyght we shal shew you / cause al your townes & castels on y ^e [...]ron [...]er of galyce to be wel kepte suche as be of strēgth / & suche as be of no strength cause thē to be beten downe / it is shewed vs how men of y ^e coūtrey do fortefy minsters chyrches & steples / & bryng in to thē al theyr goodes / syr surely this shal be the losse & confusyon of your royalme / for whē y ^e englysshmen ryde abrode / these small holdes chyrches & steples shal holde no while agaynst thē / but they shal be refresshed & nourysshed w ^t suche prouysyon as they shall fynde in them / whiche shal helpe to furteth them to wynne all y ^e resydue / therfore syr we say y ^t & ye do wel cause al suche holdes to be beten downe now why le ye haue leysure & make a crye y ^t w ^tout euery thyng be auoyded in to y ^e good townes & in to stronge castelles bytwene this & the feest of all sayntes / & elles let it be forfayte & abandō tt to your mē of warre who so euer can catche it / or at the furchest by the feest of saynt Andrewe / it were better your owne mē had the profyte ther of rather then your enemyes / & syr sende specyally certayne persones of your counsayle to y ^e frensshe kyng certefyeng hym what case you & your countrey is in / thus syr sende to the kyng & his vncles y ^e duke of Berrey & y ^e duke of Borgoyne [Page] shewyng thē surely y ^t by all lykelyhode in this nexte somer ye shal haue y ^e grettest war y ^t euer was made in spayne other by y ^e prynce or by ony other / syr wryte pyteous letters desyrynge the kynge & his vncles to cōforte you in this your grete nede w ^t some good mē of armes to resyst your enemyes & to kepe & def [...]de your royalme / there is grete alyaunces all redy by­twene the frensshe kynge & you / & in lykewyse was by hym & your fader / & syr surely in no wyse y ^e frensshe kyng & the noble royalme of fraū ­ce whiche may do more in dede thē englande & Portyngale ioyned togyder / in this case wyll not fayle you / for whē y ^e frēsshe kyng & his coū ­sayle be iustly enfourmed of euery thynge / ye shal wel perceyue they wyl take suche regarde therto y ^t ye shal take but lytell domage by this war / for knightes & squyers of fraūce desyring to auaunce theyr dedes w ^t a lytell worde or cō ­maūdement wyll drawe in to these partyes to fynde dedes of armes / for as nowe they wote not where to employ theyr tyme better for fraū ce & flaūders as now be accorded whiche hath ben at war a long season / & also there is a truce bytwene fraūce & englāde as beyonde y ^e ryuer of Loyre to endure to y ^e feest of saynt Iohn̄ baptyst / therfore syr ye shal se knyghtes & squyers of fraūce come hyder in good nombres as well to fynde dedes of armes as to se this coūtrey & to mete y ^e englysshmē / but syr we coūsayle you for your ꝓfyre y ^t al these smal holdes chyrches mynsters & steples abrode in y ^e coūtrey let thē de put downe if ye thynke to haue ioy of y ^e re­sydue / thē the kyng of Castel sayd / syrs ye coū ­sayle me truely / & thus wyll I do fro hence for­warde / thē without takyng of ony further coū sayle he cōmaunded al suche holdes as were of no grete strength to be beten downe / & abandoned to y ^e frensshe knyghtes al y ^t they founde in thē & to se y ^t it were done as they had deuysed / syrsayd they y ^t is wel sayd / syr we shal se it ac­cōplysshed & shal helpe to saue all the resydue / this worde y ^t the kyng of Castel sayd to thē of fraūce & the auctorite y ^t he gaue to thē was wel worth to thē .CC.M. frankes of profyte & spe­cyally to thē y ^t came fyrst in to Castell / whē the duke of Lācastre aryued at coulongne. Thus thrughout al the royalme of Castel al smal holdes chyrches & steples & suche as were not sufficyent to be kepte were put downe & all y ^e goo­des in thē abandoned to the mē of warre so the people of y ^e countrey were atrapped & begyled suche as had fortefyed suche places & put in thē theyr goodes as wyne corn [...] flesshe & other thī ges thynkyng there to haue kepte thē sure / but it fell the cōtrary / for knyghtes & squyers sente thyder theyr mē & toke al & brought suche pro­uysyon as they foūde there to theyr maysters lodgynges / but as for golde & syluer suche as they foūde & suche money as they made the vy­laynes to pay for theyr owne goodes / y ^t money neuer came to no knowledge / for y ^t they kepte styll in theyr purses / & some of y ^e poore cōpany­ons suche as were more subtyl thē other moost aduentured & therby wan moost / often tymes suche as cometh fro theyr owne howses moost porest in suche cases be sonest moūted on good horses & genettes .v. or .vi. in theyr stable / gyr­delles of chaynes of golde & syluer / & a .M. or .ii.M. frankes in theyr purse / & whē they were in theyr owne coūtrey / were fayne to go a fote or on a nagge / thus y ^e cōpanyons y ^t came fyrst in to Castel wan moche ryches & the poore mē of y ^e coūtrey payde for al / for they were robbed & ryfled w ^t theyr owne mē / for they wolde not y ^t theyr enemyes sholde haue had ony ꝓfyte therof / & when these tydynges came in to fraūce to other cōpanyons how y ^e pore knyghtes & squyers y ^t were gone in to Castell were made so ryche / they were the more eger to go out of theyr houses & to draw in to spayne cōsideryng how they myght there as well pyll & robbe on theyr frendes as on theyr enemyes.

THe frensshe kyng & his counsayle were wel enfourmed of y ^e voyage y ^t the duke of Lācastre sholde ma­ke in to Castel or he departed / for y ^e voyce flewe quyckely y ^t the roy­alme of Castel sholde haue moche a do y ^t somer & to fynde some remedy theragaynst / the duke of Burgoyne made so lyghtly peas w ^t the gaū to [...] se to y ^e entente to ayde y ^e necessyte of y ^e kyng of Castel / wherto the frensshe kyng & the royal me of fraūce were bounde for dyuers reasons for by y ^e kyng of Castel & his men & shyppes on y ^e see the busynes of y ^e royalme of fraunce were in good state / & also besyde y ^t the yonge kynge Charles of fraūce had grete affeccyon to go w ^t an army in to y ^e royalme of englande / all kny­tes & squyers of fraūce were well agreed ther­to [Page lxix] & specyally his vncle y ^e duke of Burgoyne & the constable of fraunce for al y ^t he had to his wyfe the syster of kyng Rycharde of englande & also y ^e lorde of Coucy / these lordes & the most parte of y ^e chyualry of fraūce sayd / why sholde we not ones go into Englande to se the coun­trey & the people there & teche them the way as they haue done in fraunce / & so in y ^e yere of our lorde .M.CCC.lxxx.vi. what to y ^e entente to breke y ^e duke of Lancastres voyage & to cause hym to retourne out of Castel & to gyue feare to y ^e englysshmē / grete ordenauūce for y ^t voya­ge was made in traūce & taxes & tallages set & allysed in cytees & good townes & in y ^e playne countrey y ^t in a .C. yere before there was none suche sene / & also grete apparel made by the see al y ^• somer tyll y ^e moneth of septembre they dyd no thyng elles on y ^• see coost but grynde corne & bake bysket / & at Tournay / lysle / doway / ar­ras / Amyas / bethune / saynt omers / & in all the townes aboute Sluse / for y ^e frensshe kynges entencyon & his counsayle was to take y ^e see at Sluse & so to entre in to englande to distroy y ^e countrey / they y ^t were ryche men in y ^e royalme of fraūce to y ^e ayde of this voyage were taxed & tayled to the .iii. & .iii. parte o [...] theyr goodes & many payde more thē they were worth besy­de to accōplysshe y ^e payment for men of warre.

FRo Spayne & fro the porte of sybyll to Pruce there was no grete shyp on y ^e see y ^t y ^e frensshmen coulde lay theyr handes on nor vnder theyr owne obeysaunce but were retey­ned for y ^e frensshe kynge & his men / prouysyon came fro al partyes & aryued in flaunders / bo­th wyne / salte / flesshe / hay / in tonnes / otes / ony ons / bysket / floure / egges in pypes & of al ma­ner of thynges y ^t coulde be deuysed / so y ^t in ty­me to come it coulde not be byleued but by thē y ^t sawe it / lordes / knyghtes / squyers & men of war were wryten vnto & desyred to come & ser­ue y ^e kyng in his iourney / as out of Sauoy / Almayne / & fro y ^• sone goynge downe to y ^e lande of y ^e erle of Amynacke / & so these lordes of farre countreys as the erle of Sauoy was reteyned with .v.C. speres / also y ^e erle of armynacke & y ^e dolphyn of Awuergne / & these lordes thoughe they were of farre coūtreys & knew not what ende this warre sholde come to / yet they made theyr ꝓuysyons so grete & costly y ^t it was gret meruayle to thynke therof / & it was wonder to consyder fro whens all suche prouysyon came what by lande & by see in to flaūders as to bruges / to dan / & to Sluse / & so there was sent for in to Holāde / zelande / meldebourge / zerechyel dourdrest / stonehone / & to all other townes on y ^e see coost & to y ^e ryuers entryng in to y ^e see for al maner of shyppes y ^t coulde do ony seruyce / & al were brought to Sluse / but y ^e holanders & y ^e zelanders sayd to thē y ^t reteyned thē / yf ye wy [...] haue our seruyce pay vs our wages clerely or elles we wyl go to no parte / so they were pay­de / wherin they dyd wysely / I trowe syth god created y ^e worlde there was neuer sene so ma­ny grete shyppes togyder as was y ^t yere at sluse & at Blanquerge / [...]or in y ^e moneth of septēbre in y ^e sayd yere they were nobred a .xii.C.lxxx.vii. shyppes at Sluse / there mastes semed in y ^e se lyke a grete wood / & the cōstable of Fraunce shyp was apparelled at Lentregmer in bretaygne / also the cōstable caused to be made in bre­taygne of tymbre a closure of a towne or lyke a parke y ^t whē they had takē lande in englade to close in theyr felde to lodge therī more at theyr case w ^tout waking or skries / & whēsoeuer they sholde remoue theyr felde y ^• closure was so made y ^t they myght take it a sonder in peces / & a grete nombre of carpēters & other receyned in wages to atende thereon / I herde not y ^t y ^e duke of bretaygne made ony prouysyō to go in this iourney nor the duke of Tourayne the kynges yonger broder nor the erle of Bloys / al myght not go for some must abyde behynde to kepe y ^e royalme.

WHo so had ben y ^• seasō at bruges / at dan / or at sluse & sene y ^e busynes there in chargynge of shyppes w ^t hay / sackyng of bysket & ladyng in of onyons / peson / benes barley candelles / hosen / shoos / spurres / knyues / dag­gers / axes of war / axes to hew w ^tal / mattockes nayles / beddes / couches / horseshoos / pottes / pānes / cādelstyckes / & al maner of necessaryes for kechyn / botery / & al other o [...]yces / & of euery thyng y ^t coulde be thought of / necessary to ser­ue mā & horse / al was had in to shyppes in one thyng or other who so euer had sene it if he had ben seke / I thynke he wolde clene haue forgo­ten al y ^e payne / y ^e cōpanyons of fraūce rekened none otherwyse amonge thēselfe whē they spake togyder / but y ^t the royalme of englāde shol­de clene haue ben lost & exyled w ^tout recouery / & al y ^e men women & chyldrē therin slayne & ta­ken & caryed in to fraūce in seruytude.

OF this grete apparel thus made to come in to englande / y ^e kyng of englāde & his coūsayle were wel enfourmed therof / & it was surely affyrmed that the fensshmē wolde come thyder for so they had surely sworne / it was no [Page] meruayle though this grete apparel somwhat at y ^e begynnyng abasshed y ^e englysshmē / & also y ^• matter was shewed moche more then it was in dede / & also y ^t englysshmen were in no sure cer [...]aynte whether this preparacyon was to come in to Englande or elles to lay syege to Ca­leys bothe by lande & by see / for the englysshmē knewe wel y ^t of all the townes in the worlde y ^e frensshmen most desyred to haue caleys / wherfore the kyng of englande sent to Caleys grete prouisyon of whete & other cornes / salte / flesshe fysshe / wyne / bere & other thynges / and thyder was sent syr Thomas Holāde erle of kente / syr Hughe Caurell / syr wyllyā Helman / syr Dan­gouses / syr water of Vurnes / syr Water paulle syr Wyllyā Toucet / syr Loys of Mountalban syr Colars of Dābrychcourte & .v.C. men of armes / & .v.C. archers / & y ^e erle Rycharde of Arū del & syr Henry spenser were ordeyned to kepe the see with .xl. greteshyppes wel decked with men of armes & archers to y ^e nombre of .CCC. men of armes & .vi.C. archers.

ON the other syde it was sayd in dyuers places in fraunce / in haynalte / & in pycardy y ^t y ^e frēsshe armye y ^t was thus apparelled in flauders was nother to go in to englande nor to Calays / but rather to retourne al y ^e matter & set on y ^e towne of Gaunte / & as it was enfour­med y ^e towne of Gaunte y ^• same season doub­ted gretely y ^t all y ^e apparell was for to come on thē / but they were in a wronge byleue / for y ^e duke of Borgoyne theyr lorde wolde nothyng to thē but good rest & peas / thoughe y ^t Frauncis Atreman were slayne anone after the makyng of the peas at Tournay for of his deth y ^e duke was nothyng to blame / nor the duke had none euyll wyl to hym though in y ^e season of war he dyd many feates of armes for y ^e towne agaȳst the duke as it hath ben declared more playnly here before / for though he came to an euyl ende it was his owne defaulte / for if he had byleued Peter du boys it had ben otherwyse with hym for when the peas was made bytwene y ^e duke of Borgoyne & them of Gaunt / when he retourned fro Tournay to Gaunt / & y ^t Peter du boys made hym redy to go in to Englande with syr Iohn̄ Bourser / then Peter sayd to hym / Fraū cis what wyll ye do / wyl ye go in to Englande with vs / then he sayd he wolde abyde styll in Gaunt / why sayd Peter thynke you to abyde here in peas there is grete hatred agaynst you & me / I wyll abyde for nothynge here / it is not to tryst in y ^e comontye / ye haue herde how they of Gaunt slue & murdred the valyaunt Iaques of Artuell who had done so moche good to the towne bothe in counsayle & in armes / & for a lytell cause the vyllaynes slue hym / & the honest men of the towne dyd not saue hym but rather dyssymuled & was glad of his dethe / in lyke­wyse Frauncis wyll they do with you & me yf I abyde here / but as for me I wyll not tary / therfore adue. ¶Why sayd Frauncis the duke of Borgoyne hath pardoned all thynges / & hath reteyned me yf I wyll to go with hym to be as a squyer of his stable with .iiii. horses / & he & also syr Guy of Tremoyll sheweth me grete sygne of loue. In the name of god sayd Peter du boys / I speke not of my lorde y ^e duke of Borgoyne nor of his knyghtes I thynke they wyll kepe well the peas / but I speke of the comons of Gaunt / there be some y ^t ye haue not alwayes pleased / remembre ye not of the lorde of Sar­gelles whom ye made to be slayne & other / knowe for trouth y ^t these passed hatredes wyl con­tynue in theyr hartes / yf ye abyde amonge thē yet it were better for you to go & dwell with y ^e duke of Borgoyne. Well sayd Frauncis I shal take aduyse / but in to Englande I wyl not go Thus Frauncis Atreman abode styll / & peterdu boys wente with syr Iohn̄ Bourser / & ano­ne after y ^t the peas was cryed & publysshed in all the partyes of Flaunders / then there was made a crye that none sholde bere ony armure or sworde after hym / & Frauncis Atremā who was styll in Gaunt & had kepte a grete estate the warre durynge / thought to contynue som­what his honestye / euer where he went he had a .iii. or .iiii. seruauntes waytynge on hym ar­med & beryng swordes & other wepons on thē & when this crye was made in the dukes name he thought it sholde not rynne on hym nor no­ne of his seruauntes / he thought hymselfe soo well in fauoure with them of the towne / but he was deceyued / for within a .vii. or .viii. dayes after the cry was proclamed y ^e dukes baylyffe came personally to hym & sayd Fraūcis ye put my lorde the dukes offycers in grete suspecte / why do you go aboute in y ^e towne in harneys & your seruauntes beryng swordes & wepons of defence as thoughe it were in y ^• tyme of war whiche pleaseth not vs / Wherfore we cōmaunde you in the dukes name to lay them downe / Frauncis who thought none euyll in y ^t he dyd but to maynteyne his estate answered & sayd / syr baylyffe I wyll obey as it is reason / and I thanke god I hate no persone nor wolde not y ^t ony sholde haue ony hurte for my sake / howbe it I had thought to haue had that aduaūtage [Page lxi] in y ^e towne of Gaunt y ^t I myght haue had my seruaūtes were theyr swordes after me. Nay sayd the baylyffe not so / for suche of the towne as ye haue done seruyce vnto speke theragaynste & haue meruayle therof / & demaunde of me why I do suffre it / they saye it semeth that I wolde renewe agayne the olde warre / whiche they wyll not suffre / Wherfore Fraūcis I pray you do so that I here no more therof / for yf ye wyll not obey I must repute you as an enemy to my lorde the duke & to my lady of borgoyne & so the baylyffe departed fro hym / & frauncis wente to his lodgynge & caused his seruaun­tes to lay downe all theyr armure / & so entred in to suche a fantasye that moost parte after he wente in y ^e towne all alone or but one with hȳ chylde or seruaunt. So it was on a daye there was a feest kepte without the towne of Gaunt in the abbey of saynt Peters / & Frauncis Atre man wente thyder / and but one seruaunt with hym without armure or wepyn / he was spyed & poursued with a bastarde sone of the lorde of Harzelles whom he had caused to be slayne be fore / wherfore thē his sone thought to be reuenged of his faders deth / this bastarde was pro­uyded for the matter / & poursued Frauncis tyl he came out of the towne & farre fro ony company and cryed on hym and sayd. A thou Fraun­cis Atremā thou shalte dye / thou caused my fader to be slayne / and I shall slee the / & as Fraū cis tourned hym the bastarde strake hym on y ^e heed with his sworde so weyghty a stroke that he claue his heed to the tethe / and so fell downe deed to the erthe & the bastarde wente his way fayre and easely no man poursued hym / so this Frauncis Atreman was wel worthy to dye in that he wolde not byleue Peter du Boys / and when tydynges came in to englande & that Peter du boys knew therof he toke but smal thought for hym & sayd / or I departed fro Graunt I well aduysed hym / let vs se nowe who wyll amende it / not they that duryng the warre dyd gretely honoure hym / for suche doubtes I by­leued syr Iohn̄ Bourser & came in to englande

NOwe let vs retourne to the prouisyons that were made at this season at Dan & at Sluse / it is not had in remembraūce of mā nor by wrytynge neuer none lyke sene nor her­de of / Golde & syluer was no more spared then thoughe it had rayned out of the clowdes / or scomed out of y ^e see / the grete lordes of fraunce sent theyr seruauntes to Sluse to apparell & make redy theyr prouysyons & shyppes and to furnysshe them of euery thynge nedefull / the kynge hymselfe as yonge as he was had more wyl to this iourney then ony other & that he alwayed shewed to the ende therof / euery mā helped to make prouysyō for other & to garnysshe theyr shyppes & to paynte them with theyr ar­mes / paynters had as then a good season / for they wan & had what soeuer they desyred & yet there coulde not ynow be gotē for money / they made baners penons standerdes of sylke soo goodly y ^t it was meruayle to beholde thē / also they paynted theyr mastes of theyr shippes fro the one ende to the other glyteryng with gol­de & deuyses & armes / & specyally it was shewed me y ^t the lorde Guy of tremoyle garnysshed his shyp rychely / the payntynges y ^t were made cost more then .ii.M. frankes whatsoeuer ony lorde coulde deuyse for theyr pleasure made in shyppes / & the pore people of the royalme pay­de for al / for the tallages were there so grete to fournysshe this voyage / that they y ^t were most ryche sorewed for it / and the poore fled for it.

ALl y ^t euer was done in Fraunce / in flaū ders and other places / for this voyage was wel knowen in Englande & it was made moche gretter then it was in dede / wherof the people in dyuers places of the royalme were sore abasshed / & there were made generall processyons in euery good towne & cyte by prela­tes & men of the chyrche .iii. tymes euery weke whiche were made in grete deuocyon with the hartes with holy prayers & orysons to god to delyuer them fro y ^• peryll / howbeit there were in englande a .C.M. that desyred hartely that y ^e frensshmen myght come & aryue in englande & suche lyght companyons in comfortynge of themselfe & of them that were abasshed sayd / let these frensshmen come / there shall not one tayle of them retourne agayne in to fraunce / & suche persones as were in det & cared not for y ^e payment therof were gretely reioysed of y ^e co­mynge of the frensshmen / & wolde say to theyr credytours when they demaunded theyr det / syrs holde you styll / they forge in Fraūce new floreyns wherwith ye shall be payde / and in y ^e trust therof they lyued and spente largely and whē they myght not be trusted they wolde say what wolde ye haue of vs / It were better for you that we sholde spende frely the goodes of this royalme / rather thē the frensshmen sholde fynde it & haue it / and so by that meanes there was spente in outrage in Englande a .M. poū de sterlynge.

[Page] IN this season y ^e kyng of englāde was in y ^e marches & walles & w ^t hym the erle of Oxenforde by whom euery thynge was done in englāde & w ^tout hym nothyng done / & chefe of y ^e kynges coūsayle were syr Symon Burle syr Nicholas braule / syr Robert tauylyon / syr Robert beauchamp / syr Iohn̄ salwen & syr mychel de la polle / & also there was named y ^e bys­shop of Norwyche & syr wyllyā Neuell broder to y ^e lorde Neuel / al these as it was sayd dyd w ^t y ^e kyng what they lyst / as for y ^e kynges vncles y ^e erle of Cambrydge & the erle of Buckynghā coulde do nothyng w ^tout it were agreable to y ^e other before sayd & this trouble & differēce amō ge thēselfe was well knowen in fraūce whiche gretly auaunced theyr iourney / they wolde haue had y ^e duke of Lācastre to haue withdrawē his iourney out of Castell / but he toke no hede therof to let his voyage / whē y ^e lordes of englā de & the prelates & y ^e people of y ^e good townes & cytees & comons of the royalme were iustly & credybly enfourmed how y ^e frensshe kyng was redy to come in to englande to dystroy it / then they drew togider to coūsayle / thē y ^e kyng was wryten vnto by his vncles y ^t he sholde come to Londō / certefyeng hym how y ^e comons of his royalme were not cōtent with hȳ nor his counsayle / y ^e kyng & his counsayle wolde not refuse y ^e goyng thyder but so departed for y ^e marches of wales where they had ben long & the quene also / & so came to Wyndesore & there taryed a certayne dayes / & then y ^e kyng lefte there y ^e quene & so went to Westmynstre to his palace and there taryed / & thyder came to hym al suche as had to do / & there they toke coūsayle how they sholde be demeaned agaynst this iourney of y ^e frensshe kyng / then the erle of Salysbury who was a ryght valyaunt & prudent knyght sayd before y ^e kyng & his vncles & before al y ^e prela­tes & lordes of englande y ^t were there p̄sent / syr my souerayn lorde & al ye my lordes & other / it ought not to be meruayled of our aduersary y ^e frensshe kyng wyll come & ryn vpō vs / for syth y ^e deth of the last noble & puyssaunt kyng Ed­ward of noble memory this royalme here hath ben in gret aduēture to haue ben lost & dystroyed with y ^e vyllaynes of y ^• same / & also it is well knowen in fraunce / how we be not al of one accorde / wherfore this trouble appereth y ^e whi­che is not lytel / for he is but a foole y ^t fereth not his enemyes / & as longe as the royalme of Englande was in vnyte / y ^e kyng with his people & they w ^t hym / thē we prospered & reygned vyctoryously / nor we sawe nor founde none y ^t dyd vs ony grete wronge / wherfore it is now nedeful neuer more nede apperd in englande / y ^t we cōferme ourselfe to rest loue & vnyte if we thynke to come to ony honour / & y ^t we ordeyne at y ^e portes & hauens of englande suche prouysyon & defence that our countrey receyue no blame nor domage.

THis noble royalme of Englande hath ben a lo [...]g [...] season in tryūphaunt floure / & euery man knoweth well a thynge y ^t is in floure hath more nede to be wel kepte thē whē it is tourned to parfyte fruyte / therfore we ou­ght to se & cōsyder how this royalme is in his flourysshynge floure / for within this .xl. yeres knyghtes & squyers therof bothe within y ^e royalme & w ^tout haue had more honoure then ony other nacyō / therfore let vs put to our paynes y ^t as long as we lyue we may kepe this honour thē euery mā sayd y ^t it were good y ^t it wereso.

The erle of salysburies wordes were wel herde & accepted as the wordes & coun­sayle of a noble valyaunt & sage knyght all y ^t was sayd by hym / & deuysed among thē I wyl not long rest theron / for I thynke not to know al / but I know wel y ^t the towne of Caleys was kepte as I sayd before / & they ordeyned to kepe y ^e hauyns & portes where as they supposed y ^t y ^e frensshmē wolde aryue / y ^e erle of salysbury by­cause parte of his lande marched nere to y ^e yle of wyght whiche is ryght oueragaynst Nor­mandy & the coūtrey of [...]aulx / therfore he was set there with his mē & archers of y ^• countrey / & the erle of deuynshyre to be at Hampton with .CC. men of armes & .vi.C. archers to kepe the hauyn / y ^e erle of Northūbrelande at Rye with CC. mē of armes / & .vi.C. archers / y ^e erle of Cā brydge at douer w ^t .v.C. mē o farmes / & .xii.C archers / & his broder y ^e erle of Buckynghā at Sādwyche with .vi.C. mē of armes & .xii.C. archers / y ^e erle of stafforde & y ^e erle of penbroke were sent to Or wel hauyn with .v.C. mē of armes & .xii.C. archers / & syr henry percy & faulx percy were at yarmouth w ^t .iii.C. mē of armes & .vi.C. archers / & syr Symon burle was capytayne of Douer ca [...]el / al y ^e hauyns & portes bytwene y ^e ryuer of Humbre & Cornewal were refresshed with mē of war & archers / & on y ^e moū taynes & hylles costyng the see on the fronters agaynst flaūders & fraūce were set watche mē & watchers in dyuers maners I cā not tel how they had empty pypes fylled w ^t sāde one set on another / & on the hyght of thē were places for mē to syr on / whiche nyght & day kepte watche lokynge in to the see / & they were charged y ^t yf [Page lxii] they saw y ^e frensshe nauy aproche towarde the lāde / thē to make fyers alofte on y ^e hylles to styre y ^e coūtrey to drawe to y ^e coost where y ^e fyers apered / & it was ordeyned y ^t they sholde suffre y ^e frensshe kyng peasybly to take lande & al his & to suffre hym to entre in to y ^e lāde a .iii. or .iiii dayes / & so thē fyrst to go to y ^e see where he lan­ded & to fyght w ^t the shyppes & to wyn them yf they colde to dystroy thē & take al theyr prouy­syon / & th [...] folow y ^e frenssh [...]ē / not incōtynēt to fyght w ^t thē but to hary thē & to kepe thē wa­kynge & to kepe thē fro goynge a foragynge / & to dystroy thē all y ^t were abrode in y ^e countrey so y ^t therby they sholde famysshe thē / this was y ^e opynyon & coūsayle in englāde / & Rochestre brydge was broken where is a grete ryuer rynnynge fro arundel in to y ^e coūtye of Essex & en­treth in to y ^e see & in to Tamyse agaynst y ^e yle of Tenet / this brydge they of Londō bet dow­ne to be y ^e more surer / & where as taxes & talla­ges were grete in fraūce on y ^e men of y ^e townes in lykewyse they were grete y ^• season in englā de so y ^t y ^e royalme sorowed it a grete season af­ter / but they were glad to pay y ^e sowdyours to be therby defēded / there were redy in englāde a .C .M. archers & .a.x.M. men of armes besyde y ^e grete cōpany y ^e the duke of Lancastre had in to castel / of whom now we wyll speke some­what & shew of y ^e aquayntaūce y ^t was bytwene hym & y ^e kyng of Portyngale / & then I shal re­tourne to speke agayne of englande / for y ^e matter requyreth to speke as wel of y ^e one as of the other.

YE haue herde before in this hysto­ry how y ^e duke of Lācastre with a fayre cōpany of mē of armes & ar­chers were aryued at Coulongne in Galyce & how by cōposycyon y ^e towne not y ^e castel was yelden to h [...] / thus they sayd they wolde do as other townes in Galyce dyd / & so therby they were not assayled / & thē y ^e duke his wyfe & chyldren came to the towne of saynt Iames called Cōpost [...]lia & there laye [...] & was in purpose to do tyl he herde other tydynges fro y ^e kyng of Portyngale who knewe of a surty y ^t the duke was at saynt Iames / wherof he had grete ioy / thynkyng y ^t bytwene thē they sholde make a goodly war in to Castell / thē he wrote letters ryght amyably w ^t grete salutacyons & sent thē by certayne messagers to y ^e duke & the duches who receyued y ^e letters ryght ioyously / for y ^e duke knew wel he sholde haue gretnede of y ^e kynge of Portyngale / for w ^tout hym or his comforte he saw well he sholde make but smal spede in his busynes in Portyngale or in Castel / then y ^e duke gaue to y ^e messagers grete gyftes & wrote agayne letters w ^t grete saluta­cyons & amytyes to y ^e kyng of Portyngale / certefyeng hym in his letters y ^t he desyred gretely to se & speke w ^t hym / thus in the meane season y ^e letters & messagers wente bytwene y ^e kyng of Portyngale & the duke of Lācastre y ^• tyme passed / & kyng Iohn̄ of Castel fortefyed hym in al y ^t he myght & sent of [...]e in to fraūce letters & messagers desyryng to haue ayde of mē of war to defende & kepe his royalme of Castel / sayng y ^t in y ^e somer folowyng he thought he sholde ha­ue grete war / bycause y ^e kynge of Portyngale & the englysshmen were ioyned togyder in alyaunce wherby they sholde be stronge ynoughe to ouer ryn y ^e royalme of castel w ^tout they were withstāded / y ^e frēsshe kyng & his coūsayle wrote agayne to y ^e kynge of Castel / byddyng hym to take no thought nor doubte / for within y ^• moneth of Ianuary he wolde gyue englāde so moche a do y ^t they sholde not know what to do sayenge y ^t when they had dystroyed al Englande thē in y ^e somer they wolde take y ^e see agayne & so passe in to Galyce & in to portyngale & y ^t if y ^e englysshmē there & y ^e portyngales kept y ^e felde they wolde cause thē to flee / so y ^t within a yere they wolde make an ende of al y ^e warres / so the kyng of castel cōtēted hȳselfe with this āswere for he saw wel he coulde haue none other as at y ^• tyme / so there came none out of Fraūce to hȳ but suche as were there before / for al knyghtes & squyers farre & nere wente to Parys & in to Pycardy & so to Lysle / to do way & to tournay y ^• coūtrey .iii. myle of length was ful of mē of warre / y ^• nombre was so grete y ^t suche as had y ^e rule of the nauy sayd y ^t they coulde not passe at y ^e fyrst passage but .xl.M. mē / thē it was ordeyned & aduysed y ^t they sholde suffre no mā passe without he were a ꝓpre mā of armes & y ^t euery knyght sholde haue but one varlet / & a baron .ii. squyers & that no horse sholde passe but all onely for y ^e lordes / & to execute this there were mēset at Sluse to se y ^t none other sholde passe [Page] howbeit there were such a nombre of rascalles in flaūdres & theraboute y ^t they ete vp al in the countrey / & the pore men of the coūtrey payde for all theyr charges / for they durst not speke agaynst thē / they were worse to y ^e countrey thē yf englysshmen theyr enemyes had lyen there & it was grete doubte y ^t the kynge & the lordes ones passed ouer in to Englāde & suche people to abyde behynde lest they assēbled togyder & dystroy al / & surely so they had done if the iourney had done amysse. Now let vs retourne to the duke of Lancastre. ¶In the meane season whyle the duke of Lancastre the duches & his chyldren with his cōpany lay at saynt Iames knyghtes & squyers of his cōpany lyued at aduenture where they might catche it / & on a day syr Thomas Moreaulr marshal of the oost & [...] hym syr Mauburne of luners / syr Iohn̄ dā ­brychsourte / Tyrry & wyllyā of Sonnayne & a .CC. speres & .v.C. archers rode forth in to Galyce / & so came to a walled towne a .vii. myles fro saynt Iames called Ruelles / for the vy­laynes y ^t dwelte therin wolde not tourne to y ^e duke / but were rebell & had often tymes ouer­throwen of the dukes foragers as they passed by y ^e barryers of theyr towne / for they had broken so y ^e wayes y ^t they coulde not repasse none other way but by theyr barryers / & when they sawe a vaūtage they wolde yssue out lyke theues & dystroy foragers or other that passed by wherof y ^e cōplayntes came to the marshal y ^t he sholde prouyde some remedy acordyng to his offyce [...] wherfore he came before this towne of Ruelles / y ^e watche of y ^e towne had wel blowen theyr comyng / wherby [...]hey within closed fast theyr barryers & gates so y ^t none abode w ^tout / [...]so moūted vpon the walles / the marshal whē he saw theyr demeanyng saw well they [...] wolde abyde the saulte / then he sayd to syr Iohn̄ Dā ­brychcourte and to Tyrry of Sonnayne / syrs take your horses & ryde aboute the towne & be holde wel where we may best assayle y ^e towne with leest hurtynge of our men / so they moun­ted on theyr horses & rode aboute the towne it was of no grete crycute wherfore they retour­ned agayne the soner & had wel aduysed euery place & so came to the marshal & sayd / syr in all this towne there is but .ii. gates / y ^e one here be fore you & the other ryght ouer agaynst it / syr we thynke these .ii. places are most easy for vs to gyue ony assaulte / for rounde aboute y ^e towne elles are grete dykes & depe ryght euyll to go downe & worse to mounte vp agayne / for hedges & busshes of thorne y ^t growe therin / I byleue it well sayd the marshal you syr Mau­burne shal haue a certayne cōpany w ^t you & go to the other gate / & I shall abyde here and let vs giue assaulte both at ones I wote not what shal come to vs / but gladly I wolde se yonder vyllaynes y ^t are lenynge on y ^e batylmentes of the walles of theyr towne / they loke on vs to se what we wyll do / they are lyke apes etynge of peres & chyldren wolde take it fro them.

OF y ^e marshalles wordes his cōpany lau­ghed & loked vp to y ^e walles to beholde y ^e vyllaynes / thē syr Maulburyne wente forth w ^t his penō & with hym .C. speres & .iii.c. archers & wente to y ^e gate & there taryed / so thē anone y ^e assaulte bega in .ii. partes right sharpe & fyers & the mē within the towne were ouer y ^e gates & threwe downe dartes so fyersly y ^t it troubled y ^e archers & crosbowes / but they hurte many of thē with theyr shot bycause there were none at the barriers to defende thē / for they were al closed w ^tin the towne & defended thēselfe w ^t shot & cast of dartes / so the englisshmē brake vp y ^e barryers & came to y ^e gate / & bet & russhed so therat y ^e they made the gate to trymble & shake when they w ^tin saw theyr gates lykely to be brokē vp they went downe fro the walles in to y ^e strete & bare grete tymbre & wood to the gates / thē womē chyldren & al maner of people bare stones & fylled empty tonnes & pypes & set thē agaynst theyr gates / & so set other aboue on thē & fylled thē in lykewyse one vpō another / & some were styll ouer the gates & dyd cast downe grete barres of yron / so y ^t none durst aproche nere y ^e ga­te w ^tout he wolde be slayne / thus the vylaynes of Ruel kepte theyr towne agaynst y ^e Englyssh men / so y ^t they lost but lytell y ^t day / & so the En­glysshmē retourned backe alōge myle of y ^t coū trey to a towne where was no persone abydynge / & there they lodged tyll the nexte mornyng y ^t nyght the mē of Ruelles counsayled togyder to know what they sholde do / & how they shol­de maynteyne thēselfe agaynst y ^e englysshmē & they sent out theyr spyes to se where y ^e englyssh men were suche as were sent forthe retourned agayne & reported surely howe they were lod­ged at the bace towne of senace / & y ^t by al symylytude they wolde retourne agayne to y ^e assaulte the nexte mornyng / thē they sayd among thē selfe / foly it was to begyn & more foly to conty­newe / we can haue no blame though we yelde vs to the duke of Lancastre or to his marshall for we haue defended our towne an hole daye amonge ourselfe without counsayle or comforte of ony gentyll man or ony man of warre. [Page lxiii] & at lengthe we cannot endure agaynst them / Now syth they know the waye thyder & what we can do it were better for vs to yelde then to be ony more assayled / for if we be takē perforce we shal lese our bodyes & goodes / so they were al of this opynyon y ^t yf the Englysshe men re­tourned y ^e next day they wolde treate with thē and yelde vp theyr towne / theyr lyues & goo­des saued.

THe Englysshmen in the mornynge re­tourned / anone vpon the sone rysynge to go to the saulte. When they of y ^• towne sawe y ^t / they sent out .iiii. of theyr men to make theyr treaty / & as the marshal rode vnder his penon he saw in the felde these .iiii. mē & sayd / yonder I thynke be of the men of Ruelles comynge to speke with vs / brynge thē hyder / & when they were come before y ^t marshal they kneled dow­ne & sayd / syr the mē of y ^e towne of ruelles haue sent vs hider to speke w ^t you / pleaseth it you to here vs / yes sayd the marshal / say what ye wyl syr sayd they we are redy to put you in possession of y ^e towne of Ruelles / so that you wyl saue our lyues & goodes & we wyl accepte my lorde the duke of Lancastre & my lady the duches for our lorde & lady / in lyke maner as they of Coulongne & saynt Iames haue done. wel sayd the marshal I am cōtent & wyl assure you of your prouysyon / for it behoueth our men to lyue / syr sayd they y ^t is but ryght / there is prouysyon ynough in this coūtrey / syr pleseth you to tary here a lytell & we shal retourne in to the towne & shewe what you haue sayd / & syr we tryst ye wyll vpholde this couenaunt / ye truely sayd y ^e marshall / therfore retourne agayne breuely / so they retourned to theyr towne / & shewed howe they had spoken with y ^t dukes marshal / & how they had made with hym suche a treaty y ^t they sholde be in saufegarde of theyr bodyes & goo­des excepte vytayles / then they of the towne sayd god graunt it so to be / thē they dyd rydde theyr gates of the tonnes with stones & tymbre y ^t they had set there / & opened the gate wyde / & so came to the barryers with the keys in theyr hādes sayng / syr we know wel ye be hider sent fro my lorde the duke of Lancastre & fro my lady his wyfe / syr we rendre to you the keyes of this towne & put you in possyssyō therof on su­che cōdycyons as our men haue made reporte to vs / on the same condycyon sayd the marshal I receyue it / so he entred in to the towne / & he & all his menlodged here & there at theyr plea­sure & there taryed al a day / & or he departed he sayd to syr maulburyn / syr I delyuer you this towne for you & your cōpany / ye shal haue here a fayre garyson / syr sayd he y ^t is true / & I take it w ^t a good wyll / for the garyson pleaseth me well / then syr Maulburyn of Luners abode in the garyson of Ruelles in Galyce / & had vnder hym a .lx. speres & a C. archers / & syr Thomas moreaulx retourned to y ^e duke & to the duches to saynt Iames.

ANone after y ^t the marshal was retourned fro the towne of Ruelles on a daye he rode forthe agayne with a .iii.C. speres & a .vi.C. archers / & so rode a lōge dayes iourney came to a towne called Vyleclope whiche was kepte but by suche villaynes as dwelte in it / thē y ^t marshal caused y ^e towne to be auewed to se if it were pregnable or not & whē they had wel aduysed it they sayd it myght be wel won by assaulte / thē they lyghted on fote & sēt theyr horses backe by theyr varlettes / and deuyded themselfe in .iiii. partes / and made themselfe redy lyke men of warre / syr Thomas More­aulx had the guydynge of one company / these conde had syr yon Fythwaren / the thyrde syr Iohn̄ Dambrychcourte / and the fourthe had another knyght / and euery partye had foure score men of armes / and a .vii. score archers. Then they approched to the towne and wente downe in to the dykes for therin was no wa­ter / and then mounted vp agayne on the other syde well pauessed / and the archers stode on y ^• syde of the dyke / and shot so fyersly that none durst appere at theyr defence / howbeit for all theyr shot they within defended themselfe va­lyauntly / for they were a grete nombre within they cast out dartes w ^t longe fethers & sharpe heddes so rudely y ^t who so euer was fully stryken w ^t thē without they were well armed / they were outher slayne or sore hurte / howbeit knyghtes & squyres to auaunce thēselfe came to y ^e fote of y ^e walles / for al y ^e stones y ^t fel on theyr basenettes & on theyr bodyes / & the .ii. squyers of Haynalte Tyrrye and Gyllyā of Sonnayne dyd dyuers goodly fetes of armes and made a grete hole thrughe the wall with suche helpe as they hadde / and [...]ought sore hande to hande [Page] with them within / and these .ii. bretherne wan a .vii. dartes that were cast at them / thrughe y ^• hole they pulled them out of theyr enemyes handes / these .ii. brotherne were vnder y ^• stan­darde of y ^e lorde Fyth waren / on y ^e other parte syr Iohn̄ Dambrychcourte shewed valyauntnes lyke a noble knyght / & he had at the foote of the walle his penon pytched in the erthe by hym / and he had a pykeaxe in his hande & my­ned therwith to the best of his power to breke the wall / it ought to be meruayled howe these vylaynes were not abasshed to se themsefe soo assayled on al partes / howbeit they coulde not so longe endure / but that they had many han­des to defende themselfe withal / but at the last they aduysed them (When they sawe that the assaulte seased not) to yelde themselfe. Then y ^e baylyffe of the towne who had caused them so longe to contynue came and sayd to the mar­shall / syr cause your assaulte to sease / for y ^e men of this towne wyll treate with you / well sayd the marshall / I am contente. Then he caused an heraulde to ryde aboute y ^e towne who sayd to euery man / syrs sease your assaulte tyl ye here the marshalles trompet blowe agayne to y ^e assaulte / for he is in treaty with them of y ^e towne / and with those wordes they seased & rested them / & some of them had nede therof / for they were very wery with assaylynge. Then they of the towne entred in to theyr treaty and sayd howe they wolde yelde themselfe lyues & goo­des saued as they of other townes had done in Galyce. Naye sayd the marshall ye shall not scape so good chepe as other haue done / for ye haue put vs in moche payne / and hurte dyuers of our men / and we se clerely that ye can not longe endure agaynst vs / Wherfore it must be houe you to bye your pease and our loue / or el­les we wyll retourne agayne to the assaulte / and wynne you perforce. Why syr sayd y ^e bay­lyffe what raunsome wyl ye aske of vs / in goddes name sayd the marshall .x.M. frankes / ye aske to grete a some syr sayd y ^e baylyffe / I shal yf it please you cause you to haue .ii.M. fran­kes / for syr this towne is but poore and hathe ben sore charged with taxes. Nay sayd y ^e mar­shal we wyl not of y ^t / we wyl gyue you respyte to take coūsayle togyder / for as for .iii. or .iiii. M. frankes ye shall nor scape / for al is ours yf we lyst / and also I am blamed of my company to make ony treaty with you. Therfore shortely determyne you outher to do it or to leue it. Then the baylyffe wente in to the towne and called euery man before hym and sayd. Syrs what wyll ye do / if we suffre ony mo assaultes the Englysshe men wyll conquere vs perforce so we shall all dye & lese al our goodes / they demaunded of vs .x.M. frankes / & I haue offred them .ii.M. I knowe well it is ouer lytell / for they wyl neuer agree therto / therfore we must exalte y ^e raunsome a .ii. or .iii.M. frankes mo­re. Then they of y ^e towne who doubted to lose all y ^t they had & theyr lyues also sayd / baylyffe forsake not to marchaundyse with them / for rather then we wyl be ony more assayled we wyl pay .iiii.M. frankes / than sayd the baylyffe / y ^t is well sayd / yet I wyll treate with them / then he came agayne to the marshall / and as I vn­derstande theyr pease was made by paynge of vi.M. frankes. Then the gates were set open and euery man entred and were lodged where they lyst / and taryed there .ii. dayes / & the marshall delyuered the towne to yon Fythwaren with .CC. speres and .CCCC. archers and there he lay in garyson more then .viii. mone­thes / but the raunsome of the towne wente to the duke of Lancasters profyte / & the marshall had a .M. frankes.

ANd after that the towne of Vyleclope was yelden vp to the dukes marshall / then he retourned to saynt Iames to the duke for the duke wolde haue hym aboute hym / and sometyme he rode to the fronters of Castell & Spayne to gyue fere to the frensshe men / but as longe as the Englysshemen kepte the felde in Galyce there were none that came agaynst them / for the kynge of Castell was counsayled not to ryde forth w ^t ony oost / but to kepe warre by garysons / and to abyde forsocours out of Fraunce. Then y ^e duke of Lancastre was coū sayled / and it was sayd to hym / how y ^t it were good that he and the kynge of Portyngale myght speke togyder / sayenge also / syr the wry­tynge that rynneth thus bytwene you is good but that is not ynoughe for the frensshe men be subtyle and se ferther in theyr busynes thē ony other people / yf couertly they happen to make a treaty with the kynge of Portyngale / & also the kynge of Castell hathe aboute hym and of his coūsayle dyuers lordes in Portyngale as we be infourmed / & so peraduenture by theyr meanes / they myght make a pease by mariage or otherwyse / so y ^t then by hym ye sholde haue noo comforte / what sholde fall then / ye sholde be then in worse case then euer ye were / for thē the Castellyans wolde set lytell by vs / the Ca­stellyans are the moost subtylest people of the [Page lxxii] worlde / trowe you y ^t the kynge of Portyngale wolde not be contente to be at rest of this busynes yf the kynge of Castell wolde suffre hym to be kynge of Portyngale all his lyfe / and af­ter hym y ^e kyng of castel / syr it is to be doubted thoughe he haue sente for you / & so or ye coulde tourne backe agayne we myght be ouerthrowen / and also syr ye know the state of Englande whiche hath as nowe ynoughe to doo to kepe thēselfe agaynst theyr enemyes as wel frenssh­men as Skottes / therfore make as good war as ye cā with suche people as ye haue / for trust not of no comforte nor ayde out of Englande outher of men of armes or archers for surely ye are not lyke to haue ony / ye were two yeres aboute to gete that ye haue / the kynge your nephewe seeth not all thynges / he is yonge and byleueth yong counsayle wherby the royalme of Englande lyeth & is in peryll & grete aduenture / wherfore syr approche as soone as ye can to the kynge of Portyngale & speke with hym your worde shall do you more profyte then all the letters ye can wryte in .iiii. monethes / the duke of Lancastre noted well these wordes & knew wel y ^t it was true and that it was truely counsayled / then the duke sayd to them that gaue hym that counsayle / what wyll you that I sholde do / they answered and sayd / syr sende to the kynge of Portyngale .v. or .vi. of your knyghtes and at the leest a baron / and let them shewe the kynge howe ye haue grete desyre to se hym / let them be wyse y ^t ye sende / and let thē fynde the meanes that ye maye speke togyder shortly / I am content sayd y ^e duke. Then there was sente in to Portyngale fro the duke / y ^e lorde poynynges / a grete baron of englande / and syr Iohn̄ Abruell / syr Iohn̄ Dambrychcourte and syr Iohn̄ Souster bastarde bretheren to syr Iohn̄ Holande constable of the oost / these departed fro saynt Iames with a .C. speres & CC. archers.

ANd on a day when al these letters were made and sealed there came to the duke fro the kynge of Portyngale a knyght and a squyer with .xii. speres called syr Vase Mar­tyne of Cougne and the squyer Ferrant Martyne of Merle they were of the kynges hous & nere to his persone they were lodged at theyr ease in the towne of saynt Iames / then they were brought to the duke & to the duches & so pre­sented theyr letters / and also they presented to the duke and to the duches and to theyr doughters fayre whyte mules well aumblynge wherof they were glad / howbeit for all that the iourney of the englysshmen to the kynge of Portyngale was nor brokē but they were stopped for a .iiii. dayes / and on the .v. daye departed and this knyght and squyer all togyder in compa­ny / and the duke sente to the kynge of Portyn­gale in token of loue .ii. fawcons pelegrynes as good as coulde be deuysed / & .vi. englysshe greyhoundes good for all maner of bee [...]tes / [...]o the Portyngales and the Englysshmen rode togyder ouer al the lande of Galyce they were in no fere of y ^e Castellyans / for they were ferre ynoughe ofrro them / and on the waye as they rode syr Iohn̄ Dambrychcourre and Martyn Ferrant of Merle fell in talkynge togyder / for before that season the squyer had ben in armes with syr Eustase Dambrychcourte who was vncle to the sayd syr Iohn and was with hym when he dyed at Quarencyne / and as they tal­ked togyder they rode behynde theyr compa­ny / they met an heraulde and a varlet comyng fro Connymbres where the kynge laye & was rydynge towarde saynt Iames to the duke of Lancastre / this heraulte perceyned to y ^e kynge of Portyngale / and was called Connymbres. The heraulte had spoken with the lordes and shewed them suche tydynges as he knewe / and when Ferrant Martyn of Merle saw hym comynge he sayd to syr Iohn̄ Dambrychcourte beholde yonder cometh an heraulte of y ^e kynge of Portyngales / it is longe syth he was in this countrey I wyl demaunde of hym some tydynges / and when they met togyder y ^e squyer sayd a Connymbres where haue you ben so longe / it is more then a yere syth I saw you or that ye were in this countrey / syr sayd he I haue ben in Englande & haue sene the kynge and lordes there / and they haue made me ryche with grete gyftes that I haue had of them / and fro thens I retourned by y ^e see in to Bretayne & was at y ^e maryage of the duke of Bretayne / and at the grete feest that he kepte at the cyte of Nauntes aboute a .ii. monethes past / he hath wedded y ^e lady Iahan of Nauare and fro thens by the see I went in to Irelande / & fro thens to the porte in Portyngale / and as they talked togyder the squyer behelde a scochyn that y ^e heraulte bare on his brest wherin were graued & inamyled y ^e kynge of Portyngales armes and y ^e armes of dyuers other lordes / then the squyer set his fynger on one of the armes perteynynge to a kny­ght of Portyngale and sayd / ase here y ^e armes mes of the gentyll knyght syr Iohn̄ Partelere by my fayth I am glad to se them for they per­teyne [Page] to a gentyll knyght who on a tyme dyd me grete profyte I ought well to remembre it & therwith he toke .iiii. floreyns of golde out of his purse / and gaue them to the heraulte who thanked hym / and syr Iohn̄ Dambrychcourte behelde well the armes the felde syluer an en­denture gooles with .ii. chanders fables / and so the heraulte departed / then the squyer sayd / syr Iohn̄ saw you neuer this knyght that bare y ^e sayd armes / whom I prayse so moche / I can not tell sayd syr Iohn̄ / but at the leest I praye you shewe me what was y ^t courtesy that ones he dyd to you / I wolde be glad to here it / we haue nothynge elles to talke of / I am conten­te sayd the squyer to shewe you / for the knyght is well worthy to be spoken of / then he began his tale thus.

SO it fortuned a lytell before the batayle of Iuberoth when the kynge of Portyngale wente fro Connymbres thyderwarde / y ^e kynge sente me in to the countrey to warne certayne knyghtes to come to hym to be with hȳ at that iourney / so I rode forth & but one page with me / and as I rode I happened to mete a xxv. speres gascoynes / and I was not ware tyl I was amonge them / then they toke me & de­maunded whether I wente / and I shewed thē I was rydynge to the castell of Ronte / & they demaunded what to do / and I sayd to go seke syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Partelere to come to y ^e kyng of Portyngale of Iuberoth / why sayd they is syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Parteler capytayne of the castel of Ronte / is he not all redy with y ^e kyng of Portyngale / no surely syrs sayd I but shor­tely he wyll be there / yf he ones knowe the kynges pleasure / well sayd they he shall knowe it / for we wyll ryde thyder / so they toke the waye to y ^e castell of Ronte / & when they were within the syght of the castell / the watche of the castell sayd he saw men of armes approchyng towarde the castell / then syr Iohn̄ Ferrant demaun­ded fro what parte they were comynge / y ^e watche sayd they were comyng towarde the porte A sayd he they be then Castellyans and rydeth at aduenture towarde saynt Irayne I wyl go and loke on them they shall tell me tydynges where the kynge is / so he lepte on his horse & a xx. with hym and toke his penon before hym / and rode out of the castell a grete galop to co­me to y ^e Castellyans who as then were drawen in to a busshment / and had made one of theyr company to ryde forthe on a genet / and when syr Iohn̄ Ferrant saw the geneture he sayd to a squyer of his / galop forth thy genet & assaye to speke with yonder geneture then the squyer galopped forth and folowed hym nere euer ly­kely to take hym / for he fled but softely before hym to y ^e entente to brynge hym in to y ^e bussh­ment / & when he was nere them / the busshment brake out at hym / & then he tourned quyckely his backe and they that chased hym cryed Ca­stell / and syr Iohn̄ Ferrant beynge vnder his penon seynge his squyer retourned in suche hast sayd / they that chase my squyer be none of our company / they be castellyans set on them / crye Portyngale for I wyll fyght with them / then he toke his spere & ranne at them / the fyrst that he met withall wente to the erthe / and the seconde also / of .xxv. Castellyans y ^t were there x. of them lay shortely on the grounde and the other chased / and some were ouertaken & slay­ne and hurte / and all this I was glad to se / for I saw my delyueraunce and in a shorte season I was lefte all alone / then I came to y ^e knyght and saluted hym / and as soone as he saw me he knewe me / and demaunded of me fro whens I came & what I dyd there / then I shewed hym all myne aduenture and how the Castellyans chased me and toke me / well sayd he and what knowe you of the kynge of Portyngale / by my fayth syr sayd I to morowe he shall haue ba­tayle at Iuberoth agaynst the kynge of Castel for he sente me in to this countrey to gyue warnynge therof to y ^e knyghtes and squyers that knoweth it not to the entente that they sholde resorte to hym / to morow sayd he / ye truely syr sayd I and yf ye byleue not me / demaunde of these Castellyans that ye haue taken / then he demaunded of them tydynges they sayd howe surely the nexte day there sholde be batayle bytwene the .ii. kynges / of whiche tydynges he was ryght glad and sayd openly to the Castellyans / syrs for the good tydynges y ^t ye shewe me / I quyte you of your raunsomes / departe when ye wyl so ye acquyte this squyer / so thus he caused me to be quyted fro them and so they departed / & we y ^• same day retourned to [...]onte then he made hym redy and departed thens at mydnyght & I in his company / and fro thens to the Cabase of Iuberoth whiche was a .vi. myles of y ^t countrey / and to eschewe encoun­trynges we rode somwhat out of our waye / & in the mornynge we herde that there sholde be batayle the same daye or we sawe the batayles & when we approched the batayles were raynged in the feldes / the kynge of Castell on y ^e one partye & the kynge of Portyngale on y ^e other / [Page lxxiii] and at the fyrst we knewe not whiche were Castellyans and whiche were Portyngales tyll at the last syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Partelere sayd I byleue surely the gretter oost be the Castelly­ans / then we rode forth fayre & easely tyl we came nere / and then we sawe well it was the Ca­stillyans / and I trowe some of the gascoynes brake out agaynst vs / then syr Iohn̄ Ferrant sayd / let vs auaunce forthe / we se yonder our enemyes comyng on vs / thē we strake our horses with y ^e spurres & rode cryenge Portyngale & they folowed vs / then when our company of portyngules sawe vs / they came forth and re­scued vs / and for al that the batayles brake not theyr aray / and so syr Iohn̄ Ferrant came to y ^e kynge and acquyted hym that day with y ^e best Thus syr I haue shewed you howe he dyd me grete courtesye / for he delyuered me out of pryson / and I had not ben at y ^e batayle and he had not ben / Therfore syr dyd he not me a goodly pleasure / yes truely sayd syr Iohn̄ Dambrych courte / and also by you he knew of the batayle y ^t is true sayd the squyer / & then they rode forth tyll they had ouertaken theyr companuy & ca­me the same day to Connymbres.

ANd of the comynge of these Englysshe knyghtes y ^e kynge of Portyngale was ryght ioyfull / & cōmaunded that they sholde be well lodged at theyr ease / and when they were redy / then Martyn of Coygne & Ferrant Martyn Merle / and the englysshe knyghtes wente to the kynge who receyued them ioyously / thē the Englysshmen dyd theyr message & presen­ted the kynge with the Fawcons and greyhoū des / of the whiche the kynge had grete ioy / for he loued houndes and hawkes / then they thanked the kynge on the dukes parte for the goodly mules that he had sente to the duke / and to y ^e duches / then he sayd that was but a small pre­sent another tyme I wyll sende them gretter gyftes / this was but for aquayntaunce of loue as lordes ought to do one to another to nou­rysshe loue and amyte / then wyne and spyces were brought and the knyghtes of Englande dranke and so toke theyr leue for that tyme & retourned to theyr lodgynges to souper / y ^e nexte day they dyned at the kynges palace / and y ^e lorde Poynynges and syr Iohn̄ Bancell sate at y ^e kynges table / and syr Iohn̄ Dambrychcourt & syr Iohn̄ Soultyer sate at another table with y ^e barons of that countrey suche as were there and there was Laurence Fongase a squyer of honoure of the kynges who knewe ryght well all the knyghtes and squyers of Englande / for he had sene them in Englande he made them y ^e best chere he coulde / they were well serued at this dyner / and after dyner they were brought in to the counsayle chambre. Then y ^e englysshe knyghtes began to speke to y ^e kynge and to .ii. erles that were there present / y ^e erle of Angose / and the erle of Nauare and sayd / syr and it ly­ke your grace besyde all y ^e recommendacyons that the duke of Lancastre hath sente vnto you he gaue vs in charge to say to you that he desyreth sore to se you / then the kynge sayd / and I as glad to se hym / and I requyre you that shortely we may se and speke togyder / syr sayd the erles it were good that it were so / for tyll ye be togyder ye shal not loue parfytely / and then ye may take aduyse togyder howe ye may mayn­teyne your warres agaynst y ^e kynge of Castel syr this is true sayd the knyghtes of englande then sayd the kynge let it be done shortely / for if the duke desyre to se me / in lyke wyse I desy­re to se hym / so then they fell in other talkynge for then y ^e kyng charged his counsayle to agre and assygne a certayne daye when they sholde mete togyder and to assure the englysshe kny­ghtes therof / and so they dyd / & it was agreed that the kynge of Portyngale sholde come to a cyte in his countrey called the Porte / and that the duke of Lancastre sholde ryde alonge by y ^e frontere of Galyce / & so there at the partyng of bothe royalmes to mete and speke togyder / & so on that conclusyon the messagers departed and retourned towarde Galyce & rode as they came tyll they came to saynt Iames / and there shewed to the duke and the duches howe they had sped / of whiche tydynges y ^e duke was ioy­full and so he had cause for his busynes began then to approche.

ANd when y ^e season came y ^t the duke of Lancastre sholde departe fro saynt Ia­mes / he lefte there styll his marshall and al his company excepte .iii.C. speres / and .vi.C. ar­chers / and syr? Iohn̄ holande who had wedded his eldest doughter with hym and many other knyghtes and squyers / and the duke rode the fronters of Galyce and approched nere to Portyngale / and the kynge who laye at the Porte knewe well of his comynge / and so departed with .vi. hundreth speres and came to the fronters of Portyngale and lodged at a towne called Mouson the last towne of Portyngale on on that syde / and the duke of Lancastre came [Page] to another towne the fyrst towne of galyce ioynyng to Portyngale called Margasse / and bytwene Mouson and Margasse there was a ryuer and fayre medowes and a grete playne & a brydge called the mor brydge / & on a thursday in the mornynge the kyng of Portyngale and y ^e duke of Lancastre with all theyr companyes met togyder there was a goodly and a louyng metynge and there were lodgynges made in the feldes of the kynges syde and thyder went the duke of Lancastre to dyner / whiche dyner was well ordred / & there sate at y ^e kynges table y ^e bysshop of Connymbres / y ^e bysshop of Porte the archebysshop of Bargus in Portyngale / & the duke of Lancastre and a lytell byneth late syr Iohn̄ of holande / and syr Henry beamonde of Englande / and there were plentye of myn­strelles and so were in sporte tyll it was nyght that daye the kynge of Portyngale was apparelled all in whyte with a reed crosse of saynt George for that is the habyte of y ^e house called Mouson otherwyse called Denyce in Portyngale / of the whiche ordre the kynge was and or he was crowned was called mayster therof. But euer after he bare styll that deuyse in the honoure of god and saynt George / and all his men were arayed in whyte and reed / then whē it began to be late they retourned to theyr lod­gynges tyll the nexte daye. The kynge wente to Mouson and the duke to Margasse and bytwene bothe there was no more but y ^e medowe and the ryuer to passe / then on the fryday whē they had herde masse they toke theyr horses / & so rode agayne to mor brydge / and there they met agayne / there they had goodly lodgynge made. The kyng and the duke had theyr chambres hanged with tapyceryes and curteynes as well as and the kynge had ben at Lyxbone and y ^e duke at London / and before dyner they counsayled togyder on the state of theyr busy­nes / & howe they sholde maynteyne theyr war & when they sholde set forth / then it was deter­myned that all the wynter y ^e kynge sholde tary in his owne countrey & the duke at saynt Ia­mes & to let theyr marshal dele / and in marche the kyng and the duke & theyr men to assemble togyder and to go and fyght with the kyng of castel where soeuer he sholde be as thē / for they sayd they sholde be Englysshe and Portynga­les togyder a .xxx. thousande / and when al this was concluded then the kynges counsayle co­moned amonge themselfe for a maryage for theyr kynge / for it was tyme and the royalme wolde that he were maryed to his honoure & profyte / and for to haue good alyaunces in ty­me to come / and they sayd they knewe not as then where he sholde mary more to his profy­te nor to the welthe of his comons then in the house of Lancastre / and this they shewed to y ^e duke / and when he sawe the kynges entencyon and howe that he was in the kynges daunger seynge he was come out of Englande in to the fronters of Portyngale to demaunde his herytage of Castell / then he answered smylynge & sayd to the kynge / who was there presente / syr I haue in the towne of saynt Iames two dou­ghters I wyll gyue you one of them whome it pleaseth you to chose. Syr sende thyder your counsayle / and I shal sende her to you / syr sayd the kynge I thanke you ye offre me more then I desyre / as for my cosyn Katheryne I wyll leue her styll with you / but as for Phylyp your doughter her I demaunde and wyl wedde her and make her quene of Portyngale / and so brake vp theyr counsayle and wente to dyner and sate as they dyd the daye before / they were ser­ued notably accordynge to the vsage of y ^e countrey / and after dyner the duke retourned to Margasse and the kynge to Mouson.

THe saterday after masse they met agayne at the sayd place / and that daye the duke of Lancastre made the dyner for y ^e kynge of Portyngale and his company / and there were chambres and halles hanged with arras & enbrowdery as rychely as thoughe they had ben at London / and the Portyngales praysed moche the Englysshe maner / and at that dy­ner there were thre archebysshoppes and .vii. bysshoppes syttynge at the hyghe table. The bysshop of Lyxbone / the bysshop of Porte / and the bysshop of Connymbres / the archebysshop of Bargus and other / and the kynge sate in y ^e myddes of the table / and the duke a lytell by­nethe hym / and bynethe the duke y ^e erle of Na­uare and the erle of Angosse / and at another table sate fyrst the mayster Denyce / then the gre­te mayster of saynt Iames in Portyngale and the pryour of saynt Iohn̄s / then Don galopes percler / & Iohn̄ Ferrant his sone / the ponnay­se of Congne and Vas Martyn of Congne / y ^e Podych of Senede Vas Martyn of merle albarons / the abbot of the cabase of Iuberoth / y ^e abbot of saynt mary of Eure / syr Alue Perere marshall of Portyngale / Iohn̄ Radygosde­sar / and dyuers other knyghtes and squyers of Portyngale / for there sate that daye no En­glysshmen / [Page lxxiiii] for all knyghtes and squyers of englande serued / & there were many mynstrelles & the duke gaue them a .C. nobles and the he­rauldes as moche / after dyner when all thyn­ges was accomplysshed they toke leue amya­bly eche of other tyll another season / the kynge retourned to Porte / and y ^e duke to Marga [...]se and toke his way in to Galyce / and the erle of Nauare conueyed the duke with a .C. speres tyll he was out of all daunger / and then y ^e erle toke his leue and retourned in to Portyngale & the duke rode to saynt Iames in Galyce.

MOche desyred the duches of Lancastre the retourne of y ^e duke her husbande & to here tydynges what conclusyons were takē And so the duke was well welcomed home as it was reason / and the duches demaunded of hym howe he lyked the kynge of Portyngale / by my fayth sayd y ^e duke he is a gracyous man & is of body and maners lyke to be a valyaunt man / & I thynke he shall reygne in grete pu­yssaunce / for he is well byloued of his mē / they say they had no kynge this .C. yere that so wel pleased them as he / and he is of age not past a .xxxvi. yere / he is a stronge knyght and a har­dy accordynge to the nature of Portyngale / & he is well made of body to endure grete payne ye but syr sayd y ^t lady what sayth he to ony ma maryage / I haue agreed to hym sayd the duke that he shall haue one of my doughters I dyd put hym to the choyse outher of Katheryne or Phylyp / wherof he gaue me grete thāke / how be it he rested on Phylyp / he hath good reason sayd y ^e duches / for my doughter Katheryne is yet to yonge for hym / thus the duke and the duches passed that daye / and so y ^e tyme passed / for wynter approched / howbeit in y ^e countreys of Galyce & Portyngale there is but lytell wyn­ter for it is alwayes hote / & graynes & fruytes groweth there quyckely / for there be dyuers fruytes rype in marche / benes / person & cheryes & al fresshe crbes groweth in February / & in so me place they make wyne by mydsoner / & by y ^t tyme haruest is past.

ANd thoughe y ^t the duke and y ^e duches taryed in the towne of saynt Iames & laye styll / yet his men styred abrode / & conque­red in the countrey of Galyce townes & castel­les / & howe they were wonne I shall shewe you y ^e trouthe & the names of thē / for I was iustely therof infourmed both by knyghtes & squyers as wel of englande as of Portyngale suche as had ben present at all theyr conquestes & specy­ally by y ^e gentyl knyght of portyngale / or who I haue spoken here before / who ryght amya­bly at Myddelbourge in zelande as he came fro his voyage out of Pruce enfourmed me / I haue here before named the knyght / & yet agayne I name hym / his name was syr Iohn̄ Fer­rant Partelere / so it was syr Thomas More­aulx marshall of the duke of Lancastres oost. when the duke was retourned fro the fronters of Portyngale & was come agayne to the towne of saynt Iames / he sayd he wolde not sy [...]te styll syth he was in the countrey of Conquest but sayd he wolde ryde forthe and set his com­pany a worke / whiche they sore desyred & so made his assemble & sayd he wolde entre further in to Galyce to brynge the townes and castel­les vnder the dukes obeysaunce. And soo on a day he departed fro saynt Iames with a .vi.C speres / and .xii.C. archers / & toke the way to a good towne in Galyce called Poceueyed / whiche was rebell agaynst them / they of the towne had knowledge of y ^e englysshmennes comyng for all the comon people fled out of theyr coun­trey in to the good townes. So they toke coū sayle what they sholde doo outher yelde or holde as longe as they coulde endure / so they we­re not all of one accorde / the comen people wolde haue yelded / but the baylyffe who was [...] there by the kyng of Castel / and the rychemen wolde not yelde so sone / for they sayd they sholde norher haue honoure nor profyte in theyr to doynge / so they were in coūsaylynge togyder whē y ^e watche of y ^e towne sowned & gaue knowledge of y ^e englysshmens approchyng / thē they brake vp theyr counsayle & euery man went to his defence / & ran to y ^e walles and bare barres / stones / dartes / Iauelyns / & shewed well howe they wolde defende themselfe and not yelde so lyghtly.

WHen the dukes marshall and his company were come before the towne of Pon­ceuayde / they lyghted on sore and dely­uered theyr horses to theyr varlettes / & then deuyded theyr companyes to gyue assaulte / & the archers araynged thēselfe aboute the towne w ^t theyr bowes redy to shote / and men of armes well pauessed and armed entrynge in to y ^e dy­kes / then the marshalles trompettes sowned to the sowte / and the men of armes then clame vp the dykes with pykeaxes and mattockes to wynne the walles / and the men of the towne w ^t in cast downe stones & other thynges y ^t trou­bled the mynours sore and had done more and [Page] the archers had not ben / but they shot so hooly togyder that none durst appere on the walles / and they dyd hurte many of them within and specyally the baylyffe of the towne was strykē with an arowe that persed his basenet and en­tred in to his heed so y ^t he was fayne to be bor­ne out of the place to his lodgynge / yet y ^e euyll people of y ^e towne wolde not yelde for all that the baylyffe was sore hurte / but were y ^e rather more angry & more redy to defende them / thus the saulte endured tyl it was nyght / then they sowned theyr retrayte / there were men hurte on bothe partyes / the englysshmen rotourned fro the saulte and wente to thery lodgynges / & were of entency on y ^e nexte mornynge to retourne to the saulte / & not to leue tyll they had got­ten it / the same nyght they of Ponce voyde to­ke counsayle togyder and sayd amonge them­selfe we are but folysshe people thus to be hurte and troubled for nothynge / why do we not as Vylodes and they of Coulongne hath done they are yelded to the duke of Lancastre / & to my lady Custaunce doughter to kynge Don Peter let vs yelde lyke as other good townes haue done / wherin they were wyse for therby they sate in rest / well sayd other let vs do in ly­ke wyse / but our baylyffe hath counsayled vs the contrary / therfore he hath his payment for he is lykely to dye / then some of them sayd / yet let vs go to hym and here what he wyll say / for certaynly to morowe the englysshmen wyl re­tourne they wyl not let vs be in peas they wyl outher haue vs perforce or by loue.

TO that counsayle they all agreed and a xii. of the best of the towne wente to the baylyffes lodgynge whose name was Dyon table of Lyon / & there they founde hym on his bed newely dressed of his wounde / & so he ma­de to them that came to hym semblaūt of good chere whatsoeuer he felte and demaunded the of the assaulte / and how they perceyuered ther in / then they answered and sayd how they dyd well thanked be god / for excepte your hurte we haue taken but small domage / but to morowe lyeth our doubte / for we are sure to haue a new assaulte / and we be no mē of defence we are but symple people and wote not what it meaneth / therfore we are come to haue your counsayle what is best for vs to do / y ^e Englysshmen sore threteneth vs that yf we be taken perforce we shall be put to the sworde & lese lyues and all y ^t we haue in the name of god sayd the baylyffe / ye can haue no [...] blame thoughe ye yelde / but make a wyse treaty y ^t they be no rulers in your towne / ye may saye that ye wyll gladly be vn­der the obeysaunce of the duke of Lancastre & of the duches in lyke maner as they of Coulongne be / so that no englysshmen come within y ^e towne / but to sende them prouysyon out of the towne for theyr money / thus do if ye can / I thȳ ke they wyll be glad of the obeysaunce / for they haue many moo townes to wynne in Galyce / wherfore I thynke they wyll the lyghtlyer go hous / ye say well syrsayd they / we shal do thus syth you counsayle vs to do it / so they were / de­termyned on this purpose / and so passed y ^• ny­ght as well as they myght / and in y ^e mornyng at the sone rysynge they ordeyned certayne mē to go out of the towne instructed and charged what truce they sholde make with the marshal yf they coulde / there were .vii. of them & they came to the marshall who was redy to retour­ne to the saulte / and kneled downe salutynge hym and sayd / syr we be sente hyder to you fro them of the towne of Ponce voyde / who haue commaunded vs to say in theyr names y ^t gladly they wyll put themselfe vnder y ^e obeysaunce of the duke of Lancastre and of my lady the duches in maner & fourme as they of Coulongne hath done / and as for prouysyon ye shall haue ynoughe out of the towne payenge courteysly therfore / and syr it is the entencyon of them that hathe sente vs hyder / that ye sholde not enforce thē ony further / nor you nor none other to entre in to the towne with ony army / but yf you & some of your company wyll entre sym­ply / ye shall be welcome. The marshall had an englysshman by hym that vnderstode the spe­che of Galyce / he shewed the marshall in En­glysshe the wordes that they had spoken. The marshall answered and sayd / syrs shortely re­tourne agayne to your towne and cause to co­me to the barryers suche as sente you hyder to speke there with me / I wyl gyue thē assuraūce this day / and to morowe the sone rysyng without we be agreed / so they departed and wente to theyr towne and founde at the barryers the moost parte of them of the towne / & there they made relacyon of theyr message sayenge howe incontynent the marshall wolde come to y ^e barryers to speke with them / and yf ye be not company ynowe sende for suche mo as ye wyl haue so then all the notablest men of y ^e towne drewe togyder / then the marshall with a .xl. speres came thyder and alyghted & came to y ^e barryers and sayd thus.

[Page lxxv] YE syrs of Ponce voyde ye sente to vs .vii. of your men / and I byleue surely ye dyd put your trust in them and they sayd howe ye wolde gladly knowledge my lorde the duke and my lady for your soueraynes in maner and fourme as they of Coulongne hath done / but ye wyl not haue none other gouernours but your selfe within the towne / I pray you what soueraynte sholde they haue ouer you without they had men set in the towne vn­der them elles when ye wyll ye wyll be vnder hym and when ye lyst forsake hym / surely it is myne entencyon and al my company to ordey­ne you a good capytayne true & wyse to gouer you and to mynystre true Iustyce / and to put out al offycers set there by the kynge of Castel and yf ye wyll not do thus answere me / for we are determyned what we wyll do / then they desyred a lytell to take counsayle togyder / and so they dyd and then sayd / syr we haue good trust in you / but we doubte these pyllers & robbers / for we haue ben sore beten w ^t suche people in tyme past / when syr Bettram of Clesquy and the bretons came fyrst in to this countrey / for they lifte vs nothynge / & therfore we fere / nay syrs fere not that sayd the marshall / there shall noo pyllers & robbers entre in to your towne / nor ye shall lese nothynge by vs / for we desyre noo thynge but obeysaunce / and so with those wordes they were accorded / then the marshall and certayne of his men entred in to the towne and the oost abode without in tentes and pauyly­ous / and there was sent out of the towne to the lordes .iiii. somers laded with good wyne and as moche brede / polayne grete plenty / the marshal abode all y ^t day in the towne & set offycers there for y ^e duke of Lācastre / and he made a ca­pytayne there a Galysyan who had alwayes ben in Englande with y ^e lady Custaunce with whom they of the towne were well contented / & the nexte day y ^e marshall retourned to y ^e oost.

THē he determined to go to another tow­ne a .vi. myles thens in Galyce called Dyghos & so rode forth thyderwarde / & when they were w ^tin .ii. myles they sent a messagere to y ^e towne to know whether they wolde rebel or elles yelde thē as they of Ponce voyde haue done yf not they sholde be saulted y ^e nexte daye they of Dyghos made no care for that message and sayd we care for none assaulte we haue bē assayled or this tyme & lost nothynge whē that answere was sayd to the marshall / he sayd / by saynt George and they shall be fyersly assayled are these vyllaynes so proude to gyue suche an answere / so they passed y ^t nyght and toke theyr ease / the nexte mornynge at y ^e sone rysyng they dyslodged / and soo came before the towne & ly­ghted a foote and set them in ordre to go to the assaulte / & they within made them redy to de­fende them & theyr towne / this towne was not grete but it was stronge / and I byleue yf they had had ony good mē of warre in theyr towne the englysshmen had not so soone haue had thē for as sone as they within the towne saw how they were assayled & felte the arrowes of y ^e ar­chers of Englande & sawe howe dyuers of thē were sore hurte / for they were but euyl harney sed / then they began to be abasshed and sayd / why doo we suffre ourselfe thus to be slayne & hurte for the kynge of Castell / it were as good for vs to haue to our lorde the duke of Lanca­stre syth he hath maryed the doughter of kyng Don peter / as y ^e sone of kyng Henry / we know well yf we be taken perforce / we shall all dye / & we se no comforte fro no parte / it is more then a moneth syth we sent to the kynge of Castel to Burgus in Spayne / & there it was shewed to his counsayle the peryl that we were in / for we knewe wel the englysshmen wolde come on vs as they do / & the kyng then spake to the knyghtes of Fraūce / who are of his specyall coūsayle but they gaue hym counsayle to sende noo ga­ryson hyder nor to noo parte of Galyce / by se­mynge the kynge had as leue all Galyce were lost as saued / he answered to our messagers / syrs retourne to your towne and do y ^e best you can for yourselfe / wherby we may well vnder­stande that we nede not to suffre ourselfe to be slayne nor taken perforce / and therwith y ^e men of the towne came to the gate & mounted vp to a wyndowe & made sygne to speke & to treate / they were herde & the marshall came thyder & demaunded what they wolde / they answered & sayd / syr marshall cause your men to sease the assaulte / we wolde yelde vs to you in the name of y ^e duke of Lancastre / & of my lady Custaūce lyke maner as other townes in Galyce haue done and shall do / and yf ye well haue ony prouysyon out of our towne / ye shall haue ryght courteysly to refresshe you / but with an army there shall none entre. This is the treaty that we wyll desyre / the marshall then answered & sayd / I am agreed to vpholde all that ye de­maunde / but I wyll ordeyne you a good ca­pytayne to defende you / and to counsayle you [Page] in all your busynes / then they answered & sayd wel syr we are content therwith / so the assaulte seased / & the marshall syr you Fythwaren / the lorde [...]albot / syr Iohn̄ Aburnell / y ^e lorde Pop­nynges / syr Iohn̄ Dambrychcourre & certayne other knyghtes entred in to the towne to re­fresshe them and there taryed al the day & they y ^t were without had brede & wyne & other vy­tayles ynoughe out of the towne / thus after / y ^e takynge of the towne of Dyghos in Galyce & that the lordes were well refresshed / then the marshall set there a capytayne asquyer of En­glande called thomas Albery a sage man & a valyaunt and .xii. archers with hym / and then the marshall departed and entred in to the coū trey of Galyce costynge Spayne and y ^e mountaynes of Castell to come to a grete towne cal­led Bayon in the Maroll / & when they were a ii. myle thens they lodged / and y ^e nexte day in good a [...]aye they came nere to the towne & then deuyded them in two bataylles / and sent an he [...]aulte of armes to them of the towne to knowe what they wolde do / and whyder they wolde come to obeysaunce without assaylynge or no The heraulte came to the barryers and there founde a grete nombre of the vyllaynes euyll harneysed and sayd to them in theyr language the heraulte was of Portyngale and was cal­led Connymbres syrs among you in this towne what thynge thynke you to doo / wyll ye be assayled or elles yelde you & be vnder the obey [...]aunce of my lorde the duke of Lancastre and of my lady / the marshall hath sent me hyder to knowe what ye wyll do / then the men of y ^e towne drewe to counsayle and began to murmure and sayd one to another / what shall we do yel­de ourselfe symply or defende vs / then an aun­cyent man who had sene moo then many other sayd syrs it is nedeful to take shorte counsayle y ^e englysshmen do vs grete courtesy syth they suffre vs to take counsayle / ye se well there ap­pereth none ayde fro no parte to comforte vs / & also the kynge of Castell knoweth wel what case we stande in / and hath done euer syth the duke of Lancastre aryued fyrst at Coulongne and he prouydeth nothynge for vs / nor is not aboute to prouyde / yf we suffre to be assayled it is of trouth this towne is grete in cyrcute & of small defence it wyl be harde for vs to attende to euery place / the englysshmen are subtyll in warre and wyll do moche payne to wyn vs in try [...] of pyllage for they be couetous and so be all men of warre / and this towne is reputed to be more rycher then it is in deed / wherfore I wolde counsayle you for y ^e best to put ourselfe and towne vnder the obeysaunce of the duke & of the duches / let vs not be so rebel to cause our selfe to be taken perforce syth we maye come to peas by a meane / this is the counsayle that I gyue you / then al the other answered and sayd we wyl do thus we byleue you / for ye are a mā in this towne of grete parage and may do moche. And we desyre you to make the answere to y ^e heraulte with a good wyll sayd he / but it were reason ye gaue the heraulte a rewarde / he wyll do vs the more courtesye & reporte good of vs to the lordes that sente hym hyder.

THen this aūcyent mā came to the heraulte & sayd Syr retourne to your maysters that sente you hyder & saye to them fro vs that we wyl amyably put vs vnder the obeysaunce of my lorde the duke of Lancastre and of my lady the du­ches his wyfe in lyke maner & fourme as other townes in Galyce haue done and wyll do / and we / pray you to be our frende and we wyll gy­ue you .xx. moryskes of golde / when y ^e heraulte herde hym say so / he sayd where be y ^e floreyns / there they dyd gyue them to hym / and so he re­tourned to his lordes / then the marshal demaū ded of hym what tydynges / what saye yonder vyllaynes wyll they be assayled / nay truely syr sayd the heraulte they haue no wyll therto but haue sayd to me that ye sholde come thyder / & they wyll amyably receyue you and put them­selfe clerely vnder the obeysaunce of my lorde the duke & of my lady the duches as other townes haue done / well sayd the marshall so be it it is better for vs this treaty then the saulte / at the leest our men shall not be hurte. Then the marshall with all his company came to y ^e tow­ne & lyghted on foote / & at the barryers he founde moche people of the towne but all theyr ar­mure was not worth .x. frankes / there they were to see the Engglysshmen / and there was the auncyent man to make theyr treatye / as soone as the heraulte sawe hym he sayd vnto the du­ke. ¶Syr speke vnto yonder auncyent man [Page lxxvi] who maketh courtesye to you / for he hathe the auctoryte of the towne in his handes / then the marshall stepte forth and sayd / syr what saye you what wyll ye do / wyll ye yelde you to my lorde of Lancastre and to my lady as to your souerayne lorde and lady / ye syr sayd he we yelde vs to you in the name of them and put this towne vnder theyr obeysaunce as other tow­nes in Galyce haue done / and yf it please you to entre in to the towne / ye shall be welcome / paynge for prouysyon yf ye take ony / wel sayd the marshall it suffyseth / we wyll nothyng but obeysaunce & loue of the countrey / but ye shall swere y ^t yf the kyng of Castel come hyderor sende hyder y ^t ye kepe you agaynst hȳ & his alyes then they answered & sayd / syr we wyl swere it w ^t good wyll / & yf he come hyder w ^t puyssaunce or sende we shal close our towne agaynst hym / & sende you worde therof / and yf be stronger than he we wyll abyde styll vnder you / for ye shall fynde in vs no maner offrawde. That is ynoughe sayd the marshal / I aske no better / or it be a yere to an ende the matter shal be deter­myned / for the herytage and crowne of Castell of Spayne / of Cordewayne / of Galyce / and of Syuyll shal abyde with hym that is strongest for there shall be sene in these countreys or the ende of August many dedes of armes done / & as grete an armye appere in Castell as hathe ben sene there this .C. yere past / well sayd the auncyent man / let it be as it wyll be / and let the ryght go to the ryght / we in this countrey of Galyce dare well abyde the aduenture / then y ^e rebelles were brought forth & they of the tow­ne sware to gouerne theyr towne well & truely as subiectes sholde do to theyr souerayne lorde and lady / and to knowledge the duke of Lan­castre and his wyfe for theyr lorde and lady as other townes in Galyce had done / and y ^e mar­shall in theyr names receyued theyr othes and sware agayne to kepe and maynteyne them in peas and good iustyce.

ANd whē al this matter was done swor­ne and promyse then they opened theyr gates & barryers & euery man entred who wol­de & lodged all abrode in the towne & were the re a .iiii. dayes to refresshe them & theyr horses & to abyde for a fayre season / for in .iiii. dayes before in neuer seased raynynge. wherfore they were loth to departe / for y ^e ryuers were waxed so grete y ^t no man coulde passe without grete daunger / & also in that season they aduysed thē selfe whyder they wolde go to Bezanses or to Rybadane another stronge towne wherin we­re the moost prowdest people and moost tray­tours of al y ^e countrey of Galyce / & on the fyrst day y ^e marshal departed fro y ^e towne of Bayon in Marol / & when they were in the feldes they founde y ^e ryuers withdrawen wherof they we­re ryght ioyful / then they rode forth towardes Rybadane & had with them grete caryage and moche prouysyon & rode all in peas / there we­re none y ^t stopped them of theyr way / for there were no lordes of Galyce y ^t styred / so they rode tyll they came nereto the towne / & then lodged them vnder y ^e olyues in a fayre playne within halfe a legge of the towne / & there determyned to sende theyr heraulte to speke w ^t them of Ry­badane / y ^e marshall had well herde howe they were the falsest people & of the merueylest con­dycyons y ^t were in all the royalme / as grete a royalme as it was / for they dyd neuer set by y ^e kynge nor no mā elles / but helde alonely of thē selfe / for theyr towne was strong / so y ^e heraulte was sent to them to knowe theyr entencyons. And when he came thyder / the barryers were closed and the gate also / then he began to call and to knocke / but noo man wolde answere hym / yet he sawe men go vp and downe on the garettes of the gate & walles / but for nothyng that he coulde do / there was no creature wol­de speke one worde to hym so there he stode callynge & makynge of sygnes more then an hou­re / then he sayd to hymselfe / when he sawe he coulde haue there nothynge elles / I trowe these men of Rybadane haue spoken with them of Bayon and are dyspleased that they gaue me xx. floreynes and dyd so lytell therfore / nowe they wyll make me bye it dere / I fere they wolde haue me tary here tyll it were late / and then take and hange me / and so therwith retourned to the marshall who demaunded what tydyn­ges whyder they wolde be assayled or yelde as other townes had done / syr sayd the heraulte / surely I can not tell they be so prowde that for ony cryenge & callynge y ^t I coulde make / there was none y ^t wolde gyue me ony answere / then syr Iohn̄ Abaurell sayd / sawest thou no persone there / peraduenture they be fled awaye for fere of vs / fled away sayd y ^e heraulte / syr sauynge your grace they thynke scorne therof / for or ye haue that towne they wyll put you to more payne then all the other townes in Galyce / syr knowe for trouthe therin be men ynowe / for I sawe grete nombre of thē / & called to thē on hyghe & sayd / syrs I am an heraulte sent to speke w ^t you / therfore here me / but they helde theyr [Page] peas and loked on me and laughed. A sayd y ^e marshall the false vyllaynes shall well be cha­stysed / for I wyll not departe thens tyll I ha­ue brought them to obeysaunce w ^t out my lorde the duke of Lancastre communde me the con­trary / let vs ete and drynke and then go to the assaulte / for I wyll se them a lytell nerer syth y ^e vyllaynes be so prowde / and it was done as y ^e marshall ordeyned.

ANd when they had eten & dronken they lepte on theyr horses and sown̄ted theyr trompettes makynge grete noyes / and within a whyle they came before the towne / and some knyghtes and squyers ran before the barryers but there they founde no body / but ouer y ^e gate there were many crosse bowes and they began to shote and dyd hurte dyuers horses / then the englysshe archers araynged them before y ^e barryers and on y ^e dykes & began to shote agaynst the crosse bowes / so there was a sore assaulte whiche longe endured / true it is the towne of Rybadane is ryght stronge it coulde not be wonne on y ^e one syde / for it standeth on a rocke so y ^t no man can mounte therto / on the other syde where y ^e saulte cōtynued was playne groū ­de / but there were grete dykes drye without ony water / but they were euyll to mounte vpō knyghtes and squyers auayled downe & then began to mounte agayne with targes and pa­uaises ouer theyr heedes for defence of stones that were cast downe / & the archers were raynged alonge on the dykes who shot so hooly to­gyder that the defendauntes durst not appere abrode / that daye there was a grete assaulte & dyuers hurte bothe within and without / and at nyght they sowned the retrayte / Then the saulte seased & the englysshmen drewe to theyr lodgynges and toke theyr case & dressed them that were hurte / and the same daye Thyrty of Sonnayne was stryken with a quarell in the arme so y ^t in a moneth after he coulde not ayde hymselfe with y ^t arme but bare it in a towell.

THe same season y ^t the duke of Laucastres marshal rode abrode in y ^e coūtrey of Galyce & made y ^e coūtrey to tour­ne to y ^e obeysaunce of y ^e duke & duches who lay at the towne of compostella otherwyse called saynt Iames in galyce / oftē tymes they herde tydynges fro y ^e kynge of Portyngale / & y ^e kynge fro them / for they sente & wrote eche to other wekely / & on the other party kyng Iohn̄ of Castell lay that season at Valeolyue and y ^e knyghtes of fraunce with hym with whom he spake often tymes of his busynes & demaūded of them counsayle and somtyme he sayd to thē. Syrs I haue grete meruayle y ^t there cometh no more ayde to me out of fraūce / for I lese my countrey and am lyke to lose without I fynde some other remedy / the englysshmen kepeth y ^e feldes & I knowe well that the duke of Lancastre and the kynge of Portyngale haue ben to­gyder / and myne aduersary the kynge of Portyngale shall haue in maryage one of y ^e dukes doughters / and as sone as they be wedded / ye shal se bothe theyr puyssaunces ioyne togyder & entre in to my royalme & so gyue me to mo­che to do. Then the frensshe knyghtes answe­red to comforte the kynge and sayd syr take no thought therfore / for yf the englysshmen wyn on y ^e one syde they lese on y ^e other / for we know surely that the frensshe kynge with mo then a. C.M. men of warre is as nowe in the royal­me of Englande & dystroyeth and conquereth the countrey / and when they haue done & brought al Englande in subieccyon / then y ^e frensshe kynge wyl take agayne y ^e se / & or somer be past aryue at coulogne in galyce & wyn agayne more in a moneth then ye haue lost in a hole yere / & the duke of Lancastre shal so be inclosed y ^t he shal be fayne to fle in to portyngale & so ye shal take vengeaūce of your enemyes / for syr know surely y ^t if the busynes offraūce had not ben so grete as it is for the voyage in to englande ye sholde haue had here or this .iii. or .iiii.M. speres of frensshmen / for y ^e frensshe kynge his vn­cles & coūsayle haue grete affeccyon to cōforte & ayde you to brynge your warres to an ende syr care not though y ^e englysshmen nowe kepe y ^e feldes & wyn a lytel of your countrey. Surely syr or it be y ^e feest of saynt Iohn̄ baptyst they shal al be dryuen away / y ^e kyng toke these wor for good / & toke cōforte in thē / & y ^e frensshe knyghtes sayd nothyng but as they thought was true for they reputed surely as then y ^e frensshe kynge to be aryued in Englande / & so it was [Page lxxvii] brewted in all Spayne / Galyce / and Portyn­gale / & surely the fourth parte of the tydynges y ^t the englysshmen herde of pylgrymes & mer­chauntes comynge fro flaunders was not she­wed to the duke of Lancastre / & also the kynge of Portyngale for al that he wrote often tymes to the duke / yet he somwhat dyssymuled & was not ouer hasty to sende for the lady Phylyp to be his wyfe / for his counsayle sayd to hym / syr surely there is tydynges come out of Fraunce & out of flaunders y ^t the royalme of Englande is in a grete aduenture to be dystroyed / and yf y ^t be so what sholde it auayle you the comforte of the duke of Lancastre or to wedde his dou­ghter / it sholde nothyng auayle you / wherfore couertly he delayed his busynes to the entente to se the ende of y ^t matter / howbeit by letters & messagers he reteyned styll the duke in loue & fauoure. Nowe let vs leue a season to speke of the busynesses of Castell and Portyngale / and let vs treate of the matters of fraunce.

THe apparel of shyppes galeys and vesselles that y ^e frensshe kyng made to passe in to Englāde was so grete and sumptuous y ^t the eldest man thā lyuyng neuer saw nor herde of the lyke / y ^e kny­ghtes and squyers reioysed when they depar­ted fro theyr houses to go w ^t the frensshe kynge in to Englande & sayd / nowe let vs go on these cursed Englysshmen / who haue / done so many euylles & persecucyons in fraunce / nowe shall we be reuenged for our faders bretherne and kynsmen whom they haue slayne and dyscom­fyted / surely it was more then .xii. wekes a do­ynge / the pourueynge of suche prouysyons as the frensshe lordes made / it was so grete that it was meruayle to consyder it / & it was sayd in all flaunders / the kynge cometh to morowe and also men came thyder out of Gascoyne / armynacke / Comynges / Tholowsyn / and fro al the lymyttes of fraunce / and all came & lodged in flaunders and Artoys / and when it came to the myddes of August & that y ^e voyage sholde approche / and to the entente to make them of farre countreys to make y ^e more hast & to gyue ensample y ^t the kynge toke his voyage w ^t grete desyre / the kynge toke his leue of y ^e quene his wyfe / and of quene Blaunche and of y ^e duches of Orlyaunce / and of y ^e other ladyes of fraunce & herde masse solemply in our Ladyes chyrche in Paris / & his entencyon was neuer to retourne agayne to Paris tyll he had ben fyrst in Englande / so the kynge rode to Senlyse / but al y ^t season the duke of Berrey was styll in his coū trey of Berre / howbeit prouysyon was made in Flaunders & at sluse for hym as it was done for other / also y ^e duke of Borgoyne was in his countrey / & so then he toke leue of the duches & of his chyldren / & determyned to take his leue of his grete aunte the duches of Brabant / so he departed out of Borgoyne & rode in grete estate & the admyrall of fraunce in his company & syr Guy of Tremoyle / & so they came to Bru­zelles / & there founde the duches & other ladyes who receyued hym w ^t grete honour / & .ii. dayes he taryed there with them / & then toke his leue & fro thens he rode to Mons in Heynalte and there he founde his doughter y ^e lady of Ostre­nant / & duke Aubert & his sone syr wyllyam of Heynalte erle of Oftrenant / who receyued the duke with grete ioy / & so brought hym to Va­lencennes / & the duke was lodged in the erles palace & duke Aubert in the lodgynge of Vy­congnet & the lady of Ostrenant / & fro thens y ^e duke rode to Doway / & so to Arras / & there he founde the duches his wyfe taryenge for hym. Then the frensshe kynge came to Compaygne & so to Noyon / & fro thens to Perone / & to Ba­palmes / & so to Arras / & dayly there came downe people fro all partes so grete nombre that y ^e coūtrey was clene eten vp / nothyng was lefte abrode in the countrey but it was taken w ^tout payenge of ony thynge / so y ^t the poore comon people that had gadered togyder theyr cornes had nothynge lefte them but strawe / & yf they spake therof they were beten or slayne / theyr waters were fysshed / theyr houses beten dow­ne for fyer wood / yf the englysshemen had aryued in the countrey / they coulde not nor wolde not haue done so grete dystruccyon nor hurte then the frensshmen themselfe dyd / & they sayd to the poore men / syrs we haue as nowe no syl­uer to pay but when we retourne we shal haue ynoughe / & then ye shall be clerely payde / but the poore people when they saw theyr goodes taken & spente away / and durst not speke ther­agaynst / they cursed bytwene theyr tethe say­enge / go in to Englande or to the deuyll & ne­uer retourne agayne.

THe frensshe kynge ca­me to Lysle in flaunders & his two vncles with hym y ^e duke of Borgoyne and the duke of Borbon / for as thē the duke of Berrey was be­hynde in his owne coūtrey and ordeyned for his busynes & with y ^e kynge at Lysle there was the duke of Bare / the duke of Lorayne / the erle of Armynacke / the erle of Sauoy / the erle Dalphyn of Awuergne / the erle of Geneue / the erle of saynt Poule / the erle of Ewe / y ^e erle of Longueuyle and other grete lordes of Fraunce in suche nombre that I can neuer name them all / it was sayd there sholde passe in to Englande .xx.M. knyghtes & squyers whiche to say trouth is a fayre company / & also .xx.M. crosse bowes with the Geneways and besyde them other .xx.M. of other men of warre / and as then syr Olyuer Clysson was in Bretayne and ordeyned therfore his busynes and nauye and sholde brynge with hym y ^e clo­sure of the felde made of tymbre / whiche they ordeyned to be set vp euery nyght when they were ones in Englande / and with syr Olyuer Clysson constable of Fraunce sholde come out of Bretayne the best knyghtes & squyers ther­in / as the vycount of Rohan / y ^e lorde or Rays / the lorde of Beawmanoyre / y ^e lorde de la Vale the lorde of Rochforte / the lorde of Malestroyt syr Iohn̄ of Malestroyte / and a .v.C. speres Brerons chosen men of warre / for it was the constables entencyon that no mā sholde entre in to englande without he were a mā of armes chosen / & he gaue charge to the admyral sayng take hede ye charge not our shyppes with varlettes and boyes / for they shall do vs more do­mage then profyte / so that .ii. or .iii. knyghtes without they were grete maysters / thoughe they hyred shyppes for theyr money / yet they sholde haue but one horse ouer & one varlet to say trouthe they ordeyned al theyr busynesses in good ordre / and it was the opynyon of dy­uers that yf they myght aryue all togyder in Englande where as they entended to lande / & that was at Orwell hauen / howe they sholde sore abasshe the countrey & so they sholde without doubte for the grete lordes spyrytuall and temporall and the people of the good townes were in grete doubte / but the comons & poore companyons cared nothynge therfore / no mo­re dyd pore knyghtes and squyers / for they desyred the warre outher to wynne or to lose all / and they sayd one to another / god hath sent to vs a good season syth the frensshe kynge wyll come in to this coūtrey / he is a valyaunt kyng we thynke this .CCC. yere passed there was not in fraunce a kyng of y ^t courage as he is of / he maketh his men good mē of warre / blessyd maye he be syth he wyll come to vysyte vs for nowe we shall dye / or elles be ryche it can be none otherwyse.

IF the apparell for this voyage was grete and sumptuous in Flaunders and at Sluse / in lykewyse was it in Englāde I haue shewed you somwhat therof / he­re before / wherfore I passe it ouer breuely / yf the taxes and tallages were grete in fraunce in lykewyse they were in en­glande / so that many a man sorowed longe af­ter / but bycause the comons sawe it was nede­full sayd / it is not agaynst reason thoughe we be taxed nowe & to gyue of our goodes to kny­ghtes and squyers to defende theyr herytages and ours. There was raysed the same tyme in Englande for the defence of the countrey more then .ii. mylyons of floreyns / and receyuours therof were the archebysshop of yorke broder to the lorde Neuell / the erle of Oxenforde / syr Nycholas Branbre / syr Myghell Polle / syr Symon Burle / syr Peter Gauloufer / syr Ro­bert Tryuylyen / syr Iohn̄ Beauchamp / Syr Iohn̄ Salysbury and other of the kynges pryuy counsayle / as for the kynges vncles there was nothynge done by them / nor they wolde not medle therwith nor brynge the royalme in trouble but they toke good hede to maynteyne the honoure of y ^e royalme / & to kepe y ^e passages & portes for they byleued surely to haue y ^• same yere / y ^e frensshe kyng w ^t his puyssaūce to aryue in Englande / so these sayd lordes and knygh­tes receyued the taxes and dyd what they lyst / & the chefe of them & he that had moost profyte was y ^e erle of oxenforde / for by hym euery thynge was done / and without hym nothyng done [Page lxxviii] so that after whē theyr busynesses were passed the people made trouble to knowe where y ^e money became / and some of the cytees & good townes of Englande wolde haue accomptes ther­of / with y ^e ayde of the kynges vncles as ye shal here after when tyme shall be to speke therof / for it shall not be forgotten out of the hystory.

SIr Symon Burle was capytayne of the castel of Douer / and he herde often tymes newes out of Calays by the fysshers / for they kepte styll theyr custome of fysshynge. Somtyme before Boloyne & before the porte of Whytsande and when other frensshe fysshers met with them they wolde tel eche other tydynges somtyme more then they knewe / for the fysshers of the see what soo euer warre was bytwene Englande and Fraunce / they dyd no hurte one to another / but were as frendes aydynge eche other and bought & sol­de eche with other fysshe if one sped better then another for yf they sholde haue made war one w ^t another / there durst none haue gone a fysshynge w ^tout conduyte of men of warre / thus syr Symon Burle vnderstode by y ^e fysshers that surely the frensshe kynge wolde passe ouer in to Englande and take landyng at Douer and at Sandwytche / syr Symon byleued wel tho­se wordes and thought it was true and so dyd all englande / so on a daye he came to Cauntorbury and wente to the abbaye / and there they demaunded of hym tydynges / and he shewed as moche as he knewe / and by his wordes he shewed that saynt Thomas shryne whiche is goodly and ryche was not there in surety by­cause the towne was not stronge / and he sayd that if the frensshemen sholde come thyder whiche by all lykelyhode they wolde do / for Coue­tyse of wynnynge the robbers & pyllers wolde robbe that towne and abbey chyrche and all / & they wyll cary awaye with them the shryne yf they fynde it here / wherfore I wolde counsayle and aduyse you to cary it to y ^e castell of Douer there it shal be in suretye thoughe al englande were lost / then the abbot and all the couent to­ke his counsayle / though he ment well in grete dyspyte and dyspleasure / sayenge syr Symon wyll ye depose our chyrche fro our sygnory / yt ye be afrayde make yourselfe sure / for thoughe ye close yourselfe with in y ^e castell of Douer forfere / yet the frensshmen shall not be so hardy to come hyder to vs / and so Symon Burle mul­typlyed so moche inwardes in maynteynynge his request y ^e the comons of the countrey were sore displeased with hym and reputed hym not profytable for y ^t countrey / and ryght well they shewed after theyr dyspleasure as ye shall here in the story / So syr Symon Burley wente to Douer agayne.

THe frensshe kynge came to Lysle to she­we that y ^e iourney pleased hym / and to approche the soner to his passage / so the kyng approched / and it was sayd in Flaunders and in Actoys / they shall take shyppyng outher on Satterday / monday / or tuysday / so that in euery day in y ^• weke it was sayd he sholde departe to morowe or y ^e nexte day after / and his broder the duke of Tourayne / & the bysshop of Beawuoys chauncellour of Fraunce & dyuers other grete lordes toke theyr leue of y ^e kyng at Lysl and they retourned to Parys / & it was shewed me howe the kynge had gyuen the gouernyng of the royalme to his broder the duke of Tou­rayne tyll his retourne agayne / with the ayde of dyuers other lordes of Fraunce suche as were not ordeyned to go in to Englande as y ^e erle of Bloys and other / & yet all the season y ^e duke of Berry was behynde & came but fayre & ease­ly / for he had no grete appetyte to go in to En­glande / & his longe taryeng was dyspleasaūt to the kynge & to the duke of Burgoyne and to the other lordes / they wolde gladly he had ben come / styll grete prouysyon was made whiche was costly and dere a thynge not worth a franke was solde for .iiii. howebeit for all that mo­ney was not spared / for euery man desyred to be well stuffed of euery thynge / in maner of enuy euery mā to be better appoynted then other and thoughe the grete lordes were well payde theyr wages other poore companyons bought the bergayne / for they were owynge for a mo­nethes wages / and yet coulde gete nothynge / the treasourer of the warres and clarkes of y ^e chambre of accomptes sayd / syrs abyde tyll the nexte weke and then ye shall be payde / and soo they were answered wekely / & yf ony payment were made to them / it was but for .viii. dayes / and were owynge .viii. wekes / soo that some [Page] when they sawe the maner of dealynge & howe they were soo euyll payde / they were sore dys­pleased and sayd / surely this voyage shall be but of small effecte / for by all lykelyhode when the money is gadered of y ^e taxes / then they wyl breke this iourney and retourne home agayne in to theyr owne countreys / suche as dyd cast suche doubtes & prouided therafter were wyse but the poore knyghtes and companyons su­che as were re [...]eyned by y ^e grete lordes spente all that they had / euery thynge was so dere in Flaunders / that harde it was to gete outher brede or drynke / or yf they wolde sell theyr wa­ges or armure there was no money to gete / & yf ony were bought it was dere / there was soo moche people aboute Dan / Bruges / and Ar­denbrughe / and specyally at Sluse / for when the kynge came thyder they wyst not where to lodge / the erle of saynt Poule the lorde of Concy / the dolphyn of Auuergne / the lorde Dantoygne / and dyuers other lordes of fraunce to lye more at theyr case lodgynge at Bruges / & somtyme went to Sluse to the kynge to know when they sholde departe and euer it was sayd to them within .iii. or .iiii. dayes / or when the duke of Berrey is come and y ^t we haue wyn­de to strue vs / so euer the tyme passed and the day shortened and began to be foule and colde and the nyghtes longe / wherwith dyuers of the lordes were not contente to tary so longe / and also theyr prouysyons mynysshed.

THus in abydynge for the duke of Berrey and for the constable who were be­hynde then kynge Lyon of Armony who was in fraūce and had assygned hym by y ^e kynge .vi.M. frankes by y ^e yere to maynteyne his estate / he toke on hym for a good entente to go in to Englande to speke with the kyng there and his counsayle to se if he myght fynde ony maner of peas to be had bytwene the two royalmes of Englande and fraūce and so he departed fro his lodgynge of saynt Albeyne besyde saynt Denyee alonely w ^t his owne company and with no grete apparel Soo he rode to Boloyne / and there he toke a shyp and so sayled forth tyll he came to Douer and there he founde the erle of Cambrydge & the erle of Buckyngham and mo then a .C. mē of armes and a .ii.M. archers who laye there to kepe that passage / for the brute ranne that y ^e frensshmen sholde lande there or at Sandwy­che / and the kynge laye at London and parte of his counsayle with hym / and dayly herde tydynges fro all the portes of Englande / when the kynge of Armony was aryued at Douer he had there good chere bycause he was a straū ger / and so he came to the kynges vncles there who swetely receyued hym / and at tyme conuenyent they demaunded of hym fro whens he came and whether he wolde / the kyng answered and sayd that in trust of goodnes he was come thyder to se the kynge of Englande & his counsayle to treate for peas bytwene englande and Fraunce for he sayd that he thought the warre was not mete / for he sayd by reason of warre bytwene these .ii. royalmes / whiche hath endu­red so longe / the sarazyns / Iewes / and turkes are waxed proude / for there is none that maketh them ony warre / and by occasyon therof I haue lost my lande and royalme / and am not lyke to recouer it agayne without there were ferme peas in all crystendome / and I wolde gladly shewe the matter that toucheth all cry­stendome to the kynge of Englande and to his counsayle / as I haue done to the frensshe kyng then the kynges vncles demaunded of hym yf the frensshe kynge had sent hym thyder or noo he answered and sayd / nay / there is noo man y ^t sent me / but I am come hyder by myne owne mocyon to se yf the kynge of englande and his counsayle wolde ony thynge leane to ony treatye of peas / then he was demaunded where the frensshe kynge was / he answered I byleue he be at Sluse I sawe hym not syth I toke leue of hym at Senlyze / then he was demaunded howe he coulde make ony treatye of peas and had no charge so to do / and syr yf ye be conuayed to the kynge our nephewe and to his coun­sayle / and the frensshe kynge in the meane sea­son entre with his puyssannce in to Englande ye may happen therby to receyue grete blame and your persone to be in grete ieoperdy with them of the countrey / then the kynge answered and sayd I am in suretye of the frensshe kynge for I haue sente to hym desyrynge that tyll I retourne agayne / not to remoue fro Sluse / & [Page lxxix] I repute hym so noble and soo well aduysed y ^t he wyll graunt my desyre and that he wyll not entre in to the see tyl I be come agayne to hym Wherfore syrs I praye you in the instaunce of loue and yeas / to conuey me to speke with the kynge / for I desyre gretely to se hym / or elles ye that be his vncles yf ye haue auctoryte to gyue me answere to all my demaundes / then the erle of Buckyngham sayd / syr kynge of Armo­ny we be ordeyned here to kepe & defende this passage and the fronters of Englande by the kynge and his counsayle / and we haue no charge to medle ony further with the busynes of y ^e royalme without we be otherwyse commaun­ded by the kyng / but syth ye be come for a good entente in to this countrey ye be ryght welco­me / but syr as for ony ferme answere ye can ha­ue none of vs / for as nowe we be not of the coū sayle / but we shall conuey you to the kynge w ^t ­out peryll or domage / the kynge thanked them and sayd / I desyre nothynge elles but to se the kynge and to speke with hym.

WHen the kynge of Ar­mony was refresshed at Douer a day and had spoken w ^t the kynges vncles at good leysure / then he departed towarde London with a good conduyte that the lordes appoynted to hym for fere of ony rencountres / so longe he rode that he came to London / and in his rydynge thrughe London he was well re­garded bycause he was a straūger / and he had good chere made hym and soo was brought to the kynge who laye in the ryall at the quenes warderobe and his counsayle were in London at theyr lodgynges / the Londonners were fo­re fortefyenge of theyr cyte / When the comynge of the kynge of Armony was knowen / the kynges counsayle drewe to the kyng to here what tydynges the kyng brought in that troublous season / when the kynge of Armony was come in to the kynges presence he made his saluta­cyon and then began his processe on the state howe he was come out of Fraunce pryncypal­ly to se the kynge of Englande whome he had neuer sene before and sayd howe he was ryght ioyous to be in his presence trustynge that so­me goodnes sholde come therby / and there he shewed by his wordes that to withstande the grete pestylence y ^t was lykely to be in englan­de therfore he was come of his owne good wyl to do some good therin if he myght / not sent fro the frensshe kynge wyllynge to set some accor­de and peas bytwene y ^e.ii. royalmes englande and fraunce / many fayre plesaunt wordes the kynge of Armony spake to y ^t kynge of Englande and to his counsayle / then he was shortly answered thus / syr kyng ye be welcome in to this royalme / for the kynge our souerayne lorde & all we are glad to se you here / but syr we saye y ^t the kynge hath not here all his counsayle / but shortely they shall be here / and then ye shall be answered / the kynge of Armony was contente therwith and so retourned to his lodgynge / w ^t in .iiii. dayes after the kynge was counsayled / & I thynke he had sente to his vncles to knowe theyr ententes / but they were not present at the answere gyuynge / to go to the palays of Westmynstre and his counsayle with hym suche as were aboute hym / and to sende for the kynge of Armony to come thyder / and when he was co­me in to the presence of the kynge of Englande and his counsayle / the kynge sate downe and the kynge of Armony by hym / and then the prelates and other of his counsayle / there y ^e kynge of Armony rehersed agayne his requeites y ^t he made / and also shewed wysely howe all crystē ­dome was sore decayed and feblysshed by occasyon of the warres bytwene Englande & Fraū ce / and howe that al the knyghtes and squyers of bothe royalmes entended to nothynge elles but alwayes to be on y ^e one parte or of y ^e other Wherby the empyre of Constantynoble leseth and is lyke to lese / for before this warre y ^e knyghtes and squyers were wonte to aduenture themselfe / & also the kynge of Armony shewed y ^t by occasyon of this war he had lost his royalme of Armony / wherfore he desyred for goddes sake that there myght be some treatye of peas had bytwene the .ii. royalmes of Englande & Fraunce. To these wordes answered the ar­chebysshop of Cauntorbury for he had charge so to do / and he sayd / syr kynge of Armony it is not the maner nor neuer was sene bytwene .ii. suche enemyes as the kynge of Englande and the Frensshe kynge y ^t the kynge my souerayne lorde sholde be requyred of peas / and to entre his landes with a puyssaunt army / Wherfore syr we say to you y ^t yf it please you ye maye re­tourne [Page] to the Frensshe kynge / and cause hym and all his puyssaunce to retourne backe in to theyr owne countreys / and when euery man is at home / then yf it please you ye maye retour­ne agayne hyder / and then we shall gladly en­tende to your treatye. This was all the answere the kynge of Armony coulde gete there / and so he dyned with the kynge of Englande and hadde as grete honoure as coulde be deuysed / and the kynge offered hym many grete gyftes of golde and syluer / but he wolde take noone though he had nede therof but alonely a rynge to the value of a .C. frankes. After dyner he toke his leue and retourned vnto his lodgynge / and the nexte daye departed / and was in two dayes at Douer / and there toke his leue of su­che lordes as were there / and so toke the see in a passagere and aryued at Calays / & fro thens wente to Sluse / and there he spake with the frensshe kynge / and with his vncles / and shewed them howe he hadde ben in Englande and what answere he had. The frensshe kynge and his vncles toke no regarde to his sayenge / but sente hym agayne backe in to fraunce / for theyr full entencyon was to entre in to Englande as soone as they myght haue wynde and wether / And the duke of Berre and the constable came to them / the wynde was sore contrary to them for therwith they coulde neuer entre in to En­glande / but the wynde was good to goo in to Scotlande.

THus the duke of Ber­re herde masse in our Lady chyrche in Parys / and the­re toke his leue / & sayd how he wolde neuer entre there agayne tyll he hadde ben in Englande / howbeit for all his wordes he thought the contrary / for he had no desyre therto / for the wynter season was so­re come on and all the waye as he came he had letters fro the kynge and fro the duke of Bor­goyne in hastynge of hym / certefyenge hym howe they taryed for noo thynge elles but for his comynge. Soo the duke of Berre rode al­wayes forwarde / but it was but by small iourneys. ¶And the constable of Fraunce depar­ted fro the cyte of Lentryngyet standynge on the see syde in Bretayne / with grete nombre of men of armes and prouyson / he had a .lxxii. shyppes / and with hym he hadde the closure of the felde made of tymbre / the constable and his company had good wynde at the begynnynge but when they approched nere to Englande / the wynde rose fyerse and grete / and at the en­tre of margate at Tames mouthe / the wynde was soo grete that whether they wolde or not theyr shyppes departed soo that .xx. abode not togyder / and some were dryuen perforce into Tames / and there were taken by the englyssh men / and specyally there was taken .iii. or. iiii shyppes laden with parte of the closure of tymbre ordeyned to close in the felde / and certayne maysters carpenters and artficers with them and so they were brought to London / wherof the kynge had grete ioye / and so hadde all the Londonners / and .vii. of the constables shyp­pes were dryuen with the wynde with all the prouysyon and taken in zelande / and the con­stable and other lordes with grete payne came to Sluse to the frensshe kynge.

OF the constables comynge and his com­pany the frensshe kynge was ryght ioy­full / and the kynge sayd to hym. ¶Syr constable when shall we departe / certaynly we haue grete desyre to se Englande / wherfore I praye you auaunce forth all our busynes in hasty maner / and let vs entre in to the see shortely / myne vncle the duke of Berre wyll be here with vs within these two dayes / he is at Lysle. Syr sayd the constable we can not departe tyll the wynde serue vs / for y ^e wynde is so sore agaynst vs and soo straynable that the maryners saye they haue herde none suche of a grete season before / Constable sayd the kynge I haue ben in my vessell and it pleaseth me gretely the ayre of the see / I byleue I shall be a good maryner / for the see dyd me no hurte / in the name of god sayd the constable / it hath done hurte to me / for syr we were in grete peryll comynge fro Bry­tayne hyder / the kynge demaunded hywe soo / Then the constable sayd / by fortune of the see and grete wyndes that rose agaynst vs in the fronters of Englande / and syr we haue lost of our shyppes and men wherof I am ryght sory [Page lxxx] yf I myght amende it / but syr it is without re­medy for this tyme. Thus the kynge and the Constable deuysed togyder in wordes / and alwayes the tyme passed / and the wynter appro­ched / and the lordes laye there in grete colde and peryll.

THe flemynges gladly wolde not haue hadde them retourne agayne thrughe theyr countrey and they sayd one to another / why the deuyll dothe not the frensshe kynge passe ouer in to Englande / why taryeth he so longe in this countrey / are we not in pouer­tye ynoughe thoughe the frensshe men make vs no poorer / we thynke they wyll not passe in to Englande this yere / for the royalme of En­glande is not so easy to be wonne / englysshmē be not of the condycyon of frensshemen / what wyl they do in Englande / when y ^e englysshmē were in Fraunce & ouer rode theyr countreys / thē they hyd themselfe in theyr fortresses & fled before them as the larke dothe before y ^e hawke and in the towne of Bruges where as moost resorte was of the frensshmen they murmured & were redy for waggyng of a rysshe to make debate and stryfe / and al began by the frensshe la­keys / who had beten and hurte some of the fle­mynges / so that yf the honest men of the towne had not armed them and drawen in to the market place to appease the ryot / there had not a lorde knyght nor squyer of Fraunce haue sca­ped vnslayne / for the comon people of the tow­ne bare a grudge in theyr myndes for the ba­tayle of Rosebeque where theyr faders br [...]ther ne and frendes were slayne by the frensshmen god sent thyder at that tyme for the frensshmen the lorde of Guystell who as then was at Bruges / when he vnderstode howe y ^e comons wente to harneys / he fered all sholde be lost with­out remedy / howbeit he lepte on his hors with v. or .vi. with hym and rode into the stretes / & as he met with ony armed goynge to the mar­get place warde he sayd to them / syrs whether goo you / wyll you lose yourselfe / haue ye not had warre youghe / so that ye haue moche a do to gete your lyuynge / retourne in to your houses there is nothynge to do / ye may put your­selfe and your towne in suche ieoperdy that all shall be lost / do you not knowe how the frenssh kynge and all his puyssaunce and armye is here in this countrey / soo with fayre wordes he appeased theym and caused theym to retourne in to theyr houses / whiche hadde not so lyght­ly haue ben done / yf he had not ben there / the frensshmen there were in suche fere that they closed themselfe in theyr lodgynges there to abyde theyr aduenture.

SO fynally the duke of Berre came to Sluse to the kynge / and the kynge sayd to hym / a fayre vncle how gretely I haue desyred to se you / why haue you taryed so long we had ben as nowe in En­glande and fought with our enemyes if ye had ben come / the duke began to smyle and to exscuse hymselfe / and shewed not incontynent what laye in his harte / fyrst he thought he wolde se what prouysyon and ordenaunce was made. and to se the nauey that was named so goodly Soo they were there a .vii. dayes that euery daye it was sayd we shall departe to morowe / howbeit surely the wynde was soo contrary that in no wyse they coulde sayle in to Englande / wynter was well on / it was past saynt An­drewes tyde / it was no good season for so ma­ny noble men to take the see / and many of theyr shyppes were redy crossed in a redynes to de­parte / some were in theyr shyppes to be the formost sholde passe / as syr Robert / and syr Phy­lyp Artoys / syr Henry of bare / syr Peter of Nauare and dyuers other. Then the kynges coū ­tayle drewe togyder to se howe they sholde perceyuer in theyr iourney / but the duke of Berre brake all and shewed so many reasons reasonable that suche as had moost desyre to goo were gretely dyscouraged / he sayd it was a grete foly to counsayle the frensshe kynge who in a maner was but a chylde to take the see in that sea­son of the yere / and to go fyght with suche peo­ple as we knowe not theyr condycyon / nor the way thyder / and as it is sayd it is an euyll coū trey to make warre in / for thoughe we were al there a lande yet they wolde not fyght with vs but when they lyst / and we dare not then leue our prouysyon behynde vs / for yf we do it wyl be lost / and they that wyl make suche a voyage so ferre of hath nede to begyn in the harte of y ^e yere and not in wynter / call all the maryners togyder and loke yf they wyl not saye that my [Page] wordes be good / for thoughe we be as nowe a thousande and .v. hundred shyppes / yet or we come there we shal not be .iii. hundred / then be holde what peryll we sholde put ourselfe in / I saye it not bycause I wolde haue the iourney lefte / but I speke it by waye of counsayle / and syth that the moost parte of the royalme encly­neth to this iourney / therfore fayre broder of Borgoyne I wolde that you and I sholde go but I wolde not counsayle that the kynge sholde goo for yf ony mysfortune sholde fall it shal be layde to vs / well sayd y ^e frensshe kynge who was present at all those wordes / yf none wyll go I wyll go. Then the lordes began to smyle and sayd / the kynge hath a couragyous wyll / Howbeit they toke counsayle to deferre that voyage tyll Aprell or May nexte after / & theyr prouysyons as Bysquet / powdred flesshe / and wyne sholde be kepte saufely tyll then / and there they ordeyned that the lordes and theyr companyes sholde retourne thyder agayne in the moneth of Marche / anone this was knowen / and so brake the voyage for that season / y ^e whi­cost the royalme of Fraunce a .C.M. frankes xxx. tyme tolde.

AS ye haue herde befo­re / there was made a grete apparell in Fraunce by the kynge there / and the lordes with grete cost and charge with shyppes and galayes to passe the see in to englande to make warre there. And howe this voya­ge was broken by wether / and bycause y ^t wynter was so nere hande. Then it was ordeyned by the counsayle that the kynge and the lordes sholde retourne euery man to his owne home / and euery thynge to abyde in the same state vnto the moneth of Marche or Aprell / and then euery man to be redy at the kynges commaun­dement.

THen there myght well haue ben seene lordes and knyghtes soore dyspleased And specyally suche as were of farre coūtreys and had sore trauayled theyr bodyes and spente theyr money in trust to haue had a good sea­son / as the erle of Sauoy / the erle of Army [...]a­ke / and the erle Daulphyn of Awuergne and a C. other grete lordes that departed in grete dyspleasure bycause they had not ben in En­glande / in lykewyse so dyd the frensshe kynge but as thenne he coulde not amende it. ¶So thus departed all maner of people / some mery and some gretely dyspleased and angry / and the offycers abode styll there behynde / for too make shyfte to sell theyr prouysyons for theyr maysters profyte and to take money for them yf they myght / but they wyst not to whome nor where / for it that coste a hundred frankes was solde for .x. frankes and for lesse money. The erle Dalphyn of Awuergne sayd vnto me that by his faythe he hadde there prouysyons the whiche coste hym ten thousande frankes / and when he retourned homewarde agayne he lost all togyther / and soo sayd many knyghtes and squyers and other people of Fraunce. ¶And when these tydynges were knowen in the roy­me of Englande / some were ryght ioyfull and gladde therof as suche people that doubted the Frensshe mennes commynge. And some were angry and dyspleased therwith / whiche was suche people as thought to haue some promo­cyon and profyte by them.

SO thenne there was made at the cyte of London a grete feest / and thyther came all the lordes suche as hadde kepte the portes and passages of the royalme of Englande. ¶And then the kynge helde also a noble feest at westmynstre on Crystmasse day And there were thre dukes made. ¶Fyrste the erle of Cambrydge was made the duke of yor­ke. The erle of Buckyngham his broder was made duke of Glocestre. And the thyrde was the erle of Oxenforde and he was made the d [...] of Irelande / This feest endured with grete reuelles and tryumphes. ¶So thus the people [Page lxxxi] of the royalme of Englande (as they thou­ght themselfe) that they hadde escaped a grete peryll / and thenne dyuers of them sayd amon­ge themselfe that they wolde neuer sette more by the Frensshe men / and they thought that all the assemble of the Frensshe men that was made at Sluse was but to fere the Englysshe men / and to haue caused the duke of Lancastre and his company to retourne agayne out of Spayne.

IN this tyme grete brute there was in fraunce and in the lowe marches of a fe­ate of armes that sholde be done at Parys in vtteraunce / for soo the matter was Iudged in the parlyament chambre at Parys. The whiche plee hadde endured a yere bytwene these two partyes / the one was asquyer called Iaques le Grys / and the other partye was a knyght called Iohn̄ of Carongne / and they were bothe of the lande & housholde of the erle Peter of alanson / & they were welbyloued of theyr lorde / and specyally this squyer Iaques le Grys was byloued and trysted with his lorde aboue ony other perso­ne in his courte or housholde / and bycause that mortall batayle folowed bytwene them / and they beynge bothe of one lordes housholde / euery man hadde grete meruayle therof. Soo that out of dyuers countreys grete multytude of people came to Parys at the daye of batay­le for to se it / I shall shewe you the hole matter I as was then enfourmed.

SOo it was that on a season this kny­ght called Iohn̄ of Carongne toke an entrepryse vpon hym to goo ouer the see for the auauncement of his honoure / where vnto he hadde ben longe tyme to accomplysshe ¶Soo he departed from his lorde the erle of Alanson to doo his voyage. And also he toke his leue of his wyfe / who as then was reputed a fayre lady and a yonge / and he lefte her in a castell of his owne on the marches of Perche / otherwyse called Argentuell / and so entred in to his voyage / and his wyfe laye styll at her castell in a wyse and sage maner.

¶Soo here beganne the matter by the deuyl­les temptacyon whiche entred in to the body of the squyer Iaques le Grys / who was with the erle of Alanson his lorde / for he was as one of his counsayle. And so he determyned in his mynde to doo an euyll dede whiche he derely bought afterwarde. Howbeit the euyll that he dyd coulde neuer be proued in hym / nor he wolde neuer confesse it: This squyer Iaques le Grys sette his mynde on the wyfe of the fore­sayd knyght Iohn̄ of Carongne in the absen­ce of her husbande / and he knewe well that she was in the castell of Argentuell but with her owne company and housholde seruauntes.

¶And soo on a mornynge he toke a good hors and departed from Alanson and so rode on the spurres with grete haste tyll he came to the la­dyes castell / and when he was thyder come the ladyes seruauntes made hym good chere by­cause theyr mayster and he were companyons and felowes togyder / and serued bothe one lorde and mayster / and as for the lady she thou­ght none euyll in hym for she knewe nothynge of his entente / nor wherfore he was come thy­ther / Howbeit swetely she receyued hym / and ledde hym in to her chambre / and shewed hym parte of her busynes: Then this squyer Fa­ques le Grys to accomplysshe his folysshe ap­petyte desyred the lady that he myghte se the dongeon / for he sayd it was a grete parte of his comynge thyder to se it. The lady lyghtly graunted hym his desyre / and soo she and he wente thyder all alone / and nother chamberer nor varlet entred with them / for the lady had noo mystrust in hym of ony dyshonoure / and as sone as they were entred in to the dongeon Iaques le Grys closed the doore after theym. [Page] The lady knewe not therof / for she wente on before / and thought that the wynde had shotte the dore and so when they were togyder thus alone Iaques toke the lady in his armes and enbraced her / and dyscouered to her his entent The lady was sore abasshed and wolde glad­ly haue gone to the dore / but she coulde not for he was a bygge man / and so layde her downe on the carpe [...] and so by force dyd his pleasure with her and when he had done what he lyst he opened the dore and so departed / and the la­dy sore dyspleased and abasshed of y ^t aduēcure [...] alone in the donteon­but at the knyghtes departed she sayd wypynge / Iaket Ia­ket ye haue not well done thus to shame me / but the blame shall not rest on me / but on you yf god suffre my husbande ones to retourne home agayne. Soo Iaket toke his horse and departed and rode agayne to his mayster the erle o [...] Alanson and was there at his rysynge aboute .ix. of the clocke and at .iiii. of y ^e clocke mo [...]e mornynge he was sene there before / I shall shewe you why I speke these wordes by­cause of the grete plee that folowed after / for y ^e comyssaryes of the parly ament of Parys had the matter in eramynacyon. Thus the lady of Carongne abode styl in her castel after this sorowfull deed was done to her / and dyscouered the matter to no creature / but kepte her sorowe as secrete as she myght for she sawe wel to speke as then therof the myght haue more blame then honoure / but she remembred well the day houre and tyme that the dede was doone / and soo after the tyme came that the lorde of Ca­roagne came home from his voyage / the lady his wyfe made hym good chere / the day passed and the nyght came / and the knyght wente to bedde and the lady wolde not / wherof the kny­ght had grete meruayle and often desyred her to come to bedde and euer she blessyd her and walked vp and downe the chambre studyenge and musynge fynally when all her seruauntes were gone to bedde / then she came to her hus­bande and fell downe on her knees and lamentably shewed hym all her aduenture / the kny­ght coulde not byleue her. Howbeit the lady [...] soo moche that he agreed well that it was so and sayd certaynly lady syth y ^e matter is so as ye shewe me I pardon you / but the knyght shall [...] or his dede by the aduyse and coun­sayle of [...] frendes and youres. And yf your [...] be founde vntrue ye shall neuer come in my company. The lady euer more and mo­re [...] that it was true so that night passed. The nexte daye the knyght wrote ma­ny letters and sente them to all his wyffes frendes / and also to his owne / soo that in a shorte tyme they were all come and assembled togy­der at the castell of Argentuell / and when they were all in a chambre / then he began to shewe them the cause why he hadde sent for them / and there made his wyfe to shewe them all the matter fro poynte to poynte / wherof they all hadde grete meruayle / so there he demaunded of thē counsayle / and he was counsayled that he sholde drawe to his lorde the erle of Alanson and shewe hym all the matter / and soo he dyd / and the erle who gretely loued this foresayd Ia­ques le Grys wolde not byleue hym / and soo gaue daye to the partyes to be before hym at a day lymytted. And also he commaunded that the lady that hadde appeched Iaques le Grys sholde be there presente for to shewe the more playnly the trouthe of the matter / and soo she was with a grete nombre of her lygnage / soo the pletynge was grete and longe in the erles presence. And Iaques le Grys was accused of his dede by the knyght the lorde of Carongne by relacyon of his wyfe who shewed there the case as it was fallen / Iaques le Grys exscused hymselfe sayenge howe he was not gylty ther­in / and the lady layde it sore to his charge / and he euer denyed it / and hadde meruayle by his wordes why the lady dyd hate hym / he proued by them of the erle of Alansons house that the same daye at foure of the clocke in the mornynge he was sene there in his maysters castell / and his mayster sayd and affyrmed that at .ix. of the clocke he was with hym at his vp rysynge / wherfore the erle sayd it was not possyble for hym to go and come and to do that dede in foure houres and an halfe to ryde .xxiii. myles wherfore the erle sayd to the lady howe she dyd but dreame it / wherfore he wolde maynteyne his squyer and commaunded the lady to speke noo more of the matter. But the knyght who was of grete courage / and well trusted and by leued his wyfe wolde not agree to that oppe­nyon / but soo wente to Parys / and shewed the matter there at the parlyament / and there ap­peled Iaques le Grys who appered and an­swered to his appele and there layde in pled­ges to accomplysshe the ordenaunce of the parlyament.

THe plee bytwene them endured more then a yere and an halfe / and they coulde not be agreed / for the foresayd knyght helde [Page lxxix] hymselfe sore of the informacyon of his wyfe and bycause the matter was so sore publysshed abrode he sayd he wolde maynteyne his qua­rell to the dethe / wherwith the erle of Alanson was sore dyspleased with the poore knyght / & often tymes wolde haue had hym slayne / but that the matter was in the parlyament / so lon­ge theyr plee endured y ^t the parlyament deter­myned bycause the lady coulde make no proffe agaynst Iaques le Grys but by her owne wordes / that there sholde be batayle at vtteraunce bytwene them / and soo on a daye prefyxed the knyght and his wyfe / and the squyer beynge present Iudgement was gyuen / that the nexte mondaye after mortall batayle sholde be done bytwene the knyght and the squyer / whiche was in the yere of oure lorde god .M.CCC. lxxx. and .vii. At whiche tyme the frensshe kynge and his lordes were at Sluse to the entente to passe ouer the see in to Englande / and when the kynge herde of that matter howe a daye of batayle was taken to be at Parys / the kynge sayd he wolde se that batayle bytwene the knyght and the squyer / the duke of Berre / the du­ke of Borgoyne / the duke of Borbone / and the constable of Fraunce / who had also grete desyre to se that batayle sayd to the kynge / syr it is good reason that ye be there and that it be do­ne in your presence / then the kynge sent to Pa­rys comaundynge that the iourney & batayle bytwene the squyer and y ^e knyght sholde be relonged tyl his comynge to Parys / and so his cōmaundement was obeyed.

SO the kynge then retourned fro Slu­se and helde the feest of Crystmas at Arras / and the duke of Borgoyne at Lysle. And in the meane season all other men of warre passed and retourned in to Fraunce / euery man to his place as it was ordeyned by the marshalles / but the grete lordes retourned to Parys to se the sayd batayle. Thus the kynge and his vncles and the constable came to Parys. Then the lystes were made in a place called saynt Katheryne behynde the temple / there was soo moche people that it was mer­uayle to beholde / and on the one syde of the ly­stes there was made grete scaffoldes that the lordes myght the better se the batayle of the .ii. champyons / and so they bothe came to the fel­de armed at all peaces / and there eche of them was set in theyr chayre / the erle of saynt Poule gouerned Iohn̄ of Carongne and the erle of Alansons company with Iaques le Grys / and when the knyght entred in to the felde he came to his wyfe who was there syttynge in a chayre couered in blacke / and he sayd to her thus / Dame by your enformacyon and in your qua­rell I do put my lyfe in aduenture as to fyght with Iaques le Grys / ye knowe if the cause be iust and true / syr sayd the lady / it is as I haue sayd wherfore ye maye fyght surely / the cause is good and true / with those wordes the kny­ghte kyssed the lady and toke her by the hande and then blessyd hym and soo entred in to the felde / the lady sate styll in the blacke chayre in her prayers to god and to the vyrgyne Mary humbly prayenge them by theyr specyall gra­ce to sende her husbande the vyctory accordyn­ge to the ryght he was in / this lady was in grete heuynes [...]or she was not sure of her lyfe / for yf her husbande sholde haue ben dyscomfyted she was Iudged without remedy to be brente and her husbande hanged / I can not say whe­ther she repented her or not y ^t the matter was so forwarde / that bothe she and her husbande were in grete peryll / howbeit fynally she must as then abyde the aduenture. Then these two champyons were set one agaynst another and so mounted on theyr horses / and behaued them nobly / for they knewe what perteyned to dea­des of armes / there were many lordes and knyghtes of Fraunce that were come thyder to se that batayle / y ^e two champyons iusted at theyr fyrst metyng but none of them dyd hurte other And after the Iustes they lyghted on foote to perfourme theyr batayle and soo fought valy­auntly. And fyrst Iohn̄ of Carongne was hurte in the thyghe wherby al his frendes were in grete fere / but after that he fought so valyauntly that he bette downe his aduersary to the er­the / and threst his swerde in his body and soo slewe hym in the felde / and then he demaunded yf he had done his deuoyre or not / and they an­swered that he hadde valyauntly acheued his batayle. Then Iaques le Grys was delyue­red to the hangman of Parys / and he drewe hym to the gybet of Mountfawcon and there hanged hym vp. Then Iohn̄ of Carongne ca­me before the kynge and kneled downe / and y ^e kynge made hym to stande vp before hym / and the same daye the kynge caused to be delyue­red to hym a thousande frankes / and reteyned hym to be of his chambre with a pencyon of .ii. hundred pounde by the yere durynge the ter­me of his lyfe / then he thanked the kynge and the lordes and went to his wyfe and kyssed her and then they wente togyder to the chyrche of [Page] our Lady in Parys and made theyr offerynge and then retourned to theyr lodgynges / then this syr Iohn̄ of Carongue taryed not longe in Fraunce but wente with syr Iohn̄ Bouce­quant syr Iohn̄ of Bordes / & syr Loys Grat / all these wente to se and vysyte the holy sepul­ture / and to se Lamorabaquyn of whome in those dayes there was moche spekynge / and with them wente Robonet of Bolowne a squyer of honoure with the Frensshe kynge who in his dayes made many voyages aboute in the worlde.

THe same season aboute Candelmas kynge Peter of Aragon fell syke in his bed / and when he sawe y ^t he shol­de dye he caused his two so­nes to come before hȳ Iohn̄ the elder and Martyne du­ke of Blasmont in Aragon and sayd to them / fayre sones I leue you in good poynte / and all the busynes of the royalme standeth well and clere kepe peas and loue bytwene you / and ke­pe fayth and honoure eche to other ye shall doo the better as for the feates of the chyrche accordynge to my conscyence and for the moost sure way / I haue alwayes holden the new tralyte bytwene y ^e .ii. popes / and so I wolde ye sholde do tyl the determynacyon bytwene them apere more clerely. The two sones answered & sayd / syr gladly we shall obey that ye commaunde & ordeyne as it is reason / thus in this case dyed kynge Peter of Aragon who had ben a ryght valyaunt prynce in his dayes and gretely had augmented the crowne and royalme of Ara­gon and had conquered the royalme of May­iorke / and had anexed it to his owne crowne / and he was buryed in the good cyte of Barce­lona / & there he lyeth / and when his dethe was knowen in Auygnyon with pope Clement & his Cardynalles they wrote incotynent to y ^e frensshe kynge and to his vncles / to the duke of Barre and to the duches who was of theyr oppynyon / and they were fader and moder to the yonge quene that sholde be in Aragon the lady yolent / and also they wrote to her that all these sholde styre and moue the yonge kynge of Aragon to be of theyr opynyon / the frensshe kynge / the duke of Berre and the duke of Bor­goyne sente in to Aragon in legacyon a cardynall to preche / and to styre the yonge kynge & his broder and the people of that royalme of Aragon to take the oppynyon of Clement / the Cardynall dydde soo moche with the ayde of the lady yolent of Barre as then quene of Ara­gon who gladly enclyned to that way bycause she was so instantly requyred therto by her fa­der and moder / and by the frensshe kynge / and dukes of Berre and Burgoyne her cosyns soo that she brought the kynge and the royalme to be of the oppynyon of pope Clement. Howbeit the kynge wolde haue ben styl a newter as his fader was.

IN the same season that the kynge of Aragon thus dyed / there was at Bar­celona the archebysshoppe of Burde­aus whome the duke of Lancastre had sente thyder in ambassade / I shall shewe yon / the cause why. ¶The prynce of wales bycause he was duke and lorde of the countrey of Ac­quytayne and that all his neyghbours doub­ted hym / as the Frensshe kynge / the kynge of Aragon / the kynge of Spayne / and the kynge of Nauare yea. And also kynges that were sa­razyns that harde grete spekynge of hym / for the good fortune and noble chyualrye that he was of / and he hadde a certayne alyaunce and confyderacyon with kynge Peter of Aragon / whiche leage was sworne and sealed bytwene them / and it was confyrmed by the kynge of Englande fader to the prynce.

ANd amonge other thynges it was comprysed that the kynge of Englande nor the duke and lorde of Acquytayne sholde ma­ke ony warre nor consente to make ony warre agaynst the roayalme of Aragon / for the whi­che the kynge of Aragon sware and sealed for hym and for his ayres that euery yere he shol­de serue the prynce of Acquytayne with the nombre of fyue hundred speres agaynst who so euer he hadde to doo withall / or elles to sende vnto hym as moche money as sholde wag [...] fyue hundreth speres. ¶And soo it was that [Page lxxx] as then there was .x. yeres rynne in aterages that the kynge of Aragon had payde nothyng nor done ony seruyce to y ^e kynge of Englande nor to his deputyes / and when the duke of Lancastre wente out of Englande / he hadde with hym letters patentes sealed with the grete sea­le of Englande / wherby he was stablysshed to be the kynges Lyeutenaunt in the marches of Burdeaus / Bayon / and Acquytayne / and the kynge gaue hym fall puyssaunce and auctory­royall to demaunde all ryghtes and due accy­ons as well of the royalme of Aragon as elles where / and wolde that the duke sholde haue y ^• profyte without ony excepcyon / and what soo euer he dyd / to be ferme and stable so thus whē the duke of Lancastre had ben a season in the towne of saynt Iames in Galyce / he remem­bred hymselfe of the busynes of Aragon / and perceyued well by reason of his commyssyon / howe the kynge of Aragon was sore in his det in a grete some of money longe renne in arerages whiche he thought if he myght gete / it sholde gretely ayde hym in his warres of Castell / and soo he sente to the archebysshop of Burde­aus / and to syr Iohn̄ Harpedan who was se­nesshall of all Burdeloys commaundynge thē bothe or at the leest one of them to go in to Aragon to y ^e kynge there / and to shewe hym playnly howe he was in grete arrerages with the kynge of Englande and with the duke of Ac­quytayne / the archebysshoppe and the Senes­shall behelde well the duke of Lancastres let­ters / and soo toke counsayle togyder theron / and there they determyned that it was best y ^t the Senesshall sholde [...]ry styll at Burdeaus and the bysshop to take on hym the charge of that voyage / and soo he dyd / and he came in to Aragon in so euyll a season that the kynge the relaye syke and dyed / and after the kynges de­the the archebysshop poursued his cause and folowed the kynges chyldren and y ^e counsayle of the royalme who came to the kynges enter­ment to y ^e cyte of Barcelona / and this bysshop pursued his ambassade so affectuously that he was set in a courtoyse pryson so that he coulde not departe when he wolde / when these tydyn­ges came to Burdeaus to y ^e senesshall there / he sayd I thought neuer none other wyse / for y ^e archebysshop is hasty & heedy / I thynke nowe it had ben better that I had gone / for I wolde haue spoken moore mekely / there is a maner thrughout all the worlde howe to demaunde a mannes ryght / the senesshall sente these tydyn­ges to the duke of Lancastre in to Galyce who was therwith ryght sore dyspleased and euyll contente with the kynge of Aragon and his counsayle that they had put the archebysshop in to pryson for doynge of his ambassade / then the duke of Lancastre wrote to the company­ons of the garyson of Lourde / that they sholde make warre agaynst them of Barcellona where as the archebysshoppe of Burdeaus was in pryson.

IOhn̄ of Byerne who was capytayne there and senesshall of Bygore / Pier Dau­chyn / Ernalton of Resten / Ernalton of saynt Colombe and other of the garyson of Lourde were gretely reioysed when they herde that tydynges / and then began to rynne in to the roy­alme of Aragon to the portes of Barcelona so that no merchaunt durst go abrode. ¶Also in Aragon there was another myschefe / for the yonge kynge Iohn̄ of Aragon wolde haue ben crowned kynge of Aragon / but the good tow­nes wolde not consente therto without he sware fyrst solemply that he sholde neuer demaun­de tayle / taxe / nor inposycyon in all y ^e countrey and dyuers other thynges that he sholde swere and put it in wrytynge sealed yf he wolde be crowned kynge / whiche thynge semed to hym and to his counsayle to be ryght preiudycyall Wherfore he thretened to make them warre / and specyally to them of the cyte of Barcelona for the kynge sayd they were to ryche and to prowde.

IN the same season there was in Langue docke and on the fronters of Auuergue and of Rouergue to warde Pezanas and y ^e cy­te of Duzes / a maner of men of armes called y ^e Rowtes / & they dayly multyplyed to do euyll / and .iiii. men of armes were capytaynes who demaunded warre agaynst euery man / they cared not agaynst whom / theyr names were Pe­ter of Mount fawcon / Geffray Chastelyer / Hamgue de forge / and the goulent. They had a foure hundreth men vnder them / who ryfled and pylled the countrey where as they were conuersaunt / and when they were enfourmed that y ^e archebysshop of Burdeaus was in pry­son in Aragon / and that the duke of Lancastre was not contente with the Aragonoys / and also that the kynge of Aragon was euyll plea­sed with the good townes of his royalme and countrey. And they were of these tydynges [Page] gretely reioysed / for suche people as they were are rather pleased with euyll dedes then with good. They toke counsayle bytwene them & determyned to approche to Aragon and to ge­te some forterers on those fronters / thynkynge then that the duke of Aragon or elles some of y ^e good townes wolde entreate with the to theyr profyte. So they rode costynge the countrey & set theyr myndes to gete yf they myght the ca­stell of Dulcen beynge in y ^e archbysshopryche of Narbone bytwene the royalme of Aragon and Fraunce on the departynge of bothe roy­almes / they came thyder at suche a poynte and by nyght / that they founde it but symply wat­ched nor kepte / they dyd soo moche y ^t they wan it & were lordes thereof / wherby al the countrey was afrayde & specyally they of Parpygnen / for it was but .iiii. legges thens / also they of Lourde gate y ^e same weke a castell in Aragon a .iiii. legges fro Barcelona called the olde ca­stell of Rolbays perteynynge to the countesse of Castell Boze cosyn germayne to the erle of Foys. The lady was gretely abasshed when her castell was so taken / she sente to her cosyn the erle of Foys desynge hym for goddes sake to rendre agayne to her the sayd castell whiche they of his coūtrey of Berne had taken fro her y ^e erle sent to her y ^t she sholde not be afrayde for ony thynge / certefyenge her y ^t it was taken but alonely to make war agaynst thē of Bercelona who helde in pryson for a smal cause y ^e bysshop of Burdeaus / sayenge howe she sholde haue it ryght well agayne without ony domage / y ^e la­dy was well peased with his answere & dyssy­muled the matter and went and lay at another castell nere to Roqueberton and they of the castell of Rolbays / and of Dulcen and of Lourde made sore warre on the fronters of Aragon / & to say the trouth the kynge there dyssymuled y ^e matter to chastyse therby y ^e good townes y ^t were agaynst hȳ / so that y ^e good townes were sore dyspleased with the kynge / for they of Barce­lona of Perpygnen & of other townes coulde not exercyse theyr merchaūdyse / but they were taken and raunsomed / then they of Barcelona aduysed to delyuer the archebysshop of Bur­deaus out of pryson and for his delyeraunce to speke with the kynge as it was reason / and soo pryuely by a meane they treated with the kyn­ges broder syr Martyne duke of Blasemont who was gretly in y ^e grace of all y ^e people desy­rynge hym to be meane to the kynge his bro­der y ^t they myght be in peas w ^t them of Lourde & of Rolbays he promysed them to do his best / to kepe them in his fauoure / and he dyd so mo­che with the kynge his broder that the arche­bysshop of burdeaus was delyuered out of pryson and sente in to Burdeloys / and alone after the erle of Foys dyd so moche that the vycoun­tesse recouered agayne her castel / and suche as helde it departed / this seruyce dyd the erle of Foys that yere to the duke of Lancastre.

WHen the kynge of Aragon sawe that the countesse of castell Boze had soo soone agayne recouered her castell he sent for her / and she came to hym / then the kynge layde to her charge howe she had suffered y ^e englyssh men to entre in to her castell to make warre to his royalme / saynge how she had done to hym a grete trespace / the lady truely excused her & sayd / syr as god knoweth & by the fayth I owe to you / the day and houre that tydynges came to me of y ^e takynge of my castell by the of Lourde I neuer had before no treaty w ^t the englyssh mē / but syr incōtynent I sent to my cosyn y ^e erle of Foys prayng hȳ for goddes sake to gete me agayne my castell / seynge that they y ^t had got­ten it were of his countrey of Byerne and were yssued out of Lourde / and the erle sente to me & bad me not doubte / sayenge how the takyng of it was but to make warre agaynst them of Barcelona / wel sayd y ^e kynge proue your wordes by your cosyn the erle of Foys and ye shall enioy peasybly styll your castell w ^t a good wyl syr sayd y ^e lady / she sent to her cosyn the erle of Foys / who was at Ortays in Byerne / prayng hym to apease the matter with y ^e kynge of Aragon. The erle then sent letters to y ^e kynge by a knyght of his called syr Cycarte of Saurelyn desyrynge the kynge to suffre his cosyn the vy­countes to be in peas and to lyue in rest vnder hym / or elles surely he wolde dysplease hym / y ^e kynge of Aragon toke the excusacyons in gre and made grete chere to the erles knyght / and sayd howe the countesse had but wel donesyth her cosyn the erle of Foys dyd so largely excu­se her / thus the lady lyued in peas / but the merchauntes of Barcelona and of y ^e fronters there aboute were not in no rest for them of Lourde but often tymes were taken and pylled with­out they were agreed and patesed with them & so they had dyuers in Castellon & in Aragon / In lyke wyse so dyd they of y ^e garyson of Dul­cen & dyd worse then they dyd before for they were more egre & ouer ran y ^e countrey of Ara­gon / then they of Lourde dyd / bycause they were poore they cared not whom they toke as [Page lxxxi] well offycers of the kynges & squyers as mer­chauntes / soo that the kynges counsayle toke aduyse bycause the good townes murmured & sayd howe the kynge dystroyed them and he ought to susteyne them.

WHen the yonge kynge of Aragon vn­derstode y ^t his men murmured & spa­ke of hym otherwyse then they sholde do bycause of them of the garyson of Dulcen / he was therwith sore dyspleased / bycause he was newly fallen to his faders herytage who was so well byloued in his royalme of all his people / then he spake to a cosyn of his a grete baron in Aragon syr Raymon of Baghes and sayd syr Raymon I desyre you to ryde to Dulcen / and demaunde of them that be there what thyng they desyre of me or of my royalme / and trete so with them that they may departe thēs outher by fayrnes or otherwyse. The knyght departed and sente to Dulcen an heraulde be­fore hym shewynge them howe he wolde trete with them / when Mountfawcon & le Goulus and the other capytaynes vnderstode that syr Raymon of Baghes wolde trete with them / then they thought at the leest to gete some mo­ney / and sayd to the heraulde / syr saye to your mayster fro vs / that he maye come to vs surely for we wyll no hurte to hym. The heraulde retourned to syr Raymon who vpon his wordes departed fro Paregant and came to Dulcen / and demaūded of them why they taryed there on y ^e fronters of Aragon / they answered & sayd we abyde here the army of fraunce y ^t sholde go in to Castel to go in cōpany with them. A syrs sayd syr Raymon yf ye tary therfore ye shall abyde a grete season. The kynge of Aragon wyll not retayne you so longe nor yet the countrey suffre you so longe / well syr sayd they if he wyll not enterteyne vs so longe we can not do withall / yet we must lyue / yf he or the countrey wyll by this our garyson we wyll departe or elles not / well sayd syr Raymon what wyll ye desyre to departe / they answered .lx.M. fran­kes / we be .iiii. capytanes that is to eche of vs xv. M. frankes / in the name of god sayd syr Raymon that is money ynoughe. I wyll spe­ke with the kynge and so departed / and sayd it were better for the comon profyte of y ^e coun­trey that the kynge payde that money then to take a greter domage / and that he sayd to ap­pease them. Howbeit he thought the contrary.

THus he departed fro them & gaue them vnderstandynge that they sholde haue as moche as they desyred and more / and rode to the kynge to Perpyghnen and shewed hym what these pyllers desyred / Well sayd y ^e kynge it is behoueable that y ^e countrey be delyuered of them / and that they be payde as theues and brybours sholde be payde / yf I may gete them they shall be hanged / other payment gete they none of me / but all the dyffyculte is how to ge­te them out of theyr garyson / syr sayd syr Ray­mon y ^t shall be done ryght well / let them alone Well sayd the kynge doo as ye thynke best / I wyll medle no more therin / but that I wolde they were delyuered out of the countrey / then on a day syr Raymon gathered a company to­gyder of men of armes a .v. hundred speres se­cretly and made a squyer of Gascoyne capytayne a valyaunt man of armes called Nandon Seghen and layde them in a busshment with­in a lytell myle of Dulcen & sayd to them / syrs when they of the garyson yssue out do so that they may all be taken or slayne that the coun­trey maye be clene ryd of them. Then syr Ray­mon sente to them of Dulcen that they sholde lepe on theyr horses and yssue out and rynne before y ^e towne of Perpyghnen to put the vyl­laynes therof in fere / elles they wolde not obey nor gyue nothynge. They of Dulcen were ry­ght ioyfull of these tydynges thynkynge that all had ben trouth and so armed them the same day that the busshment was layde for them / & so departed fro the garyson and rode towarde Perpyghnen and so came to the barryers and made theyr musters and in theyr retournynge thynknge to haue passed surely in peas when they were in the myddes of the way they were sodaynly encountred by Nandon Seghnen & his company to the nombre of .v.C. speres / & so dasshed in amonge them / then they saw wel howe they were dysceyued and trapped / and then they drewe togyder and fought as longe as they myght endure / whiche was not longe for there were many of them were euyll armed and so shortely they were dyscomfyted / There was slyne Geffray chastelyer / Hauge desorge Guyot Moresque / Iohn̄ de Guenlant / & ma­ny other / & there was taken Peter of Mount­fawcon / Amlardan of saynt Iust & a .xl. other and brought prysoners to Perpyghnen / & as they passed thrughe the stretes / they of y ^e tow­ne yssued out of theyr houses & halowed after them as thoughe they had ben wolues / and so they were set in prysones. The same season the [Page] duke of Berre was come to Carcassone / & on y ^e fronters of Aragon he came fro Auygnyon fro the pope / and there he herde howe they of Dulcen were slayne and taken / then he wrote to the kynge of Aragon and to his cosyne yo­sant of Bare desyrynge them to sende Peter of Mountfawcon and his company / who incon­tynent were delyuered and sente to the duke of Berre / that grace y ^t duke dyd to them / or elles they had all dyed.

THe same season there was at Burdeaus a feate of armes done before the sene­shall syr Iohn̄ Harpedon & other bytwene the lorde of Rochfoucaulte a frensshmā sone to the captall of Buze [...] and syr wyllyam of Mountferant an Englysshman to rynne .iii. courses with .iii. speres .iii. strokes with a sworde .iii. with a dagger / and .iii. with an axe. This dede of ar­mes was done before y ^e lordes and ladyes of y ^e countrey then beynge at Burdeaus. The erle of Foys sente thyder knyghtes of his house to serue & to counsayle y ^e lorde of Rochfoucaulte sone to his cosyn germayne / and also he sent to hym good ho [...] & harneys spere heedes / dag­gers▪ wordes & a [...]es./ Howbeit he was ryght wel purueyed of them before on a day these .ii. knyghtes armed them wel accompanyed with grete cheualry on eyther partye. The lorde of rochfoncaulte has in his company a .CC. knyghtes and squyers all of his lyg [...]age / and syr wyllyam of Mountferant had as many or mo with hym was the lorde of Rohen / the lorde of [...] lorde Duras / the lorde of Curton [...] of Languras / the lorde de la Barde / the lorde of Mountcroy at in Pyergourt and all [...] of his lyguage. ¶Bycause this feate of [...] sholde be done bytwene suche .ii. no­ble [...] knyghtes many came thyder [...] them farre & nere / when these two knygh­tes were mountedon theyr horses w ^t theyr [...] and targes redy apparelled / theyr speres were [...] them & ranne togyder fyersly / [...] eche other on theyr helmes that y ^e [...] and theyr helmes stryken of theyr heedes in to the felde and so passed forth theyr course bare heeded excepte theyr coyues. Thē all the lordes and ladyes sayd and euery man to other howe they hadde nobly encountred at theyr fyrst metynge / then theyr helmes were newe set on and fastened / and so they ranne valyauntly theyr .ii. course / and also the .iii. bre­uely / al theyr feates were nobly accomplysshed to the grete pleasure of all the lordes and ladyes and other regarders / and euery man sayd howe eche of them hadde valyauntly acheued theyr feates / and the seneshall of Burdeaus syr Iohn̄ Harpedon gaue the same daye a supper to them and to al the lordes and ladyes y ^t were there presente. And the nexte daye euery man wente to theyr owne herytages / & the lorde of Rochfoncaulte prepayred hymselfe to go in to Castell / for the kynge Iohn̄ there had sente for hym / and the season drewe nere / & syr wyllyam of Mountferant ordeyned to go in to Portyn gale / for the kynge there had also sent for hym.

IN suche a noble hystory as this is / whi­che I syr Iohn̄ Froysart haue pursued hytherto / and that god hath sent me that grace to lyue so longe to se so many thynges as I haue done / then it were noo reason that I sholde forgete out ony thynge that I haue knowen to be done / and bycause that by y ^e warres of Bry­tayne the .ii. sones of Charles of bloys who of longe season called hymselfe duke of Bretayne by maryage of y ^e lady Iahan of Bretayne who ought to haue ben ryghtful enherytour of Bretayne as it hath ben shewed before in this hy­story whose sones were in Englande in hosta­ge for theyr fader / as yet I haue made no men­cyon of them where they became / nor how they came out of pryson and daunger of the kynge of Englande / wherin theyr fader y ^e lorde Charles of Bloys had lefte them / ye knowe wel and it hath ben wryten here before howe kynge Edwarde of englande to make his warre of fraū ce the fayrer and stronger he alyed hymselfe w ^t the erle of Montforde and alwayes dyd coun­sayle and ayde hym to his power / and dyd soo moche that the erle of Monforde came to his entente and was duke of Bretayne otherwyse he coulde neuer haue come therto / for in Bre­tayne y ^e lorde Charles of Bloys of .vii. he had euer .v. on his party / it hath ben shewed before howe in the yere of our lorde a .M.CCC. and xlvii. there was a grete batayle in Bretayne before the Ree doryent where the countesse of Mountfordes party / as syr Iohn̄ of Harcell [Page lxxxii] and other dyscomfyted syr Charles of Bloys and there he was taken prysoner & led in to en­glande where he had good chere / for the quene of Englande y ^e good quene Phylyp whos ser­uaunt I was in myne yongth / she was of ry­ghtfull gouernacyon cosyn germayne to y ^e lor­de Charles of Bloys / & she dyd put to her payne for his delyuerauce / howbeit the counsayle of Englande wolde not that he sholde be dely­uered / the duke Henry of Lancastre sayd and other lordes of englande that yf he were out of pryson by hym myght be made many grete re­coueraunces for the royalme of Fraunce / for kynge Phylyp as then frensshe kyng was his vncles / and they affyrmed that as longe as he were kepte in pryson / theyr warre in to Fraunce sholde be y ^e easyer / howbeit for all those wordes that was shewed to the kynge by the good meanes of the noble and good quene he was set to his fynaunce to paye .CC.M. nobles / whiche was as then a grete some to be payde for lordes as then lyued in another maner thē they do nowe / for as nowe men may pay more then theyr predecessours myght haue done / for nowe they tayle theyr people at theyr pleasure and before they lyued but on theyr rentes and reuenues / for as nowe the duchy of Bretayne w ^tin a yere or two is able to pay to helpe theyr lorde .ii.M. nobles or more. The lorde Char­les of Bloys layde to the kynge of Englande his .ii. sones in pledge for y ^e sayd some / & after­warde the lorde Charles of Bloys had so mo­che to do in pursuyng his warre for the duchy of Bretayne and to pay his souldyours / and to kepe his estate alwayes hopynge to come to a good ende of his warre so y ^t he was not able to quyte out his sones out of Englande for y ^e ho­ly man in pursuynge of his herytage dyed as a saynt in a batayle in Bretayne before aulroy by the ayde of the Englysshe men who were agaynst hym / when he was deed yet the warre ended not / but then kynge Charles of fraunce who in his lyfe doubted gretly the fortunes of the warres / when he sawe that the erle Mountforde & the Englysshe men seased not but styll wente forwarde / & wanne townes & fortresses in Bretayne / he fered y ^t yf y ^e erle Mountforde myght come to his entente of the duchy of Bretayne / that he wolde not holde nor do homage to hym / for he had promysed his alleageaunce to the kynge of englande who ayded & alwaye hadde done to maynteyne his warre / then he treted w ^t the erle Mountforde & his counsayle as it hath ben shewed here before / wherfore I wyll speke no more therof / but y ^e erle of Moūt­forde abode as duke of Bretayne with that he sholde do homage and holde soueraynte or the crowne of fraunce / and by the same trety y ^e du­ke sholde ayde & helpe to gete delyuered out of pryson in englande his .ii. cosyns sones to the lorde Charles of Bloys / whiche artycle he ne­uer dyd accomplysshe / for alwayes he doubted that yf they retourned they wolde put hym to some busynes for y ^e duchy of Bretayne & fered lest they of Bretayne wolde receyue them as theyr lordes / for they more enclyned to thē then to hym / wherfore he wolde not speke for theyr delyueraunce. Thus these .ii. chyldren abode so longe in Englande in pryson / somtyme in y ^e kepynge of the lorde Roger Beawchamp and the lady Sybyll his wyfe / and somtyme with syr Thomas Dambrychcourte / on a tyme the yonger Guy of Bretayne dyed / then Iohn̄ of Bretayne abode styll in pryson alone / he was often tymes sad of his beynge in pryson / but he coulde not amēde it. And often tymes when he remembred the losse of his yonge dayes as he that was of the moost noble generacyon of the worlde / & was lykely to lese / he wolde often ty­mes wepe / and wysshed hymselfe rather deed then a lyue / for a .xxxv. yeres or theraboute he had ben in the daunger of his enemyes in En­glande / and coulde se noo maner of meanes of his delyueraunce / for his frendes and kynne drewe of fro hym / and the some that he laye for was so grete that he wyst not how it sholde be payde without god helped hym / and the duke of Anioy for all his puyssaunce and prosperyte and that he had wedded his syster germayne / by whom he had .ii. fayre sones / Loys & Char­les for all this he dyd nothynge for hym. Now shall I shew you howe this Iohn̄ of Bretay­ne was delyuered.

IT hathe ben shewed here before in this hystory how the erle of Buckynghā made a voyage thrughe the royalme of Fraunce & came in to Bretayne / the duke of Bretayne had desyred hym [Page] so to doo bycause parte of his countrey wolde not be vnder his obeysaunce / there the erle of Buckyngham & his company lay al y ^• wynter & the begynnyng of somer [...] in grete pouerte / before Nantes & Wennes tyll it was Maye & then he retourned in to englande / & when the erle. Thomas of Buckyngham & his company laye before Wennes in lodgynges without. There were dyuers skyrmysshes bytwene the englysshment & frensshmen / & thyder came Olyuer Clyūon constabable of Fraunce to se the warre y ^t was there made / & to speke with y ^e en­glysshe knyghtes / for he knewe them well / for in his yongth he was brought vp amonge thē in Englande / & soo he made good company w ^t them in diuers maners as noble men of armes wyll do eche to other / & as frensshmen and en­glysshmē haue alwayes done / & as then he had good cause so to do / for he entended a purpose whiche touched hym ryght nere / but he wolde dyscouer his entente to noo man lyuynge but alonely to a squyer that was there who had alwayes before serued y ^e lorde Charles of bloys for yf the constable had dyscouered his entente to ouy man he had ben out of all hope to haue sped & brought aboute his purpose whiche by the grace of god he atteyned vnto. The constable coulde in no wyse loue y ^e duke of Bretayne nor he hym longe tyme or they shewed it. And where as he sawe Iohn̄ of Bretayne in pryson in englande he had therof grete pyte / & whē he sawe the duke of Bretayne in possessyon of the herytage of Bretayne / & when he thought that he was in moost loue with y ^e duke then he sayd syr why do ye not put to your payne that your cosyn Iohn̄ of Bretayne were out of the kyng of Englandes pryson syr ye are bounde therto by othe & promyse / for syr when all the countrey of Bretayne was in treaty with you / y ^e prelates noble men & good townes & the cyte of Nantes & Archebysshop of Reynes / syr Iohn̄ Craon / syr Boncequalte / as then marshall of fraunce [...]reted w ^t you for the peas before Com­percorentync / than & there ye sware y ^t ye sholde do your full puyssaunce to delyuer your cosy­nes out of pryson & syr ye haue done nothynge in that matter. Wherfore be you sure the coun­trey of Bretayne loueth you the lesse & oweth you the smaller fauoure / y ^e duke to his demaū ­de dyssymuled & sayd / holde your peas syr Olyuer / where shalde I gete .iii. or .iiii.M. fran­kes that is demaunded for theyr raunsomes. Syr sayd the constable yf the countrey of Bretayne sawe that you were wel wyllynge to the matter / they wolde be contente to pay a taxe [...] ­a fowage to delyuer the pryson ers who are ly­ke to dye in prison without god helpe them / sy-Olyuer sayd y ^e duke as for my countrey of bre­tayne shall not be taxed for me / my cosynes ha­ue grete prynces of theyr lygnage as y ^e frenssh kynge / and the duke of Anioy / they may helpe to delyuer them / for they haue alwayes sustey­ned the warre agaynst me / and when I sware to ayde to theyr delyueraunce myne entencyon was none otherwyse but that y ^e frensshe kynge or theyr kynsmen sholde pay theyr raunsomes the constable coulde gete of y ^e duke none other answere / thus as I haue begon to shewe you. The constable sawe clerely howe y ^e erle of bu [...] ­kyngham & the barons & knyghtes of englan­de suche as hadde ben with hym in the voyage thrughe fraunce & so in to Bretayne were no­thynge contente with the duke of Bretayne bycause he wolde not open his townes to them lyke as he had promysed when he departed out of Englande / but whyles the englysshmen lay before wennes & in the subbarbes of Nanibont they endured grete pouerte / for they hadde no­thynge to ete and theyr horses dyed for fawte of foode. The englysshmen were fayne to ga­ther the thystelles in the feldes & braye them in a morter & tempre it with water and make ther of a paast & so bake it to ete / suche pouerte they endured / and they sayd amonge themselfe / the duke doth not acquyte hymselfe nobly agaynst vs syth we haue put hȳ in possessyon of y ^e syg­nory of Bretayne / and yf we sholde do well we sholde take it fro hym agayne and gete out of pryson Iohn̄ of Bretayne his aduersary & make hym duke / the countrey loueth hym better then he that is now duke / We can not better be reuenged of hym nor soner to cause hym to lese the duchy of Bretayne / the constable of fraunce knewe ryght well what wordes & sore murmuracyons the englysshmen had amonge them­selfe agaynst the duke of Bretayne / wherwith he was nothynge dyspleased / for euery euyll worde that they spake he wolde it had ben .xii. Howbeit he made therof no semblaunt / no more dyd a squyer of Bretayne to whome he had broken his mynde / to go in to englande on his message / this squyer was called Rollant / and so it was that syr Iohn̄ of Harleton capytayne of Chyerbourge was with the constable at the castel Iosselyn vnder saufconduyte / and there the constable made hym good chere and to his company and kepte the englysshmen as good company as he coulde the rather therby to ge­te [Page lxxxiii] theyr good wylles / then y ^e constable squyer auaunced forth & spake to syr Iohn̄ Harleton before the constable & sayd / syr Iohn̄ ye sholde do me a grete pleasure to do one thynge for me whiche shall cost you nothynge / syr sayd y ^• knyght for the loue of the constable though it be to my cost I am contente to do that I can for you what is that I sholde do / syr sayd the squyer y ^t I myght be assured to go in to Englande to semyne olde mayster Iohn̄ of Bretayne / the grettest desyre that I haue in this worlde is to se hym / by my fayth sayd syr Iohn̄ harlton it shal not be let for me but that ye shal go as soone as I am retourned to Chyerbourge I wyll go in to englande / & ye shal go with me I shal bryng you thyder / for your request is not to be refu­sed / syr sayd the squyer I thanke you / and I repute it for a grete curtoysy. Thus this squyer wente with syr Iohn̄ Harlton to Chyerbourg and when he had made euery thyng redy he departed and entred in to the see with Iohn̄ Rollant in his company & so came to London and brought the squyer to y ^e castell where as Iohn̄ of Bretayne was who knewe hym not at the fyrst metynge / at y ^e last he called hym to his re­membraunce & so spake togyder / & there he she­wed Iohn̄ of Bretayne / howe that the consta­ble of fraunce dyd & wolde do his payne for his delyueraunce / howe can y ^t be sayd Iohn̄ of Bretayne / syr sayd y ^• squyer I shall shewe you / my lorde the constable hath a doughter to mary / so that yf ye wyll swere & promyse when ye be re­tourned in to Bretayne to take her to your wyfe he wyll delyuer you out of englande / he hath founde well the meanes how / syr howe say you wyll ye do thus / ye truely sayd he / ye shall re­tourne to the constable & say in my name howe there is nothynge I may doo to be delyuered but I wyll do it / & as for his doughter gladly I wyll take her to my wyfe / thus the squyer & Iohn̄ of Bretayne departed & passed out of en­glande & retourned in to Bretayne & recorded to the constable all y ^t he had sene & harde / & the cōstable who desyred the aduauncement of his doughter as to be maried so highly as to Iohn̄ of Bretayne was not neglygent in his busynes & studyed for a meane in Englande to brynge aboute his purpose / & without he had founde out a meanes as he dyd he sholde neuer haue come to his purpose / whiche was to gete y ^e erle of Oxenforde on his parte who was most pry­uy with y ^e kynge of Englande as then / but this matter was not shortly brought to passe / for as longe as y ^e duke of Lancastre was in englande and before his iourney in to spayne / there was no dyscouerynge to the kynge of the tretye for delyueraunce of Iohn̄ of Bretayne / for when y ^e erle of Buckyngham retourned out of Bretayne the renome ran thrughe al the royalme how y ^e duke of Bretayne had falsely acquyted hym selfe to the Englysshmen wherfore was spoken all y ^e euyll that coulde be deuysed / & then Iohn̄ of Bretayne was brought in to the kynges presence and to his vncles / & then it was sayd to hym / Iohn̄ of Bretayne yf ye wyll releue & holde the duchy of Bretayne of the kynge of En­glande ye shall be delyuered out of pryson and set in possessyon of the sygnory of Bretayne / & shall be ryght hyghly maryed in this countrey as ye ought to be / for y ^e duke of Lancastre wo [...] ­de haue gyuen hym to his doughter Phylyp in maryage who was after quene of Portyn­gale / Iohn̄ of Bretayne answered y ^t he wolde neuer agree to that tretye nor neuer wolde be enemye nor contrary to the crowne of Fraunce he sayd he was contente to take the duke of Lā castres doughter in maryage soo he myght be delyuered out of pryson & out of englande / whē they sawe he wolde do none otherwyse he was set agayne in pryson / and after the erle or Oxenforde whom we called duke of Irelande sawe that the duke of Lancastre was gone out of en­glande in to Castell / and that the tretye of the maryage of his doughter with Iohn of Bre­tayne was passed / for y ^e duke of Lancastre had his doughter with hym in to Castell / then he thought to ratrete y ^e kyng of englande to gyue hym in rewarde for suche seruyce as he had do­ne and entended to do Iohn̄ of Brtayne / for yf he coulde gete hym of the kyng he was agreed with the constable of Fraunce to haue for his raunsome at two paymentes .vi. score .M. frā ­kes / y ^e fyrst .lx.M. to be payde as sone as Iohn̄ of Bretayne were sent & delyuered in to y ^e towne of Boloyne / and y ^e other .lx. M. to be payde at Parys whersoeuer he wolde haue it delyuered / y ^e duke of Irelande coueted these floreyns and dyd so moche with the kynge of englande y ^t the kynge gaue hym Iohn̄ of Bretayne clerely / wherof many in Englande had grete mer­uayle / but they that lyst to speke wolde speke / there was none other thynge / the duke of Ire­lande caused hym to be delyuered in to Bo­loyne / and there the constable had made redy euery thynge for hym / dnd so he rode to Parys and there founde the kynge and other lordes of his lygnage who made hym good chere and the constable also who brought hym in to Bretayne / [Page] and there Iohan of Bretayne wedded his doughter as he had promysed / and when y ^e duke of Bretayne knewe that Iohn̄ of Bretayne was retourned in to Fraunce and clene de­lyuered out of Englande by the ayde and pur­chase to the constable of Fraunce / then he had y ^e cōstable in double hatred & sayd / what / weneth syr Olyuer of Clesson to put me out of myne herytage / he sheweth wel the tokens therof / he hath delyuered out pryson Iohn̄ of Bretayne and hath gyuen hym his doughter in marriage whiche thynges are to me ryght dyspleasaunt & surely that shall I well shewe ones on a daye howe he hath not wel done peraduenture whē he taketh leest hede therof / he sayd truely for he shewed it quyckely or y ^e yere passed / as ye shall here after in the story. But fyrst we wyll speke of the busynes of Castell and Portyngale and of an armye on the see y ^t the englysshmen made to come to Sluse.

HEre before ye haue herde how y ^e frensshe kynges armye by the see to haue gone in to englande was broken vp in the same season not by y ^e frensshe kynges good wyll / for alway he shewed good courage to haue passed in to Englande / and when he sawe howe y ^e iourney brake he was more dyspleased then ony other / and all the fawte was layde vpon the duke of Berre / howbeit it was to be thought y ^t he saw more depelyer in the matter then ony other / & in his counsayllynge to leue the iourney was for the honoure and profyte of the royalme of fraunce▪ for who soo euer enterprysed to doo a thynge ought to regarde what ende may come therof and the duke of Berre had ben before so longe in englande in hostage for y ^e kyng his fader & had ben so cōuersaunt among y ^e englyssh men / & had sene so moche of y ^e countrey that he knewe by reason what effecte the goynge in to englande sholde haue come to / & y ^e cause moost exscusable not to go was bycause wynter was so farre ronne. But then it was sayd y ^t the con­stable of fraunce the nexte somer sholde goo in to englande with a .vi. M. men of armes and as many crosse bowes / for it was thought by hymselfe & sayd howe that nombre was sufficy to fyght with the englysshe men / by reason the constable ought to haue knowen it / for he had ben nourysshed there in his yonge dayes / whē these lordes were retourned in to Fraunce / thē it was determyned to sende socours in to Ca­stell to ayde the kynge there agaynst the kynge of Portyngale and the duke of Lancastre / for it was thought that shortely there sholde be some dedes of armes / for the englysshmen kepte the felde. And it was consydered y ^t they coulde sende noo men of warre thyder without grete cost and charge / for the iourney was ferre of / & there was but lytell money in the kynges treasoury nor in treasourers handes / for the some of money that had ben gadered of the people before in the royalme was spente & wasted wher­fore they studyed howe to gete more / and soo a newe tayle and taxe was deuysed to ryn thru­ghout all the royalme of Fraunce / to be payde incontynent without delay / noysynge howe it was for the comfortynge of y ^e kynge of Spay­ne and to dryue the englysshmen out of his royalme. This tayle was publysshed in euery place / and the kynges commyssyoners sente in to euery good towne and Cyte / who sayd to the gouernours of the townes. Syrs thus moche your towne is taxed at / the whiche ye must pay incontynent / then the rulers sayd / syrs we shall gather this some and then sende it to Parys / nay syrs not so sayd the commyssaryes / we wyl not abyde so longe / we wyll do otherwyse then so / and commaunded in the kynges name a .x. or xii. of the best of the towne to goo to pryson without they payde the some without ony lon­ger delay / the honest men fered the pryson and the kynges dyspleasure / wherfore they drewe them togyder and payde the money inconty­nente / and recouered it agayne of the poore mē thus they dyd in euery good towne / so that there were so many tayles and taxes one after and ther / for the fyrst was scante payde when ano­ther began / thus in that season the noble royal me of fraunce was gouerned and y ^e poore peo­ple ouer ledde. So that many auoyded out of theyr townes and forsoke theyr herytages and houses / for they were fayne to sell all that they had / and some wente to dwell in Haynalte and in to the bysshopryche of Lyege / where as the­re ranne no taxe nor tayllage.

[Page lxxxiiii] THen yt was deuysed what capytaynes sholde go in to Spayne. Fyrst they apoynted y ^e gentyll duke of borbone y ^t he sholde be soue­rayne capytayne aboue all other / & or he departed there was apoynted .ii. other capytaynes to be in y ^e vowarde / and the duke of Borbon in the rere­warde with .ii.M. speres knyghtes & squyers these .ii. capytaynes y ^t sholde be in y ^e vowarde were syr Wellyam of Lygnac / & syr Gaultyer hf Passac / these .ii. lordes when they knewe y ^t they sholde be the capytaynes of certayne men of armes to go in to Castel / they prepayred thē selfe for y ^t iourney then knyghtes and squyers were sente for all aboute the royalme of fraunce to go to Castell / and the passages were ope­ned as well in Nauare as in Aragon / thenne knyghtes and squyers departed fro Bretayne Poycton / Aniowe / Mayne / Torayne / Bloys / Orleaunce / Beause / pycardy / borgoyne / berre & Awuergne / & fro all the boundes of the royal me of fraunce / euery man toke theyr way to go in to Castell / & of all the formest company syr wyllyam of Lygnac / & syr Gaultyer of Passac were leders / & to exalte theyr honoure they de­parted in good araye / & all theyr companyes in good ordre.

THus whyles these knyghtes & squyers of the royalme of fraunce prepayred thē to goo in to Castell / & suche as were fyrst redy fyrst departed & specyally they y ^t were of farre countreys / for there were many y ^t desyred de­des of armes / the same season the englysshmen were on y ^e see bytwene Englande & Flaunders wherof Rycharde erle of Arundell was admy­ral & in his cōpany y ^e erle of deuonshyre & y ^e erle of Notynghā & the bysshop of Norwyche / they were a .v.C. men of armes &. M. archers / they had lyen at ancre a grete season abydyng some aduēture & often tymes refresshed thē on y ^e cost of englande & aboute y ^e yles of Cornewall / bre­tayne & Normādy / & they were sore dyspleased in y ^t the flete of flaunders was scaped fro thē / & were gone to rochell / & specyally y ^t the cōstable of fraunce was gone fro Lentrygner to sluse & passed by Calays & met not w ^t hym / for gladly they wolde haue fought w ^t hym / & yet y ^e consta­ble had as many shyppes as they / but they pas­sed by thē by reason of y ^e wynde & the fludde y ^t they had in y ^e nyght tyme / y ^e englysshe nauy lay at ancre before Mergate at y ^e Tames mouthe towarde Sandwyche abydynge theyr aduen­ture / & specyally abydyng for y ^e shyppes y ^t were gone to Rochell / for they thought they wolde shortly retourne & so they dyd / for when y ^e mer­chauntes of flaunders / of rochel / of Haynalte & other places / who for doubte of y ^e englysshmen were conioyned togyder / departed out of flauders / they ꝓmysed eche other to go & to retour­ne togyder / & to take eche others parte / & when they had all done theyr busynes in Rochel & in y ^e coūtrey of Xainton & had charged theyr shyppes w ^t wynes / then as soone as they had good wynde they dysancred & departed out of y ^e ha­uen of Rochell & toke theyr way by y ^e see to goo in to flaunders & to Sluse & fro whens they departed / they sayled so longe y ^t they passed y ^e ra­se saynt Mathewe in Bretayne without peryll or domage & so costed base Bretayne / & thē nor mandy & so came ryght ouer y ^e Tames mouth where as y ^e englysshe nauy lay / the flemynges perceyued where they laye / & they in the hyghe shyppes sayd to theyr cōpany / syrs aduyse you wel we shall be met by y ^e englysshe armye / they they haue perceyued vs they wyl take y ^e aduaū tage of y ^e wynde & tyde / we shal haue batayle or it be nyght / y ^t tydynges pleased not well al partyes & specyally y ^e merchauntes of flaūders / of Haynalte / & of other countreys who had theyr merchaūdyse there abrode / they wolde gladly haue ben thens yf they myght. Howbeit syth they sawe no remedy but fyght / they ordred thē selfe therto / & they were crosse bowes and other mē harneysed defensably arayed mo thē .vii.C & amonge thē there was a valyaunt knyght of flaunders who was theyr capytayne & was as then admyrall of the see set there by the duke of Borbone called syr Iohn̄ Bucke ryght sage & hardy in armes / & had done before grete domage on the see to the englyghmen / this syr Iohn̄ Bucke set euery thyng in good ordre & decked his shyppes wel & wysely as he y ^t coulde ryght wel do it & sayd syrs be not abasshed we are mē ynowe to fyght w ^t y ^e englysshe army & y ^e wynde wyl serue vs y ^t euer as we be fyghtyng we shal aproche nerer & nerer to Sluse we shall coost flaundres / some toke good cōforte w ^t those wordes & some not / so they put thēselfe in good or­dre & defence / & made redy theyr crosse bowes & gonues.

THe englysshe shyppes aproched & they had certayne galays fournysshed w ^t ar­chers / & they came formest rowynge w ^t owers and gaue the fyrst assaulte and archers shotte fyersly and lost moche of theyr shotte for the flemynges couered them vnder y ^e deckes & wold [Page] not apere but draue euer forth with the wynde and whē they were out of y ^e englysshe archers shot then they dyd let fly theyr quarelles wher with they hurted many / then approched y ^e gre­te shyppes of Englande / the erle of Arundel w ^t his company & the bysshop of Norwyche with his / & so the other lordes they russhed in amon­ge the flemynges shyppes & them of Rochell / yet the flemynges & crosse bowes defended thē selfe ryght valyaūtly for theyr patron syr Iohn̄ Bucke dyd euer comforte thē / he was in a gret strong shyp wherin he had .iii. gonnes shotyn­so grete stones that where soeuer they lyghted they dyd grete domage / & euer as they fought they drewe lytell & lytell towarde flaunders / & some lytell shyppes with theyr merchauntes toke the coostes of Flaunders & the lowe water & therby saued them / for y ^e grete shyppes coulde not folow them for lacke of water / thus on y ^e se there was a harde batayle & shyppes broken & sunken on bothe partyes / for out of the toppes they cast downe grete barres of yron / where as they wente to the botom / this was an harde batayle & well fought / for it endured a .iii. or .iiii. houres / & when the day fayled they withdrewe eche fro other & cast ancre & there rested all ny­ght & dressed theyr hurte men / & when y ^e fludde came they dysancred & drewe vp sayles and retourned agayne to the batayle / w ^t the englyssh­men was Peter du Boys of Gaunt with a certayne archers & maryners / who made the fle­mynges moche a do / for he had ben a maryner wherfore he knewe the arte of the see / & he was fore dyspleased y ^t the flemynges & merchaun­tes endured so longe / alwayes y ^e englysshmen wanne aduauntage of y ^e flemynges & so came bytwene Blanqueberg & Sluse agaynst Ga­gant there was y ^e dyscomfyture / for they were not socoured by no creature / nor also at y ^t tyme there were noo shyppes at Sluse nor men of warre / true it was there was a squyer a man of armes at Sluse called Arnolde the mayre / when he harde howe there was batayle on the see bytwene the armye of Englande & them of Flaunders he toke a barke of his owne and entred therin and with hym a certayne men of Sluse / and twenty crosse bowes / and rowed by force tyll he came to the batayle / but y ^t was at the poynte of the dyscomfyture / for by that tyme the englysshmen were seased of the moost parte of the flemysshe shyppes and had taken syr Iohn̄ Bucke theyr capytayne & his shyp & all that were within it / and when this Arnolde the mayre sawe y ^e maner of that batayle he ma­de his crosse bowes to shote .iii. tymes & then retourned and was chased into the hauen of Sluse but the englysshmennes shyppes were so grete that they coulde not approche so nere y ^e lande as the barke dyd / and therby he saued hymselfe and his company.

THe men of the towne of Sluse were so­re abasshed when they harde of those tydynges so that they wyst not what to do other to gyue vp theyr towne and forsake all or elles to entre in to the shyppes that laye there and so defende the hauen / surely yf the Englysshmen had knowen the case they were in / they had ben lordes of the towne and of the castel or yf they had byleued Peter du Boys / for he sore coun­sayled them that they sholde incontynent haue set on the towne of Sluse / they had wonne it yf they had soo done / but the englysshmen had no courage therto but sayd it were a grete foly for vs to entre in to y ^e towne of Sluse / for then they of Bruges / of Dan / and of Ardenbourge shall come and besyege vs / & so peraduenture shall lese al that we haue wonne / it is better for vs to kepe it and to make wyse warre then fo­lysshly to lese all / thus the englysshmen kepte styll the see but they determyned to brenne the nauye of shyppes y ^t lay at ancre in the hauen of Sluse / of suche shyppes as they hadde wonne they toke parte of thē suche as were most olde and drye and lyghtest and gresed them wel bo­the within and without and set fyer on them & so lete them go with the wynde and with y ^e ty­de in to the hauen to y ^e entente that they sholde haue fastened and set fyer on other shyppes y ^t lay there of Spayne and of other places / how­beit as god wolde that fyer dyd noo hurte nor domage to none other shyp.

AFter that the englyssh­men dyscomfyted syr Iohn̄ Bucke as he came fro Ro­chell wherby they had grete profyte specyally of wyne / for they had a .ix. M. tonne of wyne wherby wyne was the derer all the yere after in Flaunders / Ho­lande / and in Brabande / and the better chepe in Englande as it was reason / suche are the aduentures of this worlde if one haue domage another hathe profyte. Thus styll y ^e englysshe [Page lxxxv] men lay before Sluse at an an [...]r [...] / & somtyme with theyr barkes & barges they set a lande on the other syde agaynst Sluse where as there was but a ryuer to passe / & there they brente a mynstre & other townes alonge on the see syde & on the dygnes called Torne Hoque & Mur­dequer & toke men prysoners in the countrey & were there lyenge a .x. dayes & layde bysshmentes bytwene Dan & Sluse on the way of Coceler / & there was taken Iohn̄ of Lannay a man of armes of Tourney who was come thyder with the lorde of Estrynay & syr Blanquart of Calomne came theues on y ^e spurres fro Tourney with .xl. speres / and also syr Robert Mer­chaunt a knyght of flaunders who had to his wyfe a bastarde doughter of the erle of flaun­ders was as then at Bruges / when the tydyn­ges spred abrode of the Englysshmen so he de­parted & came to Sluse & entred in to y ^e castell whiche he founde in small defence / for yf the englysshmen had taken lande at Sluse as they dyd on the other syde of the water they had ta­ken at theyr ease the castell & all the towne / for suche as sholde haue defended the towne were so abasshed y ^t there was no man toke ony hede of defence / then this knyght gaue them harte & sayd. Ayesyrs and good men of Sluse howe maynteyne you yourselfe / by y ^t ye shewe your­selfe dyscomfyted without ony stroke strykyn­ge / men of valure & of good defence ought not so to do / they sholde shewe forth a good vysage as longe as they coulde endure at the leest tyll they were slayne or taken / therby they sholde attayne to the grace of god and prayse of the worlde / thus sayd this syr Robert when he ca­me to Sluse.

IN y ^e meane season whyle y ^e englysshmen were before Sluse & theraboute al y ^e coū trey to Bruges were afrayde / for they were euery day abrode a foragynge a foote for they had no horses / & somtyme they wolde entre far in to the countrey. On a day they brente y ^e towne of Cocesy on the downes a grete vyllage in the way towarde Ardenbourge / & so to the see syde called Hosebourcke / they dyd there what they lyst & myght haue done more yf they had knowen what case the countrey was in / & whē they had taryed there at theyr pleasure & sawe that no man came agaynst them / then they to­ke theyr shyppes & drewe vp sayles & so retourned in to Englande with .CC.M. frankes of profyte / and so came in to Tames streyght to London where as they were receyued w ^t grete ioy / for the good wynes of Poycton & Xamton that was determyned to haue ben dronken in flaunders / in Haynalte / Brabant & in dyuers other places in pycardy / the englysshmen brought all with them in to englande / & was lorde & departed at London & in other places of Englande / wyne was solde then for .iiii. pens the galon / and certayne merchauntes of zerecyell in zelande lost parte of the same wyne / but they had restytucyon agayne of all theyr losses / for they of zercyell wolde neuer agree to go to ma­ke warre in to englande nor wolde suffre none of theyr shyppes to goo in y ^e iourney wherby they atteyned grete loue of the Englysshmen / syr Iohn̄ Bucke was put in pryson curioysly at London / he myght go where he lyst but eue­ry nyght to lodge in y ^e cyte / he coulde neuer co­me to his raunsome / yet the duke of Borgoyne wolde gladly haue had hym by exchaunge for a bastarde broder of y ^e kynge of Portyngalles whom they of Breuelet had taken on the see comynge to Meldeboure / thus syr Iohn̄ Bucke was prysoner thre yeres in Englande and the­re dyed.

HOwe yt ys tyme that we retourne to the busynes of Castell & Portyngale & to speke of the duke of Lancastre beynge in Galyce / & of suche busynes as fall in y ^t seasō whiche were not smal & also to shewe what ayde & comforte y ^e frensshe kynge sent y ^t tyme in to Castell / or elles kynge Iohn̄ of Spaynes busynes had but easely gone forwarde / I say surely y ^• same yere y ^t the duke aryued in his countrey he had lost all his lā de if y ^e ayde of the frensshe kyng had not ben / ye know wel y ^t tydynges spredeth euer farre / the kynge of Portyngale knewe as soone as y ^e duke of Lancastre or ony other mā / how y ^e frenssh kynges army y ^t lay on y ^e see to haue gone in to Euglande brake theyr iourney / for the kyng of Portyngale lay as thē at y ^e cyte of Porte a strō ge towne & a haue wel vsed by reason of mer­chaūtes y ^t resorted thyder / & when he knew of y ^e brekynge of y ^e frensshe kynges army he was glad therof / for it had benshewed hym before that all englande was lykely to haue ben lost. Wherfore he som what dyssymuled with the duke of Lancastre dryuynge of the takyng of his [Page] doughter in maryage / but styll he draue hym of with fayre wordes and salutacyons / & when he was iustly enfourmed of the departynge of y ^e frensshe kynge fro Sluse / then he called his counsayle and sayd / syr ye knowe well howe y ^e duke of Lancastre is in Galyce and the duches our cosyne with hym and it is not vnknowen to you howe he was here and had counsayle togyder and howe it was agreed that I sholde haue his doughter in maryage / so it is I wyll perceyuer in y ^e same estate and wyll demaunde her honourably as it is reason and apertenent to suche a prynce as the duke of Lancastre is & to me as kynge of Portyngale / I wyll make that lady quene of Portyngale / syr sayd they of his counsayle / ye doo in this accordynge to reason / for ye haue so sworne & promysed / well sayd the kynge / then let vs sende for her to the duke then there was appoynted the archebys­shop of Braschez / and syr Iohn̄ Radyghen of Sar to go an that ambassade / they were sente for to the kynge / and so they toke on them that voyage / & with them they had a. CC. speres. ¶Nowe let vs speke of y ^e syege that syr Tho­mas Moreaus marshall of the duke of Lancastres cost had layde before the towne of Ryba­dane / and shewe what became theron.

I Byleue that they of Rybadane thought to haue ben comforted by kynge Iohn of Castell and by the knyghtes of Fraunce who lay in y ^e towne of Valcolyue or elles they wol­de neuer haue endured soo longe / for I haue meruayle howe suche a sorte of vyllaynes coulde endure agaynst suche a sloure of archers & men of armes and were not abasshed / for eue­ry day they had assaulte and it was sayd to syr Thomas Moreaus in maner of counsayle by the moost valyaunt knyghtes of his company syr leue this towne here / then an euyl fyer may b [...]enne it and let vs go further in to the coun­trey to Maynes / to Noye / or to Besances / al­wayes we may retourne agayne when we lyst by my fayth sayd syr Thomas that shall neuer be sayd that vyllaynes haue dyscomfyted vs / I wyll not departe hens thoughe I sholde ta­ry here .ii. monethes without y ^• duke sende for me. Thus the marshalles mynde & oppynyon was to kepe styll there his syege / the kynge of Castell who laye at Valeolyue and had sente specyally for ayde in to Fraunce / he harde dayly howe they of Rybadane defended themselfe valyauntly & wolde not yelde / in the name of god sayd the Barroys of Barrers it gretely dyspeaseth me y ^t we sent not thyder our frenssh men / they wolde gretely haue recomforted the men of that towne / and also I am not contente that I am not at the syege / for then at the leest I sholde haue the honoure as these vyllaynes haue nowe / & surely yf I had knowen the trouthe of the strength of that towne I wolde haue refresshed it and haue put myselfe at aduentu­re therin / as well god sholde haue sente me the grace to haue defended the towne as these vyllaynes do. Thus he deuysed in the kynges presence and before the frensshe knyghtes who desyred dedes of armes. Then it was sayd to the kynge / syr sende a. C. speres in to these townes of Noye & of Calongne / for who so hath those. ii. castelles hath the .ii. sydes of y ^e lande of Ga­lyce / and to go thyder dyuers dyd present thē ­selfe before the kynge / as syr Trystram of Roy and syr Raynolde his broder / syr Aulberte of Braquemont / syr Trystrā of Galle / syr Iohn̄ of castell Morant / & syr Barroys of Barrers. The kynge herde them well & was contente w ^t theyr offres / and sayd / fayre syrs I thanke you of your good wylles / howbeit ye maye not all go / some of you must abyde styll with me for aduentures that may fall / but at this presente tyme I desyre the Barroys of Barrers to ta­ke on hym that charge yf it please hym / y ^e kny­ght was ryght glad of y ^t iourney / for he thou­ght he had lyen there to longe and sayd to the kynge / syr I thanke your grace & shall kepe & defende it to my power / and shall not departe thens tyll ye sende for me / so be it a goodes na­me sayd the kynge / we thynke to here shortely some tydynges out of fraunce / as then the knyghtes knewe not of the frensshe kynges departynge fro Sluse / but the kynge knewe it well ynoughe / for the duke of Borbon had wryten to hym of all the busynes in fraunce / & howe he was apoynted to come in to Castell w ^t .iii. M. speres and before hym to open y ^e passages sholde come .iii.M. speres vnder the gydynge of syr Wyllyam of Lygnac / and syr Gaultyer of Passac / the frensshe knyghtes desyred y ^e kyng to shewe them some tydynges out of Fraunce with a good wyll sayd the kynge.

THen the kynge sayd syrs surely the du­ke of Borbon is chosen pryncypal capytayne to come in to this countrey for y ^e frenssh kynge and his counsayle hath apoynted hym to come with .vi. thousande speres knyghtes / and squyers / and also two valyaunte knyghtes are chosen capytaynes for to come before [Page lxxxvi] hym as syr Wyllyam Lygnac / as syr Gaultyer of Passac / they shall come fyrst with a .iii. M. speres as for the voyage by y ^e see in Englande is broken vp for this season tyll the constable of Fraunce and the erle of saynt Poule and y ^e lorde of Concy with .iiii. M. speres shall goo in to Englande this nexte Maye. Howe saye you syrs to this sayd the kynge / syr sayd they these be ryche tydynges we can haue no better for this nexte somer dedes of armes shalbe wel shewed in your countrey / yf there be .vi. M. apoynted there wyll come .ix. M. we shall su­rely fyght with the englysshmen / they kepe as nowe the felde / but we shal close them togyder or it be mydsomer / syr these knyghtes that co­me are ryght valyaunt and specyally the duke of Borbon and the other are proued knyghtes and worthy to be gouernours of mē of armes / anone was spred abrode in y ^e towne of Valeo­lyue and abrode in Castell the grete comforte and ayde that sholde come out of Fraunce by the fyrst daye of Maye / wherof knyghtes and squyers were ryght ioyous.

THus the Barroys of Barres departed with a .l. speres and rode to the castell of Noye / tydynges came to the duke of Lan­castres marshall howe the frensshmen were a brode rydynge with a .l. speres to come to rey­se the syege before Rybadane / When the mar­shal harde those tydynges / he byleued it lyghtly / for they that shewed hym therof affyrmed it to be true saynge how they had sene them ryde ouer the ryuer of Dorne & toke theyr lodgyng at y ^e towne of Arpent. Then y ^e marshal was in doubte & toke coūsayle / & determyned to sende worde therof to the duke of Lancastre his lor­de and so he dyd / and he sente syr Iohn̄ Dam­brecycourt and a heraulde who knewe all the wayes in Galyce / and then the marshall made euer good watche and spyal / for he doubted to be ascryed in the nyght halfe the dost watched euery nyght whyle the other slepte / syr Iohn̄ Dambretycourt and the heraulde came to the towne of saynt Iames to the duke and to the duches / when y ^e duke knewe of theyr comynge he sayd / surely we shall here some tydynges / as soone as they came to his presence / the duke demaunded what tydynge / syr sayd they none y ^t be good / but your marshall hath sente vs hy­der to you / to knowe your pleasure what he sholde do for it is reported to hym for certayne that the frensshmen are assembled togyder in Castel and ryde fast to passe the ryuer to come and fyght with your men lyenge at syege before Rybadane / syr these be the tydynges y ^t we haue brought. In the name of god sayd the duke these be none euyll tydynges that we shall shortely prouyde for them / he behelde syr Iohn̄ Holande his constable / and his admyrall syr Thomas Percy and sayd to them / syrs take a CCC. speres and. CCCCC. archers / & go to your company before Rybadane / they are in a doubte y ^t the frensshmen sholde come & assayle them / then these .ii. knyghtes made them redy and toke with them .iii. C. speres and .v. C. ar­chers and departed fro the duke and rode soo longe that they came before Rybadane where theyr cōpanyons were lodged / who were gretly reioysed of theyr comyge / then syr Iohn̄ Holand sayd to the marshall / what say they of Rybadane wyll they not yelde them / by my fayth sayd the marshal / they are prowde people they se that all the countrey aboute them doo yelde / yet they kepe styll theyr opynyons / & yet they be but a many of vyllaynes / there is not amonge them one gentylmā of name / syr holde your peas sayd syr Iohn̄ Holande / for within these. iiii. dayes we shal brynge them to that poynte that they shal be glad to yelde themselfe to ony that wyll take them to mercy / but syr I praye you do y ^e frensshmen ryde abrode / ye surely syr sayd he I haue ben well enfourmed howe they ryde to the nombre of .v. C. speres in one com­pany whiche maye well be / for dayely to them there cometh men of warre out of Fraunce / & as I haue knowledge it is the Barroys of barrers / he is in the castell of Noye with .l. speres this is all that we knowe / thus they were all lodged togyder as well as they myght & made grete prouysyon that came after them.

ABoute a .iiii. dayes after that Iohn̄ holande and syr Thomas Percy were to men to the marshalles dost they ordeyned to make a grete assaulte and caused to be made a grete engyne of tymbre with wheles to be re­moued with strenthe of men whyther they lyst and within it myght easely be a. C. knightes & a. C. archers / & they had fylled y ^e dykes where as this engyne sholde passe / then began the assaulte / and the engyne to approche with stren­gth of men and therin archers well prouyded w ^t arowes fyersly shotynge at them within the towne / & they within castynge out dartes & stones meruaylously / but they byneth were coue­red w ^t mantelles & oxe hydes to defende thē fro y ^e stones & dartes & vnder y ^t couerture men of [Page] armes approched well pauessed w ^t pyke axes to perse the walle / soo that they enpayred the walle / for they within coulde not defende the walle bycause of the archers who shotte so ho­ly togyder that none durste appere at theyr defence so with hewynge they reuersed in to the dyke a grete pane of the wall / when they with in sawe themselfe in soo grete myschefe / they were gretely abasshed / and then cryed out a lowde we yelde ourselfe / we yelde vs / but the­re were noone that made them ony answere / The Englysshe men dyd laughe at them and sayd. These vyllaynes haue put vs to moche payne [...] & nowe they mocke vs when they wol­de haue vs to take them to mercy / nowe y ^e towne is our owne / some of the Englysshe men an­swered them within and sayd. Syrs we kno­we not what ye say / we can not speke no Spanysshe / speke good frensshe or englysshe yf ye wyll that we sholde vnderstande you. Thus they cu [...]red and passed forthe and chased these vyllaynes / who fledde before them and slewe them by hepes. That daye there were slayne what of one and other with the Iewes y ^t were there moo then .xv. hundred. Thus the towne of Rybadane was taken by force / and suche as fyrst entred had there grete pyllage / and specyally they founde more golde and syluer in the Iewes howses then in ony other place.

AFter the takynge of Rybadane whiche was wonne by pure assaulte / and that the Englysshe men had pylled it at theyr plea­sure then they demaunded of y ^e marshall what sholde be done with the towne yf it sholde be brente or not / naye sayd the marshall we wyll kepe it and newe repayre it. But nowe whe­ther shall we prepayre / and they determyned to drawe to Maures a good towne in Galyce Then they were apoynted that sholde abyde in Rybadane and repayre it / there was lefte syr Peter of clynton a ryght valyaunt knyght with .xx. speres & .lx. archers / they made grete prouysyon with that they founde there specy­ally of yokes and good wynes / whiche were so stronge and myghty that the englysshe men coulde not drynke therof if they dranke moche they were in that case they coulde not helpe themselfe in two dayes after. Thus they dys­lodged fro Rybadane and rode towardes the towne of Maures / and caryed in peces with them y ^• grete engyne / for they sawe well it dyd good seruyce / and was ferefull to men in the townes. When they of Maures vnderstode howe the englysshmen were comynge to them warde to haue the towne vnder the duke and duches of Lancastres obeysaunce / and knewe howe Rybadane was taken by force / and how that they brought with them a deuyll in stede of an engyne / for it was so grete that it coulde not be dystroyed / they doubted gretly the oost and this engyne / then they wente to counsayle to se what were best for them to doo outher to yelde or to make defence. And when they had well counsayled togyder / they coulde se none other thynge but y ^t it was farre better for them to yelde then to defende / for they consydered yf they were taken by force / they sholde lese body and goodes / and no comforte appered to them fro ony parte / they that were sage sayd. Syrs beholde howe they of Rybadane were taken at theyr defence / and yet they were as stronge as we or stronger / & they were besyeged more then a moneth / and yet they hadde nother ayde nor socoure / as we vnderstande the kynge of Castel accompteth at this season al y ^e countrey of Galyce lost to the ryuer of Dorne / nor we thynke that this yere there cometh no frensshe men to our ayde / wherfore let vs yelde oursel­fe mekely without domage as other townes haue done / euery man behelde the same oppy­nyon / but some sayd howe maye this be done / well ynoughe sayd the sages / we shall go and mete them on the waye and bere the keyes of y ^e towne with vs & present them to the englysshe men / they be courtoys people / they wyll do vs no hurte yf we receyue them curtoysly / to this they were all agreed / then there yssued out of y ^e towne a fyfty persones of them y ^t were moost noble as soone as they knewe y ^t the englysshe men approched they yssued out / and aboute a quarter of a legge of / they taryed for the En­ghysshe men:

TIdynges came to the Englysshe men howe they of the towne of Maures we re yssued out / not to fyght but to yelde them & the keyes of the towne whiche they brought w ^t them. Then y ^e lordes rode on before to se what the matter was / and caused all the archers & oost to tary behynde / then the Galycyens came forthe / and it was sayd to them / Syrs beholde here the lordes of Englande sente by the duke of Lancastre to conquere this countrey / speke to them yf ye lyst. Then they all kneled downe & sayd. Syrs we be of the poore men of Mau­res who [...]wyllyngly wyll be vnder the obeysaū ce of the duke of Lancastre and of my lady the [Page lxxxvii] duke of Lancastre and of my lady the duches / wherfore we desyre you to accepte vs to mercy for all that we haue is yours / the .iii. lordes of englande by eche others aduyse answered and sayd / ye good people of Maures we shall go w ^t you in to the towne and parte of [...]ur oost not al and there ye shal make promyse & othe as good people ought to do to theyr lorde and lady / syrs sayd they this shall we doo with good wylles. Then sayd the lordes go your wayes on before and open the gates / for ye are and shall be re­ceyued to mercy / then they wente to theyr tow­ne and opened theyr gates and barryers and suffred the constable and the other lordes to entre and a .iiii. C. speres with them / and the re­sydue of the oost lodged without in the feldes & had prouysyon out of the towne suffycyent / the lordes lodged within the towne and toke the othes of them of the towne of Maures as it is sayd before.

THe nexte daye after the towne of Maures was gy­uen vp and that euery man made them redy to go to the cyte of Besances / there came tydynges and letters fro the duke of Lancastre commaū dynge them on the syght of his letters what so euer estate they were in / to repayre to his pre­sence / certefyenge them that he loked in a shor­te season / for the archebysshop of Braghes and for syr Iohn̄ Radyghes de Sar ambassade fro the kynge of Portyngale who were comynge to wedde his doughter by procuracyon and to lede her to the cyte of Porte where the kynge of Portyngale taryed for her / When these lordes vnderstode these tydȳges they retourned theyr waye and sayd it was requysyte for the duke to haue his lordes and counsayle aboute hym at y ^e receyuynge of these ambassadours / and so re­tourned and lefte men of warre in y ^e garysons that they had wonne / and so came to the towne of saynt Iames as the duke had commaunded them / and within .iii. dayes after thyder came y ^e bysshop of Braghes / & syr Iohn̄ Radyghes de Sar with a. CC. horses / they were all well lodged / then when they were redy apparelled y ^e ambassadours and other lordes in theyr company wente to the duke & to the duches in good aray / where they were receyued with grete ioy and there declared the cause of theyr comynge The duke herde them well & was wel reioyced therw ^t bycause of y ^e auauntement of his doughter and for the alyaunce of the kynge of Portyngale whiche he thought ryght behouable for hym yf he wolde entre to conquere Castell / the bysshop shewed the duke and the duches and theyr counsayle howe he had auctoryte by pro­curacyon personally to wed the lady Phylyp of Lancastre in the name of the kynge of Por­tyngale / wherwith the duke and duches were well contente / thus syr Iohn̄ Radyghes de sar by vertue of procuracyon wedded y ^e lady Phylyp of Lancastre in the name of & kynge of Portyngale and the bysshop of Braghes wedded them / & soo were layde curtoysly in bed as hus­bande and wyfe ought to be / and the nexte day after the lady with all her company were redy to departe and so toke leue of her fader / moder and systers / with ladyes & damoyselles with her and her bastarde syster wyfe to y ^e marshall with her / and with her went syr Iohn̄ Holande syr Thomas Percy / and syr Iohn̄ Dambrych­courte and. C. speres and. CC. archers and so rode to the cyte of Porte in Portyngale.

AGaynst the comynge of the yonge quene of Portyngale yssued out of the cyte of Porte to do her honoure and reuerence pre­lates of the chyrche / as y ^e bysshops of Lyxbone of Deure / of Connymbres / and of Porte / and of temporall lordes / the erle Dangose / the erle of Nouayre / the erle of Lescal / Galope Ferant Patryke Pymasse / Martyne de Marlo and mo then .xl. knyghtes / & grete nombre of theyr people and many ladyes and damoyselles / and all the clergy reuested in habytes of processyon thus the lady Phylyp of Lancastre was brou­ght in to the cyte of Porte in Portyngale & so [...] to the kynges palace / there the kynge toke her by the hande and kyssed her and all the other ladyes and damoyselles that were come with her and brought her in to her chambre / and then toke leue of all y ^e ladyes / & the lordes of englande that were there lodged at theyr ease & all theyr men in the cyte of Porte / for it is a grete cyte / & y ^t nyght they kepte the vygyll of the feest to the nexte day / the ladyes daunsynge and passynge theyr tyme that nyght / and on the Tuysdaye y ^e [Page] kynge of Portyngale with the prelates / and lordes of his countrey were redy in the mor­nynge and kepte on theyr horses at the palays and so rode to y ^e cathedrall chyrche called saynt Maryes / and there caryed for the quene who came accompanyed with ladyes and damoyselles / and thoughe syr Iohn̄ Radyghos de Sar had wedded her before in the kynges behalfe / yet then agayne openly there y ^e kynge wedded her / and so retourned to y ^e palays & there was made a grete feest and a solempne / and after dyner Iustes and tournays before the kynge and quene and at nyght the pryse was gyuen of thē without to syr Iohn̄ Holande / and of y ^e chalen­gers a knyght of the kynges called syr Iohn̄ Tet dore had the pryse so that day and nyght they perceyuered in grete tryumphe and ioye / and the kynge lay with the quene / and as the reuome ranne in the countrey & courte y ^e kynge was as then a clene mayde / the nexte daye the feest renewed and newe Iustes / and the pryse of the chalengers had Vas Martyne of Merlo and of them without / & syr Iohn̄ Dambrety­courte and y ^e nyght there was grete daunsyng syngynge and sportynge / and euery day there were knyghtes and squyers that Iusted.

WIth suche tryumphes Iustes & spor­tes as ye haue harde the quene of Portyngale was receyued at her fyrst co­mynge in the cyte of Porte / and these feestes endured more then .x. dayes and the kynge gaue grete gyftes to all the straungers so that they were well contente. Then the knyghtes of Englande toke theyr leue of the kynge and of the quene / and retourned to y ^e cyte of saynt Iames to the duke and duches / who of them demaun­ded tydynges & they shewed all y ^t they had sene and harde / and howe the kynge of Portyngale and the quene dyd commaunde them to them / and sayd / syr the last worde y ^t the kynge sayd to vs was howe he desyreth you to drawe in to y ^e felde when it please you / for in lykewyse so wyl he do and drawe in to Castell. These be good tydynges sayd the duke. Thus aboute a .xv. dayes after the constable and admyral were retourned fro y ^e kynge of Portyngales maryage y ^e duke of Lancastre prepayred for his iourney to go and conquere castells and townes in Galyce / for as then the duke was not lorde of all y ^e townes in the countrey / and it was ordeyned y ^t when the duke sholde departe fro saynt Iames that the duches and her doughter Katheryne sholde in lykewyse departe and goo to the cyte of Porte in Portyngale / to se the kynge and y ^e yonge quene theyr doughter / and the towne of saynt Iames was delyuered to the kepynge of an englysshe knyght called syr Loys Clyfforde and .xxx. speres with hym & an. C. archers.

THus the duke Lanca­stre departed and all his mē and suche as were ordeyned to abyde in garyson abode and the duke and the duches rode towardes Besances / one of y ^e last townes bytwe­ne Galyce and Portyngale the ryght waye to Porte and to Connymbres / and bycause y ^e du­ches of Lancastre and her doughter sholde go to se the kynge of Portyngale therfore they helde that way / when they of Besances knewe y ^t y ^e duke was comynge on them with all his oost then they drewe to counsayle and were of ma­ny oppynyons. Fynally they determyned for y ^e best and sent to the duke and duches .vi. of the chefe of the towne to desyre and trete for an ab­stynence of warre for .viii. dayes / & in y ^e meane seaseon they to sende to the kynge of Castell / shewynge hym without he came soo stronge to fyght with the duke / to yelde vp theyr towne without ony other meane. Then there depar­ted fro Besances .vi. men & rode to mete with y ^t englysshmen. Fyrst they encountred with the vowarde whiche the marshall led. There they were stopped and demaunded what they were and what they wolde / they answered how they were of Besances and that by appoyntemente of the towne they were charged to goo and spe­ke with the duke / the marshall sayd to syr Iohn̄ Soustre / syr go and brynge these men to y ^e du­ke in saufgarde for fere lest our archers do slee them / and then he sayd to them / syrs goo your wayes this knyght shal be your guyde / so they rode forthe and at the last founde out the duke and duches and her doughter and syr Iohn̄ Holande / syr Thomas Percy & dyuers other with them sportynge them vnder the shadowe of the fayre Olyue trees / & they behelde wel syr Iohn̄ Soustre comynge to themwarde. Then syr [Page lxxxviii] Iohn̄ Holande demaunded of hym and sayd / syr Iohn̄ are those your prysoners / nay syr sayd he they be no prysoners / they are men of Besances sent by the mershall to speke with my lorde y ^e duke as I thynke they wyll make some tretye the duke and the duches herde al those wordes Then syr Iohn̄ Soustre sayd to them ye good men auaunce forth / beholde here your lorde & lady▪ Then these .vi. men kneled downe & sayd My ryght redoubted lorde and lady the comonaltye of the towne of Besances haue sente vs to your presence / syr they vnderstande howe ye are comynge or sendynge your armye agaynst thē they desyre of your specyal grace to forbere them these .ix. dayes / and in the meane season they wyll sende to the kynge of Castell to the towne of Valcolyue and shewe hym what daū ger they be in / and syr without there come with in these .ix. dayes suche socoure to them as to fyght with you / they wyll yelde them vnto your obeysaunce / and yf ye lacke ony prouysyon of vytayles or ony other thynge in the meane sea­son / ye shall haue out of the towne for your mo­ney at your pleasure for you & for all your men. Therwith the duke stode styll and spake noo worde / and suffred the duches to speke bycause it was in her countrey / then she behelde the du­ke and sayd / syr what say you / madame sayd he and what say you / ye are herytoure her / that I haue is by you / therfore ye shall make them an­swere / wel syr sayd she / me thynke it were good to receyue them as they haue demaunded / for I byleue the kynge of Castell hathe as nowe noo grete desyre so shortly to fyght with you / I can not tell sayd the duke wolde to god he wolde come shortely to batayle / then we sholde be the so­ner delyuered / I wolde it sholde be within .vi. dayes / wherfore as ye haue deuysed I am con­tente it so be / then y ^e duches tourned her towar­de the .vi. men and sayd / syrs departe when ye lyst your matter is sped / soo that ye delyuer in hostage to our marshall .xii. of the best of your towne for suretye to vpholde this tretye / well madame sayd they we are contente / & syr Iohn̄ Soustre was commaunded to shewe this tre­tye to the marshal / and so he dyd wherwith the mershall was well contente / and the .vi. men retourned to Besances / and shewed howe they had sped / then .xii. men of the moost notablest of the towne were chosen out and sente to the marshall. Thus the towne of Besances was in rest and peas by the foresayd tretye. Then they of the towne sente the same .vi. men that wente to y ^e duke to the kynge of Castell and his coun­sayle. The kynge as then knewe nothynge of that composycyon nor howe the englysshe men were before Besances.

IN the meane season that these syxe men were goynge to the kynge of Castell / the duke ordeyned that the duches and her dough­ter Katheryne sholde goo to the cyte of Porte to se the kynge of Portyngale and the yon­ge quene her doughter / and at theyr departyn­ge the duke sayd to the duches. ¶Madame Costaunce salute fro me the kynge and the quene my daughter and all other lordes of Portyngale / & shewe them suche tydynges as ye know and howe they of Besances be at composycyon with me / and as yet I knowe not wheron they grounde themselfe / nor whether that our aduersary Iohn̄ of Trystmor haue made them to make this tretye or wyl come and fyght with vs or no / I knowe well they loke for grete comforte to come to them out of fraunce / and suche as desyre dedes of armes and aduauncement of ho­noure wyl come as soone as they can / wherfore it behoueth me alwaye to be redy and to abyde batayle / this ye may shewe to the kynge of Portyngale and to his counsayle / and yf I se that I shall haue ony thynge to do / I shall shortely sende the kynge worde therof / Wherfore saye that I desyre hym to be redy to ayde and to de­fende our ryght and his / in lyke maner as we haue promysed and sworne togyder / and ma­dame when ye retourne agayne to me leue our doughter katheryne there styll with the quene her syster / she can not be in better kepynge / syr sayd the lady all this shall be doone. Then the duches and her doughter and all other ladyes and damoyselles toke theyr leue and departed syr Thomas Percy the admyral accompanyed them and syr non Fythwaren / and y ^e lorde Talbot and the lorde Iohn̄ Dambretycourte / and syr Namburyne of Lyuyers and a hundred speres / and two hundred archers and soo came to the cyte of Porte in Portyngale.

[Page] WHenne the kynge of Portyngale vnderstode that the duches of Lancastre and her doughter were comynge to hym warde / he was therof ryght ioyfull / and sente to receyue them of the grettest mē of his courte. The erle of Angoses / and the erle of Nouayre syr Iohn̄ Radyghos de Sar syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Perteke syr Vas Martyne of Marlo syr Egeas Colle and a .xx. other kny­ghtes who mette with the duches a two grete legges of / and ioyfully receyued them / and the duches made frendly chere to al the lordes and knyghtes bothe with wordes & countenaunce. Thus they came to the cyte of Porte / and all y ^e ladyes and damoyselles were lodged in the palays and the kynge came and met with the la­dyes & kyssed them all / then after came y ^e quene who receyued the duches her mooer and her sy­ster ryght honourably as she that coulde ryght wel do it / all the kynges courte were ryght ioyfull of the comynge of these ladyes and damoy­selles / I wyll not speke of all theyr acquayntaū ces and good chere. for I was not there present I knowe nothynge but by the reporte of that gently knyght syr Iohn̄ Ferrant Perteke who was there present / and he enfourmed me of all that I know in that matter and of many other There the duches deuysed with the kynge of Portyngale when she sawe her tyme / & shewed hym all the wordes that the duke her husbande had gyuen her in charge to shewe. The kynge answered her ryght sagely and sayd. Fayre la­dy and cosyn I am all redy yf the kynge of Ca­stell come forth in to the feldes within .iii. day­es I shal haue r [...]dy .iil.M. speres / they be redy in the felde on the fronters of Castell / and also I haue redy .xx. M. of the comons of my royal me who be not to be refused / for they dydde me good seruyce on a day at the batayle of Iube­roth. Syr sayd the lady ye speke well & I than­ke you therof. And syr yf ony thyngs happen to fall to my lorde and husbande he wyll inconty­nente sygnyfye you therof / with these wordes & other the kynge & the duches deuysed togyder. ¶Nowe let vs tourne to them of Besances / & shewe howe they sped.

WHen these .vi. men of Besances were before the kynge of Castel they kneled downe and sayd. Ryght redoubted lorde may it please you to vnderstande that we be sent hyder fro your towne of Besances who are by force in composycyon with the duke of Lancastre and with y ^e duches & hath obteyned a sufferaunce of warre for .ix. dayes / soo that yf ye come or sende suche a strength able to resyst the duches puyssaunce / then y ^e towne to abyde styll vnder your obeysaunce elles they are boū de & haue layde hostage to delyuer vp the tow­ne to the duke of Lancastre / wherfore maye it please your grace to gyue vs answere what we shall do in this case. The kynge answered and sayd / syrs we shall take aduyse and then gyue you answere therwith the kynge departed fro them and entred in to his secret chambre / I cannot tell what counsayle he toke nor howe y ^e matter wente / but these .vi. men were there .viii. dayes and had no maner of answere nor sawe no more the kynge. Soo the day came that the towne sholde be gyuen vp & as thē theyr messagers were not retourned agayne. Then y ^e du­ke of Lancastre sent to Besances his marshall the .x. day to speke with them and to cōmaunde them to rendre vp theyr towne / or elles to stry­ke of the heedes of the hostages / y ^e marshall ca­me to Besances to the barryers and there spa­ke with them of the towne and sayd / ye syrs of Besances take hede what I saye. My lorde the duke of Lancastre hath sente me to you to de­maunde why ye haue not brought to hym the keyes of your towne and submyt you to be vn­der his obeysaunce as ye ought to be / the .ix. dayes be past as ye knowe well / and yf ye wyll not thus do / your hostages shall lese theyr hee­des here before you / and after we shall assayle you and take you perforce / and then ye shall all dye without mercy lyke thē of Rybadane / whē y ^e men of Besances herde those tydynges / they gretly doubted and also fered to lese theyr frendes that were in hostage with the duke / & sayd to the marshall / syr my lorde y ^e duke hath good cause to say and do as ye haue reported / but syr as yet we here no tydynges fro our men whom we sente to the kynge of Castel for the same cause / we wote not what is become of them. Syrs sayd the marshall peraduenture they are kepte there styll for the tydynges they haue brought to the kynge of Castell whiche are not very plesaunt to hym to here / but my lorde the duke wyl abyde no longer / wherfore aduyse you to make me shorte answere / elles shortely ye shall haue assaulte / then they spake agayne and sayd / syr we requyre you let vs assemble togyder in the towne to take aduyse and then we shal answere you / I am content sayd the marshall / then they retourned in to the towne and by the blastes of [Page lxxxix] trompettes in euery strete they assembled to gather in y ^e market place / then they declared to all the comonte all the foresayd wordes / and so fy­nally they accorded to rendre vp theyr towne / & to saue theyr estates y ^t were in pryson / then they retourned to the marshall & sayd / syr in al your demaundes we can fynde nothynge but as reason requyreth / we are content to receyue my lorde the duke and my lady the duches in to this towne & to put thē in possessyon therof / and syr here be the keyes / and we shall goo with you to thē to theyr lodgynge yf it please you to brynge vs thyder / with ryght a good wyl sayd the marshal / then there yssued out of Besances a .lx. mē berynge the keyes of theyr towne with them / & the marshall brought them streyght to the duke & shewed hym all theyr ententes / the duke receyued thē & delyuered thē theyr hostages & the sa­me day entred in to the cyte of Besances & there lodged & all his company as many as myght.

AFoure dayes after that Besances was gyuen vp the vi. men that were sent to Va­leolyue to y ^e kynge of Castell retourned home to theyr towne / then it was demaūded of them why they had taryed so longe / they answered howe they myght not do therwith nor amende it / saynge howe they had spoken with the kynge who had promysed thē to take counsayle & then to gyue answere / whi­che answere we taryed on .viii. dayes / and as yet they sayd they were retourned without an­swere / then they were asked no moo questyons but they sayd howe the kynge of Castell loked for moche people to come out of fraunce and dyuers were come and lodged abrode in the countrey / but the capytaynes as syr Wyllyā of Lyg­nac & syr Gaultyer of Passac were not as then come / but all suche knyghtes and squyers in Spayne that sholde be vnder the guydynge of those .ii. capytaynes were redy apparelled / but all suche as were reteyned and apoynted to be vnder the duke of Borbon were styll in theyr owne houses vpon a redynes. Thus as ye ha­ue herde here before syr Wyllyam of Lygnac & syr Gaultyer of Passac passed thrughe the roy­alme of Fraunce and came in to [...] / they were mo then a. M. speres knyghtes and squyers of al countreys / they assembled in Carcassone / in Narbonoys and in Thoulousayne and as they came soo they lodged in this good countrey / many there were that payde lytell or nothynge for that they toke. Tyoynges came to the erle of Foyze beynge at Ortays that men of warre of Fraunce approched nere to his coū trey & wolde passe thrughe to go in to Spayne & it was sayd to hym / syr they pay for nothynge that they take / Wherfore all the comon people flyeth before thē as though they were englyssh­men / and the capytaynes be at Carcassone / and theyr men theraboute and so passeth the ryuer of Garon to Thoulouse / and then they wyl en­tre in to Bygore / and so incontynent in to your countrey / and if they do then as they haue done all the way they shall do grete euyl in your coū trey of Byerne. Therfore syr take good hede what ye wyll do in this hehalfe / y ^e erle of Foyze who was soone counsayled in hymselfe sayd / I wyll that all my townes and castelles as well in Foyze as in Byerne be prouyded for with men of warre / and all the countrey to be in a re­dynes to entre in to batayle yf nede be / I wyll not bye derely the warre of Castell / my lanoes be free / yf frensshe men wyll passe thrughe they shall pay truely for euery thynge that they take or elles all the passages in my countrey shal be kepte close agaynst them / & syrs ye syr Arnalte Wyllyam and syr Peter of Byerne I charge you to defende and kepe the countrey / these .ii. knyghtes were bastarde bretherne and ryght valyaunt men in armes / they toke on them this charge. Then in all the erle of Foyze countrey it was ordeyned that euery man sholde haue armure redy as they were wonte to haue or better / and to be redy dayly whensoeuer they were commaunded / then in Byerne and in Foyze & in Thoulouse euery man was redy to entre in to batayle / and there was sente to y ^e cyte of Palmes a. C. speres of good men of armes / Syr Espayne du Lyon was sent to Sanredun / syr Cycart of saynt Lygyer / to Maryzes / and syr Peter of Byerne was with a. C. speres at Bellpount / and at the entre of the erldome of Foyze at saynt Thybaulte on y ^e ryuer of Garon was syr Peter of Calestan / and syr Peter Meaus of Noyalles with .l. speres at Polamnuche / & syr Peter of Toce at the castell of Mesun / the bastarde of Esperung at e Morleus / syr Arnolde Wyllyam with a. C. speres at Pan / syr Guyde [Page] de la mote at mounte Marsen / syr Raymon of newe castel at Sauuetere / syryuayne of Foyze The erles bastardes sone at Mountesquyn / syr Ve [...]doll of Neuosan / & syr Iohn̄ of saynt Marcell at Oron / syr Hector de la garde at mounte Garbell / Iohn̄ of Nowe castell at Ertyell / and the erle sente to syr Iohn̄ lane beynge at the ca­stell of Beawuoyson to take good hede to all his fronters / and he sent to saynt Gaudes a co­syn of his syr Ernalton of Spayne / Breuely there was nother towne nor castel in Foyze nor in Byerne but were refresshed w ^t newe men of war & they sayd they were men ynowe to resyst double y ^e nombre of other mē of armes / for they were in all to y ^e nombre of a .xx.M. men of war of chosen men.

TIdynges came to syr Wyllyam of Lyg­nac beynge at Thoulouse & to syr Gaultyer of Passa [...] beynge at Carcassone / howe y ^e erle of Foyze prouyded men of armes and fur­nysshed euery garyson / and the renome ranne that he wolde suffre none to passe thrughe his countrey / wherof these .ii. capytaynes were so­re abasshed / & then they apoynted to mete in the myd way to speke togyder at the castell of Daurey howe they sholde do with the erle of Foyze then syr Wyllyam sayd / syr Gaultyer to say truly it is grete meruayle that the frensshe kynge & his coūsayle haue not wryten to hym to open peasybly his countrey. Well syr sayd syr Gaul­tyer it is necessary that ye go and speke with y ^e erle and shewe hym in curtoys maner that we be sente by the frensshe kynge this way to passe peasybly and to pay for all that we take / surely the erle of Foyze is so grete and myghty that yf he lyst we gete noo passage thrughe his coun­trey / then we must passe thrughe Aragon / whi­che is farre of I can not tell why the erle maketh suche doubtes nor why he soo fortefyeth his garysons / nor whether he haue made ony aly­aunce with y ^e duke of Lancastre or no. I desyre you go to hym & knowe the trouthe / ye se howe our men dayly passe in to Bygore / I am con­tente sayd syr Gaultyer and so toke these .ii. ca­pytaynes leue eche of other / syr Wyllyā of Lygnac retourned to Thoulouse / and syr Gaultyer with .xl. horse wente and passed y ^e ryuer of Ga­ron at saynt Thybaulte / and there he founde syr Menalte of Nouayles who made hym grete chere / syr Gaultyer demaūded of hym where he sholde fynde the erle of Foyze / he answered hym at Ortays. These .ii. knyghtes were a season togyder and comoned of dyuers matters / then syr Gaultyer departed and came to saynt Gaudes and there he had good chere / the nexte day he rode to saynt Iohn̄ de Ryuyer and rode all the lawne of Bonc and costed Mauuoysyn and lay at Tournay a close towne / and y ^e nexte daye he rode to dyner to Tarbe & there taryed all day / and there founde the lorde Dauchyn & syr Menalte of Barbason two grete lordes of Bierne / they spake with hym of many thynges and bycause that the lorde of Barbason was of the partye of the erle of Armynacke he coulde speke no good worde of the erle of Foyze. The nexte daye he departed & wente to Morlaus in Byerne & there he founde syr Raynolde wyllyā bastarde broder to the erle of Foyze who recey­ned hym with good chere / & he shewed syr Gaultyer howe he sholde fynde the erle of Ortays & howe he wolde be ryght glad of his comynge / God graunte it sayd syr Gaultyer for to speke with hym I am come in to this countrey. Soo they dyned togyder / and after dyner syr Gaul­tyer wente to his lodgynge to mounte Gabryel and the nexte daye by .iii. of the clocke he came to Ortays and coulde not speke with the erle y ^t day tyll the nexte daye at after noone when the erle accustomed to come abrode.

THe nexte daye when the erle of Foyze knewe that syr Gaultyer of Passac was come to speke with hym somwhat he made the more hast to yssue out of his chambre / then syr Gaultyer dyd salute hym / & the erle who knew as moche of honour as ony knyght dyd saluted hym agayne / and toke syr Gaultyer by y ^e hande and sayd / syr ye be right hartely welcome what busynes hath brought you in to this countrey of Byerne / syr sayd the knyght syr Wyllyam Lygnac and I are commytted by the frensshe kynge to conduyte in to Castell certayne men of armes as ye haue herde or this / and howe y ^t ye wyl let our iourney and close your countrey of Byerne agaynst vs and our company / then the erle of Foyze sayd / syr Gaultyer that is not soo / for I wyll not close nor kepe my countrey agaynst you nor agaynst ony man y ^t wyl peasybly passe and pay to my people for that they ta­ke / whiche fredome I haue sworne to kepe / & to maynteyne and mynystre to them Iustyce as euery lorde is bounde to do to his subiectes / for that entente lordes haue theyr sygnoryes / but it hath ben shewed me that ye brynge with you a maner of Bretons / Barroys / Loraynes and Borgonyons who knowe not what payne meaneth / and agaynst suche people I wyll close my [Page lxxxix] countrey / for I wyll kepe my people in theyr fraunches and ryghtes / syr sayd the knyght the entente of me and my companyon is that none shall passe thrughe your lande without they pay peaseably to the agrement of the poore mē or elles to be taken and corrected accordynge to the vsage of your countrey / and they to make restytucyon for euery domage by them done or elles we to satysfye for theyr trespasses / so theyr bodyes may be delyuered to vs / & without he be a gentyll man we shal make Iustyce to be done of his body before your men / that all other shall take therby ensample / and yf he be a gentyl mā we shal cause hym to rendre and restore ony domage by hym done / or elles we shall doo it for hym / this crye we shall make with a trompet in euery mannes lodgynge / and also declare it agayne to them or they entre in to ony parte of your lande / so that none shall exscuse them of neglygence / syr may this suffyse and content you Then y ^e erle sayd / syr Gaultyer yf this be done I am well contente / and ye shall be welcome in to this countrey / I wyll be glad to see you / let vs go [...] to dyner and then we shall talke more togyder.

Syr sayd the erle cursed be y ^e warre bytwene Portyngale & Castel / I ought gretly to complayne of it / for I neuer lost so moche as I dyd at one season in y ^e warre bytwene those two royalmes / for all my chefe men of warre of Byerne were there slayne / and yet I shewed them or they wente that they sholde make theyr warre wysely / for I sayd the Portyngales we­re harde men to mete withall and cruell of de­des / yf they haue the ouer hande of theyr enemyes / they haue no mercy / syr Gaultyer I speke it that when ye and your companyon come in to Castell syth ye two be the chefe capytaynes of them that are passed and shall passe / and peraduenture ye shall be requyred by the kynge of Castell to gyue your counsayle and aduyse / be wel aduysed that ye gyue not to hasty coūsayle to aduaunce to fyght with your aduersaryes / y ^e duke of Lancastre / the kynge of Portyngale the Englysshe men or the Portyngales / for all these be famylyer togyder and be all as one / & the englysshe men desyre to haue batayle by .ii. reasons / one is of a grete season they haue had noo profyte / they be poore and haue wonne no­thynge of a longe tyme but rather spende and haue lost. Wherfore they wyll be redy to auaunce themselfe in hope to gete some newe profyte / and suche people as be aduenturers desyrynge other mennes goodes wyll fyght with a hardy courage and often tymes fortune serueth them well / the other reason is / the duke of Lancastre knoweth surely that he can not come parfytely nor peasybly to the herytage of Castell whiche he demaundeth to haue by the ryght of his wy­fe whom he calleth ryghtfull enherytoure / but all onely by batayle / for he knoweth well yf he myght haue and obteyne one iourney agaynst the kynge of Castell that all the countrey then wolde yelde to hym and trymble before hym / & for this entente he is come in to Galyce and ha­th gyuen one of his doughters in maryage to the kynge of Portyngale to the entente that he sholde ayde his quarell / and syrs I saye this to you / for if the matter sholde fall otherwyse then well ye and your felowe shall bere more blame then ony other. Syr sayd syr Gaultyer I than­ke you of your good aduertysement and syr my seruyce shall be redy to doo you pleasure / for at this day ye be amonge other crysten prynces reputed for one of the moost sagest and happest in all your aduentures / but syr my companyon and I haue one aboue vs who is chefe souerayne of all our company that is the duke of Bor­bon / and tyll he be come in to Castell we shall make no hast to fyght with our enemyes what soeuer ony man saye / so they entred in to other talkynge tyll the erle of Foyze demaunded for wyne. Then they dranke and soo toke leue / the erle entred in to his chambre and syr Gaultyer retourned to his lodgynge well accompanyed with the erles knyghtes & so supped togyder.

THe nexte day after dyner yr Gaultyer toke his leue of the erle of Foyze / and be syde other thynges the erle gaue hyym a fayre courser and a mule / syr Gaultyer thanked the erle & so departed out of Ortays & lay / the same nyght at Ercyell and the nexte nyght at Tarbe he rode that daye a grete iourney / and then he determyned to sende fro thens to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac / and soo he dyd aduertysynge hym howe he had spedde with the erle of Foyze / and desyrynge hym to come on forwarde with all theyr companyes and shewynge hym howe the countrey of Byerne and all the good townes sholde be open / payenge trewely for that they take or elles not. ¶This messagere dydde soo moche that he came to Thoulouse and dydde his message and delyuered his letters. ¶And when syr wyllyam hadde redde the contynewe hereof he made it to be knowen to all his com­pany [Page] that they sholde set on forwarde / soo that as soone as they entred ony parte of the erle of Foyze lande to pay for euery thynge that they sholde take / elles theyr capytaynes to answere for euery thynge / this was cryed by the sounde of a trompet fro lodgynge to lodgynge / to the entente that euery man sholde knowe it / then euery man dyslodged out of y ^e marches of Tholouse / Carcassone / Lymous / and of Marbon / and so entred in to Bygore / and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac toke his hors and rode to Tarbe to syr Gaultyer his companyon / and there made good chere togyder / and theyr bandes and row [...]es passed by and assembled togyder in Bygo­re to ryde in company thrughe the countrey of Byerne / & to passe at Ortays y ^e ryuer of Gaure whiche renneth to Bayon.

AT the yssuynge out of the countrey of Byerne is the entre of the countrey of B [...]squey in y ^e whiche countrey as then y ^e kyng of englande helde grete landes in y ^e bysshopry­ches of Burdeaus & Bayon / there were a .lxxx. townes with steples that helde of the kynge of englande / & when they vnderstode of y ^e passage of these frensshmen thrugh theyr countrey they were in doubte of ouer rynnynge / brennynge & exylynge / for as then there were no men of war of theyr partye in all that countrey to defende theyr fronters / the sage men drewe togyder & sente to trete with the frensshe capytaynes and to bye theyr peas / then they sent to Ortays .iiii. men hauynge auctoryte to make theyr peas. These .iiii. men met by the way with a squyer of the erle of Foyze called Ernalton du Pyn / & shewed hym all theyr matter desyrynge hym to helpe thē to speke with syr Gaultyer of Passac and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac / when they came to Ortays whiche sholde be within .iii. or .iiii. dayes after / and to helpe to ayde to make theyr peas / & he answered that he wolde do so with a good wyll. The nyght that the capytaynes ca­me to Ortays they were lodged at y ^e same squyers house / and there he ayded them of Bysquey to make theyr apoyntment / and they to pay .ii.M. frankes and theyr countrey saued fro bren­nynge and robbynge / the erle of Foyze gaue a dyuer to these capytaynes / and to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac a fayre courser / the nexte daye they passed to Sameterre and entred in to the countrey of Bysquey whiche was redemed / they to­ke vytayles where as they myght gete it / and so passed thrughe the countrey without doyng of ony other domage / & so came to saynt Iohn̄s de Pye of Porte at the entre of Nauare.

Here before ye haue herde howe the towne of Be­sa [...]ces was put in compo­sycyon with y ^e duke of Lancastre and howe it was yelden vp to hym / for y ^e kynge of Castell dyd comforte it nothynge / and howe y ^e du­ches of Lancastre and her doughter came to y ^e cyte of Porte in Portyngale to se the kynge & the quene there / and howe the kynge and y ^e lor­des there receyued them ioyfully as it was reason / and thus whyle the duke of Lancastre so­iourned in the towne of Besances tydynges came thyder fro Valeolyue brought by an heraulde of fraunce who demaunded where was the lodgynge of syr Iohn̄ Holande / and so he was brought thyder / then he kneled downe before hym and delyuered hym a letter and sayd / syr I am an offycer of armes sent hyder to you fro syr Raynolde du Roy who saluteth you / yf it plea­se you to rede your letter / then syr Iohn̄ sayd w ^t ryght a good wyll / and thou arte ryght welco­me and opened his letter and redde it wherin was conteyned howe syr Raynolde du Roy desyred hym in the way of amours and for the lo­ue of his lady to delyuer hym of his chalenge / iii. courses with a spere .iii. strokes w ^t a sworde iii. with a dagger and .iii. with an axe / & that if it wolde please hym to come to Valeolyue he wolde prouyde for hym & .lx. horse a sure saufcō duyte yf not he wolde come to Besances with .xxx. horses so that he wolde gete for hym a sauf­condyte of the duke of Lancanstre / When syr Iohn̄ Holande had red these letters he began to smyle & behelde the heraulde & sayd / frende y ^u arte welcome / thou hast brought me tydynges y ^t pleaseth me ryght wel / & I accepte his desyre y ^u shalte obyde here in my house w ^t my company & to morowe y ^u shalte haue answere where our armes shal be accomplysshed outher in Galyce or in Castell / syr sayd y ^e heraulde as it pleaseth god & you. ¶The heraulde was there at his ease / and syr Iohn̄ / wente to the duke and foun­de hym talkynge with the marshall / then he shewed them his tydynges and the letters / Well sayd the duke / and haue ye accepted his desyre [Page lxxxx] ye truely syr sayd he / and I desyre nothynge so moche as dedes of armes / and the knyght hath desyred me / but nowe syr where shall it be your pleasure that we doo our armes / the duke stu­dyed a lytell and then sayd / I wyll that they be done in this towne / make a saufconduyte for hym as it shall please you and I shall seale it. In the name of god sayd syr Iohn̄ that is well sayd / the saufcondyte was wryten for hym & .xxx. knyghtes and squyers to come saufe and go saufe / then syr Iohn̄ Holande delyuered it to the heraulde and gaue hym a mantell furred with myneuer and .xii. aungell nobles. The heraulde toke his leue and retourned to Valeo­lyue to his mayster and there shewed howe he had sped and delyuered the saufconduyte / on y ^e other parte tydynges came to the cyte of Porte to the kynge of Portyngale and to the ladyes there howe that these dedes of armes sholde be done at Besances / Well sayd the kynge I wyll be therat and the quene my wyfe with other la­dyes and damoyselles / & the duches of Lanca­stre who was as then there thanked the kynge in that she sholde at her retourne be accompa­nyed with the kynge and with y ^e quene / it was not longe after but the tyme approched. Then the kynge of Portyngale / the quene / the duches and her other doughter with other ladyes and damoyselles rode [...]orth in grete aray towarde Besances / & when the duke of Lancastre knew that y ^e kynge came thyder he toke his hors and many other lordes and yssued out of Besances and met the kynge and y ^e ladyes / there y ^e kynge and the duke made grete chere togyder / and so entred togyder in to y ^e towne & theyr lodgynge appoynted as it aperteyned accordynge to the maner of y ^e countrey / and that was not so easye nor large as thoughe they had ben at Parys.

ABoute a .iii. dayes after that the kynge of Portyngale was come to Besances thyder came syr Reynolde du Roy well accom­panyed with knyghtes and squyers he hadde a vi. score horses / and they were all well lodged / for the duke of Lancaste hadde prepayred redy theyr lodgynges. Then y ^e nexte daye syr Iohn̄ Holande & syr Raynolde Roy were armed and mounted on theyr horses & soo came to a fayre place redy san [...]ed where they sholde doo theyr armes / and scafoldes redy made for the kynge & for the ladyes / & for the duke & other lordes of englande / for they were all come thyder to se y ^e dedes of armes of these .ii. knyghtes / they came in to the felde as well appoynted as coulde be deuysed / & there was brought in theyr speres / theyr axes and theyr swordes and well horsed / and so eche of them a good dystaunce fro other made theyr tournes & fryskes fresshly / for they knewe well they were regarded / euery thynge was ordeyned at theyr desyre and all theyr ar­mes graunted excepte the vtteraunce / howbeit no man knewe what sholde fal of theyr bodyes for syth they were thyder come they must nedes mete at y ^e poynte of theyr speres / and after that with theyr swordes / and then with axes & dag­gers / loo what daunger they were in to the en­tente to exhaulte theyr honoure / for theyr lyues lay but in the mysaduenture of one stroke / thus they ranne togyder and met as euen as thou­ghe they hadde rynne by a lyne and strake eche other in the vysoure of theyr helmes so that syr Raynolde du Roy brake his spere in .iiii. peces and y ^e sheuers flewe a grete hyght in to y ^e ayre / whiche course was gretely praysed / syr Iohn̄ Holande strake syr Raynolde in lykewyse in y ^e vysoure but the stroke was of no force / I shall shewe you why / syr Raynolde had the vysoure of his helme made at auaūtage for it was tyed but with a small lase / the lase [...]rake with y ^• stroke & the helme flewe of his heed so that the kny­ght was bare heeded / and so passed forth theyr course / and syr Iohn̄ dyscharged and bare his staffe fresshely / then euery man sayd it was a goodly course.

THen these knyghtes retourned to theyr owne places and syr Raynolde was helmed agayne and had a newe spere / and so they ranne togyder agayne they were bothe wel horsed and coulde well guyde thē / they strake eche other on the helmes so that the fyer flewe out / y ^e speres brake not / but syr raynoldes helme agayne flewe of his heed. A sayd the Englysshmen y ^e frenssheman hath auauntage / Why is not his helme as fast bocled as syr Iohn̄ of Holandes is / we thynke he dothe wronge / let hym set his helme in lyke case as his companyon hathe do­ne his / holde your peas syrs sayd the duke of Lancastre / let them dele in armes / let euery mā take his aduauntage as he thynketh best / yf syr Iohn̄ Holande thynke y ^t the other knyght ha­ue aduauntage let hym set on his helme in lyke maner / but as for me sayd the duke and I were in lyke armes as these .ii. knyghtes be I wolde haue my helme as fast bocled as I coulde / and I thynke here be many of the same oppynyon. then the englysshe men spake no moo wordes / and the ladyes and damoyselles sayd howe the knyghtes had iusted well and goodly / and the [Page] kynge of Portyngale sayd the same and spake to syr Iohn̄ Ferant and sayd / syr Iohn̄ in our countrey knyghtes iust not in this goodly ma­ner / syr sayd he these knyghtes do iust wel / and syr I haue sene or this y ^e frensshmen iust before y ^e kynge your broder when we were at Elyres agaynst the kynge of Castell / lyke iustes I sa­we there bytwene syr wyllyam Wyndsore and another frensshe knyght / but theyr helmes we­re faster tyed then this knyghtes helme is / then the kynge regarded agayne the two knyghtes to se theyr thyrde course.

THus they ranne togyder y ^e thyrde cour­se and regarded eche other wysely to take theyr aduauntage / they myght well so doo / for theyr horses serued them at theyr wysshyng and so they strake eche other agayne on the helme in suche wyse y ^t theyr eyen trimbled in theyr heedes and theyr sta [...]es brake / and agayne syr Raynoldes helme flewe of his heed and so eche other passed forth theyr course and demeaned themselfe fresshly / so that euery man sayd howe they had nobly iusted / but the englysshmen blamed gretely syr Raynolde du Roy in that his helme was no faster set on his heed / but the du­ke of Lancastre blamed hym nothyng but sayd I thynke hym wyse that can in feates of armes seke his lawfull aduauntage / it semeth well y ^t syr Raynolde is not to lerne to iust / he knowe­th more therin then syr Iohn̄ doth / thoughe he haue borne hymselfe ryght well. So thus after theyr courses with theyr speres they toke theyr axes and dyd theyr armes with them and gaue eche other .iii. grete strokes on theyr helmes / & then they fought with theyr swordes and after with theyr daggers / & when all was done there was none of them hurte. The frensshmen brought syr Raynolde to his lodgynge / and the Englysshmen syr Iohn̄ Holande to his / the same day the duke of Lancastre made a dyner to all the frensshmen in his lodgynge and the duches set at the table by the duke / and syr Raynolde du Roy bynethe her / after dyner they wente in to a counsayle chambre / and y ^e duches toke syr Raynolde by the hande and made hym to entre as sone as herselfe / and there she comoned with hym and other of the frensshe knyghtes tyll it was tyme to call for drynke / then y ^e duches sayd to the frensshe knyghtes / syrs I haue meruayle of you / that ye do susteyne y ^e wronge oppynyon of a bastarde / for ye knowe well and soo dothe all the worlde that Henry that was somtyme called kynge of Castel was a bastarde / therfore what iust cause haue you to susteyne that qua­rell / and ayde to your power to dysheryte the ryght ayre of Castell / for I knowe well and soo dothe all the worlde that I and my syster were doughters by lawfull maryage to kyng Peter Wherfore god knoweth what ryght we haue to the royalme of Castell / & the good lady whē she spake of her fader she wepte / then syr Ray­nolde du Roy made his obeysaunce and sayd. Madame we knowe ryght well that all is of trouth that ye haue sayd / howbeit y ^e kynge our mayster is of the contrary oppynyon agaynst you / and we be his subiectes and must make warre at his pleasure / and go where as he wyl sende vs / We maye not say nay. So the duches departed to the duke / and y ^e frensshe knyghtes dranke and then toke theyr leues / and wente to theyr lodgynge / and there euery thynge was redy to departe / and then they mounted and de­parted fro Besances and rode the same daye to Noy / and there they rested / and then rode forth tyll they came to Valeolyue.

AFter these dedes of ar­mes done as I haue recorded The kynge of Portyngale & the duke of Laucastre toke counsayle togyder and determyned to ryde and to entre in to Castell within a shorte space / and that the kynge of Portyngale with all his power sholde ryde on the fronters and so to entre in to Castell / and the duke and his rowte to entre on the boundes of Galyce and to conquere suche townes and fortresses as were agaynst hym / and yf Iohn̄ of Castell dyd assemble his oost agaynst them to make batayle / thē bothe theyr oostes to drawe togyder / It was thought moost necessary to haue theyr oostes a sondre tyll nede were rather then togyder / to exchewe sykenes y ^t myght fall & to haue the more easyer lodgynge and foragynge in exchewyng of debates & dyscordes / for englysshmen be ha­sty & prowde in y ^e felde / & the Portyngales hote & dysdaynful & can not sustre / but it was thou­ght y ^t in a grete iourney of batayle they sholde ryght wel agree togyder / this coūsayle was determyned & the kynge sayd to the duke / syr as [Page lxxxxi] soone as I haue knowledge that ye set forwarde I shall doo in lyke case for I and my men be redy / & they desyre nothynge elles but batayle / syr sayd the duke and I shall not longe syr styll it is shewed me howe as yet there be certayne townes in Galyce y ^t rebell agaynst vs / I wyll goo and vysyte them / and after that I wyll seke out for our enemyes / whersoeuer I can fynde them. Thus the kynge of Portyngale toke leue of the duke and duches / and in lyke wyse so dyd the quene Phelyp and her yonge syster katheryne for it was ordeyned that the yonge lady sholde abyde al the warre season with her syster the quene at the cyte of Porte in Portyn­gale / it was thought she coulde be in ony bet­ter kepynge / and y ^e duches retourned to saynt Iaques in Galyce / so thus euery body depar­ted thyder as they sholde doo / the kynge to the cyte of Porte / and the duches to the towne of saynt Iaques well accompanyed with knygh­tes and squyers / and the duke taryed at Besances and there aboute / and prepayred shortly to set forwarde / he was desyrous to departe by­cause it was in the ioly lusty moneth of Aprell at whiche season in Galyce the grasse is full growen and all theyr corne and herbes floures and fruytes redy rype the countrey is so hote y ^t in the begynnynge of Iune haruest is past / the duke thought the season goodly to set forwar­de his army. ¶Nowe let vs somwhat speke of the orderynge of the frensshmen and of kynge Iohn̄ of Castell as well as we haue done of the englysshe men.

HEre before ye haue herde howe syr Wyllyam of Lygnac & syr Gaultyer of Passac dyd so moche by theyr wyse entreatynge of the erle of Foyze y ^t he suf­fred them peasybly to passe thrughe his countrey of Byerne to go in to Castel and besyde that the erle gaue them grete rewardes / for there were noo knyghtes nor squy­ers straungers that came to se hym / but that he wolde largely rewarde them accordynge to theyr degrees / to some a .C. floreynes / to some CC. floreynes and .xxx. or .xl. so that this sayd fyrst passage of the Frensshe men cost the erle of Foyze as his owne treasourer shewed me the some of a .M. frankes besyde horses and other thynges that he gaue / to say trouth surely it is grete domage y ^t suche a persone sholde be olde or dye / he had no mermosettes aboute hym / to say syr take here / and gyue this / and pynche & pyl the people / surely he had none suche aboute hym [...] he dyd euery thynge on his owne mynde / for naturally he had grete wysdome and coul­de gyue where nede was and take as it became hym best and by reasan of his larges and grete expences somtyme he trauayled his subiectes / for his reuenewes were not suffycyent to bere out his gyftes whiche were yerely .lx.M. frankes / y ^e whiche lyke haue not ben sene nor herde of ony other / yet he assembled his treasoure for doubte of all aduentures in .xxx. yere .xxx. ty­mes a .C.M. frankes / and yet for all that his people alwayes prayde to god for his longe lyfe / and I herde it reported howe when he dyed there were in Foyze and in Byerne .x.M. per­sones that sayd y ^t they wolde gladly haue dyed with hym wherby it is to be thought that they sayd not so without it had ben for grete loue y ^t they had to theyr lorde / and surely if they loued hym they dyd but ryght and accordynge to reason / for he alwayes maynteyned them in theyr ryght and kepte euer true iustyce / for all his la [...] ­des and the people therin had as grete lyberte and fraunchesse and lyued in as good peas as thoughe they had ben in paradyse terrestre / I say not this for flattery nor for fauour nor loue that I bere hym nor for the gyftes that he hath gyuen me / but I can well proue all that I haue sayd / for I am sure there be a .M. knyghtes & squyers wyll saye the same.

NOwe let vs retourne to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and to syr Gaultyer of Passac who were capytaynes and souerayne leders of all the frensshe armye / when they were passed the countrey of Bysquey and the pase of Rounceuall / whiche cost them .iii. dayes a passynge. The mountaynes were so full of snowe for all that it was in the moneth of Aprell / yet they and theyr horses hadde moche payne to passe thrughe. Then they came towardes Panpy­lona / and there they founde the royalme of Nauare redy open for to suffre them to passe thru­ghe. For the kynge of Nauare wolde not doo [Page] no dyspleasure to the kynge of Castell bycause his sone syr Charles of Nauare had to his wyfe as then the kynge of Castelles syster / & when the peas was made bytwene kynge Henry and the fader of kynge Iohn̄ of Nauare they made and promysed grete alyaunce togyder whiche they longe kepte / for the kynge of Nauare was not able to resyst the kynge of Castell without he had grete alyaunce and comforte of y ^e kynge so Aragon / or elles of y ^e kynge of englande.

THese capytaynes of Fraunce came to Pampylona where the kynge of Na­uare was who receyued them ioyfully & made them to dyne with hym in his palays after dy­ner he led them in to his chambre and there co­moned w ^t them of dyuers thynges / for y ^e kynge there was a wyse man and a subtell & well lan­gaged / and amonge other thynges he shewed them howe y ^e frensshe kynge and his counsayle had ben dyspleased with hym without a cause / and wrongfully had taken fro hym his herytage and landes in Normandy whiche he ought to haue by successyon of his predecessours kynges of fraunce and of Nauare whiche he sayd he coulde not forgete seynge he had taken fro hym in Normandy / Languedoc / and in the barony of Mountpellyer the some of .lx.M. frankes of yerely reuenues and he sayd he wyst not to whome to complayne to haue ryght / but all onely to god / syrs sayd the kyng I say not this to you bycause ye sholde addresse my wronges for I knowe well it lyeth not in your power / for I thynke the frensshe kynge wyll do but ly­tell for you in that behalfe / for ye be none of his counsayle / ye be but knyghtes aduentures and sowdyours to go where soeuer he sende you.

But I speke this in maner of complaynte to al knyghtes in Fraunce that passe by me / then syr Gaultyer of Passac sayd / syr your wordes be true yf that you saye that our kynge for all vs wyll nother gyue nor take / for surely syr we be not of his counsayle but redy to go where as he wyll sende vs / but syr the duke of Borbon who is our souerayne capytayne and vncle to our kynge cometh after vs this same waye / outher goynge or retournynge ye maye shewe hym your busynes / by hym ye maye be addressed of all your complayntes / and syr we praye to god that he may rewarde you of the honour that ye haue done to vs / & syr we shall shewe your cur­toysye to our kyng & to his counsayle when we retourne in to fraunce / and also to the duke of Borbone who is our chefe capytayne whome we trust to se or we se the kyng / and then wyne was brought and they dranke & toke theyr leue of the kynge / and y ^e kynge rewarded them lar­gely and sente to eche of them to theyr lodgyng goodly horses wherof they had grete ioye.

THus these men of warre passed thrugh the royalme of Nauare & came to Groyne / & there demaunded where they sholde fynde the kynge of Castell / and it was shewed them howe he had lyen at Valeolyue a grete season / but as then they sayd they thought he was at Burgus in Spayne there makynge his pro­uysyon / then they toke the way to Burgus and lefte the way to Galyce / for that waye was not sure for them / for the Englysshe men were sore abrode in the countrey. Tydynges came to the kynge of Castell howe socoures came to hym out of fraunce to the nombre of .ii.M. speres / wherof he was ryght glad and so departed fro Valeolyue and rode to Burgus with a .vi.M hors. Thus these frensshmen of armes came to Burgus and lodged theraboute abrode in the countrey / and dayly thyder came men of warre And syr wyllyam of Lygnac / and syr Gaultyer of Passac came to the kynge in to his palays / who receyued them swetely and thanked them of the payne and grete trauayle that they had taken for his sake as to come thyder to serue hym. The knyghtes made theyr reuerence and sayd / syr yf we maye do you ony seruyce to please you / our paynes shall soone be forgoten / but syr & it please you to take aduyse howe we shal do / outher to ryde agaynst our enemyes or el­les to make them warre by garysons tyll suche season as the duke of Borbon be come / and syr yf it please you ye maye sende for syr Olyuer of Clysquy we knowe well he is in his countrey and for syr Peter of Vyllaynes / the Barroys of Barres / Chatell Morant and the other companyons who haue haunted this countrey more then we haue done / for they were here longe before vs / and then let vs al counsayle togyder and with goddes grace you and your royalme shal haue honoure and profyte. Syrs sayd the kynge ye speke wysely and thus shal it be done Then clerkes were set a worke and letters made and messagers sent forthe in to dyuers pla­ces to the knyghtes and men of warre there as they were spred abrode in the countrey / & when they knewe that syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac were at Burgus with [Page lxxxxii] the kynge they were gretely reioyced therof / then these knyghtes and other companyons departed fro theyr garysons and lefte them in su­re kepynge / and so rode to Burgus in spayne / soo that there was a grete nombre of Frensshe men of warre.

THen the kynge of Castel and his lordes & knyghtes of fraunce went to coūsayle togyder to se how they sholde maynteyne theyr warre / for they knewe well theyr enemyes rode abrode and kepte y ^e feldes / wherfore they thou­ght to prouyde some remedy to the honoure of the kynge and profyte of the royalme of Castell So there were many matters debated in this counsayle / and then all theyr people were nom­bred / and it was sayd that of the royalme selfe they myght well brynge togyder a .xxx.M. horses and the men well armed after the vsage of Castell with dartes and Iauelyns / and foote men castynge stones out of slynges other .xxx.M. The frensshe knyghtes amonge themselfe consydered al this and sayd one to another this is a grete nombre of people and they were good men of warre / but they be lytel worth / for we haue sene suche slowfulnes in them that we haue no grete trust to them / as it appered as well in the batayle of Marres where the prynce of Wales had the vyctory as [...] y ^e batayle of Iuberoth where as the Portyngales and Gascoynes were / and alwaye the Spanyardes were dyscomfyted. Then the erle of Lune in susteynynge y ^e Castellyans & in exscusynge of them sayd / syrs as to the batayle of Marres I shall answere you / it is of trouthe y ^t syr Bertram of Clysquy & a grete nombre of knyghtes of Fraunce were there and fought valyauntly / for they were all taken or slayne / but ye haue herde and ye know well that agaynst them was the floure of all the chyualry of the worlde bothe in wysdome va­lyauntnes and prowes the whiche is not nowe with the duke of La [...]castre / the prynce at teh batayle of Marres had .x.M. speres and .vi.M. archers / they were suche men that there were a iii.M. of them euery man worth a Rowlande or an Olyuere / but the duke of Lancastre hathe none suche / he passeth not a .xii. or a .xv.C. spe­res / and a .iiii.M. archers / and we be a. vi .M. speres / nor we shall not fyght agaynst Rowlande nor Olyuer. Syr Iohn̄ Chandos / syr Tho­mas Felton / syr Olyuer Clysson / syr Hughe Caurel / syr Rycharde Pountchardon / syr Garsis / the lorde of Ryeux / and syr Rycharde Dan­gle I coulde name .v.C. suche that were there / they be deed / we shall fynde none suche nowe / Wherfore the matter is not soo peryllous as it was in tyme past / for yf ye wyll byleue me / we shall go fyght with them and passe the ryuer of Derne / it shall tourne vs to grete valyauntnes The counsayle that the erle of Lune dyd gyue was wel herde / and there were many that helde y ^e same oppynyon / then syr Olyuer of Clysquy sayd syr erle of Lune we knowe well all that ye haue sayd procedeth of your grete wysdome & valyauntnes / but syr take it so that we goo and fyght with the duke of Lancastre / yf that were all we sholde do well ynoughe / but syr ye leue y ^e grettest matter behynde / as the kynge of Por­tyngale and his puyssaūce / for as we be enfourmed they be a .xxv.C. speres / & .xxx.M. of other men of war / for on the trust of the kynge of Portyngale y ^e duke of Lancastre is entred in to Galyce and they haue made a grete alyaunce togyder / for the kynge hath maryed the dukes dou­ghter / nowe syr what saye you to this / in the name of god sayd the erle of Lune ye knyghtes of Fraunce are suffycyent to fyght with the duke of Lancastre / and the kynge of Castell and the Castellyans who be as they say .xx.M. horse / & xxx .M. a foote / they may fyght with the kynge of Portyngale I dare well abyde y ^e aduenture amonge them / When the frensshmen sawe how the erle of Lune layde it so sore to theyr charge sayd syr ye be in y ^e ryght and we be in y ^e wronge for syr we sholde haue sayd as ye do / and syr let it soo be and you wyll / there is none of vs shall saye agaynst your wyll / syrs sayd the kynge I requyre you all counsayle me truely and not in hast nor by pryde / but by sad aduyse and humy­lyte / and then let vs take the best waye / I wyll not conclude to accepte this iourney / I wyl we mete agayne togyder to morowe in this same chambre / and ye syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac who are sente hyder in to this countrey by the frensshe kynge and by the duke of Borbon / I requyre you go togyder and take aduyse and counsayle me to that shall be thought moost best and honourable to me and to my royalme / for it shall lye in you whe­ther we shall fyght with our enemyes or not / They made theyr reuerence and sayd they wolde obey his commaundement and so departed.

THus euery man that daye departed to theyr lodgynges and the frensshmen as they were togyder had grete communycacyon some sayd we can not honourably fyght with [Page] our enemyes tyll the duke of Borbon our soue­rayne capytayne be come / We can not tell yf he wolde fyght with them or not / be it soo that we fyght with them and haue the vyctory / the duke of Borbou wyll be sore dyspleased with vs and specyally with vs that be the frensshe capytay­nes / and yf the fortune sholde fall agaynst vs / we sholde then bothe lose our bodyes and the royalme / for yf we were ouerthrowen there were no recouery in the Castellyans but that the kynge of Castell were lyke to lese all his royal­me for this tyme / and we sholde bere more faw­te then ony other for it sholde be layde howe we had caused the batayle and gaue no good counsayle / nor also we be in noo suretye yf the royal­me be all sure on the kynges partye or not / or whether they haue couertly sente for the duke of Lancastre and his wyfe or not who is repu­ted for heyre of Castell / for she was doughter to kynge Don Peter all the worlde knoweth that so that when the people se the duke & his wyfe with y ^e englysshmen in the felde demaundynge the crowne of Castell affyrmynge how they haue ryght therto / for kynge Iohn̄ who was kynge as then was sone to a bastarde / then perad­uenture they may tourne to theyr parte as they dyd in y ^e grete batayle of Maures / & soo sholde we abyde deed in the felde / so we thinke there is double peryll bothe to the kynge and to vs / but suche folysshe people gyue the kynge counsayle to batayle and are herde before them that shol­de speke / well syrs sayd syr wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac to morowe shall be knowen euery mannes opynyon. So that day and nyght the frensshmen were at dyuers com­munycacyons / and in lyke wyse soo were the spanyardes / Suche as loued the kynge wolde not counsayle hym to fyght for dyuers reasons one was if he fought and lost the batayle he lost his royalme without recouery / the kynge hym­selfe thought it not good to fyght / he fered sore the fortune of the warre / nor also he knewe not euery mannes mynde who loued hym and who dyd not. Thus the matter rested tyll the nexte daye then euery man retourned to the palays / and the kynge entred in to counsayle.

IN this counsayle were many opynyons for euery man to his power wolde truely counsayle the kynge / dyuers counsayled hym that he sholde not enclyne hastely to batayle / puttynge hym in remembraunce of the harde iourney that he had at Iuberoth where as the kynge of Portyngale dyscomfyted hym / wher­by he had suche domage that yf suche another chaunce sholde fall he sholde lese his royalme for euer / when the kynge had demaunded eue­ry man and herde all theyr oppynyons. Then he sayd to syr wyllyam of Lygnacke and to syr Gaultyer of Passac / syrs let me here your op­pynyons for by you all shal be ordeyned seynge ye be the chefe capytaynes of the frensshe men sente hyder by the frensshe kynge and his coun­sayle. These .ii. knyghtes regarded eche other and syr Wyllyam sayd to syr Galtyer / syr speke you / and he answered and sayd / nay I wyll not / speke you / ye haue vsed armes more then I ha­ue done. Then syr Wyllyam aduysed hymselfe and sayd / syr and it lyke your grace me thynke ye ought gretely to thanke the noble chyualry of Fraunce / who are come hyder to serue you soo farre of / and syr it hathe shewed well howe they haue none affeccyon nor wyll to be closed in ony cyte or towne castell / or garyson / that ye haue. But they are and haue ben desyrous to kepe the feldes / and to fynde out / and to fyght with your enemyes / the whiche thynge nowe sauynge your grace can not be suffred for dy­uers reasons / the pryncypall reason is / syr we tary for the duke of Borbon who is onr soue­rayne capytayne who wyll be here shortely and he shall gretely enforce vs with newe fresshe men / there be many nowe here with vs that were neuer in this countrey before / it were necessary that they lerned the maner of this countrey a two or a thre monethes / for it proueth but sel­dome well to hastely to fyght with oure ene­myes / But lette vs make wyse warre by garysons a two or a thre monethes / and let the En­glysshemen and Portyngales ryde abrode in Galyce where they lyst / yf they conquere certayne townes it is but a small matter / as soone as they be departed out of the countrey they wyll be soone wonne agayne. Also syr there is one poynte / in armes lyeth many aduentures / syr let them ryde abrode in the countrey whiche is hoote and of a stronge ayre / they maye take su­che trauayle and sykenes that they maye hap­pen repente them that they haue come soo for­warde / for they shall not fynde the ayre soo at­temperate there as it is in Englande or in fraū ce / nor the wynes so pleasaunt / for in Galyce the ryuers be troublous and coolde bycause of the snowes that dyscende downe frome the moun­taynes wherby they & theyr horses after theyr trauayle all the daye in the hoote sone shall be morfoundred or they be ware / they be not made [Page lxxxxiii] of stele nor yet of yron / but at lengthe they shall not endure the hote countrey of Castell / they be men as we be. Thus I thynke we can not bet­ter bete them / but to let them go where they lyst they shall fynde nothynge in the playne coun­treys nor no delectable places to refresshe them for as I vnderstande all the open countrey is all redy dystroyed with our owne men / and I alowe well that aduyse / for yf it were to doo I wolde counsayle the same / syrs yf there be ony here can speke better let hym speke / we shall be glad to here hym / and this syr Gaultyer and I desyre you all thus to doo / then they all answe­red with one voyce / lette this aduyse be admyt­ted / we can consyder no better nor more profytable way / for the kynge of Castel & his royalme.

SO it was there they concluded that they sholde make no countenaunce of warre tyll the duke of Borbon and all theyr prouysy­ons were come / but that theyr men of warre to be put in to dyuers garysons on the fronters of theyr countrey and suffre the englysshmen and Portyngales to go in and out in to the royal­me of Castell at theyr pleasure / sayenge howe they coulde not bere awaye the countrey with them when so euer they retourned / thus ended the counsayle / the kynge of Castel had the same daye all them at dyner with hym in his palays at Burgus in Spayne / ryght plentyfull after the vsage of Spayne / by the nexte daye at no­ne al the men of armes departed thyder as they were appoynted by theyr capytaynes / syr Oly­uer Clysquy and the erle of Longueuyle with a thousande speres wente to a stronge towne on the fronter of Galyce called Vyllesaunte / and syr Raynolde and syr Trystram of Roye was sente to another garyson a .x. legges fro he fronter of Galyce called Agyllar in the fel­de with thre hundred speres / Syr Peter of Bellysme with two hundred speres wente to Po­uelles / the vycount [...] of Lune wente to the tow­ne of Marolle / syr Iohn̄ of Barres with thre hundred speres was sente to the castell of Noye within Galyce. Syr Iohn̄ of castell Morant and syr Trystram of Iayell and dyuers other were sente to the cyte of Palance. And the vy­count of Belyer wente to the towne of Rybede and with hym syr Iohn̄ of Braquen / and syr Robert of Braquen▪ ¶Thus these men of ar­mes were deuyded / and syr Olyuer of Clysquy was made theyr constable / and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac abode styl with the kynge at Burgus / In this case stan­dynge was the busynes of Castell abydynge the comynge of the duke of Borbon who was styll in Fraunce makynge prouysyon for his iourney. ¶Nowe we wyll suffre in rest a sea­son the armye of Castell and of the duke of Lancastre and also of the kynge of Portyngale / and when the tyme requyreth we shal retourne ther to agayne. And nowe lette vs speke of the ad­uentures that fell in the same season in Fraun­ce and in englande the whiche were troublous and peryllous for bothe royalmes and sore dyspleasaunt vnto the kynges and to bothe theyr counsayles.

HEre before ye haue herde howe the Frensshe armye with shyppes on y ^e se that were assembled at Sluse to haue gone in to Englande was dasshed & broken vp / yet to shewe courage and desyre to goo another season in to englande / and that it shol­de not be sayd that the Frensshe men were recreaunt to haue made that voyage. Therfore it was ordeyned that incontynent at the entre of May and that the see myght be fayre and plea­saunt. The constable of Fraunce sholde make a iourney in to englande with .iiii. M. men of armes and .ii.M. crosse bowes / and they sholde all assemble togyder at a cyte agaynst the fron­ter of Cornewall called Lentrygnyer and there to be made all theyr prouysyon and it was or­deyned euery man to haue a horse the more easely to [...]yde abrode in Englande / for it was thought without horse they coulde make noo warre that sholde auayle them / soo there was assem­bled at this hauen of Lentygnyer a goodly ap­parell of shyppes / barkes / Bagengers and ga­leys wel fournysshed with wynes / salte flesshe and bysquet and other thynges so largely that it was suffycyent for them to lyue by a foure or [Page] fyue monethes without takynge or byenge of ony thynge in the countrey for y ^e constable and his company knewe well that as soone as the Englysshe men knewe of suche a company of men of warre comynge on them / they wolde dystroye theyr owne goodes abrode in the playne countrey rather then we sholde haue ony case therof. Therfore the constable made his prouysyon redy on that syde the see. Also there was ordeyned another flete of shyppes at the hauen of Harflewe for the lorde of Coucy / the lorde of saynt Poule and the admyrall of Fraunce sholde there take shyppynge with two thousande speres in lykewyse to goo in to Englande / and as the brute wente all this was done to drawe backe agayne the duke of Lancastre and the duches out of Castell. The same season the duke of Borbon was at Parys and thought surely that the duke of Lancastre sholde retourne ho­me agayne in to Englande / wherfore he thou­ghe he sholde haue no thynge to doo to go in to castell nor to trauayle his body so farre forthe. So it was determyned that in the Constables armye sholde goo / Bretons Augenyms / Poyetenyns Manceaus and Xayngrons / with knyghtes and squyers of the lowe marches / and with the lorde of saynt Poule and with the lor­de of Coucy sholde go frensshmen / Normans / & Pycardes / and with the duke of Borbon shol­de goo two thousande speres of Berrey / Auuernake / of Lymosyn / Borgoyne and of the bace marches. Thus in that season the matters we­re concluded in Fraunce and euery man knewe what he sholde do / outher to go in to Englande or in to Castell.

ANd true it was the royalme of Englande the same tyme was in grete peryll & in a gretter ieoperdye then when the vyllaynes of Essex and Kent rebelled agaynst the kynge and the nobles of the royalme at whiche tyme they came vnto London / I shall shewe you the reason why / at that season all the noble men of the royalme toke one parte togyder with the kynge agaynst the comons / but nowe it is not soo / the nobles vary amonge themselfe. The kynge is agaynst his owne vncles / the duke of yorke and the duke of Glocestre and they were agaynst hym and all this varyaunce dyd ryse by the meanes of the duke of Irelande who ba­re all the chefe rule aboute the kynge / and the comons of Englande in dyuers cytees knewe well of this dyscorde / they that were sage men reputed it for a grete euyl and fered that moche trouble sholde growe therby / but suche as were lyght persones made noo rekenynge therof / so­me sayenge that it was for enuye that the kyn­ges vncles hadde agaynst the kynge theyr ne­phewe / and bycause they sawe howe the crow­ne of Englande began to growe farre of frome them / and some other sayd how the kynge was but yonge / and byleued yonge counsayle / and howe that it were better for hym to byleue hys vncles who mente noo thynge to hym but al honoure and pro [...]yte nor to the royalme of En­glande / rather then to be ruled by the prowde duke of Irelande who neuer sawe ony thynge perteynynge to honoure / nor neuer was in ony batayle. Thus euery man dyffered from other in the royalme of Englande / Whiche trybula­cyons were well knowen in Fraunce / wherfore they made this grete prouysyon to goo thyder with all theyr puyssaunce thynkynge to doo a grete feate / on the other syde / the prelates of en­glande were in hatred one with another as the archebysshop of Cauntorbury who was of the Neuelles blood / with the archebysshop of yor­ke. And yet they were countrey men borne / but they hated mortally eche other bycause the lor­de Neuell hadde the rule and gouernaunce of Northumbrelande and soo to the marches of Skotlande aboue the erle of Northumbrelan­de and his chyldren / the lorde Henry and the lorde Raffe of Percy / whiche rule the lorde Neuelles broder had gotten hym / for he was one of the chefe aboute the kynge with the duke of Irelande.

AS sone as the englyssh­men knewe that the voyage by the see that the frensshmen sholde haue made beynge at Sluse was dasshed and bro­ken. Then in Englande be­gan dyuers murmuracyons [Page lxxxxiiii] in sundry places / and suche as loued euyll rule rather then good / sayd / Where be nowe these grete entrepryses and these valyaunt men of englande y ^t were in the dayes of kynge Edwarde the thyrde / and with the prynce his sone / we were wonte to go in to Fraunce and put backe our enemyes in suche maner that none durst make batayle with vs / yf they dydde they were soone dyscomfyted.

O What a dede was that when the noble kynge Edwarde aryued in Normandy / and in Constantyne and passed thrugh the roy­alme of Fraunce / and what goodly entrepryse he acheued in his waye / and after at Cressy he dyscomfyted kynge Phylyp and all the puys­saunce of Fraunce / and or he retourned he wan the towne of Calays / But as nowe the knygh­tes and men of warre in Englande doo none suche feates. ¶Also the prynce of Wales sone to this noble kynge / dyd he not take the Frensshe kynge. Iohn̄ and dyscomfyted his pyssaunce at Poycters with a smal nombre of people agaynste the people that kynge Iohn̄ hadde / In those dayes Englande was fered and doubted / and were spoken of thrughe al the worlde for y ^e flou­re of chyualry / but as nowe no man speketh of vs / for nowe there is noo warre made / but at poore mennes purses / therto euery man is en­clyned / in Fraunce as nowe the kynge there is but a chylde and yet he hath done more agaynst vs then ony of his predecessours. And also he shewed grete courage to haue come in to En­glande / the lette therof was not by hym / but by his men. The tyme hath ben sene that yf suche an apparell of shyppes had ben made at Sluse they sholde haue ben foughten withall in theyr owne hauen / and nowe the noble men of En­glande are ioyfull when they maye sytre at rest and suffre them in peas / but yet for all that they suffre not poore men to be in rest / but put them to busynes to paye money. The tyme hath ben that grete conquestes haue ben done in fraunce without payenge of ony money / but suche ry­ches as hath ben gotten there it hath ben spred abrode in the royalme. where is become y ^e grete fynaunces and tayles that hath ben gadered in this royalme with the kynges rentes and acco­stomed reuenues / outher they haue lost it or ta­ken fro them / it is behouable that it be knowen howe the royalme of Englande is gouerned / and howe the kynge is ledde / it were not good that it sholde be longe or it were knowen / for this royalme of Englande is not soo ryche nor so puyssaunt to bere lyke charges as the roy­alme of Fraunce dothe. ¶Also it appereth wel that we in this royalme of englande are febled of wyttes and of grace. We were wonte to knowe euery thynge that was done in Fraunce a thre or foure monethes or the case fell / wherby we myght conuenyently make prouysyon and resystence / but as nowe we knowe noo thynge / But the Frensshe men knoweth all our secre­tes and counsayles / we cannot tell in whome is the fawte / it wyll be knowen vpon a daye. There be some preuy traytours / and it were better it were knowen betymes then to late / for it maye be knowen soo la [...]e that it wyll be past remedy.

THus dyuersely men talked in En­glande as well knyghtes and squyers as the comons soo that the royalme laye in a harde case and gre­te peryll. And the grete assembly that the kyng and his vncles and his counsayle hadde made with grete expence in dyuers maners to resyst the frensshe kynge beynge a Sluse redy to en­tre in to Englande / suche knyghtes and squy­ers / and other as were in a redynes wolde as then be payde of theyr wages / and so for that entente there was a parlyamente somoned to be holden at London by the nobles / prelates / and comons of Englonde / and pryncypally it was ordeyned that there sholde be reysed a grete tayle and subsydye thrughe out the royalme of Englande / the ryche to bere out the poore. This parlyament was remoued to westmynstre / and thyder came all suche as were sente for / and many moo to here tydynges. ¶There was the kynge and his two vncles Edmunde and Thomas with many other nobles of the royalme. And amonge other thynges yt was sayd that in the kynges treasoure there was substaunce skante to maynteyne the kynges estate sober­ly. Wherfore they of his counsayle sayd howe there must be leuyed a subsydye thrughe out all the royalme of Englande yf suche costes and charges sholde be payde as hathe ben done / for the defence of the royalme of englande agaynst the frensshe men. To this agreed well they of the bysshopryche of Norwyche / and also the archebysshopryche of Cauntorbury / and the countye of Essex / the countye of Hampton and Warwykeshyre / and the lande of y ^e erle of Sa­lysbury / they agreed soner then they of ferther [Page] countreys as they of the north and marches of Wales / and of Cornewall / al these rebelled and sayd / We haue not sene none of our enemyes come in to this countrey / why sholde we be greued and haue done no fawte / yes yes sayd some let the bysshop of yorke be spoken withall and the kynges counsayle / and the duke of Irelan­de who hathe .lx. thousande frankes of the con­stable of fraunce for the redempcyon of Iohan of Bretayne / this money ought to be tourned to the comon profyte of all Englande. ye and speke with syr Symon Burle / Syr Wyllyam Helmen / Syr Thomas Branbe / Syr Ro­bert Tryuylyen / and syr Iohan Beauchampe who haue gouerned the kynge and the royal­me / yf they make a good accompte of that they haue receyued and delyuer it / the comons shall sytte in rest / and euery thynge payde as it ou­ght to be. ¶When these wordes came abrode and to the herynge of the kynges vncles / they were ryght gladde therof / for that made well for them / for al those before named were agaynste them. Nor they coulde bere noo rule in the courte for them. Wherfore they ayded the peo­ple in theyr oppynyons and sayd. These good men that thus speketh are well counsayled / in that they desyre to haue accompte / and wyll not paye ony more money. For surely outher in the kynges treasure / or elles in theyr purses that gouerne hym there must nedes be grete treasu­re. Thus by lytell and lytell multyplyed these wordes / and the people beganne to waxe bolde to deny to paye ony more money by reason that they sawe the kynges vncles of theyr accorde / and susteyned them. ¶And the archebysshop of Cauntorbury / the erle of Salysbury / the er­le of Northumbrelande / and dyuers other lor­des of Englande put of this taxe for that tyme and deferred theyr counsayle to Myghelmasse after / at whiche tyme they promysed to retour­ne agayne / but the knyghtes and squyers suche as had thought to haue had money for the arrerages of theyr wages hadde noo thynge / Wherfore / they were in dyspleasure with the kynge and his counsayle. They were apeased as well as myght be / & euery man departed / the kynge toke no leue of his vncles / nor they of hym.

THen the kynge was counsayled to dra­we in to the marches of Wales and the­re to tary tyll he herde other tydynges / and soo he was contente to doo / and departed fro Lon­don without leue takynge of ony man / and toke with hym all his counsayle excepte the arche­bysshop of yorke who wente backe in to his [...] ­ne countrey / whiche was happy for hym / for I thynke yf he hadde ben with the other / he sholde haue ben serued as they were / as ye shall here after. But it is requysyte that I speke as well of Fraunce as of Englande / for the matter re­quyreth it.

ANd when season of so­mer was come and the ioly moneth of Maye in the yere of our lorde god. M.CCC. foure score and .vii. In the same season that the duke of Lancastre was in Galyce / and conquered there / and that y ^e kynge of Por­tyngale with grete puyssaunce rode abrode in Castell without ony withstandynge. Thenne was it ordeyned in Fraunce as ye haue herde before howe the constable of Fraunce with one army / and the erle of saynt Poule / the lorde of Coucy and syr Iohan of Vyen with another armye / the one at Lentrygnyer in Bretayne / and the other at Harflewe in Normandy shol­de the same season make a voyage in to englande with a .vi. thousande men of armes and two thousande crosse bowes / and .vi. thousande other men of warre / and it was ordeyned that none sholde passe the see to goo in to Englande without he were well armed / and prouysyon of vytayles for the space of thre monethes with other prouysyon of hay & ootes for theyr horses & a daye was prefyxed amonge the capytaynes when they sholde departe / and were determy­ned to lande in englande in two hauens at Do­uer / and at Orwell / thus the daye approched of theyr departure. At Lentrygnyer prouysyon was made and put in to the shyppes for them that sholde passe from thens / and in lyke wyse was done at Harflewe / and euery man of war was payde theyr wages for .xv. dayes. This iourney was soo farre forwarde / that it was [Page lxxxxv] thought it coulde not haue ben broken. ¶Nor also it brake not by noo cause of the capytaynes that were ordeyned to goo in that voyage. But it brake by another incydent and by a meruayl­lous matter that fell in Bretayne wherwith the Frensshe kynge and his counsayle were soore dyspleased / but they coulde not amende it / wherfore it behoued them wysely to dyssymule y ^e matter for it was no tyme then to remedy it. ¶Also other tydynges came vnto the Frensshe kynge out of the partyes of Almayne as I shall shewe you hereafter when tyme and place shall requyre it. But fyrst we wyll speke of the matters of Bretayne before them of Almayne / for they of Bretayne fell fyrste / and were worste reputed / thoughe other cost more.

YF I sholde saye that suche matters fell in that season and not open cle­rely the mater whiche was grete / peryllous and horryble / it myght be a cronycle / but n [...]o hystory / I myght let it ouerpasse yf I lyst / but I wyll not doo soo / I shall declare the case syth god hathe gyuen me the knowledge therof / and tyme and leysure to cronycle the matter at lengthe. ¶ye haue herde here before in dyuers places in this hystory howe syr Iohn̄ of Mountforde named duke of Bretayne / and surely so he was by con­quest and not by ryght lyne / howbeit alwayes he maynteyned the warre and oppynyon of the kynge of Englande and of his chydren agaynst the frensshe kynge. Also he had good cause soo to doo on his partye / for without the ayde of englande he hadde not atteyned as he dyd nother before Alroy nor in other places. Also ye haue herde here before howe the duke of Bretayne coulde not haue his entente of all the nobles of his countrey / nor of all the good townes specy­ally of syr Bertram of Clesquy as longe as he lyued / nor of syr Olyuer of Clysson constable of Fraunce / nor of the lordes de la Vale / and of Beawmanoyre / nor the lorde of Rase / of Dyg­nant / the vycount of Rohan / nor of the lorde of Rochforde / for whereas these lordes enclyned nyghe all Bretayne folowed. They were con­tente to take parte with theyr lorde the duke agaynst all maner of men excepte agaynst the crowne of Fraunce. And surely I can not se nor ymagyne by what waye / but that the Bre­tons pryncypally regarded euer the honoure of Fraunce / it maye well appere by that that is wrytten here before in this hystory. I saye not this by noo corrupcyon nor fauoure that I ha­ue to the erle Guy of Bloys who hath ben good lorde vnto me / and I haue hadde moche profy­te by hym who was nephewe and nexte to the erle Loys of Bloys broder germayne to saynt Charles of Bloys / and as longe as he lyued he was duke of Bretayne. Truely I saye not this for no cause but all onely to declare the trouthe And also the gentyll prynce and erle that hathe caused me to wryte this story wolde in no wyse that I sholde swarue from the trouth.

NOwe to retourne to our purpose ye knowe well as longe as duke Iohan of Bretayne lyued he coul­de neuer attayne to haue all his men in euery poynte to agree to his oppyny­ons. And he sore fered them lest at the last they sholde haue taken hym and put hym in pryson in Fraunce. Wherfore he departed out of Bre­tayne and wente in to Englande with all his householde / and y ^e lady his wyfe Iahan of Ho­lande doughter somtyme of the good knyght syr Thomas Holande / and thus a season he be­came seruaunt to kynge Rycharde of Englan­de / and afterwarde he wente in to Flaunders to y ^e erle of Bloys who was his cosyn germay­ne & there taryed more then a yere and an halfe. ¶Fynally they of his owne countrey sente for hym / and soo by good accorde thyder he wente. ¶And when he came in to his countrey there were certayne townes closed styl agaynst hym and rebelled / and specyally the cyte of Naun­tes. But all his lordes / knyghtes and prelates were all of his accorde excepte the lordes before rehersed / and to haue the sygnory of them / and to gete the fauoure and good wyll of the good townes and Cytyes / and to put the Frensshe kynge in more fere bycause he wolde ouerpresse them with taxes and subsydyes as they dyd in Fraunce and in Pycardye whiche they wolde not suffre in Bretayne. Therfore he sente vnto the kynge of Englande for socoure and ayde of men of warre and archers / promysynge that yf the kynge of Englande wolde come in too Bretayne / or elles one of his vncles with a grete puyssaunce of men of armes and of archers howe that his countrey of Bretayne sholde be opened redy to receyue hym and his company. ¶The kynge of Englande and his counsayle were gladde of those tydynges & thought them good and concluded to sende thyder / thē prouy­syon was made / and thyder was sente the erle [Page] of Buckyngham with .iii. M. men of armes and .viii. M. archers who aryued at Calays / and passed throughe the royalme of Fraunce without ony resystence as it hathe ben shewed here before demaundynge noo thynge but ba­tayle / and so they came in to Bretayne trustyn­ge to haue founde the countrey redy open for them to receyue and to refresshe them / for [...]rely they had made a longe voyage. Howbeit they founde it contrary dysposed / for the duke of Bretayne was soo ledde by his men and so wysely entreated that they made a peas bytwene hym and the yonge Charles kynge as then in fraunce / but with kynge Charles his fader he coul­de neuer haue peas he hated hym soo sore. The duke of Borgoyne who was one of the chese gouernours in the royalme of Fraunce ayded gretely to make this peas / he was so desyred by the lady his wyfe bycause the duke of Bretayne was nere of theyr lygnage soo he was fayne to breke all his promyses with the Englysshmen for he coulde not be suffred to accomplysshe his couenaunt / for the Bretons wolde not consent to yelde them to the kynge of Englande to ma­ke warre agaynst Fraunce / they sayd they were neuer of that oppynyon nor neuer wolde be / so that it behoued the Englysshmen to take theyr lodgynges in y ^e marches of wannes where they suffered as moche pouerte as euer dyd men for one tyme / and specyally theyr horses dyed for hungre and pouerte / and soo in the tyme of so­mer they departed out of Bretayne as euyl contente with the duke of Bretayne as myght be / and not without a cause. And specyally the er­le of Buckyngham and the barons of Englan­de that were in his company / and when they were retourned in to Englande they made grete complayntes to the kynge and to the duke of Lancastre and his counsayle. And then it was deuysed and ordeyned that Iohn̄ of Bretayne sholde be delyuered / and to brynge hym with puyssaunce in to Bretayne to make warre the­re agaynst the duke of Bretayne / and the En­glysshe men sayd howe syr Iohn̄ of Mountfor­de knewe well howe they had put hym in pos­sessyon of the sygnory of Bretayne for without vs he hadde neuer come therto. And nowe to play vs this tourne to cause vs to trauayle our bodyes and to spende the kynges treasoure / it behoueth vs to shewe hym his fawtes. And we can not better be reuenged then to delyuer his aduersary and to brynge hym in to Bretayne / For all the countrey wyll delyuer hym townes Cytees / and fortresses / and put the other duke clene that thus hathe mocked and dysceyued vs. ¶Thus the Englysshe counsayle were all of one accorde / and then Iohn̄ of bretayne was brought in to the kynges presence / and there it was shewed hym howe they wolde make hym duke of Bretayne and recouer for hym all his herytage of Bretayne. And he sholde haue to his wyfe the lady Phylyp of Lancastre / so that he wolde holde the duchy of Bretayne in fayth and homage of the kynge of Englande / the whiche poynte he vtterly refused. But to take the dukes doughter in maryage he was contente / But to swere to be agaynst the crowne of fraunce in noo wyse he wolde consente / but rather to abyde in pryson all his lyfe.

WHen the kynge and his counsayle sawe that / they withdrewe the grace that they hadde thought to haue shewed to hym / and thenne he was delyuered in to the ke­pynge of syr Iohan Dambretycourte as ye ha­ue herde before / I haue made as nowe relacy­on of all these matters bycause of the incyden­tes that folowed after and appered by the duke of Bretayne / for the duke knewe well howe he was gretely out of the fauoure of the noble men of the royalme of Englande / and also of the co­mons there. And he ymagened that the hatred that they bare to hym was for the voyage that the erle of Buckyngham hadde made thrughe Fraunce to come in to Bretayne / wenynge to haue founde the duke there and countrey open agaynst them / as the duke of Bretayne hadde promysed / whiche the Englysshe men founde contrary. ¶Also he sawe well howe the kynge of Englande hadde not wryten vnto hym soo amyably as he hadde done often tymes before. And specyally as he hadde done before the erle of Buckynghams voyage. ¶And also he dou­bted that the kynge of Englande sholde dely­uer Iohan of Bretayne to the entente to make hym warre. ¶Thenne the duke cast his yma­gynacyon how he myght fynde remedy in this matter / and to brynge it in to a good poynte / And to doo his entente soo secretly that the Englysshe men sholde be well content and pleased with hym. For he knewe well the man in the worlde whome the Englysshmen hated moost was syr Olyuer of Clysson constable of fraun­ce. For in dede syr Olyuer of Clysson euer stu­dyed nyght and daye howe he myght doo dys­pleasure to the Englysshe men / and the duke knewe ryght well of the armye that was made [Page lxxxxvi] to god in to Englande bocke at Harflew: and at Lentrygnyer / then he sayd vnto hymselfe to the entente to please the Englysshe men and to shewe that he dyd not set moche by the Frensshe men / he founde the meanes to breke that voya­ge not in commaundynge his men of Bretayne on payne of lesynge of theyr herytage not to go in to Englande / nor to ayde the frensshe partye this he dyd not / but he shewed outwardly that the warre was for hym / but he dyd his entre­pryse more couertly / he caste in his ymagyna­cyon that he myght not doo more honourably / nor more to his profyte / then to take the consta­ble of Fraunce prysoner or elles to slee hym / therby he knewe well he sholde please the En­glysshe men / for they hated hym / for he thought yf he were out of the waye he cared not for the resydue of his lygnage / for he knewe well they were not able to make hym warre / for the con­stable hadde but two doughters / the one was maryed vnto Iohn̄ of Bretayne / and the other doughter was maryded vnto the erle of Ro­hans sone / he thought to withstande them wel ynoughe and all his lygnage / for yf he hadde slayne hym he sayd he hadde slayne but a baron and that there were none that wolde make hym ony warre for his sake.

ON this foresayd yma­gynacyon the duke of Bre­tayne rested / and to come to his entente he somoned his counsayle to come to Wan­nes / and desyred all the lor­des and knyghtes of Bretayne effectuously for to come thyder / and he dyd sende out his letters vnto them / and specyally he requyred syr Olyuere of Clysson Constable of Fraunce that he sholde not fayle but for to be there / sayenge howe he wolde gladlyer se hym then ony other. The constable wolde not exscuse hymselfe bycause the duke of Bretayne was his naturall lorde / and was gladde to ha­ue his good wyll / and soo he came to Wannes / and soo dydde a grete nombre of other lordes of Bretayne. ¶This counsayle was longe and many matters debated therin touchynge the duke and his countrey without ony worde spekynge of the voyage that they were in pur­pose to make in to Englande. The duke dyssy­muled the matter. This counsayle was in the cyte of wannes in a castell called the Mote.

¶The duke made all the lordes a grete dyner / and fedde them with fayre louynge wordes tyll it was nere nyght / and then they retourned to theyr lodgynges in to the subbarbes withoute the cyte. And the constable of Fraunce to plea­se the knyghtes and squyers of Bretayne he desyred them all the nexte daye to dyne with hym some dyd soo and some departed to theyr owne howses to take leue of theyr wyues & parentes / for the constable was purposed as soone as h [...] departed thens strayght to goo vnto his nau [...]e at Lentrygnyer / the duke of Bretayne knewe it ryght well / but spake noo worde therof ma­kynge semblaunte as thoughe he knewe noo thynge. Soo this dyner ended where as were the moost parte of the barons of Bretayne / and sodaynly vnto them came the duke of Bretay­ne ryght amorously by semynge / but he thou­ght otherwyse in his harte. None knewe ther­of but suche as he hadde dyscouered his mynde vnto. As soone as he entred in to the constables lodgynge / some sayd / beholde here cometh the duke / then euery man rose as reason was and swetely receyued hym as they ought for to doo theyr lorde / and he delte ryght getylly and he sate downe amonge them and ete and dranke / and kepte good company and shewed them more tokens of loue then euer he dydde before / and he sayd vnto them / fayre lordes my louers and frendes / god sende you well to goo and well to come agayne / and sende you ioye / and that you maye doo suche dedes of armes as maye / please you / and that it maye be honourable vnto you all / and when they herde these swere wordes of the duke / they all answered and sayd. Syr we thanke you / and god rewarde you of your gre­te kyndnesse that it pleaseth you to come and se vs at our departynge.

[Page] THis same season the duke of Bretayne was makynge of a Castell nere to Wannes called the castell of Ermyne the whiche as then was nere furnysshed and to the entente to attrappe the constable / there he sayd vnto hym and vnto the lorde de la vale and to the lorde of Beawmanoyre and to other lordes that were there. Syrs I requyre you or ye departe to co­me and se my newe castell of Armyne / ye shall se howe I haue deuysed it / and also howe I purpose for to doo. ¶They all agreed vnto hym / bycause they sawe hym come soo louyngly amonge them / for they thought none euyll. And soo the moost parte of them mounted on theyr horses and rode forth with the duke to the castel of Armyne. Than the duke / the constable the lorde de la vale / and the lorde of Beawma­noyre and dyuers other lordes and knyghtes alyghted of theyr horses and entred in to the castell / and the duke ledde the constable by y ^e han­de fro chambre to chambre and in to euery hou­se of offyce and made them drynke in the seller. Then the duke brought them to the chefe tow­re and at the dore therof he sayd to the consta­ble. Syr Olyuere I knowe noo man on this syde the see that knoweth more in buyldynge then ye doo / wherfore I praye you mounte vp the stayres and beholde the buyldynge of the towre / yf it be well I am contente / and yf ony thynge be amysse / yt shall be refourmed after your deuyse / y ^e constable thynkynge none euyll sayd. Syr with ryght a good wyl please it you to goo before and I shall folowe you / naye syr sayd the duke goo your waye vp alone and in the meane tyme I wyll talke with the lorde de la vale / the constable wente vp the stayres and when he was aboue and paste the fyrste stage / there were mē in a chābre layde in a busshment and they opened the dore / and some wents downe and dyd shote the dore bynethe and the other wente vp all armed to the constable / there they toke and ledde hym in to a chambre and fetered hym with .iii. boltes of yron / and sayd to hym / Syr pardon vs for we must nedes do that we do / we be thus commaunded by our lorde the duke of Bretayne / yf y ^e constable were abasshed at that tyme it was no meruayle.

THe cōstable ought not to haue gre­te meruayle of y ^e chaunce for after that the dyspleasure fell bytwene the duke and hym / for ony letters that the duke coulde wryte to hym or for ony desyre or saufconduyte to come and goo saufely / yet for all that the constable wolde neuer come in the dukes presence / for he durste not trust hym / and nowe he is come to his mys­fortune / for he founde the duke in grete dyspleasure with hym / and that was well shewed / and when the lorde de la vale beynge bynethe at the stayre foote sawe the dore closed / his blood be­gan to trymble and had grete fere of his broder and behelde the duke who waxed pale and gre­ne as a lefe / then he knewe that the matter wen­te amysse and sayd. A syr for goddes sake haue mercy / what wyll you do / take none euyll wyll agaynst the constable / syr sayd the duke / take ye your horse and departe / ye maye goo when ye wyll / I knowe well ynoughe what I haue to do. Syr sayd the lorde de la vale I wyll not de parte hens without I haue my broder the con­stable with me / with those wordes there came vnto them the lorde of Beawmanoyre whome the duke also hated / and he in lyke wyse demaū ded to haue the constable. Then the duke dre­we his dagger and came vnto hym and sayd. Beawmanoyre wylte thou be in the same poynte as thy mayster is in. Syr sayd he I trust my mayster is in good case / well sayd the duke / I demaunde of the yf thou wylte be in lyke case. ye syr sayd he. Thenne the duke toke his dag­ger by the poynte and sayd / yf thou wylte be in lyke case it behoueth the to put out one of thyne eyen. The lorde of Beawmanoyre sawe well the matter wente not well and sawe the duke waxe pale for angre. Then he kneled downe on his knee and sayd. Syr I repute soo grete no­blenes in you that I trust in god and you that ye wyll doo vs ryght / we be at your mercy / and we are come hyder at your request / we trust ye wyll not dyshonour yourself [...]e to accomplysshe ony euyll wyll that ye haue to vs / it sholde be a straunge nouelte. Well sayd the duke come on thy waye / for thou shalte haue noo more nor no lesse then he shall haue. Soo he was ledde in to another chambre and fetered also with thre payre of yrons / If he were abasshed he hadde a grete cause / for he perceyued well the duke lo­ued hym but lytell / nor the constable also / but then he had no remedy.

AN one tydynges spredde ouer the castell and also the towne howe that the constable of Fraunce and the lorde of Beawmanoyre and also the lorde de la Vale were ta­ken prysoners. And howe the lorde de la Vale [Page lxxxxvi] myght departe when he wolde / For the duke demaunded no thynge of hym / wherof the peo­ple hadde grete meruayle and also grete cause why / for euery man sayd howe the duke wolde put them bothe to dethe / he hated them so mor­tally. The duke was gretely blamed of all knyghtes and squyers that herde therof / and they sayd there was neuer a gretter dyffamacyon on ony prynce then was on the duke of Bretayne seynge that he had desyred the constable to dy­ne with hym and to se his house / and to make hym good chere and soo to take hym prysoner / they sayd they neuer herde of case lyke / wherfo­re he was infamed and neuer man more dysho­noured / nor therby noo man sholde trust in ony prynce syth the duke had dysceyued these noble men / what wyll the frensshe kynge say when he knoweth this / for by this his voyage in to En­glande is broken / there was neuer soo grete a shame ymagyned / but nowe the duke sheweth what laye in his harte / we tro we there was ne­uer sene in Bretayne case lyke nor in none other place / yf a poore knyght had done suche a dede he were dyshonoured for euer / in whom sholde a man trust but in his lorde / and y ^e lorde sholde maynteyne hym in his ryght and doo hym Iu­styce / who shall make correccyon of this dede / none but the frensshe kynge / nowe y ^e duke sheweth playnly howe he is on the englysshe parte & wyll susteyne and holde with the oppynyon of the kynge of Englande / syth he hath thus bro­ken the voyage by the see that sholde haue gone in to Englande / What shall become nowe of the knyghtes and squyers of Bretayne when they shall here these tydynges nothynge but in contynent come fro theyr houses & lay syege to the castell of Armyne and close the duke within & there tary tyll they haue taken hym outher deed or quycke and lede hym lyke a false prynce to the frensshe kynge. Thus the knyghtes and squyers aboute the marches of Wannes spake and comoned togyder / and suche as were come thyder to that counsayle with the sayd lordes / & they were in grete doubte that the duke wolde put them to dethe / then some other sayd / as for the lorde de la Vale is in no ieopardy / he is soo wyse that he wyll tempre the duke in all his bu­synes / and truely so he dyd / for and he had not ben the constable had ben deed the fyrst nyght if he had had a. M. lyues.

IT ought to be byleued that syr Olyuer of Clysson was not at his case when he saw hymselfe soo taken and attrapped / and fetered and kepte with .xxx. persones / and hadde noo comforte by them / for they knewe not the wyll of theyr lorde / soo that he rekened hymselfe but as a deed man / and also he hadde noo hope to lyue tyll the nexte daye / and surely he was in grete daungere / for .iii. tymes he was vnfete­red and brought to haue ben beheded or elles drowned / and surely so he had ben yf the lorde de la vale had not ben / but when this lorde de la vale herde the dukes strayte cōmaundement to put hym to dethe / he kneled downe before hym lyftynge vp his handes sore wepynge and sayd syr for goddes sake take mercy / aduyse you she­we not your cruelte agaynst the constable / he hath deserued no dethe / syr of your grace that it may please you to shewe me the cause of your dyspleasure agaynst hym / and syr I swere vnto you ony trespace that he hath done he shall ma­ke you suche amendes with his body and goo­des / or elles I for hym as ye yourselfe shall de­maunde or Iudge / syr remembre you howe in your yongth ye .ii. were companyons togyder and brought vp bothe in one house with the duke of Lancastre who was soo gentyll a prynce that there was none lyke hym. Also syr remem­bre howe before his peas was made with the frensshe kynge alwayes he truely serued you / he ayded you to recouer your herytage / ye haue alwayes founde in hym good comforte and coū sayle / yf ye be now moued or enfourmed agaynste hym otherwyse then reason sholde requyre / yet he hathe not deserued dethe / syr de la vale sayd the duke let me haue my wyll / for Olyuer of Clysson hath soo often tymes dyspleased me / and nowe is the houre come that I maye shewe hym my dyspleasure. Wherfore departe you hens and let me shewe my cruelte / for I wyll he shall dye. A syr sayd the lorde de la vale / refray­ne your euyll wyll and moderate your courage and regarde to reason / for yf ye puth ym to deth there was neuer prynce soo dyshonoured as ye shall be / there shall not be in Bretayne knyght nor squyer cyte nor castell nor good towne / nor noo man but he shall hate you to the dethe / and doo that they can to dysenheryte you / Nor the kynge of Englande nor his counsayle shall gy­ue you no thanke therfore / syr wyl you lese your selfe for the dethe of one man / syr tourne your ymagynacyon / for this thought is noo thynge worth but dyshonourable / that ye sholde cause suche an honourable knyght as syr Olyuere of Clysson is to dye comynge vnto you at your owne desyre. ¶Surely syr this dede sholde be [Page] treason and grete reproche bothe before god & the worlde / to desyre hym thus to dyner and he comynge to you / and after that ye went to hym in to the towne desyrynge hym to se your newe buyldynges / and he obeyed in euery thynge to you & dranke of your wyne / and is this y ^e grete loue that ye shewed hym / to put hym to dethe / there was neuer soo grete blame layde to ony lorde as shall be layde to you / all y ^e worlde shal reproche you and hate you mortally & be glad to make you warre. But syr I shall shewe you what ye shall do syth ye soo sore hate hym / put hym to raunsome to a grete some of Floreynes this ye may well do / and if he holde outher towne or castell that sholde be yours demaunde thē agayne and ye shall haue them / and loke what couenaunt ye make with hym I shall become pledge therfore / and when the duke herde the lorde de la vale speke so reasonably and pressed so sore on hym / as in a maner all that nyght he wolde not departe from hym / then the duke stu­dyed a lytell and somwhat refrayned his euyll wyll / and at last spake and sayd / syr de la vale ye be a good meane for hym / howbeit I wyl ye knowe syr Olyuer of Clysson is the man in the worlde that I moost hate / for and ye were not he sholde not skape without dethe this same nyght / your wordes hath saued hym / go to hym & demaunde yf he wyll paye to me a. C. M. fran­kes incontynente / for I wyll nother haue hym nor you to pledge nor nothynge elles but the redy money / and besyde that to yelde to me .iii. castelles and a towne suche as I shall name / the castell of Breth / the castel of Iosselyn / the castel of blancke and the towne of Iugon and put me in possessyon of them or my deputyes / this do­ne I shall delyuer hym to you / this shal be done sayd the lorde de la vale / and syr I thanke you that ye wyl thus do at my desyre / and syr be you sure all that ye haue demaunded shall be done / these castelles & towne delyuered & these. C. M frankes payde or he departe.

THen the lorde de la vale was gretely re­ioyced when he sawe the constable out of peryll of deth. Then the towre dore was opened and y ^e lorde de la vale mounted vp & came there as y ^e constable was syttyng sore abasshed for he loked for nothynge but for dethe / & when he sawe the lorde de la vale his herte reuyued & thought there was some tretye in hande. Then the lorde de la vale sayd to them that were there by syrs take of his yrons y ^t I maye speke with hym fro the duke and sayd to hym / syr howe say you wyll you do that I shall shewe you / ye truely syr sayd the constable / then his yrons were taken of / and the lorde de la vale drewe hym a parte and sayd. Fayre broder with grete payne and moche busynes I haue saued your lyfe and made your ende / but ye must pay or ye departe hens in redy money a. C. M. frankes and more ouer to yelde vp to the duke .iii. castelles and y ^e towne of Iugon / otherwyse ye can haue no de­lyueraunce / then the constable sayd I wyll not refuse y ^e bargayne / but who shall go to Clysson to fetche this money / fayre broder sayd the con­stable I thynke ye must be fayne to go therfore Naye syr not so sayd the lorde de la vale / for I haue promysed neuer to departe out of this ca­stell tyll I haue you with me / for I knowe wel the duke is ryght cruell / and peraduenture in myne absence wyll repente hym by some lyght informacyon and so then al were lost / why who shall go then sayd the constable / syr sayd he the lorde of Beawmanoyre shall goo / he is here in pryson as wel as ye be / he shal make al this prouysyon / that is well sayd sayd the constable / go your waye downe / and ordeyne euery thynge as ye lyst.

THus the lorde de la vale wente downe of the towre to y ^e duke who was goynge to bed / for of all that nyght he had not slepte / then the lorde de la vale kneled downe and sayd / syr ye shall haue al your demaunde / but syr ye must delyuer the lorde of Beawmanoyre that he maye speke with y ^e constable / for he must go and fetche this raun­some and put your men in possessyon of the ca­stelles that ye desyre to haue / wel sayd the duke delyuer them out of pryson and put them into a chambre / & be you the meane of theyr tretye / for I wyll not se them / and retourne agayne to me when I haue slepte and I wyll speke with you Then y ^e lorde de la vale yssued out of the cham­bre and went with two knyghtes thyder where [Page lxxxxvii] as the lorde of Beawmanoyre was in pryson / who was gretely abasshed and doubted sore the dethe / he fered when he herde the dore open that they were come to haue put hym to dethe / But when he sawe the lorde de la vale entre his harte reuyued / and more when he herde hym speke sayenge / syr of Beawmanoyre your dely­ueraunce is made / wherfore ye maye be gladde then his fetters were taken of / and so he wente in to another chambre / and then the constable was also brought thyder / and mete and wyne was brought to them / for all the seruauntes of the howse were gladde of theyr delyueraunce / for they were sory of that case / howbeit they myght fynde no remedy / it behoued them to obey theyr maysters commaundement in ryght or in wronge / and as soone as the castell gate was shote and the brydge drawen / there entred nor yssued nother man nor woman / for the keyes were in the dukes chambre / and he slepte tyll it was .iii. of the clocke / and the knyghtes & squy­ers that were without abydynge for theyr maysters were sore abasshed and sayd. Nowe our season and voyage by the see is lost and broken A constable what myshap is fallen to you what counsayle hath dysceyued you / the counsayle y ^e was made and assembled at Wannes was ma­de for none other entente but to atrappe you / ye were wonte to be of the oppynyon that yf the duke had sente for you and hadde made you a. M. assuraunces / yet ye wolde not haue gone nor come at his commaundement / ye doubted hym so sore / and nowe ye wente symply at his desyre / euery man thrughe the duchy of Bretayne complayned for the constable and wyst not what to do nor say / and all knyghtes and squyers sayd / what do we here / why do we not go and enclose the duke in his castel of Ermyne / and yf he haue slayne the constable / serue hym in lyke maner / & yf he kepe hym in pryson let vs doo soo that we maye haue hym agayne / there fell neuer suche a myschefe in Bretayne / thus one & other sayd / But there were none that styred forwarde but taryed to here other newes. Thus tydynges spred abrode soo that within two dayes it was at Parys / wherwith the kynge and his vncles the duke of Berrey and the duke of Borgoyne had grete meruayle / as then y ^e duke of Borbon was gone to Aupgnyon to go in to Castell and had sene the pope Clement on his way / these tydynges came to hym as he was at Lyon sure le Rone / and with hym the erle of Sauoy.

ANd the erle of saynt Poule / the lorde of Coucy and admyrall of fraunce beynge at Harflewe redy to haue entred in to the see to­warde theyr voyage when they herde howe the duke of Bretayne hadde taken the constable of fraunce prysoner in his castell of Ermyne / and the lorde de la vale and the lorde of Beawma­noyre with hym. And they that brought those tydynges sayd howe the bruyte ranne in Bre­tayne howe the duke of Bretayne hadde putte to dethe the constable of Fraunce / and the lorde of Beawmanoyre. These were harde tydyn­ges to these lordes / and they sayd. Nowe our voyage is broken / lette vs gyue leue to all our men of warre to departe and let vs goo to Pa­rys to the kynge and se what he wyll do / then y ^e admyrall sayd / it is good we do soo / but let not our men departe / peraduenture the kynge wyll sende them to some other parte / may happen in to Castell for y ^e duke of Borbon is goynge thy­der / or elles peraduenture he wyl sende them in to Bretayne to make warre agaynst the duke. thynke you y ^t y ^e frensshe kynge wyl suffre y ^e matter thus to ouerpas. Nay surely for y ^e kyng shal receyue by this bergayne domage to the some of .ii. C. M. floreynes besyde y ^e losse and hurte that is done to his constable / yf he scape the lyfe was there euer case lyke. Thus y ^e kynge to bre­ke his voyage who was in good mynde to ha­ue done domage to his enemyes. Let vs tary here styll a .ii. or .iii. dayes / and peraduenture we shall here some other tydynges out of fraunce or out of Bretayne.

HOwe let vs speke a ly­tell of the duke of Bretayne who when he hadde slepte rose and made hym redy / & then he sente for the lorde de la vale who came to hym / & there they were togyder a longe space. Fynally letters were wryten accordynge to the dukes wyll / makynge mencyon y ^t [Page] the constable syr Olyuer of Clysson renounced clene his tytle for euer of the sayd towne and castell and yelded them purely to the duke of Bretayne and to his heyres for euer / and that / these wrytynges sholde be permanent without ony repell / and then y ^e lorde of Beawmanoyre was ordeyned by the constable to goo to these castel­les and to cause them that had the rule of them to departe thens / and to put in possessyon y ^e du­kes men / and besyde that to leuy in redy money a .C.M. frankes to pay to the duke. When all this was concluded the gates of the castell was opened and the lorde of Beawmanoyre yssued our charged and ordeyned by y ^e constable to ac­complysshe all these ordeynaunces / and he was desyred to make al the dylygence that myght be And with hym wente seruauntes of the dukes / & noysed as they wente howe the constable was sure of his lyfe [...]and was put to raunsome / all suche as loued hym knyghtes and squyers were glad therof and so therby sate styll / for they we­re determyned to haue gone and layde syege to the castell of Ermyne and haue closed the duke therin / they neuer dyd thynge that they wolde haue ben gladder of. So these tydynges ranne abrode with the wynde / so that the lordes and knyghtes beyng at Harflewe herde therof and had certayne knowledge that the constable had ben deed and the lorde de la vale had not ben / & they sayd as for the delyueraunce of his towne and castelles he shall recouer them agayne / or elles other at tyme & leysure / the frensshe kynge hath ynowe for hym yf he nede. Nowe we maye departe fro hens / our voyage is broken let vs gyue our men leue to departe / and let vs goo to Parys and lerne tydynges there / for we here saye that all suche as were at Lentrygnyer are countermaunded / y ^e whiche is a sygne that we shal go no where at this season / thus they gaue lycence to al theyr men of warre to departe and themselfe departed towarde Parys where the kynge was.

THe lorde of Beawmanoyre dyd so mo­che that within .iiii. dayes he had set the duke of Bretaynes seruauntes in possessyon of the foresayd castelles and towne of Iugon / and after he payde the .C.M. frankes for the constables raunsome there as the duke commaunded when all was done the lorde de la vale sayd to y ^e duke / syre haue nowe that you demaunded the .C.M. frankes the towne of Iugon / the castell of Boureke and the whyte castell of Iosse­lyn / therfore syr nowe delyuer me the constable I am contente sayd the duke let hym goo when he wyll I gyue hym leue / thus y ^e constable was delyuered and he and the lorde de la vale departed fro the castell of Ermyne / when they were abrode in the feldes / y ^e constable made no longe taryenge in Bretayne / but mounted on a good horse and his page on another and so rode that within two dayes he came to Paris and alyghted at his owne howse and then wente to the castel of Lowre to the kynge & his vncles the duke of Berrey and of Borgoyne / his men folowed after hym at theyr leysure / the kynge knewe of his delyueraunce / but he knewe not that he was so nere / and was glad when he herde therof and caused the chambre dores to be set open agaynst hym and so he came in to the kynges presence & kneled downe before hym and sayd. Ryght re­doubted lorde / your fader whome god pardon made me constable of Fraunce / whiche offyce to my power I haue well and truely exercysed and yf there be ony excepte your grace and my lordes your vncles that wyll saye that I haue not acquyted myselfe truely or done ony thyng contrary to the crowne of fraunce I am here redy to cast my gage in that quarell / the kynge nor none other made none answere to those wordes / then he sayd further / ryght dere syr and no­ble kynge it fortuned in Bretayne in doynge of myne offyce / the duke of Bretayne toke me and helde me in his castell of Ermyne / and wolde haue put me to deth without reason by reason of his fyers courage / and god had not ben and the lorde de la vale / so that I was constrayned if I wolde be delyuered out of his handes / to delyuer to hym a towne of myne in Bretayne and iii. castelles / and the some of a .C.M. frankes / Wherfore ryght dere syr and noble kynge the blame and domage that the duke of Bretayne hath done gretely regardeth your mageste royall for y ^• voyage that I and my company sholde haue made by the see is broken / Wherfore syr I yelde vp the offyce of the constableshyp / syr pro­uyde for another suche as shall please you / for I wyll noo more bere the charge therof / I sholde haue none honoure to do it. Constable sayd the kynge we knowe well that ye haue hurte and domage and is a thynge gretely to the preiudyce to our royalme. We wyll incontynente sende for the peres of Fraunce to se what shall be best to be done in this case / therfore take ye no thou­ght for ye shal haue ryght and reason. ¶Then the kynge toke the constable by the hande and reysed hym vp and sayd. Constable we wyl not that ye departe from your offyce in this maner [Page lxxxxviii] But we wyll that ye vse it tyll we take other counsayle. Then the constable kneled downe agayne and sayd. Syr this matter toucheth me soo nere that I cannot vse it. The offyce is grete / for I must speke and answere euery man & I am so troubled that I can answere no man. Wherfore syr I requyre your grace to prouyde for another for a season / and I shall alwayes be redy at your commaundement / syr sayd the du­ke of Borgoyne he offereth ynoughe ye shall take aduyse / it is true sayd the kynge. Then the constable arose and wente to the duke of Ber­re and to the duke of Borgoyne and aduysed to shewe them his busynes / and to enforme thē iustely all the matter / seynge the case touched them gretely in that they had the gouernynge of the royalme / but in spekynge with them and herynge the hole matter / they perceyued y ^e mat­ter touched not them soo sore as he made of / soo that fynally they blamed hym for goynge to Wannes / sayenge to hym / syth your nauy was redy and that knyghtes and squyers taryed for you at Lentrygnyer. ¶And also when ye we­re at Wannes and hadde dyned with the duke and retourned agayne to your castell of Bour­ke / what had you then ony thynge to do to tary there ony longer nor to goo agayne to the duke to the castell of Ermyne. Syr sayd the consta­ble he shewed me soo fayre semblaunt that I durst not refuse it. Constable sayd the duke of Borgoyne / in fayre semblauntes are grete de­cepcyons / I repute you more subtel then I take you nowe / go your way / y ^• matter shall do well ynoughe / we shall regarde it at leysure. Then the constable perceyued well that these lordes were harder and ruder to hym then the kynge was. Soo he departed and wente to his owne lodgynge / and thyder came to hym certayne of the lordes of the parlyament to se hym and sayd to hym that the matter sholde doo ryght well / and also there came to hym to counsayle hym the erle of saynt Poule / the lorde of Coucy and the admyrall of Fraunce / and they sayd to hym Constable make noo doubte / for ye shall haue reason of the duke of Bretayne / for he hath done agaynst the crowne of Fraunce grete dysplea­sure and worthy to be shamed and put out of his countrey / goo your wayes and passe the ty­me at Mount le Herry / there ye shal be on your owne / and let vs alone with the matter / for the peres of Fraunce wyll not suffre the matter to rest thus. The constable byleued these lordes and so departed fro Parys and rode to Mount le Herry. Soo the offyce of constableshyp was voyde for a season as it was sayd that syr Guy of Tremoyle sholde be constable / but it was not soo / he was soo well aduysed that he wolde not take it out of the handes of syr Olyuer of Clysson.

THe same weke that ty­dynges came to Parys of the takynge of the constable there came also tydynges frome the partyes of Almayne / whiche were ryght dys­pleasaunt to the kynge and to his vncles / I shall shewe you how and wherfore / the duke of Guerles sone to the duke of Iulyers was alyed with the kynge of Englande to make warre agaynst Fraunce / and hadde taken a pencyon of foure thousande frankes by the yere / whiche pencyon the duke of Iulyers his fader hadde in tyme past out of the kynge of Englandes cofers / but or he dyed he renoun­ced it / and then his sone who was but yonge toke it agayne at the kynge of Englandes desyre so that he wolde defye the frensshe kynge and to make warre agaynst hym / and he was encly­ned to take the englysshe parte bycause he had warre with the lady of Brabant / for he sawe well that the duchy of Brabant was fauoura­ble to the royalme of fraunce / for it sholde after retourne to the duke of Borgoyne and to his chyldren. Therfore the duke of Guerles wolde shewe that the matter touched hym so nere that he wolde doo the domage that he myght to the royalme of Fraunce and to all theyr alyes. So he sente letters of defyaunce to y ^e frensshe kynge whiche were no thynge pleasaunt / accepted of the kynge nor of his counsayle as I shall shewe you hereafter in the hystory when it shall be conuenyent to speke therof in the shewynge of the warre of Bretayne and of Guerles / the frensshe kynge made noo semblaunt therof / but made [Page] good chere to the squyer of Guerles who hadde brought the defpaunce howbeit he was afray­de for when he came to the cyte of Tourney he wolde haue gone no f [...]rther / but he had shewed the defyaunce to the pro [...]ost of the towne / and so wolde haue [...] agayne sayenge that it was suffycyent to declare his message in soo noble a towne as Tourney but they of the towne were not so [...] / but arested the squyer and put hym in sure pryson / and then they sente worde therof to the duke of Borgoyne to know his pleasure. Then the duke wrote to the pro­u [...]st of Tourney that he sholde sende to hym y ^e squyer with his defyauces / and so he was brou­ght to Parys / and he fered lest he sholde dye / but when he came to Parys the kynge and his vncles and the other lordes dyd noo thynge to hym but all courtoysye. And the frensshe kynge gaue hym a goblet of syluer weynge .iiii. mar­ke and .l. frankes within it / and they gaue hym a sa [...]f [...]onduyte to retourne in to his countrey / so by reason of these tydynges y ^e courte of fraunce was sore troubled / and the frensshe counsayle was sore troubled when the constable of fraun­ce came and made his complaynte of the duke of Bretayne / for they sawe well that trouble & expence began to ryse on euery syde / and they sawe well howe they must enploy all theyr wyttes to exchewe suche inconuenyentes / they thought that the constable who had serued the kyng soo longe in [...]launders and other places sholde haue some helpe in that the duke of Bretayne hadde raunsomed hym and taken his castelles without tytle or good reason / and specyally the lorde of Coucy and the admyrall was sore dys­pleased with it. ¶Nowe let vs retourne to the duke of Lancastre and to the kynge of Portyn­gale who were in Galyce and made sore warre agaynst the kynge of Castell.

HEre before ye haue herde how dedes of armes were done bytwene syr Io­han Holande and syr Ray­nolde of Roy in the presen­ce of the kynge of Portyn­gale and his wyfe / and at the kynges departynge he promysed to the duke that as soone as he was retourned to the cyte of Porte / that he wolde not tary past .vi. dayes / but that his army shol­de sette forthe. Thenne the duke sente Con­staunce his wyfe to the towne of saynt Iames vnder the guydynge of the lorde Fythwater / a grete baron of Englande with a hundred spe­res and two hundred archers and y ^e duke sayd to her. Madame ye shall kepe you in the cyte of Compostella and the kynge of Portyngale my sone / and our people shall goo in to Castell to seke for our enemyes to fyght with thē wher­so euer we fynde them / and nowe it shall be sene yf euer we shall haue ony thynge in the royal­me of Castell or not. Syr sayd the lady as god wyll so be it / thus they departed for that present tyme / and syr Thomas Percy / and the lorde Fythwaren conueyed the duches with two hundred speres out of all daungers / and thenne re­tourned to the duke who was as then departed fro Besances towardes a towne in Galyce na­med Aurene whiche rebelled agaynst hym and wolde not obey bycause it was stronge & therin a garyson of Bretons who hadde on theyr pa­relles vndertaken to kepe it / and they had well fortefyed it bycause they hadde knowledge that the duke wolde come thyder / the marshall of the dukes oost hadde well herde howe they of Au­rene in Galyce wolde not obey / but dayly forte­fyed them / he counsayled the constable to goo thyder / and soo euery man drewe to that parte / and soo came and lodged nere to it / the season was fayre aboute the Ascencyon tyme / then ten­tes and pauylyons were pyght vp in the fayre playnes vnder the Olyues / and soo laye al that fyrst nyght / and the nexte day without gyuyng of ony assaulte / thynkynge that the towne wol­de haue gyuen vp / and in dede the men of the towne wolde gladly haue yelded them. But the lordes and capytaynes wolde not suffre thē who were Bretons and companyons aduentu­rers two Bretons were capytaynes called the basto [...] of Alroy / and the other the bastarde of Peneforte / they were good men of warre and that well appered in that they toke on them to kepe y ^t towne so farre out of all socour agaynst the duke of Lancastre.

ON the .iii. daye that the Englysshemen were thus lodged aboute the towne and had well regarded howe they myght at theyr aduauntage / assayle the towne. Thenne the constable / the [Page c] marshall and the admyrall caused theyr trompettes to sounde to the assaulte / and then eue­ry man drewe forth in to the felde / and there deuyded them in to .iiii. bandes to assayle the towne iii .iiii. partes / & so in goodly ordre ap­proched the towne and taryed on the dykes / wherin there was no water. But it was well fortefyed with pales and hedges / then the as­saulte began iii .iiii. partes. Then men of ar­mes and other wente downe in to the dykes with axes in theyr handes and therwith cutte downe the hedges / & they within cast downe dartes and other thynges that yf they hadde not ben well pauessed / there hadde ben many sore hurte and slayne. And also on the edge of the dyke the archers shotte so fyersly that they within durste not appere / the duke of Lanca­stre came to beholde the assaulte whiche ma­de it y ^e more fyerser / he sate there on horsbacke the space of thre houres / he had suche pleasure to regarde thē / at this fyrst assaulte the dykes were clensed of all the thycke hedges soo that men myght goo to the pales / then the retrayte was sowned for that day / thē the duke sayd to the marshal / syr Thomas our men haue done theyr deuoyre for this daye / let them withdra­we and case themselfe / syr it shal be done sayd the marshall / so y ^e assaulte was seased & euery man wente to his lodgynge / and the hurte to be dressed / and so passed that nyght / they had wynes to drynke plentye / but they were soo hoote and myghty that it was moche payne to drynke them / and suche as dranke of them without water were in that case y ^t they coul­de not helpe themselfe the nexte day.

THe nexte day it was aduysed that they sholde make none assaulte bycause the daye was soo hoote / and theyr men soo wery and ouercome with stronge wynes / but determyned that the nexte daye after they sholde begyn theyr assaulte at the sone rysynge / and to endure tyll .iii. of the clocke at after noone / & so euery man was cōmaunded to take theyr ease tyll they herde the sowne of the marshal­les trompet / and the same daye y ^e duke of Lancastre herde tydynges of the kynge of Por­tyngale howe he was departed fro the cyte of Porte / and drewe towardes the porte saynt yrayne / that waye he was purposed to entre in to Castell and bothe oostes to mete on the ryuer of Derne besyde y ^e towne of perpygnen or elles before the towne of Arpent / thus the Portyngales had deuysed / if the kynge of Castell and the frensshe men dyd not encountre them before / and yf they were lykely so to doo then to drawe togyder soner / of these tydyn­ges the duke was ryght ioyous and gaue the messagere for his tydynges .x. nobles.

ANd in the mornynge whenne it was daye the marshalles trompet began to sowne before y ^e lodgynges to reyse vp euery man / then knyghtes and squyers began to make them redy euery man vnder his owne standerde. Then the marshall drewe in to the felde / and all suche as were ordeyned to goo to y ^e assaulte / they of the towne had knowledge howe the Englysshemen wolde assayle them by theyr watche men who had herde the mershalles trompet / then the Bretons reysed vp euery man and woman in the towne and sayd to them / syrs shewe yourselfe lyke good men and be not abasshed for nothynge that ye se / we are stronge ynoughe / we haue dartes and speres and stones and other artyllery suffycyent to withstande our enemyes / and if the worste fall at all tymes they wyll take vs to mercy / worse they can not doo to vs / we haue ben or this in dyuers places farre febler then this is / and yet we haue kepte it without daū ger or domage / soo by reason of theyr wordes the Galycyens were incouraged / for of them­selfe they hadde rather haue yelded them vp / for accordynge to trouthe the comons in Ca­stell and Galyce are lytell worth in batayle / they are but euyll armed and small of coura­ge. The gentyll men are ryght good on horse backe.

THus the Englysshemen redy apparelled to the assaulte aboute the sone rysynge came in to the dykes iuste vnto the pales / and with ares and other wepons bet downe the pales to theyr feete / but yet for all that they were not on the walle / for thenne they hadde another dyke to passe as large as the other was / thenne with moche payne they passed that dyke and came to the walles. And when they within sawe them come soo nere they defended themselfe valyauntly. ¶Thenne the [Page] Galycyens cast out dartes in suche wyse that whome soo euer they strake were soore hurte without he were well pauessed / Thenne they reysed vp ladders for to mounte vp too the walles. There knyghtes and squyers auaunced themselfe to mounte with targyes ouer theyr heedes / and swordes in theyr handes / and so came and fought hande to hande with the Bretous who defended themselfe ryght nobly / for I repute it for a grete valyauntues that they wol [...]e abyde the assaulte / for they knewe well they sholde haue as thenne no so­coure. For it was determyned bytwene the kynge of Castell and the Frensshe men to suf­fre the Englysshmen at that tyme to do what they lyft in Galyce or elles where and to passe without batayle. Then some of the englysshe men sayd yf other townes in Castell gyue vs as moche to doo as this doth it shall be longe or we wynne the royalme / and thenne other sayd / there is moche pyllage within the tow­ne brought thyder out of all the countrey a­boute. And therfore they are lothe to yelde vp the towne. Thenne some demaunded who were capytaynes within y ^e towne / and suche as knewe them sayd / two basterdes Bretons borne good men of armes and experte in all syeges / and the one is called the bastarde of Pennefort / and the other the basterde of Aul­roy / but what soeuer they be they be valyaunt men of armes / for they se none apparence of socoure / and yet they wyll not yelde vp. And suche as were mounted vp were beten downe agayne perforce. And when the duke of Lan­castre was vp and redy and herde the bruyre of the assaulte sayd he wolde goo and beholde them / and soo lepte on a courser and vnarmed rode to the assaulte and his standerde before hym with the hele armes of Englande and of Fraunce / and at his comynge the assaulte en­creased. Thenne euery man auaunced hym­selfe to gete lawde and prayse / and in lyke wyse they within. Whenne they sawe that the duke was there / they enforced themselfe to she­we theyr valyauntnes. Thus in assaylynge and defendynge they contynued tyll it was thre of the clocke. And it was not apparent that they sholde haue wonne y ^e towne at that assaulte. Thenne the duke demaunded who were capytaynes within the towne / and it was shewed hym. Thenne he sayd I wolde the marshall sholde speke with them to know yf they wyll yelde them or not / I thynke they haue not as yet ben demaūded / wherfore byd the marshall come & speke with me / A knyght wente to hym and sayd. Syr my lorde y ^e duke wolde ye sholde come & speke with hym / then he came to y ^e duke / & the duke sayd. Marshall knowe ye yf these Bretons wyl put themselfe vnder myne obeysaunce or not / we trauayle sore our men / and there be dyuers of them so­re hurte / and we waste our artyllery / and we can not tell when we shall haue nede therof. Wherfore I praye you goo to them and take some treatye with them. Syr sayd he it shall be done / syth ye wyll take them to mercy it is reason they be herde speke.

THen the marshall wente from the duke to y ^e assaulte and sayd to an Heraulte / go thy way & fynde the meanes to speke with y ^e capytay­nes within the towne & shewe thē how I wolde speke with them. The heraulte departed and wente in to the dykes with his cote armure on his backe with the armes of the duke of Lancastre / and soo his comoany made hym waye by the commaundement of the marshall. The bastarde of Alroy sawe wel the heraulte and so came to the wall and sayd Heraulte what wolde you / I am one of the capytaynes / I thynke ye be sente to me / that is trewe syr sayd the heraulte / who was called Percy. And syr the marshall desyreth you to come to the barryers and speke with hym / I am contente sayd the bastarde / soo that ye cause your men to leue the assaulte / otherwyse I wyll not come / I thynke that shall be soone done sayd the heraulte / and soo he retourned to the marshall and shewed hym as ye haue herde. ¶Then the marshall called his trom­pet and caused hym to blowe the retrayte and soo he dydde / thenne the assaulte seased on all partyes. Thenne the capytaynes came to the barryers / and there was redy the marshal syr Iohn̄ Holande / and syr Thomas Moreaus / and dyuers other Englysshemen. Syrs sayd the Englysshemen wyll ye be taken perforce and be vtterly lost and slayne poore and ry­che / We knowe well that the comonte of the towne wolde gladly yelde them to my lorde y ^e duke and to my lady the duches / for they had gyuen vp this towne or this and ye had not ben / wherfore yf ye be taken it is euyll for you [Page ci] and one thynge ye maye be sure of / We wyll not departe hence tyll we haue it / outher by fayre meanes or otherwyse / therfore speke ye togyder and aduyse you and gyue me an an­swere / for I knowe my charge. Syr sayd the basterde we are agreed all redy togyder / and that is yf ye wyll cause vs surely to be conduyted to the towne of Arpent without daunger or peryll / we shall yelde vp the towne to you Soo that the men and wom [...]n within maye lyue in peas and surety vnder the obeysaun­ce of the duke in lyke maner as other townes do in Galyce / and none otherwyse / we knowe well ye be the marshall of the oost and that all treatyes perteyneth to you / and what soeuer ye do the duke wyll agree to the same / that is trewe sayd syr Thomas / it shall be as ye de­syre / soo that ye bere with you nothynge but that is your owne and not to robbe nor pyll the towne / nor that ye haue wonne in y ^e coun­trey for that may cause ryot to be made bytwene you and our men / syr sayd the bastarde we shall cary nothynge with vs but that is our owne / and yf ony of our company haue bou­ght ony thynge of ony of the towne & are but euyll payde / yet we shall make noo ryot ther­fore / I thynke as for mete and drynke syth we came hyder in garyson our men haue payde no thynge as for that sayd the marshall is ex­cepte / take all vytayle in aduauntage for soo wyl our men do / but I say ye shall cary away no mouables. Syr sayd the barstarde we be not soo wyse men but that some of our company wyll take somwhat / Well sayd syr Iohan Holande let them passe that is theyr owne is theyr owne / we wyl not go so nere them as to serche theyr males / soo be it sayd the marshall then there was an abstynence made for that daye / and the nexte daye they sholde departe. Then y ^e englyssh men went to theyr lodgyng and vnarmed them / and toke theyr ease and y ^e Bretons all that daye trussed and gad [...]red togyder grete pyllage that they had wonne be­fore in y ^e countrey of Castell for all was abandened to them / soo that therby suche as came fyrste in to that countrey wanne grete good / and so in the trussynge of theyr baggage they toke many thynges from the men of the tow­ne as clothe and fethers and other stuffe suche as they founde. And when ony of y ^e poore men spake to them sayenge / syrs that good ye take is none of yours it is our good ye brought it not hyder / then y ^e Bretons wolde say agayne holde your peas ye vyllaynes we haue a commyssyon of the kynge of Castell to paye our­selfe of our wages / ye wyll not paye vs / and thoughe ye hadde payde vs well and truely yet we must haue newe wages agayne / ther­fore this that we take is our owne.

THen the nexte daye the marshall lepte on his horse and a .lx. speres in his company and soo came to the barryers of the towne & there taryed a space. Thenne the capytaynes of the Bretons came thyder and the marshall sayd. Syrs be ye redy to depart / ye syr sayd they so we may haue conduyte to guyde vs / whether wyll you go sayd the marshall / to the towne of Arpent sayd they / well sayd quod the mar­shall / beholde here them that shall conduyte you / thenne he called forthe a knyght of En­glande called syr Steuen Stebery and sayd to hym / take .x. speres with you and brynge these Bretons to Arpent and retourne you to morowe / he dyd as he was commaunded and soo guyded forthe these Bretons with moche baggage. And whenne they were al departed thenne the marshall and his company entred in to the towne / and the people of the towne made hym grete reuerence / for many of them thought it had ben y ^e duke hymselfe / when the marshall sawe these Bretons departe with so grete caryage he demaunded of them of / the towne yf they hadde taken away ony of theyr goodes or not / ye syr truely sayd they and y ^t to a grete substaunce / Why dyd you not sayd the marshall shewe me y ^t betymes / for I shol­de haue caused them to haue rendred it agay­ne / syr sayd they we durst not for they threte­ned to slee vs yf we spake therof / syr they be cursed people / there is none of them but he is a stronge thefe / it is noo meruayle thoughe they robbe vs / for eche of thē wyll robbe other The marshall smyled and then he sente for the chefe men of the towne / and they came before hym / then he made them to swere to holde the towne of Aurene of the duke of Lancastre for euer in lyke maner and fourme as the other townes in Galyce hadde doone before.

¶Then he ordeyned newe offycers / and toke of euery man theyr faythes and othes / and so dranke and retourned to the duke in to the felde vnder the shadowe of the Olyue trees / for [Page] the hete of the sone whiche was soo excessyue hoote that man nor horse coulde abyde it / nor noo man durst ryde a foragynge tyll after the houre of .iii. for the hete.

THe gretest ymagynacyon that the duke hadde / was for that it was shewed hym howe the kyn­ge of Castell was abrode & with a grete armye comynge agaynst hym to fyght / for he sawe well that he coulde not perfytely come to the chalenge of Castell but by force of batayle / and soo he sente oute spyes in to euery coost / but thenne it was surely enfourmed hym by his spyes / and by pylgrymes that the kynge of Castell made none assembly for to come in to the felde / but kepte hymselfe and his men in garysons. And also that the duke of Borbon was not as then co­me in to Castell nor no tydynges there of his comynge. Soo when the duke hadde taryed fyue dayes in the marches of Auranches / he determyned to goo to Noye / and there to as­saye by assaulte to passe the brydge ouer the ryuer of Erne. ¶Then the knyght that had conduyted the Bretons to the towne of Ar­pent retourned agayne. And it was demaunded of hym what company of men of warre were there in garyson / he sayd howe syr Oly­uer of Clesquy was there with a thousande speres Bretons and Frensshemen. Then the constable and marshall sayd to the duke / syr it were well done we wente and scrymysshed with them peraduenture they wyll yssue out to demaunde dedes of armes. For there be some of them hath grete desyre therto / I am con [...]ente sayd the duke / let vs dyslodge / here we take noo profyte / then it was ordeyned to dyslodge the nexte mornynge / and to goo to Noye / and thenne after to Arpent.

¶Nowe [...] speke of the kyng of Portyngale and of the waye that he toke for to entre in to the royalme of Castell / and thenne we shall retourne agayne to the duke of Lancastre.

THe kynge of Portyn­gale departed from Porte and lefte there y ^e quene his wyfe and her syster / doughter to the duke of Lanca­stre and to kepe them and the cyte he ordeyned y ^e erle of Nowar to abyde there with a hundred spe­res of Portyngales and Gascoynes suche as were come to serue hym / and then he rode for­the and the fyrst nyght lodged a thre legges from the cyte of Porte / and the nexte daye de­parted in thre batayles a fayre softe pace by­cause of his fote men wherof there were a .xii. thousande with all the caryage / and after the kynge folowed with a thousande speres / the­re was with hym Don Galoys / Ferrant Partecke / and Ponnase de Cougne / & Vas Marten de Cougne bare the kynges baner. Also there was Iohn̄ Radyghes de Sar / and the mayster Denyce called Ferrant Radyghes with other grete barons and knyghtes / and the reregarde ledde the constable of Portyn­tyngale / the erle of Angouse and the erle of Escall the lytell Dan de Mondest / Radygo Radyghes of Vale / Conseaulx / Auge Sal­uage of Geneue / Iohan Ansale of Popelan / and other lordes and knyghtes to the nombre of fyue hundred speres. Thus they rode forth and tooke the waye to saynt yrayne by small iourneyes / for they toke theyr lodgynge euer by thre of the clocke and so came to the cabase of Iuberoth and there taryed .ii. dayes / and from thens at two iourneys they rode to Au­rach in Portyngale and there rested other .ii. dayes / and then they came to saynt yrayne & there lodged / the towne was lefte voyde euer syth the batayle of Iuberoth / the people were drawen in to Castel / exepte the castelles wherin were Bretons and Poyctenyns in gary­son. The kynge of Portyngale determyned that bothe the castelles sholde be assayled / for he thought with his honoure he myght not passe by without shewynge of some dedes of armes / for the Castellyans hadde wonne the castelles / therfore he thought to assaye for to wynne them agayne. The kynge hadde brought with hym from the cyte of Porte certayne engynes for he knewe well he sholde haue so­me assaultes in his waye.

[Page lxxxxix] THus the kynge of Portyngale and his men lodged in the matches of saynt yrayne whiche was the en­tre in to the royalme of Castell all a longe by the ryuer of Pese ryn­nynge to Syuyll the grete. By this foresayd ryuer myght well be brought in to the oost all maner of thynges frome Lyxbone and frome Porte / and soo they were a thyrty thousande one and other. The constable & his rowte with halfe of the comonte laye before the castell Per­rade in to the eest parte & aboute y ^e other castell in the west parte called Tayllydon lay y ^e mar­shall and his company / in the castell Perrade was capytayne a knyght of Bretayne called syr Moreys Fouchance an experte man of armes / and in the castell Tayllydon was syr Iaques of Mountmellyer a knyght of Poyctou / and eche of them hadde a .l. speres / the syege thus lay a .xv. dayes without doynge of ony thynge sauynge there were engynes reysed vp. And they dydde cast .x. or .xii. tymes a daye grete stones agaynst the walles / but lytell hurte they dyd / but on the couerynge of the houses / for the houses within were well vawted with stone / so that the engynes nor spryngalles dyd the men but small domage / When the kynge sawe that the castelles wolde not be wonne / and that his men began to waxewery / he determyned then to dyslodge and to entre in to Galyce and to approche nerer to the duke of Lancastres oost to the entente that they myght determyne togyder what waye were best for them to take. Soo on a day they dyslodged and trussed and departed fro saynt yrayne / at whiche tyme they brente the towne in suche wyse that there was not a place lefte vnbrente able to lodge in horse / when they of the castell sawe them departe they were ry­ght ioyous and sowned theyr trompettes and made grete chere and melody tyll they were all paste / that daye the oost wente and lodged at Pount Ferraunt in Galyce / and the nexte daye in the vale saynt Katheryne / and on the .iii. day they came before Feroull in Galyce a stronge towne holdynge on the kynge of Castelles par­te / and there they rested.

WHen the kynge of Por­tyngale and his men were before Feroull they founde the­re a good countrey / and the constable and marshall sayd it sholde be assaulted affyr­mynge howe it was preygnable / they were two dayes without ony assaulte gyuynge trustynge they wolde haue gyuen it vp / but they dyd not / for within were Bretons and Borgonyons that sayd they wolde defen­de it / by the thyrde daye the engynes were rey­sed vp / and the marshall sowned his trompet­tes to the assaulte / then euery man made hym redy to approche the towne / and they within whē they herde the trompettes blowe to the assaulte they drewe euery man to theyr defence and wo­men caryed and brought stoones to caste / for in Castell and Galyce women be of grete defence and of grete courage in maner as grete as the men / the Portyngales came to the dykes whi­che were depe / but there was no water in them then they boldely entred in to the dykes and clymed vp agayne on the other syde / but they had moche a doo / sauynge they were well pauessed for they on the walles caste downe stoones and hurte many and caused them to reeule / also ther was good castynge of dartes bothe outwarde and inwarde. Thus the assaulte endured tyll it was thre of the clocke / and the men were fore chaced / for the sone was hoote / and they in the dykes hadde none eyre nor wynde / so that they thought they perysshed for hete / soo that therby the assaulte seased / and all that season the engy­nes dydde caste in to the towne at aduenture / thenne the marshall counsayled noo moore to assaulte the towne / but styll to let the engynes caste and to scrymysshe at the barryers and to shewe some dedes of armes and so as he deuy­sed it was doone / and dayly scrymysshes made And they within often tymes were closed with out the gate bytwene the barryers and the ga­te for to scrymysshe moore at theyr ease. ¶And whenne the marshall of Portyngale sawe theyr maner he deuysed theron and sayd to syr Iohn̄ Ferrant / I se well the sowdyours within at some season are closed bytwene the gate and the barryers / let vs take a .v. or .vi.C. of our men & laye a bysshment & with a fewe persones let vs scrymysshe a whyle / & then withdrawe lytell & [Page] lytell and we shall se that they wyll yssue oute on truste to wynne some what of vs / thenne let vs tourne agayne sodaynely to the barryers and busye them somewhat / and thenne our en­busshe of horse men sodeynly to come on them And when they se that they wyll forsake theyr barryers and open the gates to entre / and soo peraduenture we may entre with them / and at the leest yf they within open not the gate / they that be without shal be al oures / that is true syr sayd syr Iohn̄ Ferrant. Well sayd the marshall who was called syr Alue Perreer / do you y ^e one feate and I shall doo the other / goo you and syr Martyne de Marlo / and Pomas de Congne and kepe the enbusshe and I shall go and make the scrymysshe it perteyneth to myne offyce / as they deuysed so they dyd / there were appoynted out .v. C. horse men for to kepe the enbusshe / & so of .iii. dayes they made noo scrymysshe wherby they within of the garyson hadde meruayle and sayd to the galycyens within the towne / loye vnhappy people / ye wolde haue gyuen vp this towne at theyr fyrste comynge and we had not ben / We haue gretely preserued the honou­re of your towne / for ye shal se the kynge of Portangale and all his oost shortely departe hens without doynge ony domage to vs.

ON the fourthe daye the marshall as was deuysed began the scrymysshe with a small company / and the horse men laye styll pryuely in theyr busshment and the Bretons within when they sawe theyr enemyes in trust to gete some good prysoner opened theyr gate and lefte it styll open to the entente it sholde be the more redyer at theyr retourne / for they trysted not gretely the Galy­cyens within the towne / so they came to the barryers and dyd there as it apperteyned to a scrymysshe / then when the marshall sawe his tyme he made s [...]mblaunt as thoughe he and his men hadde ben wery and as halfe dyscomfyted reculed lytell and lytell / and when the Bretons saw that they thought to haue wonne all and ope­ned theyr barryers all at ones and yssued out. and came out and toke .xxv. prysoners / and they hadde so moche haste to gete them in to the towne that they lefte theyr barryers styll open / then the marshall made a sygne to the busshement / and they brake out a .v.C. horse and came more then a galoppe and entred the barryers / and when the Frenishemen and Bretons sawe that they wolde haue reculed to theyr barryers but they coulde not / for the Portyngales entred as soone as they in to the towne. Thus was the towne wonne and dyuers slayne / and the sow­dyours that were therein garyson were taken prysoners excepte suche as saued themselfe by another gate / and soo yssued in to the feldes and rode to Arpente where as syr Olyuer of Elys­quy was and a thou [...]ande speres with hym and there they shewed howe the towne or Feroull was lost.

THus as I haue shewed you fell of this towne of Feroull in Galyce. The Por­tyngales wanne it and dydde put it vnder the obeysaunce of the duke of Lancastre / in whose tytle they made that warre. The kynge of Por­tyngale was gretely reioyced of that his men hadde done soo well / and incontynente he sente worde therof to the duke of Lancastre / shewyn­ge hym howe he hadde encreased his herytage / for he hadde wonne hym that towne and he trusted to wynne moo. The duke was gretely re­ioyced of those tydynges who was as thē come before Noy. Wherin was the Barroys of Bar­reys / and syr Iohn̄ of Chatelet Mouraunte / and syr Trystram de la Gayle / syr Raynolde du Roy / syr Wyllyam of Mongteney and dy­uers other knyghtes and squyers of Fraunce. And when the dukes marshall sawe the castell of Noye he sayd / loke as Coulongne is one of the keyes of castell towarde the see / soo is this castell of Noye another keye towardes Castell for he is no lorde of Castell without he be lorde of Coulongne and of Noye. Lette vs goo loke what company there is there / it is shewed me howe the Baroys of Barres an experte man of armes of Fraunce is there / I thynke at the en­trey of the brydge we shall haue some scrymyssh Syr sayd syr Lamburyne of Luners / and syr Iohn̄ Dambreticourte that wolde we gladly se. The vaungarde wherin were a .v.C. spe­res of good men of armes rode forthe in good ordre / and the duke sente parte of his company thyder to make the gretter mustre / for he knewe well that his marshall wolde shewe there some dedes of armes.

WHen the watche of the castell sawe the vowarde approche he sowned alaram. Thenne the capytaynes knewe incontynente that the En­glysshmen came thyder. They ar­med [Page cii] them and put themselfe in good ordre / they were a hundred men of armes / and some came to theyr barryers with a .xii. penons. But syr Barroys of Barres was moost of reputacyon ¶And also he hadde the chefe charge / and also syr Iohan of Chatell Morant was the nexte. And when syr Thomas Moreaus marshall of the oost sawe that he was nere the towne he alyghted a foote and all his company / and delyue­red theyr horses to theyr pages and so came to­gyder to y ^e barryers with theyr speres in theyr handes / and at euery .vi. paces they rested to kepe themselfe close togyder / it was a goodly sy­ght to beholde them / and so on a fronte they ca­me to the barryers / and there they were recey­ued valy auntly / and I thynke yf they had ben in the playne felde there had ben noo goodlyer dedes of armes done then was done there / and yet the barryers was bytwene them / and there the marshall without was matched w ^t syr Iohn̄ of y ^e chateau Morant within and eche of them sore trauayled to hurte eche other / but theyr ar­mure was so good that noone of them toke do­mage / and syr Thomas Percy was coped with le Barroys and Mauburyn of Lyuyers with syr wyllyam of Mongteney / and syr Iohn̄ Dā bretycourte with syr Reynolde of Roy / and the lorde Talbot with Trystram de la gayle / thus they were matched and scrymysshed togyder w ^t theyr speres / and when they were wery they re­sted / and other knyghtes and squyers came / & scrymysshed in theyr places / this scrymysshe endured tyll hyghe noone / then archers came to y ^e place / but then the gentylmen departed and set crosse bowes to shote agaynst the englysshe ar­chers and spanyarde with dartes / and they scrymysshed tyl it was past one of the clocke. Then came other yomen and varlettes / and soo scry­mysshed tyll it was nyght. Then the englysshemen retourned / and they of the castell retour­ned in to theyr garyson and made good watche aboute halfe a legge frome the castell of Noye / alonge by the ryuers syde the Englysshe men laye / the whiche ryuer dydde them grete ease for theyr horses / for they had grete lacke of wa­ter tyll they came there / there they refresshed them a .v. or .vi. dayes / and then wente before y ^e towne of Arpente to se the dealynge of the con­stable of Castell and of the frensshmen / and the­re they herde tydynges of the kynge of Portyngale who laye in the playnes of Feroull and all his oost / and was in purpose to come to the towne of Padron in Galyce / whiche was in y ^e waye towarde the duke and the Englysshemen / and there it was ordeyned that the kynge and y ^e du­ke sholde mete togyder to comon / and determy­ne howe they sholde perceyuer in theyr warre. ¶They had ben a moneth a brode in the coun­trey and hadde nere hande brought all Galyce in to theyr obeysaunce / and they coulde here no tydynges of y ^e kynge of Castel nor of y ^e frensshe men / Wherfore they hadde grete meruayle / for it was sayd y ^t the kynge of Castel had somoned his people at Burgus fro all the partyes of the royalme / as of Castell / Syuell / Cordowayne / Collede / Spayne / Lyon / Struges / Vale oly­ue and of Sury / and y ^t he had .lx.M. men / and vi .M. speres of pure frensshe men. And howe that thyder sholde come y ^e duke of Borbon who as it was sayd was departed out of Fraunce to come thyder / therfore the Portyngales and the Englysshmen thought to drawe togyder to be the more stronger and redyer yf theyr enemyes come on them / and they byleued these tydynges to be of trouthe / wherfore they were ioyfull / for they wolde gladly haue made an ende by batayle / for otherwyse they sawe well they coulde not atteyne to theyr desyred entrepryse / and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac / and syr Gaultyer of Passac were alwayes aboute the kynge of Castell / and euery weke they had tydynges out of Fraunce what busynes there was there / and of the departynge of the duke of Borbon / and howe he toke in his waye of Auygnyon to se pope Clement and the cardynalles there / euer they counsayled the kynge not to fyght tyll the duke of Borbon were come / and amonge other tydynges they herde of the duke of Bretayne howe he had ta­ken in the castell of Ermyne y ^e constable of fraū ce / and raunsomed at a .C.M. frankes and of his .iii. castelles and towne that was delyuered to the duke of Bretayne / and howe that therby the iourney and boyage in to Englande was broken / they had meruayle of this / and to what purpose the duke of Bretayne dyd it / they sup­posed that the counsayle therof came out of En­glande.

THus as I haue sayd before the royalme of Fraunce was brought in to trouble / and specyally the kyn­ges vncles were sore moued with the defyaunce that came fro the duke of Guer­les / for they were fell and rude and out of the course of other defyaunces as I shall shewe you when I declare the matter. And also the frenssh kynge and his vncles were sore dyspleased in y ^t [Page] the duke of Bretayne had broken theyr voyage in to Englande by y ^e see / and he that was chefe of the entrepryse taken / that was the constable of fraunce and raunsomed as before is sayd at a .C.M. frankes & taken fro hym .iii. castelles and a towne / whiche was a thynge gretely preiudycyall to the kynge and to the royalme of fraunce / howbeit the kynge sonne passed ouer all the matters / for he was but yo [...]ge / wherfore he regarded it not so sore as though he had ben of perfyte age / but suche as were auncyent and wyse sayd y ^t by suche lyke matters the royalme of fraunce hath had moche a do in tyme past / as when the kynge of Nauare caused syr Charles of Spayne constable of Fraunce to be slayne / for whiche cause kynge Iohn̄ neuer loued after the kynge of Nauare and toke fro hym all his landes in Normandy. Then some other wolde saye yf kynge Charles fader to the kynge that nowe is were a lyue (he loued the constable soo well) surely he wolde be reuenged and make warre to the duke of Bretayne and to take fro hym all his landes what soo euer it cost hym. Thus euery man spake of this dede / and sayd it was euyll done / then the kynges vncles and the counsayle of the royalme / somwhat to satys­fye the people who were sore dyspleased with y ^e duke of Bretayne determyned that a prelate & .iii. barons sholde be sente to the duke to speke with hym and to here his reasons / & to commaū de hym to come to Parys to make his exscuse of y ^t he had done / thyder sholde go the bysshop of Beawuoys / and syr Myles of Dornams a sa­ge and a ryght valyaunt man / and well langa­ged / and with hym syr Iohn̄ of Bean / syr Iohn̄ of Beuell / and the lorde de la Ryuer who had theyr charge what they sholde saye and do / and the bysshoppe of Beaw [...]oys toke his waye by Mount le herry where as the constable was / for y ^e towne of Castell perteyned to hym kynge Charles had gyuen it to hym and to his heyres And whyle the bysshop was there a sykenes to­ke hym and so lay in a feuer a .xv. dayes & dyed / then in his stede was sente the bysshop of Lan­gers and he toke his waye with the other in to Bretayne.

IT myght be demaunded of me howe I knewe all these matters to speke so proprely of them. I answere to all suche / that I haue made grete dylygence in my dayes to knowe it and haue serched many royalmes & countreys to come to the true knowledge of all y ^e matters conteyned in this hystory wryten and to be wryten / for god gaue me the grace to haue the lay­sure to se in my dayes / and to haue the acquayntaunce of all the hyghe and myghty prynces & lordes as well in Fraunce as in Englande / for for in the yere of our lorde god a .M.iiiC.iiii. score and .x. I had laboured .xxxvii. yeres / and as then I was of the age of .lvii. yeres / and in .xxxvii. yeres a man beynge in strength and wel reteyned in euery coost as I was (for after my yonge dayes I was in the kynge of englandes courte .v. yeres with the quene. And also I was welcome to kynge Iohn̄ of Fraunce & to kynge Charles his sone) myght well lerne many thynges / and surely it was alwayes my chefe yma­gynacyon and pleasure to enquyre & to retayne it by wrytynge / and howe I was enfourmed of the takynge of the constable of Fraunce I shall shewe you. A yere after this matter fell I rode from the cyte of Angyers to Towres in Tow­rayne. And I laye on a nyght at Beauforte in y ^e vale / and the nexte day I met with a knyght of Bretayne called syr Wyllyam Daucemys / he was rydynge to se my lady of Mayll in Tow­rayne his cosyne & her chyldren / she was newly a wydowe / & I fell in aquayntaunce with this knyght and founde hym ryght curtoys & swete of wordes / then I demaunded of hym some ty­dynges and specyally of the takynge of the con­stable / whiche matter I was glad to here and to knowe the trouth therof / and he shewed me & sayd howe he had ben at y ^e parlyament at wan­nes with y ^e lorde of Aucemys his cosyne a grete baron of Bretayne. And in lyke maner as syr Espayne de Lyon enfourmed me of all thynges that had fallen in Foyze in Byerne / & in gascoyne / & also as syr Iohn̄ Ferrant parteke shewed me of all the matters of Portyngale / and of Castell. In lyke maner this knyght shewed me many thynges / and more wolde haue done if I had ryden longer in his company. Thus bytwene Mounte le herry and Premylly was .iiii. grete leages and we rode but softely / and in this way he shewed me many thynges / y ^e whiche I bare well in my remembraunce / and specyally of the aduentures of Bretayne. And thus as we rode & that we came nere to Premylly / we entred in to a medowe there this knyght rested and sayd A god haue mercy of the soule of the good con­stable of Fraunce / he dydde here ones a goodly iourney and profytable for the royalme vnder the baner of syr Iohn̄ de Bewell for he was not as then constable but newly come out of Spayne / and I demaunded of hym howe it was / I shal shewe you sayd he whē I am on horsebacke [Page ciii] and so we mounted: than we rode forthe fayre and easely / and as we rode he sayde.

In the season that I haue shewed you quod this knight / this countre here was full of En­glysshmen / robbers and pyllers of Gascoyne bretons and almayns / and aduenturers of all nacions: For all the countre on bothe sydes of the ryuer of Loyre / were replenysshed with them: For the warre bytwene Fraūce and Englande was newly renewed / so that all maner of theues and robbers entred in to this coun­trey / for here they assembled and fortifyed thē selfe / to conquere the castell of Beauforde in the valey / that ye sawe but late / was in their handes / and all the countrey about. Thus to come to my purpose / the Englysshmen & gas­coyns had in their handes / the towne and ca­stell of Prinulley / and had gretly fortifyed it. And they helde also other smalle forteresses a longe by the ryuer of Loyre: And whan so e­uer they wolde ryde / they were to the nombre bytwene a thousande and eyght hundred fightynge men: Than sir Bertram / sir Iohan of Beull / and the lorde of Mailly & other knyghtes of this countrey sette their ymaginacions / howe they myght delyuer the coūtrey of these people / and gathered toguyder a fyue hūdred speares / and had spyes / and knewe whan the Englysshe men wolde ryde / and were in pur­pose to come before Samure / For the capy­tayns of all their fortresses were assembled to guyder at Prinully / whiche is a lytell here be­fore vs. The frenchmen rode and passed the water that ye se here by vs / and layde thēselfe in a busshment in a wode / a lytell here besyde on our ryght hande. And in the mornynge at the sonne risynge / the Englysshe men and o­ther departed from Prinully / and they were a nyne hundred men. And whanne oure men sawe them / they knewe well they must fyght / and there they cōmuned toguyder / what crye they shulde call on that daye. Some wolde haue cryed the crye of sir Bertrame / but he wolde in no wyse agre therto: And more ouer he sayd / that he wolde displaye no baner that day / but that he wolde fyght vnder the baner of sir Iohan de Beull. Than our ennemyes came in to this medowe / where as I lyghted right nowe. and as soone as they were entred we brake out of our busshement and entred in to the medowe. And as soone as they sawe vs they a lyghted a fote / and we in lykewise: and so entred eche within other / the [...] was sore foynynge eche agaynst other / & dyuers of bothe parties ouerthrowen. Thus our batayle en­dured a longe space / without knowyng who shulde haue the vyctorie / but to saye y ^e trouth / we were all chosen men of armes / and many of our ennemyes were but yuell armed / and were but theues and robbers / Howbeit they founde vs worke ynoughe / and oure handes full. But than sir Moris Cresiquede and sir Geffray Richone / sir Geffray Caresnell and Morsonase / folowed sir Bertam at the spur­res. They came and refresshed vs with a threscore speares of good men of armes. & they russhed in with their horses and brake oure ennemyes so a brode / that they coude nat assē ble toguyder agayne. And whanne the capy­tayus of these pyllers sawe that the iourney wente agaynst them / they tooke their horses / nat all / for there abode in the felde a thre hun­dred slayne and taken: and the chase endured to saynt Mors on the ryuer of Loyre / & there they entred in to a bastell. sir Robert Sem / Robert Herne / Richarde Gylle / and Iaco­myne Clerke. These foure saued them selfe and passed ouer the ryuer of Loyre / and so entred in to foure fortresses / that their men hel­de on that syde the ryuer / but they taryed nat longe there / but rode in to Auuergne and Lymosyn.

THus by this iourney / all the coūtre here aboute was delyuered / for the robbers nor they assembled nomore toguyder after. Therfore I saye / that (ser) Bertram the constable was a valyaunt man / and profitable for the realme of Fraunce. sir quod I it is trewe / he was a valyaunt man / and so is sir Olyuer of Clesquyn. and whan I na­med hym Clesquyn the knight smyled / And I demaunded of hym where at he smyled. sir quod he I shall shewe you / bycause ye name hym Clesquyn / for that is nat his right name nor neuer was / thoughe euery man call hym so / yet all we of Bretayne call hym the same. And (ser) Bertram while he lyued wolde gladly haue hadde it refourmed / but he coude nat a­mende it / for the worde is redyer to falle on a mannes tonge / than his right name. Than I desyred hym of his courtesy / to shewe me if there were any great difference bytwene his [Page] names. Nay sir quod he there is no great difference / but where he is called Clesquyn / he shulde be named Glaye aquyne. And I shall shewe you as I haue herde it reported / howe that name came to hym / and it is of trouthe / For ye shall fynde it written in the auncyent cronycles of Bretaygne. The wordes of this knight greatly pleased me / and I said to hym Sir / ye shall do me great pleasure / to shewe me the mater / and I shall neuer forgete it / for sir Bertram was so valyaunt a knyght / that his dedes ought to be put in remembraunce. That is true ꝙ the knyght / and I shall shewe you. Thus sir Wyllyam of Aunsiens began his tale.

In the season whan Charles the great rai­gned in Fraunce / who conquered and augmē ted the faythe / and was Emperour of Rome and kyng of Fraunce and of Almaygne / and lyeth at Ayes the chapell. This kynge Char­les / as we rede and fynde in the auncyent cro­ny cles / For ye knowe well that all the know­lege in the worlde is knowen by writyng / for we haue nothyng to sounde vpon trouthe nor to aproue it but by scripture. this kyng Charles was in Spayne diuers tymes / and at one tyme he was styll there a .ix. yere / without re­tournyng in to Fraunce / but styll went forthe on his conquest. In the same season the [...] was a kyng sarazyn called Aquyn / he was kyng of Bougie in Barbary / right ouer agaynst spaigne / for Spaygne is a great countrey / begynnyng at saynt Iohn̄s Pie du porte / for the re­alme of Arragon and Nauer / of Bisquay / of Portugale / of Cōnymbres / of Lixbone / of Ciuyle / of Tollet / of Cordwayne / and of Lyon. All these be inclosed within Spayne / & other. And this great kyng Charlemayne / cōquerid all these countreis. And in this season that the kyng taryed there so longe / this kyng Aquyn of Bougy in Barbary / assembled his mē and came by see in to Bretaygne / and arryued at the porte of Wannes / and he hadde there with hym his wyfe and chyldren / and there he con­quered and went forwarde. Kynge Charles was well enfourmed of this viage / and howe kynge Aquyn prospered in Bretayne / but for all that he wolde nat breke his vyage / & sayd. Lette hym alone in Bretaygne / it shalbe but a small mater to delyuer the countrey of hym and of his. Whan we haue ones [...]ubdued his countrey here / and brought it in to the holy faythe. This kynge Aquyn buylded a towre by the See syde: nat farre of fro Wannes / a goodly and a fayre towre / and it was called Glaye / And there this kynge Aquyn lay mo­che. And whan kyng Charles had accomplis­shed his vyage / and acquyted all Galyce and Spaygne from all the myscreantes / and the kynges Sarazyns deed and slayne / and all the lande tourned to the Christen faythe. than he retourned in to Bretaygne / and on a daye hadde a great batayle agaynst this kynge Aquyne / and nyghe all the myscreantes slayne. And so this kynge Aquyne fledde in to the ca­stell of Glaye / and there he hadde redy at the foote of the towre a shyppe / and therin he en­tred / and his wyfe and his chyldren. But he and his wyfe made suche haste he was so nere chased / that they hadde no leysar to take with them a yong sonne that laye and slepte in the towre / of a yere olde. Thus the kynge and his wyfe departed by the see / and this chylde was founde in the towre of Glaye / and was brought to kynge Charlemaygne / who was right ioyouse of hym and said / howe y ^e chylde shulde be baptysed / and so he was: and Rou­land & Olyuer helde hym ouer the fonte / and was named Olyuer. And the kyng gaue him all the landes that his father Aquyn had con­quered. This chylde whan he came to the age of a man was a good knight / and his men called hym sir Olyuer de Glaye aquyn / bycause he was founde in the towre of Glaye / & some to the kynge Aquyn.

Thus I haue shewed you the firste fouu­dacyon of sir Bertram of Clesquyn / who shulde be called Glaye aquyne. And sir Bertram in his dayes / after the puttynge out of kynge Dōpeter of Castyle / and had crowned kyng Henry / sayde howe he wolde go in to Bougy to demaūde his herytage / And without fayle so he had done / for kyng Henry had lent hym men and shyppes to go in to Bougye with a great armye / if a great lette had nat broken his voyage. And that was whan̄e the prince of Wales made warre vpon the sayde kynge Henry / and dyde put hym downe / and by pu­issaunce dyde sette in to Castyle agayne Dō ­peter. And than at the batayle of Marres sir Bertram was taken prisonner by sir Iohan Chandos / and was sette to raunsome at a hū dred [Page civ] thousande frankes. And at another tyme he was also taken at the batayle of Alroy / and raunsomed agayne / at a hundred thousande Frankes. So thus sir Bertrams purpose was brokenne / for the warres bytwene En­glande and Fraunce was renewed / So that they hadde ynoughe to do. Thus he was ly­nially discended fro the kynge of Bougy na­med Aquyne / whose kyngdome is in Barba­rye. Thus I haue shewed you the ryght dis­cente of sir Bertram of Clesquyn / I thanked hym / and so we came to the towne of Prinul­ley. ⸫ ⸫

IF I had ben as longe in cōpany with this knight sir Guyllyam of Aunsens / as I was with sir Espayn de Leon / whā I rode with hym fro the cyte of Pauy­ers to Ortayes in Byerne / Or elles as long as I had ben with sir Iohn̄ Ferant Pertelette of Portyngale. He wolde haue shewed me many thyngꝭ / but it was nat so / for after dyner whan we had rydden a .ii. leages we came to a forked waye / the one way was right to Towres in Towrayne / whether as. I supposed to ryde / & the other waye was to Maylle / whether the knyght was determyned to ryde. So at this waye we brake com­pany takyng leaue eche at other / but bytwene Prinulley and our departynge he shewed me many thynges / and specially of the busynesse in Bretayne / and howe the bysshoppe of Langers was sent in the stede of the bysshoppe of Beawuoys / who dyed by the waye. and how the bysshoppe of Langers with sir Iohan de Bowyll and other / came to the duke of Bre­tayne / and of the answere that they had. and on the informacyon of this knyght I toke my foundacion / and haue written as foloweth.

yE haue herde here be fore / howe these ambassadours departed fro Parys / fro the kyng and his counsaye / well in structed what they shulde saye and do: and so long they rode by their iourneys / that they a­ryued at Nauntes. Than they demaunded where the duke was / it was shewed thē howe he was about the marchesse of wānes / whe [...] as most accustomably he lay. They rode thy­der / and so came to the cytie of Wannes / it is but .xx. myles bytwene. The duke was in the castell called le Mote: than they came before the duke / who by semblant made to thē good and swete recule. The bysshoppe of Langers bycause he was a prelate / began to speke and to make his preposicyon well and sagely / and sayde. Sir duke / we are here sente to you fro the kynge our maister and fro his vncles / the duke of Berrey and of Burgoyne / to shewe vnto you / howe they haue great marueyle / in that the voiage that they wolde haue made in to Englande is by your meanes broken / and haue taken and raunsomed the Constable of Fraunce / at so highe a raūsome / that they are ryght sorie therof. And moreouer ye wyll ha­ue thre of his castelles in Bretaygne / the whi­che shalbe a great anoyaūce to all the resydue of the coūtre / if they shuloe be holde agaynst them / with the ayde of the towne of Iugone / the whiche is pertaynynge to the Constables herytage. Therfore we are charged to shewe you / and we saye vnto you as messangers fro the kynge our mayster / and from his vncles / that ye rendre agayne to the cōstable of Fraū ­ce his herytage / that ye with holde from hym / and sette hym agayne in peasable possessyon / accordyng vnto ryght / in lyke maner as they were before / whan they were delyuered you perforce / and by none other ryght nor tytell / that ye haue to them. And also / that ye restore agayne entierlye / all the money that ye haue hadde of hym. And this is the commaunde­ment of the kynge and his counsayle / that ye come ꝑsonally to Parys / or where as it shall please the kyng to assygne you / there to make your excuse. And we repute hym so benygne and pacyent / with that ye be of the blode roy­all / that he wyll here your excuse: And if he be nat reasonable / the duke of Berrey and the duke of Burgoyne wyll so temper hym / that ye shalbe frendes and cosyn to the kynge / as by reason ye ought to be. Than the bysshopp̄ [Page] tourned hym to sir Iohan of Beull and said. Sir / is nat this the kynges pleasure? and he sayde yes / and so dyde sir Iohan de Vyen. At these wordes there were no mo present but they foure.

WHan the duke of Bretaine had herde the bysshoppe of Langers speke / he studyed a lytell and good cause why for it was a great matter / and at the laste he sayde. Sirs / I haue well vnderstande your wordes / and it is good reasone that I so do / bycause ye be sent from the kyng and his vn­cles. Wherfore in their behalfe I wyll do you all the honour and reuerence that I can do / I am bounde therto / but your demaūde and request requyreth counsayle. Wherfore I shall take counsayle with myne / and make you su­che answere / that ye shall be contented. Sir / ye saye well quod they / it suffyceth vs. Than they departed and wente to their lodgynges. At nyght they were desyred to dyne the nexte daye with the duke. So the nexte daye they came to the duke and were well receyued / and so wasshed and went to dyner & satte downe. Firste the bysshoppe of Langers bycause he was a prelate / and than the duke / than the admyrall of Fraunce / and thanne sir Iohan de Beulle: They hadde a great dyner and were well serued / and after dyner they entred in to a counsayle chambre / and there they talked of dyuers maters / and herde mynstrelsy.

These lordes of Fraunce thought surely to haue hadde an answere / but they hadde none: Than wyne and spyces were brought in / and so made collasyon / and than toke their leaue and departed to their lodgynge. The nexte daye they were apoynted to come to the duke / and so they dyde / and the duke receyued them swetely and at the laste sayd. Sirr / I knowe well ye looke to be aunswered / for by the wor­des that I haue herde you saye / ye are char­ged by the kyng and his vncles to bring them an answere. Wherfore I say to you / y ^t I haue done nothynge to sir Olyuer of Clesquyne / wherof I shulde repente me / sauynge of one thynge / and that is / That he hadde so good a markette / as to escape a lyue. And in that I saued his lyfe / was for the loue of his offyce / and nat for his persone / For he hath done me soo many displeasures / that I ought to hate hym deedly. And sauynge the displeasure of the kyng and of his vncles / and his coūsayle. For all the takynge of sir Olyuer / I haue nat therby broken their voyage by the see. I wyll well excuse my selfe therin / for I thought non yuell the daye that I toke hym / a man ought to take his ennemy whersoeuer he fynde hym And if he were deed / I wolde thynke the Re­alme of Fraunce to be as well ruled or better / than it is by his counsayle. And as for his ca­stelles that I holde / the whiche he hath dely­uered me / I am in possessyon of them / and so wyll be / withoute the puyssaunce of a kynge take them fro me. And as for rendringe of his money / I aunswere / I haue had so moche to do in tyme paste / by the meanes of this sir O­lyuer of Clysquyn / that I ranne in dette gretlye therby: and nowe I haue payde them that I was bounde vnto / by reason of this dette. This was the answere that the duke of Bre­taygne made to the kynges ambassadours / Than they layde forthe other reasons / to en­duce the duke to some reasonable waye / but all his answeres tourned euer to one conclu­syon. And whan they sawe none other waye / they toke their leaues to departe / and y ^e duke gaue them leaue. Than̄e they retourned and dyd so moch by their iourneys that they came to Parys / to the house of Beautie / besyde Wynsentes. There was the kyng & the quene and thyder came the duke of Berrey and the duke of Bourgoyne / hauyng great desyre to knowe what answere the duke of Bretaygne haddemade.

THe aunswere ye haue herde here be­fore / I nede nat to shewe it agayne / but the kyng and his counsayle were nat content with the duke of Bretaygne / that his ambassadours hadde made no better ex­ployte: and they sayde / howe the duke was a proude man and a presumptuous / and that the mater shulde nat so reste in peace / seynge the matter so preiudyciall for the Crowne of Fraunce. And the entensyon of the kyng and his counsayle was / to make warre agaynste the duke of Bretayne / and the duke loked for nothynge elles / For he sawe and knewe well / howe he had greatly displeased the kyng and his counsell / but he hated so mortally the con­stable / that it toke fro hym the good order of reason / for he repented hym sore / that he had nat putte hym to dethe / whan he hadde hym [Page cv] in his daunger. Thus the mater contynued a longe season / and the duke of Bretayne laye at Wannes / and lytell and lytell rode ouer his countrey / for he freared greatly embusshmentes. He kepte styll in loue and fauour his cy­ties and good townes / and made secrete treaties with the Englysshmen / and made his ca­stelles and forteresses to be as well kepte / as thoughe he had had opyn warre / and was in many imaginacions on the dede he had done Somtyme he wolde say / he wolde he had nat taken the constable / howe be it he sayd euer to stoppe mennes mouthes / that sir Olyuer of Clesquyn had sore dishleased hym / so that many a man sayd / that elles he wolde neuer haue done it / therby he brought his coūtre in feare / for it is but a small signorie / if a prince be nat feared and douted of his menne / for and the worste fall / he maye haue peace whan he lyst. ¶Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of the duke of Bretaygne / and let vs somwhat speke of the busynesse that was in the realme of Englāde / whiche was in the same season / horryble and marueylous. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue herde here before / howe the kyng of Englandes vncles / the duke of yorke & the duke of Gloucestre / with therle of Salisbury and the erle of Arundell / the erle of Northumberlande / the erle of No­tyngham / and the archebysshoppe of Caūter­bury. All these were of one alyaunce and ac­corde / agaynst the kynge and his counsayle / for these lordes and other / were nat content w ^t the kynges counsayle / and sayd among them selfe. This duke of Irelande dothe with the kynge what he lyste / and with all the realme. The kyng wyll nat be counsayled but by vn­happy men / and of base lynage / and taketh no regarde to the great lordes of his realme. As longe as he hath suche counsayle about hym / the busynesse of Englande can nat do well for a realme can nat be well gouerned / nor a kyn­ge well counsayled / by suche vngracious people. It is sene a poore man moūted in to gret estate and in fauoure with his mayster / often tymes corrupteth & distroyeth the people and the realme. A man of base lynage / canne nat knowe what parteyneth to honoure / their de­syre is euer to enryche and to haue all thēselfe / lyke an Otter in the water / whiche coueteth to haue all that he fyndeth. Who hath any profyte by that the duke of Irelande is so great with the kyng? we knowe full well fro whense he came / yet we se that all the realme is ruled by hym and nat by the kynges vncles / nor by none of his blode. This ought nat to be suf­fred. We knowe well ynoughe / that the Erle of Oxenforde had neuer y ^e grace to do any valyaunt dede in this realme: his honour / wysedome / counsayle or gentylnesse / is ryght well knowen / and that was well knowen ones by sir Iohan Chandos / in the prince of Wales house at saynt Andrewes in Burdeaux. Another demaūded what mater was that / I shall shewe you quod the other knyght / for I was there present. There was wyne brought on a day into the princes Chambre / where as there were many lordes of Englande with hym. & whan the prince had dronke / bicause sir Iohn̄ Chandos was constable of Acquitayne / the prince sente hym his cuppe first to drinke / and he toke the cuppe and dranke / and made ther­of none offre firste to the Erle of Oxenforde / who was father to this duke of Irelāde: and after that sir Iohan Chandos had dronke / a squyer bare the cuppe to the Erle / who hadde suche dispyte that sir Iohan Chandos hadde drōke before hym / that he refused the cuppe / & wolde nat drinke / and sayde to the squyer in maner of a mocke. Go to thy mayster Chan­dos / and bydde hym drinke. Shall I go said the squyer / he hath dronke all redy? Therfore drinke you sythe he hath offred it to you / if ye wyll nat drinke / by saynt George I shall cast the drinke in your face. Therle whan he herd that / douted that the Squyer wolde do as he sayde / and so toke the cuppe / and sette it to his mouthe and dranke / or at leest made semblant to drinke. And sir Iohan Chandos who was [Page] nat farre thens / sawe well all the mater and helde hym styll tyll the prince was gone from them: Than he came to the Erle and sayde. Sir Aubery are ye displeased / in that I dranke before you? I am Constable of this coun­trey / I maye well drinke before you / sythe my lorde the Prince and other lordes here / are cō tente therwith. It is of trouthe ye were at the batayle of Poycters / but suche as were there knoweth nat so well as I what ye dyd the [...]/ I shall declare it.

¶Whanne that my lorde the Prince hadde made his voyage in Languedocke and Car­cassone to Narbone / and was retourned hy­ther to this towne of Bourdeaux / ye toke on you to go in to Englande / What the Kynge sayde to you at your cōmynge I knowe right well / yet I was nat there. He demaunded of you if ye hadde furnysshed your voyage / and what ye had done with his sonne the Prince. ye aunswered / howe ye had lefte hym in good helth at Bourdeaux: Than the kynge sayde. What and howe durste ye be so bolde / to re­tourne without hym. I commaūded you and all other whan ye departed / that ye shulde nat retourne without hym / on payne of all that ye myght forfayte. And you this to retourne / I straitly commaunde you / that within four dayes ye auoyde my realme / and retourne a­gayne to hym / For and I fynde you within this my realme the fifth day / ye shall lese your lyfe / and all your herytage for euer. And ye feared the kynges wordes / as it was reason / and so auoyded the realme / and so your aduē ­ture and fortune was good / for truely ye were with my lorde the prince a foure dayes before the batayle of Poicters / And so ye hadde the day of the batayle fourtie speares vnder your charge / and I had threfore. Nowe ye mayese wheder I ought to drinke before you or nat syth I am constable of [...] equytaygne. The erle of Orenforde was a shamed / and wolde gladlye he hadde ben thens at that tyme / but he was fayne to suffre and to here those wor­des. This sir Iohan Chandos sayde to hym in opyn presence. Therfore it is nat to be marueyled / thoughe this duke of Irelande / who is sonne to the sayd erle of Oxenforde / be dis­daynfull / in folowynge the steppes of his fa­ther. For he taketh vpon hym to rule all En­glande aboue the kynges vncles. Well quod some other why shulde he nat / sythe the kyng wyll haue it so.

THus the people in the Realme mur­mured in dyuers places / agaynst the duke of Irelande / And he dyde one thyng that greatly abated his honour / & that was / he had firste to his wyfe the doughter of the lorde of Coucy / the lady Isabell / who was a fayre Lady and a good / and of more noble blode than he is of. But he fell in loue with another damosell of the quenes of Englande an Almaygne borne / and dyde so moche with pope Vrbayne at Rome / that he was deuor­sed fro the doughter of the lorde Coucy / with­out any tytell of reason / but by presumpcion / and for his synguler appetyte / and than wed­ded the quenes mayde / and kynge Rycharde consēted there to. he was so blynded with this duke of Irelande that if he had sayd. sir / this is whyte / tho it had ben blacke / y ^e kyng wolde nat haue sayd the contrarye. This dukes mother was greatly displeased with him for that dede / and toke in to her cōpany his first wyfe the lady of Coucy. The duke dyde yuell / and therfore at length yuell came to hym. and this was the first princypall cause that he was be­hated for in Englande / euery thyng that tur­neth to yuell / must haue a begynning of yuell. This duke of Irelande trusted so moche in the grace and fauour of the kyng / that he beleued / that no man shulde trouble hym. And it was a cōmon renome through Englāde / that the [...] shulde be a newe taxe raysed through the realme / that euery fyre shulde paye a noble / and the riche to beare out the poore. The kyn­ges vncles knewe well it wolde be a harde mater to bringe about. And they had caused cer­tayne wordes to be sowen abrode in the cyties and good townes of Englande / as to saye / howe the people of Englande were sore gre­ued with tares and talenges / and howe there was great rychesse raysed / and that the com­mon people wolde haue accomptes of the go­uernours therof / as the archebysshop of yorke the duke of Irelande / sir Symon Burle / sir Mychaell de la Pole / sir Nycholas Brāble / sir Robert Try [...]lyen / (ser) Peter Golouser / sir Iohan Salisbury / sir Iohan Beauchampe / and the maisters of the Staple of the wolles. The commons sayd / that if they wolde make a trewe accōpte / there shulde be founde golde [Page cvi] and syluer suffycient / without raysing of any newe subsydies. It is a common vsage / none is gladde to pay money nor to opyn their purses / if they may lette it.

THis brute and noyse spredde so a brode in Englande / and specially in the cytie of London / whiche is chyefe cytie in the realme / that all the cōmons rose and sayde / howe they wolde knowe howe the realme was go­uerned. sayenge / howe it was longe syth any accompte was made. Firste these londoners drewe theym to syr Thomas of Woodstocke duke of Gloucestre / thoughe he were yonger brother than sir Edmonde duke of yorke. The common people reputed the duke of Glocestre for a valyant and a sage discrete parson. And whan they came before hym they sayde. Syr the good cytie of London recōmaundeth them to you / and all the people ingenerall requireth you to take vpon / you the gouernynge of the realme. For they knowe well it is nat vnkno­wen to you / howe the kynge and the realme is gouerned. The cōmon people complayneth them sore / for the kynges counsayle demaun­deth / tayles vpon tayles / aydes vpon aydes / so that the realme hath ben more greued with tayles and other subsydies / nat accustomed / sythe the kynges Coronacyon / than in fyftie yere before / and it is nat knowen where the richesse is become. Wherfore sir / maye it please you to prouyde some remedy / or elles the ma­ter wyll go yuell / for the commons cryeth out theron. Than the duke answered and sayde / fayre sirs I haue herde you well speke / but I alone can nat remedy this mater / howe be it I se well ye haue cause to cōplayne / and so hathe all other people. But though I be vncle to the kynge and sonne to a kyng: though I shulde speke therof / yet nothynge shalbe done for all that / For the kyng my nephue hath suche coū sayle as nowe about hym / whome he beleueth better than hym selfe / whiche coūsayle ledeth hym as they lyste. But if ye wyll come to the effecte of your desyres / it must behoue you to haue of youre accorde and agrement / all the cyties and good townes of Englande. And also some prelates and noble ꝑsonages of the realme / and so come toguyder in to the kyn­ges presens / and I & my brother shalbe there. And than ye maye saye to the kynge. Ryght dere sir / ye were crowned very yonge / and y­uell ye haue ben counsayled / as yet hyther vn­to / Nor ye haue nat takenne good regarde to the busynesse of this your Realme / by reason of the poore and yonge counsayle that ye ha­ue aboute you. Wherby the matters of your realme hath hadde but small and yuell effe­ctes / as ye haue sene and knowen ryght well. For if God haddenat shewed his grace / this realme had been loste and distroyed. Ther­fore sir / here in the prensens of your vncles / we requyre youre grace / as humble subiectes ought to desyre their prince / that your grace wyll fynde some remedy / that this noble Re­alme of Englande / and the noble crowne therof / whiche is discended to you / from the noble kyng Edwarde the thirde / who was y ^e moost nobles kynge that euer was / sythe Englande was firste enhabyted / that it maye be sustey­ned in sprosperyte and honour / and your people that complayneth / to be kepte and mayn­teyned in their ryght / the whiche to do / your grace dyde swere the daye of youre Corona­cion. And that it maye please you to call togyther the thre estates of your Realme / prelates and barownes / and wysemen of your cyties and good townes. and that they may regarde if the gouernyng of your realme that is past / be well or nat. And sir / if they parceyue that it hath been well / thanne suche as be in offyce to remaygne styll / as longe as it shall please your grace: and if they be founde contrarye / thaūe they in courtesse maner to be auoyded fro your persone / and other notable and dys­crete persones to be sette in to offyce. First by your noble aduyse / & by the consent of my lor­des your vncles / and noble prelates and barones of your realme. And sirs quod the duke of Gloucester / whan ye haue made this sup­plycacion to the kynge / he wyll thanne make you some maner of answere. If he saye that he wyll take counsayle in the mater / than de­syre to haue ashorte day. And peyse so the mater before hande / to putte the kynge and suche marmosettes as be about hym to some feare. Saye to hym boldely / that the Realme wyll no lengar suffre it / and that it is marueyle / howe they haue suffred it so longe / and I and my brother / and the bysshoppe of Caunter­burye / and the Erle of Salisbury / the Erle of Arundell / and the erle of Northumberlāde [Page] wyll be by / for without we be present speke no worde therof. We are the greatest ꝑsonages of Englande / and we shall ayde to susteyne your wordes. For all we shall say / howe your desyre is but reasonable. And whan he hereth vs speke / he wyll agre there to / or els he dothe amysse / and thervpon apoynt a tyme: This is the best counsayle I can gyue you. Than the Londoners answered and sayde. Sir / ye counsayle vs nobly. But sir / it wyll be harde for vs to fynde y ^e kyng and you / and all these lordes toguyder in one place. Nay nay quod the duke it maye well be done / saynt Georges daye is nowe within this syre dayes. The kynge wyll be than at wyndsore: & ye knowe well the duke of Irelande wyll be there / and sir Symon Burle and many / other and my brother and I and therle of Salisbury shall be there / therfore prouyde for y ^• mater ayenst that tyme. Sir quod they it shalbe done / and so they departed ryght well contente with the duke of Gloucester. Than whan saynt Geor­ges daye came / the kyng and the quene were at Wyndsore / and made there a great feest / as his predecessours hadde done before / the next daye after the feest of saynt George. Thyder came the londoners to the nombre of threscore horse / and of yorke as many / and many othes of dyuers good townes of Englande / & they lodged in the towne of Wyndsore / The kyng was determyned to departe to place a thre leages thens / and whan he knewe of the com­myng of the people to speke w ^t hym / he wolde the sooner haue ben gone: He sayde he wolde in no wyse speke with them. But than his vn­cles and therle of Salisbury sayd. sir / ye may nat with your honour thus departe. The people of youre good townes of Englande / are come hyder to speke with you. Sir / it is ne­cessary that ye here them / and to knowe what they demaunde / and there after ye maye aun­swere them or els take counsayle to aunswere them. So thus full sore agaynst the kynges mynde he was fayne to tarye. than they came into his pres [...]ns in the great hall alowe / there was the kynge and bothe his vncles / and the archebysshoppe of Caunterbury / the bysshop of Wynchester / and the Chaunceler / and the erle of Salisbury / the erle of Northumber / lande and dyuers other. There this people made their request to the kyng / and a burges of London spake for them all / named sir Si­meon of Subery / a sage man and well langaged / and there declared well and boldely the effecte of thinformacyon that the duke of Glocester had shewed thē / before as ye haue herde Whan the kyng had herde hym well / he sayd. Amonge you cōmons of my realme / your re­questes are great and long / they are nat ouer soone to be spedde / we shall nat be toguyder agayne a long season / and also great parte of my counsayle is nat here present. Therfore I saye vnto you / gette you home agayne & sytte in reste / and come nat agayne tyll the feest of Myghelmas / without ye be sente for / at whi­che tyme our parlyament shalbe at Westmynster. Than come & bringe your requestes and we shall shewe it to our counsayle / and that is good we shall accepte it / and that ought to be refused we shall condempne. But sirs / thinke nat that we wyll be rewled by our cōmon peo­ple / that shall neuer be sene / as for our gouer­nynge nor in the gouernaunce of them y ^t rule vnder vs / we se nothynge but right & iustyce. Than a seuyn of them all with one voyce an­swered and sayde. Right redouted souerayne sayng your gracyous displeasure / as for iu­styce in your realme is right feble / your grace knoweth nat all / nor canne nat knowe. your grace nouther demaundeth for it nor enque­reth therfore / and suche as be of your coūsayle forbere to shewe it you / bycause of their owne profyte. For sir / it is no iustyce to cutte of hee­des / handes / and fete / suche maner of punysshmentes be nat laudable. But sir / good iustice is to kepe your people in ryght / and to sette suche wayes and order / as they myght lyue in peace / that they shulde haue none occasyon to grudge or to make any commosyon. And sir / we saye that ye sette vs to longe a daye / as to Mighelmas. sir / we may be neuer so well ea­sed as nowe / Wherfore sir / we saye all by one assente that we wyll haue accompte / and that shortely / of them that hath gouerned your re­alme / sythe your Coronacyon. And we wyll knowe Where youre Reuenewes is become / with all the taxes / tayles / and subsydies this nyne yeres paste / and wheron they haue been bestowed. If suche as are your treasourers make a good accompte / or nere thervnto / we shall be ryght ioyouse / and suffre them to go­uerne styll. And if they can nat acquyte them selfe therin trewly / they shalbe refourmed by youre deputyes establysshed to that purpose / [Page cvii] as my lordes your vncles & other. With those wordes the kynge behelde his vncles & helde his peace / to se what they wolde saye. Than sir Thomas duke of Gloucester sayde. Sir / in the request and prayer of these good people the commons of your realme / I se nothynge therin but ryght and reasone. Sir quod the duke of yorke it is of trouthe / and so sayde all the other prelates and barons that were there present. Than the duke of Gloucester sayde agayne. Sir / it is but reason that ye knowe where your good is become. The kyng sawe well / howe they were all of one accorde / and sawe howe this chafe Marmosettes durst spe­ke no worde / for there were to many gret men agaynst them. Well quod the kyng I am content. Lette them be rydde awaye / for sommer season cometh on and huntynge tyme / wher­vnto we wyll nowe entende: Than the kynge sayd to the people. Sirs / wolde ye haue this mater shortely dispatched? yea sir quod they / and that humbly we beseche your grace. And also we beseche all my lordes here / and specy­ally my lordes your vncles to be there at. We are content quod they / for the apeysyng of all parties / as well for the kynge as for the Re­alme / for oure parte lyeth therin. Than they sayde agayne. We desyre also the reuerende father in god / the archebysshoppe of Caun­terbury / the bysshoppe of Lyncolne / and the bysshoppe of Wynchester to be there. They aunswered and sayde / they were content so to be. Than agayn they desyred all other lordes to be there / that were there present / as the erle of Salisbury and the Erle of Northumber­lande / sir Reynolde Cobham / sir Guy Brian sir Iohn̄ Felton / sir Mathewe Gourney. and moreouer they sayd / they wolde ordayne that of euery good cytie and towne in Englande / there shulde be a thre or four notable persons / and they shulde determyne for all the hole cō ­montie of Englande. Than this mater was determyned / and to assemble the vtas of saint George at Westmynster. And there all y ^e treasourers / collectours / and offycers of the kyn­ges to be there / and to make there accomptes before these sayd lordes. The kyng was con­tent therwith / and was brought to it by fayrenesse and nat byfore / by the desyre of his vn­cles and other lordes: It semed to hym beho­uable / to knowe where his treasoure was be­come. Thus amiably euery man deꝑted fro Wyndsore / and the lordes went to London / & the treasourers and other offycers were sende for throughout the realme / to come with their full accomptes on payne of dishonourynge / & losse of all that they had / and lyfe. ⸪ ⸪

THe day prefixed came that all ꝑtes apered at westmynster / & suche as shulde make their accomptes apered before the kynges vn­cles / and suche other prela­tes and lordes / with other as were assigned to here thē. This accompte endured more than a moneth / and some there were that made their accomptes nother good nor honourable / & suche were punisshed bothe by their bodyes and by their goodes. sir Sy­mon Burle was cast in arerage of .ii.C. and l.M. frankes / bycause he was one of the go­uernours in the kynges youthe. And he was demaunded where this good was bestowed / he excused hym selfe by the bysshop of yorke & sir Wylliam Neuell sayeng howe he dyde nothyng but by their counsayle / and by the kyn­ges chamberleyns / (ser) Robert Tryuilyen / sir Robert Beauchampe / sir Iohn Salisbury sir Nycholas Braule / sir Peter Goufer / and other. And whan they were demaūded therof before the counsaile / they denyed the mater / & layd all the faute in hym. And the duke of Irelande sayd to hym priuely bytwene them two. Sir Symon / I vnderstande ye shalbe are­sted and sette in prison / and holde there tyll ye haue payed the sōme that is demaunded / no­thyng shalbe abated. Go your waye whether soeuer they sende you / I shall rightwell make your peace / thoughe they had all sworne the contrary. I ought to receyue of the constable of Fraūce threscore .M. frankes / for the raunsome [Page] of Iohan of Bretaygne / sonne to saynt Charles of Bloys / the whiche sōme ye knowe well is owyng to me / I shall present the coun­sayle therwith at this tyme. And fynally the kyng is our soueraigne lorde / he shall pardon and forgyue it you clerely / for y ^e profet ought to be his and no mannes els. Syr ꝙ sir Sy­mon Burle / if I thought nat that ye shulde helpe agaynst the kynge / and to beare out my dedes / I wolde departe out of Englande and go in to Almayne / and to the kyng of Beame for thyder I coulde be welcome: and so let the mater rynne a season tyll the worlde be better apeased. Than the duke sayde. I shall neuer fayle you / we are companyons and all of one sect. ye shall take day to pay their demaūde / I knowe well ye maye pay and ye lyste in redy money / more than a hundred thousande fran­kes ye nede nat feare the dethe / ye shall nat be brought to that poynte / ye shall se the mater o­therwise chaunge before the feast of saynt Mi­chell / whan I haue the kyng ones at my wyll / wherof I ame sure. For all that he dothe now at this tyme is by force and agaynst his wyll. We muste apease these cursed londoners / and lay downe this slaunder & brute that is nowe raysed agaynst vs and ours.

SIr Symon Burle had a lytell truste on the wordes of the duke of Irelande / and so came before the lordes of Englande dukes / erles / barons / and counsayle of the good townes. Than it was sayde to hym. Sir Symon / ye haue alwayes ben a notable knight in the realme of Englāde / and ye were well beloued with my lorde the prince. And ye and the duke of Irelande haue had in a ma­ner the gouernynge of the kyng. We haue sene all your maters and well examyned them / the whiche be nother good nor faire / which gretly displeaseth vs / for your owne sake. It is clerely determynyd by the hole generall counsayle that ye must go to prison / in to y ^e towre of London / & there to remayne tyll ye haue brought into this chambre the money of the kynges / and of the realmes that ye haue gathered. the whiche as it apereth by the treasourers rolles draweth to the some of two hundred and fyfty thousande frankes. Nowe loke what ye wyll say. Than syr Symon was halfe discomfor­ted and said. Sirs I shall with a good wyll / And also it behoueth me so to do / to fulfyll yo [...] cōmaundement. I shall go where as ye com­maunde me. But my lordes I require you let me haue a clerke assigned to me / that he maye write all suche expenses as I haue layde oute in tyme past / in Almayne & in Beame / in pro­curynge the kinges maryage. And if there be any reast / I beseche you let me haue the kyn­ges grace and yours / that I may haue reaso­nable dayes to pay it. Sir quod the lordes we are content. Thus syr Symon Burle was in prison in the towre of London.

THan the constable spake of (ser) Willyam Helmon and of sir Thomas Tryuet / for they were nat greatly in y ^e fauour of some of the barones of Englande / nor of the com­montie of the realme / for the vyage that they made in to Flaunders / For it was sayd / that neuer Englysshmen made so shamefull a vy­age. The bysshoppe of Norwyche and sir Hughe Caurell / that was as than capitayne of Calais were excused. & layde to the others charge / howe they hadde taken money for the gyueng vp of Burbourcke and Grauelyng / Some sayd / that that dede was trayson. they were sent for and sir Wylliam Helmon came / but sir Thomas Tryuer was excused I shall shewe you howe. ¶The same weke that he was sente for / beyng in his owne house in the Northe ꝑte / he rode out into the feldes vpon a yonge horse that he hadde and spurred hym so that the horse ranne awaye with hym / ouer busshes and hedges / and at laste fell in a dyke and brake his necke / and so sir Thomas Triuet dyed whiche was great dōmage / and his dethe was greatlye complayned with many good menne of the realme. yet for all that his heyres were fayne to paye a certayne somme of Floreyns to the Counsayle to the kynges behoue / as they sayde. But the chiefe ency­tyng of those maters came by the kynges vn­cles / and by the generall counsayle of the coū ­trey / as it appered after in Englande. For of trouthe / thoughe the duke of Gloucestre was the yongest brother in age / yet he was moost auncyent in the busynesse of the realme / for he drewe to that opinyon that moost of the noble menne / and prelates and the commons helde. Whan that sir Them̄s Tryuettes cōposicion [Page cviii] was made after his dethe / by the maner as ye haue herde here before / therby the penaūce of sir Wylliam Helmon was greatly asswaged. He entred with the counsayle / and by the meanes of the valyantnesse of his body / and the good seruyce that he had done dyuers tymes for Englande / as well in Bourdeloyes as in Guyen and in Picardye / where he was al­wayes proued a good knight. There was nothynge layde to his reproche / but takynge of the money / for the delyueraūce of Burborcke and Grauelynge. Than he excused hymselfe with fayre and swete wordes / and made dy­uers reasonable reasons / & sayd. My lordes / who so euer were in lyke case as we were in y ^t tyme in the garyson of Bourburke / I thynke wolde do as we dyd. I haue herde sir Iohn̄ Chandos and sir Gaultier of Manny say dyuers tymes / who were right wyse and of gret valure. Howe that a man ought of two or iii. wayes chose the best waye / and wherby most to endomage his enemyes. And thus sir Thomas Tryuet and I / beyng in the garysons of Bourburke and Grauelyng / and sawe howe we were enclosed on all parties / and no con­forte aperyng to vs from any parte. And par­ceyued well / howe we coulde nat endure ma­ny assautes / for they that laye about vs / were as chosen men of armes / as euer I sawe / or I trowe any other Englysshemenne. For as I knewe iustely by the reporte of our harraude / they were at leest / a syxtene thousande men of armes / knyghtes and squyers / and a .xl. thousande of other. And we were nat paste a thre hundred speares and as many archers. And also our garysone was of suche cyrcuyte / that we coude nat entēde on euery place. And that we well ꝑceyued by an assaut that was made vs on a daye / For whyle we were at oure de­fence on the one parte / they caste in fyre on the other parte / wherby we were gretly abasshed and that our ennemyes right well parceyued. And therfore to saye the trouthe / the Frenche kyng and his counsaile wrought by great gē ­tylnesse / seyng y ^e case that we were in / to gyue vs trewse. For if they had gyuen vs another assaute the nexte daye / as they were ordayned to do / I thynke they hadde taken vs at their pleasure. yet for all this / they courtesly trea­ted with vs / by the meanes of the duke of Bretayne / who tooke great payne in that mater. And where as we shulde haue gyuen theym money for our raunsommes / if we hadde ben taken / as it was lykely / they gaue vs money / wherby we dyde them dommage / and it was in them to haue endomaged vs. We thought we conquered greatly on them whan we had of their money / and departed oure selfe safe and withoute trouble / and hadde with vs all that we had won in all the warre tyme / on the fronters of Flaūders. And my lordes besyde that / to pourge me of all blame / if there be any ꝑsone in Englande or without / knight or Es­quyer / Except the ꝑsons of my lordes the du­kes of Lācastre / yorke / & Glocester / that wyll saye and abyde therby / that I haue done any vntrouthe to the kynge my naturall lorde / or accuse me of any trayson. I am here redye to receyue his gauge / and to putte my body in aduenture by dedes of armes to proue the cō ­trarye / as the Iudge therto assigned shall or­dayne. These wordes and suche other / and the valyauntnesse of the knighte excused hym greatlye / and saued hym frome the parell of dethe: And afterwarde he retourned agayne in to his fourmer estate / and was after that a ryght valyaunt knyght / and auaunsed in to the kynges Counsayle. But as at that tyme / sir Symon Burle was nat delyuered out of prisone / for the kynges vncles hated hym gretlye / and soo dyde all the commontie of En­glande. The ky [...]ge dyde all that he myght to haue hadde hym delyuered / all the seasone that he laye at Shene / but his counsayle said it myght nat be / for his rekenynges were nat clere. Than the kynge departed and y ^e duke of Irelande in his company / and rode towardes Bristowe: and the Quene with other la­dyes and damoselles with her. ⸫ ⸫

[Page] FOr all that the Kynge departed from the marchesse of London / yet the kynges vncles nor their counsayle departed nat / but ta­ried styll about London. ye haue herde often tymes sayde / that if the heed be sicke / all the membres can nat be well / the malady must first be pourged. I saye it / bicause this duke of Irelande was so great with the kyng that he ruled hym as he lyste. He and sir symon Burle / were two of the princypall coū saylours that the kynge had: for they hadde a longe season gouerned the kynge and the re­alme. And they were had in suspecte that they hadde gadered richesse without nombre / and the renoume ranne in dyuers places / that the duke of Irelande and sir Symon Burle had a long season gathered toguyder money and sente it in to Almayne: For it was come to the knowledge of the kynges vncles / and to the counsaylours of the good cyties and townes of Englande / that helde of their partie / howe they had sente out of the castell of Douer by see in the night tyme in to Almayne / certayne cofers and chestes full of money. They sayd it was falsely and felonously done / to assem­ble the rychesse of the realme / and to sende it in to other straūge coūtreys / wherby the re­alme was greatly impouerysshed / and y ^e peo­ple were soroufull and sayde / that golde and syluer was so dere to gette / that all marchan­dyse were as deed and loste / and they coulde nat ymagin how it was / but by this meanes.

THese wordes multiplied in suche wise that it was ordayned by y ^e kynges vn­cles / and by the counsayles of the good tow­nes that were anne [...]ed vnto them / that (ser) Symon Burle had de (ser)ued punisshment of dethe And also the archbysshoppe of Caunterbury sayd / that in the season whan the frēche kyng shulde haue come with his armye in to En­glande / this sir Symon Burle gaue coun­sayle that the shrine of saynt Thom̄s of Caū terburye shulde haue been taken downe and brought in to Douer castell. And the noyse was that he wolde haue had it so / to thentent that if he had ben in any dāger / to haue taken and stollen it / and conueyed it out of Englād These maters were so layde to his charge / y ^t none excuse coulde be herde / but on a daye he was brought out of the towre and beheeded lyke a traytour / god haue mercy on his soule. To write of his shamefull dethe / ryght sore displeaseth me / howe be it I must nedes do it to folowe the hystorie. Greatly I complayne his dethe / for whan̄e I was yonge I founde hym a gentyll knyght / sage and wyse / but by this enfortune he dyed.

HIs nephewe and heyre sir Richarde Burle / was with the duke of Lan­castre in Galyce the sameseason that this case fell in Englande / and one of y ^e most renoumed in all his hoost / nexte the Consta­ble / for he was as souerayne Marshall of all the hoost / and was chiefe of coūsayle with the duke ye may well beleue that whan he knewe of the dethe of his vncle / he was sore displea­sed: And also this gētyll knight sir Richarde Burle dyed in the same iourney on his bedde by reason of sickenesse / as many other dyde: as ye shall here after / at place and tyme conuenyent. Whan kynge Rycharde knewe of the dethe of this knyght / as he was in the mar­chesse of Wales / he was sore dyspleased / and sware / howe the mater shulde nat passe / sithe they had so put to dethe his knyght / without good reason or tytell of right. The quene al­so was sorie and wepte for his dethe / bycause he fetched her oute of Almaygne. Suche as were of the kynges coūsayle douted greatly / as the duke of Irelande / sir Nicholas Brā ­ble / sir Thomas Tryuilyen / sir Iohn̄ Beauchampe / sir Iohan Salisbury / and sir My­chaell de la Poule. Also the kyngꝭ vncles had put out of offyce the archebysshoppe yf yorke named Wylliam Neuell / brother germayne to the lorde Neuell of Northūberlande / whi­che bysshoppe had longe ben treasourer of all Englande. And the duke of Gloucestre had charged hym to medell no more with the bu­synesse of the realme / on payne of his lyfe / but that he shulde go to yorke or therabout / whe [...] it pleased hym in his benifyce / and dwell ther and medell no further. And also it was she­wed hym / howe the honoure of his lynage / & in that he was a preest / excused hym of many great maters / sore preiudiciall to his honour And also it was shewed hym / that the moost parte of the counsayle of the cōmontie wolde haue had him disgrated and putte to dethe / in lyke maner as sir Symon Burle was.

So he departed fro London and wente in to the Northe to dwell on his benifyce. with this he & all his lynage were sore dyspleased / and [Page cix] thought surely that the erle of Northombre­lande had brought that mater to passe / for all that he was of his lygnage / and were neygh­bours. In to his rome was chosen a right valyant / a wyse / & a sage clerke / y ^e archebysshop of Caunterbury / who was gretely in the fa­uour of the kynges vncles. He was come of the Mountague and Salysburies / and was vncle to the erle of Salysbury. there was made of the kynges counsayle by the aduyse of all the comons / therle of Salysbury / the erle Rycharde of Arundell / the erle of Northum­berlande / the erle of Deuonshyre / the erle of Notyngham / y ^e bysshop of Norwyche called sir Henry Spenser. the bysshop of Wynche­stre chauncellour of Englande abode styll in his offyce / and was with the kynges vncles. the most renomed man in y ^e counsayle nexte y ^e duke of Gloceste was syr Thomas Mountague archbisshop of Caūterbury / and well he was worthy / for he was a dyscrete prelate / & toke grete payne to reforme the royalme and to brynge it in to the ryght waye / and that the kynge shulde put from hym the marmosettes that troubled all the royalme. often tymes he wolde speke with the duke of yorke in y ^t mat­ter / & the duke wolde saye to hym / syr bysshop I trust the matters shall otherwyse fall lytell and lytell / then the kynge my nephewe and y ^e duke of Irelāde thinketh / but it must be done accordynge to reason / and to abyde the tyme to be to hasty is no good meane / for surely / yf we hadde nat perceyued them be tymes they wolde haue brought the kynge and the royal me in suche case / that it shulde haue ben at the poynte of lesynge. The Frensshe kynge and his counsayle knewe ryght well our dealyng and what case we were in / and that caused y ^t frensshe men to auaunce themselfe to haue co­me hyder so puyssauntly as they wolde haue done / to haue dystroyed vs. ⸫ ⸫

IN lyke maner as the kinges vncles and y ^e newe counsayle of Englande beynge at London / deuysed of the busynesse of Englā ­de to reforme it / & to bring it into good estate. So on the other syde / the duke of Irelande and his counsayle ymagined nyght and daye / howe they myght contynue in their estates / and to condēpne the kynges vncles / as ye shall hereafter. Whanne kyng Richarde was come to Bristowe & the / quene with hym: they kepte them selfe in the Castell there / and men that were farre of / beleued that y ^e kyng laye there for sauour of the duke of Irelande / who said that he wolde go in to Irelande / and it was sayd / that the kyng wolde se hym dispatched It was agreed by the generall coūsaile / that if he wolde go in to Irelande / he shulde ha­ue at the coste of the realme fyue hūdred men of armes / and fyftene hundred archers / and that he shulde abide there thre yere / and to be well and trewly payde / Howe be it the duke had no great wyll to make that vyage / for he sawe well the kyng was yonge / and as than he myght rule as he lyst. Therfore he feared if he shulde go farre of / that the loue and the fauour that he was in with the kynge shulde asswage. Also besyde that / he was in suche loue with one of the quenes damoselles / cal­led Lancegrone / y ^t in no wyse he coude leaue the syght of her. She was a fayre and a pleasaunt vamosell / and was come with y ^e quene out of the realme of Beame. This duke lo­ued her so entierlye / that he wolde gladly be deuorsed fro his owne wife / who was doughter to the lorde of Coucy / and dyde sende for that entente to Rome to pope Vrbayne. All the good people of the realme had marueyle therof / and dispreysed hym greatly / for that the good lady was dought̄ / to the doughter of good kyng Edwarde / & of y ^e good quene Philyppe. The duke of yorke and the duke of Gloucestre toke that dede in great dispyte but for all their hate the duke of Irelande set lytell therby / for he was so blynded with lo­uynge of this damosell / that he promysed to be deuorsed / and to mary her. He douted nat the popes graunt / so that he myght gette the kynges and the quenes good wyll / for he re­puted his wyfe that he had frēche / & brought [Page] vp in Fraunce / and so was her father y ^e lorde of Coucy / and he had made warre agaynst pope Vrbayne / in the tytell of pope Clemēt / wherfore pope Vrbayne loued nat y ^t blode. Therfore he sayde / the pope wolde enclyne the lyghtlyer to his deuorse. This mater the duke dyde putte forthe / and promysed to Lā cegrone to mary her. This duke had a mo­ther a wydowe / called the olde countesse of Oxenforde / she agreed nat to the opynion of her sonne / but blamed hym greatly of his fo­lye / and sayde: Howe god wolde be sore dis­pleased with hym / and paye hym one day for all / and than̄e it wolde be to late to repente. and she toke the duchesse to her / and kept her styll in her estate. And suche as ought the la­dye any good wyll / gaue her great thankes therfore.

THus I haue shewed you parte of the busynesse of Englande / that fell in this season. And yet I shalle procede further / as I was enfourmed. ye haue herde howe the duke of Irelande was aboute the kynge in the marches of Wales / and nyght and daye ymagyned on none other thynge / but howe he myght bringe about his entent. And so serued the kynge and the quene with fayre wordes to please theym / and caused all other knyghtes and squyers there about / to come to Bustowe to se the kyng and y ^e quene and made them great sporte in huntyng. the kynge suffred hym to do what he lyste. The same season that the kynge laye at Bristowe on the ryuer of Syuerne / in the marches of Wales / The duke of Irelande tooke great payne to ryde in and out / and specially in to Wales / and sayd to suche as wolde here hym gentylmen or other. Howe the kynges vn­cles / to haue the soueraygntie of the realme / hadde dismyssed out of the kynges coūsayle / noble / valyaunt and sage personnages / As the archebysshoppe of yorke / the bysshoppe of Dyrhame / the bysshoppe of London / sir Mychaell de la Poule / sir Nicholas Bram­ble / sir Iohan Salisbury / sir Robert Try­uilyen sir Iohan Beauchampe / & hym selfe / and hadde putte to dethe a valyaunt knyght sir Symon Burle / So that and they multi­plye in their estate / they wyll distroye all En­glande. This duke of Irelande dyde so moche / and preached so to the people / and to the knyghtes and squyers of Wales / and of the countreis there aboute / that the moost parte beleued hym. And on a daye they came inge­nerall to the kynge to Bristowe / and demaū ded of hym / if that it were his pleasure / as the duke of Irelande hadde shewed theym. The kynge aunswered and sayd / yea truely. And prayed and commaunded them / as they loued hym / to beleue hym / and sayd he wolde auowe all that he shulde do / affyrmyng how he thought his vncles were to hygh mynded so that he feared leste they wolde surmounte hym / and take awaye his realme from hym. And they of the marches of Wales / alwayes loued the prince of Wales / father to y ^e kyng. For by y ^e tidynges they herde out of the mar­ches of London / they thought iustely / that the kyng and the duke of Irelande had good cause: And so demaunded of the kynge what his pleasure was to do. The kynge aunswe­red and sayd / howe he wolde gladly that the lōdoners that hadde done hym so great tres­passes / that they were corrected and brought to reason / & his vncles in lykewise. They of Wales sayd / they were bounde to obey their kyng / nor they ought no fayth nor homage to no man but to hym / for he was their kynge & soueraygne lorde. Wherfore they sayde / they were redy to go whyder soeuer the kyng dyd commaunde them. The kynge was well cō ­tente with that aunswere / and in lykewise so was the duke of Irelande. Whan the Duke sawe that the kyng wolde shewe that the bu­synesse was parteynynge to hym selfe / and that he hadde so good desyre to distroye his aduersaries / and to bringe theym to reason. He hadde therof great ioye / and sayde to thē of his counsayle. We can nat do better than to retourne to London / and shewe our puis­saunce. And so to do / outher by fayre wordes or otherwyse / to bring the Lōdoners to their accorde / and to be obeysaunt to the kynges commaundement. Alwayes they enfourmed the kynge / howe that it was a great losse to a realme / whan there be many heedes & chefe gouernours / and howe there coude no good come therby / and the kynge affyrmed y ^e same and sayde / howe he wolde no lenger suffre it / but that he wolde fynde suche remedy / that other Realmes shulde take ensample by his [Page cx] realme.

NOwe sirs. I reporte me if I ha­ue nat good cause to saye / y ^e the realme of Englande in this sea­son / was in great paryll and aduenture to haue ben lost / without recouery? For the kynge was moued agaynst his vn­cles / and agaynst a great parte of all y ^e great lordes of the realme / and they agaynst hym: And the cytes and good townes one against another: And the prelates hadde great indi­gnacyon one agaynst another / so that none coude remedy it / but alonely god. Whan the duke of Irelande sawe that he had the agre­ment of the kyng / and of the moost ꝑte of thē of the coūtrey of Wales: than he came to the kyng & sayd. sir / if ye wyll instytute & make me your lieutenaunt / I shall take a .xii. or a fyftene thousāde men with me / and go to the marchesse of London or to Oxenforde / your cyte and myne / and there we wyll shewe our puyssaunce agaynst these Londoners & your vncles / who haue so great indignacyon a­gaynst you. They haue putte to dethe some of your counsayle. And sir / outher by fayre wordes or otherwyse / we shall bringe them to reason. The kynge sayde he was content / Sayeng / I wyll and ordayne you / to be the cheife souerayne of my Realme / and to reyse vp men where ye can gette theym / and leade them wheder ye thynke best / to augment our sygnorie and realme. And to the entent that euery man shall clerely se that the hoole Re­alme parteyneth to me / I wyll that ye beare with you my banners and standerdes / and other abylmetes of warre / suche as I wolde beare my selfe in batayle. And I thynke that if the people se my banners displayed / they shall take corage and hardynesse to susteyne my quarell. And I wyll ye punysshe suche rebelles as wyll nat obey you / in suche wyse / as all other maye take ensample by them. I beleue all suche as shall se my banners waue in the wynde / shall put them selfe vn­der them / and shalbe afrayde to disobey our cōmaū ­dement. These wordes greatly reioysed the duke of Ire­lande.

THe kyng made his as­semble in the countrey of Wales / and about the frō ­ters of Bristowe / a longe the ryuer of Syuerne. Dyuers lordes and knightes were sende for / some excused them selfe laufully / and some came at the kynges commaūdement / howe be it they douted leste great yuell shulde come of that enterprice. In this meane season / the kynge and the duke of Irelande had a secrete coun­sayle bytwene them / and determyned to sēde some of their men in to the marchesse of London / to se and to knowe howe the kynges vncles dyd / and what they purposed to do. they studyed whome they myght sende in that busynesse to knowe the trouthe. than a knyght cosyn to the duke of Irelande and of his coū sayle / called sir Robert Tryuilyen sayd. sir / ye make doute whome to sende that is trusty to London / For the loue of you I shall take on me to do that iourney. wherof the Duke thanked hym / and lykewise so dyde the kyng Therwith this sir Robert Tryuilyen departed from Bristowe disguysed / in maner of a poore marchaunt vpon a lytell Nagge / and so came to London / and tooke his lodgynge where he was vnknowen / & so taryed there a certayne space and lerned what he coulde. At last he vnderstode that the kynges vncles and the newe counsayle of Englande wolde kepe a secrete Parlyament at Westmynster / wherfore he thought to go and lye there / to lerne what shulde be doone there. And so he came and lodged at Westmynster / the same daye that their counsaile began / and lodged in an al [...]house / right ouer agaynst the palys gate / and there he was in a chambre lokyng out at a wyndowe downe in to the courte / & there he myght se them that went in and out [Page] to the coūsaile / and he knewe nerehāde euery man but none knewe hym / bycause of his apparel. At last on a day asquyer of the duke of Gloucesters knewe hym / for he had often ty­mes ben in his cōpany. And assone as sir Robert Triuylien sawe him he knewe him well and withdrewe hym selfe out of y ^e wyndowe The squyer had suspecious therof / and sayd to hym selfe. Me thynke I se yonder sir Ro­bert Triuylen / and to thentent to knowe the trouthe he entred in to the lodgyng and said to the wife. Dame who is that that is aboue in the chambre? is he alone or with cōpany? Sir quod she I can nat shewe you / but he hath been here a longe space. Therwith the squier went vp the better to aduyse hym and saluted hym / and sawe well it was true / but he fayned hymselfe and tourned his tale and sayde: God saue you good man. I pray you be nat myscontented / for I toke you for a far­mour of myne in Essere / for ye are lyke hym. Sir quod he I am of Kente / and a farmour of sir Iohan of Hollandes / and there be men of the bysshop of Caūterburyes that wolde do me wrong / and I am come hyther to com­playne to the coūsayle. Well quod the squier if ye come in to y ^e palys I wyll helpe to make your waye / that ye shall speke with the lor­des of the counsayle. Sir I thanke your ꝙ he / and I shall nat refuce your ayde.

THan the squyer called for a potte of ale and dranke with him / and payed for it and badde hym farwell and departed / and neuer seased tyll he came to the coūsayle chambre dore / and called the vssher to open the dore. Than the vssher demaūded what he wolde / bycause the lordes were in counsayle? He answered and sayd / I wolde speke with my lorde and mayster the duke of Gloucester / for a mater that ryght nere tou­cheth hym and all the counsayle. Thanne the vssher let hym in / and whan he came before his mayster he sayde. Sir / I haue brought you great tidynges. What be they quod the duke? Sir quod the squyer I wyll speke a loude / for it toucheth you and all my lordes here present. I haue sene sir Robert Triuy­lyen disguysed in a vyllayns habytte / in an alehouse here without the gate. Triuylien quod the duke? yea truely sir quod the squier ye shall haue hym or ye go to dyner / if you please. I am contente quod the duke / and he shall shewe vs some newes of his mayster the duke of Irelande. Go thy waye & fetche hym / but loke that thou be stronge ynoughe so to do that thou fayle nat. The squier went forthe and toke foure sergiauntes with hym / and sayd. Sirs / folowe me a farre of / and as soone as I make to you a sygne / and that I laye my hande on a man that I go for / Take hym and lette hym nat escape. Therwith the squyer entredde in to the house where Try­uylien was / and went vp in to the chambre / and as soone as he sawe hym he sayd. Triuylien / ye are nat come in to this countre for no goodnesse. My lorde the duke of Gloucester cōmaūdeth that ye come and speke with hym The knyght wolde haue excused hym selfe & sayde. I am nat Triuylien / I am a fermour of sir Iohan of Hollandes. Nay naye quod the squyer / your body is Triuylien but your habytte is nat / And therwith he made token to the sergiauntes that they shulde take him Than they went vp in to the chambre & toke hym / and so brought hym to the palays. ye may be sure there was great prease to se hym for he was well knowen. Of his takyng the duke of Gloucestre was ryght ioyefull / and wolde se hym. And whan he was in his pre­sens the duke sayd. Triuylien. What thinge make you here in his countre? Where is the kyng? where lefte you hym? Triuylien whā he saw that he was so well knowen / and that none excusacion coude aueyle hym / sayd. sir / the kynge sente me hyther to lerne tidynges / and he is at Bristowe and hunteth along the ryuer of Syuerne. What quod the duke / ye are nat cōe lyke a wyse man / but rather lyke a spye. yf ye wolde haue come to haue lerned tidynges / ye shulde haue come in the state of a knyght. Sir quod Triuylien / if I haue trespassed I are pardone / for I was caused this to do. Well sir quod the duke / and where is your mayster the duke of Irelande. Sir quod he / of a trouth he is with the kyng. it is shewed vs here quod the duke that he assem­bleth moche people / and the kynge for hym. Wheder wyll he lede that people? Sir quod he / it is to go in to Ireland. In to Irelande quod the duke of Gloucester / yea sir truely quod Triuylien. And than the duke studyed a lytell and sayde. A Triuylen Triuylien / youre busynesse is nouther fayre nor good. ye [Page cxi] haue done great folly to come in to this countre / for ye are nat beloued here / and that shall well be sene. you and suche other of your affinyte haue done great displeasures to my brother and to me. and ye haue troubled to your power and with youre yuell counsayle / the kyng / and dyuers other nobles of y ^e realme. Also ye haue moued certayne good townes agaynst vs. Nowe is the daye come that ye shall haue your payment / for he that dothe well by reason shulde fynde it. Thynke on youre busynesse / for I wyll nother eate nor drinke tyll ye be deed. That worde greatlye abasshed Triuylen / for gladlye there is no man wolde here of his ende. He wolde fayne haue excused hym selfe with fayre language / in lowly humblyng hym self / for he coude do nothyng to apease the duke / for he was so enfourmed of hym / and of other of the duke of Irelandes secte / that nothyng aueyled hym. Where to shulde I make lengar the mater / sir Robert Triuylien was delyuered to the hangman / and so ledde out of Westmynster and there beheeded / and after hāged on a gi­bet. Thus ended sir Robert Triuylien. ⸫ ⸫

SHortely these tidyngꝭ came to kynge Richarde & to the duke of Irelande beyng at Bristowe / howe sir Roberte Tryuylyen was shamefully putte to dethe. The kyng toke that mater in great dispite and sayd and sware / that the mater shulde nat rest in that case. And howe that his vncles had done yuell without tytle or reason / to put to dethe his men and knyghtes / and suche as had truely serued hym and his father the prince: Wherby he sayde / it se­med that they wolde take fro hym the crown of Englande / and that y ^e mater touched hym nere. Than the archbysshope of yorke who was souerayne of his counsaile / and had ben longe / said. Sir ye demaunde coūsayle and I shall gyue you counsayle. your vncles and suche as ben of their accorde / erreth greatly agaynst you: for it semeth by thē they wolde shewe howe ye be coūsailed but by traytors. They wolde haue none to beate any rule but them selfe. It is great parell for all y ^e realme for if the cōmons shulde ryse and rebell gret myschefe shulde fall in Englande / if the lor­des and great men be nat frendes toguyder and all one. Wherfore sir / I counsayle you fynde remedy with puissaūce. ye are as now here in a countrey well peopled and named / Sende out your cōmaundement to all suche as are boūde to serue you / gentylmen and o­ther. And whan they be all assembled / sende them in to the marchesse of London / & make your generall capitayne the duke of Irelāde who gladly wyll take on hym y ^e charge / and let no baner nor penon be borne but all onely yours / to shewe therby that the matter tou­cheth no man but you. and all the countrey in goyng thyder / wyll tourne and take parte w ^t you and drawe to your baners. and parauenture the landoners wyll take your parte / for they hate you nat / for ye dyde them neuer dis­pleasure: All the hurte ye haue had your vn­cles haue caused it. Sir / here is sir Nicho­las Bramble who hath ben mayre of Lōdon / and ye made hym knyght / for suche seruyce as he dyde you on a daye / who knoweth and ought to knowe the maner of them of Lōdon for he was borne ther / and it can nat be but y ^t he hath good frēdes there. Therfore sir / de­sire his coūsail in this mater y ^t toucheth you so nere. For sir / by yuell enformacyon & ru­moure of the people / ye maye lese your signorye. Than the kynge spake to sir Nicholas Bramble and requyred hym to speke. And at the kynges request sir Nycholas sayd. Sir / and it lyke your grace / and all my lordꝭ here present / I shall speke gladly / after the lytell knowledge that I haue. Fyrst I saye I can nat beleue but that the moost ꝑte of the londoners oweth loue and fauour to the kyng that here is / for perfitely they loued the prince his father / and that they well shewed / whan the villayns rebelled / for accordyng to y ^e trouthe if they hadde taken parte with the villayns / they had distroyed the kyng and the realme. [Page] And moreouer / the kynges vncles haue as nowe a good tyme / for they disport them selfe among them / and enforme the people as they lyfte / for there is none to saye agaynst them. They haue put me out and all the kynges of fycers / and haue put in them of their affynite and haue sente the kynge hyder to one of the borders of his realme. There can no good be ymagined of this / nor it can nat be knowen per [...]rely what they entende / it is a herde mater. but by that they shewe they wolde putte the kyng out of his realme / for they go all by puyssaunce / and the kynge dothe all by gen­tylnesse. They haue put to dethe that gentyll knyght sir Symon Burle / who hath doone the kyng moche fayre seruyce / in the realme of Englade and in other places. They layde great falsenesse in hym / that he shulde haue delyuered the castell of Douer to the frenche men. And they enformed the people / that he caused the frenchmen to come in to Flaūders and to Sluse / whiche was nothyng so. And also in the dispyte of the kyng / they haue shā fully slayne sir Robert Triuylien / & so they wyll do other / if they maye atteygne to their ententes. Wherfore I saye / that it were bet­ter for the kyng to vse rygour and puyssaūce than gentylnesse. Euery man knoweth tho­rough the realme that he is kyng / and howe that at Westmynster y ^e noble kyng Edwarde made euery man to be sworne / bothe lordes / prelates / and all the good Townes / that af­ter his dyscease / they shulde take the kynge here for their soueraygne lorde: and the same othe made his thre vncles. And it semeth to many as men dare speke / that they holde him nat in the state and fourme of a kynge / for he may nat do with his owne what he lyst. they driue hym to his pensyon / and the quene also whiche is a herde thyng for a kyng & a quene It shulde seme they wolde shewe that they had no wytte to rule themselfe / and that their coūsaylours be traytours. I saye these thynges are nat to be suffred: As for me I hadde rather dye / than longe to lyue in this daūger or peryll / or to se the kynge to be ledde as his vncles wolde haue hym. The kynge thanne sayd. Surely it pleaseth nat vs. and I saye / ye haue counsayled me as honourably as maye be / for the honour of vs and our Re­alme.

AT this counsayle at Bristo we it was ordayned / that the duke of Irelande shulde be soueraygne of all the kynges men of warre suche as he coude get / & to go to Lō don / to knowe the perfyte ententes of the londoners. Trustynge / that if he myght ones speke with them to [...]ourne them to his acorde by reason of suche proftes as he wolde make them / in the kynges name. And so within a shorte space after / the duke of Irelande with a fyftene thousand men deꝑted fro Bristowe and rode to the cytie of Oxenforde / & there a­boute he lodged and all his people / and had baners displayed of the kynges armes / and none other / to shewe that all he dyde was in the kynges tytell and quarell. tydingꝭ came to the kynges vncles / that the duke of Ire­lande aproched towardes Lōdon with a .xv. thousande men / with the kynges baners dis­played. And on a daye all the lordes were at counsayle at Westmynst [...]r / and had with thē the chefe of Lōdon / suche as they trusted best and there they shewed them / how the duke of Irelāde was comyng agaynst them with an armye royall. The londoners who were en­clyned to their partie sayde. sirs / let thē come in the name of god. yf the duke of Irelande demaūde of vs batayle he shall haue it incō ­tynent / we will close no gate we haue for. xv .M. men / nat and they were .xx. The dukes were right ioyfull with that answere / & incō ­tynent they sent out knyghtes / squyers / and messangers / to assemble men of warre togy­der fro dyuers ꝑties: & suche as were sent for obeyed / for so they had sworne and promysed before. Men came fro y ^e bysihaprike of Caū ­terbury & Norwiche / and out of the coūties of Arundell and Sussex / and of Salisbury and Southampton / and out of all the coun­treis therabout London. And so great nom­bre of people came to Lōdon and knewe nat what they shulde do.

[Page cxii] NOwe let vs sōwhat speke of the duke of Irelande & of his coūsell being at Oxford with a .xv.M. men / howbeit the most parte of them were come thyder by con­straynt / rather than of good corage. Than y ^e duke of Irlande aduised to knowe thentētes of thē of Lōdon / & to sende sir Nicholas Brā ble / sir Peter Golofer / and sir Michaell de la Pole to the towre of London / & to go thyder by water / and to set the kynges baners in the hyght of the towre / to se what the londoners wolde do. These thre knyghtes at y ^e duke of Irlandes request deꝑted fro Oxēforde / & the next day they passed the Tēmes at the bridge of Stanes & rode to dyner to Shene y ^e kyn­ges place / and there taryed tyll it was late: & fro thens rode to another house of the kyngꝭ called Kenyngton / and there they lefte their horses / & toke botes & went downe the water with y ^e tyde & passed Lōdon bridge & so came to the towre / & was nat knowen: for no man was ware of their comynge. And there they froūde redy the capitayne of y ^e towre / whom the kynge had sette there before. and by hym these knyghtes knewe moche of the dealyng of them of Lōdon / and of the kynges vncles. And the capitayne shewed them / howe they were come thyder to lodge in great daūger. Why so ꝙ they? We be the kynges seruaūtes / and we may well lodge in his house. Nat so quod the capitayne. All this cytie & the coun­saile wolde gladly be vnder the obeysaūce of the kyng / so that he wolde be ruled by his vncles / & by none other. And this that I shewe you is of good wyll / for I am boūde to shew you / and to coūsaile you to the best of my po­wer. but I am in dout to morowe whan day cometh / & that it be knowen in London that seruauntes of the kynges become hyther. ye shall se this towre besieged / bothe by lande & water by the londoners / & nat to deꝑte hens tyll they se and knowe who is lodged within it. And if ye be founde here / ye shalbe incon­tynent presented to the kynges vncles: And than ye may well ymagin what ende ye shall come to. I thynke they be so sore displeased agaynst the kynges coūsayle / and agaynst the duke of Irelāde / that & ye be taken / ye shall nat escape with your lyues. study well vpon these wordes / for I assure you they be true.

¶Than these thre knightes who had wende to haue done marueyls were fore abasshed / & there determyned to tary all night as secrete as they coulde / for feare of spyeng. And the capitayne promysed to kepe them sure for that nyght / and so kept the keyes with hym. And in the mornynge these kynghtes had dyuers ymaginacions & counsayles / to se howe they shulde deale. And all thynges cōsydred / they durst nat abyde the aduenture to be knowen there / they feared greatly to be there beseged And or day came whan the fludde was come they tooke a barge and passed the bridge and went to Kenyngton. And whan it was daye they toke their horses and rode to Wyndsore / and there taryed all that nyght / and the nexte day they rode to Oxēforde / and there founde the duke of Irlande & his men / to whom they shewed all these tidynges / & howe they durst nat tary at the towre of Lōdon. the duke was pensyfe of those tidynges & wyst nat what to say nor do / for he knewe well all the people y ^t he had assembled there / were nat all of one corage / wherfore he wyst nat wheder it were better to retourne to y ^e kyng or to abide there He toke counsayle with his knyghtes / & fy­nally their coūsayle rested / that sythe y ^e kyng had ordayned hym to be Constable ouer all his people / and to correcte and to punysshe all rebelles / that he shulde kepe the felde / for if he shulde do otherwyse / it shulde be to his great blame and rebuke / and to bring him in to the indignacion of the kyng / and to shewe that his quarell were nother good nor right. And also they said / that it was better for him to dye with honour and to abyde the aduen­ture / than to shewe any false corage. but they counsayled hym to sende worde what case he was in / to the kyng to Bristowe. As yet they sayd blessed be god they kepte the feldes / and none to recoūtre them. So thus y ^e duke sent to the kyng / desyring hym to sende hym more ayde / which the kyng dyde daylye.

Tidynges came to the kynges vncles be­ing at Lōdon that the duke of Irlande with his company were in the marchesse of Oxen­forde / There they toke counsayle what was best for them to do. There was with the kynges vncles / the archebysshop of Caūterbury the erle of Arundell / the erle of Salysbury / the Erle of Northumberlande / and dyuers other lordes and knyghtes of Englānde / and the rulers of London. There it was orday­ned [Page] by the duke of Gloucester / that without delay they shulde issue out in to the feldes / & that the mayre of London shulde putte in to harnesse all the people in euery warde / suche as wolde ayde them. Sayeng surely / howe they wolde go and fyght with the duke of Irlande / whersoeuer they coude fynde hym. the mayre of London was as than a man of ar­mes. He toke chosen men bytwene the age of twentie yeres and .xl. And the lordes were a thousande men of armes. They departed fro London and went and lodged at Braynford and there about / and the nexte daye at Cole­broke / and dayly the nombre encreased / and so toke the waye to Redyng / to passe the temmes there aboute / for the bridges bytwene Wyndsore and Stanes were broken / by the cōmaundement of the duke of Irelande. So long they iourneyed that they aproched nere to Oxenforde. tidynges therof a none came to the duke of Irelande / than he beganne to dout and toke counsayle. Than he was coū ­sayled to take the feldes / and to put his peo­ple in order of batayle / and to display y ^t kyn­ges baners / sayeng by the grace of god and saynt George the iourney shulde be his. As it was deuysed so it was doone. Than they sowned their trumpettes / and euery man ar­med hym and issued out of Oxenforde in or­der of batayle / with the kynges baners dis­played / the day was fayre & clere and a plea­saunt season. ⸪ ⸪

TIdinges came to the duke of Gloucester beyng within thre leages of Ox­enforde / by a ryuer syde / whiche falleth in to the tē ­mes a lytell besyde Oxenforde. howe that the duke of Irelande was drawen in to the feldes / in order of batayle / wherof the duke of Glou­cester had great ioye & sayde / howe he wolde fyght with hym if he myght passe the ryuer. Than trumpettes sowned y ^e dislodging and ordered them selfe redy to fyght. They were within two leages of their ennemyes & sert­ched to passe the ryuer / and sente oute people to sertche the depnesse of the water. and they foūde the ryuer in suche apoynt / than in .xxx. yeres before it was nat so base. And so y ^e scu­rers passed at their ease / and rode and aduy­sed the maner of their ennemyes / and than retourned to the duke of Gloucester and sayd. Sir / god and the ryuer is this daye on your parte / for the ryuer is so lowe that it is nat to the horse bely. And sir / we haue sene the ma­ner of the duke of Irelāde / they be redy raynged in the felde in good maner. We can nat saye if the kyng be there or no / but the kyngꝭ baners be there with the armes of Englande and of Fraunce / and none other. Well ꝙ the duke a goddes name so be it / of that armes I and my brother haue parte: auaūce forward in the name of god and saynt George / let vs gose thē nerer. Than euery man rode forthe with great courage / whan they knewe they myght passe the ryuer at their ease / & so shortlye all their hoost passed the ryuer.

TIdynges came to the duke of Irelād howe the kynges vncles were passed the ryuer of Tēmes / & how they shulde haue batayle brefely. Than the duke of Irelande was abasshed / for he knewe well if he were taken / y ^e duke of Glocester wolde cause hym to dye shamefully / & that nouther golde nor syluer shulde raunsome hym. Than he sayde to sir Peter Golofer & to sir Mychaell Pole sirs surely my corage beareth yuell agaynst this iourney / nor I dare nat abyde y ^e bataile agaynst the kynges vncles / for if they take me I shall dye shamefully. Howe the deuyll is it / that they be passed the ryuer of Tēmes? It is but a poore token for vs. Why sir quod the two knyghtes / what wyll ye do? I wyll saue myself and you also quod the duke / and the rest saue them who can. Well sir quod the knyghtes / than lette vs drawe our selfe out a syde on a wynge / and so we shall haue two strynges on our bowe. We shall se howe our men do / if they do well / than we shall abyde for the honour of y ^e kyng who hath sent vs hither / & if they be discōfited we shall take y ^t feldes / & take the aduauntage by flyeng / & saue our selfe where we may. This coūsayle was [Page cxiii] holden good. Than the duke and these two knyghtes rode a long their batayle / & made good vysage and sayd. Sirs kepe your ba­tayls in good order / and by the grace of god and saynt George / we shall haue this daye a fayre iourney / for the ryght is ours / it is the kynges quarell / therfore we shall spede the better. Thus they rode vp and downe dissy­mulynge / at laste they gette them selfe out of the prease / and so came to one of the corners of the batayle and made a wynge / and ther­with there came on the duke of yorke and the duke of Gloucestre and other lordes / with their baners displayed / makyng great noyse with trumpettes. And as soone as the duke of Irelandes company sawe them cōmynge in so good order / and so fiersly / They were so aba [...]shed that they helde none arraye / but tourned their backes and fledde. For y ^e noyse ran / howe the duke of Irelande and his coū sayle were [...]edde and gone. And so than eue­rye man fledde / some hyther and thyder they wyste nat whyder / without makynge of any defence. And the duke of Irelande and the two knyghtes of his counsayle fledde biforce of their horses / and had no mynde to returne to the towne of Oxenforde / but withdrewe thens as moche as they myght.

wHan y ^e duke of Gloucester sawe the the demeanour of his enemyes / and sawe howe they fledde / he hadde re­morse in his consciēce / & wolde nat do y ^e yuell he myght haue done: for he knewe well that many of them that were there presente / were there rather by constraynt and by insytacion of the duke of Irelande / than for any good loue. Therfore he sayd to his men. Sirs the the iourney is ours. I charge euery man on payne of dethe / that ye slee no man / without he make defence / and if ye gete any knightes or squyers bring them to me. His cōmaundement was done / so that there were but fewe slayne / without it were in the prease as they rode one ouer another. In y ^e chase there was taken lytell sir Iohan Beauchampe and sir Iohan Salisbury / and they were presented to the duke of Glocester / who was right ioy­ous of them. Than the duke tooke the waye to Oxenforde / and gaue leaue to all his men of warre to retourne to their owne houses / & thanked them of the seruyce they had done to hym and to his brother / and sayd to y ^e mayre of London and his company. Sirs / departe you all home agayne / wherof they were all gladde. Thus departed that armye. ⸪ ⸪

HOwe shall I shewe / what became of y ^e duke of Irelande and of sir Peter Golofer and sir Michaell de la Pole. As I shewed before they saued thēselfe / as it was nedefull for thē / for if they hadde ben taken / they had suffred dethe without mercy. I can nat saye if they went to the kyng or nat / if they dyde they ta­ried nat long / but departed the realme of Englāde assone as they coude. & as I haue her­de reported they rode through Wales / & toke shypping at Carleon and sayled in to Scotlande & came to Edenborowe / and there they toke another shyppe & sayled costyng Frise­lande and the yle of Theseley and the coūtre of Hollande / and so came and arryued at the towne of Dondrest. Than were they gladde and as I was enformed the duke of Irelāde had long before cōueyed by lōbardes / moche golde & syluer to Brugꝭ for feare of all casueltes / for though he was great with the kyng / yet always he douted y ^e kynges vncles / & the cōmons of the realme. Wherfore he made prouisyon before hande of money / to ayde hym whan nede were / and as it was shewed me / the threscore thousande frankes that he had receyued for the redempcyon of the chyldren of Bretayne / and specially for Iohn̄ of Bre­tayne for Guy was deed. Whiche money (as it was sayde) he founde redy there at his cō ­mynge / and he shulde receyue more: In thre yere other threscore thousande frankes. Wherfore he was nat abasshed for he had substaūce [Page] suffycient for a longe space. And whan duke Aubert of Bauyer / who had Haynalte / Ho­lande and zelande in gouernaunce / vnder the erle Willyam his brother / who as than was lyuynge. Whan he vnderstode that the duke of Irelande was come / as a fugetyue out of Englande / in to the towne of Dordrest. He studyed and imagyned a lytell / and thought he shulde nat longe abyde there / seynge that he was fledde out of Englande / and had the yuell wyll of his cosyn germayns / to whome he bare his loue and fauour. And also he con­sydred / howe the duke of Irelande had dalte but yuell with his cosyn germayen / the lady Isabell of Englande / who had been lady of Coucy. Wherfore he commaunded the duke of Irelande / bycause he hadde displeased his cosyns of Englande and had broken his lau­full mariage / and wolde mary another wyfe / That he shulde departe out of that countrey / and gette hym another lodgynge / And that he shulde nat be suffred to abyde in no towne of that countrey. Whan the duke herde that / he douted that he shulde be taken / and delyuered in to the handes of his enemyes. And he humyled hym selfe greatly to them that were sente to hym / and sayde he wolde gladly obey the duke Aubertes commaundement. And so payed and trussed / and entred in to a vessell and all his / on the ryuer of Mornegue. And dyd so moche by water and by lande / that he came to Berette / whiche towne pertayned to the bysshoppe of Trece. There he was well receyued / And there he taryed tyll he harde other tydinges. Nowe let vs leaue spekyng of hym / and speke of Englande.

AFter the endynge of this iourney that the kynges vncles had agaynste the duke of Irelāde besyde Oxenforde / and that euery man was gone home. The bysshoppe of Caunterbury and the two dukes taryed styll at Oxenforde / I can nat tell howe long. And there was beheededde the lytell Beau­champe and sir Iohan of Salisbury. After that iustyce the two dukes retourned to Lō ­don / and there taryed a season to here some tidynges fro the kynge / and they coulde here none / but that he was at Bristowe. Thanne the lordes at Westmynster by the instigacion of the archebysshoppe of Caunterbury / de­termyned / that it shulde be honourable for them to sende to the kynge to Bristowe / and to shewe hym amyably that he hath ben a certayne spape / agaynst the moost parte of his realme / who loued hym better and are glad­der to kepe his honour / than suche marmosettes as he hath beleued / by whom his realme hath ben in great trouble and peryll. In this meane season was brought to Lōdon sir Nycholas Bramble / who was taken in Wales / as he fledde from the iourney / to haue saued hym selfe / of whose takynge the kynges vn­cles were right ioyfull and sayde / howe they wolde make no stoore of hym / but he shulde go the same waye as the other hadde done before. he coude neuer excuse hymselfe but that he must dye. He was beheeded without London / his dethe was sore complayned of some men of London / for he hadde been mayre of London before / and had well gouerned his offyce / and dyde one day great honour to the kyng / whan he slewe with his owne handes Lyster / wherby all the rebelles were discon­fyted / and for that good seruyce the kynge made hym knyght. But in the maner (as I haue shewed you) he was beheeded / by rea­son of the ouermoche beleuynge of the duke of Irelande.

AFter the dethe of sir Nicholas Bramble / the kynges vncles sawe / that all suche as they hated / and wolde haue oute of the kynges counsayle were deed and fledde a waye. Than they thought the kynge and the realme shulde be brought in to good order / for thoughe they had slayne some of the kyn­ges counsayle / and chased theym awaye / yet they coude nat take awaye the signorie of the kyng / but thought to rule the realme in good forme / to the honour of the kynge and his re­alme. Than they sayd to the bysshop of Caū ­terbury. Sir / ye shall go lyke your selfe to Bristowe to the kyng / and there shewe hym what case the busynesse of his realme is in / & recōmaunde vs to hym / & shewe hym in our behalfe / that he gyue no credence of lyght enformacion agaynst vs: He hath beleued some to moche for his owne honour / and for the ꝓ­fyte of his realme. And saye also to hym / that we requyre hym / and so do all the good peo­ple of London / that he wolde come hyder / he shalbe welcome & receyued w ^t gret ioye. & we shall set such coūsaile about hym / y ^t he shalbe [Page cxiiii] well pleased. And we charge you retourne nat agayne withoute hym / and desyre hym nat to be displeased / thoughe we haue chased awaye a meny of traytours that were about hym / for by them his realme was in great pa­ryll of lesynge. The bysshop sayd he shulde do ryght well his message / and so departed and rodde forthe lyke a great prelate / and so came to Bristowe / and the kynge was there but with a priuye cōpany: For suche as were wont to haue ben of his counsayle were deed and fledde awaye / as ye haue herde before. The bysshop was in the towne two nightes and a day or y ^e kyng wolde speke with hym / He was so soore dyspleased with his vncles / for driuynge awaye of the duke of Irelande whome he loued aboue all men / and for slee­ynge of his knyghtes. Finally he was so en­tysed / that he consented that the archbysshop shulde come in to his presens. Whan he came before hym he humyled hym selfe greatlye to the kynge / and there shewed the kyng euery worde as the kynges vncles had gyuen hym in charge. And shewed hym / that if it were his pleasure to come to Londou to his palys of Westmynster / his vncles and the mooste parte of all his realme wolde be ryght ioye­ouse / elles they wyll be ryght sorte and yuell displeased / And sayde sir. Without the com­forte / ayde / and accorde of your vncles / and of your lordes / knyghtes / and prelates: and of your good cyties and townes of Englāde ye canne nat come to any of youre ententes. He spake these wordes boldelye / and sayde moreouer. Sir / ye canne nat reioyse so mo­che youre ennemyes / as to make warre with youre frendes / and to kepe youre Realme in warre and myschiefe. The yonge kynge by reasone of the bysshoppes wordes beganne to enclyne / howe be it the beheedynge of his knyghtes and counsaylours / came sore in to his courage. So he was in dyuers ymagi­nacions / but finally he refrayned his displeasure / by the good meanes of the quene / y ^e lady of Boesme / and of some other wise knightes that were about hym / as sir Rycharde Sto­ner and other. Thanne the kyng sayd to the bysshoppe. Well / I am content to go to Lō ­don with you. wherof the bisshop was right ioyous / and also it was to hym a great ho­noure / that he hadde spedde his iourney so well.

WIthin a shorte space after / the kyng departed & lefce the quene styll at Bristowe / and so came towardes London with y ^e arch­bysshoppe in his company / and so came to Wyndsore / and there the kyng ta­ryed a thre dayes. Tidynges came to Lon­don howe the kynge was commynge / euery manne was gladde. Than it was ordayned to mete hym honourablye. The daye that he departed fro Wyndsore / the way fro Brayn­forde to London was full of people / on horse backe and a foote to mete the kynge. And his two vncles / the duke of yorke and the duke of Gloucester / and Iohan sonne to the duke of yorke / the erle of Arundell / the erle of Sa­lisbury / the erle of Northumberlande / and dyuers other lordes and knyghtes. and pre­lates departed out of London / & mette with the kyng a two myle fro Braynforde. There they receyued hym swetely / as they ought to do their soueraygne lorde. The kynge / who bare yet some displeasure in his herte passed by / and made but small countenaunce to thē / and all the waye he talked moost with the bisshop of Lōdon: at last they came to Westmī ­ster. The kyng alyghted at his palis whiche was redy apparelled for him. There y ^e kyng dranke and toke spyces / and his vncles also / and other Prelates / lordes / and knyghtes. Than some tooke their leaues. The kynges vncles and the archebysshoppe of Caunter­burye with the counsayle / taryed styll there with the kyng / some in the Palais and some in the abbey and in the towne of westminster to kepe the kynge company / and to be nere toguyder co commune of their busynesse. there they determyned what shulde be done. ⸫ ⸫

[Page] A Generall Parlyament was ordeyned to be holden at Westmynstre / and all pre­lates / Erles / Barons / and knyghtes / and y ^e counsayles of all the good townes and cytees of Englāde were sent for to be there / and all suche as helde of the kyng. The archebysshoppe of Cauntorbury shewed to the kynges vncles & counsayle that when kynge Rycharde was crowned kynge of Englande / and that euery man was sworne and made theyr releues to hym / and that whā he receyued theyr faythes and homages he was within age / and a kny­ge ought nat to gouerne a royalme tyll he be xxi. yeres of age / and in the meane season to be gouerned by his vncles / or by his nexte kynne / and by wyse men. The bysshop sayd this bycause the kynge as then was but new­lye come to the age of .xxi. yeres / wherfore he counsayled that euery man shulde be newe sworne / and renewe their releues / and euery manne newe to knowledge hym for their so­ueraygne lorde. This counsayle was excep­ted of the kynges vncles / and of all other of the coūsayle. And for that entent all prelates and lordes / and counsayles of good cyties & townes were sent for to come to Westminster at a daye assigned. Euery man came thyder / none disobeyed / so that there was moche people in London and at Westmister. And kyng Richarde was in his chapell in the palys / rychely apareyled with his crowne on his heed and the archebysshoppe of Caūterbury sang the masse. And after masse y ^e bisshoppe made a collasyon. And after that the kyngꝭ vncles dyde their homage to the kyng & kyssed hym / and there they sware and ꝓmysed hym faithe and homage for euer And than all other lor­des sware / and prelates / and with their han­des ioyned togyder they dyde their homage / as it aparteyned / and kyst the kynges cheke. Some the kyng kyst with good wyll & some nat / for all were nat in his in warde loue but it behoued hym so to do / for he wolde nat go fro the counsayle of his vncles / But surely / if he might haue had his entent he wolde nat haue done as he dyde / but rather haue taken crewell vengeaunce / for the deche of sir Sy­mon Burle / and other knyghtꝭ that they had putte fro hym and slayne without desert as he thought. Than it was ordayned by y ^e coū sayle / that the archebysshop of yorke shulde come and pourge hym selfe / for he hadde al­wayes been of the duke of Irelandes parte / agaynst the kynges vncles. Whan y ^t bysshop of yorke herde of this he douted hym selfe / for he knewe well / he was nat in y ^e fauour of the kynges vncles. Therfore he sente his excuse by a nephue of his / sonne to the lorde Neuell and he came to London / and came first to the kynge / and shewed hym his vncles excuse / & dyde his homage in the bysshoppes behalfe. The kyng toke it well / for he loued hym bet­ter than the bysshoppe of Caunterbury / and so he hym selfe excused the bysshoppe / or elles it had ben yuell with him / but for the kynges loue they forbare hym & toke his excuse / and so he taryed styll in his bysshoprike a longe space and durste nat lye at yorke / but taryed at New castell on the ryuer of Tyne / nere to his brother the lorde Neuell and his cosyns. In this estate was at that tyme the busynesse of Englande / and so of a longe space y ^e kyng was nat mayster ouer his counsayle / but his vncles and other bare all the rule. Nowe we wyll leaue to treat of the maters of Englāde and speke of the busynesse of the kyng of Castyle and of the kynge of Portyngale / and of their warres. ⸪ ⸪

IT is reason sythe the mater so requyreth / that I retourne agayne to y ^e duke of Lācastres iourney / and howe he ꝑceyuered al this season in Galyce / I shall begyn there as I lefte / for I haue great desyre to make an ende of that storie. Whan the duke of Lancastre had won [Page cxv] and conquered the towne and castell of Dauranche in Galyce / and brought it vnder his obeysaunce / and refresshed hym there foure dayes / for there he founde well wherwith. Than the fyfthe day he departed / and sayde he wolde go to the castell of Noy / and so he dyde / and lay four dayes in a fayre medowe alonge a ryuer syde. But the grounde was dried vp by reason of the heate of the sonne / and the water corrupted / so that their horses wolde nat drinke therof / and suche as dyde / dyed. Thanne it was ordayned to dislodge thens / and to tourne agayne to Auranch / for sir Richarde Burle and sir Thomas Mor­ryaulx marshalles of the hoost / sayd it was nat possyble to get the strong rastell of Noy but by longe siege / by great wysedome and dispence / and moche artillary. And also ty­dinges came to the duke of Lancastre / that the kynge of Portugale approched with all his hoost / to the nombre of a thousande speares / and tenne thousande able men. So that the two hoostes togyder were lykely to do a great dede / for the duke of Lancastre hadde a fyftene hundred speares knightes and squiers / and a sixe thousande archers. These ty­dinges reioysed greatly the duke of Lanca­stre / and so dislodged fro Noy and wente a­gayne to Auranche in Galyce / and the duke sente for the duchesse his wyfe / and the other ladyes and damoselles: for the duke sayd he wolde abyde there for the kynge of Portu­gale / and so he dyde.

yE shall knowe / that whan kyng Iohan of Portugale and his marshalles had take the towne of Feroullꝭ they rode and aproched Auranch to come to the duke of Lācastre. And in their way they founde the towne of Padrone / whiche rebel­led against thē / but at their first comyng they yelded them to the kynges obeysaunce. The kynge taryed there and in the marches there about a fyftene dayes / and wasted greatlye the countrey of vitayls / & yet they had great plentie comyng dayly fro Portugale. Thus these two great hoostes were in Galyce / and greatly impouerysshed the countre / and the dayes waxed so hote / y ^t no man coude styrre after nyne of the clocke / without he wolde be brent with the sonne. The duke of Lācastre and the duchesse were at Aurache / and their men abrode in the countrey in great pouerie for lacke of vitayls / for thē selfe and for their horses. Nothynge that was good or swete coulde growe out of the grounde / it was so drie / and brent with the sōne / and that grewe was lytell worthe / for the season was so hote that all was brent. And the Englysshe men / if they wolde haue any thynge for them selfs or▪ for their horses / it behoued them or their seruauntes to go a forragyng / a .xii. sixtene / or twentie myles of / which was great payne and daunger. And the Englysshmen founde the wynes there so stronge / hoote / and bryn­ning that it corrupted their heedes and dried their bowelles / and brente their lightes and lyuers / & they had no remedy / for they coude fynde but lytell good waters to temper their wynes nor to refresshe them / whiche was cō trary to their natures. For Englysshe men in their owne coūtreis are swetely norisshed and there they were brēt both within & with out / they endured great pouertie. The great lordes wanted of that they were accustomed vnto in their owne countreis.

wHan the knyghtes and squyers and other of Englande / sawe the daun­ger and myschefe that they were in / and were likely to be / what for lacke of vy­tayle and heate of the sonne / whiche dayly encreased. Than they began to murmure and to saye in the host in dyuers places. We feare our iourney wyll come to a smal effect & ende We lye to long in one place. that is true sayd other. There is two thynges greatly contrarye for vs. We leade in our company women and wyues who desyreth nothyng but rest / & for one dayes iourney by their wylles / they wolde reste fyftene. This distroyeth vs and wyll do / for as soone as we came to Coulon­gne / if we had gone forwarde we had spedde well / and brought the countre to good obey­saunce / for none wolde haue ben agaynst vs. But the longe taryeng hath enforced our en­nemyes / for nowe they haue prouyded them of men of warre out of Fraunce / And by thē their townes / cyties / and passages be kepte and closed agaynst vs. Thus they disconfy­ted vs withoute batayle: They nede nat to fyght with vs / for the realme of Spayne is nat so pleasaunt a lande to traueyle in / as is Fraunce or Englande / wherin are good vil­lages / [Page] fayre coūtreis and swete ryuers / faire medowes and attemperate ayre for menne of warre / and here is all the contrarye. What ment oure lorde the duke of Lancastre (if he thought to wynne this countrey) to leade in his company women and chyldren? This is a great let and without reason / for it is kno­wen in all Spaygne / and els where / that he and his bretherne are the true enherytours of the countrey / at leest their wyfes dough­ters to kyng Don Peter. As for doyng of a­ny conquest or tournyng of any townes / the women do lytell therin.

THus as I haue shewed you the peo­ple langled in the duke of Lancasters hoost / one to another. Than tidynges came to the duke that the kyng of Portugale aproched nere wherof he was ioyfull. And whan the kynge was within two leages / the duke with his knyghtes mounted on their horses and rode to mete hym / and there they mette amiably and all their companyes. The kyn­ges hole hoost was nat there but taryed be­hynde / in the guydyng of sixe great lordes of Portugale / as Ponnase of Congne / Vase Martyn de merlo / Posdiche de asne degouse Salnase de Merlo / sir Anlne Perrier mar­shall / and Iohan Radighes Desar / and dy­uers other / and the kyng had with him a thre hundred speares. So at Aurāche the kynge and the duke were togyder. a fyue dayes and toke counsayle toguyder. The fynall conclu­syon was / that they shulde ryde togyder and enter in to the countrey of Campe and to go to the towne of Arpent / where sir Olyuer of Clesquyne constable of Spaygne was / but they wyst nat how to passe y ^e ryuer of Derne whiche was fell and orgulous at certayne tymes / & specially rather in somer than in wynter / for whan the snowe and froste melteth on the moūtayns by reason of the sonne / than is the ryuer moost depest & most dangerous to passe / for in wynter it is frosyn / & than the ry­uers are but base and lowe. yet for all y ^t they concluded to ryde in to the coūtre of Campe / trustyng at some place to fynde some passage This conclusyon was publysshed throughe all their hoostes / wherof euery man was ioyfull / for they had lyen along space sore oppressed and in great daunger at Auranche & ther about / and many were sore diseased.

Thus the kyng of Portugale and y ^t duke of Lācastre departed fro Auranche and rode toguyder / but their hostes were seperated in to two partes / bycause none of them vnder­stode other / nor had no maner of aqueyntāce toguyder: And also to eschewe riottes or de­bates that myght haue fallen bytwene them / for portugales are hote & hastye / and in lyke­wise Englysshmen be dispytefull and fierse. Thus they were apoynted by the man hals of bothe hostes to lodge and to forrage in di­uers partes / and nat toguyder. Thus they rode forthe and were of chat. puyssaunce able to fyght for a iourney with kynge Iohan of Castell / and all his adhenrentes. So longe they iourneyed that they came to they ryuer of Derne / whiche was nat easy to passe / for it was depe and with highe bankes / and full of great broken stones / so that but at certayne bridges whiche were broken / or elles so well kepte / y ^t it was in maner impossyble to passe they might nat gette ouer. So these two ho­stes had great ymaginaciōs how they might passe. Than so it fell that sir Iohn̄ Holande who was constable of the Englysshe hoost / and the marshalles / sir Richarde Butle and sir Thomas Moreaulx / and their forragers as they rode before / they encountred a squier of Castell / called Donnage Bangher. He knewe well all the passages of the countrey / and he knewe where there was one passage / that bothe horsmen and fote men might ease­lye passe the riuer / & he came ouer at the same passage / and was taken and brought to the sayd lordes / of whom they were ryght glad. And there he was so streitly examyned / & also by the wordes of the constable / who sayde to hym / howe he wolde quyte his raūsome and gyue hym a good rewarde if he wolde shewe them where they myght passe surely the ry­uer / for they sayde they had herde howe there was one sure passage ouer the ryuer. The squyer who toke but lyght aduysement / and was couetous of the constables offre / & was gladde to be delyuered out of their handes / sayd. Sirs / I knowe well the passage / and I shall shewe it you and shalbe your guyde where as ye and all youre menne maye passe without any daunger.

Of this the constable and marshalles had great ioye & so rode forthe toguyder / and sent [Page cxvi] worde of this tydinges to the duke of Lanca­stre / and so folowed the vowarde / and the constables and marshalles came to the passage. Than the spanysshe squyer entred firste in to the ryuer / & shewed them the way. And whan they sawe the passage so pleasaunt they were ryght ioyfull / and so euery man passed ouer. And whan the vowarde was ouer / they lod­ged there to gyue knowledge to all other that folowed after. Than the constable kepte his promyse with the squyer that was their gyde. And so he departed fro them and rode to Medena del campo / where the kynge of Castyle lay / a good towne in the countrey of Campe. Than the kynge of Portugale and the duke of Lancastre came to the passage / which was called Plasce ferarde / bycause the grauell and sande there was firme and stable / and without parell. There they and their hoostes passed o­uer / and the next day the rerewarde / and than they all lay in the coūtrey of Campe. Tydin­ges came to them of Ruelles / of Cateseris / of Medena / of Vyle arpente / of saynt Phagon / and to other cyties / townes / and castels of the countrey of Campe and Spayne / howe the englysshemen and portugaloyse were passed ouer the ryuer of Derne / and had founde the passed / wherof euery man had maruayle and sayd. This can nat be done without trayson / for they shulde neuer haue founde out the pas­sage / but if some of the countre had shewed it to them. The kynge of castelles lordes knewe how the squier of Castyle had shewed it them / and was their guyde. Thervpon he was ta­ken and knowledged the trouth / as he hadde done. Thanne he was iuged to dye / and was brought to Vyle arpent and there beheeded.

WHan the kynge of Ca­style knewe howe the kyng of Portugale and the duke of Lancastre were in y ^t fel­des with a great puyssance and daily aproched wherof he was sore abasshyd / and called to hym syr Gaultyer of Passac and syr Willyam of Lignac / and sayde. I haue great maruayle of the duke of Borbon / that he commeth nat. Our enemyes aproche and kepe the feldes / and none encoūtreth them. they waste our countrey / and the people of my realme are yuell contente that we fyght nat with theym. Wherfore sirs / I requyre you gyue me coun­sayle what is best to do. These two knyghtes who knewe more of dedes of armes than the kyng dyd / for they had more vsed it / and ther­fore thyder they were sente oute of Fraunce / they sayde: Syr / surely the duke of Borbon cometh without fayle. And whan he cometh we shall take counsayle what we shall do / but tyll he come / let vs make no countenaunce of batayle. Let our enemyes go and come why­der as they lyst / lette them kepe the feldes and we shall kepe the townes that be stronge / and well prouyded bothe with men and vytayles. They shall be in the sonne and in great heate / and we shall be in the shadowe & in the fresshe ayre. They shall fynde y ^e countrey wasted and pylled / and the more forewarde that they go / the lesse sustynaūce shall they fynde. And ther­fore syr / at the begynnynge to eschewe all in­conuenyentes / all lytell hooldes were beaten downe / and maners & churches suche as men of the coūtrey wold haue put in their goodes / and this was wysely done. or els nowe your enemyes shuld haue founde places to haue rested in / and as nowe they shall fynde nothyng without they brynge it with theym / but heate and the sonne on their heedes / the whiche shall burne and slee them. And sir all your townes / cyties / and castelles are well garnysshed and prouyded for with good men of armes / artyl­lery / and vytayles. I thynke they shalbe skry­mysshed withall / for that is the lyfe and norys­shynge of men of warre and their passe tyme / for they ryde aboute all the worlde to seke ad­uentures. Therfore sir be nothynge abasshed for we truste in this besynes / we shall haue no great domage. The kynge by reason of these knyghtes wordes was greatly recōforted / for [Page] he perceyued well they shewed him the trouth and reason.

NOwe let vs speke of the duke of Lan­castre & of the kyng of Portugale / who were in the feldes in the countrey of Campe. They wolde gladly haue bene in some towne to haue refresshed theym / For their foragers whe [...] so euer they went / coude fynde no thing and for feare of encountrynges / they rode nat but in great companyes. And somtyme whan they sawe a village on a hyll / or on the playne / than they reioysed and wolde say. Go we thyder / for there we shalbe all ryche / and well prouyded / And thyder they wolde ryde in great haste. And whan they were there / they founde no thynge but bare walles / & the howses bro­ken downe / and nother catte nor dogge / cocke nor hen / man / woman / nor childe there / it was wasted before by the frenchemen. Thus they loste their tyme / and their horses were leane and feble / by reason of their poore norisshyng. They were happy whan they founde any pa­sture / and some were so feble that they coulde go no further / but dyed for great heate and pouertie. ye and also some of the great men dyed and were sore dyspleased with hoote feuers / & had nat wherwith to refresshe them / and some tyme by sodeyn coldee that toke them sleping in y ^e nyght. In this case they were in / and spe­cyally in the duke of Lancastres hoost / for the englisshmen were of a febler complexion than the portugaloys / for they coulde well endure the payne / for they he harde and accustomed to the ayre of Castyle. In this case as I haue shewed you the englisshmen were in / and ma­ny dyed / and namely suche as had but smale prouisyon for them selfe.

SIr Richarde Burle / (ser) Thomas Moreaulr / sir Thomas Percy / the lorde Fitzwater / syr Mabe­tyne of Linyers sir Iohn̄ Dam breticourt / Thyrrey and Guyl­lyam of Souuayne / and with theym a two hundred horse men / knyghtes and squyers / suche as wolde auaunce theym selfe / and de­syringe dedes of armes. It a tyme mounted on their horses the beste they hadde / to the en­tente to ryde to Vyle Arpente / to awake the frēchmen that were therin / for they had herde surely howe sir Dlyuer of Clysson was with­in that towne / who was constable of Castyle / and with hym a great nombre of good men of armes. These lordꝭ with their company rode forthe in a morenynge / and came to a lytell ry­uer that ranne before the towne / and passed ouer. The larome rose in the towne and brute that the englysshe men were come to the bar­ryers. Thanne knyghtes and squiers armed them quickely / and came to the cōstables lod­ginge / and their varlettes sadled their horses and brought thē to their maisters. the consta­ble wolde nat by his wyll haue suffered them to haue issued out agaynste the englysshmen / but he coulde nat let them / their corages were so fierse: And so they issued out well horsed / and in good ordre. Firste issued sir Iohan of Barres / the vicounte of Barlier / sir Iohan of Brakemoūt / sir Pyer of Wyllannes / sir Tri­stam de la gayll and dyuers other / with great desyre to fyght agaynst the englisshmen. And whan the englysshmen had made their course before the towne / than they passed agayne the ryuer / where as they had paste / and drewe to gyther on y ^e sandes / and fayre and easely with drewe fro the ryuer a thre bowshottes. Than the frenche knightes came cryeng their cryes euery manne his speare on the thyghe. And whan the Englysshmen sawe them / sodeynly they tourned with their speares in the restes. There was a sore rencoūtre / and dyuers ouer throwen on the sandes / on bothe parties. And whan that course was done they lefte nat so / but skrymysshed to gyther / but the powder of the subtyle sandes rose vp so thycke / that one of them coulde natse a nother / nor knowe eche other / so that themselfe nor their horses could skant drawe their brethes / their mouthes were so full of dust / So that therby eche party was fayne to withdrawe by their cries. Thus they departed / and no manne slayne / nor greatly hurte. And bycause of this course that the en­glysshe knyghtes made / they paste that daye but one leage fro the towne of Arpente / and so retourned to their lodgynges / and sycknesse toke them / heate / colde / and feuers. The duke of Lancastre wyste nat what to saye nor do / for he sawe well howe his men fell sicke dayly and lay in their beddes. And he was hymselfe soo wery and heuy / that gladly he wolde haue layen in his bedde / and it had nat ben for discoragynge of his people. And on a day he spake with the kynge of Portugale / and demaun­ded [Page cxvii] counsayle of hym / desyringe hym to gyue his beste aduyse what was beste to do / for he feared great mortalyte to fall in his host. than the kyng sayd. Syr / it semeth well howe that the spaynyardes nor frēchmen wyll nat fyght with vs at this time / they purpose to suffre vs to waste our selfes and our prouysions. Why sir quod the duke / and what wyll ye than coū ­sayle vs to do? I shall shewe you ꝙ the kyng Portugale. as for this season whyle the sonne is so hoote / that ye and your people drawe a­gaine in to Galyce / and let euery man refressh him selfe / and at Marche or Aprill than come to the felde agayne. and do so moch that newe ayde and comfortemaye come to you oute of Englande by one of your bretherne. A realme is nat so soone wonne / and specyally to agree with the ayre nat acustomed before. Let your men go and passe their tyme in suche townes and forteresses as ye haue in Galyce / vnder your obeysaunce. This may well be quod the duke / but than maye fortune to fall / as I shall shewe you / that is. Whan our enemyes seeth that we be departed one fro another / you into Portugale & I into Galyce / at saynt Iaques or at Colongne. Than the kynge of Spayne wyll ryde with great puyssaunce / for I haue herde that he hathe foure thousande speares / frenchmen and bretons / and he shall fynde as many mo in his owne countrey. And also the duke of Burbon vncle to the frenche kyng cometh after with two. M. speares / and assone as he cometh he wyll set forwarde: so that & we be than at home in oure countreys / or we can assemble togyder agayne / as we be nowe / out enemyes shall do vs great domage. Thanne the kynge sayde. Well / than lette vs kepe styll the feldes in the name of god / as for my men be fresshe ynough / and are of good mynde to abyde the aduenture / and I with them.

THus they determyned to abyde the cōmynge of the duke of Bur­bon / to se if they shulde be fought withall thanne or nat / for they all demaūded nothinge but batayle. The tyme went euer forwarde and the sonne mounted / and the dayes chafed meruaylously for it was aboute mydsomer / whan the sonne was in his strength / and specially in Spayne and Granade / and in the farre countreyes of Septentryon. Nor after Aprell there fell no rayne nor swetnes fro Heuyn / wherby euery thynge was brente on the erthe. The englissh men eate grapes whan they myght get them / and dranke of the hote wynes / and the more they dranke the more they were set a fyre / and therby brente their lyuers and longes / for that dyete was contrary to their nature. Englyssh men are norisshed with good metes and with ale / which kepeth their bodyes in temper: and there the nyghtes were hoote / bycause of the great heate in the day / and the mornyng mer­uaylously colde / whiche dysceyued them. For in the nyght they coulde suffre no thynge on them / and so slepte all naked / and in the mor­nynge colde toke them or they were waxe / and that caste them in to feuers and flyxes with­out remedy. And as well dyed great men as meane people. ⸫ ⸫

BEholde nowe and se howe fortune tourned. ye maye well beleue that the duke of Lancastre beynge in the realme of Castyle / coulde neuer haue loste by batayle / nor his men dys­comfetted / nor loste his men as he dyd in that voyage / by reason of sycknes. And hym selfe also nygh deed. And sir Iohan Holande who was constable of the hoost / whan he sawe his frendes and men thus infected with this ma­lady / without remedy / and herynge the com­playntꝭ of one and other / sayeng eche to other. Ah the duke of Lancastre hath brought vs to dye in Spaygne / cursed be this voyage? He wyll neuer haue Englysshman more to come out of Englande to serue hym. He spurneth agaynst y ^e pricke / he wolde his men shulde kepe [Page] the countrey whan it is wonne. And whan his men be all deed / who shall thanne kepe it? He sheweth nat that he can any skyll of the warre / sythe he seeth that none cometh agaynst vs to fight in batayle. why dothe he nat drawe than into Portugale or into some other place? than he shulde nat haue the domage nor losse that he heth / for thus we shall all dye without any strokes. Whan sir Iohan Holande herde and vnderstode these wordes / for the honoure and loue of his lorde the duke of Lancastre / whose doughter he had maryed / he came to the duke and sayd quickly to him. Sir / it must behoue you to take newe and shorte counsayle / your people be in a harde case / and lykely to dye by syckenesse / if nede shulde fortune they are nat able to ayde you. they be wery and in a harde case / and their horses deed / so that noble men and other are so discoraged that they are nat lyke to do you any good seruyce at this tyme. Than sayd the duke. And what is beste than to do / I wyll beleue counsaile for it is reason? Syr quod the constable. Me thynke it were beste ye gaue lycence to euery man to departe where as they thynke beste / and your selfe to drawe outher into Portugale or into Galice / for ye are nat in the case to ryde forewarde. That is trewe quod the duke / and so I wyll do. Saye you to them howe I do gyue them leaue to departe whyder it please thē / outher in to Castyle or in to Fraunce / so they make no false treaty with our enemyes / for I se well for this season our warre is paste / And paye euery man their wages / and rewarde theym for their costes. Syr quod the constable this shall be done.

SIr Iohan Holande made it be knowen by a trumpet in euery lodgyng / the en­tencion of the duke of Lancastre / howe he dyd gyue lycence to euery man to departe / why­der they lyst / and that euery capytayne shulde speke with the constable / and they shulde be so payed that they shulde be content. This ty­dynges reioysed some / suche as desyred to de­parte to chaunge the ayre. Than the barones and knyghtes of Englande toke counsayle / howe they myght retourne in to Englande. it was thought impossyble for them to retourne by the see / for they had no shyppes redy / and were farre fro any porte. And also their men were so sicke with feuers and flixes / that there were many deed / and so sicke / that they coude nat endure y ^e trauayle on the see. So all thyn­ges consydered they thought it best to repayre home thorough the realme of Fraunce. Than some sayde / howe maye that be? for we be ene­myes too all the realmes that we muste passe through. First through Spayne / for we haue made theym open warre. The kynge of Na­uer in lykewyse is ioyned in this warre with the kynge of Castyle / & also the kynge of Ara­gone / for he is alyed with the frenche kynge. and also he hath done to vs a great dyspite / he hath take and layd in prison at Barselona the archebyhop of Burdeaux / who wente thyder to demaunde the arerages that the realme of Aragonoweth / to the kynge of Englande our soueraygne lorde. And to sende to the frenche kyng it is harde for vs to do. it is farre of / and peraduenture whan oure messanger cometh to the kynge (he is yonge) and peraduenture his counsayle wyll do nothynge for vs. for sir Olyuer of Clysson constable of Fraunce ha­teth vs mortally / for he wyll say that the duke of Bretayn his great aduersary / wyll become englissh. Than some other that were of great wysdome and imaginacyon said. All thinges consydred / we thinke it best to assay the kyng of Castyle / we thynke he wyll lyghtly condy­scende to suffre vs to passe through his coun­trey peasably / and to gette a saueconduete fro the kynges of Fraunce / Aragon / and Nauer.

THis counsayle was taken / kepte and herde / and a Haraulde called Derby was sente forthe to the kynge of Castyle with letters. This haraulde rode forthe and came to Medena de campo / and there he founde the kynge of Castyle / and than he kneled downe and delyuered his letters. And the kynge opened them and redde them / they were written in frenche. Whan he hadde well vnderstande them he turned hym and smyled / and sayde to a knyght of his. Go and make this haraulde good chere / he shall be answered to nyght and departe to morowe. Than the kynge entred in to his secrete chambre and sent for sir Wyl­lyam of Lygnac and for sir gaultyer of Pas­sac / and red to them the letters / and demaun­ded of them what was beste to do. ¶I shall shewe you the substaunce of the matter. Syr Iohan Holande constable of the duke of Lancastres hoost / wrote to the kynge of Castyle / [Page cxviii] desyring hym to sende by the herault letters of safecōducte for .ii. or thre englysshe knightes to go and come safe / to speke and to treat with hym. Than these knightes answered & sayd. sir / it were good ye dyde this / for than shall you knowe what they demaūde. Well quod the kyng / me thynke it is good. Than there was asafecōducte written / cōteyninge that sixe knightes might safely go and come at the poyntyng of the constable. This was sealed with the kynges great seale & sygned with his hande & deliuered to the heralt / and xx. frankes in rewarde. Than he returned to Aurāche where the duke & y ^e constable were.

THe herault deliuered the safecōduct to the cōstable. Than the knyghtes were chosen y ^t shulde go. sir Mau­beryn of Linyere / sir Thom̄s Morell / & sir Iohan Dambreticourt. these thre knyghtes were charged to go on this message to y ^e kynge of Castile. and they deꝑted assone as they might for some thought long / for there were many sicke and lacked phisicions and medi­cins / and also fresshe vitaylles. These En­glysshe ambassadours passed by the towne of Arpent / and there the constable of Castyle sir Olyuer of Clesquy made thē good chere / and made them a supper. And the next daye he sent with them a knyght of his of Tynte­mache a breton / to bring them the more sure­lyer to the kyng / for encoūtryng of y ^e bretons of whom there were many sprede abrode. & so long they rode that they came to Medenade Campo / and there they founde the kynge who had gret desire to know what they wolde. & whan they were a lyghted at their lod­gyng & chaūged & refreshed thē they went to the king / who made to thē gode semblaunt / & were brought to hiby y ^e knightꝭ of his house Than they delyuered to the kyng letters fro the dukes Constable / but none fro hym selfe / for as than he wolde nat write to the kynge / but they sayd. Sir kyng / we be sent hyder to you fro the erle of Huntyngdon / Constable with the duke of Lancastre / A certaynynge you of the great mortalyte and sickenesse that is amonge our men. Therfore the constable desyreth you / that ye wolde to all suche as desyreth to haue their helthe / opyn your cyties and good townes / and suffre them to entre to refresshe them / and to recouer their helth if they maye. And also that suche as haue desyre to passe in to Englande by lande / that they maye passe without daunger of you / of the kyng of Nauer / and of the Frenche kyng but pesably to retourne in to their owne coutreis. sir / this is the desyre and request that we make vnto you / as at this tyme. than the kyng answered and said soberly. Sirs / we shall take coūsayle and aduise what is good for vs to do / & than ye shalbe answered / than the knyghtes sayd. sir / that suffyceth to vs.

THus they departed fro the kynge at that tyme / and went to their lodgynges / & there taryed all y ^t day & the next day tyll none than they went to y ^e kyng. Now I shall shewe you what answere y ^e king had of his coūsaile. This request gretly reioysed the kyng / for he sawe well his enemys wolde deꝑte out of his realme / & he thought in hymselfe he wolde agre therto / yet he was coūsayled to the cōtrary but / he sent for the .ii. frēche capitayns / sir Gaultier of Passacke and sir Willm̄ of Lignac. and whan they were come he right sagely shewed thē the desire & req̄st of y ^e cōstable of the Englysshe host / and her­vpon he demaūded of them to haue their coū sayle. First he desyred sir Water Passacke to speke. He was lothe to speke before other of the kynges coūsayle there / but he was fayne so to do the kyng so sore desyred hym. & so by the kynges cōmaundement he spake & sayde. Sir ye are come to the same ende that we haue alwayes said. & that was / y ^t your enemys shulde wast thē selfe / they are nowe disconfyted without any stroke strikyng. sir / if y ^e said folkes desyre to haue comforte & refresshyng in your countre / of your gentylnesse ye maye well graūt it them / so that whāsoeuer they recouer their helthe / they retourne nat agayne to the Duke nor to the kynge of Portugale / but than to deꝑte the streight way in to their owne countreys: And that in the Terme of [Page] sixe yere they arme them nat agaynst you nor agaynst the realme of Castyle. We thynke ye shall gette rightwell a safeconducte for them of the kynge of Fraunce and of the kynge of Nauerre / to passe peasably through the realmes. Of this answere the kynge was ryght ioyfull / for they counsayled hym accordynge to his pleasure / for he had nat cared what bargeyn he had made / so that he myght haue benquyte of the Englysshmen: Than he sayd to sir Water Passacke. Sir / ye haue well and truely counsayled me I thanke you / and I shall do accordyng to your aduise. Than the thre Englysshe knyghtes were sent for.

Whan they were come they entred into the counsayle chābre. Than the bysshop of Burges chaunceller of Spayne / who was well langaged sayd. sirs ye knyghtes of Englād perteyning to the duke of Lācastre / and sent hyder fro his constable: vnderstande that the kyng here of his pytie and gentylnesse / wyll shewe to his enemyes all the grace he maye. And sirs / ye shall retourne to your cōstable / and shewe hym fro the kyng of Castyle / that he shall make it to be knowen through al his hoost by the sowne of a trumpet / that his re­alme shalbe open and redy to receyue all the Englysshmen hole or sicke / so that at thentre of euery cyte or towne / they laye downe their armure and weapons: And there shall they fynde men redy to bring them to their lodgi­ges. And there all their names to be written and delyuered to the capitayne of the towne / to thentent they shulde nat retourne agayne in to Galyce nor in to Portugale / for no ma­ner of busynesse / but to deꝑte in to their own countreis assone as they may. And assone as the kyng of Castyle my souerayne lorde hath optayned your safecōducte / to passe through the realmes of Nauer and Fraunce to go to Calis / or to any other porte or hauen at their pleasure: outher in to Bretaygne / Xaynton / Rochell / Normādy / or Picardy. Also y ^e kyn­ges pleasure is / that all suche knightꝭ or squiers of any nacyon what soeuer it be / that en­tred in to this vyage: In any wyse arme nat them selfe for y ^e space of sixe yere agaynst the realme of Castyle / and that they swere thus to do whan they take the safecōducte. And of this cōposycion / ye shall haue letters open to beare to your constable / and to suche cōpanyons as sent you hyder. These knyghtꝭ than­ked the kynge and his counsayle of their an­swere & sayd. sir there be certayne artycles in your answere / we cā nat tell if they will be accepted or nat. If they be nat / we shall sende agayne to you our heraulte / if he come nat we shall accept your sayeng. Well sirs the kyng is content (quod they of his counsayle) than the kyng went in to his chambre. And sir water Passacke and sir Wyllm̄ Lignacke kepte styll company with the Englysshe knyghtes and brought them in to a fayre chābre / where their dyner was redy apparelled for thē / and there dyned with them. And after dyner had wyne and spyces in the kynges chambre and toke their leaue. Their letters were redy / & they toke their horses and so departed & rode to Vyle cloppes / and the next day they came to the towne of Arpent & dyned / and at night lay at Noy in Galyce / and the next daye they came to Auranche & there founde y ^e constable So it fortuned that in this mean season / one of the duke of Lancasters great barons died a right valyant man / called the lorde Fitz water: He was greatly bemooned / but agaynst dethe none maye stryue. His enterment was honorably done / the kyng of Portugale and the duke of Lācastre present. and whan these thre knyghtes were come to the Dukes lod­gyng / they shewed all that they had done / & shewed their letters of confyrmacion of the same. Than some sayd it was a herde coue­naunt / and some sayde nay: holdyng opinyon that it was right courtesse / perfitely consyderyng the danger that they were in. These ti­dynges anone sprede abrode in the host / how the duke had gyuen lycence euery man to de­parte who so lyst. Than suche as were sycke and feble / desyring a fresshe ayre / deꝑted as soone as they might / & toke their leaue of the duke and of the cōstable / and than they were truely payd their wagꝭ as curtesly as might be. And some were content with fayre wor­des / and so they departed by cōpanyes. some went to Arpent / some to Ruelles / some to vilcloppes / some to Noy / sōe to Medena de Cā po & other places: & in euery place they were welcome and brought to their lodgynges / & their names presented to the capitayne. The greattest parte of the gentylmen went to Ar­pent / bycause in that towne there were many straungers / Bretons / frenchmen / normayns [Page cxix] and poicteuyns / ouer whome sir Olyuer de Clesquyn was capitayne. The Englysshe­men trusted better in them than they dyde in the Spaynyerdes / and good cause why.

THus as I haue shewed you / the duke of Lancastres army brake vp at that tyme in Castyle / and euery man sought the best for hym selfe. ye maye well beleue that this dyde greatly trouble the duke of Lancastre / and great cause why. for he sawe his en­terprise [...]ore putte a backe and brought in to a herde case / Howe be it lyke a valyaunt sage price as he was / he cōforted hym selfe aswell as he myght / for he sawe well it coulde none otherwyse be. And whan the kyng of Portu­gale sawe howe the matter went / and y ^t their army was broken of / He gaue lycence to all maner of men / except a thre hundred speares that were come to serue hym. He retaygned them styll / and so departed fro Aurāche with the duke of Lācastre and his wyfe / & rode to saynt Iaques called Cōpostella. And whan the kyng and the duke were there / the kynge taryed there four dayes: And than departed with all his men / and retourned to his coun­trey to his wyfe / who laye at Porte / a good cytie in Portugale.

NOwe shall I shewe you what befell of dyuers knyghtes and squyers / su­che as were departed fro the duke and gone in to Castile. Dyuers that were entecte with sickenesse / for all their chaungynge of newe ayre and newe medycins / yet they coulde nat scape the peryll of dethe. Dyuers dyed in Arpent / in the meane season that the king of Castyle sent to the kynge of Nauerre and to the frenche kyng for their sauecōductes / to passe pesably (whiche was nat soone optaygned) dyuers lordes / knyghtes / and squyers of Englāde dyed in their beddes whiche was gret domage / and a great losse to their countrey. In Arpent there dyed thre great barones of Englande / and ryche men. The first was sir Richarde Burle who had ben marshall of y ^e dukes hoost / another the lorde Ponynges / & the thyrde the lorde Percy / cosyn germayne to the erle of Northumberlande. And in the towne of Noy dyed sir Mauberyn of Lym­ers a poyteuyn / a ryght noble and an expert knyght. And in the towne of Ruelles there dyed a great baron called the lorde Talbot: So that there died here and there a .xii. gret lordes / and a fourscore knightes / and two hū dred squyers. This was a great dysconfet­ture without any stroke stryken / and there dyed of other meane men / mo than fyue hun­dred. And I herde it reported of a knyght of Englande / as he retourned through Fraūce (his name was sir Thom̄s Quynbery) that of fyftene hundred men of armes and foure thousande archers / that the duke of Lanca­stre hadde brought out of the realme of En­glande / there neuer returned agayn the halfe parte.

THe duke of Lancastre fyll in a pery­lous sickenesse in the towne of saynt Iaques / and often tymes the brute ranne in Castyle & in Fraunce howe he was deed / and surely he was in a great aduēture of his lyfe. Thyrrey of Souuayne a squyer of honour / and squyer for y ^e dukes body was taken with sickenesse and dyed at Besances / he was naturally borne of the countie of Heynaulte. And his brother Wyllyam of Sou­uayn was with hym tyll he dyed / who in like wyse was in great aduenture of his lyfe. Of a trouthe there was none so hardy / so ryche / nor so tolye / but that they were in feare of thē selfe / & euery day loked for none other thyng but deth / and with this sickenesse there were none infected but alonely the duke of Lanca­sters cōpany. Among y ^e frēchmen there were none sicke / wherby dyuers murmuracyons were among the spanyerdes / sayeng / y ^e kyng of Castyle hath done great grace to these Englysshmen to suffre them to lye and rest them in his countie / and in his good townes / But we feare it wyll cost vs greatly / for they haue or are lyke to bring in to this countrey great mortalyte. Than other wolde saye: Ah / they are christenmen as we be / there ought cōpas­sion and pyte to be taken one of another. this was the cōmunyng among them: And true it was / y ^t same season a knyght of Fraūce dyed in Castile for whom gret sorowe was made: For he was gracyous / courtesse / and hardy in armes / and was brother to sir Iohan / sir Raynolde / and sir Launcelotte of Voy / and he was called sir Iohn̄ of Voy / but howe he dyed I shall tell you. He was in a towne of Castyle / called Seghome / and laye there in garyson: he had an Impostume in his body / [Page] and he was yonge & lusty and tooke no hede therof / but on a day lept on a great horse and rode out in to the feldes / & spurred his horse / so that by gambaldyng of the horse the impostume brake in his body / and whan he was retourned to his lodgynge he was layde on his bedde sicke / and that semed well / for the fourthe daye after he dyed / wherof his fren­des were right soroufull. ⸪ ⸪

YE maye well knowe that euery man eschewed this sicke­nesse that was amonge the En­glysshmen / and fledde therfro asmoche as they myght. All this season sir Iohan Holande the dukes consta­ble was still with the duke / & certayne knightes and squyers / seynge the season of warre paste / thynkynge to eschewe the peryll of the sickenesse / sayd to the constable. Sir / let vs retourne & we wyll go to Bayone or to Bur­deux to take fresshe ayre / and to esche we this sickenes / for whan so euer the duke of Lanca­stre wyll haue vs agayne / lette hym write for vs / and we shall soone be with hym / whiche were better than to kepe vs here in daunger and parell. They called so often on hym that on a day he shewed the duke their murmura­ryons. Than the duke sayde. Syr Iohan / I wyll ye retourne and take my men with you / and recomende me to my lorde the kyng / and to all my bretherne in Englande. With right a good wyll sir quod the constable. But syr / though sycke men haue had great curtesy by the constable of Castyle / as in suffering them to entre to a byde there at their case tyll they recouer their helthes / yet they maye nat re­tourne agayne to you in to Castyle nor in to Portugale. and if outher they or we take our waye to Calays throughe Fraunce / than we must be bounde to beare none armure in syxe yere after against the realme of Fraūce / without the kynge our souerayne lorde be present in propre persone. Than the duke sayd. Syr Iohan / ye knowe well that the frenchemen will take on you and on our men (in case they se them in daunger) all the vaūtage they can do. Therfore I shall shewe you whiche way ye shall passe curtesly through the realme of Castyle. And whan ye come in to the entre of Nauarre sende to the kynge / he is my cosyn / and in tyme past we hadde great alyaunce to guyder whiche are nat as yet broken / for sith the warre began bytwene y ^e kyng of Castyle and me / we haue amiably written eche to o­ther / as cosyns & frendes / nor no warre hath ben made by see bitwene vs but the frēchmen haue. wherfore I thynke he wyll lightly suf­fre you to passe through his realme. & whan ye be at saynt Iohan Pie de porte / than take the waye to Bisquay and so to Bayon / than ye be in our herytage: And fro thens ye may go to the cytie of Burdeux without daunger of the frenche men / and there refresshe you at your ease. And whan ye haue wynde and weder at wyll / than ye maye take the see & lande in Cornwall or at Hampton / or there as the wynde wyll serue you. Than sir Iohan said your counsayle shalbe fulfylled without any faute.

IT was nat long after but that the Constable and his company departed / and there taryed with y ^e duke and duches / no mo but his owne housholde seruauntes. And sir Iohan Holande had his wyfe with hym and so came to the cytie of Camores and there he founde the kynge of Castyle / sir Gaultier of Passacke / and sir Wyllm̄ of Lignacke / who made hym good chere / as lordes and knygh­tes do whan they mete eche with other. And truely the kyng of Castyle was gladde tose the departyng of the Englysshmen / for than it semed to hym y ^t his warre was at an ende / and thought that there wolde neuer issue a­gayne out of Englande so many good men of warre / in the duke of Lancasters tytell / to make warre in Castyle. Also he knewe well [Page cxx] howe there was great trouble and dyscorde within the realme of Englande. Whan the tidynges sprede abrode in Castile / in the good cyties and townes (where as the Englysshe men lay sicke and were there to seke for their helthe) howe that sir Iohan Hollande was [...]ome thyder to retourne agayne in to Englā de. They were ryght gladde therof / and so drewe to hym / to the entent to retourne with hym / As the lorde of Chameulx / sir Thomas Percy / the lorde Lelynton / the lorde of Bra­seton / and dyuers other / to the nombre of a thousāde horses. suche as were sicke thought them selfe halfe hole / whan they knewe they shulde retourne / their voyage paste was so paynfull to them.

WHan sir Iohan Hollande toke leaue of y ^e kyng of Castyle / the kyng gaue to hym and to his cōpany great gif­tes / with mules and mulettes of Spaygne / and payde for all their costes. And than they rode to saynt Phagons and there refresshed thē thre dayes / and in euery place they were welcome and well receyued / For there were knyghtes of the kynges that dyde conducte theym / and payde alwayes for their costes. So longe / they code that they passed Spay­gne and came to Naueret / where as the ba­tayle had ben before / and so to Pauyers and to Groyne / and there rested. for as than they were nat in certayne if the kynge of Nauerre wolde suffre them to passe throughe his re­alme or nat. Than they sent to hym .ii. knightes / sir Peter Bysset and sir Wylliam Nor­wiche. They founde the kynge at Tudela in Nauer / and there spake with hym / & spedde so well / that they had graūt to passe through Nauer / payeng for that they shulde take by the way: and as soone as these knyghtꝭ were retourned / they departed fro Groyne and so came to Pampylona & passed the mountains of Roūceaux / and lefte the way in to Bierne / and entred in to Bisquay so to go to Bayon / at last thyder they came / and there sir Iohan Holande taryed a long space with his wyfe / and other of the Englysshmen rode to Bur­deaux. Thus this armye brake vp.

So it was / in the season whyle these war­res endured in Castile / & that y ^t englisshmen kepte the feldes. The lorde Bouciqualt the elder of the .ii. bretherne sent by an herault to sir Iohan Dābreticourt / desyring to do with hym dedes of armes: as thre courses with a [...]/thre with an axe / and thre with a dag­ger all or [...] the knight was agreed therto. And after that sir Iohan Dambreti­court sent dyuers tymes to accōplysshe their feate / but Bouciqualt came nat forwarde / I can not tell what was y ^e cause / nor I wyll nat say but that he was a tight good knight / and mete to haue done a greatter feate in armes than that was. And whan sir Iohan Dābre­ticourt was come to Bayone in the company of sir Iohan Holāde / he was in dyuers ymaginacions on his chalēge / and thought that honorably he might nat departe out of those partes (seyng he was chalenged to do dedes of armes / & had graunted therto) without he fulfylled the same / for if he returned in to England w ^tout doyng of any thyng / he thought that the frenchmen wolde saye that he deꝑted for feare. Than he toke coūsayle of sir Iohn̄ Holāde and of other / what were best for him to do. He was counsayled to take the waye through Fraūce / with the safeconducte y ^t the duke of Burbon had gotte hym / & so to go to Parys / and there to demaunde for sir Bouciqualt or els by the way / therby at lest his ho­nour shulde be excused. This counsayle the knight beleued & folowed the same / and so deꝑted fro Bayon and entred in to Biern / & so came to Artoys & there founde therle of Foiz who made hym good chere / & at his deꝑtyng the erle gaue hym .ii.C. Florens and a good horse. Than he rode forthe through Byern & entred in to the coūtre of Bigore and so in to Tholousin & in to Carcassynois / and in his cōpany was Wylliam of Souuayne & other squiers of Heynault / retournyng in to their countreis. So longe he rode that he came to Parys / & at that tyme the kyng was in Normandy / and sir Boucikalt as it was shewed hym was in Aragon. Than sir Iohn̄ Dam­breticourt to acquyte his enterprice / presēted hym selfe before certayne of the great barons of Fraunce beyng at Parys / and shewed thē howe he was come thyder to acquite hymself of his chalenge. And whan he hadde taryed there .viii. dayes he deꝑted & came to Calais and they of Heynault in to their owne coun­treis. Thus lytell and litell the army y ^t went into Spayne and into Portugale brake vp.

IT ought to be supposed / that the duke Loys of Burbon (who was at the begynnyng of this enter­prise and armye / in to Ca­style / ordaynedde to be as chefe) was well enformed howe the maters went. If he had knowen y ^t it shuld haue ben so / he wolde haue made the more haste / for it was long or he entred in to Spaygne / for he toke a longe waye by Aui­gnon to se hym that wrote hymself pope Clement / and there taryed a long space / & whan he departed he rode to Mountpelyer & there taryed a fyue dayes / and also at Besyers & Carcassone / Narbone and Parpinyon / and than entred in to the realme of Aragon / tose the yonge kynge there and his cosyn y ^e quene yolant of Bare / and so rode to Baselona and there founde the kyng and the quene his co­syn / and a great nombre of the lordes of the countrey that were come thyder to sest hym / and so they dyde. and whan he had ben there a sixe dayes he went to Valēcensia the great and there he herde sure tidynges howe y ^e Englysshe armye was withdrawen and passed homewarde / and howe that sir Iohan Hol­lande was in Nauer goyng hōwarde / with a great parte of his cōpany / and howe there had ben a great dethe among them. And al­so he herde howe his cosyn the duke of Lan­castre laye sicke in Compostella in Galyce: and in dyuers places it was sayde / howe he was deed. Howe be it though there were as thanne but lytell to do in Spaygne / yet he thought to passe further and sende worde of his comyng to the kyng of Castile who was ryght gladde therof and to mete with hym / came to Burgus in Spayne / and there pro­uyded greatly for his receyuynge / & suche as were there with hym of Fraūce / were ryght gladde to se the duke of Burbone. Thus the duke passed Valencensia and Saragosa & all the portes / and entred in to Spayne and came to Burgus / and there he was well re­ceyued / & there was sir Olyuer of Clesquyn constable of Castyle and sir Wylliam of Li­gnacke / sir Gaultier of Passacke / sir Iohan of Barres / sir Iohan & sir Raynolde of Roy and dyuers other knyghtes of Fraunce / who lefte their garysons to come and se the duke of Burbone / for there was as than no doute of the Englysshmen nor of the portugalois / for they were all withdrawen. And the En­glysshmen forsoke their garysons that they had won in Galyce / for they knewe well they coude nat resyst the army of Fraunce / seyng their compaignyons were departed dyuers wayes / as ye haue herde before.

TIdinges came in to Galyce howe the duke of Burbon was cōe in to Spaigne / and had brought with hym great nōbre of knyghtes of Fraūce / brute and noyse was more thanne it was in dede / by the one halfe, The cōmons were in great dout / that y ^e duke of Burbon wolde haue entred there w ^t great force and puissaunce / but that the duke of Lā castre was there amonge them / who greatly conforted them. Tidynges came to the duke of Lancastre / howe that his cosyn the duke of Burbone was come in to Spayne / and was at Burgus with the kynge / and incontynent he sent worde therof to the kynge of Portu­gale / desyring hym to gather agayne toguy­der his people / for he knewe nat what y ^e fren­che men wolde do / seyng the Englysshe men were auoyded the coūtrey. The kyng of Portugale / by reason of suche alyaunce as was bytwene them he consented / and departed fro Lirbone and came to Conymbres / and there made his sōmons through out his realme / e­uery man to be redy. And than he came to the cytie of Porte to drawe nere to the countrey of Galyce / and to his father in lawe the duke of Lancastre / who was nat as than in good poynte to ryde / for the sickenesse that he had / howe beit he began to amende. Nowe let vs speke of the duke of Burbon / who was with the kyng of Castyle / who made hym as good chere as he coude / and all other prelates and [Page cxxi] lordes of the realme. And many counsayles there was bytwene them / to determyne what they shulde do / outher to ryde in to Galyce or els to returne. The kyng of Castyle and they of his counsayle sawe clerely / howe the mater shulde beste be for their profyte / and sayd eche to other whan they were togyder. By reason of these frenchmen our landes are wasted and dystroyed / though they be come to kepe it / we haue taken by them great domage? wherfore we thinke it shulde be good / to thāke the duke of Borbon for the payne and trauayle that he hathe endured in cominge hyder. and lette vs desyre hym louyngly to with drawe his men of warre / seynge henedeth nat to tary here for any warre that is apatente (for as for Galice) the recouery therof shall be but a small mater for vs. Thus they of the kynges counsayle comuned eche with other / and further they said. If we ones receyue these people they must be payed of their wages / if nat / they will pyll and robbe all the realme / for the comon people all redy begynneth to complayne: & therfore we thynke it were best to gyue thē an honest con­gy to departe. This counsayle was vpholden and the kynge well consented there to / for he sawe well it was the most proftye for his peo­ple and realme / for they coulde take no hurte but it shulde be to his domage and preiudice. So that one daye in the kynges presence the archebysshop of Burgus to the duke of Bur­bon / & before many of the knightes of Fraunce shewed and declared to theym their ententes / as ye haue herde before. And the duke of Burbon and dyuers other knyghtes of Fraunce / who had rather retourne than to a byde there for the countrey was nat mete for their com­plerions) were well contente to retourne / and prepared themselfe thervpon. and bycause the duke of Burbone was laste that came / he re­tourned first / and toke his leaue of the kynge / and said howe he wolde returne by the realme of Nauerre. There were great gyftes gyuen him or he departed / and might haue had more if he wolde haue taken it / but he refused euery thynge / except mules and mul [...]tte [...]/and dog­ges of Spayne. Than it was publisshed that all frenchmen might at their pleasure departe out of Spayne / and retourne in to Fraunce. but there taryed styll sir Olyuer of Clesquyn constable of Spayne and the marshals / and a thre hundred speares of bretons / poicteuyns and xayngtons. Thus the duke of Burbone returned. Whan he had taken his congy of the kynge and the quene / and of other lordes of Castyle / he was conueyed to Groyne / and so in to Nauarre. And where so euer he came he was welcome and well receyued. for the duke of Burbone was gracyous / curteyse / honora­ble / and well renomed. And the kynge of Na­uer receyued him louyngly / and neuer shewed any maner of yuell wyll towardes the frenche kynge / in that he had taken a way fro him his enherytaūce of the countye of Eureur in Normandy / for he sawe well the frenche kyng that was as than nephewe to the duke of Burbon / was in no defaute therof / for whā it was done he was but yonge. But swetely he shewed the duke all his busynesse / desyringe hym to be a good meane bytwene hym and his cosyn the frenche kynge. The duke promysed hym so to be. Than the duke departed / and passed tho­rough the realme of Nauer peasably / and all other suche as wolde passe. and thus they pas­sed the mountayns of Rouseaulx / & all alonge the countrey of Bastelles / and so entred in to Bierne and in to Saluaterra.

WHan the Erle of Foyz beynge at Ortays / vnder­stode that the duke of Bur­bon was at Saluaterra he was glad therof / and sente for his knightꝭ to be aboute him. And on a day in great araye he rode with a fyue hundred knyghtes and squyers two leages out of Ortays / and mette with the duke of Burbon / who in lyke­wyse rode with a great rout of knyghtes and squiers / and there they met amyably / as great prynces ought to do. And whan they had co­muned togyther a certayne space (as it was [Page] shewed me) whan I was at Ortays. The erle of Foize drewe hym a parte in the felde with all his company / and the duke abode styll in a nother parte. Than the Erle sente to the duke thre knyghtes named syr Espayne de Lyon / sir Peter Capestan / and sir Menaunt of No­walles. And whan they came before the duke they sayd. Sir / here is a present that my lorde the erle of Foiz hath sent / to you at your retur­nynge out of Spayne / for he knoweth well ye haue been at great dyspence / Therfore syr he dothe gyue you at your entring in to his countrey of Bierne / eyght thousande frankes / and this mulette / and two coursers and two pal­freys. Syrs quod the duke / I thanke the erle of Foyze / But as for the floreyns I wyll take none / as for the other presente I wyll receyue them with a good wyll. thus the florens were refused / and the Mules and horses receyued. Than the erle of Foyz came to the duke / and brought hym in to the towne of Ortays / and lodged him in his owne place / & all other were lodged in the towne. the duke was thre dayes in Ortays / and had great there with dyners and suppers. And there the Erle of Foize she­wed y ^e duke a great parte of his estate. On the fourthe daye the duke departed / and the erle gaue to y ^e knightes and squiers great gyftes. As it was shewed me / the comynge thyder of the duke of Burbon coste the erle of Foize ten thousande frankes. Thus the duke departed and went in to Fraunce / and rode by Mount­pelyer & by the cytie of Puy / and by the coun­tye of Forestes wherof he was lorde by the la­dy his wyfe.

FOr all the departyng of y ^e duke of Burben (as ye haue herde) out of Spayne / sir Willyam Lignac and sir Gaultier of Pas­sac departed nat so soone / nor the companyes to the nombre of a thre thousande speares and syre thousande of other men of warre / and ly­tell and lytell euer they departed. They were many out of wages and wery of the warres / and so retourned yuell horsed and yuell apa­relled / all to torne and ragged. The metynge with suche people was nothynge profytable / for they vnhorsed whome soeuer they met / and made warre to all marchaūtes and to men of the churche / and to poore people of the countre where any thinge was to gette. These rutters sayde howe the warre had vndone them / and howe the kynge of Castyle hadde yuell payed theym their wages / wherfore they sayde they wolde pay themselfe. And surely suche cyties / castels / and good townes as were nat stronge in Castyle / douted them greatly. and agaynst them townes and cyties closed their gates for feare of parels / for all was hauocke with them without it were well defended. Suche knigh­tes and squyers as came by the erle of Foyze to se hym were well receyued / and had gyftes and rewardes gyuen them ryght largely. As it was shewed / the comyng and retournynge of men of warre / that passed by therle of Foize for the sayd iourney / coste hym the some of .xl. thousande frankes.

THis season there fell an incydent in the towne of saynt Phagon in Spaygne after the departynge of the duke of Burbone / the whiche coste fyue hundred mennes lyues. So it was that whan sir Gaultier of Passar and sir Willyam of Lignac entred firste in to Spayne / their companyes spredde abrode in to dyuerse places in the countrey / and aboute the towne of saynte Phagon / whiche was a good plentuous countrey. There were many of the bretons / poicteuyns / and augenyns / of rainton and men of the lowe countreys. And whan they entred fyrste in to saynt Phagon / they entred by syxe / ten / fyftene and twenty / so that at laste there were mo than fyue hundred of one and other / maysters and seruauntes / and euer as they came they lodged them selfe / and pilled and robbed their hostes / and brake vp cofers & cupbordes / and wolde take what they foūde. And whan the citezyns sawe their demeanoure / to the entent that there shulde no mo entre. whan these straungers were at their reste they cryed alarum in the towne / and the spanyardes were redy for the same all the day before. And so they entred in to the lodginges where the straungers were / and as they were founde they were slayne without pytie or mercye / and happy were they that were saued. the same nyght there were slayne mo thanne fyue hundred. The nexte mornyng these tydinges came to the capytayns that were comynge to the same towne warde. than they drewe them togyder to take counsayle / And the capitayns determyned that it was no tyme than to be reuenged. for if they dyde / they shulde fynde all other townes and cyties against them / wherof [Page cxxii] their enemyes wold/be right ioyous / but they sayde that whan their voyage shulde haue an ende / y ^t in their retourning they wolde thanke them accordynge to their desertes. So they passed forwarde and spake nothynge therof / but they thought the more.

NOwe than so it happend that whan eue­ry man returned / except suche as were styll abydinge with the constable sir Olyuer of Clysson / and specially those of y ^e lowe countreys / whan they came togyder they sayd eche to other. Nowe lette vs paye for our welcome that we had at saynt Phagon? Lette vs quyte them at our departyng. To this they were all agreed / and so gathered togyder to the sōme of a thousande fightynge men / and they apro­ched saynt Phagon / & entred in to the towne (without any mystruste that they of the cytie had to them / for they trusted all thynges had ben forgoten) The straungers cryed alarum in a hūdred places / and cryed slee the villayns of the towne / and take all that they haue / for they haue well deserued it. Thanne these bre­tons and other entred in to the howses where they thought to wyn moste / and brake vp co­fers / and slewe the mē downe in euery place. They slewe the same day mo than foure hun­dred / and the towne robbed and spoyled / and more than halfe brente / whiche was great do­mage. Thus these rutters were reuenged for the dethe of their companyons / and than they departed fro saynte Phagon.

TIdynges came to the king of Castyle howe these companyons had robbed and pylled the good towne of saynt Phagon / & slayne the cytezyns to the nobre of a four hūdred / and nigh brent the towne. And it was sayd that if the englysshe men had wonne it with assaute / they wolde nat haue daulte so cruelly as they dyd. The same tyme the two knyghtes were pre­sent with the kynge / and they were greatly re­proued by the kyng and his counsayle. They excused them and sayd: as god might be their helpes they knewe nothynge therof. but they sayd / they had herde howe they were nat con­tente with them of that towne / bycause whan they entred firste in to the realme and came to saynte Phagon / there were certayne of their company slayne / which grudge by lyklyhode they haue borne euer sythe in their hertes. It behoued the kyng of Castyle to let this mater passe / for it wolde haue coste hym ouer moche to haue hadde it amended. But he bare nat so good wyll to the capytayns after / as he dyd before / and that was well sene. for whan they departed and toke leaue of the kyng to retourne in to Fraūce / if he had ben pleased with them / it ought to be supposed they shulde haue been better payed of their wages than they were. For the duke of Burbone that came laste and was firste that departed / he and his company had all the chere / and well rewarded. Thus these people issued out of Castyle by dyuerse wayes / some by Bisquay & some by Aragon. Suche as were noble and honeste knyghtes and squyers / and lyued well and kepte good rule / they departed pore and yuell horsed. and suche as were hardy and aduentured to robbe and pylle / they were well horsed and well fur­nisshed with gold and syluer / and their males full of baggage. Thus it falleth in suche ad­uentures / some wyn and some lese. The kyng of Castyle was ioyfull whan he sawe he was clene delyuered of suche people.

NOwe let vs somwhat speke of the duke of Lancastre / who laye sicke in his bed in the towne of saynt Iames / and the duches his wyfe with hym and his doughter Kathe­ryn. It is to be thought that the duke day and nyght was nat without anoyaūce / for he sawe his busynes in a harde parte / and many of his good knyghtes deed / suche as he with moche payne had brought with him out of Englāde. Nor there was none that wolde treate for any composicyon to be had bytwene hym and the kynge of Castyle / nor that he wolde take the duches his wyfe for enheritour of Castell / nor gyue her any parte there of. But he herde his [Page] men saye / that they were enfourmed by pyl­grymes that came to saynt Iaques / oute of Flaunders / Brabant / Heynaulte / and other countreis / as they came throughe the realme of Spaygne: They herde the men of warre saye to them. Sirs ye shall go to saynt Ia­ques and there ye shall fynde the duke of Lā castre / who kepeth his chambre for feare of y ^e lyght of the sonne. Recōmaunde vs to hym and demaunde of hym in oure behalfe if we haue made hym fayre warre / or that he be cō ­tent with vs or nat. The Englisshmen were wont to say that we coude better daūce than make warre. But nowe is y ^e tyme come that they rest and synge / and we kepe the feldes / and our fronters / in suche wyse that we lese nothing nor take any domage. Suche tales were tolde to the duke & he toke all in worthe for he had none other remedy. And as soone as he myght ryde he departed / and y ^e duches and his doughter fro saynt Iaques / For the kyng of Portugale had sente for hym by the erle of Noware his constable with a fyue hū dred speares / and with hym sir Iohn̄ Ferant the Ponase of Congue / Ageas Coylle / Ve­nase Martyn de Malo / Galope Ferrant / sir Aulde Perre / I can Nedighes de Fay / Gannes de Falues / all barons. Thus they departed fro Compostella / & so rode tyll they came to the cytie of Porte. There the kynge & the quene of Portugale made them good chere. And anone after the kyng and the quene deꝑted and wente to Conymbres / a dayes iour­ney fro thens / and the duke taryed there a.ii. monethes. In the meane season he ordayned for all his busynesse and hadde galyes of the kyng / and they were apparelled / & had with hym the mayster patrone of Portungale / na­med Alphons Brecart. And whan they sawe good tyme to take the see / y ^e duke and all his entred in to their vesselles / and disacred and toke the see / & were within a day and a halfe of Bayon whiche was more than threscore and. [...] leages of. And there the duke toke lā dynge and founde nat there sir Iohan Hol­lande nor the other Englysshe men / for they were departed and gone to Burdeux / & there toke shippyng and so in to Englande. The duke taryed at Bayon a longe space / and ly­ued there of the reuenewes of Bayon & Burdeux and of the lande of Acquitayne / of all that was vnder the obeysaunce of kyng Ri­charde of Englande / for he had commissyon suffycient to receyue the profytes of all those landes / and was called duke and gouernour of them. ¶Nowe lette vs leaue to speke a season of the duke of Lancastre and of y ^e Englysshmen / and let vs treat of other maters. ⸫ ⸫

IN this reason the erle of Army­nake was in Auuergne / & was intreatyng of the companyons suche as laye in fortresses in ga­ryson. In Auuergne / Quersy / & Lymosen. This erle hadde great desyre to cause these capitayns to departe out of the realme of Fraunce / and to leaue suche holdes as they were in / for these lādes were sore op­pressed by them and greatly impouerisshed. And so he was in cōmunycacion with them all / except Geffray Teate Noyre / who helde Wenchadore agaynst the erle of Armynake. These sayd capitayns shulde receyue at one payment / two hundred and .l. thousande frā ­kes. And to paye this sōme the sayde landes were bounde / for they were glad to be delyuered of these people / for otherwise they coude nat labour the erthe / nor occupy their feate of marchaundise / nor do any thyng for feare of these pyllers / without they were patesed by them. And y ^e charge of their patesyng drewe well yerely to the sōme that they shulde pay to haue them delyuered. And thoughe these countreis had warre with the Englysshmen yet there were amonge them but fewe of the nacyon of Englande: But there were Gas­coyns / bretons / almayns / foyzons / and men of dyuers countreis / who were gathered to­guyder to do yuell dedes. And whan the cō ­posycions of the redempcion was made and agreed: they excepted Geffray Teate noyre and his forterers / for he wolde do nothynge for them. Than the erle of Armynake prayed the erle Dolphyn of Auuergne / who was a great capitayne / that he shulde treate with y ^e [Page cxxiii] sayd Geffray / and that he wolde do so moche to go in to Fraunce to the kyng and his coū ­sayle / the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyn / who as than had the gouernyng of y ^e realme to haue their counsayle and assystence. For without their aduyse & agrement / they durst reyse vp no tayle in the countrey. The Erle Dolphyn of Auuergne at the request of the erle of Armynake toke his iourney to Paris as than the kynge was nat there / he was at Roane. Thyder rode the erle / and there she­wed all the mater to the kynge and his coun­sayle / but he was nat shortely dispatched / for they douted the treatie of these people / & said Sir erle Dolphyn / we knowe well that the erle of Armynake and you wolde right gladlye the honour and profyte of the realme / for your partes lyeth therin. ye haue fayre lan­des there / But we doute greatly / that whan these capitayns gascoyns / bernoyes / & other be payed suche somes of money as the composicyon requyreth / wherby the countre shulde be enpouerisshed / y ^t than within thre or four monethes after they shulde retourne againe and make worse warre than they dyd before / and entre agayne in to these fortresses. than the erle of Dolphyn answered and sayd. sirs it is our ententes / the tayle cessed and gade­red / that the money shall nat passe out of Cleremonde or Ryon / tyll we be certifyed and in suretie of these people. Well quod the dukes we are content that the money be leuyed and put in sure kepyng in some place in the same countre / for at the leest it shall serue to make them warre / if they wyll nat come to some a­myable treatie. And that the erle of Army­nake and you / the bysshoppe of Cleremonde and the bisshoppe of Puy / take ye the charge of this mater / and do so as it may be for your honour / and profite to the coūtre. With right a good wyll sir quod the erle / and so deꝑted fro the kyng and his vncles fro Roane / and founde the erle of Armynake his brother at Cleremont in Auuergne / with many lordes of the countre taryenge there vpon his com­myng. and there he shewed worde for worde that he had with the frēche kyng and his vn­cles / and the doutes that were made in y ^e ma­ter: And howe it was their ententes that the tayle shulde be gadered / and the money ther of gadered toguyder and putte in suretie in some certayne place / tyll the very entente of these pyllers might be knowen / who kepeth castels and garisons agaynst the realme. the same is our entencion quod the erle of Armynake / and sithe it pleaseth the kynge and his counsayle we shall go further in the mater: but for the more suretie it must behoue vs to haue a good and a sure truse with thē for all the countrey / tyll the tayle be cessed and gadered. Than there were ambassadours assig­ned by the erle of Armynake to go and speke with Perot le Bernoys and Amergot Marcell. These two were as souerayns of the fortresse that they helde on that syde the ryuer of Durdone / and also to speke with the Borge of Compaigne / with Bernarde of y ^e Isles / with Olyuer Barbe abton / with Seghewe the lorde of Laenplayre / and dyuers other. All these capitayns acorded nat togyder / for that the one wolde y ^e other wolde nat. I shal shewe you the reason why.

THey were of dyuers opinyons and of dyuers countreis. They of Ar­mynake / suche as were vnder the obeysaunce of the Erle of Armynake were soone agreed / but all the other wolde nat be ruled by hym. for the chefe company of them and suche as were most renomed to vse grete robbery and pillery were of Bierne / and of the countie of Foiz. Howbeit I saye nat but that the erle of Foiz wolde the honour of the realme of Fraunce. But whan he herde first howe the erle of Armynake dyde treate with them / for suche fortresses as they helde in Auuergne / in Quercy / and in Lymosyn: as he that desyred to knowe the hole substaūce of the mater. Demaunded of them that enfour­med hym therof / what the erle of Armynake was mynded to do with y ^e men that were in the garysons / whan they were departed out of their holdes / and whyder he wolde set thē in any busynesse or nat. Than he was answered / and it was said to hym. Sir / the erle of Armynake wolde kepe them in wages & oc­cupy them in to Lombardy: for as ye knowe well his suster is maryed there / and before she had Gascone your son̄e / for it is thought there shalbe moche a do in Lombardy. whervnto the erle of Foiz gaue none answere but fell in to other talkyng / howbe it he thought neuerthelesse (as it apered af [...]) for he hādled the mater couertly. I shall shewe you howe.

[Page] The erle of Armynake for any treatie that he coude do to them that were of the countre of Bierne / or of the teneurs of therle of Foiz or suche as owed hym any fauour / coude ne­uer cause any of them to agree to departe out of their garisons. Nor wolde nat go nother to the erle of Armynake nor to Bernarde his brother in lawe. For therle of Foiz who was full of great prudence / consydred that these two lordes of Armynake & there cosyns / and with the labriciens were puissaunt men. and sawe howe they gate them frendes on euery parte / he thought they shulde nat be renfor­sed / with them that ought to serue hym. And one thynge that was reasonable the Erle of Foiz ymagined. sir Espaygne de Leon she­wed it me whan I was at Ortays / & in lyke­wise so dyde the erle of Compane / capitayne of Carlot in Auuergne: and also so dyde the Bourge of Englande. They sayd howe the erle of Foiz regarded howe he had had open warre with them of Armynake / thoughe it were peace bytwene them (as than) whiche was but a truese / the whiche was dyuers ty­mes renewed bytwene theym. Therfore he thought [...]hat if the erle of Armynake had all those companyons vnder his gouernaunce / his warres shulde be the fayrer. So that the armynakes and the labricience with their a­lyes / myght do hym a great displeasure.

This was the cause that suche as owed fa­uour to therle of Foiz / wolde nat agte to the erle of Armynake. Howe be it they made thē beleue that they wolde / but they dyd but dis­semble / for they brake all their apoyntmētes. howe be it they rode nat abrode so moche as they dyde before / Wherby alwayes the Erle of Armynake thought to haue come to his purpose. They that agreed to hym were Perotte de Bernoys / who helde the stronge ca­stell of Salucette / whiche is chefe and soue­raygne of all Auuergne and Lymosyne / for their patesyng endured to Rochell. And also Guyllyam of saynt Foye / who helde the ca­stell of Bonteuyll / and also Margote Mar­cell / who helde Loysse before saynt Flour in Auuergne / and the Bourge of Compaygne and the Englysshe Bourge / who helde Carlotte. Margote Marcell sayde he was con­tente / so that he myght haue in lykewise Pe­rotte / Bernoys / and Geffray Teate Noyre / who helde Vādachore / who was souerayne aboue all other. But he dyde but mocke and dissemble the mater / for he disdayned to fall to any treatie of the erle of Armynakes / or of any other. For he thought his castell imprignable and well prouyded for seuyn or eyght yeres / for he had a passage or two that coude nat be taken fro hym / but that he myght issue whan he lyste / to refresshe hym selfe and his company. This Geffray wrote hym selfe in his saueconductes. Geffray Teate Noyre duke of Vandachore / erle of Lymosyn / lorde and soueraygne of all the capitayns of Au­uergne / Rouergue / and Lymosyn.

NOw let vs leaue to speke of these maters of farre coūtreis / tyll we haue cause to returne therto agayne: And nowe I wyll speke of matters nerer home / as of myne owne nacyon (as it hath ben she­wed here before) whan I treated of the ende of the warre of Flaunders / and of the char­ter of peace that the duke of Burgoyne / and the duchesse dyde gyue and graunt / and sea­led to them of Gaunt / in the good towne and noble cytie of Tourney. Therfore nowe to enforce our mater and history / we wyll speke nowe of the warres of Guerles and of Bra­bant. And I am quickened so to do / bycause that the Frenche kyng and the duke of Bur­goyne (to whom the mater greatly touched / by the insydentes that gendred therby) were fayne to set to their hādes to the same warre / and to come to the bottom therof: And to contynue at length the true hystorie and mater / I saye thus as foloweth. ⸫ ⸫

[Page cxxiiii] ALonge season it was that they of Guerles and they of Brabant had grete hatered toguyder / and so dyd the countreis to them adioyninge / by reason of certayne bondes one aga­ynst another. And the moost hatered that the brabanders had to the duke of Guerles and to his heyres / was for the towne of Graue / whiche the dukes of Guerles had holden per force a longe season agaynst the brabansoys. For they sayd / bycause y ^t the towne of grane stode on that syde of the ryuer of Muese to­wardes Brabant / that the duke of Guerles helde it wrongfully. & before y ^t tyme dyuers cōmunycacions had been and poyntmentes taken / howbeit alwayes the guerloys stacke in their hertꝭ. Also y ^e guerloys hated the bra­bāsoys / bycause of thre fayre castels y ^t were on that syde the ryuer / as Gaulech / Buthe / & Nulle. Whiche castelles the duke of Brabāt helde also peforce: And by reasone (as in re­dynge I shall begynne at the duke of Guer­les) These hatereddes were often tymes re­newed bytwene them of Guerles and Bra­bant. And it was supposed by dyuers knightes and squyers that knewe of their dedes of armes / that if sir Edwarde of Guerles who was slayne by a marueylous incydent at the batayle of Iulyers / by y ^e shote of an archer that was with the duke Vyncelant of Boem duke of Lusenbourge or of Brabante / If he had lyued (with that that his men had had the vyctorie) he hadde come to his entente in gettyng agayne the thre castelles. for he was lo valiant a man and so hardy / that he wolde haue conquered them agayne. ¶Nowe I wyll declare (as I haue promysed) how and in what maner these foresayd castelles came in to the signorie of the brabansoys / and first I wyll begyn with the dukes of Guerles.

IN the tyme whan I wrote and orday­ned this hystorie / there was an Erle of Guerles / called Raynolde / and bycause that Guerles is no riche countre / nor so great as the duchy of Brabant. This erle came to his lande a yonge man / and had a frewyll to dis­pende largely / and thought full lytell of the ende that myght come after. He cared for nothynge but for to accomplysshe his pleasure / and haunted iustes and tourneys to his gret cost / to gette hym renome. And euery yere he spended four tymes as moche as the value of the reuenewes of his landes. He borowed of the lombardes in dyuers places / he was so lyberall and outragious: He ran so in dette / that he coulde nat ayde hym selfe with any thynge that he had / so that his parentes and frendes greatly blamed hym / and speciallye an vncle of his by his mothers syde / He came of the house of Orcle / and was archebysshop of Coleygne / who sayd to hym in maner of gyueng hym counsayle. My fayre nephewe Raynolde / ye haue so demeaned youre selfe / that nowe ye are become a poore manne / and your lādes lyeth in pledge in dyuers places. And throughe all the worlde there is but ly­tell accompte made of poore lordes. Thynke you that suche as haue hadde these great gif­tes of you and profite wyll rendre it againe / as god ayde me no? But whan they se you in this poore case and haue no more to gyue them / they wyll flye fro youre company and mocke you and youre foule larges. ye shall fynde them no frendes. Thynke nat though I be bysshoppe of Coleyne / that I ought to breke or mynisshe myne estate to helpe you / nor to gyue you of the patrimony of my churche? Surely I wyll nat do it / nor my conscyence? shall neuer agre therto / nor also y ^e pope nor the cardynals wyll nat suffre it: Therle of Heynalt hath nat behaued hym self (as ye haue done) who hath gyuen Margarett his eldest doughter in maryage to the kynge of Almayne Loys of Bauyers / and yet he hath thre other / he wyll marry them all highly. yf ye hadde well borne your selfe / and nat haue layde your heritage to pledge / nor put out of your hādes none of your castels nor townes / ye might ryȝtwell haue fortuned to haue had one of his doughters in maryage / but in the case ye be in now / ye shall neuer come therto ye haue (as nowe) nother townes nor castels that ye maye endowe any woman with all / nat so moche as a poore lordshyppe. This erle of Guerles was sore abasshed with the wordes of the bysshop his vncle / for he knew well he shewed hym but trouthe: And than for loue and kyndred he desyredde his coun­sayle. Counsayle fayre nephue quod the bys­shop: it is to late. ye wyll close faste the sta­ble whan the Horse is loste: Howe be it I se [Page] in all your busynesse but one remedy. What remedy quod the erle? I shall shewe you ꝙ the bysshoppe.

BErthaulte of Malygnes (who is as nowe renomed the rychest man of syl­uer and golde / that is knowen in any place / by reason of the course of marchaundise that he vseth / bothe by lande and by see. He occu­pyeth to Dāmas / to Cayre / and to Alexādre. His galyes and marchaūdyse are worthe an hundred thousande floreyns) hath to pledge parte of your herytage. this Berthault hath a fayre doughter to mary / and he hath no mo chyldren / Great and high barons of Almay­gne in those marches haue desyred her in maryage / for them selues and for their sonnes. This I knowe well / and yet they coude ne­uer come to their entētes / for some he refused and some he thought nat worthy. wherfore I wolde counsayle you y ^t ye shulde treate with this Berthault / desyring to haue his dough­ter in maryage / so y ^t he wyll redeme all your landes and paye all your dettes / and bring agayne in to your hādes / your townes / castel­les / and lordshippes / perteyning vnto your herytaunce. And I suppose bycause ye be of an high lynage and of great signorie / & haue many townes cyties / and castels / bytwene y ^e ryuers of Meuse and Ryne / that he wyll en­clyne to your request. Sir ꝙ therle of Guer­les / ye counsayle me truely and I shall so do. Than after therle of Guerles assembled togider his coūsayle and frendes / suche as loued hym best / and discouered his entent to them. and desyred them to go in his name to y ^e sayd Berthault of Malignes / and to treate honorably with hym for that mater. Whan these knightes and clerkes came to Berthalt / sent fro the erle of Guerles / he made them good chere and made them a curtesse answere / and said he wolde take aduysement. And he was riche beyond measure / as worthe a .v. or sixe hūdred .M. florens. And desyred the aduaū ­cement of his doughter / Thynkynge that he wyst nat where to mary her more highly / thā to therle of Guerles (thought to accepte this maryage) but or he fullye assented therto in hymselfe / he had dyuers ymaginacions / and cast many doutes and sayd to hymselfe. yf I mary my doughter to this Erle / and he haue chyldren by her and than she happen to dye / as all thynges fall dayly. than he that shalbe made riche with my goodes / and put againe in to possessyon of his townes and castelles / Happe to mary agayne secondly in to some high blode / and haue children agayne by her Those chyldren than cōmynge out of noble lynage by their mothers syde / shall be more made of than y ^e chyldren issued of my doughter. yea? And moreouer lyke to be dysenhe­ryted. Wherfore without this be artycled I wyll neuer consent therto. How be it I wyll answere these messanges that their cōmyng pleaseth me greatlye / and that my doughter shulde be happy if she myght cōe to so great a perfection / as to be conioyned in maryage to the erle of Guerles / thoughe it shulde cost me right derely / so that y ^e maters were clere. But as nowe / euery man knoweth well they be nat clere / but in sore trouble. And also he hath forfayted all his herytage bytwene the ryuers of Muese and Ryne. Wherfore to be quyte of this / euery man maye se clerely / he demaundeth my doughter in maryage. and if I gyue her to hym / I wyll knowe howe it shall be. And also / if case that my doughter haue sonne or dough [...] by hym / I wyll know if they shalbe heyres of Guerles or no / for a­ny other maryage that the erle may happe to haue after. And of this alyaūce I wyll haue good suretie of hym and of them that be next of his blode / and of suche as haue any ryght to demaunde any successyon in the countrie of Guerles / and also promyse of the noble men and good townes of the countre. Thus Berthaulte of Malygnes determyned hym selfe to make answere to therle of Guerlrs cōmys­syoners.

THe next daye at an hour assigned the erles messanges came to Berthaldes lodgynge / and there he shewed well that he was a ryche man. Berthault mette them in his hall / and swetely recyued thē and spake to them merilye / and than ledde them in to a fayre chambre apparelled and dressed / and it had benfor a kyng / and had there about hym some of his frendes. And whan they were all there assembled and the doore closed: Than Berthaulte desyred them to shewe the cause of their cōmynge / whervpon he wolde make them a fynall answere / and so they dyd. And the deane of Coleygne a ryght sage Clerke [Page cxxv] and cosyn to the erle of Guerles spake / and there shewed theffecte of their ambassade / in suche wyse / that it was ioye to here hym. Of his wordes nor of his requestes I nede nat to speke any more / for they haue ben shewed here before / & touched at length. Than Ber­thaulte answered as he had deuysed in hym selfe the day before / and sayd. Fayre lordes I repute my selfe gretly honored & my dough [...] also / if we might come to so hygh an en [...]prise as the erle of Guerles desyreth. And whan a mater is begon / it wolde nat be prolōged. I saye this bycause that alyaunce by maryage made bytwene the hyghe prince and redou­ted lorde the erle of Guerles / and Mary my doughter pleaseth me rightwell. ye make me request that his landes (whiche at this pre­sente tyme / are so sore charged and layde to pledge / in the handes of certayne lombardes and other / by reason of this maryage shulde be quyt / and that I shulde rydde hym out of dette / And all thynges that are nowe darke / I shulde make them clere. I thanke god of his puissaūce that it lyeth in me thus to do / & I am in good wyll so to do. But first or this couenaunt be fully agreed / written or sealed / that I maye be in suretie without trouble or debate / that y ^e chyldren comyng of my doughter maye be enherytours to the Erldome of Guerles / as the lymites therof do stretche. & that if my lorde therle of Guerles fortune to dye before my doughter / w ^tout issue bytwene them / that than my doughter may enioye the herytage of Guerles duryng her lyfe / and af [...] her dyscease / to returne to y ^e rightfull heyre. And also I saye / if my doughter haue heyre or heyres by my lorde therle / and than she fortune to dye / thoughe the erle than remacy a­gaine the seconde tyme / and haue issue by the seconde wyfe / yet for all that my doughters heyre or heyres shall nat be disheryted. how be it if it please the erle to remary agayne / I am contente that he make his seconde wyfe a dower of all suche landes as he hath beyond the ryuer of Muse / marchyng to the bysshoprike of Liege / and to the duchy of Brabant / and nat to charge the princypall signorie of Guerles. And thus if the erles frendes and parentes / and suche as be next of blode / and haue any chalenge to the signory of Guerles with the good townes of the countrey / wyll seale to vpholde these deuyses and couenaū ­tes / than I am cōtent and wyll assent to this maryage. ye may nowe answere to this if ye haue any charge so to do. Than the knyghtꝭ answered whan they had a lytell counsayled toguyder. Than one for them all sayd / sir we haue well herde your answere / but we haue none auctorite to confyrme nor to graunt so farforthe as ye demaunde / But we shall re­tourne to our lorde therle and to his coūsaile and shewe hym your answere and demaūde / and shortely ye shall here fro hym agayne. Than Berthalte said. sirs / as god wyll so be it. Thus they deꝑted out of the chambre. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue well herde all the answers & demaundes bytwene the foresaid parties / wherfore I speke no more therof. But (as ye haue herde) whan therle of guerles messangers were returned home agayn / The erle was hoote in the mater / for he sawe well he coude as than do no better / thā to mary Berthalt of Malygnes doughter / he was so riche a man. Than the erle and his coun­saile made and deuysed writynges sufficient and therle set to his seale / and his next frēdes and parētes / in lykewise so dyd other knigh­tes of Guerles and good townes. And whan all was confyrmed and done as Berthaulte was content / y ^e maryage was made / and the erles dettes payde / and his Landes clerely quytte out of daunger. Than the Erle toke newe counsayle / and began a newe lyfe and [Page] state / if he were called good before he was named better after / for than he had well wher­with. he lacked nothyng of that Berthault of Malygnes myght ayde hym. The erle bare hym to his wyfe ryght honourably / for she was a fayre lady good / sage / deuout / & pru­dent: but they were nat toguyder past a four yeres / but that the lady dyed / And she had a doughter called Isabell. whan therle of guerles was a wydower he was but yong. Than he maryed agayne ryght highly / For kynge Edwarde of Englande / father to the good kyng Edwarde who beseged Tourney and wanne Ealis / he gaue to this erle Raynolde a doughter of his named Isabell / and by her this erle had thre chyldren / two sonnes & one doughter / sir Raynolde & sir Edwarde / and Iane / who afterwarde was duches of Guerlers. For in lykewise as Bertram of Malignes had ymagined in the begynnyng / whan his doughter maryed the erle of Guerles / e­uyn so it fell / for there was no trouthe kepte to hym. For whan kynge Edwarde of En­glande / who was vncle to the erle of Guer­les chyldren / came first in to Almayne to the Emperour Loyes of Bauyers / whiche Em­perour instytuted kynge Edwarde to be his vycar generall / throughe all the marches of the Empyre / as it is conteyned in the begyn­nyng of this boke. Than the coūtie of Guerles was made a duchy / and the countie of Iulyers was made marques of Iulyers to augment their dignities. And to come to our mater / the duke Raynolde of Guerles / nephue to kynge Edwarde dyed without issue / and sir Edward of Guerles was maryed in Heynault / and had to wyfe the yongest doughter of duke Aubert / but the lady was so yonge / that this sir Edwarde neuer touched her carnallye. And so this sir Edwarde also dyed withoute issue / who was a ryght valyaunt knight. He was slayne in the batayle y ^t was bytwene the duke of Brabant and duke Wincelant before Iulyers. His suster Iane who was maryed to duke Guylliam of Iulyers had chyldren. And she by successyon of her bretherne said and toke vpon her to be heyre to the duchy of Guerles / and in lykewyse so dyde her eldest suster by the firste maryage / For the two bretherne by the seconde mary­age were bothe deed / withoute laufull issue. Wherfore she sayde / she was enherytoure. Thus fell the difference bytwene the two su­sters / and some of the countrey wolde haue the one and some the other. And the eldest su­ster was counsayled to mary in to some high lygnage / that myght ayde her chalenge and defende her herytage. Than there was trea­tie made by the bysshoppe of Coloygne that was than: to the lorde sir Iohan of Bloyes / For therle Loyes his brother as than lyued. and the bysshoppe sayd / that he shulde ther­by be duke of Guerles / For by successyon of the two bretherne deed withoute issue male / Therfore by right of mariage / y ^e right shuld retourne to her / for none other coude chalēge any right but she. And sir Iohan of Bloyes who alwayes had ben nourisshed & brought vp in the parties of Hollande and zelande (for there he had fayre herytage / and had the language of that countre. And he neuer had wyll to mary in Fraūce) layde his eare glad lye to this treatie / and sawe well he myght therby haue great possessiōs in the marches / that he loued beste. And also the knyghtes of Hollande that were of his counsayle / coun­sayled hym therto. So he accepted that ma­ryage / but first or he wolde conclude / he sayd he wolde ryde in to Heynault and Quesnoy to speke with his cosyn the duke Auberte / to se what counsayle he wolde gyue hym. But to saye trouthe / duke Aubert wyst nat what to counsayle hym. And if he dyd / he made no semblaunt therof / but dissymuled the mater a lytell / So that sir Iohn̄ of Bloyes wolde no lengar tarye to haue his counsayle / But toke his horse and retourned as soone as he coude in to Guerles / and wedded this lady / and dyd put her in possession of the countre. But some there were that wolde nat receyue hym to their lorde / nor her to their lady: For the moost parte of the knyghtes and squiers and good townes of the countre / helde with the duchesse of Iulyers / for that lady hadde fayre chyldren / wherfore they of Guerles lo­ued her the better.

THus sir Iohn̄ of Bloys had his wyfe and possessyons / whiche cost hym moche after: For the erle Loys his brother dyed And than he was erle of Bloyes & lorde Da­uenes in Heynault / and had all the landes in Hollande and zelande / & had in the sayd coū ­ties great herytage. & alwayes his coūsayle [Page cxxvi] counsayled hym to pursue for his ryght that he ought to haue by his wife in Guerles / & so he dyde to his power. But the almayns are so couetous / they wolde make no warre for hym no lengar than his money endured. and the chalenge y ^t he made to the duchy of Guerles dyd him neuer ꝓfyte / but great domage. Than dyed this gentyll knight sir Iohan of Bloyes / in the castell and towne of Eslone Houe / the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and one / in y ^e moneth of Iune / and was buryed in the freres at Valencenes / besyde sir Iohan of Heynault his. And than was his brother sir Guy of Bloyes erle / and helde all the landes by ryght successyon y ^t his two bretherne had helde / aswell in Fraunce / Picardy / Heynalt Hollande / and zelande / as in the countie of Bloyes.

I Knowe nat howe many yeres after the lady dyed / who had ben wyfe to therle Iohn̄ of Bloys / her suster the duches of Iuliers abode pesably duches of guerles It was ordayned by thaccorde of the countre / and at the request of the knightes & good townes of the duchy of Guerles / y ^t they shulde take to their lorde sir Willm̄ of Iuliers / eldest son to the duke of Iuliers / for the lāde came to hym rightfully by succession of his vncles. and by reason therof / duke Aubert and y ^e duches his wyfe gaue hym there doughter in maryage / who before had ben maried to sir Edward of Guerles. Thus the lady was doughter of Heynault and duches of Guerles. and whan she maried the duke of Guerles / sonne to the duke of Iulyers they were bothe of one age / wherfore the maryage was the more agrea­ble. This yong duke of Guerles helde hym in his owne countrey / and thelder he waxed / the more he loued dedes of armes / as iustes and tourneys. and alwayes the duke was rather Englysshe than trēche / and that he she­wed well as long as he lyued: And alwayes he bare in his mynde / the yuell wyll that his predecessours had to the duchy of Brabant. & alwayes he sought occasion how he might make warre there for two reasōs. the one by­cause he was alyed by faythe and homage to kyng Richarde of Englande: the other was bycause Wyncelant of Boesme duke of Lusē burge and of Brabant / had bought of therle of Mors a great lorde in Almayne / the thre foresaid castelles / the whiche I shall name agayne to quicken the mater / Gaulech / Buch and Nulle / on the othersyde of the ryuer of Muse in the lande of Falquemount: whiche castels aunciently ꝑteyned to y ^e duke of guerles and was enherytour to thē. And therfore the yōg duke Willm̄ of Iuliers duke of guerles was sore displeased / that he might nat recouer his herytage. as long as duke Wynce­lant of Brabāt lyued he spake no worde therof. Nowe shall I shewe you howe it fortu­ned / to thentent the mater shulde be y ^e clerer to be vnderstanded. ⸫ ⸫

SO it was that duke Reynolde of Guerles / cosyn germayne to the prince of Guerles / and his brother had before that engua­ged the threfor said castels for a sōme of florens / to an high baron of Almayn called therle of Mors. This erle helde these castels a season / and whan he saw y ^t he coude nat get his money that he had lende on them. He was sore displeased and sent suffycient sō monynge to the duke Raynolde of Guerles. The duke made no compte therof / for he had nat wherwith to redeme them agayne. & the erle of Mors sawe that he came to y ^e duke of Brabant / & treated with hym to haue agayn his money for the sayde castelles. The duke herde hym well / bycause the castels marched on the lande of Faulquemoūt / of the whiche lāde he was lorde / for y ^e duke was glad to en­crese his enheritaūce / as he that thought wel to ouer lyue y ^e lady Iane duches of Brabant his wife / & soe he gate ī to his possession y ^e said [Page] thre castelles. And in the first he set the lorde of Kalle / to be as chefe souerayne. and whan this duke of Guerles was deed / than sir Edwarde of Guerles toke on hym the herytage and sent to y ^e duke of Brabant ambassadors / desyring hym that he might haue agayne the thre castelles / for the money that was payde for thē. The duke wolde make no suche bar­gayne / but denyed it. With whiche answere sir Edwarde of Guerles was nat content / & dalte hardely with the wydowe the lady Isabell of Brabant / yonger suster to the duches / whiche lady had wedded the duke Raynolde of Guerles. but thus he troubled her for her dowrie. The lady wente in to Brabant and complayned her to the duke of Brabant her brother and to the duchesse / howe that sir Edwarde of Guerles dyde her great wronge & iniury. And bycause there was a grudge by­twene the Brabansoys and the guerloys / for the lande and towne of Grance / whiche was in Brabant on that syde the ryuer of Muese Therfore the duke and the brabansoys were more enclyned to ayde the lady. and on a day there were assembled togyder at the callyng of the duke of Brabant a great nōbre of men of warre / a .xii. hundred speares. And sir Edwarde of Guerles made his assemble on the other parte / and were in that case that it was likely to haue had a batayle bytwene them. But the duke Aubert / the duke of Mours / & the duke of Iullyers mette togyder by a treatie / and so this assemble departed a sondre w ^t out any thyng doyng. The same yere y ^e duke Wyncelant of Brabant ouerthrewe the com­panyons in the coūtrey of Lusenburge / who had greatly wasted that lande / and putte many to exyle: and in the towre of the castell of Lusenburge dyed their souerayne capitayne called the lytell Meslyn. And also in y ^e same yere sir Charles of Boesme / who as than raigned and was kynge of Almaygne and em­perour of Rome / instytuted duke Wyncelāt of Boesme and made hym souerayne regar­der / by an instytucion and ordynaunce called in Almayne / Le langue fride / that is to say / holding the couert and sure wayes. So that all maner of people myght go and come / and ryde fro towne to towne surely and in saue­garde. And the Emperour gaue hym a great parte of the lande and countrey of Dauffay / on bothe sydes the ryuer of Ryne / to defende hym therin agaynst the lynfars / who were a maner of people ryght peryllous / and great robbers without pytie. And also the Empe­rour gaue hym the souerayntie of the good & riche cytie of Straubourcke / and made him Marques of the holy Empyre / to augment therby his estate. And surely he coulde nat gyue hym to moche / for this Duke Wynce­lant was lyberall / swete / courtesse / amyable / and noble in armes: & was likely to atchyue many thynges if he hadde lyued long / but he dyed in the floure of his youthe. Wherof I that haue written this hystorie make great complaynt for hym / that he lyued no lengar / but tyll he was a .xxiiii. yere of age. Thesci­sme that was in the churche greatly displea­sed hym / and that he shewed me often tymes for I was priue of his acquayntaūce. in that in my dayes I traueyled a great parte of the worlde / two great princes I knewe and non more hūble nor tretable than they were (that was this noble prince one / and the other my good mayster the lorde Guy of Bloys / who cōmaunded me to make this hystorie) These two princes were in my dayes / and wereful of humilyte / larges / and bountie: without any malyce. They lyued lyberally of their owne / without oppressynge their people / or reysing vp of any yuell customes in their lā ­des. ¶Nowe let vs retourne to the pythe of the mater / that I haue begone.

WHan y ^e duke of Iulyers and sir Edwarde of Guerles / who cal­led thēselfe bretherne / and their hertes good Englisshe / for they had ben long alyed with y ^e kyng of Englande / and with loue and fauour had alwayes ayded them in their warres. Whan they sawe that the duke of Brabant hadde so hygh a signory / as to be lorde and souerayne regarder by the Emperonr / and was chiefe correctour of all mysdoers and robbers / that he founde lyueng by the highe wayes of Al­maygne. They had therat indygnacion and enuy / nat for that he dyde well and helde iu­styce / and corrected yuell doers: but of that he had the souerayne regarde & signory ouer lāgue fride / whiche was parte in their lande whiche offyce was first instytued y ^t marchautes might pesably passe fro Brabant to Hey­nault / to Flaunders / to Fraūce / or fro Liege [Page cxxvii] to Coleyne / and to other cyties / townes and fortresses of Almayne. And nother marchauntes nor other coulde nat passe nor entre in to Almayne / by the landes and daungers of the duke of Iulyers and y ^e duke of Guerles. And soo it was / that certayne robbers were in the wayes of Linfars. And it were they that had done the vyolence and passynge through the landes of the duke of Iuliers. It was shewed me that the duke had lente them horse and ca­stels. Great complayntes came to duke Wyn­celant of Brabant and of Luzenbourge / who as than was at Bruselles / howe that the Languefryde wherof he was souerayne regarder and keper / was broken & violated. and howe they that dyde that vyolence / and robbed the countrey / soiourned and euer retourned in to the duchy of Iulyers. The duke of Brabante (who as than was yonge and lusty / and puys­saunte of lynage and of landes) toke in great dispyte the offences that his people had com­playned of / and said how he wolde fynde some remedy / seynge he had in charge to kepe and defende the Languefride. He wolde nat that through his neclygence he shulde take any re­proche or blame. and to conclude his dede and to sette reason in their demaunde / and by the counsayle and aduyse that he had / he sente to the duke of Iulyers notable persones / as the lorde of Vrquon lorde of Bourguenall / syr Scelar archedecon of Heynalt / Geffrey de la towre / great rowter of Brabante / and other. shewyng to him in wyse and swete maner the offence / whiche greatly toucheth and is preiu­dyciall to the duke of Brabante / who is keper and souerayne regarder of the Languefride. The duke of Iulyers fayntely excused hym selfe / for by that he shewed he had as lefe haue had the warre as the peace / so that the duke of Brabantes messangers were nat well cōtent: and so toke their leaue of the duke of Iuliers / and reiourned and shewed the duke of Bra­bant all as they had herde and sene. Whan the duke herde that / he demaūded what was best to do. He was aunswered by his coūsayle say­enge. sir / ye knowe best your selfe. Well quod the duke / and I saye y ^t it is my entensyon that I wyll nat slepe so in this blame / nor that it shall be said that for slouth or faynte hert / that I shulde suffre vnder my sauegarde robbers to do vilaynes and robories vnpunysshed. I shewe and wyll shewe to my cosyn of Iuliers and to his aydes / that this mater toucheth me nere. This duke cooled nat his entent / but in contynent set clerkes a warke / and sent to them that he thought wolde ayde hym. Some he prayed / and some he commaunded / and sente sufficyent knoledge of his mynde to the duke of Iuliers and to his alies. bothe these lordes made great preparacion. The duke of Iuly­ers had but lytell ayde / but of his brother syr Edwarde of Guerles / he greatly cōforted him with men and with frendes. These two lordes sent priuely for men farre in to Almayne. And bycause that almayns are couetous / desyring to wynne / and it had bene longe before or they were in any place / where they myght get any good aduenture. They wolde haue come in more habundaunce and they had nat knowen that they shulde haue had to do agaynste the duke of Brabante. The duke of Brabante in great aray departed fro Bruselles / and went to Louayne / and fro thence to Treete on the ryuer of Muese / and there he founde a thou­sande speares abydinge for hym / and always there came menne to hym fro all partyes / fro Fraunce / fro Flaūders / fro Haynalt / fro Na­mure / fro Lorayne & other countreys / so that he had two thousande and fyue hundred spea­res of good men of warre. and also there came to hym out of Burgoyne the lorde of Graunt / and with hym a foure hundred speares / but they came to late / for they knewe nat the daye of the busynesse that I shall shewe you / wher­with they were sore dyspleased / whanne they herde that the mater was done without them. The duke of Brabant beinge at Trect / herde but lytell newes of his enemyes. Than he de­parted fro Trect the wednysdaye / and wente and lodged in the lande of his enemyes / and there lay all that nyght / and the thursday tyll he herde certayne tydynges. It was shewed hym by his corours that his enemyes were abrode. Than he rode forwarde / and cōmaun­ded to burne in the duke of Iuliers land/and the thursday toke his lodginge betymes. And the vowarde kept the erle Guy of Ligney / erle of saynt Pole and sir Valeran his sonne / who as than was but yong / of a sixtene yere of age / and there he was made knyght. The duke of Iuliers came the same thursday / and lay nere one to another. and by all lyklyhode y ^e almay­nes knewe the demeanour of the brabansoys / better than they dyd theirs / for on the fridaye [Page] betymes whan the duke of Brabant had herd masse / and that all were in the felde & thought nat to haue fought so soone. Than came redy the duke of Iuliers and sir Edwarde of Guerles well mounted with a great batayle. Than one sayd to the duke of Brabante. syr / beholde yōder your enemys put your helmes on your heedes / in the name of god and saynt George. Of that worde the duke had great ioye. The same day he had by him four squiers of great price / worthy to serue an hyghe prince and to be aboute hym / for they had sene many dedes of armes. they were called Iohan de Valcon / Baudwyn of Beauforde / Gyrarde of Byes / and Roulande of Colongne. Aboute the duke were the bruselloys / some a horsebacke with their varlettes behynde them / with botelles of wyne trussed at their sadelles / and pastyes of samonde / troutes / and elys wraped in towels. These horsemen greatly combred the place / so that there was such prease that no man coude styrre. Than Gyrarde of Bi [...] said to y ^e duke / si [...] cōmaunde these horses to a voyde the place they shall greatly let vs / we can nat se aboute vs nor haue knoledge of your reregarde / nor vowarde / nor of your marshall sir Roberte of Namure. So let it be quod the duke / I com­maunde so. Than Gyrarde toke his glayue in his handes and so dyd his companyons / and began to stryke on their helmes and on their horses / so that a none the place was voyded of them / for no man was glad to haue his horse slaine or hurte. Than the duke of Iuliers and ꝓ Edwarde of Guerles & their company came on theym / and founde the erle of saynt Poule and his sonne in the vowarde / and dasshed in so fersely amonge them / that anone they were broken and discomfited / and there were many slayne / taken / and hurte. that was the batayle that had moste to do. There was slayne Guy the erle of saynte Poule / and sir Valeran his sonne taken. The batayle tourned to a herde parte for the duke of Brabante / and for them that were with him. for of men of honour there were but a fewe saued / but outher they were slayne or taken / The duke of Brabante was taken / and syr Roberte of Namure / and syr Loys of Namure his brother / and sir Willy­am of Namure sonne to the erle of Namure / and many other. Also on the duke of Iulyers parte there were some slaine and hurte. but ye know well it is a generall rule / the great losse euer resteth on them that be disconfyted. howe be it for all the domage the duke of Brabante had in that iourney / yet they hadde one great poynte of remedy & comforte / for sir Edwarde of Guerles was wounded to dethe. And this I saye bycause it was the opinyon of dyuerse / that if he had lyued he wolde haue rydden so forwarde / that with puyssaūce he wolde haue come to Bruselles and conquered all the coū ­treye / for none wolde haue resysted hym. He was hardy and fierse / and hated the braban­soys / bycause of the thre castels that they helde agaynst hym. This iourney and victory had the duke of Iulyers in y ^e yere of our lorde god / a thousande thre hūdred and a leuen / on saynt Bartylmewes euyn / on a fridaye.

THe duches of Brabant purchased her frendes / and had counsayle of Charles the frenche kyng / who was nephue to the duke of Brabāt an all his bretherne / for they were chyldren of his suster. she was counsayled by the kynge to go to the kynge of Almayne em­peroure / brother to the duke of Brabante / for whose sake the duke her husbande had taken all that domage. The lady dyd so and came to Conualence on the ryuer of the Ryne / & there founde the Emperoure / And there wysely she made her complaynte. The emperoure herde her well / the whiche he was boūde vnto by dyuerse reasons. The one bycause the duke was his brother / and another bycause he had insti­tude hym to be his vycare / and souerayne re­garder of the Languefryde. he comforted the lady and sayd / that at the next sōmer he wolde fynde some remedy. The lady retourned into Brabante well comforted. And the emperour sir Charles of Boesme slept nat his busynes / but waked the mater / as ye shall here. For as soone as wynter was past he aproched to the noble cytie of Coloyne / & there made his pro­uysion / in suche wyse as though he wolde go to conquere a realme of defence / and wrote to his dukes & erles that helde of hym / and com­maunded them at the thyrde day of Iune they shulde be with hym at Ayes / with fyfty horse a pece / on payne of lesyng of their landes. and specially he cōmaunded thre / as duke Auberte erle of Haynalte / that he shulde come to Ayes with fyfty horse / and so he dyd. Whanne these lordes were come / there was moche people. And than syr Charles his sonne sayde that he [Page cxxviii] wolde go and entre in to y ^e landes of duke Iulyers & destroy it / bycause of the great outrage that he had done / as in enteryng in to the felde with an army against the emperours vycaire his brother. this sentēce was gyuen by playne iudgement in the emperours chambre. Than to that mater regarded the archebysshoppe of Treues / the archbysshoppe of Coloyne / the byssop of Marauce / the bysshoppe of Liege / the duke Aubert of Bauier / the duke Oste his brother / and diuerse other barons of Almayne (that thought) to dystroy the landes of so va­lyaunt a knyght as was the duke of Iulyers / shulde be yuell done / and also he was nere of their kynne. They sayde it were better fyrste to sende for hym / that he myght come to obey­saunce. That apoyntment was holden for the best / for the loue of bothe partyes. Than duke Auberte and his brother came to Iuliers / and found there the duke / who was abasshed / and wyste nat what counsayle to beleue / for it had ben shewed him that the assemble that the em­perour had made was to come on hym / with­out his frendes dyd stoppe it. Whan these lor­des were come to the duke he was gladd / spe­cyally by the comynge of his two cosyns ger­mayns / the duke Aubert of Bauiers and the duke Oste his brother / for he knewe well that they wolde nat his dyshonoure / but rather to gyue hym good coūsayle / as they dyd. Their counsayle was to shewe you breuely / that he shulde sende some honorable persones for the duke of Lusenburge and of Brabant / whome he helde in curtoyse prison in his castell of Nideque / and so he dyd. And whan he was come all those lordes dyd hym great honour / as reason was. And than they all departed togyder / and came to Ayes and toke their lodgynges. Than the duke Auberte and his brother / and the foresayd prelates / who were the meanes of this treatye. they sore entreated the emperour and his counsayle / and shewed the emperoure howe y ^e duke of Iuliers his cosyn / of his owne free wyll was come to se hym / and to put hym selfe poorely with out any reseruacyon / into his obeysaunce and commaundement / and to knowledge hym for his soueraygne and liege lorde. These swete and amyable wordes mo­lefyed greatly the emperours ire that he had before. Than the emperoure sayd. Lette the duke come to me? and so he dyde / and kneled downe before the emperoure and sayde. My ryght redoubted souerayne / I beleue well ye are dyspleased with me / bycause of your bro­ther in lawe the duke of Brabante / whome I haue helde longe in prison / for the which cause I submytte my selfe to abyde your ordre and your counsayles. To that worde themperour gaue none aunswere / but his sonne sir Char­les / who was called kynge of Boesme / aun­swered and sayde. Duke of Iulyers / ye haue ben to outragyous to kepe our vncle so longe in prisone. And if it were nat at the desyre of your well be loued cosyns / duke Auberte and duke Oste of Bauyers / this busynesse wolde haue ben soer layd to your charge than it is / for ye haue well deserued to be hyghly punys­shed. but chaunge your copye so that we haue no cause to renew our yuell wylles agaynste you / for & ye do it wyll be costly to you. Than the duke of Iulyers beynge on his kne before the emperoure (where as he sate in his chayre imperiall) sayde. My ryght redoughted so­uerayne lorde / by your puyssaunt hyghnes / I knowledge my selfe to haue trespassed youre maieste / in that I with an army came against my cosyn your vycaire of the empyre / and in that I haue helde hym as my prisoner / I de­lyuer hym vnto you freely and quyte / and I requyre your grace that you nor he beare me any yuell wyll fro hence forthe. Than the pre­lates and the princes there beynge presente / to helpe forwarde his wordes sayde. Ryght no­ble prince this suffyseth that your cosyn of Iu­lyers hath sayd. Well quod the emperour / we are content / and so toke hym vp by the hande. And as it was shewed me for the confyrmaci­on of more loue / he kyst the duke on the mouth and also his sonne the kynge of Boesme. And than the duke of Brabante was delyuered out of prison / and all suche as were prisoners vn­der the duke of Iulyers / and were nat raun­somed before / were delyuered quyte / by rea­son of the composycion of the treatie. and this done euery manne retourned to their owne. The emperour wente to Prage in Almayne / and the duke of Brabant in to Brabante / and whanne the duke of Brabante was retourned / than he reysed a newe tayle in his coūtrey to restore to his knightes parte of their domages. ⸪

I Am yet wyllynge to treate of this matter more at lengthe / to renforce this hystorye / and to brynge it to the poynte that I wolde come vnto. & to declare the trouthe / why Charles the frenche kyng came with a great puyssaunce in to Almayne. I might haue shewed this before but I haue prolonged it (for all thingꝭ though the date and season be paste yet they ought to be shewed in this hystory) for whan I knowe that the frenche kynge and the kynge of En­gland began to be besy / than I began to wake to procede this hystory / more than I dyd be­fore. Therfore I saye thus. Whan duke Wyn­celant was returned in to the countrey / & clerely delyuered out of person (as ye haue herde before) Than he was in wyll to vysyte his lan­des and castels / as well in the duchy of Luzen­bourge / as else where. and toke his iourney to the good cytie of Strawesbourge / throughe the lande of Fauquemount and behelde y ^e thre castels whiche were the occasion of the duke of Guerles yuell wyll. He founde theym stronge and fayre / if he loued thē before / he loued them moche better than: and caused them to be newly fortyfied / and set workemen a worke / as ma­sons / carpēters / and dykemakers / to amende euery place. and at his departynge he set a va­lyaunt knyght to be soueraygne keper of these thre casteles. This knyght was called sir Io­han Grosset / who at the dukes commaunde­mente toke on hym the charge / at his parell. The duke passed further and vysited his coū ­trey / and at his pleasure retourned agayne in to Brabante / for there was his abydynge. In this season syr Iohan of Blo [...]s had wedded the olde lady and duches of Guerles / for the herytage by right came to hym / by the deth of sir Edwarde of Guerles his brother / who was slayne (as ye haue herde / in the batayle of Iu­lyers) But his suster the duches of Iulyers stroue with hym and made chalenge / and the moste parte of the knightes and good townes inclyned most to the ladyes parte / bycause she had a fayre sonne / who was able than to ryde. and that was well sene / for always he was in the warres / so that sir Iohn̄ de Bloyse nor his wyfe coulde neuer haue peasable possessyon. But the chalenge of the ryght of his wyfe and the pursute therof / coste hym aboue a hundred thousāde frankes. For the sonne of duke Wyl­lyam of Iuliers shewed well in his youth that he was noble and hardy / and loued dedes of armes / for he came of noble ertractyon. and so was duke of Guerles / and had in mariage the eldest doughter of duke Auberte / who had ben wedded before to sir Edward of Guerles / but he had neuer carnally coupyled with her / for she was to yonge. Thus she was maryed to the lorde Willyam of Iulyers / and he and she were moche of one age. And soo she was styll duches / as she was before. This yonge duke increased in honour / wytte / and prowes / and in great wyll to haūte dedes of armes / and to augment his herytage. And his he [...]e was ra­ther englysshe than frenche / and sayd always (as yong as he was) that he wolde ayde to in­steyne the kynge of Englandes quarell for he was nerer of blode to hym than to the Fren­che kyng. It was shewed hym dyuerse tymes howe the brabansoys dyd him great wronge / to kepe fro hym the thre castels. Than he aun­swered and sayd. Let vs suffre a senson / euery thynge muste haue his turne? It is no season as yet for me to awake / for our cosyn of Bra­bante hathe many great frendes / and he is a sage knight / but a tyme may come y ^t I shall a wake. Thus the mater stode a season / tyll god toke oute of this lyfe duke Wyncelante / who dyed duke of Boesme / duke of Lusenbourge / and of Brabante / as it hath ben conteyned before in this hystory. By the dethe of this duke the duches of Brabant loste moche. Than the yonge duke of Guerles / who was ryght va­lyaunt / and lykely to dysplease his enemyes / and thought than to get and recouer agayne his thre castelles / bycause of the debate that was and had ben bytwene Brabante and his vncle the lorde Edwarde of Guerles. Than he sente to treate with the duches of Brabant / [Page cxxix] to delyuer his castelles / for the somme of mo­ney that they laye in pledge for / always af­fyrmynge howe they laye but in guage. The lady answered the messangers how she was in possessyon of them / and helde them as her owne ryght and enherytaunce. But bycause she wolde the duke shulde be a good neygh­bour to Brabaunte / that he shulde leaue and gyue vp the towne of Graue / the whiche he helde in the duchy of Brabant. Whan y ^e duke of Guerles had herde this aunswere / he was nothynge well contente: and thought great dispyte therof. And thought and ymagined many thynges / and couertly he treated with the knyght / called sir Iohan of Grosselotte / chiefe capitayne of the sayde castelles / to as­saye if he coude gette them of hym / by byeng for money / or otherwyse. The knyght who was trewe and sage / wolde in no wyse har­ken therto. And sente to the duke / desyringe hym to speke no more therof: For to dye ther­fore there shuld neuer faut be founde in hym nor that he wolde consente to do any trayson to his naturall lady. And whan the duke of Guerles sawe that (as I was enfourmed) he dyde so moche to sir Raynolde of Dysco­uorte / that he toke for a small occasyon a dis­pleasure agaynst the knyght: So that on a daye he was mette with all in the feldes / and there slayne / wherwith the duchesse of Bra­bante was sore displeased and so was all the countre / and the castelles were putte in other kepynge / by the agrement of the duches and of the counsayle of Brabant.

THus the matters stode certayne yeres / and euer there norisshed couert hate / what for the towne of Graue on the one parte / and for the thre castelles on the other parte: Bytwene the duke of Guerles and the duches of Brabant / and their countreis. and they of the fronter of Guerles bare alwayes yuell wyll couerlly against them of Brabant suche as marched nere to them: and dyd euer to them as moche dyspleasure as they coude do / and specially suche as were in the towne of Graue. And bytwene the dukes woode and the towne of Graue / there was but four leages and a playne countrey / and fayre fel­des to ryde in. And they of Guerles dyde al­wayes there as great dispyte to the braban­soys / as they myght. And the mater went so forwarde / that y ^e duke of Guerles passed the see / and went in to Englande to sekyng Ry­charde his cosyn / and his other cosins: as the duke of Lancastre / the duke of yorke / y ^e duke of Glocestre / and other great barons of En­glande. He had there good chere for they de­syred to se hym / & to haue his acquayntaunce for the Englysshe men knewe well that this dukes herte / corage / ymaginacion / and affe­ction / was rather Englysshe than Frenche. In this vyage he made great alyaunce with the kynge of Englande / and bycause at that tyme he helde nothynge of the kynge of En­glande / wherby he shulde beare hym faythe / homage / or seruyce. Therfore kyng Richar­de gaue hym in pencyon out of his coffers / a thousande marke by yere: And was counsayled to assaye to gette his right fro the duches of Brabant / and was promysed to haue aide of the Englysshe men / in suche wyse / that he shulde take no domage. And by this meanes he sware to be true and faithfull to the kyng / and to the realme of Englande. And whan this alyaunce was made / he tooke his leaue of the kynge and of his cosyns / and other barons of Englande / And retourned in to his owne countrey of Guerles: and shewed the duke of Iulyers all that he hadde done / and howe he shulde haue ayde and helpe of the Englysshe men. And the duke of Iulyers / who by experyence of his age knewe farther than the duke his sonne dyde / made no coun­tynaunce of no great ioye: but sayd. Sonne Wyllyam / ye haue done so moche / that bothe you and I maye fortune to repent youre go­yng in to Englāde. Do ye nat knowe howe puyssaunt the duke of Burgoyne is? no du­ke more myghtie than he: And he loketh for the herytage of Brabant. Howe maye ye re­syst agaynst so puyssaūt a lorde? Howe may I resyst quod the duke of Guerles to y ^e duke of Iulyers his father? The rychee & mygh­tier that he is / the better it is to make warre agaynste hym. I hadde rather to haue a do with a ryche man that hath great possessiōs and herytage / than with hym that hath no­thynge to lese / for there is nothynge to be cō ­quered. For one Buffet that I shall receyue I wyll gyue sire. And also the kynge of Al­mayne is alyed with the kyng of Englande. If nede be I shalle haue ayde of hym. Well [Page] quod the duke of Iuliers. Wylliam my fayre sonne / I feare me ye wyll playe the fole / your wysshes and enterprises are more lyke to be vnacomplysshed than atchyued.

I shall shewe you why the duke of Iuly­ers spake somwhat agaynste the wyll of his sonne the duke of Guerles / and made dout in his enterprise. Kynge Charles of Fraunce laste discessed before this season y ^t I speke of he dyde as moche as he coulde alwayes to gette hym frendes on all partes / for it stode hym in hande so to do / & for all that he coude nat do so moche as to make resystēce against his ennemyes. Howe be it he dyde as moche as he coude by gyftes and fayre promyses / to sytte in rest and to haue ayde / so that he gate hym selfe many frendes / in the Empyre and other places. So that whan the duke of Iu­lyers was quyte delyuered oute of prisone / and was come to the duke of Brabant. The kynge and he were great frendes toguyder / and by the ordynaūce the Emperour of Ro­me dyde sette. The duke of Iulyers wente to Parys to se the kynge / and there he was nobly receyued / and great gyftes gyuen to hym and to his knyghtes. And than he made relefe to the kynge for the signorie of Vyer­son / whiche parteyned to the coūtie of Bloys whiche lande laye bytwene Bloys and Ber­rey / and was worthe by yere a fyue hundred pounde of money / curraunt in Fraunce. And there the duke of Iulyers sware y ^t he shulde neuer beare armure agaynst the Crowne of Fraunce. And so as longe as the kyng lyued he kept his othe: For surely as long as kyng Charles lyued he dyde hym no maner of do­mage / nor consented to none to be done to the crowne of Fraunce. But whan kyng Char­les was deed / & that Charles his sonne was kynge. By reason of the warres of Flaun­ders (as it hath been shewed before in this hystorie) And after he tooke his Creacyon at Parys / He hadde so moche to do that he coude nat take hede in euery place. The du­of Iulyers than came nat in to Fraunce / nor made no relyefe for the landes of Viersone. Wherfore the duke of Berrey who toke hym selfe as soueraygne / sayde. Howe the relefes parteyned to hym: And so ceased the landes and toke y ^e profytes therof / and by puyssaūce putte out fro his ryght the Erle of Bloyes: Howe be it the same tyme I sawe them bothe oftentymes togyder / and neuer debate made bytwene them for any of the sayd landes / nor any yuell wyll shewed. There was good cause for theym to be frendes toguyder / for Loyes sonne to the erle of Bloyes had in maryage the lady Mary doughter to the duke of Berrey. The duke of Iuliers wolde gladlye haue entred in to his herytage / but he re­garded his sonne / who shulde be his heyre. Therfore he made but lytell counte of the a­lyaunce that his sonne the duke of Guerles hadde made in Englande. And by this rea­son he spake the wordes (that ye haue herde here before) to the duke of Guerles / whan he was retourned out of Englande. Howe be it the duke of Guerles who was yonge and co­ragyous / toke lytell regarde to his fathers wordes / and sayde. Sir / that I haue done I wyll vpholde: for I had rather haue warr̄ with the Frenche kynge than peace / and ra­ther with hym than with a poore man. ⸫ ⸫

THe duchesse of Bra­bant beynge at Bruselles / was well enformed of all these troubles: And howe the duke of Guerles thret­ned theym of Brabante to make theym warre: The duchesse feared the same and sayde. Ah / god assoyle the soule of my lorde and husbande / for if he hadde lyued / the Duke of Guerles durst nat haue spoken of any suche matters. But nowe bycause I am a woman and aged he wyll make warre agaynst me. Than the [Page cxxx] lady called toguyder her counsaile to knowe what she were best to do / for she knewe well the duke was hote / hasty / and coragyous.

THe same seasone whyle this ladye was takynge of counsayle with her frendes / the Frenche kynge was defyed by the duke of Guerles / wherof ranne a great brute throughe all the Realme / and in other realmes therto adioynyng. They had marueyle of these newes / Bycause the duke of Guerles was but a small prince / to the regarde of other / and but of smalle lan­des. Men spake therof in dyuers maners / euery man after his own opynion: Than̄e the duchesse counsayle sayde. Madame / ye haue nede of counsayle: And we shall coun­sayle you to sende to the Frenche kynge / and to the duke of Burgoyne be tymes: For ye haue herde howe the duke of Guerles hathe defyed the Frenche kynge / and all his alyes. If he be in purpose to make warre to the re­alme of Fraunce / as the brute ronneth that he wyll / bycause the Englysshemen and the almaygnes are of his alyaunce: He can ha­ue no better entre in to the realme of Fraūce than throughe youre countrey. Wherfore it is good that the kynge and the duke of Bur­goyne be aduertysed therof: And that youre castels on the fronters be well fortifyed and garnysshed. For there is nat so small an en­nemye / but he is to be doubted. We saye nat that ye shulde haue great nede to seke for a­ny ayde or confore all onely for them of Guerles / but it is good to regarde the alyaunces / that he maye lightlye gette / as well of En­glysshe men as of almaygnes / who alwayes are couetous / and desyreth to make warre to the realme of Fraunce on trust of wynnyng. Than the duchesse sayd to her coūsayle. sirs ye saye trouthe / it shalbe as ye haue deuised. Than suche as shulde go on that message were apoynted out: As the lorde of Bour­guenall cheife Stewarde of her house / sir Iohan Opeyn a gracyous knyght / a clerke and a squyer of honoure. The clerke called sir Iohan Grane / and the squyer Nycholas de la Monoy. All four were of the preuy coū sayle with the duchesse of Brabant. They departed fro Bruselles with letters of credēce and rode to Parys. At that tyme nother the kynge nor the duke of Burgoyne was natte there / they were at Rohane in Normandye. Than they went fro Parys to Roane where the kynge was.

WHan these ambassadoures came to Rohane / firste they treated with the duke of Burgoyne and he made thē good chere / for he knewe them well / they de­lyuered letters to hym / and he receyued and reed them. Than whā tyme was he brought them to the kynge / who for loue of their lady receyued thē louyngly. Than the kyng reed their letters and herde them speke / and aun­swered and sayde. Sirs / your wordes and requestes demaundeth counsayle. Resorte alwayes to our vncle of Burgoyne & he shall here you / and dispatche youre busynesse (as shortely as maye be) Those wordes conten­ted greatly these ambassadours / and so went to their lodgynges. The kynge and his vn­cles with other of his counsayle / were dayly toguyder in counsaile for dyuers causes and insydentes newe fallen. The defyance of the duke of Guerles was nothyng pleasaunt to them / nor also they knewe nat what the duke of Bretayne was purposed to do / bycause he had taken the constable of Fraunce prisoner / and set hym to raūsome to a .C.M. frankes / and had taken fro him thre castelles & a good towne: and had greatly fortifyed with men / vitayls / and artyllary / all his garysons and townes / & had sent dyuers tymes letters and messangers in to Englande to the kyng and to his vncles: As for the duke of Lancastre was at that tyme in Galyce. The coūsayle of Fraūce had moche a do to prouyde for euery busynesse / wherby it was the lengar or y ^e du­ches of Brabantes ambassade had their an­swere. Finally y ^e duke of Burgoyn made thē an answere & sayd. sirs / ye shall retourne to your lady our aunte & salute her fro vs / and delyuer her these the kynges letters & ours. & shewe her y ^t her businesse is ours / and let her nat be abasshed for any thyng / for she shalbe cōforted in suche wyse / that she shall well ꝑ­ceyue that her countre of Brabant shall take no domage nor reproch. This fayre answere contented greatly the ambassadours of Brabant. Thus they departed & returned to Pa­rys and fro thēs to Brusels / & made relacion of their aunswere (as ye haue herde before) wherwith the duches was well content.

[Page] THe same season newes were sprede abrode of holy saynt Peter of Lu­senbourge cardynall / whose body dyde myracles in the cytie of Auygnon.

This holy cardynall was sonne to the Erle Guye of sant Poule / who dyed in the ba­tayle of Iulyers. This holy Cardynall in his tyme was a good man / noble / holy / & de­uoute of lyfe / & dyde many dedes pleasaūt to god. He was swete / courtesse / meke / and a mayde of body: A great almesse man in gy­aynge to poore people. He kept nothynge to hym selfe of the goodes of the Churche / but his bare lyueng: The moost parte of the day and of the nyght he was in his prayers / allwayes he fledde fro the vanyties and super­fluyties of the worlde / so that in his yonge dayes god called hym to his company: And anone after his discesse he dyde great myra­cles / and ordayned to be buryed amonge the poore people: All his dayes he vsed humy­lyte / and was buryed in the chapell of saynt Mychaell. The Pope and the cardynalles whan they sawe the myracles that his body dyde daylye encrease and multiplye: They wrote to the Frenche kynge / and speciallye to his brother the Erle Valeranne of saynt Poule: desyringe hym to come to Auygnon. The Erle wolde nat excuse hym but wente thyder / and there gaue goodlye Lampes of syluer to hange before his aulter / and hadde great marueyle of the great beleue and visy­tacion that the people made there dayly▪ and for to se hym I wente thyder fro the countie of Foize / and daylye his workes encreased (and it was sayde) that he shulde be canoni­sed. I can nat tell what fell after.

¶Nowe y ^t I haue shewed you of his dethe / I shall shewe you of the dethe of another / for I haue nat spoken of the dethe of a kyng of whome great mencyon hath been made of in this hystorie: Howe be it the dyde ma­ny dedes vnresonable / for by hym and his meanes / the realme of Fraūce had moche to do in his tyme. This was by the kyng of Nauer.

IT is sayd: and it is of trouthe / that there is no­thyng more certayne than dethe. I saye it bycause y ^t kynge of Nauer whan he dyed / thought full lytell that he had been so nere to his ende as he was. If he had knowen ther­of / paraduenture he wolde haue taken better hede than he dyde. He was in the cytie of Pā pylona in Nauerre / He ymagined howe he wolde reyse a great taylage in his realme / to the sōme of two hundred thousande florens / and he sente for his counsayle and said / howe he wolde haue this money reysed. His coun­sayle durste nat saye nay / for he was a cruell prynce. Than the moste notable persones of other cyties and townes in his realme were sente for / to come to Panpylona. They came thyder / for they durst nat disobey. Whan they were come all togyther in to the kynges pa­lays / the kynge hym selfe declared forthe the mater why they were sent for. He was a king ryght subtyle / sage / and well langaged / and at the conclusion sayde / howe towardes his nedes he must haue the sōme of .CC.M. flo­rens / to be reysed of his subiectes / After this maner. the riche to pay .x. frankes / the meane to be cessed at fyue frankes / and all other at one franke. This request abasshed greatly the people / for the yere before there had ben a batayle in Nauer / by reason wherof a tayle was raysed to the somme of hundred thou­sande floreyns: And besyde that he maryed his doughter the lady Iane to duke Iohan of Bretaygne / and a great parte of that mo­ney as thā nat payde and vngadered. Whan the kynge hadde made his demaunde / he de­syred to haue an answere: Than they requy­red to take counsayle and to speke toguyder. The king gaue them respite .xv. dayes. than [Page cxxxi] the chefe of them to make answere. The brute of this taylage spredde abrode through Na­uerre / and euery man was a basshed therof. At the .xv. dayes ende / the moste notable per­sones of the good cyties and townes returned to Panpilona / to the nombre of a threscore persones / who had charge to aunswere for all the hole realme. The kynge was present at their answere makyng / whiche was done in a fayre garden / farre of fro any people / and closed a­boute with hygh walles. Than they aunswe­red all with one accorde / and shewed the po­uerte of the realme / and alleged howe the for­mer tayle was nat as than all leuyed nor ga­dred / wherfore they besought him for goddes­sake to haue pytie of them / for they sayd surely the realme was nat able to beare it. and whan the king sawe that he coude nat easely attayne to his purpose / he was sore dyspleased / and departed fro them and sayd. Sirs / ye are yuell counsayled / take counsayle agayne / and speke yet agayne togyder. And so he went in to his chambre / and his counsayle with hym. Than all these good persones were togyder in this garden faste closed in with hygh walles / and the kynge commaunded in no wyse to suffer them to issue out / & to haue but lytell meate nor drinke. Than they were there in great doute of their lyues / and there was none that durste speke for them. and so it was supposed that by constreynt he had his desyre / for he strake of a thre of their heedes / suche as were moste con­trary to his entente to [...] gyue feare and ensam­ple to other. Than there fell a straunge insy­dence by a marueylous sodayne aduēture / the whiche god sent lyke a myracle. I shall shewe you how / as I was enfourmed in the countie of Foize at Ortays at the erles house / by men of Panpylona / it past nat a thre or four dayes iourney thence. It was shewed me howe this kynge of Nauer in his dayes loued well wo­men / and at the same tyme he had a fayre da­mosell to his louer / for he was a wydower a longe season. On a nyght he laye with her a space / and than retourned to his chambre in a feuer / and sayd to his seruauntes. Dresse my bedde / for I wyll rest me a season / and so went to his bed / and trymbled for colde / and coulde take no heate. He was an aged man aboute a threscore yere of age / and of vsage his bedde was wont to be chased with a bason with hote coles / to make hym swete / whiche often tymes he vsed / and dyd hym no hurte. At this tyme his seruaūtes dyd the same / but outher as god wolde or the deuyll / a burnynge flame toke in the shetes / in suche maner that or he coulde be reskewed he was brente to the bowels / he was so wrapped bytwene the shetes. So that he lyued fyftene dayes after in great payne and mysery / inso moche that physyke nor surgery coulde helpe hym / but that he dyed. This was the ende of the kynge of Nauerre. And so the poore men of the countrey were quyte of their taylage / and delyuered fro payenge there of to Charles his sonne / who was a noble good knyght and a yonge / and was kynge of Na­uerre / and crowned kynge the same seasone that I wrote this hystory / anone after the ob­sequy done of his father / in the cytie of Pau­pylona.

yE haue well herde here before of the treatyes that hadde ben made in the counties of Armynake and dolphenty / in Auuergne and Lymozyn / who were enemyes to all their neyghbours. Many of them were well content to departe / for they thought they had warred and trauelled the realme of Fraunce longe ynoughe / thynkynge than to goo and robbe and pyll in other places. The duke of Armynake promysed theym to leade them in to Lumbardy / But the erle of Foyze who wolde nat lyghtly be dysceyued thought the contrary. He helde hym selfe styll to se the ende of that busynesse / and euer dylygentely enquyred / howe the treatyes wente forwarde in those parties / and whan these men of warre shulde departe / and whyder they shuld drawe. And the men of his countrey sayde / that the renome was / howe they wolde go and rynne a bowfe a robbynge and pyllynge. Thanne the Erle caste downe his heed and sayde. Al­wayes newes rynne amonge of warre. The erle of Armynake & Bernarde his brother are yonge / and I knowe well they loue me nat nor my countrey. These men of warre may happe by his meanes to rynne on me and my coun­trey / howe be it I wyll prouyde there fore in suche wyse / that I truste I shall take no do­mage. It is sayd / longe prouysion before ma­keth sure possessyon. Thus the erle of Foyze sayde to his counsayle / and it was no folysshe imagynacyon / as it apered after / if I maye [Page] atteygne to the tretynge therof.

yE haue herde here before rehersed / how Geffrey Tete noyr breton / who hadde longe kepte the garyson of the stronge castell of Vandachor in Lymozyn / on the fronter of Auuergne & Burbonoys / wolde in no wyse departe out of y ^e castell / for he helde it as his owne propre enherytaunce / and had patysed all the countrey there aboute / and vn­der their patesyng the people labored in pease and reste. Thus this Geffrey kepte the estate of a greate lorde. He was a cruell man in his dyspleasure / he hadde no more pytye to slee a man than a beest. Nowe to come to purpose. whan the tydinges spred abrode in Auuergne and Lymozyn / of the tayle that was gathered in the countreys / to the entente to a voyde out of the countrey these men of warre. Than it was brewted that the men of warre in the for­tresse of Vandachor shulde departe / & to gyue vp the fortresse to the duke of Berrey. By rea­son of that tydynges the people were contente to pay this tayle. But whan they sawe the contrary (for the most hurte that they had / was by them of the garyson of Vandachor) thought the money that they had payed at the first ga­therynge but loste / and sayd howe they wolde paye no more crosse nor mayle / without they of Vandachor were constreyned to departe out of the countrey. These tydynges came to the he [...]yng of the duke of Berrey / who had all the soueraygne charge of the countrey of Au­uerge / Lymozyn / and Gelnadan. Than the duke and his counsayle sayde. Surely these poore men haue good cause to saye so / and to be lothe to pay their money for nothinge / and more ouer sayde / howe he hym selfe and his counsayle were to blame / that they layde nat a siege aboute that fortresse / to kepe them of that garyson fro issuyng out. Thanne the duke of Berrey ordeyned at the cost and charge of the countrey foure hundred speares of good men of armes / to besiege Vandachor by bastydes. And soueraigne capytaynes of that company was syr Willyam of Lygnac and syr Iohan Boesme launce / a valyaunt knyght of Bur­bonoyse. These men of armes and knyghtes / as nere as they myght layde siege to Vando­chor / and made ba [...]tydes in foure places / and by men of the countrey they made great tren­ches and defence vpon the straytes, to stoppe their issuinge out. But the capytayne Geffrey set lytell therby / for he knewe well his garison was well furnysshed with all maner of thyn­ges / thoughe there came no newe vytayle to them in seuen yere. Also the castell stode in so strong a place vpon a rocke / that it coude take no domage for any assawte. And for all this siege and bastydes / they within wold often tymes issue out by a preuy posterne / whiche o­pened bytwene two rockes / so that they wolde issue out vnder couerte / and ryde abrod in the countrey / and toke prisoners. Other thynge they wolde bringe none to their fortresse / they coulde nat bycause of the strayte wayes / and stronge mountaynes that they must passe by. And this issue coulde nat be stopped fro them for the aley vnder couert endured fro their ga­ryson a seuen or eight leages / or they came out in to the feldes / and whanne they retourned agayne / by that tyme they were entered a thre leages / they were as sure there as within their castell. This maner they vsed a longe season. The siege laye more than a yere before the ca­stell. ¶Nowe let vs leaue spekynge of Van­dachor tyll a nother season / and speke of other newe maters.

THe duke of Burgoyne forgate nat the promise that he had made to his aunte the duches of Brabante. He ordayned a foure hūdred men of armes / burgonyons and other / and made two knyghtes capytayns / the one sir Guylliam of Tremoyle burgonyon / the o­ther sir Geruays of Merande almayne. And the duke sayd to them. sirs / ye shall go to your charge on the fronters of Brabant and Guer­les / there as the duches of Brabante wyll a­poynt you and make to her enemyes as good warre as ye canne. The knyghtes sayde they shulde do their beste / to fulfyll his commaun­demente. They made them redy and gadred their men / and wente forthe as soone as they myght / and drewe in to Brabante / and sente worde of their comynge to the duches of Bra­bante / and so passed through the lande of Lu­senburge. And than by the ordynaunce of the marshall of Brabant / they were sente in to the thre castels that the duke of Guerles chalēged and wolde haue againe / bycause they had ben layde but to pledge. that is to say / Buth / Gau­lyth / & Nulle. There they helde them in gary­son and made good fronter warre / & somtyme [Page cxxxii] rode abrode to encountre their enemyes. The duke of Guerles fortefyed hym selfe agaynste them / and furnysshed his townes and castels agaynst them / for he sawe well the warre was as than open. So it fortuned that syr Willy­am of Tremoyle / desyringe to auaunce hym selfe to do some thynge that myght sownde to his honoure. He set his imagyncion on a day on a towne in Guerles / a foure leages fro his fortresse. this towne was called Seaulle / and he shewed secretely his entensyon to syr Ger­uays of Merande his companyon / who light­ly accorded to his mynde. So they gathered their company togyder and departed aboute mydnyght / and rode a rounde pase too this towne / and had guydes that brought them to Seaule / by that tyme it was daylight. Than they rested them & apoynted what they wolde do. And as it was shewed me / syr Geruays with .xxx. speares / went on before for to wyn̄e the gate / and sir Willyam of Tremoyle to fo­lowe after / bycause they feared if they shulde haue rydden all togyder to haue been spyed. but they thought how they of the towne shulde thynke none other / but that they shulde be a certayne nombre of men of armes / sent thyder by the duke of Guerles to refresshe the gary­son. Thus this knyght sir Geruays with .xxx. speares rode before to the towne of Seaulle. In the mornynge they founde men and wo­men goynge to the towne / for it was markette day / they saluted theym in the langage of Al­mayne and rode forthe. The poore men went surely they had been men of the countrey per­teynynge to the duke of Guerles that were rydynge to the garyson. Syr Geruays and his company rode forthe tyll they came to the gate and founde it open with a small warde / it was so erly that the moste parte of the people were in their beddes. They rested there and were lordes of the gate. Than incontynent sir Wil­lyam of Tremoyle and his route came galo­pynge thyder as faste as they myght / and en­tred into the towne / & cryed their cryes. Thus the towne was wonne without any defēce / for the men of the towne thought full lytle that the frēchmen wolde haue done such an enterprise / and y ^e moste parte of thē were in their beddes.

THis enterprise was done on the nyght of saynt Marten in wyn­ter / and a thre dayes before there came thyder a knyght of Englā ­de with ten speares and .xxx. ar­chers / sente by the kynge of Englande. This knyght was called syr Guylliam Fykaole. Whan the larum began he was rysinge out of his bed. He herde that the towne was wonne / and demaūded by whome. he was aunswered that it was done by bretons. Ah ꝙ the knight bretons are yuell people / they wyll burne and pyll the towne / & than departe. What crye do they crye? syr ꝙ they / they crye on Tremoyle. Than the englysshe knyght closed the castell / and helde hym selfe & his company within / to se if any reskewe came. but euery man was so abasshed that they fled hyther & thyder. The poore people fledde in to y ^e mynster / and some auoyded y ^e towne by another gate. the french­men sette fyre in the towne in dyuerse places / howe be it there were many howses of stone and bricke / that y ^e fyre coulde nat lighty burne them. The moste parte of the towne was brent pylled / and robbed / so that nothyng was lefte that was good / & the rychest men of the towne taken prisoners. The englysshe knyght was taken at laste / For whan he sawe that all was lost he opened the howse that he was in / for he douted the fyre / whan he sawe the flames and smoke in euery corner of y ^e towne / and so came out with his penon before hym and his com­pany archers and other / and there valiauntly defended them selfes a longe season. But fy­nally he was taken and yelden prisoner to sir Guylliam of Tremoyle / and all his compa­ny taken / but fewe slayne. Whan the frenche­men had done their wylles with the towne of Seaulle in Guerles / and their varlettes dri­uing their pyllage before them they departed for they thought it foly too a byde there / and went to their garison fro whēce as they came. [Page] Thus the duke of Guerles had the first buffet and domage / wherwith he was sore dysplea­sed whan he knewe therof. and so came thyder with a great nombre of menne of warre / and thought well to haue founde there the frenche men / but they were gone. Than he newe ren­payred the towne and furnished it with newe men of warre / who were more dilygēt to kepe the towne / thanne they that were there before. Thus daily the aduētures of warre fell / some loste one daye and some another. The duches of Brabante / and all tho of her countrey were gretly reioysed of this aduenture / and sir Gil­lyam of Tremoyle / and syr Geruais of Me­rande atchyued great grace. Than they of the countrey sayde / that in the nexte sommer folo­wyng they wolde wynne it agayne. Whan the duke of Burgoyne herde these tydinges / and howe that his men y ^t were in garyson in Bra­bant dyd well and valyauntly / he was gladde therof / and to incorage theym he wrote plea­saunt letters often tymes to syr Guylliam his knyght. Thus they taryed there all that wyn­ter / kepinge well their fronters / & defendynge them selfe fro domage. And after the castelles and forteresses of Guerles / were better taken hede vnto than they were before. Nowe shall I shewe you of another enterprise / that Pe­rote of Bernois dyde in Auuergne / where he gate gret profite / and by what meanes he dyd it I shall shewe we you at lenght.

IT fortuned the same yere and season aboute the tyme of the myddes of Maye / a .xl. companyons aduenturers issued out of Caluset / the whiche Perot of Bernoys helde. This fortresse stode in Lymozyn. These companyons rode forthe at aduenture in to Au­uergne / and a Gascoyne squyer was their ca­pytayne / called Geronet Durante / an experte man of armes. And bycause the countrey was alwayes in doute of y ^e men of warre that were on the fronters of Burbonoys / there was a knyght of the duke of Burgoynes / called syr Iohan Boesme Launce / a gracyouse and an amorous knyght / hauynge great corage to a­uaunce hymselfe. Whyle these englysshe men rode a brode / he deman̄ded what nombre they were of. And it was shewed hym howe they were aboute a .xl. speares. What quod he / it is lytell to regarde for .xl. speares / I wyll set as many against them. and so departe fro thence as he was as than / and went there as his chefe charge was / and that was before Vandachor He gate togyder. a .xl. or a fifty speares of Ly­mozyn and Auuergne / and Burbonoyse / and with hym there was a knyght called sir Loys Dambter / and also sir Loys Dabton / and the lorde of saynte Obyse. And so toke the feldes without kepyng of any high way / they knewe the countrey / & came to a passage where their enemyes muste nedes passe / by reasone of the mountaynes and ryuers whiche were greate and depe / by occasion of the snowe fallyng fro the mountayns. They had nat ben there halfe an hour / but that thenglysshment came thyder and was nat ware of that rencountre. Than Boesme launce and his cōpany / cauched their speares and came agaynst their enemyes and cryed their cryes. whan the englisshment sawe howe they must nedes fight / they turned their faces to their enemyes / & defended them selfe. There was a sore rencountre / and certayne o­uer throwen on bothe partyes. But to say the trouth the frenchmen were better expert men of armes than the auenturers / and that semed well / for there were none of the aduenturers that returned agayne without it were the varlettes / who fledde and saued them selfe whyle other dyd fyght. There were .xxii. taken and syxtene slayne on the place / and the capitayne taken prisoner. and thus they departed.

IN rydyng & ledynge these prysoners / Boesme lauce aduysed and remembred hymselfe howe that a moneth before he had ben in the towne of Mount fe­rante in Auuergne / spor­tyng amonge the ladyes and damosels there / and howe they hadde desyred hym at a tyme / [Page cxxxiii] sayeng. Fayre brother Boesme launce / ye ryde often tymes abrode in to the feldes. may it nat so fortune y ^t at somtyme ye myght rencounter your enemyes? I shall shewe you why quod one of the damosels (such one as was in great fauoure with Boesme launce) Syr quod she / I wolde fayne se an englysshman? asquyer of this countrey called Gurdines / hathe shewed me often tymes howe the englysshmen are ex­perte men of armes / the whiche semeth ryght well to betrewe / for they ryde often tymes a­brode / and do many propre deades of armes / and taketh dyuerse of our castels / and kepeth them. At whiche tyme this gētleman Boesme launce answered her and sayd. Dame / if euer it be my fortune to take any / ye shall se hym. Syr I thanke you quod the damosell. Thus after the foresayde enterprise / whan this pro­myse came in to his mynd / he forsoke than the way to Cleremonte / whiche was nat farre of / and tourned to the way to Mountferant / nat farre thence. Of his comyng to Mountferant and of the iourney y ^t he had atchyued agaynst the aduenturers (who sore troubled the coun­trey) all the people of Moūtferant were right ioyfull / and made hym good chere. Than he toke his lodgynge and vnarmed hym / the la­dyes and damosels came to make hym chere / and receyued him ryght swetly / he was a sage knyght. Than he thanked them / and sayde to her that had desyred hym before to se some en­glysse man. Dame / I wyll acquyte me to you I made you promyse nat past a moneth a go / that if it myght be my fortune to take any en­glysshe man / to shewe hym to you / and as this day god hath gyuen me y ^e grace to mete with some that be ryght valyant / for in armes they haue gyuen vs ynoughe to do / howe be it we hadde the victory. They be no englysshe men naturally borne / they be gascoyns / and make warre for the englysshmen. they be of Byerne and hyghe Gascoyne / ye shall se them at good leyser / for the loue of you I haue brought them to this towne / and he [...] they shall remayne tyll their raūsomes be payed. The ladyes and da­moselles laughed at him / and tourned the ma­ter to a great sporte / and sayd to hym. Sir / all we thanke you. And so there he taryed a thre dayes amonge them / & he kept good company with his prisoners / and put them to raunsome for he sawe well they were but poore compa­nyons aduenturers / and he thought it were better to hange them / drowne them / or raun­some them / rather thanne to suffre so many of them to abyde styll in the towne. And so whan he departed thence he sayd to Geronet. Syr / ye shall abyde here with a certayne / for all the reste of your company / and the other shall de­parte and go seche your raunsome / And that ye shall paye / I shall apoynte them that shall receyue it / and whanne the money is payed ye shall departe. Therfore remembre well nowe what I do for you? if any of ours herafter hap to be in lyke case / do in lykewyse. Syr quod Geronet / I am bounde so to do / and so we be all. Thus Boesme launce departed / and re­tourned agayne to the syege of Vandachor. And a twelue of the prysoners taryed styll in Mounteferante / and the other departed and went to Galuset / to Perot of Bernois to haue of hym .xxii. hundred frankes. They that ta­ryed styll at Moūtferant lay and made good there / and no great watche layde on them / but they went vp and downe in the towne at their plesure / and so were there a fyftene dayes / and in that season they lerned moche of the state of the towne / the whiche cost after a hūdred thou­sande frankes.

WHan the capytayne of Galuset was infourmed of the aduenture of Gere not of Mandurant / how that he and his company were ouer throwen by sir Iohan Boesme launce / he made lytell therof / and said to theym that came to hym for the money for their raūsomes. Syrs / ye are come for money for their delyueraunce / howe saye ye it is nat so? yes truely sir quod they / we trust they shall nat be alwayes in this losse / they haue no ga­ges. well sirs quod he / as for me I nother care for their pledges nor yet for their losses / they shall haue nothynge of me. I made them nat to go for the / they rode at their owne aduēture / therfore ye may shewe them / let aduenture de­lyuer them. Thynke you that I wyll enploye my money after that sorte? nay surely. I canne haue alwayes cōpanyons ynowe to ryde more sagely than they dyd. As forme I wyll quyte out no man / without he be taken in my com­pany. This was the fynall answere that they coulde gette for Geronet. Than they sayde a­monge themselfe / it were best that two or thre of vs retourne agayne to Geronet / and shewe him all the case. So thre of them retourned to [Page] Mountferante / and as they rode they passed by Cleremoūt / and sawe well the walles were nat of no great heyght. Than they sayd one to another. this towne is prignable / if we come hyder on a nyght we maye gette it / there is no great watche kepte. We muste one tyme bar­gayne and another tyme bye / we can nat both bargayne and bye all in one daye. Thus they rode forthe and rode to Mountferante / and there founde Geronet and his companyons / and there shewed him all the answere that they had of Perot of Bernoys / wherof they were a basshed / for they wyste nat howe nor where to gette their raunsome. Thus all a daye and a nyght they were in great dyspleasure. the next daye Geronet sayde to them that had brought those newes. Syrs / I requyre you retourne agayne to our capytayne / and shewe hym fro me y ^t I haue to my power whyle I was with hym / serued him truely / and wyll do yet if it be his pleasure. And shewe hym if I tourne and become Frenche to delyuer my selfe / he shall wyn but lytell therby. And if I do it god kno­weth it shall be full sore agaynst my wyll / and I shall forbeare it as longe as I canne. And shewe hym that if he wyll nowe delyuer vs fro hence / that within a moneth after I shal bring hym to suche a botye / that he and his compa­ny shall wynne a hundred thousande frankes. With that message the thre companyons re­tourned agayne to Galuset / and shewed Pe­rot their message. Thanne he studyed a lytell and sayd. It maye well be as he sayeth / at ad­uenture I shall delyuer him incontyuent. and so opened a cofer wherin was more than thre­score thousande frankes / nat gathered of his rentes that he hadde in Byerne / but the moste parte of pyllage. For the towne he dwelte in be fore the warres was but of twelue houses / and the erle of Foiz was chefe lorde therof / and the towne was called Dadam / within thre leages of Ortays. Than he tolde oute .xxii. hundred frankes / at a pynch a frende is knowen / I shall put them in aduenture / he is well able to wyn them agayne and mo / and he wyll. Thus they departed fro Galuset & retourned to Mount ferante / it was a .xiiii. great leages bytwene / but they had a good sauecōduct / wherby they passed in and out without daunger.

Whan Geronet knewe howe he and his company shuld be delyuered / he was right ioyfull and sente for them that shulde receyue the mo­ney and sayde. Syrs / holde tell your money / here is all that we owe you. So they tolde out xxii. hundred frankes. Than they rekened for their expenses in their lodgynges / and payed euery thynge with the largeste / so that euery man was contente. And whan all was payed / than Gerenot hyred men and horses to bringe theym to Galuset. Whan syr Iohan Boesme launce was certifyed of the receyte of the mo­ney / I thynke he dyd sende for it / or els lefte it styll there on trust of the strength of the gary­son. For the same season sir Peter of Gyache / as than chauncellour of Fraunce / left the [...] his treasoure / the whiche he lost the same yere all / or most parte. Whan Geronet was retourned to Galuset / the companyons made hym good chere / and after a thre or foure dayes Perot le Bernoys called hym and sayde. Geronet / the promyse that ye made to my seruantes was cause of your delyueraunce / and nothyng els / for I was nat boūde to paye your raunsome / seynge ye departed without my leaue / ye rode forthe but at aduenture / therfore nowe holde your promyse / or els there shall be displeasure bytwene you and me / for I wold ye knowe I haue nat lerned to lese / but rather to wynne. Capytayne quod Geronet / ye haue reason to say as ye do / and sir I saye thus to you that if ye lyste I shall set you in the towne of Mount ferant within .xv. dayes / in the whiche towne is great treasure and pyllage / for it is ryche of marchaundyse / and ryche villaynes be therin great plenty. the chauncellour of Fraunce syr Peter of Giache / as it is infourmed me / hathe great ryches within the same towne. And I knowe well it is the towne most symplest kept and leste taken hede to of any towne in the re­alme. Syr this is that I can saye / and this is the promyse that I haue made. In the name of god quod Perot le Bernoys / it is well sayd and I consente therto / ye knowe well the ma­ner of the towne / and howe it is kepte and for­tifyed. This enterprise dothe it requyre any great nombre? Syr quod Geronette / a thre or four hundred speares shall well accomplysshe our feate / for within the towne there be no men of great defence. Well quod Perot I am con­tente / and I shall singnyfye other capytayns of the fortresses here aboute of the mater / and we shall assemble to gyder and go thyder.

ON this determynaci­on Perot sent to the capy­taynes nexte aboute hym / and apoynted euery man to mete at Ousac / a castell in the bysshopriche of Cle­remount / nat farre thence. Wherof somtyme Barbe a great pyller a ga­scoyne was capytayne. The companyons of seuen fortresses assembled togyder at Ousac englysshe men / and they were a four hundred speares well mounted / and than they had but sixe leages to ryde. The first that came to Ousac was Perote of Bernoys / to shewe that it was his enterprise / and to take coūsayle with the other capytayns / by the aduyse of Gero­net and accordyng to the informacyon that he had gyuen hym. Than Geronet and a twelue other with hym / arayed theym lyke rude vyl­layne marchauntes in cotes of fryse / and ledde horses tyed one to another with baggage on them / accordynge to the custome of the coun­trey. And thus they departed fro Ousac in the brekynge of the daye / and so rode towardes Mountferant / and lyke marchauntes they entred into the towne about noone. There were none that toke any hede what men they were / they thought full lytell they hadde ben men of warre. They of the towne demed surely they had ben marchaūtes / come thyder to the fayre to haue bought cloth and dyaper / for they said they came fro Mounte Pellier / to bye mar­chaūdyse for against the fayre there was come thyder moche marchaundyse fro other cyties and townes of the realme. Than Geronet and his company wente to their lodgynge / to the syne of the Crowne / and sette vp their horses and toke vp a fayre chambre for thē / and kepte theym styll therein without goynge aboute in the towne for feare of spyenge / and so sate and made mery / and thought well they wolde pay nothynge for their expenses.

AT nyght they were besy to dresse their horses and said to their host and ostes / that their horses hadde sore trauayled all that day / wherfore they had nede of rest. They prouyded them of plenty of candels / and so went in to their chambre and dranke and made me­ry / but they wolde nat go to bed. So the host and the hostes wente to their beddes and lette them alone / and had no suspecte of them. Now shall I shewe you what Perot and his com­pany dyd. The sayd day he and with hym se­uen other capytayns / firste Perot le Bernoys as chefe / than the Bourge of Compaygne cal­led Arnaldon / the bourge Anglois / y ^e Bourge of Carlat / Apthon Seguyn / Olyue Barbe / & Bernadon of the isles / & with them there was a great routter of Byerne the lorde of Launce playne. By hym and by the bourge of Com­payne I was afterwarde enfourmed of this enterprise / whiche was done aboute Candel­mas / whan the nightes be long and colde. and all the same nyght it rayned / and the wynde blewe so that it was a stormy season / wherfore the capytayne of the watche of Mountferant issued nat out that nyght of his lodgynge / but he sent his sonne forthe who was but yonge / of a syxtene yere of age. And as he wente fro the one gate to the other / he foūde four poore men watchinge / nygh deed for colde / and they sayd to the yonge man. Syr / take of eche of vs a blanke / and let vs go home and warme vs / it is paste a leuen of the clocke. The yonge man coueted the money and toke it / and they departed fro their watche / and wente to their owne houses. Than Geronet and his company watched at their hostes dore / to se whan the watch men shulde retourne. Than they sawe whan the yonge man came fro the watche / and the watche men with hym. Than Geronet sayde / the mater goeth well / this is lyke to be a good nyght for vs / euery manne in the towne is as nowe gone to bedde / the watche is paste / we nede to take no care for that. And on the other parte / I am sure Perotte le Bernoys and his company are rydynge hyder warde as fast as they may. And in dede y ^e same tyme they were comynge and came nere to Cleremounte / and mette with Aymergotte Marcell with a hun­dred speres / capytayne of the fortresse of Alose [Page] besyde saint Floure. whan eche of them knewe other they made good chere / and demaunded eche other whyder they wolde / and what they sought in that countrey. Amergot aunswered and said / I come fro my fortresse of Alose / and ame goynge to Carlate. In the name of god sayd two of the capytaynes / the Bourge An­gloys and the Bourge Compaigne. Sir we be here / wolde ye any thynge speke wyth vs? yea quod Amerigot / ye haue certayne pryso­ners of the countre of Dolphyn of Auuergne / and ye knowe well we be in treatynge togy­ther by the meanes of the erle of Armynake / wherfore we wold gladly make an exchaunge with certayne prisoners that I haue in my garyson. I am sore desyred thus to do by the coū ­tes of Dolphyn / who is a right good lady and is well worthy to be done pleasure vnto. than the Bourge of Compaigne sayd. Aymergotte ye are greatly bounde to do some pleasure to that lady / for within this thre yere ye hadde of her syluer thre hundred frankes / for the rede­mynge of the castell of Mercyer. But syr / I pray you where is therle Dolphyn at this sea­son? Syr quod the other / it is shewed me that he is in Fraunce / comunynge vpon the treatie that ye know that we be in hande with the erle of Armynake / and with erle Dolphyn. Than Perot le Bernoys sayde. Sir / leaue thir co­munynge and come on with vs / and it shall be for your profyte. and ye shall haue parte of our botye. Sir quod. Aymergot / and whyder go you than? By my fayth sir quod Perot / we go streyght to Mount ferante / for this nyght the towne shall be yelden to me. than Aymerygot sayd. syr / this is yuell done that ye go aboute / for ye knowe well we be in treatie with the erle of Armynake and with this coūtrey / wherfore all townes and castels rekeneth themselfe halfe assured / wherfore we shall be greatly blamed thus to do / and ye shall breke out treatye. By my faythe quod Perot / as for me I wyll agre to no treatye / as longe as I maye kepe the fel­des / it behoueth companyons to lyue. come on your way with vs / for ye shall haue nothynge to do at Carlat / for here be the companyons of that fortresse / and suche as be left behynd wyll nat suffre you to entre till their company come home. Well (ser) quod Aymerigot / with you wyll I nat go / but I wyll returne agayne in to my fortresse / syth the mater is thus. Thus they de parted one fro a nother. Perot helde the waye to Mountferant / and whan they were vnder Cleremount there they rested them / and ima­gyned on a newe enterprise / specially certayne of the gascoyns / who knewe nat of the enter­prise of Geronet. Than they sayd to the capy­tayns. Sirs / beholde here this cytie of Clere­monte / the whiche is a ryche cytie / and rather more prignable than Mount ferant / we haue ladders here / let vs scale it / we shall haue more profyte here than at Mount ferante. To this poynte they were nere a greed / but thanne the chefe capytayns sayd. Sirs Cleremonte is a puissant towne and well peopled and the men well harnessed / if they be ones moued they wyl assemble togyther and put theym selfe to de­fēce. it is no doute but we shulde haue no great aduaunatage by them. And if we shulde be re­culed perforce and our horse taken or loste / we shulde yuell escape / for we be farre fro home. and if the coūtrey than shulde ryse and pursue vs / we shulde be in great daunger. we thynke it were better to go on forthe and folowe our fyrst enterprise / for the sekynge of a newe enterprise per aduenture myght cost vs dere.

THis counsayle was taken / and so rode forthe without makynge of any noyse / so that aboute .xi. of the clocke they were nere to Mount ferant. Whan they sawe the towne they stode styll a thre bowe shot of fro y ^e towne. Than Perotte sayde / beholde here is Mount ferant / our company that went before are with in the towne. kepe you all styll here close to gy­der / and I wyll go downe this valaye to se if I may se or here any newes of Geronet / who hathe brought vs to this enterpryse / and de­parte nat tyll I come to you agayne. sir quod they go your waye / we shall abyde you here. Therwith Perot departed & four with hym. The wether was so darke that no man coulde se an acre brede fro hym / and also it rayned / blewe and snewe / that it was a meruaylouse yuell wether. Geronet was as than on the walles and taryed to here some newes. He loked dowe ouer the walles / and as he thought he sawe the shadowe of some men goynge a long by the dyke syde. than he began a lytle to why / stell softely. And whā they without herde that they came nerer to the wall / for the dykes on that syde hadde no water. Than Geronet de­maūded who was there without. Perot knew his voyce and sayd / I am Perot le Bernoys / [Page cxxxv] Geronet art thou there? yea sir quod he I am here. Make you redy and aproche your men / for I shall lette you in here in to the towne / for all tho within the towne be a slepe in their beddes. What quod Perot / shulde we entre here where as ye stande / god kepe me fro that? I wyll nat entre there / if I entre I wyll entre in at the gate / and at none other place. No wyll quod Geronette / and I assure you that lyeth nat in my power to do. but syr bring your lad­ders hyder and spare nat sckale / for I assure you there is none shall let you. Well quod Pe­rot / thou haste promysed to lette me in to the towne / but surely I wyll nat entre without it be by the gate. Well quod Geronet and I can nat a mende it / for I can nat lette you in at the gate / it is faste shytte / and the kepers be with­in / but they be a slepe. Whyle they were at this stryfe certayne of Geronettes cōpany within went vp & downe vpon the walles / to se if they myght here any noyse. A lytell there by there was a poore house at the foote of the wall / this howse stode alone farre of fro any other house / and a poore man dwelte therin a taylour / who had watched all the nyght tyll the same tyme / and thanne was goynge to bedde. And as the wynde caryeth noyse farre of / he herde as he thought men spekynge on the walles. For by nyght tyme a man shall here farre of. therwith he wente out of his howse and wente vpon the walles / and so met with the men / and as soone as he sawe them he began to crye. Than one of them stept forthe and toke him by the throte / and sayd. Vyllayne thou arte but deed & thou speke one worde? And soo he helde his peace / for he feared dethe. Than Geronet (who had herde the noyse) sayde. Sirs slee hym nat / for he shall do vs good seruyce / god hath sent him to vs / for by hym we shall furnysshe all our en­terprise. Than Geronet sayde to Perotte le Bernoys. syr / retourne to your company / and whan ye here the fyrst gate open come forthe / and with youre axes breke downe the gate next you / and shewed him the aduenture of the man that they had taken on the walles. Thanne Perot departed and wente to his company / and shewed them all the mater (as ye haue herde before)

THan Geronet sayd to the man y ^t they had taken. Without thou fulfyll oure desyre thou arte but deed incontynente. What wolde you that I shulde do quod he. I wyll quod Geronet that thou go to the gate and a wake the por­ters / and say howe the capytayne wolde haue the gate opened / or els let them delyuer to the the keys / to lette in a certayne marchauntes of Mounte Pellyer / who be without with far­delles of marchandyse to come in to the fayre. Sirs quod the man / What and they wyll nat byleue me. yes I warante the quod Geronet / tell theym by the token that he was nat at the watche this last night / but sent his sonne. And without thou do this message well and wysely I shall slee the with my dagger / and do so that through thy faute I lese nat myne enterprise. Whan the poore man sawe howe he was ma­nassed / and perceyued howe they were redy to slee him / he was sore abasshed / and sayd. Sir I shall do that ye cōmaunde / to the vttermest of my power. And so he came to the gate and knocked so longe tyll he a woke the porters. Than they sayd: What arte thou that wakest vs this tyme of the nyght? I am suche a one quod he / and named his name / I haue ben all this nyght busy in makyng of certayne geare of the capytayns / and so haue borne it home / and whyle I was there / worde came to hym howe certayne marchauntes of Mount Pel­lier are without the gate with their marchan­dyse / and are sore trauayled and weate with the fowle wether / wherfore the capitayne com­maundes you by me to open the gates and let them come in / or els gyue me the keyes and I shall let them in / by the same token that he was nat at the watche him selfe this nyght / but sent [Page] his sonne. That is trewe ꝙ the porters abyde a lytell / thou shalt haue the keyes incontynent. Than one of them rose and toke the keys han­ginge on a pyn / and opened a lytell wyndowe and delyuered out the keyes. The man toke theym And than incontynente Geronet toke them / and at aduenture put in the right key in to the locke and opened y ^e gate / and than went to the vtter gate / but in no wyse he coulde o­pen it. Perot and his company were without taryenge for openynge of the gate. Than Ge­ronet sayd / sirs helpe your selfe / auaunce forth for I can in no wyse open this seconde gate / breke it vp with your axes / otherwyse ye can nat entre in to the towne. Than they without had redy axes and wedges and hewed y ^e gate lyke carpenters. And as soone as they coulde gette in a hole they put in axes and wedges to Geronet / that he and his company shuld hewe a sonder the barres of the gate. Than dyuerse men herynge that noyse arose out of their bed­des / and had meruayle what it myght be / for they thought full lytell that the englysshe men shuld haue reysed them out of their beddes / at that tyme of the night. Than the kepers of the gate who had yuell kept their warde / herynge men speke and horses braye and crye / knewe well they were dysceyued / and rose and came to the wyndowes of the gate / and beganne to cry with an hygh voyce / trayson tray [...]on. than all the towne began to ryse in great feare / and many thought to saue their goodes and them selfe and fledde to the castell / but the [...] were but a fewe that entred. For the Chatelyn within the castell whanne he vnderstode that the en­glysshe men had wonne the towne / for feare of lesynge of more / he wolde nat lette downe his bridges. Some of his frendes that came first he lette them come in by meanes of a planke / And whanne he herde the great brewte in the towne / than he drewe in a gayne the planke / and after that he wolde no more put it forthe / but wente aboute to se what defence he shulde make if the castell were assayled. thus I haue shewed you howe the fyrste gate was opened / and the second broken with axes and wedges / and than they entred fayre and easely. These capytayns and their companyons or they en­tred in to any house / they rode all the streates in the towne togyther / to se if there were any assemble to make any defence. And whan they had sertched euery place / and founde no man to make any resistence / but a certayne suche as were gone to haue entred into the castell made a lytell defence / but soone they were taken and slayne. What shulde I make longe processe / Thus the towne of Mounte Ferante in Au­uergne was taken on a thursday at nyght / the thyrtenth day of February / by Perot le Ber­noys and his company? And whan they sawe howe they were lordes of the towne they toke vp their lodgynges at their ease / without set­tynge of any house a fyre / or doynge of any o­ther vyolence. For Perot le Bernois had charged on payne of dethe no man to vyolate any maner of woman or mayden / nor to sette any house a fyre / nor to take no good nor prisoner lytell nor greate / tyll he had fyrste knowledge therof. And also / that no man shulde be so har­dy to hurte any churche or trouble any man of the churche / nor to take any thynge out therof. This maner euer Perot vsed whan so euer he wanne any towne or fortresse. But Geffary Tele noyre dyd always the contrarye / for he neuer cared for churche nor for nothynge els / so that he myght haue it and get good / he ca­red nat howe.

THe same mornynge whanne tydinges of this dede came to the knowledge of them of Cleremounte / whiche was but a small leage thens / they were sore abasshed and good cause why / for their enemyes were nere them. They wyste nat what to saye or do / but toke good bede to defende their towne. These ne­wes spredde a brode to the castell Neuffe / to Thyon / to Vyc / to Issoire / to Ryon / and fro thence to Auige Perse / & to castell of Mounte Pencyer. And all these townes and countreys that I haue named / the moste parte pertay­ned to the duke of Berrey. In farre countreys these tydynges spred a brode / howe these en­glysshe men and gascoyns had wonne and ta­ken the good towne of Mount ferante in Au­uergne. As many as herde therof meruayled greatly / and were in doute / and the countreys adioyning were halfe a frayde / as Auuergne / Burbonoys / Forestes / and to Berrey. Whan these newes came to Parys the kyng and his vncles were sore displeased / whiche was good reason / for the same tyme the erle Dolphyn was at Parys for the orderynge of that coun­trey / for he hadde the soueraygne charge of [Page cxxxvi] kepynge therof / with the erle of Armynake. Therfore this dede was greatly to their dis­pleasure / for they thought they shulde beare some blame for that dede / bycause it was vn­der their rule: But their excuse was reasonable / for it was well knowen howe they were in treatie with all the companions / wherfore they thought the countre at that tyme hadde ben in good suretie. Than incontynent the erle Dolphyn departed fro Parys to go in to Auuergne / to sette an order in the countre and lefte all his trayne behynde hym: And so rode but alonely with his page / and toke his waye by Moulyns in Burbonoyes to go to Auuergne / and chaunged euery daye fresshe horses. And as he rode in this haste at saynt Pier the mynster he herde other tidynges / y ^t he hadde nat herde before / as I shall shewe you. ⸫ ⸫

WHan it was Fridaye mornynge after the towne was wonne on the thurs­daye at nyght (as ye haue herde here before) and that these Capitayns were lor­des of the towne they boū ­de faste all the men / so that they coude do thē no dommage. Than they sertched all aboute and trussed in to fardelles: Clothe / naprye / gownes / furres / and other thynges / suche as they thought to haue any profite by. And thā they toke coūsayle whether they shulde kepe styll the towne or no. Some were of the o­pynion to kepe it styll and to fortifye it: But the moost parte sayde / that to abyde there it were great follye / For so they shulde be en­closed rounde about / and shulde be farre of fro their socours & fortresses / so that if they shulde be there besieged / they shulde nat be able to withstande their ennemyes and lyke­ly to haue no socours / so that by longe siege they shulde be famysshedde / for there aboute were many great gentylmen / cyties & good townes. And also whan the duke of Berrey shulde knowe of this enterprice / he wyll sēde hyther the mareshall of Fraunce sir Loyes Sanxere. And also the erle Dolphyn of Au­uergne and the erle of Armynake wyll come or sende and besiege vs / with many great lordes: As the lorde of the Towre / the lorde Dapthon / the lorde Dapthyer / the lorde of Re­uell / the lorde de la Palayes / and dyuers o­ther. yea / and specially hyther shall come sir Iohan Boesme Launce with a great nōbre. All these doutes the sage Perot le Bernoyes and Olyue Barbe dyde cast and cōiecte / and sayde. If they were there taken they shulde lese all they haue / and fayne to delyuer vp all their fortresses. So these capitayns conclu­ded the same nyght to departe & to take with them all their botye and prisoners / of whom they had mo than̄e two hundred. Than they set a sure garde at the gates / to thentent that none shulde issue out to bewray their entre­price. ¶Nowe shall I shewe you of a scry­mysshe that they of Cleremount made with them. ⸫ ⸫

WHan̄e these tydynges were knowen at Cleremōt that the Englysshe menne had takenne Moūtferant / they were soore abasshed / for they were nere neygh­bours / So they of Clere­mont toke counsayle toguyder / And with­out [Page] the towne of Cleremounte on the waye towardes Mountferant. There was a churche of Friers as fayre / as stronge / & as well buylded / as any was in the realme of Fraunce: Whervnto parteyned a great close / enuy­roned with stronge hyghe walles / and with in the close full of Vynes: for one yere with another the friers had therof / a sixscore ves­selles of wyne. Than some sayde within the towne that it shulde be best to beate downe the Friers / bycause it ioyned so nere to the gate or elles it might be to their distruction. Some other sayde naye / affyrmynge howe it shulde be great pytie and dommage to di­stroye so goodly a house / and sayde. Sirs / lette vs go to Mount ferant / and sermyss he there with our ennemyes / and let vs besiege them / there they shall neuer scape vs. For the knyghtes and Squyers of this countrey of Burbonoys and of Forestes wyll drawe hy­ther: So that within these foure dayes surelye they shalbe besieged. Whyle they were thus debatynge of the matter / there were a threscore compaygnions made them selfe re­dy to departe out of the towne / to go se their ennemyes / and to serimysshe with theym. There was no man dyde lette theym / for of the best of the towne were in that company / desyringe to wynne honoure: and toke with them a .xxx. crosbowes / and so rode towar­des Mount feraunt. Thanne after them is­sued out of Cleremounte mo than two hun­dred men a fore / and folowed after. Thanne horsemen rode streyght to the Barryers of Mount feraunte. Tidynges came in to the towne to the Capitayns / howe that they of Cleremount were come to vysette them / and were before the barryers / of whiche tidyngꝭ they were greatlye reioysed / and a hundred armed them and moūted on their horses / and opyned the gate & issued out on a fronte and cryed saynt George. And whan the cleremō ­toys sawe them cōmyng so fiersely they were afrayed and vanquysshed within them selfe and beganne to recule without shewynge of any face of defence / and so fledde hyther and thyder: They that were best horsed at the cō ­mynge out of Cleremount and were the for­mast / sayeng: howe they wolde be the fyrste that shulde make assaute / were than the fyrst that retourned agayne to the towne / and the gascoyns after them: So that if the gascons horses had been as go as the Cleremontoys / there hadde but a fewe of them entred agayn in to their towne: Howe beit they were cha­sed tyll they mette with the fote men / who in lykewise than fledde and kepte none order / and lepte into the Vynes and in to the dykes to saue themselfe. The crosbowes that came out of Cleremount / kepte better array than their company dyde: For they close toguy­der toke a vyne yarde and bent their bowes / and made vysage of defence: and kepte them selfe there tyll all the Englysshe menne were withdrawen backe agayne to Mountferant. They of Cleremont lost twētie of their men sixe slayne and fourtene taken. Thus it fell of that enterprice / and all that day euery mā trussed and made redy to departe the same nyght after / and by sixe of the Clocke euery man hadde trussed vp their baggage / and laded their horses and sette them selte a foote. They past nat a threscore on horsebacke / and so sette forwarde in the stretes their somers and caryages: they hadde well a foure hun­dred horse charged with clothes / naprie and furres / and other thynges necessary. They founde in the towne cofes and presses full of stuffe / but they lafte them clene voyde. They bounde their prisoners two and two toguy­der: And whan they were all redy and that it was nyght / they opyned the gate and issued out: They had taryed in Mount feraunt no more but eyghtene houres. They sette their cariage before them / and thā their prisoners and foote men / and the capitayns on horse­backe came after them. The nyght was dar­ke and the countrey nat aduysed of their de­partynge / wherfore they were nat pursued / and about mydnight they came to Ousacke / fro whens they came the seconde day before: there they rested them.

It was shewed me that they wanne by the same voyage a hundred thousande frankes / besyde their prisoners. Sir Peter of Gy­ache chauncelloure of Fraunce loste for his parte in redy money / thyrtie thousande fran­kes or aboue.

THe companyons were well counsayled to leaue Mount feraunt in Au­uergne so soone as they dyde / For if they had taryed there two dayes lengar than [Page cxxxvii] they dyde / they hadde nat departed without great daunger / and paraduenture with losse of their lyues. For all the knyghtes and squiers of the countrey gathered toguyder and came thyder with puyssaunce to haue layde siege to the towne / and the lordes of the coū ­trey (as ye haue herde before named) none taryed behynde. And the erle Dolphyn was come within two dayes iourney / but than he herde tidynges howe the Englysshmen and gascoyns were departed to their owne forte­resses: and there the trouthe of the hole ma­ter was shewed hym. Whan̄e he knewe the trouthe / he rode than more at his ease & came to saynt Pursayne / and fro thens to Mou­lyns in Burbonoyes: And there he foūde the duches of Burbone his doughter / who was sore a frayde of that aduenture / Howe be it whan she knewe that the aduentures were gone she was gladde therof / for thanne she thought her countrey more surer than it was before. By my faythe quod the erle I wolde it had coste me greatly / that they had taryed styll at Mount Ferant tyll I had come thy­der: For if they were there nowe they shulde haue an yuell ende. We coulde nat haue had a better enterprise in all Auuergne / wherby to haue recouered all the fortresses that they holde. It semeth well they are skylfull men of warre / that they taryed there no lengar: they are gone to their owne holdes with all their pyllage and prisoners. Thus the Erle and the duchesse his doughter cōmuned to­guyder. And Perot le Bernoys and Olyue Barbe / the Bourge of Cōpayne / the Bourg angloys / Apthon Seguyn / and the other capitayns of the fortresses whan they were cōe to Ousacke / they departed their botye / pyl­lage / and prisoners. And some they raunso­med / and the other they ledde to their fortres­ses / Some to Carlat / and some to Gaslucet / All the countre of Auuergne toke better hede to they holdes / than they hadde done before: Howe be it the erle of Armynake and the erle Dolphyn sente to Perotte le Bernoys / say­eng: howe falsely and traytourously he had taken and stollen the towne of Mountferant and robbed it / and ledde away the prisoners counsaylynge hym to make therof amendes. Consydringe howe they were in treatie to­guyder [...]or a peace. Perotte aunswered and sayde: Sauyng their graces / as for my selfe and seuyn other Capitayns that were with me at the takynge of Mountferant / were ne­uer at no maner of treatie with these Erles / nor we toke nat this towne fraudulently / nor stale it: But I entred in at the gate whiche was opyned redy to receyue me. If I and my company hadde been sworne to any trea­tie / we wolde haue kepte it surely / But we were neuer of that entencyon nor wyll be. In this case the mater stoode and the lordes coude haue none other answere. Sir Peter of Gyache was sore displeased / for the losse that he hadde: And as for them of Mounte ferant / recouered them selfe as well as they myght. Thus this aduentures fell. ⸪ ⸪

IN the yere of our lor­de God / a thousande thre hūdred fourscore and sixe / in the moneth of August / Guye the erle of Bloyes and the Lady Mary his wyfe departed fro y ^e tow­ne of Bloyes / well acompanyed with knightes and squyes / ladyes and damoselles to go in to Berrey / and they had with theym their yonge sonne / who hadde fyaunced the yere before / Mary doughter to the duke of Ber­rey. and the entencyon of the erle of Bloyes and of the coūtesse his wyfe / was that whan they shulde come to Burgus in Berrey / to ꝓcede to y ^e sayd maryage. In lykewise it was the entencyon of the duke of Berrey & of the duches his wyfe. Thus whā all these ꝑties were come togyder / than these two chyldren were ioyned togider in mariage in the chur­che [Page] of saynt Stephyn in Burgus by a Car­dynall / the chauncellour of Berrey and the bysshoppe of Poyters had the yere before ensured theym toguyder. It this maryage of Loyes of Bloyes and of the lady Mary of Berrey in the cytie of Burgus / was made great feest and tryumphes with iustes & tur­neyes. This feest endured eight dayes. whā this was accomplysshed / the erle of Bloyes and the countesse tooke leaue of the duke of Berrey and of the duchesse / and so returned to Bloyes and hadde with them their yonge doughter. Also in the same yere Iohn̄ of Berrey sonne to the duke of Berrey called Erle of Mountpensier maryed the lady Mary of Fraunce suster to the yonge kynge of Fraū ce. In the same yere that these Maryages were thus made: In the tyme of lente / the duchesse of Berrey and Mary of Fraunce her doughter / and her sonne rode to the towne of Bloyes / to se the Erle Bloyes and the coun­tesse / and their chyldren. They were recey­ued in to the Castell of Bloyes with great ioye. At all these maters I sir Iohan Frois­sarte was present: And whan they had been there in great Feest thre dayes / they depar­ted and toke their way to Poyters: but they went by water by the ryuer of Loyre to Am­boyse / and fro thens in chares and on horse­backe / tyll they came to Poytou. There the duchesse helde her house moost cōmonly in a good castell and good towne called Chynon In this yere dyed Mary of Fraunce beyng yonge / who was wyfe to the erle of Mount­penlier. In lykewise soone after dyed the la­dy Iane of Armynake duchesse of Berrey. Thus the duke of Berrey and his sonne were to marry agayne (as they dyd) but nat ouer soone. Of the whiche maryages / and specy­allye of the dukes: I shall shewe you here after / whan the mater shall requyre to haue it declared.

YE haue well herde here before / howe the duke of Guerles had defyed the French kyng dispyte fully / whiche was spoken o [...] sar and nere. For as the brute was / it was nat done in no curtesse maner / but out of the style and vsage of all other defyances. Trouthe it is / I sawe my selfe certayne wri­tynges in paper / the whiche was sayde to be the true copy: But bycause I sawe it nat vn­derseale / nor aproued as such maters ought to be that touche great princes / suche as is the Frenche kyng / therfore I gaue no greatcredence therto: Howe be it / it semed well that this defyaunce was displeasaunt to the realme / & wolde haue it amended. And that the duke of Guerles shulde excuse hym of the spytefull wordes that were in the defyaunce. The kynges coūsayle wolde in no wyse that the mater shulde rest so / for the great lordes of Fraunce sayde. Without the kyng founde some remedy / they and all the realme shulde be greatly to blame: And they sayd howe the kynge was yonge and forwarde / and y ^t was well sene in his iourney in Flaunders. And if he go nat forwarde nowe to reuenge this dede / men wolde speke dyuerslye of the no­bles of the realme of Fraunce / who shulde counsayle the kynge / and are sworne to kepe and defende his honour / and to refourme all that is mysordred. And to the entent that the kynge nor the realme shulde beare no blame the lorde of Coucy toke payne in the mater: And shewed well howe the mater touchedde hym nere. He knewe the almayns better thā he dyde any other / for he hadde been often in their cōpanyes / as well for the chalenge that he made to the duchy of Austryche / as for o­ther insydentes that he hadde amonge them.

THe kynges vncles sawe well howe all the nobles of the Realme were well enclyned to haue the mater re­dressed / and specially the duke of Burgoyne hadde great affectyon therto / for the duke of Guerles haryed and pylled the duchesse of Brabantes countrey / The whiche enhery­taunce shulde retourne to hym after y ^e dethe of the two ladyes who were right aged / both the duches and her sustre. wherfore he wolde that outher by warre or other meanes / that the duke of Guerles were apeased. Howe be it fyrst of all it was requisyte to make all the membres of Fraunce one and of one opiny­on: For it shulde be a farre iourney for the kynge to go out of Fraunce in to Almaygne to conquere landes and countreis / The whiche the kynge coulde nat do / without he had all his hole puyssaunce with hym / for it was [Page cxxxviii] nat knowen whyder the almaygnes / who be couetous people / wolde helpe and assyst the duke of Guerles or nat. Also furthermore / the duke of Burgoyne and the other noble men of Fraunce / sawe well howe the duke of Bretayne was in great differēce with the re­alme of Fraunce and began marueylously. & shewed by his dedes that he had as lyue ha­ue warre with y ^e realme of Fraūce as peace: And the lordes knewe well howe he prouy­ded his townes / castels / & cyties with great prouisyon of men / vitayls / and artillary / to defende any siege. And besydes that / often tymes he wrote in to Englande with louynge treatable wordes to make alyaunce for euer: And the Englysshmen were wyllyng therto to the entent that their warre with Fraunce / myght be the better for them after. Thanne the counsayle of Fraūce wolde nat that there shulde be lefte behynde them suche a myst in Bretaygne / but that first it myght be putte a waye by good meanes and condute. They thought they wolde nat putte the realme in that doute: If the kynge shulde go in to Al­maygne and leaue the realme destytute (as this the Kynges vncles ymagined) They wyste nat howe to stoppe the duke of Bre­tayne / for as than suche as they had sent thy­der were retourned: as the bysshoppe of Lā gers / sir Iohan of Vyen / and sir Iohan de Beull. They shewed the kyng & his vncles howe they had done nothyng to purpose. thā the duke of Berry aduysed to sende to Bre­tayne to entreat with the duke his cosyn / the erle of Stampes who was a sage persone & a treatable. Than the duke desyred hym and sayde. Fayre cosyn / it behoueth that ye go in to Bretaygne to speke with our cosyn the duke there. If ye fynde hym harde and highe of wordes / chafe nat with hym / treate hym swetely and after a good maner. And speke sagely to hym / and bring hym in to good reason and it may be: And shewe hym howe the kynge and I and my brother of Burgoyne / wolde nothing to hym but good loue & peace And if he wyll abyde and holde with vs / we shall alwayes be redy to do hym pleasure. & also shewe hym that as for the castels that he holdeth of the cōstables / how that for a small occasion he hath ceased them. But & it wolde please hym to rendre them agayne / it shulde be greatly to his honour. And howe that the kynge shall gyue hym as fayre and as good as they be / in any other place where he wyll chose in the realme. Good cosyn do so moche as to bringe vs some good tydinges / and for any tarieng there / departe nat fro him tyll ye bring some mater to passe: and haue well in your remembraūce all this busynesse and all his answere / and the order of his estate. The erle of Stampes answered and sayde. Sir / all this shalbe done right gladly.

AFter that the erle of Stāpes had this charge fro the duke of Berey to go in to Bretayne to the duke his cosyn: He taried nat long but made hymselfe redy and passed by Chartres / and through the good countre of Mayne / and so came to Angers and there founde the quene of Naples / who hadde ben wyfe to the duke of Aniou: Who was called kyng of Naples / of Cicyle / of Hierusalem / & duke of Pole / of Calabre / and erle of Pro­uence: And in her company her two fayre sonnes Loyes and Charles. The lady receyued her cosyn the erle of Stampes ioyfully / and there was Iohn̄ of Bretayne who loued nat the duke of Bretayne / but he was nat in po­wer to shewe forthe his yuell wyll / nor to a­mende it. Whan therle of Stampes had ben there a daye and a night / he tooke his leaue & departed and rode to Chasteaulx / and iour­neyed so long that he came to the cite of Naū tes and there refresshed hym. And than he demaūded where the duke was / and it was shewed hym howe he was in the marches of Wē nes & therefoūde the duke who receyued him ioyously / for they were nere cosyns togider. The erle of Stampes who right well coude acquyte hymselfe amonge great princes and ladyes (for he had been brought vp amonge theym in his youthe) acquytedde hym selfe right sagely with the duke. And shewed nat the princypall affectyon of his corage at his fyrste commynge / but dissymuled two or thre dayes / and whan he sawe his tyme he humy­led hym selfe greatlye to the duke / the rather therby to drawe hym to his entent / and than sayd. Sir and my right dere cosyn / ye ought nat to marueyle thoughe I am come so farre of to se you / for greatlye I haue desyred it. And than notably he shewed hym the charge that he hadde to saye to hym / on the behalfe of the duke of Berrey / of the whiche wordes [Page] the duke made light. And for resolucion of an­swere at that tyme / the duke sayde. Cosyn we knowe well this that ye haue sayde is trewe. I shall remembre me and ye shall abyde here with vs as long as it shall please you / for your comyng dothe vs great pleasure. Other aun­swere the erle coulde nat haue / as at that tyme. The erle taryed there a fyftene dayes / and the duke shewed hym gret loue / and shewed hym the fayre castell of Ermyn / whiche was nere to Wannes the whiche the duke had newely made / and there he toke parte of his pastaūce. And alwayes whanne he sawe a conuenyente tyme / he shewed swetely and sagely the cause of his comyng. And euer the duke aunswered hym so couertly / that the erle coulde haue no suretie in any aunswere / to make any restytu­cion of a hundred thousand frankes nor of the castels that he helde of the constables / the whi­che yet at the ende he dyd / and that was with­out request of any persone / whan it was leste loked for (as I shall shewe you hereafter as I was enfourmed) Whan y ^e erle Stampes sawe that he laye there in vayne / than he thought to take his leaue / and to retourne in to Fraunce / and so he dyd. The duke gaue hym leaue / and at his departynge gaue hym a fayre whyte palfrey / aparelled and it had ben for a kynge / and gaue hym a fayre rynge with a stone / well worthe a thousande frankes. Thus the erle departed and retourned by Angers / and there founde the quene of Napoles / and Iohan of Bretayne / who greatly desyred to here tydyn­ges and sayd. Fayre cosyn / I thynke ye haue sped well / for ye haue taryed longe out. Than the erle shewed parte of his busynesse but fy­nally howe he had spedde nothynge. Whan he had taryed there a day / he departed and went to Towrs / and at last came in to Berrey / and founde the duke at Mehyn / a castell of his / whiche he had newly made / and had worke­men dayly theron. Whan the duke of Berrey sawe the erle of Stampes he made hym good chere / and demaunded tydinges of Bretayne. There he declared fro poynt to poynte all that he had sente and herde / and sayde: howe in no wyse he coulde breke the duke of Bretayne fro his purpose. The duke of Berrey passed the mater lyghtly / whan he sawe it wolde be none otherwyse. And so retourned in to Fraunce to the king and to the duke of Burgoyne his brother / and shewed theym howe he had sente in to Bretaygne to the duke his cosyn the erle of Stampes / and declared in euery poynt howe he had spedde. Thus the mater rested / whan they sawe none other remedy. ⸪ ⸪

IT hath been resyted here before in this hystory / howe the englisshmen dyd in Galyce / & howe the duke and the duchesse / and his doughter came to y ^e Porte of Portyngale / and there taryed a season with kynge Iohan of Portu­gale / and with the yonge quene / doughter to the duke of Lancastre (as ye haue herde here before) It anoyed greatly the duke / and nat without a cause / in that he had done nothynge for his profyte all that season in Castyle / but that he hadde done was to his great domage / his men deed of sykenes of the best of his com­pany / knyghtes and squyers. And suche con­quest as he hadde made with great payne and cost / he sawe well it shulde besoone recouered agayne by the kynge of castell. And in dede so it was. for as sone as he was departed and en­tred in to Portugale / and that the spanyardes and knyghtes of Fraunce / suche as were ta­ryed there with syr Olyuer of Clesquyn con­stable of Castyle / sawe that the duke of Lan­castre was departed / and that in maner all his englysshe men were departed fro hym. Than they sette forwarde to reconquere agayne all that had ben loste of the realme of Castyle / the whiche was sone done / for they of the townes / castels / & cyties in Galyce / had rather to haue ben vnder the obeysaunce of the kynge of Ca­style / than vnder the duke of Lancaster / with­out [Page cxxxix] he had been able to haue kepte the felde / to haue defended the countrey. For they of Ca­style / Lombardy / and of Italy / of vsage euer they saye (Lyue he that is strongest / and he that wynneth) All that euer the duke of Lan­castre had wonne fro the feast of Easter to the begynnynge of Iuly / all was wonne agayne and refresshed with newe frenchmen and men of Castyle / and the englysshmen that were left there by the duke in garysons (who thought to haue taryed there peasably all the wynter) were sone put out / outher by fayre meanes or perforce / and some slayne / suche as wolde nat yelde vp / and some returned by sauecōducte to passe by Portugale / & so to Bayon or to Burdeaux. And of all this the duke of Lancastre was well aduertysed / he beynge in the cytie of Porte in Portugale / but he coude nat remedy it / whiche was ryghtsore dypleasaunte to his herte. It is nat to be beleued the contrary / for the more noble / valyaunt / and sage that a man is / displeasures to hym be the more bytter and paynefull. howe be it the duke wolde say often tymes (and bare out a good face) If we haue lost this yere / by the grace of god a nother sea­son shall be for vs. the fortunes of this worlde are meruaylous / they can nat be always per­manente. Also the kynge of Portugale gaue hym alwayes good comforte / and sayde. Syr ye may abyde here and kepe your astate / and wryte to youre bretherne and frendes in En­glande / that they maye sende you this nexte Marche a fyue or syre hundred speares / and two thousande archers / and I shall gather to gyder my power and people / who haue good myndes to make warre into Castyle / & so we shall make a good warre. somtyme one coun­trey wynneth and a nother leseth. The duke of Lancastre thanked the kynge of Portugale of his good comforte and offre. Howe beit for all that the kyng was y ^e dukes sonne in lawe / and had maryed his doughter / and that he sayde was of a good wyll. yet for all that the duke di­scouered nat all his corage / for he knewe well Englande was in trouble / and great debate a monge the lordes / and howe the lordes hadde maters yno we to attende vnto / as well for the kepynge of the fronters agaynst Scotlande / as for to treate with the duke of Bretaygne. And the kyng knewe well that whan the duke came out of Englande / there was a do to sette forwarde his armye / wherfore he thought it shulde be harde to get any newe ayde thence / seinge the realme at so many great charges all redy / and also he thought well that suche en­glysshmen as were retourned wolde no more come thyder agayne / but thought rather that they shulde dyscorage other to come. the duke considered all these maters in his mynde / and whan he had ben a season at the cytie of Porte with the kynge of Portugale / than on a daye he sayd. Syr / it shulde be for my profyte to re­tourne to Bayon / and to the marches of Bur­deaulx for dyuerse reasons. He sawe well his beynge in Portugale coulde do him lytell ad­uaūtage / for there he was nat on his herytage that he desyred / but he sayde his goynge in to the archebysshoppriche of Burdeaux and of Aulose / and so to retourne by Bygore / and so by the lande of the lombrisience / of the countie of Foyze / and countie of Armynake / and so by Garonne / Dordone / and entrynge in to Pier gourte and Querchyn / Rochelloys / Xayn­tone / Cristynge / Poictou / Auuergne and Ly­mosyn / wherin were many garysons and ca­stels holden of the englisshe parte / who wolde all make warre for his sake. Wherfore he sayd it were better for hym to be amonge theym to counsaile and encorage them / than to be in any other place. And also he sayde howe Portu­gale was farre of to here any newes out of Englande / and also he knewe well y ^t the englyssh men wolde be lothe to come thyder bycause of the long voyage by see / and also he knewe well that shyppes of Spaygne / of Galyce / and of Castyle were goynge and comynge on the see in and out to Flaunders with their marchan­dyses / whiche was also great daunger for en­countrynge of them. All these thynges consy­dred / the duke of Lancastre prepared for his departynge / and had shyppes apoynted hym by the kynge / and a patrone called Alphons Bretat. Whan these galyes were redy and the wynde good / the duke and the duches and her doughter / toke leaue of the kynge of Portu­gale and of the quene / and so toke shyppynge and entred on the see / abydynge goddes plea­sure and wyndes. They had wynde and we­ther at pleasure / so that they aryued at Bayon of whose comynge they of the countrey were ioyfull / desyringe sore to se them.

Whan the duke and the duches and their doughter were aryued at Bayon. Tydynges [Page] therof spredde abrode / and they of Burdeloys were ryght ioyfull therof. Than sir Iohan of Harpdame senesshall of Burdeaux / and the senesshall of the landes came thyder to se the duke / and so dyd other gentlemen of the coun­trey / as the lorde of Mucydente / the lorde of Duras / the lorde of Rosem / the lorde of Lan­duras / the lorde Lespare / the lorde of Newe­chasteaur / and other knyghtes and squyers of the countrey. Thus they came dayly / some at one tyme some at another / all they offred hym their seruyce / as they ought to do to their lord. Thus the duke taryed at Bayon / and often tymes sente in to Englande to the kynge his ne­phewe / and to his other bretherne. But for all his writynge he was nothynge comforted / no­ther with men of armes nor archers / for as the worlde wente than / the dukes busynesse was lytell taken hede vnto / nor lorde / knyght / nor squyer to make any hast to auaunce forwarde to the ayde of the duke of Lancastre. for suche as had ben in Portugale made suche reporte through the realme of Englande / that no man had corage to auaunce thyder / but euery man said. the voyage in to Castyle is to farre of fro vs. It is more profytable for vs to haue warre with Fraunce / for that is a good swete coun­trey and temperate / and good lodgynges and fayre swete ryuers. And in Castyle there is no thynge but harde rockes and Mountaynes / whiche are nat good to eate / and an vntempe­rate ayre / and troubled ryuers / and dyuerse meates / and stronge wynes & hote / and poore people / rude / and yuell arayed / farre of fro our maner. wherfore it were folly to go thyder / for if we entre in to any great cytie or towne there wenynge to fynde maruayles / we shall fynde nothynge but wyne / larde / and empty cofers. This is contrarye to the realme of Fraunce / for there whan it is fortune to wyn any towne or cytie / we fynde suche rychesse that we be a basshed therof / and it is good to make warre where we may haue profyte. let vs aduenture there / and leaue the vnhappy warre of Castyle and Portugale / where is no thynge but pou­uertye and domage. Thus the englysshe men sayde in Englande / suche as had been in Ca­style / so that the lordes perceyued well howe that voyage was out of the fauoure of the en­glysshe men. Also the realme was in trouble / and the iustyce of Triuylyen and outher but newly done / and the duke of Irelande depar­ted out of the Realme / and kynge Rycharde came to the guydynge of newe counsayle / the whiche he hadde nat well lerned. So by rea­son of suche insydentes the matters abode in harde case for the duke of Lancastre / beynge in the cytie of Bayon / where he helde all that season.

ALl these busynesses as well in Castyle and Portugale / as in Englande (and of the departyng of the duke of Irelande) was well knowen with the frenche kynge and his counsayle. Than to haue more parfyte know­ledge / it was ordayned by the frenche kynge and by his vncles to sende to Trecte to y ^e duke of Irelande / where as he was / and to gyue hym a sure saueconduct to come into Fraunce and to tarye there as longe as bothe partyes were pleased. It was behouable to sende for hym by specyall messangers / and sure wry­tyng fro the kyng / or els the duke of Irelande wolde nat haue come there / for he knewe well that he was out of the loue and fauoure of the lorde Coucy / who was a great baron in the re­alme of Fraunce / and was of a great lynage. He had no cause to loue hym (as ye haue herde before) for acordynge to the trouthe the duke had nat well acquyted hymselfe to his wyfe / who was doughter to the lorde Coucy. And certaynly it was the principall thing that toke awaye the good renome of his honour / bothe in Fraunce and in other places. And in lyke­wyse he was blamed / defamed / and hated in Englande / as well as in Fraunce. Whan the frenche kynge had concluded to sende for the duke of Irelande / the lorde of Coucy spake as moche agaynst it as he myght / but there were so many reasons layde to hym (and also by­cause the kyng wolde haue it) that he was contente to suffre it. The frenche kynge who was but yong desyred greatly to se the duke of Irelande / bycause he was reputed to be a good knyght / and also bycause it was sayd howe he was so well beloued with the kynge of En­glande. Thanne he was sente for by a knyght and a clerke / a notary of the kynges. Whan the Duke of Irelande herde fyrste howe the frenche kynge had sente for hym / he had mar­uayle therof / and hadde dyuerse imagynacy­ons for what entente he shulde be sente for in to Fraunce / howe be it fynally he thought the [Page cxl] myght go surely in to Fraunce to se the kynge by reason of his saueconducte / and to returne agayne at his pleasure. Than he departed fro Trecte / and rode forthe with theym that the kynge had sent to hym / and rode so longe that they came to Paris / for as than the kyng was there in his castell of Lowre. There the duke was well receyued of the kynge and of his vn­cles. The frenche kynge desyred him to abyde there styll and apoynted hym a place to kepe his house & astate in / for the duke had ynough so to do / for he had conueyed out of Englande good ynough. And also y ^e constable of Fraūce ought hym certayne money for the raunsome of Iohan of Bretayne / the whiche was nat all payed as than. Thus the duke wente whan it pleased hym to se the kynge / and hadde good chere. and at all feastes / iustes / and triumphes the duke was alwayes sente for. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue herde before howe the erle de Stampes was sent in to Bretayne by the duke of Ber­rey / thynkynge to haue brought the duke of Bretayne with fayre wordes to his mynde and entensyon / But he coulde nat brynge it aboute / but retourned agayne without atteynynge any thynge of his purpose. wherof they in Fraunce were great­ly abasshed / and specially suche as were of the kinges coūsayle / for they knewe well the kyng had great desyre to go in to Almayne / to se the landes of his cosyns the duke of Iulyers / and to be reuenged of the hygh wordes and cruell defyaunces of the duke of Guerles. The wyse men of the counsayle of Fraunce suche as con­ceyued well the mater imagyned therin great parell to the realme / for they clerely perceyued howe the duke of Bretayne wolde in no wyse condyscende to reason / but helde styll his pur­pose. They thought it was greatly preiudy­cyall to the honoure of the realme of Fraunce / for hym to take the constable of Fraunce / and to sette hym at raunsome at a hundred thou­sande frankes / and to kepe thre of his castelles and a good towne. And also they sawe howe the duke of Bretayne was makynge of great alyaunces with the kynge of Englande / and knewe well howe the duke fortifyed greatly his townes and castels in Bretayne / and went aboute to get hym frendes in dyuers partyes / in so moche that many of the noble menne of Bretayne wyste nat what to do / outher to go in to Fraunce or to a byde there styll with the duke and to take his parte agaynst the kynge or the realme of Fraunce / the whiche they ne­uer thought to do / for the moste parte of the knyghtes and Squyers of Bretaygne were alwayes good frenche / But the counsayle of Fraunce doubted that if the kynge wente out of the realme with his puyssaunce / the whiche he muste nedes do if he shulde goo in to Al­maygne / that than the duke of Bretayne to bring in to his countrey the englysshmen / ou­ther at saynte Malowe / at saynt Mathewes / or at Lamballe / or Camperle / or Lantriguier at Guerrando / or Bownte / or at Wennes / or on the see coste. For the englysshemen coulde nat haue a better entre in to Fraunce than by Bretayne. So that they knewe nat (the kyn­ges honour saued) howe to breke the duke of Bretayne fro his purpose. Some of the kyn­ges counsayle sayde / it shall be to the kynges dyshonour if he breke nat the dukes purpose / for y ^e duke is nat lorde peasably ouer his owne countrey / for we thynke the lordes / knyghtes / and squyers of Bretayne wyll nat be agaynst vs / to mayntayne the dukes opynion / therfore in the name of god lette the kynge kepe on his voyage / and lette the constable and other lor­des a byde in their countreys and defende the Realme. This opynyon was well vpholde with many of the kynges counsayle. but than some other sayde naye therto / and sayde howe the kyng coulde nat well go out of his realme without he had his constable with hym / for he [Page] is more wyser and hathe more experyence in warre than a great nombre of other. Thus they argued. Than some other sayd / lette two of the kynges vncles go or one of them at the lest / and layde it to the duke of Burgoyne that he shulde go with two thousande speares / and syre or seuen thousande of other men of warre / and sayde / it was moste metest for hym to go / for that warre touched hym nere / bycause it moued by reasone of the duchy of Brabante / and that he shulde haue with him them of Brabante / of whome he shulde fynde in nombre to the some of seuen hundred speares / and .xx. or thurty thousande of other comons of the countrey of Brabante. Than a nother sorte sayde. sirs / your opynyons be nat good for the kyng wyll go / he nameth hymselfe the chyefe of this warre / for he is defyed / wherfore he muste go / consydrynge the charge is his / it is good that he go / for he is yonge / and the more he conty­nueth the warre the better he shall loue it. than some other sayd. Who is he that is so hardy to counsayle the kynge to go in to Almayne / in to so farre a countrey / amonge theym that be hyghe and prowed people / and great parell it is to entre vpon them. And if the kynge were entred / yet it were great daunger the retour­nynge agayne. for whan they shall knowe the kynge and all the nobles of Fraunce to be en­tred in to their countrey / they wyll than assemble all togyder / and kepe suche a countrey as they knowe / and we nat / and so they maye do vs great domage / for they are couetous peo­ple aboue all other. And they haue no pytie / if they haue the vpper hande / and are harde and yuell handelers of their prisoners / and putteth them to sondry paynes / to compell theym to make their raunsomes the greater. and if they haue a lorde or a great man to their prisoner / they make great ioye therof / and wyll conuey hym in to Boesme / or in to Austryche / or in to Xasenne / and kepe hym in some castell inha­bytable. They are people worse than sarazins or paynyms / for their excessyue couetousnesse quencheth the knowledge of honoure. Lette vs go and put the kynge in daunger amonge these people / and if any thynge happen to fall a mysse / as the chaunces of fortune are mar­uaylous / what shall be sayde than? howe we haue brought the kynge thyder to betray him / and to the dystructyon of the realme / and nat for the augmentynge therof. God defende the realme fro all domage and parell. If the kyng go he muste haue parte of his noble men with hym. And if mysse fortune fall / the realme of Fraunce is loste without recouery. Therfore loke wysely if it be good to counsayle the kyng to go that voyage in to Almayne. Than some other / suche as had wysely coniected all parel­les in their imagynacyons sayd. In the name of god lette nother the kynge go / nor yet sende thyder no puyssaunce. For though the duke of Guerles who is but yonge / and that youthe of wytte haue made hym to defye the kynge / whiche was nat done by no greate wysdome / nor good counsayle / but rather done by folissh pride of yonge people / who wolde flye or they haue wynges. And sythe he hathe thus defyed the kynge / lette hym alone and suffre hym to pursewe his desyaunce / the realme of Fraunce is great / if he entre in to the realme in any maner of wyse / the kinge shall sone be enfourmed therof / and than he shall haue a iuste cause to styre vp his people / and to go and fyght a­gaynste hym / where so euer he fynde hym / or els to make hym flye or yelde hym in the felde / and therby the kynge shall haue more honour and lesse charge than to go in to Guerles / for suche as knowe the countrey saye / that or we can come to the duke if he lyste / we must passe a foure great ryuers / the lyste of them as great as the ryuer of Loyre at Namurs or Charite. Also they say / it is a fowle countrey and yuell lodgynges.

THe noble men and counsaylouts of Fraunce were thus in dyuers imagynacyons on this voyage / that the kynge wolde make in to Almayne / and surely it had ben auaunsed the soner forwarde and they had nat douted the venym that myght growe by the occasyon of Bretayne / and of the duke there / that mater drewe theym a backe. And indede they had good cause to doute it / for the duke of Bretayne was well infourmed of the defy­aunce that the duke of Guerles hadde made to the Frenche kynge / and howe that the yonge kinge Charles wolde go in to Almayne. The duke loked for nothyng els / but that the kynge shulde be ones departed out of his Realme of Fraunce / he hadde ordeyned and concluded bytwene hym and the englysshe men / to suffre the englisshe army to entre in to his countrey. [Page cxli] And also he had by subtyle meanes drawen to his acorde the moste parte of the good townes of Bretaygne / and specyally Nauntes / Wen­nes / Rennes / Lentriguier / Guerrādo / Lam­bale / saynte Malo / and saynte Mathewe defyn poterne / but the noble men he coulde nat gette to his opynyon. Than the duke imagy­ned if the lordes shulde go with the constable of Fraunce in to Almayne / thanne his warre and entente shulde the soner come to passe. He caused his townes and castels to be well pro­uyded for / with vytayles and artyllary / and he shewed well howe he inclyned rather to the warre than to haue pease. Also he had great alyaunce with Charles they yonge kyng of Na­uerre / and the duke promysed hym / that if he might come to his entent (to haue puyssaunce of men of armes and archers out of Englāde) he wolde bringe them streight in to Norman­dy / and recouer fyrst the good townes and ca­stels that kynge Charles of Fraunce vncle to the kynge of Nauerre / had taken fro hym by his men / as the lorde of Coucy and outher. Of this the kynge of Nauer had great trust / and by reason therof he helde in humble loue the duke of Lancastre who was at Bayon / for bytwene theym was great alyaunces. And of all this I sawe great apparence / as I shall shewe after.

IN the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and eyght / the se­uenth daye of Aprell / it was concluded by the kynge of Englande and his counsayle / and by his vncles / the duke of yorke / and the duke of Glocestre / that the erle Rycharde of Arundell shulde be heed and chefe of an army on the see / with hym a thousande men of armes / and thre thousande archers / and to be at Hamton the fyftene day of May / and there to fynde his nauy redy apparelled. And euery man that was apoynted to go to be there redy at that daye. And the kynge of Englande on saynte Geor­ges daye nexte after / helde a great feast at his castell of Wyndesore. And there were the chefe lordes that shulde go with therle of Arundell / and there they toke their leaues of the kynge and of the quene / and of all other ladyes / and so came to Hampton at their daye apoynted / and entred in to their shyppes the twenty day of May / whiche was a fayre clere day. There was the erle of Arundell / the erle of Notyng­ham / the Erle of Deuonshyre / syr Thomas Percy / the lorde Clifforde / sir Iohn̄ of Ware / wyke / sir Willyam de la Selle / the lorde Ca­meux / syr Stephyn de Libery / syr Willyam Helman / syr Thomas Moreaur / syr Iohan Dambreticourt / syr Roberte Sere / sir Peter Mountbery / sir Loys Clombo / sir Thomas Coq / syr Willyam Pulle / and dyuers other. They were of good men of armes a thousand speares / and aboute a thre thousande archers. They had with theym no horses / for they tru­sted if they might come to their ententes to en­tre in to Bretayne / and there to refresshe them where as they shulde fynde horses ynowe at a good price to serue them. The daye that they departed fro Hampton was so fayre and pea­sable that it was meruayle. they drewe towar­des Normādy nat purposyng to lande in any parte / but to passe by the fronters of Norman­dy and Bretayne / tyll they herde other newes. They had in their nauy certayne vessels cal­led Ballengers / who sayled on before to se if they myght fynde any aduenture / in lyke ma­ner as knyghtes do by lande go before the ba­taylles to dyscouer the coūtrey and enbusshes. ¶Nowe we shall leaue a season of spekynge of this army / and speke somwhat of the busy­nesse of Guerles & Brabant / and shewe howe the siege was layde to Graue.

AS it hath been shewed here before of the auncyent dukes of Guerles / & howe the eldest sonne of the duke of Guerl [...]s (of whome I treat at this present tyme) was maryed to the dough­ter of Berthalce of Malynes / therby to bringe him out of daunger / and to redeme againe his [Page] herytage / the whiche was in sore trouble be­fore. and the duke of Guerles sonne to the duke of Iulyers to entertayne and to kepe y ^e towne of Graue agaynst the brabansoys / as he had cause and iuste tytle. Whan he sawe howe he coulde nat gette agayne his thre castels / Gau­leth / Buth / and Nulle on the ryuer of Muse / pertaynynge to his herytage / and to the coun­trey of Guerles / thought than to attrybute the towne of Graue to his herytage for euer. this duke had a bastarde doughter / maryed to the sonne of the lord Bruke / who was enherytour to the towne of Graue. So there was an amyable treatye bytwene them / as bytwene the fa­der and the sonne. and there the lorde of Bruke gaue the towne and sygnory of Graue to the duke of Guerles / in presence of the knyghtes of Guerles and Iuliers. and for that cause the duke of Guerles dyd recompence the lorde of Bruke with the landes of Bresde / on the ry­uer of Lighen in the duchy of Guerles / mar­chyng on the countrey of Holande aboue Brabaunte. At this towne of Bresde there was a fayre castell / and the towne great and profyta­ble / how be it the towne of Graue was better. This the duke of Guerles dyd to the entent to haue a iuste tytle to kepe the towne of Graue agaynst the brabansoys. The duches of Bra­bant and the brabansoys said / howe the lorde of Bruke had it but to pledge / and that they myght quyte it out whan they wolde / but the duke of Guerles sayd nayetherto. By reason wherof the warre moued. So that in the mo­neth of May / the brabansoys came and layde syege to the towne of Graue / with many lor­des / knyghtes / and squyers / and with the pu­yssaunce of other good townes in Brabante. And thyder they brought engyns / springals / and other habylimentes of warre. They were a .xl. thousande one and other / there was skry­mysshynge dayly. The towne of Graue stan­deth on the ryuer of Muese on the syde of Brabante / and there is a bridge ouer the ryuer to go in to the countrey of Guerles. At this siege euery thynge was plenty / and as good chepe of euery thynge / as though they had been be­fore Brusels. Euery day there was skrymys­shynge at the barryers of Graue / of suche as wolde aduenture them selfe. Sometyme they were put a backe / and some tyme they droue their enemyes in to their towne / as chaunce of aduenture fell. The duke of Guerles was well infourmed of this siege. He laye a foure leages fro Nymarse / and wrote often tymes in to Englande / where he trusted to haue so­coure by reason of the englysshe army / wherof the erle of Arundell was capytayne on the see / as sone as wynde and wether wyll serue them. to come to Guerles to reyse the syege before Graue. The duke of Guerles knewe well that the towne of Graue was strong and well forty fyed / so that he thought it coulde nat be wonne by none assaute / but outher by trayson or by treatye. He trusted theym of Gruae to be sure and faythfull to hym. Thus the siege endured longe before Grane. And the erle of Arundels army was on the see / and tooke no lande / but styll kepte on the fronters of Normandy / So that the normans fro agaynst Mounte saynte Mychell / and downe alonge to Depe to saynt Valery and to Croty / were nat well assured wherto they shuld take hede. The portes and hauens of Normandy were refresshed by the frenche kynge / with good men of armes and crose bowes / to resyste agaynste all parelles. And by the marshall of Blankewyll was sette in the towne of Carentyne / standyge on the see (whiche before of olde tyme pertayned to the herytage of kynge Charles of Nauerre) the lorde of Ambre and the lorde Coucy / two gret lordes of Normandy. And the Constable of Fraunce toke the towne of saynte Malo and the towne of saynte Mathews / and as soone as they knewe that the englysshe men were on the see / they sette men in to those townes in the name of the frenche kyng. In this season they thought surely to haue open warre with the duke of Bretayne / for the knyghtes and squy­ers sayde / that the armye on the see of the en­glysshmen were sente thyder for none other purpose / but sente for by the duke of Bretayne to lande in his countrey. They sayd it was none other lykely / for alwayes the shyppes kepte on the coste of Bretaygne / without force of we­thersome tyme caused them to departe. yet al­wayes breuely they retourned agayne to the same coste.

yE haue herde here before / howe the duke of Lācastre was departed out of the realmes of Castyle and Por­tugale. the imagynacyons that he had turned hym to great dyspleasure / for he sawe well his busynesse was sore troubled and darked / as [Page cxlii] fortune often tymes falleth in sondrie ꝑsons / somtyme good somtyme yuell / whan it is lest thought on. For whan the duke of Lancastre departed out of the realme of Englande / acō panyed with good mē of armes and archers he thought than to haue sped otherwise than he dyde. He sawe and herde / howe that in xv. dayes he had loste all Galyce / whiche was a long season or he had won it / the space of xvi. wekes. And besyde that his men deed & spar­cled abrode / some here and sōe there / and ho­ped of no conforte out of Englāde / for the Englysshmen were wery of the warre of Spaygne. They thought it ouer long and farre of fro them. So the duke of Lancastre thought his busynesse in a harde case / seyng no com­forte / he spake lytell but he thought moche more. In his ymaginacyon he lyconed his iourney to the voiage that the duke of Aniou made in to the realme of Naples: For whan he departed out of the realme of Fraunce / he was well furnysshed of all maner of thyng / and wente with great richesse / puissaunce / & a great nombre of noble men of armes knightes and s [...]uiers: & at the ende all were slayne and lost. Thus the duke of Lancastre recko­ned his v [...]yage to come to nothynge / by rea­son of suche disconforte as he had. The erle of Foiz / Who was in his countre of Bierne / and was eight sage and ymaginatyue / sayd and accompeed the duke of Lacasters vyage but lost / as inrecoueryng of the realme of Castyle / whiche he chalenged. The duke of La­castre who was a sage and a wise prince / and valyaunt amonge all his disconfytures / yet somtyme he toke cōforte to hym selfe. I shall shewe you howe and by what meanes.

He sawe well he had a fayre doughter by the lady Custaunce his wyfe / doughter to done Peter kyng of Castyle / in whose right and clayme he made his warre in Castyle. He thought thoughe fortune were agaynst hym at that tyme / yet it myght tourne good to his doughter / who was fayre and yonge / for she had ryght to the heritage of Castyle / by reason of her mother. and thought y ^t some valyaunt man of Fraunce wolde be gladde to couet to haue her in maryage / as well for the right that she hadde to the realme of Ca­style / as for her hyghe lynage: For it myght well be sayde / that her extraction was of the hyghest lynage of Christendome. Wherfore the duke of Lācastre wolde gladly haue had some treatie of mariage with some noble mā of Fraunce. He knewe well the Frēche kyng had a yong brother called the duke of Tow­rayne / who he thought shulde be able to recouer his doughters ryght in Castyle: For he knewe well that the puyssaunce of Fraunce helde in his aduersaries / in the herytage of Castile. wherfore he thought y ^t if they wolde take his parte / they myght lightly putte his doughter in possessyon of the realme of Ca­style / if he myght marry her to the Frenche kynges brother.

ON this ymaginacyon rested the duke of Lancastre / nat all onely on the duke of Towrayne / but also on the duke of Berrey / For (as ye haue herde here before) y ^e duke of Berrey and his sonne were wodo­wers bothe their wyues deed. This mater I the auctour of this boke knewe of suretie / for the same tyme I was on the fronters of Ber­rey & Poitou / in the countie of Bloys / with the right honorable lorde Guy erle of Bloys by whom and at his desyre / I folowed the cō tynuaūce of this historie. The duke of Ber­rey set all his entencion and pleasure to be a­gayne maryed: And oftē tymes he wolde say among his men / howe that a lorde was lytell worthe without a lady / nor another mā with out a wyfe. Than some of his coūsayle sayd to hym. Sir marry agayne your son / therby your house shalbe the more ioyfull. Asirs ꝙ the duke my sonne is yong. Why sir ꝙ they / haue ye nat sene howe the Erle of Bloyes hath maryed his sonne / who is as yonge as he to your doughter? That is trouthe quod the duke / let se name a wyfe for him. sir quod [Page] they / we shall name the duke of Lancasters doughter. With that worde the duke studyed a season and gaue none answere / and ymagined sore: and than to suche as were of his se­crete counsayle / he sayd. ye speke to mary Iohan my sonne to my cosyn the duke of Lancasters doughter by saynt Denyce ye haue well deuysed but she shulde be a good wyfe for our selfe and shortely I shall write to our cosyn the duke of Lancastre: He is at Bayone as I am enformed / I wolde sende hym wor­de howe I shall sende shortely to hym some of my counsayle to treate of this maryage: But I saye nat for my sonne / I shall marry hym in some other place. Whan his coūsayle herde hym saye so they smyled / Than y ^e duke demaunded wherat they smiled. Sir ꝙ they we laught / at that ye had rather haue a good tourne your selfe than your sonne shulde. by my faythe ꝙ the duke and good reason why: For my fayre cosyn of Lancastre wyll nat so soone agre to my sonne as to my selfe. Than incontynent letters were written in to highe Gascoyne to Bayon to the duke of Lācastre / and sente by honourable messangers. Whan they came to y ^e duke they delyuered their let­ters. The duke toke and reed thē / and whan he had well parceyued theffecte of the mater / he was right ioyfull and made good chere to the messāgers and shewed that he was well content therwith / and wrote agayne by them other letters ryght amiably. Certifyeng the duke of Berrey howe he was right ioyfull of his letters. These messangers returned and foūde their lorde in Poitou / preparyng hym selfe to go in to Fraunce: for the Frēche kyng and the duke of Burgoyne had sent for hym / for to cōmune of the state of Bretayne. Than he oppned the letters that his cosyn the duke of Lancastre had sente hym / and had ioye of the answere / & thought surely to pursue the matter to effecte but he myght nat leaue his voyage in to Fraunce and so went thyder as shortely as he coulde. Thanne he wrote to a knyght of his called sir Helyon of Lignacke who as than was seneschall of Rochell / and of the countre of Rocheloys. Cōmaundyng hym that incou [...]ynent on the sight of his let­ters he to sette all thyng there in good order and than to come to hym to Parys withoute fayle. Whan sir Helyon of Lignac who was at Rochell vnderstode those tidynges / & par­ceyued by the duke of Berreys letters / howe he was sent for in all hast / he made hym redy / and in his absence he made two capitayns at Rochell / two valyaunt men to be gouerners of all Rocheloys. They were of the countre of Becaulse / the one called sir Peter of yon / & the other sir Peter of Tayllepy. This done sir Helyon tooke his waye in to Fraunce the shortest way he coude / for he knewe nat what the duke wolde do with hym / that he sente for hym so hastely.

NOwe let vs sōwhat speke of the duke of Lancastre who was at Bayon / and had great ymaginacions of y ^t busynesse that his cosyn the duke of Berrey had written to hym of. First he wolde nat that it shulde be hydden but rather publysshed abrode / to the entent that his ennemyes shulde knowe it / & specially in the house of kynge Iohan of Castyle. And so the duke of Lancastre wrote to dyuers / and sent them the copye of the duke of Berreys letters: Shewynge by his wri­tyng / that he had great affectyon to treate of the maryage / bytwene his doughter and the duke of Berry. First he sent his letters to the erle of Foiz / bycause he knewe well y ^t to the erles house prepared all maner of gentylmen knightes and squyers / as well cōmyng & go­ynge to the kyng of Spayne / as on pylgri­mage to saynt Iames. Also he wrote to the kyng of Nauer / who had to his wyfe y ^e kyng of Castels suster / and had by her many chyl­dren: to thentent that the brute therof shulde the better be certifyed in the kyng of Castels court / rather than by flyeng wordes. also the duke wrote of his mater to the kyng of Por­tugale / but he wrote no worde therof ī to England to the kyng nor to his bretherne / for he knewe well he shulde haue no thanke for his enterprice / as they were nat content in dede / (as ye shall here after) whan y ^e mater requyreth it. In the meane season we shall speke of other maters / as of the duke of Bretayne / the mater lyeth there after.

WHan the duke of Berrey was come into Fraunce to the kyng and to the duke of Burgoyne his brother / and to other of his counsayle: As the bysshoppe of Langers / the bysshoppe of Laon / y ^e lorde of Coucy / and other barons of Fraūce / than [Page cxliii] beyng thereof the kynges secrete counsayle. They had many metynges to cōmune toguyder / as well of the state of Guerles (whyder the kyng had great affection to go) as of the duke of Bretaygne / whom they coude bring to no reason / nor wolde nat obey / nor wyste nat whom to sende to hym that he wolde be­leue / for there hadde ben many valyant men and sage with hym / but all that aueyled no­thyng / for they coude bring nothyng to passe as they desyred / wherof the kyng & his coun­saile was sore troubled. For they vnderstode well that the duke of Bretaygne had all that wynter prouyded and fortifyed his townes and castelles / and shewed howe by lykehode he hadde rather haue warre than peace: and the wysest of the counsayle sayd. We speke of goynge in to Almayne / but we ought rather to speke of goynge in to Bretaygne / and to putte downe the duke there / who is so highe mynded that he wyll here no reasone / and is alwayes agaynst the crowne of Fraūce / and disdayneth to be obedyent thervnto. we shal haue no reason of hym without we force him therto: For and if he be suffred he wyll be to presumptuous he feareth no man / nor he lo­ueth nor prayseth no man but hym selfe / this is a clere case. If the kynge go in to Almay­gne and leaue his realme bare of men / as he muste do if he go thyder / The duke of Bre­taigne than wyll suffre the Englisshe men to come in to his countrey / & so entre in to Fraū ce. The apparaunce herof is great / for there is all redy a great army of archers on the see and they kepe styll on the coste of Bretaygne for if wynde and wether putte theym of / yet euer they drawe thyder agayne / & lyeth there at ancre / besemyng taryeng tyll the warre be opyn / Wherfore we thynke it were good yet to sende agayne to the duke / the bisshoppe of Langers and the erle of saynt Poule / for the duke and the erle haue maryed two susters. Naye sirs nat so ꝙ maister yues / who was a very Breton. If ye wyll sende to the duke agayne / ye can not sende one more agreable to hym than the lorde of Coucy / for in lyke­wyse they haue maryed two susters / & haue loued marueylously togyder / and haue euer written eche to other. Fayre brother / & with the lorde of Coucy sende whom ye wyll. well quod the duke of Burgoyne: Maister yues / sithe ye haue begon name you the rest. Sir / with right a good wyll sithe it pleaseth you / With the lorde of Coucy sende sir Iohan of Vyen and the lorde de la Ryuer. These be suche thre lordes as shall bring hym to reason / if he wyll euer come to any. Thus let it be ꝙ the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne. than they were apoynted and charged what they shulde saye / & whervpon they shulde groude their mater / and to handell hym by fayre wordes. Thus they taryed a certayne space or they departed fro Parys. The duke of Bre­tayne knewe well of their comyng or they deꝑted fro Parys / but he coude nat tell whan. And he sawe well the mater touched highlye in that the lorde of Coucy came. The duke had many ymaginacyons on that mater and discouered his mynde to certayne of his coū ­sayle: as the lorde of Mountbouchier / & de­maunded counsayle of hym and of other / and sayd. Sirs / I here as the brute rōueth / that the duke of Lācastre shulde mary his doughter in to Fraunce to the duke of Berrey: and the mater is so forwarde / that sir Helyon of Lignacke is goyng to the duke to Bayon / & the duke greatly enclyneth to this maryage / wherof I haue great marueyle / for my fayre brother of Lancastre hath nat written to me therof / so that I knowe nothyng of the mater but by heryng saye: He was nat accustomed so to do / for in all his maters touchyng Fraū ce / he was wount to write to me. than his coū ­sayle answered and said. Sir / if it be thus / it must behoue you to chaūge your purpose / or els it shalbe greatly to your losse and daun­ger / and bring your coūtre in to warre / whi­che were good to eschewe: For ye nede nat to make warre sythe ye maye be in peace / yea? and desyred therto. Also my lady your wy [...]e is great with chylde / the whiche ye ought to regarde. The kynge of Nauer can but tytell ayde you / for he hath ynoughe to do for hym selfe. Also the duke of Lācastre who is a sage and a valyant prince (as it is sayd) shall mary his doughter to the duke of Berrey. This shalbe a gret begynnyng to entre in to a treatie of peace bytwene Englande and Fraūce / or elles a longe truse: And by reason therof ye shall se at the ende the kyng of Castell putte out of his realme / as they haue kepte hym in and the rather if the duke of Lancastre and the Englysshe men be agreed with hym: and also it is of trouthe / that the lorde Coucye [Page] admyrall of Fraunce and the lorde de la Ry­uer / are cōmyng hyder. ye maye well knowe that is for some great cause touchynge the kyng / who busyeth hym selfe for his cōstable and for his Realme. And by lykelyhode the kynge and his vncles wyll knowe presisely what ye wyll do / and wheder ye wyll kepe styll your opinyon or nat. And if ye kepe styll your purpose / it is to be ymagined / that the great armye that is prepared for to go in to Guerles shall tourne agaynst you. Nowe remembre well what conforte ye are likely to haue yf ye haue warre with Fraunce / whi­che ye are moost lykely to haue if the duke of Lancaster marry his doughter into Fraūce / as be semyng he wyll / for he can nat bestowe her better to recouer her herytage. Also ye knowe well that the moost parte of the prela­tes / barons / knyghtes and squyers / and cy­ties and good townes / are in maner ye agaynst you. Therfore sir / sithe ye demaunde coun­sayle of vs / We saye that ye had neuer so mo­che cause to aduyse you (as ye haue nowe). Therfore putte to your hande to kepe well your herytage / whiche hath cost the shedyng of so moche blode / sweate / and traueyle: and refrayne somwhat your yre and hatered. We knowe well ye beare great dyspleasure to sir Olyuer Clysson. he hath done you many dis­pleasures / and ye hym / & paraduenture may do / though he be nat lyke vnto you. the Frē ­che kynge and his vncles wyll maynteygne hym agaynst you / for he shall he Constable. And if kynge Charles that laste dyed (who loued hym so well) hadde lyued / and ye done as ye haue done: We knowe well it shulde rather haue cost the kynge halfe his realme / thanne he wolde haue suffred it. But kynge Charles his sonne is yonge / he taketh nat [...]o good hede to all maters nowe / as he wolde do tenne yeres here after. He cometh on and ye shall go. If ye encre in to a newe warre agaynst the Frenche men (besyde all that we haue shewed you) ye shall do it without our counsayle and without the counsayle of any man that loueth you. It behoueth you to dis­semule whatsoeuer ye purpose to do here af­ter. What nede you to kepe the thre castelles parteynyng to sir Olyuer of Clyssons hery­tage / after the maner toke them? Wheder it be so ye haue peace or warre / they shall coste you more the kepynge of theym in thre yeres / than they shall profyte you in twelue yeres. Sir delyuer them agayne out of your handes without any desyre / and whan the renome therof spredeth abrode (as there is no­thynge done but it wyll be knowen) y ^t with­out cōstreynt ye haue delyuered them of your owne mynde / ye shall therby attemper and molifye euery mannes displeasure / & it shall greatlye please the duke of Burgoyne / who ye knowe well hath nat done so moche aga­ynst you as he myght / in all your busynesse. And that is by the meanes of the good lady his wyfe your cosyn / She hath many fayre chyldren who are nexte of blode to you. ther­fore sir / consyder fro whens ye came and are issued / departe nat farre of fro thens that ye ought to approche nere it were follye / in En­glande ye hadde neuer thyng to do. Also the Englysshmen haue ynoughe to do amonge themselfe. They shewe you fayre semblaunt of loue / and promyse to do for you all y ^t they maye / but they do it for their owne aduaun­tage and for nothynge elles. ye haue proued them or this? ye were norisshed amonge thē in your youthe? ⸫ ⸫

WHan the duke of Bre­tayne had herde his coun­sayle speke / and cast so many reasonable doubtes / he was abasshed / and stoode styll a season without spe­kynge of any worde / lea­nyng in a wyndowe lokyng downe in to the courte / his counsayle beyng aboute hym / he stode in a great study: at last he tourned and [Page cxliiii] said. sirs / I se well that ye haue highly coū ­sayled me / and I se well I haue nede of no­thynge so moche as of good counsayle: But howe may any loue be norisshed / where is no thyng but hate? Howe maye I loue Olyuer of Clysson / that hath done me so many dys­pleasures / Wherfore of all the thynges that euer I dyde in this worlde / I moost repente me of that I dyd nat put hym to dethe whan I had hym in my castell of Ermyne? In the name of god sir quod they of his counsayle / (if he had ben slayne) but ye ought nat to haue raunsomed hym / nor taken his herytage. For Iohan of Bretayne and the Vycount of Rohers sonne be his heyres / and herytours to all his landes: for his doughters are their wyues. Wherfore they wolde haue entred in to the heritage as their owne / for their resort is in to the Parlyament chambre at Parys. For ye haue receyued all redy great blame in Fraunce for that ye haue done / and kepynge of the thre castelles. The constable hath en­tred his quarell and plee agaynst you in the parlyament house of Parys / and there sen­tence wyll be gyuen agaynst you / for there is none to answere for you agaynst any artycle that the Constable hath layde agaynst you. Than sir Olyuer of Clysson and his heyres shall haue iuste cause and quarell to make warre agaynst you in his owne tytell. And if the kynge with other of your owne coun­trey of Bretayne wyll make you warre and ayde your ennemyes / ye haue nede than̄e to haue more puyssaunce to defende you / thasie we can se that ye are lyke to haue. Wherfore sir / while the plee hangeth / ye were best to delyuer agayne the thre castelles and haue thā ­ke / than to abyde the sentence to be gyuen a­gaynst you. Sir agre / for suche dommages as ye haue done as well as ye canne / therby shall you wade out of all sclaundre / the whi­che a prince ought to dout for his dishonour And sir / cōferme you to peace / and contynue in loue with them that ye ought to do / that is the Frenche kynge your soueraygne and na­turall lorde / and my lorde the duke of Bur­goyne and your cosyns his chyldren. ye may take ensample by that ye haue sene in youre dayes: your cosyn germayne therle of Flaū ­ders / who was a myghte prince and a sage / yet by insydētes in thende of his dayes there fell to hym suche marueylous aduentures / y ^t without he had humyled hym selfe to the frē ­che kynge / to his vncles / and to the nobles of the realme he had loste his herytage / and by their ayde and helpe he recouered it. Well sirs quod the duke / sithe I haue demaunded counsayle it behoueth me to take it / and I accepte your wordes that ye haue spoken.

THis mater wente so forwarde that the duke of Bretayyne / who was in possessyon of the thre castelles of the constables (as ye haue herde here before) he sent for his men that was in them / and rydde his handes clene of them: and there were stablysshed men in them for the constable: But this restytuicion was nat suffycient in the o­pynion of the Frenche kynges counsayle / w ^t ­out the duke restored agayne the money that he hadde taken of the Constable: and besyde that the duke to come personally to the kyng to Parys to make his excuse before all the peres of the realme / and to abyde on the men­des makynge / suche as the kyng and his coū ­sayle shulde iudge by good delyberacion. And whan the knowledge of the restytucion of these castels was come to the lorde of Coucye / and to the other lordes that were apoyn­ted to go in to Bretaygne to the duke. Than the lorde of Coucy sayde to his company. Sirs / we haue the lesse to do / I beleue the duke wyll gyue credence to vs whan he hea­reth vs speke. I was enfourmed that before these thre barons departed fro Parys / the dukes of Berrey and of Bourgoyne had them in counsayle and sayde. Sirs / ye muste en­treate the duke of Bretaygne with fayre and swete wordes / & nat rigorously. And shewe hym howe y ^e duke of Bourgoyne wolde that he shulde come to Parys to the kyng: but at leest shewe hym howe he must come to the halfe way to the towne of Bloyes / and there we shall mete with hym and speke toguyder These thre lordes said they wolde do as they were cōmaūded. They rode forthe & came to the cytie of Rennes in Bretayne / & there de­maūded tidinges of the duke / and it was shewed them howe he was at Wannes and than they rode tyhder. Their cōmynge was anon knowen in the dukes court / for they had sent before their herbygers to take vp their lod­gynges. The duke had about hym his coun­sayle [Page] & greate lordes / suche as he trusted most the more honourably to receyue these lordes. Whan they entred in to the towne of Wānes they had good chere / and lordes and knygh­tes of the dukes mette them / and specially the lorde de la Wall. there they a lyghted at their lodgynges & refresshed them selfe / and after mounted on their horses and rode to the du­kes castell called la Mote / where they foūde the duke who came agaynst them / and recey­ued thē right ioyously and sayd: Howe they were all right hertely welcome / and toke the lorde of Coucy by the hande / and made hym good chere & sayde. Fayre brother ye be wel­come / I am gladde to se you in Bretayne. I shall shewe you sporte of huntyng at hartes and flyeng with haukes or we deꝑte a sōdre. Sir quod the lorde of Coucy I thanke you / I and my company shall be gladde to se it. There was shewed bytwene them great ly­kelyhode of loue: and the duke brought hym to his chambre / sportyng and talkyng of many ydell matters / as lordes do often tymes whan they mete / and haue nat sene toguyder longe before / they wyll fynde many sondrie pastymes. and specially I knewe four lordes the best entertayners of all other that euer I knewe / That was the duke of Brabant / the erle of Foiz / the erle of Sauoy / and in espe­ciall the lorde of Coucy: For accordynge to myne aduyse in all goodly pastymes he was a souerayne maister [...] whiche brute he bare a­monge all lordes and ladyes / in Fraunce / in Englande / in Almaygne in Lombardy / and in all places where as he had ben conuersant And in his tyme he had been sore traueyled & sene moche in the worlde: and also he was naturally enclyned to be gentyll. & thus whyle these lordes were mery talkynge toguyder / there was brought spyces and wyne and so they dranke / and than toke their leaues and retourned to their lodgynges. Thus the mater went for the y ^e fyrst day / without makyng of any mencyon of any thyng that they were come for.

NOwe let vs somwhat speke of sir He­lyon of Lygnacke / whom the duke of Berrey hadde sent to the duke of Lancastre. The knyght came to Bayon and a lyghted at his lodgynge / and apparelled hymselfe to go and speke with the duke of Lācastre / who knewe well of his cōmyng / and sent right honourably two of his knyghtes to mete with hym / and they brought hym to the duke. And whan sir Helyon was in the dukes presens he kneled downe / and saluted hym as it aperteyned. The duke receyued hym right honorably and tooke hym vp in his armes / & toke hym by y ^e hande and ledde hym in to his chā ­bre / for he mette hym in the hall. Thanne the knyght delyuered his letters fro the duke of Berry. The duke reed them and thanne he drewe to sir Helyon / and the knight declared to him the cause of his cōmyng. Than the duke answered right courtesly and sayd. Sir / ye be right welcome / and sayd howe the ma­ter was weyghtie that he was cōe for / wher­fore it requyred counsaile and delyberacion. Thus sir Helyon taryed at Bayon with the duke of Lancastre more than a moneth / and alwayes he was serued with fayre wordes: And the duke alwayes foded hym forthe and made semblant that he had great affection to treate for this mariage with the duke of Berrey / Howe be it the trouthe was cōtrary / for all that he shewed was but dissymulacion. and the cause that he was helde there so long with hym / was for none other thing / but that the brute therof myght ronne abrode / and specially in to y ^e realme of Castyle / for there lay all his affection: The duke sayde to sir He­lyon. Sir / if I treat with the duke of Ber­rey to haue my doughter in maryage / than̄e he must ioyne with me with all his puysaūce to encounter myne aduersaries of Spayne / If he wyll recouer the heritage of my doughter / whom he shulde haue to wyfe: Than sir Helyon sayd. Sir / I haue no charge to con­fyrme any thynge so forwarde. But sir / if it please you or I deꝑte / ye maye write all your pleasure by me / and I shall returne & shewe my lorde the duke of Berrey all your entent: And I am sure (he hath suche affection to the mater) he wyll agree to euery thynge that he may do by reason. I desyre no more quod the duke of Lancastre. Thus sir Helyon of Ly­gnacke taryed a season at Bayon / and had good chere made hym by the dukes cōmaun­dement. ⸫ ⸪

TIdingꝭ came in to the realme of Castyle in to dy­uerse places / and specyally to kyng Iohan of Castyle / and it was sayde to hym. Sir / ye knowe nothyng of the treatye that is bytwene the duke of Berrey and the duke of Lancastre The duke of Berrey wolde haue in maryage the lady Katheryne / doughter to the duke of Lancastre and to the lady Custance his wyfe. And if this maryage take effecte (as it is ly­ke to do) it shalbe a great alyaunce: For the duke of Berrey is nowe / as one of the chiefe rulers in the realme of Fraunce / and is vncle to the kyng. He shalbe beleued what soeuer he saye or purpose to do (as it is reason) wheder is be by meanes of peace or longe truse / On the other parte / the duke of Lancastre is eldest of all his bretherne / that be vncles to the kyng. He shall also be beleued / for he is sage and puyssaūt: and by that it semeth the Englysshmen are wery of the warre. This maryage bytwene the Duke of Lancasters doughter and the duke of Berrey / is lykely to be a great meane to make a good peace bytwene Fraūce and Englande / and than shal we here sticke styll in the warre / for the duke of Lācastre wyll folowe and pursue his cha­lenge of the realme of Castyle / and the right y ^t he hath by his wyfe he shall gyue it to his doughter / and so than shall we haue warre bothe with Fraunce and Englande. These doutes were layde to the kynge of Castyle. And at that tyme all the Frenchmen that had serued long in the realme of Castyle were retourned in to Fraunce: and the chiefe of the kynge of Castyls counsayle sayd to hym. sir take hede to vs. ye neuer had so great nede of good counsayle / as ye haue at this presente tyme. For sir / a peryllousmyst is lyke to be engendred bytwene you and the duke of Lā ­castre / and that shall come by the meanes of Fraūce. Howe so quod the kyng / howe may that be? In the name of god sir quod they / the brute and renome spredeth throughe all this countrey / and els where / howe the duke of Berrey shall mary the duke of Lācasters doughter. And sir / ye maye be sure that shall nat be / but by the meanes of a great alyaūce: so that therby here after / ye maye be as farre cast behynde by them / as ye haue ben auaun­ced. Whan the kyng of Castyle knewe those tidynges he was right pensyue / & sawe well howe his counsayle shewed hym the trouthe Than he demaunded rounsayle of them that he trusted best / howe he shulde perceuer and deale in all his busynesse / and they counsay­led hym well and truely / as the mater requy­red: as I shall shewe you.

YE knowe well (as ye haue herde before in this hystorie) Howe kynge Henry of Spaygne made a peace / with Peter kynge of Arragone / on the full poyntment that the kyng of Arragon shulde gyue his doughter in maryage to the kynge of Castyle. This was Iohan who is nowe kyng: and by this coniunction of maryage / they were ī peace and their realmes. Of this Iohan sonne to Henry / and of the doughter of Arragon there came a sonne. Than dyed the lady: and after the dethe of kynge Henry of Castyle / this kyng Iohan by the coūsaile of his men maried agayne the lady Beatrice doughter to Fernando kynge of Portugale / and they hadde a sonne called Henry / he was but yonge. Than the counsayle of Castyle sayd to the kyng. Sir / we se in all these dou­tes but one remedy. What is that quod kyng Iohan? Sir we shall shewe you quod they your yong sonne Henry may well breke this maryage / bytwene the duke of Berrey and the duke of Lancasters doughter / for it is to be beleued / that the duke of Lācastre and the duches his wyfe / had rather marchant with you and with your sonne than with the duke of Berrey. In the name of god ꝙ the kynge ye saye well / I shall herken to this mater / I thynke our people wyll lightly enclyne ther­vnto: by that mariage we shulde haue peace [Page] with Englande [...] bothe by lande and by wa­ter. Therfore sirs / those out them that were mete to go in our name to treate on this ma­ter with the duke of Lancastre. Sir ꝙ they / it is requisyte that they be discrete persones / and that the matter be wisely handeled / and in the secretest maner that maye be: to the en­tente that ye ronne nat in the indignacyon of the Frenche kynge. For nowe a dayes enuy rayneth greatly / and sooner reporte is made of yuell than of good / and the yuell sooner reysed vp than the good. For if they of Fraū ce knowe that ye treate with the duke of Lā ­castre / the Frenche kynge and his counsayle wyll demaūde whervpon ye treate with the duke / by reasone of the great alyaunce made in tyme past / bytwene your father & Fraūce. And also the Frenche men haue alwayes su­steyned your warre. Wherfore sir [...] your treaties must be done secretely / and sende to the duke sage men and secrete / and well enstru­cted of your busynesse: And sende nat forthewith boost and pride / tyll euery thynge be in a sure case. It is true quod the kynge / name them that be mete to go on that voyage. Sir quod they sende your confessour frere Fernā do of Farre and the bysshoppe of Geghene / who was somtyme confessour to the kynge your father / and Peter Gardelopes / who is well languaged. I am content ꝙ the kynge / lette them be sente for / and well enfourmed what they shall say / they wolde or this tyme haue treated for a peace but we wolde natte here them. For the duke of Lancastre wolde none other wyse but that I shulde haue for­saken the Crowne of Castyle / the whiche I wyll neuer do. Than these thre were sent for to Burgus in Spayne where the kyng was Than it was sayd to them by the kynge and his priu [...]e counsayle. Sirs / ye muste go to Bayon to the duke of Lancastre and shewed them all their instructions. They sayde they were redy to accomplysshe the kynges com­man̄dement: And so sette forthe on their iourney [...] nat in no gret estate but symply / for they wolde nat be knowen that they wente to the duke of Lācastre / as ambassadours to treate for any alyaunce for they knewe nat howe to spede. Thus they entred in to Nauerre and came to Pampylona / and there founde the kynge and the quene. First they came thyder bycause the quene was suster to the kynge of Castyle. There they hadde good chere / but they nouther shewed the kyng nor the quene where about they wente: And so passed tho­rough the countrey by the mountayns of Roseaulx and entred in to Bisquay / and so rode tyll they came to Bayon.

WHan̄e they were come to the towne of Bayon / sir Helyon of Lignacke was styll there / who was sente fro the duke of Berrey (as ye haue herde here before) But after the cōmynge of the castilyans they taryed nat longe after / for frere don Fernando the kynge of Castyls confessour came to the duke of Lancastre / for he knewe hym better than any of the other. He began som­what to breke the mater / & to shewe the cause of their cōmynge. The duke opyned his ea­tes to his wordes / and was gladde to here those tidynges / and sayde. Frere Fernando ye be welcome. And the same day sir Helyon of Lignacke was delyuered. And as I vn­derstode / the duke accorded the same tyme to a truse on all partes. for such as made warre for hym in Acquitayne / Bygore / Thoulous / and other place / to endure vnto to the firste day of Maye / in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and nyne. this truse to contynue all the countrey to the ryuer of Loyre / and no further. This truese was concluded at the request of the duke of Berrey / to the entent that he myght sende in and out to the duke of Lancastre. For before they of the fortresses of Mortaygne on y ^e see / of Bonteuyll / of Rouuergue / of Quercyn / of Pyergourt / and they on the ryuer of Ga­ron / were people without mercy / they wolde knowe no manne / wherfore these two dukes accorded to this truese / the whiche was well kepte. Whan sir Helyon of Lignacke depar­ted fro y ^e duke there was great loue shewed / for the duke said howe the mater pleased him right well: Howe be it the duke sayd playn­lye he wolde neuer marry his doughter in to Fraunce / without the consent and accorde of the kyng of Englande his nephue. And also by the agrement of the counsayle of Englāde but he sayd / he trusted so to order the mater / that all shulde do well. Thus sir Helyon of Lignacke departed and returned in to Fraū ce / and shewed the duke of Berrey his let­ters that the duke of Lancastre had sent him / [Page cxlvi] and shewed hym by mouthe all the maner / howe euery thyng wente / and so y ^e duke was well content. ¶Nowe lette vs speke of the kynge of Castyls ambassadours / to whome the duke of Lācastre gaue good eare & so dyd the duches / for all their hertes and ymagina­cions lay euer on their chalenge of Spayn.

THe duke made these ambassadours good chere / they came before the du­ke and the duchesse / and there she­wed their message. first they treted for peace / and there the frere preached in the dukes chā bre / the duchesse present: And she shewed the duke the entent of all his wordes / for y ^e duke vnderstode hym nat parfitely: The lady vn­derstode hym well / for in her youthe she was brought vp in Spaygne. The duke for all that the mater of their cōmyng was pleasaūt to him / yet he discouered nat to hastely his entente / but sayd. Sirs / it wyll be very harde to make peace in that place / where as great hatered and warre is resydent / and specially with them that be disheryted and kepte from their herytage: Sayeng / howe he wolde nat leaue the warre withoute he myght haue the crowne of Castyle / the whiche he sayde was his right: The frere and the bisshoppe sayd. Sir / bytwene your right and y ^e ryght of the kynge our lorde there is but one meane / and we haue founde it / if it may please you. What waye is that quod the duke? Sir quod they it is this. ye haue by my lady youre wyfe a feyre yonge lady to marry / and the kynge of castile our souerayne lorde hath a feyre yong sonne / if they two myght mary toguyder the realme of Castyle shulde be in peace / and all that is your right shulde retourne to you. & sir / better can ye nat bestowe your heyre who is discēded of the right lyne of Castyle. The entent ye arme you (fyght / aduenture youre selfe / and traueyle your body) is all onely for the right of your heyre. That is trewe ꝙ the duke / but than I wyll that the costes y ^t I ha­ue susteyned in the pursute there be recompē ­sed. For I wyll ye knowe it hath cost me and the realme of Englande / fyue hundred thou­sande frākes / wherof I wolde gladly se som recoueraūce. Sir quod the frere / if our trea­tie be agreable to you / we trust to fynde such a meane that the mater shall take good effect Well quod the duke ye be welcome / and how soeuer it be or howe soeuer it shalbe / or I re­tourne in to Englande (outher in to Castyle or in to Fraunce) I shall mary my doughter for I haue dyuers offres moued vnto me / but maters of so great a weyght are nat lightly cōcluded / at the first tyme. For my doughter whome I repute (as rightfull enheritour to spayne) I wyll knowe him well y ^t shall haue her in maryage. that is but reason quod the frere. Thus as I haue shewed you this treatie began / bytwene the duke of Lācastre and these parties / as well of Castyle as of Fraū ­ce. He made euery partie good chere / & made no full answere: but in his ymaginacion the treatie of Spayne (the kynges sonne to ma­ry his doughter) semed best to his purpose / bicause in tyme to come his doughter shulde be quene of Castyle. also the duches his wyfe enclyned moost to that treatie. ¶Nowe let vs leaue to speke of the duke of Lancastre & of all these treatyse / and retourne to speke of the duke of Bretaygne. ⸫ ⸫

AS I haue shewed you here before / y ^e duke of Bretayne made good chere to the French ambassadours and specially to the lorde of Coucy. For as I was enformed / he was y ^e chiefe that brake the duke fro his purpose / by rea­son of his fayre and swete wordes: Howe be it the lorde Iohan of Vyen and the lorde dela Ryuer dyde ryght well their deuoyre. but often tymes great princes and lordes wyll soner be entreated by one man / rather than by another. Moche payne it was to cause the duke of Bretayne to agre to go to the towne of Bloys / to mete there the dukes of Berrey [Page] and of Burgoyne / but he was brought thy­der by fayre wordes: And he sayde / surely he wolde go no further thanne to the towne of Bloys / and the lorde of Couey sayd he desy­red nothynge elles. These the lordes were with the duke of Bretaynge certayne dayes / and than toke their leaues and retourned in to Fraunce / and shewed the dukes of Berry and of Burgoyne howe they hadde spedde. Thervpon these two dukes made them redy to go to Bloyes to mete there with the duke of Bretaygne / and sente thyder before to make prouisyon / as apertayned. Firste thyder came the duke of Berrey and he was lodged in the Castell / and there he founde the coun­tesse / her sonne / and her doughter. They re­ceyued hym honourably. The erle Guye of Bloys was as than in his owne countrey at the castell Reygnaulte / and made no greate counte of the commynge of the duke of Bre­taygne / he thought it sufficyent that his wife and chyldren were there. Than thyder came the duke of Burgoyne with a goodly trayne and in his company came sir Wyllm̄ of Hey­naulte and his sonne erle of Ostrenante / and Iohan of Burgoyne sonne to the duke cal­led erle of Neuers. The duke lodged also in the castell / and there helde his estate. Than after came the duke of Bretaygne with no great trayne / other than of his house: He passed nat a thre hūdred horses / for his entēcyon was / that whan he had ones sene the two du­kes and spoken with them / to retourne in to his owne countre / without goynge any fur­ther in to Fraunce / But the entente of the o­ther two dukes was otherwise: for they said whyder he wolde or nat / he shulde go to Parys.

THe duke of Bretaygne hym selfe lod­ged in the castell of Bloyes / in a cha­nons house of saynt Sauyour: and his men lodged downe in the towne / & so dyd y ^e other of all the dukes seruauntes: but the lordes laye in y ^e castell the whiche was fayre great / and stronge / one of the fayrest castelles in all the realme of Fraunce. There these Dukes made good there togyder and shewed great [...] and they thanked the duke of Bretayne of his cōmyng to the towne of Bloyes: And the duke answered and sayde / howe he was come thyder for the loue of them with great payne (for he fayned hym selfe nat well at ease) Than these two dukes fell in commu­nynge with the duke of Bretayne / shewyng hym sithe he was come so farr forwarde that he had done nothyng without he went to Parys to se the kynge / who greatly desyred to se hym. The duke of Bretaygne began great­lye to excuse hym selfe of that voyage / and layde many reasons / & sayd howe he was nat well at his case to make so longe a iourney / nor also he was nat accompanyed therafter. Than he was swetely answered that sauyng his displeasure / he shulde nede no great tra­yne to go se his soueraygne lorde / and as for his rydinge / he shulde lacke nouther chayre nor lytter to labour at his ease / For they said he was bounde to do homage to the kynge / for as than he had nat done it before. The duke sayd (excusynge hymselfe) that whan the kynge were come to his laufull age / and had the hole Realme in his owne gouernaunce / than he wolde come to Parys (or whyder to shulde please the kynge) and than do his ho­mage acordyng to reason: The other dukes sayd / that the kynge was of age & wysdome suffycient to receyue homage: and howe that all other lordes of the realme excepte he / had done their homage and made reliefe / affyr­mynge howe the kynge was .xxi. yere of age. Whan the duke of Bretaygne sawe howe his excuses coude nat be taken nor herde (sayde) Well sirs / if I go to Parys it shalbe great­lye agaynst my wyll / and to my preiudyce: For whan I come there / I shall fynde and se daylye before me sir Olyuer of Clyssone / whom I can nat loue nor neuer dyde / nor he me (who shall attempte me with rygorous wordes) My lordes / regarde well what in­conuenyentes shall ensue of my goynge thy­der. Sir ꝙ the duke of Burgoyne / fayre co­syn haue ye no dout therin for we shall swere solempnely to you / that withoute it shall be your owne pleasure / ye shall nouther se nor speke with the Constable nor with Iohan of Mountforde / as longe as ye shall be there. Of this sir ye shall be sure / but ye shall se the kynge who desyreth to se you / and other lor­des / knyghtes / and squyers of Fraunce / who shall make you good chere. And whanne ye haue done that ye loke for / ye shall retourne agayne without peryll or dommage (Wher­to shulde I make longe processe) So moche [Page cxlvii] the duke of Bretayne was desyred with faire wordes that he consented to go to Parys / on the promyse that the Constable nor Iohan of Mountforde shulde nat come in his presēce / the whiche the dukes sware faythfully to vp­holde / and thervpon he ꝓmysed to go to Pa­rys. A fyue dayes these dukes were at Blo­yes / and eche of them feested other ryght no­bly / and the coūtesse and her chyldren in lyke maner. And whan euery thyng was accom­plysshed / the two dukes toke leaue of y ^e duke of Bretaygne and retourned to Parys: But sir Wylliam of Heynaulte retourned nat to Parys with the duke of Burgoyne his faire father: but rode first w ^t the countesse of Blo­yes who made hym right good chere / and ta­ryed there a thre dayes / & than toke his leaue and retourned in to Fraunce / by the Castell Dune and Bonyuall. ⸫ ⸫

THe duke of Bretay­gne rode to Boygency on the ryuer of Loyre / & there he ordered his businesse to go to Parys. The same tyme before y ^e duke of Bretaygne entered in to Pa­rys / there entred the quene of Cycyll and of Hierusalem / somtyme wyfe to the Duke of Aniou / who was called kynge of those coun­treis / and also of Naples / and with her was her yonge sonne Lewes / who was as thanne (in all Fraunce) named kynge of all the said landes. And in their company was Iohan of Bretaygne brother to the lady. She sente worde before of her cōmynge to the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne / aduertysyng thē / howe she brought in her company her yonge son Lewes their nephue / desyring to knowe whether he shulde entre into Paris as a kynge / or elles symply as Lewes of Aniou. The two dukes sente her worde (aduisynge and coūsayling her) that he shulde entre as kyng of Naples / of Cycyle / and of Hierusalem. And sente her worde / that thoughe he were nat as thanne in possessyon of the Realmes / yet they wolde entyse the Frenche kyng that he shulde ayde hym to conquere them / for so they sware to do to their brother kyng Lois. After this maner the lady prepared for her selfe / and came and entred in to Parys / and made her sonne to ryde throughe the hyghe stretes by saynt Iaques / so to his lodgynge in grene in estate royall / accompanyed with Dukes / erles / and prelates a great nombre. There the lady taryed with her sonne / and thanne wente to se the kynge at his castell of Loure / abydinge there the commynge of the duke of Bretaygne. ⸫ ⸫

WHan the duke of Bre­tayne aproched nere to Parys / he rested one nyght at the quenes Bourge / and the nexte daye he entred in to Paris. great lokyng for hym was in Paris / bycau­se he had before putte in daunger the Constable of Fraunce / and had ben sente for dyuers tymes and wolde neuer come tyll than. Men spake therof dyuersly / and on a sondaye be­ynge Mydsomer daye at tenne of the clocke afore noone / the duke of Bretaygne entred / the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hū dred fourscore and eight in to Parys / at hell gate / and passed a long the strete of y ^e Harpe / [Page] and ouer the bridge saynt Michell / and so before the palais well accompanyed with lor­des and knyghtes. There was sir Wyllyam of Heynaulre erle of Ostrenaunt / & his faire brother Iohan of Burgoyne / and before him roode sir Wyllyam of Namure. Thus he came to the Castelle of Loure / and there a­lyghted / as he rode throughe the stretes / he was greatelye regarded of the common peo­ple / And whan the duke was a lyghted and entred in at the gate / he remembred what he shulde do and saye. And before hym was the lorde of Coucy / the erle of Sauoy / sir Iohn̄ of Vyen / sir Guye de la Tremoyle. sir Iohn̄ of Vernayle / the erle of Meauir / sir Iohan of Voye / sir Iohan of Barres / and nere to hym was sir Wyllyam of Namure / Iohan of Burgoyne / and the erle of Ostrenaunte. And behynde hym the lorde Mountforde of Bretayne and the lorde of Malestroyt / they were of his kynne and priuy coūsayle. there was great preace to se hym and the halle but lytell / and the boordes were couered for the kynge to go to dyner. And the kynge stoode there redy before the table and his .iii. vncles besyde hym / dukes of Berrey / of Burgoyne and of Burbone. As soone as the duke was entred euery man made place / so that y ^e duke myght se the kynge. Firste he made one cur­tesy and so passed forthe a renne or .xii. paces Than he made the seconde curtesy and rose agayne / and so passed forthe tyll he came be­fore the kynge: Than the thirde tyme he kneled downe bare heeded and saluted the kyng and sayd. Sir / I am come to se your grace / god maynteyne youre prosperyte. I thanke you sir quod the kyng / and we haue great desyre to se you: We shall se and speke with you at more leysar / and therwith toke hym vp by the armes. Than the duke enclyned hym self to all the other princes eche after other. than he stode styll before the kynge without spe­kynge of any worde. The kyng sore behelde hym. Thanne the Stewardes and offycers came forthe with water and y ^e kyng wasshed and the duke of Bretaygne putte his hande to the bason and to the towell. And whan the kyng was sette the duke toke his leaue of the kyng and of his vncles. and the lorde of Coucy and the erle of saynt Poule with other lordes conueyed hym in to the court where his horses were. and there mounted and so returned to his lodgynge in the strete of y ^t Harpe / and none taryed with hym of them that con­ueyed hym / but suche as came with hym out of Bretaygne to Parys.

AFter all this the duke of Bretaygne spake at leysar with the kynge & his vncles / so that euery man was well contente with hym / and he tooke well euery thynge that had ben promysed to hym / for he sawe nouther the constable nor Iohn̄ of Bre­tayne. Whan y ^e lordes sawe that euery thyng was in good state / and that they neded nat to doute the duke of Bretaygne / seynge they had hym at Paris (for they thought he shul­de nat departe thens tyll he had done in ma­ner / euery thyng as the kynge wolde) than it was thought good tyme to ordeyne forth for the voyage in to Guerles (whyder the kyng had great affection to go) to subdue the duke of Guerles / who had so shamfully defied the kyng (the whiche cōsydred) was nat thoght good to be suffred. Than it was ordayned / that the lorde of Coucy shulde drawe to the marches of Rennes and Chalous in Cham­payn / and to regarde for the kynges passage that waye / and to moue the knyghtes & squy­ers in Bare and in Lorayne to go with him / whyder he wolde lede them / nat spekynge of the kyng / but bearyng them in hande that he wolde go to recouer his ryght in Austryche. The lorde of Coucy thus departed fro Pa­rys / and wente to Chalous in Champayne / and there taryed a moneth and retaygned on all partes knyghtes and squyers ī Bare and in Lorayne / in Champaygne / and in Rethe­loys. And the Frēche kyng departed fro Pa­rys whan he had cōmuned with the duke of Bretaygne of dyuers maters (and nat fully accomplysshed) For the sute in the courte of Fraunce is longe whan they lyste / and right well they canne foode forthe the people to make theym spende moche / and bringe lytell to effecte. The kynge came to Moustreau on faulte you / in the marchesse of Brie and Ga­stenoys / and there he helde his courte / and of ten tymes chased hartes and other wylde beestes in the forest of Brie. The same seasone there was a dede of armes done there / bitwe­ne an Englisshe knight who was there with the duke of Irelande / called sir Thom̄s Harpyngham / [Page cxlviii] and sir Iohan of Barres / wherof great brute was made in Fraunce and other places. Their chalenge was / fyue courses with a speare / fyue strokes with the sworde / fyue with a daggar / and fyue with the axe: and if any of their weapons brake than they to gette newe / tyll their chalenge were accō ­plysshed. These two knyghtes on a day lept on their horses well armed / as appertayned (The kynge and all other lordes beyng pre­sent and moche people) and ranne toguyder foure courses ryght valiauntly (and as me thought the vsage was than̄e / their Helmes were tyed but with a lace / to the entente the speare shulde take no holde). the fyrst course sir Iohan of Barres strake the Englysshe knyght on the targe / in suche wyse / that he bare hym ouer the horse crope / so that he laye stonyed on the grounde / and moche payne to releue. Than they perfourmed forthe all the reste of their chalenge / in so goodly maner / that the kyng and all the other were well cō ­tent with them. ⸫ ⸫

IT is long sythe I made any mencyon of the Englysshe armye on the see / wherof Rycharde Erle of Arundell was capitayne / and w ^t hym many knygh­tes / squyers / and archers of Englande. I shall nowe somwhat speke of hym / for the mater requyreth it.

yE haue herde here before of the trea­tie that the kyng of Englande made with the duke of Bretaygne. This nauy on the see all this season / laye euer coo­stynge the fronters of Bretaygne and Nor­mādy / if ioynde and wether draue thē thens / they euer came thyder agayne. And they had in their flete some small vesselles called Ba­lyngers / who wente euer and scoured the see The flete had layne at ancre more than a moneth agaynst the ysle of Breshatte in Bre­tayne. And there they herde tidynges / howe the duke of Bretaygne was gone to Bloyes to speke with the dukes of Berrey & of Bur­goyne / And howe they were so agreed / that the duke was gone to Parys. And the renoeranne throughe Bretaygne / howe the duke hadde good chere of the Frenche kynge / and was welcome to hym and to all his cousayle at Parys / and shulde nat departe thens tyll the maters were in good estate. Whanne the erle of Arūdell herde those tidynges he was pensyue: and wente to counsayle what was best to do / & whyder they were best to drawe to enploye their season. Than they determy­ned to drawe to Rochellois though they had no castelles there / yet they hadde men ynowe there to kepe the Felde / and to abyde all the puyssaunce of Xaynton and of Poyctou / so that they shulde signify their estate in to Auuergne and in to Lymosynne / so that they myght sende to passe throughe Bretaygne. As than the treuse was nat confyrmed on the ryuer of Loyre: but they were a treatynge to begynne the fyrste daye of Auguste. And sir Helyon of Lignacke was goyng or cōmyng (as the erle of Arundell ymagined) outher to the duke of Lancastre to Bayone / or elles retournynge in to Fraunce. They hadde in their nauye a Breton bretonaunt of the na­cyon of Wannes / seruaunt to sir Wyllyam Helmon / who coude speke well foure maner of languages / That is to saye / Bretysshe / Englysshe / Spaynysshe / and Frenche: and gaue hym in commaundement to go a lande and sayde to hym. Go thou the moost preuy­est wayes thou canste (thou knowest all the preuy wayes of the countrey) and gette the to the garyson of Chaluset / and haue vs all recommaunded to Perotte le Bernoys / and shewe hym fro vs / that he sette forthe a com­pany of men of armes / suche as be in gary­sons forthe kynge of Englande / and make warre in his tytell / y ^u shalte beare no letters for feare of takynge. Thou mayest go lyke a marchaunt of Rochell to by wynes: and saye to Perot that he reyse vp these men of warre [Page] and kepe the coūtreys of Berrey / Auuergne / and Lymosyn in doute / and kepe the feldes / for we shall lande in Rocelloyes / and shall make there suche warre / that it shalbe herde of and well knowen. The Breton sayde he shulde do his message / if he hadde no great lette by the waye. He was set a lande on the sandes / and (as he that knewe all the coun­trey of Bretayne) went of from all the great townes / and passed by the countrey of Poy­ctou and entred in to Lymosyn / and so came to Chalucet / wherof Perot le Bernoys was capitayne. The messangere came to the bar­ryers / and gaue knowledge of his cōmynge to them of the garyson. After he had ben exa­myned at the gate he was lette in / and so bro­ught before Perotte / and dyde well his mes­sage / wherof Perot had great ioye / For he greatly desyred to here tidynges of the army on the see. Than he sayd to the Breton / thou arte welcome: Bothe I and all my companions haue great desyre to ryde forthe abrode / and so shall we do / and accomplysshe that thou hast shewed vs.

THus Perotte le Bernoys made hym prest and sente to Carlate to the Bourge of Champaygne / to the capitayne of Ousacke / O­lyue Barbe / and to the capitayn of Aloyse besyde saynt Floure / Aymergotte Marcell / and to other capitayns a longe the countrey in Auuergne an Lymosyn. oesy­ryng all these to make thē redy / for he wolde ryde oute abrode / for he sawe it than a good season for them. cōmaundynge them to leaue sure men in their garisons tyll their returne. These companyons who hadde as great de­syre to ryde abrode as Perot (for they coulde nat ware ryche withoute some other loste) made thē redy and came to Chalucet / where they assembled. They were well to the nom­bre of foure hundred speares / they thought themselfe suffycient to do a great feate. they knewe no lorde in the countrey as than able to resyste them / nor to breke their enterprice. for the siege of Vandachore of sir Wyllyam of Lignacke nor of Boesme Laūce / was nat defeated as than. Thus they rode forthe and were lordes of the feldes and passed Auuer­gne on the ryght hande / and tooke the ryght waye to Berrey: for they knewe well y ^e duke was nat as than there / but was in Fraunce with the kyng at Moūtereau or faulte you. ¶Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of Perot le Bernoys and of his enterprice / and speke of the erle of Arundell and of his armye on the see / and shewe howe he perceuered after he was departed fro the cost of Bretayne.

WHan the erle of Arundell & suche lordes as were with hym were departed fro the cost of Bretay­ne / they sayled with good wynd and wether / for y ^e tyme was fay­re & pleasunt / and goodly to beholde y ^e shippes on y ^e see. They were a sixscore one and o­ther / with baners and stremers wauynge in the wynde / glytrynge with the lordes armes agaynst the sonne. Thus they went saylyng by the see fresshly (like a horse newe cōmyng out of the stable brayeng and cryeng / and fo­myng at the mouth) The see was so prompt and so agreable to thē / as thoughe by fygure the see shulde haue said to them. be mery sirs I am for you / and I shall bring you to good porte and hauen without peryll. Thus these lordꝭ sayled frontyng Poyctou and Xaynton & cast ancre before Rochell / in y ^e hauen towarde Marant. Than some of their cōpany se­yng the fludde cōmyng / entred or it were full water in to bottes mo than two hundred one and other / and arryued nere to the towne of Marant. The watche of Marant had spied the Englysshe flete / and sawe howe the bot­tes were commyng to lande warde with the fludde. Than he blewe his trūpe and made great noyse / to awake the men of the towne to saue them selfe / so that many men and wo­men toke their goodes and wente and saued them in the Castell / the whiche came well to passe for them / or els they had lost all. Whan they sawe the Englysshmen come at their he lys / they toke that they had and lefte the rest / and saued their bodyes. The Englysshe ar­chers and other entred in to the towne / & fell to pyllage (therfore they came thyder) but lytell they founde there / sauyng coffers voyde and emptye / all their goodes was withdra­wen in to the Castell. As for Corne / wyne / salte becone / and other prouision they foūde ynoughe / for there was more than four hun­dred [Page cxlix] tonne of wyne in the towne. Wherfore they determyned to abyde there a certayne space to kepe that prouisyon. It came well to passe for them / for they sayde if they shulde departe thens / all shulde be withdrawen in to the fortresses / and caryed awaye by the ryuer to Fountney / as moche as they myght / and the reste distroyed. They taryed all that night in the towne. They came thyder in the euenyng / and sente worde to them on the see what case they were in / and the cause why they taryed. The erle of Arundell and the o­ther lordes sayde / howe they had done well. This nyght passed. The nexte mornynge whan the tyde began to retourne / they disancred all their small vesselles / and euery man wente in to them / and putte all their harnesse in to bottes and barges / and lafte their great shippes styll at ancre / for they coude nat cum nere to the lande for lacke of water. and they laste an hundred men of armes and two hundred archers styll there to kepe their shippes whiche laye at the mouthe of the hauyn. thā with their smalle vesselles they arryued at Marant / and toke lande at their leysar / and so lodged all bytwene Marant and y ^e towne of Rochell / the whiche was but four leages fro thens. Tidynges spredde abrode in the countrey / howe the Englysshe men were ar­ryued at Barante / a four hundred fightyng men: the playne countrey / the good townes and castelles were a srayde and made good watche. Than they of the vyllages fledde a­maye / and caryed their goodꝭ in to Forestes and in to other places / as shortely as they myght. ⸫ ⸫

IF the Englysshmen had ben furnysshed with horses it had been greatly to their profyte / for y ^e countrey as than was vnpro [...] ded of men of warr / namely of suche as were able to haue merre with them. True it was / the lord of Parteney / the lorde of Pons / the lorde of Lymers / y ^t lorde of Tanyboton / sir Geffray of Argenton / the lorde of Montendre / sir Aymery of Roch chouart / the vycont of to wars / and dyuers other knyghtes and squyers of Poictou and of Xaynton / were as than in the countrey: but they were nat toguyder / for e­uery man was in his owne fortresse / for they were nat ware of the Englysshe mens com­mynge thyder. If they hadde knowen a mo­neth before that the Englysshe menne wolde haue ryued there / they wolde haue prouyded therfore / but they knewe it nat. This fell so­daynly / wherfore they were the more afrayde and euery man toke hede to kepe his owne / & the men of the countrey to gette in their cor­nes / for it was about the begynnynge of Au­guste. Also there was no heed Capitaygne in the countrey to bringe menne toguyder. The duke of Berrey who was cheife soue­raygne of Poittou / was but newely gone to Parys. The seneschall of Xaynton was nat in the countrey: And the Seneschall of Ro­chell sir Helyon of Lignacke was nat at Ro­chell / nor in the countrey / He was in great busynesse to ryde in and out bytwene y ^e duke of Berrey and the duke of Lancastre. By these reasons the countrey was the more fe­ble / for where there is defaulte of good hee­des / there must nedes be defaulte in the body and in the fote: And he that hath no foote can do nothynge that is worthe. Thus these lor­des were in feare two wayes. They had the Englysshmen armed before them that came fro the see: And on the other syde they herde newes fro Berrey and fro Limosyn / that Perot le Bernoys rode abrode with fyue or sixe hundred fyghtynge men with hym / and was entred in to Berrey. So they wyst nat wher to they shulde take hede / but euery manne to kepe his owne. For the renome wente / howe these two hoostes shulde mete toguyder / ou­ther in the countrey of Poictou or Xaynton. This was the opinyon of dyuers.

[Page] TRue it was / that in the towne of Rochell / the same season that the Englysshe men were landed at Marant there was two valyāt knyghtes / the one called sir Pe­ter of Iouy / and the other sir Taylle Pie / whome sir Helyon of Lignacke had lefte at Rochell to kepe the towne and countre ther­about. Whan tidynges came to Rochell how the erle of Arundell and the armye that had ben so longe on the see were a lande and lod­ged besyde Marant. Than these two knigh­tes sayd to thē that were vnder their charge (and to the mayre of Rochell and men of the towne) sirs it must behoue vs to go and loke on these Englysshe menne. It is shewed vs howe they be arryued in these parties. I and my companion wyll go and gyue them there welcome / for the whiche they shall paye vs / or els we them: For we shalbe blamed if we suffre them to rest in peace / sythe we haue the charge of the kepynge of this countre. there is one poynte good for vs / they haue no hor­ses: They are men of the see / and we be well mounted: We shall sende our crosbowes be fore / they shall wake them / and shote & hurte them / and whan they haue done they shall retourne. Than the Englysshe men wyll issue out after them a fote / and we shall suffre our crosbowes to passe homwarde / and than we shall receyue our enemyes at the spere poynt We shall haue of them suche aduaūtage / that we shall do them great domage. Euery man that herde these knyghtes speke / reputed thē for noble valyaunt men / and agreed to their counsayle: And there assembled toguyder / what one and other a twelue hundred. The nexte mornynge at the breakyng of the daye / euery mā was redy & assembled togider. and the crosbowes and men a fote issued out and went a great pace to reyse the Englysshmen out of their lodgynges. and in the meane season the horsmen made them redy vpon a .iii. hūdred / for there were dyuers knyghtes and squyers cōe to Rochell. Certainly / if by any maner inspyracion thenglysshmen had kno­wen of their cōmynge / that they might haue made an embusshe (but of two hundred ar­chers and a hūdred men of armes) there had nat one Frenchman retourned agayne. Whā they of Rochell came to the Englysshe mens lodgynges / it was carely in the morenynge / and their watche was retourned to their lodgynges. Than the Frenche crosbowes be­gan to shote and entred in among their lod­gynges / and hurte many. The Englysshe men lyeng on the strawe had marueyle of the noyse / & many were hurte or they knewe that they were Frenche men. And whan the cros­bowes had shotte euery man a sixe shottes / or there about / they retourned (as it was be­fore apoynted). Than aproched the horsmen and entred among the lodgynges / therwith the hoost began to styrre / and knyghtes and squyers drewe toguyder in to the felde. And whan the Frenche men sawe the hoost styrre and drawe toguyder / they drewe backe and retourned towarde Rochell a good pace / for feare of the shotte of Englysshe men / who folowed them nere to Rochell. Than the Erle of Arundell with foure hundred men of ar­mes folowed after a great pace / euery man his speare in his hande or on his necke. The preace of the Frenche fotemen was great at the entrynge in to Rochell / and alwayes the two Frenche knyghtes were behynde / & sette their men forwarde tyll they were within the barriers: and euer the Englysshe men folo­wed / in suche wyse / that y ^e two Frēche knightes were in great daūger to be taken or slayn They were sore sette at / bycause they semed to be the chiefe capitaynes (as they were in dede) so that sir Peter Iouy hadde his horse slayne vnder hym / and with great payne his men saued hym / and drewe hym within the barryers. And sir Peter Taylle Pye was stryken through the thye with a glayue / and with an arrowe throughe y ^e bassenet in to the heed / and his horse fell downe deed within y ^e gate. At the entrynge in to the towne there were many slayne and hurte / mo than .xl. the men of the towne were aboue ouer the gate and caste downe stones and shotte out bom­bardes / so that the Englysshe men durste a­proche no nerer.

Thus wente the first scrimysshe bytwene them of Rochell and the Englysshe men / and whan they hadde scrimysshed nere to noone / The erle of Arundell sowned the retrayte: Than they withdrewe in good order / and retourned to their lodgynges & vnarmed them and toke their ease / & they had well wherof. they lacked nouther wyne nor flesshe. The Englysshe men taryed there about a fyftene [Page cl] dayes / abydinge all aduentures. But after that / they of Rochell issued no more oute to scrmysshe / for they sawe well the Englisshe men were wise and valyaunt / and also y ^e two capitayns were hurt / wherfore the other had good cause to sytte styll in rest. The Erle of Arundell sent a thre or four tymes abrode in to the countrey of Rochelloys towarde Bre­smure / and in to the lande of Towars / and dyde great dōmage / wherof all the countrey was a frayde. The Englysshmen had done a great enterprice if they had ben furnysshed with horsmen / & in the countre they gatte but sewe: for as soone as they herde of their lan­dynge / euery man caryed all that they hadde in to the fortresses. And whan this army had taryed there a fyftene dayes / and were well refresshed / & sawe that no man came against them and parceyued the wynde good for thē / they drewe them in to their shippes / and ca­ryed with them moche wyne & fresshe flesshe and so entred in to their vesselles / and drewe vp their sayles and toke the see: and the same daye they mette with .xii. shippes of Bayon goynge in to Englande / charged with wy­nes and other marchaūdises: so they ioyned toguyder and made good chere. They gaue to the erle of Arundell two peces of Gascoyn wyne. Thus they sayled forthe at aduēture. ¶Nowe lette vs speke of Perot le Bernois and of the other capitayns that were in his cōpany / howe they drewe agayne in to their fortresses. ⸫ ⸫

THe same seasone that the Englysshe armye was at Marant / Perot le Ber­noyes and his route / to the nōbre of four hundred spe­res were abrode and pas­sed by Lymosyn and came to Berrey. And on a daye they tooke all the marchauntes that were in the towne of Bla­ke in Berrey / on the whiche daye there was a great fayre / wherby they had great profite and good prisoners / and than passed further and came to Selles in Berrey / and pylled and robbed the towne. Thus Perot and his companyons rode abrode in the countre and dyde great dōmage / for there was none that came agaynst them. The countrey was sore a frayde on bothe sydes the ryuer of Loyre / vnto the coūtie of Bloys and of Thourayne They coude nat ymagin what these two ar­myes were purposed to do / some sayde they shulde mete togider but they dyd nat. for the army on the see drewe agayne to the see / and Perot in lykewise to his fortresse. Whā they had pylled and wonne great richesse in the countrey / euery man wente to their owne fortresse to saue that they had gotte. There was none other dede of armes done that season in Auuergne and Lymosyn. Than̄e be­gan the truce on that syde the ryuer of Loyre the whiche shulde endure to the moneth of Marche: But styll the siege endured before Vandachore / by sir Wylliam of Lignacke / sir Iohan Boesme Launce / sir Iohan But­lere and other. For sir Geffray Teate noyre was so proude and cruell / that he sette nou­ther by truce nor peace / and all on the truste of the strength of his fortresses. ¶Nowe lette vs leaue speakyng of the siege of Van­dachore / and shewe here after what ende it toke / and speke nowe of Brabaunte and of Guerles.

yE knowe well (as it hath ben cōtey­ned here before in this hystorie) the duchesse of Brabant was determy­ned to make warre agaynst the duke of guerles / and caused the siege to cōtynue before the towne of Graue / with a great puyssaunce of knyghtes and squyers / and other men of the good townes of Brabante: and their enten­cion was nat to departe thens / tyll they had [Page] the towne of Graue at their wyll. And the duchesse to shewe y ^t the mater touched her nere the laye at [...] a four leages thens. The hoost was plentifull of euery thynge. They were often tymes refresshed with newe pro­uisyon cōmyng fro dyuers partes / aswell by see by fresshe water & by the ryuer of Muse as by the lande of Brabant. This siege long endured and they had there great ingyns be sore the towne to caste in great stones / whi­che dyde great domage. And besyde that to enfecte the people within / they caste in to the towne all deed careyne: and the wether was hote / the whiche greatly anoyed them with­in. The clere ayre was sore corrupted with the yuell ayre. Somtyme the knyghtes and squyers of Brabant wolde come to the bar­ryers and scrimysshe with them of y ^e towne / and there were many feates of armes done / For there were men in the towne (sette there by the duke of Guerles) that were redye to shewe forthe their prowes whan tyme was. The duke of Guerles lay at Nimay & coude nat remedy the mater nor reyse the siege / nor yet fight with his enemyes / for he had no pu­issaunce therto / But he hadde sente in to En­glande certifyeng what case he stode in / tru­stynge to haue had socours fro thens / but he had none / For at that tyme there was moche trouble in Englande. For there was sette a newe counsayle about the kynge by the mea­nes of his vncles and tharchbysshop of Caū terbury About the feest of saynt Iohan the Baptyst there was a coūsayle in Englande to knowe if there shulde be sente any ayde of men of armes & archers to the duke of Guer­les or nat: But euery thyng consydred / they thought it best naye. For renome ran in En­glande howe the Frenche kyng made a gret assemble but no manne knewe whyther they shulde drawe. The Englysshe men by yma­ginacyon douted that they wolde cōe to Ca [...]s: On the othersyde they douted the scot­tes wherfore they wolde nat sende their men of armes and archers out of the realme. Also they knewe howe there were many menne of warre on the see wherfore it was cōuenyent to kepe their owne realme / Therfore the no­ble men of Englande sayd: Lette the duke of Guerles alone he is ryght valyant and is ī a stronge countre he wyll do well ynoughe a­gaynst the brabansoys. Also he shalbe conforted by y ^e almayns if nede be / for they be alyed with hym and his neyghbours. They haue bene with hym or this agaynst the Frenche men. Thus the maters wente in Englande / but they within the towne of Graue endured the payne / with sautes and sore scrimisshing They of Brabante deuysed whyle they laye at the siege / to make a bridge of tymbre ouer the ryuer of Meuse / therby to entre in to the duchy of Guerles: And to ouer ronne the coū trey / and to kepe that no vitayle shulde come to the towne of Graue. And therby to besege it bothe before and behynde / and on all par­tes / to kepe it fro vitayling / for they had men ynowe so to do. They sette many carpentars a worke with all dilygence / and they dyde so moche that their worke was so forwarde / y ^t the bridge was nere ouer the water within a speares cast. The duke of Guerles had per­fite knowledge of the makyng of this bridge and dyde lette them alone tyll it was nyghe made. But whan he sawe it was nerehande fynisshed / than he came before it with gon­nes and other artillarye: And shotte fyre to the bridge / in suche wise / that the bridge was brente and broken / and the brabansoys loste all their labour / wherwith they were sore displeased / and than toke counsayle what was best for them to do. ⸫ ⸫

A Thre lytell leages fro y ^e towne of Graue is the castell of Raue­sten / parteyninge to the lorde of Bourne / who was subiecte and helde of the duchy of Brabant. He was desyred by the duchesse counsayle & by other lordes and knyghtes / that he shulde open the towne of Rauesten / and suffre their [Page cli] hoste to passe throughe / to entre in to the countrey of Guerles / And at their desyres he was content. The duke of Guerles lyenge at Ny­may was surely infourmed (by suche spyall as he had) howe the lorde of Bourne wolde gyue his enemyes fre passage to entre into his countrey / through the towne of Rauesten / wherof he was pensyue and malēcolyous / for he sawe well he had nat men ynowe to resyste the puy­saunce of Brabante / for they were well a .xl. thousande menne one and other. On this the duke had many ymagynacions. And fynally all thynges consydred / he determyned in his mynde to assemble all his men toguyder and to take the feldes / and to come towardes the towne of Graue / to the entente that if they of Brabant entred in to Guerles / than he wolde entre in to Brabant. For he thought surely nat to be inclosed within the walles of any towne. Than the duke spake to the lorde of Ghesime / a great baron of Guerles / who was his prin­cypall counsaylour / and shewed hym his sayd mynde and entente. And fyrste this lorde was nat of the opynyon that the duke shulde take the feldes with so small a nombre. Well quod the duke / and what shall I do than? Shall I suffre my selfe to be inclosed in one of my tow­nes? and in the meane tyme they shall brynne and exyle my countrey. That shulde be ouer dere to me to abyde. I make a vowe to godde and to our lady quod the duke / I wyll drawe in to the feldes / and resyst my domage as nere as I may. And as he ordeyned so he dyd. The next mornyng he departed fro Nymay (after he had ben at churche / and made his offrynge to our lady of Nymay) Than he and his men dranke a lytell / and so mounted on their hor­ses. He was a thre hūdred speares / rather lesse than mo / and tooke the feldes / and drewe to­wardes their enemyes the next way. Beholde what a great corage this duke was of. Some sayd it was a great outrage. Howbeit he lyke a coragyous knyght full of comeforte sayde. On on forwarde in the name of god and saynt George agaynste our enemyes / for I had ra­ther dye in the felde with honoure / than with dyshonour to be closed within a towne. With hym was the lorde of Ghesime / a valyant and a sage knyght / chyefe ruler of his armye / and the lorde of Hauseberth / the lorde of Huckelin sir Ostez lorde of Vaspre / & dyuers other good knyghtes and squyers of valyaunt corage.

THe same daye that the duke of Guer­les was in the feldes early in the mor­nyng / the seneschall of Brabant with his men knyghtes / squyers / and men of the good tow­nes in Brabant / by the consente of the lorde of Bourne / passed the ryuer by the bridge of Rauesten / to the nombre of ten thousande men. The seneschall of Brabante / the lorde of Ly­gnier / the lorde of Bourguenall / the lorde of Gence and other / were ryght ioyfull whanne they sawe they were ouer the ryuer of Meuse. They said than amonge themselfe / howe they wolde go the same day and make a course be­fore Nymay / and burne the mylles and faw­bours and the villages there about. but soone after that they herde other tydynges by their fore ryders / suche as they had sent to discouer the countrey. Than tydinges also came to the duke of Guerles / howe a ten thousande of his enemyes were passed the ryuer of Meuse / at the bridge of Rauesten. Than the duke stode in a staye / and toke counsayle what was beste to do. Some were sore abasshed bycause they were but a handefull of men to the regarde of their enemyes / who were thurty or .xl. against one. Some sayde / howe myght endure thre hundred speares agaynste ten or twelue thou­sande men. It lyeth nat in our puyssaunce to ouercome them. But it lyeth well in their po­wer soone to ouercome vs. Some knyghtes came to the duke / and coūsayled him to drawe towardes Graue. Thanne the duke sayde he wolde nat / for in no wyse he wolde be closed in any towne that he hadde / but sayde surely he wolde go and fyght with his enemyes / for his corage he sayd gaue hym to dyscomfyte them. and said as he dyd before / that rather he wold dye with honour / than to lyue with shame. We shall quod he this day ouercome our enemies / Wherby we shall haue greate profyte and ho­noure. Therfore all that loue me / set forwarde and folowe me quyckly.

THe wordes that the duke spake incora­ged all his men / and specyally suche as herde hym / and euery man shewed semblante to be of great corage to fight. euery man made hym redy and lased on his basnet / and gyrte their horses / and set them selfe in good aray togyther / and rode forthe an easy passe to kepe their horses well brethed. there were certayne newe knightes made. Thus they rod in good [Page] araye towardes Rauesten. By that tyme the brabansoys were ouer the ryuer. Thanne ty­dynges came to the Seneschall of Brabante / how the duke of Guerles was in the felde / and so nere them that incontynent they shuld mete togyder. Suche as herde those tydinges first had meruayle of that aduēture. Than they beleued surely that for euery man that the duke of Guerles had / that he had been syre. Than they rested to sette them selfe in ordre / but they had no leysar. For ther with came on them the duke of Guerles with his route close togyder / as faste as spurres wolde dryue their horses / cryenge their cryes / our lady of Guerles / with their speares in the restes. There was a squier of Guerles greatly to be praysed / for the great desyre that he had to exalte his renome. he ga­loped before all the batayls / and was the firste that iusted / and entred in amōge his enemies. the squier was called Arnolde Morber. With that course he bare one to the erthe rudely / I canne nat tell if euer he was releued or nat / for the prease was so greate / that harde it was / if one were downe to be releued agayn / without it were by great helpe. At this first rencountre there were of the brabansoys a sire score borne to the erthe. There were many beaten downe / and small defence made by the Brabansoys / for they were sodenly taken. and so shulde men of warre do / that thinke to do domage to their enemyes. For the brabansoys for all that they were so greate a nombre / and so many great men / yet they were so farre a sonder / and out of araye / that they coulde nat gette togyther in ordre of batayle / but their batayle was pear­sed throughe and sparkled a brode / some here and some there / so that the lordes of Brabante coulde nat come to their owne men / nor their menne to theym. And suche as were behynde / whanne they herde the noyse and brewte / and sawe y ^e dust and powder ryse / it semed to them properly that the voyce of the dyscomfetture came on theym / and howe all their company were ouercome. So that the feare therof cau­sed them to tourne and to flye towardes Ra­uesten agayne / and some toke the ryuer at ad­uenture bothe a foote and a horsebacke / with­out serrchyng of the depenesse / or without ha­uynge of any guyde. And as they fledde they thought euer their enemyes had been at their backes. By this dyscomfettynge of them selfe there were drowned and in parell / moo than twelue hundred in the ryuer of Meuse / for they lepte in one vpon a nother lyke beestes / with­out ordre or reason And some of the great lor­des and barones of Brabante / whome I wyll nat name / for it shulde be blame to them and to their heyres / to be noted to flye away so shame fully / and to seke for their sauegarde nother the right passage of the ryuer / nor yet the hygh way to the towne of Rauesten / but rather other straunge wayes to flye fro their enemyes. In this myschyefe fell that daye the chyualrye of Brabante / bytwene the towne of Graue and Rauesten many were slayne and taken / For suche as came to raunsome yelded lightly / and the almayns were gladde to take them / for the profyte that they thought to haue by theym. And suche as retourned to the lodgynges be­fore Graue abasshed them that were there ly­enge at the syege / for they came lyke men clene discomfyted. They came flyenge so faste that they lacked brethe / so that they coulde skante speke any worde (that they sayd / was) Syrs gette vs all hence for we be all dyscomfyted / there is no comeforte. Whan they in the hoost vnderstode the trouthe of the mater / and sawe their company in that case / they were than so a basshed & a frayed / that they had no leysar nor puyssaunce to take their owne goodes / nor to take downe their tentes nor pauylyons / nor to trusse horse / carte / nor wagon / but sodaynely departed without byddynge adewe / and lefte all behynde. They were so a frayde that they made no countenaunce of a bydynge. They toke with theym nother vytayle nor caryage / but suche as hadde horses lepte on them / and fledde a waye towardes the dukes wodde / or els towardes Hondan / or to the mount saynte Geruays / or to Gertras / and Dordec. They had none other care but to saue them selfe fro their enemyes. And if they within the garyson of Graue had soner knowen of the dyscomfet­ture / it had been greatly for their profyte / and had slayne or taken many of their enemyes in their flyenge / but they knewe it nat tyll it was late / howbeit whan they issued out they foūde great plentye of Tentes and pauylyons / and prouysion of engyns / gonnes / and artyllery / which they brought in to their towne at good leysar / for there were none to saye them naye. Thus brake vp the siege of Graue to the gret domage of all the brabansoys / wherof great brute ranne in dyuers countreys / howe that a [Page clii] handefull of men dyscomfyted .xl. thousande / and reysed the siege. there was taken the lorde of Bourguenall / and the lorde of Linyer / and other to the nombre of seuentene baners / they were hanged before the ymage of our lady of Nymay / for a perpetuall memory. ⸫ ⸫

I Haue great payne to recorde or to wryte of this shamefull dyscomfyture of the brabansoys / for blemysshynge of their honoures. but bycause I promysed / and said in the begynnyng of my boke / that if I shall write truely this hystory / I must make true relacion of the mater / who so euer it do touche. Nowe to procede further / the yonge duke of Guetles had and op­taygned this iourney / in the yere of our lorde god a thousande / thre hundred / fourscore and eyght / aboute Mawdlyn tyde / in the moneth of Iuly. And whanne this dyscomfyture and chase was passed / and the felde clene delyue­red (whiche was done within the space of two houres) Than the guerloys assembled togy­der in the felde / and mad good chere and were ioyfull. They had good cause so to be / for their good aduenture / for they had as many pryso­ners or mo / than they were themselfe in nom­bre. Than their haraudes sought out the deed bodyes of bothe partyes / and amonge other there was slayne a yonge man / sonne to therle of Namure / called Vassyer of Colles / lorde of Balaster / of whose dethe the duke of Gnerles was sory and sore dyspleased / and that he she­wed well / for greatly he complayned his deth / and sayde / howe the dethe of a yonge knyght dyspleased hym greatly / for he was a ryght lusty knyght / pleasaunte and ioly / and also the yere before he had ben in Pruse with the duke of Guerles. Some counsayled the duke to re­tourne to the towne of Graue / and there to re­fresshe theym / and to brynge thyder their pri­soners. Naye nat so quod the duke / for army departynge fro Nymay I auowed to our la­dy there that if I spedde well / to returne thy­der to offre to our lady / wherfore I wyll with a mery chere that we all retourne thyder / and thanke our lady / who hath sent vs the vyctory of our enemyes. No man durste saye naye a­gaynst the dukes mynde. And so they rode thyder a good pase / it was but two good leages fro thence as the batayle was / anone they came thyder. Whan tydynges came to Nymay of the trouthe of that busynes / men / women / and children were ioyfull / and the clergy issued out and receyued the duke with great ioy. and the duke of Guerles incontynent with his knyghtes wente to the churche / where the ymage of our lady was / in whome the duke had great affyaunce / and there in the chapell he was vn­armed of all his peces in to his doublet / and gaue all his armure to the churche / in the ho­nour of our blessed lady / thankynge her of the iourney that he hadde atchyued. And there all the penons of the lordes that were taken that day were hanged vp before our lady. I canne nat tell if they be there as yet or nat. Than the duke went to his lodgynge / and so dyd euery manne with their prisoners / for they thought surely they shulde well paye for their scot / ther­fore they made good chere.

GReat brute spred abrode of this duke of Guerles / who had thus ouer throwen the brabansoys / wherby he was more douted than he was before. The duches of Brabante (who laye at the dukes wood with her trayne) whan she sawe howe yuell the mater wente a­gaynst her / and that the syege of Graue was raysed / she was sore displesed and good cause why / for it touched her nere. Than she sette a garysone at the dukes wood / to kepe fronter there / and so retourned through Champayne and came to Bruselles / and wrote often tymes to the duke of Burgoyne / aduertysynge hym of her a state / for all her hope of recoueraunce was in hym. ye may well knowe and byleue that this discomfyture of the brabansoys was soone knowen in the french kinges courte / but [Page] they made lytell accōpte therof / syth they sawe the kynge had suche affection to go to Guer­les. The kynges counsayle wrote to syr Wyl­lyam of Tremoyle and to sir Geruais of Myrande / who were soueraygne capytays of the men of warre that the duke of Burgoyne had sente in to the countrey / and to the kepers of the thre castels on the ryuer of Meuse / Buth / Gaulgeth / and Nulle. Commaundyng them to kepe well their fronters and nat to make any issue out wherby to take any domage / tyll they here more / shewynge theym surely howe the kynge in pr [...]pre persone shortly wolde go se the duke of Guerles in his owne countrey. This sir Willyam was sore dyspleased of the aduenture that was fallen on their party. but the tydynges of Fraunce comforted hym a­gayne / and ordred hym selfe acordynge as he was commaunded.

NOwe lette vs retourne to the counsayle of Fraunce who had great desyre to go in to Guerles. They toke suche dyspleasure with the defyaunce that the duke had sente to the kynge / that they nother regarded the be­gynnynge / myddes / nor ende / and sayd / what so euer it coste / they wolde make the duke re­pent his dede and to denye it / or els they wold distroy and burne his landes and his fathers also / the duke of Iulyers. Dukes / erles / ba­rones knyghtes squyers / and all other were warned euery man to be redy / acordyng as it apertayned for so longe a voyage. And it was ordeyned that one of the marshals of Fraunce shulde abyde styll in the realme / that was syr Loys of Porteuyr / and he to take hede of the fronters on the other syde of the ryuer of Dor­done to the see / for in Languedoc / bytwne the ryuer of Gyronde / dyscendynge to the ryuer of Loyre there was truce had bytwene them. And it was ordeyned that the other marshall syr Moton of Blamuyll shulde go with the kyng. It was maruayle to thynke of the great prouysyon that the lordes made. Fyrste for the kyng / and for the dukes of Berrey / Burgoyn Tourayne / and Burbon / at the cyties of Reynes / Chalous / Troys and in all the coūtreys of Champayne / Raynes / in the bysshopprike of Laon / and Landers. And cartes and caryages were taken vp in all partyes. It was marueyle to consyder the great aparell that was made for this iourney in to Guerles. All this season the duke of Bretaygne was at Parys / and coulde nat be delyuered by the kyng / who was most parte al that season of Moustreuell Faulte yon. But alwayes he had good chere / and was alwayes serued with fayre wordes and curteyse / and the lordes wolde desyre hym nat to thynke longe / for shortly he shulde be delyuered / but they shewed hym that the kynge had so moch a do for his vyage in to Almayne / that he coulde attende to nothynge els. The duke was fayne to suffre for he coulde do none other seyng he was at Parys / and he thought he wolde nat departe without the good wyll of the kynge. There he laye at great coste and charge.

WHan the certayne was knowen of this voyage in to Guerles / and tayles reysed throughe the realme to paye euery man their wages that shulde serue the kynge. Many of the wyse men of the realme as well some of the counsayle as other / sayd / howe it was a great outrage to counsayle the kyng to go farre of to seke for his enemyes / and that he shulde therby put his realme in a great aduenture / for the kynge was yonge / and greatly in the fauoure of all his people. Wherfore it had ben suffycyente for hym to haue suffred one or two of his vncles to haue gone thyder with the constable of Fraunce / and a sixe or seuen thou­sande speares / and nat the kyng in propre per­sone. The kynges vncles were of the same op­pynyon / and often tymes they counsayled the kynge to forbeare his iourney him selfe. But whan so euer they spake to hym therof he was dyspleased / and wolde saye. If any of you go without my company / it shall be agaynst my wyll / and besyde that ye shall haue no money / otherwyse I can nat restrayne you. Whan the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne herde the kynges answere / and sawe the great affection that the kynge hadde to go that voyage / they aunswered and sayd. Syr / a goddes name ye shall go / and without you we wyll do nothing therfore sir be of good comfort. Than the kyn­ges counsayle regarded one thyng the whiche they thought ryght necessary (and that was this) Bytwene the frenche kynge & the kynge of Almayne of longe tyme there had ben ordynaunces made bytwene them / and that was / that none of them shulde entre with any army in to any of their neyghbours landes / nor the [Page cliii] frenche kynge to make no warre agaynst the kynge of Almayne / nor he agaynst the kynge / on payne to ryn in the sentence of holy church. and therto they were bounde and solempely sworne the day of their coronacyon / to the en­tente to kepe their realmes in peace and reste. wherfore than it was aduysed that if the kyng shulde go this voyage in to Guerles (the whi­che is holden of the kynge of Almayne) that fyrst he and his counsayle shulde suffycyently informe the kyng of Almayne / howe the duke of Guerles had shamefully defyed the frenche kynge / with fell wordes / out of the style and vsage that lordes are wonte to dfye eche o­ther in warre. and to the entente to cause the duke to denye his dede / and to repente hym / The frenche kynge wyll come in to Almayne / nat agaynst the kyng of Almayne nor his sig­nory / but agaynst his enemye / and to seke him out where so euer he can fynde hym. To go on this message was charged syr Guy of Han­corte / a ryght sage and dyscrete knyght / and with hym one of the maysters of the parlya­ment / called mayster yues Orient. These two were called before the counsayle and charged to go this voyage to the kynge of Almayne / and they were well informed what they shuld do and say.thus they departed and toke their waye by Chalous in Champayne / and rode with a good trayne lyke notable persons / am­bassadours fro the Frenche kynge. And they founde the lorde of Coucy at Chalous / who lay there and retayned knyghtes and squiers of Barre / Lorayne / and Champayne / to go in that voyage with hym in the vowarde. He made to these ambassadours good chere / and made theym a great dyner at their lodgynge / and the nexte daye they departed and rode to­wardes saynte Menehont / and towardes the coūtrey of Lusenburgh / there to here certayne tydynges of the kynge of Almayne.

WHyle these frenche ambassadours wente to speke with the kyng of Almayne / in y ^e meane tyme the french men lette nat styll to make their prouysions / and commaundement gyuen / euery manne to be in the felde by the myddes of Au­guste / in Champayne or there aboute / for the kynge wolde be redy by that tyme they wolde nat tary for any aunswere fro the kynge of Al­mayn. Than the frenche kyng and his vncles thought it good that the duke of Bretaygne shulde departe home. He was sente for to the kynge / to Monstreuell faulte you / and there he had good chere of the kyng and of the duke of Burgoyne / and of the duke of Tourayne / for as than the duke of Berrey was nat there / he was in his owne countrey assemblyge men togyder / and had sente his cōmaundement in to Poyctou to knyghtes & squyers there / that they shulde drawe in to the felde. The kynge and the duke of Burgoyne treated amyable the duke of Bretaygne / and shewed hym no­thyng but loue. ye haue herde here before how the duke had rendred agayne to the constable his thre castels / and the towne of Iugon / but as for the hundred thousande frankes that he had receyued / he was lothe to rendre them a­gayne / for he axed alowaunce for suche prouy­syons as he had made / and fortifyenge of his garysons / castels / and townes / and retayning of men of warre / and kepynge theym all the wynter / for he thought to haue had warre. but the kyng and his counsayle fedde hym with so swete pleasaunte wordes / that fynally he was agreed to pay agayne the hundred thousande frankes in fyue yere .xx. thousande euery yere tyll it were paied. Than the duke of Bretayne departed ryght amyably / and the kynge gaue hym many fayre iouels. And so he returned to Parys / and there the duke of Burgoyn made hym a great dyner / and there they toke leaue eche of other. Thanne the duke of Bretaygne payed for all his dyspenses / and toke the waye to Estampes / & rode through Beaulce to Bo­gency on y ^e ryuer of Loyre / and there his men wente on before and passed through the coun­treys of Bloys / Mayne / Thourayne / Aniou / and entred in to Bretayne / but the duke hym selfe had redy at Boygēcy his nauy / and there he entred into a fayre shyp / and with hym the [Page] lorde Mountforde & the lorde of Malestroit / and so sayled downe the ryuer of Loyre / and passed vnder the bridge of Bloys / and so went a longe the ryuer to Naūtes in his owne countrey. ¶Nowe let vs leaue to speke of the duke of Bretayne / and as farre as I coulde here he helde well the couenaunte made bytwene the frenche kynge and hym / and dyd nothyng af­ter to be remembred tyll I closed this boke / I can nat tell what he wyll do herafter / if he do I shall speke therof acordyng as I shall knowe. Nowe I wyll retourne to the frenche kynge / who prepared for his iourney in to Guerles.

Whan y ^e lorde of Coucy was cōe to the kyng to Monstreau / he shewed the kyng & his counsayle howe he had sped / and howe that all the knyghtes & squyers in Bare / in Lourayne / in Burgoin / & to the riuers of Ryne and Some were redy to go with hym. the kyng had ther­of gret ioy / & sayd by the grace of god he wold the same yerese his cosyns the duke of Iuliers and Guerles. Fyrste they determyned whiche way they shulde take / for the surest & way shortest (some sayd) y ^t the ryght way was to go by Thyreashe and to passe by the fronter of Haynalt / and of Liage / & to passe through Brabāt / and so to entre in to Guerles / and to passe the ryuer of Meuse at Trecte / and so to entre into the lande of Iuliers and fro thence in to Guerles. Of this determynacion the kynge and his counsayle wrote to the duches of Brabant and to the countrey / shewnge them the waye that the french kynge purposed to kepe. It pleased ryght well the duches / but the countrey wolde nat agre therto but sayd howe the kynge and the frēchmen shulde haue no passage that way for it shulde be greatly to their domage. The good townes and the knyghtes of Brabante were of y ^e opynyon / and sayd to their lady the duches / that if she cōsented to suffre the frenche men to entre into her countrey / they wolde neuer ayde nor socoure her agaynst the duke of Guerles / but surely they sayd they wolde close their townes / and go and defende their landes against y ^e frenchmen / sayeng howe they shuld lese more by their passinge through their countrey / than if their enemies were in the myddes therof. whan the duches parceyued the wylles and ententes of the people / aswell knightes as other / she sawe no remedy / but to dyssymule the mater. than she charged sir Iohan Orpen and syr Iohan of Graue / and Nycholas de la Money / to go in to Fraunce to speke with the frenche kyng & with the duke of Burgoyn / to excuse the countrey of Brabant / that he shuld nat take his voyage that waye / for they of the countrey thinke they shuld be sore greued and distroyed if he shulde passe through their countrey / and she cōmaunded them to saye / that as for herselfe she coude be well content therwith / and had done all that she coulde that it myght so haue ben. They acordynge to their ladyes mynde departed fro Brusels & rode towardes Parys / and dyd so moche by their iourneys that they came to Moustreau fault yon / where the kynge and his vncles were / and there was nothynge spoken of / but of their goynge in to Guerles. The duchesse ambassadours fyrste came to y ^e duke of Burgoyne / and shewed him their letters and their message. And he at the request of his aunte was meane to the kynge and to his counsayle / and also the lorde of Coucy dyd what he myght. In so moche that their firste purpose as passynge through Brabant to entre in to Guerles was broken / and the duches and the countrey excused. Than it was aduysed that they shuld go along the realme / whiche way they sayd was moste honourable for the kynge / and also for the brabansoys / burgonyons sauoysyns / and other.

THan it was cōcluded / and such named as shulde go in vowarde. There were ordeyned a .xxv. hundred hewers of woodes / hedgers & dykers / to make playne the wayes. The frenche men had way good ynough tho­rough the realme tyll they came to Ardayne. Than their good wayes began to fayle / than they founde hygh wodes dyuers and sauage / and walles / rockes / & mountaynes. These py­oners were sente before the vangarde with a thousande speares / to aduyse the best passage for the kyng and for the hoost / and for their caryage / wherof they had a .xii. M. cartes be­syde other caryages / and they to hewe downe the hygh wodes of Ardane and to make them playn / and to make newe wayes where neuer none was before / nor no man passed that way. Euery man toke great payne to do their dylygence / and specyally suche as were aboute the kynge / for they had neuer so great affection to go in to Flaūders / as they had than to go into Guerles. and the lorde of Coucy was sent to A [...]gnon / to hym that called hym selfe pope Clement / I knowe nat for what cause / & the [Page cliiii] vicount of Meaulx / sir Iohan Roy / and the lorde de la Bone / had the goueruaūce of his men tyll he retourned agayne.

Nowe let vs somwhat speke of sir Guy of Hācourt & of maister yues Orient who were sent to the kynge of Almayne. They rode so long that they came to Cōualence where the kyng was. And whan they hadde refresshed thē they went towardes the kyng / who was enformed of their cōmyng before: and he had great desyre to know what entent they came for. He assembled his counsayle / & than these two lordes came before the kyng of Almayn and curtessy dyd salute hym & delyuerd their letters of credēce fro the french kyng. y ^e kyng toke & reed them / & than regarded thē & said. sir Guy / shewe forthe your charge / y ^e knyght spake ryght sagely & by great leysar: & she­wed the kyng & his coūsaile how the frenche kyng w ^t his army royall wyll come in to the frōters of Almayne / nat to make any warre agaynst hym / but agaynst his enemy y ^e duke of Guerles / who had highly defied the kyng their maister with shamfull wordes / & out of the style of all other defyaūces / y ^e whiche the frenche kyng nor his coūsaile can in no wyse suffre. Wherfore sir ꝙ they / the kyng requy­reth you / as ye be a noble king & of his blode and he of yours / as all y ^e worlde knoweth: y ^t ye wyll nat sustayne / ayde nor mentayne the pride of this duke: but ye to holde y ^e aliances and cōfyrmacions sōtyme done & sworne by­twene thempire of Almayne & the realme of Fraūce y ^e whiche he wyll fermly kepe on his ꝑte: Than y ^e kyng answered & said. sir Guy we are enformed y ^t our cosyn the frēche kyng wyll assemble togider great nōbre of people He neded nat for so smal a mater to assemble suche people / & to spende so moche to seke his ennemy so farr of / for if he had desired me / w ^t lesse trauayle I coude well haue caused y ^e duke of Guerles to hame cōe to mercy & reason. sir ꝙ the knight / we thanke you y ^t it pleaseth you to say so / but the kyng our maister regardeth but lytell his expenses nor trauell of his men / but he regardeth his honour / & to this his coūsaile is agreed. & syth y ^t you nor your coūsayle is nat myscontent with our maister (who wyll in no wyse violate nor breke y ^e or­dinaūces & confirmaciōs of olde tyme made bitwene y ^e two realmes of Fraūce & almain) but kepe & mentayne it / on the paynes y ^e is ordayned / therfore sir we be sent nowe to you. Well ꝙ the kyng I beleue you well. & as for our cosyn y ^e frenche kyng shalbe welcome in to these ꝑtes / as forme I thynke nat to styrre Ther w ^t the messāgers were ryght ioyous / & thought they had sped very well. thā they desyred to haue letts agayne / y ^e kyng said they shulde haue. That day they taryed & dyned with the kynge & had good chere / & after dy­ner they wente to their lodgynges. Wherto shulde I make long ꝓcesse / they sped so well that they had letters & suche answere as pleased thē well. Than they toke leaue of y ^e kyng of Almayne / & retourned the same way they came. Nowe let vs speke of the frēche kyng.

TO accōplyshe this vyage / euery lorde in Fraūce aꝑelled thē selfe of euery thyng nedefull. y ^e lordꝭ / knightes & squiers / & other men of warre departed fro thir owne places / as well fro Auergne / couergne / quer­cy / lymosyn / poytou / & xaynton: as fro Bre­tayne / normādy / aniou / tourayn / & chāpayn / and fro all the lymitaciōs of y ^e realme of Frā ce. Fewest men came out of fardest coūtreis and y ^e most nōbre out of Burgoyn / picardy / bare / & lorayne. & bicause they of the body of Fraūce were in the waye / therfore they were best trauelled. It was ordayned by y ^e kyng & his coūsayle / y ^t no man shulde take any thyg in y ^e coūtre w ^tout payeng therfore / to thēcent that y ^e pore men shulde nat be greued. but for all y ^t ordinaūce / y ^e whiche was well knowen and sprede abrode / & vpon payne of great punissyon. yet the men of warre ofte tymes sore trauelled y ^e coūtries as they passed through / they coude nat absteyne / for they were but y­uell payde of their wages / and they must ne­des lyue. That was their excuse whan they were blamed for their pyllage by the consta­ble / marshalles / or capitaynes. The erle of [Page] Bloyes was sente vnto / to sende two hun­dred speares of chosen men / and was promysed well to be payde. I can nat saye howe he was dalte with all / but he sente to serue the kynge two hundred speares / out of the countie of Bloyes. And capitayns of them was / the lorde of Vyenne / sir Guyllyam of saynt Martyne / sir Wyllyam of Chaumont / and the lorde Montigny: these foure had the go­uernaunce of the erle of Bloys bande. They drewe lytell and lytell towardes Chāpayne thyder they were ordayned to go. Than the Frenche kynge departed from Moustreau Faulte yon / and tooke the waye to Chalous in Champayne. As than the duke of Berrey was nat come / for or his departyng he loked to here tidynges fro sir Helyon of Lignacke whom he had sente to the duke of Lancastre to Bayon / to haue to his wyfe y ^e dukes doghter: as ye haue herde before. But he had her nat / For the duke of Lancastre dissymuled with hym / and helde styll the knyght with hym at Bayon. He treated with two parties but he rather enclyned to the kynge of Ca­style than to the duke of Berrey / and in lyke wyse so dyde the lady Custaunce his wyfe. The duke made good chere to bothe parties to the entent to enflame them the soner to the maryage of his doughter. The kyng of Ca­styls messangers sore traueyled in treatyng of this maryage: They rested nat to ryde in and out bytwene the parties: They offered great gyftes to those messangers / but they of fred nothynge to sir Helyon of Lignacke. Whan it was knowen in y ^e realme of Fraūce that the kyng was at Chalous on his waye towardes the duchy of Guerles / than euery man departed fro their houses and drewe after the kyng. Than came the duke of Berrey and lodged at Espinay / and the duke of Burbone at another place / the erle of Marche / y ^e erle Dolphyn of Auergne / the erle of saynt Pole / and the erle of Tourayne. And with the kynge was the duke of Burgoyne / the duke of Lorayne / the duke of Tourayne / the constable of Fraunce / sir Guye of Tremoile sir Iohan of Beull: And the countrey about Chalous and Raynes / more than .xii. leages all about was clene eaten vp with the men of warre. As than the lorde of Coucy was nat retourned fro the pope: Than retourned sir Wyllyam of Hācourt and mayster yues Orient / and founde the kynge and his vncles at Chalous. The kyng was ioyouse of their cō myng and demaunded tidynges. They she­wed the kyng what they had founde & done / and sayd howe the kynge of Almaygne had made them good chere / and said to the kyng. Sir / whan the kyng had reed the copye of y ^e defyaunce that the duke of Guerles had sent to you / bothe he and his coūsayle were yuell cōtent therwith: and sayd howe it was done by great presūpcyon and pride. And we can parceyue none other / but he and his coūsaile is well content with your enterprice / and ye shall haue no let by hym: & the kynge is well content to vpholde and maynteyne the auncient alyaūces that is bytwene the empyre and Fraūce: he saythe ye shall haue no dout ther of. Herof the Frēche kyng was right ioyfull howe be it some sayd / that wheder the kynge of Almayne wolde or nat / the kyng had puis­saunce suffycient to do what he wolde with­out daūger / for all him. than the kyng ordey­ned to departe fro Chalous in Champayn / & so deꝑted & toke his way right to great Pre.

Whan the kynge came to great Pre he ta­ried ther a thre dayes / he coude make no gret iourneys / there was so moche people before hym and behynde / and rounde about hym / so that he was constrayned to ryde easely to haue good lodgyng / and bicause of the great ꝓuisyon that folowed after the hoost. Fro the first company to the last cōtayned .xxiiii. lea­ges of that countrey / & styll dayly came peo­ple. Therle of great Pre receyued the kynge in to his towne and countre / and offred all at the kynges pleasure. The kyng was well cō tent with hym / & therle was apoynted to the vantgard. Thyder came to the kyng y ^e duke of Lorayne & sir Henry of Bare / with a faire company of men of armes. The duke of Lo­raine was ordayned to be with his sonne the lorde of Coucy / & sir Henry of Bare to abide with the kyng. the pioners were sore besyed in the forest of Ardane / to cutte downe wode and to make wayes where neuer non was before. they had great payne to fyll the valeys to make the waye playne for the caryage to passe. There were a thre. M. that dyde no­thyng els. Whan y ^e duches of Brabāt knewe surely howe the kyng was on his waye / and approched the foreste of Ardayne / she was [Page clv] therof ryght ioyfull / for she thought at that voyage she shulde be well reuenged of the duke of Guerles / & howe the Frenche kyng shulde bring hym to reason. And also his fa­ther the duke of Iulyers / who had done to her many anoyaunces: Than she departed fro Bruselles / and in her company the erle of Sammes in Ardain / the lorde of Bocelairs and dyuers other / and toke her waye to Lu­senbourge to se the kynge and to speke with hym. She passed y ^e ryuer of Meuse and the ryuer of Huy / and at laste came to Bascon­que and there taryed the kynge / for he shulde passe therby / and so he dyde: For whan he departed Graunt Pre / he passed the Ryuer of Meuse at Morsay with all his hoost / & rode small iourneys. Than tidynges came in to the duchy of Iulyers and in to Guerles / that the Frenche kynge was cōmynge on them / with a hundred thousande men: And that he had neuer so moche people toguyder before. He was nat so great a company whanne he came to Burboure / where he thought the Englysshe army had ben gretter than he founde theym. The duke of Iulyers than began to dout / but the duke of Guerles made nothing therof / but sayde. Lette them come / the fur­ther they come the more weryer shall they be and they and their caryages shall waxe feble and their prouisyons shall waste and wyn­ter shall drawe on / and I am in a stronge countrey. They shall nat entre at their ease. They shall recule backe somtyme otherwise than by the sowne of the trumpettes / and it shall behoue them to be alwayes toguyder / which they can nat be / if they wyll entre in to my coūtre: And if they disrought and be out of ordre / they shall soone be taken vp whe­der they wyll or nat. Howe be it to saye the trouthe quod the duke / our cosyn of Fraūce is of a good corage: he sheweth and dothe as I shulde do. Thus the duke of Guerles de­uysed amonge his knyghtes / but the duke of Iulyers was sore abasshed / for he sawe well the French kynge wolde his lande were but brente and loste. Than he toke counsayle of his brother the Archebysshoppe of Colonge and of his cosyn the bysshop. Leage / sir Ar­nolde of Hornes / howe he shulde do to saue his lande fro brennyng and exylyng. These two prelates counsayled hym and sayd. how it must nedes behoue hym to hūble hym selfe to the Frenche kynge and to his vncles. The duke sayde / he was well content so to do. ⸫ ⸫

THan by the counsayle of the bysshoppe of Trect and by the aduyse of the bysshoppe of Colonge / y ^e bysshoppe of Laege was sente to the French kynge to treate for y ^e duke of Iu­lyers. The kynge approched / but he passed nat two or thre leages a daye / for his trayne was great bytwene Morsay and oure lady of Amount / where as the duke of Berey and all his route / with mo than fyue hundred speres was lodged. Thyder came to the duke of Berrey sir Helyon of Lignacke / and sir Wyllyam his brother. Sir Wyllyam came fro the siege before Vanchadore / for the duke had sente for hym / and the duke of Burbone had sente for sir Iohan Boesme launce. and they had lefte styll at the siege all their com­panyes / and had lefte for capitaynes sir Io­han Butlere and sir Loyes Dambier: And sir Helyon of Lignacke came out of Gascon fro Bayon / fro the duke of Lancastre. The duke of Berrey made hym good chere / and demaunded tidynges. Sir Helyon shewed hym and sayd. Sir / the kyng of Castyle se­keth on the duke of Lancastre to haue peace with hym / and treateth sore to haue his sone the prince of Wales / to marry with the du­kes doughter. With that worde the duke of Berrey was pensyfe and sayd. Sir Helion / yet I shall sende you ones agayne to knowe [Page] more certayne / and the bysshoppe of Poy­cters with you / but as at this tyme we haue ynoughe to do. Also the same weke the lorde of Coucy retourned fro Auygnon and came to the kyng to Ardane / euery man was glad of his cōmynge.

yE haue herde here before / howe kyn­ge Richarde of Englande had some trouble: He agaynst his vncles / and his vncles agaynst hym / with other dyuers incydentes / as by the duke of Irelande and other / and many knyghtes in Englāde deed and beheeded / and the archebysshop of yorke brother to the lorde Neuell was at a poynte to haue loste his benefyce. And by the newe counsaylers about the kyng / and by the arch bysshoppe of Caunterbury: the lorde Ne­uell (who had ben the chiefe ruler and kepar of the fronters of Northumberlande agayst the scottes fyue yeres togyder) was as than put out of wages. He had before euery yere sixtene thousande frankes / out of the countie of yorke and bysshoprike of Durham. And there was sette in his stede the lorde Henry Percye / and he hadde to wages by the yere but a .xi. thousande Frankes. Wherof other lordes of his lygnage / thoughe they were of his kynne / yet they hadde therat great enuy and indignacyon one agaynst another: And all this knewe ryght well the scottes. Than the lordes and knyghtes of Scotlande de­termyned ones agayne to reyse vp an army / and to make a iourney in to Englande. they sayde it was as than good tyme and houre / for they sawe the Englysshmen were nat all of one accorde. And where as often tymes past / they had receyued great buffettes / than they sayd it was good tyme for them to be reuenged. And to the entent that their purpose shulde nat be knowen / they ordayned a feest to be holden on the fronter of the wylde scot­tes / at a cytie called Berdane / where assem­bled in maner all the lordes of Scotlande. At this feest they concluded and made full promyse / that in the myddes of August / the yere of our lorde god / a thousande thre hun­dred fourscore ano eight / They shulde mete all with their puyssaunce on the fronters of Gales / at a castell in the hyghe forest called Gedeours. Thus at that tyme they depar­ted eche fro other. And of this couenaūt there was none of them that made their kyng pri­uy therto / For they sayd amonge themselfe / their kyng was no manne of warre. There came to Gedeours at the day apoynted. first the erle Iames Duglas / sir Iohan of Mo­rette / erle of Marche and or Donbare / sir Wyllyam de Fu / and sir Stephyn Erle of Monstres / sir Aucebauce of Duglas / sir Robert Auerceque / sir Marke Odremneu / sir Wyllyam Lymsey / & sir Iames his brother / Thomas of Berry / sir Alysaunder Lymsey / the lorde of Sechyn / sir Iohan of Sobelas sir Patryke of Dōbare / sir Iohn̄ Senclere / sir Patryke of Hoteborne / sir Iohan sonne to y ^e lorde Momogomercy / sir Adam of glas diuyn / sir Wyllyam Reduryn / sir Wyllyam Stonacke / sir Iohn̄ of Halpe breton / sir Alider / and sir Robert Lander / sir Stephyn freseyle / sir Alysander Ramsey and sir Iohan his brother / sir Wyllm̄ Morbereth / sir Maubert Here / sir Wylliam of Waleran / sir Iohn̄ Amonstan / and Dauy his sonne / Robert Colemney / and dyuers other knightes and squiers of Scotlande. In threscore yere before there was nat assembled toguyder in Scot­lande suche a nombre of good mē / they were a .xii. hūdred speares and .xl. thousande men besyde with their archers: but ī tyme of nede the scottes can lytell skyll with their bowes. They rather beare axes / wherwith they gy­ue great strokes.

WHan they were thus mette togyder in the marchesse of Gedeours they were mery / and sayd / they wolde neuer entre againe in to their owne houses tyll they had ben in Englande and done suche dedes there / that it shulde be spoken of .xx. yere after. And to the entent to make sure poynt­ment / they assigned a daye to mete at a chur­che in a fayre laūde called zedon. Tidynges came in to Northumberlande (as nothynge can be hydde if men putte to their dilygence to knowe) bothe to therle and to his chyldrē / to the seneschall of yorke / and to sir Mathue Redman capitayne of Berwike / of this gret feest that had ben at Bredane. And to thērent to knowe wherfore it was / these lordes sente to sertche couertly by heraudes & mynstrels. The scottes coude nat do their maters so se­crerly / but y ^e lordes of Englāde knewe howe men rose in scotlāde / & how they shulde mete [Page clvi] agayne at Gedeours. Brute of this came to Newcastell vpontyne: And whan the lordes knewe of this / euery man toke good hede to his charge / and prouyded them selfe redy to assemble if nede were / and this they dyde se­cretly / bycause their enterprice shulde nat be broken. Euery man helde hym selfe in their owne houses / and were determyned to mete toguyder / as soone as they knewe that the scottes came forwarde and sayd. If the scot­tes come forthe we shall haue knowlege therof / If they drawe towardꝭ Carlyle we shall entre at another parte in to their countrey / and we shall do them more dommage than they can do vs / for their countrey is all open. We maye go where we lyst / and our countre is strong / and the townes and castelles well closed. And the better to knowe the state of the scottes / they sent a gentylman of Englā ­de / who knewe ryght well the marchesse of Scotlande / and specially the forest of Gede­ours where y ^e scottes shulde assemble. And the Englisshe squyer went so forwarde / that without espyeng he came to the churche of zedon / where the scottyss he lordes were. And he encred in amonge them lyke one of their seruauntes / and there he herde and knewe a great parte of thententes of the scottes. and at thende of their counsayle the squyer went to a tree where he hadde tyed his horse / and thought to haue foūde him there / but he was gone. for a scotte (who be great theues) had stollen hym awaye. He durste nat speke for hym / but so went forthe a fote boted and spurted. And whan he was gone fro the churche two bowe shotte / than there were two scot­tyss he knyghtes deuysed bytwene them selfe and sayd one to another. felowe / I haue sene a marueyle / beholde yonder a man gothe a­lone / and as I thynke he hath lost his horse / for he came by and spake no worde / I wene he be none of our company / lette vs ryde af­ter hym to proue my sayeng. They rode af­ter hym and soone ouertoke hym. Whan̄e he sawe them cōmynge / he wolde gladly haue ben thens. They came to hym and demaun­ded whether he wolde and from whens he came / and what he had done with his horse. He began to varry in his sayeng / and answered nat directely to their purpose. They tur­ned hym / and sayde he shulde go and speke with their lordes. They brought hym again to the churche of zedon / and presented hym to the erle Duglas and to other lordes: they examyned hym and parceyued well he was an Englysshe man. Than they sayde they wolde knowe the trouthe why he came thy­der. He was yuell wyllynge to shewe the trouthe / but they handled hym in suche wise / that he was fayne to shewe all the mater / for they bare hym in hande / withoute he wolde shewe the trouthe / incōtynent he shulde lese his heed: and if he wolde shewe the trouthe / he shulde haue none yuell. There they knew by hym that the lordes of Northumberlande had sente hym thyder: to knowe the estate of their ent̄price / and whiche waye they wolde drawe. Herof the scottes were right ioyous / and wolde nat for a great good / but that they had spoken with this squyer. Than they de­maunded agayne of hym / in what parte the Englysshe lordes were / and whyder there were any aparence that they wolde assemble toguyder / and what way [...] they wolde take to entre in to Scotlande: Outher by the see syde by Berwyke / or els by Donbare: or els the highe waye by the countie of Monstres towarde Streuelyn. The squyer answered and sayde. Sirs / sithe it behoueth me to say the trouthe I shall.

Whan I departed from them fro Newca­stell there was none aparence of their assemblyng / but they be on a redynesse to departe / as well to daye as to morowe. And as soone as they knowe that ye set forwarde and entre in to Englande / they wyll nat come to mete with you / for they be nat of y ^e power so to do / nor to fyght with you / sythe ye be so great a nombre / as it is sayd in Englande that ye be. Why quod the erle of Moret: what nombre do they repute vs at? Sir quod he it is sayd howe ye be a .xl. thousande men and .xii. hun­dred speares. And sir / if ye take the waye in to Gales they wyll go by Berwike / and so to Donbare / to Edenborome / or els to Alquest. and if ye take nat that waye than they wyll go by Carlyle / and in to the mountayns of y ^t countrey. Whan the lordes herde that / eche of them regarded other. Than the Englysshe squyer was putte to the kepyng of the Con­stable of Gedeours / and cōmaunded that he shulde be surely kepte: than in the same place they wente agayne to counsayle.

[Page] THe lordes of Scotlande were ryght ioyfull of that they knewe surely the entent of their ennemyes / and than they de­maunded counsayle what waye was best for them to take. The moost wysest and best ex­perte in warre spake fyrst / and that was sir Archanbas Duglas and therle of Fenne / sir Alysander Ramsey / sir Iohan Saynt clere / and sir Iames Lymsey: They sayd for feare of faylynge of our entent / we counsayle that we make two armyes / to the entente that our ennemyes shall nat knowe whervnto to at­tende. And lette the moost parte of our hoost and caryage go by Carleon in Galles / and lette the other company (of a thre or four hū ­dred speares and two thousāde of other well horsed) drawe towardes Newcastell vpon Tyne / and passe the ryuer and entre in to the bysshorike of Durham / and burne and exyle the countrey. We shall make a great breull in Englande or our ennemyes be prouyded / And if wese that they do folowe vs (as they wyll do) Than lette vs drawe all oure com­panyes toguyder / and take a good place and fyght with them. We doute nat but we shall haue honoure. Than lette vs be reuenged of the dommages they haue done to vs. This counsayle was accepted / and ordayned that sir Archanbas Duglas / therle of Fenne / the erle of Surlancke / the erle of Monstres / the erle of Mare / therle of Astroderne / sir Ste­phyn of Freseyle / sir George of Donbare / and sirtene other great lordes of Scotlande shulde lede the moost parte of the armye to­wardes Carlyle. And the erle Duglas / sir Orge erle of Mare and of Donbare / and the erle Iohan of Morette. These thre to be ca­pitaynes of thre hundred speares of chosen men / and of two thousande other men and archers / and they to go towardes Newca­stell and entre in to Northūberlande. Thus these two hoostes departed eche from other / eche of them prayenge other / that if the En­glysshmen folowed any of their armyes / nat to fyght with them / tyll bothe their armyes were ioyned toguyder. Thus in a mornyng they departed fro Gedeours and toke the feldes. ⸪

WHan̄e the Englysshe lordes sawe that their squier retourned at agayne / at the tyme apoynted / & coud knowe nothynge what the scottes dyd / nor what they were purposed to do / than they thought well y ^e their squyer was taken. The lordꝭ sent eche to other to be redy whan soeuer they shulde here that the scottꝭ were a brode / as for their messanger they thought hym but lost. ¶Nowe lette vs speke of the erle Duglas and other / for they had more to do than they that wente by Carlyle.

Whan the erles of Duglas / of Moret / of de la Mare / and Donbare departed fro the great hoost: they toke their waye / thynkyng to passe the water / and to entre in to the bys­shoprike of Durham / and to ryde to y ^e towne and than to retourne / brinnyng and exyling the countrey / and so to come to Newcastell / and to lodge there in the towne in the dispite of all the Englysshe men. And as they determyned so so they dyde assaye to putte it in vre / for they rode a great pase vnder couert / with out doyng of any pyllage by the waye / or as­sautyng of any castell / towre / or house: But so came in to the lorde Percyes lande & pas­sed the ryuer of Tyne without any let / a thre leages aboue Newcastell nat farre fro Braspathe / and at last entred in to the bisshoprike of Durham / where they founde a good countrey. Than they beganne to make warre / to slee people and to brinne vyllages / and to do many sore displeasures. As at that tyme the erle of Northumberlande and the other lor­des and knyghtes of that countrey knewe nothyng of their cōmyng. Whan tidynges cāe to Newcastell and to Durham / that the scot­tes [Page clvii] were abrode / and that they myght well se by the fiers and smoke abrode in the countrey. The erle sente to Newcastell his two sonnes / and sente commaundemente to euery man to drawe to Newcastell / sayenge to his sonnes. ye shall go to Newcastell and all the countrey shall assemble there / and I shall tary at Ny­myche / whiche is a passage that they muste passe by / if we may enclose them we shall spede well. Sir Henry Percy and syr Rafe his bro­ther obeyed their fathers cōmaundement / and came thyder with them of the countrey. The scottes rode burnynge and exylynge the countrey / that the smoke therof came to Newe ca­stell. The scottes came to the gates of Dur­ham and skrymysshed there / but they taryed nat longe / but returned as they had ordeyned before to do / and that they founde by the waye toke and distroyed it. Bytwene Durham and Newcastell is but twelue leages englyssh and a good countrey. There was no towne with­out it were closed / but it was brente / and they repassed the Ryuer of Tyne / where they had passed before / & than came before Newcastell / and there rested. All the Englysshe knyghtes and squyers of the countrey of yorke and bys­shoprike of Durham were assēbled at Newe­castell / and thyder came the seneschall of yorke sir Rafe Mombraye / syr Rafe Redmayne ca­pytayne of Berwyke / sir Roberte Angle / syr Thomas Grey / sir Thomas Holcon / sir Io­han Felton / syr Iohan Lyerborne / syr Tho­mas Abyton / the baron of Helcon / sir Iohan Copuldyke & dyuers other / so that the towne was so full of people that they wyst nat where to lodge.

WHan these thre scottysshe erles (who were chyefe capytaynes) had made their enterprise in the bysshoprike of Durham / and had sore ouer rynne the coun­trey / than they retourned to Newcastell / and there rested and taryed two dayes / and euery day they skrymysshed. The erle of Northum­berlandes two sonnes were two yonge lusty knyghtes / and were euer formaste at the bar­ryers to skrymysshe. There were many pro­per feates of armes done and archyued / there was fyghtynge hande to hande (Amonge o­ther) there fought hande to hande the erle Duglas and sir Henry Percy / and by force of ar­mes the erle Duglas wanne the penon of syr Henry Percyes / wherwith he was sore dys­pleased / and so were all the englysshmen / and the erle Duglas sayd to sir Henry Perey. syr / I shall beare this token of your prowes in to Scotlande / and shall sette it on hyghe on my castell of Alquest / that it may be sene farre of. Syr quod sir Henry / ye maye be sure ye shall nat passe the boundes of this countrey tyll ye be met withall / in such wyse that ye shall make none auaunte therof. Well syr ꝙ the erle Du­glas / come this nyght to my lodgynge and seke for your penon / I shall sette it before my lodgynge / and se if ye wyll come to take it a­way. As than it was late and the scottes with­drewe to their lodginges / and refresshed them with such as they had they had fleshe ynough. They made that nyght good watche / for they thought surely to be a waked / for the wordes they hadde spoken / but they were nat: For syr Henry Percy was counsayled nat soo to do. The nexte day the scottes dyslodged and re­turned towardes their owne countrey / and so came to a castell and a towne called Pouclan / wherof (ser) Haymon of Alphell was lorde / who was a ryght good knyght. There the scottes rested / for they came thyder by tymes / and vnderstode that the knyght was in his Castell. Than they ordeyned to assayle the castell and gaue a great assaute / so that by force of armes they wan it / and the knyght within it. Than the towne and castell was brent / and fro thens the Scottes wente to the towne and castell of Combur / and eyght englysshe myle fro Newe castell and there lodged. That day they made none assaut / but the next mornyng they blewe their hornes / and made redy to assayle the ca­stell whiche was stronge / for it stode in the maresse. That daye they assauted tyll they were wery / and dyd nothynge. Than they sowned the retrayte / and retourned to their lodgyng. Than the lordes drewe to counsayle to deter­myne what they shulde do. The moste parte were of the acorde that the next day they shuld dyssoge without gyuynge of any assaute / and to drawe fayre and easly towardes Carlyle. but therle Duglas brake that counsayle / and sayd. in dispyte of sir Henry Percy (who sayd he wolde come and wynne agayne his penon) let vs nat departe hence for two or thre dayes / lette vs assayle this castell / it is prignable? we shall haue double honour? and than lette vs se if he wyll come and fetche his penon / he shall [Page] be well defended. Euery man acorded to his sayeng / what for their honour and for the loue of hym. Also they lodged there at their ease / for there was none that troubled theym / they made many lodgynges of bowes and great herbes / and fortityed their campe sagely with the maresse that was therby / and their carya­ges were sette at the entre in to the maresses / and had all their beestes within the maresse. Than they aparelled for to saute the next day / this was their entensyon.

NOwe lette vs speke of sir Henry Percy and of sir Rafe his brother / and shewe some what that they dyd. They were sore dys­pleased that therle Duglas had wonne the penon of their armes also it touched gretly their honours if they dyd nat as syr Henry Percy sayd he wolde. For he had sayd to the erle Duglas that he shulde nat cary his penon out of Englande / and also he had openly spoken it be fore all the knyghtes and squiers that were at Newcastell. The englysshmen there thought surely that therle Duglas bande was but the scottes vangarde / and that their hoost was lefte behynde. The knyghtes of the countrey suche as were well experte in armes / spake a­gaynst sir Henry Percyes opinyon / and sayd to hym. Syr / there fortuneth in warre often tymes many losses / if the Erle Duglas haue wonne your penon / he bought it dere / for he came to the gate to seke it / and was well bea­ten / Another day ye shall wynne as moche of hym or more. Syr / we saye this bycause we knowe well all the power of Scotlande is abrode in the feldes / and if we issue out and be nat men ynowe to fyght with them / and peraduenture they haue made this skrimysshe with vs / to the entent to drawe vs out of the towne / and the nombre that they be of as it is sayd / aboue. xl. thousande men / they maye soone in­close vs / and do with vs what they wyll. yet it were better to lese a penon / than two or thre hundred knyghtes and squyers / and put all our countrey in aduenture. These wordes re­frayned syr Henry and his brother / for they wolde do nothynge agaynst counsayle. Than tydynges came to theym by suche as had sene the Scottes / and sene all their demeanoure / and what waye they toke / and where they re­sted.

IT was shewed to sir Henry Percy & to his broder / and to the other knightes and squyers that were there by suche as had folo­wed the scottes fro Newe­castell / and had well aduy­sed their doynge / who said to sir Henry and to syr Rafe. Syrs / we haue folowed the scottes priuely / and haue discouered all the countrey. The scottes be at Pountclan / and haue taken syr Haymon Alphell in his owne castell / & fro thence they be gone to Ottenburge / and there they laye this nyght / what they wyll do to mo­rowe we knowe nat. They are ordayned to abyde there / and sirs / surely their great hoost is nat with them / for in all they passe nat there a thre thousāde men. Whan sir Henry herde that he was ioyfull and sayd. Syrs let vs leape on our horses / for by the faythe Iowe to god and to my lorde my father / I wyll go seke for my penon / and dyslodge theym this same nyght. Knyghtes and squiers that herde him agreed therto and were ioyous / and euery man made hym redy. The same euenynge the bysshop of Durham came thyder with a good company / for he herde at Durham howe the scottes were before Newcastell / and howe that the lorde Percies sonnes with other lordes and knigh­tes shulde fight with the scottes. Therfore the bysshoppe of Dutham to come to the reskewe had assembled vp all the countrey / and so was comynge to Newcastell. But sir Henry Per­cy wolde nat abyde his comynge / for he had with hym syre hundred speares knightes and squiers / and an eight thousande fotemen / they thought that sufficyent nombre to fyght with the scottes / if they were nat but thre hundred speares / & thre thousande of other. Thus they departed fro Newcastell after dyner / and set [Page clviii] forth in good ordre / and toke the same way as the scottes had gone and rode to Ottebourge a seuen lytell leages fro thence / and fayre way / but they coulde nat ryde faste bycause of their fotemen. And whan y ^e scottes had supped and some layde downe to their rest / and were wery of trauaylynge and sautynge of the castell all that day / and thought to ryse erly in the mor­nyng in cole of the day to gyue a newe assaute. Therwith sodenly the englysshmen came on them and entred in to the lodginges / wenyng it had ben the maisters lodgynges / and therin were but varlettes and seruauntes. Than the englysshmen cryed Percy Percy / and entred into the lodgynges. and ye knowe well where suche affray is / noyse is sone reysed. and it fortuned well for the scottes / for whan they sawe the englysshmen came to wake them / than the lordes sente a certayne of their seruauntes of fotemen / to skrymysshe with the englysshmen at the entre of the lodgynges / and in y ^e meane tyme they armed and aparelled them / euery man vnder his baner & vnder his capytaynes penon. The night was farre on / but the mone shone so bryght as and it had ben in a maner daye / it was in the moneth of August and the wether fayre and temperate.

THus the scottes were drawen to gyder and without any noyse departed fro their lodgynges & went aboute a lytell moun­tayne / whiche was greatly for their aduaun­tage / for all the day before they had well aduysed the place / and sayd amonge them selfe. If the englysshemen come on vs sodaynly / than we wyll do thus & thus / for it is a ioperdous thyng in the nyght / if men of warre entre into our lodgynges / if they do than we wyll drawe to suche a place / & therby outher we shall wyn or lese. Whan the englysshmen entred in to the felde / at the first they soone ouercame the var­lettes / and as they entred further in alwayes they foūde newe men to besy them and to skrymysshe with them. Than sodaynly came the scottes fro aboute the mountayne / and sette on the englysshmen or they were ware / and cryed their cryes wherof the englysshe menne were sore astonyed. Than they cryed Percy / and the other partye cryed Duglas. There began a cruell batayle / and at the fyrst encountre many were ouerthrowen of bothe partyes. And bycause the englisshmen were a great nombre and greatly desyred to vanquysshe their ene­myes / and rested at their pas and greatly dyd put a backe the scottes / so that the scottes were nere dyscomfyted. Than the erle Iames Du­glas (who was yonge & stronge / and of great desyre to gette prayse and grace / and was wyllynge to deserue to haue it / and cared for no payne nor trauayle) came forthe with his ba­ner and cryed Duglas Duglas. And sir Henry Percy and syr Rafe his brother / who had great indygnacion agaynst the erle Duglas / bycause he had wonne the penon of their ar­mes at the barryers before Newcastell / came to that parte / and cryed Percy / their two ba­ners mette and their menne / there was a sore fyght. The englysshmen were so stronge and fought so valyauntly that they reculed the scottes backe. There were two valiaunt knightes of scottes / vnder the baner of the erle Duglas called syr Patryke of Helborne and syr Pa­tryke his sonne / they acquyted them selfe that day valy auntly. the erles baner had ben won and they had nat ben / they defended it so valy­auntly / and in the rescuynge therof dyd suche feates of armes / that it was greatly to their recommendacyon / and to their heyres for euer after.

IT was shewed me by suche as had been at the same batayle / as well by knyghtes and squyers of Englande as of Scotlande / at the house of the erle of Foiz. for anone after this batayle was done I met at Ortays two squyers of Englande called Iohan of Newe­castell / and Iohan of Cauteron. also whan I retourned fro Auignon I founde also there a knyght and a squyer of Scotlande / I knewe them and they knewe me / bysuche tokens as I shewed them of their countrey / for I auctor of this boke in my youthe had rydden nygh o­uer all the realme of Scotland / and I was as than a fyftene dayes in the house of erle wyl­lyam Duglas / father to the same erle Iames of whome I spake of nowe.

In a castell a fyue leages fro Edenboro win the countrey of Alquest / the same tyme I sawe there this Erle Iames a fayre yonge chylde / and a suster of his called the lady Blaunche / and I was enfourmed by bothe these parties / how this batayle was as sore a batayle fought as lyghtly hath been harde of before of suche a [Page] nombre / and I beleue it well / for englysshmen on the one partye and scottes on the other party / are good men of warre / for whan they mete there is a harde sight without sparynge. there is no hoo bytwene them as longe as speares / swordes / ares / or dagers wyll endure / but lay on eche vpon other. and whan they be well beaten and that the one parte hath optaygned the victory / they than glorifye so in their dedes of arme [...] and are so ioyfull / that suche as be ta­ken they shall be raunsomed or they go out of the [...]elde / so that shortely eche of them is so contente with other / that at their deparrynge cur­toysly they wyll saye / god thanke you. But in fyghtynge one with another there is no playe nor sparynge / and this is trewe / and that shall well apere by this sayd rencountec / for it was as valyauntly foughten as coulde be deuysed / as ye shall here. ⸪ ⸪

KNyghtes and Squy­ers were of good corage on bothe parties to fyght valyauntly. cowardes there had no place / but hardynes rayned with goodly feates of armes / for knyghtes and squiers were so ioyned to gyder at hande stro­kes / that archers had no place of nother party. There the scottes shewed great hardynesse / and feught meryly / with great desyre of ho­nour. the englysshmen were thre to one / howe be it I say nat but englysshmen dyd nobly ac­quyte them selfe for euer the englysshmen had rather ben slayne or taken in the place / than to flye. Thus as I haue sayd the baners of Du­glas and Percy and their men / were met eche against other / enuyous who shulde wynne the honoure of that iourney. At the begynnynge the englysshemen were so stronge / that they [...]eculed backe their enemyes. Than the Erle Duglas who was of great harte and hygh of enterprise / seynge his men recule backe / than to recouer the place and to shewe knightly va­lure / he toke his are in bothe his handes and entred so in to y ^e prease / that he made hym selfe waye / in suche wyse / that none durste aproche nere hym / and he was so well armed that he bare well of suche strokes as he receyued. thus he wente euer forwarde lyke a hardy Hector / wyllynge a lone to conquere the felde / and to dyscomfyte his enemyes. But at laste he was encountred with thre speares all at ones / the one strake hym on the shulder / the other on the breste / and the stroke glented downe to his bely / and the thyrde strake hym in the thye / and sore hurte with all thre strokes / so that he was borne perforce to the erthe / and after that he coulde nat be agayne releued. Some of his knyghtes and squyers folowed hym / but nat all / for it was nyght and no lyght / but by the shynynge of the mone. the englisshmen knewe well they had borne one downe to the erth / but they wyst nat who it was / for if they had kno­wen that it had ben the erle Duglas / they had been therof so ioyfull and so prowde / that the vyctory had been theirs. Nor also the scottes knew nat of that aduenture tyll the ende of the batayle / for if they had knowen it / they shulde haue been so sore dyspayred and dyscoraged / that they wolde haue fledde awaye. Thus as the erle Duglas was felled to the erth he was striken in to the heed with an axe / and another stroke throughe the thye. The englysshe men passed for the and tooke no hede of hym / they thought none otherwyse / [...] that they hadde slayne a man of armes. On the other parte the erle George de la Ma [...]he and of Donbare fought ryght valyantly / and gaue the englissh men moche a do / and cryed folowe Duglas / and sette on the sonnes of Percy. Also Erle Iohan of Morette with his baner and men fought valyauntly / and sette fyersly on the englisshmen / and gaue them so moche to do / that they wyste nat to whome to attende. ⸫ ⸫

OF all the bataylles and en­countrynges that I haue made melicion of here before in all this hystory / great or smalle / this ba­tayle that I treate of nowe / was one of the sorest and best foughten / without co­wardes or faynte hertes. for there was nother knyght nor squyer but that dyde his deuoyre and fought hande to hande. this batayle was lyke the batayle of Bechercll / the whiche was valyauntly fought and endured. The erle of Northumberlandes sonnes / sir Henry and sir Rafe Percy / who were chefe souerayne capy­tayns acquyted them selfe nobly / and sir Rafe Percy entred in so farre amonge his enemyes that he was closed in / and hurte / and so sore handeled that his brethe was so shorte that he was taken prysoner / by a knyght of the erle of Morettes / called sir Iohan Makyrell. In the takynge the Scottysshe knyght demaunded what he was (for it was in the nyght / so that he knewe hym nat) And syr Rafe was so sore ouercome and bledde fast that at laste he sayd / I am Rafe Percy. Than the scotte sayde / syr Rafe reskewe or no reskewe I take you for my prisoner / I am Makyrell. Well quod sir Rafe I am contente / but than take hede to me / for I am sore hurte / my hosen and my greues are full of blode. Than the knyght sawe by hym the erle Moret / and sayde. Syr here I dely­uer to you syr Rafe Percy as prisoner / but sir / lette good hede be taken to hym / for he is sore hurte. The erle was ioyfull of those wordes / and sayd. Makyrell thou hast well wonne thy spurres. Than he delyuered syr Rafe Percy to certayne of his men / and they stopped and wrapped his woundes / And styll the batayle endured / nat knowynge who had as than the better / for there were many taken and reske­wed agayne / that came to no knowledge.

NOwe let vs speke of the yonge Iames erle of Duglas / who dyd maruayls in armes or he was beaten downe. Whan he was ouerthrowen the preace was great about him / so that he coulde nat releue / for with an axe he had his dethes woūde. His men folowed him as nere as they coulde / and there came to hym syr Iames Lymsey his cosyn / and syr Iohan and sir Water saynt clere / and other knyghtes and squiers / and by hym was a gentle knyght of his who folowed him all the day / and a cha­pelayne of his / nat lyke a preest / but lyke a va­lyaunt man of Armes / for all that night he fo­lowed the erle with a good are in his handes / and styll skrymysshed aboute the erle / there as he lay / and reculed backe some of the englisshe men with gret strokes that he gaue. Thus he was founde fyghtynge nere to his mayster / wherby he hadde great prayse / and therby the same yere he was made archedecon of Abre­dan. This preest was called syr Willyam of Norbernyche / he was a tall man and a hardy and was sore hurte. Whanne these knyghtes came to the Erle they founde hym in an yuell case / and a knyght of his lyenge by hym / cal­led sir Roberte Harte / he had a fyftene woun­des in one place and other. Than syr Iohan Sayncte clere demaunded of the erle howe he dyd. Ryght yuell cosyn quod therle / but than­ked be god there hath been but a fewe of myne auncytours that hathe dyed in their beddes. But cosyn / I requyre you thynke to reuenge me / for I recon my selfe but deed / for my herte faynteth often tymes / My cosyn water and you I praye you rayse vp agayne my baner / whiche lyeth on the grounde / and my squyer Dauy Collemnie slayne. But syrs / shewe no­ther to frende nor soo in what case ye seme in / for if myne enemyes knewe it they wolde re­ioyse / and our frendes discomforted. The two bretherne of Saynt clere and sir Iames Lymscy dyd as the erle hadde desyred theym / and reysed vp agayne his baner / and cryed Du­glas. Suche as were behynde and herde that crye drewe togyther and set on their enemyes valyauntly / and reculed backe the englysshe men / and many ouerthrowen / and so draue the englysshe men backe beyonde the place where as the Erle laye / who was by that tyme deed / and so came to the erles baner / the whiche syr Iohan Saynte clere helde in his handes / and many good knyghtes and squyers of Scot­lande aboute hym / and styll company drewe to the crye of Duglas. Thyder came the erle Morette with his baner well accompanyed / and also the erle de la Mare and of Don­bare. And whan they sawe the englissh men recule / and their cōpany assembled togyder / they renewed agayne the batayle / and gaue ma­ny harde and sadde strokes.

TO saye trouth the en­glysshmen were sorer tra­uayled than the scottes / for they came the same day fro Newcastell vpon Tyne / a sire englyssh myles / & went a great pase / to the entente to fynde the scottes whiche they dyd so that by their fast goynge they were nere out of brethe / and the Scottes were fresshe and well rested / which greatly auayled them / whan tyme was of their busynesse. For in the laste skrymysshe they reeuled backe the englysshemen / in suche wyse / that after that they coude no more assemble togyther / for the scottes past through their batayles. And it fortuned that sir Henry Per­cy and the lorde of Mountcombre a valyaunt knyght of Scotlande fought togyther hande to hande ryght valyauntly / without lettynge of any other for euery man had ynough to do. So longe they two fought that perforce of armes syr Henry Percy was taken prisoner by the sayde lorde of Mountcomber.

THe knyghtes & squiers of Scotlande as sir Mare Adremench / sir Thomas Auernesquyn / syr Willyam / syr Iames / and sir Alysander Lymsey / the lorde of Faulcon / for Iohan of saynte de Laur / syr Patryke of Donbare / sir Iohan and syr Water Saynte clere / sir Iohan Makyrcll sir Guystewarde / syr Iohan Halebreton syr Alysaunder Ram­sey / Roberte Colounnie and his two sonnes / Iohan and Roberte / who were there made knyghtes / and a hundred knyghtes and squy­ers that I can nat name. All these ryght valy­auntly dyd acquyte them selfe. And on the en­glysshe parte before that the lorde Percy was taken and after / there fought valyauntly syr Rafe Longeble / syr Mathewe Redman / syr Thomas Ogle / sir Thomas Gray / sir Tho­mas Hekon / sir Thomas Abreton / sir Iohan Lyerbon / sir Willyam Walsyngham / the ba­ron of Helcon / sir Iohan of Culpedup / the se­neschall of yorke / and dyuers other fotemen. Wherto should I write longe proces / this was a sore batayle and well foughten? And as for­tune is alwayes chaungeable / though the en­glisshmen were more in nombre than the scot­tes / and were ryght valyaunt men of warre / and well experte / and that at the fyrste fronte they reculed backe the scottes / yet fynally the scottes optaygned the place and vyctory / and all the foresaid englysshmen taken and a hun­dred mo / sauynge sir Mathewe Rodman ca­pytayne of Berwyke / who whan he knewe no remedy nor recoueraunce / and sawe his com­pany flye fro the scottes / and yelded theym on euery syde / than he toke his horse and depar­ted to saue hym selfe. The same season aboute the ende of this dyscomfyture / there was an englysshe squyer called Thomas Veleton / a goodly and a valyant man / and that was well sene / for of all that nyght he wolde nother flye nor yet yelde hym. It was sayd he had made a vowe at a feest in Englande / that the first tyme that euer he sawe englisshe men & scottes in batayle / he wolde / so do his deuoyre to his power in suche wyse / that eyther he wolde be reputed for the best doer on bothe sydes / or els to dye in the payne / he was called a valyaunt and a hardy man / and dyd so moche by his prowes that vnder the baner of the erle of Morette he dyd suche valyauntnesse in armes / that the scottes hadde maruayle therof / and so was slayne in fyghtynge. The scottes wolde gladly haue taken hym alyue but he wolde neuer yelde / he hoped euer to haue been rescewed. And with him there was a scottysshe squier slayne / cosyn to the kynge of scottes / called Symon Glau­dyn. His dethe was greatly complayned of the scottes. This batayle was fierse and cruell tyll it came to the ende of the discomfyture / but whan the scottes sawe the englysshmen recule and yelde thēselfe / than the scottes were curtes / and sette theym to their raunsome / and euery manne sayde to his prysoner. Syrs / go and vnarme you and take youre case / I am your mayster / and so made their prisoners as good chere as though they had ben brethren / without doyng to thē any dōmage. The chas [...]n­dured [Page clx] a fyue englysshe myles / and if y ^e scot­tes had been men ynowe there had none sca­ped / but outher they had ben taken or slayne: And if Archambault Duglas and the erle of Fen / the erle Surlant and other of the great cōpany (who were gone towardes Carlyle) had ben there / by all lykelyhode they had ta­ken the bysshoppe of Durham / and y ^e towne of Newcastell vpon tyme. I shall shewe you howe. The same euenyng that the Percyes deꝑted fro Newcastell (as ye haue herde be­fore) the bysshop of Durham with the rerebande cāe to Newcastell & supped. And as he satte at the table he had ymagmacion in hym selfe / howe he dyd nat acquite hym selfe well to se the Englysshe men in the felde / and he to be within the towne. Incontynent he cau­sed the table to be taken away / and cōmaun­ded to sadell his horses / and to sowne the trū pettes / & called vp men in the towne to arme them selfe and to mount on their horses / and foote men to order them selfe to departe. And thus euery man departed out of the towne / to the nombre of seuyn thousande: two thou­sande on horsebacke and Fyue thousande a fote. They toke their waye towarde Otten­bourg where as the batayle had ben / and by that tyme they hadde gone two myle from Newcastell / tidynges came to theym / howe their men were fightynge with the scottes. Ther with the bysshoppe rested there / and incontynent came mo flyeng faste / that they were out of brethe. Than they were demaū ­ded howe the mater wente: they aunswered and sayde. Right yuell. We be all disconfy­ted. Here cometh the scottes chasynge of vs. These tidynges troubled the Englysshmen and began to doute. And agayne the thirde tyme men came flyeng as fast as they might. Whan̄e the men of the bysshoprike of Dur­ham herde of these yuell tidynges they were abasshed / in suche wise / that they brake their array / so that the bysshoppe coude nat holde togyder the nombre of fyue hūdred. It was thought that if the scottes had folowed them in any nombre: seyng that it was night that in thentryng in to the towne / & the Englissh men so abasshed / the towne had ben won.

The bysshope of Durham beyng in the felde had good wyll to haue socoured the en­glysshmen / & recōforted his men asmoche as he coude / but he sawe his owne men flye as well as other. Than he demaunded cousaile of sir Wyllyam Lussey and of sir Thomas Clyfforde and of other knyghtes / what was was best to do. These knyghtes for their ho­noure wolde gyue hym no counsayle / For they thought to retourne agayne and do no­thyng / shulde sowne greatly to their blame / and to go for the myght be to their great dō ­mage / and so stode styll & wolde gyue none answere. and the lengar they stode the fewer they were / for some styll stale awaye. Than the bysshoppe sayd. Sirs / all thynges considred / it is none honour to putte all in parell / nor to make of one yuell dommage twayne. We here howe our company be disconfyted / & we can nat remedy it: For to go to recouer them / we knowe nat with whom nor w ^t what nombre we shall mete. Lette vs retourne fayre and easely for this night to Newcastell and to more we lette vs drawe toguyder and go loke on our enemyes. Euery man answe­red / as god wyll so be it. Therwith they re­tourned to Newcastell. Thus a man maye consyder the great defaute that is in men / y ^t be abasshed and disconfyted. For if they had kepte them togyder / and haue turned agayn suche as fledde / they had disconfyted the scottes. This was the opynion of dyuers. And bycause they dyde nat thus / the scottes had the vyctorie.

I Shall shewe you of sir Mathewe Reedman / who was on horsbacke to saue himselfe / for he alone coude nat remedy the ma­ter. At his departynge sir Iames Lymsay was nere to hym / and sawe howe sir Mathue deꝑted. And this sir Iames to wyn honour / folowed [Page] in chase sir Mathue Reedman / and came so nere hym / that he myght haue stryken hym with his speare if he had lyst. Than he said. Ah sir knyght tourne / it is a shame thus to flye. I am Iames of Lymsay / if ye wyll nat tourne / I shall stryke you on the backe with my speare. Sir Mathewe spake no worde / but strake his horse with the spurres sorer than he dyde before. In this maner he chased hym more than thre myles. And at laste sir Mathue Reedmans horse founvred and fell vnder hym. Than he stepte forthe on y ^e erthe and drewe oute his swerde and toke corage to defende h [...]mselfe: And the scotte thought to haue seryken hym on the brest / but sir Mathewe Reedman swarued fro the stroke / and the speare poynt entred in to the erthe: Than sir Mathue stroke a sonder the speare with his swerde. And whan sir Iames Lymsay sawe howe he had loste his speare: He caste awaye the tro [...]chon and lyghted a fote / and toke a l [...]tell bacayle are that he caryed at his backe / and handeled it with his one hande / quickely and delyuerly / in the whiche feace scottes be well experte. And than he sette at sir Mathue / and he defended hym selfe pro­perly. Thus they tourneyed toguyder / one with an are and the other with a swerde / a longe season / and no man to lette them. Fy­nally sir Iames Lymsay gaue the knyght suche strokes / and helde hym so shorte / that he was putte out of brethe / in suche wyse / that he yelded hym selfe and sayde. Sir Iames Lymsay / I yelde me to you. Well quod he / and I receyue you / rescue or no rescue. I am content quod Reedman / so ye deale with me lyke a good companyon. I shall nat fayle that ꝙ Lymsay / and so putte vp his swerde. Well sir ꝙ Reedman / what wyll you nowe that I shall do? I am your prisoner / ye ha­ue conquered me. I wolde gladly go agayn to Newcastell / and within fyftene dayes I shall come to you in to Scotlande where as ye shall assigne me. I am cōtent quod Lym­say: ye shall promyse by your faythe to pre­sent your selfe within this .iii. wekes at Edē borowe: And where soeuer ye go to repute yourselfe my prisoner. All this sir Mathue sware and promysed to fulfyll. Than eche of them toke their ho [...]ses and toke leaue eche of [...]. Sir Iames returned / and his entent was to go to his owne cōpany the same way that he came / and sir Mathewe Reedman to Newcastell. Sir Iames Lymsaye coulde nat kepe the ryght waye as he came / it was darke and a myst: And he hadde nat rydden halfe a myle / but he met face to face with the bysshoppe of Durham / and mo than .v. hundred Englysshmen with hym. He might wel escaped if he had wolde: But he supposed it had been his owne cōpany that had pursued the Englysshmen. Whan he was among thē one demaunded of hym what he was. I am quod he sir Iames Lymsay. The bysshoppe herde those wordes / and stepte to hym & said Lymsay ye are taken / yelde ye to me. Who be you quod Lymsay? I am ꝙ he the bysshop of Durham. And fro whens come you sir ꝙ Lymsay? I come fro the batayle ꝙ the bys­shop / but I stroke neuer a stroke there. I [...] backe to Newcastell for this night / & ye shal go with me. I maye nat chose quod Lymsay sithe ye wyll haue it so. I haue taken and I am taken / suche is the aduentures of armes. Whom haue ye taken quod the bysshop? sir quod he I toke in the chase sir Mathue Redman: And where is he quod the bysshop? by my faythe sir he is retourned to Newcastell / he desyred me to trust hym on his faythe for thre wekes / and so haue I done. Well ꝙ the bysshop / lette vs go to Newcastell and there ye shall speke with hym. Thus they rede to Newcastell toguyder / and sir Iames Lym­say was prisoner to the bisshop of Durham.

VNder the baner of therle de la mare and of Dōbare / was taken asquer of Gascone called Iohn̄ of Newca­stell. And vnder the baner of the erle of Mo­ret was taken his companyon Iohn̄ de Cauteron. Thus the felde was clene auoyded or the daye apered. The scottes drewe togyder and toke guydes and sente out scurrers to se if any men were in the waye fro Newcastell to the entent that they wolde nat be troubled in their lodgynges / wherin they dyd wisely. For whan y ^e bysshop of Durham was come agayne to Newcastell & in his lodgynge / he was sore pēsyfe / & wyst nat what to saye nor do: For he herde say howe his cosyns y ^e Per­cies were slayne or taken / & all y ^e knightes y ^t were with thē. Than he sent for all y ^e knygh­tes and squyers that were in the towne / And whan they were come he demaunded of thē / [Page clxi] if they shulde leaue the mater in that case / & sayde. Sirs / we shall beare great blame / if we thus retourne without lokynge on oure ennemyes. Than they cōcluded by the sonne rysynge / euery manne to be armed / and on hors backe and a foote / to departe out of the towne / and to go to Octenbourge to fyght with the scottes. this was warned through the towne by a trumpet / and euery man ar­med theym and assembled before the bridge: And by the sonne rysynge they departed by the gate towardes Berwyke / and tooke the waye towardes Octebourge / to the nombre of tenne thousande / what a foote and a horse backe. They were nat gone paste two myle fro Newcastell / whan the scottes were sy­gnefyed that the bysshoppe of Durham was commynge to theym warde to fyght. This they knewe by their spyes / suche as they had sette in the feldes.

AFter that sir Mathewe Reedman was retourned to Newcastell / and hadde shewed to dyuers / howe he had been taken prisoner by sir Iames Lym­sey. Than it was shewed hym howe the bis­shoppe of Durham hadde taken the sayd sir Iames Lymsey: and how that he was there in the towne as his prisoner. As soone as the bysshoppe was departed / sir Mathue Reedman wente to the bysshoppes lodgyng to se his mayster / And there he founde hym in a studye / lyeng in a wyndowe and sayd. What sir Iames Lymsay what make you here? Than sir Iames came forthe of the study to hym and gaue hym good morowe / and sayd. By my faythe sir Mathewe / fortune hathe brought me hyder: For as soone as I was departed fro you / I mette by chaunce y ^e bys­shoppe of Durham / to whome I am priso­ner / as ye be to me. I beleue ye shall nat nede to come to Edenborowe to me to make your fynaunce. I thynke rather we shall make an exchaunge one for another: if the bysshoppe be so contente. Well sir quod Reedman / we shall accorde ryght well toguyder / ye shall dyne this daye with me. the bysshop and our men be gone forthe to fyght with your men / I can nat tell what shall fall / we shall know at their retourne. I am content to dyne with you quod Lymsay. Thus these two knygh­tes dyned toguyder in Newcastell.

Whan the knyghtes of Scotlāde were enformed howe the bysshop of Durham came on them with .x. thousande men / they drewe to counsayle to se what was best for them to do / outher to deꝑte or els to abyde the aduē ­ture. All thynges consydred / they concluded to abyde / For they sayd they coude nat be in a better nor a stronger place than they were in alredy. They had many prisoners / & they coulde nat cary theym awaye if they shulde haue departed. And also they hadde many of their men hurte: and also some of their priso­ners / whōe they thought they wolde nat leue behynde them. Thus they drewe toguyder / and ordred so their felde / that ther was no en­tre but one waye / and they sette all their pri­soners toguyder. And made them to promise howe that rescue or no rescue they shulde be their prisoners. after that they made all their mynstrels to blowe vp all atones / and made the greattest reuell of the worlde. Lightlye it is the vsage of scottes / that whan they be thus assembled toguyder in armes / the foote men bereth about their neckes homes / in maner lyke hunters / some great some small / and of all sortes: so that whan they blowe all at ones / they make suche a noyse / that it may be herde nighe .iiii. myles of. thus they do to a­bass he their enemyes and to reioyse them selfes. Whan the bysshoppe of Durham with his baner and .x.M. men with hym / were a­proched with in a leage / than y ^e scott [...]s blewe their hornes / in suche wise / that it semed that all the deuyls in hell had been amonge them / so that suche as herde them and knewe nat of their vsage / were sore abasshed. This blo­wyng and noyse endured a longe space / and than cessed. And by that tyme thēglysshmen were within lesse than a myle / than y ^e scottes began to blowe agayn & made a great noyse and as long endured as it dyd before. Than the bysshop aproched with his batayle well rainged ī good order / & came within y ^e syght of y ^e scottes / as within .ii. bowe shot or lesse / than y ^e scottes blewe again their hornes a lō ­ge space. y ^e bysshop stode styll to se what the scottes wolde do & auewed thē well / and saw howe they were in a stronge grounde / greatlye to their aduauntage. Than the bysshop tooke counsayle / what was beste for hym to do. But thynge well aduysed / they were nat in purpose to entre in amonge the scot­tes [Page] to assayle them / but retourned withoute doyng of any thyng / for they sawe well they myght rather lese than wyn. Whan the scot­tes sawe the Englysshe men recule / and that they shulde haue no batayle: They wente to their lodgynges and made mery / and than̄e ordayned to departe fro thens: And bycause that sir Rafe Percy was sore hurte / he desy­red of his maister that he myght retourne to Newcastell or in to some place / where as it pleased hym / vnto such tyme as he were hole of his hurtes. Promysynge / as sonne as he were able to ryde to retourne in to Scot­lande / outher to Edenborowe or in to any o­ther place apoynted. The erle of Mare / vu­der whom he was taken / agreed therto / and delyuered hym a horse lytter and sent hym a waye. And by lyke couenaunt dyuers other knyghtes & squyers were suffred to returne / and tooke terme outher to retourne / or els to paye their fynaūce / suche as they were apoȳ ­ted vnto. It was shewed me by the informacyon of the scottes / suche as had been at this sayd batayle / that was bytwene Newcastell and Octeburge / in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and viii. the .xix. daye of August: Nowe y ^t there were taken prisoners of the Englisshe partie. M. and .xl. men one and other. And slayne in the felde and in the chase .xviii. hundred and .xl. and sore hurte mo than a thousande. And of the scottes there were a hundred slayne / and taken in the chase mo than two hundred: for as the Englysshmen fledde whan they sawe any aduautage / they retourned agayne and fought. By that meanes the scottes were ta­ken and none otherwyse. Euery man maye well consydre that it was a well fought felde whan there were so many slayne and taken on bothe parties. ⸫ ⸫

AFter this batayle thus furnysshed / euery man re­tourned: And the erle Duglas deed body chested & layde in a chare / and with hym sir Robert Hart and Symon Glaudyn. Than they prepared to departe. So they depar­ted & ledde with them sir Henry Percy / and mo than .xl. knyghtes of Englande / & tooke the waye to the abbey of Nimay. At their de partynge they sette fyre in their lodgynges and rode all the daye / and yet lay that night in the Englysshe grounde / none denyed thē. The nexte daye they dislodged early in the mornyng / and so came that daye to Nimay / It is an abbey of blacke monkes on the bor­der bytwene bothe realmes. There they re­sted / and buryed the erle Iames Duglas. The seconde daye after his obsequye was done reuerētly / & on his body layde a tombe of stone / and his baner hangyng ouer hym. Wheder there were as than any mo Erles of Duglas / to whome the lande retourned or nat / I can nat tell. For I sir Iohn̄ Froissart auctour of this boke was in Scotlande in y ^e erles castell of Alquest / lyueng erle Wyllm̄ / at whiche tyme he had two chyldren / a sonne and a dought: but after there were many of the duglasses / for I haue sene a.v. bretherne all squiers bearyng y ^e name of Duglas / in y ^e kyng of Scotlādes house Dauid. they were sōnes to a knight in Scotlāde called sir Ia­mes Duglas. & they bare in their armes golde / thre oreyls goules / but as for y ^e herytage I knowe nat who had it. As for sir Archam­balt Duglas of whom I haue spoken before in this hysto [...]ie in dyuers places / who was a valyant knight / & gretly redouted of the englysshmen / he was but a bastarde.

Whan these scottes hadde ben at Ny­maye abbey / and done there all that they came thyder for. Than they departed eche fro other and wente in to their owne countreis / and suche as hadde priso­ners some ledde them awaye with them / and some were raūsomed and suffred to returne. Thus the Englysshe men founde the scottes right curtesse and gentyll / in their delyue­raunce and raunsome / so that they were well contente. This was shewed me in the coun­trey of Bierne in the erle of Foiz house / by a [Page clxii] knyght named Iohan of Newcastell / who was taken prisoner at the same iourney / vn­der the baner of the erle of Mare and Don­bare / and he greatly praysed the sayd erle / for he suffred hym to passe in maner / as he desy­red hym selfe.

Thus these men of warre of Scotlande departed and raunsomed their prisoners / as soone as they myght ryght curttesly / and so retourned lytell and lytell in to their owne countreis. And it was shewed me / and I beleue it well / that the scottes had by reason of that iourney / two hundred thousande fran­kes for raunsomyng of prisoners. For sythe the batayle that was before Streuelyne in Scotlande / where as sir Robert of Breuce / sir Wyllyam Duglas / sir Robert Versey / sir Symon Freseyle / and other scottes chased the Englysshmen thre dayes / they neuer had iourney so ꝓfytable nor so honorable for thē / as this was. Whan tidynges came to the o­ther company of the scottes that were besyde Carlyle / howe their company had distressed the Englysshe men besyde Octeburgh / they were greatly reioysed / & displeased in their myndes / that they had nat ben there. Than they determyned to dislodge and to drawe in to their owne countreys / seynge their o­ther company were withdrawen. thus they dislodged and entred in to Scotlāde.

¶Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of the scot­tes and of the Englysshe men for this tyme / and lette vs retourne to the yonge Charles of Fraunce / who with a great people wente in to Almaygne to bringe the duke of Guer­les to reason.

WHan the Frenche kynge and all his armye were paste the ryuer of Muese at the bridge of Morsay / they tooke the waye of Ar­dayn and of Lusenbourgh / and alwayes the pyoners were before beatynge woodes and busshes / & makynge the wayes playne. The duke of Iulyers and his coun­trey greatly douted the comyng of the Fren­che kynge: For they knewe well they shulde haue the fyrst assault and beare the fyrst bur­done / and the lande of Iulyers is a playne coūtrey. In one day the men of warre shuld do moche dōmage there / and distroye & wast all / excepte the castelles and good townes. Thus the Frenche kyng entred in to the coū trey of Lusenbourgh / and came to an abbey where as Vyncelant somtyme duke of Bra­bant was buryed / there the kyng taryed two dayes. Than he departed and toke the waye throughe Basconque / and lodged within a leage where as the duches of Brabant laye / S [...]e sent worde of her beyng there to y ^e du­ke of Burgoyn / and he brought her in to the felde to speke with the kynge / who receyued her right honourably / and there cōmuned togyder. Than the duches retourned to Bas­conque / and thyder she was conueyed with sir Iohn̄ of Vyen and sir Guy of Tremoile. And the next daye the kyng went forwarde / aprochyng to the lande of his enemyes / and came to thē cryng in to Almayne / on the fronters of y ^e duchy of Iulyers. but or he came so far forwarde / Arnolde bisshop of Liege had been with y ^e kyng and had greatly entreated for the duke of Iuliers / that the kyng shulde nat be miscontent with hym / though he were father to the duke of Guerles / for he excused hym of the deflaūce that his sonne had made affyrmyng / how it was nat by his knowlege nor consent. Wherfore he sayd / it were pytie that the father shulde beare the defaut of the sonne. This excuse was nat suffycient to the kyng nor to his vncles / For the entent of the kyng and his coūsayle was / without y ^e duke of Iulyers wolde come and make other ma­ner of excuse / and to yelde hym selfe to y ^e kynges pleasure / his countrey shulde be the first that shulde beare the burdone. Thanne the bysshoppe of Liege and the lordes of Has­bane / and the counsayls of the good townes / offred to the kynge and his counsayle / holly the bysshoprike of Liege / for his armye to passe and repasse / payeng for their expenses: and to rest and refresshe them there / as long as it pleased them. The kyng thanked them and so dyde his vncles / and wolde nat refuse their offre / for he knewe nat what nede he shulde haue after. ⸪ [Page] [...] [Page clxii] [...]

THus the bisshoppe of Liege retourned to the duke of Iullyers and to the archebysshoppe of Coloi­gne / and shewed thē what he had done and thervpon they toke aduyse. The du­ke of Iuliers had great dout of cryling & wastyng of his countrey / and sent for the knightes of his countrey to haue their counsayle & aduyse / and dayly the Frenchmen aproched. The lorde of Coucy who was in y ^e vowarde and with hym a thousande speares / and the duke of Lorayne with hym: and the vicount of Meaulx with two hūdred speares. Whan the Frenche men aproched the fronters of Almayne / than they rode toguyder in good or­der and lodged wisely / for there were a thre hūdred speares of lynsars almayns / beyond the ryuer of Ryne gathered toguyder. And they be noted to be the greattest pyllers and robbers of all the worlde: And they alwayes pursued and coosted the Frenchmen to fynde them dispurueyed / to do them dōmage. The Frenche men douted the same / and durst ne­uer go [...] forragyng but in great companyes. And as I vnderstode sir Boucequant the elder and sir Loyes of Grache / were retayned and brought to Nimay. these sayd almayns rode alwayes couertly / lyke byrdes flyeng in y ^e ayre sekyng for their praye. This made the Frenche men wyse and to be well ware. Thus whan the Frenche kyng was come so forwarde / as to the entre of the duchy of Iu­lyers / The duke of Iulyers who wolde nat lese his countrey / beleued the coūsayle of the archebysshoppe of Coloyne and the bysshop of Liege. These two entreated for hym to y ^e kynge and brought the mater to that poynt / that his lādes were in rest and peace / by meanes of suche condycions as foloweth. These two prelates dyde so moche / y ^t they brought the duke of Iulyers in to the kynges presēce and before his vncles & the duke of Lorayne / and other great lordes of Fraunce of y ^e blode royall. And whan he was before the kyng he kneled downe / and wisely excused him of the defyaūce that his sonne had made / and sayd howe his sonne was a foole / and that he had neuer counsayle of hym to do as he dyde / but dyde it of his owne wyll: and offred y ^e kyng / sayeng. Sir / to the entent to bring hym to y ^e knowledgynge of reason / by your lycence I wyll go to hym and shewe hym his folly / as quickely as I can / and counsayle hym to cōe and make his excuse before youre grace and your counsayle. And if he wyll nat thus do / but do agaynst my counsayle / I shall aban­don to you all the townes and castels in my countrey / and to prouyde for men of warre / and to make warre against hym / tyll ye haue taken hym to mercy. Than the kyng regar­ded his brother / his vncles / and his coūsaile and it semed to hym that this offre was faire and resonable / and so thought dyuers other. Than the kyng toke vp the duke of Iulyers (who was on his kne / whyle he spake to the kyng) and sayd to hym. Sir / we shall take counsayle and aduyse on your promyses and wordes. Than the duke rose vp & stode styll by the bysshoppes that brought hym thyder. Than the kyng and his vncles / and suche of his secrete counsayle drewe toguyder and debated this mater long / with dyuers opiniōs The duke of Burgoyne to whom principal­lye the mater touched / bicause of the duchy of Brabant / wherin he chalēged to haue great right of enherytaunce / after the dethe of the duches Iane / bycause of the lady Margaret his wyfe: and also to say the trouthe / he was the chiefe causer of the kynges cōmyng thy­der with all y ^t puissaūce. Wherfore he wolde that euery thyng might be for the best and to thentent that a good peace might be made bitwene all ꝑties / that there shulde be no more occasyon to cōe thyder agayne another tyme bycause the voyage is long and costly for the realme: Than he sayd to the kyng. Sir / and it lyke your grace & you my brother of Ber­rey / and to you all I saye / that in all thynges yuell begone / lyeth great aduyse. We here howe our cosyn the duke of Iulyers greatly [Page clxiii] exscuseth hymselfe / and he is so valyant a man and of our blode / and we of his / that we ought to beleue hym. He offereth to the kyng a great thyng / his body / his countrey / his townes and castelles / to be at the kynges cōmaundemente / in case that his sonne the duke of Guerles wyll rebell / and come nat to make amendes of the defyaunce that he hath made. To speke acor­dynge to reason / it is a great thynge / to haue with vs the duke of Iuliers / the duke of Guerles shall be the more feble / and the easyer to correcte / and the more he shall dought vs / and so­ner come to obeysaunce. wherfore I counsayle that his offre be nat refused / for he mekely hu­myleth hymselfe / and other greate lordes of Almayne entreate for hym. To these wordes there was no contrary opynyons / but all con­sented by one acorde. Than the bysshoppes of Coloygne and of Liege were called to their counsayle / who had ben chyefe entreatours in this busynes / and to them it was declared fro poynte to poynte / and frome clause to clause / what thynges y ^e duke of Iulyers shulde swere and seale to do / if he wolde haue his landes sa­ued / and to be in reste. Fyrst / that he shulde go to his sonne the duke of Guerles and shewe hym playnely his foly / and the great outrage that he had done / to sende to defye so puyssaūt a prince as the frenche kynge / and specially by suche fell defyaunce / out of the style of ryght or reason / and to cause him to come to reason and mercy. And if he wolde nat thus do / but abyde styll in his opynyon (through feble wytte and counsayle) than the duke of Iulyers to swere and seale to renounce hym fro all ayde or so­coure that he myght do / and to become his enemy / as other be / and to suffre suche as shall be apoynted by the kynge and his counsayle to abyde there all this wynter / to lye in garysons in the countrey of Iulyers / to make frounter warre agaynst the duke of Guerles / and there to be well entreated and receyued.

THese two prelates were called to the kinges counsayle / to the entente that they shulde shewe to the duke of Iu­lyers these artycles / and so they dyd. And than the duke sawe well howe that it behoued hym to agree / or els to haue his landes ouer tynne and wasted / wherfore he acorded and sware and sealed to vpholde all the kynges desyre / so that his lande shulde nat be ouerron nor exy­led / and he was contente that his lande shulde vytayle the armye. Thus the duke of Iulyers became the frenche kynges man / and made relyefe for his lande of Vierson / beyng bytwene Bloys and Berrey / and supped that nyght at the kynges table. Fyrste sate the bysshoppe of Liege and the bysshoppe of Coloygne / than the kynge / the duke of Burgoyne / the duke of Thowrayn / the duke of Iuliers / and the duke of Burbone.

THus the duke of Iulyers was in reste and pease by the foresayd meanes / and the kynge and his armye were lodged in his countrey / the whiche was pleasaunt and plen­tyfull of all vytayles. Than the duke of Iuly­ers wente towardes the duke of Guerles his sonne / But or he came there / there was dyuers feates of armes done in the countrey / for the almayns who be couetouse / oftentymes by night or by daye wolde ieoparde them selfe and sette on the frenche mens lodgynges to kepe them wakynge / and somtyme they wanne and some tyme they lost. But for one almayne that was taken / there were euer four frenchmen taken. And on a daye the constable of Fraunce and the lorde Coucy / the duke of Lorayne / the marshall of Blainuill / sir Iohan of Vien / syr Io­han de la Tremoyle / & a four thousande men of armes came before a towne in Guerles cal­led Renconge / & shewed them selfe before it in good ordre of batayle. The same tyme y ^e duke of Guerles was within the towne / and pray­sed moche their demeanour / but he made none issue out / for he had nat men ynowe wherof he was ryght sore dyspleased. Thus the frenche men were there in good ordre of batayle the space of four houres / and whan they sawe that none wolde issue out / they departed and returned to their lodgynges. The same euenynge about the duke of Berreys lodgyng / certayne knyghtes and squyers drewe togyther / to the entent to ryde forthe in the mornynge in to the lande of their enemies to seke some aduenture / and promysed eche other to stycke togyther lyke bretherne. They were in nombre aboute a hundred speares. But whan the mornynge came all their purpose was broken / for there was a squyer of Auuergne called Godinos a valyaunt man of armes / he pertayned to the lorde of Alegre. whan he sawe that they had refused his company / and wolde nat desyre hym [Page] to go with them / he was sore dyspleased / and brake his mynde to a nother sorte of companyons / so that they were to the nombre of thyrty speares. They tode forthe togyther / and rode all that mornynge and coulde fynde none ad­venture. And whan Godynos sawe that they shulde retourne without doynge of any feate / he was sore dyspleased / and sayde to his com­pany. Syrs / ryde on fayre and easely / and I with my page wyll ryde aboute this wode / to se if any enbusshe be hydden therin / and tary me vpon yonder Mountayne. They agreed to hym. Thus he and his page rode forthe co­stynge the wode. Whan he had rydden a lytell waye / he herde one why stell in the wode / and strake his horse with the sportes / and came to the syde of the wode / and there he founde an al­mayne guetloys cuttynge of wode. Than Godynos toke his glay [...]e and came ry [...]nynge at this man / wherof the man was sore abasshed. Than Godynos made sygne to hym that he shulde go with him / and thought that this companyons yet shulde se that he had founde som­what / and thought the same manne shulde do them some seruyce in their lodgynges / and so Godynos rode on before on a lowe hackeney / and the almayne folowed hym a foote with a hewynge axe on his necke / wherwith he had wrought in the wode. Godinos page lepte on his maysters courser and bare his bassenette and speare / and folowed them halfe slepynge / bycause he had rysen so early. And the almayn who knewe nat whyder he shuld go / nor what they wolde do with hym / thought to delyuer hymselfe / and came fayre and easely to Gody­nos / and lyfte vp his are and strake hym suche a stroke on the heed that he claue it to the teth / and so ouerthrewe hym starke deed / the page knewe nat therof tyll he sawe his mayster fall. Than the vyllayne fledde in to the wode and saued hymselfe. This aduenture fell to Godi­nos / wherwith suche as knewe hym were sore dyspleased / and specyally they of Auuergne / for he was the man of armes that was moste doughted of the englisshmen in those parties / and he that dyd them most domage. If he had been in prisone he shulde haue ben quyted out / and if it had been for twenty thousande fran­kes. ¶Nowe lette vs retourne to the duke of Iulyers.

YE knowe well / as it hathe ben shewed here before / howe the duke of Iulyers made his peace with the frenche king / by meanes of the bysshoppes that treated in that behalfe / and also to saye the trouthe / the duke of Lorayne his cosyn toke great payne in the mater. And (as ye haue herde) the duke promysed to go to his sonne the duke of Guerles / and to cause hym to come to the kynges mercy / or els to make hym warre. Thus the duke of Iulyers was fayne to promyse / or els all his countrey had ben loste. Thus the duke of Iulyers and the archbysshoppe toke their iourney to go in to Guerles / and passed the ryuer and came to Nymay / where as the duke was / who receyued his father with great ioye as he was bounde to do / for there is nothynge so nere a man as his father and mother. But he was nothynge glad of that he herde howe that the duke his father was agreed with the frenche kynge. Than the duke of Iuliers and the bysshop shewed hym at length the hole mater in what case he and his lande stode in. He made lytle therof / for he was so sore alyed with the kynge of Englande that he wolde nat for­sake hym / for his herte was good englysshe / and so excused hym selfe greatly / and sayde to his father. syr / let me alone / I wyll abyde the aduenture / and if I take domage by reason of the frenche kynges comynge / I am yonge y­nough to beare it / and to be reuenged herafter on some parte of the realme of Fraunce / or vp­pon my neyghbours the brabansoys. there is no lorde canne kepe warre without some do­mage / sometyme lese / and sometyme wynne. Whan his father the duke of Iulyers herde hym so styffe in his opynyon / he was sore dys­pleased with him / and sayd. Sonne Willyam / for whome make you youre warre? and who [Page clxiiii] be they that shall reuenge your domage? Syr quod he / the kynge of Englande and his puy­saunce / and I haue gret maruayle that I here no tydynges of the englysshe army that is on the see / for if they were come as they haue pro­mysed me to do / I wolde haue wakened the frenche men oftener thanne ones or this tyme. What quod his father / do you trust and abyde for the englysshmen? they are so besyed in eue­ry quarter / that they wote nat to whome to entende. The duke of Lancastre our cosyn / lyeth at Bayon or at Burdeaux / and is retourned out of Spayne in a small ordre / and hath lost his men and tyme / and he hath sente in to En­glande for to haue mo men of armes and ar­chers / and he can nat get to the nombre of .xx. speares. Also the englysshe men haue had but late in playne batayle a great domage in Northumberlande / for all their chyualry aboute Newcastell vpon Tyne were ouerthrowen / and slayne and taken / so that as nowe the re­alme of Englande is nat in good quyete nor reste. Wherfore it is nat for you to trust at this tyme on the englysshe men / for of them ye shall haue no comforte. Wherfore I coūsayle you to be ruled by vs / and we shall make your peace with the frenche kyng / & shall do so moche that ye shall nouther receyue shame nor domage. Syr quod the duke of Guerles / howe may I with myne honoure acorde with the Frenche kynge though I shulde lese all my hole lande / & go dwell in some other place? surely I wyll nat do it / I am to sore alyed with the kinge of Englande / and also I haue defyed the frenche kynge. Thynke you that for feare of hym I shulde reuoke my wordes / or breke my seale? ye wolde I shulde be dyshonored? I requyre you let me alone: I shall defende my self right well agaynst them: I set lytell by their threte­nynges. The waters / and raynes / and colde wethers shall so fight for me / or the tyme of Ianyuer come / that they shall be so wery / that the hardyest of theym shall wysshe them selfe at home in their owne houses.

THus at the begynnynge of this treatie the duke of Iuliers and the bysshoppe of Coloyne coulde nat breke the duke of Guerles purpose / and yet they were with hym a sixe dayes / and euery day in counsayle. And whan the duke of Iulyers sawe no otherways / he be­gan sore to argue against his sonne and sayd. Sonne / if ye wyll nat byleue me surely I shall dysplease you / and as for your enherytaunce of the duchy of Iulyers / ye shall neuer haue one foote therof / but rather I shall gyue it to a straunger / who shall be of puyssaunce to de­fende it agaynste you. ye are but a foole if ye wyll nat beleue my counsayle. Whan the duke of Guerles sawe his father inflamed with ire / than to apease his displeasure sayd. Sir / than counsayle me to myne honour / and at your de­syre I shall leane therto / for syr Iowe to you all obeysaunce and wyll do. Than the duke of Iulyers sayde. Sonne / nowe ye speke as ye shulde do / and I shall loke for your honoure asmoche as I wolde do for myne owne. Than it was deuysed by great delyberacion of coun­sayle / that for to saue the honoure on all par­ties / that the duke of Guerles shulde go to the frenche kynge and to do hym honoure and re­uerence / as he ought to do to a Kynge / and to make his excuse of the defyaunce that he had sente to the kynge / and to say after this maner. Syr / trewe it is there was a letter at a tyme sealed with my seale sente in to Fraunce / whi­che came to your knowledge / in the whiche letter was contaygned defyaunce / pertaynynge to your grace and to your realme / with wor­des vnreasonable / out of the ryght style and vsage that princes and lordes defie eche other / the whiche I wyll nat auowe y ^e euer any suche wordes passed out of my mouthe / nor by my cōmaundemente / any worde touchynge or de­famynge your name or signory: and syr / to ve­ryfye that this myne excuse is of trouthe / and that it maye be had out of all suspecte / I shall declare the trouthe of euery thynge. Syr / by reason of the great alyaunce and seruyce that I haue borne to my ryght redouted lorde the Kynge of Englande / at his requeste and his counsayls / I sente in to Englande four of my knyghtes / and delyuered theym my seale to seale to any thynge that they concluded vpon / they sealed this letter and nat I / for I neuer knewe before the sealynge of that letter / what was conteyned therin. Syr / I requyre your grace accepte this excuse for this is trewe. but sir / as for the aliaunce and seruyce that I haue made to my lorde the kynge of Englande I wyll neuer breke it / nor do contrarye to that he commaundeth me. But syr / at his request and cōmaundement I wyll defye you or any other whan it shall please hym who so euer they be / [Page] except myne owne naturall lorde the kynge of Almayne to whome I am made seruaunte by my mouthe spoken / and by myne handes in his. But syr for the honoure of you / consyde­rynge and in recompensynge the paynes and traueyls that ye haue susteyned in your iour­ney comynge hyder / to knowe the foundacion and trouthe of the defyaunce / I shall swere to you and kepe it / that I shal neuer make warre agaynst you nor defye you / but fyrste ye shall be signyfyed therof an hole yere before. And sir / me thynke this shulde suffyce you. To this deuyse the duke of Guerles sayde / I am well contente thus to do / in this there in no dysho­nour nor blame to me / as I thynke.

THus on this poynte departed the duke of Iulyers from his sonne the duke of Guerles / and with him the archebysshoppe of Coloygne / and so they returned in to Iulyers and came to Endesker. And whan tyme was they wente to the frenche kynge / and shewed him all the poyntes and artycles before reher­sed / and sayd. Syr / loke what ye wyll do with the duke of guerles / for other than this ye shall nat haue of hym. The frenche kynge greatly desyred to se the duke of Guerles his cosyn / by cause he had put hym to somoche payne / wher­fore the soner he enclyned to this treatye. And the duke of Burgoyn who wolde also that the duches of Brabant and her countrey shulde a byde in rest and peace / he toke payne to bringe this creatie to effecte / and y ^t the duke of Guer­les myght come to speke with the kynge. And also there was one thynge that made them the soner agre / wynter aproched and the nyghtes began to be longe and colde / and also the lor­des of Fraunce were enfourmed that Guerles was no countrey to rest in / in the tyme of wynter. and also dayly they had reporte howe they loste of their men / bothe knyghtes and squy­ers by the synsars almayns / who dayly lay in wayte for them. So many reasons and consyderacyons were layde and alledged that they fell to acorde / and the duke of Guerles apro­ched and the duke of Iulyers his father / & the duke of Lorayne and the bysshop of Coloigne brought hym in to the kynges tente / where there was with the kynge his thre vncles / and his brother the duke of Tourayne & the duke of Bare / the erle of Marche / the erle of saynte Pole / the erle dolphyn of Auuergne / the lorde Coucy / and the constable of Fraunce. There the duke of Guerles kneled downe before the kynge / and as it was infourmed me / the kyng toke hym vp / and there valyauntly and wyse­ly he exscused hym selfe of the defyaunce that he had made to the kynge. And moreouer he sware / that if euer he wolde defye the kynge or make warre to the realme of Fraunce / that he wolde gyue the kynge knowlege therof a yere before / and the countreys of Guerles and Brabante to be styll in the same case / as they be in at that same presēt tyme. Thus the mater concluded bytwene them. and the duke of Guer­les supped with the kynge the same nyghte at his table / he was greatly regarded / bycause he had put the kynge to so moche payne and coste. This treatie and conclusyon was put in writynge and sealed / and whan all was done the lordes toke leaue to departe. but or they departed the duke of Guerles demaunded of the kynge / that all suche prisoners as the Frenche men had taken in that warre / that he myght haue them delyuered franke and free. He had his desyre / they were delyuered. Thanne the kynge demaunded of the duke / that all suche prysoners as his men had taken in that voy­age shulde be delyuered and rendred agayne. Than the duke of Guerles excused hym selfe / and sayde. Syr that I can not do / I am but a poore man / and whan I knewe of your com­mynge I fortifyed my selfe the best I myght with men of warre / knyghtes and squyes fro beyonde the ryuer of Ryne / and other places / and I promysed them that what so euer they wanne in this warre / it shulde be their owne. wherfore I can take nothinge fro them of that they haue wonne / if I wolde / I haue nouther puyssaunce nor power to do it / for if I wolde shewe rygoure to theym / they wolde make warre agaynst me. wherfore sir / may it please you to lette it passe / for I canne nat remedy it. The kynge sawe he coulde haue nothyng els / he suffred it to passe / and imagyned that he and his realme were riche ynough to encrease poore men / wherfore he let it passe / and spake no mo wordes / and at their departure eche of theym well contented other. Than it was or­deyned to dyslodge and to retourne the same way they came / and than it was sayd that the frenche kynge shulde be at the cytie of Reynes at the feest of all sayntes / and there to holde a [Page clxv] great feest. Thus euery man dyslodged and retourned. ¶Nowe lette vs speke of the en­glysshe army on the see. ⸪ ⸪

IN the meane seasone whyle the french kyng was in Guerles / the englysshe army was on the see / wherof the erle of Arundell was chefe capytayne / and some tyme sayled forwarde / and somtyme bacwarde / as the wynde wolde serue them / to seke for aduentures / as it is well kno­wen. Always lightly bytwene the feest of saynt Remey and all sayntes / is a peryllous season for stormes and wyndes on the see / and aboute the same tyme there rose suche a tempeste / that it sperkled abrode the englysshe nauy in suche wyse / that the hardyest marynere there was sore abasshed / so that perforce they were con­streyned to seke for lande. And the erle of Arundell with .xxvii. vesselles with hym / whether they wolde or nat / were fayne to caste ancre in a lytell hauen called the Palyce / a two small leages fro Rochell / and y ^e wynde was so streynable on see borde / that they coude nat departe thence. Whanne tydynges therof came to Ro­chell / they were in great dought at the fyrste / leste the englisshmen wolde come on them and do them great domage / and closed their gates and helde them shytte a day and a halfe. Than other tydynges came to them fro them of Pa­lyce / howe the englysshemen were but .xxvii. vesselles / and came thyder by force of wynde and wether / and taryed for nothynge but to de parte agayne / and that the Erle of Arundell was there / and the lorde Henry Beamonde / sir Willyam Helmen / & mo than thyrty knyghtes of Englande. Than they of Rochell tooke counsayle what thynge was beste for them to do / and all thyng consydered / they sayd howe they shulde but easly acquyte themselfe / if they went nat to skrymysshe with them. The same season before the castell of Bouteuyll / was syr Loys of Xansere mershall of Fraūce / and had besieged within the fortresse Gylliam of saynt Foye a gascon / and with the marshall a great company of Poicto [...] / of Xayntone / of Pier­gourt / of Rochell / and of the lowe marches / for all were nat gone in to Almayne with y ^e knig. This sir Loys was soueraygne capytayne o­uer all the fronters / bytwene Mountpellyer and Rochell / tyll the retourne of the lorde Coucy. They of Rochell sent worde to the marshall of the englysshmens beynge at Palyce. Whan he herde therof he was ryght ioyfull / and sent to theym that they shulde make redy seuen or eyght galees / and to man them forthe / for he wolde come by lande and fyght with the En­glisshmen. They of Rochell dyd as they were commaunded / and sir Loys departed fro his siege / and brake it vp / for he thought it shulde be more honorable for hym to fyght with the erle of Arundell and the englysshe men / rather thanne to contyne we styll his siege. Thus be wente to Rochell / and all knyghtes and squy­ers folowed hym. I can nat tell by what inspyracyon the erle of Arundell had knowledge / howe the marshall of Fraunce with a greate puyssaunce of knyghtes and squyers was co­mynge to fyght with hym at Palyce / whiche tydynges were nat very pleasaunte to the erle of Arundell / howe be it the wynde was some what layde / and the see aueyled. Than the erle wayed vp ancres and sayled in to the see / in suche good season / that if he had taryed longe after / he had been enclosed in the hauen and euery man taken / for in contynent thyder came the galees of Rochell / well manned and fur­nysshed with artyllery and gonnes / and came streyght to the hauen of the Palyce / and foūde the englisshe men departed. They pursued af­ter a two leages in the see and shotte gonnes / howebeit they durst nat longe folowe for feare of enbusshmentes on the see. Than the frenche shippes returned / and the marshall of Fraunce was sore dyspleased with theym of Rochell / that they sente hym worde so late. The erle of Arundell toke the waye by the ryuer of Ga­ron / to come to Burdeaux / and therby y ^e siege before Bowteuyll was defeated / for Gillonet [Page] of saynt Foy prouyded his garyson of that he neded / in the meane tyme y ^e the marshall went to fyght with the englysshe men.

NOwe let vs retourne somwhat to speke of the duke of Lancastre / howe he was in treatie with the spanyardes / and also with the Duke of Berrey / for the maryage of his doughter. The kynge of Castyle treated with hym for his sonne the prince of Castyle / to the entent to haue a peace with the englisshe men. Also the duke of Berrey treated to haue the duke of Lancasters doughter for hymselfe / for he had great desyre to be maryed. And the duke of Lancastre lyke a sage imagynat [...]e prince / sawe well howe it was more profitable for Englande and for hym / to mary his doughter in to Castyle / rather than to the duke of Berrey / for therby he / thought to recouer the herytage of Castyle in tyme to come / for his doughter. And if he shulde gyue her to the duke of Ber­rey / and the duke fortune to dye / his doughter than shulde be but a poore lady / to the regarde of other / bycause the duke of Berrey had chyl­dren by his fyrst wyfe / who shulde haue all the profyte. Also the duchesse of Lancastre encly­ned to the kynge of Castyles sonne. So that whan sir Helyon of Lignac was departed fro the duke of Lancastre / and retourned to the duke of Berrey / beynge as that in Almayne / than the king of Castyls messāgers were well herde / in suche wyse / that their wordes were noted and their offers accepted / and the coue­naunte made and sworne bytwene Kateryn of Lancastre and the kynge of Castylles sonne / and writynges and publike instrumentes and oblygatory bondes made and concluded / with out re [...]le or repentaunce. So y ^t the duches of Lācastre after euery thyng set in ordre / shulde bring her doughter Kateryn in to Castyle.

All this season the frenche kynge was styll in the fronters of Iulyers / concludynge with the duke of Guerles (as ye haue herde before) and howe they departed. And as the frenche men retourned / it fortuned on the fronteres of Al­mayne on a nyght aboute mydnyght / as the mone / [...]hone fayre / certayne almayns robbers and pyllers / that dyd sette nother by peace nor warre / but alwayes sought for their aduaun­tage / some pertaynynge to the lorde of Bla­queneuen / and to sir Peter of Conebech / they were well horsed / and came and aduysed the french hoost / and where they might haue most profyte and aduauntage / and so passed by the lodgyng of the vycount of Meaulx / and sawe no styringe / and returned without any noyse makynge / outher passynge or retournynge / and came agayne to their enbusshe / and she­wed them what they had sene and founde [...] and incontynente these almayns came and entred at their aduauntage in to the frenchmens lodgynges / and ouerthrewe I can nat tell howe many / and toke .xiiii. menne of armes priso­ners. There was taken the lorde of Viesuile / and the lorde of Mountkarell. This aduen­ture the frenche men hadde the same nyght / by reason they made but easy watche / and were but yuell ordred. The next day whan these ty­dinges were knowen / howe the lorde of Vies­uille / and the lorde of Mountkarell were ta­ken / the frenche men were sore displeased / and toke better hede after. Whan the frenche kynge departed fro the countrey of Iulyers none ta­ryed behynde / euery man drewe to their gary­sons / sir Guylliam of Tremoyle and sir Ger­uays Furrande / and all other / and the braban soys by the waye euery man wente home. And in the retournynge of the frenche men / it was ordeyned by great delyberacion of coūsayle / that the frenche kynge (who had ben vnder the gouernynge of his vncles / euer syth the dethe of the laste kynge his father) shulde than take on himselfe the gouernynge and charge of his hole realme / and his vncles to cease of the go­uernynge / for they had ynough to do in other busynesses. The kynge as thanne was paste twenty yere of age. This was openly publys­shed / and euery man thought it was resona­ble. The kynge came to Rennes at the feest of all sayntes / and there helde a great feest / and his vncles with hym. And there they had fyrst knowledge that the Kynge of Castyle / and the duke of Lācastre were cōcluded vpon a peace and vpon a maryage to be had / bytwene the kinges sonne and the dukes doughter. Than the frenche kyng sported with the duke of Berrey / and sayde. Fayre vncle ye haue fayled of your entent / a nother is lyke to enioy the wyfe that ye wolde haue had / howe say you therto / what sayeth your corage? The duke of Ber­rey sayde. Syr I saye nothynge but well / if I haue fayled there / I shall spede in some o­ther place. Than the frenche men beganne to [Page clxvi] murmure vpon this maryage / and said. this can nat be done without great alyaūces / whiche shalbe a thynge greatly preiudycyall in tyme to come to the realme of Fraūce. And suche as considred the botom of the mater said: howe that if Castyle / Englande / and Portu­gale be all of one alyaunce and accorde / these thre realmes / what by see and by lande / they maye make warre to the realme of Fraunce. Wherfore they sayde / it were good that the kynge shulde sende and prouyde remedy by tymes / consydringe that this vnhappy kyng of Castyle hath made alyaūce in maner with a deed man: For the duke of lancastre is as a man without men and puyssaunce. Nor also they sayde / howe the kyng of Castyll ought nat to make any aliaūce with any man / with out the counsayle of the Frenche kynge. If he do / the kynge maye sende hym worde that he wyll make hym as lowe a varlette / as he hath made hym a great lorde. Lette the kyn­ge make warre agaynste the realme of Ca­style and putte out the vnhappy kyng / sonne to a bastarde / and lette the kyng gyue the re­alme to his owne brother the duke of Thou­rayne / who as yet hath no great herytage: he shall well and sagely gouerne it. Howe can or dare this kynge of Castyle make or treate for any peace or alyaunce with the duke of Lancastre / without the knowledge or cōsent of the Frenche kynge / who hath so moche ayded / honoured / and auaunsed hym? He had loste his realme / if the puissaunce and blode royall of Fraunce had nat ben: He hath well marchaundysed / and yet he wyll marchaun­dyse. But if it be (as it is sayd) lette hym be shamed and disheryted / and lette hym haue suche punysshment / that he may well knowe that he hath yuell done.

THese wordes multiplyed / in suche wyse / that all thynges consydered / The kynge and his vncles / and his counsayle / determyned to sende in to Ca­style to kynge Iohan / and to shewe hym on the Frenche kynges behalfe / that he be well aduysed and take hede what he dothe: And that he be nat so hardy to make any treatie or alyaunce with the Englysshe men / nor with the duke of Lancastre / in any thyng y ^t shulde be preiudyciall to the Crowne or realme of Fraunce. And if he haue done / or do / or thyn­keth to do: Lette hym be sure that the puys­saunce of Fraunce shall / as moche or more sette hym a backe and hynder hym / as it hath auaunsed hym before: And that the kynge and the realme shall entende to do nothynge elles / but to distroye hym. Than it was consydred / who shulde do this message. And it was thought that who soeuer shulde do it / ought to be a hardy man & well spoken / and sagely and valiauntly to declare the kynges pleasure. It was thought that a meane and a symple persone ought nat to do that mes­sage. Than there were thre persones named the lorde of Coucy / sir Iohan of Vyen admyrall of Fraunce / & sir Guye de la Tremoyle. Of these thre to take one to go in to Castyle on this voyage. And all thynges consydred / sir Iohan of Vyenne was apoynted to go. Than the kynge and his counsayle sayd vn­to hym. Admyrall make you redy / ye shall go on this voyage / and ye shall haue none o­ther letters to the kyng of Castyle but of cre­dence / ye are suffyciētly enstructed of the ma­ter whervpon ye be sente. And saye vnto the kynge of Spaygne / that he aduyse well and cause to be aduysed: And to rede and cause to be reed / the alyaunces / ordynaunces / and ꝓ­myses / sworne and sealed bytwene hym and vs: and marke well youre aunswere that ye shall haue of hym and of his counsayle / and thervpon we shall take our grounde to pro­cede farther. The admyrall aunswered and sayd / it shalbe done. ⸫ ⸫

[Page] THe admyrall of Fraūce taryed nat long at Paris / but made hym quickely redye to departe / and tooke his leaue of the kyng and of his vncles / and tooke his waye by Burgoyne / bycause he wolde go by Auygnone to se the pope and his brother / and so he dyde.

¶Nowe lette vs leaue spekyng of hym / and speke somwhat of Geffray. Tete noyre / who was enclosed and besieged within the castell of Vandachore. But fyrste we wyll speke of the duke of Berrey who had great desyre to mary / as he well shewed within that yere. Whan he sawe that he had fayled of the duke of Lancasters doughter. he was enfourmed that the erle of Boulonge had a fayre doughter named Iane / doughter to the lady Elya­nour of Comynges / howe be it she was nat with her father nor with her moder / she was in the countrey of Bierne with the Erle of Foiz her great frende and cosyn. She hadde ben there brought vp and nourysshed & well entreated the space of nyne yeres / in the ca­stell of Ortayes / without cost or charge to father or mother. The erle often tymes hadde been desyred to haue had her maryed: but al­wayes the erle aunswered that the damosell was to yonge. Specially sir Bernarde bro­ther to the erle of Armynacke hadde desyred to haue her / and promysed that if he myght haue her in maryage / the warre shulde ende bytwene them / for the chalenge of the lande of Byerne. But for all those promyses / the erle wolde nat agree therto / but aunswered euer / howe that his cosyn was to yonge. but amonge his owne men he wolde saye other­wyse. For as sir Espaygne du Lyon shewed me / he wolde saye / howe they of Armynacke myght well repute hym for a beest / if he shulde graunt their desyre / seynge it was to his dōmage. For if he shulde graunt theym his cosyn in maryage / he shulde strength them / and enfeble hym selfe. Sayeng / howe they of Armynake helde by force and nat of right the countie of Comynges / the whiche hery­tage is by his mother and aunte to my cosyn of Boloyne. I wyll well they knowe I shall mary her in so stronge a place and puissaunt to make warre with them for the herytage of Comynges. For as nowe there is none to answere but a deed man.

THus whan the erle of Armynacke & sir Bernarde his brother / sawe that they coulde nat come to their pur­pose / as long as her aunte lyued. Than they sayde to the duke of Berrey / that this lady shulde be a fayre maryage for Iohn̄ of Ber­rey his sonne. And by their settynge on / the duke sente suffycient and noble messangers in to Byerne to the erle of Foiz. Desyringe hym that all yuell wyll might be sette aparte and euery thynge pardoned of tymes paste / and that he myght haue the damosell of Boulonge / for Iohan his sonne in maryage. So that the erle of Boulonge / father to the da­mosell dyde therto agree and assent. Therle of Foiz made good chere to these ābassadors but he excused hym for that maryage / & sayd howe the lady his cosyn was to yonge: And also he sayde / howe that whan the countesse of Boulonge her mother delyuered her in to his charge / She caused hym to swere / that he shulde neuer mary her in no place / with­her knowledge and consent. And in no wyse he sayde he myght / nor wolde nat breake his promyse nor othe / and he sayd none ought to desyre hym thervnto. This excuse the Erle made / for he knewe well that his cosyn of Comynges / who was with the erle of Vrgell her brother in the realme of Arragon / wolde nat agree thervnto. Thus the ambassadors of the duke of Berrey retourned without a­ny thyng doyng to their purpose. And whan they were gone (as sir Espaygne du Lyon shewed me) the erle sayde ah. The duke of Berrey and his coūsayle myght well repute me for an ignorant / whan he wolde haue me to enforce myne ennemyes. Iohan of Berry is cosyn germayn to myne aduersaries of Armynake. that bargayne shall I neuer make / I shall rather mary her in to Englande. It hath been spoken of to sir Henry of Lanca­stre erle of Derby / sonne to the duke of Lan­castre. If I thought nat greatly to displease the Frenche kynge / there shulde none other haue her but he. & as yet I knowe nat what I wyll do / for I shall rather mary her at my pleasure / than they of Armynake shulde ha­ue her agaynste my wyll. In me it lyeth to do or to leaue. I nede nat to trouble my selfe in the mater.

[Page clxvii] Whan the duke of Berrey knewe the certē ­lie that the duke of Lācastre shulde mary his doughter to y ^e king of Castyls son̄e / & that he coude nat breke that maryage in no wyse: he was a .v. or sixe dayes so pensyue / that none about hym durst demaūde what he ayled: at last he declared his entent to thē of his coun­saile. than they said to hym. sir / if ye haue fayled of the duke of Lancasters doughter / ye maye recouer another / as great and as good (as she is) howe be it she is very yonge for your age. Wherfore we can nat tell if the erle of Foiz wyll refuce it for that cause / who hath the lady in his gouernaunce. Ah quod the duke / that is the doughter of the Erle of Bou­longe / the erle of Foiz hath refused Iohan of Berrey / howe be it in the name of god let vs yet assaye. Than the duke wrote to the Erle of Foiz / signifyeng hym ryght swetely that he wolde sende to hym four lordes: as therle of Xancere / the lorde de la Ryuer / sir Guy de la Tremoyle / and the Vycount Dassey / to treate with hym to haue for hym selfe in ma­ryage the doughter of Boulonge / beyng vn­der his kepyng / so it maye be to his pleasure. and desyred the erle to sende hym an answere in writyng the hole of his mynde / to thentent that his messangers shulde nat traueyle in vayne / nor lese there payne. The erle of Foiz receyued the messāgers that brought the writtynge ryght amyably / and wrote agayne by them to the duke of Berrey: sayeng / howe he was right gladde of those tidynges / & wolde be redy to receyue the sayd lordes / outher in Foiz or in Byerne / so that the Erle of Bou­longe and the coūtesse / father and mother to the lady be agreed thervnto. And at their re­tourne whan the duke of Berey herde his answere he was right ioyfull / and all that wynter styll he pursued / what here & there / that he myght attayne to this maryage the nexte so­mer after. He coude nat bring his purpose a­boute shortely / for he knewe well the erle of Foiz was no man lightly to be wonne / for he was sure he shulde haue many delays. wherfore the duke thought to worke wysely / & sent specyall messangers to pope Clement / who was cosyn and nere a kyn to the damosell of Boulōge. The pope was right ioyouse whā he knewe y ^t his cosyn might to highly be ma­ryed / as to the duke of Berrey / vncle to the Frēche kyng. Than the pope wrote to therle of Foiz / signifyeng hym right honorably / & aduysinge hym that he shulde nat vary fro y ^e treatie of that maryage / for therby their ly­nage shulde be enhaunsed. Thus the erle of Foiz receyued letters fro all parties & he an­swered them all / for right well he coude dissimule in suche busynesse. He helde all the par­ties in good loue and fauour / bothe the pope and y ^e duke of Berrey. yet there was nat the wysest of thē bothe nor of their counfayls / y ^t coude knowe perfitely what the erle of Foiz thought surely to do. ¶Nowe lette vs somwhat leaue speakyng of this mater / and re­tourne to the siege of Vanchadore.

ye haue herde here before in this hystorie / how sir Wyllm̄ Lignac and sir Iohn̄ Boemlaunce / & dyuers other knightes and squiers of Auuergne and Limosin had besieged y ^e castell of Vāchadore / and Geffray Tete noyre within: But they coude nat wyn it by no maner of assaut / for they within were prouyded of all thynges necessary for .vii. yere / though they had no refresshyng. They without ofte tymes wolde come out of their bastydes and scrimysshe. Durynge the siege many feates of armes were done / & dyuers hurt on bothe ꝑtes. And so it fortuned at a scrimysshe Gef­fray Tete noyre was there hym selfe / & auaū sed so forwarde / that he was striken through the bassenet in to the heed with a quarell / so that he was fayne to kepe his bedde / wherw ^t all his company was sore displeased / and the season that he lay there was no scrimysshīg. of this hurt if he had ben well kept he might sone haue ben hole / but he kept hym selfe but yuell and specially fro lechery / the whiche he derely bought / for it cost hym his lyfe: but or he died he knewe well before there was no remedy but dethe / For it was playnly shewed hym / by reason of his yuell rule. He was in ieoꝑdy of dethe for his hed apostumed / wherfore he was counsayled to declare his wyll & to make hym redy to god ward: thā he made his testament. First he caused to come before hym all the soueraygne companyons of the garyson / suche as were best expert in armes. Than he sate vp in his bedde and sayd. sirs / and derely beloued companyons / I knowe well I am in great daunger of dethe: we ha­ue a long season ben toguyder / & kepte good company: I haue ben your maister and true [Page] capitayne to my power. Wherfore I wolde gladly in my lyfe dayes se that ye hadde ano­ther capitayne / that trewly shulde acquyte hym to you all / and to kepe this fortresse. for I shall leaue it well prouyded of euery thyn­ge necessary parteyning to a castell of warre bothe of wyne / vitaylles / and artyllary / and other thynges requysyte. Wherfore I de­maunde of you all in generall / if ye be aduy­sed of any capitayne or capitayns metely to be chosen to gouerne you and this castell / as men of warre aduenturers ought to do / for suche hath ben alwayes the warre that I ha­ue vsed. I haue made warre moche vnder the shadowe of the kyng of Englandes quarell. I haue alwayes be desyrous to be there as somwhat was to be gotton / & so alwayes companyons aduēturers ought to do / suche as desyre feates of armes to aduenture them selfe. Here in these fronters is a good coun­trey and frutefull / and great profyte to be goton therin / thoughe the Frenche men nowe besiege vs / it wyll nat endure alwayes: the siege and their bastydes wyll breke one day. Sirs / answere me to my demaunde. Haue ye chosen any capitayne amonge you? The companyons stode styll and gaue none aun­swere. and whan he sawe that they spake nat he beganne to speke agayne with swete wor­des and sayd. Sirs / I thynke surely of this my demaunde ye haue thought before but ly­tell. Wherfore sirs / as I haue layne here in my bedde / I haue thought and deuysed for you. Sir quod they we beleue it well: and it shalbe more agreable to vs that it cometh of you / rather than of vs. And sir / shewe it vs if it please you. Sirs quod he I shall declare it to you / and name hym that I meane. ⸫ ⸫

FAyre sirs quod Gef­fray / I knowe well ye ha­ue alwayes serued and honoured me / as men ought to serue their soueraygne and capitayne / and I shall be y ^e gladder if ye wyll a­gre to haue to your capitayne one that is discended of my bloode. Beholde here Aleyne Rour my cosyn and Peter his brother / who are men of armes and of my blode. I re [...]re you to make Aleyne youre capitayne / and to swere to hym faythe / obeysaunce / loue / and loyalte here in my presence / and also to his brother: Howe be it I wyll that Aleyne ha­ue the souerayne charge. Sir quod they we are well content / for ye haue ryght well cho­sen. There all the companyons made theym seruyaunt to Aleyne Roux and to Peter his brother. Whan all that was done / than Gef­fraye spake agayne and sayde. Nowe sirs / ye haue obeyed to my pleasure / I canne you great thanke / wherfore sirs / I wyll ye haue parte of that ye haue holpen to conquere. I saye vnto you / that in yonder chest that ye se stande yonder / therin is to the some of .xxx. thousande frankes / I wyll gyue them accor­dynge to my conscyence. Wyll ye all be con­tent to fulfyll my testament / howe saye ye? Sir quod they / we be right well contente to fulfyll your commaundement. Than̄e firste quod he / I wyll and gyue to the Chapell of saynt George here in this Castell / for the re­paracious therof a thousande and fyue hun­dred frankes: And I gyue to my louer / who hath truely serued me two thousāde and fyue hundred frankes: And also I gyue to Aleyne Roux your newe capitayne foure thousande frankes: Also to the varlettes of my chambre I gyue fyue hūdred frankes. To myne offy­cers / I gyue a thousande and fyue hundred frankes. The rest I gyue and bequeth as I shall shewe you. ye be vpon a thyrtie com­panyons all of one sorte / ye ought to be bre­therne and all of one alyaunce / withoute de­bate / ryotte / or stryfe amonge you. All this that I haue shewed you / ye shall fynde in yonder Cheste / I wyll that ye departe all the resydue equally and truely bitwene you thyr tie. And if ye be nat thus contente / but that the deuyll wyll set debate bytwene you / than beholde yonder is a stronge axe / breke vp the [Page clxviii] coffer and gette it who can / to those wordes euery man answered and said. Sir and dere maister / we are and shalbe all of one accorde Sir we haue so moche loued & douted you / y ^e we wyll breke no cofer / nor breke no poynt of that ye haue ordayned and commaunded.

Thus Geffray Teate Noyre made his testament and lyued nat past two dayes after / and was buryed in y ^e chapell of saint George within the castell. His wyll was accomplys­shed / and the .xxx. thousande frankes deuy­ded as he had ordayned. And Aleyne Roux and Peter Roux his brother / were capyta­yns of the castell of Vāchadore. All this sea­son y ^e siege styll endured / but there were but fewe scrimysshes made. Howbeit whan the dethe of Geffray Teate noyre was knowen in Auuergne and Lymosyn / the knyghtes & squyers there were ryght ioyfull therof / and douted lesse than they dyde before. For this Geffray in his tyme was sore douted / for he was a good and a sage capitayne and expert in all warre.

NOwe lette vs retourne to the duke of Guerles and shewe what fell to hym in this season / bycause I haue spoken of hym before: For by his meanes the Frenche kyng / his vncles / and his brother / & other nobles of Fraunce came to the entre of the countrey of Guerles: and the kyng deꝑ­ted thens and the duke / hauyng no great do­mage. And whan the duke of Guerles sawe that all the mē of warre were departed / and that he was apeased with the duches of Brabant and with all his enemyes / by reason of the composicion that was made / as to rendre vp the towne of Graue vpon certayne poyn­tes and artycles / ordayned bytwene y ^e duke of Burgone / the duches of Brabant / and the duke of Guerles. Than he thought (to then tent to employ his season) to go in to Pruce / He made hym redy / and gate hym company of knyghtes and squyers of his owne coun­trey / and other places. And about the vtas of saynt Martyn he rode forthe throughe Al­maygne / and in euery place where as he pas­sed he had good chere. And so longe he rode that he came to the lande of Pruce / I knowe nat by what insydence. Certayne men layde in wayte on hym / and in the feldes set on him or he was ware / and ouerthewe hym and all his men / so that they lost all their horses / ar­mure / vessell / golde and syluer / and were all ledde prisoners to a towne / and there sware faythe and trouthe to paye their ran̄somes / and specially y ^e duke of Guerles became pri­soner and made promyse to pay his ran̄some to a squyer called Arnolde / his surname I knowe nat. Than y ^e duke and his men were ledde to a stronge towne in the lande of the duke of Stulpe / whether y ^e duke was there or nat I was nat enformed therof. but whan the great maysters of Pruce herde howe the duke of Guerles was taken as he was com­myng in to their countre / they were sore dis­pleased therwith / and sayd: howe the mater shulde nat rest in that case / for they to suffr [...] it shulde be greatly to their blame. Tha [...] they reysed vp men and departed fro Cōnys­bredge / and came with a great strength of men towardes the towne and castell / where as the duke of Guerles was in prison. Whan the squyer that had taken the duke was en­fourmed of the cōmyng of the great mayster of Pruce with suche a puyssaunce doughted greatly / and determyned nat to abyde their cōmyng to the castell / but thought to departe But or his departure he came to the duke of Guerles and sayd to hym. Sir duke / ye are my prisoner and I am your mayster. ye are a gētylman and a true knight: ye haue swor­ne and gyuen me your faithe where soeuer I go and wyll go / ye ought to folowe me: I can nat tell if ye haue sente for the great mayster of Pruce or nat / he cometh hyder with a great puyssaūce: I thynke nat to abyde hym tary you here if ye lyst / I wyll cary with me your faythe and promyse. The duke to those wordes gaue none answere: and the squyer toke his horse and departed / and wente to a place stronge ynoughe: And at his deꝑtyng he sayde agayne to the duke. Sir / ye shall fynde me in suche a place / he named hym a stronge castell and oute of all hyghe wayes. And whan he was gone the great mayster of Pruce came to the duke of Guerles where as he was / for there was none to lette hym / and so delyuered the duke out of prison: and if he hadde founde the squyer there / surely he had been slayne. Than the great mayster of Pruce retourned to Connysbredge / and the duke of Guerles with hym.

[Page] I Shall shewe you what fell of this busynesse. True it was / great brute ran in dyuers countreis / and speci­ally in Almaygne of the takyng of the duke of Guerles / euery man that herde it hadde great marueile therof. Thus whan the duke of Guerles was come to Connisbredge and was delyuered / as ye haue herde: than he re­membred hymselfe / howe he was bounde by his faythe to the squyer that tooke hym / and remembred the wordes that the squier spake at his deꝑtyng. than he thought in hym selfe that in no wyse he wolde breke his promyse / but truely acquyte his faythe / and sayd to the great maister of Pruce / that he wolde no lengar tary there / but go to the squyer that had his faythe. And so determyned to do for any thynge that the great mayster coulde saye or do: Nouther dispensacyon / absolucyon / nor other thyng / coude nat cause the duke to ab­steyne / but that he wolde nedes go to y ^e town where as the squyer was / whōe he called his maister: euery man that herde therof / repu­ted it for a great valyauntnesse. Whan this came to knowledge of his frendes and kyns­men / than they treated for his delyueraunce. and so he was delyuered by the helpe & mea­nes of the duke of Stulpe / who toke great payne in the mater: Howe be it the duke of Stulpe or he cōsented that the duke of guer­les shulde be delyuered out of daunger / and out of his lande / wolde in any wyse that the duke of Guerles shulde swere and scale / that he and his heyres neuer after that daye / nor none other man for hym / shulde take any vē ­geaunce for that mater / by waye of dissymu­lacion or otherwyse. Thus he was fayne to do or he departed. This aduenture had the duke of Guerles that yere. ¶Nowe let vs retourne to sir Iohan of Vyen admyrall of Fraunce / and shewe what he dyde and what he sayd to the kyng of Castyle / on the Frēche kynges behalfe. ⸫ ⸫

THe admyrall of Fraūce spedde so in his iourneys / that he entred into castyle / and demaunded where to fynde the Kynge. It was shewed hym howe he was at Burgus / he rode thy­der / and alyghted at his lodgynge and re­fresshed hym / and than made hym redy to go to the kynges palays: and he was receyued after the maner of the countrey right honorably / for the loue and honoure of the Frenche kyng. And he was brought in to the kynges chambre / & there the kyng receyued hym ioyfully. Than he delyuered the kynge his let­ters. The kyng reed them and called his coū sayle a parte / and whan they ꝑceyued by his letters that he had credence / than the admy­rall was called forthe / and was cōmaunded to declare the entent of his cōmynge. And he who was redy sayd in fayre language. Sir kyng and all ye of his coūsayle. The frenche kyng hath sente me to you / bycause it is come to his knowledge / howe ye shall marry your sonne to the duke of Lancasters doughter. & sir / ye knowe well that he is y ^e kyng my may­sters aduersary. The kyng and his coūsayle haue great marueyle howe ye may here or entende to any treatie in all the worlde for any maryage without their knowledge. for they saye and true it is / that maryage of chyldren can nat be withoute alyaunce / and amyte of peace and loue. Sir / he sendeth you worde by me / that ye be well aduysed what ye haue done / or are mynded to do. And y ^t in no wyse it be preiudiciall to the kyng nor to y ^e realme of Fraunce / nor therby to breke the boundes and alyaunces that hath ben sworne and sea­led bytwene kyng Henry your father / y ^e pre­lates and noble cyties of this your realme / and the noble kyng and realme of Fraunce. Regarde well that they in no wise be broken for if they be and ones openly knowen / ye ryn in the churches sentence / and to be excommunycate on payne vnpardonable: And al­so to be in the indygnacion of the kynge and of all the nobles of Fraunce / and besyde that to haue them your great enemyes. Sir / this is the cōmaundement of the kyng & his counsayle / that I haue to shewe to you.

Whan y ^e kyng of Castyle & parte of his coū ­sayle / [Page clxix] suche as were there had herde the frēch kynges ambassadour speke so quickely / they were abasshed / and eche of them loked on o­ther: there was none that gaue any answere / but satte styll. At the laste a busshoppe spake and sayde. Sir Iohan / ye are newly come in to these partes / and the kyng and all we saye howe ye be right hertely welcome. The kyng hath well herde and vnderstāde what ye haue sayd / ye shall haue shortely and aunswere / with­in a day or two / suche as shall cōtente you. that is suffycient quod sir Iohan of Vyen / and so tooke his leaue of the kynge and of his coun­sayle / and wente to his lodgynge. And it was shewed me howe he taryed there more than se­uen dayes / without hauynge of any answere / he sawe nothynge but dyssymulacion / wher­with he was sore dyspleased / for all that tyme he coulde nat se the kyng / for he kept hym close in his chambre. And whan syr Iohan of Vien sawe that he coulde haue none other exployte in his busynes / he spake on a daye to some of the kynges counsayle / and sayd. Syrs / surely I wyll departe without aunswere. They douted leste he wolde do as he sayd / and surely so he had done / and they had nat called hym on a day / and made him his aunswere as they dyd. Than it was sayd to hym howe he might well shewe the frenche kynge / and suche as had sent hym thyder / that they shulde haue the kinge of Castyle nor his counsayle in no maner of su­specte / for they had nat done nor wolde nat do any thynge with the kynge of Englande / that shulde breke or adnychilate in any maner of wayes / the alyaunces that hath been sworne and sealed bytwene Fraunce & Castyle / howe be it thoughe the kynge of Castyle mary his sonne to the doughter of the duke of Lācastre / therby to make a fynall peace / for the chalenge that the duke maketh to the realme of Castyle by ryght of his wyfe / and generally all the re­alme counsayleth the kynge there to / & though he assent & wyll do it / yet the frenche kyng nor his counsayle ought nat to be dyspleased there with / for alwayes the kyng of Castyle and his men wyll be conioyned & alyed with the french kynge / and with the realme of Fraunce. This was the substaunce of the answere that sir Io­han of Vien brought in to Fraūce fro the knig of Castyle / who proceded sorthe with the duke of Lancastre in his maryage / & made an amyable peace togyther / by meanes of messengers that wente bytwene them / for the duke laye in the marchesse of Burdeaulx and came thyder fro Bayon / and the duches and her doughter / where as they were receyued with great ioye / for they were greatly desyred there. And fro Burdeaux they wente to Lyborne.

WHan trewe and certayne tydynges was come into the erle of Foiz house howe the Kynge of Castyle was a­greed with the duke of Lancastre / and shulde mary his sonne with the dukes doughter / and to gyue great landes in Castyle / and greate nombre of floreyns / about a two hundred thousande nobles / wherof the erle had great mar­ueyle. This I knowe well / for I syr Iohan Froysart was there the same tyme. Than the erle of Foiz sayd. Ah / this kynge of Castyle is vnhappy / for he hath made peace with a deed man / for I knowe well the duke of Lancastre is in that case / and in suche daunger / that he can nat helpe hym selfe. But the kynge of Ca­style hathe mette with a sage and a valyaunte prince of the duke of Lancastre / for he hath valyauntly borne hym selfe all the warre season.

NOwe lette vs somwhat speke of the ar­my on the see. So it was that aboute the feest of Crystmas / the erle of Arundell who had ben a longe season on the see / costynge the fronters of Bretaygne / and of Rochell / Xayn­ton / and of Normandy / and so passed before Karenten / but a fore that they tooke lande at Chirbroke / and wolde haue done there some dedes of armes. And y ^e same season there were souerayne capytayns in the towne and gary­son of Karentyne / the lorde of Hambre and the lorde of Coucy / and with them a great nombre of knyghtes and squyers of Normādy. Whan the erle of Arundell knewe howe the towne of Karentyne was so well prouyded and furnys­shed with good men of warre / than he passed forthe / for he sawe well in assautinge therof he myght rather lese than wyn. Than he came to a nother towne therby / called Toraguy / and assayled it / and toke it perforce / and pylled it / and wanne there great rychesse / and toke with theym many prisoners / and than came before the good towne of Bayeux / and came to the barryers / and there they made a skrymysshe and none assaute. Than the englysshmen pas­sed the watches of saynte Clemente / and dyd [Page] great domage in the countrey / for they taryed there a fyftene dayes / and no man encountred them. the marshall of Blann [...]uille was in Normandy / but he knewe nat of their comynge / if he had he wolde haue prouyded for the mater. And whan the englysshe men had done their enterprise / and done great domage to the countrey of Normandy / asmoche as a hūdred thousande frankes came vnto. Than they drewe backe and passed agayne the watches / and retourned to Chyrbroke / and dyd put all their conquest in suretye and sauegarde in to their shyppes. And whan they had wynde & wether / and their shyppes charged / than they entred and dysancred and toke the see / and retourned in to Englande / & aryued at Hampton. Thus the army of the erle of Arundell on the see con­cluded in that season.

IN this seasō sir Loys of Xancer marshall of Fraūce was in Languedoc / in the marches of Tholouse and Carcassone / and he knewe well of the treatye that was made bytwene the duke of Berrey and therle of Foiz / for the maryage of the duke of Bowlonges doughter / whome the duke of Berrey wolde haue / though the damosell were right yonge. Than the marshall had affection to go & se the erle of Foyz / as I was enfourmed by his men at Ortays / for whan he came thyder he founde me there. He came at the sendynge of the frenche kynge / and I shall shewe you why & wherfore. The frenche kyng was as thā yonge and had desyre to trauayle / and he had neuer ben as than in Languedoc / whiche is a great countrey / and full of cyties / townes and casteles and as than nygh all dy­stroyed and wasted / for the duke of Berry and his counsayle / who had the gouernaūce of that countrey / had greatly enpouerysshed and pylled the countrey / by tayles and great oppressyons / the complayntes wherof came to the kyn­ges eares / by reason that he was newly entred in to the domynacion of his Realme. And the kynge sayde he wolde go in to Languedoc to vysite that countrey / and also to go and se the pope whome he had neuer sene before / and al­so in that voyage he sayd he wolde se the erle of Foiz / of whome he had herde so moche honour and larges spokē of. Thus the marshall went forthe on his waye / and departed fro the cytie of Tholous / with a fyue hundred horse / and rode so longe y ^t he came to Tarbe in Bygore / and fro thence to Morloys in Bierne. And the erle of Foiz who was signyfied of his comyng was ioyfull / and cōmaunded all his offycers that the towne of Ortays shulde be well apa­relled to receyue him / for he sayd the marshals comynge pleased hym ryght well. lodgynges for his men were made redy / and the erle rode out in to the feldes to mete with hym / and mothan thre hundred horses / and there receyued hym with good chere. And he was at Ortays a syre dayes / and the marshall sayd to the erle / howe the frenche kynge had great affection to se the countrey of Languedoc / and to se hym. Than the erle aunswered and sayd. Syr / the kynge shall be ryght welcome / and gladde I wolde be to se hym. yea / but sir quod the mar­shall / it is the kynges entension at his comyng playnely to knowe / whether ye wyll holde you frenche or englissh / for alwayes ye haue dissy­muled out the warre / for ye wolde neuer arme you for no desyre. A sir quod the erle I thanke you / in that ye haue shewed me somoche / For syr / though I wolde neuer arme me / nor take no parte / there hath been good cause why. As for the warre bytwene Englande and Fraūce / I haue nothynge to do therwith / I holde my countrey of Bierne of no man / but of good and the sworde. What haue I to do to put my selfe in seruytude or in dyspleasure of one kynge or other / yet I knowe well myne aduersaryes of Armynake haue done that in them is to bring me in the indyngnacion of bothe partyes / for or the prince of Wales wente in to Spayne by the informacyon of the erle of Armynake / the prince wolde haue made me warre / he was so sore moued therto / that he had done so / and sir [Page clxx] Iohan Chandos had nat broken his purpose / but I thanke god alwayes I haue borne my selfe as mekely and as curteyssy as I coulde / and shall do as longe as I lyue / and whan I am deed / let the maters go as they wyll. Thus the erle of Foyze and the marshall passed the tyme togyder. And at their departure the erle gaue hym a fayre courser / a fayre mule / and a nother good horse / all thre togyther rychely sadylled and aparelled. And he gaue to syr Ro­berte of Challus and to syr Rycharde Dol­phyn / to eche of them two hūdred frankes / and to fyue other squyers / to eche of them fifty frankes. Than the marshall toke leaue to departe to Tholous. And I syr Iohan Froysart was there the same tyme / and wolde haue departed fro Ortays with hym / but the Erle of Foyze wolde nat suffre me / and sayd I shulde nat as than departe. So it behoued me to byde his pleasure. Sir Loys departed fro Ortays and rode to Tarbe / and the lorde Dolphyn of By­gore conueyed him / and sir Peter of Calestan one of the erle of Foiz knyghtes.

ABoute the same season there was at Burdeaux a dede of armes done be­fore the duke of Lancastre / by fyue englisshmen of his owne house / and fyue frenche menne / some of theym were of the marshall of Fraunce house. Fyrst / by (ser) Pecton Dallagnie a gascone englyssh / agaynst sir Mores Mannigmente frenche. Seconde bytwene sir Ara­gon Raymon englysshe / agaynst the bastarde of Chauigny Frenche. The thyrde / bytwene Loys Malapus / capytayne of Agremortes frenche / agaynst Iaquemyn Corne de Cerfe englysshe. Fourthe bytwene Archambalte de Villyers frenche / and the sonne of the lorde of Chaumonte gascone englysshe. The fyfte by Willyam Foucalt frenche / against the brother of the lorde of Chaumont englysshe. And to se these armes acomplysshed / dyuers knyghtes and squiers of Bierne of therle of Foiz house / toke their way towarde Burdeaux / & I wente with them in company. bytwene Ortars and Burdeaux is but .xxiiii. myle. There we sawe the sayde armes done before saynte Andrews / in the presence of the duke of Lancastre and the duches / their doughter / and other ladyes and damosels of the coūtrey. These knightes were nat all armed at ones / but euery man by hym selfe with his felowe aparte. their armes were thre courses with a speare / thre strokes with a sworde / thre with an are / and thre with a dag­ger and all a horsehacke. And this they dyd in thre dayes / and none of all tenne hurte / but sir Raymon slewe the bastardes horse / wherwith the duke of Lancastre was sore dysplesed / and blamed greatly the knight bicause he bare his staffe so lowe / and the duke gaue the bastarde one of his horses. Whan this was accomplys­shed / euery man deꝑted to their owne houses.

AN one after the duchesse of Lancastre ordayned to goo in to Castyle / and to leade with her Katheryne her doughter / who shulde haue in maryage the kynge of Castyls sonne. And the duchesse entente was / fyrste or she wolde entre in to Castyle to go to Man­tuell / where somtyme was y ^e batayle bytwene kynge don Peter her father / agaynste kynge Henry of Castyle / and of sir Bertram of Cles­quyn. And there she purposed to make iuste enquiry where the kynge her father lay buryed / and to dygge vp his bones / and to haue them to the cytie of Cyuill / and there to bury theym agayne rychly / as it appertayned to a kynge. In the begynnynge of Marche / whanne the sonne beganne to mount / and the dayes to en­crease / than the duches of Lancastre was redy with her doughter / and so departed fro Bur­deaux and went to Bayon / and there the duke of Lancastre toke leaue of her / and he retour­ned to Burdeaux. And the ladyes rode forthe to Dape / and there she was well receyued / for the cyte of Dape was vnder the obeysaunce of the kynge of Englande. There she rested two dayes / and than passed throughe the countrey of Basquence / and passed by the passe of Rou­ceualx / and entred in to Nauerre / and came to Panpilona / and there founde the kyng of Nauer and the quene / who receyued the duchesse honourably. The quene of Nauer was suster to the kynge of Castyle. The duches and her doughter were a monethe passynge throughe the realme of Nauer / for they taryed with the Kynge and with the quene a certayne space / and their costes and charges were borne and payed for. Than they entred in to Spaygne / and at the entre of the realme they founde of the kynge of Castyls seruauntes redy there to receyue theym / acordynge as they were com­maunded. And than the yonge prince was called prince of Galyce.

WHan all these matters were renewed and the ma­ryage confyrmed / than the duchesse of Lancastre lefte her doughter with the king & with her yonge husbande that shulde mary her / who was of the age of eight yeres. the duches toke leaue of y ^e kynge to go to Mantuell / the kyng sent with her of the greatest men of the courte to a company her. Thus she came to Mantu­ell / and dyd so moche that she knewe the trouth where her father was buryed. Than he was dygged vp / and his bones wasshed and baw­med / and wrapped in leade / and brought to the cytie of Ciuyll / and there receyued with processyon without the cytie / and the bones brought in to the cathedrall churche / and there reuerently and solēply his obsequy was done / and there at was king Iohan and his yonge sonne the prince of Galyce / and the most parte of prelates and barons of the realme. After the obsequy doone / euery man retourned to their owne places. The kynge of Castyle wente to the vale of Sory / and his son̄e and his yonge wyfe with hym / and the duchesse of Lancastre to Medena de Campo / a good towne / wherof she was lady / by reason of the confyrmacyon of the peace / & there she lay a season. ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of them and of Castyle / tyll a nother tyme / and let vs speke of the ma­ryage of the duke of Berrey / and also of other insydentes that folowed.

THe duke of Berrey who had maryed the lady Iane of Armynake to his first wyfe / after she was dysseased he hadde great imagynacyon to be maryed agayne / and that he well shewed. for whan he sawe howe he had myssed of the duke of Lancastres doughter / he than set clerkes to write / and sent messangers to therle Gascon of Foiz / who had the kepyng of the erle of Boulonges doughter / more than the space of nyne yeres. And bycause the duke of Berrey coulde nat come to this maryage / but by the daunger of the erle of Foize / for no­ther for pope / father / mother / nor frende that the damosell had / the erle wolde do nothynge / without it were his owne pleasure. Than the duke of Berrey desyred effectuously the frēch kynge his nephue / and the duke of Burgoyne his brother to helpe and assyst hym in this maryage.

THe frenche kyng laught and had good sporte at the duke of Berrey his vncle / bycause he was olde / and so hote in loue / and said to him. Fayre vncle / what shall ye do with a yonge mayde / she is nat twelue yere of age / and ye be .xl. by my faythe it is great foly for you to thynke therof / speke for my cosyn Io­han your sonne / he is yonge / the mater is more mete for hym than for you. syr quod the duke / I haue speken all redy for my sonne / but the erle of Foize wyll in no wyse agree therto / by­cause my sonne is of the blode of them of Ar­mynake / who be at warre togyder / and haue ben longe. If the lady be yonge I shall spare her a thre or four yere / tyll she be a parfyte wo­man. Well fayre vncle quod the kyng / I feare me she wyll nat spare you so longe / but seynge ye haue so great affection therto / I shall ayde you as moche as I may. It was nat longe af­ter but that the kynge ordayned the lorde de la Ryuer and syr Bureau his souerayne cham­berlayne to go in y ^t voyage to the erle of Foiz / and with them the erle of Dassy. And the duke of Burgoyne ordeyned to go thyder on his be halfe the bysshop of Anthune / and sir Gylliam of Tremoyle / and the duke of Berrey desyred Iohan erle of Sanxer / a sage and a valyaunt knyght to go with the other. These fyue lor­des were apoynted to go to the erle of Foize / and to desyre to haue the yonge lady in mary­age for the duke of Berrey. These lordes de­parted and apoynted to mete togyder at Aui­gnon with pope Clement / about Candelmas they departed and toke the waye to Nysmes / and so to Auignon. They passed by Mounte pellyer / and rode by small iourneys and great exspence / and passed by Besyers and came to [Page clxxi] Carcassone / and there they founde sir Loys of Xancere marshall of Fraunce / who receyued them with good there / and he shewed theym moche of the erle of Foiz estate / for he had ben there within two monthes before. Than they departed fro Carcassone and wente to Tho­lous / and there rested / and than sente messan­gers to the erle of Foiz to Ortays in Byerne. And there began to treate for this maryage / but it was farre of / for at the begynnynge the Erle of Foyze was colde / bycause the duke of Lancastre had sente to hym to haue the same lady / for his sonne the lorde Henry erle of Derby. By reason of this longe taryenge and de­layeng of this treatye / it was said and noysed that the maryage shulde nat be. And all their aunsweres that they had fro the erle of Foize / wickely they sente worde therof to the duke of Berrey / who was at Nonnecte in Auuergne. And the duke who had none other desyre but to bringe the mater aboute / wrote often tymes agayne to them with fresshe messangers / desyrynge them nat to cease tyll they had brought the mater to passe. And the erle of Foyze who was sage and subtyle / sawe well the ardent desyre that the duke of Berrey had / and the hoter that he was the colder was he / and he hande­led the matter so wysely / that by the full agre­ment of all partyes / and yet sore desyred ther­to / he hadde thyrty thousande frankes for the charges of the ladyes expenses / for suche yeres as she had been with hym / if he had more de­maūded more he shulde haue had / but he dyd it so to haue thanke of the duke of Berrey / and that he shulde perceyue that he had done some what for hym.

WHan this mater was concluded and all partyes agreed / thanne the erle of Foiz sente his cosyn the lady to Morleaus / accompanyed with fyue hundred spea­res / of whome were capytayns syr Espaigne du Lynn / syr Raynolde Guyllam / syr Peter Calestan / sir Adam of Cacasse / sir Manalte of Nonnables / and sir Pier of Kees / and in the feldes the lady was delyuered to the fren­che ambassadours / on the behalfe of the duke of Berrey. There was syr Loys of Xancere with a fyue hundred speares / and other com­pany / who receyued the lady / and there tooke their leaues and departed. They of Foize re­tourned / and the frenche men ledde forthe the lady. The duke of Berrey had sente to her chares and chareottes rychely garnysshed / and horse / hackeneys / and aparell for her body and for her heed / as fresshe and as ryche as though it had been for the frenche quene. Thus they rode forthe / and I sir Iohan Froysart auctor of this boke rode in their company / for often tymes whan I wolde haue taken leaue of the erle of Foiz / he wolde saye to me / howe I had no dede to make so great haste / and badde me whan I wolde retourne to go in good com­pany / so I retourned in this sayde company. This yonge duchesse of Berrey (for so I wyll name her fro hence forthe) and all her compa­ny rode so longe that they came nere to Aui­gnon. There she rested at a towne called Vile Neufe / without the towne of Auignon / in a house of the popes. And the nexte daye aboute nyne of the clocke / all the cardynals that were there at that tyme mette with her / and so pas­sed the bridge of Rosue in grete estate / the lady rydynge on a whyte palfrey whiche the pope had sent her. Than she came to the popes pa­lays in Auignon and there alighted and went to se the pope / who sate in cōsystory in a chayre pontyficall. The pope kyst her mouth bycause of lygnage. Than the duchesse and her com­pany wente to dyner with many cardynalles / to the house of the cardynall of Thuryn / nere to the popes palyce. This was on a wednys­daye / and the nexte daye they all dyned in the same house agayne. I may well saye that the comyng of this lady to Auignon cost the pope the some of tenne thousande frankes. The fri­daye she supped in the palays and tooke her leaue of the pope / and the saturday she depar­ted and rode to dyner to Orange / and there lay all night / for her cosyn germayne was princesse therof. The sonday she departed and he [...] caryage before and passed to Valance / and than to Vien / and so to Lyon sur le Rone / and there rested two dayes / than fro thens to Bre­s [...]e / and so entred in to the countie of Forestes / and passed through the countrey / and so came to la Palesse in Burbonois and so to Quissy / than to Hanche / and so to Ryon in Auuergne / and there rested two dayes or the duke of Berrey came thyder / who came thyder on Whyt­soneuyn / and on Whytsonday betymes he ma­ryed the lady. This was a noble weddynge and a gret feest / there was the erle of Boloyne / the erle of Estampes / and the erle Dolphyn of [Page] Auuergne. this feest and iustes endured foure dayes. All this I sir Iohan Froysart auctor of this boke sawe with myne eyen / for I was there presente. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue herde here before howe there was a treuse taken bytwene all partyes and garysons / bytwene the Ryuer of Loyr and the ryuer of Dordone / and of Geronde / vnto the feest of saynt Iohan Baptyst / coūted as than in the yere of grace a thousand thre hundred fourscore and nyne. This treuse dutynge / there were some great men and sage on bothe partyes / bothe of Englande and of Fraunce / that busyed themselfe to treate for a peace to endure thre yeres / both by water and by lande. And the entensyon of them y ^e treated in this mater was to comprise in their treatye for the frenche party / all suche as were besyed with their warre. First to haue comprysed the realme of Castyle holy / as well by lande as by water / and in lyke maner the realme of Scot­lande. And on the englysshe partye shulde be comprised all their alyes / and the kynge and realme of Portugale / and dyuers barones of hygh Gascon. These entreatours had moche payne and trauayle or they came to their en­tentes / for the scottes wolde in no wyse cōsent. For whanne worde therof came to kynge Ro­berte of Scotlande fro the frenche kynge / his owne persone wolde lyghtly haue greed therto / for he desyred no warre. On a daye he cal­led before hym all the barones and prelates of Scotlande / suche as ought to gyue counsayle in that mater / for without their knowlege the kynge wolde do nothyng / if he had done / they wolde nat haue kepte it. There openly was redde in all their presence / the letters that the frenche kynge had sente thyder to the kynge / and to the realme of Scotlande / the entente wherof was / that the frenche kyng wolde haue them of Scotland to be comprised with him / [...] to agre to a treuse for thre yeres by lande and by water bytwene Englande and theym. This tydynges was harde to them / and they sayde. The frenche kynge canne do nothynge but to haue treuce / whan it is tyme to make warre. We haue in this yere ouercome the en­glysshmen / and the season is ryght good / and lykely that we shall ouercome them agayne the seconde tyme: yea / and the thyrde also. There was great debatynge of the matter bytwene them / but in no wyse they wolde consente therto. Fynally they acorded to sende a bysshoppe and thre knyghtes in to Fraunce to the kynge and to his counsayle / to the entent to breke the treaties / and to shewe the good wyll of the scottes that they had to the warre. The bysshoppe of saynt Andrews and syr Archambalte Du­glas / syr Willyam Lymsey / and syr Iohan saynt Clere. These departed as soone as they myght / and toke the see and arryued at Sluse and than rode to Parys. and before the kyng and his counsayle they shewed their letters of credence / sente in the name of all the barones and prelates of the realme of Scotlāde. They were well herde / and the frenche men percy­ued well the great affection that they hadde to procede / and to contyne we the warre agaynste Englande / howe be it the treatye was so farre past and promysed that it coulde nat be reuo­ked agayne. Than the scottes were swetely answered / howe there was no remedy but that they muste nedes procede to the peace. Thus the frenche men tooke a treuse / by meanes of suche as treated for the mater / there were dy­uers metynges bytwene the partyes at Ba­lingham / bytwene Boloyne and Calays. So often they mette and debated the maters that a treuce was taken / gyuen and acorded / by­twene Englande and Fraunce (for suche as were treaters of the mater / were prelates / gret lordes and wysemenne of bothe realmes) and all their adherentes and alyes / by see and by lande / to endure fermely without dissymula­cyon of any shadowe of male engyn / the space of thre yeres. The entreatours of the frenche partye were at Boloyne / as the bysshoppe of Bayeur / the erle Valery of saynt Pole / sir Willyam of Melyn / sir Nycholas Bracque / and sir Iohan le Mercier. And at Calays for the [Page clxxii] Englysshe parte was the bysshop of Dur­ham / sir Willyam Montague erle of Salis­bury / sir Wyllyam Beauchampe capitayne of Calais / Iohan Lauon and Nycholas of Gaberthe / and Richarde Roell clerke doctor in lawe. These mette togyder in the myddes of the waye bytwene Calays and Boloyne. at a place called Balyngham.

In this tyme great brute was in Fraunce and in other places / of a great feest and iu­stes that the yonge kyng Charles wolde make at Parys / at the fyrst entryng of Isabell y ^e frēche quene: agaynst whiche feest knightes / squyers / ladyes and damoselles apparelled them to be at that tryumphe: Of the whiche feest I shall speke more here after / and of the charter of the peace that was engrosed & sea­led bytwene the parties.

yE shall knowe that whan I sir Io­han Froyssarte authour of this hy­storie was departed fro Ortays fro the erle of Foiz / as ye haue herde here before: and wente in cōpany with the lorde de la Ryuer and the lorde Guyllyam of Tremoyle / who brought the yonge duchesse of Berrey / doughter to the erle of Boulonge to y ^e duke of Berrey / who wedded her in the towne of Ryon in Auuergne / as it is conteyned here before in this hystorie: for at all these maters I was present / wherfore I maye well speke therof. And whan I came to Parys I foūde there the gentyll lorde of Coucy a good lorde of myne / who had newly maryed a yonge la­dy / doughter to the duke of Lorayne: Whi­che lorde made me good chere / and demaun­ded of me newes of the countrey of Foiz and Biern / and of pope Clement beyng at Auy­gnon / and of the maryage bytwene Berrey and Boulonge / and of another great frende of myne and good lorde and mayster / therle Beraunt dolphyn of Auuergne. And to all his demaūdes I answered all that I knewe / so that he was content. Than he desyred me to go with hym in to Cambresys / to a castell that the kynge had gyuen hym / called Creue cure / a two leages fro Cābrey / and nyne lea­ges fro Valensenes. And so I rode in his cō pany. And as we rode by the way he shewed me / howe the bysshoppe of Bayeux and the erle of saynt Pole and other were at Boloyn sent thyder by the frēche kyng / to cōclude the truce. & howe that for kyng Richarde kynge of Englāde there were at Calys / the bysshop of Durham & therle of Salisbury / w ^t other. and howe they had been there the space more thanne a moneth / abydynge for the ambassa­dours of Scotlande / who were as than newly come thyder. He sayde howe his cosyn the erle of saynt Pole had writen to hym therof / and howe the frenche kynge had sente to the kynge of Scottes / and to his counsayle that he shulde agree to the truce / for the englysshe men wolde consente to no peace / without the scottes were comprised in the same. Thus we rode tyll we came to Creue cure / and there I was with hym thre dayes. Thā I toke leaue of hym and went to Valencennes / and there I taryed fyftene dayes. Than I wente in to Holande to se a gentyll lorde and good may­ster of myne the erle of Bloyes / and founde hym at Estōchoucke. he made me good chere and demaunded of me some tidynges / and I shewed him suche as I knewe. I taryed with hym a moneth there and at Gede. Than I retourned in to Fraunce to knowe the trouthe of the cōclusion that was taken bytwene Englande and Fraunce at Balyngham. Also I purposed to be at the feest that shulde be at Parys at the entre of the Frenche quene / to knowe the trouthe of all these maters / I re­tourned throughe Brabaunt and so came to Parys / eyght dayes before the feest began. Than I fell in company with the lordes of Fraunce and of Scotlande / suche as had ben at the makynge of the truce bytwene Englā ­de and Fraunce. And I fell in acqueyntaūce with sir Guyllyam of Melyn / who shewed me all the hole mater / and howe the Erle of saynt Pole was passed in to Englande to se kynge Rycharde / and to confyrme the truce that was graunted for thre yeres: and that he shulde retourne agayne to be at the said gret feest. Than I demaūded of the said sir Guillyam / what lordes of Scotlande had been at the sayd treatie. I demanuded it / bycause in my youthe I had ben in Scotlande / and ser­ched all the realme to the wylde scottes. And while I was there I taried a space in y ^t court of kyng Dauyd of Scotlande / & there I had acqueyntaūce of the most parte of y ^e lordes & knightes of Scotlāde / therfore I demaūded who had been there. And this sir Melyn an­swered [Page] me and saide / howe there had ben the bysshop of Bredon / & sir Iames and sir Da­uyd Lymsay / and sir Water of saynt Clere. I bare his sayeng awaye / and dyde putte in writynge all that I hadde sene and herde. And shall shewe the trouthe what I sawe & knewe of this feest / and of the fyrst entryng of quene I sabell in to Parys. ⸫ ⸫

THe sonday the twētie daye of Iune / in the yere of oure lorde god / a thou­sande thre hundred foure score and nyne. there was people in Paris and with out / suche nombre / that it was marueyle to beholde. And the same son­daye in the mornyng there was assēble made in the churche of saynte Denyce / of noble la­dyes of Fraunce / suche as shulde accompany the quene / and of suche lordes as shulde assyst the quenes lytters & other ladyes. And there was of the burgesses of Parys twelue hun­dred an horsebacke raynged in the feldes on bothe sydes of the way / aparelled in gownes of one sute / of clothe of Baudkyn / grene and crymosyn. And the olde quene Iane and her doughter duchesse of Orlyance / entred fyrste in to Parys one houre before noone / in a lyt­ter couered / well a companyed with lordes / and passed through the hyghe strete of saynte Denyce / and so rode to the palays / and there taryed for the kynge. That day these two la­dyes went no further. Than y ^e frenche quene and the other ladyes set forwarde / as the du­chesse of Berrey / the duchesse of Burgoyne / the duches of Thourayn / the duches of Bare the countesse of Neuers the lady of Coucy / and other ladyes and damoselles all in good ordre. all their lytters were aparelled as richly as myghte be. But y ^e duches of Thourayne had no lytter / she rode a lone vpon a fayre pal frey rychly aparelled / and she rode on the one syde by the quenes lytter / and it was assysted with the duke of Thourayne and the duke of Burbone / at the fore heed on bothe sydes. And in the myddes on bothe sydes the lytter were the duke of Berry and the duke of Burgoyne / and at the fete was the lorde Peter of Nauer and therle of Ostrenaunt. The que­nes lytter was richely apparelled and disco­uert. Than nexte folowed on a ryche appa­relled Palfrey the duchesse of Berrey / & she was assisted with the erle de la Marche and with the erle of Neuers / and she rydinge a softe pace bytwene them bothe. Than̄e folo­wed the lytter all discouered and open of the duchesse of Burgoyne / and Margarete of Heynalte her doughter coūtesse of Neuers. That lytter was assysted with the lorde Henry of Bare and the yonge erle of Namure / called sir Guylliam. And than y ^e lady of Orlyaunce on a palfrey richely apparelled / and the lorde Iames of Burbone and the lorde Philyppe Dartoys assysted the lady of Or­lyaunce. Than another lytter with the du­chesse of Bare / and the doughter of the lorde of Coucy. Of other ladyes and damoselles that came after in chariottes and palfrayes / and knightes that folowed / there was no mē cion made. And as for sergeauntes and offy­cers of armes had busynesse ynoughe to do to make way / and to breke the preace. There was suche people in the stretes / that it semed that all the worlde had ben there.

AT the fyrst gate of saynt Denice entryng in to Parys / there was a Heuyn made full of sterres / & within it yonge chyldren appa­relled lyke angelles swetely syngynge. And amonge them an ymage of our lady holdyng in fygure a lytell chylde play­eng by hym selfe / with a lytell myll made of a great nutte. This Heuyn was hyghe and ri­chely apparelled with the armes of Fraunce with a baner of the sonne shynyng of golde / castyng his rayes. This was deuysed by the kynge for the feest of the iustes. The quene and the other ladyes as they passed vnder in at y ^e gate / they had great pleasure to beholde it / and so had all other that passed by. Than whan the Quene and the ladyes were paste by / than they came a softe pace before the foū ­tayne in a strete of saynt Denice / whiche condyte was couered ouer with a clothe of fyne asure / paynted full of Floure de lyces of gol­de / [Page clxxiii] and the pyllers were serte full of the ar­mes of dyuers noble lordes of Fraunce. and out of this foūtayn there issued in great stremes Punent and clarre: And about this foū tayne there were yonge maydens richely ap­parelled / with ryche chapelettes on their heedes synginge melodiously. Great pleasure it was to here them: And they helde in their handes Cuppes and goblettes of golde / of­fryng and gyueng to drinke / all suche as passed by / And the quene rested there and regarded them / and had great pleasure of that de­uyse / and so dyde all other ladyes and damoselles that sawe it.

THan after / vnder the mynster of the Trinyte / in the strete there was a stage / and thervpon a ca­stell. And a longe on the stage there was ordeyned the Passe of kynge Salhadyn / and all their dedes in personages / the Christen men on the one parte / and the Sarazins on the other parte. & there was in personages all the lordes of name / that of olde tyme hadde ben armed / and had done any feates of armes at y ^e Passe of Salhadyne / and were armed with suche armure as they than vsed. And thanne a lytell aboue them there was in personages the Frenche kynge and the twelue peeres of Fraunce / ar­med with the blason of their armes. & whan the Frenche quenes lytter was come before this stage / she rested there a season. Thanne the personages on the stage of kyng Rycharde departed fro his company / and wente to the Frenche kynge / and demaunded lycence to go and assayle the Sarazins / and y ^e kyng gaue hym leaue. Than kynge Rycharde re­tourned to his twelue companyons. Than̄e they all sette them in order / and incontynent wente & assayled the kynge Salhadyne and the Sarazins. There in sporte there semed a great bataile / and it endured a good space. This pagiaunt was well regarded. Than̄e the quene passed forthe and came to y ^e secōde gate of saynt Denyce. And there was a ca­stell ordayned / as was at the fyrste gate: and a heuyn clouded / and full of sterres richely deuysed / and therin the fygure of God lyt­tynge in maiestie / the father / the sonne / and the holygoost. And within the Heuyn chyl­dren in fygure of angelles swetely syngyng / whiche pagiaunt was greatly praysed. And as the quenes lytter passed vnder the gate of Paradise / there were two angelles came out and came downe holdynge in their handes a ryche crowne of golde / garnysshed with precious stones. And they sette fayre and easely the crowne on y ^e quenes heed / synging right swetely this verse. Dame / as ye be enclosed bytwene the Floure de lyces / so ye be quene of the realme of Fraunce / & so drewe agayne in to paradyse. Than they passed forthe and came before the chapell of saynt Iames. And there was a scaffolde richely deuysed / on the right hande as the quene rode / couered ouer with ryche arras / and drawen aboute with curteyns / in maner of a chambre. And with­in there were mē playeng vpon orgās ryght swetely: And all the strete of saynt Denyce was couered ouer with clothes of sylke and chamlet / suche plentie / as thoughe suche clo­thes shulde cost nothynge. And I sir Iohan Froissart authour of this hystorie was pre­sent / and sawe all this / and had great mar­ueyle where suche nombre of clothes of sylke were goten. There was as great plentie as though they had ben ī Alysandre or Damas / and all the houses on bothe sides of the great strete of saynt Denice vnto the bridge of Parys / were hanged with clothes of Arras of dyuers histories / the whiche was pleasure to beholde. Thus they passed forthe a soft pace and so came to the gate of the chatelet of Pa­rys: and there the quene rested to se the other goodly deuyses that were there ordayned.

AT the gate of the chatelet of Parys there was a castell made of woode & tymbre / as strōgly made / as it shuld haue endured .xl. yeres. The whiche castell was enbatylled / and at euery lope there was a man of armes armed at all peces. And in y ^e same castell there was a bedde made / richely encourteyned and apparelled / as it had been to haue stande in the kynges chambre. & this bedde was called y ^e bedde of Iustyce: and in this bedde there lay by figure saynt Anne. in this castell there was a playne / for the castell cōteyned a gret space: & this playne was full of trees / and full of Hares / cones / & byrdes / that flewe in and out: For whan they were a brode they flewe thider agayne for feare of y ^e people. And out of these trees there issued a [Page] whyte Harte / and wente to the bedde of Iu­styce: and out of the other parte of the wode there issued out a Lyon and an Egle proper­lye / and fresshely approched the Harte and the bedde of Iustyce. Than came there out of the trees a .xii. yonge maydens richely apparelled / with chapelettes of golde on their heedes / holdynge naked swordes in their hādes / and they wente bytwene the Harte / the Lyon / and the Egle / and there they shewed them selfe redy to defende the Harte and the bedde of Iustyce. This deuyse y ^e quene and all other had great pleasure to regarde. than they passed forthe and came to the bridge of Parys / whiche was couered and richely be­sene. The couerynge of grene and crimosyn full of sterres / and the stretes hanged to our ladyes churche. And by that tyme that the quene and the ladyes were paste the bridge / and approched to the churche of oure Lady / it was late: For all the waye as they wente / they rode but a softe pace. And or the Quene and the ladies entred in to the churche of our Lady / they foūde by they waye other playes and pastymes / greatly to their pleasure.

AMonge all other there was a may­ster came out of Geane. He had tied a corde on the hyghest house on the bridge of saynt Myghell ouer all y ^e houses / and the other ende was tyed on the hyghest towre in our ladies churche. And as y ^e quene passed by / and was in the great strete called out ladyes strete / bycause it was late. This sayde mayster with two brinnynge candel­les in his handes / issued out of a lytell stage that he had made on the hyght of our ladyes towre: And syngyng he went vpon the corde all a longe the great strete / so that all that sawe hym / hadde marueyle howe it myght be: And he bare styll in his hādes y ^e two brinnynge cādelles / so that it myght well be sene ouer all Parys / and two myle without Pa­rys. He was suche a tombler / that his lyght­nesse was greatlye praysed. And before the churche of our lady the bysshoppe of Parys was reuested with the armes of our lorde Iesa Christ / with all the colledge and great nō ­bre of other of the clergy. There the Quene a lyghted out of her lytter / and was takenne downe by the four dukes / that is to saye: the duke Berrey / the duke of Burgoyne / y ^e duke of Thourayne / and the duke of Burbone: and all other ladyes in lykewise taken dow­ne by theym that were their assysters / bothe out of their lytters and fro their horses / and in good order. So they entred in to the churche. The bysshoppe and the clergy before thē syngyng / in y ^e honour of god and of our bles­sed lady. the quene was ledde & assysted and brought vp to the hyghe auter / and there she kneled downe and sayde her prayers / suche as pleased her / and offred to the tresorie of our lady four clothes of clothe of golde / and the goodly crowne that the angelles dyde set on her heed / and than incontynent sir Iohn̄ de la Ryuer and sir Iohan le Mercyer dely­uered the bysshoppe of Parys a more rycher crowne. And the bysshoppe and the four du­kes dyde sette it on the quenes heed. Than̄e they retourned agayne through the churche / and the quene and the ladyes sette agayne in their lytters / as they were before. There were mo than fyue hūdred torches brinnyng for it was late. Thus they were brought to the palays of Parys / where the kynge / the olde quene / and the duchesse of Orlyaunce her doughter were. There the quene and the ladyes lyghted fro their lytters / and eche of theym brought in to seuerall chambres: and the lordes went to their lodgynges / after the daunsynge was paste.

THe nexte daye Monday / the kynge made them all a dyner at his palis. And at the houre of the high masse / the quene was ledde with the foresayd foure dukes in to the holy chapell: and there in the masse season the quene was sacred & anoyn­ted / as a Quene ought to be: And the arche­bysshoppe of Roane dyde the obseruaunce / who was called sir Wyllyam of Vyar. After the masse songe solempnely / the kynge and the quene retourned in to their chābres / and all other ladies suche as had chambres in the palays. Than anone after the kyng and the quene retourned in to the halle / and all other ladyes. The great table of Marble that al­wayes standeth styll in the halle / was made lengar with a great plaunche borde of Oke / of foure inches thycke / whiche borde was ri­chelye couered. And aboue the great table / agaynste one of the Pyllers / was the Kyn­ges dressyng borde / standynge full of vessell [Page clxxiiii] of golde and syluer / whiche was greatly co­uered of many that sawe it. Before the table a longe discendyng downe / there were bar­ryers made of wode with thre alyes / & there were sergeauntes and vsshers a great nom­bre kepynge the entrees / to the entente that none shulde entre / but suche as were seruy­tours of y ^e table / for y ^e hall was so full of peo­ple that a man coulde nat tourne hym / but w ^t moche payne. Mynstrelles a great nombre plesauntly played / euery man after his facultie. Than the kyng and the prelates / and the quene and the ladyes wasshed & sate downe at the tables. At the kynges table sate downe as chiefe / the bysshoppe of Noyan / than the bysshoppe of Langers / than the kynge / and by the kynge the archebysshoppe of Rohan. The kynge satte in a surcote of scarlette fur­red with armyns / & a ryche crowne of golde on his heed. Than the quene / and by her the kyng of Armyne / than the duches of Berry / than the duches of Burgoyne / and y ^e duches of Thourayne: Than the lady of Neuers / and the good damosell of Bare / than the la­dy of Coucy and Mary of Harecourt. Mo there sate nat at the highe table / sauynge be­neth all satte the lady of Sailly / wyfe to sir Guye of Tremoyle. And at two other tables a longe downe the hall / sate mo than fyue hū dred ladyes and damosels. The prease was so great / that it was great payne to serue thē with their messes / whiche were great and no table. I haue nat to do to make great ꝓcesse therof / I shall so what speke of the pastymes y ^t were made bitwene the messes / the whiche had been great pleasure for the kyng to haue sene / if he had taryed out the hole dyner.

FIrste in the myddes of the palays there was a castell made of tymbre xl. fote longe and twentie fore brode with foure towres / in euery quarter one and one in the myddes / hygher than the other.

This Castell was fygured for the cytie of Troye / and the towre in the myddes for the palays of ylion: And there were penōs with the armes of the Troyans / as of kyng Priamus / Hector his sonne / and his other chyl­dren. And also the armes of suche other kyn­ges and princes / as were enclosed in Troye with kynge Priam. This castell went vpon wheles / the whiche myght be tourned euery waye properly. This castell came to assayle another sorte that was therby in a pauilyon / whiche also wente vpon wheles / so softely & couertly / that the mouynge therof coude nat be parceyued / and there was y ^e armes or the kynges of Grece / and of other suche as were at the siege. Also there was a shyppe properlye deuysed / wherin myght well be a hūdred men of armes / and all moued by the crafte of wheles / bothe the Castell / Pauilyon / & ship. They of the Pauilyon and of the Shyppe / assayled euer the castell / and they within the Castell made great defence. But this sporce endure nat longe / for the preace of the people was so sore about them / that no man coulde styrre. The people were sore chafed with the heate / and putte to moche payne. And there was a table by the parlyament chambre dore where at satte many ladyes and damoselles. It was by reason of the preace ouerthrowen to the erthe / and the ladyes caused sodainly to ryse without order / and sore chafed with the preace and heate that was in the palays. The quene herselfe was at the poynt to haue been sore displeased: Perforce a backe doore was broken vp to gette fresshe ayre. The la­dye of Coucy was sore diseased. Whan̄e the kynge sawe this mater / he commaunded to cease / and the tables in great hast to be taken vp / to let the ladyes and damoselles at large. They lefte takynge of wyne and spyces and wente to their chambres. Than some of the ladyes taryed styll in the Palays / and some wente in to the towne to their lodgynges / to be the more at their ease: for with preace and with heate / they had been sore greued. The lady Coucy wente to her lodgynge / & helde her there tyll it was late.

THan about fyue of the clocke the Frenche Quene / accompanyed with the foresayd duchesses / de­parted fro the palays of Parys and toke their lytters all open / and so wente throughe the stretes to the kyn­ges lodgynge / called saynt Polle / on the ry­uer of Sayne. with the quene there were mo than a thousande horses. And the kyng went fro the palays to the ryuer of Sayne / & toke there a barge / & wente by water to his house of saynt Polle. And for all that y ^e house was great and large & well amended / yet y ^e kyng [Page] had caused in the great court nere to the gate fro the Ryuer / to be made a great halle whi­che was couered ouer with clothes of the ar­mes of Normandy: And the walles were hā ged with clothes of arras of sondrie hysto­ries. In this hall the kynge gaue the ladyes a supper / but the quene kepte her chābre / she was no more sene y ^t nyght. The other ladies and the kyng and the lordes daunsed and re­uelled all that nyght / nerchande tyll it was daye in the mornyng. Than euery person departed and went to their lodgynges to slepe for it was good tyme. Nowe I shall shewe you what gyftes and presētes they of Parys gaue on the Tuesday before noon to y ^e quene and to the duchesse of Thourayne / who was but newly come in to Fraunce oute of Lom­bardy / for she was doughter to the duke of Myllayne: and she had the same yere wed­ded Loyes duke of Thourayne. She was named Valentyne / she had neuer before ben at Parys / therfore the burgesses of Parys gaue her her welcome.

ON this Tuesday aboute .xii. of the clocke about a .xl. burgesses of Pa­rys of the most notablest persons of the cytie / all in one sute of clothynge came to the kynges house of saynt Polle / & brought a present for the quene through the stretes of Parys. The present was in a lytter richely wrought and borne bytwene two strong mē properly apparelled lyke two auncient sage persones. The lytter had a celler of a thynne fyue clothe of sylke / so that the iewelles that were in the litter might well be sene through Whan they came to saint Polle / first they cāe in to the kynges chambre / whiche was redy apparelled to receyue them / for alwayes su­che as bringeth any thyng are welcome. thā these burgesses sette downe the lytter on two trestels in the myddes of the chambre: Than they kneled downe before the kyng and said. Right dere lorde and noble kyng / your bur­gesses of Parys presenteth your grace these iewelles here in this lytter / in the welcomȳg of your grace into the gouernaūce of your realme of Fraunce. Than the kyng sayd. good men I thāke you / they are right goodly and riche. than the burgesses rose & drewe backe / & therwith toke their leaue. Whan they were gone / the kynge sayd to sir Wyllyam of Lor­des and to Montague / who were by hym. Sirs / let vs go nere to this lytter / & se these presentes more nerer. Than the kynge well regarded them. Fyrst there were foure pot­tes of golde / sixe lauers of golde / & sixe plat­tes of golde: All this vessell wayed a hūdred and fyftie marke of golde. In lyke maner a nother sorte of burgesses richely apparelled all in one lyuerey / came to the quene and pre­sented her another lytter / whiche was borne in to her chambre / shewynge howe the good men of Parys dyde recōmende them to her grace and sent her that present. Whiche pre­sent was a shippe of golde / two great flagōs of golde / two dredge boxes of golde / two sal­tes of golde / sixe pottes golde / sixe lauers of golde .xii. Lampes of syluer / two basons of syluer. The sōme was thre hundred marke / what golde what syluer. This present was brought in a lytter bytwene two men / one in semblaunce of a Beare / and the other in semblaunce of an Vnycorne. The thirde present in lykewise was brought in to the duches of Thourayns chambre by two men / fygured in the fourme of two blacke Moores richely apparelled / with white towelles about their heedes lyke sarazins. The lytter was fayre and riche / couered with a fyne clothe of sylke and brought by .xii. burgesses all in one ap­parell / who gaue this present to the sayd du­chesse. In the whiche presente there was a shippe of golde / a great potte of golde / two ewers golde / two great plattes golde / two saltes golde / sixe pottes syluer / two dosin saucers sylner / two dosyn boules syluer. Sōme golde and syluer two hūdred markes. This present greatly reioysed the duches of Thourayne / as it was reason / for it was goodly & riche / and curtesly she thanked them of their gyfte. Thus this Tuesdaye these presentes were gyuen to the kyng / y ^e quene / and to the duchesse of Thourayne. It was greatly to be consydred the valeur of these presentes / & also the puyssaunce of the parisyens. For it was shewed me by one who sawe all these p̄ ­sentes / that they cost the parisiens more than threscore thousande crownes of golde. After these presentes this delyuered / it was tyme to go to dyner: But that daye the kynge and the quene & other ladyes dyned in their chambres / y ^e soner to haue done: For at thre of the clocke at after dyner they shulde drawe in to [Page clxxv] the felde of saynt Katheryne / where as there was ordayned stages and scaffoldes a great nombre / for the kynge and the quene and o­ther to beholde the iustes.

¶Nowe shall I name by order / the knygh­tes that were called the kynges knyghtes / of the sonne of golde there were thyrtie of thē.

FIrste the duke of Berrey / the duke of Burgoyne / the duke of Burbone / the erle de la Marche / sir Iaquemarte of Burbone his brother / the lorde Guillyam of Namure / sir Olyuer of Clysson constable of Fraūce / syr Iohan of Vien / sir Iames of Vi­en lorde of Espaigny / syr Guy of Tremoyle / sir Gillyam his brother / sir Phylyp of Bare / the lorde of Rocheforde bretone / the lorde of Raies / the lorde Beamond / syr Iohan of Barbencon / the hazle of Fraūce / the lorde of Tour­ty norman / syr Iohan of Barres / the lorde of Nantoyllet / the lorde of Rochfouca [...]t / the lord of Garanciers / sir Iohan of Harpedante / the barone Dinury / syr Willyam Marcyell / syr Raynolde of Roye / syr Geffrey of Caryn / syr Charles of Changeet / and sir Gylliam of Lignac. All these knyghtes were armed and shel­des lyke there in the sonne raye / and aboute thre of the clocke they were in the place of saint Kateryne / and thyder was come ladyes and damosels. And firste the quene came thyder in a chare rychely aparelled / and all other ladyes in good ordre / and entred into the scaffoldes that were ordeyned for them. Than came the frenche kyng redy apparelled to iuste / whiche pastyme he loued ryght well / he was well ac­companyed. Than the iustes beganne / there were many lordes of dyuers countreys. Syr Gyllyam of Heynalt erle of Ostrenant iusted ryght goodly / and so dyd suche knyghtes as came with hym / as the lorde of Gomminies / sir Iohan of Andregenes / the lorde of Cautan / syr Ausell of Transegynes / and sir Clinquart of Hermo / all dyde well their deuoyre to the prays of the ladyes. Also there iusted well the duke of Irelande / who was all that seasone with the frenche kynge. Also there iusted well a knyght of Almayne / besyde the Ryne / called sir Seruays of Mirando. These iustes were well contynued / but there were so many knightes that one coulde nat rynne for another / and the duste with rynnynge of their horses was so great / that it troubled them sore. The lorde of Coucy dyd maruelously well. These iustes contynued tyll it was nyght / than they depar­ted / & the ladyes brought to their lodgynges. The kynge with his company was brought to his lodgynge of saynt Pole / and there was a supper for the ladyes / with suche haboun­daūce / that it were harde to recorde it / and the feest and reuell with syngynge and daunsyng tyll the next mornynge the sonne rysinge. And the prise of the iustes of the aunswerers / that had best done and lengest contynued / was gyuen to the frenche kynge / by consente of all the ladyes / and iudgement of the harauldes. and of the chalengers the Halze of [...]launders / ba­starde brother to the duchesse of Burgoyne. The knightes complayned of the dust so that some said they loste their dedes by reason therof. The kynge made prouysion for it / he or­deyned mo than two hundred barrelles of ma­ter that watred the place / wherby the groūde was well amended / and yet the nexte day they hadde duste ynough and to moche. Than the wednysdaye came to Parys the erle of saynte Pole frome oute of Englande / he had made great haste to come to these iustes and feest / and he had lefte behynde him in Englande sir Iohan of Chatell Morant / to bringe the charter of the treuce with hym. The erle of saynte Pole was well welcomed of the kynge and of all other lordes / and the Quene and all other were glad of his comynge.

ON the wednysdaye after dyner euery man drew to the felde / and the ladyes came thyder in goodly aray / as they had done the daye before / and mounted vpon their stages. Than the iustes began fyersly / and was well contynued tyll it was nyght. Than euery person retourned / and the ladyes had a great supper at saynte Polle. Than the pryses were gyuen by consente of the ladyes / and iudgement of the harauldes. of the answerers / the prise was gyuen to a squyer of Hay­nalte called Iohan de Flaron / who was come thyder in the company of therle of Ostrenant. and of the chalengers / the prise was gyuen to a squyer of the duke of Burgoyns / called Io­han de Pokerers. And agayne the thursdaye iusted knightes & squyers all togyther: euery man payned hym selfe to do well / and it endu­red tyll nyght. And the ladyes supped agayne at saynt Polle / and there the prise was gyuen [Page] of the vtter partie to sir Charles of Armoyes / and of them within to a squyer of the quenes / called Lons. The frydaye the kynge made a dyner to all the ladyes and damoselles / and a­boute the ende of the dyner / there entred in to the hall (the kyng sytting at the table) the du­chesse of Berrey / the duchesse of Burgoyne / the duches of Thourayne / the coūtes of saynt Polle / the lady of Coucy / and a great meny of other ladyes and damosels. they brought in two knyghtes on horsebacke / armed at all peces for the iustes / with their speares on their thyes. The one was sir Raynold of Roy / and the other sir Bouciquant y ^e yonger / and there they two iusted goodly togyther. Than came thyder other knightes / (ser) Raynold of Troyes syr Gyllyam of Namure / syr Charles of Ar­moyes / and the lorde of Garancyers / the lorde of Nantoyllet Lardenoys of Ostende and dyuers other. all these iusted there the space of two houres before the kynge and the ladyes. than they returned to their lodgynges. That fryday suche ladyes and damosels as wolde retourne to their owne houses / toke their lea­ues of the kynge & of the quene / and also suche lordes as wolde departe. The kynge and the quene thanked them of the payne they had ta­ken / comynge to his feest. ⸫ ⸫

AFter that all these lor­des and ladyes were returned fro this greate feest to their owne houses / than the lorde of Chastell Morant / whome the lorde of saynte Polle had left in England retourned in to Fraunce / to the kynge and to his counsayle / and shewed forth the charter of the treuce / sealed by kynge Rycharde of En­glande / and by his vncles and other / to endure thre yere / as well by see as by lande / and the wordes in the charter sayd. That whosoeuer breketh by any maner of cōdicion / any poynte or artycle conteyned in that treatie / shulde be taken and reputed as traytours / and to rynne in a mortall punysyon. And bycause that the lorde of Coucy was souerayne capytayne chosen by the kinge and his counsayle / to defende and kepe the outwarde marches / bytwene the ryuer of Durdone and the see / and all the countrey of Iuuergne and Lymosyn. The copy of this treatye was delyuered to hym / to the en­tente that he shulde publysshe and shewe it to all them that wolde do any thynge to the con­trary. And also to the entent that they of Van­dachor / of Chalusset of Dorbesidousac / and of the garysons y ^e made warre for the englysshe tytle / shulde haue knowledge of that treuce / that they shulde make none excuse if they fell in the payne. In lykewyse the marshall of Fraū ­ce the lorde Loys of Xancer had also the copy therof / whiche was ryght nedefull / for he was gouernour of the outwarde marches of Lan­guedoc / fro the ryuer of Ronne and the bridge of Amyngnon / and aboute the countreys and signories apendaūt to the ryuer of Dordone / as the coūtreys of Beaucaire / of Carcassone / of Tholous / of rouergne / of Dagen / of Querca / of Bygore / of Pyergourte / and of Lymo­gines. and in these countreys were dyuers garysons / that smally regarded or obeyed any peace or truce / but alwayes entended to make marre / as the castell of Cullyer / & the stronge castell of Londre in Bygore / on the fronters of Byerne / they were greatly feared of their neyghbours. ⸫ ⸫

IN this tyme there was a treatye made of a mary­age bytwene Loys of An­iowe / sonne to the duke of Aniou / who wrote himself kynge of Napoles / of Cy­cyll / and Iherusalem / and erle of Prouynce / and the doughter of kyng Peter of Arragon. The quene of Napoles went to Auygnone to se pope Clement / and there she founde the lorde of Coucy / and had in her company her yonge sonne Loys. The lorde of Coucy was ryght ioyous of her cō ­mynge. The quene was receyued ryght ho­norably of pope Clement / and of the cardy­nalles / as she was well worthy / for she was a noble woman / and a dilygent in all her bu­synesse. There she desyred the lorde of Cou­cye to helpe to conuey her sonne Loyes in to the realme of Arragone / and to be about him tyll he were maryed. The lorde of Coucye wolde nat refuce it / but ordayned hym selfe so to do and sayde. Ma dame / there was no vyage this seuyn yere / that I wolde be more gladder to accomplisshe / than to go in to the marches of Cicyll & Naples / wich my lorde your sonne / if I had lycence of the kyng my souerayne lorde. Sir quod the lady I thāke you / I se well your good wyll / I doute nat but the kyng wyll be content that ye go with my sonne in to Aragon: And the quene of Arragon wyll be glad to se you / for your doughter hath maryed her brother sir Hēry of bare The lorde of Coucy agreed to go this voy­age. Thus the younge kynge of Cicyll tooke his iourney well accompanied / whan he had taken his leaue of the Pope and of his mo­ther / all wepynge: For at the departynge of the mother and the sonne / caused their hertes to relente: For they shulde departe farre a sō der / & knewe nat whan to se togyder agayne For it was ordayned / that whan the mary­age was accomplysshed / that the yonge kynge and the yonge Quene shulde take the see at the porte of Barcelone / and so to go and arryue at the porte of Naples / or as nere as they myght.

SO longe this yonge kynge Loyes iourneyed / that he passed Mount­pellyer and Besyers / and so came to Narbone / where he was receyued ioyful­lye of euery man. There they refresshed thē and their horses one day / and than departed and wente to Parpygnen: the fyrst towne of the realme of Arragon. The cōmyng of this yonge kynge was well knowen in the court of the kynge of Arragon. He sente menne to mete with hym and to conuey him / as the vycount of Ro [...]uebertyn and sir Raymonde of Baighes. So long they rode / that they cāe to the cytie of Barcelone / where the kynge & the Quene and their doughter was. There the yonge kyng was nobl [...] receyued / and specially the quene of Arragon was ryght ioy­ouse of the cōmynge of the lorde of Coucy / and thanked the yonge kynge her sonne that shulde be / for bringynge of hym in his com­pany / and sayd / that all other maters shulde do and atcheue the better. This Maryage was confyrmed bytwene these two chyldren / but bycause wynter approched / they delayed their voyage goyng to the See / For in wynter the great Sees are perillous. They said they wolde make their prouisyon that wyn­ter / to go in to Naples the nexte Marche af­ter. The lorde of Coucy beyng in Arragon / receyued letters fro the Frenche kynge / commaundynge hym to retourne. Than he toke his leaue of the kynge of Arragon and of the quene / and of the yonge kyng and his wyfe / and of all other lordes suche as were there / and departed. And if he myght haue had leysar / he wolde haue retourned by Auignon to haue sene the pope and the olde quene af Naples. But he sente to them his excuse / and re­tourned by Auuergne in to Fraunce.

WHan̄e this maryage was made by­twene the yonge kyng Loyes of Cycyll / and the doughter of the kynge of Arragon / wherby there was great alya [...] ­ces bytwene the parties / and they of Arra­gon were bounde to ayde & to serue the yong kynge / to bringe hym in to the realme of Naples / and nat to leaue hym tyll he had the re­alme pesably of Naples and of Cicyll / with the appendaūtes / as Paule and Calabre / and the cytie of Gaiet / the whiche Margarete of Duras helde. The aragonoys shulde serue hym as longe as his warre endured with .ii. hundred speares at their coste and charge / & a thousande crosbowes / and a thousande bregandiers. Whan the swete tyme of Marche [Page] was come / and that the wyndes were apea­led and y ^e waters swaged of their rages / and the wodes reuerduced / and that their prouy­sions were made redy at Barcelone / and the galees redy suche as shulde go with the yong kynge. Than he and his yonge quene tooke their leaues of the kynge of Aragone and of the quene / who wept at their departyng. than the quene recōmaunded the yonge quene her doughter to the erle of Roodes / a valyaunt knight / & to sir Raymon of Baighes. These two toke y ^e speciall charge natwithstādinge that the erle of Vrgell and the erle of Lyne were there in a great company. In these ga­lees were a fyftene hūdred speares / two thousande crosbowes / & two thousande of other men of warre / with dartes & pauesses. They wente thus fortifyed and well acompanyed / to resyst the better if nede were agaynst their ennemyes. And also to resyst all rencoūters vpon the see / for it is a longe waye by the see fro Barcelone to Naples. And Margarete of Duras their aduersary myght trouble thē by the way / therfore they thought to go sure­lye. ¶ Nowe we wyll leaue to speke of this yonge kyng of Cicyll / and speke of other bu­synesse of the realme of Fraunce. ⸫ ⸫

AFter this great Feest was accomplisshed / & that euery lorde and lady were gone home to their owne houses / as ye haue herde here before: & that the Frē che kyng sawe that he had truce with Englande for thre yere: he hadde than ymaginacion to go & visite his realme / specially the vtwarde marchesse of Langue­docke. For the lorde de la Ryuer and sir Io­han Mercier / who were as than chefe of his preuy coūsayle. They exhorted hym to go to Auygnon to se pope Clement and the cardy­nalles / who desyred to se hym / and also to go to Tholous / for they sayd to the kyng. Sir / a kyng in his youthe ought to visyte his re­alme / and to knowe his people / and to lerne how they be gouerned / the whiche shulde be greatly to his profyte / and the better to be beloued with his subiectes. The kyng lyghtly enclyned to their counsayle / for he had desyre to traueyle and se newe thynges. And y ^e lord de la Ryuer who was but newly come out of those marchesse / herde great complayntes of the people of Tholous / of Carcassone / & of Beaucayre. and they desired greatly to se the kyng / for they had ben sore charged with tayles and aydes by y ^e duke of Berrey / by the informacion of a seruaunt of his called Bety­sache / who had pytie of no man: He so pylled the people that nothynge was lefte / therfore he counsayled the kynge to go thyder to pro­uyde some remedy / And also that the kynge shulde sende for the erle of Foize to come to hym to Tholous. The kyng made him redy to go thyder / and sente afore all the way that prouisyon shulde be made for his cōmyng / & sente worde therof to his vncle the Duke of Burgoyne and to his aūte the duchesse / how he wolde come a longe throughe their coun­trey / and wolde se his cosyns their chyldren / and to bring in his company his brother the duke of Thourayne / and his vncle of Bur­bone / whiche pleased greatly y ^e duke and the duchesse. And the duke caused to be procla­med a feest and a iustes to be holden at Dy­gnon. and knightes & squiers of Burgoyne / of Sauoy / and of other marches adioyning were requyred to be at this feest. And so eue­ry man ordred themselfe accordingly.

THus whyles the kynges prouisyon was a makyng / to go to Auignon & to Languedocke. The duke of Burgoyne on his parte made great prouisyon to receyue the kynge / and so dyde euery man in their marchesse / that purposed to be at y ^e feest at Dignon. The same season other maters fell in Fraunce. ye haue herde howe the du­ke of Irelande (who was called erle of Ox­enforde) was banysshed oute of Englande / by the vncles of kyng Richarde / and speciallye the duke of Gloucestre had grettest dys­pleasure to hym / so that to saue hym selfe he [Page clxxvii] was fledde in to Hollande / and taryed there but a small season / in the towne of Dordregh for he was fayne to departe thens. For duke Aubert / who was lorde of that towne and of Holande / denyed hym the taryeng in his coū trey / for he wolde nat kepe hym agaynst the wyll of his cosyns germayns of Englande / for all that the kynge of Englande had writ­ten for hym / yet he was fayne to departe and to go to Trecte a fraunches towne for all maner of people / payeng for that they take. And the duke of Irelande had ynoughe to paye. For besyde that he brought with him / he had threscore thousande frankes out of Fraunce fro the Constable / for the redempcion of Io­han of Bretayne. And he was come to y ^e Frē ­che kyng vnder saueconducte / and was there with hym more than a yere. The kyng made hym good chere / bycause he was a straūger / Howe be it trewe it was / thoughe this duke was with the kyng / yet y ^e lorde of Coucy ha­ted hym in his herie / for he had good cause. For though the duke in all affayres was prouyded of wytte / honoure / eloquence / and of great largesse / yet he had greatly trespassed agaynst the lorde of Coucies doughter / who was his wyfe laufully spoused. And forsoke her without any tytell of reason / but by false and yuell temptacyon and disceyte / was dis­ceyued. And toke another wyfe / a damosell of the quene of Englandes of the countrey of Boeme / & the kyng and y ^e quene of Englāde synfully consented therto. And was dispen­sed by pope Vrbane of Rome / at the instaūte desyre of the kynge and quene of Englande. This synne greued greatly the conscience of the duke of Irelande. And bycause the lorde of Coucy / who was of the counsayle of Fraū ce / and well worthy so to be / for he had done good seruyce / & was well able to do. He ꝓcured so moche by meanes of his frendes / as sir Olyuer of Clysson and the lorde de la Ryuer sir Iohan Marcyer and other / That it was sayde to the duke of Irelande / that he shulde departe out of Fraunce / and to go and chose hymselfe another place to abyde in / where he lyst / so that it be nat in the realme of Fraūce / and thyder he shulde surely be cōueyed. The duke of Irelande sawe well / howe he was dayly in paryll by meanes of y ^e lorde of Cou­cy and his lygnage. Wherfore he thought it shulde be beste for hym to go farre of / rather than to abyde nere. than he aduised to drawe in to Brabant / and desyred the kyng to write to the duchesse of Brabant / y ^t it wolde pleace her to suffre hym pesably to abyde in her coū trey. The kynge wrote to his aunte the du­chesse of Brabant / and she condiscēded to the kynges desyre. The duke of Irelande was conducted by men of the kynges to Louayne and there he taryed / and somtyme he went to a castell nat farre of fro the towne of Louay­gne / the whiche he had borowed of a knyght of Brabant. With the duke of Irelande was the archebysshop of yorke / who in lykewise was banysshed out of Englande / all for one cause. This bysshoppe was one of the Ne­uelles of Englande / who in the countrey of Northūberlande were puissaunt men / bothe of landes and of lynage. There taryed these two lordes at Louayne or there about / as I herde saye / as longe as they lyued: For they coude neuer come to mercy nor peace with y ^e kynge of Englandes vncles. I can no far­ther speke of them.

ABout the feest of saynt Mychell the Frēche kyng departed fro his house of Beautie besyde Parys / and lefte there the quene / and toke his waye by Troy in Champayne to go in to Burgoyne / & his vncle the duke of Burbone / and duke Loyes of Thourayne and the lorde of Cou [...]y / and many other lordes and knyghtes in his com­pany. The kynge rode so longe that he came to Dignon. The duke of Burgoyne and the erle of Neuers his sonne were come before to the Chatelon on the ryuer of Sayne. whā the kyng was come to Dignon / the duchesse of Burgoyne and the coūtesse of Neuers her doughter receyued the kyng ioyfully / and all other lordes for loue of the kyng. And to his welcomynge to Dygnon / many ladyes and damosels were come thyder to se hym. there was the lady of Sully / the lady of Vergy / the lady of Pagny / and dyuers other fayre ladies and fresshe / and well apparelled. Than began feestynge / daunsynge / and carolynge. These ladyes enforsed themselfe to daunce & to syng / and to make ioye for loue of y ^e kyng: and y ^e duke of Thourayne / the duke of Bur­bone & of the lorde of Coucy. Monday / tues­day / and wednisday / all thre dayes ther was goodly iustes / and prices gyuen to y ^e best do­ers. [Page] The kynge was eight dayes in y ^e towne of Dignon in great triūphe and sporte. The x. daye he toke leaue of his vncle the duke of Burgoyne / and of the duchesse and their children. Thentent of y ^e duke of Burgoyne was shortely after to folowe the kyng his nephue and to go with hym that iourney. The kyng deꝑted fro Dignon / whan he had taken his leaue of all ladyes and damoselles / and rode so long by his iourneys that he came to Vile neufe besyde Auignon. There his house royall was apparelled for hym / & there was the cardynals of Amyens / of Aigreuell of saint Marcell / of Chatell neufe / and mo than xiii. other came and mette the kyng in the felde / & all were gladde of the kynges cōmyng.

THe duke of Berrey was come to A­uygnon and was lodged in the po­pes palais / but he cāe to Vyle neufe to the kynge / and laye in the lyuere of arras called Amontays / in the way to Mountpel­lyer. The duke of Burgoyne arryued there the next day that y ^e kyng came thyder / by the water of Rone / for the duke toke a barge at Lyonsur le rone. Thus the kynge and these four dukes were togyder. Than they deter­myned to passe the bridge of Auignon and to go & se the pope. And about .ix. of the clocke in the mornyng the kyng passed the bridge / acompanyed with his brother and his thre vncles and .xii. cardynalles / and so went to the popes palays / and pope Clement was redy in his chambre of consystorie / syttyng in his chayre of papalyte. Whan the Frenche kyng came in to the chambre and sawe the pope he enclyned hym selfe / and whan he came nere y ^e pope rose / and the kyng kyst his hande & his mouthe. Than the pope sate downe and cau­sed the kyng to syr downe by hym / on a place purposely prepared for hym. Than y ^e dukes kyst the popes hande and sate downe amōge the cardynals. Anone it was tyme of dyner / than they drewe in to the popes great cham­bre / where the tables were redy couered. the pope wa [...]shed & satte downe at a table alone and kept his estate. The Frenche kyng satte downe at another table alone / and the cardynalles and dukes satte downe in order. The dyner was plentyfull / & after dyner they had wyne and spyces. Than the kyng and y ^e four dukes went in to their chābres / eche of them had a chambre apparelled in the palays / and there they taryed a certayne dayes. The .v. day after that the kyng came thyder / y ^e yonge erle of Sauoy cosyn to the king / and nephue to the duke of Burbone came thyder. The kyng was right ioyfull of his cōmyng. The Frenche kynge / the duke of Thourayne his brother / and the erle of Sauoye / who were lyght of corage and of spyrite / thoughe they were lodged in the popes palais / nere to the pope and to the cardynalles: yet for all that they wolde nat absteyne to daunce and to ca­roll / and to make sporte amonge the ladyes and damoselles of Auignon. And the erle of Genesne brother to the pope / brought theym in aquayntaunce with the ladyes and damo­selles of the towne. The kynge gaue great giftes to the ladyes and damoselles / wherby he had great laude and prayse.

THe pope and the cardinals were ryght ioyfull of the kynges be­yng there / as it was reason that they shulde so be / for without the loue of the Frenche kynge their porte shulde haue ben but small. For they cō ­sydred or ought to haue consydred / that there was no kynge christned / that were obedyent to them / except it were for loue and fauoure / and alyaunce of the Frenche kyng. The kynge of Spaygne and the kynge of Scottes obeyed this pope Clement / and the kynge of Aragon was but newly so determyned / and that made the quene yolande of Bare (who was cosyn germayne to the Frenche kynge) elles he had nat done so / for before / the kynge of Aragon and his father before hym was as neuter. Therfore this pope and cardynalles ought well to feest the Frenche kyng / seynge their puyssaunce and profyte that they lyued by to kepe their estate / came by meanes of the Frenche kyng. Thus the kyng taryed there a certayne season in great ioye & sporte. And for ioye of the kynges cōmynge thyder / the pope opyned his graces to all clerkes beyng in the courte for the space of a moneth. And gaue the nomynacions to the kyng / of all co­ledges / cathedrals / and to euery coledge two prebendes / and reuoked all other graces be­fore gyuen / and wolde that the kynges gra­ces shulde ꝓcede before (as they dyd) wher­by many of the kynges clerkes were promo­ted. [Page clxxviii] Also the pope gaue graces to the duke of Thourayne / the duke of Berrey / the duke of Burgoyne / and to the lorde Coucy / all other were stopped that had ben graunted before. The pope was so curtesse & lyberall / that for loue of the kynges cōmyng / he graūted eue­ry thyng that was asked.

WHan the kynge had ben there a cer­tayne space / the pope shewed hym his complaynt / howe that the other pope of Rome greatly hyndred his ryght / & made moche trouble and diffrence in y ^e chur­che. The kynge herde hym well / and promy­sed this pope Clement that after his returne agayne in to Fraunce / he wolde entende to none other thynge / but to bringe the churche in one accorde. With those wordes the pope was greatly conforted. The kynge toke his leaue and retourned to Vyle Neufe / and so dyde his brother and vncles of Berrey & Burgoyne. And there on a daye the kynge made a dyner to all the cardynalles and to the erle of Genesne brother to the Pope. After dyner they toke their leaues / for the kyng sayd / that the nexte day he wolde ryde towarde Moūt­pellyer / and he thanked them of the reuerēce that they had done to hym. The cardynalles retourned to Auygnon. Than it was orday­ned that the kynge shulde departe the nexte daye / his brother and the duke of Burbone in his company. And so he dyd / & toke leaue of his vncles of Berey and of Burgoyne / and sayde / howe they shulde retourne in to their owne countreis / for they shulde go no further with hym at that tyme: For he sayde he wolde go to Tholous and sende for therle of Foiz to come thyder. His vncles were cō ­tent therwith / for as than the kyng had suche counsayle about hym / that the duke of Ber­rey and the duke of Burgoyns voyces were nat herde / without it were in small maters. The gouernyng of Lāguedocke was taken awaye fro the duke of Berrey / and deuyded in to Seneschaunces to the kynges profyte / wherof the countreis and marchesse of Car­cassone / of Besyers / of Narbone / of Fonges / of Bygore / and of Tholous / were greatly reioysed. For before that season they had been sore oppressed with tayles / that the duke of Berrey had reysed on them: as ye shall here after whan the mater requyreth it.

Whan the duke of Berey & the duke of burgoyn sawe that the kyng wolde go to Moūtpellyer and visyte Lāguedoc / and wolde nat suffre thē to go in his cōpany / they were sore displeased therw ^t. howbeit sagely they disy­muled the mater / & sayde eche to other. The kyng gothe in to Languedoc to make in [...]sy­cyon on thē that gouerned there / & to make a treatie w ^t therle of Foiz / who is y ^e most prou­dest erle now lyuēg. he neuer loued nor praysed any neyghbour that euer he had / nouther Frenche kyng / Englande / Spaygne / Arra­gon / nor Nauer. The kyng taketh with him of his counsayle / no mo but Ryuer and Mercier / Mōtague and the Beghe of Villayns. Howe saye you to this brother ꝙ the duke of Berrey? The duke of Burgoyne answered and sayd. The kynge our nephue is yonge / and he beleueth yonge counsayle: they shall disceyue hym / for surely the conclusyon shall nat be good / and that ye shall se. It must be­houe vs to suffre for this p̄sente tyme / but the tyme shall come that suche as coūsaileth him shall repent and the kynge also. Let hym go on goddes name whider it shall please hym / and let vs retourne in to our owne coutreis / As long as we holde to guyder / there is none shall do vs any wronge. We are two of the chefe membres of Fraunce. Thus these two dukes deuysed togyder / & the Frenche kyng departed the nexte day and toke the waye to Nymes / and rode thyder to dyner. The said two dukes taryed styll with the Pope thre dayes / and y ^e lorde of Coucy in lykewise. the fourthe daye they departed & rode in to their owne countreis / and the kyng went fro Ny­mes and laye all nyght at Lunell.

Whan the kyng deꝑted fro Lunell he went to dyner to Moutpellyer / it was but thre ly­tell myles. There he was receyued of y ^e bur­gesses / ladyes / and damoselles of the towne / for they greatly desyred to se the kynge / and many riche presentes were gyuen to hym / for Moūtpellyer is a puissaunt towne / ryche / & full of marchandise. The kynge praysed the towne moche / and well consydred their puis­saūce. And it was shewed the kyng that the towne hadde ben moche richer before thanne it was at that presente tyme: For the duke of Aniou and the duke of Berrey / eche of them in their tourne hadde greatlye pylled them. [Page] The kyng was sorie that y ^e good people had endured so moche dōmage / and sayd / how he wolde reforme the countre in to a better state Than it was shewed the kynge / that the po­uertie of that towne was nothyng / to that he shulde fynde forwarde / For that towne of it selfe hath good meanes of recoueraūce / by reson of the marchandise y ^t is there vsed / bothe by lande and by see. But in the marchesse of Carcassone & Tholous / & therabout / where as the said two dukes had the gouernaunce. Loke on what thyng they had puyssaunce to laye on their handes there was nothyng left / but all taken away. For ye shall fynde y ^e people there so poore / that suche as were wont to be riche and puissaunt / nowe they are scant able to labour their vynes nor landes. It is a great pyte to se them / their wyues / and chyl­dren. for they haue had euery yere fyue or sixe tayles layde on their shulders / and are raū ­somed to the thirde or fourthe parte of their substaunce / & somtyme to all toguyder. One tayle coude nat be payde / but y ^t another was redy in y ^e necke therof. for (ser) / as it is well knowen these two dukes your vncles while they ruled in Lāguedocke / they haue leuyed in y ^e countrey fro Vyle Neufe in to Tholousyn / rounde about to the ryuer of Garon / and re­tournyng to the ryuer of Dordone / the sōme of .xxx. hundred thousande frankes. And spe­cially sythe the duke of Aniou departed / the duke of Berrey hath done the more dōmage for he founde the playne countrey and cōmontie in good case / for the duke of Aniou tooke but of the ryche men / who had wherwith to paye. But the duke of Berrey spared nother poore nor riche / for he gadered all before him specially by one of his counsayle his treasourer named Betysache / who is of the nacyon of the cytie of Besyers. As ye shall here by the complayntes of the people that wyll crye out on hym. To these wordes the kyng said. As god haue my soule / I shall prouyde for this mater or I retourne / & I shall punisshe the trespasours. For I shall make an inquy­sycion of the seruantes and o [...]nycers of myne vncles suche as had ruled here before in the parcies of Languedocke / and suche as haue deserued shalbe corrected.

The kynge taryed at Mount pellyer the space of .xii. dayes / for the order of the towne and the pastyme of ladyes and damoselles / suche as he foūde there pleased hym greatly. To saye trouthe the kynge / as at / that tyme was in his lusty youthe / and lyght & quycke of spyrite. He daunsed and caroled amonge the frysco ladyes and damoselles of y ^e towne somtyme all nyght: And gaue and made bankettes and suppers largely / and wolde gyue to the ladyes and damosels rynges of golde and chaynes / to them that he reputed worthy The kynge dyde so moche that he had great laude and prayse. And some of them wolde that he had taryed there lengar than he dyd / for he kepte reuell / daunsyng / and solas: and euery day it was newe to begyn. ¶ ye haue herde oftentymes said / howe the sporte of la­dies and damosels encorageth the hertes of yonge lusty gentylmen / and causeth them to desyre and to seke to gette honour. I say this bycause with the kyng there was thre gentylmen of highe enterprice and of great valure and that they well shewed / as ye shall here. Fyrst there was the yonge sir Boucequant / the other sir Raynold of Roy / and the thirde the lorde of saynt Pye. These thre knyghtes were chamberleyns with the kyng / and well beloued with him for they were well worthy They were fresshe / and serued hym well in armes / and in all other maters. These thre beyng at Mountpellier among the ladyes & damosels / they toke on them to do armes the next somer after. And as I was enformed / y ^e prīcipall cause that enclyned thē therto was / as I shall shewe you. ye knowe well as it hath ben rehersed here before in this hystorie howe that in y ^e dayes of kyng Charles there was an Englysshe knyght called sir Peter Courtney (a valyaunt knight in armes) cāe out of Englande in to Fraūce to Paris / and demaūded to do armes with sir Guy of Tremoyle / in the presence of the kyng or of suche as wolde se them. sir Guy wolde nat refuce his offre / and in the presence of the kyng and of other lordes / they were armed on a daye & ran toguyder one course. And than the kyng wolde nat suffre them to ryn agayne toguy­der / wherwith thēglyss he knyght was right yuell content. For as he shewed / he wolde haue furnysshed his chalenge to the vttraunce / but he was apeased with fayre wordꝭ. and it was sayde to hym / that he had done ynough he ought to be content therwith. The kynge [Page clxxix] and the duke of Burgoyne gaue hym fayre gyftes and presentes. Than he retourned a­gayne towardes Calays. And the lorde of Clary who was a friscay and a lusty knyght was charged to conuey hym. They rode so longe toguyder that they came to Lucynen / where as the countesse of saynt Poule laye / suster to kynge Richarde of Englande. The lady was ioyfull of the cōmynge thyder of sir Peter Courtney / for she hadde maryed fyrste his cosyn the lorde of Courtney / but he dyed yonge / and after she maryed the erle of saynt Poule. The Englisshe men called her madame Courtney / and nat Countesse of saynt Poule. ⸫ ⸫

THus as sir Peter of Courtney and the lorde of Clary were at Lucenen in Arthoys with the coūtesse of saynt Paule / who was right ioyouse of their commynge. And as they deuy­sed of many thynges / the countesse demaun­ded of sir Peter Courtney / what he thought of the state of Fraunce. He aunswered and sayd. Certaynly madame / the states of Fraū ce are well and goodly serued / we can nat be so serued in our countrey. Sir quod the la­dy. Do the lordes of Fraunce and the maner there contente you? Haue they nat made you good chere? Surely madame quod he / their there contenteth me passynglye well / but in the case that I passed the See for / they haue but easely acquyted me therin. And madame I wyll ye knowe / that if the lorde of Clary here present hadde come in to Englande / and desyred to haue done armes with any man / he shulde nat haue departed or he hadde ben answered at his pleasure. But I am serued to the contrary. Trewe it was sir Guye dela Tremoyle and I were armed in the felde eche agaynst other / and ranne toguyder but one course. Than it was shewed me fro the kynge that we shulde do no more / sayenge howe we hadde done ynough. Wherfore madame I saye and wyll say where soeuer I become / that I coulde fynde none to do armes with me / and that was nat in my defaute / but in the knyghtes of Fraunce. The lorde of Clary noted well his wordes / and helde his pease with great payne. Howe be it he suf­fred hym / bycause he had the charge of the cō ueyaunce of hym. Than the countesse sayde. Sir / ye departed right honorably fro Fraū ­ce / whan ye obeyed to the kynges desyre / for ye coude do no more / sythe it was his plea­sure that ye shulde nat.

IN cōmyng / returnyng / and doyng as ye haue done / none can laye any faute in you. All suche as shall here there of / on this syde the see or on the other / shall repute in you more honour than blame wherfore sir I requyre you be contente ther­with. Madame quod the knight so I do and shall do / I shall neuer take thought for it. Thus they lefte that mater and fell in other talkynge: There he taryed all that daye and night. The nexte mornynge sir Petr Court nay toke his leaue of the Countesse of saynt Poule / and she gaue hym at his departynge a lytell chayne of golde / and to the lorde of Clary another. Thus in the mornynge they departed fro Lucenen / and toke the waye to Bouloygne and came thyder and there laye all nyght / and the nexte daye rode towardes Margyson to go to Calais.

BItwene Boloygne and Calays are but seuyn or eight leages / and fayre playne waye. Whan they came nere to Calais / there sir Peter of Courtney sayd to the lorde of Clary. Sir / we be nowe in the kyng of Englandes lande / and ye haue well acquyted you in the conueyaunce of me and of your company / I thanke you. The lorde of Clary who had displeasure in his hert / for the wordes that sir Peter had spoken at Lu­cenen / in the presens of the countesse of saynt Pole and other. Whiche wordes he thought [Page] he wolde nat suffre to reste in that case / for he reputed them to haute and to hyghe agaynst the honoure of the chiualry of Fraunce / for he vnderstode hym that he said howe he was come oute of Englande in to Fraunce / to do armes / and how there were none that wolde aunswere hym. Than the lorde of Clary at their leaue takynge sayde. Sir Peter / ye be nowe in the kynge of Englandes lande / and sir / I haue conueyed you hyder by the com­maundement of the kynge my maister and of the duke of Burgoyne. And ye remembre well this laste daye whan we were in y ^e countesse of saynt Poules chambre / who made vs good chere. ye spake there ouer largely / as me thynketh / to the great preiudyce & blame of the knyghtes of Fraunce. For ye sayde / howe ye came fro the kynges courte / & coude fynde none to do armes with you. By y ^e whiche wordes maye be vnderstande / that there is no knyght in Fraunce that dare do armes or iust with you / thre courses with a speare. Wherfore sir / I wyll that ye knowe that here I offre my selfe / thoughe I be one of y ^e moost symplest knyghtes in all Fraunce. And saye and iustifye / that the realme of Fraunce is nat so voyde of knyghtes / but that ye shall well fynde yuowe to do dedes of armes with you. And sir / if ye lyste ye shall fynde me re­dy to aunswere you / be it incontynente / this nyght or to morowe. I saye nat this for any hatered that I haue to your persone. I do it all onely to maynteyne the honour of our ꝑ­tie / For I wolde nat ye shulde retourne to Calais or in to Englande / to make youre a­uaunt that without stroke stryken / ye shulde disconfyte the knyghtes of Fraunce. Sir answere me if it please you to my wordes. Sir Peter Courtney was soone coūsayled what answere to make / and sayde. Sir of Clary / ye speke well / and I accepte your demaunde And I wyll that to morowe in this same place / ye be armed at your pleasure / and I shall be in lyke wise. And than lette vs rynne eche at other thre courses with a speare / and ther­by ye shall wynne agayne the honour of the Frenche courte / and ye shall do me a greate pleasure. Sir quod the lorde of Clary / I ꝓ­myse you / I shall nat fayle to be here at the hour ye haue assigned. Thus these two kni­ghtes promysed eche other to iust. The lorde of Clary retourned to Marguysen / & there prouyded hym of his armure / shelde / speare and horse. He hadde anone all that he lacked for on the fronters of Calays and Boloyne men were soone prouyded. There he made his prouisyon / as shortely as he myght / for he wolde natte that ouer many shulde haue knowen therof. In lyke manner sir Peter Courtney whan̄e he came to Calays / he for­gate nat the promyse that he had made. But prouyded hym of good armure / and of eue­rye thyng elles. As for harnesse he had redy / suche as he had caryed with hym out of En­glande in to Fraunce. As at that tyme sir Iohan Bernes was capitayne of Calays. Sir Peter shewed hym the promise y ^t was made bytwene hym and the lorde of Clary. Than sir Iohan Bernes sayde / howe he wolde ac­company hym thyder / and other good felo­wes of Calays. The nexte daye these two knightes came to the place apoynted / the Englysshe knyght came moche better accompa­nyed than dyde the Frenche knyght / for the capitayne of Calays was with hym. Whan they were come togyder / there was but fewe wordes bytwene theym. They knewe well ynough wherfore they were come. they were bothe well armed and horsed / and toke their sheldes. Than they toke their speares with sharpe heedes well fyled / and spurred their horses and ranne toguyder. The fyrst course they fayled / wherwith they were bothe sore displeased. At the seconde iuste they mette so toguyder / that the lorde of Clary strake the Englysshe knyght throughe the [...]arge and throughe the shulder a handfull / and ther­with he felle fro his horse to the erthe. The Lorde of Clary passed forthe and kepte his course and turned and stode styll / for he sawe well howe the Englysshe he knight was vnhorsed / & howe that many men were about hym He thought surely than that he was hurt / for his speare was brokenne in peces: Than he rode to them. And the Englysshe men came to the lorde of Clary and sayd. Sir / ye be no courtesse iuster. Wherfore quod the lorde of Clary. bycause ꝙ they ye haue hurt this kni­ghtes shulder / ye might more curtesly haue iusted. sirs ꝙ he / that curtesy laye nat in me / seyng I was apparelled to iuste / for the same case or worse myght haue fallen to me aswell as to hym. Howe be it sir / I requyre you de­maunde of hym or elles wyll I / whyder he [Page clxxx] wyll do any more or [...]atte. Than sir Iohan Bernes sayde. Nay naye sir knyght / ye may departe whan ye lyste ye haue done ynough. Than the lorde of Clary departed with his company / and the Englysshe men ledde sir Peter Courtney to Calays / to be healed of his hurtes. And the lorde of Clary retour­ned in to Fraunce / thynkynge that he hadde right well done / and that he shulde haue had for that dede great laude and prayse / But I shall shewe you what fell therof.

WHan tidynges came to the Frenche kyng and to the duke of burgoyne / and to their counsayle: howe that the lorde of Clarye had done armes with sir Peter Courtney / in retournynge to Calais / so that the sayde sir Peter was hurte / and in paryll of dethe. The kynge and the duke / and spe­cially sir Guye of Tremoyle were sore dys­pleased with the lorde of Clary / and sayde: howe he had done (at the leest) as moche as to lese his landes / and to be bannysshed the realme of Fraunce for euer / without repele. And sōe other (suche as wolde hym no good wyll) sayde: howe he hadde done lyke a false traytoure / seynge a straunge knyght vnder the kynges saue garde / shulde be requyred by hym to do dedes of armes / and by y ^t mea­nes to be brought to the ieopardye of dethe. They sayde suche a dede ought nat to be pardoned. The lorde of Clary was sente for: he came to the kynge and to the duke of Bur­goyne. There he was examyned and layde to his charge / and demaūded howe he durste be so outragious to a knyght straunger that was come to the kynges court for good loue and to exalte his honoure / to do feates of ar­mes / and deꝑted thens with good loue and ioye. And the entente that he shulde nat be troubled by the way / in his retournyng was delyuered to hym to conduyt. and than at the deꝑtynge of bothe realmes / he to be so bolde to do armes with hym in cāpe or iustes mor­tall / without lycence of his soueraygne lorde of whom he holdeth his lande. It was she­wed hym the trespasse was so great / that it was nat to be pardoned / but to be punysshed so highely / that all other shulde take ensam­ple therby. The lorde of Clary whan he her­de those wordes he was abasshed / for he tho­ught he hadde done well / and for to haue had thanke. Than he sayde. My lordes / it is of trouthe / sir Peter of Courtney was delyue­red to me to conducte and to kepe hym com­pany tyll he came to Calais / or to the frōters therof. And of all that I hadde in charge I haue well and truely acquyted my selfe / and if nede be / I shall proue it by the wytnesse of hym selfe. And trewe it was / that by y ^e waye whan we came to Lucyen to the countesse of saynt Poule / who receyued & made vs good chere. There sir Peter Courtney hadde certayne wordes / as I shall shewe you.

THe countesse demaūded of hym and sayde. sir Peter of Courtney. howe are ye contente with the Lordes of Fraunce / and with the maner of Fraūce? he answered courtesly and sayd. Madame / the maner of Fraunce is ryght noble and good­lye. As for the lordes of Fraunce I am right well content with their chere / excepte in one thyng / and that is with great payne and tra­ueyle and great coste / I haue issued oute of Englāde to do dedes of armes / and so came to the frēche kynges court / but there I knew nat with whom to do armes. Thus my lor­des / whan I herde hym saye so in the presēce of so noble a lady / as the countesse of saynte Poule / suster to the kynge of Englande / the wordes were right heuy to me to beare. how be it I suffred them for that tyme / bycause I had the charge of the conueyaunce of hym. I neuer made semblaunt therof to hym / as longe as we were in company togider with­in the realme of Fraunce. And at our leaue takynge in the marchesse of Calais / trewe it is / than I layde vnto hym the sayde wordes and sayd / howe they were nat courtesly spo­ken / nor honorably. For the wordes sounded that the chiualry of Fraunce was so abated / that none durst do dedes of armes with him Than I sayd if he wolde abyde therby / that I was one of the knightes of Fraunce borne of the nacyon. And I sayd I wolde nat that he shulde make his auaunte in Englande / that he coude nat fynde in Fraūce / nor by the waye / with whome to do armes. Therfore I sayde I was redy / and desyred to do ar­mes with hym / and to fulfylle his pleasure and desyre / as to rynne thre courses with a speare / the same daye or the nexte. Certaynly [Page] my lordes / I sayde these wordes for the ho­nour of the realme of Fraunce / and the chy­ualry therof. And me thonght he had great ioye therof / and accepted to do armes with me the nexte day and so dyde I / and the nexte day we mette at the same place. He was a cō ­panyed with them of the garyson of Calais / And with me there were certayne of the fronters there / knyghtes and squyers: as y ^e lorde of Mount carell and sir Iohan of Longuyllers. There we iusted toguyder as well as we coude / and the aduenture of armes fell so y ^t at the seconde course I strake him through the shulder / so that he fell to the erthe. Than I retourned againe to knowe if he wolde do any more. Than the capitayne of Calis said it was sufiycient that was done / and that I myght departe whan I lyst. And than I re­tourned. I beleued I had ryght well done / and well defended the honour of the realme of France / and of the knightes therin. Thus I haue shewed you the very trouthe of this dede / for my well doyng of this amēdes shall folowe / I reporte me and wyll abyde the iu­gement of my lorde the Constable / and my lordes the highe marshalles of Fraūce. And besyde that / to the voice and discrecion of the knyght hymselfe sir Peter curtney / at whose request I dyde these armes. And also I re­porte me to all knyghtes and squyers of ho­nour / bothe of Fraunce and of Englande / credably enfourmed of the hole mater.

WHan the lorde of Clary had shewed the mater / and sagely made his ex­cusaciōs / as ye haue herde. It greatlye aswaged theyre and displeasure of th [...] that had complayned of hym. Howe be it for all his wordes and excusacions / he coude nat be delyuered / but was cōmytted to prisone. & there taryed a long season in great daunger / of lesyng of all his landes / and to be banys­shed for euer. but the lorde of Coucy and [...]he duke of Burbon / they labored sore for his de­lyueraūce / and with moche payne they made his peace / with the ayde of the countesse of saynt Puole / before whom the wordes were spoken. Than at his deliueraūce it was said to hym. Sir of Clary / ye supposed to haue done ryght well / howe be it ye dyde shame­fully / whanne ye offred to do armes with sir Peter Courtney / who was vnder the kyngꝭ saue garde / and deliuered to you to conducte to Calays by the kynges cōmaundement. ye dyde a great outrage / whan ye renewed the wordes the whiche were spoken but in sport before the coūtesse of saynt Poule. Or ye had done it / ye ought to haue returned to y ^e kyng and haue shewed hym y ^e wordes that shulde haue sowned agaynst the honour of y ^e knyghtes of Fraūce: & than what coūsayle the king had gyuen you / ye ought to haue folowed. & bycause ye dyde nat thus / ye haue hadde this payne. Beware better another tyme / & thāke the lorde of Burbone and the lorde of Coucy of your delyueraunce / for they haue sore la­bored for you: & also y ^e lady of sayut Poule. Quod the lorde of Clary / my lordes I thāke you all / howe be it I thought I hadde done well. Thus he departed. ⸪ ⸫

THe Frenche kyng lay at the good towne of moūtpellyer in gret myrthe and sport / and at a banket that the kynge made to the La­dies and damoselles of the towne / There was reher­sed all this sayd mater of the lorde of Clary and of sir Peter Courtney. True it was / I began to speke of thre valyaunt knightes / of the yonge sir Bauciquaunt / sir Reynolde of Roy / and the lorde of saynt Pye. The whi­che thre enterprised to do dedes of armes in the fronter besyde Calais in the tyme of Somer nexte after / abyding all knightes & squi­ers straungers the terme of .xxx. dayes / who soeuer wolde iuste with thē in iustes of peace or of warre. and bicause thenterprice of these thre knyghtes semed to the Frēche kyng and his coūsayle to be an high enterprice. There it was said to them / that they shulde putte it [Page clxxxi] in writyng / bycause the kyng wolde se thartycles therof / that if they were to hygh or to out­ragyous / that the kyng might amende them / bycause the king nor his counsayle wolde nat susteyne any thynge that shulde be vnresona­ble. These thre knyghtes answered and said. It is but reasone that we do thus / it shall be done. Than they toke a clerke and caused him to write as foloweth.

FOr the great desyre that we haue to come to the knowledge of noble gentlemen / knightes and squiers straungers / as well of the realme of Fraunce as els whereof farre countreys / we shall be at saynt Ingylbertes / in the marches of Calays / the twenty day of the moneth of May nexte com­myng / and there contynewe thyrty dayes complete / the frydayes onely excepte / and to dely­uer all maner of knyghtes and squyers / gen­tlemen straungers of any maner of nacyon / whatsoeuer they be that wyll come thyder for the breakynge of fyue speares / outher sharpe or rokettes at their pleasure. And without our lodgynges shall be the sheldes of our armes / both on the sheldes of peace and of warre / and who so euer wyll iust / lette hym come or sende the day before / and with a rod touche whiche shelde he please / if he touche y ^e shelde of warre / the nexte daye he shall iust with whiche of the thre he wyll. and if he touche the sheld of peace he shall haue the iustes of peace and of warre. So that who soeuer touche any of the sheldes shew or cause to be shewed their name to suche as shalbe there lymyted by vs to receyue their names / and all suche knightes straungers as wyll iuste / to bringe some noble man on their partye / who shall be instructed by vs what ought to be done in this case. And we requyre all knyghtes and squyers straūgers that wyll come and iuste / that they thynke nor ymagyn in vs that we do this for any pride / hatred / or yuell wyll / but all onely we do it to haue their honorable company and acquayntaunce / the whiche with our entier hartes we desyre. Nor none of our sheldes shall be couered with yron nor steell / nor none of theirs that wyll come to iust with vs / without any maner of fraudes / aduauntage / or male engyn / but euery thynge to be ordered by them that shall be cōmytted by eyther parte to gouerne the iustes. And bycause that all gentlemen / noble knyghtes and squiers to whom this shall come to knowlege / in that it shulde be reputed ferme and stable / we haue sealed this present writynge with the seales of our armes. written at Mountpellier the twenty daye of Nouembre / in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred four­score and nyne / and signed thus. Raynolde du Roy / Boucyquant / saynte Pye.

OF the high courage and enterprise of these thre knyghtes the french kynge was ryght ioyefull therof / and or the mater went forwarde euery thynge was well examyned and sene / that no faulte shulde be therin founde. Some of the kinges counsayle thought it was nat reasonable / that these ar­mes shulde be doone so nere to Calays / for the englysshe men might take it for a presumpcy­on / the whiche wolde be eschewed / bycause of the treuce y ^t is taken bytwene Englande and Fraūce / to endure for thre yere / wherfore they sayde there ought nothynge to be wrytten nor doone / that shulde be occasyon of any dyscen­syon to be had bytwene the realmes. The kynges coūsayle rested on this mater a hole day / and wyste nat what to do / they wolde faynt haue broken it. Suche as were sage sayde it were nat good alwayes to consente to the purpose of yonge people / for often tymes therby maye growe incydentes / rather yuell thanne good. Howe be it the kynge who was yonge inclyned greatly to these knyghtes / and sayd. Lette them do their enterprise / they are yonge and coragyous / they haue promysed & sworne to do it before the ladyes of Mountpellyer / we wyll that the mater go forwarde / let them purse we their enterprise. Whanne euery man sawe that it was the kynges pleasure / there were none durste say agaynst it / wherfore the knyghtes were ryght ioyfull. And so it was concluded and agreed that the matter shulde go forwarde as the knightes had written and sealed. than the kynge sent for the thre knygh­tes into his chambre aparte / and said to them. Syrs / in all your doynge regarde wysely the honour of vs and of our realme / and to mayntayne your astate spare nothynge / for we shall nat fayle you for the expence of ten thousande frankes. The thre knyghtes kneled downe before the kynge and thanked his grace.

THus the frenche kynge toke his sporte in the good towne of Mountpellyer a fyftene dayes / moste parte with ladyes and [Page] damosels. And the kynge and his counsayle had parfytely regarded the busynesse and ne­cessyties of the towne / for princypally he was come thyder for the same cause. and by the ad­uyse of his counsayle euery thynge was well refourmed and brouggt to good astate / and their oppressyons do one awaye / wherby the good people had been sore traueyled. Than the kynge toke his leaue of the ladyes and damoselles / and in a mornynge he departed and wente to dyner to Al [...]pyam / and at nyght lay at Vbere / the nexte day to Besyers / where he was goodly receyued / for the good men of the towne greatly desyred to se hym / and so dyd all the countreys / bothe of Pesenas / of Cabe­stan / and of Narbone / for they were redy to make complayntes to the kynge of the duke of Berreys offycer called Betisache / who had pylled the countreys. This Betysach fro that tyme the kynge came fro Auignon / he rode al­wayes in his company / but no man shewed hym as they thought / for they myght haue gyuen hym warnynge if they had lyste / but they draue hym forthe with fayre wordes / and su­the promysed hym nothynge but honoure / as thought the contrary. The kynge entred into Besyers bytwene thre & foure at after noone / he was met with processyon without y ^e towne with all the clergy and burgesses / and ladyes and damoselles. as the kynge came rydynge they were a bothe sydes of the waye / and dyd their reuerence. So he came to the cathedrall churche and there alyghted at the dore / where there was an auter made / rychely garnysshed with iewelles and relykes. There the kynge kneled downe and dyd his prayers / and than entred in to the churche with the bysshoppe of Besyers / and his vncle the duke of Burbone and other lordes folowed after. Thanne the kynge wente to his lodgynge to the Palyce / whiche was nat farre thence / and his brother the duke of Thourayne and the duke of Burbone with him / and the other lordes were lod­ged abrode in the towne / where as they were well and easely lod­ged / for Besyers is a good cytie. ⸪

THre dayes the kynge was at Besyets in greate ioye and reuell amonge la­dyes and damosels / and all that tyme Betysache was nothynge spoken vnto / but the enquisirours who we [...] ordeyned by the kynge / dyd secretly enquyre of his dedes / and they founde by enquest dy­uers cases horryble / nat to be pardoned. The fourth day that the kynge had ben there / this Betysache was called before the kynges counsayle in a chambre / and there straytely examyned / and it was sayd to hym. Betysache / aun­swer wysely to these writynges that ye se here. There was shewed hym a greate nombre of bylles of complayntes that were put vp to the kynge agaynst hym / makyng mensyon of the errorcyons that he had done to the people. All these bylles of complayntes were redde before hym one after another. To some he aunswe­red wysely / makynge his excuse / and to some he playnly denyed them and sayde. I knowe nothynge of those maters / laye them to the se­neschalles of Beaucayr and of Carcassone / and to the chauncellour of Berry / it partay­neth to theym to aunswere to those matters. Howe be it fynally it was shewed him that he muste kepe prysone for a tyme / tyll the mater were better examyned. He obeyed bycause he myght nat chuse. As sone as he was in prison the inquysitours wente to his lodgynge / and toke into their handes all suche writyngꝭ and acomptes as they founde there / whiche par­tayned to such maters as he had intermedled with all before / and they auewed them at ley­sure / and founde in theym the rekenynges of great sōmes of money / suche as had ben ray­sed and leuyed of the people. Than he was demaunded [Page clxxxii] where all that money was become and whether the sommes were trewe or nat / he aunswered and sayde / as for the sōmes are trewe / and the money delyuered to the duke of Berrey / and so paste throughe his handes and his treasourers / whereof I haue good quyttaunces in my lodgynge in suche a place / the whiche quitaūces were sente for before the counsayle and there they were redde / and they agreed with the sōmes of his receyte. Than the counsayle and the enquysytours were a­peased / and Betysache sente agayne to a cur­tesse prysone. Than the counsayle cōmuned togyther on that matter / and sayd. It semeth that Betysache is clere of suche causes as are layde to his charge / for the money that hathe been reysed / the duke of Berrey hathe had it / howe so euer it hath ben spente.

ALl thinges consydred / Betysache ex­cusacyons were lawfull / for the duke of Berrey was the moste couetouse man in all the worlde / so he myght gette good he cared nat where nor howe he hadde it / and whan he had it he wolde bestowe it but sym­ply / as many lordes do and haue doone in ty­mes paste. Thus the kynges counsayle sawe no faute in Betysache / wherby he shulde lese his lyfe. some were of that opynyon and some contrary / & said. Betysach hath done so many cruell dedes / and hathe so sore inpouerysshed the people / for to acomplysshe the desyre of his lorde the duke of Berrey / that the blode of the poore people cryeth out / and sayeth / howe he hathe deserued dethe. For he that is a manne borne of these partyes / and counsayler with his maister / and seynge the pouerty of the people / he ought in good maner to haue shewed the trouth to the duke his mayster / and if the duke wolde nat haue herde hym / than he shul­de haue come to the kynge / and to his coun­sayle / and haue shewed theym the pouertie of the people / and howe the duke of Berrey had daulte with them / than he had ben well excu­sed. So Betysache was sente for agayne to the counsayle / and straytely examyned where the money that hadde been gathered was be­come / for they founde the sōme of thyrty hun­dred thousande frankes receyued. He answe­red therto and sayd. My lordes / it were herde for me to tell where my lorde the duke of Ber­rey hathe bestowed it. Moche he hath layde out on byldynges and reparacyons of castels and houses / also he hath bought certayne lan­des in the countye of Boloygne / and in the Countye of Estampes. Also he hathe spente moche in byenge of precyous stones and ie­welles / the whiche ye knowe well he hathe al­wayes been desyrous to bye. Also he is well stuffed to mayntayne the astate that he hathe alwayes kepte. Also he hath gyuen suche gyf­tes and rewardes to Thybaulte and Mory­not / and to his seruaūtes aboute him / in suche wyse that they be ryche men. Well Betysache quod they of the counsayle / and ye haue had for your parte to your synguler profyte a hundred thousande frankes. My lordes quod he that I haue hadde was by the consente of my lorde the Duke of Berrey / for he wolde that his seruauntes shulde become ryche. Than the counsayle sayde all with one voyce. A Be­tysach that worde is folysshly spoken / that ry­chesse is nat good nor resonable that is yuell gotten / ye shall retourne agayne in to prison / and we shall take further aduyse / on that ye haue sayd and spoken. ye must abyde the pleasure of the kynge / to whome we shall shewe all your excusacions. My lordes quod he all shall be as god wyll. Than he was agayne sette in prisone / and there remayned four dayes or he was sente for agayne.

WHan these tydynges were spredde abrode in the countrey that Betysach was in prison / and that inquyre was made of his dedes / and that it was publys­shed that who so euer had any matter to hym shulde come forthe. therby moche people came to Besyers / and put vp supplycacions to the kynge of the cruell dedes of Betysach. Some complayned of hym that he hadde dysheryted them without cause or reason. And other complayned of hym that he hadde by force taken their wyues and doughters. Whan the kyn­ges counsayle sawe so many gret causes laide to Betysache / they were wery therof. And be­syde all these complayntes he was sore beha­ted with the people. And all this came to hym by reason to fyll the duke of Berreys purse / he dyd euer what he wolde haue hym to do. The kynges counsayle wyste nat what to do / for than there was come thyder two knightes fro the duke of Berrey / the lorde of Nantonelet and syr Peter Mespyn / who had brought let­ters [Page] to the kynge fro the duke / and they in the dukes behalfe auowed all that euer Betysach had doone before / and the duke requyred the kynge and his counsayle to haue agayne his man and treasourer. The kynge had greate hatred to Betysach / bycause of the yuell name and fame that ranne vpon hym. The kynge and the duke of Thourayne his brother in­clyned greatly to haue had hym hanged / say­enge howe he hadde well deserued it. But the kynges counsayle durste nat iudge hym for dought of the duke of Berrey. They sayde to the kynge / syr if the duke of Berrey auowe all his dedes what so euer they be / we canne nat se by no waye of reason that he hath deserued dethe / for the seasone that he medled in these countreys by cessynge of tayles / subsydyes / and aydes / and receyuynge of them / he dyd it at the instaūce of the duke of Berrey who had at that tyme there puyssaunce royall / as well as ye haue nowe. but syr / acordynge to the de­sertes of his dedes / ye maye sease in to your handes all his mouables and herytages / and leaue hym in the same case as the duke of Berrey founde hym fyrste / and with his goodes make restytucion to suche poore men as be vn done by hym. What shulde I make longe processe / Betysache was at the poynte of his de­lyueraunce with the losse of his goodes / tyll at the laste other tydynges came in place. I shall shewe you what.

I Knewe nat nor I coulde nat knowe but by knowledgyng of him selfe / if he were in dede so yuell as he iudged himselfe / he sayd he was an herytyke and had done many hor­ryble dedes. As it was shewed me there came some to hym on a nyght beynge in prisone to put hym in feare / whether they were his fren­des or fooes I knowe nat / they sayde. Bety­sach thou art in a harde case / the french kyng / his brother / and the duke of Burbone dothe hate you mortally / there be so many complayntes put vp agaynste you fro dyuers place / of suche oppressyons as ye haue doone whan ye had rule in Languedoc / so that they all iudge you to be hanged / for ye canne nat scape with the losse of your goodes / the whiche hath been offred to the kynge. But the kynge who ha­teth you mortally / hath aunswered howe that all your goodes are his / and your body also / the whiche he sayeth he wyll nat kepe longe. I shew you this for good wyll / for to morowe it is thought ye shall be delyuered to be iud­ged to dye. Those wordes greatly afrayed Betysach / and sayd to them. Ah saynt Mary is there no remedy. yes quod they / to morowe say how ye wolde speke with the kinges counsayle / & than outher they wyll come to you or sende for you to them / and whan ye be in their presence / than say thus. My lordes I know­ledge my selfe I haue greatly displeased god / and for the displeasure he hath to me / this false slaunder is reysed on me. Than they wyll de­maunde of you wherin. Than ye shall aun­swere / howe ye haue a longe season arred in your faythe / and that ye be an herytyke / and kepe styll that opinyon. Whan the bysshop of Besyers shall here that / he wyll than chalenge to haue you in his kepynge / than ye shall be delyuered to hym / for suche causes ought to be declared by the lawe of the churche / thanne ye shall be sente to Auignon / there wyll be none against the duke of Berrey / the pope wyll nat displease hym / and by this meanes ye may be delyuered / and nother lese body nor goodes. But if ye byde styll in the case that ye be in / ye shall nat skape paste to morowe / but that ye shall be hanged / for the kynge hateth you by­cause of the slaunder of the people. Betysache who trusted on that false infourmacyon / for he that is in parell of dethe knoweth nat well what to do / wherfore he aunswered and sayd. ye be my frende and coūsayle me truely / wher of god thanke you / and I trust the tyme shall come that I shall thanke you. The next mor­nynge he called the gayler and sayde. Frende I requyre you cause suche menne and suche to come to speke with me / and named suche as were the enquysitours ouer him. The gayler shewed theym howe Betysache wolde speke with them. They came to hym and demaun­ded what he wolde. He aunswered and sayd. Sirs / I haue serched my cōscience / I know­ledge my selfe I haue hyghly displeased god / for longe tyme I haue arred agaynst y ^e fayth / I neuer beleued of the Trinyte / nor that the sonne of god wolde come so lowe / as to come fro Heuen to come in to this worlde to take humayn kynde of a woman. for I beleue and saye / that whan we dye there is nothynge of the sowle. Ah sainte Mary quod they / Bety­sach ye are greatly against holy churche / your wordes demaundeth for a fyre / aduyse you [Page clxxxiii] better. I canne nat tell quod Betysache whe­ther my wordes demaūdeth fyre or water / but I haue holden this opinyon sythe I haue had knowledge / and shall holde it tyll I dye. The enquysitours wolde here no more of hym at that tyme / and were gladde to fynde suche a mater against hym / therby to put him to deth. Than they cōmaunded the gailer to kepe him straytely / and to suffre no man to speke with hym / to the entente that he shulde nat be tour­ned fro that opynyon. Thanne they wente to the kynges counsayle and shewed them all the mater / than they wente to the kynge and she­wed hym all the maner of Betysache (as ye haue herde) wherof the kynge had great marueyle & sayd. We wyll that he be put to dethe / it is an yuell man / he is a false herytyke and a thefe / we wyll he be brynte and hanged / than he shall haue as he hath deserued / he shall nat be e [...]cused for all myne vncle of Berrey. Anon these tydynges were spredde abrode in the cy­tie of Besyers / howe Betysache hadde of his owne voluntary wyll without any constraynt confessed howe he was an herytyke / and had vsed longe the synne of bowgery / and howe the kynge had sayde howe he shulde be brynte and hanged / wherof moche people were right ioyouse / for he was sore hated. the two knygh­tes that were come thyder fro the duke of Berrey were greatly abasshed and wyst nat what to suppose. Than syr Peter Mesquyn sayde to the lorde of Nantonelet. Syr / I feare me Betysache is betrayed / peraduenture some persone hath ben with hym secretly in the pri­sone / and hathe borne hym in hande that if he holde that horryble erroure / that the churche than shall chalenge hym / and so be sente to A­uignon to the pope / and therby be delyuered. Ah fole that he is / he is dysceyued / for the kyng sayeth he wyll haue hym bothe brente and hanged. Lette vs go to the prisone to hym and re­forme hym / and bringe hym to a nother state / for he is farre out of the waye and yuell coun­sayled. They wente strayte to the prisone / and desyred the gayler that they might speke with Betysache. The gayler excused hymselfe and sayde. Syrs ye muste pardone me / for I am straytely charged to suffer no manne to speke with hym / and also here be four sargeauntes of armes sente by the kynge to kepe hym / and we dare nat breke the kinges cōmaundement. Than the two knyghtes sawe well howe they labored in vayne / and howe there was no re­medy by all lykelyhode / but that Betysache shulde dye. than they retourned to their lod­gynge and rekened and payed / and toke their horses and returned to their lorde the duke of Berrey and shewed hym all the case.

THe cōclusion of Betysach was suche that the nexte daye [...] tenne of the clocke he was taken out of pry­sone / and brought to the bysshoppes palays / and there were redy the iudges and offycers spyrituall / and the bayly of Besyers brought forthe the prisoner / and sayde. Beholde syrs here is Betisache whome I delyuer to you for an herytyke and a synnet in bo [...]gery / and if he had nat ben a clerke he had been iudged or this acordynge to his desertes. Than the of­fycyall demaūded of Betysach if it were with hym acordynge as he was acused / and to con­fesse the frouth there openly before all the peo­ple. And Betysache who thought to haue said well / and to haue scaped by reason of his con­fessyon / he aunswered and sayde that all was trewe. He was demaunded this thre tymes / and at euery tyme he confessed it to be trewe before all the people. Thus ye maye knowe whether he was dysceyued or nat / for i [...] he had made no suche confessyon he had been delyue­red / for the duke of Berrey had fully auowed all his dedes / the whiche he had doone at his commaundemente in the countrey of Langue doc. But it was to be supposed that fortune played her tourne with hym / for whanne he thought to haue been moste assuredest on the heyght of fortunes whele / he was tourned vp so downe fro her whele / as she hathe doone a hundred thousande mo sythe the worlde be­gan. Than Betysach was delyuered agayne by the spirytuall iudge to the bayly of Besy­ers / who vnder the kinge ruled the temperal­te / the whiche Betysache without delaye was brought to a place before the palays. He was so hasted forwarde / that he had no leysure to aunswere nor to saye nay / For whan he sawe a fyre redy prepared in y ^e place / and sawe that he was in the handes of the hangman / he was sore abasshed / and sawe well than that he was dysceyued and betrayed. Than he cryed out a loude / requirynge to be herde. but than was no hede taken to his sayenge / but the hange­man sayde. It is ordeyned that ye shall dye / [Page] for your yuell warkes hathe brought you to an yuell ende. He was hasted forwarde to his dethe / and the fyre made redy / there was also reysed a payre of galowes / and therto tyed a chayne of yron / and at the ende therof a coler of yron / the whiche was put aboute his necke / and than the chaine drawen vp a hye and tyed rounde aboute the galowes. Than he cryed and sayde. Duke of Berrey they cause me to dye without reason / they do me wronge. As sone as he was tyed to the galows / there was setre rounde aboute drye segge / rede / and [...]a­go [...]es / and fyre put therto / and incontynente the faggortes were a fyre. Thus Betysache was hanged and brente / and the frenche kyng out of his chaumbre myght well se hym if he wolde. To this poore ende came Betysache / and so the people were reuenged of hym. And for to saye the trouthe he had doone many ex­torcions and domages to the people / whyle he had the gouernynge of the countrey of Lan­guedoc. ⸪ ⸪

AFter this cruell iustyce the french kyng taryed nat longe after at Besiers / but departed and toke the way to Carcassone. and always sythe his departure fro A­uygnon / his marshall syr Loys of Xancere rode in his company. The kynge rode so longe by his iourneys that he vysited the countreys and kepte nat the right hyghe wayes. He was at Cabestan / at Nar­bone / at Lymons / at Mounte Royall / and at Fongaur / and than he retourned to Carcas­sone / and there taryed foure dayes. Than he rode and passed Vyle Franca / Auygnollet / and Mongistarte / and so came to Tholouse / and the burgesses there who greatly desyred to se the kynge / receyued hym ioyfully / and mette the kyng without the towne / all in a ly­uery / and so with greate solempnyte he was brought to the castell of Thoulouse. They of the cytie gaue the kinge many fayre presentes wherwith the kynge was greatly reioysed. Whan the kynge had been there thre dayes / than he was counsayled to sende for the erle of Foiz / who was come out of Byerne in to the countie of Foiz / and was in the towne of Na­siers / four leages fro Thoulouse / for he knew of the kinges state and ordynaūce. The mar­shall of Fraūce and the lorde de la Ryuer were apoynted to go for the erle of Foize. They de­parted on a wednysday / and laye at a cytie in Tholousyn called Iordayn / and the next day they came to Nasyers. The erle of Foiz who knewe well of their comynge receyued theym nobly for the loue of the Kynge / and also he knewe the lordes well / he had sene them before Syr Loys of Xancere had the wordes / and said. Syr my lorde of Foiz / the kynge our so­ueraygne lorde hath sente vs to you / cōmaun­dyng you to come to se hym at Thoulouse / or els he wyll traueyle so farre that he wyll come and se you in your owne countrey / for he greatly desyreth to se you. The erle of Foyze aun­swered and sayd. Syr Loys I wolde nat the kynge had so great traueyle to me / it is more mete I haue it for hym / wherfore if it please you ye shall shewe hym that I shall be at Tholouse within foure dayes. That is well sayde syr quod they / we shall returne and shewe him these tydynges fro you. So be it ꝙ he / howe be it ye shall abyde here all this daye and re­fresshe your selfes / and to morowe ye shall de­parte / they obeyed and taryed that daye and the nyght at their pleasure / and the erle deuy­sed with theym sagely & craftely / for he was a man by reason of his fayre langage / to drawe out by one meanes or other the secretes of ons herte. The nexte daye they toke leaue eche of other / and rode so long that the same day they came to Tholouse / and founde the kinge playenge at chesse with his vncle the duke of Bur­bone. Than the kynge demaunded of them alowde and sayde. Syrs howe saye you / wyll the erle come or no. yes sir quod the lorde de la Ryuer / he hath gret affection to se your grace / he wyll be here with you within these foure dayes. Well quod the kynge and we wyll gladly se hym. The two knightes departed fro the kynge / and lefte hym playeng & went to their supper and to reste them / for they had rydden [Page clxxxiiii] that daye a great iourney. The erle of Foiz who was at Nasyers / remembred well the voyage that he had to do. He made hym redy and sente before to Tholous for his ꝓuisyon acordingly. He had sent in to Bierne for knightes and squiers / for mo than two hundred to serue and to accompany hym that voiage.

THe daye that the erle of Foiz had a­poynted he entred in to the Cytie of Tholous / with mo than syxe hun­dred horses / and well acompanyed with knyghtes and squyers. There was with hym Bōnuquell and sir Iohā his brother / sir Roger of Spaygne his cosyn / the lorde of Courase / y ^e lorde of Valētyne / the lorde of quare / the lorde of Burnge / sir Espaygne du Lyon / the lorde of Roquepayre / the lorde of Lane / the lorde of Besache / the lorde of Perle / sir Peter of Cabestayne / sir Monaunt of Non­nalles / sir Richarde de la Meete / sir Arnolde of saynt Basyll / and dyuers other. Sir Pe­ter of Byerne and sir Arnolde his two bre­therne / and his two bastarde sonnes / sir Iobbayne and sir Gracyen of Foiz. The enten­cion of the erle was to enherite those two his sonnes / in to the moost parte of all the lande of Bierne. Of the whiche lande he myght do therwith at his pleasure / for he helde it frāke and free / holdynge of no man but of Godde. Thus the erle toke his lodgynge at the Fre­ers preachers. There he kept his house / and his men lay as nere there about as myght be The burgesses of Tholous made him great chere for they loued him well / for alwayes he had been their good neyghbour / curtesse and tretable: For he neuer suffred any of his cō ­pany to do them any displeasure nor vyolēce wherfore they loued hym moche the better. They gaue him many fayre p̄sentes of wyne and other thynges / so that he was well con­tente. He entred in to Tholous whan it was nere nyght. The nexte daye about ten of the clocke he toke his horse / & suche other of his company as pleased hym / mo than two hun­dred knyghtes and squyers men of honour. And in that estate he rode a long through the stretes / to the Castell where the kynge was. Than he a lyghted in the fyrst court entryng in to the castell. Than the erle moūted vp the greces in to the great hall. The frēche kyng was come out of his chambre in to the hall / and there taryed for the Erle / and had great desyre to se hym / for his great valure and re­nome that ran on hym. Therle of Foiz who was a goodly prince and of a formall stature beare heeded entred in to the hall. And whan he sawe the kynge and other lordes of Fraū ­ce / the kynges brother & his vncle / he made his reuerence to the kyng and to none other / and kneled downe on his one knee. than he a rose and passed forthe / and at the thirde tyme he kneled nere to the kynge. The kyng toke hym by the hande and enbrased him and toke hym vp and sayde. Erle of Foiz my fayre co­syn ye be right welcome / your cōmyng greatlye reioyceth vs. Sir quod the erle I thāke your grace that it please you to say so. There the kynge and the Erle talked toguyder / the whiche wordes I herde nat all. Than̄e the kynge went to dyner. At the kynges table at the vpper ende sate the archbisshop of Tho­lous / than the kynge and his vncle the duke of Burbone / than nexte the erle of Foiz / than sir Iohn̄ of Burbone erle of Marche and of Vandone. At that table sate no mo. At the seconde table satte sir Iohan de la Brethe erle of Harcourte / sir Philyppe of Bare / & foure knightes of the erle of Foiz. And at another table there sate the marshall sir Loyes of sanxere / sir Roger of Spayne / and eyght other knightes of the erles. This was a great dy­ner and well stuffed of all thynges / and after dyner and grace sayd / they toke other pasty­mes in a great chābre / and heryng of instru­mentes / wherin the erle of Foiz greatly dely­ted. Than̄e wyne and spyces was brought. The erle of Harecourt serued the kynge of his spyce plate. And sir Gerrarde de la pyerserued the duke of Burbone. And sir Mon­naunt of Nonnalles serued the erle of Foiz. Thus about four of the clocke the erle tooke leaue of the kyng and of the other lordes. He issued out of the hall / and in the courte were his hourses redy / and his men. The erle moū ­ted / and all suche as accompanyed hym / and so retourned to his lodgynge / and was well contente with the chere that hadde ben made to hym and his / and praysed it moche to his knightes.

TThus bytwene the Frenche Kynge and the Erle Gascoyne of Foize be­ynge at Tholous / There was dyuers trea­ties [Page] and apoyntmentes of loue / and the mar­shall of Fraunce and the lorde de la Ryuer / dyde their payne to helpe it forwarde. The erle of Foiz made a dyner to the duke of thou rayne and to the duke of Burbone / to therle de la Marche / and to other great Lordes of Fraunce. This dyner was great and sump­tuous / and syttyng at the tables mo than .ii. hundred knightes. And or the dyner was fullye ended / the Frenche kyng who had dyned in the castell / and with hym sir Charles de la Brethe and sir Philyppe of Bare / and his two cosyn germayns. Than the kyng sayde. Go we thyder: and so he dyde but with .xii. in his company. The erle of Foiz was greatlye reioysed / in that it pleased the kyng to cōe to his lodgyng / and so was all the company. There was sporte after dyner of wrestlyng and castynge the barre / the stone & the darte / bytwene the Frenche men and the Gascoyns Thus they passed the tyme tyll it was nere­hande nyght. Than the kynge and the other lordes retourned. The erle of Foiz gaue the same daye to the kynges knightes and squy­ers / and to y ^e duke of Thourayne and to the duke of Burbone / mo thā threscore coursers palfrayes and mulettes / all with whyte sa­dels redy drest to apoynt. Also he gaue to the kynges mynstrelles and other / two hundred crownes of golde. And to the heraudes and offycers of armes other two hundred crow­nes / so that euery man praysed the larges of the erle of Foiz. The fourthe daye after the erle came to the kynges palais / well acompanyed with lordes and knyghtes of Byerne and of Foiz / to se the kynge and to do as he was requyred / that is to saye / to do his ho­mage for the countie of Foiz / with the appendauntes / reseruyng the lande of Bierne. Before that secretely there had been great trea­ties bytwene the kynge and the erle of Foiz / by meanes of the lorde de la Ryuer & sir Io­han Mercier / and the bysshoppe of Noyon / who was newly come thyder fro Auygnon. It was sayd / that the erle desyred of y ^e kyng that his sonne Iobbayne of Foiz / myght af­ter the erles discease / enheryte the countie of Foiz. By that the erle whan soeuer he dyed / shulde leaue to the kyng a hūdred thousande frankes in money. And sir Gasyon his bro­ther to haue the land of Ayre in Bierne with the Cytie / and the Mounte of Marcen / and all other landes that the Erle of Foiz hadde bought in Bierne / shulde retourne to the herytaūce of the vycount of Castyllon. These assygnementes were in debate and in dyffe­rence bytwene the erle and the barones / and knightes of his countrey. Some sayde / he coude nat do thus with a generall consent of all Byerne and Foize. And bycause that the meane homage of the countie of Foize was dewe to the Frenche kyng / therfore the kyng sayde to the Erle and to the barons of Foiz. Sirs / I holde in my handes the homage of the lande of Foiz. and if it be so in our dayes that the lande of Foiz be vacant by the dethe of our cosyn the erle of Foiz / than we shall so determyne and apoynt by the aduise of good counsayle / that Iobbayns of Foiz and all o­ther men of the coūtie of Foiz shall holde thē content. Those wordes well cōtented therle of Foiz / and the other lordes and knyghtes of Foiz that were there present. These ordy­naunces written and sealed / the erle toke his leaue of the kynge and of all other great lor­des / but that daye he dyned with the kyng & than went to his lodgyng. The nexte day he departed fro Tholous and lefte his furriers behynde hym / to paye for euery thyng. The erle passed the ryuer of Gyronde by y ^e bridge of Tholous / and retourned in to his coun­trey by the mount of Marsen / and so to Or­tayes. Than he gaue leaue to euery man to departe / sauyng his ordynarye. It was she­wed me and I beleue it well / that the cōmynge of the frenche kyng in to Lāguedocke / in to Tholous / & in to those marchesse / cost the erle of Foize more than threscore thousande frankes. The erle was so lyberall / that whatsoeuer it cost hym / he payde it wyllyngly. ⸫ ⸫

[Page clxxxv] THe Frenche kynge being at Tholous / he ordred all his businesse / and remoued & renewed seneschales and officers / and reformed the countrey in to good e­state so that euery mā was well contented. And on a day / the kyng (pre­sent / his brother / his vncle of Burbone / & the lordes of Fraūce and Gascoyne / to thentent to haue a perpetuall memorie) gaue to his cosyn germayne sir Charles de la Brethe / for the augmentacion of his honour / two quar­ters of armes of Fraūce with floure delyces for a fore y ^e lordes de la Brethe bare alwayes in their armes / a felde of goules playne without any other thyng. nowe they be quartred with the armes of Fraūce / whiche thyng the lorde de la Brethe toke for a great gyfte. whiche lorde made the same daye a great dyner / whiche cost hym more than a thousande frankes / and he gaue to heraudes & mynstrels .ii. hundred frankes. Anone after it was orday­ned that the kyng shulde departe fro Thou­lous to retourne in to Fraunce / euery man made hym redy and toke leaue of the kynge / the bysshop of Tholous / the seneschall & the burgesses / and lordes and damoselles of the towne. The kynge deꝑted & rode that nyght to the newe castell of Alroy / and so forwarde euery daye / so that he came to Moūtpellyer / where he was ioyfully receyued / & there ta­ryed thre dayes / for the ladyes and damosels there pleased hym moche. Than he had gret defyre to returne to Paris to se the quene. on a daye as he cōmuned in sporte with his bro­ther of Thourayne / he sayd. Fayre brother I wolde that you and I were at Paris / and all our estate here styll as it is / for I haue great desyre to se the quene and your fayre suster of Thourayne. than the duke sayde. Sir / we can nat be there with wysshing / it is a farre iourney hens. that is true ꝙ the kyng / yet I thynke I might besoone there & I wolde. ye ꝙ the duke with helpe of good horses / for so coude I be / but my horse must beare me. well quod the kyng laye a wager you and I who shall be there sonest. I am content ꝙ the du­ke / for he was euer redy to wyn money of the kyng. The wager was layde bitwene y ^e kynge & the duke / that who soeuer of thē twayne came sonest to Paris shulde wyn fyue thou­sande frākes of other / & to departe the nexte day all at one hour / & eche of them to take but one knight or seruaūt with them. there was no man that durst breke their wager. y ^e nexte day they departed as it was ordayned. The lorde of Garāciers rode with the kyng / and the lorde of Viefuyll was with the duke of Thourayn. thus these four rode night & day lyke yong lusty galātes: they chaūged many horses: thus they rode in post. y ^e duke of burbone retourned by Puy in Auuergne / & rode to se his graūtfather by the way / therle Dolphyn of Auergne / & the countesse & their chyldren / of whō there were to the nōbre of eight / what sōnes what doughters / all bretherne & susters to y ^e duches of Burbone his wife / but that was by reason of two maryages. Thus the frenche kyng and his brother the duke of Thourayne rode in great hast / eche of thē to wyn the wager. Cōsyder well the great pay­ne of these two great & riche lordes. youthe & lybertie of corage made thē to do that enter­price. their estates abode behynde. The frenche kynge made it foure dayes & a halfe or he came to Paris / and the duke of Thourayne no more but four dayes & a quarter of a day / they folowed eche other so nere. y ^e duke wan the wager / by reason y ^t the frenche kynge re­sted himself about .viii. of y ^e clocke at Trois in Chāpayne / and the duke toke a barge in y ^e ryuer of Seyne / and went a longe the ryuer to Melyn / and there toke his horse & rode so tyll he came to Paris / and so wente to saynt Poule to the quene & to his wyfe / & demaun­ded tidingꝭ of the kyng / for he wyst nat whe­der he were come or nat. & whan he knewe y ^t the king was nat come he was ioyfull / & said to the quene. Madame / ye shall shortly here tidynges of y ^e kyng. He sayd trouthe / for the kyng cāe soone after. Whan the duke of thou rayn herde that the kyng was come / he went and met hym & sayd. sir / I haue won my wa­ger let me be payd. it is reason ꝙ the kyng & so ye shall. there they shewed before y ^e ladies all their iorney / & how y ^t in four dayes and a halfe they were cōe fro Mountpellier to Paris / whiche was a .C.l. leages a sondre. The ladyes tourned all the mater to sporte & lau­ghing / but they well iuged that they had en­dured moche payne. and iuged that youthe & corage of herte caused thē to do it. & the duke of thourayn was truely payd for his wager.

ABout the sayd season dyed at Rhome pope Vr­bane the .vi. the romayns were sore displeased with his dethe / for he was well beloued. he was buryed in the churche of saynt Peter and after his obsequy done well and reuerētly. Than the cardynalles went in to the con­claue to chuse a newe pope / and so they dyde / or that pope Clement knewe therof in Auy­non / for it was ten dayes past or they knewe it. And assone as pope Clement and his car­dynalles knewe therof / they assembled togy­der at the popes palays / and had great cōmunycacion toguyder / and were in great hope that the busynesse of the churche shulde leue and be concluded / and to come to a full vny­on / for the errour had longe endured. They thought that the cardynals at Rome shulde nat agre so soone to entre in to conclaue / but rather to submitte themselfe to pope Clemēt at Auignon. They sent also worde to the frē che kyng of y ^e dethe of Vrban called the ante­pape / and desyred hym (the soner to come to their purpose) that he wolde write to his co­syns the kynge of Almayne and the kynge of Hungy / to therle of Vertues & to the duke of Austrych / who had euer holden with pope vrbane / that they shulde nowe cease / & helpe to make rest and peace in y ^e churche / & to shewe them by his letters / that in our faythe there ought to be no varyacion. for as there is but one god in heuyn / so ther ought to be but one god in erthe. The same season y ^e duke of burgoyne was with the kyng at Parys / to whō pope Clement & the cardynals wrote in lyke maner. than the kyng shewed his vncle these newes / and was right ioyfull & saide. Fayre vncle / we haue had gret desyre to go w ^t great puissaūce to Rome to distroy thenfidels / but as nowe our iourney is well shorted / for Vrbane the antepape is deed / as Clement hath written to vs / and he thynketh that the cardynals wyll nat entre in to cōclaue to chuse any newe pope / but rather to come to Auignon & to submyt thē selfes vnder pope Clemēt. and we are desyred by hym & by the cardynals at Auignon / for the more suretie to write plea­saūt letters to our cosins y ^e kyng of Almayne and to his brother the kyng of Hūgry / & to y ^e erle Vertues a to y ^e duke of Austriche. What coūsayle wyll ye gyue me to do. The duke of Burgoyne sayd. Sir / trewe it is pope Vr­bane is deed / but as yet we knowe nothynge of the state of the cardynals at Rome / nor of the Romayns / nor whether they wyll kepe their olde opinyon or nat. I feare it wyll be harde for them to leaue it / for the Romayns are maysters ouer the cardynalles. Byforce they made them to chuse the archebysshoppe of Bare / and made hym pope / and so mayn­teyned hym to thende. And so if nowe by ꝑ­force they cause the cardynalles to entre in to conclaue / and to chuse a Pope at their plea­sure. Wherfore sir: ye shall nat nede to entre so farre into the mater / as to desyre them that wyll do but lytell for you / as they haue she­wed yet hydervnto. Suffre sir tyll ye here other newes. And paraduenture it maye so be / that the cardynalles at Rome shall nat be all of one accorde / and paraduēture wyll dis­symule with the Romayns / and chuse none other pope but Clement. And to apease their furour to promyse them / to cause Clement to come to Rome / whiche he wyll do right gladlye on that condycion. And if the mater go so than shall it be tyme for you to write to all y ^e princes christned / that are of the opinyon cō ­trarye to you / in the best maner ye canne to a voyde the Scisme / and to bring the churche to an vnyon & peace / as by reason euery man ought to do. But as yet ye be nat sure howe the mater gothe: it is best ye abyde the aduē ­ture therof. It shall nat be longe or we here other tidynges.

WHan the duke of Burgoyne hadde sayde these wordes to the kyng and to his coūsaile / there was none that spake contrarye therto. The kynge thought his wordes were resonable & sayd. Fayre vncle / we beleue it is good reason that ye saye / [Page clxxxvi] yese more clerer in the mater thā we do / and as for the busynesse or the Churche / we wyll do nothynge therin / but by youre counsayle and aduyse. Thus they cessed of that cōmu­nycacion. Great murmuracyon there was a monge the clerkes of the Vniuersite of those tydingꝭ / wherby they cessed to rede or to stu­dye. And entended to nothynge / but to her­ken and to knowe howe the Cardynalles of Rome maynteyned them selfe. Wheder they wolde electe a newe pope / or els to retourne to the pope at Auignon. They dyde cast many doughtes and argued one with another. They knewe well howe Clement had writ­ten to the kynge and to the duke of Thou­rayne and to the duke of Burgoyne / and to the kynges counsayle. In lykewise letters were written generally to the vnyuersite / y ^t they shulde conclude to an vnyuersall peace in the churche. Thus the clerkes deuysed a­monge themselfe / and suche as wolde the aduauncement of Clement sayde. Nowe it is tyme that the kyng and the lordes of Fraūce write to the great princes of Christendome: As to the kynge of Almaygne / the kynge of Hungry / the lorde of Myllayne / and to the duke of Austryche: and to suche other as are of our opynion / to thentent y ^t they shulde re­tourne to the same state. suche writyng maye moche aueyle. In thre dayes thre tymes the notable clerkes of the vniuersyte of Parys assembled togyder / and at last came to saynt Poules to speke with the kyng and his coū ­sayle / to desyre hym to set to his hande to op­presse the Cysme of the churche / & to entende to the ordynaūce of pope Clement / who had humbly written to hym. But whan they cāe to saint Poules they were nat answered / the kynge dissymuled the mater with thē / so that they were yuell cōtent. Finally the kyng contented thē / sayeng howe shortely they shulde here other newes / and so they dyd / for the cardinals of Rome entred in to the cōclaue and made a newe pope / the cardynall or Naples a noble and a valyant clerke. He was called Bonyface. Whan the Frenche kyng and his coūsayle herde therof they were pensyue / for than they well ymagined howe that y ^e cysme was lykely to endure longe. Than the duke of Burgoyne sayde to the kyng. Sir / nowe regarde wheder your writynges hadde nat ben loste or no. It is nowe fallen as I sayd. Fayre vncle quod the kyng / ye saye trouthe. Than̄e graces were opyned to all clerkes at Rome by Bonyface / and all promyses certi­fyed there / of suche as were vnder his obey­saūce / and suche as wolde receyue suche gra­ces wente towardes Rome. And whan they approched the marchesse of Danconne / they rode in great paryll / For sir Bernarde de la Salle / who kepte the fronters there / & made warre to the Romains in the quarell of pope Clement / toke suche clerkes as paste by and dyde them moche trouble / and many slayne and loste. ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue spekynge of these popes / and tourne to other maters. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue herde here before: howe sir Geffray Tete Noyre / who had ben longe capitayns of the castell of Vanchadore in Ly­mosyn / raigned valiauntly / and howe he helde his fortresse agaynst all men / as longe as he lyued. And in his lyfe dayes had pa [...]esed the coūtrey / more than .xxx. my to long about hym. also ye haue herde howe he dyed / and by what incydence: And howe on his dethe bedde he ordayned his .ii. nephues Alayne Roux & Peter Roux to be capitayns of that castell of Vāchadore after his dethe. and caused in his presence / all the company­ons of that garison to swere faythe / trouthe / and homage: seruyce and trewe obeysaunce to the sayd two capitayns. And after y ^e dethe of this Geffraye Tete Noyre / these two bre­therne raigned there a certayne space / & held alwayes the coūtrey in warre and in compo­sycion of patesyng. And bycause that castell parteyned to the herytage of the duke of Berrey (for he had bought it of the erle of Moūt pensyer / and his sonne Iohan of Berey bare his name therby) therfore the duke was sore displeased that it was out of his handes / but he coude nat amende it. yet he had layd siege therto dyuers tymes by bastides and none o­therwyse / but they within sette lytell therby. [Page] for they wolde issue out and ryde abrode in y ^e countrey at their pleasure. This Alayne nor Peter wolde in no wyse obey any peace or truce that was taken bytwene Englāde and Fraunce. They sayde they were nat bounde to obey / but wolde make warre at their plea­sure / wherby the countreis of Auuergne and Lymosyn were sore traueyled. And the duke of Berrey to resyst them caused sir Wyllyam Butler a gentyll knyght of Auuergne / & sir Iohan Boesme Launce and sir Loyes Dā ­bier / with dyuers other knightꝭ and squyers of Auuergne and Lymosyn / to laye siege by bastydes to the castell of Vanchadore / & laye there at the cost of the countrey. There they laye a louge season.

SO it fell the same season / as it was shewed me: Alayn and Peter Roux toke their aduyce toguyder and de­nysed to attrappe & to take by crafte sir Wyl­lyam Butler and sir Iohan Boesme Launce who hadde done them dyuers displeasures. These two bretherne ymagined bytwene thē and sayde one to another / Howe they wolde secretely say / howe they wolde yelde vp their fortresse for a certayne sōme of floreyns: And to say howe they are wery and wyll kepe the garison no lengar / but to retourne in to their owne countreis. To the whiche deuyse they sayde surely the duke of Berrey wyll gladly leane vnto. Also they deuysed to demaunde no more but tenne thousande frākes / bycause that somme myght soone be made And also they sayde they wolde haue agayne their money and the two knyghtes also prisoners / by reason of a busshment that they wolde laye in a great towre. Beholde nowe what a fo­lisshe ymaginacion these two Bretons were of to betray these two knyghtes / and to haue their money / if any iuell came to them therby it ought nat to be cōplayned. Vpon this de­termynacion they putte out of the castell one of their varlettes / and sayde to hym. Go thy waye to the Frēche bastydes and suffre them to take the. Thā requyre to be brought to sir Wyllyam Butler and to sir Iohan Boesme Launce. Than delyuer them this letter fro vs and demaunde for an answere / for the mater toucheth vs and them also greatly. The varlet sayd it shulde be done / for he thought none yuell / and so went to the Frenche basti­des. And whan he came nere to the bastydes he was demaūded what he wolde / he answe­red and sayd he wolde gladly speke with sir Wyllyam Butler or with sir Iohan Boesme Laūce. He was brought to them / for as than they were toguyder. Whan he sawe them he made his reuerence and drewe them aparte / and delyuered to them the letter that Alayne and Peter Roux had sente them. Of that ty­dinges they had great marueyle / and so toke the letter and reed it / and therin they founde / how that Alayne & Peter Roux wolde speke with them for their profite. Whan they herde that they had more marueyle than̄e they had before / & douted of trayson. Howe be it they sent them worde that if they wolde come out of the castell / and speke with them without / they wolde assure them to entre agayne in to their fortresse without daunger or trouble. This was the answere y ^t the varlet brought to their maister. Thanne Alayne and Peter roux said / we thynke we may be sure ynough by these wordes / sythe their faythes and sea­les be at the writyng / they are true knyghtes and also we shall speke with them for a trea­tie / whervnto we thynke they wyll gladly entende. The nexte mornynge they opynned a wycket ioynyng to the gate / & aueyled dow­ne a planche borde hangyng by two chaynes and issued out and stode on the planche. than sir Wyllyam Butler and sir Iohan Boesme Laūce came thyder and lyghted of their hor­ses / and made their menne to drawe abacke. Than the two capitayns within said. Sirs may we surely come out and speke with you. ye surely quod the knyghtes. shall we be as sure agayne of your parte without trayson. ye sir surely quod they without doute. Than Alayne and Peter Roux passed the bridge & came to thē / so they four were toguyder with out other company. Than the two Frenche knightes said. Sirs / howe saye you. What cōmunycacion wyll ye haue with vs? Are ye in mynde to yelde vp your Castell to vs? ye truely sirs quod they on a condycion / & that is to gyue vs ten thousande frākes for y ^e pro­uisyons that is in the castell / for we are wery of y ^e warre / we wolde drawe in to Bretayne. These two knyghtes were ryght gladde of those wordes and sayd. Ah / ye speke to vs of marchandyse / and we shall here you gladly. But as nowe we haue nat here the money redy [Page clxxxvii] we shall prouyde for it. Well sirs ꝙ they of Vanchador whan ye are redy gyue vs know­ledge / and we shall kepe couenaunt. But sirs / kepe this mater secretly and sagely / for if it were knowen amonge myne owne company they wolde take vs perforce and slee vs / than shulde bothe you and I fayle of our ententes. Syr quod they dought nat therof / we shall so conuey the mater y ^t ye shall take no domage. Therwith they departed one fro a nother / the bretons entred in to Vanchador / and the fren­che knyghtes retourned to their bastydes.

SIr Willyam Butler and syr Iohan Boesme laūce / in this mater thought nothynge but good / supposynge that the bretons wolde nat dysceyue theym / as to haue their money and to betraye them also. in contynente they wrote to the duke of Berrey / who was as than at Ryon in Auuergne. they sent with the letter a gentleman named Guyomell of saynte Wydall / and infourmed hym of all the mater / thynkyng howe it shulde be ioy­ouse tydynges to the duke / for he greatly de­syred to haue that castell. This squyer tooke the letter and departed fro the bastydes / and rode so longe through Lymosyn & Auuergne that he came to Ryon / and there he founde the duke of Berrey / and delyuered hym his let­ters fro the two knyghtes. The duke reed the letters / and whan he had well vnderstande the contentes therof the duke was gladde / and anone after the duke called his counsayle and his treasourers / and said. Sirs beholde here is newe tydynges / our knyghtes that kepeth the bastydes before Vanchador haue written to vs that they are in certayne treatie with the capytayns within the castell / they offer to yeld vp the fortresse for the sōme of tenne thousande frankes / that is no great sōme for euery yere it coste them of Lymosyn and of Auuergne to kepe warre against them / more than threscore thousande frankes. We wyll accepte their of­fre betymes leste they repente them herafter / therfore my treasourers make vp the sōme of tenne thousande frankes / we wyll lende them to the countrey / and whan I am in possession of the castell I wyll rayse a tayle in Lymosyn and in the fronters / whiche were vnder their patesynge / they shall pay me the double. Sir quod the treasourers / it shall be made redy within these fyue or syxe dayes. Well quod the duke I am contente. Thus that matter was concluded. The tresourers made redy the money in crownes of the sonne / and put it in to foure cofers. The same daye that the money shulde haue been sente / there came to Ryon to the duke of Berry / the Dolphyn of Auuergne and the lorde of Reueyll / for certayne maters touchynge them selfe. They were welcome to the duke / and the Duke was so ioyfull of the treatie for Vanchador that he coude nat kepe it secrete but shewed to these two knightes the letters sente to hym fro syr Willyam Butler / and syr Iohan Boesme Launce. Whan they herde it they studyed a lytell. Than the duke sayde / syr wheron do yemuse se you any su­spectiousnes in this mater / I pray you shewe me or I sende the money? Syr quod the erle Dolphyn / ye know well howe therle of Army nake and I were ordeyned to by and to gette agayne as many fortresses as we coude in the coūtreys of Auuergne / Carnesyn / Rouergne / and Lymosyn. With dyuers we made trea­tyes / but for all y ^t euer we coulde do / we coulde neuer brynge them of Vanchador to herkyn or to leane to any maner of treatie / nother to gyue it vp / nor to selle it. Whan we spake ther­of they wolde skante make vs an aunswere. and syr I knowe if they nowe wyll make this treatie with you it is nat for defaute of vitay­les / for if none came to theym this eyght yere yet they haue ynough / wherfore we haue maruayle what shulde moue them therto at this presente tyme / therfore it maketh vs to doute of traysone / for men of warre inclosed in for­tresses are sore imagyners / and whan their imaginacion inclyneth to any yuell dede / they wyll craftely colour it / wherfore sir take good aduyse. Well syrs quod the duke ye haue sayd well / we shall prouyde for the mater more substancyally than I thought to haue done.

THanne the duke of Berrey called to hym one of his knyghtes / called syr Peter Mespyn / and sayde to hym. Syr ye shall go with this money to the bastydes before Vanchadore / and saye to syr Wyl­lyam Butler & to syr Iohan Boesme launce / that in the mater they wrote to me of / that they deale therin substancyally / and that they trust nat to moche in the bretons within Vancha­dor / and shewe them that we haue herde more tydinges than they be ware of / wherfore lette [Page] theym be well aduysed of all poyntes. Thus this knyght departed fro Ryon with the mo­ney / he rode with his company tyll he came to the bastydes whyther he was welcome. The somers with the money were dyscharged and put in sauegarde. Than syr Peter Mespyn opened his message and said. Syrs my lorde the duke of Berrey sendeth you worde by me that as touchynge the treatye that ye are in hande withall / touchyng the garyson of Vanchador he cōmaundeth you to worke wysely / that ye lese nat bothe your bodyes and the money that he hath sent you. also he sayth he hath herde tydynges that pleaseth hym nothynge / wherfore he wyll ye take good hede & be well aduysed / for he douteth of trayson / he sayeth that often tymes the coūtrey of Auuergne and Lymosyn wolde haue gyuen for the fortresse of Vanchadore threscore thousande frankes / and nowe to offre it for ten thousande / causeth my lorde the duke and his counsayle to haue suspecte. The two knightes whan they herde that they were pensyue / and aunswered and sayde. We se well double wytte is better than syngle / ye say well / we thanke you of your ad­uyse / and ye shall abyde here styll with vs and helpe to counsayle vs as it is reason / within these two daies we shall se howe y ^e mater shall come to passe / he sayde he was contente so to do. Thanne anone after these two knyghtes sente a varlet to the castell of Vanchador / for it was as than treuce bytwene the parties / signyfyed to Alayne Rour and to Peter Rour / that the tenne thousande frankes were redy / and desyringe theym to kepe their promesse. And they answered the varlet / that they wold kepe their promesse surely / and that whan so euer they wolde come / to sende theym worde therof.

ALayne and Peter Rour who thought no good as it was knowen and ꝓued / whan their purpose was broken and knowen for they had deuysed to haue taken sir Willy­am Butler and syr Iohan Boesme launce / as they shuld haue entred in to the castell of Vanchador by reasone of a great towre that was within the castell / the whiche was always a­ble to beate the castell. These two knyghtes bretons who entended nothynge but malesse / layde in busshement in this towre thyrty men in harnesse / to the entent that whan the frenche men were entred in to the castell / thynkynge to be lordes therof / that in the night these thyr­ty shulde issue out / and slee & take the frenche men at their pleasure. Whan they had thus ordayned / than they sente to syr Willyam But­ler and to sir Iohan Boesme launce / that they shulde come and bringe with them their mo­ney / and they shulde haue the castell opened. Of these newes the frenche men were ioyous / and sayd to the messanger. Retourne to your maysters and shewe them that to morowe in the mornyng we shall come thyder. The mes­sanger retourned and shewed this to his maysters. The frenche knyghtes wente to coun­sayle togyder and dyd cast more doutes than they dyd before / by reason of the wordes that the duke of Berrey had sente them by six Pe­ter Mespyn. Than they ordeyned and concluded to lay a busshemente of their men nere to the castell / and than they with thyrty of their men harnessed vnder couert shulde go before and entre into the castell / and to regarde wyselye the castell within / and to cast all maner of doutes / and than if they se any thynge to su­specte / than one of them to blowe a horne / and to kepe the bridge and gate open / and at the sowne of the horne the busshement to come to the gate as faste as they canne / and to entre and take season of the castell. Thus as it was ordayned so it was done. The next mornyng euery man was redy / & the busshement layde of a syxe score speares / and the two knyghtes with thyrty in their company couertly armed came to Vanchador / and syr Peter Mespyn was with them / with the money trussed pro­perly in thre panyers vpon two somers. they founde the two bretons redy at the barryers / who opened the barryers agaynste their co­myng. Whan they were entred and within the gate / than the two bretons wolde haue closed the gate after them / but the frenche knyghtes said. Nay syrs nat so / be ye true marchauntes or nat / ye knowe well ye muste yelde vp to vs this castell for the payeng of the sōme of tenne thousande frankes / the which is here redy. ye maye se them here vpon this somer / if ye kepe trouth with vs so shall we do with yon. With those wordes Alayne and Peter Rour wyste nat what to say / but to bringe the frenche men out of suspecte they aunswered. Syrs ye saye well / we are contente as ye please. Thus they wente forthe and lefte the barryers open / for if [Page clxxxviii] it hadde ben closed the busshment coulde nat haue entred to haue come tyme ynough to ha­ue resysted the false turne that the bretons had deuysed. For ymagyners shulde haue euery thyng as they lyst / and if there were nat coun­ter ymaginers agaynst thē. Bothe the frenche men and bretons entred in at the gate / than Alayne and Peter Roux wolde haue closed the gate / but than the frenche men sayd. Syrs let the gate alone / we wyll haue it open / it is rea­son / we are redy to delyuer you our money a­cordynge to our promesse. Well syrs quod the bretons / lette se laye forthe the money. With a good wyll quod the frenche men. There they layde forthe a couerlet / and the florens layde abrode. In y ^e meane season whyle Alayne and Peter Roux behelde the fayre sōme of florēce / the frenche knyghtes went aboute to se the maner of the castell. Thanne syr Peter Mespyn came / to syr Willyam Butler & sayd. syr cause this great towre to be opened / or ye paye all your money / for there may be within it a busshmente / wherby we maye be atrapped and lose bothe our bodyes and the money also. Than syr Willyam sayd to Alayne. Syr / open this towre / we wyll se it open or we delyuer our money. Syr quod Alayne I canne nat do so / the keyes be lost. With those wordes the frenche knightes had more suspecte in the mater than they had before / and said. Alayne it can nat be that ye shulde lese the keyes of the soueraygne towre of this castell / open it with fayrenesse / or els we shall open it perforce / forye haue pro­mised and sworne to rendre to vs the castell as it is without fraude or male engyn / and ther­fore you to haue ten thousande frankes / the whiche sōme is here redy to be delyuered. than Alayne aunswered agayne and sayd / I wyll nat open it tyll I haue receyued y ^e money / and layde it in sauegarde. than whan I haue receyued the money I shall serche for y ^e keys. Sirs quod they / we wyll nat abyde so longe / we se clerely by your wordes that your meanyng is nat good / for you wyll dysceyue and betraye vs / wherfore we lay our hādes on you / Alayne and on your brother Peter / in the name of the kynge our soueraygne lorde and the duke of Berrey / we wyll haue this towre incontynent opened perforce / and serche euery place with­in this castell bothe aboue and beneth / to se if ye haue layde any busshemente or nat / and if we fynde in the castell any thyng done by you / that ought nat to be done / ye are loste without redempcyon or pardone / for reasone wyll so / and if we fynde the castell as it ought to be we shall kepe our bargayne with you well & true­ly / and shall conducte you whyder ye lyste / to the gates of Auignon if ye wyll. whan Alayne and Peter Roux sawe howe the mater wente / and that they were arested they were sore abasshed / and were as halfe deed / & repented them that they had doone so moche / for they sawe well they were dysceyued. Than the frenche knightes perceyued well howe they were cul­pable / and that the mater was nat well. than they made a signe to hym that bare the horne to blowe / & so he dyd. Whan the french busshe­ment herde it / they came to y ^e castell as faste as their horses coulde ryn & sayd. Go we to Vanchadore they blowe for vs / it semeth our men hath nat founde the castell acording as it was promysed / we thynke there be some trayson / anon they were come to the castell / for they were nat farre of / the barryers were open and kept by the frenchmen / for the bretons within were nat maysters of the castell / for their busshe­mente were within the towre. The Frenche men entred and founde the capytaynes in the courte comunynge with the bretons.

THan Alayne and Peter were sore abasshed / seynge so many of their ene­myes aboute them. And as for them that were within the towre knewe nothynge of the besynesse / nor coude se nor here nothyng the towre was so thycke. some that were with in sayde. Harke syrs me thynke I here moche murmurynge without / we may be dysceyued frenche men be subtyle / we thought to take / but I feare we be taken / our capitayn Alayne is dysceyued and we to / I feare we shall nat issue out without their congye. Thus whan the frenche men sawe howe they were lordes of the castell / they were than bolder than be­fore / and tooke and put vp agayne their flo­reyns / & sayd to Alayne. delyuer vs the keyes of this towre / for we wyll se what is within. The bretons prolonged the mater and sayde. Syrs begynne fyrste to serche in outher places and thā returne to this towre. The frenchmen answered. Alayne / ye do but prolōge the ma­ter / for we wyll begynne here fyrst. and other at ones delyuer the keyes or els thou shalte be slayne with these daggers. whan the two bre­therne [Page] herde that they douted the dethe / they fledde fro it as longe as they myght / howe be it to saye the trouth it had been more honora­ble for them to haue been slayne there than to haue taryed any longer / for afterwarde they dyed a shamefull dethe / as ye shall here. And Alayne Roux beyng in this daunger yet pra­ctysed another crafte if it wolde haue serued / and sayd. Syr Willyam and you syr Iohan / it is of trouth that within this toure are thirty men in harnesse / my brother and I dyd sette them there with moche payne / for we knewe well they wolde neuer agree to our apoynte­mente / therfore we haue closed theym within this towre to be sure of them / tyll ye haue the full possessyon of the castell and there ye may haue them and ye wyll / they are all good pri­soners / and delyuer vs our money as ye haue promysed / and lette vs go our wayes. Whan the french knightes herde that they were som­what better content than they were before and studyed a lyttell / than sir Willm̄ Butler saide / how so euer it be / or we delyuer our money we wyll haue knowledge of all the keyes of this castell / therfore shew vs where they be. Whan Alayne sawe it wolde be none otherwyse / he sente for them in to his chambre. Whan they were brought to the place than it was demaū ­ded whiche keyes serued for y ^e towre. Alayne full sore agaynste his wyll shewed forthe the keyes of the great towre. Than they opened the towre / and founde within the thyrty com­panions in harnesse hydde priuely within the towre. Alayne and his brother were sore abas­shed whan they sawe the frenchmen entre into the towre / and harde the wordes that sir Wil­lyam Butler sayd / whiche were these. Syrs / issue out fayre & easely one by one / if nat ye are all but deed / we take you as prisoners / feare nat the dethe ye shall haue no hurte / so ye wyll shewe the trouth of that we shall demaunde of you. Whan they sawe the frenche men and vnderstode that they shulde nat be slayne but ta­ken as prisoners / they layde downe their weapons and harnesse / and yelded them selfes / for they sawe well defēce coulde nat aueyle them. There the thyrty men were taken and put a parte and examyned / and there they iustyfyed the trayson before Alayne and Peter Roux / who coulde nat denye it. Than the knyghtes of Fraunce sayde to them. Syrs / it greatly dyspleaseth vs to fynde you in this defaulte / we canne nat punysshe the mater the cause is so weighty / we shall put it to the discrecyon of the duke of Berrey / if he wyll haue pytie on you we shall be gladde therof / we trust he wyll for the ioye that he wyll haue for the recoue­ryng of this castell / for it was the place that he most desyred to haue agayne of all the world. These wordes somewhat comforted theym. They were put in to a chambre vnder sure kepynge / and other in to dyuers chambres and towres. Than the castell was serched aboue and beneth / there they founde great prouysy­on / and lefte it all there styll and toke away nothynge therof at their departynge / and as for golde / syluer / and harnesse / therof was made a boty & euery man had his parte / and the prisoners the knyghtes had them for their parte.

THus as I haue shewed / the stronge castell of Vanchadore was taken by the frenche men in this season. And than syr Wyllyam Butler sette there a capy­tayne a squyer of Lymosyn a valyaunt man / called Pier Mardych / and with hym a thyrty speares of good men of warre / and they raunsomed their prysoners suche as were worthy to be raunsomed / and suche as were great pyllers and robbers / and frenchmen borne / they strake of their hedes / and hanged them vpon gybettes / newe made before the castell gate. Than the frenche knightes departed to go to Ryon to the duke of Berrey / & toke with them Alayne and Peter Roux. Tydinges sprange abrode howe the stronge castell of Vancha­dore was taken / wherof the countrey of Au­uergne and Lymosyn & those marchesse were greatly reioysed / for the castell had been out of the frenche mennes handes more than fyftene yere / and durynge that season that garysone had done great domage to the countrey. Sir Willyam Butler founde in the castell a yonge squier of Bretayne / a fayre yong man named Monadich / and was cosyn to Geffray Tetenoyre / and he was but newely come thyder to lerne to exercyse dedes of armes. He had ben brought vp in an abbaye in Bretayne / & was come out of the house bycause he wolde be no monke. The frenche men wolde haue stryken of his heed among other / but sir Willm̄ Butler had pytie on hym and saued his lyfe / with that he wolde become frenche and serue hym. Thus the frenchmen rode to the duke of Berrey / [Page clxxxix] and brake vp their bastydes. The men of armes departed and went euery man to their owne / and y ^e capytaynes came to Ryon to the duke of Berrey / & led with them the bretons / who desyred thē on the waye y ^t they shulde nat enfourme the duke of Berrey to sore agaynst them. the frenchmen promysed to fulfyll their desyre. So longe they rode that they came to Ryon / and there founde the duke and the du­chesse / who receyued them with great ioy / for he rekened it to be a gret acte / the conquering of the castell of Vanchadore / and gaue them fayre gyftes & presentes. Than they demaun­ded of the duke what his pleasure was shulde be done with Alayne and Peter Roux. he an­swered he wolde take aduyse in that matter / and so toke counsayle / and there it was deter­myned that he shulde sende them to the kyng. And so they were delyuered to the seneschall of Auuergne / and he cōueyed them to Parys / and there they were put in prison in the castell of saynte Anthony / in the kepynge of the vy­count of Affer / who as at that tyme had the kepynge of y ^t castell. And they had nat ben longe there but that they were delyuered to the pro­uost of Parys / and put in to the chatellet and there iudged to dye as traytours and robbers of the realme of Fraunce. Than they were delyuered to the hangman and fast bounde and layde in a carre and brought with trompettes to the place of execucion named y ^e halles / and there set on the pillery and turned four tymes aboute in the syght of all the people / and there was openly red and publysshed all their de­des / and thā beheeded and quartered / & their quarters sent to the four chefe gates of the cy­tie. Thus Alayne and Peter Rour lost sham­fully their lyues / & the castell of Vanchadore.

IN this seasone and in the meane tyme that the truese was thus bytwenene Englande and Fraunce / bothe by lande and by see / though the kinges and their subgiettes helde well the peace / yet was there certayne pyllers & robbers in Auuergne who made warre to the poore men on bothe sydes the ryuer of Dordone / but the capytayns that had gyuē vp their fortresses by reason of that treatie dyssymuled the matter. By reason of their dissymulacion the coūtrey of Auuergne receyued great domage / so y ^t the complaintes therof came to Parys. Than the french kyng was counsayled to sende to the kynge of En­glande / signyfyenge hym of the state of these robbes that made warre thus in the countrey vnder coloure of their patesynge / the which ought nat to be done. I thinke the king of Englande excused hym selfe of the mater. And to prouyde therfore. the same / season the thre fore sayd knyghtes / that is to say the yonge Bou­ciquant / Raynolde of Roy / & the lorde of saint Pye / who had enterprised to do armes about the marches of Calays / nere to saynte Ingil­bertes / made them redy to a cōplysshe their desyre & to fulfyll their promesse & the right of armes / for it was openly declared & publysshed / and specyally in y ^e realme of Englande / in the which realme there were knyghtes & squyers quyckened to the mater / and were in gret imagynaciōs to knowe what they might best do. Some said it shuld be greatly to their blame and reproche / such an enterprise taken so nere to Calays without they passed the see / & loke on those knightes that shulde do armes there. Suche as spake most of the mater was / first syr Iohan of Holande erle of Huntyngdon / who had great desyre to go thyder / also sir Iohan courtney / sir Iohan Traicton / sir Iohan Golouffer / syr Iohan Russell / syr Thomas Shyrborne / syr Willyam Clyfton / sir Willy­am Clynton sir Willym̄ Taylboys / sir God­frey Seta / syr Willyam hacquenay / syr Io­han Vobeas syr Iohan Dambretycourt / syr Henry Beamond and dyuers other / mo than a hūdred knightes and squters / all these sayd. Let vs prouyde to go to Calays / for the knightes of Fraunce hath nat ordayned that sporte so nere our marches / but to the entent to se vs there / and surely they haue done well / and do lyke good companions / and we shall nat fayle them at their busynes. This matter was so published abrode in Englande / that many suche as had no desyre to do dedes of armes theym selfe / yet they sayd they wolde be there to loke on them that shulde. Suche as thought to be there sent afore to Calays to make prouysion [Page] to kepe their astate / and sente ouer their horse and harnes bothe for peace and warre. Whan the day aproched sir Iohn̄ Holāde brother to the kyng of Englāde fyrst passed the see / & mo than .lx. knightes & squiers with hym / & ary­ued at Calys & there toke vp their lodgyngꝭ.

At thentryng in of y ^e ioly fresshe moueth of May / these thre yong knyghtes of Fraūce / suche as shulde do dedꝭ of armes at saynt Ingilbertꝭ. thus first they cāe to Boloyne & taryed there a season / & than came to thabbay of same Ingilbertꝭ. Than they vnderstode how there were a great nōbre of knyghtes & squyers cōe out of Englande to Calays / wherof they were ryght ioyfull. And to the entent that the brute shulde cōe to Calays / they ordayned in a fayre playne bytwene Calays and saynt Ingilber­tes thre fressh grene pauilyōs to be pyght vp / and at the entre of euery pauylyon there han­ged two sheldes with the armes of the knigh­tes / one shelde of peace another of warre / and it was ordayned that suche as shulde ryn & do dedes of armes / shulde touche one of the shel­des / or cause to be touched / whiche as pleaseth them / and he shulde be delyuered acordyng to his desyre. to speke of this mater I shall shew you. The .xxi. day of the moneth of May acordyng as it had ben publisshed / these thre frēch knyghtes were redy in the place to furnysshe their interprice. And the same day knightes & squyers issued out of Calays suche as wolde iust / and also suche other as had pleasure to regarde that sporte / and they came to the sayde place apoynted and drewe all on y ^e one parte. The place to iust in was farre grene & playne. Syr Iohan Holande first sente to touche the sheld of warre of sir Boucyquant / who incontynent issued out of his pauylyon redy moun­ted with shelde & speare. These two knightes drewe fro other a certayne space / and whan eche of them had well aduysed other they spurred their horses & came togyther rudely / and Boucyquante strake the erle of Huntyngton through the shelde / and the spearcheed glente ouer his arme & dyd hym no hurt / and so they passed forthe / and tourned and rested at their pase. This course was greatly praysed. The seconde course they met without any hurte do ynge / and the thyrde course their horses refu­sed and wolde nat cope. The erle of Huntyngton who had gret desyre to iust and was som­what chafed came to his place / abydynge that sir Boucyquant shulde take his speare / but he dyd nat / for he shewed that he wolde no more tynne that day agaynst therle. And whan the erle sawe that / he sent his squyer to touche the shelde of warre of the lorde of saynt Pye. And he that wolde nat refuse issued out of his pa­uylion / and toke his horse / shelde / and speare. And whan the erle sawe that he was redy spurred his horse / and saynt Pye in lykewyse / they couched their speares / but at the metyng their horses crossed / but with the crossynge of their speares the erle was vnhelmed. Than he re­tourned to his men / and incontynent he was rehelmed and toke his speare / and saynt Pye his / and than ran agayne / and met eche other with their speares in the myddes of their shel­des / so that nere hande they were bothe borne downe to their erthe / but they gryped fast their horses with their legges / and so saued them selfes / and retourned to their places / and toke their brethes. Syr Iohan Holande who had great affection to do honorably / toke agayne his speare & spurred his horse / and whan the lorde of saynt Pye sawe hym comyng he das­shed forth his horse to encountre hym / eche of them strake other on their helmes that y ^e spre flasshed out. With y ^t ataynt the lorde of saynt Pye was vnhelmed / and so they passed forthe and came agayne to their owne places. This course was greatly praysed / and both frenche and englysshe sayd that those thre knyghtes / the erle of Huntyngton / sir Bouciquant / and the lorde of saynte Pye / had ryght well done their deuoyrs without any domage eyther to other. Agayne the erle desyred for loue of his lady to haue another course / but he was refused. Than sir Iohan Holand went out of the renke to gyue place to other / for he had ronne all his sire courses well and valyaūtly / so that he had laude & honoure of all partyes. Than stept forth a gentle knight of Englāde called the erle Marshall / he sent to touche the shelde of warre of sir Raynolde of Roy / who issued out of his pauylyon armed at all peces / and toke his horse / shelde / and speare. And whan these two knyghtes were a sonder they spur­red their horses & came fyersly togyther. The first course they fayled by outragyng of their horses / wherwith they were sore dyspleased. At the .ii. course sir Raynolde was stryken & the spere broken. the .iii. course eche strake o­ther on their helmes w ^t suche force / y ^t the fire [Page cxc] slewe out / & therle Marshall was vnhelmed who passed forthe & retourned to his place & iusted no more y ^t day / for he had don ynough than cāe forth y ^e lorde Cl [...]fford / a right apt & a valyāt knight of Englāde / cosyn germayn to sir Iohn̄ Chādos / who was a noble vali­ant knight in his dayes / he sent to touche the shelde of warre of sir Bouciquant / inconty­nent the knight issued out of his pauilyon w ^t shelde and spere. These two knightes came rudely togider & strake eche other on y ^e helm that the fyre sparcled. Their speares brake nat nor the knightes lost no styropes / so pas­sed by & came to their places & made thē redy to ryn the .ii. course / & so came togyder w ^tout any sparing. sir Bouciquāt brake his spere but he was vnhelmed & yet fell nat. they pas­sed forthe & came to their places. Sir Loyes Clifforde made hym to iust agayne but Bouciquant dyd nat put on agayne his helme / y ^t seyng / the lorde Clifforde aduysed to ꝑforme his course with another. Than he sente his squyer to touche y ^e helde of warre of y ^e lorde of saynt Pye / who came forthe redy to iuste. They ran toguyder & met eche other / y ^e lorde Clifforde brake his speare in thre peces on y ^e lorde of saynt Pyes shelde / and the lorde of saynt Pye strake the lorde Clyfforde on the helme / so that he was dishelmed / & so passed forche / eche of them drewe to their place / and the lorde Clyfforde ran no more that day / for it was shewed hym howe he had right honorably borne hym selfe that daye. Than came forth a noble knight of englāde called sir Hē ry Beamōde / he caused to be touched sir bou­ciquantes shelde of warre / who was soone redy to answere / they ran togyder. the lorde Beamōde crossed & Bouciquant strake hym so rudely / that he bare hym to therche & pas­sed forthe. y ^e knight was releued by his men and set agayne on hors backe / & ran again togyder two other courses without any dō ­mage. thā sir Peter Curency who had great desyre to ryn sixe courses / caused his squyer to touche all thre sheldes of warre / wherof y ^e frēchmen had marueile & dema [...]ded what he entēded therby / he answered / that it was his pleasure to ryn with eche knight .ii. courses / without he were lette by the way. his de [...]yre was graunted. Than sir Raynolde du Royran first. They came togider with good ad­uysemēt / howbeit the first course they fayled for their horses refused at y ^e cope / wherwith they were sore displeased. they railed nat at y ^e ii. course / but sir Raynold dishelmed the en­glisshe knyght / & passed forth & retourned to his place & held hī styl for he had ron his two courses. Than y ^e lorde of sair Pye ca [...]e forthe to iust & ran eche agaynst other & brake their speres / & the .ii. course the lorde of saint Pye strake sir Peter Courtney a crosse / & sir Pet strake hym on y ^e helme & vnhelmed hym / & so cāe to their owne places. than sir Bouciquat to acōplisshe sir Peters desire came forthe & ran & met eche other in y ^e myddꝭ of their hel­des so rudely y ^t both their horses stakered in the place. more hurt there was nat .y ^e .ii. course they vnhelmed eche other. These .vi. cour­ses done / sir Peter Courtney desyred to ryn one course more with one of y ^e thre knightes which as pleased thē / but he was refused / & it was sayd to him y ^t he had done ynough for y ^e day / so he rested. Than preced forthe a gētyl man of Englande called sir Iohn̄ Gouloufer / he sent to touche y ^e shelde of sir Raynolde [...] Roy / who was redy to answere. they ran frely togider & ataynted eche other of the helmes without dishelmyng or brekyng of their speres / & so passed by. the secōde course their horses refused to mete. the .iii. course they met in their sheldes & brake their staues. the fourth course they mist. the .v. course they vnhelmed eche other & retourned to their places. Than a valiant knight of Englande called sir Iohn̄ Rolscau / who was a well trauelled knight & well knowen / he touched the shelde of y ^e lord of saint Pye / y ^t knight was redy to answere. they ran togyder & met so rudely y ^t their hor­ses stayed with y ^e cope. y ^e .ii. course their hor­ses swarued asyde & myst eche other / wherof the knightꝭ were displeased. & the .iii. course they met & strake eche other in y ^e viser of their helmes / so y ^t they were bothe vnhelmed. The englysshe knyght retourned to his cōpany & iusted no more. Than came forthe sir Peter Shirborne a yong knight & touched y ^e sheld of sir Bouciquant / y ^e knight was redy & ran togider & myst / by outraging of their horses they taried nat long but ran togider agayne the .ii. course / & strake eche other in the syght of their helmes / sir Bouciquātes spere brake thenglysshe knyghtꝭ spere helde / so y ^t therby sir Boucyquant was vnhelmed so rudely / y ^t the blode ran out at his nose / & so he returned [Page] to his pausiyon & ran no more that day / for it was nere night / but sir Peter shirborne wolde nat leue so but wolde ryn out his .iii. course / he sent to touche the shelde of the lorde of saint Pye / who was incōtynent redy. They ran togider & tainted eche other on y ^e helmes but their speres grated nat / if they had / by moost lykelhod they had taken hurte / the .ii. course they strake eche other on y ^e sheldes & brake their staues in thre peces / & thēglisshe knight was borne to therthe / they ran no more y ^t day / for it was nere night. Than the en­glysshmen drewe togider & deꝑted and rode to Calays / and there deuysed that nyght of that had ben done that day. In lykewise the frēchmen rode to saynt Ingylbertes & cōmuned & deuised of y ^t had ben done y ^e same day.

The tuesday after masse / all suche as shul­de iust that day or wolde gyue the lokyng on rode out of Calis & came to the place apoynted / and the Frēchmen were redy there to re­ceyue thē. the day was fayre and hote. Whan thenglysshmen were armed / than sir Wyllm̄ Clyfron and expert knight of Englande / cau­sed his squier to touche the targe of sir Bou­ciquant. Incōtinent the knight issued out of his pauylion armed at all peces. the two knightes came toguider & taynted eche other on the shelde and passed by without brekyng of their speares. The .ii. course they crossed on their helmes. the .iii. course they encountred ech other so on y ^e sheldes y ^t their horses stode styll. the .iiii. course was well employed they vnhelmed eche other. The englysshe knight ran no more / it was said to hym he had done ynough. Than on thēglisshe ꝑte came forthe a lusty yong knight called sir Nicholas clynton / he touched y ^e lorde of saynt Pies shelde / the knight anon was redy. they met togider so euyn y ^t eche of thē brake their speres in iii. peces / with suche force y ^t the knight / were in daūger to haue taken domage / but they pas­sed by & cāe to their places. the .ii. course they tainted eche other on y ^e helmes & passed by. y ^e iii. course their horses crossed & fayled. y ^e .iiii course y ^e lorde of saynt Pye vnhelmed the en­glysshe knight / who ran no more y ^t daye / for men said he had well & valiantly done & qui­ted hymselfe / & how other must haue place to iust. Thā a kynsman of therle of Hūtingdon cāe forthe called Wyllm̄ Stamert / he caused to touche y ^e shelde of (ser) Raynold of Roy. they ran togider w ^t frewyll & tainted eche other / y ^e englysshe knight lost his spere. the .ii. courie they met / but thēglisshe knight warued aside / I can nat tell wheder the faut was in the knight or in y ^e horse / but sir Raynolde strake him so rudely on y ^e targe y ^t he sore reuersed & so passed by / & made thē redy to ryn the third course / & so tainted eche other on y ^e helmes / y ^t the fire sprang out & lost both their speres. y ^e iiii. course they ataynted ech other in y ^e sight of their helmes / w ^t that course sir Wyllm̄ sta­mert was dishelmed & nigh borne to therthe howbeit he fell nat / & returned to his cōpany & ran no more y ^t day. Than another squier of Englāde cāe forth called Lācastre / he sent to touche y ^e shelde of sir Bou [...]iquant. they ran togider & tainted ech other on y ^e helmes y ^t the fire flewe out / & marueyle it was y ^t they had nat ben vnhelmed. It was nat long tyll they ran the .ii. course but their horses crossed / the thirde course they were both vnhelmed / and the Englysshe squyer iusted no more y ^t day. Than a yonge knight called sir Iohn̄ Tayl boise iusted with the lorde of saynt Pye / and encoūtred eche other on y ^e sheldes and brake their staues / the .ii. course their horses cros­sed / and the iii. course they were bothe vnhelmed / the Englisshe knight ran no more that day. Than stepte forthe it Godfray of Se­ca a gentyll knight and a good iuster / & that was well sene by hym / he encoūtred with sir Raynolde du Roy. They came right toguy­der & mette in their sheldes / the speres were good and wolde nat breke / so y ^t it made their horses to reeule / and than recouered & kepte styll their speres / and than ran agayne these coude course / the ressed in fante of the horses and nat of the knyghtes / and they lost bothe their staues. they ran agayne the .iii. course The Englysshe knight strake sir Raynolde on the helme that he was vnhelmed / and sir Raynolde strake y ^t Englysshe knight on the targe so rudely and with suche strength (for he was called one of the best iusters in all the realme of Fraunce. Also he lyued in amours with a yong lady whiche aueyled hym in all his businesse) that he perced thēglisshmans targe clene through / & the speare heed entred in to the arme / and the spere brake & the trouchon stacke styll in y ^e shelde & in the knyght / arme / yet for all y ^t the knight made his turne & came to his place fresshly. than his cōpany [Page cxci] drewe out the trouchyon & bounde his arme / and sir Raynolde retourned to his cōpany.

Of that course sir Roynolde du Roy was greatly praysed on bothe ꝑties / for all y ^e hur­tyng of the knight / for suche is the aduētures of armes / to some good to some yuell. Than came forthe an Esquyer of Englande called Balquet / and sent to touche the shelde of the lorde of saynt Py / who was redy to answere They couched their speares & ran toguyder. y ^e first course they taynted eche other on their helmes and loste their staues. they toke their staues agayne / and in y ^e aprochyng their horses crossed and so passed by / and retourned agayne to their places. They taryed nat long but ran eche at other / with y ^t course Blaque [...] strake y ^e lorde of saynt Pye a hye on y ^e helme and gaue hym a sore stroke / & saynt Pye strake him in the sight of the heelm a sorer stroke so that therwith he was so vnhelmed / that y ^e bocle behynde brake / and the helme fell to the groūde. Than Blaquet retourned to his co­pany / & iusted no more that day. And y ^e lorde of saynt Pye sate styll on his horse abyding other comers. Than a gentyll knight or Englande called sir Iohn̄ Bolcas / touched the shelde of the lorde of saynt Pye / who was there redy to answere. they strake eche other on the shelde that it was marueile they were nat perced / for their speres were strong / how be it they passed by & lost their speares with­out any other dōmage. The .ii. course they taynted on the helmes / without any hurte / & passed by. y ^e .iii. course they crossed. the .iiii. course the lorde of saynt Pye vnhelmed rude lye sir Iohan Bolcas. After that course the englisshe knight ran no more. Than a yong knyght of Englande richely armed / named Thomelyn Massydone / he touched y ^e shelde or warre of sir Bouciquant. He was incon­tynent answered. The first course they cros­sed on the helmes. the .ii. course they met / and Thomelyn brake his spere in trōchions / and Bouciquant strake hym so sore / that he bare hym to the erthe ouer his horse backe. Than his cōpanyon toke hym vp and he iusted no more. Than another squier of Englande called Nauerton / touched the shelde of sir Bouciquant / sayeng howe he wolde reuenge his company / whom Bouciquant had ouerthro­wen in his p̄sence / who was redy to answere The first course they strake eche other in the viser of their helmes / without any other dō ­mage. the .ii. course they strake eche other in their sheldes / so y ^t their horses reculed & bra­ke their speares in thre peces. Than they re­tourned to their places & toke newe speares / and met agayne togyder. sir Bouciquant receyued a great stroke on y ^e shelde / but he strake Nauerton / in suche wyse that he was vn­helmed / who ran no more that day / for euery man sayde he had well acquyted hym selfe. Than another squyer called Sequaqueton an experte man of armes / sente to touche the shelde of sir Raynolde du Roye / the knyght was redy to answere well moūted with shelde & speare. They mette so rudely that Se­quaqueton bare hym selfe well fro fallynge / for he had suche a stroke that he sore reuersed howbeit he releued and passed forthe / but he lost his spere. The next course they meete rudely on their helmes / so that the fyre flasshed out. The .iii. course Sequaqueton was vn­helmed / so that bothe he & his horse were astonyed and retourned to his company / and iu­sted no more that day nor no man els / for the night aproched: than the Englysshe men re­tourned to Calys / and the frēchmen to saynt Ingylbertes.

ye may well knowe that Charles the fren­che kyng was sore desyrous to be at those iu­stes / he was yonge & lyght of spiryte / & glad to se newe thynges. It was shewed me that fro the begynning to thendyng he was there present / disgysed as vnknowen / so that none knewe hym but the lorde of Garasyers / who cāe also with hym as vnknowen / and euery day returned to Margison. Than on y ^e wednisday the englisshmen rode fro Calais and came to the place of y ^e iustes. Than a squier of Englande called Iohn̄ Sauage / sente to touche the shelde of warre of sir Raynold of Roy / the knight was redy in his pauylion & issued out and moūted on his horse. thā they came togider with great randon / and strake eche other on their sheldes / in suche wise that if their sheldes had nat broken / outher one of the men or bothe had ben striken to y ^e groūde This was a goodly & a daungerous course / howbeit the knightꝭ toke no dōmage. Their speres brake to their hādes & the heedꝭ stacke styll in their sheldꝭ euery man fered they had ben hurt / so euery ꝑtie cāe to their cōpany. & [Page] whan it was knowen that they had no hurt / euery man was ioyfull and sayd / howe they had done ynough for that day. but those wordes pleased nothyng Iohan Sauage / for he sayd he was nat come ouer the see to ryn but one course. Those wordꝭ were shewed to sir Raynolde du Roy / and he answered & sayd. It is reason that he be aunswered / outher by me or by some of my cōpany. Than they toke newe sheldes and speares / and ran agayne toguyder▪ but at the cope their horses crossed and so fayled ech other / wherwith they were sore displeased / & for angre cast awaye their speres & toke newe. And at the thirde course they taynted eche other in the syght of their helmes / in suche wyse / that bothe were vnhelmed: euery man praysed that course. The englysshe men came to Iohan Sauage & said. howe he had ryght honorably acquyted hymselfe that daye / & howe he had done ynough / for there were other to ryn. He obeyed & ran no more / and a lyghted of his horse / and lept on a small hackeney to so other rynne.

THan a Squyer of Englande came forthe cosyn to the erle Marshall / called Wyllyam Basquenaye / He touched the shelde of sir Bouciquant / The knyght was redy to answere. They came togyder as streyght as they coude deuyse / and strake eche other in the syght of the helmes / in suche wyse / y ^t bothe were vnhelmed. they passed forthe their course frāke and frely. A­none they were agayne helmed / and ran to­gider and strake eche other on their sheldes / and brake their speares withoute any other domage. the thirde course they crossed wherwith they were sore displeased. The fourthe course Wyllm̄ Basquenay was agayne vn­helmed / & so ran no more that daye. Than another Englysshe squyer called Scot / ran agayne the lorde of saynt Pye. the fyrst course they encoūtred so rudely / y ^t their horses sta­kered & the speres helde yet they lost their speres. Than they made them redy to ryn the seconde course / & they met in suche wyse / y ^t the lorde of saynt Pye was vnhelmed / & the squier moche praysed for that course. Agayne the thirde course they encoūtred eche other on y ^e sheldes / in suche wyse that Iohn̄ Scot was stryken downe ouer his horse crope. thus the lorde of saynt Pye was reuēged. Thēglyssh squyer was releued & brought to his cōpany and ran no more that day. Than another en­glysshe squyer called Bernarte Stapleton he touched the shelde of y ^e lorde of saynt Pye they came togider and taynted eche other on their helmes y ^t the fyre flasshed out / & so pas­sed by without any other dōmage / and kepte styll their speres. the .ii. course they mette in their sheldes rudely / yet they kept their hor­ses & so passed forth their course. The thirde course they vnhelmed eche other. thenglyssh squyer ran no more that daye. Than stepte forthe a gentyll knyght of Englande / yonge and fresshe / a iolly daūcer and synger / called sir Iohn̄ Arūdell / he ran agayne (ser) Raynold du Roy. At the first course they mette rudely & strake eche other on their sheldes / but they helde them selfes without fallynge / & passed forthe their course / but they lost their staues. The .ii. course they attaynted eche other on their helmes / that sparcles of fyre flewe out without other dōmage. The .iii. course they crossed and loste their staues. the .iiii. course they taynted on their helmes. The .v. course they brake their speres on their sheldes / and than sir Iohn̄ Arūdell ran no more that day. Than another squyer of Englāde called Nicholas Scon a proper man of armes / ran a­gaynst sir Bouciquāt. The first course they strake eche other on their helmes a great at­taynt. the .ii. course they strake eche other on their sheldes / in suche wyse that their horses were astonyed / and lost their speares. y ^e .iii. course they strake eche other on the helmes / & Nicholas Seon was vnhelmed and ran no more. Than another squyer came forthe cal­led Iohn̄ Marshall / & ran agaynst sir Bou­ciquant for he was redy lokyng for nothyng but to iust / he toke his speare and couched it in the rest. The first course they mette rude­lye on their sheldes & lost their staues. the seconde course they taynted on their helmes / & the third course they aduysed well eche other and met rudely. Iohan Marshall brake his staffe in thre peces / & sir Boucyquant strake hym on the helme / in suche wyse / that he was vnhelmed / and so returned and ran no more y ^t day. Than cāe forthe a lusty yonge knight of Englande who desyred greatly to wyn honour / called sir Iohn̄ Clinton / he bare syluer broken with azure / a molet syluer in y ^e chefe. He touched y ^e shelde of sir Reynold du Roye [Page cxcii] who was redy to answere / and was gladde of the cōmynge of that knyght / they came to their places and toke their speares. the fyrst course they taynted on the helmes and passed forthe. The seconde course they strake eche other on their sheldes and passed by and lost their staues. The thirde course they taynted on their Helmes / so that the fyre flewe oute. the fourthe course they crossed. the fythe course was well enployed / for eche of them brake their speares. The two knyghtes were sore chafed / and shewed well howe they had gret desyre to proue their selfes. The sixte course eche of thē vnhelmed other. that course was greatly praysed. The Englysshe knight ran no more that daye / for he had done ynoughe.

Thanne Roger Leau another Englysshe squyer auaunced forthe. He bare syluer and sables quarterly in the myddes a crosse gou­les. he touched the shelde of the lorde of sait Pye. The first course they encountred so ru­dely that their horses were astonied / for their speares helde. The seconde course they taynted on their helmes and passed forthe. At the thirde course Roger Leau was vnhelmed & ranne no more.

THan auaūsed forthe a ryght gentyll knight of the nacyon of Heynaulte in the marchesse of Ostrenaunt / but fro his youthe he had been brought vp in the courte of the noble kynge Edwarde of En­glande. This knyght was called sir Iohan Dambrety court / he was brother to the good knyght sir Eustace. He bare in his armure partie Golde and Ermyne. He touched the shelde of sir Raynolde du Roye. The fyrste course they taynted on their helmes / that the fyre folowed. The secōde course they entred so rudely / that it was marueyle howe they scaped without dōmage / for eche of thē were noble Iusters / and feared nother payne nor dethe. The thirde course sir Raynolde du Roye was rudely vnhelmed / and sir Iohan Dambretycourt passed forthe his turne and came agayne to his place. And sir Raynolde du Roye retourned to his company / and shewed howe he wolde no more iuste that daye. Than the Englysshe knight desyring to iust more / sent to touche the shelde of sir Boucy­quant. They ran toguyder so fiersly & strake eche other in their sheldes / that it was mar­ueyle they had nat ben pearced throughe. the seconde course they taynted on their helmes / and passed forthe and lost their speares. The thirde course they mette so rudely / that eche of thē was vnhelmed. Than the Englysshe men drewe toguyder and sawe that it was nerehande nyght / toke their leaues and deꝑ­ted towarde Calais. That nyght there was none other cōmunynge / but of the iustes that hadde ben done that day. The Frenche men wente to Margyson / and deuysed there at their pleasure.

ON the thursdaye the fourthe day of the weke / the Englysshe men being at Calais / assembled togider all su­che as had nat Iusted / & were come ouer the see for that entent. They cōcluded to returne agayne to saynte Ingylbertes to do armes / so they moūted on their horses and rode out of Calays and came to y ^e place / where as the iustes shulde be done. There was redy the thre knightes of Fraunce in their pauylions and suche other as shulde serue them. Fyrst there came in to the place a knight to Englā ­de called sir Godfray Eustace / he touched y ^e shelde of sir Boucyquant / who incontyuent issued out of his pauylion redy to answere. The knyghtes aduysed eche other / and ran toguyder and taynted on their helmes / and passed forthe their course and kept styll their staues. The seconde course they strake eche other in the myddes of their sheldes / & their speares brake without any dōmage / and passed forthe and came agayne to their places. The thirde course eche vnhelmed other. the Englysshe knight iusted no more / for it was sayd to hym he had right valyauntly acquy­ted hym selfe / and also that he must suffre o­ther to iuste.

Than an Englysshe squier came forthe to iuste called Alayne Borowe / he touched the shelde of the lorde of saynt Pye / the knyght was redy to answere. The fyrste course they taynted on their helmes that the fyre flewe out / they passed forthe their course and returned agayne to their places. y ^e seconde course they brake bothe their staues. The .iii. cour­se they vnhelmed eche other. The Englyssh man ran no more / for it behoued other to iust after. Than another Englysshe squyer cal­led [Page] Scrope touched the shelde of sir Bouecyquant. The fyrste course they crossed. The seconde course they taynted on their helmes. The thirde course Scrope was ouerthro­wen / thā he was releued and brought to his company / and ran no more.

THan a knyght of Behaygne / one of the quene of Englandes knyghtes / called Herchaunce / who bare in his armes syluer / thre Gryffens fete sable armed azure. He was demaunded with whome he wolde iuste he answered with Bouciquant. Than they made them redy and ran toguy­der but the knyght of Behaygne made a for­faite / wherof he was greatly blamed y ^t he de­meaned his course so yuell. The Englysshe men sawe well howe he had forfaite his ar­mure and horse / if the Frenche men wolde. Of this course there was great cōmunyca­cyon bytwene the parties / but finally it was pardoned / the better to please the Englysshe men. Than Herchaūce requyred agayne to iuste one course / he was demaunded against whome he wolde ryn. He sente to touche the shelde of sir Raynolde du Roy / and he was redy to answere. The fyrst course they mette in the myddes of their sheldes and sir Ray­nolde du Roye / who was one of best iusters in y ^e realme of Fraūce / strake thother knight clene fro his horse / in suche wyse / that menne thought he had been deed. Herchaunce with moche payne was releued and broght to his company. The Englisshe men were nat dis­pleased in that he was ouerthrowen / bicause he ran the fyrste course so vngoodly. So he ran no more that daye.

THan came in a squyer of Englande / called Robert Storborne. he touched the shelde of y ^e lorde of saynt Pye / who was redy to answere. The fyrst course they tayn­ted on their helmes. The secōde course they strake in their sheldes and lost their speares The thirde course eche vnhelmed other. the Englysshe squyer ran no more. Than Iohn̄ Morlande touched the shelde of (ser) Raynold du Roy who was redy to answere. The first course they taynted on their helmes. The se­conde course they encountred eche other that their horses were astonyed / and loste bothe their staues. The thirde course Iohan Morlande was stryken to the grounde / he was releued and iusted no more. Thanne another squyer called Iohan Moten / he touched the shelde of Bouciquant / the knyght was redy The first course they taynted & passed forthe the seconde course they taynted on their hel­mes and lost their staues. The thirde course Iohan Moton was vnhelmed. He ranne on more that daye / but gaue place to other.

Than Iaqueuyne Scrope touched the shelde of the lorde of saynt Pye / who was redy mounted. The fyrst course their horses crossed / wherwith they were sore displeased The seconde course they taynted on their helmes / that the fyre flewe out and lost their speres. The thirde course Iaqueuyne Scrope brake his speare / but the lorde of saynt Pye strake hym so rudely / y ^t he fell ouer his horse crope to the erthe / he was releued and ranne no more that daye. Than another squier cāe forthe called Guyllyam Maquelee. He ran agaynst sir Boucyquaunt who was redy to answere. The firste course they taynted on their helmes / that the fyre flewe out. y ^e course was praysed of euery partie. The seconde course they strake eche other in the sheldes & loste their staues. The thirde course they vnhelmed eche other / so that bothe sate bareheeded in their coyfes. They ran no more that daye / for they had done yough. Than ano­ther Squyer of Englande called Nycholas Leau / he touched the Shelde of the lorde of saynt Pye / he was redy to answere. the first course they strake eche other so sore on y ^e sheldes / that if their staues had nat broken it had ben to their great dōmage / but they helde thē selfes well fro fallyng. The secōde cope they attaynted eche other on the helmes that the fyre flewe oute / for their strokes crossed and so passed by. The thyrde was a goodly course / for they strake eche other so euin in y ^e sight of their helmes / that eche of them vnhelmed other / so clerely / that their helmes flewe in to the felde ouer their horse cropes. the iusters ceased for that daye / for there was none En­glisshe man that offred to iust any more that day. Than the erle of Huntyngdon and the erle Marshall / and the lorde Clyfforde / the lorde Beamont / sir Iohan Clynton / sir Io­han Dambretycourt / sir Peter Shyrborne / and all other knyghtes that had iusted those [Page cxciii] four dayes with the french knightes thanked them greatly of their pastaunce / and said. syrs all suche as wolde iuste of our partie haue ac­complisshed their desyres / wherfore nowe we wyll take leaue of you / we wyll returne to Calays / and so in to Englande. And we knowe well that who so euer wyll iust with you shall fynde you here these thyrty dayes / acordynge to the tenoure of your chalenge. and we ones come into Englande / such knightes as desyre to do dedes of armes / we shall desyre them to come to vysite you. The thre knyghtes than­ked them and sayd. They shall be right herte­ly welcome / and we shall delyuer them acor­dynge to the ryght of armes / as we haue done you / and more ouer we thanke you of the cur­tesy y ^t ye haue shewed to vs. Thus in curtes maner the englysshe men departed fro saynte Ingilbertes and rode to Calays / where they taryed nat longe / for the saturdaye after they toke shyppynge & sayled to Douer / and was there by noone / and the sondaye they rode to Rochester / and the nexte day to London / and so euery man to his owne. The thre frenche knyghtes kepte styll their place at saynt In­gylbertes. The frenche kinge and the lorde of Garancyers / who had ben there all that sea­son was vnknowen (whan the englysshe men were departed) they neuer seased rydynge / tyll they came to Crayll on the ryuer of Oyse / where the quene was at that tyme. After that the Englysshe men came in to Englande I herde nat that any mo came ouer to do any dedes of armes at saynte Ingylbertes / howe be it the thre frenche knyghtes helde styll their place tyll their thyrty dayes were accomplys­shed / and than at their leysar they retourned euery manne and came to Parys to se the kyng and the duke of Thourayne and other lordes that were at Parys at that tyme / who made them good chere / as reason requy­red / for they had valyauntly borne them selfe / wherby they atcheued gret honour of the kyng and of the realme of Fraunce. ⸪

I Shall nowe declare the maner of an hygh and noble enterprise that was done in this seasō by knightes of Fraūce / of England / & of other countreys / in the realme of Barbary. Syth I haue concluded the armes that was doone at saynt Ingylbertes / nowe wyll I shewe of other maters / for to me it is great pleasure to declare them / for if pleasure had nat inclyned me to write and to enquyre for the trouthe of many matters / I had neuer come to an ende as I haue done. Nowe sayeth the texte of the mater that I wyll procede on / y ^t in this season newes spredde abrode in Fraunce and in dy­uers other coūtreys that the genouoys wolde make an army to go in to Barbary with gret prouysion / as well of bysquet as fresshe water and wyneger / with gales and vesselles for all knyghtes and squyers that wolde go in that voyage. the cause that moued them thus to do I shall shewe you. Of alonge tyme the affry­cans had made warre by see on the fronters of the genouoys / and pylled and robbed their Ilandes / suche as were obeysant to them / and also the ryuer of Genes lay euer in parell and daunger of them of Auffryke / whiche was a stronge towne on y ^e parties / garnysshed with gates / towres / and hyghe and thycke walles / depe dykes. And lyke as the stronge towne of Calays is the key wherby who soeuer is lord therof may entre into the realme of Fraunce / or in to Flaunders at his pleasure / and maye by see or by lande sodenly inuade with great puyssaunce / & do many great feates. In lyke wyse by comparyson this towne of Auffryke is the key of the barbaryns and of the realme of Auffryke / and of the realmes of Bougne / and Thunes / and of other realmes of the infydeles in those parties. This towne dyd moch dyspleasure to the genouoys / who are greate [Page] marchauntes / and by them of Aufryke they were often tymes taken on y ^e see / as they went or returned fro their feate of marchaundyses. Than the genouoys who were ryche & puys­saunt bothe by lande and by see / hauyng great sygnories / they regarded the dedes of the af­frycans / and also consydred the complayntes of suche isles as were vnder their obeysaunce / as the isle Dable the isle of Syre / the isle of Guerse / the isle of Bostan / the isle of Gorgen­nem / and vnto y ^e Gulfe of Lyon / & to the isles of Sardonne and Finisse / and vnto the isle of Mayllorke / whiche thre isles be vnder the o­beysaunce of the kynge of Aragon. Than the genouoys by comon acorde agreed to sende in to the frenche courte / and to offre to all knigh­tes and squiers that wolde go with them to be siege this towne of Aufryke / to fynde them galees / and other vessels charged with bysquet / swete water / and wyneger / at their coste and charge / so that one of the frenche kynges vn­cles or els his brother the duke of Thourayn / who was yonge and lusty / and lykely to con­quere honour / shulde be capytayne generall. And the genouoys furthermore promised .xii. thousande crosbowes genouoys well furnys­shed / and eyght thousande of other with spea­res and pauesses / at their cost & charge. This the genouoys dyde bycause they knewe that there was a trewce bytwene Englande and Fraunce for thre yere / wherfore they supposed that knyghtes and īquyers as well of Fraūce as of Englande / wolde be glad to be doynge in some parte.

WHan tydynges came first into Fraūce of this voyage / the knightes and squiers of the countrey were right ioyfull / and the messangers fro Genne were aunswe­red that they shulde nat departe tyll they were well herde and so to haue socour / their request was so reasonable / as to the augmentynge of the crysten faythe. Thus they were caused to tary a season at Parys. There to debate that mater / and to se who shulde be chefe soueraygne of the armye for that voyage / and to whome euery man shulde obey. The duke of Thou­rayne of his owne volūtary wyll / offred hym selfe to go. but the kyng and his vncles wolde in no wyse agree therto / sayenge howe it was no voyage for hym / and they consydred well howe y ^t genouoys desyred outher to haue him or els one of the kynges vncles. Than it was agreed that the duke of Burbone vncle to the kynge shulde be souerayne and chefe of that armye / & shulde haue in his company the lorde of Coucy. Whan the ambassadours of Gene were aunswered that it was concluded with­out fayle y ^t they shulde haue ayde of knightes and squyers of Fraunce / and the kynges vn­cle the duke of Burbone to be souerayne and chefe capytayne / wherof these ambassadours were well contente / and toke their leaue of the kynge and of his counsayle / and retourned in to their owne coūtrey. Tydinges anon spred abrode in y ^t realme of Fraunce af this voyage into Barbary. To some it was plesaunt / and to some nat delectable / and many that wolde haue gone wente nat. There was none that went but on their owne charge and coste. No lorde sente any but of their owne seruauntes. Also it was ordeyned that none shuld passe of the nacyon of Fraunce / without lycence of the kynge / for the kynge wolde nat that so many shulde haue gone to leaue the realme destitute of knyghtes and squyers. Also it was agreed that no varlettes shulde passe / but all gentle / men / and men of feate & defence. Also to please all other nacyons / knyghtes & squiers straun­gers had fre lyberty to come and to entre into this honorable voyage / wherof all knyghtes straungers greatly praysed the frenche kynge and his counsayle for that dede. The duke of Burbone who was one of the chefe of the re­alme / sent incontynent his officers to Gennes to make prouysyon acordynge to his astate. The gentle erle of Auuergne sent also to Gennes to make his prouysions / and the lorde of Coucy was nat behynde. Also syr Guy de la Tremoyle / and sir Iohan of Vyen admyrall of Fraunce / and all other lordes and knightes suche as were ordeyned to go in that voyage / sent to make their prouysions / euery man af­ter his degre. Also so dyd sir Philyppe de Ar­thoys erle of Eawe / and sir Phylip of Bare / the lorde of Harcourt / sir Henry Dantoinge. Also out of Bretayne and Normandy many lordes & other aparelled them selfes to go into Barbary. Also of Haynalt the lorde of Ligne / the lord of Haureth / and for thē of Flaunders there was great ꝓuysion made. Also the duke of Lācastre had a bastard sonne called Henry of Lancastre / he had deuocion to go in y ^e same voyage / & he prouyded him of good knightes [Page cxciiii] and squyers of Englande / that acompanyed hym in that voyage. The erle of Foiz sent his bastarde sonne called Iobbayne of Foiz / well prouyded with knightes & squiers of Bierne. Euery man prouyded them selfes nobly and eche for other / and about the myddes of May the y ^t were furthest of fro Gene set forwarde to come to Gennes / whereas y ^e assemble was apoynted / and where as all their galees and vesselles were assembled. It was a moneth or they coude all assemble there. The genouoys were right ioyfull of their comyng / and gaue great presentes to the chiefe lordes / the better therby to wynne their loues. They were nombred whan they were togyther by y ^e marshals xiiii. hundred knyghtes and squyers. Than they entred in to the galees and vesselles that were prouyded for them / well furnisshed of all thynges necessary. Thus they departed fro the porte of Gennes aboute the feest of mydso­mer / in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and ten.

GReat pleasure it was to behold their departynge and to se their standar­des / getorns / and penons wanynge in the wynde and shynynge against the sonne / and to here y ^e trompettes & claryons sownyng in the ayre / with other mynstrelsy. The fyrste night they lay at ancre at the entryng in to the high see. all varlettes & horses abode behynde / a horse that was worthe fyfty frankes at their departyng was solde for ten frankes / for there were many knyghtes and squiers that wyste nat whan they shulde returne. they coulde nat haue fyue horses kept at Gennes for a franke a daye / and therfore at their departynge they made money of them / and that was but lytell. There were a hūdred galees garnisshed with men of warre / crosbowes / & pauesses / and mo than a .C. of other vessels laden with ꝓuysion & other necessaryes. The next day at the breke of the daye they weyed ancres / and rowed all that day by force of owers and the nyght folo­wynge / costyng the lāde. The thyrde day they came to Portefyn / and there cast ancre / and taryed there all that night / and the next day they came to another porte & towne called the porte Vēder / and there taryed and refresshed them. The next day they passed further into the gret see in the name of god & our lady / and saynte George / & firste they founde the isle of Dable / and than y ^t isle of Guerfe / the isle of Argenen / and the isle of Sardyns / & passed the Gulfe of the Lyon / which was a daungerous & a dout­full passage / but they coulde nat eschewe it the waye y ^t they toke / they were there in great parell all to haue ben lost. the season was so trou­blus & tempestes so terryble / that y ^e wysest maryner y ^t there was coulde gyue no coūsaile but to abyde the aduēture / & the wyll of god / wherby the flete departed a sonder some here and some there / they wyst neuer where. This tem­pest endured a day & a night. whan this tēpest was sest / and y ^e wyndes pacifyed / than the pa­trons & pylottes set their courses to drawe to the isle of Cōmeres / a .xxx. myle fro Auffryke. and fro the towne thyder as they entented to go. For at the goynge out of the Gulfe of Ly­on / the patrones sayde one to a nother / if it fortune that we be driuen a sonder by force of wynde and wether / than lette vs drawe to the isle of Cōmeres / and there lette vs tary eche for other. And as they hadde deuysed so they dyd / for the fyrst that came thyder taryed tyll the last came / and or all coulde assemble there togyder it was a nyne daies. This isle of Cō ­meres is a pleasaūt isle / thought it be nat gret. There the lordes refresshed theym and than­ked god / whhan they sawe they had loste none of their company. Thanne the lordes and pa­trons toke counsayle what was best for them to do / consyderinge they were so nere y ^e towne of Aufryke.

¶Nowe I wyll leaue to speke of these lordes of Fraunce for a season / and speke of other maters that was done in that season in Fraūcel and specyally in the countrey of Auuergne / in the marches of the lande of the erle Dolphyn / who was forthe in the sayd voyage. ⸪ ⸪

IN this season whyle this assēble was a making to go in to Barbary for a good entente / as to exalte the cristen faythe / certayne robbers and pyllers in Auuergne / & Rouergne / and in Lymosyn / were of contrary myndes / for though the coūtreis thought themselfe in suretie / by reason of the chartre of the treuce that was taken bytwene Englande and Fraunce / whiche had ben ꝓclaymed and publysshed in all fortresses / and before all the capitayns that made any warre / or helde any fortresses of the englissh parte. And an artycle there was / that who so euer brake or violated any poynt or artycle comprised in the treaty shuld receyue punyssyon of dethe / without hope of any remys­sion / & specially Perot le Bernoys capytayne of Caluset / Amergot Marcell / Olyue Barbe capytayne of Dousac / in the marches of Au­uergne / were enclosed by name in the charter of the treuse / to the entent that if they or any of theirs dyd or consented to do any thynge con­trary / y ^t they shulde nat ercuse them selfe. some of the capytayns that feared to dye a shamfull dethe / or to rynne in to the indygnacion of the frenche kynge / helde surely all the poyntes of the charter. But some dyd nat so whiche they derely bought / as ye shall here after.

ye shall knowe as it hath ben here before re­hersed / howe Iohan erle of Armynake & Bernarde dolphyn of Auuergne / and therle Cler­mounte / were in treatie with certayne capy­tayns that helde fortresses in the said coūtreys agaynst the frenche kynge. These sayd lordes made suche dylygence that they brought dy­uers of these capytayns to composycion / and to the sellyng of their fortresses. Their treaty and composicyon was y ^t they shulde renounce the warre bytwene Englande & Fraunce / and durynge the treuce they to go with the erle of Armynake in to Lombardy / or whyder as he wolde leade them / to ayde hym in his warre a gaynst the lorde Galeas erle of Vertues / who had disheryted his cosyn germayns / chyldren to his vncle the lorde Barnabo / as it hath ben shewed here before / and so what to haue their ayde and to auoyde the countrey of these rob­bers & pyllers (who had done so moche hurte in the countrey / bothe to men and women) the sayd erle of Armynake / and the erle Dolphyn his cosyn / toke gret payne in that mater. And at the instant requestes & prayers of the good menne of the cyties and townes of the playne countreys aforesayd / so that there was a tayle gadred in Auuergne / Guynaldan / Rouergne Carnosyn / and in Lymosyn / to y ^e sōme of two hundred thousande frankes / so that poore and riche payed somoch / that dyuers solde & layde to pledge their herytages / and were glad so to do to lyue at reste in their countreys. And the good men thought by reson of payeng of this money / and aduoydyng of the sayd fyue rob­bers & pyllers / that they shulde than haue ben quyte for euer of them / but it proued nat so in dyuers places / & specially of Aymergot Marcell and of his men. For after that the castell of Aloys was yelden vp and solde by Aymergot Marcell to the erle of Armynake / whiche for­tresse stode in the herte of all Auuergne / this Aymergot was well worthe in redy money a hūdred thousande frankes / whiche he had goten by robory & pyllage / and by raunsominge of men / and patesynge of the countrey / and he had kept y ^e rule more than ten yere. Therle of Armynake desyred gretly to haue in his company the sayd Aymergot Mercell & thought nat to leaue him behynd him for two reasons. One was / bycause he wolde gladly haue the counsayle & aduyse of hym / for he was experte and subtyle in all feates of armes / both in sau­tynge / sealynge / and stealynge of fortresses. The seconde reason was / the erle feared that if this Aymergot shulde a byde behynde in the countrey / thoughe he hadde solde to hym the fortresse of Aloyse and other fortresses / yet he might do moche domage in the coūtrey of Auuergne and Rouergne / wherfore therle made great labour to haue hym. But alwayes Ay­mergot dissymuled the mater and said. Whan I se the certayne of the erle of Armynakes de­partyng / than I knowe myne owne wyll is so good y ^t I wyll nat byde behynde. Other aunswere the erle coulde nat get of hym. The erle of Armynake laye at Commynge and aboute Tholousyn / in his countrey / and there made his assemble / whiche voyage had been more hasted / and the voyage in to Auffryke hadde nat been / that letted hym a season / for dyuers knyghtes and squyers that went in that voy­age had promysed hym / and this voyage in to Barbary came so sodenly that it hyndred [Page cxcv] his voyage. Whan tydynges was knowen in Fraunce of the treaties that the erle of Army­nake had made with the sayde capytayns in Auuergne / there was made as moche haste as myght be to pay the money to the capytayns.

Aymergot Marsell was sore dysplea­sed with hym selfe in that he had solde and deliuered the stronge castell of Aloyse / for he sawe his owne auctorite therby greatly a­bated / and parceyued well howe he was the lesse feared / for all the season that he kept it he was doubted and feared / and honoured with all men of warre of his parte / and had kept a great astate alwayes in the castell of Aloyse. The patesynge of countreys that he helde vnder subiection / was well worth yerely twenty thousande florayns. Whan he remembred all this he was soroufull / his tresour he thought he wolde nat mynysshe / he was wonte dayly to serche for newe pyllages / wherby encresed his profyte / and than he sawe that all was clo­sed fro hym. Than he sayde and imagyned / that to pyll and to robbe (all thynge consyde­red) was a good lyfe / and so repented hym of his good doing. On a tyme he said to his olde companyons. Sirs / there is no sporte nor glory in this worlde amonge men of warre / but to vse suche lyfe as we haue done in tyme past. What a ioy was it to vs whan we rode forthe at aduenture / and somtyme foūde by the way a ryche priour or marchaunt / or a route of mulettes of Mountpellyer / of Narbone / of Ly­mons / of Fongans / of Besyers / of Tholous / or of Carcassone / laden with clothe of Brusel­les / or peltre ware comynge fro the fayres / or laden with spycery fro Bruges / fro Damas / or fro Alysaūder / what so euer we met all was ours / or els raunsomed at our pleasures / day­ly we gate newe money / and the vyllaynes of Auuergne and of Lymosyn dayly prouyded and brought to our castell whete mele / breed redy baken / otes for our horses / & lytter / good wynes / beffes / and fatte mottons / pullayne / and wyldefoule / we were euer furnysshed as though we had ben kingꝭ. whan we rode forth all y ^e coūtrey trymbled for feare / all was ours goynge or comynge? Howe toke we Carlaste / I and the Bourge of Compayne / and I and Perot of Bernoys tooke Caluset? Howe dyd we scale with lytell ayde the stronge castell of Marquell / pertayninge to the erle Dolphyn / I kepte it nat past fyue dayes but I receyued for it on a fayre table fyue thousande frankes / and forgaue one thousande for the loue of the erle Dolphyns chyldren? By my faythe this was a fayre and a good lyfe / wherfore I re­pute my self sore disceyued in that I haue rendred vp the fortres of Aloys / for it wolde haue ben kepte fro all the worlde / and the / daye that I gaue it vp / it was fournysshed with vytay­les to haue been kepte seuen yere without any reuytaylynge. This erle of Armynake hathe dysceyued me / Olyue Barbe & Perotle Ber­noys shewed me howe I shulde repente my selfe. certayne I sore repent me of that I haue done. And whan suche of his companyons as had serued hym longe herde hym speke those wordes / they parceyued well howe he spake them with all his herte vnfayned. Than they sayd to hym. Aymergot we are all redy yet to serue you / lette vs renewe agayne our warre / and lette vs gette some stronge holde in Au­uergne or in Lymosyn / and let vs fortifye it / and than syr we shall soone recouer our do­mages. we shall make a goodly flyght in Au­uergne and in Lymosyn / for as nowe the erle Dolphyn and Hugh his brother are out of the countrey / & dyuers other knightes and squy­ers in their company in to the voyage of Barbary / and specyally the lorde of Coucy / who hath the souerayne regarde vnder the kynge of all those marches / therfore we shall nat nede to feare hym / nor the duke of Berrey / for he is at Parys / so thus we shall haue nowe a good season. Well quod Aymergot / I haue good wyll thus to do / sauynge I ame by name ex­pressed in the chartre of the treuce. What for that syr quod his company / ye nede nat care therfore if ye lyste. ye are nat subiecte to the frenche kynge / ye owe hym nother faythe nor obeysayunce / ye are the kynge of Englandes manne / for your herytage (whiche is all dy­stroyd and lost) lyeth in Lymosyn / and syr we must lyue. and though we make warre to lyue the englysshmen wyll nat be myscontent with vs / and suche as be in our case wyll drawe to vs. And syr we haue nowe good tytle to make warre / for we be nat now in Auuergne where the couenaunte was made that we be bounde vnto. lette vs sende to the vyllayns of the vyl­lages whanne we be ones in a stronge holde / and commaunde them to paye vs a truage / or els to make theym sore warre. Well syrs quod [Page] Aymergot / fyrst lette vs prouyde for a stronge place to abyde in and to drawe vnto whan we nede. Some of theym sayde / syr we knowe where there is a stronge holde / with a lytell newe fortifyenge / pertaynynge to the hery­tage of the lorde of the Towre / no man kepeth it / lette vs drawe thyder and fortifye it / than may we at our ease rynne in to Auuergne and Lymosyn. Where lyeth this place quod Ay­mergot? Syr quod they within a leage of the Towre / and it is called the Roche of Van­doys. It is trewe quod Aymergot / I knowe it well / it is a mete place for vs / lette vs go thyder and fortify it. Thus on this purpose they concluded / and on a day assembled togyther and wente to the Roche of Vandoys. Than Aymergote auewed the place to se if it were worthe the fortifyenge therof. And whan he had well auewed the sytuacion therof / and the defences that myght be made there / it pleased hym ryght well. Thus they toke it and forti­fyed it lytell and lytell or they began to do any dyspleasure in the countrey. And whan they sawe the place stronge sufficyently to resyst a gaynste syege or assaute / and that they were well horsed and well prouyded of all thynges necessary for their defence / than they beganne to ryde abrode in the countrey and tooke pri­soners and raunsomed them / and prouyded their holde with flesshe / meale / waxe / wyne / salte / yron / and stele / and of all other necessa­ryes. There came nothynge amysse to theym without it hadde ben to heuy or to hote. The countrey all aboute and the people / wenynge to haue ben in reste and peace by reason of the truce made bytwene the two kinges and their realmes / they began than to be sore abasshed / for these robbers & pyllers toke them in their houses / and where so euer they founde them / in the feldes laborynge. and they called them selfes aduenturers. Whanne the lorde of the towre knewe that he had suche neyghbours so nere hym / he was nat well assured of hym selfe but fortifyed and made good watche in all his townes and castelles. The countesse of Dolphyn a ryght valyaunt lady and of great prudence / beinge with her chyldren in a good towne and stronge castell of hers called Sardes / she was nat well assured of her selfe whan she herde that Aymergotte and his company had fortifyed y ^t Roche of Vandoys. She sent incontynente to all her castell and furnysshed them with men of warre / as Marquell / Oudable / Chyllac / and Blere / and in to other places / to the entente they shulde nat be surpry­sed / for she greatly douted this Aymergot by­cause he hadde of her before at one paymente fyue thousande florayns. Surely all the countrey of Auuergne and Lymosyn began great­lye to be a frayde. Thanne the knyghtes and squyers / and men of the good townes / as of Cleremount / of Mounte Ferante / and of Ryon / determyned to sende to the frenche kinge / and so they dyd.

IN the meane season whyle the sayde countesse and the other good men of the countrey dyd sende to the frenche kinge and to the duke of Berrey / who as than were at Parys / Aymergot and his company fortifyed greatly the Roche of Vandoys. first they made a lodgynge for their horses. Whan all other aduētures who were discharged out of wages herde howe Aymergot made warre agayne / they were ryght ioyfull therof / and many came to hym. Anone he had mo of these robbers and pyllers than he wolde haue / they demaunded no wages of hym / but all onely that they myght be of his bande / for all suche as myght be of his company they knewe well they shulde lyghtly wynne somewhat / for they were habandoned to robbe and to pyll. Thus they rode vp and downe and made them selfe to be knowen in dyuers places. There was no spekynge in Auuergne and Lymosyn but of them of Roche Vandoys / the coūtrey was sore afrayde. They of Caluset (wherof Pe­rotte le Bernoys was capytayne) helde and kepte fermely the treuce that was made / and whan he sawe that Aymergot Marcell ouer ranne so the countrey / he was sore dyspleased with hym / and sayde howe he dyd yuell / and sent hym worde that he nor none of his shulde come in to Caluset / nor in to none other place where he had any rewle. Aymergot cared no­thynge for that / for he hadde places ynowe to drawe vnto. besyde that he had menne ynowe / and dayly encreased / for suche as were myn­ded to do yuell drewe to hym dayly. Perot of Bernoys charged suche as were vnder his reule on payne of their lyues that none shulde ryde out to do any domage to his neighbours for he sayde he wolde surely kepe the trewce. [Page cxcvi] Olyue Barbe captayne of Ousac dyssymu­led the mater / sayeng howe he wolde kepe the treuce / howe be it as it was shewed me some of his men somtyme wolde ryde forthe secret­lye / and what they wanne he wolde haue the profyte therof. The men of the countreys of Cleremount / of Mount Ferant / and of Ryon who were goynge in message to the frenche kynge / and to the duke of Berrey. They sped so in their iourneys that they came to Parys / and there founde the kynge / the duke of Ber­rey / the duke of Thourayne / and the consta­ble of Fraunce sir Olyuer of Clysson. They came fyrste to the duke of Berrey and to his counsayle / and shewed the cause of their com­myng / howe Aymergot Marcell made warre and dystroyed the countrey of Auuergne / and howe the yuell people daily multyplyed / wherfore they desyred for goddessake to haue some remedy. sayenge if these yuell people shulde longe contyne we / they wolde distroy the countrey of Auuergne / and the fronters of Lymo­syn. Whan these tydynges came to the kynge and to the duke of Berrey / they were sore dys­pleased / for they had thought all had been in peace / by reason of the treuce. Than the kyng demaunded if they of the garyson of Caluset and Ousac dyd any yuell or nat. They aun­swered and sayd / they complayned of no man but al onely of Aymergot Marcell and of his company / who hathe fortifyed the Roche of Vandoys. Thanne the kynge and the duke of Berrey aunswered and sayd. Syrs ye good people take good herde to your selfes and we shall prouyde shortely a remedy / that ye shall well perceyue▪ retourne to your places and shewe this aunswere to theym that sente you hyther. These good men of Auuergne were well content with their aunswere / and taryed there two dayes / and thanne retourned and toke their leaue specyally of the duke of Ber­rey and so departed.

THe frenche kynge and his counsayle forgate nat these tydynges / nor the duke of Berrey / whome the matter touched greatly / bycause he helde great hery­tages in Auuergne / therfore he auaunced the busynesse. ye haue herde here before howe the lorde of Coucy was ordayned by the kynge and his coūsayle to be capitayne / and to haue the soueraygne rewle of all the countrey / fro the see by Rochell / vnto the ryuer of Dordone and to Burdeaux on the ryuer of Geron. As than the lorde of Coucy was nat in the coun­trey: He was goynge in the voyage to Bar­bary / with other lordes of Fraunce / and of other countreis. Howe be it at his departyn­ge he ordayned his cosyn sir Robert of Be­thune Vycount of Meaulx to be his lyeute­naunt in the sayde countrey. Than the kyng sayde / howe it was moost metest that the vy­count of Meaulx shulde haue the charge of that voyage to go in to Lāguedocke / rather than̄e any other persone. He was at Coude on the ryuer of Marne. The kynge wrote to hym. The messangere founde hym with his wyfe at Counde / and there he delyuered his letters fro the Frenche kynge. The vycount receyued theym / and whane he knewe what they mente / he sayde he wolde obey the kyn­ges commaūdement. He prepared hym selfe as soone as he myght / & departed fro Coūde and rode so long that he cae to Parys where he founde the kynge and his counsayle / who sayd vnto hym. Vycount make you redy / as­semble the men of warre of your retynue / for ye must go in to Auuergne. There be of thes pyllers and robbers / of whome Aymergotte Mercell is chiefe / as we be enfourmed / who distroyech and sore traueyleth the good peo­ple there. Do ye so moche as to driue theym out of that countrey: And if ye maye attrap the sayde Aymergotte bring hym to vs / and we shall haue great ioye therof. It is orday­ned that there shalbe delyuered to you / suche sommes of money at Cleremount / that shall suffyce for your men of warre. And to go fro hens thider speke to oure treasourers / & they shall delyuer you for your expenses. Make haste / for it requyreth dyligence. The Vy­count aunswered howe he was redy / and so went to his lodging. And there he wrote let­ters to knyghtes and squyers in Fraūce and Picardy of his acquayntaunce & retynewe / that they in all hast shulde mete with hym at Charters / and there to make their musters. such as he wrote vnto obeyed / they loued the Vycount / for they helde hym for a good capitayne. So they came to the cytie of Char­ters at their day prefyxed. There assembled a two hūdred speares of good men of warre. Whan̄e they were assembled / they departed [Page] fro Charters and tooke the waye towardes Auuergne / and so came in to Burbonoys. ti­dynges came in to Auuergne howe socours was cōmyng to them out of Fraunce / wher­of all the countrey was reioysed.

IT was nedefull that these men of warre came thyder so soone as they dyde / for and they hadde taryed but sixe dayes lengar / aymergot Marcell and his bande had thought to haue ouer ronne the playne countrey / bytwene Cleremount and Moūt­ferante / and about Ryon to Ganape. And if they had made that voyage they hadde done great dommage to the countrey / more to the valewe than a hundred thousande frankes / for in those marchesse laye the rychesse of Auuergne / and no man shulde haue resysted thē for the countrey as than̄e was voyde of any man of warre. And also the brute was / that Aymergotte Mercelles company was farre mo in nombre than̄e they were in dede. Ay­mergotte was redy to haue made this iour­ney / but tidynges came to hym howe soeuer it was by pylgrimes or by espyes that the vycoūt of Meaulx with a great company was comynge agaynst hym to make hym warre / and to putte hym out of his fortresse of the Roche of Vandoys. These newes letted his enterprice / and kepte hym selfe within his holde / and thought they shulde be besieged. Than Aymergot Marcell began to dought and repented hym of that he hadde done / for he knewe well if that he were takenne / there shulde no raunsome go for hym. Thanne he sayd to some of his company. I am shamed: I haue beleued yuell counsayle: Couytous­nesse shall distroye me / without I haue con­forte. Than̄e they sayde to hym. Sir / why dought ye thus? We haue sene you the har­dyest man of armes of all these marchesse. We haue a good garyson and well prouyded and we are men of defence / and loue as well to defende oure bodyes / as ye do to defende yours / ye can lese nothynge but we must lese also. If by aduenture ye be taken / ye shall make your fynaunce accordynge to reason. ye haue good ynoughe and we haue nothyn­ge. If we be taken it lyeth on our heedes / we gette none other remission. We shall sell ou [...] lyues dere. Lette vs defende our selfe aswell as we can / be nat abasshed with any thynge that we here or se. We thynke we shall natte nede to care for any siege. Lette vs warre wisely. Thus these companyons conforted Ay­mergot Marcell.

THe Vycounte of Meaulx with his company came forward tyll they came to Moleyns in Bur­bonoys. There the duchesse of Burbone / doughter to the Erle Dolphyn receyued the Vycount and his knightes ryght honorably / and made theym to dyne. Than they passed forthe and laye that nyght at saynt Pursant / and fro thens to Ganape and so to Argre Prose / and than to Ry­on / and fro thens to Cleremount where they were well receyued with the bysshoppe and with theym of the towne. There the men of warre had money / for there was a tayle ga­dered and delyuered at Cleremont. Thanne they passed forthe and came to oure lady of Dorinall a four leages fro the Roche of Vā doyes. There the Vycount rested and sente for the knyghtes and squyers of Auuergne and of Lymosyn. There they assembled. They were than to the nombre of foure hun­dred speares one and other / and about a hundred cros bowes of genowayes. There was with the Vycounte of Meaulxe the lorde of Montague / Vermendisyens / and his bro­ther the lorde of Dommart / and sir Bernard de la Ryuer / sir Guyllyam Butler / the lorde of the Domme / the lorde de la Roche / the lorde of the Towre / sir Loys Dambyer / the lorde of saynt Ampysse / and sir Robert Dalphyn / and dyuers other. And capitayns of the ge­nowayes were two valyaunt squyers / The one named Aubert of Nespynolle and Callenace. And as than chefe Stewarde with the Vycount of Meaulx was a gentyll squyer called Loyes of Lesglynell. These genowayes and cros bowes were armed at all peces / elles they shulde nat ha­ue past wages with the Vy­count. ⸪

[Page cxcvii] WHan̄e Aymergot Marcell and Guyotdu Sall his vncle / vn­derstode that these men of war of Fraunce / of Picardy / of Au­uergne / & of Gene were come to our Lady of Dornall / and were mynded to come & laye siege to their holde of Roche vā ­doys. Than they aduysed what was best for them to do to make defence. Firste they con­sydred well / that it was [...]at for them to kepe any horse / seyng they shulde be besieged. nat farre of fro the Roche of Vandois there was another stronge holde called saynt Soupe­rye / vnder the rule of Aymergotte Mercell / and there was his wyfe / and thyder he sente all his pages and horses and the moost parte of all his rychesse. This roche of Vandoys was well fortifyed / and it stode in a stronge grounde. The lorde of the Towre was sore blamed of them of the countrey / that he had lefte that place vnfortifyed and vnprouyded It was cōmonly sayde in Auuergne / y ^t they myght thanke the lorde of the Towre for all the dōmage they had taken / bicause he might well haue kepte the Roche of Vandoys / or if he wolde nat haue kepte it for cost / he myght haue delyuered it to the men of the countre / y ^t they myght haue rased it / in suche wyse / that it shulde nat haue ben tenable / but he left the walles hole and entyer / as he founde them. This Roche of Vandoys is sette amonge highe mountayns / and that rocke standeth a parte / and on the one syde the walles be of a rocke. They had so fortifyed it / that it coude nat be assayled but on the fore parte by scry­mysshynge. The Vycount of Meaulx deꝑ­ted fro our lady of Dorcynall / and knightes and squyers / and genouoys cros bowes / and so came before the Roche of Vandoys. there lyke good men of warre they layde their sie­ge / and lytell and lytell amended their lod­gynges. Whan̄e the countesse of Alfyne be­inge at Sardes / knewe the trewe tidynges that the Roche of Vādoys was besieged she was right ioyfull. And bycause that she tho­ught that the Vicount of Meaulx was come so farre (as out of Fraūce and Picardy) that he had brought with hym no tentes nor pauilyons. She ordayned for hym two fayre and good tentes / parteyning to therle Dolphyn / and sente them to the Vycount / by maner of lendynge of them to hym durynge the siege. The vycount toke the present in good gree / and recōmaunded hym hertely to the coun­tesse / thākyng her for the tentes that she had sente hym / for they shulde do hym good ser­uyce. The lorde of the Towre was in his owne countrey / and was within a myle of a castell of his owne / so y ^t he lacked nothyng: other knyghtes and squiers made prouision as well as they myght. They had vitaylles plentie fro all partes at a resonable price. the season was fayre / drie / and hote / as in y ^e mo­neth of August. The knyghtes and other cō panyons refresshed theym selfes vnder the grene bowes. Than tidynges came in to the hoost that dyde put the lordes and their companyons in dout. It was shewed them that the garisons of their ennemyes / as of Calu­set and of Dousacke assembled toguyder / & were determyned in a morenynge to awake the hoost or they were ware / and to reyse the siege. Than the vycount of Meaulx and his knyghtes toke counsayle togyder and deter­myned to sende a heraude to Perot of Ber­noys capitayne of Calusette and to Olyue Barbe capitayne of Dousac to knowe their myndes / to the entent that they were nat sur­prised / but that they myght be assured of the Englysshe garysōs. And accordyng as they had aunswere agayne / therafter to prouyde for them selfe. They sente an heraude and enstructed hym what he shulde do and saye. the heraulde departed fro the hoost and rode to Caluset / and thereby aduenture founde Perotte at the barryers with many of his com­pany / who were there sportyng and castyng the stone. Than the messanger lyghted from his horse and demaunded for the capitayne. He was brought to hym / and whan he came before hym he dyde his message fro poynt to poynt. Than Perot le Bernoys sayde. He­raude / saye to youre maysters that we wyll holde and kepe as affermely and trewly / the truece that is taken bytwene Englande and Fraunce / in lyke maner / as we wolde they shulde kepe with vs. And if we knowe any of ours that wyll breke or vyolate the peace by any maner of incydent. If we maye take them / we shall do suche correctyon as apar­teyneth to be doone / as we haue promysed. And we wyll that ye saye to youre maysters / that loke what Aymergotte hath done / was [Page] without our counsayle / for he neuer shewed vs of his purpose. We dyde charge hym and all his / that he shulde nat medyll in our sei­gnorie / if he dyde / he shulde haue an yuell ende. The heraulde was hadde in to the for­tresse and there dyned. Than he tooke leaue and there was gyuen hym ten frankes. than he departed and demaūded the way to Dou­sacke / and founde there Olyue Barbe / capi­tayne of that fortresse. The heraulde spake to hym in lyke maner / as he hadde doone to Perot le Bernoys. Olyue Barbe answered that in no wyse he wolde breke the treuse / bycause he wolde nat be dishonored / and there he gaue hym ten frankes / and than departed and retourned to his mayster / before y ^e roche of Vandoys. Than the knyghtes were sore desyrous to here tidynges / they drewe about the vycoūt. There the heraude shewed how he had ben at Calyset and at Dousacke / and what answere he had of the capitayns. than the Vicount praysed moche Perotte le Ber­noyes and Olyue Barbe / and was as than out of doute / and so contynued their siege.

THe siege beyng before the Roche of Vandoys / euery day there was scrimysshing & often tymes some hurte with shotte of the genouoys cros bowes / for the genouoys were good shoters. Thus the siege cōtynued a nyne wekes. Thenterprice of the garyson was greatlye to the aduaun­tage of them within / I shall shewe you the maner howe. At certayne places they might issue out at their pleasure / in dispyght of all their ennemyes / for & they shulde haue kepte them fro their issues / they had nede to haue had mo than sixe .M. men. Thus durynge the siege Aymergot was ryght ymaginatife and consydred all thynges / and sawe well howe he had nat done well / but to tourne his dede in good maner / and to thentent that the Roche of Vandoys shulde styll remayne w ^t hym. He sent in to Englande a varlet of his with letters of credence / to the kynge of En­glande and to the duke of Lancastre. And of this purpose he brake his mynde to an vncle of his called Guyot du Sall / a man of a thre score yere of age / who had greatlye vsed de­des of armes / and knewe moche of y ^e worlde Whan Aymergote had shewed hym the ma­ner howe he wolde sende in to Englāde / this Guyotte was well agreed therto / and sayde howe to sende a wyse man thyder coulde do no hurte. Than they sente a varlet / who had ben brought vp among them. Aymergot enstructed hym and sayde. We shall sette the out of this house in saue garde out of all pe­ryll / and thou shalte haue golde and syluer ynoughe. Thou shalte go in to Englande with these letters / one to the kynge / another to the duke of Lācastre / and the thirde to the kynges counsayle / and all these letters are of credence. Than they wyll demaunde of the the occasyon of thy cōmynge thyder. And af­ter thou hast made thy recōmendacion / thou shalte saye y ^t Aymergot Mercell their poore soudyour and subiecte / and redy with good wyll to do them seruyce / is enclosed and beseged in a lytell fortresse parteyning to the fe­aultie of Lymosyn / belongyng to the kynge of Englandes herytage. And they that lye at the siege / traueyleth & taketh great payne daylye to wyn vs that dothe defende the for­tresse. And the capitayne of them without is a lorde / cosyn to the lorde of Coucy called sir Robert vycount of Meaulx / set there by the Frenche kyng. Therfore desyre the kynge & his counsayle / and specially the duke of Lancastre who hath the souerayne gouernaunce in Burdeloys / and of the kyng of Englādes heritage in these ꝑties. That it wolde please them to write and to cōmaunde the vycount of Meaulx to deꝑte fro the siege and to reyse his army. And to write to the Vycount that he is about to breke the peace that was taken at Balyngham / bytwene Boloygne and Calays. And bycause I am in doute what aun­swere the vicount wyll make to these letters (for he is somwhat stronge and fro warde) Therfore desyre that I maye haue in lyke­wyse letters fro the kyng and his counsayle / and fro the duke of Lancastre to the duke of Berrey. For if the duke of Berrey wyll / in­contynent the siege shall be raysed. And for the more suretie / desyre to haue with y ^e some knight of honoure of the kynges house or of the duke of Lancasters / suche one as the du­ke of Berrey knoweth / and the other lordes of Fraunce. And shewe hym fro me that I shall gyue hym a .C. frankes. Remembre all these wordes and do thy message acordingly and shewe thē that thou spekest withall that this lytell fortresse that I haue fortified / if it [Page cxcviii] maye abyde styll Englysshe. It shall come well to poynte / and specially to thē that wyll make warre in these parties for the kynge of Englande / for the fortresse stādeth on the frō ters of the countrey / for therby maye be won at a season in Auuergne and Lymosyn / two thousande frankes.

WHan Aymergot Marcell & Guyotdu Sall his vncle had well enstru­cted this varlet / and that the letters of credence were written and sealed / and de­lyuerd. The varlet departed by nyght and was well accompanyed and conueyed a fote to another fortresse ꝑteynynge to Aymergot called saint Soupery. There he toke a horse suche as he wolde chose / for he hadde a great iourney to ryde. He rode forthe through the realme of Fraūce lyke a Frenche man of Au­uergne / and so came to Calais and acquaynted hym selfe with the Capitayne sir Iohan Beauchampe / and shewed hym parte of his busynesse / to the entent to haue the soner pas­sage / as he had. So he came to Douer and than toke his iourney to Lōdon. And it was his fortune that the kynge of Englande and his two vncles / and the duke of Lancastre and the kynges coūsayle were the same tyme at the palais of Westmynster in counsayling for maters of Northumberlande / for the scottes helde nat well the truese / as complayntes were made. The same tyme Aymergottes varlet came to Lōdon and there toke his lodgynge / and shewed his host parte of y ^e cause of his commynge. His host brought hym to Westmynster / and caused hym firste to speke with the duke of Lancastre who was in his chambre. it was or he went to the counsayle. there y ^e varlet delyuered hym his letters. the duke toke & reed them. Than he drewe hym a parte / & demaunded what credence he had. Than the varlet shewed hym all the hole mater / as ye haue herde here before. The duke herde hym well / and demaunded if he had a­ny mo letters / and he sayd that he had letters to the kyng and to his counsayle / that is well quod the duke / I shall cause the to haue au­dyence. than the duke went to the counsayle. And whan he sawe the hour and tyme he moued the varlettes mater / and by the dukes aduauncement the varlet was sente for. Than he delyuered to the kyng and to his coūsayle the letters / they were opyned and reed: and than he was demaunded what was his cre­dēce / and the varlet who was hardy and nat abasshed / shewed the businesse of Aymergot Marcell right sagely / and the better assured bycause euery man gaue hym good audiēce. Whan he had said as moche as he wolde / thā he was answered / that the kyng wolde take coūsayle in the mater and make an answere. Than he went out of the counsayle chambre and taryed tyll he had an answere.

THe aunswere was / that the kynge wolde write to the vycount of Me­aulx and also to the duke of Berrey accordyng as Aymergot had requyred / and in lykewise so promysed the duke of Lanca­stre. and whan the letters were writen / there was a gentylman of the duke of Lancastres apoynted to bere these letters. So they pas­sed the see / and with them went Derby an heralde the better to forther the mater / bycause he was aquaynted with the lordes of Auuergne / and specially with the duke of Berrey. The gentylman of the duke of Lancasters named Herbery / went with the better wyll / bycause the varlette promysed hym in the be­halfe of Aymergot a hundred frākes. Thus they thre departed and came to Douer / and fro thens at a tyde to Calis. And whan their horses were vnshypped / they toke the waye to Boloygne and so throughe Picardy / and went to Parys / & fro thens in to Auuergne. And whan they approched nere to Lymogi­nes / and to the coūtre where the roche of Vā doyes was sette. They rode about the more secretely to come thyder.

THus as I haue shewed you thes messangers dyde so moche that they came nere to the roche of vā doyes. Whanne they were nere where the siege laye / the squyer and the heraulde thought it for the best / nat to entre in to the towne at that present tyme. But they sent the varlet in to the towne / say­eng they wolde do well ynough without his company. For they sayd if he shulde be sene with them / they at the siege wolde suppose / that he had ben sente in to Englande for thē. the varlet obeyed / & in the night he entred in to y ^e towne without daūger. than Aymergot [Page] Marcell & Guyot du Sall made hym good chere / and had marueyle that he had spedde his iourney in so short a space. There be shewed howe he had spedde / and howe a squier of the duke of Lācasters and a heraude was come with him with letters fro the kyng and fro the duke of Lancastre / bothe to the Vy­count of Meaulr and to the duke of Berrey if nede were. And why quod Aymergot mercell / are they nat come hyder into this castell Sir ꝙ the varlet / they sayd they two wolde do their message well inough / nor they wold haue no man sene in their cōpany that shulde come fro you. They are the wyser ꝙ Guyot du Sall / therby it shall seme that the mater toucheth the kyng of Englāde and the duke of Lancastre. Sir it is trewe quod the bar­let. Of those tidynges Aymergot was ioy­full and sayde to the varlet. Thou hast well and dilygently spedde thy maters / and that in a shorte season / I shall well rewarde the for thy labour. Thus the squyer and the he­raude came streight to the siege and demaū ­ded for the Vycoūtes lodgynge. They were brought thyder and there they founde the vycount beholding men castyng the stone. than they kneled and saluted hym and he them a­gayne / and demaūded fro whens they came. They answered and said / howe they cāe out of Englande / sent thyder by their kyng and by the duke of Lancaster. ye are welcome ꝙ the Vycount / what mater hath brought you in to this wylde countrey. Sir quod the he­raude beholde here this squier of the duke of Lācasters / who hath brought to you letters fro the kynge of Englande and fro the duke of Lancastre / if it please you to rede thē. and bycause I sōwhat knewe the countrey I am come in his company. Than the squyer delyuered his letters / and the vycount receyued them and behelde the seales / and knewe well they came out of Englande. Than he tooke one aparte that coude rede / and there he reed the letters fro poynt to poynt two or thre ty­mes tyll he knewe well what they ment. thā he studyed & regarded well the kyng of En­glandes writyng / who sayd in his writynge that he had marueyle that he wolde lodge / slepe / and reste hym with an army of men of warre on his herytage. & that he dothe day­lye all that he can to breke the peace / whiche he ought in no wyse to do / for it is greatly [...]iudiciall to them that haue sette to their sea­les to the confyrmacion of the peace. and the conclusyon of the letter was / howe the kyng cōmaunded them incontynent after the sight of his letts that he and his company shulde departe and reyse their siege / and suffre Ay­mergot Mercell pesably to enioye the house parteyning to his heritage / whiche hath cost hym great goodes the fortifieng. These wordes and suche other were enclosed in these letters all to the ayde of Aymergot Marcell. in lyke maner as the kynges letters spake / the duke of Lancaster sange the same note / com­maundyng lyke the excellent duke of Acqui­tayne and of all that duchy. And whan the vicount of Meaulx had well aduysed hym selfe he sayde. Fayre sirs / these tidynges that ye haue brought requyreth counsayle and ad­uyse / I shall take coūsayle and than ye shall be answered. Than they were made to drīke of the vycountes wyne. In the meane tyme the vycount toke counsayle / for he sent for the lorde of the Towre & for sir Guyllyam But­ler / sir Robert Dolphyn / sir Loyes Dābyer / and also for the lorde Montaguy / and for sir Berat de la Ryuer / who was of his house. And whan they were all toguyder / he rene­wed the wordes / and shewed them the cause why he had sent for them / and there caused y ^e letters to be reed before them. Whan these lordes herde that / they had great marueile how these letters coude be brought out of Englā ­de / for as than they had nat layne at the siege past a moneth. I shall shewe you quod the vycount what I suppose. Aymergot Mar­cell is a subtell man / as soone as he sawe that he shulde be besieged / I thynke he sent incō ­tynent some messanger in to Englande to at­tayne these letters / the whiche I maye obey if I lyste / but I shall answere them shortely But as in that the kyng of England and the duke of Lancastre cōmaundeth me to do / I wyll nothynge obey their cōmaundementes / for I am nat bounde to obey thē / but all one­lye the Frenche kynge / by whose cōmaunde­ment I am sent hyder. Call forthe the squier and the heraude I shall make them their an­swere / they were brought forthe. Than the vycount began to speke as foloweth.

you Derby and Tomelyn Herbery / thus ye be named accordyng to the tenour of your [Page cxcix] letters / and as it apereth ye be sent hyther frothe kynge of Englande / & fro the duke of Lancastre / they are enfourmed I can nat tell howe outher by Aymergot Marcell or by some o­ther that wolde ayde him / and hath ben in England in his name / howe I am at this present tyme with an army of men of warre lodged on the herytage of the kynge of Englandes / and he commaundeth me to departe and reyse my siege / and to suffre Aymergot Marcell peasably to enioy this lytell fortresse / whiche hathe coste so moche the fortefyenge / and also they sende me worde howe I do put my selfe in parell of dyshonorynge / in that I shulde consent to breke the peace / sealed and conf [...]rmed to endure thre yeres bytwene the two kynges and their alyes. Fayre sirs I say vnto you that I wyll do nothyng that shall be against the charter of peace / I wyll kepe the treuce / and do nothynge agaynst it / and though I am lodged here it breketh no peace nor treuce. I am sub­get to the frenche kynge who hath sent me hy­ther / and hath admytted me as his marshall of this small armye / for it came to the know­ledge of the kynge my mayster and his coun­sayle / by greuous complayntes of the noble men & other of the countrey of Auuergne and Lymosyn / howe they had taken great doma­ges and losses / by the meanes that Aymergot aduysed a strong place bytwene the coūtr [...]s / which was voyde and nat inhabyted / he toke and fortefyed it / and hath nat made it a house of peace or solace / but a stronge fortresse and a resortynge place for theues / robbers / and murderers / whervpon I am cōmaūded to be here to defende the countrey / and to the entent that suche as be assembled in this forttesse shulde nat multyply in their wickednesse / but to pu­nysshe them by suche sentence as apartayneth to their trespace / and for that entente I do put to my payne to take them if I can / the whiche cōmaundemente of my mayster I wyll obey / and shall do my deuoyre to acquyte me truly. and fro hence I wyll nat departe what so euer cōmaundemente I haue / tyll I haue the for­tresse / and them that be within. And if Aymergot Marcell wyll say that I am auaunced to breke the peace / lette hym come forthe and he shall be fought withall with one that is better than he / and shal cause to be proued by dyuers poyntes and artycles / that he hym selfe brea­keth the peace. Sirs all thynges consydred I make you this aunswere / ye maye retourne whan it pleace you / and whan ye come there as ye wold be / say none otherwyse nor no lesse than I haue sayde to you / for often tymes re­portes nat truely set / enfourmeth lordes often tymes otherwyse than the trouthe is in dede. Syr quod the squyer we are come hyther for none other purpose but to reporte the trouth of that we here and se / and sythe ye wyll none otherwyse do / we nede no lenger to abyde here and so toke their leaue. And there was gyuen to the haraulde ten frankes / for the honour of the kynge of Englande and the duke of Lan­castre.

WHan they were departed they toke the hyghe way to Cleremount / and sayd they wolde agayne to Parys / & whan they were halfe a leage on their way than they began to entre in to their mater and sayd. As yet we haue done nothynge / it behoueth vs to go to the duke of Berrey in to Auuergne / who is lorde of this countrey / for he writeth hym selfe duke of Berrey and of Auuergne / the by counte of Meaulx dare nat displease the duke if he cōmaunde hym to departe / and we haue letters fro the kynge our mayster and fro the duke of Lancastre to hym / wherfore it is rea­son that we delyuer them / and that we maye knowe his entente. They concluded on that purpose / and so rode to Cleremounte / thyde [...] they were welcome / for the haraulde knewe the countrey / and whan they were demaūded what they were / they answered that they were messangers sent fro the kynge of Englande / and than they demaunded where the duke of Berrey was / and it was shewed them that the duke and the duches was in a castell of theirs named the Nonec [...]e. The haraulde knewe it well / he had been there before. Than they de­parted fro Cleremount / and rode to Vyore / and fro thens to Nonect. There is a hyghe mountayne to passe or one come to the castell. Whan they came there y ^e duke of Berrey with many other was sportynge without the gate / the harauld was knowen with dyuers. Than they were brought to y ^e duke / who for the loue of the kynge of Englande and of the duke of Lancastre / made them good chere. the squyer delyuered his letters to the duke / who recey­ued them / and opened and red them at length two tymes ouer. Than he studyed a lytell and [Page] answered them curtesly and sayde. Syrs for the loue of our cosyns in Englande we shall gladly do our power. Of the which aunswere the squyer and the haraulde were ryght ioy­ouse and thought than howe they had sped all their mater / but it was nat so as ye shall here after. howe be it the duke of Berrey at the be­gynnynge dyd his deuoyre to haue raysed the siege to please therby the kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre / who desyred that the siege myght be reysed before the Roche of Vandoys / and that the lytell fortresse myght abyde styll to Aymergot Marcell & if he haue done any thyng to dysplease the frenche kyng or his coūsayle the kynge of Englande wolde se that there shulde be amendes made. And the duke of Berrey bycause he wold acquyte him truely to the englysshe mennes desyres / suche as were in his house / he wrote incontynente letters well endyghted to the vycount of Me­aul [...] / and these letters were red or they were sealed before the englysshe men / who thought them well ordayned. These letters were sente by a notable squyer of the duke of Berreys to the vycount of Meaulx / who receyued them and opened them. Than the vycount caused them to be redde before suche lordes as were there with hym / whyle the messanger was a drinkynge. for they made hym good chere / for the loue of the duke of Berrey / as it was rea­son. Sirs quod the vycounte / we shall nat be in rest syth the duke of Berrey wyll beare Ay­mergot who is the man of the world that this twelue yere hath moste gr [...]ued and traueyled the coūtrey of Auuergne. I had thought that the duke had hated hym greatly / but it semeth nay / sythe he hath [...]rpresly cōmaunded that I shulde departe fro hence. But by my faythe at this tyme I wyll nat obey this letter / but I wyll make excuse by reason of the kynge and his coūsayle / who sent me hyder and at my departynge fro Parys he straytly cōmaunded me that for any cōmaundemente fro any per­sone / and if it were nat fro the kynge kymselfe / that I shulde nat departe fro hence tyll I had taken the stronge holde of the Roche of Van­doys / and Aymergot therin / whiche I wyll do if I canne / and nowe the duke of Berrey cōmaundeth me the contrary / for he chargeth me incontynent his letters sene / that I shulde reyse the syege. By my faythe I wyll nat do it. Syr quod they that were aboute hym / ye speke royally and truely / and we shall abyde with you / but we suppose the occasion that the duke of Berrey writeth thus for Aymergot / is that the englyssh squier and the haraulde hath thus desyred him to write. we thinke also they haue brought letters to hym fro the kynge of Englande / and fro the duke of Lancastre / as they brought to you this other day. ye say well quod the vicounte / and I shall knowe it if I came. Than the duke of Berreys squier was sent for to haue his answere / and the vycount sayd to him. Pyer / I wyll well that ye knowe that I owe obeysaunce to the duke of Ber­rey / for he is so nere a kynne to the kynge that I dare nat dysplease hym / but I and my companyons who haue ben here these fyue wekes at this siege to wyn this fortresse / and to take the theues that be within it / by the strayte cō ­maundement of the kynge and his counsayle / and we haue great marueyle (and good cause why) howe my lorde of Berrey dothe com­maunde vs and maketh requeste for his ene­myes / that we shulde reyse our siege / by rea­son of that we say generally that we shal gyue ensample to all theues and robbers / suche as wyll ouer ron the realme to do the worst they canne. Wherfore Pyer ye shall say to the duke of Berrey fro vs all / that we are and shall be redy inclyned to do any thynge that he com­maundeth vs to do / but as in this case I am so straytely enioyned and cōmaunded by the kyng and his coūsayle to kepe this siege / and to contynewe it tyll I haue the fortresse and them within at my pleasure / whiche cōmaun­demente I dare nat brake. and say that surely I wyll obey to no cōmaundement / but alone­ly to the kynges whose subget Iame / and by whome I am sente hyther. But sir I requyre you shewe me one thynge if ye can / who hath made this request for Aymergotte Marcell / who hath done so moche yuell and anoyaunce to the countrey of Auuergne and Lymosyn / and nowe he is atrapped lyke as a traytoure shulde be / and is nere come to an yuell ende / whiche he hathe well deserued / for he hath er­red and done contrary to his othe. Syr quod the squyer / there came to my lorde the duke of Berrey two men of Englande / an haraulde and another / who brought letters to my lorde fro the kynge of Englande and fro the duke of Lancastre / and they made greate request for Aymergotte. I beleue you well quod the [Page cc] vycounte / it was Derby the haraulde and a squyer called Herbery / they brought me this other daye lyke letters / wherfore I suppose that the kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre wrote to the duke of Berrey in this mater. wherfore shewe to my lorde of Berrey that I desyre him to consydre all thinges well / for all these requestes that are come fro the o­ther syde of the see / are but desyres purchased by our enemyes / to the which no lorde on this syde the see (if he loue the honoure and pro­fyte of the realme of Fraunce) shulde enclyne nor condyscende. Sir quod the squyer I shall forget nothynge of that ye haue shewed me / for I loue nat Aymergot / I had rather se his punysshmente thanne his delyueraunce. So the Squyer departed and rode to Nonecte where he founde the duke of Berrey / and dyd his message ryght sagely / the conclusyon was that the vycounte of Meaulx sayde / surely he wold nat departe fro the siege before y ^e Roche of Vandoys / without the kynge sente hym strayte commaundemente so to do. With this aunswere the duke of Berrey was nat well contente / he had thought that as well his commaundement shulde haue been obeyed / spe­cyally in Auuergne.

WHan the englysshe squyer and Der­by the haraulde herde of the answere that was made to the duke of Ber­rey / and howe that the siege was nat raysed / they were sory / and sawe well they traueyled in vayne / than they sayde to the duke. Syr what wyll ye counsayle vs to do / shall we thus departe frome you without spedynge of any thynge to purpose. The kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre haue great truste and affyaunce in you / that ye shuld cause this siege to be reysed / bycause the Roche of Van­doys is vnder our signoury. Syrs quod the duke suffre a season / Aymergot Marcell is in a stronge place / he nedeth nat to feare takyng / without a great vnhappe / and shortely I purpose to goo in to Fraunce to the kynge / and thanne I wyll speke with the Kynge and his counsayle / and for the loue of my cosyns of Englande / I shall do the beste I canne to bringe the matter to passe / and ye shall go with me and se howe I shall spede. With those wordes the Squyer and the haraulde were contente. Than the fourth day after the duke departed fro Nonecte / and lefte there the duchesse his wyfe with a gret parte of his householde / and so the duke rode to Ryon in Auuergne / and there he taryed more thanne eyght dayes / for the erle of Sanxere and the lorde Rule / who were gone to Auignon aboute the dukes bu­synesse. and whan they were come they departed fro Ryon all togyther / and toke the waye throughe Burbonoys / and at laste came to Bourges in Berrey / and there the duke ta­ryed two dayes. Than he rode to Mehun on the ryuer of yeure to a castell / one of y ^e fayrest houses of the worlde / as thanne the duke had newly bylte it / and it had coste hym thre hun­dred thousande frankes. There the duke ta­ryed fyftene dayes / wherwith the Englysshe messangers were sore troubled / howbeit they coude fynde none other remedy. The duke as than made lytell force for the delyueraunce of Aymergot / I shall shewe you howe and by what meanes. So it was the erle of Sanxere and the lorde of Rule who were chefe of the dukes counsayle / with syr Peter Mespyn / they in fayre maner blamed the duke / and sayde howe he hadde nothinge to do to medell with the busynesse of Aymergot / sayenge that his lyfe hathe been alwayes dyshonourable / and howe that he was but a false palyarte / and al­wayes agaynste the crowne of Fraunce / and had doone many vyllayne dedes and robo­ryes in Auuergne and in Lymosyn / and how that he was no mete parsone to be entreated for / wherfore syr quod they / suffre the kynge and his counsayle to deale with hym as they lyste. These wordes and suche other refray­ned the duke of Berrey to speke any further in the mater. Howe be it the two englysshe men dyd their best to remembre the duke. And the duke dissymulynge aunswered them curtessy and sayde. Syrs suffre a season / we shall be shortely at Parys. but for all his wordes he taryed styll at Mehun more thanne thre wekes deuysynge with his mayster workeman: as keruers and paynters / for therin he had great fantasy. He had a mayster workeman called maister Andrewe / as than one of y ^e best worke men of the worlde / an Englysshe man borne / but he dwelte in Fraunce and in Haynalte a longe season.

Nowe shall I shewe you what fortuned of Aymergot Marcell / and of the roche of Van­doys [Page] This Aymergot was a farre castynge man / and whan he sawe that y ^t siege was nat reysed / he thought well that the kyng of En­glandes messangers coude nat spede of their sute. than he thought on another turne as to departe thens and to ryde nyght and daye to speke with the capitaynes of Piergourt / and Pyerguyse / and with Guyot of saint Fayth / and Ernalton of saynt Calombe / & Ernalton of Rostem / Iohn̄ of Morsen / Pier Danchin / and Remonet of Cōpayne / and with dyuers other gascoyns and bernoyse in the englysshe garysons / and he thought that with his fayre wordes he shuld cause them to assemble togyther / and to come in to Auuergne on truste to wynne great botyes / and so on a mornyng or in the night to come and reyse the siege before Vandoys / and to take there the frenche men prisoners / whiche shulde be worthe to them a hundred thousande frankes / besyde other bo­tyes. Thanne he shewed his vncle Guyot du Sall all his purpose / who answered him and sayd. Sir I se in this nothynge but good / for otherwyse we can nat be delyuered fro these frenche men. Well vncle ꝙ Aymergot I shall do this message my selfe syth ye counsayle me therto / but I shall desyre you of one thynge or I departe. What is that quod he. It is so quod Aymergot / that what so euer skrymysshe that the frenche men do make / issue you in no wyse out of the gates / nor open nat your barryers / for and ye do / ye may rather lese than wynne. Sir quod Guyot I shalbe ware ynough ther of / we shall kepe our selfes close here within tyll your retourne / or that we here tydynges fro you. Well fayre vncle I requyre you so to do / for they canne nat displease vs none / other­wayes / as for their assautes or skrymysshes / ye nede nat feare / so ye kepe your selfes close within. Thus within thre dayes after Aymer gote departed fro the Roche of Vandoys all onely acōpanyed with a page / he passed forth without daunger of the frenche men. his en­tensyon was to brynge thyder companyons aduenturers to rayse the siege. many of them that were within the house knewe nothyng of his departure / for he myght departe whan he lost without knowlege. Euery day there was skrymysshynge and assautes at the barryers / and within a fyue or sixe dayes after y ^e depar­ture of Aymergot / there was a great assaute made by the frenche men in thre partes. This Guyot du Sall was a good man of armes / and longe tyme had vsed the exercisyng ther­of / howe be it as on that day he fortuned yuell by reason of a lytell pryde / for he brake the or­dynaunce that his cosyn Aymergot had set or he departed / for he had charged hym that for any maner of assaute he shulde nat issue out of the barryers. At this assaute there were thre squyers of the french party / two of Auuergne and one of Bretayne / who were skrimysshing valyauntly vpon a pane of a wall nere to the fortresse. These thre squyers aboue all other that daye dyd moste valyauntly / they of Au­uergne were called Rycharde de la Violecte / and Lubinet of Rochfort / and the breton was named Monadyke / who was taken before in Lymosyn in the castell of Vanchador / & was parteynynge to sir Willyam Butler. The as­saute endured tyll nyght. These thre squyers atcheued there great laude and prayse / but for all their traueyle & payne they wan nothyng. Than at another assaute the vicount of Me­aulx made a busshment of twelue men of ar­mes and their companyes / and layde them in an olde house without the fortresse / and com­maūded another sorte to go and skrymysshe at the barryers / sayenge I thynke surely we shall se them within issue out / for they are co­uetouse to wyn. if they do so / than withdrawe your selfe lyt [...]ll and lytell tyll they be past our busshment / than they shall breke out / and also retourne you agayne / thus they shall be enclo­sed and taken or slayne. This is the best way that I can se for our aduauntage. thus as the vicount had deuysed & ordeyned it was done / they were named that shulde lye in the bussh­ment / as Loys of Lesglynell / Robert of Bertencourte / Guylliam de Saulsoy / Pyer du saynt Vydall / Guyonet Villeracque / Pier of Colle / and Iohn̄ Salmage / with other to the nombre of twelue. They layde themselfe in an olde house without the fortresse / and another sorte went and skrimysshed at y ^e barryers / as Belynot of Rochfort / Rycharde of Violecte / and the Monadyke with other. They were fresshly armed and aparelled / to thentent that they within shulde haue the more corage to is­sue out to them / they were also twelue alonly. Whan they came to the bartyers they began to skrymysshe but fayntly / and lyke suche persones as coulde but lytell skyll of feates of ar­mes. Wherfore Guyot du Sall made lytell [Page cci] force of them / but issued out and sayde to his companyons▪ by saynt Marcell we wyll issue out / for at the barryers be a sorte of yonge cō ­panyons / for by that they shewe / they knowe but lytell of dedes of armes / but we shall teche them to knowe it / they shalbe all our prisoners they can nat escape vs. Therwith they opened the barryers and issued out / fyrste Guyot du Sall / and remembred nochynge the charge that Aymergot had gyuen hym at his depar­tynge / for the great desyre that he had to do dedes of armes / and to wynne somwhat / made him to begyn the skrymysshe. whan the french men sawe that Guyot du Sall and his com­pany were come out of their barryers / they were ryght ioyfull / than they began to drawe backe lytell and lytell / and they of the fortresse pursewed them / and they wente so farre that they passed the busshment / & whan they sawe their tyme they brake out of their busshment / bytwene them and the fortres / cryeng Coucy the vycount. Thus they of the fortresse were inclosed both before and behynd. whan Guyot sawe that / he knewe well he had doone a mysse / and sawe well it was harde for hym to scape / than he reculed to get agayne to his garyson / but the frenchemen were in his waye. Whervnto shulde I make longe processe / they were all taken / nat one escaped. They were brought to the vycountes lodginge before the knyghtes / who hadde great ioye of their ta­kynge.

THus by the counsayle of the bycount of Meaulx / Guyot du Sall and his company were atrapped & taken and brought before the lordes of Fraunce and Auuergne. Whan the vycount sawe Guyot du Sall / he demaunded where Aymergot Marcell was / and charged hym to saye the trouthe / for he thought he had ben still in the fortresse. Guyot du Sall aunswered / howe he coulde nat tell where he was / for he was departed a twelue dayes paste. Than the lordes thought surely that he was gone to purchace some ayde. than the prisoners were cōmaunded a parte / and the vicount demaūded of the knightes of Au­uergne what were beste to do with Guyot du Sall and with his company / sayenge howe he wolde vse hymselfe acordyng to their counsayle. Than syr Willyam Butler aunswered and sayde. Syr quod he / I suppose that Ay­mergot is gone for socour and to rayse by the companyons in the garysons of Pyergourt & Pierguyse / for he shall fynde some alwayes there to come vpon vs earely or late / or we beware of theym / wherby they maye do vs do­mage / for any peace or trewce that is taken. This Aymergot is a subtyle man. syr let vs do one thyng / shew vnto Guyot du Sall and his company / that without they cause they for­tresse to be rendred in to your handes / that ye wyll stryke of all their heedes incontynente / and without they do thus let it nat be spared. This counsayle is good quod the vycounte / for in dede the chefe occasyon that we become hyder for is to haue this fortresse / and though we can nat haue at this tyme Aymergot Marcell / another season shall fortune ryght well. Than the vycount and the lorde of the towre / syr Roberte Dolphyn and other came before the fortresse as nere as they myght aporche / and thyder was brought Guyot du Sall and his company. Than the vycount spake and sayd to Guyot du Sall. Guyot and all other of your company / knowe we for trouthe that in­contynent all your heedes shall be stryken of / without ye yelde vp the fortresse of the Roche of Vandoys / and if ye wyll rendre it vp we shall suffre you to go quyte. Nowe aduyse ye well what way ye wyll take / other lyfe or deth. Of those wordes Guyot & his company were sore abasshed / at last they thought it was best for them to saue their lyues. Than Guyot an­swered and sayde. Syr I shall do the best I canne that the fortresse may be yelden to you. Than he came to the barryer and spake with them that were within / who rekened themsel­fes clene dyscomfyted / seynge they hadde lost their two maysters / and the best of their com­pany. As soone as Guyot hadde spoken with theym / and declared what case they stode in / they agreed to yelde vp the fortresse condicio­nally / y ^t they myght departe with bagge and baggage as moch as they coulde cary / and to haue respyte for a moneth to withdrawe them whyther they lyste. All this was graunted to them / and a sute saueconducte made and sea­led. Thus the frenche men had the Roche of Vandoys delyuered / by reason of their good fortune of their last skrimysshe / wherfore it is comenly sayde / that all fortunes good and y­uell falleth often tymes in armes / to them that foloweth warre.

[Page] WHan the Roche of Vandois was yelded vp to the lordes of Fraunce and Auuergn [...] they of the countrey were ryght ioyous therof and the lordes helde well and truely the promesse that they had made to Guyot du Sall▪ whan they had caryed away as moche as they coulde do / than they depar­ted with good assuraunce for a moneth to go whyder it pleased them. Than the vycount of Meaul [...] abandoned the Roche of Vandoys to the men of the countrey / who incontynente dyd rase it downe in suche wyse that they lefte no wall hele nor house / nor stone vpon stone / but all was reuersed to the erthe. The frenche men that were they in the kinges seruice with the vycount / toke their leues of the knyghtes and squyers of Auuergne / so they departed / and they of Auuergne and Lymosyn went to their owne houses. The vycount of Meaul [...] gaue leaue to parte of his company / & he went to Rochell and lodged at saint Iohans Dan­gle / to kepe there the fronter / for in the coūtrey there were some pyllers and robbers that ran sometyme in to Xantoigne / whan they sawe their aduauntage. In the maner and fourme as I haue shewed you y ^e fortresse of the roche of Vandoys was cōquered / and rased downe wherof all the countrey was ioyfull / for than they were in better suretie than they were be­fore. For to say the trouth if it had cōtynued / it wolde haue done them many displeasurs. Tydynges of this dede came to the knowledge of the duke of Berrey to Cautelon / a place of his owne / standynge bytwene Charters and Mount le Herrey / a nyne leages fro Parys / he cared nothing for it / for he was as than but colde to are any grace of the kynge for Aymergot. Whan Derby the haraulde was infour­med by some of the dukes knyghtes howe the Roche of Vandois was taken & beten downe / than he sayde to the squyer that came thyder with hym. syr ye haue lost a hundred frankes that Aymergot had promysed to you. Howe so quod the squier. Surely quod the harauld the Roche of Vandoys is gyuen vp and ren­dred / the frenche men haue wonne it / therfore lette vs take our leaue of the duke of Berrey / and retourne in to Englande / we haue no­thynge here to do. Well quod the squyer sythe it is so I accorde therto. Than they toke their leaue of the duke. Than the duke wrote to the kynge of Englande and to the duke of Lan­castre / and gaue to the haraulde at his depar­tynge .xl. frankes / and to the squyer a horse. Thus they departed and toke the next waye to Calays / and so in to Englande. Than ty­dinges came to Aymergot Marcell where he was purchasyng of frendes to haue reysed the siege before the fortresse of Vandoys / that it was gyuen vp. Whan he herde therof / he de­maunded howe it fortuned. It was shewed hym howe it was by reason of a skrymysshe / and by the issuyng out of his vncle Guyot du Sall vnaduysedly. Ah that olde traytour ꝙ Aymergot / by saynte Marcell if I had hym here nowe / I shulde sle hym myne owne han­des / he hath dyshonoured me and all my companyons. At my departynge I straytely en­ioyned hym that for no maner of assaute or skrymysshe made by the frenchmen / he shulde in no wyse open y ^e barryers / and he hath done the contrary. this domage is nat to be recouered / nor I wote nat whether to go / they of Ca­luset and they of Dousac wyll kepe the peace / and my companyons be spredde abrode lyke men dyscomfyted / they dare neuer assemble agayne togyther / and though I had them togyther / yet I wote nat whyder to bring them. Thus all thynge consydred I am in a harde parte / for I haue gretly dyspleased the french kynge / the duke of Berrey / and the lordes of Auuergne / & all the people of the countrey / for I haue made them warre the peace durynge / I had trusted to haue won / but I am nowe in a great aduenture to lese / nor I wotte nat to whom to resorte to are counsayle. I wolde nowe that I and my goodes / with my wyfe were in Englande / there I shulde be in sure­ty. but howe shulde I get thyder and cary all my stufe with me / I shulde be robbed twenty tymes or I coulde gette to the see / for all the passages in Poictou / in Rochell / in Fraunce / in Normandy / and in Pycardy are straytely kept / it wyll be harde to scape fro takyng / and if I be taken I shall be sente to the Frenche kynge / and so I shall be loste and all myne. I thynke the surest waye for me were to drawe to Burdeaulr / and lytell and lytell to get my good thyder / and to abyd there tyll the warre renewe agayne / for I haue good hoope that after this treuce / warre shall be open agayne bytwene Englande and Fraunce. Thus Ay­mergot Marcell debated the matter in hym selfe / he was heuy and sorowfull / and wys [...]e [Page ccii] nat what waye to take / outher to recouersōe fortresse in Auuergne / or els to go to Burdeaux & to sende [...]or his wire thider / and for his goodes lytell and lytell secretely. if he hadde done so he had taken the surest waye / But he dyde contrary / and therby lost all: lyfe & go­des. Thus [...]ortune payeth the people whan she hath sette thē on the highest parte of her whele / for sodainly she reuerseth them to the lowest parte / ensample by this Aymergotte. It was sayd he was well worthe a hundred thousande frakes / and all was lost on a daye Wherfore I may well saye that fortune hath played her pagiaunt with hym / as she hath done with many mo / and shall do. This Aymergot in all his trybulaci [...]s remēbred hym selfe / howe he had a cosyn germayne in Au­uergne / a squyer named Tourne myne / and determyned to go to hym and to shewe hym all his trouble / and to take counsayle of him as he deuysed so he dyd. He and his page all onely came to y ^e castell where Tourne myne was / thynkyng to haue ben there in suretie / bicause of lynage / but it proued contrary / for this squyer was nat in the duke of Berryes grace nor fauor. Whan he sawe his cosyn Aymergot in his house / he aduysed to take hym prisoner & to aduertyse the duke of Berey / y ^t if he wolde forgyue hym his displeasure & y­uell wyll / he wolde send hym Aymergot mer­cell / to do with hym his pleasure. And as he had deuysed so he dyde / for whan Aymergot was within his cosyns Castell and brought to a chābre / than he layde by his swerde and chaunged his aparyll: than he demaūded of the seruauntes and sayd. Where is my cosyn Tourne myne / as yet I haue nat sene hym? Sir quod they he is in his chambre please it you to come and se hym: with ryght a good wyll quod Aymergotte / and the seruauntes knewe ryght well their maysters pleasure. Whan Aymergot had chaunged his aparell and doone of a Cote of defence / that he was wo [...]t vsualy to weare / and layde awaye his swerde. Than he sayd. Sirs / lette vs go / I wolde se my cosyn Tourne myne / it is long sithe I sawe hym. they brought him streight to Tourne myne / and whan he came to hym Aymergot dyde salute hym / as he that tho­ught none yuell. Than Tourne myne aun­swered and saide. Howe is it Aymergotte▪ Who sente for you to come hyder? ye wolde dishonour me / wherfore I take & arest you as my prisoner: otherwyse I shulde nat ac­quyte my selfe truely to the crowne of Fraū ­ce / nor to my lorde the duke of Berrey / for ye are a false traytour. ye haue broken the truce wherto ye must answere. And for your cause my lorde of Berrey hateth me deedly / But nowe I shall make my peace by you / for I shall delyuer you to hym / outher quycke or deed: with the whiche wordes Aymergotte was sore aba [...]shed / and saide. Howe so sir? I am youre cosyn. Is this for certaynte ye shewe me / or do you speke it to a [...]saye me. I am come hyder on the great trust that I ha­ue in you / to shewe you my businesse / & you to make me such cruell chere and to gyue me so harde word / I haue great marueyle that of. I can nat tell quod Tourne myne wha [...] ye wyll say / but this that I haue said I shall fulfyll / and so layde hades on hym. And his seruauntes knowynge their maisters plea­sure / toke Aymergot without any de [...]e makyng / for he was without weapen or arm [...]r [...] and also enclosed in the castell. For any wor­des that he coulde saye / there he was taken & yrons putte vpon his legges and layde in a towre / and sure kepars about hym.

WHan this was done he caused the castell gate to be shytte / and toke the keyes hym selfe. And commaunded all his seruauntes on payne of their lyues / none of them to be so hardy to go to the gate without he sent them thyder. His comaan­dement was vpholde. Than he wrote letts at his pleasure / dyrected to the duke of Ber­rey: Certifyeng hym howe he hadde Aymergot Marcell in prisone / and that [...]he he wolde ꝑdone hym his yuell wyll / he wolde delyuer Aymergot in to his hanoes. Whan this let­ter was written and sealed / he commaunded one of his seruauntes / suche as he trusted / to go in to Fraunce to the duke of Berrey / & to delyuer hym his letter / and to recōmende hym lowly to hym / and nat to retourne with out an answere. The varlet toke the letter / and moūted on a good horse and so deꝑted / & rode so longe that he came to Parys / where the duke of Berey was / and there delyuered to hym his maisters letter. The duke toke y ^e letter and reed it and smyled there at / & sayd to suche knyghtes as were about hym. s [...]rs / [Page] wyll ye here newe tidynges? Aymergot marcell is taken prisoner his owne cosyn germayne Tourne myne hath taken hym: y ^e knightes answered and sayd. sir / it is good tidyn­ges for the countrey of Auuergne & of Lymosyn / for they haue had of hym a longe season an yuell neyghbour. He hath done so moche yuell / that if it please you he were worthy to peyse the gybet: he ought to haue none other raunsome nor pardon. I can nat saye ꝙ the duke what the kyng and his counsayle wyll saye therto / I wyll speke with them therin. It was nat longe after but that the duke of Berrey toke a barge on the ryuer of Seyne and so came to the castell of Lour where the kyng and his coūsaile was: he shewed there these newes / he caused the letter that Turne myne had sent hym to be reed / of the whiche tidynges euery man was ioyfull / and the lordes saide. it is well sene that suche maner of robbers and pillers can neuer cōe to a good ende. Than the duke of Berey was desyred to sende for hym by the seneschall of Auuer­gne / and to be brought to Paris / & to be put in y ^e castell of saynt Antonies. Furthermore it was ordayned / that Tourne myne / for the good seruice he hadde done to the crowne of Fraūce / that all displeasures shulde be clene for gyuen hym: and thervpon letters paten­tes were made & sent to hym by his seruaunt wherof he was well content / and trusted on those letters. Than with in a shorte space after / the seneschall of Auergne by a cōmission fro the duke of Berrey came to the castell of Tourne myne / & there Aymergot Marcell was delyuered to hym / wherof Aymergotte was sore abasshed / whan he sawe hym selfe in the cōpany of his enemies. Wherto shul­de I make lōge processe / the seneshall caried hym with men of armes a long through the countrey / and passed the ryuers of Seyne and Marewe / by the bridge of Charenton / and so fro thens to the castell of saynt Anto­nies. There the Vicount Darchy was charged with hym who as than̄e was capitayne of that castell. He kepte hym nat long but y ^t he was delyuered to the prouost of the Cha­telet of Parys. And trewe it was / Aymer­got offred for his raunsome threscore thou­sande frankes / but it wolde nat be taken / He was answered the kyng was riche ynough. After that he was sente to the Chatelette / he was nat long kepte there but that he was iuged to dye shamefully lyke a traytour to the Crowne of Fraunce. And soo on a daye he was caryed in a chariot to a place called the Halles / and there sette on the pyllary. Than all his trespasses were reed before hym / and by hym was sir Wylliam of Trune who spake moche to hym. It was thought / y ^t it was to knowe the state of certayne capitayns in Auuergne / and whether they were consen­tyng to his dedes or nat. The lordes knewe well / but I coude neuer haue knowlege therof. Thus he was executed. His heed stryken of and his body quartred / and the quarters sette at euery gate of Parys. To this ende came Aymergotte Marcell. As of his wyfe and of his goodes / I knewe nat what becāe further of them. ⸫ ⸫

WHere as I haue spoken at length of the lyfe of Ay­mergot Mercell / it was to furnysshe this hystorie. for the condycions bothe of y­uell and good / ought to be alwayes treated in a hystory / and specially whan it toucheth any great feate / for ensample of other / and to gyue ma­ter and occasyon to do well: For if Aymer­gotte had ledde his lyfe in good vertues / he had ben a man of great valure / and bycause he dyde the cōtrary he came to an yuell ende. ¶ Nowe let vs leaue spekyng of hym / & let vs retourne to the hyghe enterprice that the Christen knyghtes of Fraunce and other nacyous dyd in that season in the realme of Au­fryke / & I wyll begyn there as I lefte. The sayd lordes assembled in the ysle of Conym­bres. after they had passed the tempestes and paryls in the Goulfe of Lyon: there they ta­ryed [Page cciii] eche for other / for there were in the cytie of Aufryke a .xxx. thousande. In this ysle of Conymbres they were a nyne dayes & refresshed them: and there the patrons of the ga­lees sayde to the lordes. Sirs / we be in the lande next aprochyng to the marchesse of Aufryke / whider by the grace of god ye are purposed to go and laye liege. Wherfore it is behouable to take co [...]sayle eche of other / howe we maye entre in to the hauen / & to take lāde To saue our selfe it is best we senoe formast our lytell shyppes / called Brigandyns / and let vs tary in the mouthe of the hauyn / y ^e first day that we aproche and all the nyght after / and the nexte mornynge to take lande / by the grace of god at our leysar / & than lodge our selfes as nere the cytie as we maye / without the shotte of their artyllary / and let vs sette our crosbowes genouois in order / who shal be redy to defende all scirmysshes. And we suppose well that whan we shall take ladynge / ye haue here ī your cōpanyes many yong squyers / who to enhaūce their honours wyll requyre to haue the order of knighthode. In structe them wisely and swetely / howe they shall mentayne themselfes. And my lordes / knowe for trouthe / that all we see men shall acquyte vs vnto you well and truely / and alwayes shewe you by what maner of order / we shall moost greue our enemyes. And we shall take payne and study howe the cytie of Aufryke may be won / for ofte tymes they ha­ue done vs great dōmage. For on that coste it is the chiefe key of Barbary / and of the re­almes that foloweth. First the realme of Aufrike / of Mallorques / and of Bougy. And if god of his grace wyll consent that we maye wyn this cytie of Aufrike / all the Sarazyns wyll trymble to the realme of Liby & Sury / so that all the worlde shall speke therof. And by the ayde of other christen realmes & ysles marchyng nere to Aufrike / we shall always be refreshed with vitayls and newe men / for this is a cōmon vo [...]age / For euery man wyll desyre dayly to do dedes of armes / and specially on goddes enemyes: and thus in the cō ­clusion of their processe the patrons said. lordes / we say nat this by no presūpcion / nor by maner as to teche you what ye shuld do. but this that we haue sayd is all onely for loue & by humilyte / for ye be all noble men sage and valyant / & can better order euery thyng than we can deuyse and speke. Than the lorde of Coucy said. sirs / your good counsayle & ad­uyse ought gretly to content vs / for we se no thyng therin but good. And sirs / be ye sure that we shall do nothyng without your coū sayle / for ye haue brought vs hyder to do de­des of armes.

THus in the presence of the duke of Burbone / the lordes and other coū ­sayled toguyder in the ysle of Co­nymbres / how they myght aproche y ^e strong towne of Aufryke. Whan euery thyng was well aduysed and sette in good order by the admyrall and patrons of the galees / & that wynde and wether serued them / euery lorde entred in to his galee amōg their owne men hauyng great desyre to encoūtre with their enemyes the sarazyns. Than the trūpettes blewe vp at their departyng. It was great pleasure to beholde their ores / howe they rowed abrode in the see / whiche was peasable / calme and fayre / so that in maner the see she­wed her selfe that she had great desyre y ^t the christen men shulde come before the stronge towne of Aufryke. The christen nauy was goodly to regarde & well ordred / and it was great beautie to se the baners and penons of silke / with the armes and badges of y ^e lordes and other wauyng with the wynde / and shynyng agaynst the son̄e. And within an hour of noone / the christen men perceyued y ^e hygh towres of the towne of Aufrike / & the farder they sayled the nerer it shewed to their syghtes / wherfore euery man reioysed and good cause why / seyng all they desyred to cōe thy­der. They thought thā in a maner their paynes released & their voyage accomplysshed. Thus as they aproched to thentre of the re­alme of Aufryke / they cōmuned & deuysed among themselfe. and in lyke maner the sarazyns that were within the towne of Aufryke spake and deuysed and were sore abasshed / whan they sawe their enemies aproche with suche a nombre of sayles & sayde / that surely they were lykely to be besieged / Howe be it they thought their towne so strōg with tow­res and walles / & with artyllary / that ther­with they reconforted and toke corage. And to gyue warnyng to the countrey (as soone as they sawe their enemyes on the See / on the hyghe towres) They sowned Tymbres [Page] and tabours / accordynge to their vsage / in suche wyse / that the men abrode in the coun­trey drewe toguyder. Suche men of Bar­bary as had ben sente thyder by the kynge of Aufryke / and by the kynge of Thunes and Bougy. Whan they knewe of the Christen mennes cōmynge / by reason of the noyse of the Tymbres and tabours / to thentent that they shulde nat entre to farre in to their coū ­treis. Euery man tooke hede to his charge & sente certayne of their capitayns to the See syde / to se the aprochyng of y ^e Christen men / and to beholde their dealyng that nyght. Al­so they prouyded to defende the towres and gates about the hauyn of Aufryke / to the en­tent that by their negligēce the towne of Au­fryke shulde take no dōmage / whiche towne was so strong / that it was nat lykely to take great hurte without longe siege. And I Io­han Froyssart auctour of this cronycle / by­cause I was neuer in Aufryke / and bycause I myght truely write the maner and fascion of this enterprice. Alwayes I desyred suche knyghtes and squyers as had ben at y ^e same voyage / to enforme me of euery thyng. And bycause I had been oftentymes in my dayes at Calays / I demaunded also of suche there as had ben at the sayde voyage. And it was shewed me of a suretie / that the sarazyns a­monge them selfes sayde / howe the Christen men that were there were expert and subtyle men of armes. Whervpon an auncyent sara­zyn sayd to all his company. Sirs / all thyn­ges cōsydred / it is best that the Christen men at the begynnyng se nat our strength and puissaunce / nor also we haue nat men suffyciēt to fyght with them / but daylye men wyll cōe to vs. Wherfore I thynke it best to suf [...]re thē to take lāde: they haue no horses to ouer ron the countrey: they wyll nat sprede abrode / but kepe togyder for feare of vs. The towne is stronge ynoughe and well prouyded / we nede nat feare any assautꝭ. The ayre is hote and wyll be hotter. They are lodged in the sonne and we in the shadowe: and they shall dayly wast their vitaylles / and shalbe with­ [...]ute hope to recouer any newe / and they lye here any long season. And we shall haue plē tie for we be in our owne countrey. and they shall oftētymes be awaked and scrimysshed withall / to their dōmage and to our aduauntage. Lette vs nat fight with them / for other wyse they can nat disconfyte vs. They haue nat ben vsed with the ayre of this countrey / whiche is contrary to their nature. I thynke this the best waye.

TO the saieng of this aūcient knight sarazyn all other agreed. Than̄e it was cōmaunded on payne of dethe that no man shulde go to the see syde to scry­mysshe with the Christen men without they were cōmaunded / but to kepe them selfe close in their lodgynges / & suffre the christen men to take lande. This determynacion was vp holde none durst breke it. And they sent a certayne of their archers in to the towne of Au­fryke / to ayde to defende it. The Sarazyns shewed theme selfes nothyng / as though ther had been no men in the countrey. The Chri­sten men lodged all that night in the mouthe of the hauyn of Aufryke / and the nexte mor­nynge the wether was fayre and clere / and the ayre in good temper / and the sonne rose / that it was pleasure to beholde. Than̄e the Christen men began to styrre / and made thē redy / hauynge great desyre to approche the towne of Aufryke and to take lande. Than trumpettes and claryons began to sowne in the Gallees and vesselles / and made great noise: and about nyne of the clocke whan the christen men had taken a lytell refress hynge with drinke: than were they reioysed & ligh­ted. And accordyng as they had apoynted before / they sent in fyrst their lyght vesselles called Brigandyns / well furnisshed with artyllary. They entred in to the hauyn / and after them came the armed Galees / and the other shyppes of the flete in good order. and tour­nyng towardes the lande by the see syde / ther was a strong castell with hyghe towres / and specially one towre whiche defended the see syde / and the lande also. And in this towre was a bricoll or an engyn whiche was nat y­dell / but styll dyde cast great stones amonge the Christen mens shyppes. In lyke wise in euery towre of the towne agaynst the See syde / there were engyns to caste stones. the sarazyns had well prouyded for their towne for they loked euer longe before whane they shulde be besieged. Whan the Christen men entred in to the hauen of Aufryke to take lande / it was a plesaunt syght to beholde their order / and to here the claryons and trumpet­tes [Page cciiii] sounde so hyghe and clere / dyuers knightes and valyaunt men of the realme of Fraū ce / sprede abrode that day their baners / with dyuers other newe made knyghtes. The lorde Iohan of Lignye was there firste made knight. He was of the countrey of Chauny. He was made by the handes of a cosyn of his named sir Henry Dantoygne / and there he sprede abrode first his baner: The felde gol­de / a bende of goules. And in his companye was his cosyn germayne the lorde of Hauret in Chauny. Thus the lordes knyghtes and squyers with great desyre auaunced them / & toke lande and lodged on the lande of their enemyes in the sight of the false sarazyns. on a wednisdaye in the euenyng of Mary Ma­gdaleyne / in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred & fourscore. And as they toke lāde they were lodged by their marshalles. The sarazyns that were within y ^e towne praysed moche the christen mēnes order: and bycause that the great Galees coulde nat a­proche nere to the lande / the men yssued out in bottes / and toke lande and folowed the baner of our lady.

THe Sarazins that were within the towne / and suche as were abrode in the countrey / suffered the Christen men pesably to take lande / for they sawe well it shulde nat be for their aduauntage to haue fought with them at their landyng. The duke of Burbone who was as chefe of the chri­sten armye there / was lodged in the myddes of his company ryght honorably / his baner displayed poudred full of Floure du Lyces / with an ymage of our Lady in the myddes / and a scochynne with the armes of Burbone vnder the fete of the ymage. ¶ Fyrste on the ryght hande of the duke / there was lodged his brother sir Guylliam of Tremoyle with his penon / and the lorde of Bordenay with his baner / and sir Helyon of Lygnacke with his penon / the lorde of Tourse with a penon And than the Henowers with the standerde of the lorde Wyllyam of Heynaulte / as than erle of Ostrenaunt / eldest sonne to the duke Aubert of Bauyere / erle of Heynaulte. Of Hollande and of zelande / the deuyse in y ^e standerde was a Herse golde / standyng on a bell goules. There was the lorde of Haureth w ^t his baner / the lorde of Ligny with his baner and than sir Philyppe Dartoys erle of Ewe with baner / the lorde of Mateselon with ba­ner / the lorde of Calam with penon / the Se­neschall of Ewe with penon / the lorde of Ly­nyers with baner / the lorde of Thune with baner / the lorde of Ameuall with baner / sir Water of Champenon with penon / sir Ioh [...] of the Castell Morant with baner / the mar­shall of Sanxeres brother with penon / the lorde of Coucy with baner / beste apoynted nexte the duke of Burbone / sir Stephyne of Sanxere with penon. Than the Frēche kynges penon with his deuyce / and therby was sir Iohan of Barroys / with the penon of his armes. Than sir Guylliam Morles with baner / and the lorde of Lōgueuall with penon / sir Iohan of Roye with baner / the lorde of Bourse with penon / the Vycount Dausney with baner / the lorde admyrall with baner / called Iohan of Vyen. ¶ Nowe here after foloweth they on the dukes lyfte hande.

ON the lyfte hande of Loyes duke of Burbone were lodged as foloweth. First the lorde of Ausemont of Ba­uyere / and sir Iohan of Beauforde bastarde sonne to the duke of Lancastre / with his ba­ner displayed / sir Iohan Butler Englysshe with a penon / sir Iohan of Crama with a baner / the Souldyche of Lestrade with penon sir Iohan Harcourt with baner / and y ^e lorde Beraulte erle of Cleremount / and the Dol­phin of Auuergne with baner / and sir Hugh Dolphyn his brother with penon / the lorde of Bertencourt with penon / the lorde Pyer Buffyer with baner / the lorde of saynt Semere with baner / the lorde of Lauuart mar­shall of the hoost with baner / the lorde Ber­gue of Beausse with penon / the lorde of Louuy with baner / sir Gerarde of Lymo [...]yn his brother with penon / the lorde of saynt Ger­mayne with baner / And than the penon and stāderde with the deuyce of the duke of Burgoyn / sir Philyppe of Barre with baner / sir Geffray of Charney with baner / sir Loyes of Poicters with penon / sir Robert of Cala­bre with penon / the vycount of Ses with baner / the lorde Montague with baner / the lorde of Vyle Neufe with penon / sir Wyllyam of Molyne with penon / the lorde of Lōgny with penon / sir Angorget Damboyse with penon / sir Aleyne of Chāpayne with penon: [Page] all these baners and penons were sette in the front before y ^e towne of Aufryke / and besyde that a great nombre of other knyghtes and squyers ryght valyaunt men and [...]fhighe corage / were lodged abrode in the felde / I cannat name them all / also it wolde be to long a writyng. There were a fourtene thousande all gentylmen. It was a companye to do a great feate / and to susteyne a great batyle / if the sarazyns had come forthe to haue gyuen them batayle / whiche they dyd nat / for as on y ^t day they shewed no maner of defence / but castyng out of their towres great stones.

WHan the Christen men were lodged as well as they myght / & refresshed them selfes with suche as they had brought with them / for they myght nat ryn abrode in the countrey to gather bowes of trees to make with all their lodgynges / [...]or it had ben to their domage if they had aduentured themselfe abrode. The lordes had tentes and pauiliōs that they had brought with them fro Geane. Thus they lodged in good order. the crosbowes of the genouoys were lodged on the wynges / and closed in the lor­des. They occupyed a great space of groūde for they were a great nombre / all their prouisyons were in the galees / and all the day the maryners conueyed their stuffe to [...]ande by bottes. And whan the christen ysles adioy­nyng / as Naples [...] Cicyll / and also the mayne landes / as Puylle and Calabre. Whan they knewe howe the Christen men had besieged the strong castell of Aufryke / they dyd what they coude to vitayle the christen army. some to haue aduaūtage therby / and some for loue and affection that they had to the genouoys / fro the ysle of Caude came to them the good malueysies in great plenty / without whiche conforte they coude nat longe haue endured / for they were a great nombre / and good drinkers and good caters / Howe be it their pro­uis [...]ons came nat alwayes to thē in lyke ma­ner / for somtyme they had plentie and some season they wanted. ¶ Nowe I shall som­what speke of the sarazyns aswell as I haue done of the christen men / as it is reason to cō clude all thynges.

Trewe it was that they of Aufrike and of Barbary knewe longe before howe the genowayes hadde thretned them / and they loked for none other thyng / but the same yere to be besieged / as they were in dede. They hadde made prouisyon to resyst agaynst it. & whan the tidynges were sprede abrode in the countrey howe that the christenmen were come to Aufryke they were in dout / for he is nat wise that feareth nat his ennemyes thoughe they be neuer so fewe. Howe be it the sarazyns reputed the christen men right valyant & good men of warre / wherfore they greatly douted them: and to the entent to resyst & to defende the fronters of their countreys / they assem­bled toguyder of dyuers parties / as they of the lande and seignorie of Aufrike and of the realme of Maroche / and of y ^e realme of Bougye / the best men of warre in all those coun­treis / and suche as leest feared dethe. Thus they came and lodged on the sandes agaynst the christen men / and they had behynde them an highe wode / to thentent that they shulde receyue on that syde no dōmage by meanes of busshmentes or scrimysshes. These sara­zins lodged them selfes right sagely & surely they were of men of warre a .xxx. thousande good archers / and ten thousande horsemen and mo. Howe be it the Christen men coude neuer knowe surely what nombre they were for they supposed they had a greater nombre lodged in the woodes / whiche myght ryght well be. For they were in their owne coūtre and might go and come in to their host at all houres without paryll or dommage at their owne lybertie. They were often tymes re­fresshed with newe vitayls brought to them on somers and camelles. And the secōde day that the Englysshe men had been a lande / in the mornyng at the breke of the day / and that the same nyght the lorde Henry Dautoygne had kepte the watche with two hundred men of armes and a thousande crosbowes geno­wayes. The sarazyns came to awake and to scrimysshe with theym / whiche endured the space of tow houres. There were many de­des of armes atchyued / but y ^e sarazins wolde nat ioyne to fyght hande to hande / but they scrimysshed with castyng of dartes and shotynge / and wolde nat folysshely aduenture thēselfes / but wisely and sagely reculed. the christen hoost than apparelled them to go to the scrimysshe / and some of the great lordes of Fraunce came thyder to se the deme anour [Page ccv] of the sarazyns / therby to know a n [...]ther tyme their maner in skrymysshynge. Thus the sa­razyns drewe to their lodgynge and the cry­sten men to theirs. And durynge the siege the crysten men were neuer in suretie nor rest / for outher euenynge or mornynge the sarazyns wolde awake them and skrymysshe. Amonge the sarazyns there was a yonge knight called Agadingor Dolyferne / he was alwayes well mounted on a redy and a lyght horse / it semed whan the horse ranne / that he dyd flye in the ayre. The knyght semed to be a good man of armes by his dedes / he bare always of vsage thre fedred dartes / and ryght well he coulde handle them / and acordynge to their custome he was clene armed with a long whyte to well aboute his heed. His aparell was blacke / and his owne coloure browne / and a good horse­man. The crysten men sayde they thought he dyd suche dedes for the loue of some yonge lady of his countrey. And trewe it was that he loued entyrely the kynge of Thunes dough­ter / named the lady Azala / she was enhery­tour to the realme of Thunes / after y ^e discease of the kyng her father. This Agadingor was sonne to the duke of Olyferne. I can nat tell if they were maryed togyther after or nat / but it was shewed me that this knyght for loue of the sayd lady durynge the siege dyd many feates of armes. The knyghtes of Faunce wolde fayne haue taken hym / but they coulde neuer atrape nor enclose him / his horse was so swyft and so redy to his hande y ^t alwaies he skaped.

THe crysten men wolde gladly haue taken some sarazyn to the entente to haue knowen the state of the towne and countrey / but for all their skrymysshynge they coulde neuer gette none. The sarasyns toke good hede to themselfe / and dyd pauesse themselfe agaynst the crosebowes genouoys / they werenat so well armed as the cristen men it was nat their vsage / nor they had no armo­rers nor metall to forge harnesse withall / for most comenly they lacke yron and steele / they be euer armed in lether / and beare targettes aboute their neckes couered and made of Cure boley of Capadoce / no wepen can perce it and the lether be nat hote. so that whan they come nere to their enemyes they cast their dartes all at ones. And whan the genouoys do shote at theym / than they couche them selfe lowe and couer them with their targes / and whan the shotte is paste / than they caste agayne their fedred dartes. Thus the space of nyne wekes durynge the siege they often tymes skrymys­shed / so that dyuers were hurte on bothe par­ties / and specially suche as lyghtly without a uysement aduentured them selfe. thus the crysten men toke good hede to themselfe / and so dyd the sarazyns on their parte / and the lor­des of Fraunce and suche other as were com [...] thyder to their ayde / gladly regarded the dealynge of the sarazyns. To saye the trouthe to lordes of astate and to gret men / all newelties are dylectable. And if the crysten men hadde pleasure to beholde them / the sarazyns had as great pleasure to regarde the maner of the crysten men / amonge them there were yonge lu­sty knyghtes / who had great pleasure to be­holde the armure baners / standardes / and penons / with rychesse and noblenesse that was amonge the crysten men / and at nyght whan they were at their lodgynges they spake and deuysed. But as it was shewed me there was one thynge amonge them to be marueyled at / I shall shewe you what.

THe sarazyns within the towne of Aufryke had great marueyle by what tytell or instaunce y ^t the crysten men came thyder so strongly to make them warre. It was shewed me howe they toke aduyse a­monge them howe to knowe the trouth therof / and determyned to sende to the crysten men to knowe their myndes / and so toke a truchman that coulde speke Italyan / and commaunded hym to go to the crysten host / and to demaūde of them in what tytle and instaunce they are come to make vs warre / and why they be come so strongly in to the empyre of Barbary / and in to the lande of Auffryke / and saye howe we haue in nothynge trespased them. of a trouth afore this tyme there hath ben warre bytwene vs and the genouoys / but as for that warre by reason ought nat to touche the crysten men of farre countreys of. as for the genouoys are our neyghbours / they take of vs and we of them / we haue been auncyente enemyes and shall be / excepte whan treuce is bytwene vs. with this message the trucheman departed / and rode to the crysten army / and mette fyrst with a genoway / and shewed hym howe he was a messanger sent fro y ^e sarazyns to speke [Page] with some lorde of Fraunce. The genoway had to name Anthony Marthy / he was a centuryon of the crosbowes / he brought this mes­sanger to the duke of Burbon and to the lorde of Coucy / who gladly herde hym speke / and the wordes that he spake in his owne langage the centuryon genoway expowned theym in frenche. Whan this messanger had declared his message / he desyred to haue an anuswere. The lordes of Fraunce sayde he shulde haue / but first they wolde take aduyse in the mater. Than a .xii. of the greatest lordes drewe togyder to counsayle in the duke of Burbons tent / and concluded / and so sent for the messanger / and the genouoy made him his answere in al their names. Sayeng howe the tytle and quarell that they made warre in was / bycause the sonne of god called Iesu chryst and trewe profyte / by their lyne and generacyon was put to deth and crucyfyed / and bycause they had iudged their god to deth without tytell or reason / therfore they wolde haue a mendes / and pu­nysshe that trespace and false iudgement that they of their lawe had made / and also bycause they beleued nat in the holy baptyme / and are euer contrary to their faythe & lawe. nor also bycause they beleued nat in the virgyn Mary m [...]ther to Ihesu Cryst. F [...]r these causes and other they sayd they toke the sarazyns and all their secte for their enemyes / and sayd howe they wolde reuenge the dispytes that they had doone and dayly do to their god and crysten faythe. With this answere the treuchman re­tourned without parell or domage / and she­wed to his maysters all as ye haue herde. At this aunswere the sarazyns dyd nothinge but laugh / and sayd howe that aunswere was nothynge reasonable / for it was the iewes that put Chryst to dethe / and nat they. Thus the siege styll endured euery party making good watche.

ANone after the sarazyns toke coun­sayle togyder / and determyned that a seuen or eight dayes togyther they shulde suffre the crysten men in reste / and nat to make any maner of skrymysshe with them / and than sodaynly on a nyght about the hour of mydnyght to sette on the hoost / trustynge therby to do a great feate. As they ordayned so they dyd / and an eyght dayes togyther they made no skrymysshe / and on the .ix. day about mydnight they secretly armed them with such armure as they were accustomed to / and so came close togyder without any noyse nere to the lodgynges of the crysten men / and had enterprysed to haue done a great feate / & to haue entred / nat on that side that their watche was on / but on the other parte of the felde / where there was no watche kept. They had come to their ententes / and god properly had nat ben agaynst them / in shewynge of apparante my­racles / I shall shewe you howe.

As the sarazyns aproched they sawe sodenly before them a great company of ladyes and damosels / all in whyte colour / and one in especyall who in beauty without comparison exceded all the other / and there was borne before her a baner all of whyte and reed within. with this syght the sarazyns were so abasshed that they lacked spyrite and force to go any further and so stode styll / and the ladyes before them. Also it was shewed me that the Genouoys had a great dogge in their company that they brought with theym / but they knewe nat fro whence he came / there was none that chalen­ged the dogge to be his / whiche dogge dyd theym great seruyce / for the sarazyns coulde neuer come so pryuely to skrymysshe / but the dogge wolde bay and make suche brewte that he wold nat rest tyll such as were a slepe were awaked / euery man knewe whan they herde the dogge baye / that the sarazyns were com­myng to skrymysshe with them / wherby euer they aparelled them selfe to resyst them. The genouoys called the dogge our ladies dogge. The same season that the sarazyns stode styll in a traunce / and the ladyes before them this dogge was n [...]t ydell / but he made gret brute and ranne bayeng fyrst to the stande watche / the lorde of Coucy and sir Henry Dantoigne kept the watche that night. Whan euery man herde this dogge make suche brute they rose and armed them redy / for they knew well that the sarazyns dyd aproche to awake them. and trewe it was that the vyrgyn Mary and her company was before them / to defende the crysten men fro all parelles / so that they toke that nyght no maner of domage / for the sarazyns durst nat aproche / but retourned to their lod­gynges. And after that the crysten men toke better hede to their watche.

[Page ccvi] THe sarazyns knyghtes and squyers suche as were in y ^e towne of Aufryke and specially suche as had sene these ladyes / were so abasshed that they wyste nat what to thynke. and the crysten knightes and squyers that lay at the siege / studyed day and nyght / howe they myght wyn the towne / and they within studyed agayne howe to defende their towne. The season was hote and drye / for the sonne was in his moste strength / as in the moneth of August / and the marches of Aufryke are ryght hoote / by reason of the sande / and also they be nerer to the sonne than we be. And the wynes that the crysten men had came fro Pulle and Calabre / and they be hote and drye / farre fro the nature of the french wynes / wherby many fell in to hoote feuers. And to consydre acordynge to reason / I can nat tell howe the frenche men and other of lowe countreys coulde endure the payne of the hote and grose ayre that they founde there / without re­fresshynge of good / swete / and fresshe water / whiche they lacked there. yet they made foun­taynes and welles in the sande / whiche dyde theym great pleasure / for there they found [...] fressh water / how be it often tymes the water was sore chafed by reason of the heate. And also often tymes they had great defaute of vytaylles / and some season they had ynough co­mynge fro Cicyll / and fro other isles adioy­nynge. Suche as werehole comforted them that were dysseased / and suche as had vytay­les / departed with theym that lacked / other wyse they coulde nat haue endured. they dalte eche with other lyke bretherne and frendes. The lorde of Coucy specyally had the chyefe resorte of gentlemen / he coulde behaue hym selfe swetely amonge them / moche better than the duke of Burbone / for the duke was some what of an high corage / proude and presump­tuous / nor spake nat so swetely nor so humbly to knyghtes / squyers / and straungers / as the lorde of Coucy dyd. Moste comenly the duke of Burbone wolde sytte all daye without his tente with his legges acrosse / and who so euer wold speke with hym / it behoued him to haue a procurer / and to make great reuerence. He consydred nat the state of poore men so well as the lorde coucy dyd / wherfore he was more in the grace and loue of the people thanne the duke of Burbon was. And as it was shewed [...]e by dyuers knyghtes and squyers straun­gers / that in their opynyons if the lorde Cou­cy had ben soueraygne capytayne alone / they had sped otherwyse than they dyd / for by rea­son of the pride of the duke of Burbon / many feates and enterprises were lefte vndone. It was the opynyon of many that he kepte hym selfe sure ynough fro takynge.

THis siege enduringe before the towne of Aufryke / whiche contynewed a .lx. dayes and one / there was many skrymysshes made on bothe parties [...]abrode and at the barryers of the towne. It was nedefull for them within to make good defēce / for against them was the floure of chyualry and squyry. The knyghtes aduenturers sayd one to another. If we maye get this towne with assaute or o­therwyse / than we may refresshe our selfes in it all the wynter / and at somer some great ar­mye of crysten men wyll come byther / for ther by we and they shall haue a goodly entre into the realmes of Barbary / Aufryke / and Thu­nes. than other dyd say / wolde to god it were so / for thanne suche as shulde be lodged here shulde lye honorably / for dayly they shulde be redy to do dedes of armes. They that were within the towne doubted greatly the mater / wherfore they tooke great payne to defende them selfes. The great heate and brinnynge of the sonne dyd put the crysten men to great payne and traueyle / for whan they were in harnesse by reason of the heate / it brente them within their armure. Marueyle it was that any skaped the dethe / by reason of the heate / for about the myddes of August the ayre was sore corrupted. Besyde that there fell another marueylous incydente / whiche if it had longe endured / they had ben all deed without stroke So it was that by reason of the great heate and corrupcyon of the ayre / there fell amonge them suche a sorte of great flyes / that they co­uered all the hoost / for no man wyste howe to defende hym selfe / and euery daye a weke to­gyder they encreased / wherof euery man was abasshed / howe be it by the grace of god and the vyrgyn Mary / to whome euery man a­uowed them selfe / on a day dyd sende a reme­dy. There fell suche an hayle and lyghtenyng fro heuen that it slewe all the sayde flyes / And by reason of this hayle / the ayre was brought in to a good temperatenesse / wherby y ^e knyghtes and squyers were in a better astate than [Page] they were before.

WHo so euer had been in the case that these crysten men were in at y ^t tyme / it must haue behoued them to take e­uery thynge in gree / they coulde nat haue had euery thynge with wysshynge / nor at their de­maunde. Whan any fell sicke it behoued them to be well kepte / or els they shulde haue dyed / but they were come thyder with so good wyl­les and affection / that they purposed honou­rably to accomplysshe their voyage / whiche mynde greatly supported thē to endure payne and traueyle. All thynges that was mete for their complexions they wanted / for nothynge came to them out of the realme of Fraunce / tydynges nor other. nor in Fraunce they knewe no more of them. somtyme there came to the army fro the cytie of Barcelone in the realme of Aragon in a galey prouysion / wherin was mo orenges and pomegarnettes than any o­ther thynge. These frutes yet refresshed greatly the appetytes of the crysten men / but whan so euer any galey came to them / it retourned nat agayne / what for doute of the encoūtryng of the sarazyns on the see / as for to abyde there to se the conclusyon of the siege. The yonge kynge of Cicyll often tymes sente to the hoost vytaylles / for he was the nerte crysten prince adioynynge. If the sarazyns had ben of that strength to haue stopped the passage of the see fro them / and to haue kepte fro them suche vytayls and prouysions as came to the armye / fro Pule / Calabre / Naples / and Cicyll / the crysten men had ben deed without any stroke stryking / but they made no warre but by lan­de / nor also they be nat of suche puyssaunce on the see / nother in gales nor in other vessels / as the genouoys and venysians be. For if the sarazyns be on the see it is but by stelthe / for they dare nat abyde the crysten men / without they haue farre the aduaūtage. A galey with crysten men well armed / wyll discomfyte four galees of sarazyns. Trewe it is the turkes are of greater force and better men of armes / ou­ther by lande or by see / than any other secte of the myscreantes contrary to our beleue / but they dwell farre of fro the lande of Aufryke / the affrikans can nat be ayded by thē. The turkes had certayne knowledge howe the towne of Aufryke was besyeged by the crysten men / they wysshed them often tymes there.

THe crysten men studyed howe to do domage to the sarazyns / and in lyke wyse so dyd the sarazyns agaynst the chrysten men / studyed howe to delyuer their coūtrey of them. and on a day Agadingor Doliferne / Madefer de Thunes / Belyns Madages / and Brahadyn of Bougy with dyuers other sarazyns / deuysed amonge them selfes and sayd. Beholde here the crysten men our e­nemyes / who lye here before our faces in our owne countrey / and yet we can nat discomfyte them / and they are but a handefull of men / as to the regarde of vs / howe be it we thinke ve­ryly they haue some great confort of some va­lyaunt men out of their owne countreys / for at no maner of skrymyssh that we can make / and for all that euer we can do / we can take neuer a prisoner / for if we myght take one or two of their valyaūt men / it shulde be greatly to our honour / and by them to knowe their demea­nour and puyssaunce / and what they purpose to do. Syrs ꝙ Agadingor / let se what coun­sayle is best in this case / as for me I am one of the yongest / yet I speke fyrst. we are contente therwith quod all the other / say what ye wyll. Syrs quod he I desyre greatly to do some dede of armes with some crysten man / and I thynke veryly if I were matched with one to dyscomfyte hym in playne batayle. And syrs / if ye wyll do so that we myght fynde a .xx. or .xxx. valyaunt men a monge vs / I shall cause and I canne the crysten men to sette forthe as many: our quarell is good / for they haue no cause of reason to make warre against vs. and I thynke what by reason of our iuste quarell and the good corage that we be of shall gyue vs victory. Than Madyfer of Thunes aun­swered and sayd. Syr in your wordes is no­thyng but honour / to morowe if ye wyll ryde and be in the former fronte of the batayle with a trucheman with you / and make some token that ye wolde speke with some crysten man / and than do you so moche as to offre the ba­tayle of .x. of yours agaynst ten of theirs / than shall ye here and se what they wyll aunswere / and yet howe so euer they answere we may be aduysed what we wyll do / at leste the crysten men shall repute vs the more valyaunt. They all agreed to that apoyntmente / and so passed that nyght. the next mornyng they rode forth to skrymysshe with their enemyes / and Aga­dingor formest / mounted on his good horse / [Page ccvii] and his trucheman with him. The daye was clere and bright / and a lytell before the sonne rysynge / the sarazyns set them selfe in ordre of batayle. The same nyght sir Willyam of Tremoyle had kept the watch on y ^e crysten parte / and with hym sir Guy his brother. Than the sarazins apered before the cristen men within a thre crosbowe shot / and Agadingor had his truchman by him / he rode on before all his cō ­pany / and made token to speke with some cry­sten man / on the one wynge of the felde. And a gentle squyer called Affrenall / seyng the sarazyn and the sygnes that he made / rode fro his company & sayd. Syrs stande styll here / and I wyll go and speke with yōder sarazyn / and torne agayne to you / he hath a truchman with hym / he cometh to speke with some man. this squier came to y ^e sarazyn / who taryed for him. Than the truchman said / ye crysten man. are a noble man and a man of armes / and redy to gyue aunswere to our demaunde? I am suche a one quod Affrenall / say what it pleace you / ye shalbe harde and receyued. Than quod the trucheman / syr beholde here a gentleman and a noble man of ours / who demaundeth the batayle to fyght with you hande to hande / and if ye wyll haue mo / we shall fynde to the nombre of sixe of ours redy to fight with .vi. of yours / and the quarell of our men shalbe this. They say and wyll iustifye that our faythe is better and more of valure than yours / for our faythe and lawe hath ben written syth the begynning of the worlde / and as for your lawe was foūde out by one man / whome the iewes hanged on a crosse. Ahsyr quod Affrenall / speke no fur­ther of that mater / it appertaygneth nat to the to speke or dispute our fayth and lawe. but say to this sarazyn / that he swere by his fayth and beleue to afferme the batayle / & let hym bringe to the nombre of .x. all gentlemen of name and armes / and within this thre houres I shall bringe as many to try the mater. The truth­man resyted those wordes to the sarazyn / who be semyng had gret ioy to accept and afferme the batayle. Thus they toke this enterprise bytwene them twayne and departed / and retur­ned to their owne companyes. tydinges herof came to sir Guy of Tremoyle and to syr Wil­lyam his brother / and whan they met with Affrenall they demaunded fro whence he came / and what he had done with the sarazyn. Than Affrenall shewed hym all the hole mater / and how that he had taken the batayle / wherof the sayd two knightes were ioyfull and sayd. Af­frenall speke to other / for we two shall be of the nombre of the ten. syr quod Affrenall / as god wyll so be it / I trust I shall fynde ynowe that wolde be glad to fyght with the sarazyns. A­none after Affrenall mette with the lorde of Thune / and shewed hym the aduenture / and demaūded if he wolde be one of the company. The lord of Thune wolde nat refuse but gladlye graunted to be one of their company. For euery one that Affrenall dyd gette / he myght haue goten a .C. if he had wolde. Sir Bou­cyquant the yonger / syr Helyons of Lingnac / syr Iohan Russell englysshe / sir Iohan Har­pedon / Aleys Bodet / and Bochet / all these ac­cepted the batayle. Whan the nombre of ten were accomplisshed euery man drewe to their lodgynge to arme them incontynent to do batayle. Whan this was knowen in y ^e hoost / and the knyghtes named that had taken on them that enterprise. Than all other knyghtes and squyers sayd. a these ten knightes were borne in a good houre / that haue founde this day so happy an aduenture. wolde to god quod dy­uers that we were of y ^t nombre. Euery knight and squyer was ioyfull of this enterprise / and greatly praysed the aduenture / sauynge the gentle lorde of Coucy / who was nat cotente therwith.

THe lorde of Thune was of the compa­ny of the lorde of coucy / he shewed him the couenante he had made with Affrenall / to be one of the ten to fight with ten sarazyns. as many as herde therof praysed greatly that aduenture / but the lorde of Coucy spake against it and sayd. Ah sirs ye yonge people y ^t knowe but lytell of the worlde / but rather exalte a fo­lysshe ded than a wyse dede. In this enter­prise I can se no reason for dyuers causes. one is that ten knyghtes and squyers of our men / all gentlemen of name and blode / must fyght agaynste as many sarazyns. Howe shall our men knowe whether they be gentlemen or no? if they lyst they may set agaynst our men ten rybauldes or varlettes / and if they hap to be dyscomfyted / we shall wyn nothynge but ten varlettes / and yet we shall be neuer the nerer to wyn y ^e towne of Aufryke / but we shall thus put our good men in aduēture. peraduenture they wyll set a busshment / and whan our ten [Page] men be in the felde to tary for their men / they wyll close them roūde about / wherby we shall lese them and be somoche the febler. There I say quod the lorde of Coucy y ^t Affrenall hath nat wrought wysely in this mater / for at the first whan the sarazyn dyd defye him he shuld than haue made a nother maner of aunswere than he dyd. he shuld haue sayd howe he was nat the chefe heed of that army / but rather one of the poorest / & where as ye blame our faythe and byleue / ye are nat mete to haue an answer made to you therof by me / but if ye lyst I shall brynge you to the great lordes of our armye / and I shall take you vnder my saueconducte / that ye shall go and returne in sauegarde and suretie / and the [...] ye shall here the lordes speke. Thus Affrenall shuld haue ledde the sarazyn to the duke of Burbone and to the counsayle / and there he shulde haue been herde at leyser / and answered by good aduyse / suche defyaūce in armes for suche quarell ought nat to passe without great deliberacion of good coūsayle. And than if the batayle had ben agreed vnto by vs / yet it wolde haue ben knowen of them what men by name and surname shulde acomplyssh the batayle. Thervpon we to haue chosen other of our men for our honour and pro­fite / and thervpon to hane had of the sarazyns suretie and hostage / and they of vs. This had ben a more metely maner to haue vsed / wher­fore if this treatie might be withdrawen with reason / it shulde be well doone / and I wyll go and speke with the duke of Burbone / and to take counsayle with the lordes of the armye / and to knowe what they wyll say therto. thus the lorde of Coucy departed fro the lorde of Thune / and wente to the Duke of Burbons tent / where all the barons assembled togyder to take coūsayle in that mater. For all that the lorde of Coucy had sayde these wordes to the lorde of Thune / by maner of good counsayle and aduyse / yet for all that he lefte nat / but ar­med hymselfe / and so came forth with other of his company redy to fight with the sarazyns / and sir Guy of Tremoyle the formest knight. Thus the lordes of Fraunce were in coūsayle in the duke of Burbons tent. Some thought this defiaunce to be reasonable / and susteyned greatly the wordes and opinyon of the lorde Coucy / sayeng howe it were better to make a nother maner of treatie. And some other / as specyall the lorde Loys erle of Arthoys / and sir Philyp of Bare sayd. Syth the armes be taken and accepted on our parte / it shulde be great blame to let it / wherfore in the name of god and our lady let our knyghtes and squy­ers furnysshe their enterprise. This purpose was holden and susteyned / but than all thyn­ges consydred / it was thought for the best that all the hole host shulde be armed / and be in or­dre of batayle / to thentent that if the sarazyns wolde do any falsnesse they shulde be redy to resyst them. This was accomplysshed and e­uery man well armed / and drewe in to y ^e felde in good ordre of batayle redy to fyght / the ge­nouoys crosebowes on the one syde / and the knyghtes and squiers on the other syde / euery lord vnder his baner or penon of their armes / it was a goodly syght to beholde them. The crysten men shewed well howe they had great desyre that the sarazyns shuld haue come and fought with them. And the ten crysten knigh­tes and squiers were redy in the felde aloue of fro their company / abydynge for the ten sara­zins that shulde haue fought with them / but it semed well they had no wyll therto / for whan they sawe howe the crysten men ordred them selfe & were redy in batayle / they douted them and durst nat come forwarde / for all that they were thre tymes as many men as the crysten men were. The sarasyns wolde often tymes come well mounted / and skrymyssh before the crysten mennes batayle / and than returne a­gaine. and this they dyd of pure malice to put the crysten men to payne and traueyle. This day was so hote with the sonne / that before nor after there had been no suche sene / so that they that were moste lusty and fresshe were so sore chafed in their harnesse that they were nere o­uercome for faute of ayre and wynde. And al­ways the .x. crysten men taryed a parte for the ten sarazyns / but they nother sawe nor herde tydynges of any. Than they aduysed to aproche the towne of Aufryke and to assayle it / se­ynge they were all redy armed and redy in batayle. And all day to kepe their honour the ten knightes kept the felde tyll it was night. there went to the assaute knyghtes and squyers / desyringe to do dedes of armes / they were hote and sore chafed / and yet they traueyled them selfe more and more. And if the sarasyns had well knowen what case y ^e crysten men were in / they might haue done thē great domage / and a reysed the siege / and by lykelyhode to haue [Page ccviii] had the victory / for y ^e crysten men were so we­ry and so sore traueyled that they had but ly­tell strenght / howe be it they conquered by as­saute the first wall of the towne where no man dwelte. Than the sarazyns retrayed in to the seconde fortresse / skrymysshynge without ta­kynge of any great domage / but the crysten men had domage ynough / for in skrimisshyng and assautynge they were in the heate of the sonne and in the duste of the sandes tyll it was myght / wherby dyuers knyghtes and squiers toke their dethe / whiche was great pytie and domage. By the said occasion there dyed / first syr Willyam of Gacill / and sir Guyssharde de la Garde / syr Lyon Scalet / sir Guy de la sal­uest / syr Willm̄ of Staple / syr Wilyam Guy­ret / syr Geffrey of y ^e chapell / the lorde of Pier­buffier / the lorde of Bonet / sir Robert of Hanges / sir Stephyn Sanxere / sir Aubert de la mote / sir Alaine of Champayn / (ser) Geffrey Fresiers / (ser) Rafe of Couffan / the lorde of Bourke artysion / sir Iohan of Crey bastarde / sir Bertram de Sanache / syr Pyncharde of Mor­layne sir Trystram his brother / syr Ayme of Cousay / (ser) Ayme of Tourmay / sir Foukes of Stanfours / sir Iohan of Chateuas / all these were knightꝭ. And there dyed of squiers / Foucans of Liege / Iohan of Isles / Blondelet of Areton / Iohn̄ de la Mote / Boūberis floridas of Roque / y ^e lorde of Belles / brother to Willy­am Fondragay / Water of Cauforus / Iohan Morillen / Pier of Malnes / Gyllot Villaine / Iohn̄ of Lound / Iohn̄ Perier / Iohan menne Iohan of Lauay / and Willyam of Parke. There dyed mo than a .lx. knightes and squyers / whiche wysely to consyder was a great losse. And if y ^e lorde of Coucy had ben beleued this had nat fortuned / for and they had kepte their lodgynges as they dyd before / they had receyued no suche domage.

OF this foresaid aduenture the knightes and squiers of the host / were sore displeased and abasshed: euery man bewayled his frēdes: at nyght they drewe to their lodginges and made gretter watche than they had made before / for dout of the sarazyns: they passed that nyght without any other dōmage. Of this aduenture the sara­zins knewe nothyng / for if they had knowen what case the Christen men had been in / they might haue done them great dōmage: but alwayes they feared the Christen men: They durst neuer aduēture to auaūce thē selfe / but by scrimysshing & castynge of their dartes. They that were moost renomed in armes of their partie was Agadyngore of Olyferne / for he loued the doughter of y ^e kyng of Thu­nes / wherby he was moost fresshest and ioly in dedes of armes. Thus contynued y ^e siege before the towne of Aufryke. In the realme of Fraunce & Englande / and in suche coun­treys as these knightes came fro / they herde no maner of tidynges of them / wherof their frendes were sore abasshed / & wyst nat what to saye nor thynke. In dyuers places / bothe in Englande / Heynalte / and in Fraūce there were processyōs made / to pray to god for the ꝓsperite of these christen men. Thentencion of the christen men beyng at the siege / was to abyde there tyll they had cōquered the town of Affrike / outher by force / famyne / or treatie The kyng of Cicyll wolde gladly it had ben so / & so wolde all other xp̄en yles adioynyng for this towne of Affrike was their vtter enemye: and specially the genouoys toke great payne to serue the lordes to their pleasure / to thētent they shulde nat be anoyed by reason of their long siege. To speke proꝑly / it was a marueylous enterprice / & came of an highe corage of the christen knightes and squyers / and specially the Frenchmen / who for all the losse of their knightes and squiers / & pouer­tie that they endured / yet they cōtynued styll the siege at their great costes & chargꝭ with­out ayde or cōforte. And the genouoys / who were y ^e first setters on that enterprice / began than to faynt and dissymule / for as the bruteran than / they wolde haue ben gladde to ha­ue made a treatie with the Sarazyns / and to haue lefte the knyghtes of Fraunce and Englande / and of other Christen countreys [Page] styll in that busynesse. as I shall shewe you here after / as it was enformed me. ¶ Nowe at this present tyme lette vs leaue to speke of this siege of Aufryke / and speke of a fest that the kynge of Englande made the same sea­son in London. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue herde before in this hystorie / what a feest was holdē at Paris whā quene Isabell of Fraunce made there her first entre / of the whiche feest tidynges sprede abrode in to euery coūtre. Than kyn­ge [...]icharde of Englande & his thre vncles / [...]yng of this goodly fest at Paris / by y ^e re­portes of suche knyghtes & squyers of their owne as had ben at the same fest. Ordayned a great fest to be holden at the cyte of Lōdon where there shulde be iustes & .lx. knyghtes to abyde all cōmers / and with thē .lx. ladyes fresshely apparelled to kepe thē company. & these knightes to iust two dayes besyde son­day. & the chalenge to begyn the next sonday after y ^e fest of saint Michaell. As than in the yere of our lorde god. M.CCC. fourscore & ten / whiche sonday the said .lx. knightes & .lx. ladyes at two of y ^e clocke at after noon shuld issue oute of the towre of London / and so to cōe a long the cytie through Chepe / and so to Smyth. elde. and that daye .xii. knightes to be there redy to abyde all knyghtꝭ straūgers suche as wolde iust. This sōday was called the sonday of the fest of chalenge. And on the mōday next after / the sayd .lx. knightes to be in the same place redy to iuste / & to abyde all cōmers curtesly to ron with rokettes. and to the best doer of the out syde shulde be gyuen hym for a price a riche crowne of golde. and the best doer of the in syde / duely examyned by the ladyes in the quenes chambre / shulde haue for a price a riche gyrdell of golde. And the tuesday folowynge the knightes shulde be agayne in the same place / and to abyde all maner of squyers straūgers and other / suche as wolde iust with rokettes. and the best iu­ster on the out syde / shulde haue for his price a courser sadled: and the chiefe doer of the in syde shulde haue a faucon. the maner of this fest was thus ordayned and deuised / and he­rauldes were charged to crye and publysshe this feest in Englande / in Scotlande / in Al­mayne / in Flaūders / in Brabant / in Heynalt and in Fraunce / the heraldes departed some hider and some thider. These tidyngꝭ sprede abrode into dyuers coūtreys. The heraudes had daye and tyme suffycient. Knightes and squiers in dyuers coūtreys apparelled them selfes to be at this feest / some to se the maner of Englande and some to iuste. Whan these tidynges came in to Heynalt sir Wyllyam of Heynault erle of Ostrenaunt who was yon­ge and lyberall / and desyrous to iuste. Pur­posed in hym selfe to go to the feest in Englā de / to se and to honour his cosyns / kyng Ry­charde of Englande and his vncles / whome he had neuer sene before. He hadde great de­syre to be aquaynted with them / and desyred other knightes and squyers to kepe hym cō ­pany / and specially the lorde of Gomegynes bycause he was well acquaynted with En­glysshe men / for he had ben dyuers tymes a­monge them. Thanne sir Wyllyam of Hay­naulte purposed whyle he made his proui­syon to go in to Hollande to se his father Auberte / erle of Heynaulte / Hollande / and ze­lande / to the entente to speke with hym / and to take leaue to go in to Englande. He deꝓ­ted fro Quesnoy in Haynault / and rode tyll he came to Haye in Hollande / where the erle his father was at that tyme. and there he shewed his father his purpose that he was in to go in to Englande to se the countrey & his cosyns / whom he had neuer sene. Than therle his father answered and sayd. Wyllyam my fayre son / ye haue nothyng to do in Englāde for nowe ye be by couenaunt of maryage a­lyed to the realme of Fraunce / and your su­ster to be maryed to the duke of Burgoyne / wherfore ye nede nat to seke none other aly­aunce. Dere father quod he / I wyll nat go [Page ccix] in to Englande to make any alyaūce. I do it but to feest and make myrthe with my cosins there / whom as yet I neuer sawe, & bycause the feest whiche shalbe holden at London / is publisshed abrode. wherfore syth I am signifyed therof & shulde nat go thyder / it shulde be sayd I were proude & presuptuous / wher fore in the sauynge of myne honoure I wyll go thider / therfore dere father I requyre you agree therto. Sonne quod he do as ye lyste / but I thynke surely it were better that ye ta­ryed at home. Whan the erle of Ostrenaunt sawe that his wordes contented nat his fa­ther / he wolde speke no more therof / but fell in other cōmunicacion. But he thought well ynough what he wolde do / and so dayly sent his prouisyon towardes Calais. Gomegy­nes the heraulde was sente in to Englande fro therle of Ostrenaunt / to gyue knowlege to kynge Rycharde and to his vncles / howe that he wolde come honorably to his feest at London. Of those tidynges the kynge and his vncles were ryght ioyouse / and gaue to the heraulde great giftes / whiche after stode hym in great stede. For after in the ende of his dayes he fell blynde / I can nat tell if god were displeased with hym or nat / in his da­yes he lyued marueylously / wherfore in his olde dayes and that he hadde loste his syght there were but fewe that were sorte therof. Thus the erle of Ostrenaunt departed from Haye in Hollande / and toke leaue of his fa­ther / and so retourned to Quesnoy in Hey­naulte to the coūtesse his wyfe.

THis noble feest wherof I make mē ­cyon / was publysshed and cryed in dyuers places / wherby knyghtes & squyers and other / aduaunsed them selfes to go thyder. The erle Walleran of saynt Pole who as than had to his wyfe kyng Richarde of Englandes suster. He prepared greatly to go in to Englande / and so came to Calys. And also the erle Ostrenaunt departed fro Heynaulte / well accompanyed with knygh­tes and squyers / and so passed throughe the countrey of Arthoys / and came also to Calis and there he founde the erle of saynt Poule / and the shyppes passagers of Douer were there redy. and whan the shippes were char­ged and the wynde good / these lordes tooke the see: howe be it as it was shewed me / and I thynke it true / that therle of saynt Poule passed first in to Englande before the erle of Ostrenaunt. And whan he came to London / he founde there the kyng / and his brother in lawe sir Iohan Hollande / and other lordes and knyghtes of Englande / who receyued hym with great ioye / and demaūded of hym tidynges of the realme of Fraunce. He aun­swered well & wysely. Than therle of Ostrenaunt passed ouer on a thursdaye and so cāe to Cauterbury / and on the friday he visyted saint Thomas shrine and offred there in the mornyng / and laye there all that daye / & the nexte day rode to Rochester. And bycause he had so gret a company and cariages he rode but small iourneys / to ease his horse. And on the sondaye he rode to dyner to Dertforde / & after dyuer to London to be at the feest / whi­che began the same sonday.

ON the sonday nexte after the feest of saynt Michaell / this feest and tryū ­phe shulde begyn / and that daye to be done in Smythfelde / iustes called the chalenge. So the same sonday about thre of the clocke at after noone / there issued out of the towre of London. first threscore coursers apparelled for the Iustes / and on euery one a squier of honour ridyng a softe pase. Than issued out threscore ladyes of honour moun­ted on fayre palfreys / ridyng on the one syde richely apparelled: and euery lady ledde a knight with a cheyne of syluer / which knightes were apparelled to iust. Thus they cam ridynge a longe the stretes of London with great nombre of trumpettes and other myn­strelles. And so came to Smythfelde / where the quene of Englande and other ladies and damoselles were redy in chābres richely ad­orned to se the iustes / and the king was with the quene. And whan y ^e ladyes that ledde the knyghtes were come to the place / they were taken downe fro their palfreys / & they moū ­ted vp in to chambres redy aparelled for thē. Than the squiers of honour alighted fro the coursers / & the knightes in good order moū ­ted on them. than their helmes were sette on and made redy at all poyntes. Than thyder came the erle of saynt Poule / nobly accom­panyed with knyghtes and squyers all ar­med with harnesse / for the iustes to begynne the feest / whiche incontynent beganne: and [Page] there iusted all knyghtes straungers / suche as wolde and hadde leysar and space / for the nyght came on. Thus these iustes of cha­leng began / and cōtynued tyll it was night. Than knyghtes and ladyes withdrue them selfes: & the quene was lodged besyde Pou­les in the bysshoppes palace / and there was the supper prepared. The same euennynge came therle of Ostrenaunt to the kyng / who was nobly receyued. ¶ Nowe for these iu­stes on the sonday. For the aunswerer with­out / The erle Walleran of saynt Poule had the price. And of the chalengers the erle of Huntyngdon. There was goodly daūsyng in the quenes lodgyng / in the presence of the kynge and his vncles / and other barons of Englande: and ladyes and damoselles con­tynuyng tyll it was daye / whiche was tyme for euery persone to drawe to their lodgyn­ges / except the kyng and the quene / who lay there in the Bysshoppes Palays / for there they laye all the feestes and iustes duryng.

ON the nexte day whiche was mon­daye / ye myght haue sene in dyuers places of the cytie of London / squyers and varlettes goynge aboute with har­nesse / and doynge of other busynesse of their maisters. After noon kynge Richarde came to the place all armed richely apparelled / ac­companyed with Dukes / erles / lordes / and knyghtes. He was one of the inner partie. Than the quene well accompanyed with ladyes and damosels came to the place where the iustes shulde be / and mounted in to chā ­bres and scaffoldes ordayned for thē. Than came in to the felde the erle of Ostrenaunte / well accōpanyed with knyghtes of his coū ­trey / and all were redy to iuste. Than came the erle of saynt Poule and other knyghtes of Fraunce / suche as wolde iuste. Than be­gan the iustes / euery man payned hym selfe to gette honour. Some were stryken down fro their horses. These iustes contynued tyll it was nere nyght. Than euery ꝑson drewe to their lodgynges knyghtes and ladyes / & at y ^e hour of supper / euery man drewe to the courte. There was a goodly supper & well ordayned. And as that day the price was gyuen to the erle of Ostrenaunt / for the best iu­ster of the vtter partie / and well he deserued it. The price was gyuen hym by the ladyes lordes and herauldes / who were ordained to be iudges. And of the inner partie a knyght of Englande called sir Hughe Spenser / had the price.

THe nexte daye Tuesday / there was iustes agayne in the same place of all maner of squyers / whiche endu­red tyll it was nyght / in the presence of the kyng / quene / lordes / and ladyes. Than eue­ry man drewe to their lodgyngꝭ / as they had done the dayes before / and at supper they re­tourned to the bysshoppes palais / where the kyng / the quene / and the ladyes were. There was a goodly and a costely supper / and after great daunsynge / contynuynge all nyght.

The wednisdaye after dyner they iusted in the same place / all maner of knightes & squyers suche as wolde iuste. that was a sore and a rude iustes / enduryng tyll nyght / and than w ^tdrue: & at the hour of supper they resorted where they supped before. The Thursdaye the kyng made a supper to all knyghtes and gentylmen straungers / and the quene to all ladyes and damoselles. Than on the friday the duke of Lancastre made a dyner for all knightes & squyers straungers / whiche was a goodly dyner. And on the Saturdaye the kyng and all the lordes departed fro Lōdon to Wyndsore / and therle of Ostrenaunt and the erle of saynt Poule / with all other knightes and squyers straungers were desyred to acompany the kyng to Wyndsore / euery mā rode as it was reason to the castell of Wyndsore. Than there began agayne great feestꝭ / with dyners and suppers gyuen by the king and specially the kyng dyde great honour to the erle of Ostrenaunt his cosyn / whiche erle was desyred by the kyng and his vncles that he wolde be content to take on hym the order of the garter. The erle aunswered / howe he wolde take coūsayle in that mater. Than he coūsayled with the lorde of Gomegines and with Fierabras of Vertan bastarde / who in no wyse wolde discorage nor counsayle hym to refuce the order of the garter. So he toke it on hym / wherof the knightes and squyers of Fraūce suche as were there had great marueyle / and murmured sore therat among thē selfe: sayeng the erle of Ostrenaunt sheweth well that his courage enclyneth rather to be Englysshe than Frenche / whan he taketh on [Page ccx] hym the order of the garter / and weareth the kynge of Englandes deuyse. He sheweth well he regardeth nat the house of Fraunce / nor the house of Burgoyne. The tyme wyll come he shall repent hym selfe. All thynges cōsydred / he knoweth nat what he hath done for he was welbeloued with the frenche kynge / and with the duke of Thourayne his brother / and with all the blode royall / in suche wyse / that whan he came to Parys or in to any other place to any of them / they euer ma­de hym more honour than any other of their cosyns. Thus these Frenche men euyll accused hym without cause / for that he had done / was nothyng contrary nor hurtfull to the realme of Fraunce / nor to his cosyns nor fren­des in Fraunce. For he thought none other­wyse but honour and loue / and to pleace his cosyns in Englande / and to be therby the ra­ther a good meane bytwene Fraūce and Englande / if nede were. Nor the daye that he toke on hym the order of the garter / and his othe / euery man maye well vnderstande that he made none alyaunce / to do any preiudyce to the realme of Fraunce. For that he dyde / was but for loue and good company / howe be it / no man canne let the enuyous to speke yuell.

WHan they had daūced and spor­ted them a certayne [...]pace in the castell of Wynsore / and that the kyng hadde gyuen many fayre gyttes to y ^e knightes and squy­ [...] of honour / of the realme of Fraunce and Heynaulte / and specially to the yonge erle of Ostrenaunt. Than euery man toke leaue of the kynge and of the quene / and of other la­dyes and damoselles / and of the kynges vn­cles. Than̄e the erle of saynt Poule and the Frenche men / and the Henowayes and al­maygnes departed. Thus ended this great feest in the cytie of London / and euery man went to their owne. Than it fortuned / as a none brute ronneth farre of. The Frenche kynge / his brother / and his vncles / were en­fourmed by suche as hadde ben in Englande at the sayde feest / of euery thyng that hadde been done and sayd / nothyuge was forgot­ten / but rather more putte to / in the exaltyng of yuell dedes / than fortheryng of good de­des. It was shewed the kyng playnly / how the erle of Ostrenaunt had ben in Englande and taken great payne to exalte and to do honoure to the Englysshe men / and in helpyn­ge forwarde the feest holden at London. and howe he hadde the chiefe prise and honoure of the iustes aboue all other straungers. and howe he had spoken so fayre to the Englysh men / that he was become the kynge or En­glandes man / and had made scruyce and alyaunce with hym. And taken on hym the or­der of the Garter / in the chapell of saynt Ge­orge in Wyndsore / whiche order was fyrste stablysshed by kynge Edwarde the thirde / and his sonne prince of Wales. And howe that no man myght entre in to that confrary or company / without he make seruyaunt or othe / neuer to beare armoure agaynste the crowne of Englande. Whiche promyse they sayd / the erle of Ostrenaunt had made with oute any reseruacyon. with these tidynges / the Frenche kynge / his brother / and his vn­cles were sore troubled / and greuously dis­pleased with the erle of Ostrenaunt. Than the Frenche kyng sayde. Lo sirs / ye maye [...]e what it is to do for hym. It is nat yet a yere paste / sythe he desyred me that his brother myght be bysshoppe of Cambrey. And by these tidynges that gyfte were rather preiu­dyciall to the realme of Fraunce / than auaū ­cement. It hadde been better we had gyuen it to our cosyn of saynt Poule. The Heyno­ways dyd neuer good to vs / nor neuer wyll: for they be proude / presumptuous / and to fi­erse. Alwayes they haue owed better good wyll to the Englysshe men than to vs / but a daye shall come they shall repent them. We wyll sende to the erle of Ostrenaunt / cōmaū ­dynge hym to come to vs / to do vs homage for the coūtie of Ostrenaunt / or els we shall put hym fro it / and annexe it to oure realme. They of his counsayle answered and sayde. Sir / ye haue well deuysed / lette it be done as ye haue sayde. It maye well be thought that the duke of Burgoyne / whose doughter the erle of Ostrenaunt had to his wyfe / was nothynge content with those tidynges / for alwayes he had auaunsed his sonne of Ostre­naunt / towardes the kyng and his coūsaile. This mater was nat forgotten / but inconti­nent the Frenche kyng wrote sharpe letters to therle of Ostrenaūt / who was at quesnoy [Page] in Heynaulte / cōmaundyng hym to come to Parys to do his homage / before the kynge and the other peeres of Fraunce / for the cou­tie of Ostrenaut / or els the kyng wolde take it fro hym / and make hym warre. Whan the erle had well ouersene these letters / and par­ceyued howe that the Frenche kyng and his counsayle were displeased with hym / to ma­ke his answere he assembled his counsayle. as the lorde of Fountayns / the lorde of Go­megynes / sir Wyllyam of Hermes / the lorde of Trassegnies / the bayly of Heynaulte / the lorde of Sancelles / sir Rase of Montigny / the abbot of Crispyne / Iohan Sulbart / Iaquemart Barrier of Valencennes. These wysemen counsayled togider / what answere might be made to the kynges letters. There were many reasons alleged / at last all thyn­ges consydred / they thought it for the best to write to the Frenche kynge and to his coun­sayle / to take a daye to answere clerely to all maner of demaundes / by the mouthe of cer­tayne credyble ꝑsons / and none by writyng. And in the meane season they sente certayne notable personages to the erle of Heynaulte and duke Aubert of Holāde to haue their coū sayles what answere to make. Thus they dyde. They wrote swetely and courtesly to the kynge and to his counsayle / so that with those fyrst letters the kyng and his coūsayle was well content. Than therle and his coū ­sayle sent in to Hollande the lorde of Tras­segines and the lorde of Sancelles / Iohan Semart and Iaques Barrier. They rode to the erle of Heynault / and shewed hym the state of the countie or Heynault / and the let­ters that the Frenche kyng hadde sent to his sonne the erle of Ostrenaunt. the erle of Heynaulte had marueyle of that mater and said. Sirs / I thought neuer otherwyse / but that it shulde come thus to passe. Wyllyam my son̄e had nothyng to do to go in to Englāde. I haue delyuered hym the rule and gouer­naunce of the coūtie of Heynaulte. he might haue done & vsed hym selfe / accordyng to the counsayle of the countrey. Sirs / I shall tell you what ye shall do. Go to my fayre cosyn the duke of Burgoyn / for it lyeth well in his power to regarde and to sette an order in all thynges demaunded by the Frenche kynge / I canne gyue you no better counsayle. With this answere they departed out of Hollande and came in to Heynault / and there shewed what answere they had / wherwith the erle & his counsayle were content. There was as­signed to go in to Fraūce to the duke of Burgoyne / the lorde of Trassegnies / sir Wyllm̄ of Hermyes / sir Rase of Montigny / Iohan Semart / and Iaques Barrier: To shewe and declare all y ^e processe and sute that they made at the Frenche courte / shulde be ouer longe to resyte. But finally all thynges con­cluded / for all y ^t the duke of Burgoyne coude do / there was non other remedy / but that the erle of Ostrenaunt must come personally to Parys / and to knowe his homage due to the Frenche kyng for the countie of Ostrenaunt or els surely to haue warre. The lorde of coucy & sir Olyuer of Clysson toke great payne for the erles sake / but sir Iohn̄ Mercier and the lorde de la Ryuer labored on the contra­rye syde / as moche as they might. ¶ Nowe let vs leaue to speke any more of this mater / and retourne to speke of the lordes & knygh­tes of Fraunce / who were at the siege before the strong towne of Aufryke agaynst the sa­razyns. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue herde here before / howe the christen men had besieged the stronge towne of Aufryke / by lande & by see: Settyng all their ententes / howe to con­quere it / for they thought if they might wyn it / the brute therof shulde sounde / to their great honours and prayse. and howe they myght there kepe them selfe toguyder / and to resyst agaynst their ennemyes: sayenge howe they shulde alwayes haue conforte of the Christen men / and specially of the Fren­che kyng / who was yong and desyrous of dedes of armes / consydring howe he had truce with the Englysshmen for two yeres to cōe. [Page ccxi] the sarazyns feared the same / wherfore dayly they made prouysyon for the towne / and re­fresshed alwaies their towne with newe fressh men / hardy aduenturers / accordynge to their vsage. Thus the season passed on / and after the christen men hadde suffred the great losse of their companyons with lytell wynnynge or aduauntage on their partye / all their hole hoost were in a maner dyscomforted / for they coulde nat se howe to be reuenged. Than ma­ny of theym beganne to murmure / sayenge we lye here all in vayne / as for the skrymys­shes that we make / therby shall we neuer wyn the Towne of Auffryke / for if we slee any of them / for eche of them they wyll gette agayne ten other. They be in their owne countrey / they haue vytayles and prouysyons at their pleasure / and that we haue is with great daū ger and parell. What shall we thynke to do? if we lye here all this wynter / longe and colde nyghtes / we shalbe morfounded and frosen to dethe. Thus we shall be in a herde case by dy­uers wayes. first in wynter no man dare take the see for the cruell and tyrryble wyndes and tempestes of the see / for the sees and tempestes are more fierser in wynter than in somer / and if we shulde lacke vytayles but eight dayes togyther / and that the see wolde suffre none to come to vs / we were all deed and lost without remedy. Secondly though it were so that we had vytayles and all thynges necessary with out daunger / yet howe coulde our watche en­dure the payne and traueyle contynually to watche euery night. the parell and aduenture is ouer herde for vs to beare / for our enemyes who be in their owne countrey / and knowe the countrey / may come by nyght and assayle vs to their great aduauntage / and do vs great domage / as they haue done all redy. Thyrdly if for faute of good ayre & of swete fresshe mea­tes / wherwith we haue been norysshed / that mortalyte hap to fall in our hoost / we shall dye euery man fro other / for we haue no remedy to resyst agaynst it. Also furthermore if the genouoys turne agaynst vs / which are rude people and traytours / they may be nyght tyme entre in to their shyppes / & so leue vs here to pay for the scotte. All these doutes are to be consydred by our capytaynes who lye at their ease / and regarde nat the case we be in▪ and also some of the genouoys spared nat to speke / and sayd in raylynge to the crysten men. What men of ar­mes be ye frenche men / whan we departed fro Genne we thought that within fyftene dayes that ye had layen at siege before the towne of Aufryke / ye shulde haue conquered it / & nowe we haue ben here more thanne two monthes / and as yet we haue done nothyng / as for such assautes & skrymysshes as ye make / the towne nedeth nat to feare this yere / nor yet the nexte. by this maner of meanes ye shall neuer con­quere this realme of Aufryke nor yet of Thu­nes. This comunynge spred so abrode in the hoost / that it came to the knowlege of the gret lordes and capytaynes of the armye / and spe­cyally the lorde of Coucy / who was sage and discrete / and to whose coūsayle the chefe parte of the host inclyned euer vnto. He sayd to him selfe and considred howe all these doutes were greatly to be feared / and to the entente to or­dayn hastely remedy / he assembled secretly all the great lordes of the hoost togyder in coun­sayle / bycause wynter aproched. This coun­sayle was kept in the duke of Burbons tente / and the conclusyon was to dyslodge for that seasone / and euery man to retourne the same way as they came / the lordes prepared secretly for this. than the patrons of the galees were sente for / and their purpose was shewed vnto them / and they wyst nat what to say to the contrary / at laste they sayde. My lordes take no doute nor suspecte in vs / we haue made you promesse / wherfore we wyll acquyte vs truely to you / for if we wolde haue enclyned to the treaties of the affrykans / they wolde gaue de­syred to haue had peace with vs / bnt we wold neuer gyue heryng to them. we wyll kepe our faythe to you / syth we haue promysed so to do. Sirs quod the lorde of Coucy / we repute you for good and trewe / and valyasit men / but we haue consydred dyuers thynges / wynter aprocheth / and we are destytute of vitayles & other prouysions. By the grace of god we ones re­tourned in to the realme of Fraunce / we shall so enfourme the kynge / who is yonge and lu­sty and desyrous to knowe the maner of these marches / and seynge that he hath treuce with the englysshe men / we thynke small counsay­lynge wyll cause hym to come hyther with a puyssaunce royall / as well to ayde the king of Cicyll / as to make some conquest vpon the sarazyns / wherfore syrs / we requyre you make redy your galees and all other vessels / for we wyll departe within shorte dayes. The geno­uoys [Page] were nothynge content with the frenche men / in that they wolde departe fro the siege before the stronge towne of Aufryke / but they coulde fynde none other remedy / wherfore it behoued them to suffre. A generall brute ran through the hoost / howe the genouoys were aboute to bargayne with the sarazyns / & take their parte / and to betray y ^e crysten men. The crysten men beleued this to be true / and some said one to an other. our souerayne capitayns as the duke of Burbone / the erle Dolphyn of Auuergne / and the lorde Coucy / syr Guy de la Tremoyle / syr Iohan of Vyen / and syr Phy­lyppe of Bare / they knowe surely howe euery thynge gothe / and therfore we shall thus so­daynely departe fro the siege. Their depar­ture was publysshed throughe the hoost / and euery man cōmaunded to conuey euery thing in to their shyppes. Than saruaūtes and var­letres were redy to trusse all maner of bagga­ges / and to cary it in to their vessels lyenge at ancre. Whan euery thyng was cōueyed / euery man entred in to suche shyppes as they came in / and dyuers barones and knyghtes made couenaūt with their patrons and maysters of their shyppes / some to sayle to Naples / some to Cicyll / some to Cyper / and some to Rodes / to the entent to go to Iherusalem. Thus they departed fro the siege of Aufryke / and toke the see in the syght of the sarazyns that were within the towne. Whan they sawe their de­parture / they made gret noyse with blowyng of hornes and sownynge of taburs / and shou­tynge and cryeng / in suche wyse / that the host of sarazyns that lay abrode knew therof. than ye shuld haue sene the yonge sarazyns moūte on their horses / and came to the place where the siege had layne / to se if they coulde haue founde any thynge there. Agadingor of Oly­ferne / and Brahadyne of Thunes formest. And there they sawe howe the christen men were so clene departed / that they had lefte nothynge behynde that they myght cary. There the sarazyns rode vp and downe more than two houres / to se the maner howe the crysten men had lodged theym selfe at the siege / they greatly praysed the crysten mennes subtyltie / in that they had made so many pyttes in the erthe to haue therby fresshe water. And whan they hadde been there a certayne space / and well regarded the galees and shyppes on the see / some of theym entred in to the towne of Aufryke / to se their frendes and alyes / and o­ther departed agayne to their lodgynges / and made bost of their voyage / sayenge howe the crysten men durst abyde there no lengar / and sayd howe their puissaunce was nothynge to regarde / and that they wolde neuer more sette somoche by the frenche men nor by the geno­uoys / as they had done before. and of this they sayd trouth / I shall tell you howe & wherfore.

AFter that this siege was thus conty­nued / as I was enfourmed y ^e sarazins waxed proude / for they sawe well howe the genouoys had done their full power to hurte and to anoy them / and they sawe that this voyage was to their great coste / and yet had won but lytell / whiche was of trouthe. And all that season the sarazyns knewe nothing of the deth of so many crysten knyghtes and squyers as were slayne at the great skrymysshe / but the same day that the crysten men departed / they had knowledge therof / and I shall shewe you by what meanes. The sarazyns founde in the felde a varlet of the genouoys / lyenge on the grounde sore sycke of the hote feuer / and was nat able to go to the galees whan his felowes departed. And of the fyndynge of this varlet / the sarazyns were ryght ioyfull / and brought him before their lordes / and shewed howe they had founde hym / than a trucheman was set to here his examynacion. In the begynnynge he wolde shewe nothyng / for he reekened himselfe but deed / and he desyred the sarazyns incon­tynent that they wolde put hym to deth. than the lordes of the hoost / as Agadingor Doly­ferne / Brahadyn of Thunes / and dyuers o­ther / thought if they shulde cause hym to dye they shulde wyn nothyng therby / yet rather to saue his lyfe / so y ^t he wolde shewe the trouthe of that he shulde be demaunded. Than it was shewed hym that if he wolde without lyenge shewe the trouth / his lyfe shulde be saued / and to be delyuered franke and free / and sent into his owne coūtrey by the first shyp that shulde come thence / outher in to the lande of Geneue or Marcyll / and also that he shulde haue gy­uen to hym a. C. besantes of golde. Whan the varlet who feared dethe herde this promesse he was well comforted / for he knew well what so euer the sarazyns promyse by their faythe shulde be truely kepte / and also ye knowe well naturally euery man is lothe to dye. Than he [Page ccxii] said to the truchman. cause the lordes to swere on their lawe to vpholde all that ye sayd / and than shall I aunswere you to all that I shalbe examyned of / as farre forth as I knowe. The trucheman shewed this to the lordes / and they made faythfull promesse by their fayth to full­fyll their promesse. Than y ^e varlet sayd. nowe demaund what ye wyll / and I shall answere. Than firste he was demaunded of whence he was. He answered and sayd / he was of Port­nances. Than they demaunded of hym of the feates of the frenche men that had been at the siege. He named to them dyuers / for he hadde kepte often tymes cōpany with harauldes / by whome he had lerned dyuers of their names. Than they desyred to knowe y ^e occasion why they departed so sodaynely fro the siege. wher to he answered wysely and sayd. As for that I can nat tell / but by supposynge / and acordyng as I haue herde spoken in our host / as for me I was neuer a counsayle with the lordes. but as the brute went / the frenchmen were in doute of the genouoys that they shulde betray them / and the genouoys denyed it and sayd / they neuer thought it nor neuer wolde / and blamed the frenchmen y ^t they shulde so slaunder them. Also it was sayd that parte of the occasyon of their departure was bycause the wynter druenere / and they were afrayde of taking of suche domage as they had receyued before. what domage was that quod the lordes. Syrs ꝙ he / the same daye that ten of our men shulde haue fought with ten of yours / they lost about a .lx. knightes and squiers of name and armes / the genouoys sayd for that cause they departed. They beleued well y ^e varlet / of whiche newes the lordes sarazyns had great ioye. They en­quered of hym no further / but vphelde to him all their promesses / & so he retourned to Port­nances and to Geane / and shewed all this ad­uenture / and what he had said and herde / and he receyued no blame therof. Than the sara­zyns sayd amonge them selfe / they shulde nat nede to care for the frenche men nor for the ge­nouoys of a longe season after / and said howe before the towne of Aufryke they had taken no profyte / howe be it they sayde they wolde take better hede to their portes and hauens and the see costes of their Realmes / and specyally to the straytes of Marroke they set sure watche / that the genouoys nor venysians shulde nat passe that wayes in to Englande / nor in to Flaunders / with their marchaundyses / with­out payenge of a great trybute / and yet that to be by greate grace and lycence. Thus the sa­razyns assembled and alyed them togythers of dyuers realmes / as of Aufryke / Thunes / Bogy / Martoke / Belmaryn / Tremessyans / & Granade / all agreed togyder to kepe strayt­ly their portes and passages / and to sette ga­lees armed on the see to a great nombre / to the entent to be lordes and maisters of the see. and all this they dyd for the great hatred that they had to the frenchmen and genouoys / bycause they had ben at the siege before Aufryke. thus they dyd great trouble to the goers and com­mers on the see / so that moche yuell and mys­chefe grewe therby / for by meanes that the sa­razyns were thus lordes of the see / suche mar­chaundyses as came fro Dāmas / fro Cayrel fro Alexaunder / fro Venyce / fro Naples / and fro Geane / were in y ^t season so dere in Flaun­ders and so scarce / that many thynges coulde nat be gotte / nouther for golde no syluer / and specially all spycery was wonderfull dere and gayson.

YE haue herd here before howe the crysten men departed for the siege of Aufryke. They all passed the see / but all aryued nat at one porte / for some were so sore tourmented on the see / that they retourned in great daunger / howe be it some of theym re­turned to Geane. Processyons were made in Fraūce for their good spede / for there was no tydynges herde of them. The lady of Coucy / the lady of Sulley / the lady Dolphyn of Au­uergne / and other ladyes of Fraūce / who had their husbandes in this voyage were in great sorowe / as longe as the voyage endured. and whan tydynges came howe they were passed the see / they were ryght ioyfull. The duke of Burbone and the lorde of Coucy retourned priuely / and lefte behynde them all their cary­age and trayne / and so they came to Parys aboute saynte Martyns tyde in wynter. The frenche kynge was ioyouse of their comynge / as it was reason / and demaunded of them ty­dinges of Barbary / and of their voyage. they shewed al that they knewe / and had herde and sene. The kynge and the duke of Thourayne were glad to here them speke. Than the kyng sayd / if we can bringe it aboute to make peace in the churche / and bytwene vs and Englāde / [Page] we shall gladly make a voyage with an army royall in to those parties / to exalte the crysten fayth / and to confounde the infydels and to acquyte the dedes of our predecessours / as kyng Ppilyp and kinge Iohan / for they bothe eche after other tooke on them the crossey / to haue gone to the holy lande / and they had gone thy­der if y ^e warres had nat fallen in their realme. In lyke wyse we wolde gladly make suche a voyage. Thus the Frenche kynge comuned with these lordes / and so the day passed / and lytell and lytell men came home fro their voyage / and the kynge helde hym selfe that season most comenly at Parys / somtyme at y ^e castell of Lowre / and a nother tyme in the howse of saynt Powle / where the quene most comenly laye. So it fell in the same season aboute the feest of saynt Andrewe / and that all knyghtes and squyers were retourned fro their voyage into Barbary / wherof all y ^t worlde spake. than in the frenche kynges court there was a mocyon moued for a newe iourney to be made thy­der. And bycause that the frenche kynge had gret affection to dedes of armes / he was counsayled and exorted therto / and it was sayde to hym. Syr ye haue deuocyon and great yma­gynacion to go ouer the see / to fyght agaynst the infydels / and to conquere the holy lande. That is trewe quod the kynge / my thought nyght and day is on none other thyng. and as I was enfourmed / it was y ^e lord of Tremoyle and sir Iohan Mercier that had these wordes to the king / for they owed their fauour to pope Clement beynge at Auignon. and loke what they two sayd y ^e kyng wolde agre to them / for they were most speciall in fauour. Than they sayd to the kynge. Syr ye can nat with good conscience take on you this voyage / with out first the church be all one. syr begyn first at the heed / than your enterprise shall take good conclusyon. Why quod the kynge where wolde ye haue me to begyn? Syr quod they at this present tyme ye be nat charged with any great busynesse / ye haue treuce with the englysshe men for a longe space. wherfore syr if it please you this peace durynge / ye myght make a goodly voyage. and syr we can se no better nor more honourable a voyage for you / thanne to go to Rome with a great puyssaunce of men of ar­mes / and pull downe and dystroy that ante­paye / whome the romayns by force hath crea­ted and set in the seate cathedrall of saynt Pe­ter / if ye wyll ye maye well accomplysshe this voyage / and we suppose ye can nat passe your tyme more honorably. And syr / ye maye well know that if this antepape and his cardynals knowe ones y ^t ye be mynded to come on them with an army / they wyll yelde them self / & aske mercy. The kynge remēbred hym selfe a lytell and sayd / howe he wolde do as they had deuysed / for surely he said he was moche bounde to pope Clement / for the yere past he had ben at Auygnon / where as the pope and his cardy­nals made hym ryght honourable chere / and had gyuen more than was demaunded / bothe to hym selfe / to his brother / and to his vncles / wherfore the kynge sayd it hadde deserued to haue some recompence. and also at his depar­ture fro Auignon / he had promysed the pope to helpe & to assyst hym in his quarell. At that season there was at Parys with the kyng / the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne. than it was agreed and concluded that the nexte Marche after the kynge shuld departe fro Parys / and take the way towardes Sauoy and Lombardy / and the erle of Sauoy to sende his cosyn Germayne with hym / and the kynge to haue vnder his charge the duke of Tourayne his brother with four thousande speares / and the duke of Burgoyne with two thousande spea­res / and the duke of Berrey two thousāde / the constable of Fraunce two thousande speares / with the bretons / raintoners and lowe mar­ches / the duke of Burbon a thousāde speares / the lorde of saynt Poll and the lorde of Coucy a thousande speares / & all these men of armes to be payed in hande for thre monethes / and so fro terme to terme. And whan those tydyn­ges were knowen in Auignon / pope Clement and his cardynals were greatly reioysed / and thought in a maner their enterprise atcheued. Also the kinge was coūsayled nat to leaue the duke of Bretayne behynde hym / but to sende and to desyre hym to prepare hym selfe to go with him in this voyage. The kyng wrote notably to hym / and sent his letters by a man of honour an offycer of armes / signyfyenge the duke in his letters the state of this voyage. Whan the duke had red these letters he turned hym selfe & smyled / and called to hym the lorde of Mountboucher and sayd. Syr harke and regarde well what the frenche kyng hath writ­ten to me / he hath enterprised to departe this next Marche with a great puissaunce to go to [Page ccxiii] Rome and to distroy suche as take parte with pope Bonyface. As god helpe me his iourney shall tourne to nothynge / for in shorte space he shall haue more flax to his dystaffe than he can well spynne / I thynke he wyll leaue soone his folyssh thought. And also he desyreth me to go with hym with two thousande speares / howebeit I wyll honour him as I ought to do / and I wyll write to him ioyously / bycause he shall be contente / and shewe hym / howe if he go in this voyage he shall nat go without me / seyng it pleaseth him to haue my company / howe be it sir of Moūtboucher I say vnto you / I wyll nat traueyle a man of myne for all y ^t the kyng hath purposed and sayd / nothynge shall there be done in that behalfe. The duke of Bretayne wrote goodly letters and swete to the frenche kynge / and the officer of armes returned with theym to Parys / and delyuered them to the kynge / who redde them and was well contented with the aunswere. ⸫ ⸫

THe wyll and purpose of the frenche kynge none wolde breke / for it pleased greatly all the knyghtes & squyers of Fraunce / by­cause they wyst nat where better to enploy their sea­son / and euery man prepared towardes that voyage / and namely the clergy of all the pro­uynces of the realme / ordayned and graunted a tayle / to sende at their costes and charges men of warre with the kynge. Howe be it this voyage tourned to nothynge / as the duke of Bretayne had sayd before / and I shall shewe you by what incidence. About y ^e feest of Can­delmas came other tydynges to the Frenche kyng and to his counsayle / whiche they loked nothynge for. Certayne of the kynge of En­glandes coūsayle / and suche as were of his priuy chambre / were sent nobly to Parys to the frenche kyng / and they that were chefe of this legacyon was / syr Thomas Percy / syr Loys Clyfforde / and sir Robert Briquet / with dy­uers other knyghtes in their company / but I herde as than no mo named. Whan these thre knyghtes were come to Parys to hym / than the french kyng was desyrous to knowe what it myght meane / that the kynge of Englande dyd sende so hastely of his counsayle to hym. These knyghtes of Englande / syr Thomas Percy and other / alyghted in Parys in the streate called the Crosse / at the signe of the ca­stell. The frenche kynge as than lay in the ca­stell of Lowere / & his brother the duke of Tou­rayne with hym / and his other thre vncles in other lodgynges in the cytie / and the cōstable syr Olyuer Clysson. It was nere hāde noone whan the englysshe men came to Parys / and they kept their lodgynge all that day & nyght after / and the next day aboute nyue of y ^e clocke they lept on their horses ryght honorably and rode to the castell of Loure to the kyng / where he with his brother and vncles / the Erle of saint Poll / the lorde of Coucy / the constable of Fraūce / sir Iohan of Vien / & sir Guy de la tremoyle with dyuers other barons of Fraunce / were redy to receyue the englysshe ambassa­dours / who alyghted at y ^e gate and entred in / and there receyued them the lord de la Ryuer / syr Iohan Mercyer / sir Lyon of Lignach / sir Peter Villers / sir Willyam of Tremoyle / and syr Marcell. there they receyued them honou­rably / and brought theym in to the chambre / where the kynge taryed for them. Than they dyd of their bonettes and kneled downe. syr Thomas Percy hadde the letters of credence that the kynge of Englande had sente to the frenche kynge / he delyuered them to the kyng who tooke them / and caused the knyghtes to stande vp / than they stepe some what backe. The kynge opyned the letters and red them / and sawe well that they had credence / than he called to hym his brother and his vncles and shewed them the letters / than his vncles sayd. Syr call forthe the knyghtes / and here what they wyll say. Than they aproched and were cōmaunded to declare their credence. than si [...] Thomas Percy spake and sayd. Dere sir / the entencyon of our souerayne lorde the kinge of Englande is / that he wolde gladly that suche of his specyall counsayle / as his vncles dukes of Lancastre / yorke / and Glocestre / and other [Page] prelates of Englande / suche as his specyall [...] might come in to your presence and to your counsayle / as shortely as myght be / to treate for a maner of peace / so that it he and you togyther myght couenably and resona­bly be con [...]oyned / and meanes sounde to haue a conclusyon of peace / he wold be therof right ioyfull / and for that entente he wolde nouther spare his owne payne and laboure / nor yet none of his men / nother to come hym selfe or to sende suffyciente persones ouer thesee to the cytie of Amyence / or to any other place as­signed. And syr we be come hyder for this en­tente to knowe your pleasure in this behalfe. Than the kynge aunswered and sayde. Syr Thomas Percy / you and all your company are ryght hertely welcome / and of youre co­mynge and wordes we are ryght ioyfull / ye shall [...]ary here in Paris a season / and we wyll speke with our counsayle and make you suche a couenable answere or ye depart / that it shall suffyce you. With this answere the englysshe men were well content. Than it was nere dy­ner tyme / and the englysshe men were desy­red to tary to dyne. And so the lorde of Coucy brought them in to a chambre and the lorde de la Ryuer. There they dyned at their layser / and after dy [...]er they retourned in to the kyn­ges chambre / and there had wyne and spyces and thanne toke their leaue of the kynge and wente to their lodgynge.

THe comynge of syr Thomas Percy and his company in to Fraūce and the tydynges that they brought / pleased greatly the frenche kynge and the duke of Burgoyne / and dyuers of his counsayle / but nat all [...] and specially suche as ayded to sustayne pope Clementes quarell / for they sawe well by these tydynges / that if the frenche kynge enclyned to this treatie / that it shulde greatly let & hynder the voyage that was mynded to go to Rome / to distroy pope Bonyfac [...] and his cardynals / or els to bringe them to the beleue of pope Clemente But the mater of treatie of peace was so [...]egh / and touched so moche the welthe and prefyte all crystendome / so that no persone durst speke against it. The duke of Burgoyn and his counsayle / with the kynge and his brother and the duke of Burbone / were all of one acorde. The kyng made good chere to (ser) Thomas Percy & to the englysshmen / but amonge them there was one knyght / called sir Robert Briquet / wheme the frenche kynge loued nat / he was a frenche man borne / but alwayes he helde him selfe outher naueroys or englysshe / and as than he was one of the king of Englandes priuy chambre. The frenche kynge dissy­muled with hym sagely / for whan he spake to theym / alwayes the kynge wolde tourne his selfe to syr Thomas Percy or els to syr Loys Clyfforde / and sayd. Syrs / we wolde gladly se this peace to be had bytwene vs and our aduersary the kynge of Englande / for the qua­rell and warre hath to longe endured bytwene vs. and one thinge I wyll ye knowe / y ^t it shall nat be hyndred on out parte / though it be gretly to our cost. Sir quod they the kyng our so­uerayne lorde / who hath sent vs hyther hathe great affection to haue peace / and saythe that it shall nat be let on his parte / and hath mar­ueyle that the warre and dyscensyon bytwene your landes hath endured so longe / and that no good amyable meanes hathe been had or this tyme. Than the frenche kynge answered and sayd / we shall se the good affection that he hath thervnto.

THese englysshemen taryed at Parys vi. dayes / and euery day dyned with one of the dukes of Fraunce / and in the meane season it was determyned / that the frenche kynge / his vncles and his priuy coun­sayle shulde be at Amyence / by the myddes of Marche next after / there to abyde the coming of the kynge of Englande / his vncles / and his counsayle / if they wolde come thyder. And the englysshe knyghtes sayd / they made no doute but at the lest the kynge of Englandes vncles shulde be at the day assigned at Amyence. this was the conclusyon of this treatie. The daye before that they shulde departe out of Parys / the kynge came to y ^e palays where his vncles were / and there he made a dynner to the En­glyssh knightes / and caused sir Thomas Percy to sytte at his borde and called hym cosyn / by reason of the Northumberlandes blode / at which dyner there was gyuen to sir Thomas Percy and to the englyssh knightes and squi­ers great gyftes and fayre iewels / but in the gyunge of them / they ouer slypte syr Robert Briquet. and syr Peter Villers chefe steward with the frenche kynge / delyuered the gyftes / and be said to syr Robert Briquet. Sir whan [Page ccxiiii] ye haue done suche seruyce to the kynge my maister / as shall please hym / he is ryche and puisaunt ynough to rewarde you. With whiche wordꝭ sir Robert Briquet was sore abasshed / and parceyued well therby that y ^e kyng loued hym nat / but he was fayne to suffre it. after dyner mynstels began to play / that pastyme ones past sir Thoms Percy cāe to the kyng & sayd. Sir / I and my company haue great marueyle of one thing / y ^t ye haue made vs so good chere and gyuen vs so great gyf­tes that sir Robert Briquet hath nothynge / who is a knight of our maisters preuy chambre. Sir we desyre to knowe the cause why: therto answered the frenche kyng and sayd. Sir Thomas / the knyght that ye speke of / syth ye wyll knowe y ^t mater. he hath no nede to be in batayle agaynst me / for if he were taken prisoner his raunsome shulde soone be payde / and therwith the kyng entred in to o­ther cōmunycacion. Than wyne and spyces were brought forthe / and so tooke leaue & re­tourned to their lodgynge / and made a reco­nyng and payde for euery thyng. The nexte daye they departed & spedde so in their iour­neys that they arryued in Englāde / and she­wed the kyng and his vncles howe they had spedde / and greatly praysed the frēche kyng / and the chere that he had made them / & she­wed of the gyftes and iewels that he had gyuen them. ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue a lytell to speke of the Englysshe men / and some what shewe of kyng Iohan of Castyle. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue herde here before in this hystorie / how peace was made bytwene the kynge of Ca­style and the duke of Lancastre / who chalenged to haue ryght to the realme of Castyle / by reason of the lady Custaunce his wyfe / doughter to kyng Dō ­peter. And by meanes of a fayre doughter y ^t the duke of Lancastre had by the sayde lady Custaunce / the peace was made and confyr­med. For the sayde kynge Iohan of Castyle had a sonne to his heyre / called Henry / who was prince of Galyce. This Henry was maryed to the duke of Lancasters Doughter / wherby good peace was made bytwene En­glande and Castyle: and within two yeres after this maryage kynge Iohan of Castyle dyed / and was buryed in Burgus in Spaygne. Anone after his dethe / the prelates and lordes of Spaygne drewe toguyder / and determyned to crowne the yonge herytoure the prince of Galyce. This prince Henry was crowned the nynth yere of his age / and his wyfe doughter to the duke of Lancastre was a fyfteene yere of age. Thus the dukes doughter by the lady Custaunce was quene of Ca­style / and lady and heritour to all the landes and seignories / that kyng Dompeter / kyng Henry / and kyng Iohan helde / excepte that the duke of Lācastre her father and his wyfe her mother had durynge their lyues / whiche was a pensyon of a hundred thousande do­reyns by yere: And foure of the best erles of Spayne were pledges and dettours for the same. Thus the duke of Lancastre sawe his two doughters (one quene of Spaygne / the other quene of Portugale) bestowed.

¶Nowe lette vs speke of the yonge erle of Armynake / and of the voyage he made in to Lombardy / for the matter requyreth it: and we shall leaue to speke of the kynge of Ca­style. ⸫ ⸫

IT hath been shewed here before / what great of fectyon the yonge Erle of Armynake had to go in to Lombardy with menne of warre / to ayde and assyste his suster germayne / and his brother in lawe her husbande the lorde Barnabo / eldest sonne to the lorde Barnabo whome the duke of Myllayne had caused to [Page] be slayne marueylouslye. And this duke of Myllayne was erle of Vertues / and named Galeas / Whose doughter the duke of Orly­aunce hadde to wyfe. This sayd lady / who was doughter to the olde erle of Armynake and suster to the yonge erle / was greatly a­basshed and disconforted / and had no truste but on her brother. She signified to hym all her estate / her pouertie and necessyte / and dō mage that she suffred: And humbly requy­red her brother / that he wolde helpe to kepe and defende her agaynst the tyraunt the erle of Vertues / who wolde disheryte her with­out any tytell of reason. And to the request of his suster the erle of Armynake condiscended / and sayde. That what soeuer it shulde coste hym / he wolde do his deuoyre to ayde his suster. And all that he promysed he accō ­plisshed in dede. for he had by the ayde of the erle Dolphyne of Auuergne / made dyuers treaties in Auuergne / Rouergue / Quercy / Lymosyn / Piergourte / Engoulmoys / and Agenoyes / and had bought certayne fortres­ses whiche had been kepte by the Englysshe men / gascoyns / and bretons / suche as hadde made warre agaynst the realme of Fraunce / vnder colour of the kyng of Englande / and all suche as he hadde agreed withall / hadde their pardons of the Frenche kyng: and be­syde that / the kyng gaue golde and syluer to be gyuen amonge theym. But they were all bounde to the erle of Armynake / to go with hym in to Lōbardy to ayde hym in his war­res there. And euery man shewed hym selfe therto well wyllynge / & euery man drewe to the ryuer of Rosne and to y ^e ryuer of Sosne. The duke of Berrey and the duke of Bur­goyne suffred them in their countreys to ta­ke vitaylles at their pleasure / for they wolde gladly haue had them clene delyuered out of the countre. And in y ^t season vnder the kyng there ruled in the Dolphynry / the lorde En­gueram Durdyn. And the kynge had writ­ten to hym / commaundyng that these men of warre parteynyng to the erle of Armynake / shulde pesably passe throughe the countrey / and to haue that they neded for their money.

WHan the erle of Foiz beynge in By­erne in his castell of Ortays / vnder­stode howe the erle of Armynake as­sembled men of warre toguyder / he began to muse / for he was a man greatly ymaginatife Well he had herde howe the brute was / that the erle of Armynake made this assemble to go in to Lōbardy agaynst the lorde of Myl­laygne. But bycause in tyme past the erle of Armynake and his predecessours before him and his brother Bernarde of Armynake had made hym warre / therfore he douted lest the sayde assemble shulde tourne agaynst hym. wherfore he thought he wolde nat be vnpro­uyded / but prepared his fortresses with men of warre / and made suche prouysion / that if he were assayled / to resyst it with all his pu­issaunce. But the erle of Armynake nor his brother were nothynge of that purpose / but thought surely to vpholde y ^e treuce that was bytwene them / and to atcheue his enterprice in to Lombardy. There were many knygh­tes and squyers Englysshe / gascoyns / bre­tons and other that were bounde to serue the erle of Armynake in his warres. But if he shulde haue made warre agaynst the erle of Foiz / they wolde haue taken the erle of Foiz parte / and haue forsaken the erle of Armynake / the erle of Foiz was so welbeloued with all men of warre / for the wysedome / largesse and prowesse that was in hym. And whan̄e the duchesse of Thourayne was enfourmed howe therle of Armynake was redy to passe ouer the mountayns / to entre in to Lombar­dy with puissaunce of men of warre / to ma­ke warre agaynst the duke of Myllayne her father. And howe that the Frēche kyng and his vncles / the dukes of Berrey and Bur­goyne consented therto / bycause they wolde haue their countreis clene auoyded of the cō ­panyons and routes of pyllars / suche as had often tymes greued sore their coūtreys. this lady thought nat to forgette the matter / but wrote to her father the duke of Millayne / all that she knewe / to the entente that he shulde take hede to hym selfe / and to his countrey. The lorde of Myllayne was well enformed of the busynesse / and prouyded for menne of warre where he might gette them / and refresshed his townes / cyties / and castelles with vitayle / and other munysiōs of warre. and loked surely to haue warre with the erle of Army­nake / as they hadde in dede.

[Page ccxv] ABout the myddes of the moneth of Marche / the moost parte of these cō panyons were assembled toguyder in the marchesse of Auignon / all a longe the ryuer of Rosne / to the nombre of fyftene thousande horses / and passed the ryuer: and so entred in to the Dolphynny of Vyen / and lod­ged abrode in the vyllages / and some passed forwarde to haue the more easy passage tho­roughe the mountayns / whiche were peryl­lous to passe / bothe for man and horse. The erle of Armynake and his brother / with cer­tayne other knyghtes wente to Auygnon / to se hym that was called pope Clemente / and the cardynalles there. And offred their ser­uyce to the pope / to ayde hym agaynst the ty­rantes the lombardes / for whiche offre they were thanked. And whan they had ben there an eight dayes / and that great parte of their company were paste forwarde / They tooke their leaue of the pope and of the cardynal­les / and prepared to folowe their men. there the two bretherne departed a sondre / the erle Iohan of Armynake and sir Bernarde his brother. Than the Erle sayde. Brother / ye shall retourne backe to Armynake and kepe our herytage / of Comynges and Armynake For as yet all the fortresses be nat delyuered fro the companyons. There is as yet the ga­ryson of Lourde / where as Peter Arnaulte kepeth vnder the kynge of Englande: And also the garyson of Bounteuyll / whiche is kepte by sir Iohan of Granley / sonne to the Captall of Buse. And thoughe it be so / that as nowe we haue peace with the erle of Foiz yet it is good to doubte hym / for he is cruell and hastye: his thought is vnknowen / ther­fore it is good that our landes be nat dyspurueyed. Wherfore Brother / for these causes & other ye shall retourne home / and ye shalle here often fro me and I fro you. Sir Ber­narde lightlye agreed to this purpose. The deuyse semed good to hym. Nor also he had no great affeccyon to go forthe in that iour­nay. Than at his departynge / the erle his brother sayde to hym. Brother / in youre re­tournyng ye shall go to our cosyn Raymon­de of Thourayne / who holdeth lande of the pope in the countie of Venus / and maketh warre agaynst hym / and my cosyn hath ma­ryed his doughter to the prince of Orenge / and shewe hym howe I am desyred of the pope / to requyre hym to go with me in this voyage / and I shall make hym my compa­nyon in euery thynge / and I shall tary for hym at the cytie of Gappe bytwene y ^e moun­tayns. Sir quod Bernarde I shall do your message. Thus the two bretherne departed a sondre in the felde / and neuer mette to guy­der agayne after. The erle of Armynake to­ke the waye to the cytie of Gappe in y ^e lande of Ganos. And Bernarde his brother went to the castell of Bolongne / where sir Ray­monde of Thouraygne was / who receyued his cosyn ioyously. Than sir Bernarde shewed hym the message that he had to saye / fro his brother the erle of Armynacke / with as fayre wordes as he coulde deuyse / the rather therby to enclyne hym therto. Than sir Raymonde aunswered and layd. Fayre cosyn / or your brother the erle of Armynake be entred farre in to Lōbardy / and hath besieged any towne / I shall folowe hym / but as yet it is to soone for me and my men to go forwarde. Write vnto your brother my cosyn / y ^t aboute the moneth of Maye I shall folowe hym. & by y ^e tyme I trust to haue an ende of the war betwene myne vncle pope Clement / and the cardinals at Auignon & me / who as yet wyll do me no ryght / and kepeth awaye fro me ꝑ­force / that myne vncle pope Gregorie gaue me. they wene to wery me / but they shall nat They desyre knyghtes and squyers / and gy­ueth theym pardons to make warre agaynst me / but they haue no lyst therto. For I canne haue mo men of warre for a thousande Flo­reyns in one daye / than they can haue for all their absolucions in seuyn yere. Fayre cosyn quod sir Bernarde that is trewe. Kepe on your purpose / I wolde nat counsayle you o­therwyse. And as ye haue aunswered me / so shall I write to my brother therle of Army­nake. So be it quod sir Raymonde. Thus they were toguyder all a hole daye. Than̄e sir Bernarde departed and passed the ryuer of Rosne at the bridge. Saynt Espyrite / and so retourned in to Query and in to Rouer­gue by the mountayns / and so came thyder as he wolde be / and lefte the erle of Armyna­ke his brother alone with his warre / against the duke of Myllayne erle of Vertues. Or he departed fro Bolonge he wrote to his brother all the newes that he knewe / and the an­swere of sir Raymonde of Thourayne. The [Page] erle of Armynake receyued the letters in the waye goyng to the cytie of Gappe. He redde the letters / and so passed forthe and made no great force of the matter.

WE wyll contynue to speke of the yonge erle of Armynacke and shewe his feate / or I speke of a­ny other mater. And thus I say The good loue and great affe­ction that he had to conforte his suster & bro­ther in lawe her husbande / whom the erle of Vertues / who called hym selfe lorde of Myllaygne falsely disheryted withoute cause or tytell [...] caused the erle ioyously to passe in his iourney as farre as Pyemount in Lombar­dy. There was two great reasons that cau­sed the erle of Armynake to assemble / and to make that iourney at that tyme. The fyrste was / that the realme of Fraunce therby was clene rydde of the routes of these company­ons / that hadde done moche hurte in the re­aime / and therby the countreys better assu­red than they were before. The seconde rea­son was to ayde his suster / for he had great pytie that she and her husbande shulde lese their herytage / wherby they shulde lyue and maynteyne their estate / and for these consyderacions he toke on hym this enterprice. The capitayns of the companyons sayde one to another. Lette vs ryde forthe merily agaynst these lombardꝭ / we haue a good quarell and a inste tytell / and we haue a good capitayne / wherby our warre shalbe moche the better. And also we shall go in to the best countrey of all the worlde / for Lombardy receyueth fro all costes the fatnesse of the worlde: and the e lombardes be naturally euer riche and cowardes: We shall attayne agaynst theym moche profyte: There is none of vs that be capitayns / but that shall retourne so ryche / that we shall neuer nede to make warre more agaynst any man. Thus the companyons de used one with another / and whan they came in to a plentuous countrey / there they wolde tary a season to refresshe them and their hor­ses.

In the same season the good abuēturous fought of Englande sir Iohan Hacton was in the marchesse of Florēce / and made warre agaynst the florētyns / in the quarell of pope Bonyface of Rome / for they were rebell agaynst the popes cōmaundement / and so were also the Perusyns. The erle of Armynake thought that if he might get this Englysshe knyght to take parte with hym / he shulde haue a great treasure of hym / bycause of his wysedome & valyauntnesse. The erle wrote to hym / signyfieng hym all the hole mater of his enterprice / desyringe hym of his ayde. Whiche letter was sente by a discrete person to sir Iohan Hacton beyng in the marchesse of Florence / and had a two thousande fygh­tynge men. He receyued the letter and redde it. And whan he hadde well vnderstande all the substaunce therof he was ryght ioyfull / and aunswered and sayde. That his owne warre ones atchyued / he wolde do nothyng after / tyll he were in the company of the erle of Armynake. The messanger sayde. Sir ye saye well / I requyre you write your mynde to my lorde the erle of Armynake / he wyll the better beleue it. With ryght a good wyll sir quod the knight / it is reason that I so do. Than the Englysshe knyght wrote / and de­lyuered the letter to the messangere / who re­tourned and came agayne to his lorde / and founde hym as than in the marchesse of Py­neroll / where was gret treatie bitwene hym and the Marques of Salues / who shulde be alyed with hym / to ayde him in his warre agaynst the duke of Myllayne erle of Ver­tues.

THe tidynges that the erle of Ar­mynackes Squyer brought to hym fro sir Iohan Hacton / and of the Wordes that were writ­ten within the letter / The Erle was greatly reioysed and sayd. that he tru­sted to make suche warre to the duke of Myllayne / that he wolde bring hym to reason / or elles to dye in the payne. Whan all his com­pany were passed the straytes of the moun­tayns / and were in the good countrey of Piemounte nere Thouraygne. Than they rode abrode / and dyde moche hurte in the vylla­ges / suche as coude nat holde agaynst them. Than the erle layde sige before Aste in Pye­mount / & entended to rary there for sir Iohn̄ Hacton. Prouisyon came to them fro all partes / and also the companyons wan certayne [Page ccxvi] small holdes / and toke the vitayls that was within them. The countre of Pyneroll / and the landes of the Marques Mount feraunt were opyned and apparelled to delyuer vy­tayles / & other thynges nercessary for y ^e hoost bothe for men and horse. And also great pro­uisyon came to them out of y ^e Dolphyne and out of the countie of Sauoy. Many folkes greatly enclyned to the erle of Armynake / bycause they sawe his quarell was good & iust / and also bycause the erle of Vertues had caused to be slayne his owne vncle sir Bernabo for enuy / to sette agayne the lordes of Lom­bardy in to their herytages / and disheryted his cosyn germayns / wherof many great lordes / thoughe they spake but lytell therof / yet they hadde great pytie of the case. Whyle the erle laye thus at siege before Aste / he herde tidynges of sir Iohn̄ Hacton / wherof he was greatlye reioysed. The tidynges was / that the florentynes were come to the popes mer­cye / and also the Venisyens. And howe that the sayd sir Iohn̄ shulde haue threscore thousande Floreyns / for hym and his company. And that money ones payde / receyued / and delyuered / where as it shulde be departed / than he promysed with a fyue hundred spea­res and a thousande brigans a fote / to come in to the fronter of Gēnes / and to passe ouer the ryuer / wheder their ennemeys wolde or natte / and so to come to the erle of Armynake where soeuer he shulde be. These tidynges greatlye reioysed the erle of Armynake and all his company / for the ayde of this sir Iohn̄ Hacton was right pleasaunt. Than the erle of Armynake was counsailed to deꝑte thens and to go and laye siege before a great cytie called Alexandre / at the entryng of Lōbardy and whan̄e they had won that / than to go to Bresuell / whiche was also a good cytie and a fayre.

THus the erle of Armynake and his company layde siege before the cyte of Alexaundre / standyng in a fayre countrey and a playne. at the departyng out of Pyemount and at the entrynge of Lom­bardy / and the way to go to the ryuer of Gē ­nes. These men of warre passed the ryuer of Thesyn and lodge at their ease at large / for the countrey was good and plesaunt there aboute. The Lorde Galeas lorde of Myl­layne and erle of Vertues / was as than in a towne called the cytie of Pauy / and daylye herde tidynges what his enemyes dyde / but he had marueyle of one thynge / howe therle of Armynake coude gette the rychesse to pay wages to so many men of warre as he hadde brought with hym / but his counsayle answered hym and sayde. Sir / haue no marueyle therof / for the men that he hath be suche com­panyons / that desyreth to wynne and to ryde at aduenture. They haue vsed longe to ouerron the realme of Fraūce / and to take holdes and garysons in the countrey / so that y ^e countrey coude neuer be delyuered of them. And so it is / that nowe of late the duke of Berrey and the Dolphyn of Auuergne / to whose coū treys these rutters dyde moche dōmage / for they kepte them there against the lordes wylles / and ouer ranne the best parte of their he rytages / and made theym warre. And they caused the Erle of Armynake to treate with these companyons / so that the Frenche kyng shulde suffre thē to come in to this your cou­trey to make warre. And therby / and by meanes of certayne money gyuen to them / they are auoyded oute of all the forteresses in the countrey. And also besyde that / the Frenche kynge hath ꝑdoned all suche as made warre agaynst hym / on y ^e cōdycion that they shulde serue the erle of Armynake in his warres / & all that they coude get shulde be their owne. They demaunde none other wages. And su­che be named men of armes amonge theym / with a fyue or sixe horses / that if they were in their owne countreys they wolde go a foote / and be but as poore men. It is great parell and ieopardy to fyght agaynst suche men / & also lightly they be all good men of warre. Wherfore sir / the best counsayle that we can gyue you / is to kepe your townes and fortresses / they be stronge and well prouyded for / and your ennemyes haue none artyllary nor engyns / for the saute to be regarded. They maye well come to the barryers of your townes and scrimysshe / other dōmage they can do none. And this appereth well / for they haue ben in your coūtrey this two monethes / & as yet haue taken no fortresse lytell nor gret. Sir let them alone / and they shall wery thē selfe / and be distroyed at the ende / so ye fyght nat with them. And whan they haue distro­yed the playne countre / and haue no more to [Page] lyue by: They shall than be fayne to returne for famyne / without any other yuell fortune fall on them in the meane tyme. And it shall be well done that your men of warre in your fortresses kepe toguyder to ayde eche other / in tyme of nede. And sir / sende to suche pla­ces as ye thynke your enemyes wyll besiege to resyst thē / for townes men haue but small defēce / for they be nat so vsed nor accustomed to warre / nouther to assaut nor to defende as men of armes knightes and squyers be / who are norisshed & brought vp therin. sir / sende your men of warre to the cytie of Alexandre / Therby ye shall haue double profyte. your cytie shalbe defended and your people shall loue you the better / whan they se ye do ayde and confort them. And sir therto ye be boūde sithe ye haue gouernaunce ouer them / & that they paye to you their rentes / subsydies / & aydes that ye haue demaunded of them dyuers tymes. your enemyes can nat be so strong in the felde before Alexaundre / that the towne shulde be closed in rounde about: they haue no suche nombre to do it / wherfore your men shall entre in to the towne at their case. And whan they of the towne shall se them sel [...] e refresshed with your men of warre / they shall haue y ^e more corage / and loue you moche the better / and shall putte out of their hertes all maner of treatie with your ennemyes. To this counsaile the lorde of Mayllayne greed and incontynent he assembled toguyder his men of warre a fyue hundred speares. And he made capitayne of thē an auncient knight called sir Iaques of Byerne / an expert man of armes / and they rode through the coūtrey priuely / and so on a nyght they entred in to the towne of Alexaundre. They of the towne were greatly reioysed of their cōmyng / and good cause why. Bycause the erle of Army­nake sawe no menne styrynge in the towne. Therfore thre dayes toguyder they sauted & scrimysshed at the barriers / and yet with the small nombre that were there / the armynakꝭ were so well resysted that they wan nothyng Whan sir Iaques de la Byerne and his company were entred in to the strong cyte of Alexaundre and were lodged and refresshed / the gouernour of the cytie and other came to vy­site thē in their lodgynge. Than sir Iaques demaunded of them the state of the cyte / and the demeanour of their enemyes / to take coū sayle thervpon. The anncient men and most sagest answered and sayd. Sir / sithe the erle of Armynake hath layde siege before vs / euery daye we haue had assautes & scrimysshes before our barryers. Well sirs ꝙ the knyght to morowe we shall se what they wyll do. They knowe nat of my cōmyng / I wyll ma­ke a secrete issue / and lye in an enbusshe for them. Ah sir quod they / ye haue nede to be ware what ye do / for they are a sixtene thou­sande horses / and if they discouer you in the felde without any bataile / they shall reyse suche a dust with their horses agaynst you and your company / that ye shalbe clene disconfit among your selfe. Well quod the knyghtes / to mo. owe we shall se howe the mater shall go. We must do some feate of armes sithe we become hyder. Than euery man retourned to their lodging / and the knight gaue know ledge to his cōpany / howe that the next mor­nyng secretely he wolde issue out of the cytie and lye in a buishment in the feldes / and cō ­maunded euery man to be redy.

THe nexte mornyng sir Iaques dela Bierne armed hym and all his company / and issued out secretely / and with hym a ioure hundred / halfe a myle outs of the towne / and assembled in a valey / and caused other two hundred to abyde at y ^e bar­riers. And cōmaunded them / that if their enemyes came to assayle them / that they shulde make but faynt defence / and recule backe thy derwarde / where as they wolde lye in y ^e bus­shement. The daye was fayre and clere and the erle of Armynake who was yong and lusty / after he had herde masse in his pauilyon / armed hym and displayed his penon / & toke with hym but a hundred men / thynking that no man shulde encountre hym. And so came with his company before the barryers lytell and lytell / some folowed hym and some satte styll & sayd. What nede we to arme vs / whan we come to the barryers we shall se no man there / and so satte styll eatyng and drinkyng and therle of Armynake went to scrimysshe before the barryers / and there began to scri­mysshe one with another. & within a shorte season the defenders beganne to recule lytell and lytell / tyll they came to their enbusshe. Whan sir Iaques de la Bierne sawe his enemyes cōe before hym / he discouered hymselfe [Page ccxvii] and set on the acmynagoys / who valyauntly defēded themselfe / for alwayes lytell and lytell socour came to them / there was many a feate of armes done. It was on saynte Christofers daye / and the daye was so hoote that suche as were in their harnes / thought verily they had ben in a furnes / the wether was so faynt with out wynde / so that the lustyest they had moche a do to do any feate of armes. The partye of Myllayne were thre agaynst one. The duste and the powder was so great that they coulde scante se one a nother / and specially they of the erle of Armynakes parte. There fell to the erle a great aduenture / he was so oppressed with heate / that he was so feble that he coulde scant helpe him selfe / so that he drewe aparte out on the one syde of the felde and no man with him / and there founde a lytell ryuer / whan he felte the ayre of the water he thought he was in paradyse / and sate downe alone besyde the wa­ter / and with moche payne dyd of his basenet and sate bareheded / and wasshed his face and dranke of y ^e water / wherby he was worse than he was before / for the coldnesse of the water coled so his blode that he was faynter thanne he was before / and fell in a paluesy / so that he lost the strength of his body and speche / and his men had loste hym. there were many taken. After a knight of the duke of Millayns foūde the erle of Armynake. Whan he sawe hym he had meruayle what he was / he parceyued wel he was a knyght & a man of honour. Than the knight said. Sir who be you? yelde you ye are my prysoner. The erle vnderstode hym nat / nor he coulde nat speke / but he helde vp his hande / and made token to yelde hym. The knyght wolde haue hadde hym to ryse / but he coulde nat. The knyght taryed styll with him whyle other dyd fyght / in the whiche batayle many a feate of armes was done.

WHan syr Iaques de la Bierne who was a sage knyght / sawe howe the iourney was good for his party / and howe that a gret nombre of his enemyes were taken and slayne / and also sawe well that his owne men world [...]ery / and that his enemyes began to multyply with fresshe men / than he reculed towarde the cytie skrymysshynge and defendynge. The knyght that had taken the erle of Armynake / thought nat to leaue hym behynde / for he thought surely he was some man of honoure / and desyred his company to ayde hym / to beare his prisoner in to y ^e towne promysynge them to haue parte of his raun­some. They dyd so / and with moche payne brought him in to the cyte / and was vnarmed and layde in a bedde. Than syr Iaques de la Bierne entred in to the cytie and toke his lod­gynge and vnarmed hym / and refresshed him and his company. And whan the erle of Ar­mynacke was myst in the hoost without / they were sore dysmayed / and wyst nat what to say nor do / and some came to the place where the batayle had ben to seke for hym / and returned agayne clene dyscomfyted. The knyght that had taken the erle of Armynake had great desyre to know what man his prisoner was / and came to another squyer that was in lykewyse taken prisoner a gascon / desyringe his may­ster to suffre hym to go with hym to his lod­gynge. so they went togyder. The lombarde knyght led the squyer of Fraunce in to a chambre / and brought hym to the bedde where the erle of Armynake lay sore complaynyng / and caused torches to be lyghted vp / and than said to the french squyer. Sir / knowe you nat this man? The squyer regarded hym well & sayd / I knowe hym well for I ought so to do / it is our capitayne the erle of Armynake. With the whiche wordes the lombarde was ioyfull / but the Erle was so sycke that he vnderstode no­thynge that was sayd to hym. Than his mayster sayd / go we hence let hym rest. Thus they left him / and the same nyght he dyed / and pas­sed this transitory lyfe. The next day whan it was knowen that the erle of Armynake was deed in Alexaunder in his bedde / syr Iaques of Bierne wolde nat that his dethe shulde be vnknowen / but caused it to be publysshed in the hoost / by suche prisoners as he had / to se what his enemyes wolde do. They of the host were sore dyscomfyted as they well shewed / for as than they had no capitayne to drawe vnto / for they were but companyons gadred of all partes. Than they sayd / let vs returne and saue our selfe / for we haue lost our tyme. Anon it was knowen in the Cytie / howe the army­nois were discōfyted / and had no capytayne. than they armed them / and issued out a horse­backe and a foote / and set on the hoost cryenge Pauy for the lorde of Myllayne. There they were taken and slayne without defence. The conquest and botye was great with the com­panyons [Page] that were come thyder with syr Ia­ques of Bierne the Armynage is yelded them selfe without defence and cast away armure and sledde / and were chased lyke beastes. Lo what a harde aduenture therle of Armynake and his company bad / and where as his en­tente was to do well / it tourned hym to great yuell. If he had lyued fyue dayes lenger / syr Iohan Acton had come to hym with fyue hundred speares / and a thousande brigandyns a foote / wherby he myght haue done many fea­tes of armes / and all lost by harde aduenture.

WHan the duke of Myllayn knewe the trouth that his enemyes were slayne and taken / and specyally the erle of Armynake slayne / he was ioyfull therof / and loued syr Iaques de Bierne the better in his herte / and made hym soueraygne ouer all his chyualry / and made him chefe of his coūsayle. The duke of Myllayne to auoyde his coun­trey of his enemyes / gaue to euery prysoner that was a gentylman a horse / and to euery o­ther man a florayne and quyted them clene of their raunsomes / but at their departynge he caused them to swere that they shulde neuer after arme them agaynst hym. Thus these companions departed out of Lombardy and Piemount / and entred in to Sauoy and in to the dolpheny / and had suche pouertie that it was marueyle for as they passed euery towne was closed agaynst theym. Anone euery man had spent his florayn / some had pytie of them and dyd gyue them almes for charite / and some rebuked and mocked them / sayenge. Go your wayes seke out your erle of Armynake / who is drinkynge at a well before Alexaundre. yet they were in more myschiefe whan they came to the ryuer of Rone they had thought lightly to haue passed ouer in to the realme of Fraūce but they dyd nat for the frenche kynge hadde cōmaunded all the passages to be closed and kept agaynst them / wherby they fell in great daunger and pouertie. After that they coulde neuer assemble togyther agayne. Thus the yonge erle of Armynakes army brake a son­der & his suster abode styll in as yuell case as she was in before. Than y ^e duke of Myllayne sent for a bysshop of his coūtrey / and for suche as were most next to the erle of Armynake / as had ben there with hym at that iourney / and the duke cōmaunded that therles body shulde be baumed / and sente to his brother syr Bar­narde / who was ryght sorowfull of those ty­dynges / and good cause why / but there was no remedy. Than the erle of Armynake was buryed in the cathedrall churche of Rodays / and there he lyeth.

IT ought to be knowen as it hath ben contayned here before in this history / how syr Thomas Percy was sent by kyng Rycharde of Englande in to the realme of Fraūce / and shewed well howe he had gret affectyon to haue a ferme peace bytwene En­glande and Fraunce / and specyally two of the kynge of Englandes vncles / as the duke of Lancastre and the duke Edmonde of yorke / but the kynges other vncle the duke of Gloce­stre and constable of Englande / wolde in no wyse acorde to haue any peace with the french men / without it were to the kynges honoure and theirs / and that there myght be rendred agayne all suche cyties / townes / castels / landes and sygnories / whiche had been gyuen to the kynge of Englande and to his heyres / whiche falsely had ben taken away by the frenchmen / without tytell or reasone / and besyde that the sōme of four thousande frankes / whiche was owyng whan the frenchmen began the warre agayne. And of this opynyon was dyuers lordes of Englande / sayenge that to y ^e dethe they wolde iustifye the same. Many sayd that the duke of Glocestre had good ryght and reason to sustayne that opinyon / but they dissymuled the mater couertely / bycause they sawe y ^e kyn­ges mynde and affection enclyned greatly to haue peace. But the poore knightes and squyers / and archers of England/rather enclyned to haue warre / suche as had susteyned there estates by reason of the warre. Consydre well than / howe peace / loue / or acorde might be had bytwene these parties / for the frenche men in their treatie demaunded to haue Ealays bea­ten downe / & to haue the sygnorie of Guysnes / Hammes / Marke / and Dye / & all the landes of Froyton / and the dependantes of Guysnes vnto the lymyttes of the water of Grauelyng. and the frenche kynge offred to delyuer to the crowne of Englāde as moch landes in values in Acquytayn / against whiche artycle y ^t duke of Gloucestre helde and said. The frenchmen wyll paye vs with our owne / for they knowe well ynough howe we haue charters sealed by [Page ccxviii] kynge Iohan / & all his chyldren / that all hole Acquytayn shulde haue been delyuered to vs / without any resorte or soueraynte to any man and all that euer they haue doone sythe / hath ben by fraude and false engyn / and nyght and day entende to no other thyng but to disceyue vs / for if Calays and suche landes as they de­maunde / were delyuered in to their handes / they shulde be lordes of all the see coste / and than all our conquestes were as nothynge / I shall rather neuer agree to peace as long as I lyue. ⸫ ⸫

IN this said seasō there was a knyght of Fraunce of the countrey of Aniou / a gentle knight and of noble extraction / called syr Pyer of Craon / marucylously well beloued / and specially with the duke of Thourayne / for aboute the duke no thynge was doone but by hym. Also this knyght helde a gret astate about the duke of Aniou / who was called kynge of Naples / Cicyll / & Iherusalem / and also he was ryche. Asclaunder was brought vp on hym through the realme of Fraūce / howe he had robbed the yonge kynge of Cycyll duke of Aniou / for the whiche brute the sayd sir Peter absented him selfe fro the yonge kynge and fro his mather / who had ben wyfe to the olde duke of Aniou / howe be it he delte so that he was welbeloued with the frenche kynge / and with his brother the duke of Thourayne. Also the same season syr Olyuer of Clysson / as thanne constable of Fraūce / was greatly in fauour with the kyng and with the duke of Thourayne / whiche fa­uour he had get by reason of the good seruyce that he had done in armes / as well in Fraūce as els where / in the kynges dayes and in his fathers dayes kinge Charles / and sir Olyer of Clyssons doughter had wedded Iohan of Bretayne / brother germayne to the quene of Iherusalem / and this syr Olyuer Clysson by reason of the alyaunce that he had by the ma­ryage of Iohan of Bretayne / was greatly in the duke of Bretayns indignacion / in somoch that the duke helde him for his mortall enemy / and Iohan of Bretayne in lykewyse / and the duke of Bretayne repented hym that he had nat slaine sir Olyuer of Clysson whan he had hym in prisone in his castell of Ermyn. This syr Peter of Craon was in suche fauour with the duke of Bretaygne that he myght do with him what he lyst / he was his cosyn. and whyle he was in fauour with the frenche kynge and with the duke of Thourayn / he wolde gladly haue brought out of the kynges fauoure syr Olyuer of Clysson the constable / if he coulde haue brought it aboute.

THus the enuyous whiche couertely al­ways hath reygned in Fraunce / dissy­muling their maters tyll they come to an yuell conclusion. The constable of Fraunce had al­wayes ben so true in all his dedes to y ^e crowne of Fraunce / that euery manne loued hym / ex­cept the duke of Burgoyn / who loued him no­thyng. the hatred came by the duches of Bur­goyne / who was a lady of hygh corage / for she coulde nat loue the Constable / for the duke of Bretayne was nere of blod to her / and all that her father the erle of Flaunders loued she lo­ued / and suche as he hated she dyd the same / she was of that condycion. This syr Peter of Craon whyle he was in the frenche court / and great with the duke of Thourayne / he wrote often tymes to the duke of Bretayne secretly euery thynge that he knewe / & the duke wrote agayne to hym. Theffecte of their writynges I coude nat knowe / how be it I Iohan Froy sart auctor of this hystory / on a tyme whan I was at Parys / on a night whan a great mys­chefe was lykely to haue fallen vpon sir Oly­uer Clysson constable of Fraunce / by a mar­ueylous enterprise of syr Peter of Craon / as I shall herafter more playnly declare / whan tyme shall requyre. And bycause I sawe the mater darke and obscure / & lykely to be great trouble and daunger / I dyd all the payne I coulde to knowe the grounde and occasyon of the mater / why syr Peter of Craon was so so­daynly banysshed fro the frenche kynges loue and the duke of Thourayns. Suche serche I [Page] made and suche enquery of them that knewe the mater / that some of them enfourmed me of the trouth as the fame & renome ran. Fyrst the duke of Thourayn was dyspleased with this syr Peter of Craon through his owne faute / for he dysclosed the secretnesse that was by­twene the duke of Thourayne and another lady. If he dyd so he dyd yuell.

THe duke of Thourayne as than had suche fauour to syr Peter of Craon / that he toke hym as his companyon / and ware euer lyke apparell / and had hym al­wayes with hym where so euer he wente / and shewed hym all his secretes. This Duke of Thourayn as than was yonge and amorous / and gladly wolde company with ladyes and damosels / and sporte hym amonge them / and specially as it was shewed me / he loued entierly a fayre lady of Paris / yonge and fressh. His loue and secretes were knowen in suche wyse that it turned to great dysplesure to the duke / and he wyste nat whome to blame but syr Pe­ter of Craon / for the duke had shewed hym all his secretes in that mater / and had taken hym in his company / whan he wolde secretly speke with the said yonge lady. The duke on a tyme promysed the sayd lady a thousande crownes of golde / so that he myght haue his pleasure of her. But the lady as than refused it and sayd / howe she loued hym nat for his golde nor syl­uer / but pure loue enclyned her to beare hym her good wyll / but as for golde or syluer she wolde nat sell her honoure. All these wordes and promesses were knowen by the duches of Thourayne / who incontynent sent for the said yonge lady in to her chambre. Than she called her by her name / and in gret displeasure sayd. Wylte thou do me wronge with my lorde my husband? The yonge lady was abasshed / and all wepynge sayd. Nay madame by the grace of god / I neuer dyd thynke it nor neuer wyll. than the duchesse sayd. Thus it is / Iame en­fourmed that my lorde my husbande loueth you / and you him / and the mater so farre gone bytwene you / that in suche a place and at suche a tyme he promysed you a thousāde crownes of golde to haue his pleaser of you / howe be it ye dyd refuse it as than / wherin ye dyd wysely and therfore as at this tyme I ꝑdon you / but I charge you as derely as ye loue your lyfe / y ^t ye commune nor talke no more with hym / but suffre hym to passe / & herkyn nat to his comu­nynge. Than whan the yonge lady sawe her selfe accused of trouth she answered and sayd. Madame / I shall delyuer me fro him as sone as I can / and shall so / deale that ye shall haue no cause of dyspleasure in this mater. Ther­with the duchesse gaue her leaue to departe / and so she returned to her lodgyng. The duke of Thourayne who knewe nothynge of this mater / and as he y ^t entierly loued this yonge lady / fortuned on a day to come where as she was. Whanne she sawe hym she eschewed his company / and made hym no maner of sem­blant of loue / but dyd clene cōtrary to that she had vsed before / for she durst nat / and also she had sworne & promysed / to the duches. Whan the duke sawe her countenaunce he was pen­syue / and thought he wolde knowe why she delte so straungely / and demaunded of her the cause of her straungnes. The yonge lady all wepynge sayd. Syrye haue bewrayed your loue / and the secrete promesse an offre that ye made me / to my lady your wyfe / or els some o­ther / remembre you wel to whom ye haue she­wed your secretnesse / for syr I was in great daunger by my lady your wyfe / and by none other / and I haue sworne and promysed her that after this tyme I wyll neuer cōpany nor talke with you / wherby she shulde haue any ielousy. whan the duke harde y ^t they were sore wordes to him / and greatly to his displeasure and said. Ah my sayre lady / I swere to you by my faythe / that rather than this mater shulde haue ben shewed to my wyfe / that I had loste a hundred thousande frankes / sythe ye haue sworne / kepe your promesse / for what so euer it coste me I wyll knowe the trouth who hath bewrayed our secretes.

THus the Duke departed fro the yonge lady / and made no sēblant as than / but pacyentely suffred / howe be it he thought the more. and at nyght came to his wyfe to supper / & shewed her more token of loue than euer he dyd befor / and he dyd somoche with fayre wordes that the duchesse shewed him all the matter / and howe that she knewe it by syr Peter of Craon. than the duke spake no more at that tyme. that nyght passed / and the nexte [Page ccxix] day about nyne of the clocke / he toke his horse and rode fro the howse of saynte Poll to the castell of Lowre / where he founde the kynge his brother heryng of masse. The kyng swete­lye receyued hym / for he loued hym entyerly / and the kynge sawe well by the dukes maner that he had some dyspleasure in his mynde / and said. Ah fayre brother. what is the mater? it semeth ye be troubled. Syr quod he good cause why. Wherfore quod the kynge I praye you shewe me. The duke who wolde hyde no thynge fro the kynge / shewed hym all the hole mater / and complayned greatly agaynst syr Peter of Craon / and sayd. Syr by the faythe that Iowe to god and to you / if it were nat for your honoure I wolde slee hym. We shall do well ynough quod the kynge / he shall be war­ned by our counsayle to auoyde our house and seruyce / and in lykewyse cause him to auoyde your house and company. I am well content with this ꝙ the duke. The same day the lorde de la Ryuer and sir Iohan Mercyer sayd vn­to syr Peter of Craon on the kynges behalfe / that he shulde auoyde the kynges courte and seruyce / and go where he lyste. In lykewyse syr Iohan of Buell and the lord of Dernaulx seneschall of Thourayne / gaue hym lyke commaundement / on the duke of Thourayns be­halfe. Whan syr Peter of Craon sawe this he was abasshed and tooke it in great dyspyte / and coude nat ymagyn why it shulde be. And trewe it was / he desyred to come in to the kin­ges presence and the dukes / to know the cause of their dyspleasure. But he was aunswered that nother the kynge nor the duke wolde nat here hym speke. Whan he sawe none other re­medy he apparelled hym selfe / and departed out of Parys in great displeasure in his hert / and so rode into Aniou to a castell of his owne called Sable / and taryed there a season fore troubled in his mynde. He sawe well he was chased out of the frenche courte / and out of the house of Thourayn / and also out of the house of the quene of Naples and Iherusalem. than whan he parceyued these thre howses closed fro hym / he thought to go to the duke of Bre­taygne his cosyn / and to shewe hym all his aduentures. so he dyd / and rode in to Bretayne / and founde the duke at Wannes / who made hym good chere / and knewe somwhat before of his trouble. And than this syr Peter she­wed hym all the case. Whan the duke of Bre­taygne had well herde all the mater / he sayde. Fayre cosyn recomforte your selfe / all this is surely brought aboute by syr Olyuer of Clys­son.

THis rote and foundacyon of hatred multyplyed greatly after / as ye shall here in this hystory. Syr Peter of Craon taryed so longe with the duke of Bre­taygne / that he forgate Fraunce / for the con­stable syr Olyuer of Clysson and the kynges counsayle were agaynste hym / and also they were nat contente with the duke of Bretayne in that he kepte sir Peter Craon in his house. As for the duke of Bretaygne cared nat greatly / neyther for the good wyll nor yuell wyll of the Frenche kynge / he prouyded suffyciently for his cyties / townes / and castelles / in suche wyse / that he loued as well warre as peace. And all that euer he dyd was well knowen in Fraunce / and with the kinges counsayle. and suche as were nexte aboute the kynge reputed the duke of Bretaygne prowde and presump­tuous / and thretened him greatly / but the du­ke dyde sette lytell therby / and sayde / that he wolde make warre agaynst the erle of Poin­thieur in a iuste quarell / for the erle of Poin­thyeur our cosyn / wryteth and nameth hym selfe Iohan of Bretayne / as though he were herytour of this countrey. I wyll he be called Iohan / for that is his name and erle of Poin­thieur / and I wyll he put out of his armes the Ermyns / and write himselfe Iohan of Bloys or of Chatellon / and none other. and if he wyll nat do thus I shall cause him to do it / and take fro hym his lande / for he holdeth it by faythe and homage of vs / as for the herytage of Bretaygne he hathe nothynge to do therwith / so that it shulde returne to him / for I haue bothe sonnes and doughters that shall be myne heyres. Let hym purchase hym landes in some o­ther place / for as of this he hath fayled. Thus often tymes the duke of Bretayne wolde de­uyse with sir Peter of Craon / who wolde nat replye agaynst his pleasure / but rather dyd further it / and all for the yuell wyll that he bare to the constable syr Oly­uer of Clysson / and to the counsayle of Fraunce. ⸪

[Page] ¶Nowe let vs leaue spekynge of this mater and treate a lytell of another pytuous mater concernynge the erle Guy of Bloys / of whom mencyon is made here before in this hystory. ⸫ ⸫

IT hath been shewed here before in this hystory / whan̄e I spake of the aly­aūce and maryage of Lois of Chatellon / sonne to the erle of Bloys / maryed to y ^e lady Marye / doughter to duke Iohan of Berrey / and at the confyrma­cyon of this maryage the duke of Berrey prouyded greatly for his doughter / for she was assigned for her dowry in the coūtie of Bloys / the somme of syxe thousande pounde money / corante in Fraunce / to be payed in florayns / if the foresayd Loys of Bloys dyed before his wyfe. than all the countie of Blois to be boūde to pay these foresayd syre thousande frankes. And so it fortuned that about the feest of saint Iohan the Baptyste in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and a leuen / this yonge Loys of Bloys sonne to the erle Guy / departed fro his father fro the ca­stell of Moltyz in Bloys to go in to Haynalt / to se his mother and wyfe / and whan he came to Beaumonte in Haynault he fell sycke of a feuer / by reason that he had rydden great iourneys / and the season was boote / and he was but yuell kepte / and but tendre of age / as of xiiii. yeres / by whiche syckenes he dyed with out helpe / for the physycions coulde nat put a way his hote feuer. ye maye well knowe that the father and mother were ryght soroufull / whan they knewe of the dethe of thier sonne and heyre. In lykewyse so was his wyfe the yonge lady of Berrey / who loued hym entier­ly / and thought her selfe hyghtly maryed / specyally the trouble of the father was right gret / for he ymagyned that the duke of Berrey was ryght couetouse / and feared leste he wolde en­tre in to the countie of Bloys / and put him out for the dowry of his doughter. Thus the duke of Berreys two doughters were bothe wy­dowes in one yere / the eldest called Boesme was countesse of Sauoy / and her husbande the yonge erle of Sauoy called Ame dyed the same yere ryght marueylously / of whose deth there came great busynesse / and it was layde to sir Othe of Grau [...] [...]ome / in suche wyse that he was fayne to flye out of Sauoy / and out of Fraunce and Almayne / and so wente & dwelte in the realme of Englande. ⸪ ⸪

THe same seasone also dyed the noble and gentle erle of Foiz ryght maruey­lously / I shal shewe you by what incydente. Truely of all sportes this Erle loued hūtynge with houndes and grey houndes / and of them he was well prouyded / for always he had at his cōmaundement mo than .xvi. hundred. The erle as than was at Barrey / in the marches of Orthays / and wente dayly a huntynge in to the woodes of Saluaterra / the way to Panpylona in Na­uerre / and the same daye that he dyed he had hunted and kylled a beare / and by that tyme it was high noone. Than the erle demaunded of them that were aboute hym where his dy­ner was prouyded. It was shewed him at the hospytall of Ryon / a two lytell myles fro Or­tays / and so thyder he rode to dyner / and so a lyghted there and went in to his chambre / the whiche was strawed with grene herbes / & the walles sette full of grene bowes / to make the chambre more fressh / for the ayre without was marueylously hote as in the moneth of May. Whan he felte that fresshe ayre he sayd. A this fresshnesse dothe me moche good / for the daye hath been very hoote / and so sate downe in a chayre. Than he talked and deuysed with syr Espayne du lyon of his houndes / whiche had ronne best / and as he thus deuysed / there cāe [Page ccxx] in to the chambre sir Ienbayne his bastarde sonne and sir Peter of Cabestan / and the ta­bles were redy couered in the same chambre. Than water was brought forthe to wasshe / and Coiandon of Spaygne toke asyluer bason and sir Tybaulte toke the towell. Than the erle rose & put out his handes to wasshe / and as sone as the colde water fell on his fyngars / he waxed pale in the face / and sodainly her herte fayled hym / and so fell downe / and in the fallynge sayd. Ah I am but deed. God haue mercy on me: He neuer spake worde after / howe be it he dyed nat so soone / but laye in great payne. The knyghtes that were a­bout hym were sore abasshed and so was his soone: They tooke hym in their armes and layde hym on a bedde and couered hym / tru­sstynge that he was but in a traunce. The .ii. knyghtes that had gyuen hym water / to the entent that it shulde nat be sayde that they had enpoysoned hym / toke the bason and the ewer and sayde / Sirs / here in your presence beholde here this water / the whiche we toke assaye of and yet wyll do. And there they drā ke therof / so that euery man was cōtent with them. They put in to the erles mouthe drin­ke and spyces / and other thynges comforta­ble / but all that aueyled nothyng. For in lesse than halfe an houre he was deed / and yelded vp his brethe swetely. God of his pytie ha­ue mercy on him. all such as were there were greatly troubled and abasshed. Than they closed the Chambre doore / to the entent that his dethe shulde nat be so sodaynly knowen abrode. The knightes behelde sir Ienbayne his sonne / who wepte pituously and wrang his hādes. And the knightes that were with hym sayde. Sir Ienbayne / ye haue nowe loste youre father: We knowe well he loued you entierly. Leaue your sorowe / and leape on your horse and ryde to Orthayes. Take you possessyon of the castell and of your fa­thers treasoure that is within it / or euer the dethe of your father be knowen abrode. Sir Ienbayne enclyned to those wordes & sayd. Sirs I thanke you of your good couusaile the whiche I shall deserue. But than̄e lette me haue some token that is on my father / or elles I shall nat be suffred to entre in to the castell. That is trewe sir quod they / take sōe token fro your father. Than he toke a rynge fro his fathers fynger / and a Knyfe that he bare alwayes about hym. These tokens the porter of the castell knewe well: If he hadde nat brought them / he shulde nat haue enered in there.

THus sir Ienbayne of Foiz deꝑ­ted from the hospytall of Ryone and thre with hym / and rode in haste to the castell of Orthayes. He rode throughe the towne / no man mystrusted hym / and so came to the Ca­stell and called the Porter / who aunswered and sayd. sir / what wolde you haue? Where is my lorde your Father? He is at the hospy­tall of Ryon quod the knyght / and hath sent me for certayne thynges that is in his cham­bre: and than I must returne agayne to him. And to the entent that thou shuldest beleue me / Beholde here his rynge and knyfe. The porter opyned a wyndowe and sawe the to­kyns: whiche he knewe well. Than the por­ter opyned the wicket and he entred in / & his varlettes dyd set vp his horse. As soone as he was entred he sayde to the porter. Close agayne the gate. Than he toke the porter and sayd. Delyuer me the kayes / or els thou arte but deed. The porter was abasshed & sayde. Sir / why say ye thus? Bycause quod he my father is deed / and I wyll haue y ^e possessyon of his treasour / or any other come here. The porter obeyed for he durst do none otherwise and he loued sir Ienbayne as well as ano­ther. The knyght knewe ryght well where the treasour laye / whiche was in a stronge towre / wherto belonged thre stronge dores / surely bolted and barred / and dyuers kayes parteynyng to them. Whiche kayes he coude nat fynde redely / for they were in a cofer of stele / and locked with a lytell kaye of Stele. whiche kaye the erle euer bare on hym / whersoeuer he wente / in a lytell purse aboute his necke. Whiche (after sir Ienbayne was de­parted fro the hospytall) was founde by the knightes that were about the deed corse. thā they marueyled what kaye it shulde be that the erle bare so priuely about hym selfe. than therles chapelayne called sir Nicholas of Escall / who knewe all the erles secretes (for the erle loued hym well / & euer whan he went in to his treasorie house / he had his chapelayne with hym) sayde / As soone as he sawe the kaye. Ah / sir Ienbayne hath but lost his payne / [Page] for this is the kaye of a lytell cofer wher­in are all the kayes of the Towre and cofer / wher all the Erles treasour lyeth. Than the knyghtes sayde. Sir Nicholas. Go & ryde you to Orthayes and beare hym the kaye. Sirs quod he / sythe ye gyue me the coun­sayle I shall do it / for it were better he had his fathers treasoure than another: and also I knowe well his father loued hym entierly Than he tooke his horse and tooke the kaye and rode to the castell of Or [...]hayes. And all that season sir Ienbayne was sertchynge all aboute for they kayes / and coulde nat fynde thē / nor wyst nat howe to get the towre dore opyn / it was so stronge: nor also he hadde no instrumentes to breke it opyn with all. And in this meane season the men of the towne hadde soone knowledge / by varlettes or women that came / to the hospytall / howe therle shulde be deed. These were harde tidynges to them / for the erle was welbeloued withall his people. They of the towne assembled to guyder in the markette place / and sayde one to another / suche as hadde sene sir Ienbayn passe through the towne alone. We haue sene sir Ienbayne passe through the towne alone towardes the castell / & it semed by his coun­cynaunce he was nat content. Surely there is some thyng a mysse / sor he was nat wonte to cōe home before his father. Thus as they were cōmunynge toguyder / there came in to the towne the Erles chapelayne. Than̄e the men of the towne came aboute hym and de­maūded newes of therle their lorde. It hath been shewed vs that he is deed. Is it so or nat? Nay quod the preest he is not deed / but he is sore sicke / and I am come home before to cause thynges to be dressed for hym / and than I muste retourne agayne to hym. And so therwith he passed forth to the castell / and dyde so moche that he entred / of whose com­myng sir yuan had great ioye / For without the kaye that he brought he coulde nat haue entred in to the Towre where as the trea­sour was. Than the men of the towne hadde great suspecte of the Erles dethe and sayde. It is nere hande nyght / and as yet we here nothynge of our lorde / nor of none of his of­fycers / and sir yuan and his chapelayne are entred in to the castell suspeciously. Let vs watche the castell this night / and to morowe we shall here other tidynges. Lette vs sende secretely to y ^e hospitall / than shall we knowe howe the mater gothe. Also we knowe well / the moost parte of the erles treasour is with in the Castell / and if it be stollen awaye by crafte / we shalbe blamed for it. Ignoraunce shall nat excuse vs. They all thought it was best for them so to do. Than̄e the men of the towne drewe about the castell and kepte the gates of the towne surely / that none shulde entre nor issue without lycence. Thus they watched all nyght / and in the mornyng they had parfyte knowledge of the dethe of their lorde. Than euery man / woman / and chylde cryed out and wepte pituously / for the Erle was welbeloued. Than the watchmen dou­bled and encreased in harnesse aboute the ca­stell.

WHan sir yuan of Foize sawe the maner of the men of the towne / and sawe well howe he was ꝑ­ceyued / and that they knewe the certayntie of the dethe of his father. Than he sayde to sir Nycholas. Sir / I haue fayled of myne entēt / I se well I can nat departe hens without lycence. The men of the towne haue knowledge of my fathers dethe / and they assemble in great nombre be­fore y ^e castell. It behoueth me to humble my selfe to them / for force can nat aueyle me. sir / ye saye trouthe quod the preest: ye shall wyn more by swete and fayre word / than by rude and frowarde dealynge. Go your waye and speke with them. Than sir yuan went in to a towre nere to the gate / & opyned a wyndowe ouer the bridge / in the whiche towre he was brought vp in / tyll he maryed the lady Iane of Boloyne / who afterwarde was duchesse of Berrey: as ye shall here after in this hy­storie. Sir yuan opyned the wyndowe and spake to them that were the princypals of the towne / who cāe on the bridge nere to the windowe / to here what he wolde saye. Than he spake a loude and sayde. O ye good people of Orthays / I knowe well the cause of your assēbly: it is nat w ^tout a great occasion: how be it I requyre you as derely as ye loued my lorde & father / that ye be nat displeased with me / thoughe I haue aduaunsed my selfe to entre in to this castell first / or any other shu­de entre / and to take possession therof / and of [Page ccxxi] suche goodes as be within it / for I wyll do nothyng but good. ye knowe well my lorde my father loued me as well and entierly / as his owne sonne / and wolde fayne haue foūde the wayes to haue made me his enherytour. And nowe it hath pleased god to call hym to his mercy / without accomplysshyng of any thynge of myne aduauncement: And nowe he hath lefte me amonge you / where I haue been brought vp / and lefte nowe as a poore knyght / bastarde sonne to the erle of Foize / without I haue your ayde and helpe. Wher­fore sirs / I requyre you in goddes behalfe to haue pytie on me / wherin ye shall do great almesse. And I shall open the castell and suffre you to entre / I wyll nat kepe it agaynst you. Than they aunswered and sayde. Sir yuan / ye haue spoken so nobly / that it ought to suffyce. And sir / we saye that we wyll a­bide with you / and our entent is to kepe this castell and goodes with you. And if the Vi­count of Chastellon your cosyn / who is next enherytoure to this countrey of Byerne / as nexte parente to your father come hyder / to challenge his herytage and mouables / or he haue it / he shall knowe well howe we shall defende you and your right / fro hym and fro your brother sir Gracyen. But we suppose / that whan̄e the Frenche kynge was laste at Tholous / and my lorde youre Father with hym / that some order was takenne / as tou­chyng your fathers enherytaunce: And this can sir Roger of Spaygne your cosyn tell / no man better than he. We shall write to him and shewe hym of the dethe of the erle your father / and desyre hym to come hyder to hel­pe and counsayle vs in all thynges / concer­nynge the landes of Bierne and of Foiz / and also for the mouables: and for thentierment of my lorde youre father. And this we pro­myse you faythfully to vpholde. With this aunswere sir yuan was well contente: And thanne opyned the gate of the Castell of Or­thayes / and suche entred as wolde: And the same daye the Erles body was brought thy­der. At the metyng of the corse / men and wo­men wepte pituously / in the remembraunce of his noblenesse and puyssaunt estate: His wytte and prudence / his Prowesse and lar­gesse / and the great prosperyte that he lyued in: For there was nouther Frenche nor En­glysshe that durste dysplease hym. Moost parte of the people sayd. Nowe our neygh­bours wyll make vs war / where as we were wonte to lyue in peace and fredome. Nowe shall we be in bondage / in misery / and sub­iectyon. Nowe there is none to ayde vs.

AH Gascone Gascone fayre son̄e. Why dyde ye euer so dysplease your father / y ^t it coste you your lyfe. If ye had ben lefte with vs it shulde nowe haue ben to vs a great cōforte but we lost you to yong / & your father hath taryed to short a season with vs. He was but threscore and thre yeres of age. He myght haue lyued for any age / many a yere lengar. It was no great age for suche a prince / hauynge euery thyng at his ease and wysshe. Ah thou lande of Bierne / destytute and without conforte of any noble herytour. What shall become of the? Thou shalte ne­uer haue agayne suche another / as was this gentyll erle of Foiz. With suche lamentaci­ons and wepynges / the body of this Noble Erle was borne throughe the towne of Or­thayes / by eight noble knyghtes. The first the Vycounte of Brunyquell / and agaynst hym the lorde of Compayne. The thirde sir Roger of Spaygne / and agaynst hym sir Raymonde of Laysne. The fyfthe sir Ray­monde de la Mote / agaynst hym the lorde of Besache. The seuenthe sir Menault of No­ualles / and agaynst hym Rycharde of saynt George. And behynde was sir yuan his ba­starde sonne. The lorde of Corase. The lor­de of Barantyne. The lorde of Baruge. the lorde of Quere / and mo than threscore other knyghtes of Byerne / who were soone come to the hospytall of Ryone / whan they knewe of the Erles dethe. Thus he was caryed w ^t open vysage to the freers in Orthayes / and there he was enbaumed and layde in leed / & so lefte vnder good kepynge / vnto the day of entierment. And nyght and daye withoute cease / there was brinnynge aboute his body / four and twentie torches borne by eight and fourtie yomen. Foure and twentie in the nyght / and foure and twentie in the daye. ⸪

[Page] THe dethe of this noble erle of Foiz / was anone knowen in dyuers countreis / & mo were rather sorie of his dethe than gladde / for he had in his dayes giuen suche gyftes / so liberally / that it coulde nat be eschewed: wherfore he was be loued of euery man that knewe hym. Pope Cle­ment whan he knewe of his dethe was right soroufull for hym bicause he had taken great payne in fortherynge of the maryage / of his cosyn Iane of Boloygne / who was duchesse of Berrey. The same season there was at Auignon the bysshop of Palmes / who durst nat com at his benifyce for a displeasure that the erle of Foize had to hym / and yet he was of his lynage. The cause was / the bysshopp̄ wolde haue exalted his iurisdiction and abated therles / for all that therle made hym bys­shop. Than the pope sente for the bysshoppe to come to his palais / and whan he was cōe the pope sayde. Sir bysshoppe of Palmes / your peace is made / the erle of Foiz is deed. Of those tidynges the bysshoppe was glad / and within a shorte season after he departed fro Auignon / and wente to his bysshoprike in to the countrey of Foize. Tidynges of the dethe of this erle was anone come into Fraū ce to the kynge / and to his counsayle. The Frenche kyng and his brother / and the duke of Burbone were sorie of his dethe / bycause of his noblenesse. Than the counsayle saide to the kyng. Sir / the coūtie of Foiz is yours by right successyon / seyng the erle of Foiz is deed without heyre of his body laufully be­gotten / no man canne debate with you ther­in. Also they of the countie thynke the same. And sir / there is one thyng that helpeth gretlye your tytell / ye haue lende there on fyftie thousande frankes. Sir / sende and take possessyon of your guage / and kepe it as youre owne enherytaūce. For they of the same coū ­trey desyre to be vnder youre hande. It is a fayre countre and shall come to you to good purpose / for it marcheth nere to the Realme of Arragone / and also to Chattelone. And paraduenture here after ye may happe to haue warre with the kyng of Arragon. Than the countie of Foiz shalbe a good fronter / for therin be many fayre and stronge castelles to kepe in men of warre / and to make good ga­rysons. The kyng herde well those wordes / and anone enclyned to their counsayle / and sayde. Sirs / lette se / whome shall we sende on this message. Than̄e it was determyned to sende y ^e lorde de la Ryuer / bycause he was knowen in that countrey / and with hym the bysshoppe of Noyon. These two lordes prepared them selfe to go on this legacyon. and whan̄e they departed they rode at leysar by small iourneys / and toke their waye by Aui­gnon.

IN this meane season worde was sente to the Vicount of Chastellon / beyng in the realme of Arragon / of the dethe of his cosyn the erle of Foiz. Than he rode tyll he cāe in to Bierne / streyght to Orthays. They of the towne made hym good chere / howe be it they toke him nat as than for their lorde / and saide / howe all the countrey was nat assem­bled / and that first they must assemble toguyder the prelates / lordes / and men of the good Townes / and to counsayle toguyder what they shulde do. Sayeng: that is a good coū trey that holdeth of hym selfe / and the lordes that dwelleth therin / and hath herytages to be free. Than̄e it was aduysed for the best. First to make the entierment of the erle Gas­cone of Foiz at Orthays / and to sende for all the nobles of Bierne and of Foize / suche as wolde come / and than to take counsayle whō they shulde accepte for their lorde. Than all barones and prelates / and heedes of good townes of Bierne and of Foiz were sent for. They of Bierne cāe thyder / but they of Foiz refused to come there and sayde / they wolde kepe their countrey. For they herde saye the Frenche kyng wolde sende thyder to chalēge they countre of Foiz. Howe be it the bysshop of Palmes was desyred to come to Orthais / bycause of lynage / and so he came thyder in good array / as to hym apparteyned.

The day of the obsequy of the gentyll erle Gascon of foiz / last erle of that name / done in the freres in the towne of Orthays / the yere of our lorde god / a thousande thre hundred fourscore and a .xi. on a monday. There was moche people of the countrey of Bierne and of other places / bothe lordes / knightes / and other prelates. There were four bisshoppes the bysshop of Palmes who sayd the masse / and the bysshoppes / of Ayre / of Auron / and of Tenues in Bierne. There was a goodly [Page ccxxii] herse and well ordred. And duryng the masse tyme / there was holden before the aulter by four knightes foure baners / with the armes of Foiz & of Bierne. The first helde sir Ray­mon of Newcastell. The seconde sir Espay­gne du Lyon. The thirde sir Peter deguier. The fourthe sir Menaulte of Noualles. sir Roger of Spaygne offred the sworde / by­twene the Bourge of Campaigne and Pier of Arnaulte of Bierne / capitayne of Lourde. The shelde bare the Vicount of Bruniquell bytwene sir Iohan of Newcastell and Iohn̄ of Chanteron. The helme offred the lorde of Valētyne and of Bierne / bytwene Arnalton of Rostem and Arnalton of saynt Colombe. The horse was offred by the lorde of Corase / bytwene Arnalton of Spayne and Raymo­net of Campaygne. This entierment was honorably done / accordyng to the vsage of y ^e countre: and there were the two bastarde sō ­nes of the erle of Foiz / sir yua [...] and sir Gra­cien / and the Vicount of Chastel [...]on / and all the barons of Bierne and some of Foiz. But assone as the seruyce was done / they of Foiz departed and rode the same daye to dyner to Herytell / two myles fro Orthais. and y ^e next day be tymes the bysshoppe of Palmes deꝑ­ted / he wolde nat be at the generall ꝑlyament whiche was the same daye a monge them of Bierne. Thus the erle was buryed in y ^e fre­ers before the hyghe aulter. So there is no more mencion made of hym / god haue mercy vpon his soule. ¶Nowe let vs speke of the order that was taken at Orthais.

AS it was enformed me / it was said to the Vycount of Chatelion. Sir / we knowe well that as next of blode ye ought to succede in the herytagꝭ / as well of Bierne as of Foiz: But as nowe we can nat receyue you as oure lorde / for therby we myght bring the lande of Bierne in to great trouble / warre / and daunger. For as we do vnderstande / the Frenche kynge who is our good neighbour dothe sēde hyder of his coū sayle / we knowe nat for what entent / tyll we here them speke. We knowe well & so do you that our lorde the erle / whome god pardone / was this last yere at Tholous with the frenche kyng / and had secrete cōmunycacion to­guyder / the whiche firste hath nede to be de­clared / for if he haue gyuen and released to the Frēche kyng Foiz and Bietne / the kyng than with puissance wyll haue & optayne it. Wherfore or we do any thing we wyll know the artycles / for we of Byern be in other case & of other cōdycion than they of Foiz. We be all fre without homage or seruytude / and the countie of Foiz is holden of the Frenche kynge: and also the people of Foiz their hertes be so Frenche / that lightly they wyll receyue the frenche kyng to their lorde and soucray­gne: For they haue sayde sithe the erle was deed / he hath none heritour of his body lau­fully gotten. Wherfore the countie of Foize they saye / shulde parteyne to the ordynaūca of the Frenche kyng. But sir we shall kepe our holde / and we wyll serue no lorde but suche as we ought to do / wheder it be the frēch kyng or you. But sir / we wyll counsaile you to worke wysely in this busynesse / by treatie or otherwyse. Than the Vycount said. sirs / by what meanes wyll ye coūsayle me to worke / for I haue promised to worke by your aduyse in euery thyng / accordyng to reason. sir quod they / we wyll aduyse you to desyre sir Roger of Spaygne your cosyn to kepe you company / at your cost and charge. And go in to the countie of Foiz and treate with the prelates and noble men / and with theym of the good townes / that they wolde receyue you to their lorde / or elles to sytte styll and dissy­mule the mater tyll ye haue apeased y ^e french kyng / and taken with hym some cōposicion / by meanes of golde and siluer / that ye might haue the enheritaunce in rest and peace. if ye do thus than do ye wisely / and if ye maye be herde with them that be sente fro the Frenche kynge in to the countie of Foize / thoughe it cost you a hundred thousande or two hūdred thousande frankes / ye shall fynde ynoughe to paye it with all / For the erle that is deed / hath lefte ynoughe behynde hym. Howe beit sir / in any wyse we wyll that his two bastar­de sonnes haue parte largely of his goodes. Than the lorde answered and sayde. Sirs / I am content as ye wyll. And here is my co­syn sir Roger of Spaygne / and in all youre presences / I desyre hym to ryde with me in this iourney. Than sir Roger answered and said. Sir / I am content to ryde with you to be as meane bytwene bothe ꝑties. But if the Frenche kyng my souerayne lorde or his ambassadours desyre me to be of their coūsayle / [Page] orels cōmaūde me nat to medell / than I must nedes leaue you. The Vycount was content and saide. Cosyn / I trust they wyll nat aga­ynst your will take you fro me. and if I may haue you nere me / I thynke to make a good ende of all my busynesse.

THan (as I was enformed) the Vy­count of Chastellon made a request before thē all / to borowe fyue or .vi. thousande frankes to performe his iourney. Also the two bastardes made their request / that they might haue parte of their fathers richesse. Than the coūsayle toke aduise togider / & at last acorded that the Vicoūt shulde haue fyue thousande frankes: And the two bastardes of Foiz eche of them two thousāde frankes and incōtynent the tre [...]ourers were cōmaunded to delyuer the money. All offy­cers that were in the Erles dayes / were suf­fred to occupy styll without any chaungyng and than kepers were sette to kepe the castell of Orthais / and the richesse that was within it. The Vicount at his first cōmynge to Or­thais / gaue pardon to all the prisoners with in the castell / wherof there were a great nombre. For the erle of Foiz was a cruell man & wolde spare no man / but to punysshe at his pleasure / though he were neuer so great a ꝑ­sonage. He had ones in prisone the said Vy­count of Chastellon in the botome of a don­gion / eight monethes / for all that he was his cosyn germayne. And whan̄c he delyuered him / he sette hym to raūsome at .xl. thousāde frankes / whiche was truly payde. And also as longe as he lyued he loued hym neuer af­ter / so that the Vicount durst neuer come in his sight / for if the erle had lyued two yeres lengar / the Vicount shulde neuer haue had any parte of y ^e heritage of Foiz or of Bierne.

THus this counsayle at Orthays brake vp / and euery man departed and lefte the Vycount to prepare for his iourney / who made hym redy as soone as he might / and desyred certayne knightes & squiers to go with hym. Thus he departed fro Orthais with a two hundred horse / and rode to Moriens a good towne on the fronter / bytwene Byerne and Bygore / a four myles fro Pauy and a sixe myle fro Tarbe. And the se­conde day he rode to saynt Gausens / another good towne at the entre of the coūtie of Foiz on the ryuer of Garone. and there tidynges came to hym howe the bysshoppe of Noyon / and sir Buryaulx de la Ryuer and other of y ^e Frenche kynges counsayle were cōe to Tho­lous. Than the Vycount tooke counsayle of sir Roger of Spayne what was best for him to do: sir Roger answered and sayd. Sithe we haue herde tidynges of them / let vs tary here and se what they wyll do. I thynke they wyll sende shortely to vs: and so there they taryed / for in dede they coulde go no further in to the countie of Foiz / for all the good townes / castelles and passages were closed aga­ynst them: As Calumuche / Casteres / Moūttesquen / Carthas / Ortyngas / Fossat / the cy­tie of Palmes & the castell / Montaunt / and all the castels on the fronter of Aragon. they of the countie of Foiz sayd / that no straūger with any puissaunce shulde entre in to no castell nor towne of their countrey / tyll the ma­ter were determyned. and as they of the countrey shewed themselfe they were better mynded to be Frenche / & to be gouerned by a seneschall (as the countre and cytie of Tholous was / and Carcasson and Beauuoyre) rather than to be vnder any other ruler. Howe be it the mater went otherwyse / as ye shall here. For whan the Frenche kynges cōmyssaries were come to Tholous they demaunded ne­wes of the archebysshoppe / and of the senes­chall of Foiz and of Bierne / and of other / su­che as had ben at Orthays at the buryeng of the erle of Foiz. There they were enformed in what case the countre stode in. Than they toke aduyse togyder / & determyned to sende for sir Roger of Spaygne / bycause he was the Frenche kynges man by faythe and ho­mage / and his oftycer / as seneschall of Car­cassone. They sent a credable persone with a letter to hym. The messanger rode to saynt Gausens / a .xii. myle fro thens. Than he de­lyuered to sir Roger of Spaygne his letter / sir Roger toke & reed it / and sayd to y ^e squyer Sir / ye shall tary here all this day & to mo­rowe ye shall departe / I thynke ye shall nat go without company. Than sir Roger and the Vycount counsayled toguyder. Than it was thought for the beste that sir Roger of Spayne shulde ryde to Tholous and speke there with the bysshop of Noyon and with the Lorde de la Ryuer / to knowe what they [Page ccxxiii] wolde say. The next day (ser) Roger of Spayne and the messanger rode forthe togyder / and came y ^• same nyght to Tholouse. Syr Roger toke vp his lodgyng / and the messanger went to his maysters. Than the cōmyssioners said to morowe we shall here tydynges / seynge sir Roger is come. The next day after masse syr Roger drewe to the bysshop and to the lorde de la Ryuer / & made good chere eche to other / bycause they were all of aquayntaunce / and there communed the cause of their cōmynge. Than the kinges cōmyssyoners shewed forth the kinges procuracions / and howe they were set and stablysshed to take possessyon and sea­son of the countie of Foiz. and whan syr Ro­ger had well herde them at length / he replyed with swete wordes and sayde. Lordes I am nat so nere of y ^e kinges coūsayle as ye be / and if I were sauynge your correction / I wolde counsayle the kyng that he shulde take agayn his money / and somwhat more (trewe it is he hath lente money on the herytage of Foize / to be reysed after the dethe of the erle) yet let the kynge leaue the ryght of the enherytaunce to the nexte enherytoure of the blode / this shall be for the kynges profyte / honour / and salua­cyon / and in this that I saye / I shall laye dy­uers reasons / if ye wyll here it. There is one thynge whiche is clere / the erle of Foiz layde his lande to pledge by fraude / for as for golde and syluer he had ynough / for that he dyd was for nothynge but to dysheryte the Vicount of Chastellon wrōgfully / bycause he hated hym without cause. Also as touchyng the kynges profyte / I ensure you the kepyng of the lande of Foize shulde coste the kynge more than the rentes or reuenues cometh vnto. And thyrdly the kyng shall lese therby the homage and seruyce of suche a man as is able to do him good seruyce / this ought to be well regarded. also it shulde be a great charge to the kynges consy­ence to dysheryte any persone / without a rea­sonable cause / for if the herytage of Foiz shuld haue ben bought and solde / fyrste all suche as claymeth any ryght therin shulde haue ben a greed with all and satyfyed / whiche was nat so. wherfore my lordes these reasons well consydred / seynge ye be great wyse men and counsaylours to the kynge / take good hede what ye do / or ye pronounce any thynge that shulde tourne to the kinges sclaunder / or hurte to his conscyence / if ye do otherwyse it were great synne / and as yet there is tyme suffycyente to fynde remedy. My cosyn the Vicount of Chastellon / hathe sente me hyther to you / to shewe you this mater / and ryght effectuously desy­reth you / and so do I in his name / to take re­garde in this behalfe. It is nat good nor con­uenyent a man to take euery thynge byforce / that he maye take. Whan he had sayde / than the bysshoppe and the lorde de la Ryuer loked on eche other / at laste the bysshop sayde. Syr Rodger / we se and knowe well that all that ye haue sayd is for good entente / but our cōmys­syon stretcheth nat so farre to quyte the bar­gayne that was bytwene the kyng and therle of Foize / howe be it for the loue of you / and to bringe the matter somwhat to good purpose / and that all partyes myght be cōtent / we shall put this mater in suffraunce / and ye shall take the pay [...]e to ryde with vs into Fraunce to the kynge and to his counsayle / and than shewe there your reasons as ye shall thinke best / and if by your meanes ye can cause the vycount of Chastellon to enioy the herytage of Foiz / who is enherytoure therto / as ye saye / we shall be ryght gladde therof / for we wyll dysheryte no person. Syrs quod syr Roger I am well contente with your sayenge / if it please you to a­byde here a season / your costes shall be borne of the good that is in the castell of Orthays.

THe thyrde day sir Roger of Spayne tooke leaue of the kynges cōmyssyo­ners and sayde. Syrs / I thynke to bringe this mater to a good purpose / I must be fayne to make a iourney into Fraunce / if I tary longe I pray you be nat myscontent / for it shall nat be in my faulte / and I shall sende you daily messangers and letters. Thus they departed / they taryed at Tholous / and sir Roger rode to saynt Gausens to the Vycount of Chastellon / and shewed him all the mater. the Vycount was ioyfull of those tydynges and sayd. Fayre cosyn syr Roger / all my trust is in you the mater toucheth me nere it is for then­herytaunce wherof I beare the armes / I can nat tell whome to sende in to Fraunce / but all onely you to shewe my tytle to the kynge and to his coūsayle / wherfore sir for the loue of me / and for that I may deserue to you in tyme to come / take on you the charge of this voyage: syr Rodger sayd. Syr for the loue of you and of your lynage I shall do it. Than sir Roger [Page] prepared for his iourney to ryde in to Fraūce and so toke the way to Rodes / and the shorter way / for as than truce was bytwene Fraunce and Englande / or els the way that he toke had nat been sure for hym / for on the fronters of Rouuergue / Quercy / & Lymosyn / there were many fortresses that made warre for the En­glysshemen. ¶Nowe I wyll leaue for a season spekynge of syr Roger of Spayne / and speke of the frenche kynge / and of the duke of Bretayne. ⸪ ⸪

YE haue herde here before in dyuers places in this hystory / howe the duke of Bretayne and syr Olyuer of Clysson / as than constable of Fraunce / hated mor­tally eche other / and besyde the hatred that the duke had to syr Olyuer / he had gret enuy that he was so great with the kinge / and so secrete of his counsayle / and gladly he wolde haue troubled hym / but he doughted y ^e kynges dis­pleasure / and often tymes the duke repented hym that he had nat slayne hym whan he had hym in prisone in the castell of Ermyn / for he thought if he had slayne hym / than he shulde neuer haue had more trouble by hym. The y­uell wyll that he had to hym caused hym to be harde mynded to be obedyente to the crowne of Fraunce / howe be it he knewe well he dyd yuell / therfore he suffred all thynge to passe at aduenture / and helde in his loue the englysshe men / and prouyded suffycyently his townes and fortresses with artyllery & vytayles / and sent priuely in to Englande for men of armes and archers / & dyd set them in his garysons / and made to be beleued that he loked to haue warre but his men kn [...]we nat with whome / howe be it all that euer he dyd was knowen in Fraūce / and many spake largely against him. He knewe well that certrayne lordes of Fraunce were nat contente with hym / but he dyd set ly­tell therby / but so passed on his tyme. He had great affyaunce in his cosyne the duchesse of Burgoyne / as it was reason / for he had of her a specyall supporte and ayde / for the lady by­cause of lygnage loued hym / and bycause that the erle of Flaunders her father / who was co­syn germayne to the duke had alwayes loued and comforted hym in all his trybulacyons. This lady of Burgoyne was a good lady / so that the duke her husbande wolde nat gladly displease her / and good cause why / for y ^e duke by her helde great herytages / and had by her fayre chyldren. all the realme of Fraunce was bounde to loue her / and she had nat ben / great dyscensions had moued bytwene the parties / for natwithstandynge that the duke of Bre­tayne had ben at Paris with the french kyng / and made to hym homage / yet I can nat well say if it was with good herte or no / for as sone as the duke was retourned in to Bretaygne / there apered in hym but small amendemente / he had sworne obeysaunce and to be obedyent to the pope at Auignon / but he was nat / for rather he dispysed hym in his wordes. Nor also he wolde suffre no man to be promoted in his countrey by that popes bulles / but helde hym selfe newter in dyuers thynges / & wolde gyue the benefyces hym selfe. No clerke coulde at­teygne to any promocyon of any benefyce in his countrey / without he had ben well pleased therwith. Also any cōmaūdements that came out of the parlyament chambre of Parys / he sette nothynge therby. The prelates and bys­shoppes of Bretayne lost great parte of their iurisdictions by this duke / so that great com­playntes therof was made in the parlyament of Parys / but they hadde small remedy. And whan he was sent for to come to Parysꝭ or els to sende thyder some able personages to make aunswere to suche matters as shulde be aled­ged agaynste hym / and whan any of the kyn­ges offycers came in to Bretaygne to somon hym to apere / thanne he wolde nat be spoken withall / but euer made sondry seues. And whan the kinges officers dyd departe againe thens / than he wolde say. I wyll go to Parys to se what ryght I shall haue there. It is nat [Page ccxxiiii] yet thre yeres sence I was there / to se what ryght I shulde haue / but I coulde se nor here of no ryght there mynystred / the lordes of the parlyament tourne euery thynge as they lyst. They reken me very yonge and ignorante / to be ledde as they lyst / but I wolde they knewe that if all my men of the duchy of Bretaygne / were all of one accorde / and obedyent to my pleasure / as they ought to be / I wolde gyue the realme of Fraunce so moche to do / that I wolde bringe theym that be vnreasonable to reason / and suche as hath done trewly shulde be rewarded acordyngly / and suche as haue deserued to haue iustyce / shulde haue as they haue deserued / and suche as wolde haue right shuld haue it. Thus many complayntes were made often tymes to the kynge / and suche as were of his secrete counsayle said. This duke is ryght presumptuous and proude / sythe he wyll be brought to no reason / and if he shulde be thus suffred in his lewde opinyon / it shulde greatly enfeble the noblenesse of this realme / for by hym other lordes shall take ensample to do yuell / and therby the iurysdictyon of the realme lytell and lytell shall be loste. Than it was deuysed to withstande / and to fynde re­medy for suche inconuenyentes / and to sende swetely to hym to come to Towrs in Thou­rayne / and there to mete with the french kyng and with the duke of Berrey / and the duke of Burgoyne / the bysshop of Charters / the bys­shoppe of Dothune. These four were specy­ally named / bycause the duke loued them best aboue all other lordes of Fraunce / excepte the erle of Estampes / and the lorde Coucy.

THus there was sente in to Bretayne to the duke the erle of Estampes and mayster Iue of Noyent. They toke great payne and traueyle to moue the duke to mete with the frenche kynge at Towrs. they spake so fayre with fresshe coloured wordes / armed with reason / that the duke agreed to go to Towrs / but further he sayd in no wyse he wolde go / and also that he shulde nat se his enemy syr Olyuer of Clysson in no wyse. All this was acorded & agreed / or he wolde come to Towrs. These ambassadours retourned in to Fraunce and shewed the kynge and his counsayle howe they had spedde. They were contente therwith / sythe they coulde brynge hym to none other purpose. The kynge and his coūsayle made them redy to go to Towrs and to tary there a two or thre monethes / for they thought their treatie with y ^e duke of Bretayne shulde nat sone be acomplisshed. Thus the frenche kinge / the duke of Thourayne his brother / the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne / and Iohan of Burgoyne his sonne / the duke of Burbon / the lorde Coucy / the erle of Mar­che / the Erle of saynte Poll / and other of the counsaile of Fraūce came to Towrs in Thourayn. Also thyder came the constable of Fraū ­ce and Iohan of Bretayne his sonne in lawe / and their counsayles / for they hadde maters there to do. And a fyftene dayes after / thyder came the duke of Bretayne. or he came it was sayd he wolde nat come / for he had thre tymes sent to excuse hym selfe / sayenge he was speke and coude nat ryde / how be it finally he came / and was lodged at his ease. There was syr Roger of Spaygne to haue ben aunswered / but the kynge and the counsayle had somoche to do with the duke of Bretayns maters / that they coulde entende to nothyng els. This syr Roger was there more than two monethes or he coulde be aunswered / but daily he was an­swered y ^t he shulde be herde / but it was longe fyrste. Also the same tyme there fell another let / for thyder came fro kyng Rycharde of Englande syr Iohan Clapam / one of the kyn­ges counsayle and of his chaumbre / and Ry­charde Choall clerke and doctour of lawe / to speke with the Frenche kynge and his coun­sayle / for the same matter that syr Thomas Percy and the lorde Clyfforde had ben at Parys for with the kynge. Whan the englysshe men were come to Towrs / all other treaties were closed vp and entended to their delyue­raunce. It was shewed me that they brought letters of credence to the kynge and to the du­kes of Berrey & Burgoyne. they were herde. Their credence was / that the kynge of En­glande and his Vncles wolde knowe if the frenche kynge and his counsayle were in wyll and mynde to kepe their metyng at Amyence to treate for a peace to be had bytwene the two kynges / their alyes and confederates. The frenche fynge (who as he shewed / desyred no thynge so moche as peace / and answered and said / that he was redy to accomplysshe all promesses / sayenge that as soone as he had dely­uered the duke of Bretayne and were depar­ted fro Towrs / he wolde entende to nothynge [Page] e [...]s / tyll he were come to Amyence / and there to abyde for the englysshe ambassadours / and there to make them as good chere as he coude. Here with the englysshe ambassadours were well cōtent / and were a fyue dayes at Towrs with the kynge / and than tooke their leaue of the kynge and of the other lordes. The kynge gaue them great gyftes and their costes there payed for / and so departed. and all that season they sawe nat the duke of Bretayne nor spake nat with hym / for the duke welde nat / leste the frenche men shulde haue any suspecte in hym. Thus the englysshmen retourned to Calays and so to Douer / and to London and founde the kynge and his counsayle at Westmynster / and there shewed what they had done / herde / and sene. The answere that they brought pleased well the kynge and his counsayle / and or­deyned for their iourney to go to Amyence.

¶Nowe let vs som what speke of the messan­gers that were sente to the frenche kynge / fro the Vycount of Chastellon / out of Foize and Bierne.

SIr Roger of Spayne & sir Espaygne du Lyon / who were sent in to Fraunce fro the Vicounte of Chastellen / they toke on theym great payne and traueyle to pursewe their cause / for certayne clerkes and knightes of the kinges counsayle / aduysed the kynge to take the countie of Foiz / and to attrybute it to the crowne of Fraunce / sythe they of the countrey wolde agree therto. The kynge enclyned well therto / but the duke of Burgoyne who was sage and ymagynatyue wolde nat agree therto / but sayd alwayes. Let the kynge take agayn his money / and somwhat more. Howe be it as it was shewed me the duke of Bur­goyne coulde nat be herde. But the duke of Berrey toke the busynesse him / by meanes as I shall shewe you. ye haue herde here be­fore what fell bytwene hym and the olde Ga­scon erle of Foize / whan the duke sente in to Bierne to the erle suche notable persones / as was the erle of Sanxete / the vicount Dassey the lorde de la Ryuer / and syr Wyllm̄ of Tre­moyle / to treate for the maryage of the lady Iahan of Boloyne / whome the erle of Foize had in kepinge / and at that tyme the erle was well content with the maryage that y ^e duke of Berrey shulde haue her / so that he wolde pay thyrty thousande frankes for the kepyng and bringynge vp of the lady / and the duke payed the said some / and so had the lady to his wyfe. The duke of Berrey remembred the mater than / and sente for syr Roger of Spayne and for syr Espayne du Lyon / to come speke with hym in his chambre / and so secretly he sayde to them. Syrs if ye wyll come to a good con­clusyon in your sute. ye shall attayne therto by my meanes / but fyrst I wyll haue agayne the thyrty thousande frankes / whiche I payed to the olde erle of Foiz whan I had my wyfe. I haue alwayes ymagyned that if I myght o­uer lyue the erle of Foiz to haue the money a­gayne. Whan these two knyghtes herde the duke say so / they regarded eche other & spake neuer a worde. Than the duke sayd agayne. Syrs to say trouthe I haue taken your wor­des fro you / speke togyther and aduyse you well / without this treatie ye shall nat attayne to your purpose / for my brother of Burgoyne wyll do as I wyll haue hym / he hath the go­uernaunce of the countrey of Picardy / and I of Languedocke / agaynste my wyll no man wyll speke. The Vycount of Chastellon shall fynde good ynough / for the erle that is deed had more rychesse than the kynge hath in his treasour. Than syr Roger of Spayne sayde. sir though we wolde agre to your demaunde / yet we haue nat here with vs the treasure to contente you withall. Ah syr Roger quod the duke / that shall nat let nor hyndre the mater / and ye promyse the dette on your faythe and writynge I wyll beleue you / and if it were in a greater mater than that is. Syr quod the knyght I thanke you / we shall sheke togyder and to more we gyue you an answere. It pleaseth me well quod the duke. They departed fro the duke and went to their lodgynge / and toke counsayle togyther whether they shulde retourne agayne home without agrement or els acorde to the dukes demaunde / so that the heritage might clerely remayne & abyde with the Vycount of Chastellon. The nexte daye they retourned to the duke and offered hym all his demaunde / and so there syr Roger of Spayne and syr Espaygne du Lyon became dettours to the duke of Berrey for .xxx. thou­sande frankes / on the condicion that he shulde be meane that the kynge shulde take agayne the sōme of money that he had lente to the erle of Foize / and that the Vicount of Chastellon might peasably enioy the herytage. well quod [Page ccxxv] the duke lette me alone / I shall do it I truste. After that day the duke of Berrey (who desy­red to haue these .xxx. thousande frankes) was so good an adūocate for the vycount of Cha­stellon / that he concluded his busynesse at his owne wyll. The kynge and his counsayle put all the mater to his pleasure. and so these two knyghtes had letters sealed of the confyrma­cyon of the countie of Foiz to be the trewe en­herytaūce of the Vicount of Chastellon / with letters therof adressed to y ^e bysshop of Noyon and to the lorde de la Ryuer / beynge at Tho­louse. The [...]enour of the letters as I was en­fourmed by suche credyble persones as went on the same legacyon / was as foloweth.

CHarles by the grace of god kynge of Fraunce / we sende and cōmende vs to the ryght reuerende bysshoppe of Noyon / and to our knight and chambrelayne the lorde de la Ryuer. We wyll that ye suffre the vycount of Chastellon enherytour of Foiz and of Bierne / to enioy & possede his heritage of the countie of Foiz / with the purtenaūces / so that ye take in to your possessyon the sōme of .lx. thousande frankes at one payment / and the money payed / than our seneschall of Tholouse to make a sure quytaunce of the recryte therof. Also at a nother paymente I wyll ye receyue twenty thousande frankes for your co­stes and charges in goynge and retournyng / and that money payed than make quytaunce therof vnder the seale of offyre of Tholouse. Also we wyll that syr yuan and syr Gracyen of Foiz / bastarde sonnes to the erle Gascon of Foiz / haue parte and ceasonable assignement bothe in landes and goodes of that was their fathers / by the aduyse and dyscrecyon of syr Roger of Spayne and of the vicount of Bruny quell / syr Raynolde of Newcastell and the lorde of Corase / to whome we shall write that they maye so aquyte them to dyscharge our conscyence / for we made suche promyse to the erle their father. And if there be any faute in these four lordes or any rebellyon in the Vy­count / than we disanull all this sayde treatie / and wyll that it stande as boyde. In wytnesse her of to these letters we haue sette to our seale in out cytie of Towrs / the .xxii. yere of oure teygne / the twenty day of the moneth of De­cembre.

THese letters made and sealed / and delyuered / the knyghtes of Foiz retourned fro Towrs / their leaue taken. This season syr Loys of Sanxere marshall of Fraunce / lay in the marches of Carcassone as soueraygne gouernour there / instytuted by the kynge. The bysshoppe of Noyon and the Lorde de la Ryuer sent for hym to Tholouse / and whan he was come thyder they sayde to hym. Syr marshall / the vycount of Chastel­lon (reputeth hym selfe to be enherytour of the country of Foiz) and we haue sent in to Fraūce to the kynge to knowe what he and his coun­sayle wyll saye in that mater / wherfore be ye redy with menne of armes on the fronters of Foiz / and as soone as syr Roger of Spayne and syr Espayne be returned / or that we haue other message fro the Kynge that they agree nat on any peace / and that the king wyll haue the lande of Foiz / than entre you incontynent and take possessyon acordynge to y ^e right and puyssaunce that the kynge hathe gyuen vs in that quarell. Thus the marshall was redy prouyded / and euery day loked for aunswere fro the kynge. ¶Nowe we wyll leaue speakyng of this mater / and shewe somwhat of the duke of Bretayne.

YE haue herde here before what trea­tie was at Towrs in Thourayn / bytwene the frenche kyng and the duke of Bretaygne / the whiche duke dyde put the kynge and his counsayle to moche payne / for he wolde fall to no reason. It was sayde the kynge demaunded of hym and he refused. In lykewyse he demaunded / and the kynge refu­sed. Moche treatie there was / but no conclu­sion taken. The duke he was redy to serue the kynge and to do hym homage / as farre forthe as he was bounde to do. Thanne the kynges counsayle sayd to hym. Sythe ye knowledge yourselfe to be the kinges liegman / why wyll ye nat than obey to reason? Why syrs quod he wherin am I rebell? Than they layde to him dyuers poyntes. Fyrste in the beleuynge on the pope at Auygnon / whome they sayde the kynge toke for the trewe pope / ye dyffer ther / fro and dyssymule the mater / for ye wyll obey none of his cōmaundementes / but gyue all the benefyces your selfe in Bretaygne / and suche as brynge any bulles fro the pope ye wyll nat knowe theym / this is agaynste the magesty [Page] royall / and great synne to your cōscyence and soule. Than the duke aunswered and sayde. As for my conscyence there is no man ought to speke therof nor iudge it but all onely god / who is soueraygne iudge in all suche causes / and syth [...] ye argue and appose me in that ma­ner▪ I shall aunswere you. As for these popes who are indyfferent / there is no sure declara­tion made of them / and the season that the first tydynges came of the chosynge of pope Vr­bayne / I was in the towne of Gaunt / with my cosyn the erle of Flaunders / and there he re­ceyued letters sealed with the popes seale / as than called Robert of Quesne cardynall / and in his letter he certifyed to the erle my cosyn / that by the grace of god and by the deuyne in spyratyon he was chosen pope / and hadde to name Vrbayne. Howe than canne this be vn­done agayne / me thynke it were harde to do? I wyll nat argue agaynst the kinges maieste / for I am his cosyn and lyege man / and shall well and trewly serue hym whan so euer I be requyred / as farre forthe as I am bounde to do but I wyll speke agaynst them that coun­sayle nat the kynge well. Why syr quod they / shewe vs who they be that do nat counsayle the kynge as they ought to do / and we shall fynde remedy for them. Syrs [...] he ye knowe them better than I do / for ye company with them oftener than I do / but as touchynge the benefyces of my countrey / I am nat so haute nor so cruell agaynst suche as desyre them / but that I suffre the clerkes of my countrey to en­ [...]oy them / by the bulles of pope Clement / but suche cerkes as be nat of the same countrey I refuse them / and the cause why I shall shewe you. They wolde beare away the rychesse of my countrey out therof / and deserue it nat / whiche is agaynst ryght and consyence / wher fore I can nat agree therto. And where as ye saye that I am rebell and [...] to agaynst the kynges offycers / whanne they come in to my coūtrey, that is nat so, nor wyll nat be. ye ought to knowe / and if ye do nat lerne it / the fee of the [...]uchy of Bretayne is of so noble a condycion / that soueraygnely there ought none to enter­prise any mater there / but alonely their owne naturall lorde / that is to say / the duke of Bre­tayne holdeth his court open to here all rygh­tes / and his offycers to execute all ryghtes in the lande of Bretaygne / and to do acordynge to their offyce. And if I haue any offycer that dothe contrary to ryght / that outher straun­ger or other haue cause to complayne / I pu­nysshe them and shall do / that other shall take ensample by them. more ouer I say that some of the kynges counsayle do so that they ought to be reproued / for they do as moche as they maye do / to norysshe warre and hatred by­twene the kyng and me / the cause why is clere ynough. they suffre my cosyn Iohn̄ of Bloys to do two thynges agaynst me vnreasonable. The fyrste is / he writeth hym selfe Iohan of Bretayne / by reason of that name it semeth he entendeth to attaygne to the herytage of Bre­taygne / of the whiche he is without and shall be / for I haue chyldren / sonne and doughter that shall succede after me. Secondely he beareth the ermyns whiche are the armes of Bretaygne / but of trouthe to do me dyspleasure withall / sir Olyuer clysson mayntayneth him in that opinyon / and as longe as he is in that case I wyllagre to no treatie with the kynge. As for warre I wyll make none to the kyng / bycause he is my naturall lorde / but if by yuell informacyon y ^e kyng make me warre / I shall defende me / & he shall fynde me in myne owne countre. all this I wyll that the kyng knowe.

THus the treatie bytwene the kynge and the duke of Bretayne contynued rygorously / for the duke was lorde and mayster of his counsayle / but the frenche kynge was nat so of his / but was ruled by syr Olyuer Clisson / and the Begue of Vyllains / syr Iohan Mercyer / and by syr Willyam of Montague, the duke of Burgoyne / who had clere vnderstandyng of euery thynge / suffred the duke of Bretaygnes reasons and defen­ces to be sayde in place / and couertly he susteyned them / and had the duke of Berrey of his opynyon / for he hated inwardly them of the kynges priuy chambre / bycause they had dy­stroyed his treasourer Betysache shamfully / by iustyce at Besyers (as ye haue herde here before) but he suffred it / for he sawe no tyme to be reuenged. In this dyfference the duke of Bretaygne taryed at Towrs thre monethes / that their treatie coulde come to no good con­clusyon / and were at the poynte to haue departed / and the kynge was in wyll that as soone as he was retourned in to Fraunce to make a great assemble to make warre the next somer after in to Bretayne agaynst the duke / & su­che of his acorde / & to leaue all other busines [Page ccxxvi] but the dukes of Berrey & of Burgoyne / the lorde Coucy / therle of saint Poll / sir Guy of Tremoile / the chanceller of Fraūce / and dy­uers other prelates & high barons of Fraūce suche as were there / ymagined to withstāde this rigorous rebelliōs / & spake togider and said to the kyng. sir / we that be the iouerayn lordes & piers of your realme / and be nere of your lygnage / we shulde haue a treatie this next lent for a peace to be had at Amiēce with thenglysshmen. Wherfore sir ye had nede to make haste / & leaue this yuell wyll bytwene you and the duke of Bretayne / for if the duke deꝑte hens without any agrement made by­twene you / thenglysshmen wyll be y ^e harder in all their treaties / for they wyll thynke thē to be ayded and cōforted by the duke of Bre­tayne and by his countrey / for the duke hath thenglisshmen at his hande whan he wyll / & if we haue warre atones / bothe with the Englysshmen & bretons / as we haue had or this they wyll put vs to great payne. These lordꝭ dyde so moche with the kyng & his coūsayle / that at last they founde a meane bytwene the kyng & the duke / I shewe you what it was / & surely without the same meanes had ben founde / they shulde haue come to no conclusion of good acorde. So it was y ^e frenche kyng had a doughter. & the duke of Bretaine had a sonne. there was a maryage made by­twene this son̄e & this dought. In lykewise Iohn̄ of Bretayne had a son̄e by the dought of sir Olyuer of Clysson & the duke of Bre­tayne had a doughter and it was thought to make sure peace / y ^t the mariage bytwene thē two were necessary. These maryages were agreed & concluded / howbeit for all these alyaunces / yet Iohn̄ of Bretayne shulde leaue the armes of Bretayne & beare them of Cha­stellon / & bycause he was extracte by his mother syde of a duke of Bretayne (for his mo­ther was doughter to a duke of Bretaygne) therfore he was alowed to bere in his armes a bordet of ermyne with thre labels goules / on the heed of a scochyn of ermyns. Thus he bare these deuises / & euery thynge was ape­sed. So the duke of Bretayne gate the loue of the kyng & of his vncles / and dyned with the kyng / and so Iohn̄ of Bretayne was erle of Pon [...]hieuts. And thus shewed great loue togyder by meanes of these mariages / howe be it the duke in no wyse wolde se nor speke with sir Olyuer of Clysson / he had suche dis­pleasure to hym / howebeit sir Olyuer made lyght therof / for he hated the duke also with all his puissaūce. These mariages thus acorded / & the lordes sworne and bounde to ful­fyll thē / whan the chyldren shulde be sōwhat of more age. Than these lordes determyned to departe fro Tourse & to drawe to Parys / for the tyme aproched that they shulde be at Amyence personally. The frenche kyng / his brother / his vncles and his coūsayle / to mere there with the kyng of Englande / his vncles and counsayle / who shulde be there. So the duke of Bretayne toke leaue of the Frenche kyng and of his brother & vncles / and of su­che other as he loued best / and so deꝑted fro Tourse & went in to his owne coūtre: and in lykewise so dyd all other lordꝭ. The duke of Berrey / the duke of Burgoyne / & the lorde Coucy taryed there styll / I shall shewe you why.

YE haue herde here before in this hystorie / howe Loys of Bloys / son̄e to therle Guy of bloys died whan he was yonge / in y ^e towne of Beauniont in Heynalt / wher by the lady Mary doughter to the duke of Berrey was a widowe / & therby she lost her welthe of this worlde / for the chylde was a gret enheritour / & if he had lyued he had ben a great lorde. I speke of it bycause it shulde be knowen in tyme to come thenheritaūce / to whome it went out of the right lyne / and by what maner. therle of Blois & Mary of Namure his wyfe / were nat in y ^e case to engēdre children togider / for by great drīkyng & mo­che eatynge of wete & delycate meates / they were ouergrowen with fatnesse / so that the erle coude nat ryde / but was alwayes caried in a lytter fro one place to another / or whan he wolde go a huntyng or haukyng / whiche sporte was gretly vsed w ^t the lordꝭ of Fraūce The same season whyle the Frenche kynge was at Tourse / the duke of Thourayne had [Page] an ymaginacion whiche he brought to effect as I shall shewe you. The duke of Thou­rayne knewe well / he had moche rychesse ly­ing by hym / paraduenture a myllion of Flo­reyns / whiche had by reason of his mariage with the lady Valentyne of Myllayne / doughter to the erle of Vertus. He wyst nat howe to enploy these flornes. Than he remē bred howe the erle Guy of Bloys had great herytagꝭ / and that after his dethe they were likely to go to dyuers ꝑsones. The erldome of Bloys shulde retourne to Iohan of Bre­tayne / for he was the erles cosyn germayne / and the landes of Heynault shulde go to the duke Iulyers and to the duke of Lancastre / except Chinay whiche shulde go to them of Conflans by homage / and the coūtie of Soissons / whiche parteyned to therle of Bloys and was aūciently alyed to hym. The lorde of Coucy was enherytour therof / by reason of his delyueraūce out of prisone in Englād Also the landes of Drages & Monny shulde retourne to other heyres: And the landes of Holande and zelande / shulde retourne to the erle of Heynaulte. Thus these fayre heryte­ges shulde be sparcled abrode: & this knewe well the lordes of Fraūce. wherfore the duke of Thourayn who had money lyeng by hym thought to bye these lādes / if he might haue any resonable bargayne. Thā he thought to entreate the kyng to moue therle of Blois in this mater / and specially at the lest to bye the countie of Bloys / whiche was a fayre and a noble countrey / and well syttinge for hym / for the countie of Bloyes marched on the duchy of Thouraygne: and to the Countie of Bloys parteyned many goodly fees. This duke of Thourayne rested styll on his pur­pose / & seased nat tyll he spake with y ^e kynge his brother & y ^e duke of Burbone / & with the lorde of Coucy: bycause he was great with y ^e erle of Blois / and had to wyfe the doughter of his cosyn germayne the duke of Loreyne. The duke of Thourayne and the other lor­des of his affyuite kept this mater secretely fro y ^e duke of Berey / I shall shewe you why The lady Mary his dought was endowed in all the countie of Bloys to the sōme of .vi. M. frankes by yere: and the duke of Berrey trusted by reason of his doughters dowrie y ^e the countie of Bloys shulde be his after the erles dethe. this duke of Berrey was a mar­ueylous couytous prince. the duke of Bur­goyne in lyke wise trusted the landes of Hol­ande / zelande / & Heynalte to be his / bycause that Margarete his eldest dought was ma­ried to Wylliam / son̄e to therle of Heynalte: wherby he thought outher by bieng or by sōe other incident y ^t chose landes shulde returne to his son̄e erle of Ostrenant / otherwyse cal­led Iohn̄ of Burgoyne / who as than had maried Margarete eldest doughter to therle of Heynalte. Thus the kyng and these said lordes purposed y ^t at their deꝑtyng fro Tourse iii Thourayn to ryde by Blois to se their cosyn therle Guy of Bloys / who was an eight myle fro Tourse / in a castell of his owne cal­led y ^e Castell morant & there to treate of this marchādise with hym & with his wyfe the lady Mary of Namure / who was a couytous lady. So it was there was a valiant knight and of great prudence bayly of Blois / called sir Raynolde of Sens / who had ꝑfyte infor­macion of all this busynes / by what meanes I knowe nat. Whan he knewe it he had gret pyte therof / for loue of therle his lorde / for he thought by reason of his sale of his lādes / he shuld be dishonored for euer / & disherite the true rightfull heyres / whiche shulde be damnacion to his soule. He thought to lette this mater if he coude / & so rode fro Blois & spa­ke with therle & said. sir / the frenche kynge & the duke of Thourayn / the duke of Burdon and the lorde Coucy cometh hyder to you. y ^t is true ꝙ therle / why speke you that? Sir ꝙ he I say it bycause ye shalbe requyred to sell your enheritāce / wherfore ye haue nede to take good aduise therin. of those wordꝭ therle had great marueyle & said / I can nat let men to speke & make requestꝭ / but or I make any suche bargayne to sell myne enherytaūce / or to disheryte myne heyres to my shame & re­buke / I shall rather sell or ley to pledge all y ^e plate I haue. Well sit ꝙ the knight / remēbre well the mater whan tyme is / for this that I haue shewed you is without dout. Bayly ꝙ the erle / I am nat so yong nor folysshe to en­clyne to any suche treaties. thus the bayly deꝑted fro therle & rode againe to Blois / for he wolde nat be sene there at the kynges cōmynge. Whan the kyng and these said lordes cāe to the castell / the erle made them good chere / as it was reason. The erle and the countesse were right ioyfull / that y ^e kyng wolde visyte [Page ccxxvii] them in their owne castell. Than the kynge to drawe the erle to his loue / & to bring hym to his entent sayd. Fayre cosyn / I se well ye be a lorde of our realme garnysshed with honour and larges: and haue ben at great cost / and to ayde you / and somwhat to recōpence you / We wyll you gyue and ayde / that shall be well worthe to you twentie thousande frā kes in the countie of Blois. Therle thanked the kyng of his gyfte / but he had neuer pro­fite therof / for he had neuer nothyng. Than the kynge began to treate the Erle to sell the countie of Bloyes to the duke of Thourayn The kynge and the duke of Burbone spake fyrst / and founde therle very colde and tarre of in that mater. Than the lordes drewe to the countesse of Bloyes / and shewed her so many colored reasons / and she hers / that af­ter her husbandes dethe / she was lyke to be but a poore lady. Wherfore they said it were moche better for her to be a ryche lady and a puissaunt of golde and syluer / and iewelles / than to be poore. Sayeng howe she was ly­kely to ouerlyue her husbade. Therfore they desyred her to counsayle her husbande to make this marchaundyse. The countesse / who was a couytous lady: And for loue to haue the floreyns / she enclyned to their desyres / and she dyd so moche with the helpe of other as the ayde of a varlet of the Erles chambre called Sohier borne at Malygnes / sonne to a weyuer of clothes / but he was so great w ^t the erle of Bloyes / that all thynge was done by hym / & without hym nothyng done. And the erle had gyuen hym in fees and herytagꝭ more than fyue hundred frankes by yere. Be holde and consydre what myschefe great lor­des be brought vnto by meane of seruaūtes. This Sohier had nother wytte nor reason / to be greatly alowed / but it was alonely the folysshe loue that his maister hadde to hym. In lykewise the duke of Berrey the same season had one with hym called Iaques Thy­baulte / who was of no reputacion / yet the duke at dyuers tymes had gyuen hym the sōme of two hundred thousande frankes / and yet all was but loste. This Sohier coulde nor can nat excuse hym selfe / but that if he had ly­sted he myght well haue broken that marchā dise / y ^t therle his mayster made. but to please the kynge / the duke of Thourayne / the duke of Burbone / the lorde of Coucy and the coū tesse / who was agreed therto by couitousnes of the florens. He rowned so in his maisters eare / that the Erle wente from his promyse that he had made to his bayly. And to there the reuercion of the countie of Bloyes after his discease was solde / for the somme of two hundred thousande frankes / and the duke of Thouraygne to delyuer to the lady of Du­noyes for her dowrie / whiche was assygned to her / sixe thousande frankes. And further­more he shulde haue made another sale of all his landes in Heynaulte: And the Duke of Thourayne to haue payde for that two hun­dred thousande frankes. Howe be it therin the erle of Bloys reserued to knowe the erle of Heynaltes pleasure therin / who was his naturall lorde / to whom he owed faythe and homage for those landes. Howe be it y ^t kyng and the duke of Thourayn toke that charge on them / and to discharge the erle / what soe­uer shulde fall after. Thus or they departed they bounde the erle by promyse and by wri­tynges sealed / as they might well and easely do / for he had there none of his coūsayle saue Sohier / who neuer was at scole / nor knewe no letter on the boke: Moche after this ma­ner went this marchandise. and I haue written this mater as iustely as I coude / to then­tent that herafter in tyme to come / by reason of writyng / the trouthe shulde be knowen. For the erle Guye of Bloys my lorde & mayster / as he that was ignorant and yuell counsayled / more by his wyfe and varlet Sohier thā by any other / made this yuell bargayne. And whan these maters were concluded and surely made by the kyng / the duke of Thou­rayne / and their counsayle / than the lordes toke their leaue and retourned in to Fraūce. Great brute was made of these sales in dy­uers countries.

[Page] HOwe let vs sōwhat speke of sir Roger of spaygne and of sir Espaygne du Lyon / and shewe how they spedde / aft they were retourned fro Tourle to go to Tholous to the bys­shop of Noyon and to the lorde de la Ryuer / So longe they iourneyd that they came thyder / they were welcome / for their cōmynge was fore desyred. There they shewed their letters and howe they had spedde. By sem­blaunt the bysshoppe and the lorde de la Ryuer were ioyouse / of that the herytaūce shul­de abyde with the Vycount of Chastellon / on suche condycions (as is before written). Than sir Roger and his cōpanyon thought to take some more payne / as to ryde to y ^e Vycount of Chastellon / and to the counsayls of Foize and of Bierne / to se that euery thyng be sette in good order. Than they departed fro Tholous and rode to saynt Gracyens. the Vicount was nat there / but he was at the entre of Berne / in a fayre castell called Pau / and there they founde hym / who was ioyfull of their cōmynge. And whan he knewe that the Frenche kyng had gyuen vp his tytell of the byeng of the coūtie of Foiz / he was glad­der than he was before. As for the money y ^t he shulde paye / he wyst well ynoughe where to haue it / and moche more. ⸫ ⸫

I Thynke I haue suffi­ciently treated of the busynesse of Bierne and of foiz for if I shulde reherse all thynges / it wolde requyre long writyng: therfore I wyll leaue spekyng therof and create of other maters. Thus all thyngꝭ cōcluded / the vicount of Chatellon was erle of Foiz and lorde of Berne / in lyke maner as the older erle helde it / and all suche as ought so to do made homage to hym / & he departed largely with (ser) yuan and sir Gracien / tholde erles bastarde sones / in suche wyse that they were content / and payde to the Frēche kyng all suche money as was ꝓmised to be payde. This mater was nat sone done / somer was first well onwarde / and y ^e bisshop of Noyon and y ^e lorde de la Ryuer taryed styll at Tho­lous tyll euery thyng was set in good order / accordyng as they were charged. Nowe let vs speke of thassemble of the lordes of Fraū ce and of Englande / in the good cyte of Amyence on the treatie of a peace or of a truce / as than beyng the yere of our lorde. M.CCC.lxxx. & .xi. in the myddes of lent great proui­sion was made ther for these lordꝭ or they cāe thider. First for the frenche kyng & for his e­state / and for his thre vncles / and also for o­ther great lordes of Fraūce / euery man after his degre / for it was said that kyng Richard of Englāde shulde be there / wherfore many desyred to se him / such as had neuer sene him before / how beit he came nat there / yet he cāe to Douer / to thentent to haue passed the see & his thre vncles with hym / y ^t is to say y ^e dukes of Lācastre / yorke / & Glocester. & whan they came to Douer they tooke aduyse whyder it were mete for the kyng to passe the see or nat All thynges consydred / the counsayle of En­glande was of opinyon that the kyng shuld byde at Douer & the duke of Gloceter w ^t him and the duke of Lancastre / the duke of yorke therle of Hūtyngton / therle of Derby / sir thomas Percy / the bysshops of Durham & London / and other of y ^e kynges coūsaile to passe ouer / so they came to Calais. And whan the day aproched y ^t they shulde mete at Amyēce / they deꝑted fro Calysmo than .xii.C. horse. it was a goodly syght to se thē ryde in good order. The frenche kyng had ordayned / that after thenglisshmen came out of Calis / both goyng abyding & returnyng / all their costes and charges were borne of the frenche kyngꝭ charge / as mete / drīke / lodgyng & horse mete With y ^e duke of Lācastre & the duke of yorke there cāe their cosyn / dought to their suster & to y ^e lorde Coucy / who was a faire yōg lady called y ^e lady of yrelāde / for she was wedded to the duke of yrelāde. this lady cāe to Amy­ens to se y ^e lorde her father y ^e lorde Coucy / for she had nat sene hym moche before / wherfore [Page ccxxviii] she hadde great desyre to se hym. She came lyke a noble widowe / hauyng but small ioye in her co. age.

THe Frenche kyng had ordayned to make the Englysshe men as moche honour as coude be deuysed / and to the foure dukes / that is to saye: The duke of Thourayn the Frenche kynges brother / and the dukes of Burbon / of Berrey / and or Burgoyne / l [...]pte on their horses and rode out of the towne to mete with the englisshmen acō panyed with many other great lordes. Fyrst mette with thē the duke Loys of Thourayn well acōpanyed and honorably receyued his colyns of Englande / & there cōmuned a cer­tayne space with thē. than he toke his leaue and departed agayne with all his company / and so rode streight to the cytie to the kynge his brother: And the other thre dukes y ^e kyn­ges vncles / Berrey / Burbone / & Burgoyne mette with the Englysshe dukes in the felde and made great chere and honorable eche to other / that ioye it was to se. Than the gētyll erle Dolphyn of Auuergne / who had ben as an hostager in Englande / and moche in the duke of Lacasters company / and loued hym very well / He came and humbly saluted the duke of Lancaster. Whan the duke sawe him he enbrased hym in great token of loue / and spake toguyder a lytell. Than the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne came to them / & the duke of Burbon / the lorde Coucy / and therle of [...]aynt Poule came to the duke of yorke / the erle of Huntyngton and to sir Thomas Percye / and so [...]ode talkyng togyder with amo­rous wordes / tyll they aproched the cytie of Amyence. Than the duke of Lancastre rode bytwene the duke of Berrey and the duke of Burgoyn. Thus they rode all thre in a front makyng honour eche to other / tyll they came to the bysshoppes palais / where the kynge & the duke of Thourayne was. There they a lighted / and the two dukes ledde the duke of La [...]castre vp the steres / and the other dukes and lordes folowed. Than the Frenche lor­des came in to the kynges presence: & made their reuerence / and lefte the Englysshe du­kes standyng alone. Than a lytell they enclined them selfe to the kyng. than the kyng ca [...]e to them and toke them by the handes / & lytte them vp / and spake swetely to them & they to hym / and other lordes of Fraunce fell in tal­kynge with the other lordes of Englande. & whan they had cōmaned a season / they toke their leaue of the kyng / his brother / & vncles and departed & were conueyed to their lod­gynges by the cōstable of Fraunce / the lorde Coucy / the erle of saynt Poule / sir Iohan of Vyenne / and other Lordes of the realme of Fraunce. Than they toke their leaues & deꝑted agayne to the kyng: and the lady of Ire­lande doughter to the lorde Coucy / was lodged in her fathers lodging & all her cōpany.

IT was ordayned by the frēche kyng & his counsayle / before thenglysshe lordꝭ came to the cytie of Amyence (whiche ordy­naūce was publysshed and proclamed open­lye / to thentent that no ꝑsone shulde be ignorant therof) but euery man to beware of [...]re kyng of any artycle in the proclamacion / on payne of lefyng of their heedes. First that no maner of person make any riot / or gyue any riotous wordes to any Englysshman: & also that no knight nor squier speke or make any chalenge of armes to any englysshman / on payne of the kynges highe displeasure / & they to company with the w ^t swete wordes and goodly behauour / in y ^t towne / lodgyngꝭ or felde: nor that the Frenche pages make a­ny debate nor riotte in any place on payne of dethe. And what soeuer any englysshman demaūdeth to su [...]re them pesably to haue it. & that no ho [...]t nor vitayler demaunde any mo­ney outher for meate or drinke / nor for other suche cōmen charges. Also it was ordayned that no knight nor squyer of Fraunce / shuld go by night tyme without torche or torches / and that the englysshmen shulde go at their pleasure without any cōtrolement. & that if any frēchman mete any Englysshman in the night in any strete / y ^t they shulde swetely & gently conuey him or thē to their lodgyng or to their company. Also it was ordayned that in four places of the cyte / four watches to be set of a thousande men in euery watche: and that if any fyre happe to fall in the nyght by any incydence / the watche in no wyse to re­moue for no maner of cause: but at y ^e so wnynge of a bell / all other people to drawe to quē ­che the fyre. Also it was ordayned y ^t no frēch knight nor squier for no maner of cause shulde presume to speke to the king w ^tout y ^e kyng [Page] fyrst dyde call hym. Nor also that the knigh­tes nor squyers of Fraunce shulde talke nor comune toguyder / as long as any of the En­glysshe men were present / But to fynde co­munynge and pastyme with theym. Also it was ordayned / that all hostes and their ser­uauntes / in anywyse / shulde nat conuey or hyde any Bowes or Arrowes / or any other thynge parteyninge to the Englysshe men / without makynge of large amendes / with­out it were gyuen them by the Englysshmen of their curtesy: than to take it or els nat. All these thynges were determyned by delyberacyon or good counsayle / to do the Englysshe men the more honoure / for they trusted of a good conclusyon of peace. Nighe euery day a fiftene dayes toguyder / these lordes were in counsayle / and brought nothyng to cōclu­syon / for their demaundes were greatly dif­ferent. The Frenche men demaunded to ha­ue Calais rased and beaten downe / in suche wyse / that no persone shulde dwell there af­ter. The Englysshe men wolde in no wyse agree to that treatie: for it ought to be bele­ued / that Calais was y ^e towne of the worlde that the cōmons of Englande loued best / for as longe as they be lordes of Calays / They sayde they bare the kayes of Fraunce vnder their gyrdell. Thoughe the lordes departed euery daye vnagreed yet they departed a sō ­der right amiably / for euery daye they poyn­ted to were agayne the nexte day / bothe par­ties trustyng at last to cōclude on some good poynt. The frenche kyng made thenglysshe men in y ^t space thre notable dyners at his pa­lais. In lykewise so dyde the duke of Thourayne / the duke of Berrey the duke of Bur­goyne / the duke of Burbone / the lorde of Coucy / and the erle of saynt Poule: Eche of these made the Englysshe men a great dyner And for euery thyng that the Englysshmen toke in the towne was payd for / and clerkes apoynted by the kynge and his counsayle to write euery thyng / and euery man apoynted for their money to the chambre of accomptes It ought to be knowen / that Iohan duke of Lancastre and his brother the duke of yorke for all that they were come thyder on trust of peace / yet they had charge of the kyng of En­glande and of his counsayle / that what soe­uer treatie they made / in no wise they shulde nouther gyue nor take any maner of thynge.

MAny were of the opynion / that the cōmynaltie of Englande rather en­clyned to warre than to peace / for in the tyme of good kyng Edwarde the thirde / and of his son̄e the prince of Wales / they had so many fayre and highe vyctories on y ^e fren­che men / and so great conquestes / with so moche money for raunsomes / sellyng and pate­synge of townes & countreis / that they were become marueylous riche: for many suche as were no gentylmen of byrthe / by reason of their hardynesse and valyaunt aduentures / wan and conquered so moche golde and syl­uer that they became noble / and rose to great honour. And so such as folowed after wolde folowe the same lyfe / how beit after y ^t dayes of the sayd kyng Edwarde and y ^e prince his sonne / by the wysdome and highe enterprice of sir Bertram of Clesquy / and by the ayde of other good knyghtes of Fraūce. The En­glysshmen were than agayne sore put backe The duke of Gloucestre sonne to the sayde kynge Edwarde / and vncle as than to kyng Richarde / than beyng at Amyence / & dyuers other lordes / knightes / and squyers were of the same opynion that the cōmons were of in Englande / and enclyned rather to the warre than to peace / to the entent therby to susteyne their estate. By the occasion therof the peace was the harder to driue. yet the kynge & the duke of Lancastre wolde fayne haue hadde peace / for by their meanes that metynge at Amyēce was apoynted / howbeit they wolde nat displease the cōmens of Englande. The Englysshe men wolde gladlye haue hadde a peace / so they myght be restored agayne to al suche landes as was agreed on / at the treaty before Charters / and that the Frenche men shulde paye fourtene hundred thousande frā kes / whiche was vnpayed whan the warre began to renewe.

IN this season / thus great cōmuny­cacion there was at the cytie of A­myence / on treatie of peace: and the lordes that were there on bothe parties toke great payne in the cause. It myght well be marueyled why this peace toke none effecte / for specialy the duke of Burgoyne dyd what he coude for the Frenche partie / and the duke of Lancastre for the Englysshe partie. Sa­uyng the charge that he had / whiche he durst [Page ccxxix] nat passe. Whan these lordes sawe that they coulde come to no good conclusyon / than the frenchemen somwhat to apease and to please the englysshmen / and the rather therby to fall to some reason / it was offred to them to enjoy styll peasably / all that euer they were as than in possessyon of in Acquytayne / and nyne dyoces to be quite delyuered without any resorte / so that Calays myght be beaten downe. And also they offred to paye in thre yere after / the somme of .xiiii. hundred thousande frankes. Than the duke of Lancastre and the englyssh counsayle answered and sayd. Syrs we haue taried here a longe season and haue concluded nothyng / nor we canne nat conclude tyll we be retourned in to Englande / and than we shall shewe all your desyres and offers to the kyng our souerayne lorde / and to the thre estates of the realme / and of one thinge be you sure / that as moch dyligence as I & my brother of yorke can do / shall be doone to bringe your desyre to passe / except y ^e beatyng downe of Calays / we dare nat speke therof / for if we dyd we shulde ryn in the indygnacyon and hatred of y ^e most parte of all the realme of Englande / and yet were we better to speke no worde therof. these wordes somwhat contented the french kynge and his coūsayle / and desyred them that whan they were returned into England to do their dyligence in the mater / & they said they wolde do what they coude for the frenche party / say­eng howe the warre had endured ouer longe / and many yuell inconuenyentes hath ensued therby in the worlde. than it was considred bytwene the parties / bycause the truce fayled the next mydsomer after / bytwene Englande and Fraunce / to contynue it lengar the space of an hole yere / bothe by lande and by see bytwene them / their alyes / and adherentes / and therto the lordes of Englande were agreed. Than the frenche kynges counsayle desyred to sende two french knightes to go with them into Englande / and at their retourne to bringe worde what case they shulde fynde the realme of En­glande in. The duke of Lancastre and y ^e duke of yorke were contente therwith. It was she­wed me / and also the apparaunce was great / howe that the frenche kynge desyred greatly to haue peace / for as than great brute ranne through Fraunce and other places howe that Lam [...]rabaquyn was entred with great puis­saunce of turkes in to the realme of Hungry. syr Boucyquant thelder marshall of Fraunce brought those newes / and syr Iohan of Cha­ron / who were newely retourned fro the par­tyes of Grece and Turkey / wherfore the fren­che kynge in his youthe / had great affectyon to go in voyage / and to go and se the sayd La­morabaquyn / and to recouer the realme of Armony / whiche the turkes had wonne fro the kynge Lyon of Armony / who was the same tyme at Amyence / and he shewed the cause of his comynge thyder / to the duke of Lancastre and to the duke of yorke. They knewe hym well for they had sene him before in the realme of Englande. He was in Englande to treate for the peace whan the frenche kynge was at Sluse. And consyderynge the kynge of Ar­monyes busynesse at the ende of their parlya­mente / the frenche kynge sayde to the duke of Lancastre. Fayre nephewe if peace maye be had bytwene vs and the kynge of Englande / we might than make a voyage in to Tukey / comfortyng the kynge of Hungry / and the emperour of Constantynople / whome Lamora­baquyn dothe moche trouble / and let vs reco­uer the realme of Armony / whiche the turkes kepe. We here saye that Lamorabaquyn is a valyaunt man / and of great enterprise / and a­gaynst suche persones as are contrary to our beleue / and daily dothe trouble and greue vs / we ought to enclyne our selfe to defende our crysten faythe / wherfore fayre nephewe helpe you to prouyde for this voyage in the realme of Englande. The duke of Lancastre promysed to do his deuoyre in that behalfe. Thus they toke leaue eche of other.

THis counsayle at Amyence endured a fyftene dayes / than the Englysshe men departed / and had with them in writyng the cōclusion of their treatie / to shewe to the kynge of Englande and his counsayle. Than the duchesse of Irelande departed fro Amyēce and toke leaue of her father the lorde of Coucy / and retourned with the englysshe lordes. And fro that tyme that they departed fro Calais tyll they came thyder agayne / they spent nothyng without they lyst / for the french kynge made euery thynge to be payed / bothe for them selfe and for their horses. The duke of Burgoyne than retourned into Archoys to the cytie of Arras / and there he founde the du­chesse his wyfe / who had vysited the countrey [Page] of Flaunders. The duke of Thourayne / the duke of Berrey / and the duke of Butbone / taryed with the kynge and the kinge purposed to go to Beamoys & to Gysors to sporte hym there in the waye to Parys. With the duke of Lancastre & the duke of yorke certayne knightes of Fraunce wente in to Englande / as syr Iohan of Castell Morante / & sir Taupyns of Cantmell / to bringe aunswere agayne out of England / and sir Raynolde du Roy / the lorde of Moncaurell / and y ^e lorde of the olde towne / conueyed them to Calays / and than toke their leaue / and the englysshe men passed ouer the see to Deuer / and there founde the kynge and the duke of Glocestre taryeng for them. Whan the kyng sawe them he had great comunynge with them of the s [...]ate of the parlyamente of Amyence. The kynge was well content with that his vncles had done / but than the duke of Glocestre / who was alwayes harde agaynst the treatie of peace sayd / howe there coulde no good conclusyon be taken in this treatye tyll the mater were brought to Westmynster to a generall counsayle of all the thre astates of the realme / and than to folowe their aduyses and none otherwyse. The duke of Glocesters wordes were well herde / no manne wolde saye a­gaynst hym / for he was greatly in the loue of the realme. Than it was shewed to the knightes of Fraunce that they muste go with them to London / otherwyse they coulde haue none answere. The two knightes obeyed as it was reason. Than the kynge toke his way and the lordes with him to London. Whan the kynge came to Darfforde / he tooke his waye to El­tham / and refresshed him there with the quene and than came to Shene / and wente agaynst saynte Georges feest to Wyndsore / and there the knyghtes of Fraunce were answered. but or I shewe you their aunswereꝭ I wyll some­what speke of the frenche kynge.

AFter that this assemble and coūsayle had been at Amyence / the Frenche kynge for lacke of good gydyng fell sycke of the feuer / wherfore he was counsay­led to chaunge the ayre. So he was layde in a lytter and caryed to Beamoys / and there taryed in the bysshops palays tyll he was hole and recouered / his brother the duke of Thou­rayne with him / & his vncles the dukes of Berrey and Burbone / there he helde his Easter. And after whan the kynge was stronge and myght well ryde / he rode to Gysors / the en­tryng in to Normādy / to haue there the sporte of huntynge / for theraboute were many fayre wodes. The kyng beynge there sir Bernarde of Armynake / who was brother to Iohan of Armynake came to the kynge in good array / and the Dolphyn of Auuergne in his compa­ny / whome he founde at Parys in his waye. There the erle of Armynake and the Erle of Rodays made their reliefe and homage to the kynge / acordinge to the custome as other lor­des of Fraunce made their relyefe / for suche landes as they helde in fee of the kynge. And whan euery thyng was writen and regestred / they toke their leaue and retourned to Paris togyther / and fro thence to their countreys / to Auuergne and to Languedoc. And about the feest of Ascensyon tyde the frenche kynge re­tourned to Parys in good helthe / and lodged at his howse of saynte Poll / the whiche was ordeyned for hym / and thyder was come the frenche quene and the duches of Thourayne.

NOwe let vs speke of syr Iohan of Ca­stell Morante / and of syr Taupyn of Cantmell / who were in Englande taryenge for an answere of the kyng and his counsayle. They were at Wyndesore at saynte Georges feest / where was the kynge / his vncles / and o­ther great lordes of Englande. There these lordes counsayled togyther on suche promyse as they had made to the frenche kyng and his counsayle at Amyence / and determyned to delyuer the two Frenche knyghtes / that dayly called on them for an aunswere. Than these knyghtes were sente for on a day / and it was sayde to them thus. Syrs be contente / for all thinges consydred ye canne haue of vs no full answere at this tyme / for it wolde be harde as nowe to assemble togyther the thre estates of the realme / vntyll the feest of Mychelmas / at whiche tyme they muste nedes be at the par­lyamente at Westmynster / and to excuse you we shall write letters for the same purpose / at whiche season if you or any other for the par­tie of Fraūce wyll traueyle so farre as to come thyder / they shall haue a reasonable answere / suche as generally the hole counsayle of the thre astates shall agre vnto. whan the frenche knyghtes sawe what aunswere they had / and coulde haue none other / they aunswered and [Page ccxxx] sayd. Syr we are contente with that ye haue sayd / lette vs haue our letters and we shall re­tourne. Than their letters were delyuered to them / and so toke their leaue of the kynge and of other lordes / and so came fro Wyndesore to London and / made thē redy to departe. The kyng of Englande caused all their cestes and charges to be payed for / and conueyed to Do­uer / and there taryed a fyue dayes for lacke of wynde / and on the sixte day they departed and aryued at Boloyne / and whanne their horses were vnshypped they rode to Amyēce by small iourneys / & so to Paris / and there they founde the kynge and his lordes. It was aboute the feest of Penthecost. Their letters were redde / wherby they vnderstode the ordynaūce of the englysshmen. As it was shewed me the kynge nor his counsayle toke lytell regarde to the mater / for within a season after they had moche ado in other places. ⸪ ⸪

YE haue well herde here before how (ser) Peter of Craon / who was a knyght of great lygnage / but he was farre out of the fren­che kynges grace and the duke of Thourayns. if he dyd somoche to cause them to be displeased with him he dyd yuell. ye haue herde also howe he was gone in to Bretayne to the duke / who shewed hym that the yuell wyll that the kynge bare hym was by the meanes of syr Olyuer of Clysson. It may well be that he was so enfourmed / in that he hadde so great hate to the constable sir Olyuer of Clys­son / for he studyed euer after howe to dystroy hym. Thus whyle syr Peter of Craon was with the duke of Bretaygne / they wolde often tymes comune togyder / and deuise howe they myght bringe syr Olyuer of Clysson to dethe / for they sayd that and he were ones deed there was none y ^t wolde greatly reuenge his dethe. The duke repēted hym that he had nat slayne hym whan he had hym in prisone / and wolde as than that it had coste hym a hundred thou­sande frankes / that he had hym agayne at his wyll. Whan syr Peter of Craon sawe that the duke had suche hatred to syr Olyuer of Clys­son / he purposed a marueylous ymaginacien in himselfe / for by apparaūce men shulde gyue iudgement. This knyght thought howe so euer it were that he wolde slee the constable / and thought to entende to nothynge els tyll he had slayne hym with his owne handes / or caused hym to be slayne / and afterwarde entreat for peace. He douted nothyng Iohn̄ of Blois / nor the sonne of the Vicounte of Rohan / who had wedded two of the constables doughters / he thought to do well ynough with theym as longe as y ^e duke was on his parte / for he sawe well the strengthe and puyssaunce of Bloys was greatly feblysshed / for the Erle Guy of Bloys had solde the herytage of Bloys to the duke of Thourayn / whiche shulde haue ronne by successyon to therle of Pointhycur Iohan of Bloys / wherby he thought that the duke of Thourayne shewed hym but small loue nor alyaunce of lynage / to bye away his enhery­taunce / wherfore this syr Peter thought if syr Olyuer of Clysson were deed / sone to apease the kynges yuell wyll and the duke of Thou­rayns / and therby sone to ouercome the lorde de la Ryuer and syr Iohan Mercyer / Mon­tagu / the Begue of Villayns / and syr Iohan of Bulle / and other of the Kynges chambre / suche as susteyned the constable. for he knewe well that the duke of Berrey and the duke of Burgoyne loued them nothynge in wardely / whatsoeuer they shewed outwardly. Thus sir Peter of Craon perceyuered styll in his opy­nyon / and deuysed in his imagynacion by the entysyng of the dyuell / who neuer slepeth / but waketh and enbraseth their hartes to do yuell that enclyneth to his exortacion. Thus the dyuell dayly layde the mater before this knygh­tes eyen / or he put the mater to execusyon / but if he had iustly ymagyned the doutes and pa­relles / and myscheuousnesse that myght fall by his yuell dede / reasone and wyse atempe­raunce shulde haue caused hym to haue done otherwyse. But it is often tymes said that the great desyre that a man hath to haue the exe­cusyon of that thynge / or it be fallen often ty­mes quencheth reason and wysdome / therfore often tymes vyces are maysters and vertues [Page] vyolate and corrupted / and for bycause that specially this syr Peter of Craon had so great affection to the dystructyon of the constable / therfore he lyghtly enclyned to the temptacion to do outrage and folly / and thought that if he myght slee the constable and returne agayne safely in to Bretayne / that no man wolde seke hym there if they dyd he trusted that the duke wolde excuse hym / and that if the worste fell / that the Frenche kynge came thyder with a great puyssaunce / than in a nyght to entre in to a shyppe and so to go to Burdeaux to Bay on / or in to Englande / and there he thought well he shulde nat be pursewed / for he knewe well that the englysshe men hated the consta­ble bycause of the crueltyes that he had doone and consented to be done sythe he was tour­ned frenche howe be it before that he had done many notable seruyces to the englysshe men / as it hath ben rehersed here before in this hy­story.

SIr Peter of Craon for to accōplyssh his desyre / had longe studyed in his mynde / howe to brynge his purpose to passe / and kepte his purpose close and se­crete. I knowe nat if he shewed it to the duke of Bretayne or nat / some thought [...]es / bycause after the dede done by hym and his company / he toke the next way he coude in to Bretayne / and tooke for his sauegarde the duke of Bre­taygne. and also before the dede done he solde his castelles and herytage that he had in An­iou to the duke of Bretaygne / and renyed his homage to the frenche kynge / and sayd howe he wolde go ouer the see. Of all these maters I passe breuely / but I shall declare the dede / for I syr Iohan Froysart auctour of this hy­story / whan this vnhappy dede was doone by syr Peter of Craon / agaynste syr Olyuer of Clysson / I was the same tyme at Paris / wherfore I ought to be well enfourmed of the ma­ter / acordyng to the enquery that I made therin to knowe the trouthe. The same tyme this syr Peter had in the towne of Parys a fayre house standynge in the churche yarde of saynt Iohans / as dyuers other lordes had in the cy­tie for their pleasure. In this house there was a keper. syr Peter of Craon had sent of his seruauntes to Parys / and they prouyded large­ly in the house with wyne / corne / flesshe / salte / and other prouysyons. Also he had writen to the keper that he shulde bye certayne armure as cotes of stele / gauntletes / stoles and other harnesse for .xl men / and that doone to sende hym worde therof to thentente that he wolde sende for them / and secretly all this do be done. The keper who thought none yuell and to o­bey his maysters cōmaundement / bought all this marchaūdyse. And all this season he was in a castell of his owne in Aniou called Sa­ble / and he sent one weke thre or four seruaun­tes to his house in Parys / and so wekely tyll he had there a .xl. and shewed them nothynge for what cause he sent them thyder / but he charged them to kepe them selfe close in his howse in any wyse / and what so euer they lacked the keper of his house shulde prouyde for it. and on a daye I shall shewe you the cause why I sende you thyder before / & ye shall haue good wages. They dyd as he commaunded them / and came priuely to Parys / and entred in to the house by nyght and in the mornynges / for as than the gates of Parys nyght and daye stode open. There assembled in that house so many togyther / that they were a .xl. compa­nyons hardy men and outragyous. Howe be it there were some that if they hadde knowen wherfore they came thyderꝭ they wolde nat haue come there / yet they kepte them selfe se­crete. Than at y ^e feest of Pentecost syr Peter of Craon came to Paris secretly & entred into his howse / dysguysed lyke a seruaunt. Than he called for the porter that kepte the gate / and sayd. I cōmaunde the on payne of thy lyfe let no man / woman / nor chylde entre in to this house / nor none to go out without my cōmaundement. The porter obeyed as it was reason / and so dyd the keper / and he cōmaunded the kepers wyfe & her chyldren to kepe her cham­bre and nat to issue out therof / wherin he dyd wysely / for if the woman and chyldren had gone abrode in the streates / the comynge thy­ther of syr Peter Craon had been knowe / for chyldren and women naturally are harde to kepe counsayle / of that thynge a man wolde haue kepte secrete. Thus syr Peter and his company were secretly in his howse tyll the day of the holy sacramente / and euery day syr Peter had a brode his spyes that brought him worde of the state of syr Olyuer Clysson / and tyll that daye he coulde fynde no tyme to exe­cute his enterprise / wherwith he was sore dis­pleased in hym selfe. The said day the frenche [Page ccxxxi] kynge kepte a feest with open courte with all the lordes that were there. Also the quene and the duches of Thourayne were there in great ioy and solace. The same day after dyner the yonge lusty knyghtes were armed and iusted valyauntly / in the presence of the kynge and of the quene / and other ladyes and damosels / and contynued tyll it was nere nyght / and by the iudgement of the ladyes and harauldes / the price was gyuen to syr Gillyam of Flaunders erle of Namure. And the kynge made all the lordes and ladyes a great supper / and af­ter supper daunced tyll it was one of the clock after mydnyght. than euery man departed to their lodgynges / some to one place & some to another without feare or doute of any thyng. Syr Olyuer of Clisson who as than was constable of Fraunce / departed fro the kynges place last of all other / and had taken his leaue of the kynge / and than went through the duke of Thourayns chambre / and sayde to hym. Syr wyll ye tary here all nyght / or els go to your lodgyng of Poullayne. This Poullayn was the dukes treasourer / and dwelte a lytell besyde the sygne of the Lyon of syluer. Than the duke sayde / constable I can nat tell as yet whether I do tary here or els go thyder / go ye your waye to your lodgynge / for it is tyme. Than syr Olyuer toke his leaue of the duke and sayd. syr god sende you good nyght / and so departed / and in the streate he founde his seruauntes and his horse / an eyght persones / and two torches. Than he rode forthe to entre in to the hygh streate of saynt Kateryns.

SIr Peter of Craon had the same night layde good spyall on (ser) Olyuer of Clis­son / and knewe well that he was bydden be­hynde his company with the kynge / and that his horse taryed at the kynges gate for hym. Than he moūted on his horse and all his company well armed couertly / and there past nat sire of his company that knew his entent. and whan he came in to saynte Katheryns streate there he taryed / and abode priuely for the con­stables cōmyng. And as sone as the constable was issued out of the streate of saynt Powle / and came in to the hyghe streate and his tor­ches besyde hym / and came rydynge talkyng with a squyer of his / sayenge. To morowe I must haue at dyner with me y ^e duke of Thou­rayne / the lorde Coucy / syr Iohan of Vyen / syr Charles Dangers / the barone of Vrey / and dyuers other / wherfore speke to my ste­warde that they lacke nothynge. And sayeng of those wordes syr Peter Craon and his company came on hym / and at the first they strake out the torches. And whan the constable herde the russhynge of the horses behynde hym / no thought it had been the duke of Thourayne that had folowed and sported with hym / and sayde. Ah syr it is yuell doone / but I pardon you / ye are yonge and full of play and sporte. With those wordes syr Peter of Craon drewe out his swerde and said / slee the constable slee hym / for he shall dye. What arte thou quod Clysson that spekest those wordes? I am Pe­ter of Craon thyne enemye / thou hast so often tymes dyspleased me / that nowe thou shalte make amēdes / and therwith strake at the con­stable / and syr Peters men drewe oute their swordes and strake at the constable / who had no wepon / but a shorte knyfe of two foote of length / and defended hym selfe as well as he myght / and his men were without armure / and sone put a brode fro their mayster. Than syr Peters men sayd shall we slee them all. yea quod sir Peter / all suche as make any defence. Their defence was but small / for they were but eight persones and without armure. Sir Peter demaunded nothynge but the dethe of the constable / some that were there whan they knewe it was the constable they gaue him but faynte strokes / for a thynge doone by trayson is doone cowardly without any hardynesse. The constable defended hymselfe valyauntly with that wepyn that he had / howe be it his defence hadde vayled hym but lytell / and the great grace of god had nat ben. Styll he sate on his horse tyll he had a full stroke on y ^e heed / with whiche stroke he fell fro his horse ryght agaynst a bakers dore / who was vp and busy to bake breed / and had left his dore halfe open whiche was happy for the constable / for as he fell fro his horse he fell agaynste the dore / and the dore opened and he fell in at the dore / and they that were a horsebacke coulde nat entre after hym / the dore was to lowe and to lytell. God shewed great grace to the constable / for if he had fallen in the streates as he dyde in at the dore / or if the dore had been shytte / he had ben slayn without remedy / but they that were a horsebacke durste nat alyght / and also they thought / and so dyd syr Peter y ^t on the stroke [Page] that he had on the heed / that at laste it shulde be his dethes wounde. Than syr Peter sayd / go we hence / we haue done ynough / for if he be nat deed / he wyll dye on the stroke that he hathe on the heed / for it was a great stroke. Therwith they departed and rode a waye a good pace to the gate of saynte Anthony / and rode out therat / for as than the gate was open and had ben ten yere / sythe the frenche kynge retourned fro the batayle of Rosebeque / and that the sayd constable put downe the malles of Parys / and punysshed them for their rebel­lyons.

THus syr Olyuer of Clysson was lefte in this case / as a man halfe deed and more / in the bakers house / who was sore abasshed whan he knewe it was the con­stable / as for his men had lytell hurte / for syr Peter and his men loked for nothynge but to haue slayne the constable. Than syr Olyuers men assembled togyther / and entred in to the bakers house / and there founde their it mayster sore hurte on the heed / and the blode rennynge downe by his vysage / wherwith they were sore abasshed / and good cause why. there they made great complayntes / fyrste they feared he had ben deed. Anone tydinges hereof came to the kynges lodgynge / and it was sayde to the kyng / as he was goynge to his bedde. Ah syr we canne nat hyde fro you the great mys­chiefe that is nowe sodenly fallen in Parys. What myschefe is that quod the kynge? Syr quod they / your constable syr Olyuer of Clis­son is slayne. Slayne quod the kynge / and howe so / and who hath done that dede? Syr quod they we canne nat tell / but this myschefe is fallen on hym here by in the streate of saynt Kateryn. Well quod the kynge / light vp your torches / I wyll go & se hym. Torches anone were lyghted vp. The kynge put on a cloke and his slyppers on his fete. Than suche as kept watche the same nyght went forthe with the kynge / and suche as were a bed & herde of these tydyngꝭ rose vp in hast and folowed the kyng / who was gone forthe with a small company / for the kynge taryed for no manne / but wente forthe with theym of his chambre with torches before him and behynde him / and had no mo chamberlayns with hym but sir Gaul­tier Martell and syr Iohn̄ of Lygnac / Thus the king came to the bakers house and entred / and certayne torches taryed without. Than the kynge founde his constable nere deed as it was shewed him / but nat fully deed / and his men had taken of all his geare to se his woundes / howe he was hurte. And the fyrst worde that the hynge sayd was. Constable howe is it with you? Dere syr ꝙ he ryght febly. Who hath brought you in this case quod the kyng. Syr quod he Peter of Craon and his com­pany traytoursly / and without defence. Con­stable quod the kynge / there was neuer dede so derely bought as this shall be. Than phy­sycions and surgeons were sent for on all partes / and whan they came the kyng sayd to his owne surgyons. Syrs / looke what case my constable is in / and shewe me the trouthe / for I am sory of his hurte. Than they serched his woundes in euery parte. Than the kynge de­maunded of them and sayd. Syrs howe saye you / is he in any parell of dethe. They all an­swered and sayd. syr surely there is no ieoper­dy of dethe in hym / but that within these .xv. dayes he shall be able to ryde. With that aun­swere the kynge was ryght ioyous and sayd / thanked be god these be good tydynges / and than said. Constable be of good chere and care nothynge / for there was neuer trespas sorer punysshed than this shall be / vpon the tray­tours that haue done this dede / for I take this mater as myne owne. The constable with a feble voyce answered. Sir god rewarde your grace for your noble vysytacyon. Than the kyng toke his leaue and departed and retourned to his lodgynge / and in contynent sente for the prouost of Paris / and by that tyme that he came it was clere day lyght. than the kyng cōmaunded hym and sayd / Prouost get you men togyther well horsed / and pursewe that traytour sir Peter of Craon / who thus tray­torously hath hurte nygh to the dethe our constable / ye can nat do to vs a more acceptable seruyce thanne to pursewe and take hym and bring hym to vs. Than the prouost answered and sayd / syr I shall do all y ^t lyeth in my puys­saunce to do. Syr canne your grace knowe whiche waye he is gone. Enquyre quod the kynge and do your dylygence.

[Page ccxxxii] AS at that tyme the four souerayne gates of the cytie were euer kepte opyn nyght and day whiche ordynaunce was made euersythe the batayle of Rosebeque / where the Frenche kyng disconfited the [...]mynges / and that the parisyēce wolde ha­ue rebelled / and that the malettes were laide downe / to the entent to kepe vnder the pari­syence. and by the counsayle of sir Olyuer of Clysson / all the chaynes in the streates were layde downe / and the gates taken of their hokes. In this case the cytie was in a ten yere / so that euery man myght entre night or daye in to Parys who so lyst. Lo / it maye be well consydred what fortune is. The cōstable ga­dred the rodde wherwith hym selfe was beaten / for if the gates of Parys had ben closed and the chaynes lyfte vp / sir Peter of Craon durst neuer haue done that he dyde / for if he had [...] he coude nat haue gone out of the towne as he dyde. But bycause he knewe well he might issue out at all houres / that made him execute his yuell purpose. Wha he departed fro the Constable / he thought surely he had ben slayne / howe be it he was nat / wherwith he was sore displeased. Whan he issue out of Parys / it was about one of the clocke after mydnight / and passed by the gate saynt An­thony. And some sayd he passed the ryuer of Seyne at the bridge of Charenton / & than toke the waye to Charters / and some sayde he issued out of Parys at the gate of saynte Honour / vnder Mount marter: and passed the ryuer of Seyne at Ponthieur. Where so euer he passed / he was by eight of the clocke at Charters / and suche as were well horsed with hym / all folowed hym nat / but brake a sondre for lesse suspeciousnesse / and for feare of pursute. And whan this sir Peter of Craon came first to Parys / he had lefte at Char­ters with one of the chanons there / who had ben a seruaunt of his beforetyme / a twentte fresshe horses. It had ben better for the cha­non he had neuer knowen hym / how be it of his purpose nor of the executynge therof / he knewe nothyng therin. Whan sir Peter was retourned to Charters / he dranke and chaū ­ged his horses and dyde of his harnesse / and toke the waye to Mayne / and rode so fast / y ^t he came to a castell of his owne called Sa­ble / and there rested hym selfe / and sayde he wolde go no further / tyll he herde tidynges of sir Olyuer of Clysson / and howe the ma­ter went. ye maye be sure that the same fry­day after the dede was done / great brute ran all about the cytie of that dede / & many bla­med greatly sir Peter of Craon. The lorde of Coucy as soone as he knewe therof in the mornynge lepte on his horse with eyght per­sons with hym / and rode to the Constables lodgyng to visyte hym / for they loued entierlye togyder / and called eche other brother in armes / his visytacion dyd the Cōstable gret good. In lyke maner other lordes acordyng to their tourne came and visyted hym / & spe­cially the duke of Thourayne who was sore displeased for that dede. And the kynge and he sayd bothe / howe that sir Peter of Craon had done that dede in dispyte of theym / and howe it was a thyng prepensed by false traytours / to put the realme to trouble. The du­ke of Berrey / who was than̄e was at Parys / dissymuled the mater and made no great bu­synesse in the cause. And I sir Iohan Frois­sarte auctour of this cronycle / as I was cre­dably enformed of this aduenture / there had ben nothyng done / if the duke of Berrey had lyste. for if he had wolde / he myght well ha­ue broken that enterprise / I shall shewe you the reason howe.

THe same thursday of Corpus Christy day / there came to the duke of Ber­rey a clerke / secretorie to sir Peter of Craon / and sayde to hym in secrete ma­ner. sir / I wyll shewe you a thyng in secret­nesse / whiche is lykely to come to a poore cō ­clusyon. And sir / ye are more lykely to reme­dye it than any other. What mater is that ꝙ the duke. Sir quod he I shall shewe you / but I wolde nat be named the bringer oute therof. Spare nat quod the duke / I shall beare out the mater well ynoughe. Well sir quod the Clerke / I doubte me greatlye that sir Peter of Craon wyll slee or cause to be murthered / the constable sir Olyuer of Clysson / for he hath assembled toguyder in to his house / within the Churche yarde of saynte Iohanes / a great noumbre of menne / and hath kepte them there couertly / euersyth the feest of Whitsontyde. And sir / if they shulde do that dede the kynge wyll be sore dysplea­pleased [Page] / and bringe the Realme in to great trouble / therfore sir I shewe it to you. for sir I am abasshed therof my selfe / though I be sir Peters seruaunt / and haue made seruyce to hym / yet I dare nat consente to this out­rage. And sir / and ye prouyde nat for the mater / there is none can do it. And sir / for god­dessake take hede to this that I haue shewed you. And sir / to eschewe that maye falle I dare nat retourne to hym. The duke herde hym well and said. Abyde here with me this nyght / and to morowe by tymes I shall en­forme the kyng therof. It is nowe farforthe dayes / I wyll nat trouble the kynge ther­with / but to morowe without faute we shall prouyde for the mater / sithe that sir Peter of Craon is in the towne / I knewe nat therof before. Thus the duke draue of the matter / and in the meane tyme this myschiefe felle. Than the Prouost with mo than̄e threscore horses issued oute of the cytie at the gate of saynt Honour / and folowed the tracke of sir Peter of Craon / and came to Ponthieur to passe the ryuer of Seyne / & demaūded of the kepar of the bridge / if any horses passed that waye that mornynge / and he sayd yes: howe that there passed about a twelue horse / but I sawe no knyght nor persone that I knewe. What waye toke they quod the Prouost? sir quod he the waye towardes Wannes. Ah ꝙ the prouost it maye well be / I thynke they wyll ryde to Chierbourge. Than̄e the pro­uoste tooke that waye and leste the waye to Charters / and therby the loste the iuste pur­sute of sir Peter of Craon. And whanne he had rydden tyll noone / than he mette with a knyght of the countrey who had been a hun­tyng of the Hare / and he shewed hym howe that he sawe the same mornynge about a fyf­tene men a horsebacke / trauersyng the feldes and (as he thought) toke the waye to Char­ters. Than the prouost and his company entred in to the waye to Charters / and so rode tyll it was nere hande nyght / and than came to Charters. And there it was shewed hym / howe sir Peter of Craon hadde been there with the chanon aboute eyght of the clocke / and there vnarmed hym and toke fresshe horses. Than the prouost sawe well he had lost his payne and shulde do to folowe hym any further / Sayeng / seyng that he was so farre past. Than the Saturdaye he retourned to Parys / bycause the certentie / whiche waye sir Peter of Craon toke was nat knowen at Parys. Therfore the kynge and the duke of Thourayne who had a great affection to haue sir Peter of Craon taken / sente sir Iohn̄ of Barrois with a threscore horse out of Parys to sertche for hym. And they issued out at the gate saynt Anthony / and passed the ry­uers of Marne and Scyne / at the bridge of Charenton / and rode all about the countrey and came towardes Estampes / and finally at dyner they came to Charters / and there herde sure tidynges. And whan̄e the Bar­rois knewe y ^t sir Peter of Craon was gone / and sawe that he shulde but traueyle in vay­ne / to folowe any further. Than he retour­ned agayne the sondaye to Parys / and she­wed the kyng what he had done / and in lykewise so had the prouost done. The saturday there was founde in a vyllage as they went a sertchyng two squyers and a page / parteynyng to sir Peter of Craon. They were ta­ken and brought to Parys and sette in pri­sone / and on the Mondaye beheeded. First they were brought to y ^e place where the dede was done / and there eche of them had their right hande striken of / and than to the halles and there beheeded and hanged on the gybet and the wednisday after the kepar of sir Peter of Craons house in Paris was executed and beheeded. many men said he had wrong But bycause he shewed nat the cōmynge of sir Peter in to Parys / he was put to dethe. in lykewise y ^t chanon at Charters with whō sir Peter dyde refresshe hym and chaunged his horse / he was accused and taken and put in the bysshoppes prisone / and toke fro hym all that he had / and depriued hym of all his benefyces / and was condempned to perpetuall prisone / to lyue with breed and water / all the excusacyons that he coude make auayled hym nothyng. He was reputed in the towne of Charters to be a noble wyse man. sir Pe­ter of Craon beyng in his castell of Sable / was sore displeased whan he knewe that sir Olyuer of Clysson was nat deed / nor had no hurte / but that within sixe wekes he shulde be hole. Than he consydred that he was nat in good suretie in that Castell / and feared to be enclosed / in suche wyse / that he shulde nat issue whan he wolde. Than̄e he tooke a certayne with hym & issued out secretly / and [Page ccxxxiii] rode so longe that he came in to Bretaygne / and there foūde the duke / who receyued hym and knewe all the mater / and howe the Con­stable was nat deed: Than he sayde. Ah sir Peter of Craon ye are vnhappy / that coude nat slee the Constable / whan ye had hym vnder youre handes. Sir quod sir Peter / the deuyll was on it. I thynke all the deuylles in hell dyde helde hym out of my hādes / and out of my companyons. I am sure there was stryken at hym mo thanne threscore strokes / with swordes and iauelyns. And whan̄e he fell fro his horse / in dede I thought surely he had bene deed: and so he had been / and it had nat ben his fortune to fall in at a bakers dore the whiche stode halfe opyn / for if he had fal­len in the strete he hadde neuer rysen a lyue. Well quod the duke / as nowe it wyll be none otherwyse / I am sure I shall here shortely some newes fro the frenche kyng / & I thynke I shall haue warre with hym (as ye haue). Kepe you priuely with me y ^e mater shall nat thus rest / and sithe I haue promysed to ayde and susteyne you I wyll kepe promyse. ⸫ ⸫

TIdynges came to the Frenche kynge as he laye at Parys / that the duke of Bretayne hadde receyued sir Peter of Craon. than the kyng was counsayled by suche as were of his priuye Counsayle / that he shulde incontynent sende in to Bretaygne to the duke / cōmaun­dynge hym on his faythe and homage / that he ought to the crowne of Fraunce / to take the traytour sir Peter of Craon and to sende hym to Parys. These letters were written / sealed and delyuered to a squiet / and he rode so long that he came in to Bretayne / & foūde the duke at his castell of Ermyne / and there delyuered his letters. The duke toke & reed them. Than he said to the messanger that he wolde write agayne to the kyng / and so dyd in excusyng of hymselfe: Sayeng that as of sir Peter of Craon he knewe nothynge / nor where he was / nor wolde nat knowe / nor it aparteyned nat to hym to knowe: Nor as for the hatered nor warre that was bytwene sir Olyuer of Clysson and sir Peter of craon he toke no regarde therto / for it touched him nothynge. And therfore in those maters / he prayed the kyng to holde hym excused. This letter was sealed & delyuered to the kynges messanger / & so he retourned agayne to Pa­rys / and there foūde the kyng & his coūsayle who were sore desyrous to here tidinges out of Bretaygne. Than the messanger delyue­red his letters to the kynge who toke & reed them. Than the kynge sayd to his brother & to his counsayle. This excusacion of the dukes is nat suffycient. It semeth well the du­ke of Bretayne hath caused all this busynes This dispyre and outrage is so great / that it ought nat to be suffred / for it toucheth gretlye myne honoure. The same season the du­ke of Berrey was at Parys / and often ty­mes the kynge wolde speke to hym of this trespasse / and the duke sayd. Sir / surely he hath done a great outrage: if he myght be founde / it were reasone he made amendes. Fayre vncle quod the kynge / he is in Bre­taygne with the duke. We wyll go and seke hym there / and ye shall go with vs. The duke dissymuled the mater and sayd. Sir / as it shall please you / but ye must haue also my brother of Burgoyne with you. We wyll haue hym with vs quod the kyng / for without hym we wyll make no voyage. We wyll go in to Bretayne with suche an armye / able to resyst all our ennemyes. We maye se nowe openly / that this duke loueth nor setteth by vs but lytell: He is proude and presumptu­ous / and we shall entende to nothynge / tyll we haue brought hym to reasone. Thus the Frenche kyng deuised with the duke of Ber­rey / and manysshed greatly the duke of Bre­tayne and his assysters. The duke of Berrey acorded to all his sayeng / but he dissymuled / for he thought the contrary.

[Page] THe Frenche kyng hadde great affe­ction to be reuenged / of the dispyte that was done to his cōstable / wherfore he prepared hym selfe to go in to Bre­tayne / and fyrst to go in to Aniou to distroye and beate downe sir Peter of Craons castel les / for all that the duke of Bretayne sayd he had bought them. yet the kyng and his counsayle sayd it was no poynt of the dukes heritage but that the duke sayde so to excuse and to susteyne sir Peter of Craon / wherfore personally he was in the kynges indignacyon. yet in the same season a treatie of maryage was had bytwene the duke of Bretaygnes son̄e and the kynges doughter.

IN the meane season whyle this voyage was thus ordred / & great brute therof spoken throughe all Frauce. There retourned to Paris the bysshoppe of Noyon and the lorde de la Ryuer fro Foize and Bierne / and there shewed the kyng and his counsayle howe they had spedde. They were well herde / but the voyage in to Bre­tayne busyed so the kyng and his counsayle / that they had no leysar to entēde to any other mater. And the kynge wolde gladly that the constable had ben hole / that he might be able to ryde. and or the kyng went fro Parys / he cōmaunded to be beaten downe sir Peter of Craōs house / that stode in the churche yarde of saynt Iohans / and than the kynge dyde gyue the groūde to make a churche yarde of to burye in deed bodyes. The Frenche kyng made his prouisyon in the waye to Aniou / to Mayne / to Bretayne / and in to Thourayne on the ryuer of Loyre / to the entent to go in to Bretayne / none durst speke the contrary.

REnome was throughout all Paris and (it was well knowen) that sir Olyuer of Clisson cōstable of Fraū ce / whan he laye thus sicke of his hurtꝭ made his testament / to the entente that his heyres shulde knowe y ^e trouthe of euery thyng that he had / and where it was. His heyres were two doughters / the one was maryed to Io­han of Bretayne erle of Ponthieur. It was he that sir Olyuer had quytte out of prisone in Englāde / and payde for hym sixscore thou sande frankes to the duke of Irelande / as it hath ben shewed here before in this hystorie. And his seconde doughter was or shulde be vicoūtes of Rohan by reason of her husbāde The somme of the testament mounted to the sōme of seuyntene hundred thousande fran­kes besyde his heritage. Euery man y ^t herde therof had great marueyle / howe he shulde gather toguider / suche richesse / and specially the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne / & their counsayls / had great marueyle therof / and spake largely & sayd. What the deuyll howe maye it be that the constable hath gadered to guider so many floreyns / and suche mouable goodes? the kyng hym selfe hath nat so mo­che. It maye well be beleued and knowen / that he hath nat won all this by no iust meanes. Thus the mater passed / but suche as lo­ued hym nat thought neuerthelesse. Thus all suche as the kynge had written vnto pre­pared them selfe to go with hym in to Bre­taygne. This voiage pleased nothynge the duke of Burgoyn / he sayd this was a warre without reason / and that the conclusion ther of coulde take no good ende / nor the realme of Fraunce / nor the duchy of Bretayne / nor the lordes / knightes and squyers / in thē had nothynge to do with the warre bytwene sir Olyuer of Clysson and sir Peter of Craon. What nede they quod he to take payne or traueyle to make warre in their quarelles? We shulde rather suffre them and their owne mē to greue and make warre eche vpon other. The duke of Berrey was of the same opiny­on / but they coude nat be herde nor beleued / for the kyng was coūsayled contrary to their opinyons / by suche as the kyng loued better than them. These dukes coude nat tell howe to breke that enterprice / and whan they sawe none other remedy / they obeyed / But that was slouthfully / howe be it by the promo­cyon of the duke of Burgoyne / the erle of Ostrenaunt was written vnto by the kynge to go with hym in this iourney with thre hū dred speares. The erle who loued dedes of armes prouyded hym to go with the kynge / and whan̄e he was redy / and had assembled toguyder his company to his great cost and charge. Than he was countermaun­ded agayne / and that in no wyse he shulde styrre. ⸪

IN the same season that the kyng was thus nighe redy to departe out of Pa­rys / to shewe that he toke that busynesse / as to hym selfe / there was an exchaū ­ge made of landes gretly to the profyte of the duke of Thourayne / for he resygned in to the kynges handes the du­chy of Thourayne / and the kyng gaue hym the duchy of Orliaunce / in lyke maner as aū ciently duke Philyp of Orlyaunce helde it / whiche was four tymes better in value than the other was. so thus fro hens forthe in this hystorie I shall name hym that was duke of Thourayne duke of Orlyaūce. ¶Whan sir Olyuer of Clysson was all hole and that he might ryde / the Frenche kyng was right ioyfull and said: howe he wolde tary no lengar and so on an euenyng he toke his leaue of the quene Isabell his wyfe / and of the newe du­chesse of Orlyaunce / and of all other ladyes and damoselles / and so dyde the duke of Or­laūce in lykewise. Than they departed and rode to supper to Mōtague / and the duke of Burbone / the erle of Namure / and the lorde of Coucy with hym. There the kyng laye & dyned there / & after dyner they departed and laye all night at saynt Germayns / and there laye a seuyn dayes. and as than y ^e kyng was somwhat diseased / and his phisicions wolde haue had hym to haue rested hym selfe / but y ^e kyng was so wyllyng in his iourney / that he sayde howe he was moche better at his ease / than he was in dede / whiche he dyde to gyue corage to his men to set forwarde / for as thā his two vncles / the dukes of Berrey & Bur­goyne were behynde / & shewed well by their maner / that the same iourney greued them / nor they wolde nat haue gone by their good wylles / howe be it they hadde made their as­semble and to saue their honour they obeyed and folowed.

WHan the Frenche kyng hadde rested hym a fyftene dayes at saynt Ger­mayns / and that his armye was as­sembled / than he departed and passed the ry­uer of Seyne / and toke the waye to Char­ters / and so to Annens / a good towne and a castell / parteyning to the lorde de la Ryuer / as herytage of his wyues. With the kynge was his brother the duke of Orlyaunce and the duke of Burbone. The lorde de la Ry­receyued the kynge honorably / and there ta­ryed thre dayes / and than rode to Charters where as Montague was bysshoppe. The kynge was lodged in the bysshoppe palais and the two dukes. And the seconde day af­ter thyder came the duke of Berrey and the erle of Marche in his cōpany. And the fourh daye thider cāe the duke of Burgoyne / wher of the kynge was ryght ioyfull / and people came dayle / and the kyng sayd he wolde nat retourne to Parys tyll he hadde brought the duke of Bretayne to reason / who so often ty­mes had put hym to payne and trouble. The kynges counsayle hadde so sette hym on that warre / that the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne wolde gladly haue modered y ^e mater / but they coulde nat be herde / wherwith they were sore displeased / & so were suche as were of their coūsayls: and they said eche to other that surely the mater coude nat long endure in that state / for it is full lykely that the kyn­ge and the realme shall haue some busynesse to do / sithe the kyng refuseth the counsaile of his vncles / and leaneth to other at his plea­sure / who be nothyng lyke to thē. Whan the kyng had taried at Charters a seuyn dayes / than he departed and toke y ^e waye to Mans and his men folowed / some fro farre partes / as out of Arthois / Beamoys / Vermandois / and Picardy: and some said one to another. Ah / this duke of Bretayne maketh vs to ha­ue moche to do / & putteth vs to great payne and traueyle. He hath been alwayes harde & highe herted agaynst the crowne of Fraūce / nor he neuer loued nor honored it. And his cosyn the erle of Flaunders and the duchesse of Burgone (who haue alwayes borne hym and as yet do) had nat ben / he had ben distroyed long a go / for euersyth the lorde Clysson [Page] tourned Frenche / he neuer loued him. Surelye by an likely [...], [...]de he is [...]yable of this dede / for he hath alwayes [...] sir Pe­ter of Craon agaynst the kyng and agaynst the Constable. Than other sayde. Lette the kyng alone / for as at this tyme he hath y ^e mater so at his hert / that he wyll bring the duke to reason or he retourne. That is trewe ꝙ o­ther if there be no trayson. But we feare that all suche as go with the kyng be nat enemies to y ^e duke / as it may be well [...] (if we durst speke it) by some tokens. For there be some that nyght and daye do what they can to coū sayle the kynge to breke his voyage / whiche so troubleth the kyng that he can scant gette hym selfe any helthe or recouery of his laste sickenesse. Thus knightes and squiers deuised among thē selfe as they rode in their coū ­treys. Styll the kyng aproched to the cytie of Mans / and there the kynge lodged in the castell and his lordes in y ^e cytie / and his men of warre abrode in the countrey. There the kyng taried a thre wickes / for he was sore vexed with the feuer: and his phisicions sayde to his brother and to his vncles. My lordes we ensure you ye do yuell to traueyle y ^e kyng for he is in no good state to ryde / rest were farre better for hym / for sythe he came fro the cytie of Amyens / he hath nat ben in so good helthe / as he was before. They shewed this to the kynge but he had so great affection to go in this iourney / that he wolde nother be­leue them nor yet his phisycions / but sayde. howe he founde more ease in trauelyng than in restyng. Therfore who so euer counsayle me the contrary shall nat please me / nor he loueth me nat. Other answere they coulde nat haue of the kyng. Euery day the kyng wolde sytte in the myddes of his counsayle / tyll it was noon / to thentent that none shulde laye any lette of his iourney. Thus the kyng be­ing at Mans / and somwhat to acomplysshe the desyers of his vncles. He sent four nota­ble knightes to the duke of Bretayne / as sir Raynolde du Roy / the lorde of Varensiers / the lorde of Castell morant / and sir Tāpyne of Cauten [...]l chateleyne of Gysors / and they were charged to shewe the duke / howe the kyng and his counsaile reputed that he dyde great offence / to susteyne the kynges enemy and the realmes / and to make amendes / that he shulde sēde sir Peter of Craon to Mans to the kyng / wherby meanes shulde be foūde that he shulde take no dōmage / nor his countrey / for all the kynges voyage. Thus they deꝑted fro Mans with a .xl. speres / & passed through the cyte of Angiers and at last came before the cytie of Nauntes / and entred / and there sounde the duke who made them good chere / and on a daye made them a dyner / and than they dyde their message and declared y ^e kynges entent and his counsayls / whervnto the duke answered wisely and sagely / & said Howe it shulde be harde for hym to delyuer sir Peter of Craon / and sayd as god myght helpe hym in all his busynesse / he knewe nat where he was. Wherfore he desyred them in that case to holde hym excused / But he sayde he had well herde of hym a yere past / that he loued nat sir Olyuer of Clysson / but wolde make him mortall warre to his power / what soeuer ende came therof. And at that tyme I demaunded of hym if he had gyuen sir Oly­uer knowledge therof / and he sayd he had vtterly defyed and wolde slee hym if he coude / outher by daye or by nyght / where soeuer he coude fynde hym. Of his dedes I knowe no further / wherfore I haue marueyle that the kynge wyll make warre agaynst me for his cause. for as to the couynauntes of maryage bytwene our chyldren by the grace of God / shall nat be broken on my parte / wherfore I haue done nothynge to hym nor to his coun­saile / that he shulde make warre agaynst me This was the aunswere that the duke made to the Frenche kynges messangers / and so whan they hadde taryed a daye at Nauntes / than they toke their leaue and departed and retourned to Mans to y ^e kyng / who thought longe tyll he herde their aunswere / and as ye haue herde before: they declared it to y ^e kyng and his coūsayle. The dukes of Berrey & of Burgoyne were well cōtent with y ^e answere and sayd it was reasonable / but the kyng by reason of suche enformacion as he had sayde the contrary: and sayd sithe he was so fore­warde in his iourney / he wolde nat returne agayne in to Fraunce nor to Parys / tyll he had brought the duke of Bretayne to reason Gladly the two dukes of Berrey and Bur­goyne wolde haue modered that voiage / but they might nat be herde / for the kyng had ta­ken suche displeasure with the duke of Bre­tayn / bicause he susteyned sir Peter of craon [Page ccxxxv] that no excusacion coulde be taken. The same tyme a brute ranne in Fraunce / that the quene of Aragon my lady yolant of Bare / cosyn germayne to the frenche kynge / had in prison in the cytie of Barcylona / a knyght that no man knewe his name / men supposed it had ben syr Peter of Craon. this quene had writen right amyably to the kynge / sygnyfyenge hym that the fyfte day of the moneth of Iuly / a knyght in good estate and aray came to Barcylona / to haue past the sce / and had hyred for his mo­ney a shyppe (as he sayd) to haue sayled in to Napoles / and bycause we kepe our passages that no straunger shall passe without he be knowen what he is / and this knyght wyll nat shewe his name / therfore we kepe hym in pri­sone / & by the abasshment that we se in him / we thynke surely it be the same person ye wold so fayne haue. Therfore we write to you therof / that ye shulde sende some person hyther / suche as knoweth sir Peter of Craon / to se if it be he or nat / for what so euer he be he shall nat be delyuered tyll we haue aunswere fro you / and I wolde that these tydynges might be agreable to you and to your counsayle / as knoweth the holy goost / who preserue you. Writen at Parpygnan the nynth day of Iuly / by yolante of Bare / quene of Aragon and of Maiolles / and lady Sardyne & Sardane. And on the super scrypcion / to the redouted kynge of Fraunce.

THese tydynges somewhat modered dyuers mennes hartes / so that they were nere at the poynte to haue bro­ken their voyage / howe be it suche as were sir Olyuer of Clyssons frendes sayde / that those tydynges were but fayned tales / made and deuysed to breke the kynges voyage / sayenge that sir Peter of Craon was in none other prisoneꝭ but with the duke of Bretayne / who hath susteyned hym and dothe. Of the quene of A­ragons lettre the kynge made but lyght / say­enge it was but trayson and fables. Than the duke of Burgoyne sayd. Syr yet at leste to a pease my nese the quene of Aragon / and for the delyueraunce of the knight that is there in prisone / who petaduenture is nothynge gylty of this trespas / sende vnto her that she may be contente with you and with vs. I am content therwith quod the kynge to please you / but I beleue surely the traytour syr Peter of Craon is in none other Barcylona nor prisone / but aboute the duke of Bretayne / and by my faythe that I owe to saint Denyce / he shall ones ma­ke acompt therof. There coulde no man turne the kynge fro the opinyon / but that syr Peter of Craon was with the duke of Bretaygne. The duke of Bretayne who was well enfour­med of all this busynesse / thought hymselfe nat well assured / for he sawe well the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne coulde nat bring their purpose aboute / for syr Olyuer of Clyssons frendes led the kynge as they lyste. Than the duke prouyded for to kepe his townes and garysons / howe be it he durst kepe no towne except Wannes / Campell / Doll / Camper / Ler­myn / Corātyne / and Susement / and he wrote to suche knyghtes and squyers as he thought shulde ayde him / but they all dissymuled with hym / bycause they knewe that the french kyng was so sore displeased with hym / and also they thought it was nat a thynge couenable for the duke to susteyne syr Peter of Craon agaynst the constable of Fraūce / as he dyd. The duke in a maner repented hym that he had done so moche / howe be it his corage and herte was so hygh that he dysdayned to speke it / but sayde if the kynge came in to Bretayne / as it semed he wolde do / at the begynnynge he wolde let hym a lone / and thanne shall I se who be my frendes or foos / I wyll nat be to hasty to make him warre / and whan he weneth to be at most rest / than wyll I awake hym if I can nat be a greed with hym by loue. Thus the duke deuysed somtyme with his counsayle / and thought surely he shulde haue warre / howe be it he had nat / for the maters tourned otherwyse to his great aduauntage. therfore it is an olde pro­uerbe / he is nat poore y ^t is happy. This duke was fortunate / by reason of apytuous incy­dence that fell sodaynly on the frenche kynge / for otherwyse the duke was nat lykely to haue scaped all daūgers / and to haue lyued in peace as he dyd.

WHan the Frenche kynge had taryed the space of thre wekes in the cytie of Mans / and the knyghtes retourned that he had sent in to Bretayne. Than he sayd syth he had herde the dukes answere he wolde no lenger tary there / for he sayd the taryenge there greatly displeased him / and wolde passe forthe in to Bretaygne to se his enemys / that was the duke of Bretaygne / who susteyd the [Page] traytour syr Peter of Craon. The entencyon of the kynge was / that if any knyghtes and squyers came agaynst hym / or that he founde any townes closed he wolde put downe y ^e duke for euer / and set a gouernour in the countrey tyll the dukes chyldren were of lawfull age / and than rendre to them the berytage / and the duke neuer to haue any parte theof. This o­pinyon the king helde styll and no man coude put hym therfro. and thus on a fayre daye a­boute ten of the clocke the kynge departed fro the cytie of Mans / and had cōmaunded his marshalles the nyght before to cause all his at mye bothe before and behynde to dysloge and to drawe to Angers / and sayde that he wolde nat retourne tyll he had ben in Bretayne and dystroyed the traytours that had put hym to so moche payne and trouble. The marshalles dyd the kinges cōmaundement. The day that the king departed was marueylous hoote / for me sonne as than naturally was in his cheife force / and to the entent to declare the trouth of euery thyng. The same season that the kynge lay at Mans / he was sore traueyled with dayly syttynge in counsayle / and also he was nat perfytely hole nor had nat ben all that season / he was feble in his brayne and heed / and dyd eate or drinke but lytell / and nygh dayly was in a hoote feuer / so that he was gretly anoyed and payned / and also for the dyspleasure that he had for the constables hurte / he was full of malencoly and his spirytes sore troubled and traueyled / and that his physicions spyed well and so dyd his vncles / but they coulde nat re­medy it / for no man durste counsayle hym to breke his voyage in to Bretaygne. And as it was enfourmed me / as he rode forwarde in the forest of Mans / a great sygnifycacyon fell to hym / by the whiche if he had doone well he shulde haue called his counsayle aboute hym and well aduysed hymselfe or he had gone any further. Sodaynly there came to the kynge a poore man bare heeded / bare legged / and bare footed / and on his body a poore whyte cote / he semed rather to be a foole than wyse / and boldely sodaynly he toke the brydell of the kynges horse in his handes and stopped the horse and sayd. Syr kyng tyde no further forward for thou arte betrayed. Those wordes entred into the kynges heed / wherby he was worse dysposed in his helthe than he was before / so that his herte & his blode was moued. Than the kinges seruauntes strake so the poore man that he lette the kynges horse go / and made no more of his wordes than of a fooles spekyng / whiche was foly as dyuers men sayde / for at the leste they shulde haue better examyned the man / and to haue sene if he had ben a naturall foole or no / and to haue knowen fro whence he came / but they dyde nat so / but lefte hym be­hynde / & he was neuer sene after to any man­nes knowledge / but suche as were nere to the Kynge herde hym speke these wordes. The kynge passed forthe / and aboute twelue of the clocke the kynge passed out of the forest / and came in to a great playne all sandy. the sonne also was in his heyght & shone bright / whose rayes were marueylously hote / wherby the horses were sore chafed / and all suche persons as were armed were sore oppressed with heat. The knyghtes rode togyther by companyes / some here and some there / and the kynge rode somwhat a parte bycause of the duste / and the duke of Berrey and the Duke of Burgoyne rode on his lefte hande talkynge togyther / an acre brede of lande of fro the kynge. Other lordes as the erle of Marche / sir Iaques of Burbone / syr Charles de la Brethe / syr Phylyppe Darthoys / sir Henry and sir Phylip of Bare syr Peter of Nauer and other knyghtes rode by companyes. the duke of Burbon / the lorde Coucy / syr Charles Dangers / the baron Dyuiry & dyuers other rode on before the kynge / and nat in his company / and they deuised and talked togyther / and toke no hede of that fell sodaynly on the chefe personage of the company / whiche was on the kynges owne persone / therfore the workes of god are marueylous / and his scourges are cruell and are to be dou­ted of all creatures. There hath been sene in the olde testament and also in the newe / many fygures and examples therof. We rede howe Nabugodonosor kynge of Assyryens / who reygned a season in suche tryumphant glory / that there was none lyke hym / and sodaynly in his greatest force and glory / the souerayne kynge out lorde god kynge of Heuen and of erthe / fourmer and ordeyner of all thynges / a parelled this sayd kynge in suche wyse that he lost his wytte and reygne and was seuen yers in that estate / and lyued by acornes and mast that fell fro the Okes / and other wylde appels and frutes / and hadde tast but as a bore or a swyne. and after he had endured this penaūce [Page ccxxxvi] god restored hym agayne to his memory and wytte. And than he sayde to Danyell the pro­phet / that there was none other god / but the god of Israell. Nowe the father / the sonne / and the holy goost / thre persones in one god / hath ben / is / and euer shall be as puissaunt to shewe his warkes as euer he was / wherfore no man shulde marueyle of any thyng that he dothe. Nowe to the purpose why I speke all these wordes. A great influence fro heuen fell the sayd daye vpon the frenche kynge / and as dyuers sayd / it was his owne faute / for acor­dynge to the dysposicyon of his body / and the state that he was in / and the warnyng that his physicyons dyd gyue hym / he shulde nat haue rydden in suche a hoote day / at that houre / but rather in the mornynge and in the euenynge in the fresshe ayre / wherfore it was a shame to them that were nere aboute hym / to suffre or to coūsayle hym to do as he dyd. Thus as the frenche kynge rode vpon a fayre playne in the heate of the Sonne / whiche was as than of a marueylous heyght / and the kynge had on a [...]ac [...]e couered with blacke veluet / whiche sore chafed hym / and on his heed a syngle bonet of scarlet / and a chapelet of great perles / whiche the quene had gyuen hym at his departure / and he had a page that rode behynde him / beatynge on his heed a chapewe of Montaban / bright and clere shynynge agaynst the sonne / and behynde that page rode a nother bearing the kynges speare / paynted redde / and fryn­ged with sylke / with a sharpe heed of stele / the lord de la Ryuer had brought a dosyn of them with hym fro Tholouse / and that was one of them he had gyuen the hole dosyn to the king / and the kynge had gyuen thre of theym to his brother the duke of Orlyaunce / and thre to the duke of Burbon. And as they rode thus forth the page that bare the speare / whether it were by neclygence or that he fell a slepe / he lette the speare fall on the other pages heed that rode before hym / and the heed of the speare made a great classhe on the bright chapewe of stele. The kynge (who rode but a fore them) with the noyse sodaynly started / and his herte trymbled / and in to his imagynacion ranne the in­pressyon of the wordes of the man that stop­ped his horse in the forest of Mans / and it ran in to his thought / that his enemyes ranne af­ter hym to slee and distroy him / and with that abusyon he fell out of his wytte by feblenesse of his heed / & dasshed his spores to his horse / and drewe out he sworde / and tourned to his pages / hauynge no knowledge of any man / wenynge in hymselfe to be in a batayle inclo­sed with his enemyes / and lyfte vp his sworde to stryke he cared nat where / and cryed and sayd. On on vpon these traytours. Whan the pages sawe the kynge so inflamed with Ire / they tooke good hede to themselfe / as it was tyme. They thought the kynge had ben dys­pleased bycause the speare fell downe / thanne they stepte away fro the kynge. The duke of Orleaunce was nat as than̄e farre of fro the kynge. The kynge came to hym with his na­ked sworde in his hande. The kynge was as than in suche a fransey / and his herte so feble / that he nother knewe brother nor vncle. Whan the duke of Orlyaunce sawe the kynge com­mynge on hym with his sworde naked in his ha [...]de [...]he was abasshed and wolde nat abyde hym / he wyste nat what he mente / he dasshed his spurres to his horse and rode awaye / and the kynge after hym. The duke of Burgoyne who rode a lytell waye of fro the kynge whan he herde the russhyng of the horses / and herde the pages crye / he regarded that waye / and sawe howe the kynge with his naked sworde chased his brother the duke of Orlyaunce / he was sore abasshed & sayd. Out harowe what myschife is this / the kynge is nat in his ryght mynde / god helpe hym. Flye away nephewe / flye away / for the kynge wolde slee you. The duke of Orlyance was nat well assured of him selfe / and fledde awaye as faste as his horse myght beare hym / and knyghtes and squyers folowed after / euery man began to drawe thyder. Such as were farre of thought they had chafed an hare or a wolfe / tyll at last they herd that the Kynge was nat well in his mynde. The duke of Orlyance saued himselfe. Than men of armes came all aboute the kynge / and suffred hym to wery hym selfe / and the more that he traueyled the febler he was / and whan he strake at any man / they wolde fall downe before the stroke. At this matter there was no hurte / but many ouerthrowen / for there was none that made any defence. Fynally / whan the kyng was well [...]eryed / and his horse sore chafed with sw [...]te / and great heate / a knyght of Normandy one of the kynges chamber [...]ay­nes / whome the kynge loued very well / called Gyllyam Martell [...] he came behynde the kyng [Page] sodaynely and tooke hym in his armes / and helde hym styll. Than all other aproched / and toke the sworde out of his handes / and tooke hym downe fro his horse and dyd of his [...]acke thre refresshe hym. Than came his brother and his [...] vncles but he had clene lost the know­ledge of them / and rolled his eyen in his heed marueylously / and spake to no man. The lor­des of his blode were sore abasshed and wyste nat what to sayd or do. Than the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne sayde / it behoueth vs to recourne to Mans / this voyage is doone for this tyme. They sayde nat as moche as they thought / but they shewed it ryght well after whan they came to Parys / to suche as they loued nat / as ye shall here after.

REasonably to consydre all thin­ges acordynge to the trouthe / it was great pytie that the french kyng (who as at that tyme was reputed for the moste noble and puyssaunt kynge in all crysten­dome / fell so sodaynly out of his mynde with out remedy / but as god wolde. than the kynge was layde in a horse lyttoure / and so brought backe agayne to the Cytie of Mans. Than the marshalles gaue knowledge to all the ar­mye / that they shulde retourne / and howe that the voyage was broken as at that tyme. some had knowledge why / and some nat. The nyght that the kynge came to Mans / the physicy­ons had moche a do with hym / and the lordes of the blode royall had great trouble. Euery man spake than in dyuer [...] maners. some sayd that suche as hadde the rule aboute the kynge had poysoned hym / to brynge the Realme of Fraunce in to shame and trouble. These wor­des multyplyed in suche wyse that the duke of Orlyance and his vncles and other lordes of the blode royall noted them / and spake togy­ther and sayde. Howe saye you syrs / haue ye nat herde these wordes / and howe menne do murmure in dyuets places vpon theym that hath had the gouernaunce of the kynge. some saythe he shulde be poysoned / lette vs sertche howe this maye be knowen. Than some of them sayde howe it shulde be best knowen by the physycyons / they ought to knowe it / for they are acquaynted with his complexcyon. The physicyons were sent for and examyned. They answered howe the kyng of longe tyme had engendred the same malady / for we knewe well the wekenes of his brayne wold sore trouble hym / and at laste shewe it selfe / we haue sayde as moche before this tyme. Than the duke of Burgoyne sayde. Syrs it is trewe / and therin ye dyd well acquyte your selfe / but he wolde neyther beleue you nor vs his affe­ciyon was so sore sette vpon this voyage / it was deuysed in an yuell tyme. This voyage hathe dyshonoured vs all. It had been better that Clysson / and all those of his affynyte had ben deed many a daye agone / rather than the kynge to haue taken this malady. These ty­dynges shall sprede abrode in many places / and seyng y ^t he is but a yonge man / the blame shall be layde in vs that be his vncles / and of his blode / men wyll saye that we shulde other­wyse haue counsayled hym. Thus we shall be laide in the faute without cause. but sirs quod the duke / yesterday whan he wente to dyner / were ye with hym? The physicyons aunswe­red and sayd yes. Dyd he eate his meate well quod the duke? No certaynly quod they / he dyd eate and drinke but lytle / but sate and mu­sed. And who gaue hym drinke last quod the duke? Syr quod they we canne nat tell you that / for as soone as the table was taken vp / we departed and made vs redy to ryde / but his chamberlayns or butlers canne tell that best. Than Robert de Tulles a squyer of Pycardy was sent for / and demaūded who gaue the kynge drinke laste. Syrs quod he / syr Robert of Lygnac. Than he was sent for. Than he was enquyred where he had the wyne that the kynge dranke last of in his chambre whan he wente to his horse. Syr quod he / here is Roberte of Tulles and I / we toke the saye in the presence of the kinge. That is trewe quod Roberte of Tulles / ye nede nat doute therin nor haue no suspeciousnesse / for as yet there is of the same wyne in the flagons / wherof we wyll drinke and assaye before you. Than the duke of Berrey sayd / this nede nat / for surely the kynge is nat poysoned / his malady proce­deth of yuell counsayle / it is no tyme to speke of this mater nowe / let all alone tyll another sea­son. ⸪

[Page ccxxxvii] THus after this maner these lordes de­parted eche fro other that nyght / and went to their lodgyage. Than the kynges vncles had ordeyned four knyghtes of honour to wayte aboute the kynge / as syr Raynolde du Royꝭsyr Raynolde of Toye / the lorde Grau­seers / & sir Gyllyam of Marte / and the kyn­ges vncles sent cōmaundement to the lorde dela Ryuer and to syr Iohn̄ Mercyer / to Montagu / to the Begu of Vyllayns / to syr Gully­am of Bordes / and to syr Helyon of Lygnac / that they shulde in no wyse come aboute the kynge / tyll he were in better estate. The nexte daye the kynges vncles came to se the kynge / and founde hym ryght feble. Than they de­maunded what rest he had taken that nyght. They were answered / but small rest. That is poore newes quod the duke of Burgoyn. And than to them came the duke of Orlyance / and so went all togyder to the kynge / and demaunded of hym howe he dyd. He gaue none aun­swere / and loked straungely on them / and had loste clene the knowledge of them. These lor­des were sore abasshed / and comuned togyder and sayde. We haue no more here to do / the kyng is in an herde case / we do him more trouble than ayde or good. Lette vs recōmaunde hym to his chaumberlayns and physicyons / they canne best take hede to hym / lette vs go study howe the realme maye be gouerned / or els thinges wyll go amysse. Than the duke of Burgoyne sayd to the duke of Berrey. Fayre brother it is best we drawe to Parys / and or­dayne to haue the kynge easely brought thy­der / for better we shall take hede on hym there than here in these partyes / & whan we be there let vs assēble all the counsayle of Fraunce / and ordeyne who shall haue the gouernaūce of the realme / the duke of Orlayunce or we. That is well sayde quod the duke of Berrey / it were good we studyed where were best to haue the kynge to lye that he myght the soner recouer his helth. Than it was deuysed that he shulde be brought to the castell of Crayell / where is good ayre / and a fayre countrey on the ryuer of Oyse. whan this was ordeyned than all the men of warre had leaue to departe / and were cōmaunded by the marshalles euery man to retourne peasably in to his owne countrey / without doynge of any vyolence or domage to the countreys as they shulde passe through / and if any dyd / their lordes and capytayns to make a mendes. And the kynges two vncles and the chauncellour of Fraunce sente anone soundry messangers to the good Cyties and townes of Fraunce / that they shuld take good hede to kepe well their townes / consyderynge that the kynge was nat well dysposed in his helthe. Their cōmaundementes were fulfyl­led. The people of the realme of Fraunce were fore abasshed whan they knew howe the king was fallen sycke and in a fransey / and menne spake largely agaynste them that counsayled the kynge to go in to Bretaygne. And some o­ther sayde / howe the kynge was betrayed by them that bare the duke of Bretaygne and syr Peter Craon agaynst the kyng. Men coulde nat be lette / but that they wolde speke / the ma­ter was so hygh that wordes ranne therof dy­uersely. Thus fynally the kyng was brought to Crayell / and there lefte in the kepynge of his physicyons / and of the sayde four knygh­tes. Than euery man departed. And it was commaunded to hyde and to kepe secrete the kynges malady fro the knowledge of the quene for a seasone / for as than she was great with chylde. and all of her courte were cōmaunded to kepe it secrete on payne of great punysshe­ment. Thus the kynge was at Crayell / in the marches of Seulis and of Compyen / on the ryuer of Oyse / and kept by the sayd knyghtes and physycions / who gaue hym medicyns / but for all that he recouered but lytell helth. ⸫ ⸫

IN this seasone there was in y ^e realme of Fraun­ce a wyse and a sage physi­cyon / the brewte was that there was none lyke hym / and he was well be loued with the lorde Coucy / he was natyue of his countrey. As at that tyme [Page] his a bydyng was in the cyte of Laon / he was called mayster Guylliam of Harsley. Whan he knewe fyrste the kynges malady / and by what accydent he fell sycke / he sayd as he that thought hym selfe to knowe the kynges com­pleryon / howe this maladye is fallen to the kynge through faute his complexyon holdeth to moche of y ^e moyster of the see. these wordes were reported to the lord Coucy / who was as than at Paris with the duke of Orlyance and with y ^e kinges vncles / for as than the coūsayle of Fraūce the noble men and prelates were at Paris / to determyne who shulde haue the go­uernaunce of the realme / as longe as the kyng shulde be in y ^t malady / outher his brother the duke of Orlyance / or his two vncles / or one of thē. vpon this cōmunycacion they were a .xv. dayes or they agreed. Fynally it was conclu­ded bycause the duke of Orlyaunce was very yonge to take on hym so great a charge / that the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne shulde haue the gouernaunce of the realme / and spe­cyally the duke of Burgoyne / and that the du­ches of Burgoyne shulde be aboute the quene and to be as seconde person. Thus as I haue sayde before the lorde of Coucy shewed to the kynges vncles / the great wysdome and pra­ctyse of the sayd physycion / mayster Guylly­am Harseley. Whan the dukes herde that they sente for hym / and so he came to Parys. And than the lorde of Couey presented hym to the kynges vncles / and sayd. My lordes beholde here is mayster Guyllyam Harseley / that I shewed you of. He is ryght welcome quod the dukes / they receyued him and made him good chere / and ordeyned hym to go to Crayell to vysyte the kynge / and to abyde aboute hym tyll he hadde recouered his helthe. Than the sayd mayster at their cōmaundement went to Crayell to the kynge / and had the chiefe ouer syght of mynystryng any thynge to the kyng / and he sawe well the kynges malady was cu­rable / and sawe howe he had taken it by rea­sone of feblenesse of his herte and heed / and through faute / therfore he dyd his dylygence to recouer his helthe.

THe tydynges of the kynges malady spred farre abrode / but who so euer was sorye / ye maye well knowe the duke of Bretaygne nor syr Peter of Craon wepte neuer a deale / nor had no great sorowe. Also whan pope Boryface of Rome and his cardynals knowe the trouthe / they were right ioyfull / and drewe togyther in consistory / and sayde howe their greatest enemy the Frenche kynge was beaten with a cruell rodde / seyng god had taken fro hym his wytte / and sayde howe that influence was sente to hym fro he­uen to chastyce hym withall / bycause he had so moche susteyned the pope at Auignon / ther­fore this cruell plage was sent to hym to cause the hole realme to be better aduysed / therfore they sayd their quarell was the stronger. And truely to haue wysely consydred euery thynge it was a great token to haue caused the cardynalles at Auygnon to haue been aduysed / but they made but lytell force therof / nother to the honour of god nor to the realme / for the pope at Auignon and his cardynalles sayde / howe by reasone that the kynge was yonge / and wolde haue his owne wyll / therby he is fallen in to this malady / through faute / for suche as haue had the rule aboute hym / haue nat doone their duetie / but haue suffred hym to rynne on the bridell / and to ryde nyght and daye exces­syuely in traueylynge of his body out of mea­sure. therfore suche as hath had the rule ought to be charged therwith / and none other / for it is through their faulte / for if they had ordred hym in his youthe / and so contynued by a reasonable regement / and haue folowed the counsayle of his vncles / this sycknesse had nat fal­len to hym nowe. Also he hath broken his pro­messe against reason / for he promysed the yere passed and sware by the wordes of a kynge / that he wolde so ordayne to dystroy the ante­pape at Rome and his cardynals / and to sub­due the sysme of the churche / and to sette the maters that be in trouble in good estate / whi­che is nothynge doone / but hathe doone con­trary to his promesse / wherwith god is dys­pleased / and to cause hym better to aduyse him selfe / he hathe punysshed hym with this cruell rodde. And if he retourne to helte / as he may well do / than it shall behoue vs to sende to him sufficyent legates / to shewe hym wysely the defaute and brekyng of his promesse / that he for­gette it nat by reason of our necly­gēce.

[Page ccxxxviii] THus the pope and his cardynal­les at Auignon spake and comu­ned toguyder / and layde the de­faute of the kynges malady / on the counsayle of Fraūce / and on suche as were about the kynge in his cham­bre. Of the same oppinyon were many o­ther folkes in the realme of Fraunce. They that were about the kynge sence the kynges offrynge to a towne called Aresnecke / in the countie of Heynaulte / bytwene Cambrey & Valencennes. In the whiche towne there was a Churche / parteyninge to an abbey of saynt Waste in Arrasce / wherin there lyeth a saynt called saint Acquayre / of whom there is a shrme of syluer / whiche pylgrimage is sought farre and nere / for the malady or fra­sey. Thyder was sente a man of waxe / representynge the Frenche kynge / and was hum­bly offred to the saynt / that he myght be me­ane to God / to asswage the kynges malady / and to sende him helthe. In lykewise the kynges offrynge was sente to saynt Hermyer in Romayes / whiche saynt had meryce to heale the Fransey. And in lykewise o [...]ryngꝭ were sent ī to other places for y ^e same entent. Whā the tidynges were come in to Englande / the kynge and his counsayle were sore troubled therwith / and specially the duke of Lanca­stre / and he sayd to suche knyghtes and squyers as were aboute hym. Sirs / surely it is great pytic of the Frenche kynge / for he se­med to be a man of great enterprice / and of great desyre to do well. He sayde to me at A­myence whan I departed fro hym. Fayre cosyn or Lancastre / I desyre you hertely to do your dylygence / that a ferme peace maye be made bytwene our nephue the kynge of En­glande and vs / and oure realmes / to the en­tent that we myght go togyder agaynst La­morabaquyn / who hath conquered the Re­alme of Armony / and dothe that he can to di­stroye Christendome. By our goyne thider our faithe shulde be exalted / & we are all boū de therto. And nowe by the Frenche kynges malady the mater is sore letted and hyndred for he shall neuer be of the credence he was of before. All that herde the duke sayde. It was trewe / and that it was lyke to be great trouble in Fraunce.

Thus all maner of people bothe tarre and nere spake and deuysed of the kynges mala­dye / and the kyng laye styll at Crayle / in the kepynge of the foresaid knyghtes / & of mai­ster Guyllyam of Harsely: And no man spa­ke with the kynge / nor entred in to the castell but suche as were ordayned therto. Som­tyme the duke of Orlyaunce and the duke of Burbone / came thyder to visyte the kynge / and the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne laye styll at Parys / and had done nothynge of newe / but they were in purpose shortely to do somwhat / agaynst suche as they loued nat / bycause they hadde been alwayes harde to them before. and the duke of Berrey said to the duke of Burgoyne. Brother / le Ry­uer / Clysson / le Mercyer / and the Begue of Vallayns / whan they were with the kynge in Languedocke / ccuelly they punysshed to dethe / my treasourer and good seruaunt Betysache by euuy. And for all that I coude do or saye / I coulde nat gette hym out of their handes / nor saue his lyre. Therfore nowe let them beware or me / for I shall paye them a­gayn with the same money / forged in y ^e same forge. In lykewise the duke of Burgoyne coude nat ioue them that gouerned the kyng for euer whane he had any busynesse to do in the courte / they were euer agaynst hym. Al­so the same tyme the duchesse of Burgoyne / who was a cruell lady / was about the quene as chefe ruler / and non spake with the quene but by her meanes.

THis lady hated mortally sir Olyuer of Clyisone for loue of the duke of Bretayne / for he was nere of blode to her / and often tymes she spake to the duke her husbande / sayeng howe he was greatlye to blame to beare so moche sir Olyuer of Clisson agaynst so myghtie a prince / as the duke of Brecaygne. And the duke of Burgoyne / who was a colde / a sage / and an ymagina­tyue prince / and dyde his busynesse alwayes at length / and wolde nat wyllyng bringe the realme of Fraūce in to trouble / but alwayes wyllyng to kepe all ꝑties in loue and peace / as nere as he myght. And also as he y ^t was neuer wyllyng to displease any of y ^e great lordꝭ answered right sagely & wysely to his wyfe. Dame ꝙ he / it is good in all tymes sōwhat to dissymnle a mannes displeasure. True it is our cosyn of Bretayne is a great lorde / & hath seignorie & puissaunce ynough agaynst [Page] sir Olyuer of Clysson / if I hadde taken his parte agaynst Clysson / it shulde greatly ha­ue weaked the Realme of Fraunce. For sir Olyuer of Clyssone saythe and sustayneth / that all the hate that he hath to the Duke of Bretaygne / is to sustayne vp the realme of Fraunce wherin we haue great parte. And also this is the cōmon renome in Fraūce. Also (as yet) I haue sene no artycle / wherin I shulde take parte with my cosyn of Bretay­gne agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson. therfore it hath behoued me to dissymule / or elles I coude nat haue had the good wyll of y ^e kyng nor of the realme / wherto I am more boūde by faithe and seruyce / than to y ^e duke of Bre­taygne. Nowe it is so that the kyng is nat in good case (as ye knowe well) and all this is agaynst the lorde Clisson / and shalbe. and to suche as haue gyuen coūsayle agaynst vs / my brother of Berrey and me / that the kyng shulde procede in his iourney to Bretaygne The rodde is gadered wherwith they shall be shortely beaten and corrected: as ye shall breuely here / if yet wyll take a lytell paciēce.

Dame dame / there is no season / but at last is payde: Nor no fortune / but that somtyme tourneth: Nor herte troubled / but somtyme agayne reioyceth: Nor none that is ioyfull / but somtyme is sorie and troubled. Clysson / le Ryuer / Montague / le Mercyer / & le Vyllayns: they haue done yuell / and that shalbe shewed them breuely. With suche lyke wor­des the duke of Burgoyne and the duchesse his wyfe sported thē toguyder.

ON a daye it happed that y ^e duke of Burgoyne and the duke of Berrey cōmuned secretely togyder / & sayde. It were tyme that we began to distroye them that haue dishonored our nephue the kynge / and haue ledde hym at their wylles. And first let vs begyn at the cōstable / he is y ^e grettest and hath most to lese / for this other daye he made his testament of seuyntene hūdred thousāde frankes. Where the deuyll hath he gadered toguyder all that richesse? And yet the mary age of his doughter to Iohan of Bretayne / whom he delyuered out of prison in Englād and payde for his raūsome two hūdred thousande frankes of Englande. Let vs se what poyntes we can lay to him by reason / for our nephue the duke of Orleaunce beareth hym greatlye / and so do dyuers other barones of Fraunce. Howe be it and we stycke therto / we shall finde mater ynough to him by lawe and parlyament. That is trewe quod the duke of Burgoyne. And the first tyme that he cometh to speke with me (and that I thynke wyll be or to morowe at night) I shall so re­ceyue hym / that he shall well knowe that I loue hym nat / and if he come to you good brother of Berrey do lykewise. That shall be done quod he / and so departed at that tyme.

SO it fortuned that the lorde of Clys­son / who knewe nothynge but that he had been in good grace with the sayde dukes. And certayne knightes & squi­ers (suche as hadde been in the sayd voyage with the kyng) came to the constable / & were sente by the chaunceller and treasourers to hym / to pursue for money for their wages. Whervpon in a mornyng he came to y ^e house of Arthois in Parys / to shewe the state of y ^e busynesse to the duke of Burgoyne / and to none other / bycause he hadde the hole gouernaunce of the realme of Fraunce. Whan̄e he came thyder he entred in to the court / for the porter had lette hym in. Than he a lyghted and mounted the steares in to the hall / alone lye acompanyed with one squyer / and in the hall he foūde .ii. squyers of the dukes. than he demaunded if he might speke w ^t the duke or nat. Sir ꝙ they we can nat tell you / tary here and we shall go & knowe his pleasure. The squiers entred in to the dukes chambre and foūde hym at good leysar / talkyng with an heraude / who was come fro a great feest that had ben holden in Almaigne. Than the squiers sayd. Sir / the Constable is in your hall / and saythe he is come to speke with you if it be your pleasure. A goddesname quod the duke lette hym come in / we be at good leysar to here what he wyll say. One of the squiers went in to the hall and said to the consta­ble. sir cōe on / my lorde wyll haue you to cōe in. The cōstable entred / and whan the duke sawe hym he chaunged colour / and repented in that he had caused hym to come in to his chambre / and yet he had gret desyre to speke with hym. The Constable dyde of his hatte and made his reuerence to the duke & sayde. [Page ccxxxix] Sir I am come to you / to knowe of the state and gouernaunce of the realme / and howe euery thynge shalbe ordred / for by reason of myne offyce I am dayly called vpon / and as nowe / you and my lorde of Berrey haue the rule / therfore it may please you to shewe me what I shall do. The duke lightly aunswe­red and sayde. Clysson Clysson / ye haue nothyng to do to busye you with the gouernynge of the realme / ye haue medled therwith to long / and in an yuell tyme. Howe the deuyll haue ye gadered suche rychesse / as ye made your testament of but late? The kynge nor my brother of Berrey nor I / haue nat so mo­che. Go youre waye departe out of my pre­sence / and lette me no more se you / for and it were nat for my shame / I shulde putte out your better eye. And therwith the duke deꝑ­ted and lefte the lorde Clysson alone / who is­sued out of the chambre and hanged downe his heed / and so passed through the hall / and in the courte toke his horse with his compa­ny / and retourned priuely in to his lodgyng without spekyng of any worde. ⸫ ⸫

WHan the lorde of Clys­son was retourned to his lodgynge / he was in many ymaginacyons / to remem­bre what was best for hym to do. for he parceyued wel the maters went but yuell for hym / nor he wyste nat to whome to make his complaynt / nor to declare his busynesse / for the duke of Orlyaunce was at Crayell. and thoughe he hadde been at Parys / yet it laye nat in his power to defende hym / and he feared lest the duke of Burgoyne wolde ha­ue caused hym to be arested / and to spoyle his house. Wherfore he durst nat abyde that aduenture / but shortely made hym redy / and shewed to certayne of his seruauntes what he wolde do. And agaynst nyght he wente out of his lodgyng priuely on the backesyde and but thre persones with hym / and issued out of Parys at the gate of saynt Anchony / and passed the ryuer of Seyne at the bridge of Charenton. And roode so longe that he came to a Castell of his owne / a seuyn lea­ges fro Parys / called Mount le Heury / and there taryed tyll he heroe other tidynges. The same daye that the duke of Burgoyne had spoken with the Constable. The duke of Berrey and he mette toguyder / for they assembled at the palays to commune toguy­der of certayne matters / touchynge the Re­alme. Than the duke of Burgoyne shewed his brother what he had sayde to sir Olyuer of Clysson. The duke of Berrey answered and sayd. ye haue done well / for we must ha­ue a begynnynge to entre vpon theym. For surely Clysson / le Ryuer / Mercier and Mō tague / haue robbed the realme of Fraunce / but the tyme is come that they shall leaue all yea / and lese their lyues / and I maye be be­leued.

THe same proper daye that the Con­stable departed / Montague in likewise departed secretely / by the gate saynt Anthony / and toke the waye to Trois in Champayne and in to Burgoyne / & sayd he wolde nat rest tyll he came to Auygnon / for thyder he had sent before the chiefe of his rychesse / and lefte a certayne with his wyfe to kepe her estate curtesly. For he sawe well sithe the kyng had lost his wytte / that all ma­ters shulde go but yuell for hym. for he sawe howe the dukes of Burgoyne and Berrey wolde nat speke to hym. Sir Iohan Mer­cier in lykewise wolde fayne haue ben gone and he myght / But there was suche watche layde on hym / that he coude nat go out of his lodgynge / without knowledge. And suche of his goodes as he hadde saued before / sto­de hym in right good stede afterwarde. For as moche as coude be founde of his / was de­parted bytwene the dukes of Burgoyn and Berrey / and he was cōmytted by them to prisone / in to the castell of Loure. And in lykewyse [Page] so was cōmaunded the Begue of Vyl­layns erle of Rebydewe in Spayne. There were men sente to the house of Montague / but he was nat founde / nor no man knewe where y ^t he was become. In lykecase to the Constables house to haue had hym to prison but he coude nat be founde / for there was no man there but the kepar / who knewe nothynge where he was become. And within two dayes after / it was knowen that he was at his castell of Mount le Heury. Whan the dukes that loued hym nat knewe that / they or­dayned the Barroys of Barres / sir Iohn̄ of Castell Morant / the lorde of Coucy / and sir Wyllyam of Tremoyle / with thre hundred speares to go thyder / and cōmaunded them to besiege the Towne and castell / and nat to departe thens / tyll they had brought sir Olyuer of Clysson to thē / outher quicke or deed. These knyghtes dyde as they were cōmaunded / they durste do none otherwyse / for the two dukes had the admynistracion of the realme. So they departed fro Parys with a thre hundred speares / but nat all at one tyme but in fyue partes / to the entent to be the lesse knowen. But god ayded so well the Constable / and had so good frendes of some in that company / that he had suche warnynge / that he toke no dōmage / for he and his company departed and rode by couert wayes through woodes / and lefte closed townes / so that at laste he came surely in to Bretaygne / and entred in to a castell of his owne called the ca­stell Ioselyn / and there taryed to here other newes. For all that the Barrois or Barres and the other knightes in his company / lette nat to do their enterprice as they were char­ged / but came to Mount le Heury / and en­tred in to the towne / and besieged the castell and taryed there all a nyght / wenynge that the Constable hadde ben within / but he was gone / as ye haue herde: and the nexte mor­nynge they thought to assaute the Castell. The seruaūtes within the castell sente out to knowe what they wolde haue / or what they demaunded. They sayde they wolde haue sir Olyuer of Clysson / & therfore they were come. They answered and said / that he was departed thens foure dayes passed / and of­fred to open the gates to sertche for hym. the knightes went in to the castell with all their company armed / for scare of enbusshement within the castell. They sertched highe and lowe and founde for trouthe that he was nat there. Than̄e they departed and retourned to Parys / and shewed howe they had sped.

WHan the dukes of Burgoyne & Berrey knewe that sir Olyuer Clysson was scaped / they were sore displeased / and the dukes of Orlyaunce and of Burbone ryght ioyfull. Than the duke of Burgoyne sayde. It semeth well that he douteth hym selfe / seynge he is fledde awaye. yet for all y ^t he is so quytte / we shall cause hym to come agayne shortely / or les he shall lese all that he hath / that we can sette our handes on. for we haue to laye to his charge / dyuers artycles vnresonable / whiche requyre iudgement of punisyon. and if suche as be great be nat corrected / the maters shall nat be equally pro­porcioned / for suche as be but small personages shall grudge / and saye they haue wrong to be punysshed / and the great to scape. ther­fore iustyce ought to be equall / and to spare nother gret nor small / wherby any ensample shulde growe. Thus the duke of Burgoyn deuysed of sir Olyuer of Clysson / who was in Bretaygne / in his castell called Ioselyn / whiche forteresse was well prouyded for of all thynges necessary. Whan the Barrois of Barres was retourned to Parys / and had shewed that sir Olyuer of Clysson was de­parted fro Mount le Heury / and gone to the castell of Ioselyn in Bretayne. Thā he was cōmaunded to go to Amyence & there to take the lorde de la Ryuer. The next day he rode with his companye to Amyence / a fayre for­teresse besyde Charters / whiche the lorde de la Ryuer helde by right of his wyfe / the lady of Mans. He had greatly amended that ca­stell / and was welbeloued of the men of his countrey / for he loued alwayes nothyng but trouth. Than the dukes cōmissyoners came thyder and dyde as they had in charge / and founde the lorde de la Ryuer there / and his wyfe & his chyldren. the knight loked for nothyng els / for he might haue ben gone before if he had lyste / for he had knowledge that sir Iohan Mercyer and the erle of Ribydewe were in prisone / and that the Constable was fledde in to Bretaygne. And he was coun­sayled [Page ccxl] before by one of his frendes / who said to hym. Sir / saue your selfe / for the enuyous do nowe reygne / and fortune as nowe is on their sydes. He aunswered and sayde. Here and els where / I am at the pleasure of god. If I shulde flye or hyde my selfe / I shulde yelde my selfe gyltie / where I knowe my sel­fe clere. God hath gyuen me that I haue / and he maye take it fro me whan it is his plea­sure. The wyll of god be fulfylled. I haue serued kynge Charles / and nowe his sonne well and trewly. My seruyce hath ben well knowen with them / and they haue greatlye rewarded me. And seyng that I haue so truely serued at their cōmaundementes / and tra­ueyled for the busynesse of the realme of Frā ce / I dare well abyde the iudgement of the parlyament chambre in Parys. and if they can fynde any faute in my dedes or wordes / lette me be punysshed. Thus the lorde de la Ryuer sayd to his wyfe and to his coūsayle. This he sayd or the dukes cōmyssioners cāe to his castell. At laste one shewed hym and sayd. Sir / here cometh suche men and suche with a great armye. Nowe saye you / shall we opyn the gates or nat? yea quod he what elles / they are welcome. Therwith he went and mette them / and receyued them one after another right honorably. Thus they all en­tred in to the castell of Mans. Than the barroies of Barres whan they were within the hall executed his commaundement / and are­sted the lorde de la Ryuer / who obeyed meke lye. Thus he was prisoner in his owne ca­stell of Mans. It may well be thought that the good lady his wyfe was sore discōfyted / whan she sawe fortune courne her whele / a­gaynst her lorde and husbande / and also she douted the conclusyon.

THus the lorde de la Ryuer was prisoner in his owne Castell of Mains. And anone after he was sente for by them that had the go­uernaunce / bothe of the tempo­raltie and of the spirytualtie. For pope Cle­ment of Auignon had nothyng in the realme of Fraunce / but by their meanes. The lorde de la Ryuer was brought to Parys / and set in prison in the castell of Loure. Many men in the realme of Fraunce had great pytie on hym / howe be it they durst nat speke but pri­uely. The people cared nat so moche for the trouble of sir Iohan Mercyer / as they dyde for the lorde de la Ryuer. For he was alway swete / curtesse / meke / pacyent / and gencyll to poore men: and a good meane always for them that myght nat be herde. It was sayde daylye in Paris / that these prisoners shulde lese their heedes. And a sclaundre ran vpon them / howe they were traytours against the crowne of Fraunce / and pylled the realme / and therby kepte their great portes and estates: and made fayre houses / castelles / & buyldynges. And other poore knightes and squiers / suche as had aduentured their bodyes & membres in dedes of armes / and serued truelye the realme of Fraunce / and had solde and layde to pledge their herytages / & yet coude nat be payde / for that they had serued / No­ther by the cōstable nor by none of them that were in prisone: nor hy Mōtague that was fledde. The enuyous condempned and iud­ged them to dye. So by reason of this they were in great daunger / and also it was sayd that by their counsaile the kyng toke on hym the iourney in to Bretaygne / wherby he fell in to that maladye of Fransey / and had gy­uen hym drinkes of poyson at their pleasure and howe that the kynges phisycions coude nat be herde nor beleued / by reason of them. Suche maters were layde to the lorde de la Ryuers charge and to sir Iohan Mercyer / that they were delyuered out of the Castell of Loure / in to the handes of the prouost of Paris / and putte in to the castell of saynt Anthony / in the kepyng of the Vicount of Achy who as than was Chateleyne there. Whan it was knowen that they were there / thā the cōmon brute ran / that they shulde be execu­ted to dethe. But to saye trouthe / there was no cause why to trouble them. For suche as hated them / coude fynde in their conscyence / no cause why they ought to dye. But euery daye they were borne in hande / and it was sayd to theym. Sirs / thynke on youre sou­les / for as for your bodyes are but loste / for ye are iudged to dye / and for to be beheeded. In this case they were in Prisone a greate space. The Begue of Vyllayns a ryght va­lyaunt knyght in armes / of the countrey of Beance / who was in prisone also for y ^e same cause. He had suche frendes and was so ay­ded [Page] that he was delyuered out of prison / and was clene pardoned of all thynges. And su­che as were of his lynage / as sir Barroys & other / counsayled hym to go in to Castyle / where as he had fayre herytages / by reason of his wyfe / countesse of Ribydewe / and as he was counsayled so he dyede. And as soone as he might departed out of Fraunce & went in to Castyle / and the other two knightes remayned styll in prison / in daunger of losyng of their lyues.

ALl the mouable and vnmouable godes and possessions parteyninge to sir Iohan Mercyer within Parys and without / in the realme of Fraunce / that myght be layde hande on / was taken as goodes forfaite / and gyuen to other persons. his fayre house of the bridge of Aubumen in the dioces of Laon / whiche had cost hym a great good / was gyuen to the lorde Coucy / with all the appurtenaūce. I knowe nat wheder the lorde of Coucy desyred it or nat / but sir Iohan Mercier was disheryted / he and his heyres for euer. Also the lorde de la Ryuer was sore handled. Trewe it was / all his mouables was taken awaye / and suche landes as he had bought / reseruynge to the lady of Mans his wyfe all her herytages / whiche came by her by father & mother. Also he had a yonge damosell to his doughter of .x. yere or age / who was maryed to a yonge gentyl­man called Iaques of Chastellon / sonne to sir Hugh of Chastellon / who had ben before maister of the crosbowes of Fraunce. and he was heyre to his father / and had fayre hery­tages / and was lykely to enioye more / howe be it agaynst the yonge mannes mynde / he was dismaryed. And maryed agayne to another gentylwoman / at the pleasure of the duke of Burgoyne and of the lorde de la Tre­moyle / who toke on them that quarell. more ouer / the lorde de la Riuer had a sonne to his heyre / whiche sonne was maryed to y ^e doughter of the erle Dampmartyne. And the erle had no mo children nor was nat lyke to haue whiche doughter was his heyre. And the duke wolde haue broken that maryage / & haue maryed her vnto an heyre of blode / But the erle Dampmartyne lyke a valyaunt knight wolde nat / but sayd. As long as the lorde de la Ryuers sonne hadde lyfe in his body / his doughter shulde haue none other husbande and sayde / he wolde putte her herytage in to suche mēnes handes / that he trusted suche as wolde wrōgfully haue it / shulde nat attayne therto. Whan the erles mynde was knowen they let hym alone. So that maryage stode styll / but the fyrst maryage was broken / and pope Clement made a dispensacyon wheder he wolde or nat / for as at that tyme the pope had no more puissaunce in Fraunce / Than suche as the gouernours wolde consente to. The churche was so subiecte / what by rea­son of the Scisme / and by them that gouer­ned Fraunce. Many men specially in the re­alme of Fraūce / excused greatly the lorde de la Ryuer / but all that wolde nat serue / For none durst speke thoughe they sawe the ma­ter neuer so clere. Except all onely the valyāt lady Iane of Boloyne / duchesse of Berrey. Oftentymes the good lady wolde fall on her knees before her husbande / holdynge vp her handes and sayeng. Ah sir / ye suffre to mo­che the enuyous to enforme you so wrongfullye / agaynst the valyaunt knight. The lorde de la Ryuer he hath clerely wronge / there is none that dare speke for hym but I. And sir / I wyll ye knowe that if he dye thus / I shall neuer haue ioye in this worlde / but I shall alwayes contynue styll in sorowe and heuy­nesse / for he is a trewe and a valyant knight. Ah sir / ye cōsyder but lytell the fayre seruyce that he hath done to you or this tyme: y ^e pay­nes and traueyle that he hath hadde for you and for me / to bring vs togyder in maryage. I saye it nat for any thyng of bostyng of my selfe / for I am but lytell worthe in compary­son to you. But whan ye wolde nedes haue me / ye remembre howe harde the erle of Foiz was to you / with whom I was brought vp / And if the swete wordes / and wyse demea­nour of the lorde de la Ryuer had nat been / I had neuer come in to your company / but I had ben rather as nowe in Englāde. For the duke of Lācastre wolde haue had me for his sonne the erle of Derby / and the erle of Foiz enclyned rather that waye thā to you. Right dere sir / ye ought to remēbre this / for all that I say is true. Wherfore I requyre you right hūbly / that this gentyll knight who brought me to you / haue no dōmage of his body nor of his membres. The duke of Berrey who sawe his wyfe fayre and gentyll / and loued [Page ccxli] her with all his hert / and also knewe well that all she had sayd was true / it molifyed greatly his herte towardes the lorde de la Ryuer / and to apease his wyfe / because he sawe she spake with good herte / sayd vnto her. Dame as god helpe me I wolde it had cost me .xx. thousāde frankes / on the condycion the lorde de la Ry­uer had neuer made forfette to the crowne of Fraunce / for before this malady came to the kynge / I loued hym entierly / and tooke hym for a wyse and a sage knyght. but sythe ye de­syre so effectuously for hym I wyll do no dys­pleasure to hym / he shall fare moche the better at your instaunce / and for your sake I shall do as moche for hym as my power may extende / and rather at your desyre than and all the re­alme had spoken for hym / for surely I se well it is almes to helpe hym / and I beleue he hath no aduocate but you. Thus the lady was well pleased with her lordes wordes / for surely and she had nat ben he had been deed / but for her sake the duke of Berrey dyssymuled the ma­ter / and that was happy for syr Iohan Mer­cyer / for he and the lorde de la Ryuer were ac­cused for one cause / wherfore the dukes had conscyence to cause one to dye and nat the o­ther / howe be it for all the promesse that was made to them / yet they thought them selfe nat well assured of their lyues / as longe as they were in prison / for they sawe well they had as than many enemyes / who as thā reygned and were in their prosperyte / and some were right angry that they were saued so longe / and they coulde amended it. Syr Iohan Mercyer beynge in prisone wepte so contynually / that he had almost lost his sight / it was pytie to se his lamentacyon.

WHyle these two knyghtes were thus in prisone more than a yere / and no man knewe what ende shulde come of them. Than the dukes and their counsayle dyd all that they coulde to haue taken sir Olyuer Clysson / and to haue put hym fro his ho­noure and offyce. They had rather haue had hym than all the resydewe / but he kepte hym selfe out of their handes / wherin he dyd wyse­ly / for if he had ben taken they had so ordeyned for him / that he shulde haue had iudgement of deth without remedy / and all for enuy to haue pleased therby his aduersary the duke of Bre­taygne / who neuer dyd good in the realme of Fraūce. whan the lordes sawe y ^t he was scaped their handes / they toke other aduyse / & dyd as ye shall here. They sōmoned hym to apere in the parlyamēt chamber at Parys / to answere to such articles as he was accused of / on payne to lese his honour and to be banysshed the re­alme of Fraunce / certayne cōmyssioners were sent in to Bretaygne to sōmon hym to apere. They that were sente rode in to Bretaygne / and demaūded where as they came where syr Olyuer of Clysson was / and sayd howe they were sente by the kynge to speke with the con­stable / wherfore they desyred to knowe where he was. The men of suche townes and gary­sons as helde of the constable were determy­ned before what aunswere to make / and sayd / syrs ye be welcome / and if ye wyll speke with the coūstable ye muste go in to suche a place / there we thynke ye shall fynde hym without faute. So the cōmyssyoners were sente fro towne to towne / but they coude nat fynde him. And so longe they sought that they were we­ry / and so retourned to Parys / and declared what they had sene and founde. suche as had accused hym were gladde that he dalte so / for than they sayd his falsnesse was playnely she­wed / and therby acordyng to reason they said he shulde haue as he had deserued. Than by the course of the parlyament they proceded to all his sōmonynges / to thentent that suche as loued hym shulde nat say he had any wronge / by Enuy or hatred. And whan all his .xv. sō ­monynges were accompilsshed / and that they coulde here no tydynges of hym / nor of his a­paraunce / and that he had been openly called at the parlyament chambre dore / and on the steyres / and in the courte / with all other sere­monyes therto belongynge / and no answere made for hym / he had processe made agaynst hym cruelly in the parlyament. There he was openly banysshed the realme of Fraunce as a false traytour against the crowne of Fraunce / and iudged to pay a hūdred thousande marke of syluer for the extorcyons he had doone / and for that he had so traftely in tyme paste occu­pyed the offyce of the constablery of Fraunce / and therfore to lese for euer without recouery the sayd offyce. At the gyueng of this sentence the duke of Orleaunet was desyred to be pre­sent / but he wolde nat / & excused hymselfe / but the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyn were there with many other great lordes of the Realme [Page] of Fraunce. Thus a man may se the wa [...]kes of fortune / howe ferme and stable they be / se­ynge howe this good and valyaunt knyght / who in his dayes had so moche traueyled for the realme of Fraunce / and as than was put to so moche shame / as to be dysgrated fro ho­noure and goodes. Howe be it he was happy he appered nat at their sōmonynge / for if he had / surrly he had shamfully loste his lyfe. As than the duke of Orlyance durst nat speke for hym / if he had / it shulde haue doone hym no good. It is nat to be douted but that the duke of Bretaygne and syr Peter of Craon were right ioyfull of those tydinges howe be it they were sory that he was nat prisoner in Parys as well as sir Iohan Mercier and the lord de la Ryuer. Of this shamfull banysshing great brute ranne therof in the realme of Fraunce and els where. some compleyned secretly and sayd that he had wronge. And some other said he was worthy to be hanged / and that he had well deserued it. and moreouer sayd / howe the dyuell coulde he assemble togyder so moche rychess as a myllyon and an halfe of florayns? he coulde neuer gette that by ryghtwyse mea­nes / but rather by pollynge and robbyng / and retaynyng to hymselfe the wages of the poore knyghtes & squyers of the realme of Fraunce that had deserued it. as it may well appere in the chaunceryor treasory / where euery thyng is written and regestred / in the voyage that the Kynge made in to Flaunders. there and than he reysed great profyte to his owne vse / and also in the voyage to Almayne / for all maner of tayles and subsydyes that were reysed in the Realme to paye men of warre / passed through his handes he payed where as it pleased hym / and the rest he kept to hymselfe and none durste speke agaynst it. In this maner syr Olyuer of Clysson was accused in many mennes mouthes. It is sayde in an olde pro­urebe / he that hath mysfortune / euery man of­fereth hym wronge. If the frenche kynge / the duke of Berrey / and the duke of Burgoyne had nat ben / the duke of Bretaygne had ben able to haue subdued syr Olyuer of Clysson / seynge he was in the dukes countrey / but he suffred hym for a season to se howe the maters shulde procede. Also he sawe well that syr Olyuer of Clysson was set on the heyght of fortu­nes whele / and as than agayne he sawe howe he was cast downe / and lyke to lese his offyce. Thus the duke of Bretayne and syr Peter of Craon were set vpon their fete / and all by the workes of fortune / whiche is neuer parma­nent / but nowe vp / nowe downe. The consta­ble syr Olyuer of Clysson / the lorde de la Ry­uer / & syr Iohan Mercyer / were principally acused for the chefe cousers of the kinges ma­lady. And suche as loued them nat / sayd howe they had poysoned the kynge. howe be it eue­ry man maye consydre by reason that it was nat so / for they were the persones that shulde lese moste by the kynges malady / wherfore it is to be thought they sought moste for his helthe / but they coulde nat be beleued. So the two knyghtes remayned styll in prison in daū ger openly to haue loste their heedes / and by all lykelyhode so they had doone / if the kynge had nat recouered his helth / and by the meane of the duchesse of Berrey / who made instante labour for the lorde de la Ryuer. And the lorde Clysson was styll in Bretayne / and made sore warre agaynst the duke there / and the duke agaynst hym / whiche warre cost many a man­nes lyfe / as ye shall here / here after in this hy­story.

TRewe it is this sycknesse that the kyng tooke in the voyage towardes Bre­tayne / greatly abated the ioye of the realme of Fraunce / and good cause why / for whan the heed is sicke the body canne haue no ioye. No man durste openly speke therof / but kepte it priuy as moche as myght be / and it was co­uertly kept fro the quene / for tyll she was delyuered and churched she knewe nothynge therof / whiche tyme she had a doughter. The physycion mayster Guyllyam / who had the chefe charge of healynge of the kynge / was styll aboute hym / and was ryght dyligent / and well acquyted hymselfe / wherby he gate bothe ho­nour and profyte / for lytell & lytell he brought the kynge in good estate / and toke away the seuer and the heate / and made hym to haue taste and appetyte to eate and drinke / slepe & rest / and knowledge of euery thynge. howe be it he was very feble / and lytell and lytell he made the Kynge to ryde a huntynge and on haw­kynge. And whanne tydynges was knowen through Fraunce howe the kynge was well mended / and had his memory agayne / euery man was ioyfull / and thanked god. the kyng thus beyng at Crayell / desyred to se the quene [Page ccxlii] his wyfe and the Dolphyn his sonne. So the quene came thyder to him / and the chylde was brought thyder. The kynge made them good chere / and so lytell and lytell through the helpe of god / the kynge recouered his helthe. And whan mayster Guyllyam sawe the kynge in so good case / he was ryght ioyfull / as reasone was / for he had done a fayre cure / and so dely­uered hym to the dukes of Orlyance / Berrey / Burgoyne / and Burbone / and sayd. My lor­des / thanked be god the kyng is nowe in good state and helth / so I delyuer hym / but beware lette no man dysplease hym / for as yet his spy­rytes be nat fully ferme nor stable / but lytell and lytell he shall waxe stronge. Reasonable dysporte / rest / and myrthe shall be moste pro­fytable for hym / and trouble hym as lytell as may be with any counsayles / for he hath been sharpely handeled with a hote malady. Than it was consydred to retaygne this mayster Guylliam / and to gyue hym that he shulde be contente with all / whiche is the ende that all physicions requyre / to haue gyftes and rewardes. He was desyred to abyde styll aboute the kynge / but he excused himselfe and sayd howe he was an olde impotent man / and coulde nat endure the maner of courte / wherfore he desy­red to returne in to his owne countrey. Whan the counsayle sawe he wolde none otherwyse do / they gaue him leaue / and at his departing gaue him a thousande crownes / and retayned hym in wages with four horses whan so euer he wolde resorte to the courte. Howe be it I beleue he neuer came there after / for whan he re­tourned to the cytie of Laon / there he conty­nued and dyed a ryche man. He lefte behynde hym a .xxx. thousande frankes. All his dayes he was one of the greatest nygardes that euer was / all his pleasure was to get good / and to spende nothynge / for in his howse he neuer spente past two souses of Parys in a day / but wolde eate and drinke in other mennes how­ses / where as he myght get it. With this rodde lyghtly all physicyons are beaten. ⸪ ⸪

AS ye haue herde here before in the bokes of this hygh and excellent hystory / at the request of the ryght hygh and myghty prynce / my dere lorde and mayster Guy of Chastellone / erle of Blois / lorde of Auesnes / of Chymay / of Beaumont / of Streumehont / & of the Gode. I Io­han Froysart preest and chapeleyn to my said lorde / and at that tyme treasourer and chanon of Chymay / and of Lysle in Flaunders / haue enterprised this noble mater / treatynge of the aduentures and warres of Fraunce and En­glande / and other countreys conioyned and a lyed to them / as it may apere clerely / by the treaties therof made vnto the date of this presente day / the whiche excellent materꝭ as longe as I lyue by the helpe of god I shall cōtynue / for the more I folowe and labour it / the more it pleaseth me. As the noble knyght or squyer louynge the feates of armes / do perceyuer in the same / and be therby experte and made parfyte / so in laborynge of this noble mater / I delyte and take pleasure. ¶It hath ben here be­fore conteyned in our hystory howe truce was made at Balyngham / to endure thre yere by­twene Englande and Fraunce / and for that purpose the erle of saynt Poll / the lorde of Ca­stell Morant / and syr Taupyn of Cauteuell / ambassadours of Fraūce had ben in Englan­de with the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke / for to vnderstande the kinges pleasure / and the opynion of the cōmons of Englande / for at the comunycacyon and parlyamente at Amyence / they were at a poynte of agrement of peace / vpon certayne artycles specifyed / re­seruynge the agrement therto of the cōmons of Englande. thus these ambassadours were retourned in to Fraunce / and were answered howe that at the feest of saynt Mychell nexte ensuynge / there shulde be a Parlyament at Westmynster of the thre estates of Englande / at whiche tyme the mater shulde be declared / and a full aunswere made. Whan tydynges was come in to Englande of the frenche kyn­ges sycknesse / that matter was greatly hyn­dred / howe be it kynge Rycharde of Englan­de / and the duke of Lancastre / had great af­fection to haue had peace / so that if they might haue had their ententes / peace had ben made bytwene Englande and Fraunce. But the cō ­mynalte [Page] of Englande desyred warre / sayenge howe warre with Fraunce was more conue­nyent for them than peace. and of that opyny­on was one of the kynges vncles / Th [...] mas duke of Glocestre / erle of Perces / and consta­ble of Englande / who was welbeloued in the realme / he enclyned rather to the warre than to peace. And of his opynyon were the yonge gentylmen of the realme / suche as desyred fea­tes of armes. But his brother the duke of Lancastre / bycause he was eldest and of most puis­saunce in Englande / he thought and said that the warre bytwene Englande and Fraunce had endured longe ynoughe / and that peace were more mete▪ for by the warre cristende me was sore febled / for the great turke Lamora­baquyn was with greate puyssaunce on the fronters of Hūgery wherfore he sayd it shulde be honorable to all yonge lusty knyghtes and squyers to take their waye thyder / and there to exercyse dedes of armes.

LEtte vs wysely consydre the duke of Lancasters wordes / who spake them of good entent / for he had greatly traueyled in the warres of Fraunce / and conquered but lytell / and sore traueyled his bodye / brent and dystroyed the playne countreys in his waye / and after his retourne sone recouered agayn / he sawe this warre drewe neuer to n [...]ne [...]nde / but rather encreased. Also he sawe that if / fortune shuld turne agaynst y ^e englyssh party / that great dōmage therof shulde ensue / and parceyued well that the kyng his nephue was enclyned moche rather to the peace than to the warre. I Iohan Froysart auctoure of this hystory / canne nat well saye / whether this dukes opinyon was good or nat / but it was shewed me that bycause the duke of Lancastre sawe his two doughters maryed in higher degree than hymselfe / and out of the realme of Englande / the one was quene of Spaygne / the other Quene of Portugale. This caused him gretly to enclyne to the peace / for he knew well that the kynge of Spaygnes sonne / who had maryed his doughter / was as than but yonge / and in daunger of his owne subgiet­tes / and knewe well that if he shulde peasably enioye the herytage of Spaygne / it was con­uenyente that the englysshe men shulde kepe the peace with Fraunce / for if the peace shulde be broken by any incydent / than the Frenche men myght shortly be reuenged of the realme of Spayne, for they had open entrees as well through Aragon and Chathalone / as Bierne and Byskay / for the lady yolant of Bare was quene of Aragone / and she was good frenche and gouerned Aragon / Chathalone / Bierne / and Byskay / for the Vycount of Chatellon / who was heyre to therle of Foiz had so sworne and promysed the frenche quene / wherby the frenche men hadde many fayre entrees in to Spaygne without daunger of the kynge of Nauer / who wolde nat wyllyngly dysplease the frenche kynge his cosyn germayne / for as than syr Peter of Nauerre his brother / was with the frenche kynge / who alwayes apeased the frenche kynges ire and dyspleasure / whan he had any to his brother the Kynge of Na­uer / for he was a true frenche man / and neuer founde the contrary. All these imagynacions the duke of Lancastre had in hym selfe / and shewed his mynde to his sonne the erle of Derby / though he were but yonge / yet he was of great wysdome / and lykely to come to great honour / whiche erle had thre sonne / Iohan / Humfrey / and Thomas / and two doughters by the lady his wyfe / doughter and heyre to the Erle constable of Englande / erle of Her­forde and Northampton / by whiche lady he helde great herytage.

THe conclusyon of the parlyament hol­den at Westmynster by the thre estates of the realme. A trewce was taken by see and by lande / bytwene Fraunce and Englande / their frendes and alyes / to endure fro the feest of saynt Mychell / to the feest of saynt Iohan Baptyst nexte after / and suche cōmyssioners as the frenche kynge had sent to this parlya­ment were dyspatched / and the charter of the truce sent by them sealed / whiche treuce was well vpholden on all partyes. The Frenche kynge was sore febled by reason of his sycke­nesse / and the physicyon mayster Guyllyam Harselay was as than deed / but whan he de­parted fro Crayell fro the kynge / he ordeyned many receytes for the kynge to vse / wherby in the wynter season he recouered his helth / wherof all his louers and frendes reioysed / with the hole cōmynalte of Fraūce / for he was well be loued / and so he and the quene came to Pa­rys / and helde their householde most parte at saynt Powle / and somtyme at Loure / and the [Page ccxliii] longe wynter nyghtes they passed the season with daunsynge and carollynge / and other reuels and dysportes. The quene was acompa­ned with the duchesse of Berrey / the duchesse of Orlyance / and other ladyes. The same season the Vycount of Chastellon was come to Parys / who was newly entred in to the hery­tage of the erledome of Foize and of Bierne / as ryght heyre / and he releued the sayde erle­dom of Foiz / and dyd his homage to the kyng but nat for Bierne / for that coūtrey helde themselfe of so noble condycion / that they helde seruyce to no man lyuynge. Howe be it the prince of Wales said to the erle of Foiz that last dyed / that he ought to releue of him / and to haue his resorte to the Duchy of Acquitayne. But al­wayes the sayd erle denyed and defended it. And it is to be thought that the chalenge that the prince of Wales made thervnto / was by the settynge on and mouyng of Iohan erle of Armynake / as it hath ben shewed here before in this history / wherfore as nowe I wyll ouer passe it. Whan this vicount of Chastellon (called fro henseforthe erle of Foiz) was at Paris with the frenche kyng / he had there in his company with hym his cosyn syr yuan of Foize / bastarde sonne to the laste Erle of Foize / who was a goodly knyght. The erle of Foiz or he dyed wolde haue made hym his heyre / with a nother of his bastarde sonnes called Gracian / who dwelte as than with the kyng of Nauer / but the knyghtes of Bierne wolde neuer con­sent therto / therfore the mater rested as it dyd / and the erle dyed sodaynly (as ye haue herde before) Whan the Frenche kynge sawe this yonge knyght syr yuan of Foiz / he lyked hym marueylous well / also the kynge and he were moche of one age / and by reason of the fauour that the kynge bare to this yonge knyght / the erle of Foiz had the shorter spede / and was delyuered of all his businesse / and than departed in to his owne countrey / and syr yuan abode styll with the kynge / and retayned as one of his knyghtes of his chambre / with .xii. horses / & all other thynges therto be­longynge.

IT fortuned / that sone after the retaynmge of this foresayd knyght / a mary­age was made in the kyn­ges house / bytwen a yonge knyght of Vermandoys / and one of the quenes gen­tylwomen / and bycause they were bothe of the kynges house / the kinges vncles and other lordes / ladyes / and damoselles made great try­umphe. There was the dukes of Orlyaunce / Berrey / and Burgoyne / & their wyues / daun­synge and makynge great ioye. The kynge made a great supper to the lordes and ladyes and the quene kepte her estate / desirynge eue­ry man to be mery. And there was a squyer of Normandy called Hogreymen of Gensay / he aduysed to make some pastyme. The daye of the maryage whiche was on a tuesday before Candelmas / he prouyded for a mummery agaynst nyght. He deuysed syxe cotes made of lynen clothe / couered with pytche and theron flare lyke heare / and had them redy in a chambre. The kynge put on one of them / and therle of Iouy / a yonge lusty knyght another / and syr Charles of Poicters the thyrde / who was sonne to the erle of Valentenoys / and to syr y­uan of Foiz another / and the sonne of the lord Nanthorillet had on the fyfte / and the squy­er hym selfe had on the syxte. And whan they where thus arayed in these sayd cotes and so­wed fast in them / they semed lyke wylde wode houses full of beare fro the toppe of the heed to the sowle of y ^e foote. This deuyse pleased well the frenche kynge / and was well content with the squyer for it. They were aparelled in these cotes secretly in a chamre that no man knewe therof / but such as holpe them. Whan syr yuan of Foiz had well aduysed these cores / he sayd to the kynge. Syr cōmaunde straytely that no man aproche nere vs with any torches or fyre / for if the fyre fasten in any of these cotes / we shall all be brent without remedy. the king aunswered and sayd / yuan ye speke well and [Page] wysely / it shall be doone as ye haue deuysed / and incontynent sent for an vssher of his chambre / cōmaundyng him to go in to the chambre where the ladyes daūsed / and to cōmaunde all the varlettes holdinge torches to stande vp by the walles / and none of them to aproche nere to the wovehouses that shulde come thyder to daunce. The vssher dyd the kynges cōmaun­dement / whiche was fulfylled. Sone after the duke of Orlyance entred in to the hall / acom­panyed with four knyghtes and syxe torches and knewe nothynge of the kynges cōmaun­dement for the torches / nor of the mummery that was cōmynge thyder / but thought to be holde the daunsynge / and began hym selfe to daunce. Therwith the kynge with the fyue o­ther came in / they were so dysguysed in flaxe that no man knewe them. Fyue of them were fastened one to another. The kynge was lose and went before and led the deuyse.

WHan they entred in to the hall euery man teke so great hede to them / that they forgate the torches. The kynge departed fro his company and went to the la­dyes to sporte with them / as youth requyred / and so passed by the quene and came to the du­chesse of Berrey / who toke and helde hym by the arme to knowe what he was / but the kyng wolde nat shewe his name. Than the duches sayd / ye shall nat escape me tyll I knowe your name. In this meane season great myschyefe fell on the other / and by reason of the duke of Orlyance / howe be it / it was by ignoraunce / and agaynst his wyll / for if he had consydred before the mischefe that [...]ell / he wolde nat haue done as he dyd for all the good in the worlde / but he was so desyrous to knowe what perso­nages the fyue were that daunced / he put one of the torches that his seruaūtes helde so nere / that the heate of the fyre entred in to the flaxe (wherin if fyre take / there is no remedy) and sodaynly was on a bright flame / and so eche of them set fyre on other / the pytche was so fa­stened to the lynen clothe and their shyrtes so drye and fyne / and so ioynynge to their flesshe that they began to brenne and to cry for helpe. None durste come nere theym / they that dyd brente their handes / by reason of the heate of the pytche. One of them called Nanthorillet / aduysed hym howe the botry was therby / he fled thyder / and cast himselfe in to a vessell full of water / wherin they rynsed pottes / whiche saued hym / or els he had ben deed as the other were / yet he was sore hurt with the fyre. whan the quene herde the crye that they made / she douted her of the Kynge / for she knewe well that he shulde be one of the syxe / wherwith she fell in a sowne / and knightes and ladyes came and comforted her. a pyteous noyse there was in the hall. The duchesse of Berrey delyuered the kynge fro that parell / for she dyd caste ouer him the trayne of her gowne / and couered him fro the fyre. The kynge wolde haue gone fro her. Whyder wyll ye go quod she / ye se well howe your company brennes? What are ye? I am the kyng quod he. Haste you quod she and gette you in to other apparell / that the quene maye se you / for she is in great feare of you. Therwith the kynge departed out of the hall / and in all haste chaunged his apparell / and came to the quene. And the duchesse of Ber­rey had somwhat comforted her / and had she­wed her howe she shulde se the kynge shortely. Therwith the kynge came to the quene / and as soone as she sawe hym / for ioy she enbrased hym and fell in a sowne. Than she was borne in to her chambre / and the kynge wente with her. And the bastarde of Foiz who was all on a fyre / cryed euer with a loude voyce. saue the kynge / saue the kynge. Thus was the kynge saued. It was happy for hym that he went fro his company / for els he had ben deed without remedy. This great myscheife fell thus about mydnyght in the hall of saynt Powle in Pa­rys / where there was two brente to dethe in the place / and other two / the bastarde of Foiz and the erle of Iouy borne to their lodgynges and dyed within two dayes after in gret my­sery and payne. Thus the feest of this mary­age brake vp in beuynesse / howe be it there was no remedy. The faulte was onely in the duke of Orlyaunce / and yet he thought none yuell whanne he put downe the torche. Than the duke sayde. Syrs lette euery man knowe there is no man to blame for this cause but all onely my selfe / I ame sory therof. If I had thought as moche before / it shulde nat haue happened. Than the duke of Orlyaunce went to the kynge to excuse hym / and the kyng toke his excuse. This case fell in the yere of oure lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and twelue / the tuesday before the feest of Candelmas / of whiche fortune great brute spredde [Page ccxliiii] abrode in the realme of Fraūce / and in other countreys. The dukes of Burgoyne and of Berrey were nat there present at that sea­son / They hadde taken their leaue before of the kyng / and were gone to their lodginges.

THe next daye these newes spredde a­brode in the cytie / and euery manne had merueyle therof. and some sayd howe God had sente that token for an ensample / and that it was wysedome for the kynge to regarde it / and to withdrawe hym selfe fro suche yonge ydell wantonnesse / whiche he had vsed ouermoche beynge a kyng. The cōmons of the cytie of Parys murmured & sayd. Beholde the great myshappe and mys­chiefe that was lykely to haue fallen on the kynge / He myght as well haue been brent as other were. What shulde haue fallen than of the kynges vncles and of his brother. They myght haue ben sure none of them shulde haue scaped the dethe: yea / and all the knygh­tes that myght haue been founde in Parys? As soone as the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne herde of that aduenture / they were a­basshed and marueyled greatly. They lepte on their horses and rode to the kyng / and cō ­forted and counsayled hym / whiche was ne­cessary / for he was sore troubled / and the pa­ryll that he was in / was styll in his ymagi­nacion / he shewed his vncles howe his aunt of Berrey had saued hym. But he sayde he was very sorie for the dethe of the erle of Io­uye / of sir yuan of Foiz / and of sir Charles of Poicters. His vncles reconforted hym & sayde. Sir / that is loste canne nat be recouered: ye muste forgette the dethe of them / and thanke god of the fayre aduenture that is fallen to your owne persone. For all the realme of Fraunce by this incydent myght haue ben in great daunger of lesynge. For ye maye thynke well that these people of Parys wyll neuer be styll / for God knoweth / if the mys­fortune had fallen on you / they wolde haue slayne vs all. Theriore sir / aparell you in estate royall and lepe on your horse and ryde to our lady in pylgrimage / and we shall ac­company you / and shewe youre selfe to the people / for they desyre soore to se you. The kynge sayde he wolde so do. Than the kyn­ges vncles toke aparte the duke of Orlyaūce and in curtesse maner somwhat blamed hym of his yonge dede that he had done. He aun­swered and sayde / howe he thought to haue done none yuell. Than anone [...] y ^e kynge and his company lepte on their horses / and rode throughe the cytie to apease the people / and came to our lady Churche / & there herde masse and offred / and thanne retourned a­gayne to the house of saynt Poule / and lytell and lytell this mater was forgotten / and the obsequyes done for the deed bodyes.

Ah erle Gascoyne of Foiz / if this had for­tuned in thy lyfe dayes / thou shuldest haue had great displeasure / and it had been harde to haue peased the / for thou louedest hym en­tierly. All lordes and ladyes through the re­alme of Fraūce / and elswhere / that herde of this chaunce had great marueyle therof. ⸫ ⸫

POpe Bonyface beyng at Rome with his cardinali es reioysed of this said aduenture / bycause the Fren­che kyng was agaynst thē The pope sayde it was a token sente fro God to the realme of Fraunce / bycause they supported the pope at Auygnon / who was proude and presumptuous / and neuer had done good in all his lyfe / but disceyued the worlde. The pope at Rhome and his cardynalles were in counsayle / and concluded to sende to the fren­che kyng secretely a man of prudence / a frere mynor a great clerke / and he wisely to preche and to counsayle the kyng to folowe y ^e waye of reason / for they said the kyng toke a wrōg waye / seynge he was named to be the chiefe kyng of Christendome / by whom holy chur­che ought to be illumyned and ayded. Wher­fore they charged this frere to go in to Fraūce / and delyuered hym instructions of the ef­fecte that he shulde saye and do. This was done but it was by leysar / for the Frere had farre to go / and also knewe nat whether he shulde haue audyence whanne that he cam [...] thyder or nat. ¶Nowe lette hym go on his [Page] iourney / and we shall somwhat speke of the busynesse of Fraunce.

NAtwithstandyng / for all these aduē ­tures / the dukes of Berrey & Bur­goyne and their counsayls / lefte nat to pursue to haue distroyed y ^e lorde de la Ry­uer and sir Iohan le Mercier / who were in prisone in the castell of saynt Anthony / in the kepyng of the vycount of Archy. And it was said / that they shulde be put to dethe / and delyuered to the prouost of the Chattelet. And it was ordayned / that as sone as they shulde come in to his handes / that they shulde be beheded openly as traytours agaynst y ^e crow­ne of Fraunce: and so they had been / if God had nat prouyded for them. And at the spe­ciall instaunce and request of the duchesse of Berrey: for and she had nat ben / their dethe had been hasted. specially she prayed for the lorde de la Riuer / for by his meanes she was brought in to Fraunce / & the maryage made bytwene the duke of Berrey and her. She sayde on a tyme to the duke her husbande all wepyng. Sir / that is layd to the lordes de la Ryuer is but a false selaundre / and done for enuy. And sir / Remembre what payne and traueyle he toke to bring vs toguyder / ye re­warde hym but smally to cōsent to his dethe Thoughe all his landes and goodes be ta­ken fro hym / yet lette hym haue his lyfe. For and he dye in this opyn shame / I shall ne­uer haue ioye in my herte. Sir / I saye nat this of fayned corage / but that I say is with all my hole hert / wherfore sir / I requyre you prouyde for his delyueraunce. Whan the du­ke herde his wyfe speke so effectuously / and also knewe well that she sayde but trouthe. Than he had pytie and swaged his displea­sure / and the lorde de la Ryuer had been the sones delyuered and sir Iohan Mercier had nat been / for they sought all the wayes that myght be / to haue putte hym to dethe / whi­che they coude nat do / without bothe shulde haue dyed.

THis sir Iohan Mercyer hadde wept so moche in prison / that his sight was therby sore febled. It they had folowed the duchesse of Burgoyns counsayle / they had ben putte to execucyon longe before shame­fully / without fauour. For she hared them / bycause they and sir Olyuer of Clysson had counsayled the kynge to go in to Bretaygne to warre agaynst her cosyn the duke. Also she sayde / that Clysson / le Ryuer / and Mer­cyer / were causers of the kynges maladye / howe be it the kyng was well recouered and in good estate. The dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne kepte styll the gouernaūce of the realme of Fraunce / for they had great pro­fyte therby. They had apoynted suche per­sones as them pleased to be about the kyng.

In those dayes the kynge bare the name of a kynge / but as touchyng the busynesse par­teynynge to the crowne of Fraunce / he was but lytell obeyed / for the dukes wolde se and knowe howe euery thynge paste. The du­chesse of Burgoyne was nexte persone to the Quene / where with the Duchesse of Orly­aunce was nothynge pleased / for she wolde haue hadde the honoure and preemynence. And she sayde to suche as were secrete with her. What / the duchesse of Burgoyne ought in no condycion to go before me / nor is nat so nyghe to the crowne (as I am). My lorde my husbande is brother to the kynge / and it myght so fall / that he shulde be kynge and I quene: I wotte nat why she shulde take on her this honour / and put me behynde? Thus some enuy was amonge these ladyes.

¶Nowe lette vs leaue speakynge of them / and retourne to sir Olyuer of Clysson.

YE haue herde howe he was som­moned fyftene dayes to apere in the parlyament chambre / & how certayne knyghtes were sente in to Bretaygne to seke for him / as sir Philyppe of Sauoises and other / who wente in to Bretaygne and sertched for hym in all places / but they founde hym nat / for he hydde hym selfe so couertly / that they coulde neuer speke with hym / for if they hadde / they wolde haue rested hym. At their retourne in to Fraunce / they made relacyon of their voyage. Than it was iudged by the lordes of the parlyament / that sir Olyuer of Clys­son Constable of Fraunce / hadde forfayted landes / lyfe / and goodes: And so iuged hym to be banysshed for euer out of the realme of Fraunce / and to lese all his offyces and herytages within the realme. And bicause he had nat sente the Martell / whiche is the token of [Page ccxlv] the offyce of the Constablery / as he was sō ­moned to do: therfore the offyce was vacant and voyde. Than the dukes and their coun­sayls / suche as were agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson / thought it necessary to prouyde sōe person to occupy the said offyce / whiche was so noble and of so gret renome / that it might nat long be without a gouernour / for the in­cidentes that myght happe to fall. They ad­uysed that the lorde Coucy was a mete man for it / and layde it to hym / but he excused him selfe and sayd / that in no wyse he wolde medyll therwith / he wolde rather forsake the realme of Fraunce. Whan they sawe he wolde nat medyll therwith / than the dukes toke o­ther aduyse. ⸫ ⸫

IN this same seasone there was a treatie of ma­ryage to be had bytwene the lorde Philyppe of Ar­thoys & the yong wydowe lady of Berrey / somtyme called coūtesse of Dunoys and wyfe to Loyes of Bloys. The Frenche kynge wolde gladly haue had this maryage auaunsed / but the duke of Berrey was natre wyllynge therto / for he thought the erldome of Ewe but a small thyng / as to the regarde of her fyrste husbande / wherfore he thought to mary her more highlyer. In dede the lady was beautifull & endued with all vertues / y ^t shulde aperteyne to a noble lady. Howe be it finally / the duke of Berrey was lothe to displease the kynge / yet he had many offers made hym for his doughter / as by the yonge duke of Loreyne / by the erle of Armynake / & by the sonne and heyre of the Erle of Foiz. The kynge brake of all these maryages / and sayd to his vncle. Fayre vncle of Berrey / we wyll nat that ye shall putte our cosyn youre doughter come of the Floure delyce / in to so farre countreys / we shall prouyde for her a mariage mete / for we wolde gladly haue her nere vs / it is right mete that she be with our aunt your wyfe / for they be moche of one age Whan the duke sawe the kynges entente / he re [...]rayned hym selfe of makynge of any pro­myse / to any persone for his doughter. Also he sawe well that the kynge enclyned his fa­uour to his cosyn the lorde Philyppe of Ar­thois / who was a yonge lusty knyght and of highe corage / and hadde endured many tra­ueyls in armes / beyond the see and other places / and had atchyued many voyages to his great laude and honour. Than the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne agreed bytwene thē / that if the kynge wolde gyue to their cosyn Philyppe of Arthois / the offyce of Consta­blery of Fraunce / whiche as than they repu­ted voyde / by reason of the forfayture of sir Olyuer of Clysson / than they to agree at the kynges pleasure in this sayd maryage. For the duke of Berrey thought / that if he were constable of Fraūce / he shulde than haue suf­fycient to mentayne his estate. On this the two dukes determyned to speke to the kynge and so they dyde / and said to hym. Sir / your counsayle generally are all agreed / that the lorde Philyp of Arthoys be preferred to the offyce of constableshyp of Fraunce / whiche is nowe voyde. For by iugement of your ꝑ­lyament / Olyuer of Clysson hath forfayted y ^e offyce / whiche maye nat be long vacant / but it shulde be preiudyce to the realme. And sir / bothe you and we also are bounde to auaūce and promote our cosyn of Arthoys / for he is nere of blode and of lynage to vs. And sir / seing the office is voyde / we can nat tell where ye shulde better enploy it / than on hym. He shall right well exercise it: he is welbeloued with knyghtes and squiers: and he is a man without enuy or couytousnesse. These wor­des pleased well the kyng / who answered & said. Vncle (if it voyde) we had rather he had it than another. The kyngꝭ vncles sued styll for the lorde Philyppe of Arthoys / for the duke of Berrey hated sir Olyuer of Clis­son / bycause he consented to distroye Bety­sache his seruaunte. And the duke of Bur­goyne hated hym / bycause he made warre [Page] agaynst the duke of Bretaygne / and yet the duchesse hated hym worse. Finally the kyng assented / so that the duke of Berrey wolde agre to the maryage / bytwene his doughter & the said lorde Philyppe of Arthoys. And yet to satisfye the kyng and the duke of Orlyaū ­ce / who bare sir Olyuer of Clysson in that offyce. They sente sir Guyllyam of Bourdes and sir Guyllyam Martell / bothe knyghtes of the kynges chambre. And sir Philyppe of Sauoises a knyght of the duke of Berreys in to Bretaygne / to speke with sir Olyuer of Clysson. These knyghtes tooke their iour­ney and rode to Angers / and there they foūd the quene of Hierusalem and Iohan of Bre­taygne / who receyued them right honorably for the honour of the Frenche kynge. There they taryed two dayes / and demaunded ne­wes of sir Olyuer of Clysson. Sayeng they had curtesse letters and message fro the Frē ­che kyng to hym / and fro none other persone And they were aunswered no man coude tell where he was / but that he was surely in Bretayne / in one of his fortresses. But they said he was so flyttyng fro one place to another / that it was harde to fynde hym. Than these knightes departed and toke leaue of y ^e quene and of her sonne Charles the prince of Tha­tent / and of Iohan of Bretaygne erle of Pō thieu / and rode to Rennes. And the duke of Bretayne and the duchesse were at Wannes and rode nat lightly forthe out of the towne / for he euer douted the busshmentes of his ennemye sir Olyuer of Clysson. There was so harde warre made bytwene them / that there was no mercy but dethe. And thoughe the duke was lorde and souerayne of the coun­trey / yet there was neyther barone / knyght / nor squyer in Bretaygne / that wolde arme them agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson / but dis­symuled and sayde / that their warre touched them nothyng / wherfore they satte styll. The duke coude haue none other conforte.

WHan̄e these Frenche knyghtes were at Rennes: they enquered where to fynde sir Olyuer of Clysson / but they coude here no certentie of hym. Thanne they were coūsayled to drawe to the castell of Io­selyn / where sir Olyuer of Clyssons men re­ceyued them well / for the loue of the Frenche kynge. Than they demaunded where they myght here of sir Olyuer of Clysson / Say­eng they had to speke with hym / fro the fren­che kynge and from the duke of Orlyaunce / and from none other persones. But his men coude tell nothyng of hym / or els they wolde nat tell. But they sayd. sirs / surely it wyll be harde to fynde hym / for this daye he is in one place / and to morowe in another. But if it please you / ye maye ryde ouer all the duchy of Bretaygne / and sertche ouer all his forte­resses and houses / none shall be closed aga­ynst you. Whan they sawe they coulde haue none other aunswere they departed thens / & rode and visyted all the fortresses great and small / parteynynge to the lorde Olyuer of Clysson. Than̄e they came to Wannes / and there founde the duke of Bretaygne and the duchesse / who receyued them / and there they taryed but halfe a daye / and dyscouered nat to the duke / the secrete mater that they came thyder for / nor also the duke examyned them nothynge of the mater. Also they coulde nat se there sir Peter of Craon.

THus they toke leaue of the duke and of the duchesse and retourned to Parys / where they foūde the kyng and the lordes / and there reported to the kynge & to the duke of Orlyaunce / howe they hadde sought all the places and townes parteynynge to sir Olyuer of Clysson / but in no wyse they coulde fynde hym. The dukes of Bur­goyn and Berrey were right gladde of these newes / and wolde nat it had ben otherwise. Than anone after proceded the maryage bytwene the lorde Philippe of Arthois and the lady Mary of Berrey. and so this lorde Philyppe was Constable of Fraunce / and vsed the offyce / with all profytes and aduaunta­ges therto belongyng / of auncyent ordynaū ces. yet the lorde Olyuer of Clysson had nat renounced the offyce / nor delyuered vp the Martell / whiche is the token of the Consta­ble of Fraunce. For he contynued / and sayd he wolde abyde styll Cōstable / and had done no cause why to lese it / nouther to the kynge nor to the realme. He knewe well the erle of Ewe was profered to haue the offyce of the Constable / and to enioye the profyttes ther­of / by consente of the Kynge / and howe he hadde maryed the doughter of the Duke of [Page ccxlvii] Berrey the lady Mary. He toke but lytell regarde to all this / for he knewe hym selfe true to the kynge / and to the crowne of Fraunce. And knewe well / all that was done agaynst hym was through enuy and hatered / that the dukes of Burg [...]yne and Berey had against hym. Thus the lorde of Clysson lette the mater passe / and contynued styll his warre agaynst y ^e duke of Bretayne / whiche warre was right fierse and cruell / without mercy or py­tie. The lorde of Clysson rode ofter abrode and layde busshmentes / than the duke dyde. And all other lordes of Bretayne satte styll & wolde nat medyll. The duke dyde sende for the lordes of his countrey / and they came to speke with hym / & to knowe his entent. than the duke requyred them of their ayde & helpe agaynst his ennemy sir Olyuer of Clysson. Than the lordes of Bretayne / as the vicoūt of Rohan / the lorde Dignan / the lorde Her­men of Lyon / and dyuers other excused them and sayd. they knewe no cause why / nor they wolde nat make no warre agaynst the lorde Clysson / but they said they wolde right gladlye endenour them selfes to bringe them to a peace / if they coude. Whan the duke sawe he coude haue none other conforte of them / and parceyued well howe he lost and was lykely to lese mo men in that warre than sir Olyuer of Clysson / than he consented that the sayde lordes shulde go to sir Olyuer of Clysson & treate for a peace / and to bringe hym vnder saueconducte to Wannes to speke with hym / at whiche tyme he sayd he shulde be founde tretable / and to agre to all reason. And if sir Olyuer had done hym any displeasure / that he myght haue amendes accordynge to their aduyse. These lordes were well agreed thus to do / and so they all thre wente to the lorde Olyuer of Clysson / and dyde so moche that they spake with hym (as I was enformed) in the castell of Io [...]elyn / and shewed him the dukes entent. And moreouer to bringe them to a peace (for they sawe well warr̄ was nat fytting bytwene them / but greatly noyed the noble men / marchaūtes / and cōmons of Bre­taygne) they sayd to the lorde Olyuer. Sir / if it wyll please you to go to y ^e duke / we shall bynde vs to abide here ī this castell tyll your retourne. And we doute nat / ye beynge ones in his presence / ye shall fynde him so resona­ble / that peace and good accorde shalbe had bitwene you. Sir Olyuer sayd. Sirs what shall it profyte you if I were deed? Thynke you that I knowe nat the duke of Bretayne? He is so cruell and so haute / that for all his saueconducte / or what soeuer he saythe / if he sawe me in his presēce / he wolde neuer cease tyll I were deed: and than̄e shulde you dye lykewise / for my men here wolde soone slee you without mercy. Wherfore it is best that bothe you and I saue our lyues / rather than to putte vs in that daunger. I shall kepe me fro hym and I can / and lette hym kepe hym as well fro me. Than̄e the lorde Charles of Dignan sayde. Fayre cosyn / ye may saye as it please you / but we thynke surely thoughe he sawe you / he wolde do you no displeasure This that we offre you is of good affection / and to bringe you to accorde / and we praye you that ye wyll thus do. Than y ^e lorde Clysson sayde. Sirs / I beleue surely ye meane well / but I ensure you vpon this assuraunce I shall neuer go to hym. But sithe ye medell in the mater bytwene vs / we shall nat thynke that I shalbe vnresonable. I shall tell you what I wyll do. Retourne you agayn to the duke / and saye that I wyll nat take you for no pledge nor hostage. Lette hym sende me his sonne and heyre / who is maryed to the doughter of Fraūce / and he shall abyde here in this castell with my men / tyll I retourne agayne. This way I thynke more surer thā the other / for if ye shulde abyde here (as ye offre) Who shulde than̄e entremedell in the busynesse bytwene y ^e duke and me? For without a meane we shall neuer come to accorde.

WHan these lordes of Bretayne sawe they coude haue non other answere they tooke their leaues and retour­ned to Wānes to the duke / and shewed hym what they had done / but in no wyse the duke wolde consente to sende his sonne to the ca­stell of Ioselyn. So their warre contynued styll / wherby no persone durst ryde abrode / and marchaundyse was layde downe / tho­roughe whiche the people of good townes & cyties were sore hindred / and poore laborers lette laboringe of the erthe. The duchesse of Burgoyn couertly ayded her cosyn the duke of Bretayne w ^t men of armes / aswell of Burgoyne as of other places. for the duke coude get none of his countrey to take his parte in [Page] that quarell agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson. They alwayes dissymuled the mater except suche as were of his owne house. The duke of Orlyaunce on the other parte / loued well the lorde Olyuer of Clyison / and secretely so coured hym with men / and sente hym horses. Sir Olyuer of Glysson roode ofter abrode than the duke dyde. And it fortuned on a day he encountred two squyers of the dukes / the one called Ber [...]ard & the other yuonet. they were taken and brought to sir Olyuer / who was gladde of them: He knewe them well / one of them hadde done hym seruyce in tyme past / and the other nat / but he had done hym displeasure. Than sir Olyuer said to yuonet Remembrest thou nat howe in the Castell of Ermyne thou sheweddest me but small cur­tesy: and thou Bernarde haddest pyte on me and dyddest putte of thy gowne and putte it on me / whā I stode in my doublet on y ^e paue­ment / the whiche kepte me fro colde. I wyll nowe yelde thy curtesy to the / thy lyfe shalbe saued. but thou false knaue and traitour yuo net / thou myghtest haue done otherwyse thā thou dyddest / therfore thou shalte repent it / and therwith drewe his dagger and strake hym to the herte. Another tyme y ^e lorde Clis­son rode with thre hundred speares in his cō pany / towarde the castell of Alroy / where the duke and duchesse of Bretayne were. This was aboute Mydsomer / and by fortune he encountred a fourtie of the Dukes seruaun­tes / who hadde tyed their horses to the trees / and had sickels in their hādes / and were cuttyng downe the corne / and makynge trusses to cary to their lodgynges lyke forragers. Whan the lorde Olyuer came on them / they were sore afrayde / and the lorde Oliuer said Sirs / howe dare ye come in to the feldes / to steale and to take awaye poore mēnes corne? ye neuer sowed them / and yet ye cutte theym downe or they be type: ye begyn haruest to soone. Leape on your horses and take youre sickels / for this tyme I wyll do you no hurt / and saye to the duke of Breraygne who is in Alroy / that if he wyll come or sende his men to driue me away / here he shall fynde me tyll the sonne goynge downe. These poore men were gladde they were so delyuered / they feared to haue ben slayne. So they retourned to the castell of Alroy to y ^e [...]ke / and shewed hym what they hadde herde and sene / but the duke nor none of his men issued out of y ^e ca­stell. Many scrimysshes were made in Bre­taygne / bytwene the duke and sir Olyuer of Clysson / and they of the countre medled nat bytwene them. ¶Nowe we wyll leaue to speke of the duke of Bretayne and of sir Oliuer of Clysson / and of their warre / and speke of the busynesse bytwene Englande & Frāce. ⸫ ⸫

YE haue herde here before / howe the ꝑliamēt was holden in the cytie of Amyence / and howe the Englysshe lordes departed / and vpon what artycles. & howe the Frenche kynge sent after in to Englande to the duke of Lācastre / and the answere that they hadde of the Englysshmen / who were harde to be brought to any peace. For it laye nat all onely in the kyng nor in the dukes of Lancastre and yorke / for great parte laye in the commens of Englande and archers / and other seruyng men. they sayd howe they had rather haue warre than peace / & many yong knightes & squiers were of y ^t same opynion / for by reason of the warre they had maynteyned their estates / howe be it ꝑforce they were fayne to obey as the kyng & his vncles wolde The duke of Lācastre bycause his .ii. doughters were quenes / the one of Spaygne / the of Portugale. And also bycause he sawe the kynge his nephue enclyned to haue peace / he sayd the warre had endured longe ynoughe / and sayde he wolde take payne therin / so it myght be for the honour of the kyng and the realme. On the other partie the duke of Burgoyne dyde all y ^t he myght do to haue peace / consydring howe he was greatly charged w ^t the busynesse of Fraunce. And that his two nephues / the Frenche kynge and the duke of Orlyaunce were yonge of age and of discre­cion. Also he consydred howe he was enherytour [Page ccxlvii] to the duchy of Brabant / and thought / that if euer Flaunders and Brabant shulde vary agaynst the crowne of Fraūce with the ayde of Englande / as they had other tymes done before / that the realme of Fraunce shulde than haue ouer moche to do. the duke of Burgoyne was a wyse and a farre castyng prince / and depely regarded his busynesses. This duke of Burgoyne and the duke of Lancastre / tooke great payne to haue a Parlyament a­gayn to be holden at Balynghm̄ / whiche was agreed / and bothe partyes suffycyently pro­uyded / with full auctorites to conclude a full peace. And this counsayle to be holden at Balyngham / in the moneth of May than nexte after / in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and .xvii. and all suche as shulde be at this assemble were named and apoynted.

FIrste on the party of kynge Rycharde kinge of Englande were apoynted his two vncles / the duke of Lancastre and y ^e duke of Gloucestre / who were greatly in fauoure with all the cōmons of England / and with all such y ^t loued berter to haue warre than peace. and with them shulde be the archebysshop of yorke / the bysshop of London / and other cler­kes of the lawe. It was apoynted that these lordes shulde come to Calays / as they dyd) aboute the myddes of Aprill / anone after the feest of saynte George / holden at the castell of Wyndesore / by the kynge and other knyghtes of the ordre of the garter. And on the frenche party there was aisygned the dukes of Ber­tey and Burgoyne to be there / and other counsaylours of Fraūce / and it was ordeyned that they shulde come to the towne of Boloyn / and the frenche king / who (as he shewed had great affection to haue peace bytwene Englāde and hym) sayde to his vncles / that he wolde come as nere to the parlyament as he myght / wher vpon it was aduysed where the frenche kinge shulde lye / the parlyament durynge at Ba­lyngham. Somesayd at saynt Omers / and some sayd at Thourayne / and some at Mut­terell or Abuyle. But all thynges consydred / it was aduysed that the kynge shulde lye at Ab­uyle / bycause the towne was stronge and well fournysshed / and there euery man shulde be well lodged. Whan this was determyned drousyon was made there for the kynge / and he to be lodged in the abbay of saynt Peters / an abbay of blacke monkes / and thyder came the kynge and the duke of Orlyaunce / and their counsayle / and the lorde Reynolde of Corby / chauncellour of Fraunce. The dukes of Ber­rey and of Burgoyne / and suche other as were in their cōmyssion / were at Boloyne. And the dukes of Lancastre and Gloucestre & other / were at Calays. It was goodly to beholde to se the ordre of this parlyament that was hol­den at Balyngham / bytwene the frenche men and englysshmen. There were tentes and pa­uylyons pyght vp / to refresshe bothe partyes / and twyse or thryse a weke the cōmyssioners mette there in a fayre tente / ordayned for that purpose / aboute nyne of the clocke in the fore noone / and there cōmuned vpon many arty­cles. It whiche tyme I Iohan Froysart (au­ctour of this booke) was at Abuyle / and desy­rous to knowe the effecte of this treatie / I en­quyred the trouth of suche lordes and other as I thought shulde knowe the certayntie. Is it was shewed me / whan they entred in to comu­nycasion / and had sene eche others auctoryte / and perceyued that they had full power to conclude a peace / bothe by lande and see / bytwene Fraunce and Englande / and all their alyes. Than one of the firste demaundes y ^t the fren­che men desyred / was to haue Calays raced downe / in suche maner that there shulde be neuer after any habytacion there. Therto the dukes of Lācastre and Gloucestre answered and said / how they had no suche auctorite to cause Calays to be beaten downe / but y ^t Englande shulde holde it in his demayne and trewe he­rytage. And sayd / that if they purposed to en­tre any further in tr [...]atye of peace / to seace of that demaunde / and to speke no more therof. Whan the Dukes [...] Berrey and Burgoyne herde their two cosyns of Englande answere so quyckly in that [...] / they seased to speke a­ny more of that mat [...]er / for they sawe well their traueyle shulde be but in vayne / and so than spake of other matters. Than the englysshe men demaunded to haue re [...]ytucyon of all suche landes as had been delyuered to kynge Rycharde their soueraygne lorde / or to kynge Edwarde the thyrde / or to any of their depu­ties or commyssioners / and also to haue fully payed the sōme of florayns that was lefte vn­payed at the tyme whan the warre renewed bytwene England and Fraunce / and this the [Page] englysshe clerkes and lawyers proued reaso­nable and lawfull to be had. The lordes and chauncelours of Fraunce argued to the con­trary / and sayd / as to retourne all the landes agayne to the gouernynge of the kyng of En­glande and his successours / was impossyble to be done / sayenge howe suche landes / cyties / townes / castels / lordeshyppes / and homages as the Englysshe men demaunded / were gy­uen awaye whan the peace was concluded at Bretygny / and after confermed and sealed at Calays / wherby they were clene put a way fro the kyng of Englande / whiche peace & grauntes was made in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hūdred threscore and one / and thervpon the frenche kyng graunted to suche landes great lyberties / by his othe / writyng / and promesse / whiche in no wyse canne be broken agayne nor reuoked / wherfore they sayd that if the Englysshemen purposed to haue peace / they shulde drawe to some nerer poynt. Than by delyberacyon of the foure dukes / it was deuysed that the frenche men as well as the englysshmen shulde put all their demaun­des in writynge / & the same to be delyuered to eyther partye / that they might be regarded at length on bothe partes / and suche as were vnreasonable to be rased and cancelled / and such as were good to be vpholden. this ordynaūce semed to all parties good and reasonable. Before this ordre was taken y ^e sour dukes had to moche busynesse to do specyally the englysshe men had moche payne to here and to vnder­stande the frenche men / who were full of sub­tyle wordes / and cloked perswacions and double of vnderstandynge / the whiche the frenche men wolde rouine as they lyst / to their profyte and aduauntage whiche englysshe men vse nat in their langage / for their speche and en­tent is playne. And also the englisshmen were enfourmed that the Frenche men had nat al­wayes vpholden the artycles / promyses / and condycyons / ratyfied in the artycles of peace / yet the frenchmen wold euer fynde one poynte or other in their writynges / by some subtyle cloked worde / affermynge that the englysshe men had broken the peace / and nat they. Wherfore whan the englysshe men sawe or herde in the frenche mens writynges any darke or clo­ked worde / they made it to be examyned by suche as were profoundly lerned in the lawe / and if they founde it a mysse / they caused it to be canselled and amended / to the entent they wolde leaue nothynge in trouble. And the en­glysshmen to excuse themselfe / wolde say that frenche men letnynge suche subtylties in their youth / muste nedes be more subtyle than they. Somtyme suche frowarde wordes bytwene the parties greatly draue of the tyme of trea­tie. The frenche men helde them selfe fre / and thought they shulde nat be charged with no suche demaundes / as to make restytucy on of all the landes / with the apendances pertay­nyng to the duchy of Acquytayne / with the a­rerages of that hath ben leuyed syth the warre renewed / to y ^e whiche they wolde neuer acorde. The frenche men offred to rendre the countre of Terbe and of Bygore / and the countye of Piergourt and Pyergyns / and the countie of Agen and Agenoys. but Kaours / Rouer gue / Ouercy / and Lymosyn / they wold in no wyse delyuer / nor the countie of Ponthyeur / nor of the coūtie of Guysnes / more than the englyssh men hadde in their handes at the same tyme. Thus these lordes contynued a fyftene dayes and made no conclusyon / but these dukes de­termyned to sende worde to the two kynges / to gyue them knowledge what they had done. The frenche dukes rode to Abbeuyle and she­wed the kynge all the mater / and howe they had desyred their cosins of Englande to write the hole treatie to the kynge of Englande / and so they sayd they had promysed to do. And as I was enfourmed / on the englysshe party the duke of Glocestre was harder to entreat than the duke of Lancastre / and bycause the com­mons of Englande knewe somwhat of his entent therfore they agreed that he shulde be sent to this treatye / for they knewe well that no­thynge shulde passe hym without it were for the honour of the realme. Thus these four dukes amyably departed eche fro other / and concluded to mete there agayne the nynth day af­ter. Thus these englysshe lordes retourned to Calays / and the frenche lordes to Boloyne / and so to Abuyle. That tyme in Abuyle there was a fayre garden / closed with the ryuer of Somme / whereas often tymes the frenche kynge passed the tyme. He sayd to his brother of Orlyaunce and to his counsayle / that his beynge at Abbeuyle dyd hym moche good in his helthe. There was there the same seasone with the kynge / the kynge Lyon of Armony / newly come thyder out of Grece / and out of [Page ccxlviii] those marches / in to his owne coūtrey he durst nat entre / for the turkes had conquered it [...] ex­cept the stronge towne of Conych / standynge on the see syde / whiche the geno ways helde and kepte for doute of the turkes / for if the turkes had gotten that porte / they shulde haue doone moche yuell by the see to the cyprians and to the Rodes / and other boundes of cry­stendome. The kyng of Armony wolde glad­ly haue hadde peace bytwene Englande and Fraunce / in trust that all yonge knightes and squyers shulde go in to Grece to helpe to con­quere agayne his realme of Armony. Whan the frenche kynges vncles were come to Abbeuyle / the kynge was gladde and made theym good chere / and demaunded howe they had spedde / and they shewed hym all the hole pro­cesse / and vpon what poynte they departed / wherof the kynge was gladde / for he shewed to be glad to haue peace. In lyke maner the englyssh dukes whan they came to Calays they wrote to the kynge of Englande all the poyn­tes and artycles of that treatye. And shortly they had agayne a good aunswere / cōmaun­dynge them to procede for a peace / sayenge the warre had contynewed longe ynoughe / and that crystendome therby was sore dōmaged. Thus at the daye prefyxed / these dukes mette agayne at Balyngham / and with the frenche lordes came the kynge of Armony / to shewe to the lordes of Englande his busynesse and ne­cessyte. He was well knowen with the duke of Gloucestre / for he had ben in Englande whan the frenche army was ordeyned at Sluse / to haue gone in to Englande. The duke of Glo­cestre the same tyme receyued the kynge of Armony and made hym good chere / at a fayre place of his in Esser / called Plasshey. At Ba­lyngham also the Dukes of Englande made the kynge of Armony good chere / and was glad to here hym speke. And they aunswered hym that gladly they wolde ayde hym / wher­of the kynge was ryght ioyfull. Many thyn­ges were treated in this parlyament. And all this season the cardynall of Line lay at Abbe­uyle / who was sente thyder in legacyon / by hym that called hym selfe pope Clemente / for maters concernyng the churche. The frenche dukes at this assemble at Balyngham / wolde haue had certayne artycles comprised in their treatie / concernynge the churche / and sustey­nynge the opynyons of this pope Clemente / Robert of Geneue. But whan the Englysshe dukes harde that / they sayd to their cosyns of Fraunce. Cosyns / and ye wyll that we shall fall to any poynte of conclusion / speke no more of that cardynall / we haue nothyng to do with hym / his matter is a busynes without profyte or effecte / we are determyned vpon a pope to whom we wyll obey / we wyll here no spekyng agaynste hym / if the other medle any thynge with vs we shall departe and god hence / and leaue all togytder. After that tyme there was no mo wordes of that cardynall / he taried styll at Abbcuyle. Than these lordes proceded in their treaties / the duke of Lancastre was well enclyned to haue peace. The Frenche kynge the yere before hadde sore desyred hym to be a good meane to entreate for a peace / and so he promysed to do. howbeit his brother the duke of Gloucestre was hard to agree / for he layde forthe the frenchemens dysceytes and colored wordes that they vsed alwayes in their wri­tynges / sayenge howe the frenche men wolde alwayes wrestell with their armes dyscoue­red / whiche was euer perceyued. On a daye there came a squyer of honour a frenche man / called Robert the hermyte to y ^e duke of Glou­cestre / he was one of the frenche kynges priuy chambre / whether he was sente to the duke of Glocestre or came on his owne heed / I can nat tell / but as the duke shewed me in Englande at Plasshey / this squyer sayd to him. Syr for the loue of god be nat agaynst this treatie of peace / for ye se howe the lordes of Fraunce do their dyligence to bringe it aboute / ye shall do an almesse dede / for the warre hath to longe endured / and sythe that bothe kynges are content to haue peace / all their subgiettes ought to obey therto. Than the duke answered hym as he sayd. Roberte I am nat agaynst it / nor wyll nat be / but ye frenche men amonge you / ye haue so many coloured wordes / so darke and obscure to our vnderstandynge / so that whan ye wyll it is warre / and whan ye lyst it is peace / thus haue ye ledde vs vnto this pre­sente daye. But if the kynge my soueraygne lorde had beleued me / and suche other of his realme as are boūde to serue hym / peace shul­de neuer haue been bytwene Englande and Fraunce / tyll restytucyon had ben made to vs of all that is taken fro vs without cause / by subtylte and crafte / as god and all the worlde knoweth. But sythe the kynge my souerayne [Page] lorde enclyneth to the peace / it is reasone that we agree to the same. and therfore if we make a peace acordyng to the desyres of bothe kyn­ges / sythe we be here assembled / let it be well holden on your syde / for it shall be well kepte on our partye. And thus the duke shewed me that this Roberte the Hermyte departed fro hym / and went to his company. And so these lordes contynewed styll their treatie.

I Wyll make no further processe / but come to conclusyon. These foure dukes that were at this as­semble / and had full power a [...]d auctorite of their kynges to take a tre [...]ce / and to make a peace. They dyd so in suche wyse / that generall voyce and [...] through the towne of Abbeuyle that a peace was taken vpon certayne artycles by­twene the two kynges / their alyes and consy­derates. But I sir Iohan Froyssart auctour of this hystory / beynge the same tyme in Abbe [...]yle / coulde nat lerne the certaynte of the ar­tycles comprised in that peace. Howe be it I knewe that a peace was taken to endure four yeres / to be kepte ferme and stable / bothe by see and by lande. And it was concluded and agreed that within the sayde space of the four yere / shulde be delyuered to the kynge of En­glande for euer / and perpetually to all kinges of Englande and to his cōmyssioners / all the landes and sygnories in the countrey of Lan­guedo [...] / and to be as of the demayne and he­rytage of the crowne of Englande. And this doone and accomplysshed / it was agreed by the same ordynaunce that certayne capitayns and their men that helde some holdes and for­tresses in the Realme of Fraunce / shulde ad­uoyde and departe all suche as made warre / and do make any warre / vnder the shadowe and coloure of the kyng of Englande and the Englysshe men / of what nacyon so euer they were. To all these artycles these lordes that were as than at Balyngham were bounde in writynges sygned and sealed / and the copyes therof sent to bothe kynges. Than the dukes of Lancastre and Gloucestre / sent an harauld called Marche / with letters to the Kynge of Englande / shewynge and declarynge all the hole processe & ordynaunce concluded in their treatie / vpon the forme of peace. Thus this haraulde departed with his letters / and rode to Calys / and passed ouer to Deuer / and rode forthe tyll he came to the kynge / who was at a manoure of his owne besyde London. Whan he came in the kynges presence he delyuered his letters. And whan the Kynge had redde them / he was ryght ioyouse / and gaue to the haraulde for his good tydynges bryngynge great giftes / as the same haraulde shewed me after at leysare / as I rode with hym in to the Realme of Englande. These foure dukes of Fraunce and of Englande / were styll at Ba­lyngham / and soiourned there in fayre tentes and pauylyons / and well and dylygently per­used and examyned the artycles of their trea­tie / and wolde passe nor seale to none tyll all darke and obscure wordes were clerely decla­red and made perfyte. Nowe in the same sea­son there happed to fall a great lette and trou­ble in this matter / wherby all was nyghe at a poynte to haue been broken and made voyde / and it is reason I tell you the cause / to the en­tent that the hystory be playne and trewe.

YE haue herde here before how the frenche kyng had great pleasure to lye at Abbeuyle / and also to be nere to here dayly howe y ^e treatie wente forwarde at Balyngham. And whan the four dukes were at a poynt (as ye haue herde) at the conclusyon of the mater / the dukes of Lancastre and Gloucestre sayd / howe that it was the entensyon of kynge Ry­charde kynge of Englande and his counsayle that pope Bonyface beynge at Rome (whome the Romayns / almayns / hungaryons / lum­bardes / venysyans / and all the nacyons of the worlde / chrystened / helde to one pope / and he that named hym selfe Clement degraded and condēpned) that they shulde desyre the frenche kynge to take the same way. Whan the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne vnderstode those wordes / the duke of Burgoyne (to the entent somewhat to please his cosyns of Englande / and to the entente that their treatie of peace shulde nat be hyndred therby) sayd. Fayre co­syns / we desyre you to haue some respyte to take counsayle vpon that mater / whiche was graunted them. And thervpon they toke counsayle / and than aunswered / and the Duke of Burgoyne spake and sayd. Fayre cosyns / the [Page ccxlix] mater and questyon of the two popes / is nat couenable to be moued nor spoken of here amonge vs / and we marueyle why ye put this mater in cōmunycacion / for at the fyrst begyn­nyng of our treatie / ye refused to se or to speke with the Legate de la Lyne / who is as yet in Abbeuyle / wherfore we rest vs on that. Whan the cardynalles at Rome dyd chose pope Vr­bayne / and after his dyscease pope Bonyface / none of our party nor yet of yours were called to that electyon / and in lykewyse we saye of Clement / who is at Auygnon. We saye nat a­gaynst / but that it were great almes to a pease theym / and to vny the churche / who so myght entende to do it / but lette vs leaue that mater / and lette the vnyuersitees and clerkes deter­myne it. and whan all our busynesse is concluded / and a ferme peace ratifyed / than by the counsayle of our cosyn the kynge of Almayne / we shall entende therto gladly on our partye / and in lykewyse do you on your partie. With this aunswere the dukes of Englande were well content / for it semed to them reasonable. Than they aunswered and sayde. Fayre co­syns ye haue sayde very well / we are content with the same. Thus that mater rested. Than there fell a nother great lette and trouble / for the frenche kynge who had layne at the towne of Abuyle a great season / bycause of the great disportes / pleasure / and pastyme that he foūde there / sodaynly he fell agayne in to his mala­dye of fransy / in lyke maner as he had ben the yere before. He that fyrst perceyued it was syr Willyam Martell / a knyght of Normandy / who was alwayes nere to the kynges persone in his priuy chambre. The same seasone the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne were at Bo­loyne / or at Balyngham / vpon thende of their parlyament / and they had in a manerall con­cluded for that seasone. And as soone as the duke / of Orlyaūce brother to the kynge / knewe of this chaunce of the kynges sycknesse / and that he had sene hym / he sente a secrete squyer of his named Bonyface to his vncles to Bo­loyne / aduertisynge them secretly of the kyn­ges dysease. Whanne the dukes knewe that / they were ryght sorye and departed / for they had all redy taken their leaues of their cosyns of Englande / who were also departed to Ca­lays / and taryed there to here tydynges fro the kyng of Nauerte and fro the duke of Bre­taygne / for they hadde moued in their treatie that the castell of Chyerbourge / standynge on the seesyde / vpon the close of Constantyne in Normandy / whiche the kynge of Englande had in gawge and in kepynge / as I was en­fourmed / for the sōme of threscore thousande nobles of Englande / that the frenche kynge shulde paye the sayd somme / and the castell to retourne to the Kynge of Nauerre / and also the stronge castell of Brest that the englysshe men helde / shulde retourne to the duke of Bretaygne. The dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne abode nat the conclusyon of that matter / but came to Abbeuyle / and founde the kynge in ryght yuell estate of his helthe / where of they were sory. The kynges sycknesse was kepte secrete as longe as it myght be / but it was nat very longe / for suche aduentures are soone spredde abrode. Thus all the lordes that had been in Abbeuyle departed one after another euery man home to his owne howse. Than it was determyned that the kynge shulde be ca­ryed in an horse lytter to the castell of Crayll vpon Oyse / where he had been before. Thy­der he was conueyed by nyght tyme / and the daye tyme he rested / for the heate of the sonne. The duke of Berrey and the duke of Orly­aunce rode to Crayell with the kynge / and the duke of Burgoyne rode in to Arthoys and in to Flaunders / vysitynge his countreys / and founde the duchesse his wyfe at the castell of Hedyn. As than there was no mo wordes spoken of the lorde de la Ryuer nor of syr Iohan Mercyer / they were as than all forgoten / no man spake of their greuaunce nor of their de­lyueraunce. This seconde malady that Charles the frenche kynge was fallen in / dyd put away greatly the speakynge of the people. The wyse and sage men of Fraunce feared before greatly this chaunce / for they sawe the kynge was lykely to fall in to that malady / by reason of the great excesse that he had vsed in tymes paste / and through the feblenesse of his heed. mayster Willm̄ of Harsley was as than new­ly deed / and suche as were nere about y ^e kyng coude nat tell where to haue a good sure phisicyon to wayt vpon y ^e kyng / howbeit they that were about him dyd y ^e best they coude deuise.

[Page] IN that tyme in the moneth of Septembre / passed out of this worlde at Auy­gnon Roberte of Geneue / named pope Clement / and it came by hym as he had alwayes said before. whan any man spake of the peace and vny [...]n of the church / he wolde say alwayes / howe he wolde dye pope / and so he dyd / in maner as ye haue herde here before / wrongfully or ryghtfully I wyll nat determyne. Than the Cardynalles there were sore abasshed / and studyed whome they myght chose to be pope. The same tyme the Frenche kynge retourned agayne to his helth / wherof all suche as loued him had great ioye / and specyally the good quene / who had gyuen moche almesse and done many pylgrymages for the kynge / and caused generall processyons to be made in Parys. As I was en­fourmed y ^e cardynals at Auygnon dyd electe and chose to be pope the cardynall de la Line. To speke truely this cardynall was an holy manne and of good lyfe. This electyon was made condycionally / that if the frenche kynge and his counsayle were content therwith / or els nat. Nowe regarde and considre the great subiectyon that the churche was in / In that where the churche shulde be free / they submytted them to be vnder suche as shulde haue ben ordred by theym. Thus this cardynall de la Lyne was chosen pope / and named Benedic. He gaue generall graces to all clerkes that wolde come to Auignon. And by the coūsayle of his bretherne the cardynalles / he wrote of the creacyon of his papalyte to the Frenche kynge. But as I was enfourmed the kynge toke lytell regarde therto / for as than he was nat determyned whether he shulde take hym for very pope or nat / and ther vpon the kynge sent for the greatest clerkes of the vnyuersyte of Paris / to haue their aduyse and counsayle. Than mayster Iohan of Gyg [...]neourte and mayster Pyer Placyous (who were in pru­dence and lernyng / the greatest clerkes in Parys sayde to the kynge in the name of all the hole vnyuersyte / howe that the cysme of the churche corrupted the crysten fayth / and howe that it myght nat long endure in that estate / without all crystendome shulde repent it / and rynne in great daunger / and specially the pre­lates and preestes of the churche. They of the vnyuersyte were determyned to sende no rol­les to Auygnon / for any clerkes to haue any graces of this Pope Benedyc. The frenche kynge sawe well their opynyons were reaso­nable / and wolde haue none of his clerkes en­rolled to seke for the popes graces / tyll the mater were better determyned. Thus that mater abode styll in that estate. Howe be it the duke of Berrey exalted greatly this pope Benedic / and sent his roll / wherby moche people were purueyed of graces of this Benedic. The du­ke of Burgoyne and the duchesse dyssymuled the mater with the kinge / and so dyd the duke of Orlyaunce with many other great lordes of Fraunce. and some for fauoure helde them to this pope Benedyc / who denyed no man his graces / to the entent that his courte at A­uygnon shulde be full / and to haue the more reputacyon. The duke of Bretaygne folowed the frenche kynges opinyon / for he was before tyme so abused by the enformacyon of his co­syn the erle of Flaunders / that his herte wolde neuer enclyne to beleue on Pope Clemente / though the clerkes of Bretaygne beleued and helde hym for pope. So whan any promocy­on was voyde in Fraunce / the kynge promo­ted his clerkes / without gyuynge any know­ledge therof to this pope Benedic / wherwith he and his cardynalles at Auygnon were sore abasshed / and douted leste the frenche kynge wolde restrayne suche rentes and profytes as they were wonte to haue of the benefytes gy­uen in the realme of Fraunce. Than they de­termyned to sende a legate in to Fraunce to speke with the Kynge and his counsayle / to knowe howe he wolde ordre hym agaynst the churche / and to shewe hym howe that he that is chosen pope is vnder this condycyon / that if he be pleased / than he to abyde styll as pope / or els they to put hym out of his papalyte / and the cardynals to entre agayne in to conclaue / and chose one after the kynges pleasure / At this tyme was come to Paris and was about the kynge / the freer mynour a meke man / who was sente in to Fraunce by pope Bonyface of Rome. The frenche kynge herde gladly this freers prechynge. Than came in to Fraunce the legate fro Auygnon / who was a great and a subtyle clerke and well langaged. Than the hole vnyuersyte counsayled the kynge / and sayde howe it were well done that eyther Bo­nyface or els Benedyc to be put out of th [...] is [Page ccl] papalyte / and all his cardynalles to be putte out of their cardynalyties. And in stede of them to be chosyn good clerkes / wyfemen / and of good conscyence / as well of Almayne and Fraunce / as of other nacyons. And they to be sette toguyder by good delyberacyon and counsayle / without fauour or yuell wyll to sette the churche therby at one poynt with one pope. They sayde / they sawe well there was none other waye to bringe it to a good conclusyon / bycause pride and enuy so rey­gned in the worlde / that the princes and lor­des eche helde their owne partie. This pre­posycion that the vnyuersite hadde made be­fore the kynge / pleased right well the kynge / and the dukes of Orlyaunce & of Surgoyne. And the kyng sayd he wolde write and sende messangers to the kynge of Almaygne and of Bo [...]sme / and of Hungry: and to the kyng of Englande. And he thought hym selfe sure ynough of the kynges of Castyle / of Nauer / of Aragon / of Cicyle / of Naples / & of Scot­lāde / that they wolde obey to suche a pope as he and his Realme obeyed vnto. And vpon this / the frenche kyng sente his letters & mes­sangers to these sayde kynges. There was good leysar in doing of this / bothe in goyng and cōmyng agayne with answere. and in y ^t meane tyme there passed out of this worlde at Parys / the noble clerke maysters Iohan of Gygencourt / of whose dethe the kynge and the lordes / and y ^e hole vniuersyte were right sorie / for he laste nat his felowe behynde him and he had in his dayes taken great payne to reforme the churche / and to haue brought it in to a perfyte vnyte.

THe same season there was a great clerke at Auignone / bothe of Scyence and of prudence / doctor in the lawes & auditor of the palais of the casion of Rā ­nes / called maister Iohan of warennes: And by reason of suche seruice as he had done to pope Clement & to other / he was greatly auaūted and promoted with benefices / and he was at y ^t poynt to be a bys­shop or a cardynall: he had been chapelayne with one at Auygnone / called saynte Peter of Lusenbourge. The same maister Iohan Warēnes for all his promocions he resigned thē all / and retayned to hymselfe but a small lyueng / and that was the sextenty of our la­dy churche in Renes / worthe by yere if he be resydent a .C. frankes / & in absence but .xxx. and so deꝑted fro Auignon / & came to dwell nere to Renes in a village called saint Ley. & there he ledde an holy lyfe & preched y ^e worde of god / and exalted moche the pope at Auy­gnon and condēpned in his wordes the pope at Rome. He was visited of moche people of all countreis that came to se hym / and to se y ^e holy lyfe that he ledde. He fasted euery day. Some people sayd that y ^e cardynals at Aui­gnon / by crafte and subtylte hadde sent hym thider / to exalte and to colour their opinyon / or els he was come thider to shewe his holy lyfe. He wolde in no wyse be called the holy man of saynt Ley / but the audytor. He had alwayes in his cōpany his mother: He sayd masse euery daye deuoutly / and all that was gyuen him / he wolde gyue it agayne for god dessake: He wolde aske nothyng of no man. ¶Nowe lette vs leaue spekyng of hym / and speke of other busynesse / as the mater requyreth. ⸪ ⸪

YE haue herde here before in this hystorie / howe Trewce was taken bytwene Englande and Fraunce / and there adherē ­ces and alyes / bothe by see and by lande. For all that / yet there were rob­bers and pyllers in Languedocke / whiche were straungers and of farre countreis: As of Gascoyne / of Bierne / and of Almaygne. [Page] And amonge other / sir Iohan of Grayle ba­starde (sonne somtyme of the Captall of Beuses / a yonge and an experte knyght) was capitayne of the stronge castell of Bouteuyll. These capitayns of the garysons in Bigore and marchynge on the realme of Arragone / and on the fronters of Xaynton / and in the marchesse of Rochell / and of the garyson of Mortaygne / were sore displeased that they myght natte ouer rynne to countrey / as they were accustomed to do. For they were straitlye commaunded on payne of greuous pu­nysshment / to do nothyng that shulde soūde to the reproche of the peace.

IN this season it was agreed in En­glande / consyderynge that the kyn­ge was yonge / and that he hadde peace with all his ennemyes / farre and nere / excepte with Irelande. For he claymed that lande of enherytaūce / and his predecessours before him / and was written kyng and lorde of Irelande. And kynge Edwarde / graun­father to kynge Rycharde / made all wayes warre with the Irysshe men. And to the en­tente that the yonge knyghtes and squyers of Englande shulde enploye them selfe in dedes of armes / and therby to augment and encrease the honour of the realme. It was concluded / that kynge Rycharde of Englande shulde make thyder a voyage with puyssaū ­ce of menne of warre: And so to entre in to Irelande / and nat to retourne agayne with­out they hadde an honourable composycion or conclusyon. The same season it was con­cluded / that the duke of Lancastre who had greatlye traueyled bothe by See and by lande / for the augmentacyon and honour of the reralme of Englande / shulde make another voyage with fyue hundred menne of armes and a thousande archers / and to take shyp­pynge at Hampton or at Plommouthe / and so to sayle to Guyane and to Acquitaygne. And it was the entencyon of kynge Rychar­de / and by consent of all his counsayle / that the duke of Lancastre shulde haue for euer to hym and to his heyres / all the countrey of Acquitayne with the purtenaunces / as kyng Edwarde his father had / or any other kyngꝭ or dukes of Acquitayne / before tyme had holden & optayned: And as kyng Rycharde at y ^t tyme had / reserued always the homage that he shulde do to the kynge of Englande / & to any kynges to come after. But as for all the obeysaūces / rentes / lordshypes / and reue­newes / shulde parteygne to the duke of Lā ­castre and to his heyres for euer. Of this the kyng made to hym a clere graunt / & confyr­med it vnder his writyng & seale. With this gyfte the duke of Lācastre was well cōtent & good cause why. For in that Duchy are landes and countreis for a great lorde to mayn­teygne his estate with all. The Charter of this gyfte was engrosed and dewly examy­ned / and paste by great delyberacyon / and good aduyse of counsayle. Beynge present the kynge and his two vncles / the dukes of yorke and the duke of Gloucestre: The erle of Salisbury / the erle of Arundell / the erle of Derby / sonne to the duke of Lancastre: And also therle Marshall erle of Rutlande / the erle of Northūberlande / the erle of Not­tyngham / the lorde Thomas Percy / the lor­de Spensar / the lorde Beamonde / the lorde Willyam of Arundell: The archebysshoppe of Caunterbury and the archebysshoppe of yorke / and the bysshoppe of London / and o­ther: all these were presente / and dyuers o­the Prelates and barownes of Englande. Thanne the duke of Lancastre purposed to make his prouisyon to passe the See to go in to Acquitayne / to enioye the gyfte that the kyng hadde gyuen hym. In lykewise great prouisyon was made for the kynges voyage in to Irelande / and lordes and other were a­poynted / suche as shulde passe the See with the kyng / & had warnyng to make thē redy. ⸫ ⸫

THus (as I haue shewed) great preparacyons was made / at the portes and hauyns / where as the kynge shulde take shyppepynge for to go in to Irelande / And in lykewyse there as the duke of Lan­castre [Page ccxlxi] shulde passe to go in to Acquitayne / Their voyage was lette / and taryed y ^e space of two monethes lengar than it shulde haue ben / and I shall tell you why.