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