day so happy an aduenture wolde to god quod dyuers that we were of that nombre Euery knight and squyer was ioyfull of this enterprise and greatly praysed the aduenture sauynge the gentle lorde of Coucy who was nat cotente therwith THe lorde of Thune was of the company of the lorde of coucy he shewed him the couenante he had made with Affrenall to be one of the ten to fight with ten sarazyns as many as herde therof praysed greatly that aduenture but the lorde of Coucy spake against it and sayd Ah sirs ye yonge people that knowe but lytell of the worlde but rather exalte a folysshe ded than a wyse dede In this enterprise I can se no reason for dyuers causes one is that ten knyghtes and squyers of our men all gentlemen of name and blode must fyght agaynste as many sarazyns Howe shall our men knowe whether they be gentlemen or no if they lyst they may set agaynst our men ten rybauldes or varlettes and if they hap to be dyscomfyted we shall wyn nothynge but ten varlettes and yet we shall be neuer the nerer to wyn the towne of Aufryke but we shall thus put our good men in aduēture peraduenture they wyll set a busshment and whan our ten men be in the felde to tary for their men they wyll close them roūde about wherby we shall lese them and be somoche the febler There I say quod the lorde of Coucy that Affrenall hath nat wrought wysely in this mater for at the first whan the sarazyn dyd defye him he shuld than haue made a nother maner of aunswere than he dyd he shuld haue sayd howe he was nat the chefe heed of that army but rather one of the poorest where as ye blame our faythe and byleue ye are nat mete to haue an answer made to you therof by me but if ye lyst I shall brynge you to the great lordes of our armye and I shall take you vnder my saueconducte that ye shall go and returne in sauegarde and suretie and the◠ye shall here the lordes speke Thus Affrenall shuld haue ledde the sarazyn to the duke of Burbone and to the counsayle and there he shulde haue been herde at leyser and answered by good aduyse suche defyaūce in armes for suche quarell ought nat to passe without great deliberacion of good coūsayle And than if the batayle had ben agreed vnto by vs yet it wolde haue ben knowen of them what men by name and surname shulde acomplyssh the batayle Thervpon we to haue chosen other of our men for our honour and profite and thervpon to hane had of the sarazyns suretie and hostage and they of vs. This had ben a more metely maner to haue vsed wherfore if this treatie might be withdrawen with reason it shulde be well doone and I wyll go and speke with the duke of Burbone and to take counsayle with the lordes of the armye and to knowe what they wyll say therto thus the lorde of Coucy departed fro the lorde of Thune and wente to the Duke of Burbons tent where all the barons assembled togyder to take coūsayle in that mater For all that the lorde of Coucy had sayde these wordes to the lorde of Thune by maner of good counsayle and aduyse yet for all that he lefte nat but armed hymselfe and so came forth with other of his company redy to fight with the sarazyns and sir Guy of Tremoyle the formest knight Thus the lordes of Fraunce were in coūsayle in the duke of Burbons tent Some thought this defiaunce to be reasonable and susteyned greatly the wordes and opinyon of the lorde Coucy sayeng howe it were better to make a nother maner of treatie And some other as specyall the lorde Loys erle of Arthoys and sir Philyp of Bare sayd Syth the armes be taken and accepted on our parte it shulde be great blame to let it wherfore in the name of god and our lady let our knyghtes and squyers furnysshe their enterprise This purpose was holden and susteyned but than all thynges consydred it was thought for the best that all the hole host shulde be armed and be in ordre of batayle to th entent that if the sarazyns wolde do any falsnesse they shulde be redy to resyst them This was accomplysshed and euery man well armed and drewe in to the felde in good ordre of batayle redy to fyght the genouoys crosebowes on the one syde and the knyghtes and squiers on the other syde euery lord vnder his baner or penon of their armes it was a goodly syght to beholde them The crysten men shewed well howe they had great desyre that the sarazyns shuld haue come and fought with them And the ten crysten knightes and squiers were redy in the felde aloue of fro their company abydynge for the ten sarazins that shulde haue fought with them but it semed well they had no wyll therto for whan they sawe howe the crysten men ordred them selfe were redy in batayle they douted them and durst nat come forwarde for all that they were thre tymes as many men as the crysten men were The sarasyns wolde often tymes come well mounted and skrymyssh before the crysten mennes batayle and than returne againe and this they dyd of pure malice to put the crysten men to payne and traueyle This day was so hote with the sonne that before nor after there had been no suche sene so that they that were moste lusty and fresshe were so sore chafed in their harnesse that they were nere ouercome for faute of ayre and wynde And always the .x. crysten men taryed a parte for the ten sarazyns but they nother sawe nor herde tydynges of any Than they aduysed to aproche the towne of Aufryke and to assayle it seynge they were all redy armed and redy in batayle And all day to kepe their honour the ten knightes kept the felde tyll it was night there went to the assaute knyghtes and squyers desyringe to do dedes of armes they were hote and sore chafed and yet they traueyled them selfe more and more And if the sarasyns had well knowen what case the crysten men were in they might haue done thē great domage and a reysed the siege and by lykelyhode to haue had the victory for the crysten men were so wery and so sore traueyled that they had but lytell strenght howe be it they conquered by assaute the first wall of the towne where no man dwelte Than the sarazyns retrayed in to the seconde fortresse skrymysshynge without takynge of any great domage but the crysten men had domage ynough for in skrimisshyng and assautynge they were in the heate of the sonne and in the duste of the sandes tyll it was myght wherby dyuers knyghtes and squiers toke their dethe whiche was great pytie and domage By the said occasion there dyed first syr Willyam of Gacill and sir Guyssharde de la Garde syr Lyon Scalet sir Guy de la saluest syr Willm̄ of Staple syr Wilyam Guyret
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 th empyre For he was as great or greatter than the kynge of almaygne the whiche enclyned sonest the counsayle of FrauÌ„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 ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the duchesse of Brabaunt wrote to duke Frederyke of Bauyer of the maryage of the yonge frenche kynge with her nese Isabell of Bauyer And howe the duke and the lady came to Quesnoy Cap. v. WHan that duke Frederyke of Bauier caÌ„e first in to FraÌ„ce to serue the freÌ„che 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 couÌ„tre 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 FlauÌ„ders or of frauÌ„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 kingê vncles curtesly demauÌ„ded on a day of hym if he had any doughters to mary â–ª sayeng howe they lacked a wyfe for the kyng and howe that they had rather the kynge shulde mary in Bauyer rather thanÌ„e 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 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 IohnÌ„s of Amyence the kyng shal be 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 that tyme there was no more done nor sayde The kynge knewe no thynge of these wordes And whanÌ„e 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 FrauÌ„ce 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 kyngê 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 coÌ„clusion bycause of the warre Therfore the matter hanged styll in suspence as ye haue herde before The duches of Brabant whaÌ„ she was at Cambâ—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 saiÌ„t 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 demauÌ„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
place with the banner of Flaunders before theym And they wyll crye through the towne the Lyon of FlauÌ„ders lorde of this countre hath gyuen peace to the towne of Gaunte and hath ê‘doned all trespasses What shall we do The kynge of Englande shall nat be thanÌ„e 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 ê™ 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 theÌ„ 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 coÌ„pany And so by seuyn of the clocke they came to the market place and there set theÌ„ 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 and to Peter de Boyse who were assemblynge of their people Than they went forthe with the baners of EnglaÌ„de 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 that nighe all the people drewe to their parte they were right ioyouse and well coÌ„forted and nat without good cause For than they sawe well that the people of Gaunt wolde be in peace with 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 demauÌ„ded 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 yoâ—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 â—lyrre nat for any thynge ye here or se For we wyll be vnder the obeysauÌ„ce 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. ⸪ ⸫ ¶ Howe sir Iohan Dell came to gauÌ„t to the markette place where as Roger and Iaques and the aldermen of the cytie where and howe he delyuered them letters fro the duke of Burgoyne and howe they of Gaunt sent to Turney and of the confyrmacion of the peace and of the charters that were made therof Cap. xx 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 theÌ„ 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 incoÌ„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 fouÌ„de he had been slayne and howe that FrauÌ„ces Atreman dyde acquyte hym selfe valyaÌ„tly 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 IohnÌ„ 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 All this season sir Iohan Bowser 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
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 shal be 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 ê™ the knight I ensure you it is a marueylous warre for as they saye eche of theÌ„ haue cause Sir aunciently about a huÌ„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 thanÌ„e 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 with 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 that they shulde come to serue and ayde hym to defende his herytage These letters sene the erle of Foiz as sone as he myght asseÌ„bled his people prayed all his frendes so moche that he had a fyue huÌ„dred knightê 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 that he wolde coÌ„e so taried for hi thre dayes and on the .iiii. day therle of Armynac sent his 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 theÌ„ 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 huÌ„dred 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 spayniardê 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 couÌ„trey The erle of Armynake who hath maryed myne eldest doughter hath ercused hym selfe fro this busynesse and wolde nat come to defeÌ„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 that 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 theÌ„ that wyll shewe you if ye demaunde it And than I helde my peace and we rode tyll we came to Morlens ⸪ ⸫ Of the great vertuousnesse and largesse that was in therle of Foiz and the maner of the pytuouse dethe of Gascone the erles sonne Cap. xxvi THe next day we departed and roode to Dyner to MouÌ„tgarbell 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 that moost desyred to speke with strauÌ„gers to here tidynges Whan the erle sawe me he made me good chere reteyned me as
loke for grete comforte to come to them out of fraunce and suche as desyre dedes of armes and aduauncement of honoure wyl come as soone as they can wherfore it behoueth me alwaye to be redy and to abyde batayle this ye may shewe to the kynge of Portyngale and to his counsayle and yf I se that I shall haue ony thynge to do I shall shortely sende the kynge worde therof Wherfore saye that I desyre hym to be redy to ayde and to defende our ryght and his in lyke maner as we haue promysed and sworne togyder and madame when ye retourne agayne to me leue our doughter katheryne there styll with the quene her syster she can not be in better kepynge syr sayd the lady all this shall be doone Then the duches and her doughter and all other ladyes and damoyselles toke theyr leue and departed syr Thomas Percy the admyral accompanyed them and syr non Fythwaren and the lorde Talbot and the lorde IohnÌ„ Dambretycourte and syr Namburyne of Lyuyers and a hundred speres and two hundred archers and soo came to the cyte of Porte in Portyngale ¶ Howe the duches and her doughter wente to se the kynge of Portyngale and the quene And howe the towne of Besances submytted them vnder the obeysaunce of the duke of Lancastre Ca. lxxvi WHenne the kynge of Portyngale vnderstode that the duches of Lancastre and her doughter were comynge to hym warde he was therof ryght ioyfull and sente to receyue them of the grettest meÌ„ of his courte The erle of Angoses and the erle of Nouayre syr IohnÌ„ Radyghos de Sar syr IohnÌ„ Ferrant Perteke syr Vas Martyne of Marlo syr Egeas Colle and a .xx. other knyghtes who mette with the duches a two grete legges of and ioyfully receyued them and the duches made frendly chere to al the lordes and knyghtes bothe with wordes countenaunce Thus they came to the cyte of Porte and all the ladyes and damoyselles were lodged in the palays and the kynge came and met with the ladyes kyssed them all then after came the quene who receyued the duches her mooer and her syster ryght honourably as she that coulde ryght wel do it all the kynges courte were ryght ioyfull of the comynge of these ladyes and damoyselles I wyll not speke of all theyr acquayntauÌ„ces and good chere for I was not there present I knowe nothynge but by the reporte of that gently knyght syr IohnÌ„ Ferrant Perteke who was there present and he enfourmed me of all that I know in that matter and of many other There the duches deuysed with the kynge of Portyngale when she sawe her tyme shewed hym all the wordes that the duke her husbande had gyuen her in charge to shewe The kynge answered her ryght sagely and sayd Fayre lady and cosyn I am all redy yf the kynge of Castell come forth in to the feldes within .iii. dayes I shal haue râ—dy iil M. speres they be redy in the felde on the fronters of Castell and also I haue redy .xx. M. of the comons of my royal me who be not to be refused for they dydde me good seruyce on a day at the batayle of Iuberoth Syr sayd the lady ye speke well I thanke you therof And syr yf ony thyngs happen to fall to my lorde and husbande he wyll incontynente sygnyfye you therof with these wordes other the kynge the duches deuysed togyder ¶ Nowe let vs tourne to them of Besances shewe howe they sped WHen these .vi. men of Besances were before the kynge of Castel they kneled downe and sayd Ryght redoubted lorde may it please you to vnderstande that we be sent hyder fro your towne of Besances who are by force in composycyon with the duke of Lancastre and with the duches hath obteyned a sufferaunce of warre for .ix. dayes soo that yf ye come or sende suche a strength able to resyst the duches puyssaunce then the towne to abyde styll vnder your obeysaunce elles they are bouÌ„de haue layde hostage to delyuer vp the towne to the duke of Lancastre wherfore maye it please your grace to gyue vs answere what we shall do in this case The kynge answered and sayd syrs we shall take aduyse and then gyue you answere therwith the kynge departed fro them and entred in to his secret chambre I cannot tell what counsayle he toke nor howe the matter wente but these .vi. men were there .viii. dayes and had no maner of answere nor sawe no more the kynge Soo the day came that the towne sholde be gyuen vp as theÌ„ theyr messagers were not retourned agayne Then the duke of Lancastre sent to Besances his marshall the .x. day to speke with them and to coÌ„maunde them to rendre vp theyr towne or elles to stryke of the heedes of the hostages the marshall came to Besances to the barryers and there spake with them of the towne and sayd ye syrs of Besances take hede what I saye My lorde the duke of Lancastre hath sente me to you to demaunde why ye haue not brought to hym the keyes of your towne and submyt you to be vnder his obeysaunce as ye ought to be the .ix. dayes be past as ye knowe well and yf ye wyll not thus do your hostages shall lese theyr heedes here before you and after we shall assayle you and take you perforce and then ye shall all dye without mercy lyke theÌ„ of Rybadane wheÌ„ the men of Besances herde those tydynges they gretly doubted and also fered to lese theyr frendes that were in hostage with the duke sayd to the marshall syr my lorde the duke hath good cause to say and do as ye haue reported but syr as yet we here no tydynges fro our men whom we sente to the kynge of Castel for the same cause we wote not what is become of them Syrs sayd the marshall peraduenture they are kepte there styll for the tydynges they haue brought to the kynge of Castell whiche are not very plesaunt to hym to here but my lorde the duke wyl abyde no longer wherfore aduyse you to make me shorte answere elles shortely ye shall haue assaulte then they spake agayne and sayd syr we requyre you let vs assemble togyder in the towne to take aduyse and then we shal answere you I am content sayd the marshall then they retourned in to the towne and by the blastes of trompettes in euery strete they assembled to gather in the market place then they declared to all the comonte all the foresayd wordes and so fynally they accorded to rendre vp theyr towne to saue theyr estates that were in pryson then they retourned to the marshall sayd syr in al your demaundes we can fynde nothynge but as reason requyreth we are content to receyue my lorde the duke and my lady the duches in to this towne to put theÌ„ in possessyon therof and syr here be the keyes and we shall goo with you to theÌ„
the same opynion that the coÌ„mons were of in Englande and enclyned rather to the warre than to peace to the entent therby to susteyne their estate By the occasion therof the peace was the harder to driue yet the kynge the duke of Lancastre wolde fayne haue hadde peace for by their meanes that metynge at AmyeÌ„ce was apoynted howbeit they wolde nat displease the coÌ„mens of Englande The Englysshe men wolde gladlye haue hadde a peace so they myght be restored agayne to al suche landes as was agreed on at the treaty before Charters and that the Frenche men shulde paye fourtene hundred thousande fraÌ„kes whiche was vnpayed whan the warre began to renewe IN this season thus great coÌ„munycacion there was at the cytie of Amyence on treatie of peace and the lordes that were there on bothe parties toke great payne in the cause It myght well be marueyled why this peace toke none effecte for specialy the duke of Burgoyne dyd what he coude for the Frenche partie and the duke of Lancastre for the Englysshe partie Sauyng the charge that he had whiche he durst nat passe Whan these lordes sawe that they coulde come to no good conclusyon than the frenchemen somwhat to apease and to please the englysshmen and the rather therby to fall to some reason it was offred to them to enjoy styll peasably all that euer they were as than in possessyon of in Acquytayne and nyne dyoces to be quite delyuered without any resorte so that Calays myght be beaten downe And also they offred to paye in thre yere after the somme of .xiiii. hundred thousande frankes Than the duke of Lancastre and the englyssh counsayle answered and sayd Syrs we haue taried here a longe season and haue concluded nothyng nor we canne nat conclude tyll we be retourned in to Englande and than we shall shewe all your desyres and offers to the kyng our souerayne lorde and to the thre estates of the realme and of one thinge be you sure that as moch dyligence as I my brother of yorke can do shall be doone to bringe your desyre to passe except the beatyng downe of Calays we dare nat speke therof for if we dyd we shulde ryn in the indygnacyon and hatred of the most parte of all the realme of Englande and yet were we better to speke no worde therof these wordes somwhat contented the french kynge and his couÌ„sayle and desyred them that whan they were returned into England to do their dyligence in the mater they said they wolde do what they coude for the frenche party sayeng howe the warre had endured ouer longe and many yuell inconuenyentes hath ensued therby in the worlde than it was considred bytwene the parties bycause the truce fayled the next mydsomer after bytwene Englande and Fraunce to contynue it lengar the space of an hole yere bothe by lande and by see bytwene them their alyes and adherentes and therto the lordes of Englande were agreed Than the frenche kynges counsayle desyred to sende two french knightes to go with them into Englande and at their retourne to bringe worde what case they shulde fynde the realme of Englande in The duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke were contente therwith It was shewed me and also the apparaunce was great howe that the frenche kynge desyred greatly to haue peace for as than great brute ranne through Fraunce and other places howe that Lamâ—rabaquyn was entred with great puissaunce of turkes in to the realme of Hungry syr Boucyquant thelder marshall of Fraunce brought those newes and syr Iohan of Charon who were newely retourned fro the partyes of Grece and Turkey wherfore the frenche kynge in his youthe had great affectyon to go in voyage and to go and se the sayd Lamorabaquyn and to recouer the realme of Armony whiche the turkes had wonne fro the kynge Lyon of Armony who was the same tyme at Amyence and he shewed the cause of his comynge thyder to the duke of Lancastre and to the duke of yorke They knewe hym well for they had sene him before in the realme of Englande He was in Englande to treate for the peace whan the frenche kynge was at Sluse And consyderynge the kynge of Armonyes busynesse at the ende of their parlyamente the frenche kynge sayde to the duke of Lancastre Fayre nephewe if peace maye be had bytwene vs and the kynge of Englande we might than make a voyage in to Tukey comfortyng the kynge of Hungry and the emperour of Constantynople whome Lamorabaquyn dothe moche trouble and let vs recouer the realme of Armony whiche the turkes kepe We here saye that Lamorabaquyn is a valyaunt man and of great enterprise and agaynst suche persones as are contrary to our beleue and daily dothe trouble and greue vs we ought to enclyne our selfe to defende our crysten faythe wherfore fayre nephewe helpe you to prouyde for this voyage in the realme of Englande The duke of Lancastre promysed to do his deuoyre in that behalfe Thus they toke leaue eche of other THis counsayle at Amyence endured a fyftene dayes than the Englysshe men departed and had with them in writyng the coÌ„clusion of their treatie to shewe to the kynge of Englande and his counsayle Than the duchesse of Irelande departed fro AmyeÌ„ce and toke leaue of her father the lorde of Coucy and retourned with the englysshe lordes And fro that tyme that they departed fro Calais tyll they came thyder agayne they spent nothyng without they lyst for the french kynge made euery thynge to be payed bothe for them selfe and for their horses The duke of Burgoyne than retourned into Archoys to the cytie of Arras and there he founde the duchesse his wyfe who had vysited the countrey of Flaunders The duke of Thourayne the duke of Berrey and the duke of Butbone taryed with the kynge and the kinge purposed to go to Beamoys to Gysors to sporte hym there in the waye to Parys With the duke of Lancastre the duke of yorke certayne knightes of Fraunce wente in to Englande as syr Iohan of Castell Morante sir Taupyns of Cantmell to bringe aunswere agayne out of England and sir Raynolde du Roy the lorde of Moncaurell and the lorde of the olde towne conueyed them to Calays and than toke their leaue and the englysshe men passed ouer the see to Deuer and there founde the kynge and the duke of Glocestre taryeng for them Whan the kyng sawe them he had great comunynge with them of the sâ—ate of the parlyamente of Amyence The kynge was well content with that his vncles had done but than the duke of Glocestre who was alwayes harde agaynst the treatie of peace sayd howe there coulde no good conclusyon be taken in this treatye tyll the mater were brought to Westmynster to a generall counsayle of all the thre astates of the realme and than to folowe their aduyses and none otherwyse The duke of Glocesters wordes were well herde no manne wolde saye agaynst hym
they sayd sirs surely it wyll be harde to fynde hym for this daye he is in one place and to morowe in another But if it please you ye maye ryde ouer all the duchy of Bretaygne and sertche ouer all his forteresses and houses none shall be closed agaynst you Whan they sawe they coulde haue none other aunswere they departed thens rode and visyted all the fortresses great and small parteynynge to the lorde Olyuer of Clysson ThanÌ„e they came to Wannes and there founde the duke of Bretaygne and the duchesse who receyued them and there they taryed but halfe a daye and dyscouered nat to the duke the secrete mater that they came thyder for nor also the duke examyned them nothynge of the mater Also they coulde nat se there sir Peter of Craon THus they toke leaue of the duke and of the duchesse and retourned to Parys where they fouÌ„de the kyng and the lordes and there reported to the kynge to the duke of Orlyaunce howe they hadde sought all the places and townes parteynynge to sir Olyuer of Clysson but in no wyse they coulde fynde hym The dukes of Burgoyn and Berrey were right gladde of these newes and wolde nat it had ben otherwise Than anone after proceded the maryage bytwene the lorde Philippe of Arthois and the lady Mary of Berrey and so this lorde Philyppe was Constable of Fraunce and vsed the offyce with all profytes and aduauntages therto belongyng of auncyent ordynauÌ„ces yet the lorde Olyuer of Clysson had nat renounced the offyce nor delyuered vp the Martell whiche is the token of the Constable of Fraunce For he contynued and sayd he wolde abyde styll CoÌ„stable and had done no cause why to lese it nouther to the kynge nor to the realme He knewe well the erle of Ewe was profered to haue the offyce of the Constable and to enioye the profyttes therof by consente of the Kynge and howe he hadde maryed the doughter of the Duke of Berrey the lady Mary He toke but lytell regarde to all this for he knewe hym selfe true to the kynge and to the crowne of Fraunce And knewe well all that was done agaynst hym was through enuy and hatered that the dukes of Burgâ—yne and Berey had against hym Thus the lorde of Clysson lette the mater passe and contynued styll his warre agaynst the duke of Bretayne whiche warre was right fierse and cruell without mercy or pytie The lorde of Clysson rode ofter abrode and layde busshmentes than the duke dyde And all other lordes of Bretayne satte styll wolde nat medyll The duke dyde sende for the lordes of his countrey and they came to speke with hym to knowe his entent than the duke requyred them of their ayde helpe agaynst his ennemy sir Olyuer of Clysson Than the lordes of Bretayne as the vicouÌ„t of Rohan the lorde Dignan the lorde Hermen of Lyon and dyuers other excused them and sayd they knewe no cause why nor they wolde nat make no warre agaynst the lorde Clysson but they said they wolde right gladlye endenour them selfes to bringe them to a peace if they coude Whan the duke sawe he coude haue none other conforte of them and parceyued well howe he lost and was lykely to lese mo men in that warre than sir Olyuer of Clysson than he consented that the sayde lordes shulde go to sir Olyuer of Clysson treate for a peace and to bringe hym vnder saueconducte to Wannes to speke with hym at whiche tyme he sayd he shulde be founde tretable and to agre to all reason And if sir Olyuer had done hym any displeasure that he myght haue amendes accordynge to their aduyse These lordes were well agreed thus to do and so they all thre wente to the lorde Olyuer of Clysson and dyde so moche that they spake with hym as I was enformed in the castell of Ioâ—elyn and shewed him the dukes entent And moreouer to bringe them to a peace for they sawe well warrÌ„ was nat fytting bytwene them but greatly noyed the noble men marchauÌ„tes and coÌ„mons of Bretaygne they sayd to the lorde Olyuer Sir if it wyll please you to go to the duke we shall bynde vs to abide here iÌ„ this castell tyll your retourne And we doute nat ye beynge ones in his presence ye shall fynde him so resonable that peace and good accorde shal be had bitwene you Sir Olyuer sayd Sirs what shall it profyte you if I were deed Thynke you that I knowe nat the duke of Bretayne He is so cruell and so haute that for all his saueconducte or what soeuer he saythe if he sawe me in his preseÌ„ce he wolde neuer cease tyll I were deed and thanÌ„e shulde you dye lykewise for my men here wolde soone slee you without mercy Wherfore it is best that bothe you and I saue our lyues rather than to putte vs in that daunger I shall kepe me fro hym and I can and lette hym kepe hym as well fro me ThanÌ„e the lorde Charles of Dignan sayde Fayre cosyn ye may saye as it please you but we thynke surely thoughe he sawe you he wolde do you no displeasure This that we offre you is of good affection and to bringe you to accorde and we praye you that ye wyll thus do Than the lorde Clysson sayde Sirs I beleue surely ye meane well but I ensure you vpon this assuraunce I shall neuer go to hym But sithe ye medell in the mater bytwene vs we shall nat thynke that I shal be vnresonable I shall tell you what I wyll do Retourne you agayn to the duke and saye that I wyll nat take you for no pledge nor hostage Lette hym sende me his sonne and heyre who is maryed to the doughter of FrauÌ„ce and he shall abyde here in this castell with my men tyll I retourne agayne This way I thynke more surer thaÌ„ the other for if ye shulde abyde here as ye offre Who shulde thanÌ„e entremedell in the busynesse bytwene the duke and me For without a meane we shall neuer come to accorde WHan these lordes of Bretayne sawe they coude haue non other answere they tooke their leaues and retourned to WaÌ„nes to the duke and shewed hym what they had done but in no wyse the duke wolde consente to sende his sonne to the castell of Ioselyn So their warre contynued styll wherby no persone durst ryde abrode and marchaundyse was layde downe thoroughe whiche the people of good townes cyties were sore hindred and poore laborers lette laboringe of the erthe The duchesse of Burgoyn couertly ayded her cosyn the duke of Bretayne with men of armes aswell of Burgoyne as of other places for the duke coude get none of his countrey to take his parte in that quarell agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson They alwayes dissymuled the mater except suche as were of his owne house The duke of Orlyaunce on the other parte loued well the lorde Olyuer of Clyison and secretely so coured hym with men and sente
the maner how the kyng our souerayne lorde hath this yere accomplysshed and furnysshed his voyage in Ireland put it in your memoriall to the entent that whan ye shall retourne in to your owne countrey ye may write it in your cronicle with many other hystories that depende to the same matter Than I thanked hym and sayd it shulde be done So I toke leaue of hym Than I mette with Marche the heraulde and I demauÌ„ded of hym what armes this Henry Christell bare and I shewed the heraulde howe this sir Henry had shewed me the maner of the kynges torney in Irelande and the state of the foure kynges who had ben as he sayd in his gouernyng more than fyftene dayes at Duuelyn The heraulde answered me and sayd Sir he beareth in his armes Syluer a cheuerne goules thre besans goules All these thyngê I dyde putte in writynge bycause I wolde nat forgette them THus I taryed in the kynge of Englandes courte as longe as it pleased me nat always in one place for the kynge often tymes remoued to Eltham to Ledes to Kyngstone to Shene to Charsey or to Wyndsore aboute the marchesse of London And I was enformed of a trouthe that the kyng wrote to his vncle the duke of Lancastre for they of Acquitayne spedde so in their busynesse that their countrey abode styll to the crowne of Englande ThanÌ„e it was concluded by generall counsayle of Englande that the gyfte that the kynge hadde gyuen to the duke of Lancastre must nedes abyde styll as his owne howe be it the duke of Gloucestre wolde that his brother myght haue enioyed the kynges gyfte but his saying coulde nat be herde in that case For they of the Realme of Englande bycause of doutes and casualtyes in tyme to come herde well the wordes of theym of Burdeaux and of Bayone And consydred well that yf the herytage of Acquitaygne were putte fro the Crowne of Englande it shulde be in tyme to come a great preiudice to the realme whiche they wolde in no wise shulde fortune for alwayes Burdeux Bayon and the froÌ„ters and marches of Gascon had kept augmented greatly the honour of the realme of Englande These thyngê were well coÌ„sydred of the wyse men of the kynges couÌ„sayle the duke of Gloucestre absent for before hym no man durst speke so the mater abode in this case ¶ We shall leaue of this matter and speke of the kynge of Englandes ambassadours as the erle of Rutlande and therle marshall and other that were sente in to Fraunce to treate of the maryage bytwene kynge Rycharde their lorde and the doughter of Charles Frenche kyng who was but eyght yeres of age and I shall shewe you howe they spedde ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the ambassade that the kynge of Englande sente in to Fraunce to treate of the maryage bytwene the lady Isable the FreÌ„che kynges eldest doughter and hym selfe and of the louyng answere they had Capi. CC.iii THese Englysshe lordes rode fro Calais to Amyence and to Clermount in Beauuosyn so to Parys and iÌ„ euery place they were well receyued by the coÌ„maundement of the frenche kyng They were lodged about that crosse of Tyrouer They were a fyue hundred horses The Frenche kynge was lodged at the castell of Lour and the quene and her chyldren at the house of saynt Poule vpon the ryuer of Seyne The duke of Berrey at the house of Nesle the duke of Burgoyne at the house of Arthoyse and the duke of Burbone in his owne house the duke of OrlyauÌ„ce the erle of saynt Poule and the lorde of Coucy at their owne houses The kynge had assembled there all his counsayle to the entent to make the better answere to thembassadours of Englande The kyng had coÌ„mauÌ„ded that euery day there shulde be delyuered to these ambassadours two huÌ„dred crownes of FraÌ„ce for their small expences and for their horses And the chiefe of these Englysshe lordes as the erle Marshall and therle of RutlaÌ„de were often tymes with the kynge and dyned with hym they had as good there as coulde be deuysed for the loue of the kynge of EnglaÌ„de These lordes desyred euer to haue an answere they were euer fedde forthe with fayre wordes For the noble men of Fraunce had great marueyle of the requestes of the Englysshe men And that the kynge of Englande wolde marry with Fraunce seynge that the warre had ben so cruell and so long endured And some of the Frenche kynges counsayle sayd howe maye our kyng agree to gyue his doughter in maryage to his aduersary or this treatie shulde be made We thynke we shall haue peace with Englande by some other wayes though it be nat by the meanes of maryage And as at that tyme there was a valyaunt knyght of the Frenche kynges counsayle called sir Raynalt of Corby He was a farre castyng man and consydred what myght fall in tyme to come ThanÌ„e he sayd to the kyng and to his vncles My lordes and maysters A man shulde entre in at the ryght dore in to a house It semeth that kyng Richarde of EnglaÌ„de wolde nothyng to you nor to the realme but loue and all fauour seynge that by reason of maryage he wolde alye hym to you Two tymes your counsaylours and his haue mette toguyder at Amyence and at Balyngham to treate for a peace yet they coulde neuer take no good conclusyon but on the state of a truce And sir it is well knowen that Thomas duke of Gloucestre kyng Richardes vncle is of a coÌ„trary opinyon against the king and his other two vncles the dukes of LaÌ„castre of yorke The kyng nor other can nat make hym agre wyllingly to haue peace howe be it his puissaunce canne natte resyst the kynges power Therfore sir after myne opynyon receyue this offre and refuce nat this treatie and let these lordes haue suche aunswere as maye coÌ„tent them Than the kyng and his vncles agreed therto and specially the duke of Burgoyne for he was so sore charged by reason of the warres that gladly he wolde haue peace and the priÌ„cypall cause was bycause of FlauÌ„ders wherof he claymed to be lorde by reason of his wyfe bycause that countrey marched vpon Englande And also the hertes of the Flemynges were rather Englysshe than Frenche bycause of the entrecourse of marchaundyse bytwene England Flaunders by See and by lande THan it was concluded by the Frenche kynges counsayle that there shulde be as good there made to the Englysshmen as was before And whether it was by dissymulacyon or otherwyse the frenche men were determyned to make a good and a swere aunswere to the englisshe men and to put them in hope that the kynge of Englande shulde haue his desyre The quene and her chyldren laye at the house of faynt Powleê and where as the Englysshe lordes desyred to se theym it was graunted to them and specyally to se her for whome their treatie was than it was shewed them that they muste be content howe so
the countrey is so hote that the people be of sobre dyet and vse moche spycery and specyally suger and gotes mylke wherof they haue great haboundaunce the whiche is cōmon drinke of the sarazyns and they haue plenty of bredde made of a grayne called mylle he had euer aboute hym a seuen thousande fawconers and as many hunters So it was on a daye he wente a hawkynge and had a flyght with a fawcon at an Egle in the presence of the erle of Neuers the whiche flyght pleased nat Lamorabaquy wherwith he was sore dyspleased and as it was shewed me for the same faute there was at the poynte a two thousande fauconers to haue loste their heedes bearyng them in hande that they were nat dylygent in kepynge of his hawkes Another tyme in the presence of the erle of Neuers a woman came to complayne to the kynge desyringe to haue ryght and iustyce vpon a seruaunt of his sayenge Syr kynge I come to you as to my soueraygne I complayne me of a seruaunt of your chambre as it is shewed me he is come this same day in to my howse and the mylke of a gote that I had for me and my chyldren he hath dronken it agaynst my wyll and syr I said to him that if he wolde do me that wronge I wolde complayne to you and as soone as I sayde so he gaue me two great blowes wolde nat forbeare for all that I spake in your name therfore syr kynge do me iustyce as ye are sworne to do to all your people The kinge marked well the womans wordes and so caused his seruaunte to come a fore hym and the woman also and than he caused the woman to renewe her complaynt The seruaunt began to excuse hym and sayd that he knewe nothynge of that matter The woman spake wysely and affyrmed her wordes to be trewe Than the kynge sayde woman aduyse the well for if I fynde thy wordes vntrewe thou shalte dye an yuell dethe Syr quod she I am content for if my wordes were nat true what nede me to come in to your presēce do me iustyce I desyre none other thyng Thou shalt haue iustyce quod the kynge for I haue sworne so to do to euery man and woman Than the kynge caused the man to be taken and caused his bely to be opened to se if he had eaten or dronken the mylke or nat and there he founde that he had dronke the mylke for it was nat turned to digestyon And whan the kyng sawe that the womans wordes were trewe he said to her thou haddest good cause to complayne go thy way quyte thou art well reuenged of the trespase that was done to the and she had a good recompence and the man deed This iudgement the lordes of Fraunce sawe and herde ¶ Howe the lordes of Fraunce returned by see to Venyce and of the isles they founde by the waye Cap. CC.xxiiii WHan the Erle of Neuers and the other lordes of Fraūce who had ben taken prisoners at the batayle before Nycopoly in Turkey whan they had sene a season the state and maner of Lamorabaquy and that he was content of euery thynge and vnderstode that the lorde of Mathelyn and the lorde of Damyne and the marchaunt of Sio were come to Burselle in Turkey than he gaue them leaue to departe So they came all togyther before Lamorabaquy excepte the erle of Ewe and the lorde of Coucy who were bothe deed thus they toke their leaue and thanked hym of his curtesies Than Lamorabaquy said to therle by a truch man Iohan I knowe well thou arte a great lorde in thy Countrey and sonne to a great lorde thou art yonge and pe◠aduenture shall beare some blame and shame that this aduenture hath fallen to the in thy fyrste chyualry and to excuse thy selfe of this blame and to recouer thyne honour peraduenture thou wylt assemble a puyssaunce of men and come and make warre agaynst me if I were in doute or feare therof or thou departed I shulde cause the swere by thy lawe and faythe that neuer thou nor none of thy company shulde beare armure or make warre agaynst me but I wyll nother make the nor none of thy company to make any suche othe or promesse but I wyll that whan thou arte retourned and arte at thy pleasure rayse what puyssaunce thou wylte and spare nat but come agaynst me thou shalt fynde me alwayes redy to receyue the and thy company in the felde in playne batayle and this that I say shewe it to whome thy lyste for I am able to do dedes of armes and euer redy to conquere further in to crystendome These hygh wordes the erle of Neuers vnderstode well and so dyd his company they thought on it after as longe as they lyued Than they tooke their leaue and they were conducted with a great nombre vnder the leadynge of Assybaathe and Surbasaache and so delyuered to the lordes of Mathelyn and Damyne who were cause of their delyueraunce and whan their galees were redy they entred and their conducte retourned to their kynge So they sayled tyll they came to the porte of Mathelyn where they were receyued with great ioye THe lady of Mathelyn was ryght honourable and gentle as well assured of her selfe as any lady in Grece for in her youth she had ben brought vp in the emperour of Constantyne the nobles courte with the lady Mary of Burbone where she had lerned moche norture for in Fraunce the lordes and ladyes be more honourable than in many other coūtreys This lady was right ioyouse to se in her house the erle of Neuers and syr Henry of Bare sir Guy of Tremoyle and the other she receyued them ryght honourably with great ioy and dyd what she coude to do them pleasure First she newly aparelled all the lordes and knyghtes of Fraunce with shyrtes gownes and other aparell of fyne damaske acordynge to the vsage of Grece and all other euery man after his degre The lady spared nothyng on them wherfore they gaue her great thanke and greatly praysed her estate and ordre In lykewyse they thāked and praysed the lordes of Mathelyn and of Damyne who made them good chere and honourable Anone tydynges of their delyueraunce was knowen at the Rodes wherof the great mayster of the Roodes and all the knyghtes there were ryght ioyfull and they determyned to arme forth two galees and to sende for theym to come in to the isle of Rodes and so they dyd and in the one galee they sette syr Iaques of Brassemont a burgonyon marshall of the Rodes So longe they sayled and rowed that they aryued at Mathelyn The marshall was well receyued of euery man and of the lady of Mathelyn Than these lordes and other refresshed them there a foure dayes and on the fyfte daye their galees were redy Than the erle of Neuers tooke leaue of the lady of Mathelyn and thanked her greatly and the lordes also and the erle of Neuers
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 FrauÌ„ces 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 coÌ„ueyed 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 coÌ„tynued 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 coÌ„pany was goyng to ley siege to Vertuell and howe they had in Poyctou Xaynton and Limosyn recoÌ„quered sixe forteresses These tidynges somwhat reioysed the court and sette at nought the lesyng of Danne sauyng that it was coÌ„cluded 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 coÌ„mauÌ„dynge all men of warre to be by the first day of August in the 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 coÌ„maunded 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 coÌ„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 ê‘tes and so at last he came to Iprso that by the firste day of August he was before 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 FrauÌ„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 ¶ Howe dyuers burgesses of Sluse were beheeded howe Sluse was chaunged for the lande of Bethune and howe the siege of Danne contynewed longe Cap. vii 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 GauÌ„t 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 that 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 kyngê hoost Of all this they had made marchaundise with them of GauÌ„te 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 the 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 the 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 coÌ„maunded that he shulde retourne to Sluse and incontynent to stryke of all their heedes withoute any respyte therby all other to take
dyscontent but he was displeased in that the knyghtê 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 shal be 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 EnglaÌ„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 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 with you of dyuers thyngê 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 DaÌ„chyn of Bigore and dyuers other knightes and squyers The erle sayd a loude that 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 haÌ„de 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 coÌ„maunde 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 yoâ— 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 that 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 coÌ„mauÌ„ded to cast him in prison downe in to a depe dyke so he was and ther dyed for his woundê were but yuell loked vnto Ah saynt Mary quod I to the knyght Was nat this a great crueltie Whatsoeuer it was ê™ 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 vicouÌ„t of Chateau Bein who is his heryter eight monethes in the towre of Ortaise in prison and after rauÌ„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 that 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 ê™ 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 ê™ he I shall shewe
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 couÌ„sayle 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 paradueÌ„ture by that tyme your enemyes wyll assemble togyder and drawe out in to the felde whan ye take leest hede therto and so thaÌ„ without fayle they shal be fought withall Sir we haue great desyre to wyn soÌ„what 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 couÌ„tre 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 coÌ„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 freÌ„che 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 forreÌ„gers rode at their suretie and also he made a crye and a coÌ„maundement that euery man that had any vitayle or prouision to sell that they shulde bringe it to the felde before saiÌ„t 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 noÌ„bre of fyue hundred one other And the thirde parte of them were of the coÌ„panyons 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 who as than was marshall of Burdeux counsayled theÌ„ 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 warâ— Of the comyng of these Englysshe men they of Lixbone were right gladde and so was the kyng of Portyngale who wolde se theÌ„ and so they went to the palays where the kyng was who made them great chere And demauÌ„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 coÌ„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 theÌ„ ouer all his realme coÌ„maundynge euery man able to beare harnesse to drawe to Lixbone ALl suche as these letters came vnto obeyed nat for many abode styll iÌ„ 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 wordê ther agaynst priuely And bycause of the great trouble and dyffereÌ„ce that the kynge of Castell and his couÌ„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 serue 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 IohnÌ„ Teatedore the lorde of Siegere and sir GoÌ„me of Tabeston Ambrise Condricho and Peter his brother ser Ouges of Nauaret a knyght of Castell who was tourned Portyngaloyes
domage Also in dede the frenchmen sette on to soone but they dyde it to th entent 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 whoÌ„e to speke these freÌ„chmen ar great vantours and highe mynded also our kyng hath no ê‘fite trust but in theÌ„ 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 enteÌ„tes 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 ameÌ„de it but the spaynierdes sayd bycause ther was none retourned fro the batayle sir surely these knightes of FrauÌ„ce 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 mouÌ„ted armed and in the mean season the frenchmen fought and suche as had leysar to a light fought valiaÌ„tly 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 stroÌ„ger 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 shal be at your ease and they thanked theym whan they sawe none other bote so there some were put to their fynaunce incoÌ„tynent and some wolde abyde their aduenture for they ymagined that the kynge of Spaygne with his great armye wolde shortely come and delyuer them ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the frenche knightes gascoyns suche as were taken prisoners at Iuberoth by the portugaloys were slayne of their maysters none escaped Cap. xxxv TIdynges came in to the felde to the kyng of Castyle and to his companye who were aprochynge to Iuberoth by theÌ„ that fledde who caÌ„e cryeng with great feare and sayd sir kyng auaunce your selfe for all they of the vowarde are outher taken or slayne there is no remedy of their delyueraunce without it be by your puyssaunce And whan the kyng of Castyle herde those tidyngê he was sore displeased for he had good cause for it touched hym nere Than he coÌ„mauÌ„ded to ryde on and sayd auauÌ„ce 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 thaÌ„ 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 discoÌ„fited the vowarde and taken their prisoners and that they sawe none other batayle comyng wtin their sight yet for all that they wolde put no trust in their first vyctorie Therfore they sent sixe notable persons to go and auiâ—we the couÌ„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 WhaÌ„ they herde those tidynges they toke shorte counsayle whiche was of necessyte Than incontynent they ordayned a pyteous dede for euery man was coÌ„maunded 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 thâ— 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 theâ— is no trust in a maÌ„nes enemy thus was slayne by great mischiefe the lorde of Longnache sir Peter of Byerne the lorde of Lespres the lorde of Byâ—rne the lorde of Boordes sir Bertrande of Bergues the lorde of Morayne sir RaymoÌ„de 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 ¶ Howe the kynge of Castell and all his great batayle
thought it had ben golde or precyous stones that Lamorabaquin had sente to hym to drawe hym therby to consente to suffre hym to haue fre passage thrugh his couÌ„trey howbeit he sayd to hymselfe that he wolde neuer be corrupted for no maner of ryches that sholde be presented to hym TheÌ„ these messagers came before the erle sayd syr of Lazaran vnderstaÌ„de we be sente fro the hyghe redoubted lorde souerayne kynge Lamorabaquin lorde of Turkye with the apertenauÌ„ces we say to you on his behalfe that he coÌ„mauÌ„deth you to come to his obey saunce in lyke maner as ye knowe that your neyghbours haue done as the lorde de la Palice the lorde of Haulte lodge the lorde of Satalie haue done to hym homage that 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 that our lorde Lamorabaquin wyl brynge in to your couÌ„trey mo meÌ„ of armes then there be graynes of mylle in this sacke therw t they opened the saâ— shewed hym what was wtin it when the erle of Lazaran vnderstode the ambassadoure of LamorabaÌ„quin determyned in hymselfe to answere temporatly wolde not dyscouer his thought sodaynly but sayd close vp the sacke I se ryght wel what is therin I haue well harde what thynge Lamorabaquin demaundeth of me wtin these .iii. dayes I shall make you an aÌ„swere for his request demauÌ„deth couÌ„sayl they answered sayd syr ye speke wel so trustyng to haue anâ—swere they taryed there .iii. dayes Now shall I shewe you what the erle of Lazaran dyd in the space of these .iii. dayes he sent ê“uyded in to the castell mo then .ii. M. capoÌ„s heÌ„nes closed theÌ„ vp in to a house wtout ony maner of mete so that in .iii. dayes they etc no thynge And when the daye came that he wolde answere the ambassadours theÌ„ 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 that had eten no mete of .ii. dayes before Then the seruauntes toke the grayne that was in the sacke cast it all aboute before the capons hennes so that within halfe an houre al the corne was eteÌ„ 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 that is truesyr sayd they wherby speke you that I say sayd the erle your answere lyeth therin as by ensaÌ„ple ye haue sene Lamoraba quin sayth that 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 that they came to Lamorabaquin shewed hym what the erle sayd saynge by semynge he set but lytell by his manassyng with 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 couÌ„tre in to huÌ„gery 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 coÌ„maundynge euery man after the syght of his letters to drawe to hym certefyenge theÌ„ howe Lamorabaquin was as then in the 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 that were not sente for suche as harde therof to exalte crysten faythe to dystroy the infydelles Also the erle Lazaran caused forestes hyghe trees to be heweÌ„ 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 theÌ„ on bothe sides of the way And also he had redy .ii. M. meÌ„ 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 that 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 that 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 theÌ„ to lyue inshame seruage vnder the dogges infydels thoughe Lamorabaquin be a noble wyse man in his lawe syr sayd they we shal abyde yâ— 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 the passages that no maÌ„ 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 that he had promysed so he toke .lx. M. of his meÌ„ set ouer theÌ„ .iiii. capytaynes of his house holde as the duke of Mansyon of Mecque the keper of Danâ—et Alphalorâ— of Samarie the prynce of Corde called Brachyn at theyr departynge he sayd to theÌ„ syrs go your waye with your coÌ„pany ye be suffycyent to open the passages in to HuÌ„gery entre in to the laÌ„de of the erle of Lazaran dystroye it as soone as I may know the ye be there I shal come thyder to you with all the
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 that 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 IohnÌ„ 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 IohnÌ„ Ferant Audere who was chefe of counsayle with the kynge to please the kynge ayd to the bysshop Syr ye may wed them wel ynoughe ones the kynge shal make recompence for all so the bysshop wedded them this lady was crowned quene so reputed in al the 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 the royalme of Portyngale euery man sware whether they wolde or not Howbeit the moost parte of them that were there knewe ryght well that she was but a bastarde and borne in aduoutrye for her moders husbande was styll lyuynge called syr IohnÌ„ 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 theÌ„ 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 that royalme of Englonde THen the duke of Lancastre demaunded of Laurence Fongase where kynge IohnÌ„ 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 IohnÌ„ 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 the Spanyardes are cause ther of Why so sayd the 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 theÌ„ to be vnder the daunger and subieccyon of the 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 theÌ„ 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 coâ—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 theÌ„ they of Lyxbone answered and sayd syr we haue ynowe We knowe all redy
the quene her doughter for she was in suche fray by the dethe of her knyght syr IohnÌ„ 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 that 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 IohnÌ„ 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 IhonÌ„ 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 IohnÌ„ 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 the grete pryour of saynt IhnÌ„s in Portyngale syr Delagare his broder Ange Syluaste of Geneull IohnÌ„ Aussall and dyuers other to the nombre of .xxv. Wherby the 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 with 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 IohnÌ„ we counsayle you to make no scâ—â—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 the 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 the 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 that 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 the knyght I byleue you well for ye counsayle me truely and lyke good frendes So this syr IohnÌ„ 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 ¶ Howe Laurence Fongase ambassadoure fro the kynge of Portyngale in to Englonde shewed to the duke of Lancastre the maner of the dyscorde that was bytwene the royalmes of Castell Portyngale Ca. xliiii THe duke of Lancastre toke grete pleasure to 〈◊〉 Laurence Fongase speâ—â— he spake so attemperaciâ—â—â—o good Frensshe and 〈◊〉 bycause the matter touchâ—â— hym nere and to the enâ—eâ—â— that he wolde come to the botom of his desyâ—â— he sayd Laurence speke on hardely I 〈◊〉 harde no straunger speke this two yere thaâ— had rather here speke then you for ye go toâ— trouthe of the matter Also the letters that 〈◊〉 haue brought to me fro the kynge of Portyngale testefyeth howe there is nothynge thâ—â— hath ben done bytwene Portyngale and Castell but that ye can iustly informe me therâ— â–ª Syr sayd the squyer lytell thynge hath theâ—â— 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 that I shall pursewe my wordes I shall shewe you euery thynge as I knowe Thus as I shewed you before kynge IohnÌ„ of Castel assâ—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
drewe towarde the assaulte of the bastyde Then they herde tydynges how the Bretons were departed and had lefte the bastyde voyde then the 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 the 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 with them there they ete a drāke made chere so wente agayne to theyr lodgynges the nexte day whiche was the .iii. day they refresshed theyr shyppes with 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 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 the 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 that they be landed on them they shal be the more feared then they rested to take lande at Coulongne in Galyce the maryners set theyr course that way and had wynde and wether at wyll and so after they departed fro Brest the .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 the 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 the 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 coūtrey full wylde to laboure in They came so to the poynte that they entred in to the 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 the galeys and shyppes charged with men and prouysyon and to here the trompettes claryons sounde and the trompettes and claryons of the towne and castell dyd sounde in lykewyse agaynst them thē the 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 the feldes not as then approchynge the towne for they sawe well the towne was stronge and well prouyded of men of warre without the towne there were certayne fissher houses There the 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 the 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 demaūded of the 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 the 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 the duke other lordes of Englande had brought with them hawkes and houndes for theyr sporte and sparowe hawkes for the ladyes Also they brought with them in the 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 the 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 the 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
all the myscreantes and the kynges Sarazyns deed and slayne and all the lande tourned to the Christen faythe than he retourned in to Bretaygne and on a daye hadde a great batayle agaynst this kynge Aquyne and nyghe all the myscreantes slayne And so this kynge Aquyne fledde in to the castell of Glaye and there he hadde redy at the foote of the towre a shyppe and therin he entred and his wyfe and his chyldren But he and his wyfe made suche haste he was so nere chased that they hadde no leysar to take with them a yong sonne that laye and slepte in the towre of a yere olde Thus the kynge and his wyfe departed by the see and this chylde was founde in the towre of Glaye and was brought to kynge Charlemaygne who was right ioyouse of hym and said howe the chylde shulde be baptysed and so he was and Rouland Olyuer helde hym ouer the fonte and was named Olyuer And the kyng gaue him all the landes that his father Aquyn had conquered This chylde whan he came to the age of a man was a good knight and his men called hym sir Olyuer de Glaye aquyn bycause he was founde in the towre of Glaye some to the kynge Aquyn Thus I haue shewed you the firste fouudacyon of sir Bertram of Clesquyn who shulde be called Glaye aquyne And sir Bertram in his dayes after the puttynge out of kynge DoÌ„peter of Castyle and had crowned kyng Henry sayde howe he wolde go in to Bougy to demauÌ„de his herytage And without fayle so he had done for kyng Henry had lent hym men and shyppes to go in to Bougye with a great armye if a great lette had nat broken his voyage And that was whanÌ„e the prince of Wales made warre vpon the sayde kynge Henry and dyde put hym downe and by puissaunce dyde sette in to Castyle agayne DoÌ„peter And than at the batayle of Marres sir Bertram was taken prisonner by sir Iohan Chandos and was sette to raunsome at a huÌ„dred thousande frankes And at another tyme he was also taken at the batayle of Alroy and raunsomed agayne at a hundred thousande Frankes So thus sir Bertrams purpose was brokenne for the warres bytwene Englande and Fraunce was renewed So that they hadde ynoughe to do Thus he was lynially discended fro the kynge of Bougy named Aquyne whose kyngdome is in Barbarye Thus I haue shewed you the ryght discente of sir Bertram of Clesquyn I thanked hym and so we came to the towne of Prinulley ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the frenche ambassadours came to the duke of Bretayne vpon the takyng of the coÌ„stable of FrauÌ„ce and of the aunswere that was made to them Cap. xci IF I had ben as longe in coÌ„pany with this knight sir Guyllyam of Aunsens as I was with sir Espayn de Leon whaÌ„ I rode with hym fro the cyte of Pauyers to Ortayes in Byerne Or elles as long as I had ben with sir IohnÌ„ Ferant Pertelette of Portyngale He wolde haue shewed me many thyngê but it was nat so for after dyner whan we had rydden a .ii. leages we came to a forked waye the one way was right to Towres in Towrayne whether as I supposed to ryde the other waye was to Maylle whether the knyght was determyned to ryde So at this waye we brake company takyng leaue eche at other but bytwene Prinulley and our departynge he shewed me many thynges and specially of the busynesse in Bretayne and howe the bysshoppe of Langers was sent in the stede of the bysshoppe of Beawuoys who dyed by the waye and how the bysshoppe of Langers with sir Iohan de Bowyll and other came to the duke of Bretayne and of the answere that they had and on the informacyon of this knyght I toke my foundacion and haue written as foloweth _yE haue herde here be fore howe these ambassadours departed fro Parys fro the kyng and his counsaye well in structed what they shulde saye and do and so long they rode by their iourneys that they aryued at Nauntes Than they demaunded where the duke was it was shewed theÌ„ howe he was about the marchesse of waÌ„nes wheâ— as most accustomably he lay They rode thyder and so came to the cytie of Wannes it is but .xx. myles bytwene The duke was in the castell called le Mote than they came before the duke who by semblant made to theÌ„ good and swete recule The bysshoppe of Langers bycause he was a prelate began to speke and to make his preposicyon well and sagely and sayde Sir duke we are here sente to you fro the kynge our maister and fro his vncles the duke of Berrey and of Burgoyne to shewe vnto you howe they haue great marueyle in that the voiage that they wolde haue made in to Englande is by your meanes broken and haue taken and raunsomed the Constable of Fraunce at so highe a rauÌ„some that they are ryght sorie therof And moreouer ye wyll haue thre of his castelles in Bretaygne the whiche shal be a great anoyauÌ„ce to all the resydue of the couÌ„tre if they shuloe be holde agaynst them with the ayde of the towne of Iugone the whiche is pertaynynge to the Constables herytage Therfore we are charged to shewe you and we saye vnto you as messangers fro the kynge our mayster and from his vncles that ye rendre agayne to the coÌ„stable of FrauÌ„ce his herytage that ye with holde from hym and sette hym agayne in peasable possessyon accordyng vnto ryght in lyke maner as they were before whan they were delyuered you perforce and by none other ryght nor tytell that ye haue to them And also that ye restore agayne entierlye all the money that ye haue hadde of hym And this is the commaundement of the kynge and his counsayle that ye come ê‘sonally to Parys or where as it shall please the kyng to assygne you there to make your excuse And we repute hym so benygne and pacyent with that ye be of the blode royall that he wyll here your excuse And if he be nat reasonable the duke of Berrey and the duke of Burgoyne wyll so temper hym that ye shal be frendes and cosyn to the kynge as by reason ye ought to be Than the bysshoppÌ„ tourned hym to sir Iohan of Beull and said Sir is nat this the kynges pleasure and he sayde yes and so dyde sir Iohan de Vyen At these wordes there were no mo present but they foure WHan the duke of Bretaine had herde the bysshoppe of Langers speke he studyed a lytell and good cause why for it was a great matter and at the laste he sayde Sirs I haue well vnderstande your wordes and it is good reasone that I so do bycause ye be sent from the kyng and his vncles Wherfore in their behalfe I wyll do you all the honour and reuerence that I can do I am bounde therto but your demauÌ„de and request requyreth counsayle Wherfore I shall take counsayle with myne and make you
vpon tayles aydes vpon aydes so that the realme hath ben more greued with tayles and other subsydies nat accustomed sythe the kynges Coronacyon than in fyftie yere before and it is nat knowen where the richesse is become Wherfore sir maye it please you to prouyde some remedy or elles the mater wyll go yuell for the commons cryeth out theron Than the duke answered and sayde fayre sirs I haue herde you well speke but I alone can nat remedy this mater howe be it I se well ye haue cause to coÌ„playne and so hathe all other people But though I be vncle to the kynge and sonne to a kyng though I shulde speke therof yet nothynge shal be done for all that For the kyng my nephue hath suche couÌ„sayle as nowe about hym whome he beleueth better than hym selfe whiche couÌ„sayle ledeth hym as they lyste But if ye wyll come to the effecte of your desyres it must behoue you to haue of youre accorde and agrement all the cyties and good townes of Englande And also some prelates and noble ê‘sonages of the realme and so come toguyder in to the kynges presens and I my brother shal be there And than ye maye saye to the kynge Ryght dere sir ye were crowned very yonge and yuell ye haue ben counsayled as yet hyther vnto Nor ye haue nat takenne good regarde to the busynesse of this your Realme by reason of the poore and yonge counsayle that ye haue aboute you Wherby the matters of your realme hath hadde but small and yuell effectes as ye haue sene and knowen ryght well For if God haddenat shewed his grace this realme had been loste and distroyed Therfore sir here in the prensens of your vncles we requyre youre grace as humble subiectes ought to desyre their prince that your grace wyll fynde some remedy that this noble Realme of Englande and the noble crowne therof whiche is discended to you from the noble kyng Edwarde the thirde who was the moost nobles kynge that euer was sythe Englande was firste enhabyted that it maye be susteyned in sprosperyte and honour and your people that complayneth to be kepte and maynteyned in their ryght the whiche to do your grace dyde swere the daye of youre Coronacion And that it maye please you to call togyther the thre estates of your Realme prelates and barownes and wysemen of your cyties and good townes and that they may regarde if the gouernyng of your realme that is past be well or nat And sir if they parceyue that it hath been well thanne suche as be in offyce to remaygne styll as longe as it shall please your grace and if they be founde contrarye thauÌ„e they in courtesse maner to be auoyded fro your persone and other notable and dyscrete persones to be sette in to offyce First by your noble aduyse by the consent of my lordes your vncles and noble prelates and barones of your realme And sirs quod the duke of Gloucester whan ye haue made this supplycacion to the kynge he wyll thanne make you some maner of answere If he saye that he wyll take counsayle in the mater than desyre to haue ashorte day And peyse so the mater before hande to putte the kynge and suche marmosettes as be about hym to some feare Saye to hym boldely that the Realme wyll no lengar suffre it and that it is marueyle howe they haue suffred it so longe and I and my brother and the bysshoppe of Caunterburye and the Erle of Salisbury the Erle of Arundell and the erle of NorthumberlaÌ„de wyll be by for without we be present speke no worde therof We are the greatest ê‘sonages of Englande and we shall ayde to susteyne your wordes For all we shall say howe your desyre is but reasonable And whan he hereth vs speke he wyll agre there to or els he dothe amysse and thervpon apoynt a tyme This is the best counsayle I can gyue you Than the Londoners answered and sayde Sir ye counsayle vs nobly But sir it wyll be harde for vs to fynde the kyng and you and all these lordes toguyder in one place Nay nay quod the duke it maye well be done saynt Georges daye is nowe within this syre dayes The kynge wyll be than at wyndsore ye knowe well the duke of Irelande wyll be there and sir Symon Burle and many other and my brother and I and therle of Salisbury shall be there therfore prouyde for yâ— mater ayenst that tyme. Sir quod they it shal be done and so they departed ryght well contente with the duke of Gloucester Than whan saynt Georges daye came the kyng and the quene were at Wyndsore and made there a great feest as his predecessours hadde done before the next daye after the feest of saynt George Thyder came the londoners to the nombre of threscore horse and of yorke as many and many othes of dyuers good townes of Englande they lodged in the towne of Wyndsore The kyng was determyned to departe to place a thre leages thens and whan he knewe of the commyng of the people to speke with hym he wolde the sooner haue ben gone He sayde he wolde in no wyse speke with them But than his vncles and therle of Salisbury sayd sir ye may nat with your honour thus departe The people of youre good townes of Englande are come hyder to speke with you Sir it is necessary that ye here them and to knowe what they demaunde and there after ye maye aunswere them or els take counsayle to aunswere them So thus full sore agaynst the kynges mynde he was fayne to tarye than they came into his presâ—ns in the great hall alowe there was the kynge and bothe his vncles and the archebysshoppe of Caunterbury the bysshop of Wynchester and the Chaunceler and the erle of Salisbury the erle of Northumber lande and dyuers other There this people made their request to the kyng and a burges of London spake for them all named sir Simeon of Subery a sage man and well langaged and there declared well and boldely the effecte of thinformacyon that the duke of Glocester had shewed theÌ„ before as ye haue herde Whan the kyng had herde hym well he sayd Amonge you coÌ„mons of my realme your requestes are great and long they are nat ouer soone to be spedde we shall nat be toguyder agayne a long season and also great parte of my counsayle is nat here present Therfore I saye vnto you gette you home agayne sytte in reste and come nat agayne tyll the feest of Myghelmas without ye be sente for at whiche tyme our parlyament shal be at Westmynster Than come bringe your requestes and we shall shewe it to our counsayle and that is good we shall accepte it and that ought to be refused we shall condempne But sirs thinke nat that we wyll be rewled by our coÌ„mon people that shall neuer be sene as for our gouernynge nor in the gouernaunce of them that rule vnder vs we se nothynge
dystroyed vs. ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the counsayle drewe togyder for the reformacyon of the kynge and of the realme and howe by the counsayle of the duke of Irelande the kynge was of the accorde too make warre agaynst his vncles agaynst the cytees and townes Ca. xcv IN lyke maner as the kinges vncles and the newe counsayle of Englande beynge at London deuysed of the busynesse of Englāde to reforme it to bring it into good estate So on the other syde the duke of Irelande and his counsayle ymagined nyght and daye howe they myght contynue in their estates and to condēpne the kynges vncles as ye shall hereafter Whanne kyng Richarde was come to Bristowe the quene with hym they kepte them selfe in the Castell there and men that were farre of beleued that the kyng laye there for sauour of the duke of Irelande who said that he wolde go in to Irelande and it was sayd that the kyng wolde se hym dispatched It was agreed by the generall coūsaile that if he wolde go in to Irelande he shulde haue at the coste of the realme fyue hūdred men of armes and fyftene hundred archers and that he shulde abide there thre yere and to be well and trewly payde Howe be it the duke had no great wyll to make that vyage for he sawe well the kyng was yonge and as than he myght rule as he lyst Therfore he feared if he shulde go farre of that the loue and the fauour that he was in with the kynge shulde asswage Also besyde that he was in suche loue with one of the quenes damoselles called Lancegrone that in no wyse he coude leaue the syght of her She was a fayre and a pleasaunt vamosell and was come with the quene out of the realme of Beame This duke loued her so entierlye that he wolde gladly be deuorsed fro his owne wife who was doughter to the lorde of Coucy and dyde sende for that entente to Rome to pope Vrbayne All the good people of the realme had marueyle therof and dispreysed hym greatly for that the good lady was dought̄ to the doughter of good kyng Edwarde of the good quene Philyppe The duke of yorke and the duke of Gloucestre toke that dede in great dispyte but for all their hate the duke of Irelande set lytell therby for he was so blynded with louynge of this damosell that he promysed to be deuorsed and to mary her He douted nat the popes graunt so that he myght gette the kynges and the quenes good wyll for he reputed his wyfe that he had frēche brought vp in Fraunce and so was her father the lorde of Coucy and he had made warre agaynst pope Vrbayne in the tytell of pope Clemēt wherfore pope Vrbayne loued nat that blode Therfore he sayde the pope wolde enclyne the lyghtlyer to his deuorse This mater the duke dyde putte forthe and promysed to Lācegrone to mary her This duke had a mother a wydowe called the olde countesse of Oxenforde she agreed nat to the opynion of her sonne but blamed hym greatly of his folye and sayde Howe god wolde be sore displeased with hym and paye hym one day for all and than̄e it wolde be to late to repente and she toke the duchesse to her and kept her styll in her estate And suche as ought the ladye any good wyll gaue her great thankes therfore THus I haue shewed you parte of the busynesse of Englande that fell in this season And yet I shalle procede further as I was enfourmed ye haue herde howe the duke of Irelande was aboute the kynge in the marches of Wales and nyght and daye ymagyned on none other thynge but howe he myght bringe about his entent And so serued the kynge and the quene with fayre wordes to please theym and caused all other knyghtes and squyers there about to come to Bustowe to se the kyng and the quene and made them great sporte in huntyng the kynge suffred hym to do what he lyste The same season that the kynge laye at Bristowe on the ryuer of Syuerne in the marches of Wales The duke of Irelande tooke great payne to ryde in and out and specially in to Wales and sayd to suche as wolde here hym gentylmen or other Howe the kynges vncles to haue the soueraygntie of the realme hadde dismyssed out of the kynges coūsayle noble valyaunt and sage personnages As the archebysshoppe of yorke the bysshoppe of Dyrhame the bysshoppe of London sir Mychaell de la Poule sir Nicholas Bramble sir Iohan Salisbury sir Robert Tryuilyen sir Iohan Beauchampe hym selfe and hadde putte to dethe a valyaunt knyght sir Symon Burle So that and they multiplye in their estate they wyll distroye all Englande This duke of Irelande dyde so moche and preached so to the people and to the knyghtes and squyers of Wales and of the countreis there aboute that the moost parte beleued hym And on a daye they came ingenerall to the kynge to Bristowe and demaūded of hym if that it were his pleasure as the duke of Irelande hadde shewed theym The kynge aunswered and sayd yea truely And prayed and commaunded them as they loued hym to beleue hym and sayd he wolde auowe all that he shulde do affyrmyng how he thought his vncles were to hygh mynded so that he feared leste they wolde surmounte hym and take awaye his realme from hym And they of the marches of Wales alwayes loued the prince of Wales father to the kyng For by the tidynges they herde out of the marches of London they thought iustely that the kyng and the duke of Irelande had good cause And so demaunded of the kynge what his pleasure was to do The kynge aunswered and sayd howe he wolde gladly that the lōdoners that hadde done hym so great trespasses that they were corrected and brought to reason his vncles in lykewise They of Wales sayd they were bounde to obey their kyng nor they ought no fayth nor homage to no man but to hym for he was their kynge soueraygne lorde Wherfore they sayde they were redy to go whyder soeuer the kyng dyd commaunde them The kynge was well cōtente with that aunswere and in lykewise so was the duke of Irelande Whan the Duke sawe that the kyng wolde shewe that the busynesse was parteynynge to hym selfe and that he hadde so good desyre to distroye his aduersaries and to bringe theym to reason He hadde therof great ioye and sayde to thē of his counsayle We can nat do better than to retourne to London and shewe our puissaunce And so to do outher by fayre wordes or otherwyse to bring the Lōdoners to their accorde and to be obeysaunt to the kynges commaundement Alwayes they enfourmed the kynge howe that it was a great losse to a realme whan there be many heedes chefe gouernours and howe there coude no good come therby and the kynge affyrmed the same and sayde howe he wolde no lenger suffre it but that he wolde fynde suche
or squiers of any nacyon what soeuer it be that entred in to this vyage In any wyse arme nat them selfe for the space of sixe yere agaynst the realme of Castyle and that they swere thus to do whan they take the safecoÌ„ducte And of this coÌ„posycion ye shall haue letters open to beare to your constable and to suche coÌ„panyons as sent you hyder These knyghtê thanked the kynge and his counsayle of their answere sayd sir there be certayne artycles in your answere we caÌ„ nat tell if they will be accepted or nat If they be nat we shall sende agayne to you our heraulte if he come nat we shall accept your sayeng Well sirs the kyng is content quod they of his counsayle than the kyng went in to his chambre And sir water Passacke and sir WyllmÌ„ Lignacke kepte styll company with the Englysshe knyghtes and brought them in to a fayre chaÌ„bre where their dyner was redy apparelled for theÌ„ and there dyned with them And after dyner had wyne and spyces in the kynges chambre and toke their leaue Their letters were redy they toke their horses and so departed rode to Vyle cloppes and the next day they came to the towne of Arpent dyned and at night lay at Noy in Galyce and the next daye they came to Auranche there founde the constable So it fortuned that in this mean season one of the duke of Lancasters great barons died a right valyant man called the lorde Fitz water He was greatly bemooned but agaynst dethe none maye stryue His enterment was honorably done the kyng of Portugale and the duke of LaÌ„castre present and whan these thre knyghtes were come to the Dukes lodgyng they shewed all that they had done shewed their letters of confyrmacion of the same Than some sayd it was a herde couenaunt and some sayde nay holdyng opinyon that it was right courtesse perfitely consyderyng the danger that they were in These tidynges anone sprede abrode in the host how the duke had gyuen lycence euery man to departe who so lyst Than suche as were sycke and feble desyring a fresshe ayre deê‘ted as soone as they might toke their leaue of the duke and of the coÌ„stable and than they were truely payd their wagê as curtesly as might be And some were content with fayre wordes and so they departed by coÌ„panyes some went to Arpent some to Ruelles some to vilcloppes some to Noy soÌ„e to Medena de CaÌ„po other places in euery place they were welcome and brought to their lodgynges their names presented to the capitayne The greattest parte of the gentylmen went to Arpent bycause in that towne there were many straungers Bretons frenchmen normayns and poicteuyns ouer whome sir Olyuer de Clesquyn was capitayne The Englysshemen trusted better in them than they dyde in the Spaynyerdes and good cause why THus as I haue shewed you the duke of Lancastres army brake vp at that tyme in Castyle and euery man sought the best for hym selfe ye maye well beleue that this dyde greatly trouble the duke of Lancastre and great cause why for he sawe his enterprise â—ore putte a backe and brought in to a herde case Howe be it lyke a valyaunt sage price as he was he coÌ„forted hym selfe aswell as he myght for he sawe well it coulde none otherwyse be And whan the kyng of Portugale sawe howe the matter went and that their army was broken of He gaue lycence to all maner of men except a thre hundred speares that were come to serue hym He retaygned them styll and so departed fro AuraÌ„che with the duke of LaÌ„castre and his wyfe rode to saynt Iaques called CoÌ„postella And whan the kyng and the duke were there the kynge taryed there four dayes And than departed with all his men and retourned to his countrey to his wyfe who laye at Porte a good cytie in Portugale NOwe shall I shewe you what befell of dyuers knyghtes and squyers suche as were departed fro the duke and gone in to Castile Dyuers that were entecte with sickenesse for all their chaungynge of newe ayre and newe medycins yet they coulde nat scape the peryll of dethe Dyuers dyed in Arpent in the meane season that the king of Castyle sent to the kynge of Nauerre and to the frenche kyng for their sauecoÌ„ductes to passe pesably whiche was nat soone optaygned dyuers lordes knyghtes and squyers of EnglaÌ„de dyed in their beddes whiche was gret domage and a great losse to their countrey In Arpent there dyed thre great barones of Englande and ryche men The first was sir Richarde Burle who had ben marshall of the dukes hoost another the lorde Ponynges the thyrde the lorde Percy cosyn germayne to the erle of Northumberlande And in the towne of Noy dyed sir Mauberyn of Lymers a poyteuyn a ryght noble and an expert knyght And in the towne of Ruelles there dyed a great baron called the lorde Talbot So that there died here and there a .xii. gret lordes and a fourscore knightes and two huÌ„dred squyers This was a great dysconfetture without any stroke stryken and there dyed of other meane men mo than fyue hundred And I herde it reported of a knyght of Englande as he retourned through FrauÌ„ce his name was sir ThomÌ„s Quynbery that of fyftene hundred men of armes and foure thousande archers that the duke of Lancastre hadde brought out of the realme of Englande there neuer returned agayn the halfe parte THe duke of Lancastre fyll in a perylous sickenesse in the towne of saynt Iaques and often tymes the brute ranne in Castyle in Fraunce howe he was deed and surely he was in a great adueÌ„ture of his lyfe Thyrrey of Souuayne a squyer of honour and squyer for the dukes body was taken with sickenesse and dyed at Besances he was naturally borne of the countie of Heynaulte And his brother Wyllyam of Souuayn was with hym tyll he dyed who in like wyse was in great aduenture of his lyfe Of a trouthe there was none so hardy so ryche nor so tolye but that they were in feare of theÌ„ selfe euery day loked for none other thyng but deth and with this sickenesse there were none infected but alonely the duke of Lancasters coÌ„pany Among the freÌ„chmen there were none sicke wherby dyuers murmuracyons were among the spanyerdes sayeng the kyng of Castyle hath done great grace to these Englysshmen to suffre them to lye and rest them in his countie and in his good townes But we feare it wyll cost vs greatly for they haue or are lyke to bring in to this countrey great mortalyte Than other wolde saye Ah they are christenmen as we be there ought coÌ„passion and pyte to be taken one of another this was the coÌ„munyng among them And true it was that same season a knyght of FrauÌ„ce dyed in Castile for whom gret sorowe was made For he was gracyous courtesse and hardy in armes and was brother to sir Iohan sir Raynolde and
his leaue departed and rode to Chasteaulx and iourneyed so long that he came to the cite of Naūtes and there refresshed hym And than he demaūded where the duke was and it was shewed hym howe he was in the marches of Wēnes therefoūde the duke who receyued him ioyously for they were nere cosyns togider The erle of Stampes who right well coude acquyte hymselfe amonge great princes and ladyes for he had been brought vp amonge theym in his youthe acquytedde hym selfe right sagely with the duke And shewed nat the princypall affectyon of his corage at his fyrste commynge but dissymuled two or thre dayes and whan he sawe his tyme he humyled hym selfe greatlye to the duke the rather therby to drawe hym to his entent and than sayd Sir and my right dere cosyn ye ought nat to marueyle thoughe I am come so farre of to se you for greatlye I haue desyred it And than notably he shewed hym the charge that he hadde to saye to hym on the behalfe of the duke of Berrey of the whiche wordes the duke made light And for resolucion of answere at that tyme the duke sayde Cosyn we knowe well this that ye haue sayde is trewe I shall remembre me and ye shall abyde here with vs as long as it shall please you for your comyng dothe vs great pleasure Other aunswere the erle coulde nat haue as at that tyme. The erle taryed there a fyftene dayes and the duke shewed hym gret loue and shewed hym the fayre castell of Ermyn whiche was nere to Wannes the whiche the duke had newely made and there he toke parte of his pastaūce And alwayes whanne he sawe a conuenyente tyme he shewed swetely and sagely the cause of his comyng And euer the duke aunswered hym so couertly that the erle coulde haue no suretie in any aunswere to make any restytucion of a hundred thousand frankes nor of the castels that he helde of the constables the whiche yet at the ende he dyd and that was without request of any persone whan it was leste loked for as I shall shewe you hereafter as I was enfourmed Whan the erle Stampes sawe that he laye there in vayne than he thought to take his leaue and to retourne in to Fraunce and so he dyd The duke gaue hym leaue and at his departynge gaue hym a fayre whyte palfrey aparelled and it had ben for a kynge and gaue hym a fayre rynge with a stone well worthe a thousande frankes Thus the erle departed and retourned by Anger 's and there founde the quene of Napoles and Iohan of Bretayne who greatly desyred to here tydynges and sayd Fayre cosyn I thynke ye haue sped well for ye haue taryed longe out Than the erle shewed parte of his busynesse but fynally howe he had spedde nothynge Whan he had taryed there a day he departed and went to Towrs and at last came in to Berrey and founde the duke at Mehyn a castell of his whiche he had newly made and had workemen dayly theron Whan the duke of Berrey sawe the erle of Stampes he made hym good chere and demaunded tydinges of Bretayne There he declared fro poynt to poynte all that he had sente and herde and sayde howe in no wyse he coulde breke the duke of Bretayne fro his purpose The duke of Berrey passed the mater lyghtly whan he sawe it wolde be none otherwyse And so retourned in to Fraunce to the king and to the duke of Burgoyne his brother and shewed theym howe he had sente in to Bretaygne to the duke his cosyn the erle of Stampes and declared in euery poynt howe he had spedde Thus the mater rested whan they sawe none other remedy ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe after the departynge of the duke of Lācastre all that euer he had wonne in Galyce the frenchmen recouered it in lesse than fyftene dayes and howe the englisshmen that had ben there ī that warre defamed and spake yuell of the coūtrey of Galyce and howe the frenche kynge sent for the duke of Irelande Ca. C.xxiiii IT hath been resyted here before in this hystory howe the englisshmen dyd in Galyce howe the duke and the duchesse and his doughter came to the Porte of Portyngale and there taryed a season with kynge Iohan of Portugale and with the yonge quene doughter to the duke of Lancastre as ye haue herde here before It anoyed greatly the duke and nat without a cause in that he had done nothynge for his profyte all that season in Castyle but that he hadde done was to his great domage his men deed of sykenes of the best of his company knyghtes and squyers And suche conquest as he hadde made with great payne and cost he sawe well it shulde besoone recouered agayne by the kynge of castell And in dede so it was for as sone as he was departed and entred in to Portugale and that the spanyardes and knyghtes of Fraunce suche as were taryed there with syr Olyuer of Clesquyn constable of Castyle sawe that the duke of Lancastre was departed and that in maner all his englysshe men were departed fro hym Than they sette forwarde to reconquere agayne all that had ben loste of the realme of Castyle the whiche was sone done for they of the townes castels cyties in Galyce had rather to haue ben vnder the obeysaunce of the kynge of Castyle than vnder the duke of Lancaster without he had been able to haue kepte the felde to haue defended the countrey For they of Castyle Lombardy and of Italy of vsage euer they saye Lyue he that is strongest and he that wynneth All that euer the duke of Lancastre had wonne fro the feast of Easter to the begynnynge of Iuly all was wonne agayne and refresshed with newe frenchmen and men of Castyle and the englysshmen that were left there by the duke in garysons who thought to haue taryed there peasably all the wynter were sone put out outher by fayre meanes or perforce and some slayne suche as wolde nat yelde vp and some returned by sauecōducte to passe by Portugale so to Bayon or to Burdeaux And of all this the duke of Lancastre was well aduertysed he beynge in the cytie of Porte in Portugale but he coude nat remedy it whiche was ryghtsore dypleasaunte to his herte It is nat to be beleued the contrary for the more noble valyaunt and sage that a man is displeasures to hym be the more bytter and paynefull howe be it the duke wolde say often tymes and bare out a good face If we haue lost this yere by the grace of god a nother season shall be for vs. the fortunes of this worlde are meruaylous they can nat be always permanente Also the kynge of Portugale gaue hym alwayes good comforte and sayde Syr ye may abyde here and kepe your astate and wryte to youre bretherne and frendes in Englande that they maye sende you this nexte Marche a fyue or syre hundred speares and two thousande archers and I shall
Guerlâ—s of whome I treat at this present tyme was maryed to the doughter of Berthalce of Malynes therby to bringe him out of daunger and to redeme againe his herytage the whiche was in sore trouble before and the duke of Guerles sonne to the duke of Iulyers to entertayne and to kepe the towne of Graue agaynst the brabansoys as he had cause and iuste tytle Whan he sawe howe he coulde nat gette agayne his thre castels Gauleth Buth and Nulle on the ryuer of Muse pertaynynge to his herytage and to the countrey of Guerles thought than to attrybute the towne of Graue to his herytage for euer this duke had a bastarde doughter maryed to the sonne of the lord Bruke who was enherytour to the towne of Graue So there was an amyable treatye bytwene them as bytwene the fader and the sonne and there the lorde of Bruke gaue the towne and sygnory of Graue to the duke of Guerles in presence of the knyghtes of Guerles and Iuliers and for that cause the duke of Guerles dyd recompence the lorde of Bruke with the landes of Bresde on the ryuer of Lighen in the duchy of Guerles marchyng on the countrey of Holande aboue Brabaunte At this towne of Bresde there was a fayre castell and the towne great and profytable how be it the towne of Graue was better This the duke of Guerles dyd to the entent to haue a iuste tytle to kepe the towne of Graue agaynst the brabansoys The duches of Brabant and the brabansoys said howe the lorde of Bruke had it but to pledge and that they myght quyte it out whan they wolde but the duke of Guerles sayd nayetherto By reason wherof the warre moued So that in the moneth of May the brabansoys came and layde syege to the towne of Graue with many lordes knyghtes and squyers and with the puyssaunce of other good townes in Brabante And thyder they brought engyns springals and other habylimentes of warre They were a .xl. thousande one and other there was skrymysshynge dayly The towne of Graue standeth on the ryuer of Muese on the syde of Brabante and there is a bridge ouer the ryuer to go in to the countrey of Guerles At this siege euery thynge was plenty and as good chepe of euery thynge as though they had been before Brusels Euery day there was skrymysshynge at the barryers of Graue of suche as wolde aduenture them selfe Sometyme they were put a backe and some tyme they droue their enemyes in to their towne as chaunce of aduenture fell The duke of Guerles was well infourmed of this siege He laye a foure leages fro Nymarse and wrote often tymes in to Englande where he trusted to haue socoure by reason of the englysshe army wherof the erle of Arundell was capytayne on the see as sone as wynde and wether wyll serue them to come to Guerles to reyse the syege before Graue The duke of Guerles knewe well that the towne of Graue was strong and well forty fyed so that he thought it coulde nat be wonne by none assaute but outher by trayson or by treatye He trusted theym of Gruae to be sure and faythfull to hym Thus the siege endured longe before Grane And the erle of Arundels army was on the see and tooke no lande but styll kepte on the fronters of Normandy So that the normans fro agaynst Mounte saynte Mychell and downe alonge to Depe to saynt Valery and to Croty were nat well assured wherto they shuld take hede The portes and hauens of Normandy were refresshed by the frenche kynge with good men of armes and crose bowes to resyste agaynste all parelles And by the marshall of Blankewyll was sette in the towne of Carentyne standyge on the see whiche before of olde tyme pertayned to the herytage of kynge Charles of Nauerre the lorde of Ambre and the lorde Coucy two gret lordes of Normandy And the Constable of Fraunce toke the towne of saynte Malo and the towne of saynte Mathews and as soone as they knewe that the englysshe men were on the see they sette men in to those townes in the name of the frenche kyng In this season they thought surely to haue open warre with the duke of Bretayne for the knyghtes and squyers sayde that the armye on the see of the englysshmen were sente thyder for none other purpose but sente for by the duke of Bretayne to lande in his countrey They sayd it was none other lykely for alwayes the shyppes kepte on the coste of Bretaygne without force of wethersome tyme caused them to departe yet alwayes breuely they retourned agayne to the same coste yE haue herde here before howe the duke of LaÌ„castre was departed out of the realmes of Castyle and Portugale the imagynacyons that he had turned hym to great dyspleasure for he sawe well his busynesse was sore troubled and darked as fortune often tymes falleth in sondrie ê‘sons somtyme good somtyme yuell whan it is lest thought on For whan the duke of Lancastre departed out of the realme of Englande acoÌ„panyed with good meÌ„ of armes and archers he thought than to haue sped otherwise than he dyde He sawe and herde howe that in xv dayes he had loste all Galyce whiche was a long season or he had won it the space of xvi wekes And besyde that his men deed sparcled abrode some here and soÌ„e there and hoped of no conforte out of EnglaÌ„de for the Englysshmen were wery of the warre of Spaygne They thought it ouer long and farre of fro them So the duke of Lancastre thought his busynesse in a harde case seyng no comforte he spake lytell but he thought moche more In his ymaginacyon he lyconed his iourney to the voiage that the duke of Aniou made in to the realme of Naples For whan he departed out of the realme of Fraunce he was well furnysshed of all maner of thyng and wente with great richesse puissaunce a great nombre of noble men of armes knightes and sâ—â—uiers at the ende all were slayne and lost Thus the duke of Lancastre reckoned his vâ—yage to come to nothynge by reason of suche disconforte as he had The erle of Foiz Who was in his countre of Bierne and was eight sage and ymaginatyue sayd and accompeed the duke of Lacasters vyage but lost as inrecoueryng of the realme of Castyle whiche he chalenged The duke of Lacastre who was a sage and a wise prince and valyaunt amonge all his disconfytures yet somtyme he toke coÌ„forte to hym selfe I shall shewe you howe and by what meanes He sawe well he had a fayre doughter by the lady Custaunce his wyfe doughter to done Peter kyng of Castyle in whose right and clayme he made his warre in Castyle He thought thoughe fortune were agaynst hym at that tyme yet it myght tourne good to his doughter who was fayre and yonge for she had ryght to the heritage of Castyle by reason of her mother and thought that some valyaunt man of Fraunce wolde
purpose to do here after What nede you to kepe the thre castelles parteynyng to sir Olyuer of Clyssons herytage after the maner toke them Wheder it be so ye haue peace or warre they shall coste you more the kepynge of theym in thre yeres than they shall profyte you in twelue yeres Sir delyuer them agayne out of your handes without any desyre and whan the renome therof spredeth abrode as there is nothynge done but it wyll be knowen that without cōstreynt ye haue delyuered them of your owne mynde ye shall therby attemper and molifye euery mannes displeasure it shall greatlye please the duke of Burgoyne who ye knowe well hath nat done so moche agaynst you as he myght in all your busynesse And that is by the meanes of the good lady his wyfe your cosyn She hath many fayre chyldren who are nexte of blode to you therfore sir consyder fro whens ye came and are issued departe nat farre of fro thens that ye ought to approche nere it were follye in Englande ye hadde neuer thyng to do Also the Englysshmen haue ynoughe to do amonge themselfe They shewe you fayre semblaunt of loue and promyse to do for you all that they maye but they do it for their owne aduauntage and for nothynge elles ye haue proued them or this ye were norisshed amonge thē in your youthe ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the duke of Bretayne delyuered vp the thre castelles of sir Olyuer Clissons and howe he receyued ioyously the lorde of Coucy and his company ambassadours fro the frēche kyng And howe the duke of Lācastre made grete chere to sir Helyon of Lignacke seneschall of Xaynton ambassadoure fro the duke of Berrey Cap. C.xxviii WHan the duke of Bretayne had herde his counsayle speke and cast so many reasonable doubtes he was abasshed and stoode styll a season without spekynge of any worde leanyng in a wyndowe lokyng downe in to the courte his counsayle beyng aboute hym he stode in a great study at last he tourned and said sirs I se well that ye haue highly coūsayled me and I se well I haue nede of nothynge so moche as of good counsayle But howe may any loue be norisshed where is no thyng but hate Howe maye I loue Olyuer of Clysson that hath done me so many dyspleasures Wherfore of all the thynges that euer I dyde in this worlde I moost repente me of that I dyd nat put hym to dethe whan I had hym in my castell of Ermyne In the name of god sir quod they of his counsayle if he had ben slayne but ye ought nat to haue raunsomed hym nor taken his herytage For Iohan of Bretayne and the Vycount of Rohers sonne be his heyres and herytours to all his landes for his doughters are their wyues Wherfore they wolde haue entred in to the heritage as their owne for their resort is in to the Parlyament chambre at Parys For ye haue receyued all redy great blame in Fraunce for that ye haue done and kepynge of the thre castelles The constable hath entred his quarell and plee agaynst you in the parlyament house of Parys and there sentence wyll be gyuen agaynst you for there is none to answere for you agaynst any artycle that the Constable hath layde agaynst you Than sir Olyuer of Clysson and his heyres shall haue iuste cause and quarell to make warre agaynst you in his owne tytell And if the kynge with other of your owne countrey of Bretayne wyll make you warre and ayde your ennemyes ye haue nede than̄e to haue more puyssaunce to defende you thasie we can se that ye are lyke to haue Wherfore sir while the plee hangeth ye were best to delyuer agayne the thre castelles and haue thāke than to abyde the sentence to be gyuen agaynst you Sir agre for suche dommages as ye haue done as well as ye canne therby shall you wade out of all sclaundre the whiche a prince ought to dout for his dishonour And sir cōferme you to peace and contynue in loue with them that ye ought to do that is the Frenche kynge your soueraygne and naturall lorde and my lorde the duke of Burgoyne and your cosyns his chyldren ye may take ensample by that ye haue sene in youre dayes your cosyn germayne therle of Flaūders who was a myghte prince and a sage yet by insydētes in th ende of his dayes there fell to hym suche marueylous aduentures that without he had humyled hym selfe to the frēche kynge to his vncles and to the nobles of the realme he had loste his herytage and by their ayde and helpe he recouered it Well sirs quod the duke sithe I haue demaunded counsayle it behoueth me to take it and I accepte your wordes that ye haue spoken THis mater wente so forwarde that the duke of Bretayyne who was in possessyon of the thre castelles of the constables as ye haue herde here before he sent for his men that was in them and rydde his handes clene of them and there were stablysshed men in them for the constable But this restytuicion was nat suffycient in the opynion of the Frenche kynges counsayle wtout the duke restored agayne the money that he hadde taken of the Constable and besyde that the duke to come personally to the kyng to Parys to make his excuse before all the peres of the realme and to abyde on the mendes makynge suche as the kyng and his coūsayle shulde iudge by good delyberacion And whan the knowledge of the restytucion of these castels was come to the lorde of Coucye and to the other lordes that were apoynted to go in to Bretaygne to the duke Than the lorde of Coucy sayde to his company Sirs we haue the lesse to do I beleue the duke wyll gyue credence to vs whan he heareth vs speke I was enfourmed that before these thre barons departed fro Parys the dukes of Berrey and of Bourgoyne had them in counsayle and sayde Sirs ye muste entreate the duke of Bretaygne with fayre and swete wordes nat rigorously And shewe hym howe the duke of Bourgoyne wolde that he shulde come to Parys to the kyng but at leest shewe hym howe he must come to the halfe way to the towne of Bloyes and there we shall mete with hym and speke toguyder These thre lordes said they wolde do as they were cōmaūded They rode forthe came to the cytie of Rennes in Bretayne there demaūded tidinges of the duke and it was shewed them howe he was at Wannes and than they rode tyhder Their cōmynge was anon knowen in the dukes court for they had sent before their herbygers to take vp their lodgynges The duke had about hym his counsayle greate lordes suche as he trusted most the more honourably to receyue these lordes Whan they entred in to the towne of Wānes they had good chere and lordes and knyghtes of the dukes mette them and specially the lorde de la Wall there they a lyghted at their lodgynges refresshed them selfe
was sente for agayne WHan these tydynges were spredde abrode in the countrey that Betysach was in prison and that inquyre was made of his dedes and that it was publysshed that who so euer had any matter to hym shulde come forthe therby moche people came to Besyers and put vp supplycacions to the kynge of the cruell dedes of Betysach Some complayned of hym that he hadde dysheryted them without cause or reason And other complayned of hym that he hadde by force taken their wyues and doughters Whan the kynges counsayle sawe so many gret causes laide to Betysache they were wery therof And besyde all these complayntes he was sore behated with the people And all this came to hym by reason to fyll the duke of Berreys purse he dyd euer what he wolde haue hym to do The kynges counsayle wyste nat what to do for than there was come thyder two knightes fro the duke of Berrey the lorde of Nantonelet and syr Peter Mespyn who had brought letters to the kynge fro the duke and they in the dukes behalfe auowed all that euer Betysach had doone before and the duke requyred the kynge and his counsayle to haue agayne his man and treasourer The kynge had greate hatred to Betysach bycause of the yuell name and fame that ranne vpon hym The kynge and the duke of Thourayne his brother inclyned greatly to haue had hym hanged sayenge howe he hadde well deserued it But the kynges counsayle durste nat iudge hym for dought of the duke of Berrey They sayde to the kynge syr if the duke of Berrey auowe all his dedes what so euer they be we canne nat se by no waye of reason that he hath deserued dethe for the seasone that he medled in these countreys by cessynge of tayles subsydyes and aydes and receyuynge of them he dyd it at the instauÌ„ce of the duke of Berrey who had at that tyme there puyssaunce royall as well as ye haue nowe but syr acordynge to the desertes of his dedes ye maye sease in to your handes all his mouables and herytages and leaue hym in the same case as the duke of Berrey founde hym fyrste and with his goodes make restytucion to suche poore men as be vn done by hym What shulde I make longe processe Betysache was at the poynte of his delyueraunce with the losse of his goodes tyll at the laste other tydynges came in place I shall shewe you what I Knewe nat nor I coulde nat knowe but by knowledgyng of him selfe if he were in dede so yuell as he iudged himselfe he sayd he was an herytyke and had done many horryble dedes As it was shewed me there came some to hym on a nyght beynge in prisone to put hym in feare whether they were his frendes or fooes I knowe nat they sayde Betysach thou art in a harde case the french kyng his brother and the duke of Burbone dothe hate you mortally there be so many complayntes put vp agaynste you fro dyuers place of suche oppressyons as ye haue doone whan ye had rule in Languedoc so that they all iudge you to be hanged for ye canne nat scape with the losse of your goodes the whiche hath been offred to the kynge But the kynge who hateth you mortally hath aunswered howe that all your goodes are his and your body also the whiche he sayeth he wyll nat kepe longe I shew you this for good wyll for to morowe it is thought ye shall be delyuered to be iudged to dye Those wordes greatly afrayed Betysach and sayd to them Ah saynt Mary is there no remedy yes quod they to morowe say how ye wolde speke with the kinges counsayle than outher they wyll come to you or sende for you to them and whan ye be in their presence than say thus My lordes I knowledge my selfe I haue greatly displeased god and for the displeasure he hath to me this false slaunder is reysed on me Than they wyll demaunde of you wherin Than ye shall aunswere howe ye haue a longe season arred in your faythe and that ye be an herytyke and kepe styll that opinyon Whan the bysshop of Besyers shall here that he wyll than chalenge to haue you in his kepynge than ye shall be delyuered to hym for suche causes ought to be declared by the lawe of the churche thanne ye shall be sente to Auignon there wyll be none against the duke of Berrey the pope wyll nat displease hym and by this meanes ye may be delyuered and nother lese body nor goodes But if ye byde styll in the case that ye be in ye shall nat skape paste to morowe but that ye shall be hanged for the kynge hateth you bycause of the slaunder of the people Betysache who trusted on that false infourmacyon for he that is in parell of dethe knoweth nat well what to do wherfore he aunswered and sayd ye be my frende and couÌ„sayle me truely wher of god thanke you and I trust the tyme shall come that I shall thanke you The next mornynge he called the gayler and sayde Frende I requyre you cause suche menne and suche to come to speke with me and named suche as were the enquysitours ouer him The gayler shewed theym howe Betysache wolde speke with them They came to hym and demaunded what he wolde He aunswered and sayd Sirs I haue serched my coÌ„science I knowledge my selfe I haue hyghly displeased god for longe tyme I haue arred agaynst the fayth I neuer beleued of the Trinyte nor that the sonne of god wolde come so lowe as to come fro Heuen to come in to this worlde to take humayn kynde of a woman for I beleue and saye that whan we dye there is nothynge of the sowle Ah sainte Mary quod they Betysach ye are greatly against holy churche your wordes demaundeth for a fyre aduyse you better I canne nat tell quod Betysache whether my wordes demauÌ„deth fyre or water but I haue holden this opinyon sythe I haue had knowledge and shall holde it tyll I dye The enquysitours wolde here no more of hym at that tyme and were gladde to fynde suche a mater against hym therby to put him to deth Than they coÌ„maunded the gailer to kepe him straytely and to suffre no man to speke with hym to the entente that he shulde nat be tourned fro that opynyon Thanne they wente to the kynges counsayle and shewed them all the mater than they wente to the kynge and shewed hym all the maner of Betysache as ye haue herde wherof the kynge had great marueyle sayd We wyll that he be put to dethe it is an yuell man he is a false herytyke and a thefe we wyll he be brynte and hanged than he shall haue as he hath deserued he shall nat be eâ—cused for all myne vncle of Berrey Anon these tydynges were spredde abrode in the cytie of Besyers howe Betysache hadde of his owne voluntary wyll without any constraynt confessed howe he was an herytyke and had vsed longe the synne
Butler and syr Iohan Boesme launce as they shuld haue entred in to the castell of Vanchador by reasone of a great towre that was within the castell the whiche was always able to beate the castell These two knyghtes bretons who entended nothynge but malesse layde in busshement in this towre thyrty men in harnesse to the entent that whan the frenche men were entred in to the castell thynkynge to be lordes therof that in the night these thyrty shulde issue out and slee take the frenche men at their pleasure Whan they had thus ordayned than they sente to syr Willyam Butler and to sir Iohan Boesme launce that they shulde come and bringe with them their money and they shulde haue the castell opened Of these newes the frenche men were ioyous and sayd to the messanger Retourne to your maysters and shewe them that to morowe in the mornyng we shall come thyder The messanger retourned and shewed this to his maysters The frenche knyghtes wente to counsayle togyder and dyd cast more doutes than they dyd before by reason of the wordes that the duke of Berrey had sente them by six Peter Mespyn Than they ordeyned and concluded to lay a busshemente of their men nere to the castell and than they with thyrty of their men harnessed vnder couert shulde go before and entre into the castell and to regarde wyselye the castell within and to cast all maner of doutes and than if they se any thynge to suspecte than one of them to blowe a horne and to kepe the bridge and gate open and at the sowne of the horne the busshement to come to the gate as faste as they canne and to entre and take season of the castell Thus as it was ordayned so it was done The next mornyng euery man was redy the busshement layde of a syxe score speares and the two knyghtes with thyrty in their company couertly armed came to Vanchador and syr Peter Mespyn was with them with the money trussed properly in thre panyers vpon two somers they founde the two bretons redy at the barryers who opened the barryers agaynste their comyng Whan they were entred and within the gate than the two bretons wolde haue closed the gate after them but the frenche knyghtes said Nay syrs nat so be ye true marchauntes or nat ye knowe well ye muste yelde vp to vs this castell for the payeng of the sōme of tenne thousande frankes the which is here redy ye maye se them here vpon this somer if ye kepe trouth with vs so shall we do with yon With those wordes Alayne and Peter Rour wyste nat what to say but to bringe the frenche men out of suspecte they aunswered Syrs ye saye well we are contente as ye please Thus they wente forthe and lefte the barryers open for if it hadde ben closed the busshment coulde nat haue entred to haue come tyme ynough to haue resysted the false turne that the bretons had deuysed For ymagyners shulde haue euery thyng as they lyst and if there were nat counter ymaginers agaynst thē Bothe the frenche men and bretons entred in at the gate than Alayne and Peter Roux wolde haue closed the gate but than the frenche men sayd Syrs let the gate alone we wyll haue it open it is reason we are redy to delyuer you our money acordynge to our promesse Well syrs quod the bretons lette se laye forthe the money With a good wyll quod the frenche men There they layde forthe a couerlet and the florens layde abrode In the meane season whyle Alayne and Peter Roux behelde the fayre sōme of florēce the frenche knyghtes went aboute to se the maner of the castell Thanne syr Peter Mespyn came to syr Willyam Butler sayd syr cause this great towre to be opened or ye paye all your money for there may be within it a busshmente wherby we maye be atrapped and lose bothe our bodyes and the money also Than syr Willyam sayd to Alayne Syr open this towre we wyll se it open or we delyuer our money Syr quod Alayne I canne nat do so the keyes be lost With those wordes the frenche knightes had more suspecte in the mater than they had before and said Alayne it can nat be that ye shulde lese the keyes of the soueraygne towre of this castell open it with fayrenesse or els we shall open it perforce forye haue promised and sworne to rendre to vs the castell as it is without fraude or male engyn and therfore you to haue ten thousande frankes the whiche sōme is here redy to be delyuered than Alayne aunswered agayne and sayd I wyll nat open it tyll I haue receyued the money and layde it in sauegarde than whan I haue receyued the money I shall serche for the keys Sirs quod they we wyll nat abyde so longe we se clerely by your wordes that your meanyng is nat good for you wyll dysceyue and betraye vs wherfore we lay our hādes on you Alayne and on your brother Peter in the name of the kynge our soueraygne lorde and the duke of Berrey we wyll haue this towre incontynent opened perforce and serche euery place within this castell bothe aboue and beneth to se if ye haue layde any busshemente or nat and if we fynde in the castell any thyng done by you that ought nat to be done ye are loste without redempcyon or pardone for reasone wyll so and if we fynde the castell as it ought to be we shall kepe our bargayne with you well truely and shall conducte you whyder ye lyste to the gates of Auignon if ye wyll whan Alayne and Peter Roux sawe howe the mater wente and that they were arested they were sore abasshed and were as halfe deed repented them that they had doone so moche for they sawe well they were dysceyued Than the frenche knightes perceyued well howe they were culpable and that the mater was nat well than they made a signe to hym that bare the horne to blowe so he dyd Whan the french busshement herde it they came to the castell as faste as their horses coulde ryn sayd Go we to Vanchadore they blowe for vs it semeth our men hath nat founde the castell acording as it was promysed we thynke there be some trayson anon they were come to the castell for they were nat farre of the barryers were open and kept by the frenchmen for the bretons within were nat maysters of the castell for their busshemente were within the towre The Frenche men entred and founde the capytaynes in the courte comunynge with the bretons THan Alayne and Peter were sore abasshed seynge so many of their enemyes aboute them And as for them that were within the towre knewe nothynge of the besynesse nor coude se nor here nothyng the towre was so thycke some that were with in sayde Harke syrs me thynke I here moche murmurynge without we may be dysceyued frenche men be subtyle we
Englande called Nycholas Leau he touched the Shelde of the lorde of saynt Pye he was redy to answere the first course they strake eche other so sore on the sheldes that if their staues had nat broken it had ben to their great dōmage but they helde thē selfes well fro fallyng The secōde cope they attaynted eche other on the helmes that the fyre flewe oute for their strokes crossed and so passed by The thyrde was a goodly course for they strake eche other so euin in the sight of their helmes that eche of them vnhelmed other so clerely that their helmes flewe in to the felde ouer their horse cropes the iusters ceased for that daye for there was none Englisshe man that offred to iust any more that day Than the erle of Huntyngdon and the erle Marshall and the lorde Clyfforde the lorde Beamont sir Iohan Clynton sir Iohan Dambretycourt sir Peter Shyrborne and all other knyghtes that had iusted those four dayes with the french knightes thanked them greatly of their pastaunce and said syrs all suche as wolde iuste of our partie haue accomplisshed their desyres wherfore nowe we wyll take leaue of you we wyll returne to Calays and so in to Englande And we knowe well that who so euer wyll iust with you shall fynde you here these thyrty dayes acordynge to the tenoure of your chalenge and we ones come into Englande such knightes as desyre to do dedes of armes we shall desyre them to come to vysite you The thre knyghtes thanked them and sayd They shall be right hertely welcome and we shall delyuer them acordynge to the ryght of armes as we haue done you and more ouer we thanke you of the curtesy that ye haue shewed to vs. Thus in curtes maner the englysshe men departed fro saynte Ingilbertes and rode to Calays where they taryed nat longe for the saturdaye after they toke shyppynge sayled to Douer and was there by noone and the sondaye they rode to Rochester and the nexte day to London and so euery man to his owne The thre frenche knyghtes kepte styll their place at saynt Ingylbertes The frenche kinge and the lorde of Garancyers who had ben there all that season was vnknowen whan the englysshe men were departed they neuer seased rydynge tyll they came to Crayll on the ryuer of Oyse where the quene was at that tyme. After that the Englysshe men came in to Englande I herde nat that any mo came ouer to do any dedes of armes at saynte Ingylbertes howe be it the thre frenche knyghtes helde styll their place tyll their thyrty dayes were accomplysshed and than at their leysar they retourned euery manne and came to Parys to se the kyng and the duke of Thourayne and other lordes that were at Parys at that tyme who made them good chere as reason requyred for they had valyauntly borne them selfe wherby they atcheued gret honour of the kyng and of the realme of Fraunce ⸪ ¶ Of the enterpryse and voyage of the knyghtes of Fraunce and Englande and of the duke of Burbone who was chefe of that army at the requeste of the genouoys to go in to Barbary to besiege the strong towne of Auffryke Cap. C.lxix I Shall nowe declare the maner of an hygh and noble enterprise that was done in this seasō by knightes of Fraūce of England of other countreys in the realme of Barbary Syth I haue concluded the armes that was doone at saynt Ingylbertes nowe wyll I shewe of other maters for to me it is great pleasure to declare them for if pleasure had nat inclyned me to write and to enquyre for the trouthe of many matters I had neuer come to an ende as I haue done Nowe sayeth the texte of the mater that I wyll procede on that in this season newes spredde abrode in Fraunce and in dyuers other coūtreys that the genouoys wolde make an army to go in to Barbary with gret prouysion as well of bysquet as fresshe water and wyneger with gales and vesselles for all knyghtes and squyers that wolde go in that voyage the cause that moued them thus to do I shall shewe you Of alonge tyme the affrycans had made warre by see on the fronters of the genouoys and pylled and robbed their Ilandes suche as were obeysant to them and also the ryuer of Genes lay euer in parell and daunger of them of Auffryke whiche was a stronge towne on the parties garnysshed with gates towres and hyghe and thycke walles depe dykes And lyke as the stronge towne of Calays is the key wherby who soeuer is lord therof may entre into the realme of Fraunce or in to Flaunders at his pleasure and maye by see or by lande sodenly inuade with great puyssaunce do many great feates In lyke wyse by comparyson this towne of Auffryke is the key of the barbaryns and of the realme of Auffryke and of the realmes of Bougne and Thunes and of other realmes of the infydeles in those parties This towne dyd moch dyspleasure to the genouoys who are greate marchauntes and by them of Aufryke they were often tymes taken on the see as they went or returned fro their feate of marchaundyses Than the genouoys who were ryche puyssaunt bothe by lande and by see hauyng great sygnories they regarded the dedes of the affrycans and also consydred the complayntes of suche isles as were vnder their obeysaunce as the isle Dable the isle of Syre the isle of Guerse the isle of Bostan the isle of Gorgennem and vnto the Gulfe of Lyon to the isles of Sardonne and Finisse and vnto the isle of Mayllorke whiche thre isles be vnder the obeysaunce of the kynge of Aragon Than the genouoys by comon acorde agreed to sende in to the frenche courte and to offre to all knightes and squiers that wolde go with them to be siege this towne of Aufryke to fynde them galees and other vessels charged with bysquet swete water and wyneger at their coste and charge so that one of the frenche kynges vncles or els his brother the duke of Thourayn who was yonge and lusty and lykely to conquere honour shulde be capytayne generall And the genouoys furthermore promised .xii. thousande crosbowes genouoys well furnysshed and eyght thousande of other with speares and pauesses at their cost charge This the genouoys dyde bycause they knewe that there was a trewce bytwene Englande and Fraunce for thre yere wherfore they supposed that knyghtes and īquyers as well of Fraūce as of Englande wolde be glad to be doynge in some parte WHan tydynges came first into Fraūce of this voyage the knightes and squiers of the countrey were right ioyfull and the messangers fro Genne were aunswered that they shulde nat departe tyll they were well herde and so to haue socour their request was so reasonable as to the augmentynge of the crysten faythe Thus they were caused to tary a season at Parys There to debate that mater and to se who shulde be chefe
and so on a nyght they entred in to the towne of Alexaundre They of the towne were greatly reioysed of their coÌ„myng and good cause why Bycause the erle of Armynake sawe no menne styrynge in the towne Therfore thre dayes toguyder they sauted scrimysshed at the barriers and yet with the small nombre that were there the armynakê were so well resysted that they wan nothyng Whan sir Iaques de la Byerne and his company were entred in to the strong cyte of Alexaundre and were lodged and refresshed the gouernour of the cytie and other came to vysite theÌ„ in their lodgynge Than sir Iaques demaunded of them the state of the cyte and the demeanour of their enemyes to take couÌ„sayle thervpon The anncient men and most sagest answered and sayd Sir sithe the erle of Armynake hath layde siege before vs euery daye we haue had assautes scrimysshes before our barryers Well sirs ê™ the knyght to morowe we shall se what they wyll do They knowe nat of my coÌ„myng I wyll make a secrete issue and lye in an enbusshe for them Ah sir quod they ye haue nede to be ware what ye do for they are a sixtene thousande horses and if they discouer you in the felde without any bataile they shall reyse suche a dust with their horses agaynst you and your company that ye shal be clene disconfit among your selfe Well quod the knyghtes to mo owe we shall se howe the mater shall go We must do some feate of armes sithe we become hyder Than euery man retourned to their lodging and the knight gaue know ledge to his coÌ„pany howe that the next mornyng secretely he wolde issue out of the cytie and lye in a buishment in the feldes and coÌ„maunded euery man to be redy THe nexte mornyng sir Iaques dela Bierne armed hym and all his company and issued out secretely and with hym a ioure hundred halfe a myle outs of the towne and assembled in a valey and caused other two hundred to abyde at the barriers And coÌ„maunded them that if their enemyes came to assayle them that they shulde make but faynt defence and recule backe thy derwarde where as they wolde lye in the busshement The daye was fayre and clere and the erle of Armynake who was yong and lusty after he had herde masse in his pauilyon armed hym and displayed his penon toke with hym but a hundred men thynking that no man shulde encountre hym And so came with his company before the barryers lytell and lytell some folowed hym and some satte styll sayd What nede we to arme vs whan we come to the barryers we shall se no man there and so satte styll eatyng and drinkyng and therle of Armynake went to scrimysshe before the barryers and there began to scrimysshe one with another within a shorte season the defenders beganne to recule lytell and lytell tyll they came to their enbusshe Whan sir Iaques de la Bierne sawe his enemyes coÌ„e before hym he discouered hymselfe and set on the acmynagoys who valyauntly defeÌ„ded themselfe for alwayes lytell and lytell socour came to them there was many a feate of armes done It was on saynte Christofers daye and the daye was so hoote that suche as were in their harnes thought verily they had ben in a furnes the wether was so faynt with out wynde so that the lustyest they had moche a do to do any feate of armes The partye of Myllayne were thre agaynst one The duste and the powder was so great that they coulde scante se one a nother and specially they of the erle of Armynakes parte There fell to the erle a great aduenture he was so oppressed with heate that he was so feble that he coulde scant helpe him selfe so that he drewe aparte out on the one syde of the felde and no man with him and there founde a lytell ryuer whan he felte the ayre of the water he thought he was in paradyse and sate downe alone besyde the water and with moche payne dyd of his basenet and sate bareheded and wasshed his face and dranke of the water wherby he was worse than he was before for the coldnesse of the water coled so his blode that he was faynter thanne he was before and fell in a paluesy so that he lost the strength of his body and speche and his men had loste hym there were many taken After a knight of the duke of Millayns fouÌ„de the erle of Armynake Whan he sawe hym he had meruayle what he was he parceyued wel he was a knyght a man of honour Than the knight said Sir who be you yelde you ye are my prysoner The erle vnderstode hym nat nor he coulde nat speke but he helde vp his hande and made token to yelde hym The knyght wolde haue hadde hym to ryse but he coulde nat The knyght taryed styll with him whyle other dyd fyght in the whiche batayle many a feate of armes was done WHan syr Iaques de la Bierne who was a sage knyght sawe howe the iourney was good for his party and howe that a gret nombre of his enemyes were taken and slayne and also sawe well that his owne men world â—ery and that his enemyes began to multyply with fresshe men than he reculed towarde the cytie skrymysshynge and defendynge The knyght that had taken the erle of Armynake thought nat to leaue hym behynde for he thought surely he was some man of honoure and desyred his company to ayde hym to beare his prisoner in to the towne promysynge them to haue parte of his raunsome They dyd so and with moche payne brought him in to the cyte and was vnarmed and layde in a bedde Than syr Iaques de la Bierne entred in to the cytie and toke his lodgynge and vnarmed hym and refresshed him and his company And whan the erle of Armynacke was myst in the hoost without they were sore dysmayed and wyst nat what to say nor do and some came to the place where the batayle had ben to seke for hym and returned agayne clene dyscomfyted The knyght that had taken the erle of Armynake had great desyre to know what man his prisoner was and came to another squyer that was in lykewyse taken prisoner a gascon desyringe his mayster to suffre hym to go with hym to his lodgynge so they went togyder The lombarde knyght led the squyer of Fraunce in to a chambre and brought hym to the bedde where the erle of Armynake lay sore complaynyng and caused torches to be lyghted vp and than said to the french squyer Sir knowe you nat this man The squyer regarded hym well sayd I knowe hym well for I ought so to do it is our capitayne the erle of Armynake With the whiche wordes the lombarde was ioyfull but the Erle was so sycke that he vnderstode nothynge that was sayd to hym Than his mayster sayd go we hence let hym rest Thus they left him and the same nyght he dyed
than but pacyentely suffred howe be it he thought the more and at nyght came to his wyfe to supper shewed her more token of loue than euer he dyd befor and he dyd somoche with fayre wordes that the duchesse shewed him all the matter and howe that she knewe it by syr Peter of Craon than the duke spake no more at that tyme. that nyght passed and the nexte day about nyne of the clocke he toke his horse and rode fro the howse of saynte Poll to the castell of Lowre where he founde the kynge his brother heryng of masse The kyng swetelye receyued hym for he loued hym entyerly and the kynge sawe well by the dukes maner that he had some dyspleasure in his mynde and said Ah fayre brother what is the mater it semeth ye be troubled Syr quod he good cause why Wherfore quod the kynge I praye you shewe me The duke who wolde hyde no thynge fro the kynge shewed hym all the hole mater and complayned greatly agaynst syr Peter of Craon and sayd Syr by the faythe that Iowe to god and to you if it were nat for your honoure I wolde slee hym We shall do well ynough quod the kynge he shall be warned by our counsayle to auoyde our house and seruyce and in lykewyse cause him to auoyde your house and company I am well content with this ê™ the duke The same day the lorde de la Ryuer and sir Iohan Mercyer sayd vnto syr Peter of Craon on the kynges behalfe that he shulde auoyde the kynges courte and seruyce and go where he lyste In lykewyse syr Iohan of Buell and the lord of Dernaulx seneschall of Thourayne gaue hym lyke commaundement on the duke of Thourayns behalfe Whan syr Peter of Craon sawe this he was abasshed and tooke it in great dyspyte and coude nat ymagyn why it shulde be And trewe it was he desyred to come in to the kinges presence and the dukes to know the cause of their dyspleasure But he was aunswered that nother the kynge nor the duke wolde nat here hym speke Whan he sawe none other remedy he apparelled hym selfe and departed out of Parys in great displeasure in his hert and so rode into Aniou to a castell of his owne called Sable and taryed there a season fore troubled in his mynde He sawe well he was chased out of the frenche courte and out of the house of Thourayn and also out of the house of the quene of Naples and Iherusalem than whan he parceyued these thre howses closed fro hym he thought to go to the duke of Bretaygne his cosyn and to shewe hym all his aduentures so he dyd and rode in to Bretayne and founde the duke at Wannes who made hym good chere and knewe somwhat before of his trouble And than this syr Peter shewed hym all the case Whan the duke of Bretaygne had well herde all the mater he sayde Fayre cosyn recomforte your selfe all this is surely brought aboute by syr Olyuer of Clysson THis rote and foundacyon of hatred multyplyed greatly after as ye shall here in this hystory Syr Peter of Craon taryed so longe with the duke of Bretaygne that he forgate Fraunce for the constable syr Olyuer of Clysson and the kynges counsayle were agaynste hym and also they were nat contente with the duke of Bretayne in that he kepte sir Peter Craon in his house As for the duke of Bretaygne cared nat greatly neyther for the good wyll nor yuell wyll of the Frenche kynge he prouyded suffyciently for his cyties townes and castelles in suche wyse that he loued as well warre as peace And all that euer he dyd was well knowen in Fraunce and with the kinges counsayle and suche as were nexte aboute the kynge reputed the duke of Bretaygne prowde and presumptuous and thretened him greatly but the duke dyde sette lytell therby and sayde that he wolde make warre agaynst the erle of Pointhieur in a iuste quarell for the erle of Pointhyeur our cosyn wryteth and nameth hym selfe Iohan of Bretayne as though he were herytour of this countrey I wyll he be called Iohan for that is his name and erle of Pointhieur and I wyll he put out of his armes the Ermyns and write himselfe Iohan of Bloys or of Chatellon and none other and if he wyll nat do thus I shall cause him to do it and take fro hym his lande for he holdeth it by faythe and homage of vs as for the herytage of Bretaygne he hathe nothynge to do therwith so that it shulde returne to him for I haue bothe sonnes and doughters that shall be myne heyres Let hym purchase hym landes in some other place for as of this he hath fayled Thus often tymes the duke of Bretayne wolde deuyse with sir Peter of Craon who wolde nat replye agaynst his pleasure but rather dyd further it and all for the yuell wyll that he bare to the constable syr Olyuer of Clysson and to the counsayle of Fraunce ⸪ ¶ Nowe let vs leaue spekynge of this mater and treate a lytell of another pytuous mater concernynge the erle Guy of Bloys of whom mencyon is made here before in this hystory ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the dethe of the yonge erle Loyes of Chastelone sonne to the erle Guy of Bloys Cap. C.lxxix IT hath been shewed here before in this hystory whanÌ„e I spake of the alyauÌ„ce and maryage of Lois of Chatellon sonne to the erle of Bloys maryed to the lady Marye doughter to duke Iohan of Berrey and at the confyrmacyon of this maryage the duke of Berrey prouyded greatly for his doughter for she was assigned for her dowry in the couÌ„tie of Bloys the somme of syxe thousande pounde money corante in Fraunce to be payed in florayns if the foresayd Loys of Bloys dyed before his wyfe than all the countie of Blois to be bouÌ„de to pay these foresayd syre thousande frankes And so it fortuned that about the feest of saint Iohan the Baptyste in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and a leuen this yonge Loys of Bloys sonne to the erle Guy departed fro his father fro the castell of Moltyz in Bloys to go in to Haynalt to se his mother and wyfe and whan he came to Beaumonte in Haynault he fell sycke of a feuer by reason that he had rydden great iourneys and the season was boote and he was but yuell kepte and but tendre of age as of xiiii yeres by whiche syckenes he dyed with out helpe for the physycions coulde nat put a way his hote feuer ye maye well knowe that the father and mother were ryght soroufull whan they knewe of the dethe of thier sonne and heyre In lykewyse so was his wyfe the yonge lady of Berrey who loued hym entierly and thought her selfe hyghtly maryed specyally the trouble of the father was right gret for he ymagyned that the duke of Berrey was ryght couetouse and feared leste he wolde entre in to the countie of Bloys
the lady was well pleased with her lordes wordes for surely and she had nat ben he had been deed but for her sake the duke of Berrey dyssymuled the mater and that was happy for syr Iohan Mercyer for he and the lorde de la Ryuer were accused for one cause wherfore the dukes had conscyence to cause one to dye and nat the other howe be it for all the promesse that was made to them yet they thought them selfe nat well assured of their lyues as longe as they were in prison for they sawe well they had as than many enemyes who as thaÌ„ reygned and were in their prosperyte and some were right angry that they were saued so longe and they coulde amended it Syr Iohan Mercyer beynge in prisone wepte so contynually that he had almost lost his sight it was pytie to se his lamentacyon WHyle these two knyghtes were thus in prisone more than a yere and no man knewe what ende shulde come of them Than the dukes and their counsayle dyd all that they coulde to haue taken sir Olyuer Clysson and to haue put hym fro his honoure and offyce They had rather haue had hym than all the resydewe but he kepte hym selfe out of their handes wherin he dyd wysely for if he had ben taken they had so ordeyned for him that he shulde haue had iudgement of deth without remedy and all for enuy to haue pleased therby his aduersary the duke of Bretaygne who neuer dyd good in the realme of FrauÌ„ce whan the lordes sawe that he was scaped their handes they toke other aduyse dyd as ye shall here They soÌ„moned hym to apere in the parlyameÌ„t chamber at Parys to answere to such articles as he was accused of on payne to lese his honour and to be banysshed the realme of Fraunce certayne coÌ„myssioners were sent in to Bretaygne to soÌ„mon hym to apere They that were sente rode in to Bretaygne and demauÌ„ded where as they came where syr Olyuer of Clysson was and sayd howe they were sente by the kynge to speke with the constable wherfore they desyred to knowe where he was The men of suche townes and garysons as helde of the constable were determyned before what aunswere to make and sayd syrs ye be welcome and if ye wyll speke with the couÌ„stable ye muste go in to suche a place there we thynke ye shall fynde hym without faute So the coÌ„myssyoners were sente fro towne to towne but they coude nat fynde him And so longe they sought that they were wery and so retourned to Parys and declared what they had sene and founde suche as had accused hym were gladde that he dalte so for than they sayd his falsnesse was playnely shewed and therby acordyng to reason they said he shulde haue as he had deserued Than by the course of the parlyament they proceded to all his soÌ„monynges to th entent that suche as loued hym shulde nat say he had any wronge by Enuy or hatred And whan all his .xv. soÌ„monynges were accompilsshed and that they coulde here no tydynges of hym nor of his aparaunce and that he had been openly called at the parlyament chambre dore and on the steyres and in the courte with all other seremonyes therto belongynge and no answere made for hym he had processe made agaynst hym cruelly in the parlyament There he was openly banysshed the realme of Fraunce as a false traytour against the crowne of Fraunce and iudged to pay a huÌ„dred thousande marke of syluer for the extorcyons he had doone and for that he had so traftely in tyme paste occupyed the offyce of the constablery of Fraunce and therfore to lese for euer without recouery the sayd offyce At the gyueng of this sentence the duke of Orleaunet was desyred to be present but he wolde nat excused hymselfe but the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyn were there with many other great lordes of the Realme of Fraunce Thus a man may se the waâ—kes of fortune howe ferme and stable they be seynge howe this good and valyaunt knyght who in his dayes had so moche traueyled for the realme of Fraunce and as than was put to so moche shame as to be dysgrated fro honoure and goodes Howe be it he was happy he appered nat at their soÌ„monynge for if he had surrly he had shamfully loste his lyfe As than the duke of Orlyance durst nat speke for hym if he had it shulde haue doone hym no good It is nat to be douted but that the duke of Bretaygne and syr Peter of Craon were right ioyfull of those tydinges howe be it they were sory that he was nat prisoner in Parys as well as sir Iohan Mercier and the lord de la Ryuer Of this shamfull banysshing great brute ranne therof in the realme of Fraunce and els where some compleyned secretly and sayd that he had wronge And some other said he was worthy to be hanged and that he had well deserued it and moreouer sayd howe the dyuell coulde he assemble togyder so moche rychess as a myllyon and an halfe of florayns he coulde neuer gette that by ryghtwyse meanes but rather by pollynge and robbyng and retaynyng to hymselfe the wages of the poore knyghtes squyers of the realme of Fraunce that had deserued it as it may well appere in the chaunceryor treasory where euery thyng is written and regestred in the voyage that the Kynge made in to Flaunders there and than he reysed great profyte to his owne vse and also in the voyage to Almayne for all maner of tayles and subsydyes that were reysed in the Realme to paye men of warre passed through his handes he payed where as it pleased hym and the rest he kept to hymselfe and none durste speke agaynst it In this maner syr Olyuer of Clysson was accused in many mennes mouthes It is sayde in an olde prourebe he that hath mysfortune euery man offereth hym wronge If the frenche kynge the duke of Berrey and the duke of Burgoyne had nat ben the duke of Bretaygne had ben able to haue subdued syr Olyuer of Clysson seynge he was in the dukes countrey but he suffred hym for a season to se howe the maters shulde procede Also he sawe well that syr Olyuer of Clysson was set on the heyght of fortunes whele and as than agayne he sawe howe he was cast downe and lyke to lese his offyce Thus the duke of Bretayne and syr Peter of Craon were set vpon their fete and all by the workes of fortune whiche is neuer parmanent but nowe vp nowe downe The constable syr Olyuer of Clysson the lorde de la Ryuer syr Iohan Mercyer were principally acused for the chefe cousers of the kinges malady And suche as loued them nat sayd howe they had poysoned the kynge howe be it euery man maye consydre by reason that it was nat so for they were the persones that shulde lese moste by the kynges malady wherfore it is to be thought they sought moste for his helthe
Huntyngton was as than on his waye to Ierusalem and to saynt Katheryns mount and purposed to retourne by the realme of Hungry for as he passed through FrauÌ„ce where he hadde great chere of the kyng and of his brother and vncles he herde howe the kyng of Hungry and the great Turke shulde haue batayle togyder therfore he thought sure lye to be at that iourney On the othersyde the duke of Lancastre came to Plomouthe where his shippes laye redy And whan his men were come and his vesselles all charged and had wynde at wyll they toke shippyng and disancred and sayled towardes Burdeaux on the ryuer of Gyron NOwe lette vs speke of the kyng of Englande who had in his copany four thousande men of armes and thyrtie thousande archers They shipped at thre places At Brutowe at Holyheed and at Herforde they passed ouer daylye And in Irelande all redy there was a valyaunt knyght of Englande called erle of Ormonde He helde landes in Irelande and so dyde his predecessours but it was as than in debate The erle Marshall of Englande hadde the vowarde with fyftene hundred speares and two thousande archers The kynge of Englande and his two vncles toke shyppinge at Herforde in Wales Thus the army passed ouer without doÌ„mage than they were lodged in Irelande by the apoyntement of the duke of Gloucestre coÌ„stable of Englande and by the marshals all abrode in the countrey beyond the cytie of Duuelyn a .xxx. myle for the countrey was as thanÌ„e inhabytable Howe be it they laye wysely and surely for feare of the yrisshe men as nede was or els they myght haue taken great doÌ„mage And the kynge and his vncles were lodged in the cytie of Duuelyn and as it was shewed me all the whyle they were there they were largely prouyded of vitayls For the Englysshe men are suche men of warre as can well forage and take aduauÌ„tage and make good prouisyon for theÌ„ selfe and their horses And what fell of this voyage I shall shewe you here after as I was enformed ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe sir IohnÌ„ Froissart arryued in Englande and of the gyfte of a boke that he gaue to to the kyng Cap. CC. TRewe it was that I sir Iohan Froissart as at that tyme treasourer and chanon of Chymay in the erldome of Heynaulte in the diocese of Liege had great affectyon to go and se the realme of Englande whan I had ben in Abbeuyle and sawe that trewce was taken bytwene the realmes of Englande and Fraunce and other countreis to them conioyned and there adherentes to endure four yeres by See and by lande Many reasons moued me to make that voyage One was bycause in my youthe I hadde been brought vp in the court of the noble kynge Edwarde the thyrde and of quene Philyppe his wyfe and amonge their chyldren and other barones of Englande that as than were a lyue In whome I founde all noblenesse honour largesse and courtesy Here fore I desyred to se the countre thynkynge therby I shulde lyue moche the lengar for I hadde nat been there .xxviii. yere before I thought though I sawe natte those lordes that I lefte a lyue there yet at the leest I shulde se their heyres the whiche shulde do me moche good to se and also to iustifye the hystories and maters that I hadde written of them And or I toke my iourney I spake with duke Aubert of Bauyere and with the Erle of Heynaulte Hollande zelande and lorde of Freese and with my lorde Wyllyam erle of Ostrenaunt and with my right honourable lady Iahane duchesse of Brabant and of Lusenbourge and with the lorde Eugerant lorde Coucy and with the gentyll knyght the lorde of Gomegynes who in his youthe and myne had been toguyder in Englande in the kynges courte In lykewise so had I sene there the lorde of Coucy and dyuers other nobles of Fraunce holden great housholdes in London whan they laye there in hostage for the redempcion of kynge Iohan as than Frenche kynge As it hath been shewed here before in this hystorie THese sayd lordes and the Duchesse of Brabant counsayled me to take this iourney and gaue me letters of recommendacyon to the kynge of Englande and to his vncles sauynge the lorde Coucy He wolde nat write to the kynge bycause he was a Frenche man therfore he durste nat but to his doughter who as than was called duchesse of Irelande And I had engrosed in a fayre boke well enlumyned all the matters of Amours and moralytees that in four and twentie yeres before I hadde made and compyled whiche greatly quickened my desyre to go in to Englande to se kyng Rycharde who was sonne to the noble prince of Wales and of Acquitayne for I hadde nat sene this kynge Rycharde sythe he was Christened in the Cathedrall churche of Burdeaux at whiche tyme I was there and thought to haue goone with the prince the iourney in to Galycia in Spaygne And whanÌ„e we were in the cytie of Aste the prince sente me backe in to Englande to the Quene his mother For these causes and other I hadde great desyre to go in to Englande to se the kynge and his vncles Also I hadde this said fayre boke well couered with veluet garnysshed with clapses of Syluer and gylte therof to make a present to the kynge at my fyrst cominynge to his presence I hadde suche desyre to goo this voyage that the payne and traueyle greued me nothyng Thus prouyded of horses and other necessaries I passed the See at Calais and came to Douer the .xii. daye of the moneth of Iuly WhanÌ„e I came there I founde no man of my knowledge it was so longe sythe I had been in Englande and the houses were all newly chauÌ„ged and yonge children were become men and the women knewe me natte nor I theym So I abode halfe a daye and all a nyght at Douer It was on a Tuesdaye And the nexte daye by nyne of the clocke I came to Canterbury to saynt Thomas shrine and to the tombe of the noble prince of Wales who is there entered ryght richely There I herde masse made myne offrynge to the holy saynt and thanne dyned at my lodgynge And there I was enformed howe kyng Richarde shulde be there the nexte daye on pylgrimage whiche was after his retourne out of Irelande where he had ben the space of nyne moneches or there about The kyng hadde a deuocyon to visyte saynt Thomas shrine and also bycause the prince his father was there buryed Than I thought to abyde the kynge there and so I dyde And the next daye the kynge came thyder with a noble company of lordes ladyes and damoselles And whan I was among them they semed to me all newe folkes I knewe no ê‘sone The tyme was sore chauÌ„ged in .xxviii. yere And with the kynge as than was none of his vncles the duke of LaÌ„castre was in Acquitayne and the dukes of yorke and Glocestre were in other busynesses so that I was at
at Colbridge and at Bruselles in the house of duke Wyncelante of Brabant and of the duchesse Iahan of Brabant this knyght sir Rycharde Sury made me good chere and demaunded of me many thynges and I aunswered hym as I knewe And as I walked vp and downe with hym in a galery before the kynges chambre I demauÌ„ded hym questyons of that counsayle and desyred hym to tell me if he myght what conclusion was taken He herde me well and paused a lytell and afterwarde sayd syr Iohan I shall shewe you for it is no mater to be hydden and kept secrete for shortly ye shall here theym publysshed all openly ye knowe well quod he and Iame sure ye haue herde rehersed howe the duke of Lancastre is gone in to Acquytayne to reioyce the gyftâ— that the kynge my soueraygne lorde hath gyuen hym for the loue that he hathe to hym for he hath doone the kynge ryght good seruyce and the crowne of Englande therfore in rewarde the kynge hathe clerely gyuen to hym and to his heyres for euer the hole duchy of Acquitayne so as it eâ—tendeth in metes and lymytacyons seneschalles baylyages sygnories and wasselages and clene quyteth all them that holde of hym by faythe or othe and in all homage the resorte reserued more the kynge hath reserued to the crowne of Englande in tyme to come And this gyfte is so sufficyently confermed that all the kynges other vncles and all the counsayle of Englande hath acorded ther to and the kynge hathe gyuen specyall commaundement to all his subgiettes in the sayd lymytacyons of Acquytayne to obey in all poyntes without any othermeane his dere and well beloued vncle duke Iohan of Lancastre and after the syght of his letters to holde and to take hym to their souerayne lorde and to swere to hym faythe and homage and to holde of hym truely as they haue auncyently done and helde at the date of those letters gyuen by the kyng of Englande or his deputies or coÌ„myssioners And who soeuer that rebelleth or speketh agaynst this the kynges grauÌ„t of what condycyon so euer he be to aunswere therto within thre dayes The kynge gaue to his vncle of Lancastre and to his commyssioners full power and puyssaunce to correcte them and to put them out of all hope to haue any other retourne or resorte yet nat withstandynge all these letters and strayte coÌ„maundement of the kynge the good townes and cyties of Gascoyne vnder the kynge of Englandes obeysauÌ„ce and all other lordes knyghtes and gentlemen of the countrey are conioyned togyther to kepe their townes close agaynste the duke and wyll nat nor are nat in mynde to obey the duke in this case for they say and haue sayd and yet susteyne at this houre that the gyfte that the kynge hath gyuen to his vncle of Lancastre is nat suffycient nor profytable and out of the ordre of reason And that duke who wolde nat wynne theym but by gentylnesse herde pacyently their defences and that no further inconuenyentes shulde ensue therfore his counsayle and their counsayles are come hyther to debate and to declare the cause why they do nat obey the kynges coÌ„maundement And surely as this day they haue right wysely shewed their answere and layde forth certayne artycles of reason and they haue ben well herde And they haue layde suche reasons that in a maner the kynge and his counsayle thynke they haue cause to abyde by their quarell I shall shewe you howe but I wolde ye kept it secrete tyll it be knowen further abrod And I aunswered I wolde so do Well quod the knyght one as me thought was offyciall of Burdeaux spake for all his partie and first shewed forthe his procutacyon and auctorite to the entent he myght the better be beleued and than beganne and sayde that the cytie of Burdeaux and the cyties of Bayon and Dax and all the sygnories and lorshyppes that be appendaunt to the lymyttes of the sayd countreys and cyties are of so noble condycyon that no kyng of Englande by no maner of accyon or dede may put awaye or dysceuer them fro the demayns of the crowne of Englande nor to gyue or alyenate them to chylde vncle nor brother by reasone of maryage or otherwise and to veryfie this we say that the aboue named townes cyties and sygnories are suffyciently priueleged by kynges of Englande who haue sworne faythfully to holde and to kepe vs so without reuocasyon For as soone as any Kynge of Englande entreth in to the possessyon of the herytage of the Crowne of Englande he swereth sufficiently on the euangelystes to holde this ferme and stable without breakynge and ye ryght dere syr as kyng of Englande haue made lyke othe And syr to veryfie this to be of trouth beholde here these writynges And ther with he shewed forth letters and charters vnder the sygnes of notaryes imperyalles and sealed with the great seale of Englande gyuen by the same kynge Rycharde there beynge present and there openly he redde it frome clause to clause The charter was well herde and vnderstande for it was bothe in laten and in Frenche and it named in the ende many wytnesses of prelates and great lordes of Englande who were for the more suretie testes of that dede at the leste to the nombre of .xi. Whanne the kynges counsayle herde this they behelde eche other and loked on the kynge There was no man spake a worde nor made no replycacion whan he had redde it ouer he folded it and put it vp and spake further addressynge his wordes to the kynge and sayde Ryght dere syr and redouted soueraygne lorde and you my ryght dere lordes and other at my departynge out of the countrey I was charged to shewe you by the counsaylours of the good Cyties and townes of Gascoyne beynge vnder the obeysaunce of the crowne of Englande hath well ouer sene the fourme and maner of your commauÌ„dement sent vnto them vnder your seale whiche they knewe right well yet they thinke and say that this coÌ„maundement may nat be obeyed for if so were that the cyties and good townes of Guyen wolde enclyne to receyue the duke of Lancastre to their lorde and acquyte for euer the homage and obeysaunce that they owe to you it shulde be greatly to the preiudyce of the crowne of Englande for thoughe it were so that at this tyme presente the duke of Lancastre is the kynges vncle and subgiet and well beloued and wolde holde and kepe all poyntes and artycles belongyng to the crowne of Englande yet it maye so hap that suche loue and tenure may lyghtly be lost by chaunge of heyres by reason of maryages that are made bytwene lordes and ladyes in chaungynge fro one to another though they be nere of lygnage by dyspensacyon of the pope for sometyme it is of necessyte that maryages be made of hyghe Princes or of their chyldren one with another to holde their landes and sygnories in loue and amyte And so it myght fall that suche
of Napoles agaynst syr Peter of Craone Cap. CC.ix. THe same seasone that the Englysshe men were at Paris quene Iane duches of Aniowe who wrote her selfe quene of Napoles and of Iherusalem was at Parys and pursued dylygently her busynesse She was a lady of great corage she pleted in parlyament for two causes The fyrst was for the herytage of the countie of Roussey agaynst the Erle of Brayne for Loys the duke of Aniou her lorde husbande had bought it and payed for it to a lady that was couÌ„tesse of Roussey somtyme wyfe to the lorde Loys of Namure but afterwarde she was deuorsed fro hym for a reasonable cause as it was sayde The seconde sute this quene had was agaynst syr Peter of Craon she demaunded of hym the soÌ„me of a hundred thousande frankes whiche she was redy to proue that he had receyued it in the name of his lord and mayster Loys kyng of Napoles Cysyll and Iherusalem her husbande whiche money was delyuered hym to haue payed in to Powell and or it was payed he herde howe his sayd mayster my husbande was deed Than he iourneyed no further but returned agayne in to Fraunce and kept styll the sayd soÌ„me of money to his owne profyte and neuer made acompte to the sayde quene therof nor to her chyldren Loys and Charles but spente and wasted the money in pride and bobbans The quene layde to his charge that for faute of payment of the sayd money the realme of Napoles was loste and conquered by Margarete of Duras and by the heyres of the lorde Charles de la Paix by reason that suche soudyours as her husbande had to mayntayne his warres in Puell Calabre were nat payed their wages wherby many tourned to the Erle of saynt Seuyre and to Margarete of Duras and other departed and lefte the warres All these causes were put in to the Parlyament chambre at Parys where all causes were preposed shewed and demaunded and all the defences and aunsweres herde on all partyes Their plee had endured the space of thre yeres And though syr Peter of Craon were absent fro the parlyament yet his aduocates defended his cause and sayd though he had recyued the sayd soÌ„me in the name of his lorde and mayster yet his mayster was as moche bounde to him as that soÌ„me came to and more for the good seruyce that he had done to him This plee had endured so longe that it was necessary to haue a conclusyon and the lady made importunate sewte to haue iudgement The lordes of the parlyament consydred all thynges and sayd they wolde gyue no iudgement without both parties were present and syr Peter of Craon durste nat well apere in Parys bycause of the Kynges dyspleasure and the duke of Orlyance for the offence that he had doone to syr Olyuer of Clysson constable of Fraunce and without he were present they wolde gyue no sentence defynityue wher vpon the sayd lady pursewed to set hym clere in Fraunce and by her meanes he was pardoned so that he myght ryde and go where he lyst without any daunger except the sute that was bytwene her and hym for the sayd soÌ„me of money So he was clerely dyscharged of all other charges and lordes ladyes made hym good chere I wote nat whether it were by dissymulacyon or otherwyse thus he was agayne at Parys holdynge as great estate as euer he dyd The same tyme he was apoynted to be one of theym to receyue and bringe the englysshe ambassadours to the kynge for he was a knyght that hadde sene moche and knewe moche honoure Than the daye was prefyxed that the iudgement concernynge the quenes maters shulde be determyned at whiche day there were present in the parlyament great nombre of the lordes of Fraunce to the entent that the maters shulde be the more autentyke There was the quene of Cicyll and Iherusalem and her sonne Charles prince of Thaurent and Iohan of Bloys called Iohan of Bretaygne erle of Ponthyeure and of Lymogynes and the dukes of Orlyaunce Berrey Burgoyne and Burhone and the erle of Brayne and the bysshoppe of Laon. And before theym the lady was herde to laye her tytell for the countie of Roussey And on the other parte there was syr Peter of Craon and many of his lygnage Fyrste iudgement was gyuen for the countye of Roussey and that was the herytage was remyssed and iudged in to the handes and possessyon of the erle of Brayne and to the heyres that shulde dyscende of the ryght braunche of Roussey reserued that the quene shulde haue agayne repayed to her all the money that kynge Loys her husbande hadde payed to the countesse of Roussey laste deed Of this iudgement the enherytours of the countie of Roussey to whom the herytage pertayned thanked greatly the lordes of the parliament Than suche as were ordayned to gyue the seconde sentence arose vp and sayde howe that by the sentence of the parlyament sir Peter of Craon ought to pay to the quene of Napoles duchesse of Aniowe the somme of a hundred thousande frankes in redy money or els his body to go to prysone tyll she were contented and satysfyed Of this iudgement the sayde lady thanked the lordes of the parlyamentâ— and in contynent at the coÌ„playnte of the lady handes was layde on him by the kynges commaundement and so was ledde to the castell of Loure and there surely kepte So the lordes departed fro the parlyament Thus these two iudgementes were gyuen by the princypall occasyon of this lady duchesse of Aniou ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the conclusyon of the maryage â—aken at Parys bytwene the kynge of Englande Isabell eldest doughter to the frenche kynge and howe the duke of Lancastre remaryed Cap. CC.x. THe ambassadours of Englande were with the frenche kynge at Parys a xxii dayes and they had as good chere as coulde be deuysed and their maters tooke suche effecte that it was agreed that the kyng of Englande shuld haue in maryage Isabell the eldest doughter of kynge Charles and by vertue of procuracyon the erle Marshall fyaunced and espoused her in the name of the kinge of Englande and so she was called fro thens forthe quene of Englande And as I was enfourmed it was a goddly syght to se her behauour for all that she was but yonge ryght plesauntly she bare the porte of a quene â–ª Than all this mater concluded the englysshe men tooke their leaue of the frenche kynge and of the quene and of their doughter quene of Englande and of all other lordes and so departed fro Parys and retourned to Calays and so in to Englande The Kynge and other of his opynyon were glad of their retourne But who so euer was gladde of that maryage the duke of Gloucestre vncle to the kynge made no ioye there of for he sawe well that by reasone of that maryage and alyaunce peace shulde be bytwene the kinges and their realmes whiche greued hym without it shulde be greatly to the honour of the
nat indomage vs if ye tary tyll all our hole puyssaunce be togyder Syrs this is the ordre that the kynge and his counsayle hath ordered I muste retourne agayne to the kynge Whan he was deê‘ted the french lordes assembled theÌ„ togyder to knowe what was best for them to do Than it was demaunded of the lorde Coucy what he thought best to be done he answered and said I wolde counsayle to obey the kyng of Hungeryes coÌ„maundement for that ordre semeth to be good And as it was enfourmed me syr Phylippe of Arthoys erle of Ewe and constable of Fraunce was nat contented that the aduyse had nat fyrst haue ben demaunded of hym Than he for pride and dispyght helde the contrary opynyon and sayd ye syr ye the kynge of Hungery wolde haue the floure and chiefe honour of this iourney we haue the vowarde he hath graunted it to vs and nowe he wolde take it fro vs agayne beleue hym who wyll for I do nat than he sayd to the knyght that bare his banner in the name of god and saynt George ye shall seme this daye a good knyght Whan the lorde Coucy herde the constable speke these wordes he toke it done of a great presumpcyon Than he loked on syr Iohan of Vyen who bare the standarde of our lady and demauÌ„ded of hym what he thought best to be doone Syr quod he where as wyse reasone canne nat be herde than pride muste reygne and sythe that the erle of Ewe wyll nedes set on we must nedes folowe howe be it we shulde be the stronger and if our puyssauÌ„ce were hole togyther Thus as they deuysed in the felde styll the turkes aproched the two wynges eche of .lx. thousande men beganne to aproche and to close and had the chrysten men bytwene them so that if they wolde haue reculed they coulde nat for they were closed in with the sarazyns the wynges were so thicke Than dyuers knyghtes that were well expert in armes sawe well the iourney shulde be agaynst them howe be it they auaunced and folowed the baner of our lady borne by the valyaunt knight syr IohnÌ„ of Vien Euery knyght of Fraunce was in his cote armure that euery man semed to be a kinge they were so fresshly aparelled As it was shewed me whan they began fyrste to fyght with the turkes they were nat past a seuen hundred men Lo beholde the great foly and outrage for if they had taryed for the kynge of Hungery who were threscore thousande men they had been lykely to haue doone a great acte and by them and by their pride all was lost and they receyued suche doÌ„mage that sythe the batayle of Rounseualx where as the .xii. peres of FrauÌ„ce were slayne crystendome receyued nat so great a doÌ„mage howe be it or they were dyscomfyted a great nombre of turkes were slayne for the frenche men dyscomfyted the fyrst batayle of the turkes and had them in chase tyll they came in to a valey where Lamorabaquy was with his hole puyssaunce Than the frenchmen wolde haue retourned to their hoost but they coulde nat for they were closed in on all partes there was a sore batayle the frenche men endured longe Than newes came to the kyng of Hungery howe the frenche men englysshmen and almayns were fyghtyng with the turkes and had broken his coÌ„maundement and counsayle gyuen theÌ„ by his marshall wherwith he was sore dyspleased and nat without good cause Than he sawe well howe he was lykely to lese that iourney Than he said to the great mayster of the Rodes who was by hym Syr we shall this day lese the iourney by reason of the pride of the frenchmen for if they wolde haue beleued me we had been stronge ynough to haue fought with our enemyes and therwith the kynge of Hungerye loked behynde hym and sawe howe his men fled a waye and were discomfyted in them selfe Than he sawe well there was no recouery and suche as were aboute hym cryed and sayd Saue your selfe for if ye be slayne all Hungery is loste ye shall lese the felde this daye by reason of the pride of the frenche men their valyauÌ„tnesse turneth to folyssh hardynes for they shall be all slayne or taken none is lykely to scape therfore syr if ye beleue vs saue youre selfe and scape this daunger THe kynge of Hungery was sore dyspleased whan he sawe howe he had lost the iourney by dysorderyng of the frenche men and sawe no remedy but to flye or els be taken or slayne Great murder there was for in flyenge they were chased and so slayne They of Hungery fledde without ordre and the turkes chased theym howe be it god ayded the kinge of HuÌ„gery and the great mayster of the Rodes for they came to the ryuer of Dunce and founde there a lytell barge parteynynge to the Rodes they entered in to it but with seuen persones and so went of the shore or els they had been slayne or taken for the turkes came to the Ryuer syde and there slewe many a crysten man suche as had folowed the kynge to saue them selfe NOwe lette vs speke of the frenche men and almayns who fought valyauntly Whan the lorde of Mount caurell a ryght valyaunt knyght of Arthoys sawe that the dyscomfyture ranne vpon them he had by hym a sonne of his a yonge man than he sayde to a squyer of his Take here my sonne and leade hym away by yonder wynge whiche is open and saue hym I wyll abyde the aduenture with other of my felowes Whan the chylde herde his father say so he sayd howe he wolde nat departe but the father dyd so moche that perforce the squyer led hym away out of parell and came to the ryuer of Dunce but there the chylde had suche care for his father that he tooke small regarde to hym selfe so that he fell in to the ryuer bytwene two barges and there was drowned without remedy Also syr Wyllyam of Tremoyle fought in that batayle valyauntly and there was slayne and his sonne by him and syr Iohan of Vyen bearynge the baner of our lady was slayne and the baner in his handes Thus all the lordes and knightes of FrauÌ„ce that were there were distroyed by the maner as ye haue herde Syr Iohan of Burgoyne erle of Neuers was so rychely besene and in lykewyse so was syr Guy de la Ryuer and dyuers other lordes and knyghtes of Burgoyne that they were taken prisoners And there were two squiers of Picardy ryght valyaunt men called Gyllyam Dewe and the Bourge of Maytequell these two by valyauntnesse two tymes passed through the felde and euer retourned in agayne and dyd marueyls but fynally shere they were slayne To say the trouthe the frenche men and other strauÌ„gers that were there acquyted them selfe valyauntly but the frenchmens pride lost all There was a knyght of Pycardy called syr Iaques of Helley who had dwelte before in Turkey and had serued Lamorabaquy and coude somwhat speke the langage of
sayd that he was bounde for euer towne them his good wyll The lady answered wysely to them all So they entred in to the Galees in the porte of Mathelyn and had wynde and wether at wyll and sayled so longe that without daunger or doÌ„mage they came and aryued in the isle of the Rodes in the same place where as all galees do aryue coÌ„mynge fro Cyper or fro Barne and fro other partes of the see Orientall There were many of the knyghtes of the Roodes who be or ought to be men of valyaunt corage for they beare the whyte Crosse in signyfieng of the crosse of Christ who dyed and toke payne for the redempcyon of all crysten people and nere hande daily these knightes haue skrymysshes and assawtes to ayde and sustayne the chrysten faythe agaynst the myscreauÌ„tes wherfore these knyghtes ought to be valyaunte men and nourysshed in the warre WHan the erle of Neuers and his company were come in to the isle of Rodes the great mayster and the great priour of Acquytanye who was there receyued the frenche men honourably and offred to lende them golde and syluer to paye their small charges and costes whiche offre the erle of Neuers and his company toke for a great curtesy and hertely thanked them for they had great nede therof â–ª the great priour of Acquytanie a right valyaunt knyght lente to the erle of Neuers a thyrty thousande frankes in redy money and syr Reygnere Potte stewarde with the erle of Neuers and the lorde of Rocheforde of Burgoyne receyued the money I thynke it was generally for them all that euery man shulde haue parte but the erle became dettour for the money Thus they taryed in the Isle of Rodes a good seasone to refresshe theym and to sette euery thynge in good ordre for the ayre was more atteÌ„perate there than wheâ— as they had ben in Turkey And as they taryed thus at Rodes abydynge for the galees of Venyce a syckenesse toke syr Guy of Tremoyle lorde of Seully of whiche sycknesse he dyed there and was buryed in the churche of saynte Iohan in the Rodes and the lordes of Fraunce dyd his obsequy ryght reuerently and were ryght sorye of his dethe but there was no remedy The Erle of Neuers knewe well that the duke of Burgoyne wolde be sore dyspleased of his deth bycause he had always fouÌ„de hym sage and of good counsayle At the laste there aryued the galees of Venyce wherof the frenche men were ryght ioyous Than they tooke their leaue of the lordes of the Rodes Thus departed the erle of Neuers sir Henry of Bare Boucyquante Guillyam of Tremoyle the lorde of Rocheforde and all other The patrones of the galees to do them pleasure were contente to suffre them to refresshe theym in the isles bytwene Venyce and Rodes Fyrste they came to Modon a fyue hundred myle fro the Roodes and there they refresshed them it parteyned to the venycyens ANd fro modon they sayled with wynde and wether at wyll and so came to the isle of Calefo and there refresshed theym And fro thence to the isle of Garre and there taryed and than they came to the isle of Chyfolignie and there landed and founde a great nombre of Ladyes and damosels who had the sygnâ—orite of that isle They receyued the frenche men with great ioye and brought them to passe the tyme aboute the isle whiche is ryght fayre and pleasaunte And suche as knowe the condycions of that isle affyrmeth that the fayry and the nympes be moche conuersaunt there Some of the marchauntes of Venyce and Geane and of other landes suche as haue aryued there and taryed there a seasone to eschewe the daunger of the see haue said that they haue sene some of the fairy there and haue proueâ— their wordes to be trewe The erle of Neuers and his company were right ioyouse of the company of these ladyes and ryght ioyously the ladyes receyued them and sayd howe their coÌ„mynge thyder dyd all the isle great honoure bycause they were noble knyghtes and men of honoure for there hath nat acustomed none other to be conuersaunt amonge them but marchauntes This isle is nat all onely enhabyted with women but there be men amonge them but the women haue the soueraynte and chefe rule there They are worke women in sylke worke and make clothes of sylke so subtelly and so well that there is none lyke them nor the men of the isle canne nat make it but they cary them out to sell where they thynke to haue most profyte and the woman abyde styll in the isle and they honour the men for the sayde cause and they haue the profyte therof The Isle is of that condycion that no man dare aproche it to do there any doÌ„mage for who so euer dothe are perysshed and that hath ben sene and proued and therfore these ladyes endure euer in peace and dought no man Also they are marueylous swete gentle amyable and humble and whan they wyll they speke with the fayry and be in their company WHan the erle of Neuers and his company had refresshed them in this isle of Chyfoligne aboute a fyue dayes than they toke leaue of these ladyes and lefte amonge these ladyes parte of suche as they had that they myght forbeare so that the ladyes gaue them great thanke at their departynge and so they sayled to a lande called Raguse and there they rested And fro thens to Clarence a hundred myle fro Venyce And whyle they were there thyther came a squyer of Haynalt of great recoÌ„mendacyon borne in the towne of Mons he was called Brydoll he came fro the holy scpulcre and fro Quayre and fro saynt Katheryns mounte and whan he came to Clarence the frenchmen made him good chere bycause he was borne in Haynalt for the countesse of Neuers was doughter to the erle of Heynalte and also bycause he had ben in farre countreys and they demaunded of him newes fro those parties and also of the state of the kynge of Cyper He aunswered to euery thynge ryght wysely WHan the erle of Neuers had refresshed hym there a season than he sayled forthe and came to the porte of Parcuse The great galees coude go no further to come to the porte of Venyce Than within a certayne space they tooke other small shyppes passengers and so came to Venyce and there were receyued with great ioye and they thanked god that they were come thyder in sauegarde and out of the handes of the myscreauntes for they were ones in feare neuer to haue come out of their handes Than euery man wente to his logynge which was prepared for them for their commynge thyder was knowen before their seruauntes were come thyder and prepared for them redye agaynst their commyng The erle of Neuers founde there redy parte of his seruauntes sente thyder by the duke of Burgoyne his father and the duches his mother Also there was redy syr Dyne of Responde bycause of their raunsome Than clerkes were
pope Clement yet he had neuer ferme beleue on hym But the prelates of the realme of Fraunce and specially Guy of Roy archebysshoppe of Reyns the archebysshoppes of Sens and of Roen and the bysshoppe of Ostune they had brought the duke to beleue on pope Clement ThanÌ„e it was aduysed by the kynges secrete couÌ„sayle that if they purposed to bringe the Churche to rest and peace to haue the accorde of Almayne Than was there sente suffycient ambassadours and clerkes of bothe lawes as maister Philyppe of Playes was one in to Almayne to the kyng of Boesme and of Almayne who wrote hym selfe kyng of Romayns This mater went so forwarde that a day was sette that the kyng of Almayne and his counsaile and the FreÌ„che kyng and his couÌ„sayle shulde mete ê‘sonally at the cyte of Reynes This mater was done secretely bicause the prelates cardynalles archebysshoppes and bysshoppes shulde nat breke their purpose that they were about They made it be noysed that the metyng of these two kynges and their counsayls at Reynes was for non other purpose but to treate for a maryage to be had bytwene the sonne of the marques of Blanquebourge brother to the kyng of Almayne and the doughter of the duke of Orlyaunce And so by reason and vnder colour of that mater they wolde common of other In this same seasone dyed at Nesues in Heynaulte the lorde Guye of Chastellone erle of Bloyes and brought to ValenceÌ„nes and buryed at saynt Fraunces in the Freres mynours in a chapell called the Chapell of Orthais he had done moche coste in the closynge of the sayd Freres and whan he dyed he was so in dette that the countesse Mary of Namure forsoke al his goodes and durst nat take on her the admynistracyon of his testament but retourned to her dowrie of the lande of Chinay and of Beaumonde his other herytages went to the heyres The duke of Orlyaunce hadde the countie of Blois for he had payed whyle the erle Guye lyued two hundred thousande crownes of FrauÌ„ce and the landes of Hollande zelande Heynaulte wente to the duke Aubert of Bauyere erle of Heynaulte And the lande of Dauesnes of Landrecier and of Lonnon in terreasse fell to Iohan of Bloyes called IohnÌ„ of Bretaygne And if the erle had nat solde the countie of Blois the sayd Iohan of Bretaygne shulde haue been his heyre therof Consydre what a doÌ„mage a lorde or any other may do to his heyre by gyueng credeÌ„ce to yuell counsayle god forgyue hym ¶ Nowe lette vs retourne to the busynesse of Englande ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the dethe of the duke of Gloucestre and of the exle of AruÌ„dell and howe the kynges vncles and the londoners toke the mater Capi. CC.xxvi YE haue herde here before of the couert hates that was bytwene kynge Rycharde of Englande and his vncle Thomas duke of Gloucestre whiche the kynge wolde beare no lengar but sayd and also was counsayled rather to distroye another man than hymselfe And ye haue herde howe the kyng was at Plasshey by crafte and coloure brought hym out of his owne house to London And by the waye about .x. or a .xi. of the cloke in the nyght therle marshall arested hym in the kynges name And for all that he cryed after the Kynge yet the kynge made a deafe eare and rode on before and so the same nyght the kynge laye at the towre of London but the duke of Gloucecestre was otherwise lodged For byforce he was put in to a Barge and out of the barge in to a shyppe that laye in the Thamise and the erle marshall with hym and all his company And dyde so moche that the nexte day by night they came to Calais without knoledge of any man excepte the kynges offycers of the sayd towne yE maye well knowe whanÌ„e the takynge of the duke was knowen at Plaâ—hey by the duchesse and her chyldren they were sore troubled and abasshed and thought well that the matter went nat well The duchesse demaunded couÌ„saile what was best to do of sir Iohan Laquyham The knight answered that it was best to sende to his bretherne the dukes of Lancastre and of yorke that they myght fynde some meanes to apeace the kynges dyspleasure For he sayde he thought that the kyng wolde nat displease them The duchesse dyd as the knyght counsayled her and she sente incontynent messangers to these two dukes who were farre a sondre who whanne they herde therof were sored displeased and sente worde agayne to the duchesse that she shuld be of good coÌ„forte For they sayd they knew well the kyng wolde nat entreat hym but by laufull iudgement for otherwise they coude nat suffre it but as thanne they knewe natte where he was The Duchesse and her chyldren were somwhat conforted with their answere The kynge the nexte daye wente fro the towre of London to Eltham and there taryed The same night was brought to the towre of London as prisoners the erle of Arundell and the Erle of Warwyke wherof they of the cytie of London had great marueyle and made therof great murmurynge but none durst saye nay agaynst the kynges pleasure But all maner of people knightes squyers burgesses of good cyties townes of EnglaÌ„de said We haue very well suffred the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke bretherne to the duke of Gloucestre They maye prouyde for this whanne it please theÌ„ We thynke they wolde well haue prouyded for the mater if that they hadde knowen the kynges entent agaynst their brother of Glocestre but bycause they were nat dilygent in the cause the matter is come yuell and lyke to haue an yuell conclusyon WHan the duke of Glocestre was brought to the castell of Calys than he feared hym selfe greatlye said to the erle Marshall For what cause am I brought out of Englande hyder to Calais Me thynke ye holde me as a prisoner Lette me go abrode and se the fortresse aboute Sir quod the marshall that ye desyre I dare nat do it for I haue the charge vpon you on payne of my lyfe The kynge my soueraygne lorde is a lytell myscontente with you Wherfore ye muste take pacyence here for a seasone tyll I here other newes and that shal be shortely by goddes grace For sir as helpe me God I am right sorie for your trouble if I myght remedy it But sir ye knowe well I am sworne to the kynge wherfore I must obey and so wyll I do for sauynge of myne honoure The duke coude haue none other aunswere But by that he sawe he feared greatly his lyfe And on a daye he desyred a preest that sange masse before hym that he myght be coÌ„fessed And so he was at good leysar before the sacrament with deuout herte and cryed God mercy and was sore repentaunt of all his synnes And in dede it was tyme so for hym so to do for his dethe was nerer to hym than he was ware of For as I was enfourmed whan
him selfe to auoide this realme of Englande and goo dwell in what place he lyste out therof And that he be banysshed in suche wyse that he neuer retourne agayne And also I ordayne that the erle of Derby our cosyn bycause he hathe displeased vs and that he is the chiefe cause of the banysshment of therle Marshall That within this fyftene dayes he auoyde the Realme of Englande and to be banysshed for tenne yeres without retournynge excepte we repeale hym agayne the whiche shall alwayes lye in our pleasure THis sentence greatly contented the lordes that were there present and they sayde the erle of Derby maye well ynoughe go and sporte hym out of the realme for two or thre yeres He is yonge ynoughe Thoughe he haue been sore traueyled in his dayes in farre countries as in to Pruce and to the holy Sepulchre to Cayre and to saynt Katheryns mount So he may do yet goo some other voyages to passe the tyme if he lyste he knoweth wyll ynoughe whider to go he hath two susters one quene of Spaygne the other quene of Portugale He maye well passe the tyme with them and also as nowe there is no warre Whan he cometh in to Spaygne he maye moue theym to make warre vpon the Sarazyns and to make a voyage in to Granade wherby he maye better employe his tyme than abydynge in Englande or elles he maye goo in to Heynaulte to his brother and cosyn the Erle of Ostrenaunt who wyll receyue hym with great ioye and retaygne hym sor he hathe warre with the Fresons and in Haynaulte he maye dayly here newes out of Englande and fro his children He can natte go amysse goo where he wyll And the kynge maye repeale hym agayne by good meanes whan it shall please hym for he is one of the fayrest floures in his garlande He shall nat be longe absente if the kynge purpose to haue the loue of his people But the erle Marshalle is in a farre worse case for he is banysshed without hope for euer to retourne agayne And to saye the trouthe he hath well deserued it for all this myschiefe is come by hym and by his wordes Thus dyuers knyghtes and squyers of Englande talked toguyder one with another the same daye that the kynge gaue the sayde iugemēt ⸪ ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the erle of Derby departed fro London to go in to Fraunce and the erle Marshall went in to Flaunders and so in to Lombardy Cap. CC.xxx. ⸪ ⸪ WHan these two Erles sawe what sentence the kynge had gyuen theym they were ryght sore pensyue and good cause why The erle Marshall sore repented him of that he had said and done For whan he began the mater he thought otherwyse to haue ben borne out by the kyng than he was For if he hadde knowen as moche before he wolde neuer haue begon the matter Whan he sawe there was no remedy he made hym redy and made his exchaung fro London to Bruges and so cāe to Calays where as he had been capitayne and there toke his leaue and so went to Bruges and there taryed a fyftene dayes than to Gaunt and so to Maynges and finally to Colloigne ¶ Lette vs leaue spekyng of hym and speke or the erle of Derby who prepared hym selfe in lykewise to departe out of Englande accordyng to the kynges sentēce Whan his daye of departure aproched he came to Eltham to the kynge where as the duke of Lācastre his father was and the duke of yorke with them the erle of Northumlande and sir Henry Percy his sonne with a great nombre of other knyghtes and squyers of Englande suche as loued hym And were soore displeased of the fortune that he must auoyde the realme These lordes came thyder to se what ende the kynge wolde make in the mater of whose cōmyng the kynge made semblaunt to be right ioyfull and made them great chere and helde a great court Also there was the erle of Salisbury and the erle of Huntyngton brother to the kyng who hadde to his wyfe the duke of Lancastres doughter and suster to the erle of Derby These two lordes came to therle of Derby I knowe nat if they dissymuled or nat At the erles departynge the kynge humyled hym greatly to his cosyn of Derby and said As Godde helpe me it right greatly displeaseth me the wordes that hath been bytwene you and the Erle Marshalle But the sentence that I haue gyuen is for the beste and for to apease therby the people who greatly murmured on this matter Wherfore cosyn yet to ease you somwhat of your payne I release my Iudgement fro tenne yere to syxe yere Cosyn take this a worthe and ordyne you therafter The erle answered and sayd Sir I thāke your grace and whan it shall please you ye shall do me more grace All the lordes that were there were well contented with the kynge as for that tyme. Than euery man departed and some went to London with the erle of Derby The Erle made all his prouisyon at Douer to passe to Calays And the erle beyng at London or his departure was counsayled by his father for to go streight to the Frenche kynge and to his cosyns in Fraunce And accordynge to his fathers counsayle so he dyde or elles he wolde haue gone to the erle of Ostrenaunt his brother and cosyn Whan the Erle departed fro London there were in the stretes mo thanne fourtie thousande men wepyng and cryeng after hym that it was pytie to here And sōe said O gentyll erle of Derby shall we thus leaue you This Realme shall neuer be in ioye tyll ye retourne agayne But the daye of retourne is very longe for enuy falsehed and trayson hath putte you out of this Realme where as ye ought to abyde rather thā many other For ye are of suche lynage and of so noble blode that none ought to be compared to you And gentyll erle why shalle we leaue you ye neuer dyde nor thought yuell THus men women pituously spake He was nat conueyed out of the cytie with instrumentes but with lamentable wepynges And some sayd secretelye Cōsyder the order of these people what displeasure they take for a small occasyon Who so euer wolde styrre the Londoners to ryse agaynst the kyng he might than go seke further flye out of the realme rather than the erle of Derby but it is as nowe no tyme sithe the duke of Lācastre his father suffreth if we must nedes suffre it The mayre of Lōdon and a great nombre of the chiefe burgesses accompanyed therle of Derby out of the cytie Some rode to Dartforde and some to Douer and sawe hym take shippyng than they retourned And the erle of Derby or he came to Calais he hadde sent a knyght and an heraulde to the Frenche kyng and to his brother the duke of Orlyaunce and to the kynges vncles the dukes of Berrey of Burbon and of Burgoyn to knowe the kynges pleasure if he wolde suffre the
that the duke his father had on hym a paryllous sycknesse whiche shuld be his dethe these wordes gretly letted the erle to take on hym any maner of voyage but so taryed styll at Parys and often tymes he went and sawe the frenche kyng the duke of Orlyaunce and the kynges vncles and alwayes they made hym good chere so that he was moche bounde to them and he sayde to the kynge Syr ye do me so moche honoure and curtesy and shewe me so great sygne of loue that I knowe nat in all my lyfe dayes howe to deserue it but if euer I come in Englande my lady that quene your doughter to my power shall haue my seruyce I thanke you cosyn quod the kynge So it fell that aboute the feest of Crystmasse duke Iohan of Lancastre who lyued in great dyspleasure what bycause the Kynge had banysshed his sonne out of the realme for so litell a cause and also bycause of the yuell gouernynge of the realme by his nephewe kynge Rycharde for he sawe well that if he longe percepuered were suffred to contynewe the realme was lykely to be vtterly loste With these ymagynacyons and other the duke fell sycke wheron he dyed whose dethe was greatly sorowed of all his frendes and louers The kyng by that he shewed toke no great care for his dethe but sone he was forgotten Than certayne of the noble men of Englande sawe well howe the realme feblysshed sythe the duke of Lancastre was deed and the duke of Gloucestre his brother slayne and the erle of Arundell and the erle of Derby banysshed who ought than to be duke of Lancastre by ryght succession Than some sayde Nowe we shall se what the kynge wyll do it is tyme nowe that he repeale home agayne his cosyn of Derby and to pardone hym his yuell wyll though he haue no cause to be dyspleased with hym it were tyme he came and entred in to his landes as duke of Lancastre Suche wordes ranne a brode in the Realme in dyuers places and specyally in the cytie of London where the erle of Derby was a hundred tymes better beloued thanne the kynge howe be it for all the wordes and murmuryng that the kyng and his counsayle knewe of yet he dyd nothynge therafter but clene the contrary He was yuell counsayled for if he had incontynent after the dethe of the duke of Lancastre sente for the erle of Derby and at his coÌ„mynge haue frendely welcomed hym home and haue called hym duke of Lancastre and haue taken hym as greatest personage in Englande nexte hym selfe and haue sayde howe he wolde be gouerned in all poyntes after his aduyse and counsayle and to do nothynge without his aduyse than the kynge had done well and lykely to haue contynued his estate as kynge of Englande and had nat receyued the yuell fortune that fell to hym shortly after as ye shall here after ¶ Howe the dethe of the duke of LaÌ„castre was knowen in Fraunce the kyng of Englande wrote in maner of ioye to the Frenche kynge therof and wrote nothyng therof to therle of Derby who was the dukes sonÌ„e Cap. CC .xxxv. TIdynges of the duke of Lancasters dethe came in to Fraunce kyng Rycharde of EnglaÌ„de in maner of ioye wrote therof to the frenche kyng and nat to his cosyn therle of Derby howe be it the erle knewe it as soone as the Frenche kynge or soner by suche men as he had in Englande Than the erle apparelled hym and all his men in blacke and caused his obsequy to be done right honorably at the whiche was the Frenche kyng and his brother the duke of Orlyaunce and all the kynges vncles with a great nombre of prelates and great lordes of Fraunce For the erle of Derby was welbeloued with euery maÌ„ and many were right sorie of his trouble for he was a pleasaunt knight and an honest ê‘son curtesse and swete meke to euery man and euery man that sawe hym said howe the kyng of Englande was nat well counsayled that he repealed hym nat home agayne And truely to saye trouthe if the kynge of Englande had wysely regarded the mater and had ben well counsayled the mater had nat tourned agaynst hym as it dyde For the erle of Derby after the dethe of his father was right enherytoure to be duke of Lancastre and to haue been the seconde persone of the realme and by whom all the busynesse of the realme shulde chiefely haue passed Also the kynge and his counsayle ought to haue consydred howe often tymes the people of Englande hadde styrred and murmured agaynst hym and shulde haue knowen howe he was nat very welbeloued of the people nor of some knightes other and how that in the duke of Gloucesters dayes he was often tymes in daunger of his persone As whan the Londoners and the counsaylles of dyuers good townes in Englande caÌ„e to hym to Eltham and there made their requestes that all subsidies and ayes gyuen and graunted within twentie yere shulde haue ben frustrate and fordone or els they were determyned by the consent of the duke of Gloucestre and other noble men of the Realme to haue taken the kynge and to haue sette another to haue reygned in his place and to haue putte the kyng and the Quene in to a place and so to haue hadde meate and drinke as long as they had lyued In somoche that the duke of Gloucester hadde desyred a nephewe of his sonne to the doughter of the duke of Clarence who was called Iohan erle of Marche That he wolde haue taken on hym the charge and gouernyng of the realme and that they wolde haue made hym kyng But the same erle excused hym selfe honestly therfro All these thynges were apeased and layde downe by the wyse sadde meanes and prudence of the sayde duke of Lancastre father to this sayd erle of Derby IF kyng Richarde had wysely consydred all these mats he had reigned in gretter ê“sperite than euer he did before Kyng Richarde knewe all this well ynough and so by yuell counsayle the kynge caused by colour of loue the duke of Gloucestre to be taken and ledde to Calays where he was strangled and murdered Wherof great brute was throughe out all the realme with great grudge and murmuracyons so that it was at the poynt to haue deposed the sayde kyng Richarde Howe be it the duke of Lancastre lyke a sage and a prudent price for all that the duke of Gloucestre was his brother and that the murderyng of hym touched hym nere to his herte All thynges consyred and that he coude nat recouer agayne his brother wisely and amiably he apeased all these maters And the kynge his nephue more feared in EnglaÌ„de than he was before All this the kynge ought to haue consydred and specially howe therle of Derby was better beloued with the people than any other man within the realme All these thyngê wysely coÌ„sidred after the dethe of the duke rf LaÌ„castre the kyng shulde
shulde nat be for their welthe but to their great dōmage for the kynge was sore enformed against them Whan they had this warnynge they stopped their cōmyng to the kyng and nat without good cause For they were shewed that if they came they shulde be in ieopardye of their lyues Whan the kynges counsayle sawe that therle and his son̄e came nat they sayd to the kyng Sir nowe ye maye se whyder we dyde enforme you of the trouthe or nat ye maye se therle and his sonne disdayneth to serue you for they wyll nat come at youre cōmaundement and that shall ye se if ye sende for them And I shall sende for them quod the kyng Than letters were written sente by notable messangers to therle to the lorde Henry Percy his son The content of the letters was that incontynent without delaye vpon the sight of those letters that they shulde come to the kyng and do their duetie as they were bounde to do These messangers iourneyed so longe that they came to fayre castell of the erles standyng on the fronter of Scotlande The messanger acquyted hym well in doynge of his message as he was cōmaūded Th erle reed his letters at length and than shewed them to his sonne Than they toke aduise to make the messanger good chere and to write agayn to the kynge in excusynge of them selfes howe they coulde nat come out of their countrey as at that tyme and howe that the kyng had men ynowe to acōplysshe his iourney besyde them The messangers retourned to the kynge and delyuered the erles lettre The kynge redde it the whiche answere was nothynge pleasaunt to the kynge nor to his counsayle and thanne for this cause and for other thynges that were layde to the Erles charge and to his sonnes they were openly banysshed the realme of Englande tyll the kyng dyd repeale them agayne This was publysshed through out all the cyties and good townes of Englande and specyally in London wherof the londoners had great marueyle nor they coulde nat knowe iustly for what cause it was for the erle and his sonne were reputed for noble and as valyaunt men as any within the realme Some sayd it cōmeth by some of the kynges counsayle that hateth them whiche counsayle wyll distroy the kyng at last peraduenture the erle and his sonne haue spoken some wordes vpon the kynge and his counsayle for the yuell gouernynge of the realme coulde nat be herde though they said the trouth and for their true sayeng nowe they be punisshed but we thinke herafter they wyll be punysshed that nowe iudge them Thus the londoners and other spake of this mater The erle had a brother a valiaunt knight sir Thomas percy who had of a longe tyme done many noble seruyces to the kynge of Englande whan the erle knewe that he and his sonne were banysshed the realme he toke it for an vnreasonable punysshment without cause Than he sente for all his frendes in the countrey suche as he coulde get togyther for many of his lygnage were with the kynge to go in to Irelande The erle toke counsayle of them what was best to do sythe the kynge had banysshed hym without cause Than he was counsayled to sende in to the realme of Scotlande and to desyre the king there that he and his sonne might abyde peasably in Scotlande tyll the kynge of Englande were apeased of his dyspleasure Thus therle sent to kynge Robert of Scotlande and the kyng the erle Archambalt Duglas and the other lordes of Scotlande condiscendyd lyghtly to the erles desyre sent the erle worde howe they shulde be gladly receyued and also if they neded of fyue or syre hundred speares if they were signyfied of the tyme they shulde be redy to serue them This message pleased greatly the erle and his lygnage and so the erle taryed styll in his countrey amonge his frendes for kynge Rycharde and his counsayle had so moche to do in sorte season after that they had no layser to do any dyspleasure to the erle nor to his sonne as ye shall here after in this hystory KInge Rycharde thus beynge aboute Bristowe than the state generally of all men in Englande began to murmure and to ryse one agaynst another and mynystrynge of iustyce was clene stopped vp in all courtes of Englande wherof the valyaunt men and prelates who loued reste and peace and were glad to paye their duetyes were greatly abasshed for there rose in the realme companyes in dyuers rowtes kepynge the feldes and hygh wayes so that marchauntes durste nat ryde abrode to excercyse their marchaundyse for doute of robbynge and no man knewe to whome to cōplayne to do them ryght reasone and iustyce whiche thynges were ryght preiudyciall and dyspleasaunt to the good people of Englande for it was contrary to their accustomable vsage for all people laborers and marchauntes in Englande were wonte to lyue in rest and peace and to occupy their marchaundyse peasably and the laborers to labour their landes quyetly and than it was contrary for whan marchauntes rode fro towne to towne with their marchaundyse and had outher golde or syluer in their purces it was taken fro them and fro other men and labourers out of their houses these companyons wolde take whete ootes bufes muttons porkes the pore men durste speke no worde these yuell dedes dayly multyplyed so that great complayntes and lamentacyons were made therof through out the realme and the good people sayde the tyme is chaunged vpon vs fro good to yuell euer sythe the dethe of good kynge Edwarde the thyrde in whose dayes iustyce was well kepte and mynystred In his dayes there was no man so hardy in Englande to take a hen or a chekyn or a shepe without he had payed trewly for it and now◠a dayes all that we haue is taken fro vs and yet we dare nat speke these thinges canne nat longe endure but that Englande is lykely to be loste without recouery We haue a kynge nowe that wyll do nothyng he entendeth but to ydelnesse and to acomplysshe his pleasure and by that he sheweth he careth nat howe euery thynge gothe so he maye haue his wyll it were tyme to prouyde for remedy or els out enemyes wyll reioyse mocke vs our kynge hath sette his brother the erle of Huntyngdon at Calais therby peraduenture may be made some yuell treatie and bargayne for the towne of Calays with the frenche men and rendre in to their handes that thynge that is most necessary for the realme of Englande for if Calays were rendred to the Frenche men Englande was neuer so abasshed as it shulde be than and good cause why for than shulde be lost the chiefe key of Englande THus multyplyed the lamentacyons and murmurynge in Englande and the prelates and other ryche men of the realme came to London to dwell there to be in the better suretie They of the lygnages of suche lordes as the kynge had put to dethe and banisshed
thyder where as the erle of Derby was at a place called vyncetour besyde Parys Whan the erle of Derby sawe the bysshop of Caunterbury cōmynge to him his herte and spyrites reioysed and so dyd all suche as were aboute him for he thought well than to here some newes oute of Englande The bysshoppe shewed nat as than the cause of his cōmynge but dissymuled bycause euery man shuld nat knowe his entent and therfore to couer his busynesse he sayd openly he was come on pylgrymage to saynt Mors. All suche as were aboute the erle thought it had ben so Whan the bysshop sawe his tyme he toke a parte the erle of Derby alone in to a chambre and closed the dore to them Than the bysshop shewed the erle the debylyte of the realme of Englande and of the desolacyon therof and howe iustyce had no place to reygne for faute of a good kinge and howe certayne valyaunt men and prelates with the londoners and other ingenerall had deuised a remedy and for that cause he was sente thyder to hym to desyre him to retourne in to Englande and they wolde make hym kynge bycause that Rycharde of Burdeaulx had doone and consented to be done so many yuell dedes that all the people sorowed it and are redy to ryse agaynst hym and therfore syr nowe is the tyme or neuer for you to seke for your delyueraūce and profyte and for the welth of your chyldren for if ye entende nat to helpe your selfe and theym also none other wyll for Rycharde of Burdeaux gyueth to them of his chambre to other dayly parte of your enherytaūce and of your chyldrens of the whiche many valyaunt men and the londoners were sore dyspleased therwith if they coude amended it but they durst neuer speke tyll nowe But bycause the kynge hath yuell vsed hym selfe agaynst you and agaynst your vncle the duke of Gloucestre who was taken by nyght and conueyed to Calays and there murdered and the erle of Arundell beheeded without tytell of any good reason and the erle of Warwyke exyled and you banysshed and thus the realme of Englande is nere dysheryted of all noble men by whome the realme shulde be susteyned And also the kynge hath banysshed the erle of Northumberlande and the lorde Percy his sonne bycause they spake somewhat agaynst the kynges gouernaunce and his counsayle Thus they dayly encrease in doynge yuell and none dare speke agaynst it great parte of the realme haue pytie therof and therfore they desyre you to slepe no lenger but to take leaue of that frenche kynge and retourne in to Englande there shall you be receyued with ioy and all this that I haue sayd they wyll fyrmely vpholde for they desyre to haue none other kynge but you ye are so well beloued in the realme WHan the erle had herde the bysshops wordes at length he was nat hasty in gyuenge of aunswere but leaned out at a wyndowe lokynge downe in to a gardeyne and studyed a certayne space and had many imagynacions at last he tourned hym to the archebysshop and sayd Syr your wordes causeth me to study Lothe I wolde be to take on me this enterprise and lothe I wolde be to leaue it for I knowe well that it wyll be longe or I canne retourne in to Englande without it be by the same meanes as ye haue declared Lothe I wolde be to enclyne to your wordes for the Frenche kynge here and the frenchmen do to me and haue done wyll do if I lyst here to tary all the honour and curtesye that I canne desyre And if so be by reasone of your wordes and promesse of the londoners my good frendes that I shulde apply and agree to their wylles and desyre and that therby kynge Rycharde shulde be taken and dystroyed I shulde in that case beare great blame wherof I wolde be tyght lothe if any other meanes might be founde Sir quod the bysshoppe I am sent hyther to you in hope of all goodnesse call to you your counsayle and shewe them what I haue sayd and I shall also shewe them the cause of my cōmynge and I thynke they wyll nat counsayle you to the contrary That shall I do quod the erle for suche a weyghty mater requyreth counsayle Than the erle called to hym his counsayle suche as he trusted best Whan they were before hym than the erle caused the bysshop to shewe them all the mater and the cause of his commynge thyder Than the erle demaūded counsayle what was beste for hym to do They all aunswered with one voyce syr god hathe taken pytie of you howe so euer ye do refuse nat this bargayne for ye shal neuer haue a better and surely who so euer wyll enquyre of your lygnage and fro whence ye dyscended ye are of the ryght stocke and generacyon of saynt Edwarde somtyme kynge of Englande syr thanke the londoners your good frendes who wyll helpe to delyuer you out of daunger and haue pytie on your chyldren and of the desolacyon of the realme of Englande and syr remembre well what wrōges and iniuryes this Rycharde of Burdeaux hath done to you and dothe dayly for whan the maryage bytwene you and the countesse of Ewe was nere at a poynte dyd nat the erle of Salysbury breke it and called you traytoure in the presence of the frenche kynge and other lordes whiche wordes are nat to be pardoned but ye ought to desyre howe to be reuenged Sir if ye wyll nat helpe yourselfe who shulde helpe you syr take good aduyse herin ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the erle of Derby toke leaue of the frenche kyng and went to his cosyn the duke of Bretaygne Cap. CC.xxxix WHanne the erle herde his coūsaylours so ernestly counsayle him his spyrites opened and sayd Syrs I wyll do as ye wyll haue me for to haue your counsayle was the entente that I sent for you Syr quod they ye saye well and syr we counsayle you trewly to our power and as the matter requyreth Than as secretly as they coude they ordeyned for their departure Than it was deuysed howe they might passe the see or any knowledge therof shulde come in to Englande They deuysed that of two wayes they muste take one outher to go into Haynalte and in to Holande and there take the see at Dordright or els to go in to Bretaygne to the duke and there to take the see and so to lande at Plummouth or where as god wolde in Englande All thynges consydred they sayd the best way shulde be by Bretaygne and than they sayd to the erle syr go and take your leaue of the frenche kynge and thanke hym of the curtesy that he hath shewed vnto you and take leaue of the duke of Orlyance and of the kynges vncles and other and thanke theym all of the good chere they haue made you and desyre of the kinge to haue conducte to go in to Bretaygne sayenge that ye wyll go se the duke your cosyn to tary there a
chefe that be agaynst you Sir ye must dissymule tyll the mater be apeased and tyll the erle of Huntyngton your brother be with you And it cometh nowe yuell to passe for you that he is at Calais For there be many nowe in Englande that be rysen agaynst you that and they knewe that youre brother were aboute you they wolde sytte styll and durst nat displease you and yet he hathe to his wyfe the erle of Derbyes suster by his meanes we suppose ye shulde come to peace and coÌ„corde The kyng agreed to those wordes and said Go and let hym come in with .xii. with hym and no mo Two knyghtes went downe to the gate and opyned the wycket and issued out and made reuerence to the erle and receyued hym with gracious wordes for they knewe well that they hadde no force to resyst them and also they knewe well the Londoners were sore displeased with theÌ„ therfore they spake fayre and sayde to the erle Sir what is your pleasure the kyng is at masse he hath sente vs hyder to speke with you I saye quod therle ye knowe well I ought to haue possessyon of the ouchy of Lancastre I am come in partie for that cause and also for other thynges that I wolde speke with the kynge of Sir quod they ye be welcome the kyng wolde be gladde to se you to here you and hath commaunded that ye come to hym all onely with .xii. persones The erle answered it pleaseth me well So he entred in to the castell with .xii. persones and than the gate closed agayne and the rest of his coÌ„pany taryed without NOwe consyder what dauÌ„ger therle of Derby was in for the kyng than myght haue slayne hym and suche as were with hym as easely as a byrde in a cage But he feared nat the mater but boldelye went to the kyng who chauÌ„ged colours whan he sawe the erle Than the erle spake aloude without makynge of any great honour or reuerence and sayd Sir are ye fastynge The kyng answered and sayd yea why aske you It is tyme quod the erle that ye had dyned for ye haue a great iourney to ryde Why wheder shulde I ryde quod the kynge ye must ryde to London quod therle wherfore I counsayle you eate and drinke that ye maye ryde with the more myrthe Than the kynge who was sore troubled in his mynde and in a maner afrayde of those wordes sayde I am nat hungry I haue no luste to eate Than suche as wereby who were as than gladde to flatter therle of Derby for they sawe well the mater was lyke to go dyuersly sayde to the kynge Sir beleue your cosyn of Lancastre for he wyll nothyng but good Than the kyng sayd well I am content couer the tables Thanne the kynge wasshed and satte downe and was serued Than the erle was demaunded if he wolde sytte downe he sayde no for he was nat fastynge IN the mean season whyle the kyng satte at dyner who dyde eate but lytell his hert was so full that he had no lust to eate All the countrey about the castell was full of men of warre They within the castell myght se them out at the wyndowes and the kynge whan he rose fro the table myght se them hym selfe Than he demaunded of his cosyn what men they were that appered so many in the feldes Th erle aunswered and sayde the moost parte of theÌ„ be Londoners What wolde they haue quod the kyng They wyll haue you quod therle and bringe you to London and putte you in to the towre there is none other remedy ye can scape none otherwyse No quod the kyng and he was sore afrayde of those wordes for he knewe well the LoÌ„doners loued hym nat and sayde Cosyn can you nat prouyde for my suretie I wyll nat gladly putte me in to their haÌ„des For I knowe well they hate me and haue done long though I be their kynge Than therle sayd Sir I se none other remedy but to yelde your selfe as my prisoner and whan they knowe that ye be my prisoner they wyll do you no hurte but ye must so ordayne you your coÌ„pany to ryde to LoÌ„don with me and to be as my prisoner in the towre of London The kyng who sawe hym self in a harde case all his spyrites were sore abasshed as he that douted greatly that the londoners wolde slee hym Than he yelded hym selfe prisoner to the erle of Derby and bouÌ„de hym selfe and promysed to do all that he wolde haue hym to do In lykewise all other knightes lquyers and offycers yelded to the erle to eschewe the dauÌ„ger and paryll that they were in and the erle than receyued them as his prisoners and ordayned incontynent horses to be sadylled brought forthe in to the courte the gates opyned than many men of armes archers entred Than the erle of Derby caused a crye to be made on payne of dethe no man to be so hardy to take away any thyng within the castell nor to laye any handes vpon any ê‘sone for all were vnder the erles sauegarde and protection whiche crye was kept no man durst breke it the erle had the kyng downe in to the courte talkyng toguyder caused all the kynges hole housholde and estate to go forwarde as of custome they had done before without chauÌ„gyng or mynisshynge of any thyng Whyle euery thyng was a preparyng the kyng and the erle coÌ„muned toguyder in the court and were well regarded by the Londoners And as it was entormed me kynge Richarde had a grayhounde called Mathe who alwayes wayted vpon the kynge and wolde knowe no man els For whan soeuer the kyng dyde ryde he that kept the grayhounde dyde lette hym lose and he wolde streight rynne to the kynge and fawne vpon hym and leape with his tore fete vpon the kynges shulders And as the kyng the erle of Derby talked togyder in the courte the grayhounde who was wont to lepe vpon the kyng left the kynge came to the erle of Derby duke of Lancastre and made to hym the same frendly couÌ„tinauÌ„ce chere as he was wonte to do to the kyng The duke who knewe nat the grayhouÌ„de demaunded of the kyng what the grayhounde wolde do Cosyn quod the kyng it is a gret good token to you and an yuell signe to me Sir howe knowe you that quod the duke I knowe it well quod the kyng The grayhounde maketh you chere this day as kynge of Englande as ye shal be and I shal be deposed the grayhouÌ„de hath this knowledge naturally therfore take hym to you he wyll folowe you forsake me The duke vnderstode well those wordes and cherisshed the grayhounde who wolde neuer after folowe kyng Richarde but folowed the duke of LaÌ„castre SO euery man lepte a horsbacke and departed fro the castell of Flynt entred in to the feldes Thus duke Henry of Lancastre who was no more called erle of Derby but duke of LaÌ„castre rode by
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 the ioye that I had before Than therle caused his barbour to shaue hym and clothed him selfe in blacke 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 ¶ Howe sir Peter of Byerne had a stronge dysease and of the countesse of Bisquay his wyfe Cap. xxvii 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 recoÌ„mendacyon 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 demauÌ„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 soÌ„tyme his seruautes wolde leaue non armure nor swerde in his chaÌ„bre 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 ê™ he she is in Castell with the kynge her cosyn her father was erle of Bisquay and was câ—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 that 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 thanÌ„e 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 coÌ„mon 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 â–ª 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 the 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 to the castell of LaÌ„guedon 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 the knight howe he durst assayle the beare And whanÌ„e the countesse of Bisquayes wyfe sawe the 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 faÌ„tasy 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 that 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 demanÌ„ded 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 auÌ„ciently 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 â—ere was before some knight chasyng in the forest of Bisquay and paraduenture displeased in that tyme some god or goddes wherby he was transformed vnto a beare to do there his penaunce as aunciently Acteon was chauÌ„ged 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 houÌ„des 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 caÌ„e 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 straÌ„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 incoÌ„tynent 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. ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Of the great solemynetie that the erle of Foyz made at the feest of faint Nycholas and the tale that the Mastot of Banlyon shewed to sir IohnÌ„ Froyssart Cap. xxviii 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 coÌ„pare with hym in wytte honour nor in larges At the feestê 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 seÌ„blant There I sawe also knightes of Aragon of Englande of the duke of LaÌ„castres 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 thyngê that fell in Castell in Nauar in Portyngale of the whiche I shall speke of whan tyme reâ—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 seruauÌ„tes in syluer vessell and whan I herde his name and sawe therle of Foiz and euery maÌ„ do hym so moche honour than I demauÌ„ded 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 IohnÌ„ 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 theÌ„ shewe forthe your mater and I wyll gladly here you For paradueÌ„ture I haue herde som what but nat all that is true quod the
it nowe we haue ben here more thanne two monthes and as yet we haue done nothyng as for such assautes skrymysshes as ye make the towne nedeth nat to feare this yere nor yet the nexte by this maner of meanes ye shall neuer conquere this realme of Aufryke nor yet of Thunes This comunynge spred so abrode in the hoost that it came to the knowlege of the gret lordes and capytaynes of the armye and specyally the lorde of Coucy who was sage and discrete and to whose coūsayle the chefe parte of the host inclyned euer vnto He sayd to him selfe and considred howe all these doutes were greatly to be feared and to the entente to ordayn hastely remedy he assembled secretly all the great lordes of the hoost togyder in counsayle bycause wynter aproched This counsayle was kept in the duke of Burbons tente and the conclusyon was to dyslodge for that seasone and euery man to retourne the same way as they came the lordes prepared secretly for this than the patrons of the galees were sente for and their purpose was shewed vnto them and they wyst nat what to say to the contrary at laste they sayde My lordes take no doute nor suspecte in vs we haue made you promesse wherfore we wyll acquyte vs truely to you for if we wolde haue enclyned to the treaties of the affrykans they wolde gaue desyred to haue had peace with vs bnt we wold neuer gyue heryng to them we wyll kepe our faythe to you syth we haue promysed so to do Sirs quod the lorde of Coucy we repute you for good and trewe and valyasit men but we haue consydred dyuers thynges wynter aprocheth and we are destytute of vitayles other prouysions By the grace of god we ones retourned in to the realme of Fraunce we shall so enfourme the kynge who is yonge and lusty and desyrous to knowe the maner of these marches and seynge that he hath treuce with the englysshe men we thynke small counsaylynge wyll cause hym to come hyther with a puyssaunce royall as well to ayde the king of Cicyll as to make some conquest vpon the sarazyns wherfore syrs we requyre you make redy your galees and all other vessels for we wyll departe within shorte dayes The genouoys were nothynge content with the frenche men in that they wolde departe fro the siege before the stronge towne of Aufryke but they coulde fynde none other remedy wherfore it behoued them to suffre A generall brute ran through the hoost howe the genouoys were aboute to bargayne with the sarazyns take their parte and to betray the crysten men The crysten men beleued this to be true and some said one to an other our souerayne capitayns as the duke of Burbone the erle Dolphyn of Auuergne and the lorde Coucy syr Guy de la Tremoyle syr Iohan of Vyen and syr Phylyppe of Bare they knowe surely howe euery thynge gothe and therfore we shall thus sodaynely departe fro the siege Their departure was publysshed throughe the hoost and euery man cōmaunded to conuey euery thing in to their shyppes Than saruaūtes and varletres were redy to trusse all maner of baggages and to cary it in to their vessels lyenge at ancre Whan euery thyng was cōueyed euery man entred in to suche shyppes as they came in and dyuers barones and knyghtes made couenaūt with their patrons and maysters of their shyppes some to sayle to Naples some to Cicyll some to Cyper and some to Rodes to the entent to go to Iherusalem Thus they departed fro the siege of Aufryke and toke the see in the syght of the sarazyns that were within the towne Whan they sawe their departure they made gret noyse with blowyng of hornes and sownynge of taburs and shoutynge and cryeng in suche wyse that the host of sarazyns that lay abrode knew therof than ye shuld haue sene the yonge sarazyns moūte on their horses and came to the place where the siege had layne to se if they coulde haue founde any thynge there Agadingor of Olyferne and Brahadyne of Thunes formest And there they sawe howe the christen men were so clene departed that they had lefte nothynge behynde that they myght cary There the sarazyns rode vp and downe more than two houres to se the maner howe the crysten men had lodged theym selfe at the siege they greatly praysed the crysten mennes subtyltie in that they had made so many pyttes in the erthe to haue therby fresshe water And whan they hadde been there a certayne space and well regarded the galees and shyppes on the see some of theym entred in to the towne of Aufryke to se their frendes and alyes and other departed agayne to their lodgynges and made bost of their voyage sayenge howe the crysten men durst abyde there no lengar and sayd howe their puissaunce was nothynge to regarde and that they wolde neuer more sette somoche by the frenche men nor by the genouoys as they had done before and of this they sayd trouth I shall tell you howe wherfore AFter that this siege was thus contynued as I was enfourmed the sarazins waxed proude for they sawe well howe the genouoys had done their full power to hurte and to anoy them and they sawe that this voyage was to their great coste and yet had won but lytell whiche was of trouthe And all that season the sarazyns knewe nothing of the deth of so many crysten knyghtes and squyers as were slayne at the great skrymysshe but the same day that the crysten men departed they had knowledge therof and I shall shewe you by what meanes The sarazyns founde in the felde a varlet of the genouoys lyenge on the grounde sore sycke of the hote feuer and was nat able to go to the galees whan his felowes departed And of the fyndynge of this varlet the sarazyns were ryght ioyfull and brought him before their lordes and shewed howe they had founde hym than a trucheman was set to here his examynacion In the begynnynge he wolde shewe nothyng for he reekened himselfe but deed and he desyred the sarazyns incontynent that they wolde put hym to deth than the lordes of the hoost as Agadingor Dolyferne Brahadyn of Thunes and dyuers other thought if they shulde cause hym to dye they shulde wyn nothyng therby yet rather to saue his lyfe so that he wolde shewe the trouthe of that he shulde be demaunded Than it was shewed hym that if he wolde without lyenge shewe the trouth his lyfe shulde be saued and to be delyuered franke and free and sent into his owne coūtrey by the first shyp that shulde come thence outher in to the lande of Geneue or Marcyll and also that he shulde haue gyuen to hym a. C. besantes of golde Whan the varlet who feared dethe herde this promesse he was well comforted for he knew well what so euer the sarazyns promyse by their faythe shulde be truely kepte and also ye knowe well naturally euery man is lothe to dye
Than he said to the truchman cause the lordes to swere on their lawe to vpholde all that ye sayd and than shall I aunswere you to all that I shal be examyned of as farre forth as I knowe The trucheman shewed this to the lordes and they made faythfull promesse by their fayth to fullfyll their promesse Than the varlet sayd nowe demaund what ye wyll and I shall answere Than firste he was demaunded of whence he was He answered and sayd he was of Portnances Than they demaunded of hym of the feates of the frenche men that had been at the siege He named to them dyuers for he hadde kepte often tymes coÌ„pany with harauldes by whome he had lerned dyuers of their names Than they desyred to knowe the occasion why they departed so sodaynely fro the siege wher to he answered wysely and sayd As for that I can nat tell but by supposynge and acordyng as I haue herde spoken in our host as for me I was neuer a counsayle with the lordes but as the brute went the frenchmen were in doute of the genouoys that they shulde betray them and the genouoys denyed it and sayd they neuer thought it nor neuer wolde and blamed the frenchmen that they shulde so slaunder them Also it was sayd that parte of the occasyon of their departure was bycause the wynter druenere and they were afrayde of taking of suche domage as they had receyued before what domage was that quod the lordes Syrs ê™ he the same daye that ten of our men shulde haue fought with ten of yours they lost about a .lx. knightes and squiers of name and armes the genouoys sayd for that cause they departed They beleued well the varlet of whiche newes the lordes sarazyns had great ioye They enquered of hym no further but vphelde to him all their promesses so he retourned to Portnances and to Geane and shewed all this aduenture and what he had said and herde and he receyued no blame therof Than the sarazyns sayd amonge them selfe they shulde nat nede to care for the frenche men nor for the genouoys of a longe season after and said howe before the towne of Aufryke they had taken no profyte howe be it they sayde they wolde take better hede to their portes and hauens and the see costes of their Realmes and specyally to the straytes of Marroke they set sure watche that the genouoys nor venysians shulde nat passe that wayes in to Englande nor in to Flaunders with their marchaundyses without payenge of a great trybute and yet that to be by greate grace and lycence Thus the sarazyns assembled and alyed them togythers of dyuers realmes as of Aufryke Thunes Bogy Martoke Belmaryn Tremessyans Granade all agreed togyder to kepe straytly their portes and passages and to sette galees armed on the see to a great nombre to the entent to be lordes and maisters of the see and all this they dyd for the great hatred that they had to the frenchmen and genouoys bycause they had ben at the siege before Aufryke thus they dyd great trouble to the goers and commers on the see so that moche yuell and myschefe grewe therby for by meanes that the sarazyns were thus lordes of the see suche marchaundyses as came fro DaÌ„mas fro Cayrel fro Alexaunder fro Venyce fro Naples and fro Geane were in that season so dere in Flaunders and so scarce that many thynges coulde nat be gotte nouther for golde no syluer and specially all spycery was wonderfull dere and gayson YE haue herd here before howe the crysten men departed for the siege of Aufryke They all passed the see but all aryued nat at one porte for some were so sore tourmented on the see that they retourned in great daunger howe be it some of theym returned to Geane Processyons were made in FrauÌ„ce for their good spede for there was no tydynges herde of them The lady of Coucy the lady of Sulley the lady Dolphyn of Auuergne and other ladyes of FrauÌ„ce who had their husbandes in this voyage were in great sorowe as longe as the voyage endured and whan tydynges came howe they were passed the see they were ryght ioyfull The duke of Burbone and the lorde of Coucy retourned priuely and lefte behynde them all their caryage and trayne and so they came to Parys aboute saynte Martyns tyde in wynter The frenche kynge was ioyouse of their comynge as it was reason and demaunded of them tydinges of Barbary and of their voyage they shewed al that they knewe and had herde and sene The kynge and the duke of Thourayne were glad to here them speke Than the kyng sayd if we can bringe it aboute to make peace in the churche and bytwene vs and EnglaÌ„de we shall gladly make a voyage with an army royall in to those parties to exalte the crysten fayth and to confounde the infydels and to acquyte the dedes of our predecessours as kyng Ppilyp and kinge Iohan for they bothe eche after other tooke on them the crossey to haue gone to the holy lande and they had gone thyder if the warres had nat fallen in their realme In lyke wyse we wolde gladly make suche a voyage Thus the Frenche kynge comuned with these lordes and so the day passed and lytell and lytell men came home fro their voyage and the kynge helde hym selfe that season most comenly at Parys somtyme at the castell of Lowre and a nother tyme in the howse of saynt Powle where the quene most comenly laye So it fell in the same season aboute the feest of saynt Andrewe and that all knyghtes and squyers were retourned fro their voyage into Barbary wherof all that worlde spake than in the frenche kynges court there was a mocyon moued for a newe iourney to be made thyder And bycause that the frenche kynge had gret affection to dedes of armes he was counsayled and exorted therto and it was sayde to hym Syr ye haue deuocyon and great ymagynacion to go ouer the see to fyght agaynst the infydels and to conquere the holy lande That is trewe quod the kynge my thought nyght and day is on none other thyng and as I was enfourmed it was the lord of Tremoyle and sir Iohan Mercier that had these wordes to the king for they owed their fauour to pope Clement beynge at Auignon and loke what they two sayd the kyng wolde agre to them for they were most speciall in fauour Than they sayd to the kynge Syr ye can nat with good conscience take on you this voyage with out first the church be all one syr begyn first at the heed than your enterprise shall take good conclusyon Why quod the kynge where wolde ye haue me to begyn Syr quod they at this present tyme ye be nat charged with any great busynesse ye haue treuce with the englysshe men for a longe space wherfore syr if it please you this peace durynge ye myght make a goodly voyage and syr we can se no better nor more honourable