erle Dolphyn of Auuergne who had ben as an hostager in Englande and moche in the duke of Lacasters company and loued hym very well He came and humbly saluted the duke of Lancaster Whan the duke sawe him he enbrased hym in great token of loue and spake toguyder a lytell Than the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne came to them the duke of Burbon the lorde Coucy and therle of â—aynt Poule came to the duke of yorke the erle of Huntyngton and to sir Thomas Percye and so â—ode talkyng togyder with amorous wordes tyll they aproched the cytie of Amyence Than the duke of Lancastre rode bytwene the duke of Berrey and the duke of Burgoyn Thus they rode all thre in a front makyng honour eche to other tyll they came to the bysshoppes palais where the kynge the duke of Thourayne was There they a lighted and the two dukes ledde the duke of Laâ—castre vp the steres and the other dukes and lordes folowed Than the Frenche lordes came in to the kynges presence made their reuerence and lefte the Englysshe dukes standyng alone Than a lytell they enclined them selfe to the kyng than the kyng caâ—e to them and toke them by the handes lytte them vp and spake swetely to them they to hym and other lordes of Fraunce fell in talkynge with the other lordes of Englande whan they had coÌ„maned a season they toke their leaue of the kyng his brother vncles and departed were conueyed to their lodgynges by the coÌ„stable of Fraunce the lorde Coucy the erle of saynt Poule sir Iohan of Vyenne and other Lordes of the realme of Fraunce Than they toke their leaues deê‘ted agayne to the kyng and the lady of Irelande doughter to the lorde Coucy was lodged in her fathers lodging all her coÌ„pany IT was ordayned by the freÌ„che kyng his counsayle before thenglysshe lordê came to the cytie of Amyence whiche ordynauÌ„ce was publysshed and proclamed openlye to th entent that no ê‘sone shulde be ignorant therof but euery man to beware of â—re kyng of any artycle in the proclamacion on payne of lefyng of their heedes First that no maner of person make any riot or gyue any riotous wordes to any Englysshman also that no knight nor squier speke or make any chalenge of armes to any englysshman on payne of the kynges highe displeasure they to company with the with swete wordes and goodly behauour in that towne lodgyngê or felde nor that the Frenche pages make any debate nor riotte in any place on payne of dethe And what soeuer any englysshman demauÌ„deth to suâ—â—re them pesably to haue it that no hoâ—t nor vitayler demaunde any money outher for meate or drinke nor for other suche coÌ„men charges Also it was ordayned that no knight nor squyer of Fraunce shuld go by night tyme without torche or torches and that the englysshmen shulde go at their pleasure without any coÌ„trolement that if any freÌ„chman mete any Englysshman in the night in any strete that they shulde swetely gently conuey him or theÌ„ to their lodgyng or to their company Also it was ordayned that in four places of the cyte four watches to be set of a thousande men in euery watche and that if any fyre happe to fall in the nyght by any incydence the watche in no wyse to remoue for no maner of cause but at the so wnynge of a bell all other people to drawe to queÌ„che the fyre Also it was ordayned that no freÌ„ch knight nor squier for no maner of cause shulde presume to speke to the king wtout the kyng fyrst dyde call hym Nor also that the knightes nor squyers of Fraunce shulde talke nor comune toguyder as long as any of the Englysshe men were present But to fynde comunynge and pastyme with theym Also it was ordayned that all hostes and their seruauntes in anywyse shulde nat conuey or hyde any Bowes or Arrowes or any other thynge parteyninge to the Englysshe men without makynge of large amendes without it were gyuen them by the Englysshmen of their curtesy than to take it or els nat All these thynges were determyned by delyberacyon or good counsayle to do the Englysshe men the more honoure for they trusted of a good conclusyon of peace Nighe euery day a fiftene dayes toguyder these lordes were in counsayle and brought nothyng to coÌ„clusyon for their demaundes were greatly different The Frenche men demaunded to haue Calais rased and beaten downe in suche wyse that no persone shulde dwell there after The Englysshe men wolde in no wyse agree to that treatie for it ought to be beleued that Calais was the towne of the worlde that the coÌ„mons of Englande loued best for as longe as they be lordes of Calays They sayde they bare the kayes of Fraunce vnder their gyrdell Thoughe the lordes departed euery daye vnagreed yet they departed a soÌ„der right amiably for euery daye they poynted to were agayne the nexte day bothe parties trustyng at last to coÌ„clude on some good poynt The frenche kyng made thenglysshe men in that space thre notable dyners at his palais In lykewise so dyde the duke of Thourayne the duke of Berrey the duke of Burgoyne the duke of Burbone the lorde of Coucy and the erle of saynt Poule Eche of these made the Englysshe men a great dyner And for euery thyng that the Englysshmen toke in the towne was payd for and clerkes apoynted by the kynge and his counsayle to write euery thyng and euery man apoynted for their money to the chambre of accomptes It ought to be knowen that Iohan duke of Lancastre and his brother the duke of yorke for all that they were come thyder on trust of peace yet they had charge of the kyng of Englande and of his counsayle that what soeuer treatie they made in no wise they shulde nouther gyue nor take any maner of thynge MAny were of the opynion that the coÌ„mynaltie of Englande rather enclyned to warre than to peace for in the tyme of good kyng Edwarde the thirde and of his sonÌ„e the prince of Wales they had so many fayre and highe vyctories on the frenche men and so great conquestes with so moche money for raunsomes sellyng and patesynge of townes countreis that they were become marueylous riche for many suche as were no gentylmen of byrthe by reason of their hardynesse and valyaunt aduentures wan and conquered so moche golde and syluer that they became noble and rose to great honour And so such as folowed after wolde folowe the same lyfe how beit after that dayes of the sayd kyng Edwarde and the prince his sonne by the wysdome and highe enterprice of sir Bertram of Clesquy and by the ayde of other good knyghtes of FrauÌ„ce The Englysshmen were than agayne sore put backe The duke of Gloucestre sonne to the sayde kynge Edwarde and vncle as than to kyng Richarde than beyng at Amyence dyuers other lordes knightes and squyers were of
at Bayon greatly dyscomfyted in that he coulde get no maner of ayde Cap. C .xxvi. ¶ Howe the duke of Berrey sente letters to the duke of Lancastre to Bayon and howe the duke sente the copye of the same letters in to Foyze and in to Nauerre to the entent to haue them publysshed in Spayne and howe the duke of Bretaygne demaunded counsayle of his men in all his busynesse Capi. C .xxvii. ¶ Howe the duke of Bretayne delyuered vp the thre castelles of syr Olyuer of Clyssons and howe he receyued ioyously the lorde of Coucy and his company ambassadours fro the frenche kynge and howe the duke of Lancastre made great chere to syr Helyon of Lignacke seneschall of Xaynton abmassadoure fro the duke of Berrey Cap. C .xxviii. ¶ Nowe the kynge of Castyle sente his ambassadours to the duke of Lancastre to treate for a maryage to be hadde bytwene his sonne and the dukes doughter and howe at the request of the duke of Berrey a truse was made by the duke of Lancastre in the countreys of Tholousyn and Rouergne Cap. C .xxix. ¶ Howe the Dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne departed to go to Bloyes and howe the duke of Bretayne came thyder and howe the dukes dyd so moche that they had hym to Parys in maner agaynst his wyll Capi. C .xxx. ¶ Howe Lewes kynge of Cycyle entred in to Parys in estate royall and howe the duke of Bretayne entred on the nyght of saint Johan the Baptyst the yere of grace a thousande thre hundred fourscore and seuyn and of a dede of armes done before the kynge at Moutereau fault yon bytwene a knyght of Englande called syr Thomas Harpyngham and a frenche knyght named syr Johan de Barres Capi. C .xxxi. ¶ Howe the duke of Bretaygne entred in to Parys and came to the castell of Loure to the frenche kynge Cap. C .xxxii. ¶ Howe the erle of Arundell beynge on the see more than a moneth came to the hauen of Maraunt a lytell fro Rochell and howe he sent a messanger to Perot le Bernoys that he and other capytayns shulde kepe the feldes Capi. C .xxxiii. ¶ Howe they of Marroys and Rochelloys were sore afrayde of the Englysshe men that were a lande and howe they of Rochell made ask rymysshe with theym and howe after the englysshe men had pylled the countrey about Maraunt they drewe agayne to the see with their pyllage whiche was great Capi. C .xxxiiii. ¶ Howe Perot le Bernoys and his companyons resorted agayne to their holdes with great pyllage and howe the duke of Guerles coulde haue no ayde of the Englysshe men to reyse the siege before Graue and howe the brabansois made a brige ouer the ryuer of meuse the whiche they of Guerles dyd breake bryn and dystroy as ye shall here after Capi. C .xxxv. ¶ Howe the Brabansoys passed the ryuer through the towne of Rauesten ouer the bridge there and so entred into Guerles Than the duke departed fro Nymay with thre hundred speares and came agaynst them and dyscomfyted them bytwene Rauesten and the towne of Graue Cap C .xxxvi. ¶ Howe the duke of Guerles after he had discomfyted the brabansoys he went agayne to Nymay and howe tydynges came to the frenche kynge and howe the kynge sent ambassadours to the kynge of Almayne Capi. C .xxxvii. ¶ Howe the frenche kynge gaue leaue to the duke of Bretaygne to retourne in to his countrey and howe the couÌ„trey of Brabant wolde nat consent to the kynges passage nor his army and howe the ambassadours of Fraunce spedde Capi. C .xxxviii. ¶ Howe the erle of Bloys sent to the frenche kinge two hundred speares and howe the duke of Lorayne and the lorde Henry of Bare came to the kynge and howe the dukes of Julyers and of Guerles knewe that the frenche kynge came on them Capi. C .xxxix. ¶ Howe syr Hellyon of Lygnacke made his reporte to the duke of Berrey and howe the lordes of Scotlande assembled toguyder in the cytie of Berdane and determyned to reyse vp an armye to entre into Englande and of an englyssh squyer who was taken by the scottes who knewe the secretes of bothe realmes Englande and Scotlande Capi. C .xl. ¶ Howe kyng Richarde yelded hym selfe to the erle of Derby to go to London Cap. Fo. CCC .xi. ¶ Howe the erle Duglas wan the penon of sir Henry Percy at the barryers vpon Newe castell vpon Tyne and howe the scottes brent the castell of Pondlen and howe syr Henry Percy and syr Rafe his brother tooke aduyse to folowe the scottes to conquere agayne the penon that was lost at the skrymysshe Capi. C .xli. ¶ Of the state of quene Isabell of Englande and howe she had all newe ê‘sones apoynted to wayte vpon her and howe kynge Richarde was sette in the towre of London Capi. CC .xlii. ¶ Howe sir Henry Percy and his brother with a good nombre of men of armes and archers went after the scottes to wyn agayne his penon that the erle Duglas had won before Newcastell vpoÌ„tyne and howe they assayled the scottes before MouÌ„tberke in their lodgynges Cap. C .xlii. ¶ Howe the erle James Duglas by his valyantnesse encoraged his men who were reculed and in a maner disconfited and in his so doynge he was wounded to dethe Capi. C .xliii. ¶ Howe in this bataile sir Rafe Percy was sore hurte and taken prisoner by a scottiss he knyght Cap. C .xliiii. ¶ Howe the scottes wanne the batayle agayust the Englysshe men besyde Ottebridge and there was taken prisoners sir HeÌ„ry and sir Rafe Percy howe an Englisshe squier wolde nat yelde hym no more wolde a scottysshe squyer and so were slayne bothe and howe the bysshoppe of Durham and his coÌ„pany were disconfyted amonge them selfe Capi. C .xiv. ¶ Howe sir Mathewe Reedman deparred fro the batayle to saue hym selfe and howe sir James Lymsey was taken prisoner by the bysshoppe of Durham and howe after the batayle scurrers were sent forthe to discouer the countrey Cap. C .xlvi. ¶ Howe the scottes departed caryed with them the erle Duglas deed and buryed hym in the abbey of Nimayes and howe sir Archambault Duglas and his company departed fro before Carlyle and retourned in to Scotlande Cap. C .xlvii. ¶ Howe the duke of Jullyers came and excused hym selfe of the defyaunce that his son the duke of Guerles had made to the Frenche kyng and so became his subiette and of dyuers reates of armes done bitwene the freÌ„che men and the almaygnes before Rencongne Cap. C .xlviii. ¶ Howe the duke of Julyers and the archebysshop of Coloygne departed fro the Frenche kyng and wente to Nimaye to the duke of Guerles and howe by their meanes he was reconsyled and brought to peace with the Frenche kynge and with the duchesse of Brabant Cap. C .xlix. ¶ Howe the erle of Arundell and the knyghtes of Englande beyng on the see by fortune of the wynde came to the palyce besyde Rochell whose beynge there was signifyed to sir Loyes of
is fayre and standeth in a playne countre amonge the fayre vynes And it is a towne cytie and castell closed with gates and walles and seperated eche fro other Fro the mountayns of Byerne and Catheloyne cometh the fayre ryuer of Lysse whiche ronneth throughe Tarbe and is as clere as a fountayne And a fyue leages thens is the towne of Morlance parteyninge to the erle of Foiz at the entre of the countie of Bierne and vnder the mountayne a site leages fro Tarbe is the towne of Panne whiche also ê‘teyneth to the sayd erle The same tyme that the prince princes was at Tarbe therle of Foiz was at Panne He was there bylding of a fayre castell ioyninge to the towne without on the ryuer of Grane Assone as he knewe the comynge of the prince and princesse beyng at Tarbe He ordayned to go and se theym in great estate with mo than sixe hundred horses and threscore knightes in his company And of his comynge to Tarbe was the prince and priÌ„cesse right ioyouse and made hym good chere and there was the erle of Armynake the lorde Dalbret and they desyred the price to requyre the erle of Foiz to forgyue therle of Armynake all or els parte of the somme of florens that he ought to haue And the prince who was wyse and sage consyderynge all thynges thought that be might nat do so and sayde Sir erle of Armynake ye were taken by armes in that iourney of batayle and ye dyde putte my cosyn the erle of Foiz in aduenture agaynste you And thoughe fortune were fauourable to hym and agaynst you his valure ought nat than to be made lesse By lyke dedes my lorde my father nor I wolde nat be contente that we shulde be desyred to leaue that we haue wonne by good aduenture at the batayle of Poicters wherof we thanke god WhanÌ„e the erle of Armynake herde that he was a basshed for he fayled of his entente Howe be it yet the lefte nat of so But than he reâ—red the princesse who with a good hert desyred therle of Foiz to gyue her a gyfte Madame quod theâ—le I am but a meane man therfore I can gyue no great gyftes But madame if the thyng that ye desyre passe nat the valure of threscore thousande frankes I wyll gyue it you with a gladde chere yet the princesse assayed agayne if she coude cause hym to graunt her full desyre But the â—rle was sage and subtell and thought verily that her desyre was to haue hym to forgyue clerely the Erle of Armynake all his dette And than he sayde agayne Madame for a poore knight as I am who buyldeth townes and castelles the gyfte that I haue graunted you ought to suffyce the princesse coude bringe hym no farther whan she sawe that she said Gentyll erle of Foiz the request that I desyre of you is to forgyue clerely the erle of Armynake Madame quod the erle to your request I ought well to condiscendâ— I haue sayd to you that if your desyre passe nat the valure of threscore thousande frankes that I wolde graunt it you But madame the erle of Armynake oweth me two hundred and fyftie thousande frankes and at your request I forgaue hym therof threscore thousande frankes Thus the mater stode in that case and the erle of Armynake at the request of the princes wan the forgyueng of threscore thousande frankes And anone after the erle of Foiz returned to his owne countre I Sir Iohan Froissarde make narracion of this busynesse bycause whan I was in the countie of Foyz and of Bierne I passed by the couÌ„tie of Bygore and I demaunded and enquered of the newes of that countrey suche as I knewe nat before And it was shewed me howe the prince of wales and of Aquitayne whyle he was at Tarbe he had great wyll to go se the castell of Lourde whiche was a thre leages of nere to the entre of the mountayne And whan he was there and had well aduysed the towne the castell and the couÌ„tre he praysed it greatly aswell for the streÌ„gth of the castell as bycause it stode on the fronter of dyuers countreis For the garysone there might ronne well in to the realme of Arragon in to Catellon and to Barselon Than the priÌ„ce called to hym a knyght of his housholde in whom he had great truste and loued hym entierly and he had serued hym truely and was called sir Pyer Ernalde of the countre of Bierne an experte man of armes and cosyn to the erle of Foiz Than the prince sayde to hym sir Ernalde I instytue and make you Chateleyn and capitayne of Lourde gouernour of the countre of Bygore Loke that ye kepe this castell se well that ye make a good accompte ther of to the kyng my father and to me Sir quod the knyght I thanke you and I shall obserue your coÌ„maundement There he dyde homage to the prince and the prince put hym in possession It is to be knowen that whan the warre began to renewe bytwene Englande FrauÌ„ce as it hath ben shewed before The erle Guy of saynt Poule and sir Hugh of Chatellon mayster of the crosbowes in Fraunce in that tyme beseged the towne of Abuyle and wan it with all the countre of Poitou The same tyme two great barons of Bigore th one called sir Marnalte Barbesan and the lorde Danchyn tourned frenche and toke the towne cytie and castell of Tarbe whiche was but easely kept for the kynge of Englande But styll the castell of Lourde was in the handes of sir Pier Ernalt of Bierne who wolde in no wyse yelde vp the castell but made euer great warre agaynst the realme of FrauÌ„ce and sent for great company of aduenturers in to Bierne and Gascoyne to helpe and to ayde hym to make warre so that he had togyder many good men of armes and he had with hym sixe capitayns euery man fyftie speares vnder hym The first was his brother Iohan of Bierne a right expert squyer and Pier Danchyne of Bygore brother germayne to the lorde Danchyne he wolde neuer tourne frenche Nandon of saynt Colombe Ermalton of mount Ague of saynt Basyll and the Bourge of Carnela These capitayns made dyuers iourneys in to Bygore in to Tholousyn in to Carcassene in to Albygoise For euer assone as they were out of Lourde they were in the lande of their enemyes and somtyme they wolde aduenture thyrtie leages of fro their holde And in their goynge they wolde take nothyng but in their retourne there was nothynge coulde scape theÌ„ Somtyme they brought home so great plentie of beestes prisoners that they wyst nat howe to kepe them Thus they rauÌ„somed all the couÌ„trey excepte the erle of Foiz landes For in his landes they durste nat take a chekyn withoute they payed truely therfore For if they had displeased the erle they coulde nat longe haue endured These companyons of Lourde ranne ouer all the countre at their pleasure
the prince of Wales house at saynt Andrewes in Burdeaux Another demauÌ„ded what mater was that I shall shewe you quod the other knyght for I was there present There was wyne brought on a day into the princes Chambre where as there were many lordes of Englande with hym whan the prince had dronke bicause sir IohnÌ„ Chandos was constable of Acquitayne the prince sente hym his cuppe first to drinke and he toke the cuppe and dranke and made therof none offre firste to the Erle of Oxenforde who was father to this duke of IrelaÌ„de and after that sir Iohan Chandos had dronke a squyer bare the cuppe to the Erle who hadde suche dispyte that sir Iohan Chandos hadde droÌ„ke before hym that he refused the cuppe wolde nat drinke and sayde to the squyer in maner of a mocke Go to thy mayster Chandos and bydde hym drinke Shall I go said the squyer he hath dronke all redy Therfore drinke you sythe he hath offred it to you if ye wyll nat drinke by saynt George I shall cast the drinke in your face Th erle whan he herd that douted that the Squyer wolde do as he sayde and so toke the cuppe and sette it to his mouthe and dranke or at leest made semblant to drinke And sir Iohan Chandos who was nat farre thens sawe well all the mater and helde hym styll tyll the prince was gone from them Than he came to the Erle and sayde Sir Aubery are ye displeased in that I dranke before you I am Constable of this countrey I maye well drinke before you sythe my lorde the Prince and other lordes here are coÌ„tente therwith It is of trouthe ye were at the batayle of Poycters but suche as were there knoweth nat so well as I what ye dyd theâ— I shall declare it ¶ Whanne that my lorde the Prince hadde made his voyage in Languedocke and Carcassone to Narbone and was retourned hyther to this towne of Bourdeaux ye toke on you to go in to Englande What the Kynge sayde to you at your coÌ„mynge I knowe right well yet I was nat there He demaunded of you if ye hadde furnysshed your voyage and what ye had done with his sonne the Prince ye aunswered howe ye had lefte hym in good helth at Bourdeaux Than the kynge sayde What and howe durste ye be so bolde to retourne without hym I commauÌ„ded you and all other whan ye departed that ye shulde nat retourne without hym on payne of all that ye myght forfayte And you this to retourne I straitly commaunde you that within four dayes ye auoyde my realme and retourne agayne to hym For and I fynde you within this my realme the fifth day ye shall lese your lyfe and all your herytage for euer And ye feared the kynges wordes as it was reason and so auoyded the realme and so your adueÌ„ture and fortune was good for truely ye were with my lorde the prince a foure dayes before the batayle of Poicters And so ye hadde the day of the batayle fourtie speares vnder your charge and I had threfore Nowe ye mayese wheder I ought to drinke before you or nat syth I am constable of â— equytaygne The erle of Orenforde was a shamed and wolde gladlye he hadde ben thens at that tyme but he was fayne to suffre and to here those wordes This sir Iohan Chandos sayde to hym in opyn presence Therfore it is nat to be marueyled thoughe this duke of Irelande who is sonne to the sayd erle of Oxenforde be disdaynfull in folowynge the steppes of his father For he taketh vpon hym to rule all Englande aboue the kynges vncles Well quod some other why shulde he nat sythe the kyng wyll haue it so THus the people in the Realme murmured in dyuers places agaynst the duke of Irelande And he dyde one thyng that greatly abated his honour that was he had firste to his wyfe the doughter of the lorde of Coucy the lady Isabell who was a fayre Lady and a good and of more noble blode than he is of But he fell in loue with another damosell of the quenes of Englande an Almaygne borne and dyde so moche with pope Vrbayne at Rome that he was deuorsed fro the doughter of the lorde Coucy without any tytell of reason but by presumpcion and for his synguler appetyte and than wedded the quenes mayde and kynge Rycharde conseÌ„ted there to he was so blynded with this duke of Irelande that if he had sayd sir this is whyte tho it had ben blacke the kyng wolde nat haue sayd the contrarye This dukes mother was greatly displeased with him for that dede and toke in to her coÌ„pany his first wyfe the lady of Coucy The duke dyde yuell and therfore at length yuell came to hym and this was the first princypall cause that he was behated for in Englande euery thyng that turneth to yuell must haue a begynning of yuell This duke of Irelande trusted so moche in the grace and fauour of the kyng that he beleued that no man shulde trouble hym And it was a coÌ„mon renome through EnglaÌ„de that theâ— shulde be a newe taxe raysed through the realme that euery fyre shulde paye a noble and the riche to beare out the poore The kynges vncles knewe well it wolde be a harde mater to bringe about And they had caused certayne wordes to be sowen abrode in the cyties and good townes of Englande as to saye howe the people of Englande were sore greued with tares and talenges and howe there was great rychesse raysed and that the common people wolde haue accomptes of the gouernours therof as the archebysshop of yorke the duke of Irelande sir Symon Burle sir Mychaell de la Pole sir Nycholas BraÌ„ble sir Robert Tryâ—â—lyen ser Peter Golouser sir Iohan Salisbury sir Iohan Beauchampe and the maisters of the Staple of the wolles The commons sayd that if they wolde make a trewe accoÌ„pte there shulde be founde golde and syluer suffycient without raysing of any newe subsydies It is a common vsage none is gladde to pay money nor to opyn their purses if they may lette it THis brute and noyse spredde so a brode in Englande and specially in the cytie of London whiche is chyefe cytie in the realme that all the coÌ„mons rose and sayde howe they wolde knowe howe the realme was gouerned sayenge howe it was longe syth any accompte was made Firste these londoners drewe theym to syr Thomas of Woodstocke duke of Gloucestre thoughe he were yonger brother than sir Edmonde duke of yorke The common people reputed the duke of Glocestre for a valyant and a sage discrete parson And whan they came before hym they sayde Syr the good cytie of London recoÌ„maundeth them to you and all the people ingenerall requireth you to take vpon you the gouernynge of the realme For they knowe well it is nat vnknowen to you howe the kynge and the realme is gouerned The coÌ„mon people complayneth them sore for the kynges counsayle demaundeth tayles
but right iustyce Than a seuyn of them all with one voyce answered and sayde Right redouted souerayne sayng your gracyous displeasure as for iustyce in your realme is right feble your grace knoweth nat all nor canne nat knowe your grace nouther demaundeth for it nor enquereth therfore and suche as be of your couÌ„sayle forbere to shewe it you bycause of their owne profyte For sir it is no iustyce to cutte of heedes handes and fete suche maner of punysshmentes be nat laudable But sir good iustice is to kepe your people in ryght and to sette suche wayes and order as they myght lyue in peace that they shulde haue none occasyon to grudge or to make any commosyon And sir we saye that ye sette vs to longe a daye as to Mighelmas sir we may be neuer so well eased as nowe Wherfore sir we saye all by one assente that we wyll haue accompte and that shortely of them that hath gouerned your realme sythe your Coronacyon And we wyll knowe Where youre Reuenewes is become with all the taxes tayles and subsydies this nyne yeres paste and wheron they haue been bestowed If suche as are your treasourers make a good accompte or nere thervnto we shall be ryght ioyouse and suffre them to gouerne styll And if they can nat acquyte them selfe therin trewly they shal be refourmed by youre deputyes establysshed to that purpose as my lordes your vncles other With those wordes the kynge behelde his vncles helde his peace to se what they wolde saye Than sir Thomas duke of Gloucester sayde Sir in the request and prayer of these good people the commons of your realme I se nothynge therin but ryght and reasone Sir quod the duke of yorke it is of trouthe and so sayde all the other prelates and barons that were there present Than the duke of Gloucester sayde agayne Sir it is but reason that ye knowe where your good is become The kyng sawe well howe they were all of one accorde and sawe howe this chafe Marmosettes durst speke no worde for there were to many gret men agaynst them Well quod the kyng I am content Lette them be rydde awaye for sommer season cometh on and huntynge tyme whervnto we wyll nowe entende Than the kynge sayd to the people Sirs wolde ye haue this mater shortely dispatched yea sir quod they and that humbly we beseche your grace And also we beseche all my lordes here and specyally my lordes your vncles to be there at We are content quod they for the apeysyng of all parties as well for the kynge as for the Realme for oure parte lyeth therin Than they sayde agayne We desyre also the reuerende father in god the archebysshoppe of Caunterbury the bysshoppe of Lyncolne and the bysshoppe of Wynchester to be there They aunswered and sayde they were content so to be Than agayn they desyred all other lordes to be there that were there present as the erle of Salisbury and the Erle of Northumberlande sir Reynolde Cobham sir Guy Brian sir IohnÌ„ Felton sir Mathewe Gourney and moreouer they sayd they wolde ordayne that of euery good cytie and towne in Englande there shulde be a thre or four notable persons and they shulde determyne for all the hole coÌ„montie of Englande Than this mater was determyned and to assemble the vtas of saint George at Westmynster And there all the treasourers collectours and offycers of the kynges to be there and to make there accomptes before these sayd lordes The kyng was content therwith and was brought to it by fayrenesse and nat byfore by the desyre of his vncles and other lordes It semed to hym behouable to knowe where his treasoure was become Thus amiably euery man deê‘ted fro Wyndsore and the lordes went to London the treasourers and other offycers were sende for throughout the realme to come with their full accomptes on payne of dishonourynge losse of all that they had and lyfe ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe the day of accompte came and there the officers appered in the presence of the kynges vncles commens of EnglaÌ„de and howe sir Simon Burle was prisoner iÌ„ the toure of London and howe sir Thomas Tryuet dyed Cap. xciii THe day prefixed came that all ê‘tes apered at westmynster suche as shulde make their accomptes apered before the kynges vncles and suche other prelates and lordes with other as were assigned to here theÌ„ This accompte endured more than a moneth and some there were that made their accomptes nother good nor honourable suche were punisshed bothe by their bodyes and by their goodes sir Symon Burle was cast in arerage of .ii. C. and l. M. frankes bycause he was one of the gouernours in the kynges youthe And he was demaunded where this good was bestowed he excused hym selfe by the bysshop of yorke sir Wylliam Neuell sayeng howe he dyde nothyng but by their counsayle and by the kynges chamberleyns ser Robert Tryuilyen sir Robert Beauchampe sir Iohn Salisbury sir Nycholas Braule sir Peter Goufer and other And whan they were demauÌ„ded therof before the counsaile they denyed the mater layd all the faute in hym And the duke of Irelande sayd to hym priuely bytwene them two Sir Symon I vnderstande ye shal be arested and sette in prison and holde there tyll ye haue payed the soÌ„me that is demaunded nothyng shal be abated Go your waye whether soeuer they sende you I shall rightwell make your peace thoughe they had all sworne the contrary I ought to receyue of the constable of FrauÌ„ce threscore M. frankes for the raunsome of Iohan of Bretaygne sonne to saynt Charles of Bloys the whiche soÌ„me ye knowe well is owyng to me I shall present the counsayle therwith at this tyme. And fynally the kyng is our soueraigne lorde he shall pardon and forgyue it you clerely for the profet ought to be his and no mannes els Syr ê™ sir Symon Burle if I thought nat that ye shulde helpe agaynst the kynge and to beare out my dedes I wolde departe out of Englande and go in to Almayne and to the kyng of Beame for thyder I coulde be welcome and so let the mater rynne a season tyll the worlde be better apeased Than the duke sayde I shall neuer fayle you we are companyons and all of one sect ye shall take day to pay their demauÌ„de I knowe well ye maye pay and ye lyste in redy money more than a hundred thousande frankes ye nede nat feare the dethe ye shall nat be brought to that poynte ye shall se the mater otherwise chaunge before the feast of saynt Michell whan I haue the kyng ones at my wyll wherof I ame sure For all that he dothe now at this tyme is by force and agaynst his wyll We muste apease these cursed londoners and lay downe this slaunder brute that is nowe raysed agaynst vs and ours SIr Symon Burle had a lytell truste on the wordes of the duke of Irelande and so came before the lordes
the kyng and there shewe hym what case the busynesse of his realme is in recoÌ„maunde vs to hym shewe hym in our behalfe that he gyue no credence of lyght enformacion agaynst vs He hath beleued some to moche for his owne honour and for the ê“fyte of his realme And saye also to hym that we requyre hym and so do all the good people of London that he wolde come hyder he shal be welcome receyued with gret ioye we shall set such couÌ„saile about hym that he shal be well pleased And we charge you retourne nat agayne withoute hym and desyre hym nat to be displeased thoughe we haue chased awaye a meny of traytours that were about hym for by them his realme was in great paryll of lesynge The bysshop sayd he shulde do ryght well his message and so departed and rodde forthe lyke a great prelate and so came to Bristowe and the kynge was there but with a priuye coÌ„pany For suche as were wont to haue ben of his counsayle were deed and fledde awaye as ye haue herde before The bysshop was in the towne two nightes and a day or the kyng wolde speke with hym He was so soore dyspleased with his vncles for driuynge awaye of the duke of Irelande whome he loued aboue all men and for sleeynge of his knyghtes Finally he was so entysed that he consented that the archbysshop shulde come in to his presens Whan he came before hym he humyled hym selfe greatlye to the kynge and there shewed the kyng euery worde as the kynges vncles had gyuen hym in charge And shewed hym that if it were his pleasure to come to Londou to his palys of Westmynster his vncles and the mooste parte of all his realme wolde be ryght ioyeouse elles they wyll be ryght sorte and yuell displeased And sayde sir Without the comforte ayde and accorde of your vncles and of your lordes knyghtes and prelates and of your good cyties and townes of EnglaÌ„de ye canne nat come to any of youre ententes He spake these wordes boldelye and sayde moreouer Sir ye canne nat reioyse so moche youre ennemyes as to make warre with youre frendes and to kepe youre Realme in warre and myschiefe The yonge kynge by reasone of the bysshoppes wordes beganne to enclyne howe be it the beheedynge of his knyghtes and counsaylours came sore in to his courage So he was in dyuers ymaginacions but finally he refrayned his displeasure by the good meanes of the quene the lady of Boesme and of some other wise knightes that were about hym as sir Rycharde Stoner and other Thanne the kyng sayd to the bysshoppe Well I am content to go to LoÌ„don with you wherof the bisshop was right ioyous and also it was to hym a great honoure that he hadde spedde his iourney so well WIthin a shorte space after the kyng departed lefce the quene styll at Bristowe and so came towardes London with the archbysshoppe in his company and so came to Wyndsore and there the kyng taryed a thre dayes Tidynges came to London howe the kynge was commynge euery manne was gladde Than it was ordayned to mete hym honourablye The daye that he departed fro Wyndsore the way fro Braynforde to London was full of people on horse backe and a foote to mete the kynge And his two vncles the duke of yorke and the duke of Gloucester and Iohan sonne to the duke of yorke the erle of Arundell the erle of Salisbury the erle of Northumberlande and dyuers other lordes and knyghtes and prelates departed out of London mette with the kyng a two myle fro Braynforde There they receyued hym swetely as they ought to do their soueraygne lorde The kynge who bare yet some displeasure in his herte passed by and made but small countenaunce to theÌ„ and all the waye he talked moost with the bisshop of LoÌ„don at last they came to WestmiÌ„ster The kyng alyghted at his palis whiche was redy apparelled for him There the kyng dranke and toke spyces and his vncles also and other Prelates lordes and knyghtes Than some tooke their leaues The kynges vncles and the archebysshoppe of Caunterburye with the counsayle taryed styll there with the kyng some in the Palais and some in the abbey and in the towne of westminster to kepe the kynge company and to be nere toguyder co commune of their busynesse there they determyned what shulde be done ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe by the kynge and his vncles all the lordes of Englande were sente for to come to westmynster to a generall counsayle there to be holden Cap. C.i. A Generall Parlyament was ordeyned to be holden at Westmynstre and all prelates Erles Barons and knyghtes and the counsayles of all the good townes and cytees of EnglaÌ„de were sent for to be there and all suche as helde of the kyng The archebysshoppe of Cauntorbury shewed to the kynges vncles counsayle that when kynge Rycharde was crowned kynge of Englande and that euery man was sworne and made theyr releues to hym and that whaÌ„ he receyued theyr faythes and homages he was within age and a knyge ought nat to gouerne a royalme tyll he be xxi yeres of age and in the meane season to be gouerned by his vncles or by his nexte kynne and by wyse men The bysshop sayd this bycause the kynge as then was but newlye come to the age of .xxi. yeres wherfore he counsayled that euery man shulde be newe sworne and renewe their releues and euery manne newe to knowledge hym for their soueraygne lorde This counsayle was excepted of the kynges vncles and of all other of the couÌ„sayle And for that entent all prelates and lordes and counsayles of good cyties townes were sent for to come to Westminster at a daye assigned Euery man came thyder none disobeyed so that there was moche people in London and at Westmister And kyng Richarde was in his chapell in the palys rychely apareyled with his crowne on his heed and the archebysshoppe of CauÌ„terbury sang the masse And after masse the bisshoppe made a collasyon And after that the kyngê vncles dyde their homage to the kyng kyssed hym and there they sware and ê“mysed hym faithe and homage for euer And than all other lordes sware and prelates and with their handes ioyned togyder they dyde their homage as it aparteyned and kyst the kynges cheke Some the kyng kyst with good wyll some nat for all were nat in his in warde loue but it behoued hym so to do for he wolde nat go fro the counsayle of his vncles But surely if he might haue had his entent he wolde nat haue done as he dyde but rather haue taken crewell vengeaunce for the deche of sir Symon Burle and other knyghtê that they had putte fro hym and slayne without desert as he thought Than it was ordayned by the couÌ„sayle that the archebysshop of yorke shulde come and pourge hym selfe for he hadde alwayes been of the duke of Irelandes parte agaynst the kynges vncles
sore dyspleased of the aduenture that was fallen on their party but the tydynges of Fraunce comforted hym agayne and ordred hym selfe acordynge as he was commaunded NOwe lette vs retourne to the counsayle of Fraunce who had great desyre to go in to Guerles They toke suche dyspleasure with the defyaunce that the duke had sente to the kynge that they nother regarded the begynnynge myddes nor ende and sayd what so euer it coste they wolde make the duke repent his dede and to denye it or els they wold distroy and burne his landes and his fathers also the duke of Iulyers Dukes erles barones knyghtes squyers and all other were warned euery man to be redy acordyng as it apertayned for so longe a voyage And it was ordeyned that one of the marshals of Fraunce shulde abyde styll in the realme that was syr Loys of Porteuyr and he to take hede of the fronters on the other syde of the ryuer of Dordone to the see for in Languedoc bytwne the ryuer of Gyronde dyscendynge to the ryuer of Loyre there was truce had bytwene them And it was ordeyned that the other marshall syr Moton of Blamuyll shulde go with the kyng It was maruayle to thynke of the great prouysyon that the lordes made Fyrste for the kyng and for the dukes of Berrey Burgoyn Tourayne and Burbon at the cyties of Reynes Chalous Troys and in all the coūtreys of Champayne Raynes in the bysshopprike of Laon and Landers And cartes and caryages were taken vp in all partyes It was marueyle to consyder the great aparell that was made for this iourney in to Guerles All this season the duke of Bretaygne was at Parys and coulde nat be delyuered by the kyng who was most parte al that season of Moustreuell Faulte yon But alwayes he had good chere and was alwayes serued with fayre wordes and curteyse and the lordes wolde desyre hym nat to thynke longe for shortly he shulde be delyuered but they shewed hym that the kynge had so moch a do for his vyage in to Almayne that he coulde attende to nothynge els The duke was fayne to suffre for he coulde do none other seyng he was at Parys and he thought he wolde nat departe without the good wyll of the kynge There he laye at great coste and charge WHan the certayne was knowen of this voyage in to Guerles and tayles reysed throughe the realme to paye euery man their wages that shulde serue the kynge Many of the wyse men of the realme as well some of the counsayle as other sayd howe it was a great outrage to counsayle the kyng to go farre of to seke for his enemyes and that he shulde therby put his realme in a great aduenture for the kynge was yonge and greatly in the fauoure of all his people Wherfore it had ben suffycyente for hym to haue suffred one or two of his vncles to haue gone thyder with the constable of Fraunce and a sixe or seuen thousande speares and nat the kyng in propre persone The kynges vncles were of the same oppynyon and often tymes they counsayled the kynge to forbeare his iourney him selfe But whan so euer they spake to hym therof he was dyspleased and wolde saye If any of you go without my company it shall be agaynst my wyll and besyde that ye shall haue no money otherwyse I can nat restrayne you Whan the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne herde the kynges answere and sawe the great affection that the kynge hadde to go that voyage they aunswered and sayd Syr a goddes name ye shall go and without you we wyll do nothing therfore sir be of good comfort Than the kynges counsayle regarded one thyng the whiche they thought ryght necessary and that was this Bytwene the frenche kynge the kynge of Almayne of longe tyme there had ben ordynaunces made bytwene them and that was that none of them shulde entre with any army in to any of their neyghbours landes nor the frenche kynge to make no warre agaynst the kynge of Almayne nor he agaynst the kynge on payne to ryn in the sentence of holy church and therto they were bounde and solempely sworne the day of their coronacyon to the entente to kepe their realmes in peace and reste wherfore than it was aduysed that if the kyng shulde go this voyage in to Guerles the whiche is holden of the kynge of Almayne that fyrst he and his counsayle shulde suffycyently informe the kyng of Almayne howe the duke of Guerles had shamefully defyed the frenche kynge with fell wordes out of the style and vsage that lordes are wonte to dfye eche other in warre and to the entente to cause the duke to denye his dede and to repente hym The frenche kynge wyll come in to Almayne nat agaynst the kyng of Almayne nor his signory but agaynst his enemye and to seke him out where so euer he can fynde hym To go on this message was charged syr Guy of Hancorte a ryght sage and dyscrete knyght and with hym one of the maysters of the parlyament called mayster yues Orient These two were called before the counsayle and charged to go this voyage to the kynge of Almayne and they were well informed what they shuld do and say thus they departed and toke their waye by Chalous in Champayne and rode with a good trayne lyke notable persons ambassadours fro the Frenche kynge And they founde the lorde of Coucy at Chalous who lay there and retayned knyghtes and squiers of Barre Lorayne and Champayne to go in that voyage with hym in the vowarde He made to these ambassadours good chere and made theym a great dyner at their lodgynge and the nexte daye they departed and rode towardes saynte Menehont and towardes the coūtrey of Lusenburgh there to here certayne tydynges of the kynge of Almayne ¶ How the frenche kyng gaue leaue to the duke of Bretayne to retourne in to his coūtrey and howe the countrey of Brabant wolde nat consente too the kynges passage nor his aremy and howe the ambassadours of Fraunce sped Ca. C .xxxviii. WHyle these frenche ambassadours wente to speke with the kyng of Almayne in the meane tyme the french men lette nat styll to make their prouysions and commaundement gyuen euery manne to be in the felde by the myddes of Auguste in Champayne or there aboute for the kynge wolde be redy by that tyme they wolde nat tary for any aunswere fro the kynge of Almayn Than the frenche kyng and his vncles thought it good that the duke of Bretaygne shulde departe home He was sente for to the kynge to Monstreuell faulte you and there he had good chere of the kyng and of the duke of Burgoyne and of the duke of Tourayne for as than the duke of Berrey was nat there he was in his owne countrey assemblyge men togyder and had sente his cōmaundement in to Poyctou to knyghtes squyers there that they shulde drawe in to the felde The kynge and the duke of Burgoyne
dout ther of Herof the FreÌ„che kyng was right ioyfull howe be it some sayd that wheder the kynge of Almayne wolde or nat the kyng had puissaunce suffycient to do what he wolde without dauÌ„ger for all him than the kyng ordeyned to departe fro Chalous in Champayn so deê‘ted toke his way right to great Pre. Whan the kynge came to great Pre he taried ther a thre dayes he coude make no gret iourneys there was so moche people before hym and behynde and rounde about hym so that he was constrayned to ryde easely to haue good lodgyng and bicause of the great ê“uisyon that folowed after the hoost Fro the first company to the last coÌ„tayned .xxiiii. leages of that countrey styll dayly came people Th erle of great Pre receyued the kynge in to his towne and countre and offred all at the kynges pleasure The kyng was well coÌ„tent with hym therle was apoynted to the vantgard Thyder came to the kyng the duke of Lorayne sir Henry of Bare with a faire company of men of armes The duke of Loraine was ordayned to be with his sonne the lorde of Coucy sir Henry of Bare to abide with the kyng the pioners were sore besyed in the forest of Ardane to cutte downe wode and to make wayes where neuer non was before they had great payne to fyll the valeys to make the waye playne for the caryage to passe There were a thre M. that dyde nothyng els Whan the duches of BrabaÌ„t knewe surely howe the kyng was on his waye and approched the foreste of Ardayne she was therof ryght ioyfull for she thought at that voyage she shulde be well reuenged of the duke of Guerles howe the Frenche kyng shulde bring hym to reason And also his father the duke of Iulyers who had done to her many anoyaunces Than she departed fro Bruselles and in her company the erle of Sammes in Ardain the lorde of Bocelairs and dyuers other and toke her waye to Lusenbourge to se the kynge and to speke with hym She passed the ryuer of Meuse and the ryuer of Huy and at laste came to Basconque and there taryed the kynge for he shulde passe therby and so he dyde For whan he departed Graunt Pre he passed the Ryuer of Meuse at Morsay with all his hoost rode small iourneys Than tidynges came in to the duchy of Iulyers and in to Guerles that the Frenche kynge was coÌ„mynge on them with a hundred thousande men And that he had neuer so moche people toguyder before He was nat so great a company whanne he came to Burboure where he thought the Englysshe army had ben gretter than he founde theym The duke of Iulyers than began to dout but the duke of Guerles made nothing therof but sayde Lette them come the further they come the more weryer shall they be and they and their caryages shall waxe feble and their prouisyons shall waste and wynter shall drawe on and I am in a stronge countrey They shall nat entre at their ease They shall recule backe somtyme otherwise than by the sowne of the trumpettes and it shall behoue them to be alwayes toguyder which they can nat be if they wyll entre in to my couÌ„tre And if they disrought and be out of ordre they shall soone be taken vp wheder they wyll or nat Howe be it to saye the trouthe quod the duke our cosyn of FrauÌ„ce is of a good corage he sheweth and dothe as I shulde do Thus the duke of Guerles deuysed amonge his knyghtes but the duke of Iulyers was sore abasshed for he sawe well the French kynge wolde his lande were but brente and loste Than he toke counsayle of his brother the Archebysshoppe of Colonge and of his cosyn the bysshop Leage sir Arnolde of Hornes howe he shulde do to saue his lande fro brennyng and exylyng These two prelates counsayled hym and sayd how it must nedes behoue hym to huÌ„ble hym selfe to the Frenche kynge and to his vncles The duke sayde he was well content so to do ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe sir Helion of Lignacke made his reporte to the duke of Berrey And howe the lordes of Scotlande assembled toguyder in the Cytie of Berdane and determyned to reyse vp an army to entre in to Englande And of an Englysshe squyer Who was takenne by the Scottes who knewe the secretnesse of bothe realmes Englande and Scotlande Cap. C .xl. THan by the counsayle of the bysshoppe of Trect and by the aduyse of the bysshoppe of Colonge the bysshoppe of Laege was sente to the French kynge to treate for the duke of Iulyers The kynge approched but he passed nat two or thre leages a daye for his trayne was great bytwene Morsay and oure lady of Amount where as the duke of Berey and all his route with mo than fyue hundred speres was lodged Thyder came to the duke of Berrey sir Helyon of Lignacke and sir Wyllyam his brother Sir Wyllyam came fro the siege before Vanchadore for the duke had sente for hym and the duke of Burbone had sente for sir Iohan Boesme launce and they had lefte styll at the siege all their companyes and had lefte for capitaynes sir Iohan Butlere and sir Loyes Dambier And sir Helyon of Lignacke came out of Gascon fro Bayon fro the duke of Lancastre The duke of Berrey made hym good chere and demaunded tidynges Sir Helyon shewed hym and sayd Sir the kyng of Castyle seketh on the duke of Lancastre to haue peace with hym and treateth sore to haue his sone the prince of Wales to marry with the dukes doughter With that worde the duke of Berrey was pensyfe and sayd Sir Helion yet I shall sende you ones agayne to knowe more certayne and the bysshoppe of Poycters with you but as at this tyme we haue ynoughe to do Also the same weke the lorde of Coucy retourned fro Auygnon and came to the kyng to Ardane euery man was glad of his coÌ„mynge yE haue herde here before howe kynge Richarde of Englande had some trouble He agaynst his vncles and his vncles agaynst hym with other dyuers incydentes as by the duke of Irelande and other and many knyghtes in EnglaÌ„de deed and beheeded and the archebysshop of yorke brother to the lorde Neuell was at a poynte to haue loste his benefyce And by the newe counsaylers about the kyng and by the arch bysshoppe of Caunterbury the lorde Neuell who had ben the chiefe ruler and kepar of the fronters of Northumberlande agayst the scottes fyue yeres togyder was as than put out of wages He had before euery yere sixtene thousande frankes out of the countie of yorke and bysshoprike of Durham And there was sette in his stede the lorde Henry Percye and he hadde to wages by the yere but a .xi. thousande Frankes Wherof other lordes of his lygnage thoughe they were of his kynne yet they hadde therat great enuy and indignacyon one agaynst another And all this knewe ryght
Englande suche as his specyall 〈…〉 might come in to your presence and to your counsayle as shortely as myght be to treate for a maner of peace so that it he and you togyther myght couenably and resonably be conâ—oyned and meanes sounde to haue a conclusyon of peace he wold be therof right ioyfull and for that entente he wolde nouther spare his owne payne and laboure nor yet none of his men nother to come hym selfe or to sende suffyciente persones ouer thesee to the cytie of Amyence or to any other place assigned And syr we be come hyder for this entente to knowe your pleasure in this behalfe Than the kynge aunswered and sayde Syr Thomas Percy you and all your company are ryght hertely welcome and of youre comynge and wordes we are ryght ioyfull ye shall â—ary here in Paris a season and we wyll speke with our counsayle and make you suche a couenable answere or ye depart that it shall suffyce you With this answere the englysshe men were well content Than it was nere dyner tyme and the englysshe men were desyred to tary to dyne And so the lorde of Coucy brought them in to a chambre and the lorde de la Ryuer There they dyned at their layser and after dyâ—er they retourned in to the kynges chambre and there had wyne and spyces and thanne toke their leaue of the kynge and wente to their lodgynge THe comynge of syr Thomas Percy and his company in to FrauÌ„ce and the tydynges that they brought pleased greatly the frenche kynge and the duke of Burgoyne and dyuers of his counsayle but nat allâ— and specially suche as ayded to sustayne pope Clementes quarell for they sawe well by these tydynges that if the frenche kynge enclyned to this treatie that it shulde greatly let hynder the voyage that was mynded to go to Rome to distroy pope Bonyfacâ— and his cardynals or els to bringe them to the beleue of pope Clemente But the mater of treatie of peace was so â—egh and touched so moche the welthe and prefyte all crystendome so that no persone durst speke against it The duke of Burgoyn and his counsayle with the kynge and his brother and the duke of Burbone were all of one acorde The kyng made good chere to ser Thomas Percy to the englysshmen but amonge them there was one knyght called sir Robert Briquet wheme the frenche kynge loued nat he was a frenche man borne but alwayes he helde him selfe outher naueroys or englysshe and as than he was one of the king of Englandes priuy chambre The frenche kynge dissymuled with hym sagely for whan he spake to theym alwayes the kynge wolde tourne his selfe to syr Thomas Percy or els to syr Loys Clyfforde and sayd Syrs we wolde gladly se this peace to be had bytwene vs and our aduersary the kynge of Englande for the quarell and warre hath to longe endured bytwene vs. and one thinge I wyll ye knowe that it shall nat be hyndred on out parte though it be gretly to our cost Sir quod they the kyng our souerayne lorde who hath sent vs hyther hathe great affection to haue peace and saythe that it shall nat be let on his parte and hath marueyle that the warre and dyscensyon bytwene your landes hath endured so longe and that no good amyable meanes hathe been had or this tyme. Than the frenche kynge answered and sayd we shall se the good affection that he hath thervnto THese englysshemen taryed at Parys vi dayes and euery day dyned with one of the dukes of Fraunce and in the meane season it was determyned that the frenche kynge his vncles and his priuy counsayle shulde be at Amyence by the myddes of Marche next after there to abyde the coming of the kynge of Englande his vncles and his counsayle if they wolde come thyder And the englysshe knyghtes sayd they made no doute but at the lest the kynge of Englandes vncles shulde be at the day assigned at Amyence this was the conclusyon of this treatie The daye before that they shulde departe out of Parys the kynge came to the palays where his vncles were and there he made a dynner to the Englyssh knightes and caused sir Thomas Percy to sytte at his borde and called hym cosyn by reason of the Northumberlandes blode at which dyner there was gyuen to sir Thomas Percy and to the englyssh knightes and squiers great gyftes and fayre iewels but in the gyunge of them they ouer slypte syr Robert Briquet and syr Peter Villers chefe steward with the frenche kynge delyuered the gyftes and be said to syr Robert Briquet Sir whan ye haue done suche seruyce to the kynge my maister as shall please hym he is ryche and puisaunt ynough to rewarde you With whiche wordê sir Robert Briquet was sore abasshed and parceyued well therby that the kyng loued hym nat but he was fayne to suffre it after dyner mynstels began to play that pastyme ones past sir Thoms Percy caÌ„e to the kyng sayd Sir I and my company haue great marueyle of one thing that ye haue made vs so good chere and gyuen vs so great gyftes that sir Robert Briquet hath nothynge who is a knight of our maisters preuy chambre Sir we desyre to knowe the cause why therto answered the frenche kyng and sayd Sir Thomas the knyght that ye speke of syth ye wyll knowe that mater he hath no nede to be in batayle agaynst me for if he were taken prisoner his raunsome shulde soone be payde and therwith the kyng entred in to other coÌ„munycacion Than wyne and spyces were brought forthe and so tooke leaue retourned to their lodgynge and made a reconyng and payde for euery thyng The nexte daye they departed spedde so in their iourneys that they arryued in EnglaÌ„de and shewed the kyng and his vncles howe they had spedde and greatly praysed the freÌ„che kyng and the chere that he had made them shewed of the gyftes and iewels that he had gyuen them ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue a lytell to speke of the Englysshe men and some what shewe of kyng Iohan of Castyle ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the dethe of kyng IohnÌ„ of Castyle and of the crownyng of kynge Henry his sonne Cap. C .lxxvi. YE haue herde here before in this hystorie how peace was made bytwene the kynge of Castyle and the duke of Lancastre who chalenged to haue ryght to the realme of Castyle by reason of the lady Custaunce his wyfe doughter to kyng DoÌ„peter And by meanes of a fayre doughter that the duke of Lancastre had by the sayde lady Custaunce the peace was made and confyrmed For the sayde kynge Iohan of Castyle had a sonne to his heyre called Henry who was prince of Galyce This Henry was maryed to the duke of Lancasters Doughter wherby good peace was made bytwene Englande and Castyle and within two yeres after this maryage kynge Iohan of Castyle dyed and was buryed in Burgus in Spaygne Anone after his dethe the prelates
shewed outwardly Thus sir Peter of Craon perceyuered styll in his opynyon and deuysed in his imagynacion by the entysyng of the dyuell who neuer slepeth but waketh and enbraseth their hartes to do yuell that enclyneth to his exortacion Thus the dyuell dayly layde the mater before this knyghtes eyen or he put the mater to execusyon but if he had iustly ymagyned the doutes and parelles and myscheuousnesse that myght fall by his yuell dede reasone and wyse atemperaunce shulde haue caused hym to haue done otherwyse But it is often tymes said that the great desyre that a man hath to haue the execusyon of that thynge or it be fallen often tymes quencheth reason and wysdome therfore often tymes vyces are maysters and vertues vyolate and corrupted and for bycause that specially this syr Peter of Craon had so great affection to the dystructyon of the constable therfore he lyghtly enclyned to the temptacion to do outrage and folly and thought that if he myght slee the constable and returne agayne safely in to Bretayne that no man wolde seke hym there if they dyd he trusted that the duke wolde excuse hym and that if the worste fell that the Frenche kynge came thyder with a great puyssaunce than in a nyght to entre in to a shyppe and so to go to Burdeaux to Bay on or in to Englande and there he thought well he shulde nat be pursewed for he knewe well that the englysshe men hated the constable bycause of the crueltyes that he had doone and consented to be done sythe he was tourned frenche howe be it before that he had done many notable seruyces to the englysshe men as it hath ben rehersed here before in this hystory SIr Peter of Craon for to accoÌ„plyssh his desyre had longe studyed in his mynde howe to brynge his purpose to passe and kepte his purpose close and secrete I knowe nat if he shewed it to the duke of Bretayne or nat some thought â—es bycause after the dede done by hym and his company he toke the next way he coude in to Bretayne and tooke for his sauegarde the duke of Bretaygne and also before the dede done he solde his castelles and herytage that he had in Aniou to the duke of Bretaygne and renyed his homage to the frenche kynge and sayd howe he wolde go ouer the see Of all these maters I passe breuely but I shall declare the dede for I syr Iohan Froysart auctour of this hystory whan this vnhappy dede was doone by syr Peter of Craon agaynste syr Olyuer of Clysson I was the same tyme at Paris wherfore I ought to be well enfourmed of the mater acordyng to the enquery that I made therin to knowe the trouthe The same tyme this syr Peter had in the towne of Parys a fayre house standynge in the churche yarde of saynt Iohans as dyuers other lordes had in the cytie for their pleasure In this house there was a keper syr Peter of Craon had sent of his seruauntes to Parys and they prouyded largely in the house with wyne corne flesshe salte and other prouysyons Also he had writen to the keper that he shulde bye certayne armure as cotes of stele gauntletes stoles and other harnesse for .xl men and that doone to sende hym worde therof to thentente that he wolde sende for them and secretly all this do be done The keper who thought none yuell and to obey his maysters coÌ„maundement bought all this marchauÌ„dyse And all this season he was in a castell of his owne in Aniou called Sable and he sent one weke thre or four seruauntes to his house in Parys and so wekely tyll he had there a .xl. and shewed them nothynge for what cause he sent them thyder but he charged them to kepe them selfe close in his howse in any wyse and what so euer they lacked the keper of his house shulde prouyde for it and on a daye I shall shewe you the cause why I sende you thyder before ye shall haue good wages They dyd as he commaunded them and came priuely to Parys and entred in to the house by nyght and in the mornynges for as than the gates of Parys nyght and daye stode open There assembled in that house so many togyther that they were a .xl. companyons hardy men and outragyous Howe be it there were some that if they hadde knowen wherfore they came thyderê they wolde nat haue come there yet they kepte them selfe secrete Than at the feest of Pentecost syr Peter of Craon came to Paris secretly entred into his howse dysguysed lyke a seruaunt Than he called for the porter that kepte the gate and sayd I coÌ„maunde the on payne of thy lyfe let no man woman nor chylde entre in to this house nor none to go out without my coÌ„maundement The porter obeyed as it was reason and so dyd the keper and he coÌ„maunded the kepers wyfe her chyldren to kepe her chambre and nat to issue out therof wherin he dyd wysely for if the woman and chyldren had gone abrode in the streates the comynge thyther of syr Peter Craon had been knowe for chyldren and women naturally are harde to kepe counsayle of that thynge a man wolde haue kepte secrete Thus syr Peter and his company were secretly in his howse tyll the day of the holy sacramente and euery day syr Peter had a brode his spyes that brought him worde of the state of syr Olyuer Clysson and tyll that daye he coulde fynde no tyme to execute his enterprise wherwith he was sore displeased in hym selfe The said day the frenche kynge kepte a feest with open courte with all the lordes that were there Also the quene and the duches of Thourayne were there in great ioy and solace The same day after dyner the yonge lusty knyghtes were armed and iusted valyauntly in the presence of the kynge and of the quene and other ladyes and damosels and contynued tyll it was nere nyght and by the iudgement of the ladyes and harauldes the price was gyuen to syr Gillyam of Flaunders erle of Namure And the kynge made all the lordes and ladyes a great supper and after supper daunced tyll it was one of the clock after mydnyght than euery man departed to their lodgynges some to one place some to another without feare or doute of any thyng Syr Olyuer of Clisson who as than was constable of Fraunce departed fro the kynges place last of all other and had taken his leaue of the kynge and than went through the duke of Thourayns chambre and sayde to hym Syr wyll ye tary here all nyght or els go to your lodgyng of Poullayne This Poullayn was the dukes treasourer and dwelte a lytell besyde the sygne of the Lyon of syluer Than the duke sayde constable I can nat tell as yet whether I do tary here or els go thyder go ye your waye to your lodgynge for it is tyme. Than syr Olyuer toke his leaue of the duke and sayd syr god sende you
to pertaygne to the kynge and realme of Englande They hadde alleged to the kynge and his counsayle that his gyfte myght nat passe so bycause it was vnprofytable and mutyle For they sayd all those landes helde of right and of the demayne of the crowne of Englande Wherfore they sayde they wolde nat disioyne nor disceuer theÌ„ fro the crowne They alleged furthermore many other reasonable causes as ye shall here after in this processe But thus to haue coâ—sayle of those two great matters the kynge had sente for the moost parte of the prelates and lordes of Englande to be at the feest of Maudelyntyde at a manner of the kynges called Eltham a seuyn Englysshe myles fro London And whan they had taryed at Ledes a four dayes the kyng retourned to Rochester and so to Elthame so I rode forthe in the kynges company ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the refuce of them of Acquytayne made to the duke of Lancastre and howe they sent in to Englande to the kynge and his counsayle shewyng hym the wyll of the hole couÌ„trey of Acquytayne Cap. CC.i. IN rydynge the waye bytwene Leades and Eltham I demaunded of syr Willyam Lysle and of syr IohnÌ„ of Graily capitayne of Bouteuyll the cause why the king drewe to London warde and why that great counsayle shulde assemble at Eltham They tolde me and specially syr Iohan Graily rehersed to me playnly why the lordes of Gascon were come thyder and the counsaylours of the good townes and cyties thus I was enfourmed by this knight who knewe the trouth for he was often tymes amonge theym they and he were in a maner all of one countrey and fronter he sayde thus Surely whan the Duke of Lancastre came fyrst in to Acquytayne suffycyently fournysshed with charters and wrytinges engrosed and sealed with the great seale of Englande and enrolled and fermely decreed with full accorde of all prelates and lordes of Englande and also by consente of the duke Edmonde of yorke and Erle of Cambridge and of Thomas duke of Gloucestre though the sayd herytages might by succession haue come to them for Kynge Rycharde of Englande their nephue had as than no chyldren and these sayd two dukes were brethern germayns of father and mother to the duke of Lancastre whiche duke anone after he was come in to Acquytayne sente some of his counsayle to the cytie of Burdeaux to shewe to the Mayre counsaylours of the towne the fourme and tenoure of his request and for what cause he was come in to the countrey Whan they herde this they greatly marueyled howe be it they ioyfully receyued the kynges and dukes coÌ„myssioners for the honoure of the kynge to whome they ought their seruyce and obeysaunce Than they desyred to take couÌ„sayle and so they dyd Than after they aunswered and said that the duke of Lancastre sonne to kynge Edwarde who had ben their lorde was welcome amoÌ„ge them and none otherwyse for they sayde they had nat so farre forthe taken counsayle as to receyue hym to their souerayne lorde for they sayd that to kyng Rycharde their soueraygne lorde they had done feaultie and homage and as than he had made them no quytaÌ„ce Than aunswered the coÌ„myssioners and sayd Syrs feare nat but that ye shall haue suffycient dyscharge in that behalfe so ye take the duke to your souerayne lorde for ye shall se by the content of the kinges charters that there shall neuer questyon be made therof in tyme to come WhanÌ„e they of Burdeaux sawe they were so nere touched they founde theym another socoure and sayd Fayre lordes your coÌ„myssion extendeth nat all onely vpon vs but in lykewyse to them of the cytie of Bayon and to the prelates and barones of Gascoyne and to all that be vnder the obeysaunce of the kynge of Englande ye shall drawe you towardes them and as they do and ordre theÌ„ we shall folowe the same Other aunswere the coÌ„myssioners coulde nat haue at that tyme of them of Burdeauâ— Than they departed and rode to Lyborne where the duke of Lancastre laye WHan the duke herde their aunswers he imagyned in hymselfe that the â—â—synesse that he was come thyder for shulde nat be so sone atcheued as he trusted it shulde haue ben Than he sent his couÌ„sayle to the cytie of Bayon and as they sped in Burdeaux so they dyd there other answere coude they haue none And fynally all the prelates and noble men counsaylours of cytes good townes in Gascoyne vnder the obeysaunce of the kyng of Englande conioyned them togyder and concluded in the forme and manner as I shall shewe you They sayde they wolde gladly receyue the duke of Lancastre in to their cytâ—es townes and castelles as the sonne of kyng Edwarde and vncle to kinge Rycharde of EnglaÌ„de so that at his entringes he shulde solemply swere that pesably and in good maner he and his shulde entreat the people with out enforsynge of any thynge and to pay reasonably for euery thynge that they shulde dispende and also to swere that he shulde nat oppresse nor cause to be oppressed the iurysdictyon of the Crowne of Englande by no maner of waye nor accyon The duke aunswered to this and sayd that he was nat come in to the countrey to greue or oppresse the people but wolde rather kepe and defende them agaynst all men as his herytage and desyred and requyred theym that the coÌ„maundement of the kynge of Englande myght be obserued and acomplisshed Than the hole countrey by a comune voyce sayd that in no wyse they wolde departe fro the crowne of Englande and that it was nat in the kynge of Englandes power to gyue them away to another lorde nor to put them fro the crowne of Englande These demaundes and denyenges were longe a debatyng bytwene the duke of Lancastre and the lordes and townes of Gascon And whan the duke sawe none other remedy than he made request to the countrey that the prelates and noble men and couÌ„saylours of the good townes shulde sende suffycient personages to the kynge of Englande and to his counsayle and howe he wolde sende in lykewyse notable persones of his counsayle and loke what so euer the kyng and his counsayle shulde determyne in that cause he promysed surely to abyde ther by whether it were with hym or agaynst him Than they of Gascon consydred well that his request was reasonable and agreed to do as the duke had desyred Than the duke rode to Burdeaur and was lodged in the abbey of saint Andrewes where he had ben lodged before tyme. Than they of the cytie of Bayon and Dar apoynted suffycient personages to sende in to Englande and the barons of Gascon vnder the kinges obeysaunce sent in lyke wyse Also ye shall knowe that whan the frenche kyng and his vncles vnderstode that the duke of Laucastre was peasably entred in to the cytie of Burdeaux and knewe nat for what entent nor whether he wolde kepe or breake the trewce Than he and his counsayle
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
a porte in Surey besyde the isle of Rodes Than he declared all his hole vysion the rather therby to moue the dukes herte to pytie and reason but this duke was herde herted agaynst the peace and kept styll his opynion and by his wordes condempned and dispysed greatly the frenche men for all that euer Robert the Hermyte coude say but bycause that this Robert was a strauÌ„ger and shewed by his wordes and werkes that he wolde all were well and also bycause the duke sawe that the kyng his nephue enclyned to haue peace he dyssymuled and spake fayre what so euer his herte thought Two dayes this Robert taryed at plasshey with the duke and had good chere and the thyrde day departed and retourned to London and fro thence to Wyndesore where the kynge made hym good chere for loue that the frenche kyng had sent him thyder and bycause he was wyse and eloqueÌ„t and of swete wordes and honest It is nat to be doubted but that the kynge demauÌ„ded of hym howe he founde his vncle the duke of Glocestre And Robert answered him well to the poynte The kyng knewe well his vncle of Gloucestre enclyned rather to warre than to peace wherfore he fauoured moche better his other two vncles dukes of Lancastre and yorke whan Robert the hermyte had ben a moneth with the king he toke his leaue and at his departynge the kynge gaue hym great gyftes and so dyd the dukes of Lancastre and yorke and the erles of Huntyngdon and Salysbury and the lorde Thomas Percy The kynge caused hym to be conueyed to Douer and there passed ouer in to Fraunce and he founde the frenche kyng and the quene and his vncles at Paris and there shewed the kinge all his voyage and what good chere he had in Englande Thus dayly messangers went in out bytwene these two kynges and amyable letters sent bytwene them the kynge of Englande desyred nothyng so moche as to come to this maryage and semblably the frenche kynge had lyke desyre for he thought his doughter shulde be a great estate if she might be quene of Englande ¶ Of the delyueraunce of the lorde de la Ryuer and of syr Iohan le Mercyer and howe they were put out of prisone Cap. CC.v. YE haue herde here before howe the lorde de la Ryuer and sir Iohan le Mercyer were in ieoperdy of their lyues and remoued fro prison to prison at laste delyuered to the prouost of the Chatelet of Parys and were at the poynte to lose their lyues and all for hate enuye that the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne and their counsayle had to them They were in this daunger more than two yere The kyng socoured theÌ„ for always he stopped the execusion and that the dukes of Berrey Burgoyne sawe well and also they perceyued that the duke of Orlyaunce ayded them as moche as he might also the duches of Berrey was a good meane for them and specially for the lorde de la Ryuer and also the one coulde nat be condempned without the other for they were accused all for one cause The prayers of good folkes and their ryght togyther ayded theym Than it was regarded by many of the high barones of FrauÌ„ce who had pytie on them and sayd they had suffred prisonement ouerlonge and that it was tyme to shewe them grace for this Iohan le Mercyer had so moche wept in prison that his syght was sore decayed so that he coude scant se the brute ranne through the realme that he was blynd Than at last they had sentence gyuen them of grace by the kynge and there the lorde de la Ryuer was restored agayne to all his landes and castels as the fayre castell of Aniou but he was charged on payne of his lyfe that whan he was ones in his castell of Aniowe that he shuld neuer after repasse the ryuer of Sayne without he were coÌ„maunded by the kynges owne mouthe And syr Iohan le Mercyer to retourne to PouÌ„te de Nonnon in to his fayre house in Laonnoys and he nat to repasse the ryuer of Oyse of Marne nor of Seyne without he were in lykewyse called by the kynges owne mouth Thus they bounde them selfe to take this prisonment and thought they had a great grace to scape so well were ryght ioyouse whan they were delyuered fro the Chatelet They trusted whan they came out of prison to haue spoken with the kynge and to haue thanked hym of his grace but they coulde nat be suffred but were coÌ„maunded to auoyde out of Parys and to resorte thyder as they were coÌ„mauÌ„ded Thus they were delyuered wherof their frendes had great ioy ¶ Of the peace that was hadde bytwene the duke of Bretayne and sir Olyuer Clysson Cap. CC.vi. yE haue herde howe the duke of Bretayne and syr Olyuer of Clisson warred longe togyther mortally for bytwene them they toke none to mercy and surely syr Olyuer of Clysson and his partie bare them so valyauÌ„tly that of thre he had twayne for the lordes of Bretaygne dyssimnied with the duke and men of the cyties and good townes sayde howe they must nedes lyue and vse their marchaundyse what so euer warre was bytwene the duke and syr Olyuer of Clysson for they sayd it touched them nothinge wherfore they wolde nat entermedâ—e bytwene them but euer the Vycount of Rohan the lorde de Leoâ— and the lorde of Dignan treated for a peace to be had bytwene them So moch they pursewed that the duke promysed to be entreated so that the myght se syr Olyuer in his presence and speke with him and thervpon these lordes on a day rode to a fortresse of syr Olyuers to speke with him and there they shewed him for what cause they weâ— come thyder and howe they had got grauÌ„t of the duke to sende to him a safeconducte safely to go and come to speke with hym sayeng that surely they thought if he were ones in his presence all the yuell wyll and displeasures shulde be clerely pardoned Than sir Olyuer sayd Sirs ye are all my frendes and louers and I trust great lye in you and beleue that the duke hath promysed as you saye and I thynke he wolde gladly se me in his preseÌ„ce But so good helpe me and saynt yues vpon his worde and promise I ensure you I wyll nat ones issue out of my house But I shall tell you what ye shall saye to hym that if he wyll haue me to come to hym let hym sende hyder in pledge his eldest sonne and whan he is here thanÌ„e I wyll go and speke with hym suche ende as I shall make his sonne shall make yf I retourne he shall do in lykewise and if I abyde he shall abide Whan these lordes sawe they coude haue none other ende they tooke their leaue and retourned to Wannes where the duke was and shewed euery thynge as they had herde The duke coude haue none other waye This sir Olyuer bare hym selfe so valyauntly
in this warre that he wanne more than he lost He toke two tymes all the dukes vessell and plate of golde and syluer and dyuers other iewelles wherof he hadde great profyte The conclusyon of the warre and hate bytwene the duke of Bretayne and sir Olyuer Clysson was thus The duke of Bretayne lyke a great lorde as he was sawe well he coude nat come to his entent of sir Olyuer of Clysson and that he had ouer many frendes in Bretayne for sauyng their alegiauÌ„ce to the duchy of Bretayne All the bretons knyghtes squyers prelates and men of the good Cyties and good townes enclyned more to the lorde Clysson than to the duke And the highe barons dissymuled and had aunswered the duke that they wolde nat entremedle them with that warre but sayde they wolde gladly sette a peace and accorde bytwene theÌ„ Also the duke of Orlyaunce specially conforted couertly in many maner of wayes sir Olyuer of Clysson and he was alwayes ioyous whan he herde of his good spede in any of his entreprices The duke of Bretaygne who was a subtyle prince and ymaginatyfe and had endured moche payne duryng this warre and sawe well he was nat very well beloued with his owne people as the chyldren of the lorde Charles of Bretayne were the one called Charles of Bloyes who was slayne at the batayle of Alroy and IohnÌ„ of Bretayne erle of Ponthieur and of Lymogines who had to wyfe the doughter of sir Olyuer of Clisson and the lorde Henry of Bretayne his brother and their suster the quene of Naples and of Hierusalem Also the duke sawe that he began to waxe olde that his chyldren were but yonge and ê‘ceyued well he had no frendes in FrauÌ„ce except the duke of Burgoyne the duches his wyfe And he sawe well his chyldren shulde haue as fewe for by their mothers syde they came were issued of the membres and braunches of Nauer whiche generacion was nat ouermoche loued in Fraunce for the great myscheues that kynge Charles of Nauerre father to the duchesse of Bretayne had done in tyme past in Fraunce wherof the remembraunce as than endured And the duke sawe that if he dyed in that estate bothe with sir Olyuer of Clisson and with the erle of Ponthieur he than douted that his chyldren that were so yonge shulde haue ouer many great enemyes and also he sawe that the alyaunce bytwene hym and Englande began to waxe colde For he was enformed that the kynge of Englande shulde haue to wyfe the doughter of FrauÌ„ce thesame lady that was promysed to hym for his sonne and heyre The duke dyde cast all these doutes ThanÌ„e all thynges consydered he ymagined to breke his herte without dissimulacion and make a ferme peace with sir Olyuer of Clysson with Iohan of Bretayne And wolde putte hym selfe at their pleasure to make amendes for all wrathes forfaytes and doÌ„mages that euer they dyde to hym or to his men duryng the warre He wolde desyre nothynge but that they shulde take hym for duke of Bretayne and his children after hym accordyng to the artycles of the peace before made bytwene hym and the chyldren of sir Charles of Bloyes whiche charter of peace he wolde nat breke nor any artycle comprised therin And also to kepe and vpholde euery thyng that he had promysed to IohnÌ„ of Bloyes his cosyn erle of PoÌ„-Ponthieur And if he hadde nat his parte of the herytage of Bretayne suffycient he wolde putte the ordring therof without any dissymulacion to the vicount of Rohan and to the lordes of Dignan of Leon of Lauall and of Beaumont and of the lorde IohnÌ„ of Harpeden Whan the duke of Bretayne had aduysed in hym selfe all this purpose without makynge of any man of his counsayle He called to hym his secratorie and in a chabre they two alone he caused hym to write a letter to sir Olyuer of Clysson as swetely amiably as coude be deuysed desyring hym that they might speke toguyder secretely on trust to haue good peace bytwene theÌ„ Whan this Letter was made deuysed and sealed Than he toke a secrete person coÌ„maundyng hym to go to the castell of Iosselyn and saye I do sende the to speke with my cosyn sir Olyuer of Clysson and salute hym fro me and delyuer hym this letter and bring agayne an answere And on payne of thy lyâ—e kepe this secrete and shewe no creature whider thou gost nor who dothe sende the. He tooke his iourney and spedde hym so well that he caÌ„e to the castell Iosselyn The porters had marueyle whan they herde hym saye that he cae fro the duke of speke with their maister they wente and shewed their lorde therof Than he coÌ„maunded that the messanger shulde coÌ„e to hym and so he dyde And well and wisely declared his message and delyuered his letter sealed with the dukes seale whiche sir Olyuer knewe ryght well and opyned reed the letter two or thre tymes the better to vnderstande it And in the redyng he had great marueyle of the swete wordes cretable and amyable that was comprised in the letter He studyed a season and at last sayd howe he wolde take aduyse and write agayne sir Olyuers men hadde great marueyle of this for before he had forborne no man of the dukes but outher he was slayne or putte in prisone ThanÌ„e sir Olyuer wente in to his lecrete chambre and began to muse and ymagyn vpon these newes At last he apesed his yuell wyll in that the duke humyled hymselfe so moche towardes him and that he wrote so swetely yet he thought in hym selfe to proue the duke further or he aduentured hym selfe to go to the duke for he thought if he toke any hurte no man wolde bewayle hym if he lost hym selfe by folly Than he wrote a letter to the duke ryght swete and tretable but the conclusyon was that yf he wolde haue hym to come speke with hym that he shuld sende his sonÌ„e and heyre to lye in hostage for hym tyll his retourne This letter was delyuered to the dukes varlet who retourned therwith to Wannes where the duke was there delyuered his letter The duke reed it and studyed a lytell and sayd I shall do it to the entence to treate louyngly with hym Than theÌ„ duke wrote a letter to the vycount of Rohan who was at the castell of Cayre Whan the vycount sawe the dukes letter he came incontynent to Wannes Than the duke shewed all his purpose and entencyon sayd Vycount you and the lorde of Mountbursier shall leade my sonÌ„e to the castell Iosselyn and leaue hym there and bringe with you the lorde Olyuer Clysson for I wyll agree and make peace with hym The vicouÌ„t sayd it shulde be done gladly So they toke the dukes sonne and heyre who was about the age of eight yere and ledde hym to the castell Iosselyn to the lorde Olyuer Clysson who receyued them ryght honorably And whan he sawe the chylde and the good affection
the lordes and knyghtes of Fraunce for he had dyuers thynges to saye to them out of their countre Lamorabaquy studyed a lytell or he aunswered and at laste sayd Thou shalte speke with one of them but with no mo and so sent for the erle of Neuers alone and whan he was come sir Helley kneled downe to hym Th erle was glad to se hym and demaunded howe the frenche kynge and the duke his father the duches his mother dyde The knyght shewed hym all that he knewe and all that he was charged to saye to hym howe be it they had nat so good leysar to talke togyder as they wolde haue had for Lamorabaquyes men that were there present badde them haue done for they sayd they had other thynges to do than to stande there and wayte vpon them Than sir Iaques demaunded of the Erle howe all the other lordes of Fraunce dyde The Erle said they were all in good case except the lorde of Coucy who was somwhat diseased and was at the cytie of Burse Than sir Iaques shewed hym howe sir Iohan of Castell morant was come out of Fraunce fro the kyng and fro the duke of Burgoyne in ambassade to Lamorabaquy and to asswage his yre he hath sent hym ryche iewelles and presentes but he is at Bode in Hungry with the kyng there and I am come before for a sauecoÌ„duct for hym to come and go the whiche Lamorabaquy hath graunted And I thynke I shall retourne to hym shortely Herof therle was right ioyous but he durst make no semblant for feare of the Turkes but said sir Iaques I vnderstande by you that ye are quyte of your raunsome and prison and that ye maye retourne whan it pleaseth you in to FrauÌ„ce whan ye come there I praye you shewe the kyng and my father that we all desyre them to treate as shortely as maye be for our delyueraunce by some marchauntes genowayes or venisyons and agree at the fyrst worde to that Lomorabaquy shall desyre for our rauÌ„some for if they shulde make long treatie with hym we shal be lost for euer for I vnderstaÌ„de Lamorabaquy is trewe of his worde curtesse and shorte in all his maters so he be taken at the poynt Thus the erle of Neuers and sir Iaques departed Whan the saueconducte was redy it was delyuered to sir Iaques Than he toke his leaue of Lamorabaquy and of other of his courte of his aquayntaunce and rode so longe by his iourneys that he arryued at Bode in Hungry Than he drewe to sir Iohan Moraunt who thought longe for hym Than sir Iaques sayd sir I haue brought you a saueconducte to go in to Turkey and all youre company and to retourne agayne at your pleasure I am gladde therof ê™ the knyght Lette vs go to the kyng of Hungry and shewe hym therof and than to morowe betymes lette vs departe for I haue taryed here longe ynoughe Than they bothe togyder wente to the kyng in to his chambre and shewed hym all the mater The kynge than answered and sayde Sir Iohan Moraunt and ye Helly ye be welcome ye shall go at youre pleasure for the loue of my cosyns of Fraunce to whom I wolde be gladde to do pleasure and to you also ye maye go come throughe my realme at your pleasure and also in to Turkey if ye please But as for your presentes that you sir Iohan haue brought out of FrauÌ„ce I wyll nat agree that ye shall conuey them to that hell hounde Lamorabaquye He shall neuer be enryched therwith It shulde tourne to our great shame and rebuke if he shulde make his auauut that bycause he hath had victorie on vs and hath in daunger and prison certayne lordes of FraÌ„ce that for feare therof there shulde be sente to hym riche presentes as for the GerfaucoÌ„s I care nat for for foules flye lightly oute of one countre in to another they are soone gyuen and soone lost But as for riche hangynges of arras are thynges to be sene and to endure for euer Wherfore sir Iohan Morant if ye wyll passe in to Turkey with your ger faucoÌ„s go whan it please you but as for any other thyng ye shall haue non with you thaÌ„ the knyght aunswered and sayd Certaynly sir it shulde nat be myne honour nor pleasaÌ„t to the Frenche kynge nor to the lordes that haue sente me hyder without I myght accoÌ„plysshe my voyage as I haue in charge well quod the kynge ye shall haue none other waye of me at this tyme. So the kynge went fro them and lefte the two knightê spekynge toguyder They were sore troubled with the abusyon on the kynge of Hungery Than they counsayled toguyder what was best for them to do Than they determyned to sende hastye messangers to the freÌ„che kynge and to the duke of Burgoyne sithe they sawe they coulde haue none other remedy they wrote letters to the kyng and to the duke of Burgoyne that they shulde ê“uyde for the mater They sente their letters by poste to make the more hast and taryed styll them selfes at Bode with the kyng of Hungry abyding the retourne of their messanger THis messanger spedde so well and made suche dilygence that he came to Parys and there founde the kyng and the duke of Burgoyn and there shewed his leâ—â—s and they were reed at length with the whiche they were nothynge pleased and had marueyle that the kyng of Hungry wolde nat suffre his presentes to passe throughe his countre in to Turkey The duke of Berrey excused the kynge of Hungry and sayde howe he had good cause to do as he dyde for it is a thyng to humbly done for the kynge to sende suche presentes to an hethan thyng the duke of Burgoyne bycause the mater touched hym he was of the contrary opinyon and said it was a thyng reasonable so to do sith that fortune hath ben so fauorable to him to haue the vyctorie in suche a batayle and hath hadde the kyng of Hungry in chase and hath taken prisoners all suche noble men as were agaynst hym in that iourney wherfore the freÌ„des of those prisoners may well fynde the meanes howe to comforte them for their delyueraunce This dukes wordes were vp holden with the kynge and with dyuers of his counsayle Than the kynge demaunded of his vncle of Berrey Sayeng fayre vncle if Lamorabaquy the soudan or any other hethan kynge sende you a ruby or a ryche iewell wheder wyll ye receyne it or nat Sir quod he I wolde take aduyse Than that kyng sayd It passeth nat yet tenne yere sythe the soudan sente you a ruby whiche cost twentie thousande frankes So the kynge of Hungries dede was nat susteygned but it was sayd that he had yuell done to stoppe the goyng of these presentes and that it shulde rather hynder the prisoners than auaunce theÌ„ Than the kyng was couÌ„sayled to write to the kyng of Hungry amyable letters desyringe hym nat to stoppe his knyght but suffre him to passe in to
for kynge Rycharde was norysshed amonge them therfore they loued hym and whyle he was kynge if any of Burdeloys came to hym they were well receyued and alwayes the kinge was redy to fulfyll their desyres wherfore they sayd whan they knewe the trouth Ah Richarde gentle kyng ye were as noble a man as euer reigned in any realme this trouble that londoners haue caused for they coulde neuer loue you specyall sythe ye were alyed by maryage with the frenche kyng this myschiefe is so great that we can nat suffre it They haue holden you kynge this .xxii. yere and nowe to condempe you to the dethe for sythe ye be in prison haue crowned the duke of Lancastre they wyll surely put you to deth So they of Burdeloys made great lamentacyons in so moche that the seneschall of Burdeaux a ryght valyaunt knyght of Englande wrote letters therin conteynynge the wordes and lamentacyons of them of the cytie of Burdeaulx of Bayon and of Dax Also he wrote howe they were nere at the poynte to yelde vp their townes to the frenche kyng He sent this lettre by a trusty seruauÌ„t of his by the see who had good wynde and aryued at Cornewayle in EnglaÌ„de and than he rode so longe that he came to London there he fouÌ„de kynge Henry and delyuered his letters whiche were dyrected to the kynge and to the londoners They were opened and reed and the kynge and the londoners tooke counsayle vpon that mater They of London aunswered lyke theym that were nothyng abasshed of that tydynges but sayde as for these townes wyll neuer tourne frenche for they can nat lyue in their daunger nor they canne nat suffre the extorcion and pollinge of the frenchmen for vnder vs they lyue franke and free and if the frenche men shulde be lordes ouer them they shulde be taxed and tayled retayled two or thre tymes in a yere the whiche they are nat nowe acustomed vnto whiche shulde be a harde thyng nowe for them to begynne Also these thre cyties are closed in rouÌ„de about with great lordes who are good englysshe and longe haue been as the lorde Pyuiers the lorde Musydent the lorde Duras the lorde Landuras the lorde Copane the lorde Rosem the lorde Logeren and dyuers other barones and knyghtes by whome they shulde haue warre at their handes for they shulde nat issue out of their cities but they shulde be taken For all the seneschalles wrytynge we haue no doute that they shulde become frenche howe be it good it is to sende thyder some valyaunt wyse man that is beloued amonge theym some suche as hath gouerned there or this and that is the lorde Thomas Percy Thus as it was deuysed it was acomplysshed he was desyred to go thyder and to take hede of that couÌ„trey He fulfylled the kynges coÌ„maundement and made hym redy to departe it was about Christmasse at whiche tyme the wyndes be sore and ieoperdous he toke shyppynge in Cornewayle He had with him two hundred men of armes and four hundred archers And with hym was his nephue Hugh Hastynges Thomas Colleuyll Gyllyam Lysle Iohan Graily bastarde sonne to the Captall of Beufz Guillyam Traicton Iohan Danbreticourt and diuers other and also the bysshop of London and mayster Rycharde Doall They taryed tyll it was mydde Marche or they toke the see and or they came to Burdeaux the duke of Burbon was come to the cytie of Dagen to treate with theym of Burdeloys and he dyd so moche by his fayre wordes and good assuraunce that the counsayles of Burdeaux of Bayon and of Dax were sent to the cytie of Dagen The duke receyued them frendly and gaue them fayre wordes and many promyses and shewed them that if they wolde turne frenche and be vnder the obeysaunce of the frenche kynge what so euer they wolde demaunde shulde be graunted them and sealed perpetually to endure Many thynges they promysed and sware to seale and to kepe for euer They aunswered whan they were retourned agayne in to their cyties they wolde shewe all this to the people and so take counsayle and than gyue answere Thus they departed fro Dagen and fro the duke of Burbon and retourned to their townes and shewed all this to the people but all tourned to nothynge for the comynaltyes of the sayde cyties consydred the busynesse and knewe well howe the realme of Fraunce was vexed and troubled with tayles and fowages and shamfull exaccions all to get money than they sayd if the frenche men gouerne ouer vs they wyll bringe vs to the same vsage yet it is better for vs to be englysshe for they kepe vs franke and free If the londoners haue deposed kynge Rycharde crowned kinge Henry what is that to vs we haue and shall haue alwayes a kynge and we vnderstande that the bysshop of London and syr Thomas Percy shortely wyll be here they shall enfourme vs of the trouthe we haue also more marchaundyse of woll wyne and clothe with the Englysshe men than with the frenchmen let vs be ware we make no treatie wherby we shulde repent vs after Thus the treatie with the frenche men was broken and lefte of Than anone after the bysshop of London and the lorde Percy with their charge of men of warre aryued at Burdeaux wherof moche people were greatly reioysed and some displeased suche as had rather haue been frenche than englysshe All these englysshe lordes were lodged togyther in the abbey of saint Andrewe and whan they sawe their tyme they shewed to the people the state of Englande and the cause why they were sent thyder and they dyd so moche that euery thynge was apeased bothe there and in all other places For harde it was to haue caused them to haue tourned frenche THan it was determyned by the counsayle of Fraunce sithe the kyng was in sycknesse by reason of the displeasure that he toke for the deposyng of his sonne in lawe kynge Rycharde that they shulde sende some notable wyse personage in to Englande to knowe the state of the quene to do this message was apoynted syr Charles de la Brethe and Charles of Hangers who as they were coÌ„maunded departed fro Parys and came to Boloygne and there taryed for they had sent an haraulde to kynge Henry for without assurauÌ„ce they durst nat go for all the truce that was bytwene bothe realmes Kynge Henry who thought hym selfe moche bounde to the Frenche kynge for the chere that he hadde in Fraunce toke counsayle and concluded and so the haraulde was answered that it was the kynges pleasure that they and their company shulde come in to Englande and to come the streyght way to the kyng and nat to ryde out of the way without lycence The haraulde retourned to Boloyne and shewed what he had done wherwith they were content and so shypped their horses and toke the see and aryued at Douer where they founde redy a knyght of the kynges howse â—oho receyued theym they had sene hym before with kyng
Xancere and of the departyng of the erle of Arundell Cap. C .l. ¶ Howe the admyrall of Fraunce was ordayned by the Frenche kynge and his counsayle as ambassadour to go to the kynge of Castile and howe the duke of Berrey sent to the erle of Foize to treate for a maryage bytwene the duke of Berrey the erles doughter of Bolonge Cap C .li. ¶ Howe Geffray Tete Noyre dyde chose a capitayne ouer his company and howe he made his testament and so dyed And howe the duke of Guerles departed fro his countrey to go in to Pruce and of the incydence that fell to hym in the lande of the duke of Stulpe where he was taken prisoner and disconfyted Cap. C .lii. ¶ Howe sir Johan of Vyen dyde his message to kyng Johan of Castyle fro the frenkynge and his counsayle and what answers the kynge of Castyle made to hym Capi. C .liii. ¶ Howe sir Loyes of Xancere went to se the erle of Foize at Orthays and howe before the duke of LaÌ„castre at Burdeux there were dedes of armes done bytwene fyue Frenche men and fyue Englysshe men and howe the duchesse of Lancastre went with her doughter in to Castyle to kyng JohnÌ„ Cap. c .liiii. ¶ Howe the duchesse of Lancastre departed fro the kyng of Castyle and wente to Mantuell to bring her fathers bones to Ciuyle howe the Frenche kyng sent ambassadours to the erle of Foize to treate for the mariage of the duke of Berrey his vncle with therie of Boloyns doughter Cap. C .lv. ¶ Howe certaygne wyse men treated for a peace to endure for thre yere bytwene FrauÌ„ce and Englande and all their alyes aswell on the one parte as on the other by laÌ„de and by see Cap. C .lvi. ¶ Of the ordynaunce of the entre of quene Isabell in to the towne of Paris Ca. c .lvii. ¶ Howe the lorde of Castell morant whom therle of saynt Poule had lefte behynde him in Englande retourned in to Fraunce with the charter of the truse sealed by kynge Richarde his vncles to endure thre yere by see and by lande Cap. C .lviii. ¶ The maryage of kynge Loyes sonne to the duke of Aniou to the doughter of kynge Peter of Arragone and howe he went with the quene of Naples his mother to Auignon to se pope Clement Cap. C .lix. ¶ Howe the Frenche kyng had desyre to go and visyte the farre partes of his realme and howe he went fyrste in to Burgoyne and to Auignone to se pope Clement Cap. c.lx. ¶ Howe sir Peter Courtney caÌ„e in to FrauÌ„ce to do armes with sir Guye of Tremoyle and howe the lorde of Clary conueyed hym and by what occasyon he dyde armes with hym in the marchesse of Calis Cap. c.lxi ¶ Howe the iustes at saynt Inguelyert otherwyse called Sandyngfelde were enterprised by sir Raynolde of Roye the yonge sir BouciquauÌ„t and the lorde of saynt Pye Capi. C .lxii. ¶ Of the complayntes made to the Frenche kynge by the people of Languedocke in the towne of Besyers agaynst Beusache treasourer to the duke of Berrey of the great extorcyons that he had made and of his contessyon and of the cruell dethe that he hadde in the sayd towne Cap. C.lxiii ¶ Howe the Frenche kyng beynge at Tholous sent for the erle of Foize who came thyder and dyd homage to the kyng for the couÌ„tie of Foize Cap. C.lxiiii ¶ Of the feate and couynauÌ„t that was done bytwene the kynge and the duke of Thoutayne his brother whiche of them shulde sonest come to Parys fro Mountpellyer whiche is a hundred and fyftie leages a sonder eche of them but with one knight Capi. C .lxv. ¶ Of the dethe of pope Vrbayne of Rome called the Antepape howe pope Clement wrote to the Frenche kyng and to his vncles and to the vnyuersite and of the electyon of pope Bonyface by the cardynals of Rome Capi. C .lxvi. ¶ Of the yeldynge vp and takynge of the stronge castell of Vanchadore in Lymosyn of olde parteyninge to sir Geffray Teate Noyre Cap. C.lxvii ¶ Of the dedes of armes at saynt Ingylbertes continewyng thyrtie dayes agaynst all coÌ„mers of the realme of Englande other countreis euery manne thre courses Capi. C .lxviii. ¶ Of the enterprise and voyage of the knyghtes of Fraunce and Englande and of the duke of Burbone who was as chiefe of that armye at the request of the genouoys to go in to Barbary to besiege the stronge towne of Affryke Cap. C.lxix ¶ Of a capitayne a robber and a pyller of the countre called Aymergot Marcell who helde a strong castell in the marchesse of Rouergne called the Roche of Vandoys and howe it was besieged by the vicount of Meauix and of the takyng therof and howe Aymergot was taken and brought to Parys Capi. C .lxx. ¶ Howe the Christen lordes and the genoâ—â—ys beyng in the ysle of Conymbres at ancre departed thens to go and lay siege to the strong cytie of Affryke in Barbary howe they maynteyned the siege Cap. C.lxxi ¶ Howe after this aduenture and doÌ„mage that fell to the christen men by reason of this assaute before the towne of Affryke that so many knyghtes and squyers were deed they maynteygned them selfe more wiselyer after than they dyde before and contynued their siege a longe season after Cap. c.lxxii ¶ Of a feest and iustes made by the kyng of Englande in London whyle the Christen knyghtes and squyers were at the siege before the towne of Affryke agaynst the sarasyns and howe this feest was publisshed in dyuers countreis landes Cap. C.lxxiii ¶ Howe and by what indydent the siege was reysed before the towne of Affryke and by what occasyon and howe euery man recourned to their owne countreis Cap. c.lxxiiii ¶ Of thenglyss he knyghtes that were sente to Parys to the Frenche kyng fro the kyng of Englande and his vncles to treate for a peace Capi. C.lxxv ¶ Of the dethe of kynge Iohan of Castyle and of the crownynge of kynge Henry his sonne Cap. C.lxxvi ¶ Of the army of the yonge erle Iohan of Armynake and of the voyege that he made in to Lombardy howe he dyed at the siege before the towne of AlexaÌ„dre Cap. c.lxxvii ¶ Howe sir Peter of Craon fell in the Frenche kynges displeasure and in the Duke of Thourayns and after he was receyued by the duke of Bretayne Cap. C.lxxviii ¶ Of the dethe of the yonge erle Loyes of Chastellon sonne to therle Guye of Bloys Cap. C.lxxix ¶ Of the sodayne dethe of the erle Gascone of Foize and howe the erle of Chastellon caÌ„e to his enherytaunce Cap. C.lxxx ¶ Howe the treatie of peace renewed at Towers in Thourayne bytwene the Frenche kynge and the duke of Bretayne and of the maryage of the doughter of Fraunce to the sonne of Bretayne and of Iohan of Bretayne erle of Ponthieur and the doughter of the duke of Bretayne Cap. C.lxxxi ¶ Howe the erle of Bloyes Mary of Namure his wyfe solde the countie
cytte of Carlyle was chiefe cytie of all that countre and it was nede full for good men of warre to be theâ— for whan the admyrall of Fraunce came thyder he assayled the cytie by great force the whiche assaute was cruell and fierse So thus before the cytie there were many noble dedes of armes done ⸪ ¶ Howe the erle of Oxenforde brake the pursute that the kyng of EnglaÌ„d had thought to haue made in to wales after the frenche men and scottes And howe the kynge retourned the same waye that he came and howe the frenche men and scottes determyned to retourne agayne in to ScotlaÌ„de Cap. xv THe kyng of Englandes vncles knewe well what waye the admyrall of FrauÌ„ce and the scottes helde said how they thought it for the best to folowe theym and to serche tyll they myght fynde them and so to fight with them Sayeng howe they coude in no wyse escape them In this purpose was the duke of Lancastre and his bretherne and dyuers other of the great barons of Englande and the moost parte of the coÌ„mons of the hoost And as than all their prouisyon was come as well by lande as by see and the kynge also was agreed to the same purpose and than on a night the erle of Oxenforde who was as than chiefe of counsayle with the kynge bare all the rule the kyng trusted no man so moche He turned the kyng cleue fro his purpose I can nat shewe you for what cause but the enformed the kyng as it was knowen after and said sir What thynke ye to do Wyll ye folowe the way that your vncles hath counsayled Sir knowe for trouth that if ye do so ye shall neuer returne agayne For sir the duke of LaÌ„castre desyreth none other thynge but that ye were deed that he might be kyng Howe durst he couÌ„sayle yor grace to go this wynter season in to a strange countrey Sir I wolde nat counsayle you to passe the mouÌ„tayns of Northumberlande for there be mo than .xxx. streightes and passages that if ye were closed in them ye shulde neuer come out agayne without daunger of the scottes Sir putte nat youre selfe in to that daunger what soeuer they saye to you If the duke of Lancastre wyll go lette hym go and haue the charge therof but by my counsayle ye shall nat go Sir ye haue done ynough for this one tyme. youre father was neuer so farre within Scotlande nor yet Kynge Edwarde youre graunt father Therfore sir this oughte to contente you and saue youre owne persone ye be yonge and lusty And suche there be that sheweth you sayre semblant and loueth you but lâ—tell The kynge gaue suche audyence to the sayeng of this erle that it went neuer out of his mynde as ye shall herafter THe next mornyng the lordes of Englande and their people ordred them selfe to deê‘te out of ScotlaÌ„de and to folowe their ennemyes to fight with them as it was concluded the night before Than the duke of Lancastre came to the king his nephue nat knowyng of the trouble and chaunge of his purpose â–ª and the kynge beyng in his malencoly assone as he sawe hym he sayd in great yre Certesse vncle of LaÌ„castre ye shall nat attayne as yet to your entent Thynke you for all your wordes that we wyll lese our selfe folisshely I wyll nat beleue you nor yet your couÌ„sayle for I se therby more domage than profyte to vs and to our people For if ye wyll make this voyage do it and ye lyste but as for me I wyll nat For I wyll retourne into Englande the nexte waye and all suche as loue vs wyll folowe vs. Than the duke of Lancastre sayd Sir I shall folowe you for ye haue neuer a man in your company that loueth you so well as I do also my bretherne And if there be any man wyll saye except your persone that I wolde any thynge otherwyse than well to you or to your people here is my guage to the coÌ„trarie So there was none that wolde speke any worde And the kynge helde his peace and spake to other of his seruauntes of other maters and orderyng hymselfe to returne into Englande the same way that he came and the duke of LaÌ„castre departed fro the kynge right sore troubled in his mynde and returned to his coÌ„pany and made newe ordynauÌ„ce for in the morning they had thought to haue folowed the frenchmen in to the marches of Wales but they dyde nat so for they retourned the next waye in to Englande Lo thus ye may se howe thetle of OxeÌ„forde who was great with the kyng brake all this voyage and dyuers of the great lordes sayd that the kyng was yuell counsayled Seynge that all the prouisyon was come For they sayd they might well haue folowed the scottes in to Wales For in their so doyng they shulde euer haue drawen in to Englande warde And some ê‘sons that were wery of payne and trauell said howe that all thynges coÌ„sidred they were better to retourne than to go any further Sayeng howe a great ê“uision must be had to scrue suche an host howe it was yuell to passe the mountayns that wynter season wherby they sayd they might rather lese than wynne THus in his season brake vp the iorney and army of Englande and the kynge and his lordes retourned in to Englande the same way they came but they hadde distroyed the moost parte of the realme of Scotlande These tidynges came to the admyrall of FrauÌ„ce and to the scottes than they tooke counsayle what was best for them to do and so concluded to retourne agayne in to Scotlande for their vitails began to fayle and they were in a poore countrey for they had distroyed the marches of Carlyle and the landes of the barone of Clyfforde the lorde Maubray and the bysshoprike of Carlyle but the cytie they coude nat wynne And the frenche men sayd howe they had brent and distroyed in the bysshorike of Dyrhame Carlyle that was better worthe than all the townes in Scotlande So the frenchmen and scottes retourned in to Scotlande the same waye they came And whan they came into ScotlaÌ„de they founde the countrey distroyed but the people of the countre dyde sette but lytell therby and said howe with thre or four poles shortely they wolde make agayne their houses for they had saued moche of their catayle in the forestes But all that the frenche men tooke they were fayne to paye truely therfore and dere The frenche men were often in great daunger for the scottes and they were at many debates for vitayle And the scotes sayd howe the frenche men dyde them more demage than the Englysshe men had done when it was demaunded of them why so they answered and sayde howe the frenche men as they rode abrode they beate downe desoyled their cornes as whete barley and otes and wolde nat kepe the highe wayes but rather ryde throughe the corne Of whiche demages they said they
Iohan Froissarte was present And whan they had been there in great Feest thre dayes they departed and toke their way to Poyters but they went by water by the ryuer of Loyre to Amboyse and fro thens in chares and on horsebacke tyll they came to Poytou There the duchesse helde her house moost cōmonly in a good castell and good towne called Chynon In this yere dyed Mary of Fraunce beyng yonge who was wyfe to the erle of Mountpenlier In lykewise soone after dyed the lady Iane of Armynake duchesse of Berrey Thus the duke of Berrey and his sonne were to marry agayne as they dyd but nat ouer soone Of the whiche maryages and specyallye of the dukes I shall shewe you here after whan the mater shall requyre to haue it declared YE haue well herde here before howe the duke of Guerles had defyed the French kyng dispyte fully whiche was spoken o◠sar and nere For as the brute was it was nat done in no curtesse maner but out of the style and vsage of all other defyances Trouthe it is I sawe my selfe certayne writynges in paper the whiche was sayde to be the true copy But bycause I sawe it nat vnderseale nor aproued as such maters ought to be that touche great princes suche as is the Frenche kyng therfore I gaue no greatcredence therto Howe be it it semed well that this defyaunce was displeasaunt to the realme wolde haue it amended And that the duke of Guerles shulde excuse hym of the spytefull wordes that were in the defyaunce The kynges coūsayle wolde in no wyse that the mater shulde rest so for the great lordes of Fraunce sayde Without the kyng founde some remedy they and all the realme shulde be greatly to blame And they sayd howe the kynge was yonge and forwarde and that was well sene in his iourney in Flaunders And if he go nat forwarde nowe to reuenge this dede men wolde speke dyuerslye of the nobles of the realme of Fraunce who shulde counsayle the kynge and are sworne to kepe and defende his honour and to refourme all that is mysordred And to the entent that the kynge nor the realme shulde beare no blame the lorde of Coucy toke payne in the mater And shewed well howe the mater touchedde hym nere He knewe the almayns better thā he dyde any other for he hadde been often in their cōpanyes as well for the chalenge that he made to the duchy of Austryche as for other insydentes that he hadde amonge them THe kynges vncles sawe well howe all the nobles of the Realme were well enclyned to haue the mater redressed and specially the duke of Burgoyne hadde great affectyon therto for the duke of Guerles haryed and pylled the duchesse of Brabantes countrey The whiche enherytaunce shulde retourne to hym after the dethe of the two ladyes who were right aged both the duches and her sustre wherfore he wolde that outher by warre or other meanes that the duke of Guerles were apeased Howe be it fyrst of all it was requisyte to make all the membres of Fraunce one and of one opinyon For it shulde be a farre iourney for the kynge to go out of Fraunce in to Almaygne to conquere landes and countreis The whiche the kynge coulde nat do without he had all his hole puyssaunce with hym for it was nat knowen whyder the almaygnes who be couetous people wolde helpe and assyst the duke of Guerles or nat Also furthermore the duke of Burgoyne and the other noble men of Fraunce sawe well howe the duke of Bretayne was in great differēce with the realme of Fraunce and began marueylously shewed by his dedes that he had as lyue haue warre with the realme of Fraūce as peace And the lordes knewe well howe he prouyded his townes castels cyties with great prouisyon of men vitayls and artillary to defende any siege And besydes that often tymes he wrote in to Englande with louynge treatable wordes to make alyaunce for euer And the Englysshmen were wyllyng therto to the entent that their warre with Fraunce myght be the better for them after Thanne the counsayle of Fraūce wolde nat that there shulde be lefte behynde them suche a myst in Bretaygne but that first it myght be putte a waye by good meanes and condute They thought they wolde nat putte the realme in that doute If the kynge shulde go in to Almaygne and leaue the realme destytute as this the Kynges vncles ymagined They wyste nat howe to stoppe the duke of Bretayne for as than suche as they had sent thyder were retourned as the bysshoppe of Lāgers sir Iohan of Vyen and sir Iohan de Beull They shewed the kyng his vncles howe they had done nothyng to purpose thā the duke of Berry aduysed to sende to Bretayne to entreat with the duke his cosyn the erle of Stampes who was a sage persone a treatable Than the duke desyred hym and sayde Fayre cosyn it behoueth that ye go in to Bretaygne to speke with our cosyn the duke there If ye fynde hym harde and highe of wordes chafe nat with hym treate hym swetely and after a good maner And speke sagely to hym and bring hym in to good reason and it may be And shewe hym howe the kynge and I and my brother of Burgoyne wolde nothing to hym but good loue peace And if he wyll abyde and holde with vs we shall alwayes be redy to do hym pleasure also shewe hym that as for the castels that he holdeth of the cōstables how that for a small occasion he hath ceased them But it wolde please hym to rendre them agayne it shulde be greatly to his honour And howe that the kynge shall gyue hym as fayre and as good as they be in any other place where he wyll chose in the realme Good cosyn do so moche as to bringe vs some good tydinges and for any tarieng there departe nat fro him tyll ye bring some mater to passe and haue well in your remembraūce all this busynesse and all his answere and the order of his estate The erle of Stampes answered and sayde Sir all this shal be done right gladly AFter that the erle of Stāpes had this charge fro the duke of Berey to go in to Bretayne to the duke his cosyn He taried nat long but made hymselfe redy and passed by Chartres and through the good countre of Mayne and so came to Anger 's and there founde the quene of Naples who hadde ben wyfe to the duke of Aniou Who was called kyng of Naples of Cicyle of Hierusalem duke of Pole of Calabre and erle of Prouence And in her company her two fayre sonnes Loyes and Charles The lady receyued her cosyn the erle of Stampes ioyfully and there was Iohn̄ of Bretayne who loued nat the duke of Bretayne but he was nat in power to shewe forthe his yuell wyll nor to amende it Whan therle of Stampes had ben there a daye and a night he tooke
gather to gyder my power and people who haue good myndes to make warre into Castyle so we shall make a good warre somtyme one countrey wynneth and a nother leseth The duke of Lancastre thanked the kynge of Portugale of his good comforte and offre Howe beit for all that the kyng was the dukes sonne in lawe and had maryed his doughter and that he sayde was of a good wyll yet for all that the duke discouered nat all his corage for he knewe well Englande was in trouble and great debate a monge the lordes and howe the lordes hadde maters yno we to attende vnto as well for the kepynge of the fronters agaynst Scotlande as for to treate with the duke of Bretaygne And the kyng knewe well that whan the duke came out of Englande there was a do to sette forwarde his armye wherfore he thought it shulde be harde to get any newe ayde thence seinge the realme at so many great charges all redy and also he thought well that suche englysshmen as were retourned wolde no more come thyder agayne but thought rather that they shulde dyscorage other to come the duke considered all these maters in his mynde and whan he had ben a season at the cytie of Porte with the kynge of Portugale than on a daye he sayd Syr it shulde be for my profyte to retourne to Bayon and to the marches of Burdeaulx for dyuerse reasons He sawe well his beynge in Portugale coulde do him lytell aduaūtage for there he was nat on his herytage that he desyred but he sayde his goynge in to the archebysshoppriche of Burdeaux and of Aulose and so to retourne by Bygore and so by the lande of the lombrisience of the countie of Foyze and countie of Armynake and so by Garonne Dordone and entrynge in to Pier gourte and Querchyn Rochelloys Xayntone Cristynge Poictou Auuergne and Lymosyn wherin were many garysons and castels holden of the englisshe parte who wolde all make warre for his sake Wherfore he sayd it were better for hym to be amonge theym to counsaile and encorage them than to be in any other place And also he sayde howe Portugale was farre of to here any newes out of Englande and also he knewe well that the englyssh men wolde be lothe to come thyder bycause of the long voyage by see and also he knewe well that shyppes of Spaygne of Galyce and of Castyle were goynge and comynge on the see in and out to Flaunders with their marchandyses whiche was also great daunger for encountrynge of them All these thynges consydred the duke of Lancastre prepared for his departynge and had shyppes apoynted hym by the kynge and a patrone called Alphons Bretat Whan these galyes were redy and the wynde good the duke and the duches and her doughter toke leaue of the kynge of Portugale and of the quene and so toke shyppynge and entred on the see abydynge goddes pleasure and wyndes They had wynde and wether at pleasure so that they aryued at Bayon of whose comynge they of the countrey were ioyfull desyringe sore to se them Whan the duke and the duches and their doughter were aryued at Bayon Tydynges therof spredde abrode and they of Burdeloys were ryght ioyfull therof Than sir Iohan of Harpdame senesshall of Burdeaux and the senesshall of the landes came thyder to se the duke and so dyd other gentlemen of the countrey as the lorde of Mucydente the lorde of Duras the lorde of Rosem the lorde of Landuras the lorde Lespare the lorde of Newechasteaur and other knyghtes and squyers of the countrey Thus they came dayly some at one tyme some at another all they offred hym their seruyce as they ought to do to their lord Thus the duke taryed at Bayon and often tymes sente in to Englande to the kynge his nephewe and to his other bretherne But for all his writynge he was nothynge comforted nother with men of armes nor archers for as the worlde wente than the dukes busynesse was lytell taken hede vnto nor lorde knyght nor squyer to make any hast to auaunce forwarde to the ayde of the duke of Lancastre for suche as had ben in Portugale made suche reporte through the realme of Englande that no man had corage to auaunce thyder but euery man said the voyage in to Castyle is to farre of fro vs. It is more profytable for vs to haue warre with Fraunce for that is a good swete countrey and temperate and good lodgynges and fayre swete ryuers And in Castyle there is no thynge but harde rockes and Mountaynes whiche are nat good to eate and an vntemperate ayre and troubled ryuers and dyuerse meates and stronge wynes hote and poore people rude and yuell arayed farre of fro our maner wherfore it were folly to go thyder for if we entre in to any great cytie or towne there wenynge to fynde maruayles we shall fynde nothynge but wyne larde and empty cofers This is contrarye to the realme of Fraunce for there whan it is fortune to wyn any towne or cytie we fynde suche rychesse that we be a basshed therof and it is good to make warre where we may haue profyte let vs aduenture there and leaue the vnhappy warre of Castyle and Portugale where is no thynge but pouuertye and domage Thus the englysshe men sayde in Englande suche as had been in Castyle so that the lordes perceyued well howe that voyage was out of the fauoure of the englysshe men Also the realme was in trouble and the iustyce of Triuylyen and outher but newly done and the duke of Irelande departed out of the Realme and kynge Rycharde came to the guydynge of newe counsayle the whiche he hadde nat well lerned So by reason of suche insydentes the matters abode in harde case for the duke of Lancastre beynge in the cytie of Bayon where he helde all that season ALl these busynesses as well in Castyle and Portugale as in Englande and of the departyng of the duke of Irelande was well knowen with the frenche kynge and his counsayle Than to haue more parfyte knowledge it was ordayned by the frenche kynge and by his vncles to sende to Trecte to the duke of Irelande where as he was and to gyue hym a sure saueconduct to come into Fraunce and to tarye there as longe as bothe partyes were pleased It was behouable to sende for hym by specyall messangers and sure wrytyng fro the kyng or els the duke of Irelande wolde nat haue come there for he knewe well that he was out of the loue and fauoure of the lorde Coucy who was a great baron in the realme of Fraunce and was of a great lynage He had no cause to loue hym as ye haue herde before for acordynge to the trouthe the duke had nat well acquyted hymselfe to his wyfe who was doughter to the lorde Coucy And certaynly it was the principall thing that toke awaye the good renome of his honour bothe in Fraunce and in other places And in lykewyse he
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
nexte day to Besyers where he was goodly receyued for the good men of the towne greatly desyred to se hym and so dyd all the countreys bothe of Pesenas of Cabestan and of Narbone for they were redy to make complayntes to the kynge of the duke of Berreys offycer called Betisache who had pylled the countreys This Betysach fro that tyme the kynge came fro Auignon he rode alwayes in his company but no man shewed hym as they thought for they myght haue gyuen hym warnynge if they had lyste but they draue hym forthe with fayre wordes and suthe promysed hym nothynge but honoure as thought the contrary The kynge entred into Besyers bytwene thre foure at after noone he was met with processyon without the towne with all the clergy and burgesses and ladyes and damoselles as the kynge came rydynge they were a bothe sydes of the waye and dyd their reuerence So he came to the cathedrall churche and there alyghted at the dore where there was an auter made rychely garnysshed with iewelles and relykes There the kynge kneled downe and dyd his prayers and than entred in to the churche with the bysshoppe of Besyers and his vncle the duke of Burbone and other lordes folowed after Thanne the kynge wente to his lodgynge to the Palyce whiche was nat farre thence and his brother the duke of Thourayne and the duke of Burbone with him and the other lordes were lodged abrode in the towne where as they were well and easely lodged for Besyers is a good cytie ⸪ ¶ Of the complayntes made to the kyng by the people of Languedoc in the towne of Besyers agaynst Betysach treasourer to the duke of Berrey of the great extorsyons that he had made and of the confession that he made and of the cruell dethe that he had in the sayde towne Cap. C.lxiii THre dayes the kynge was at Besyets in greate ioye and reuell amonge ladyes and damosels and all that tyme Betysache was nothynge spoken vnto but the enquisirours who weâ— ordeyned by the kynge dyd secretly enquyre of his dedes and they founde by enquest dyuers cases horryble nat to be pardoned The fourth day that the kynge had ben there this Betysache was called before the kynges counsayle in a chambre and there straytely examyned and it was sayd to hym Betysache aunswer wysely to these writynges that ye se here There was shewed hym a greate nombre of bylles of complayntes that were put vp to the kynge agaynst hym makyng mensyon of the errorcyons that he had done to the people All these bylles of complayntes were redde before hym one after another To some he aunswered wysely makynge his excuse and to some he playnly denyed them and sayde I knowe nothynge of those maters laye them to the seneschalles of Beaucayr and of Carcassone and to the chauncellour of Berry it partayneth to theym to aunswere to those matters Howe be it fynally it was shewed him that he muste kepe prysone for a tyme tyll the mater were better examyned He obeyed bycause he myght nat chuse As sone as he was in prison the inquysitours wente to his lodgynge and toke into their handes all suche writyngê and acomptes as they founde there whiche partayned to such maters as he had intermedled with all before and they auewed them at leysure and founde in theym the rekenynges of great soÌ„mes of money suche as had ben raysed and leuyed of the people Than he was demaunded where all that money was become and whether the sommes were trewe or nat he aunswered and sayde as for the soÌ„mes are trewe and the money delyuered to the duke of Berrey and so paste throughe his handes and his treasourers whereof I haue good quyttaunces in my lodgynge in suche a place the whiche quitauÌ„ces were sente for before the counsayle and there they were redde and they agreed with the soÌ„mes of his receyte Than the counsayle and the enquysytours were apeased and Betysache sente agayne to a curtesse prysone Than the counsayle coÌ„muned togyther on that matter and sayd It semeth that Betysache is clere of suche causes as are layde to his charge for the money that hathe been reysed the duke of Berrey hathe had it howe so euer it hath ben spente ALl thinges consydred Betysache excusacyons were lawfull for the duke of Berrey was the moste couetouse man in all the worlde so he myght gette good he cared nat where nor howe he hadde it and whan he had it he wolde bestowe it but symply as many lordes do and haue doone in tymes paste Thus the kynges counsayle sawe no faute in Betysache wherby he shulde lese his lyfe some were of that opynyon and some contrary said Betysach hath done so many cruell dedes and hathe so sore inpouerysshed the people for to acomplysshe the desyre of his lorde the duke of Berrey that the blode of the poore people cryeth out and sayeth howe he hathe deserued dethe For he that is a manne borne of these partyes and counsayler with his maister and seynge the pouerty of the people he ought in good maner to haue shewed the trouth to the duke his mayster and if the duke wolde nat haue herde hym than he shulde haue come to the kynge and to his counsayle and haue shewed theym the pouertie of the people and howe the duke of Berrey had daulte with them than he had ben well excused So Betysache was sente for agayne to the counsayle and straytely examyned where the money that hadde been gathered was become for they founde the soÌ„me of thyrty hundred thousande frankes receyued He answered therto and sayd My lordes it were herde for me to tell where my lorde the duke of Berrey hathe bestowed it Moche he hath layde out on byldynges and reparacyons of castels and houses also he hath bought certayne landes in the countye of Boloygne and in the Countye of Estampes Also he hathe spente moche in byenge of precyous stones and iewelles the whiche ye knowe well he hathe alwayes been desyrous to bye Also he is well stuffed to mayntayne the astate that he hathe alwayes kepte Also he hath gyuen suche gyftes and rewardes to Thybaulte and Morynot and to his seruauÌ„tes aboute him in suche wyse that they be ryche men Well Betysache quod they of the counsayle and ye haue had for your parte to your synguler profyte a hundred thousande frankes My lordes quod he that I haue hadde was by the consente of my lorde the Duke of Berrey for he wolde that his seruauntes shulde become ryche Than the counsayle sayde all with one voyce A Betysach that worde is folysshly spoken that rychesse is nat good nor resonable that is yuell gotten ye shall retourne agayne in to prison and we shall take further aduyse on that ye haue sayd and spoken ye must abyde the pleasure of the kynge to whome we shall shewe all your excusacions My lordes quod he all shall be as god wyll Than he was agayne sette in prisone and there remayned four dayes or he
of bowgery and howe the kynge had sayde howe he shulde be brynte and hanged wherof moche people were right ioyouse for he was sore hated the two knyghtes that were come thyder fro the duke of Berrey were greatly abasshed and wyst nat what to suppose Than syr Peter Mesquyn sayde to the lorde of Nantonelet Syr I feare me Betysache is betrayed peraduenture some persone hath ben with hym secretly in the prisone and hathe borne hym in hande that if he holde that horryble erroure that the churche than shall chalenge hym and so be sente to Auignon to the pope and therby be delyuered Ah fole that he is he is dysceyued for the kyng sayeth he wyll haue hym bothe brente and hanged Lette vs go to the prisone to hym and reforme hym and bringe hym to a nother state for he is farre out of the waye and yuell counsayled They wente strayte to the prisone and desyred the gayler that they might speke with Betysache The gayler excused hymselfe and sayde Syrs ye muste pardone me for I am straytely charged to suffer no manne to speke with hym and also here be four sargeauntes of armes sente by the kynge to kepe hym and we dare nat breke the kinges coÌ„maundement Than the two knyghtes sawe well howe they labored in vayne and howe there was no remedy by all lykelyhode but that Betysache shulde dye than they retourned to their lodgynge and rekened and payed and toke their horses and returned to their lorde the duke of Berrey and shewed hym all the case THe coÌ„clusion of Betysach was suche that the nexte daye 〈◊〉 tenne of the clocke he was taken out of prysone and brought to the bysshoppes palays and there were redy the iudges and offycers spyrituall and the bayly of Besyers brought forthe the prisoner and sayde Beholde syrs here is Betisache whome I delyuer to you for an herytyke and a synnet in boâ—gery and if he had nat ben a clerke he had been iudged or this acordynge to his desertes Than the offycyall demauÌ„ded of Betysach if it were with hym acordynge as he was acused and to confesse the frouth there openly before all the people And Betysache who thought to haue said well and to haue scaped by reason of his confessyon he aunswered and sayde that all was trewe He was demaunded this thre tymes and at euery tyme he confessed it to be trewe before all the people Thus ye maye knowe whether he was dysceyued or nat for iâ— he had made no suche confessyon he had been delyuered for the duke of Berrey had fully auowed all his dedes the whiche he had doone at his commaundemente in the countrey of Langue doc But it was to be supposed that fortune played her tourne with hym for whanne he thought to haue been moste assuredest on the heyght of fortunes whele he was tourned vp so downe fro her whele as she hathe doone a hundred thousande mo sythe the worlde began Than Betysach was delyuered agayne by the spirytuall iudge to the bayly of Besyers who vnder the kinge ruled the temperalte the whiche Betysache without delaye was brought to a place before the palays He was so hasted forwarde that he had no leysure to aunswere nor to saye nay For whan he sawe a fyre redy prepared in the place and sawe that he was in the handes of the hangman he was sore abasshed and sawe well than that he was dysceyued and betrayed Than he cryed out a loude requirynge to be herde but than was no hede taken to his sayenge but the hangeman sayde It is ordeyned that ye shall dye for your yuell warkes hathe brought you to an yuell ende He was hasted forwarde to his dethe and the fyre made redy there was also reysed a payre of galowes and therto tyed a chayne of yron and at the ende therof a coler of yron the whiche was put aboute his necke and than the chaine drawen vp a hye and tyed rounde aboute the galowes Than he cryed and sayde Duke of Berrey they cause me to dye without reason they do me wronge As sone as he was tyed to the galows there was setre rounde aboute drye segge rede and â—agoâ—â—es and fyre put therto and incontynente the faggortes were a fyre Thus Betysache was hanged and brente and the frenche kyng out of his chaumbre myght well se hym if he wolde To this poore ende came Betysache and so the people were reuenged of hym And for to saye the trouthe he had doone many extorcions and domages to the people whyle he had the gouernynge of the countrey of Languedoc ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe the frenche kynge beynge at Tholouse sente for the erle of Foiz who came thyder and dyd homage to the kynge for the conntie of Foiz Cap. C.lxiiii AFter this cruell iustyce the french kyng taryed nat longe after at Besiers but departed and toke the way to Carcassone and always sythe his departure fro Auygnon his marshall syr Loys of Xancere rode in his company The kynge rode so longe by his iourneys that he vysited the countreys and kepte nat the right hyghe wayes He was at Cabestan at Narbone at Lymons at Mounte Royall and at Fongaur and than he retourned to Carcassone and there taryed foure dayes Than he rode and passed Vyle Franca Auygnollet and Mongistarte and so came to Tholouse and the burgesses there who greatly desyred to se the kynge receyued hym ioyfully and mette the kyng without the towne all in a lyuery and so with greate solempnyte he was brought to the castell of Thoulouse They of the cytie gaue the kinge many fayre presentes wherwith the kynge was greatly reioysed Whan the kynge had been there thre dayes than he was counsayled to sende for the erle of Foiz who was come out of Byerne in to the countie of Foiz and was in the towne of Nasiers four leages fro Thoulouse for he knew of the kinges state and ordynauÌ„ce The marshall of FrauÌ„ce and the lorde de la Ryuer were apoynted to go for the erle of Foize They departed on a wednysday and laye at a cytie in Tholousyn called Iordayn and the next day they came to Nasyers The erle of Foiz who knewe well of their comynge receyued theym nobly for the loue of the Kynge and also he knewe the lordes well he had sene them before Syr Loys of Xancere had the wordes and said Syr my lorde of Foiz the kynge our soueraygne lorde hath sente vs to you coÌ„maundyng you to come to se hym at Thoulouse or els he wyll traueyle so farre that he wyll come and se you in your owne countrey for he greatly desyreth to se you The erle of Foyze aunswered and sayd Syr Loys I wolde nat the kynge had so great traueyle to me it is more mete I haue it for hym wherfore if it please you ye shall shewe hym that I shall be at Tholouse within foure dayes That is well sayde syr quod they we shall returne and shewe him these tydynges fro you So be it
lordes knewe well but I coude neuer haue knowlege therof Thus he was executed His heed stryken of and his body quartred and the quarters sette at euery gate of Parys To this ende came Aymergotte Marcell As of his wyfe and of his goodes I knewe nat what becaÌ„e further of them ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the chrysten lordes and the geno wayes beyng in the ysle of Conymbres at ancre departed thens to go and laye siege to the stronge cytie of Aufryke in Barbary and howe they maynteyned the siege Cap. C.lxxi WHere as I haue spoken at length of the lyfe of Aymergot Mercell it was to furnysshe this hystorie for the condycions bothe of yuell and good ought to be alwayes treated in a hystory and specially whan it toucheth any great feate for ensample of other and to gyue mater and occasyon to do well For if Aymergotte had ledde his lyfe in good vertues he had ben a man of great valure and bycause he dyde the coÌ„trary he came to an yuell ende ¶ Nowe let vs leaue spekyng of hym let vs retourne to the hyghe enterprice that the Christen knyghtes of Fraunce and other nacyous dyd in that season in the realme of Aufryke I wyll begyn there as I lefte The sayd lordes assembled in the ysle of Conymbres after they had passed the tempestes and paryls in the Goulfe of Lyon there they taryed eche for other for there were in the cytie of Aufryke a .xxx. thousande In this ysle of Conymbres they were a nyne dayes refresshed them and there the patrons of the galees sayde to the lordes Sirs we be in the lande next aprochyng to the marchesse of Aufryke whider by the grace of god ye are purposed to go and laye liege Wherfore it is behouable to take coâ—sayle eche of other howe we maye entre in to the hauen to take laÌ„de To saue our selfe it is best we senoe formast our lytell shyppes called Brigandyns and let vs tary in the mouthe of the hauyn the first day that we aproche and all the nyght after and the nexte mornynge to take lande by the grace of god at our leysar than lodge our selfes as nere the cytie as we maye without the shotte of their artyllary and let vs sette our crosbowes genouois in order who shal be redy to defende all scirmysshes And we suppose well that whan we shall take ladynge ye haue here iÌ„ your coÌ„panyes many yong squyers who to enhauÌ„ce their honours wyll requyre to haue the order of knighthode In structe them wisely and swetely howe they shall mentayne themselfes And my lordes knowe for trouthe that all we see men shall acquyte vs vnto you well and truely and alwayes shewe you by what maner of order we shall moost greue our enemyes And we shall take payne and study howe the cytie of Aufryke may be won for ofte tymes they haue done vs great doÌ„mage For on that coste it is the chiefe key of Barbary and of the realmes that foloweth First the realme of Aufrike of Mallorques and of Bougy And if god of his grace wyll consent that we maye wyn this cytie of Aufrike all the Sarazyns wyll trymble to the realme of Liby Sury so that all the worlde shall speke therof And by the ayde of other christen realmes ysles marchyng nere to Aufrike we shall always be refreshed with vitayls and newe men for this is a coÌ„mon voâ—age For euery man wyll desyre dayly to do dedes of armes and specially on goddes enemyes and thus in the coÌ„clusion of their processe the patrons said lordes we say nat this by no presuÌ„pcion nor by maner as to teche you what ye shuld do but this that we haue sayd is all onely for loue by humilyte for ye be all noble men sage and valyant can better order euery thyng than we can deuyse and speke Than the lorde of Coucy said sirs your good counsayle aduyse ought gretly to content vs for we se no thyng therin but good And sirs be ye sure that we shall do nothyng without your couÌ„sayle for ye haue brought vs hyder to do dedes of armes THus in the presence of the duke of Burbone the lordes and other couÌ„sayled toguyder in the ysle of Conymbres how they myght aproche the strong towne of Aufryke Whan euery thyng was well aduysed and sette in good order by the admyrall and patrons of the galees that wynde and wether serued them euery lorde entred in to his galee amoÌ„g their owne men hauyng great desyre to encouÌ„tre with their enemyes the sarazyns Than the truÌ„pettes blewe vp at their departyng It was great pleasure to beholde their ores howe they rowed abrode in the see whiche was peasable calme and fayre so that in maner the see shewed her selfe that she had great desyre that the christen men shulde come before the stronge towne of Aufryke The christen nauy was goodly to regarde well ordred and it was great beautie to se the baners and penons of silke with the armes and badges of the lordes and other wauyng with the wynde and shynyng agaynst the sonÌ„e And within an hour of noone the christen men perceyued the hygh towres of the towne of Aufrike the farder they sayled the nerer it shewed to their syghtes wherfore euery man reioysed and good cause why seyng all they desyred to coÌ„e thyder They thought thaÌ„ in a maner their paynes released their voyage accomplysshed Thus as they aproched to thentre of the realme of Aufryke they coÌ„muned deuysed among themselfe and in lyke maner the sarazyns that were within the towne of Aufryke spake and deuysed and were sore abasshed whan they sawe their enemies aproche with suche a nombre of sayles sayde that surely they were lykely to be besieged Howe be it they thought their towne so stroÌ„g with towres and walles with artyllary that therwith they reconforted and toke corage And to gyue warnyng to the countrey as soone as they sawe their enemyes on the See on the hyghe towres They sowned Tymbres and tabours accordynge to their vsage in suche wyse that the men abrode in the countrey drewe toguyder Suche men of Barbary as had ben sente thyder by the kynge of Aufryke and by the kynge of Thunes and Bougy Whan they knewe of the Christen mennes coÌ„mynge by reason of the noyse of the Tymbres and tabours to th entent that they shulde nat entre to farre in to their couÌ„treis Euery man tooke hede to his charge sente certayne of their capitayns to the See syde to se the aprochyng of the Christen men and to beholde their dealyng that nyght Also they prouyded to defende the towres and gates about the hauyn of Aufryke to the entent that by their negligeÌ„ce the towne of Aufryke shulde take no doÌ„mage whiche towne was so strong that it was nat lykely to take great hurte without longe siege And I Iohan Froyssart auctour of this cronycle bycause I was neuer in
syr Geffrey of the chapell the lorde of Pierbuffier the lorde of Bonet sir Robert of Hanges sir Stephyn Sanxere sir Aubert de la mote sir Alaine of Champayn ser Geffrey Fresiers ser Rafe of Couffan the lorde of Bourke artysion sir Iohan of Crey bastarde sir Bertram de Sanache syr Pyncharde of Morlayne sir Trystram his brother syr Ayme of Cousay ser Ayme of Tourmay sir Foukes of Stanfours sir Iohan of Chateuas all these were knightê And there dyed of squiers Foucans of Liege Iohan of Isles Blondelet of Areton IohnÌ„ de la Mote BouÌ„beris floridas of Roque the lorde of Belles brother to Willyam Fondragay Water of Cauforus Iohan Morillen Pier of Malnes Gyllot Villaine IohnÌ„ of Lound IohnÌ„ Perier Iohan menne Iohan of Lauay and Willyam of Parke There dyed mo than a .lx. knightes and squyers whiche wysely to consyder was a great losse And if the lorde of Coucy had ben beleued this had nat fortuned for and they had kepte their lodgynges as they dyd before they had receyued no suche domage ¶ How after this aduenture and domage that fell to the crysten men by reason of this assaute before the towne of Aufryke that so many knightes squyers were deed they mayntayned them selfe more wysely after than they dyd before and coÌ„tynued their siege a longe season after Cap. C.lxxii OF this foresaid aduenture the knightes and squiers of the host were sore displeased and abasshed euery man bewayled his freÌ„des at nyght they drewe to their lodginges and made gretter watche than they had made before for dout of the sarazyns they passed that nyght without any other doÌ„mage Of this aduenture the sarazins knewe nothyng for if they had knowen what case the Christen men had been in they might haue done them great doÌ„mage but alwayes they feared the Christen men They durst neuer adueÌ„ture to auauÌ„ce theÌ„ selfe but by scrimysshing castynge of their dartes They that were moost renomed in armes of their partie was Agadyngore of Olyferne for he loued the doughter of the kyng of Thunes wherby he was moost fresshest and ioly in dedes of armes Thus contynued the siege before the towne of Aufryke In the realme of Fraunce Englande and in suche countreys as these knightes came fro they herde no maner of tidynges of them wherof their frendes were sore abasshed wyst nat what to saye nor thynke In dyuers places bothe in Englande Heynalte and in FrauÌ„ce there were processyoÌ„s made to pray to god for the ê“sperite of these christen men Thentencion of the christen men beyng at the siege was to abyde there tyll they had coÌ„quered the town of Affrike outher by force famyne or treatie The kyng of Cicyll wolde gladly it had ben so so wolde all other xpÌ„en yles adioynyng for this towne of Affrike was their vtter enemye and specially the genouoys toke great payne to serue the lordes to their pleasure to th eÌ„tent they shulde nat be anoyed by reason of their long siege To speke proê‘ly it was a marueylous enterprice came of an highe corage of the christen knightes and squyers and specially the Frenchmen who for all the losse of their knightes and squiers pouertie that they endured yet they coÌ„tynued styll the siege at their great costes chargê without ayde or coÌ„forte And the genouoys who were the first setters on that enterprice began than to faynt and dissymule for as the bruteran than they wolde haue ben gladde to haue made a treatie with the Sarazyns and to haue lefte the knyghtes of Fraunce and Englande and of other Christen countreys styll in that busynesse as I shall shewe you here after as it was enformed me ¶ Nowe at this present tyme lette vs leaue to speke of this siege of Aufryke and speke of a fest that the kynge of Englande made the same season in London ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of a feest and iustes made by the kyng of Englande in LoÌ„don whyle the Christen knyghtes and squyers were at the sege before the towne of Aufryke agaynst the sarazyns And howe this feest was publisshe in dyuers countreis and landes Cap. C.lxxiii YE haue herde before in this hystorie what a feest was holdeÌ„ at Paris whaÌ„ quene Isabell of Fraunce made there her first entre of the whiche feest tidynges sprede abrode in to euery couÌ„tre Than kynge â—icharde of Englande his thre vncles â—â—â—yng of this goodly fest at Paris by the reportes of suche knyghtes squyers of their owne as had ben at the same fest Ordayned a great fest to be holden at the cyte of LoÌ„don where there shulde be iustes .lx. knyghtes to abyde all coÌ„mers and with theÌ„ .lx. ladyes fresshely apparelled to kepe theÌ„ company these knightes to iust two dayes besyde sonday the chalenge to begyn the next sonday after the fest of saint Michaell As than in the yere of our lorde god M.CCC fourscore ten whiche sonday the said .lx. knightes .lx. ladyes at two of the clocke at after noon shuld issue oute of the towre of London and so to coÌ„e a long the cytie through Chepe and so to Smyth elde and that daye .xii. knightes to be there redy to abyde all knyghtê strauÌ„gers suche as wolde iust This soÌ„day was called the sonday of the fest of chalenge And on the moÌ„day next after the sayd .lx. knightes to be in the same place redy to iuste to abyde all coÌ„mers curtesly to ron with rokettes and to the best doer of the out syde shulde be gyuen hym for a price a riche crowne of golde and the best doer of the in syde duely examyned by the ladyes in the quenes chambre shulde haue for a price a riche gyrdell of golde And the tuesday folowynge the knightes shulde be agayne in the same place and to abyde all maner of squyers strauÌ„gers and other suche as wolde iust with rokettes and the best iuster on the out syde shulde haue for his price a courser sadled and the chiefe doer of the in syde shulde haue a faucon the maner of this fest was thus ordayned and deuised and herauldes were charged to crye and publysshe this feest in Englande in Scotlande in Almayne in FlauÌ„ders in Brabant in Heynalt and in Fraunce the heraldes departed some hider and some thider These tidyngê sprede abrode into dyuers couÌ„treys The heraudes had daye and tyme suffycient Knightes and squiers in dyuers couÌ„treys apparelled them selfes to be at this feest some to se the maner of Englande and some to iuste Whan these tidynges came in to Heynalt sir Wyllyam of Heynault erle of Ostrenaunt who was yonge and lyberall and desyrous to iuste Purposed in hym selfe to go to the feest in EnglaÌ„de to se and to honour his cosyns kyng Rycharde of Englande and his vncles whome he had neuer sene before He hadde great desyre to be aquaynted with them and desyred other knightes and squyers to kepe hym coÌ„pany and specially the lorde of Gomegynes bycause he was well acquaynted with
and lordes of Spaygne drewe toguyder and determyned to crowne the yonge herytoure the prince of Galyce This prince Henry was crowned the nynth yere of his age and his wyfe doughter to the duke of Lancastre was a fyfteene yere of age Thus the dukes doughter by the lady Custaunce was quene of Castyle and lady and heritour to all the landes and seignories that kyng Dompeter kyng Henry and kyng Iohan helde excepte that the duke of Lācastre her father and his wyfe her mother had durynge their lyues whiche was a pensyon of a hundred thousande doreyns by yere And foure of the best erles of Spayne were pledges and dettours for the same Thus the duke of Lancastre sawe his two doughters one quene of Spaygne the other quene of Portugale bestowed ¶ Nowe lette vs speke of the yonge erle of Armynake and of the voyage he made in to Lombardy for the matter requyreth it and we shall leaue to speke of the kynge of Castyle ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the army of the yonge erle Iohan of Armynake and of the vyage that he made in to Lombardy And howe he dyed at the siege before the towne of Alexandre Ca. C .lxxvii. IT hath been shewed here before what great of fectyon the yonge Erle of Armynake had to go in to Lombardy with menne of warre to ayde and assyste his suster germayne and his brother in lawe her husbande the lorde Barnabo eldest sonne to the lorde Barnabo whome the duke of Myllayne had caused to be slayne marueylouslye And this duke of Myllayne was erle of Vertues and named Galeas Whose doughter the duke of Orlyaunce hadde to wyfe This sayd lady who was doughter to the olde erle of Armynake and suster to the yonge erle was greatly abasshed and disconforted and had no truste but on her brother She signified to hym all her estate her pouertie and necessyte and dōmage that she suffred And humbly requyred her brother that he wolde helpe to kepe and defende her agaynst the tyraunt the erle of Vertues who wolde disheryte her without any tytell of reason And to the request of his suster the erle of Armynake condiscended and sayde That what soeuer it shulde coste hym he wolde do his deuoyre to ayde his suster And all that he promysed he accōplisshed in dede for he had by the ayde of the erle Dolphyne of Auuergne made dyuers treaties in Auuergne Rouergue Quercy Lymosyn Piergourte Engoulmoys and Agenoyes and had bought certayne fortresses whiche had been kepte by the Englysshe men gascoyns and bretons suche as hadde made warre agaynst the realme of Fraunce vnder colour of the kyng of Englande and all suche as he hadde agreed withall hadde their pardons of the Frenche kyng and besyde that the kyng gaue golde and syluer to be gyuen amonge theym But they were all bounde to the erle of Armynake to go with hym in to Lōbardy to ayde hym in his warres there And euery man shewed hym selfe therto well wyllynge euery man drewe to the ryuer of Rosne and to the ryuer of Sosne The duke of Berrey and the duke of Burgoyne suffred them in their countreys to take vitaylles at their pleasure for they wolde gladly haue had them clene delyuered out of the countre And in that season vnder the kyng there ruled in the Dolphynry the lorde Engueram Durdyn And the kynge had written to hym commaundyng that these men of warre parteynyng to the erle of Armynake shulde pesably passe throughe the countrey and to haue that they neded for their money WHan the erle of Foiz beynge in Byerne in his castell of Ortays vnderstode howe the erle of Armynake assembled men of warre toguyder he began to muse for he was a man greatly ymaginatife Well he had herde howe the brute was that the erle of Armynake made this assemble to go in to Lōbardy agaynst the lorde of Myllaygne But bycause in tyme past the erle of Armynake and his predecessours before him and his brother Bernarde of Armynake had made hym warre therfore he douted lest the sayde assemble shulde tourne agaynst hym wherfore he thought he wolde nat be vnprouyded but prepared his fortresses with men of warre and made suche prouysion that if he were assayled to resyst it with all his puissaunce But the erle of Armynake nor his brother were nothynge of that purpose but thought surely to vpholde the treuce that was bytwene them and to atcheue his enterprice in to Lombardy There were many knyghtes and squyers Englysshe gascoyns bretons and other that were bounde to serue the erle of Armynake in his warres But if he shulde haue made warre agaynst the erle of Foiz they wolde haue taken the erle of Foiz parte and haue forsaken the erle of Armynake the erle of Foiz was so welbeloued with all men of warre for the wysedome largesse and prowesse that was in hym And whan̄e the duchesse of Thourayne was enfourmed howe therle of Armynake was redy to passe ouer the mountayns to entre in to Lombardy with puissaunce of men of warre to make warre agaynst the duke of Myllayne her father And howe that the Frēche kyng and his vncles the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne consented therto bycause they wolde haue their countreis clene auoyded of the cōpanyons and routes of pyllars suche as had often tymes greued sore their coūtreys this lady thought nat to forgette the matter but wrote to her father the duke of Millayne all that she knewe to the entente that he shulde take hede to hym selfe and to his countrey The lorde of Myllayne was well enformed of the busynesse and prouyded for menne of warre where he might gette them and refresshed his townes cyties and castelles with vitayle and other munysiōs of warre and loked surely to haue warre with the erle of Armynake as they hadde in dede ABout the myddes of the moneth of Marche the moost parte of these cōpanyons were assembled toguyder in the marchesse of Auignon all a longe the ryuer of Rosne to the nombre of fyftene thousande horses and passed the ryuer and so entred in to the Dolphynny of Vyen and lodged abrode in the vyllages and some passed forwarde to haue the more easy passage thoroughe the mountayns whiche were peryllous to passe bothe for man and horse The erle of Armynake and his brother with certayne other knyghtes wente to Auygnon to se hym that was called pope Clemente and the cardynalles there And offred their seruyce to the pope to ayde hym agaynst the tyrantes the lombardes for whiche offre they were thanked And whan they had ben there an eight dayes and that great parte of their company were paste forwarde They tooke their leaue of the pope and of the cardynalles and prepared to folowe their men there the two bretherne departed a sondre the erle Iohan of Armynake and sir Bernarde his brother Than the Erle sayde Brother ye shall retourne backe to Armynake and kepe our herytage of Comynges and Armynake For as yet all the fortresses
Armynackes Squyer brought to hym fro sir Iohan Hacton and of the Wordes that were written within the letter The Erle was greatly reioysed and sayd that he trusted to make suche warre to the duke of Myllayne that he wolde bring hym to reason or elles to dye in the payne Whan all his company were passed the straytes of the mountayns and were in the good countrey of Piemounte nere Thouraygne Than they rode abrode and dyde moche hurte in the vyllages suche as coude nat holde agaynst them Than the erle layde sige before Aste in Pyemount entended to rary there for sir IohnÌ„ Hacton Prouisyon came to them fro all partes and also the companyons wan certayne small holdes and toke the vitayls that was within them The countre of Pyneroll and the landes of the Marques Mount feraunt were opyned and apparelled to delyuer vytayles other thynges nercessary for the hoost bothe for men and horse And also great prouisyon came to them out of the Dolphyne and out of the countie of Sauoy Many folkes greatly enclyned to the erle of Armynake bycause they sawe his quarell was good iust and also bycause the erle of Vertues had caused to be slayne his owne vncle sir Bernabo for enuy to sette agayne the lordes of Lombardy in to their herytages and disheryted his cosyn germayns wherof many great lordes thoughe they spake but lytell therof yet they hadde great pytie of the case Whyle the erle laye thus at siege before Aste he herde tidynges of sir IohnÌ„ Hacton wherof he was greatlye reioysed The tidynges was that the florentynes were come to the popes mercye and also the Venisyens And howe that the sayd sir IohnÌ„ shulde haue threscore thousande Floreyns for hym and his company And that money ones payde receyued and delyuered where as it shulde be departed than he promysed with a fyue hundred speares and a thousande brigans a fote to come in to the fronter of GeÌ„nes and to passe ouer the ryuer wheder their ennemeys wolde or natte and so to come to the erle of Armynake where soeuer he shulde be These tidynges greatlye reioysed the erle of Armynake and all his company for the ayde of this sir IohnÌ„ Hacton was right pleasaunt Than the erle of Armynake was counsailed to deê‘te thens and to go and laye siege before a great cytie called Alexandre at the entryng of LoÌ„bardy and whanÌ„e they had won that than to go to Bresuell whiche was also a good cytie and a fayre THus the erle of Armynake and his company layde siege before the cyte of Alexaundre standyng in a fayre countrey and a playne at the departyng out of Pyemount and at the entrynge of Lombardy and the way to go to the ryuer of GeÌ„nes These men of warre passed the ryuer of Thesyn and lodge at their ease at large for the countrey was good and plesaunt there aboute The Lorde Galeas lorde of Myllayne and erle of Vertues was as than in a towne called the cytie of Pauy and daylye herde tidynges what his enemyes dyde but he had marueyle of one thynge howe therle of Armynake coude gette the rychesse to pay wages to so many men of warre as he hadde brought with hym but his counsayle answered hym and sayde Sir haue no marueyle therof for the men that he hath be suche companyons that desyreth to wynne and to ryde at aduenture They haue vsed longe to ouerron the realme of FrauÌ„ce and to take holdes and garysons in the countrey so that the countrey coude neuer be delyuered of them And so it is that nowe of late the duke of Berrey and the Dolphyn of Auuergne to whose couÌ„treys these rutters dyde moche doÌ„mage for they kepte them there against the lordes wylles and ouer ranne the best parte of their he rytages and made theym warre And they caused the Erle of Armynake to treate with these companyons so that the Frenche kyng shulde suffre theÌ„ to come in to this your coutrey to make warre And therby and by meanes of certayne money gyuen to them they are auoyded oute of all the forteresses in the countrey And also besyde that the Frenche kynge hath ê‘doned all suche as made warre agaynst hym on the coÌ„dycion that they shulde serue the erle of Armynake in his warres all that they coude get shulde be their owne They demaunde none other wages And suche be named men of armes amonge theym with a fyue or sixe horses that if they were in their owne countreys they wolde go a foote and be but as poore men It is great parell and ieopardy to fyght agaynst suche men also lightly they be all good men of warre Wherfore sir the best counsayle that we can gyue you is to kepe your townes and fortresses they be stronge and well prouyded for and your ennemyes haue none artyllary nor engyns for the saute to be regarded They maye well come to the barryers of your townes and scrimysshe other doÌ„mage they can do none And this appereth well for they haue ben in your couÌ„trey this two monethes as yet haue taken no fortresse lytell nor gret Sir let them alone and they shall wery theÌ„ selfe and be distroyed at the ende so ye fyght nat with them And whan they haue distroyed the playne countre and haue no more to lyue by They shall than be fayne to returne for famyne without any other yuell fortune fall on them in the meane tyme. And it shall be well done that your men of warre in your fortresses kepe toguyder to ayde eche other in tyme of nede And sir sende to suche places as ye thynke your enemyes wyll besiege to resyst theÌ„ for townes men haue but small defeÌ„ce for they be nat so vsed nor accustomed to warre nouther to assaut nor to defende as men of armes knightes and squyers be who are norisshed brought vp therin sir sende your men of warre to the cytie of Alexandre Therby ye shall haue double profyte your cytie shal be defended and your people shall loue you the better whan they se ye do ayde and confort them And sir therto ye be bouÌ„de sithe ye haue gouernaunce ouer them that they paye to you their rentes subsydies aydes that ye haue demaunded of them dyuers tymes your enemyes can nat be so strong in the felde before Alexaundre that the towne shulde be closed in rounde about they haue no suche nombre to do it wherfore your men shall entre in to the towne at their case And whan they of the towne shall se them selâ— e refresshed with your men of warre they shall haue the more corage and loue you moche the better and shall putte out of their hertes all maner of treatie with your ennemyes To this counsaile the lorde of Mayllayne greed and incontynent he assembled toguyder his men of warre a fyue hundred speares And he made capitayne of theÌ„ an auncient knight called sir Iaques of Byerne an expert man of armes and they rode through the couÌ„trey priuely
was as foloweth CHarles by the grace of god kynge of Fraunce we sende and coÌ„mende vs to the ryght reuerende bysshoppe of Noyon and to our knight and chambrelayne the lorde de la Ryuer We wyll that ye suffre the vycount of Chastellon enherytour of Foiz and of Bierne to enioy possede his heritage of the countie of Foiz with the purtenauÌ„ces so that ye take in to your possessyon the soÌ„me of .lx. thousande frankes at one payment and the money payed than our seneschall of Tholouse to make a sure quytaunce of the recryte therof Also at a nother paymente I wyll ye receyue twenty thousande frankes for your costes and charges in goynge and retournyng and that money payed than make quytaunce therof vnder the seale of offyre of Tholouse Also we wyll that syr yuan and syr Gracyen of Foiz bastarde sonnes to the erle Gascon of Foiz haue parte and ceasonable assignement bothe in landes and goodes of that was their fathers by the aduyse and dyscrecyon of syr Roger of Spayne and of the vicount of Bruny quell syr Raynolde of Newcastell and the lorde of Corase to whome we shall write that they maye so aquyte them to dyscharge our conscyence for we made suche promyse to the erle their father And if there be any faute in these four lordes or any rebellyon in the Vycount than we disanull all this sayde treatie and wyll that it stande as boyde In wytnesse her of to these letters we haue sette to our seale in out cytie of Towrs the .xxii. yere of oure teygne the twenty day of the moneth of Decembre THese letters made and sealed and delyuered the knyghtes of Foiz retourned fro Towrs their leaue taken This season syr Loys of Sanxere marshall of Fraunce lay in the marches of Carcassone as soueraygne gouernour there instytuted by the kynge The bysshoppe of Noyon and the Lorde de la Ryuer sent for hym to Tholouse and whan he was come thyder they sayde to hym Syr marshall the vycount of Chastellon reputeth hym selfe to be enherytour of the country of Foiz and we haue sent in to FrauÌ„ce to the kynge to knowe what he and his counsayle wyll saye in that mater wherfore be ye redy with menne of armes on the fronters of Foiz and as soone as syr Roger of Spayne and syr Espayne be returned or that we haue other message fro the Kynge that they agree nat on any peace and that the king wyll haue the lande of Foiz than entre you incontynent and take possessyon acordynge to the right and puyssaunce that the kynge hathe gyuen vs in that quarell Thus the marshall was redy prouyded and euery day loked for aunswere fro the kynge ¶ Nowe we wyll leaue speakyng of this mater and shewe somwhat of the duke of Bretayne YE haue herde here before what treatie was at Towrs in Thourayn bytwene the frenche kyng and the duke of Bretaygne the whiche duke dyde put the kynge and his counsayle to moche payne for he wolde fall to no reason It was sayde the kynge demaunded of hym and he refused In lykewyse he demaunded and the kynge refused Moche treatie there was but no conclusion taken The duke he was redy to serue the kynge and to do hym homage as farre forthe as he was bounde to do Thanne the kynges counsayle sayd to hym Sythe ye knowledge yourselfe to be the kinges liegman why wyll ye nat than obey to reason Why syrs quod he wherin am I rebell Than they layde to him dyuers poyntes Fyrste in the beleuynge on the pope at Auygnon whome they sayde the kynge toke for the trewe pope ye dyffer ther fro and dyssymule the mater for ye wyll obey none of his coÌ„maundementes but gyue all the benefyces your selfe in Bretaygne and suche as brynge any bulles fro the pope ye wyll nat knowe theym this is agaynste the magesty royall and great synne to your coÌ„scyence and soule Than the duke aunswered and sayde As for my conscyence there is no man ought to speke therof nor iudge it but all onely god who is soueraygne iudge in all suche causes and sythâ— ye argue and appose me in that maner â–ª I shall aunswere you As for these popes who are indyfferent there is no sure declaration made of them and the season that the first tydynges came of the chosynge of pope Vrbayne I was in the towne of Gaunt with my cosyn the erle of Flaunders and there he receyued letters sealed with the popes seale as than called Robert of Quesne cardynall and in his letter he certifyed to the erle my cosyn that by the grace of god and by the deuyne in spyratyon he was chosen pope and hadde to name Vrbayne Howe than canne this be vndone agayne me thynke it were harde to do I wyll nat argue agaynst the kinges maieste for I am his cosyn and lyege man and shall well and trewly serue hym whan so euer I be requyred as farre forthe as I am bounde to do but I wyll speke agaynst them that counsayle nat the kynge well Why syr quod they shewe vs who they be that do nat counsayle the kynge as they ought to do and we shall fynde remedy for them Syrs â— he ye knowe them better than I do for ye company with them oftener than I do but as touchynge the benefyces of my countrey I am nat so haute nor so cruell agaynst suche as desyre them but that I suffre the clerkes of my countrey to enâ—oy them by the bulles of pope Clement but suche cerkes as be nat of the same countrey I refuse them and the cause why I shall shewe you They wolde beare away the rychesse of my countrey out therof and deserue it nat whiche is agaynst ryght and consyence wher fore I can nat agree therto And where as ye saye that I am rebell and 〈◊〉 to agaynst the kynges offycers whanne they come in to my couÌ„trey that is nat so nor wyll nat be ye ought to knowe and if ye do nat lerne it the fee of the â—uchy of Bretayne is of so noble a condycion that soueraygnely there ought none to enterprise any mater there but alonely their owne naturall lorde that is to say the duke of Bretayne holdeth his court open to here all ryghtes and his offycers to execute all ryghtes in the lande of Bretaygne and to do acordynge to their offyce And if I haue any offycer that dothe contrary to ryght that outher straunger or other haue cause to complayne I punysshe them and shall do that other shall take ensample by them more ouer I say that some of the kynges counsayle do so that they ought to be reproued for they do as moche as they maye do to norysshe warre and hatred bytwene the kyng and me the cause why is clere ynough they suffre my cosyn IohnÌ„ of Bloys to do two thynges agaynst me vnreasonable The fyrste is he writeth hym selfe Iohan of Bretayne by reason of that name it semeth he entendeth to
the lady of Dunoyes for her dowrie whiche was assygned to her sixe thousande frankes And furthermore he shulde haue made another sale of all his landes in Heynaulte And the Duke of Thourayne to haue payde for that two hundred thousande frankes Howe be it therin the erle of Bloys reserued to knowe the erle of Heynaltes pleasure therin who was his naturall lorde to whom he owed faythe and homage for those landes Howe be it that kyng and the duke of Thourayn toke that charge on them and to discharge the erle what soeuer shulde fall after Thus or they departed they bounde the erle by promyse and by writynges sealed as they might well and easely do for he had there none of his couÌ„sayle saue Sohier who neuer was at scole nor knewe no letter on the boke Moche after this maner went this marchandise and I haue written this mater as iustely as I coude to th entent that herafter in tyme to come by reason of writyng the trouthe shulde be knowen For the erle Guye of Bloys my lorde mayster as he that was ignorant and yuell counsayled more by his wyfe and varlet Sohier thaÌ„ by any other made this yuell bargayne And whan these maters were concluded and surely made by the kyng the duke of Thourayne and their counsayle than the lordes toke their leaue and retourned in to FrauÌ„ce Great brute was made of these sales in dyuers countries ¶ Howe sir Roger of Spaygne and sir Espaygne du Lyon spedde with the frenche kyng and his counsayle for the Vicount of Chastelons busynesse and howe howe he was sette in possession of the countie of Foiz of the money that he payde Cap. C.lxxxiii HOwe let vs soÌ„what speke of sir Roger of spaygne and of sir Espaygne du Lyon and shewe how they spedde aft they were retourned fro Tourle to go to Tholous to the bysshop of Noyon and to the lorde de la Ryuer So longe they iourneyd that they came thyder they were welcome for their coÌ„mynge was fore desyred There they shewed their letters and howe they had spedde By semblaunt the bysshoppe and the lorde de la Ryuer were ioyouse of that the herytauÌ„ce shulde abyde with the Vycount of Chastellon on suche condycions as is before written Than sir Roger and his coÌ„panyon thought to take some more payne as to ryde to the Vycount of Chastellon and to the counsayls of Foize and of Bierne to se that euery thyng be sette in good order Than they departed fro Tholous and rode to saynt Gracyens the Vicount was nat there but he was at the entre of Berne in a fayre castell called Pau and there they founde hym who was ioyfull of their coÌ„mynge And whan he knewe that the Frenche kyng had gyuen vp his tytell of the byeng of the couÌ„tie of Foiz he was gladder than he was before As for the money that he shulde paye he wyst well ynoughe where to haue it and moche more ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the great assemble that was made at Amyence of the Frenche kynge and his counsayle and of the kynge of Englandes vncles on the treatie of peace Cap. C.lxxxiiii I Thynke I haue sufficiently treated of the busynesse of Bierne and of foiz for if I shulde reherse all thynges it wolde requyre long writyng therfore I wyll leaue spekyng therof and create of other maters Thus all thyngê coÌ„cluded the vicount of Chatellon was erle of Foiz and lorde of Berne in lyke maner as the older erle helde it and all suche as ought so to do made homage to hym he departed largely with ser yuan and sir Gracien tholde erles bastarde sones in suche wyse that they were content and payde to the FreÌ„che kyng all suche money as was ê“mised to be payde This mater was nat sone done somer was first well onwarde and the bisshop of Noyon and the lorde de la Ryuer taryed styll at Tholous tyll euery thyng was set in good order accordyng as they were charged Nowe let vs speke of thassemble of the lordes of FrauÌ„ce and of Englande in the good cyte of Amyence on the treatie of a peace or of a truce as than beyng the yere of our lorde M.CCC.lxxx .xi. in the myddes of lent great prouision was made ther for these lordê or they caÌ„e thider First for the frenche kyng for his estate and for his thre vncles and also for other great lordes of FrauÌ„ce euery man after his degre for it was said that kyng Richard of EnglaÌ„de shulde be there wherfore many desyred to se him such as had neuer sene him before how beit he came nat there yet he caÌ„e to Douer to th entent to haue passed the see his thre vncles with hym that is to say the dukes of LaÌ„castre yorke Glocester whan they came to Douer they tooke aduyse whyder it were mete for the kyng to passe the see or nat All thynges consydred the counsayle of Englande was of opinyon that the kyng shuld byde at Douer the duke of Gloceter with him and the duke of Lancastre the duke of yorke therle of HuÌ„tyngton therle of Derby sir thomas Percy the bysshops of Durham London and other of the kynges couÌ„saile to passe ouer so they came to Calais And whan the day aproched that they shulde mete at AmyeÌ„ce they deê‘ted fro Calysmo than .xii. C. horse it was a goodly syght to se theÌ„ ryde in good order The frenche kyng had ordayned that after thenglisshmen came out of Calis both goyng abyding returnyng all their costes and charges were borne of the frenche kyngê charge as mete driÌ„ke lodgyng horse mete With the duke of LaÌ„castre the duke of yorke there caÌ„e their cosyn dought to their suster to the lorde Coucy who was a faire yoÌ„g lady called the lady of yrelaÌ„de for she was wedded to the duke of yrelaÌ„de this lady caÌ„e to Amyens to se the lorde her father the lorde Coucy for she had nat sene hym moche before wherfore she hadde great desyre to se hym She came lyke a noble widowe hauyng but small ioye in her co age THe Frenche kyng had ordayned to make the Englysshe men as moche honour as coude be deuysed and to the foure dukes that is to saye The duke of Thourayn the Frenche kynges brother and the dukes of Burbon of Berrey and or Burgoyne lâ—pte on their horses and rode out of the towne to mete with the englisshmen acoÌ„panyed with many other great lordes Fyrst mette with theÌ„ the duke Loys of Thourayn well acoÌ„panyed and honorably receyued his colyns of Englande there coÌ„muned a certayne space with theÌ„ than he toke his leaue and departed agayne with all his company and so rode streight to the cytie to the kynge his brother And the other thre dukes the kynges vncles Berrey Burbone Burgoyne mette with the Englysshe dukes in the felde and made great chere and honorable eche to other that ioye it was to se Than the geÌ„tyll
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
by their good wylles howe be it they hadde made their assemble and to saue their honour they obeyed and folowed WHan the Frenche kyng hadde rested hym a fyftene dayes at saynt Germayns and that his armye was assembled than he departed and passed the ryuer of Seyne and toke the waye to Charters and so to Annens a good towne and a castell parteyning to the lorde de la Ryuer as herytage of his wyues With the kynge was his brother the duke of Orlyaunce and the duke of Burbone The lorde de la Ryreceyued the kynge honorably and there taryed thre dayes and than rode to Charters where as Montague was bysshoppe The kynge was lodged in the bysshoppe palais and the two dukes And the seconde day after thyder came the duke of Berrey and the erle of Marche in his coÌ„pany And the fourh daye thider caÌ„e the duke of Burgoyne wher of the kynge was ryght ioyfull and people came dayle and the kyng sayd he wolde nat retourne to Parys tyll he hadde brought the duke of Bretayne to reason who so often tymes had put hym to payne and trouble The kynges counsayle hadde so sette hym on that warre that the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne wolde gladly haue modered the mater but they coulde nat be herde wherwith they were sore displeased so were suche as were of their couÌ„sayls and they said eche to other that surely the mater coude nat long endure in that state for it is full lykely that the kynge and the realme shall haue some busynesse to do sithe the kyng refuseth the counsaile of his vncles and leaneth to other at his pleasure who be nothyng lyke to theÌ„ Whan the kyng had taried at Charters a seuyn dayes than he departed and toke the waye to Mans and his men folowed some fro farre partes as out of Arthois Beamoys Vermandois and Picardy and some said one to another Ah this duke of Bretayne maketh vs to haue moche to do putteth vs to great payne and traueyle He hath been alwayes harde highe herted agaynst the crowne of FrauÌ„ce nor he neuer loued nor honored it And his cosyn the erle of Flaunders and the duchesse of Burgone who haue alwayes borne hym and as yet do had nat ben he had ben distroyed long a go for euersyth the lorde Clysson tourned Frenche he neuer loued him Surelye by an likelyâ— â—de he is â—â—â—yable of this dede for he hath alwayes 〈◊〉 sir Peter of Craon agaynst the kyng and agaynst the Constable Than other sayde Lette the kyng alone for as at this tyme he hath the mater so at his hert that he wyll bring the duke to reason or he retourne That is trewe ê™ other if there be no trayson But we feare that all suche as go with the kyng be nat enemies to the duke as it may be well 〈◊〉 if we durst speke it by some tokens For there be some that nyght and daye do what they can to couÌ„sayle the kynge to breke his voyage whiche so troubleth the kyng that he can scant gette hym selfe any helthe or recouery of his laste sickenesse Thus knightes and squiers deuised among theÌ„ selfe as they rode in their couÌ„treys Styll the kyng aproched to the cytie of Mans and there the kynge lodged in the castell and his lordes in the cytie and his men of warre abrode in the countrey There the kyng taried a thre wickes for he was sore vexed with the feuer and his phisicions sayde to his brother and to his vncles My lordes we ensure you ye do yuell to traueyle the kyng for he is in no good state to ryde rest were farre better for hym for sythe he came fro the cytie of Amyens he hath nat ben in so good helthe as he was before They shewed this to the kynge but he had so great affection to go in this iourney that he wolde nother beleue them nor yet his phisycions but sayde howe he founde more ease in trauelyng than in restyng Therfore who so euer counsayle me the contrary shall nat please me nor he loueth me nat Other answere they coulde nat haue of the kyng Euery day the kyng wolde sytte in the myddes of his counsayle tyll it was noon to th entent that none shulde laye any lette of his iourney Thus the kyng being at Mans and somwhat to acomplysshe the desyers of his vncles He sent four notable knightes to the duke of Bretayne as sir Raynolde du Roy the lorde of Varensiers the lorde of Castell morant and sir TaÌ„pyne of Cautenâ—l chateleyne of Gysors and they were charged to shewe the duke howe the kyng and his counsaile reputed that he dyde great offence to susteyne the kynges enemy and the realmes and to make amendes that he shulde seÌ„de sir Peter of Craon to Mans to the kyng wherby meanes shulde be fouÌ„de that he shulde take no doÌ„mage nor his countrey for all the kynges voyage Thus they deê‘ted fro Man 's with a .xl. speres passed through the cyte of Angiers and at last came before the cytie of Nauntes and entred and there sounde the duke who made them good chere and on a daye made them a dyner and than they dyde their message and declared the kynges entent and his counsayls whervnto the duke answered wisely and sagely said Howe it shulde be harde for hym to delyuer sir Peter of Craon and sayd as god myght helpe hym in all his busynesse he knewe nat where he was Wherfore he desyred them in that case to holde hym excused But he sayde he had well herde of hym a yere past that he loued nat sir Olyuer of Clysson but wolde make him mortall warre to his power what soeuer ende came therof And at that tyme I demaunded of hym if he had gyuen sir Olyuer knowledge therof and he sayd he had vtterly defyed and wolde slee hym if he coude outher by daye or by nyght where soeuer he coude fynde hym Of his dedes I knowe no further wherfore I haue marueyle that the kynge wyll make warre agaynst me for his cause for as to the couynauntes of maryage bytwene our chyldren by the grace of God shall nat be broken on my parte wherfore I haue done nothynge to hym nor to his counsaile that he shulde make warre agaynst me This was the aunswere that the duke made to the Frenche kynges messangers and so whan they hadde taryed a daye at Nauntes than they toke their leaue and departed and retourned to Mans to the kyng who thought longe tyll he herde their aunswere and as ye haue herde before they declared it to the kyng and his couÌ„sayle The dukes of Berrey of Burgoyne were well coÌ„tent with the answere and sayd it was reasonable but the kyng by reason of suche enformacion as he had sayde the contrary and sayd sithe he was so forewarde in his iourney he wolde nat returne agayne in to Fraunce nor to Parys tyll he had brought the duke of Bretayne to reason Gladly
assēble all the counsayle of Fraunce and ordeyne who shall haue the gouernaūce of the realme the duke of Orlayunce or we That is well sayde quod the duke of Berrey it were good we studyed where were best to haue the kynge to lye that he myght the soner recouer his helth Than it was deuysed that he shulde be brought to the castell of Crayell where is good ayre and a fayre countrey on the ryuer of Oyse whan this was ordeyned than all the men of warre had leaue to departe and were cōmaunded by the marshalles euery man to retourne peasably in to his owne countrey without doynge of any vyolence or domage to the countreys as they shulde passe through and if any dyd their lordes and capytayns to make a mendes And the kynges two vncles and the chauncellour of Fraunce sente anone soundry messangers to the good Cyties and townes of Fraunce that they shuld take good hede to kepe well their townes consyderynge that the kynge was nat well dysposed in his helthe Their cōmaundementes were fulfylled The people of the realme of Fraunce were fore abasshed whan they knew howe the king was fallen sycke and in a fransey and menne spake largely agaynste them that counsayled the kynge to go in to Bretaygne And some other sayde howe the kynge was betrayed by them that bare the duke of Bretaygne and syr Peter Craon agaynst the kyng Men coulde nat be lette but that they wolde speke the mater was so hygh that wordes ranne therof dyuersely Thus fynally the kyng was brought to Crayell and there lefte in the kepynge of his physicyons and of the sayde four knyghtes Than euery man departed And it was commaunded to hyde and to kepe secrete the kynges malady fro the knowledge of the quene for a seasone for as than she was great with chylde and all of her courte were cōmaunded to kepe it secrete on payne of great punysshement Thus the kynge was at Crayell in the marches of Seulis and of Compyen on the ryuer of Oyse and kept by the sayd knyghtes and physycions who gaue hym medicyns but for all that he recouered but lytell helth ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the dukes of Burgoyn and Berrey vncles to the kynge had the gouernaunce of the realme howe they chased and toke suche as gouerned the kynge before Cap. C.lxxxix IN this seasone there was in the realme of Fraunce a wyse and a sage physicyon the brewte was that there was none lyke hym and he was well be loued with the lorde Coucy he was natyue of his countrey As at that tyme his a bydyng was in the cyte of Laon he was called mayster Guylliam of Harsley Whan he knewe fyrste the kynges malady and by what accydent he fell sycke he sayd as he that thought hym selfe to knowe the kynges compleryon howe this maladye is fallen to the kynge through faute his complexyon holdeth to moche of the moyster of the see these wordes were reported to the lord Coucy who was as than at Paris with the duke of Orlyance and with the kinges vncles for as than the coūsayle of Fraūce the noble men and prelates were at Paris to determyne who shulde haue the gouernaunce of the realme as longe as the kyng shulde be in that malady outher his brother the duke of Orlyance or his two vncles or one of thē vpon this cōmunycacion they were a .xv. dayes or they agreed Fynally it was concluded bycause the duke of Orlyaunce was very yonge to take on hym so great a charge that the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne shulde haue the gouernaunce of the realme and specyally the duke of Burgoyne and that the duches of Burgoyne shulde be aboute the quene and to be as seconde person Thus as I haue sayde before the lorde of Coucy shewed to the kynges vncles the great wysdome and practyse of the sayd physycion mayster Guyllyam Harseley Whan the dukes herde that they sente for hym and so he came to Parys And than the lorde of Couey presented hym to the kynges vncles and sayd My lordes beholde here is mayster Guyllyam Harseley that I shewed you of He is ryght welcome quod the dukes they receyued him and made him good chere and ordeyned hym to go to Crayell to vysyte the kynge and to abyde aboute hym tyll he hadde recouered his helthe Than the sayd mayster at their cōmaundement went to Crayell to the kynge and had the chiefe ouer syght of mynystryng any thynge to the kyng and he sawe well the kynges malady was curable and sawe howe he had taken it by reasone of feblenesse of his herte and heed and through faute therfore he dyd his dylygence to recouer his helthe THe tydynges of the kynges malady spred farre abrode but who so euer was sorye ye maye well knowe the duke of Bretaygne nor syr Peter of Craon wepte neuer a deale nor had no great sorowe Also whan pope Boryface of Rome and his cardynals knowe the trouthe they were right ioyfull and drewe togyther in consistory and sayde howe their greatest enemy the Frenche kynge was beaten with a cruell rodde seyng god had taken fro hym his wytte and sayde howe that influence was sente to hym fro heuen to chastyce hym withall bycause he had so moche susteyned the pope at Auignon therfore this cruell plage was sent to hym to cause the hole realme to be better aduysed therfore they sayd their quarell was the stronger And truely to haue wysely consydred euery thynge it was a great token to haue caused the cardynalles at Auygnon to haue been aduysed but they made but lytell force therof nother to the honour of god nor to the realme for the pope at Auignon and his cardynalles sayde howe by reasone that the kynge was yonge and wolde haue his owne wyll therby he is fallen in to this malady through faute for suche as haue had the rule aboute hym haue nat doone their duetie but haue suffred hym to rynne on the bridell and to ryde nyght and daye excessyuely in traueylynge of his body out of measure therfore suche as hath had the rule ought to be charged therwith and none other for it is through their faulte for if they had ordred hym in his youthe and so contynued by a reasonable regement and haue folowed the counsayle of his vncles this sycknesse had nat fallen to hym nowe Also he hath broken his promesse against reason for he promysed the yere passed and sware by the wordes of a kynge that he wolde so ordayne to dystroy the antepape at Rome and his cardynals and to subdue the sysme of the churche and to sette the maters that be in trouble in good estate whiche is nothynge doone but hathe doone contrary to his promesse wherwith god is dyspleased and to cause hym better to aduyse him selfe he hathe punysshed hym with this cruell rodde And if he retourne to helte as he may well do than it shall behoue vs to sende to him sufficyent legates to shewe hym wysely the defaute and
the clocke in the fore noone and there coÌ„muned vpon many artycles It whiche tyme I Iohan Froysart auctour of this booke was at Abuyle and desyrous to knowe the effecte of this treatie I enquyred the trouth of suche lordes and other as I thought shulde knowe the certayntie Is it was shewed me whan they entred in to comunycasion and had sene eche others auctoryte and perceyued that they had full power to conclude a peace bothe by lande and see bytwene Fraunce and Englande and all their alyes Than one of the firste demaundes that the frenche men desyred was to haue Calays raced downe in suche maner that there shulde be neuer after any habytacion there Therto the dukes of LaÌ„castre and Gloucestre answered and said how they had no suche auctorite to cause Calays to be beaten downe but that Englande shulde holde it in his demayne and trewe herytage And sayd that if they purposed to entre any further in trâ—atye of peace to seace of that demaunde and to speke no more therof Whan the Dukes 〈◊〉 Berrey and Burgoyne herde their two cosyns of Englande answere so quyckly in that 〈◊〉 they seased to speke any more of that matâ—er for they sawe well their traueyle shulde be but in vayne and so than spake of other matters Than the englysshe men demaunded to haue reâ—â—ytucyon of all suche landes as had been delyuered to kynge Rycharde their soueraygne lorde or to kynge Edwarde the thyrde or to any of their deputies or commyssioners and also to haue fully payed the soÌ„me of florayns that was lefte vnpayed at the tyme whan the warre renewed bytwene England and Fraunce and this the englysshe clerkes and lawyers proued reasonable and lawfull to be had The lordes and chauncelours of Fraunce argued to the contrary and sayd as to retourne all the landes agayne to the gouernynge of the kyng of Englande and his successours was impossyble to be done sayenge howe suche landes cyties townes castels lordeshyppes and homages as the Englysshe men demaunded were gyuen awaye whan the peace was concluded at Bretygny and after confermed and sealed at Calays wherby they were clene put a way fro the kyng of Englande whiche peace grauntes was made in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre huÌ„dred threscore and one and thervpon the frenche kyng graunted to suche landes great lyberties by his othe writyng and promesse whiche in no wyse canne be broken agayne nor reuoked wherfore they sayd that if the Englysshemen purposed to haue peace they shulde drawe to some nerer poynt Than by delyberacyon of the foure dukes it was deuysed that the frenche men as well as the englysshmen shulde put all their demaundes in writynge the same to be delyuered to eyther partye that they might be regarded at length on bothe partes and suche as were vnreasonable to be rased and cancelled and such as were good to be vpholden this ordynauÌ„ce semed to all parties good and reasonable Before this ordre was taken the sour dukes had to moche busynesse to do specyally the englysshe men had moche payne to here and to vnderstande the frenche men who were full of subtyle wordes and cloked perswacions and double of vnderstandynge the whiche the frenche men wolde rouine as they lyst to their profyte and aduauntage whiche englysshe men vse nat in their langage for their speche and entent is playne And also the englisshmen were enfourmed that the Frenche men had nat alwayes vpholden the artycles promyses and condycyons ratyfied in the artycles of peace yet the frenchmen wold euer fynde one poynte or other in their writynges by some subtyle cloked worde affermynge that the englysshe men had broken the peace and nat they Wherfore whan the englysshe men sawe or herde in the frenche mens writynges any darke or cloked worde they made it to be examyned by suche as were profoundly lerned in the lawe and if they founde it a mysse they caused it to be canselled and amended to the entent they wolde leaue nothynge in trouble And the englysshmen to excuse themselfe wolde say that frenche men letnynge suche subtylties in their youth muste nedes be more subtyle than they Somtyme suche frowarde wordes bytwene the parties greatly draue of the tyme of treatie The frenche men helde them selfe fre and thought they shulde nat be charged with no suche demaundes as to make restytucy on of all the landes with the apendances pertaynyng to the duchy of Acquytayne with the arerages of that hath ben leuyed syth the warre renewed to the whiche they wolde neuer acorde The frenche men offred to rendre the countre of Terbe and of Bygore and the countye of Piergourt and Pyergyns and the countie of Agen and Agenoys but Kaours Rouer gue Ouercy and Lymosyn they wold in no wyse delyuer nor the countie of Ponthyeur nor of the couÌ„tie of Guysnes more than the englyssh men hadde in their handes at the same tyme. Thus these lordes contynued a fyftene dayes and made no conclusyon but these dukes determyned to sende worde to the two kynges to gyue them knowledge what they had done The frenche dukes rode to Abbeuyle and shewed the kynge all the mater and howe they had desyred their cosins of Englande to write the hole treatie to the kynge of Englande and so they sayd they had promysed to do And as I was enfourmed on the englysshe party the duke of Glocestre was harder to entreat than the duke of Lancastre and bycause the commons of Englande knewe somwhat of his entent therfore they agreed that he shulde be sent to this treatye for they knewe well that nothynge shulde passe hym without it were for the honour of the realme Thus these four dukes amyably departed eche fro other and concluded to mete there agayne the nynth day after Thus these englysshe lordes retourned to Calays and the frenche lordes to Boloyne and so to Abuyle That tyme in Abuyle there was a fayre garden closed with the ryuer of Somme whereas often tymes the frenche kynge passed the tyme. He sayd to his brother of Orlyaunce and to his counsayle that his beynge at Abbeuyle dyd hym moche good in his helthe There was there the same seasone with the kynge the kynge Lyon of Armony newly come thyder out of Grece and out of those marches in to his owne couÌ„trey he durst nat entre for the turkes had conquered itâ— except the stronge towne of Conych standynge on the see syde whiche the geno ways helde and kepte for doute of the turkes for if the turkes had gotten that porte they shulde haue doone moche yuell by the see to the cyprians and to the Rodes and other boundes of crystendome The kyng of Armony wolde gladly haue hadde peace bytwene Englande and Fraunce in trust that all yonge knightes and squyers shulde go in to Grece to helpe to conquere agayne his realme of Armony Whan the frenche kynges vncles were come to Abbeuyle the kynge was gladde and made theym good chere and demaunded howe they
determyned to sende to hym to knowe somwhat of his entent There was apoynted to go the lorde Boucyquant marshall of Fraunce the lorde Iohan of castell Morante and Iohan Barres of Barroys and they to haue with them a thousande speares Thus they rode forth tyll they came to the cytie of Agen and there taryed Than they sent harauldes and messnagers to Burdeaux to the duke of Lancastre shewynge hym howe they wolde gladly speke with hym The duke made these messangers good chere and wrote agayne to these lordes certifyeng them that where as they had great desyre to speke with hym in lykewyse he had the same to speke with them and bycause they shulde take the lesse payne he promysed to come and mete with them at Bergerate And whan the frenche lordes sawe this letter they gaue credence therto and ordred them there after and as sone as they knewe that the duke was come to Bergerate they departed fro Agen and rode thyder There they were receyued and lodged in the towne and their company in the subbarbes These lordes spake with the Duke and shewed hym their message The duke receyued them swetely and aunswered and sayd howe he wolde be a good a kynde neyghbour to the frenche kyng and the realme and to kepe and mayntayne the trewce taken bytwene the two kynges for he sayde he hym selfe was one of the princypalles that ayded to make and ordayn that truce wherfore he sayd he ought nat nor wold nat breke it therof they myght be well assured The dukes aunswere pleased greatly the lordes of Fraunce Thus the duke and they were louingly togyder and the duke gaue them a great dyner and supper and after they tooke their leaue and the duke retourned to Burdeaux and the frenche men in to Fraunce They founde in their waye the duke of Berrey at the cytie of Poyeters and they shewed hym what they had doone The duke of Berrey thought the duke of Lancasters answere reasonable and so dyd the frenche kynge and the duke of Burgoyne and so the mater abode styll in this estate And for this cause quod sir Iohan Graily the duke of Lancastre hath sent hyther in to Englande of his counsayle as syr Wylliam Peâ—reer and syr Peter Clyfton and two clerkes lerned in the lawe as mayster Iohan Huche and mayster Iohan Rychard of Leycettour to treate and to pleate his maters before the kynge and his vncles and for this cause the kynge rydeth to Eltham and shall be there on thursday nexte that shall be Mary maudelyn daye but what shal be done as yet I knowe nat But as I am enfourmed of some englysshe men that knowe somwhat the duke of Gloucestre wyll be princypally of the opynion that his brother the duke of Lancastre shulde abyde styll in Guyen rather than to retourue agayne in to Englande bycause he was so great with the kynge for I ensure you this duke of Gloucestre is a maruaylous mynded man proude and presumptuous he wolde rule all hym selfe and he is so beloued of the comynalte that what so euer he saythe they wyll enclyne to him He caused the valyaunte knyght the lorde Symon Burle and the duke of Irelande the archebysshoppe of yorke and many other knyghtes and other of the kynges counsayle to dye for hatred and yuell wyll durynge the seasone that the duke of Lancastre was beyonde the see in Castyle He is more dred in Englande than beloued NOwe lette this mater passe quod syr IohnÌ„ Graily and I shall shewe you nowe the seconde busynesse that the kynge hathe to do as I am enfourmed The kynges pleasure is to be remaryed and hath sertched ouer all for a wyfe if the duke of Burgoyne or the erle of Haynalte had any doughter to mary the kynge wolde gladly haue had one of them but they haue none but suche as be maryed It hath ben shewed the kyng that the kynge of Nauarre hath bothe suffers and doughters but he wyll nat entende that wayes The duke of Gloucestre hath a doughter able to mary he wolde gladly that the kyng shulde haue had her but the kynge wolde nat for he said she was to nere of his kynne for she is his cosyn germayne The kynge enclyneth moste his mynde to the Frenche kynges doughter wherof all the countrey hath great marueyle that he wolde take his enemyes doughter the kynge is nat the beste beloued Prince of the worlde with his people but he setteth lytell therby he sheweth always how he had rather haue warre with any other realme than with FrauÌ„ce wherfore he wolde haue a good peace bytwene the frenche kynge and hym and their realmes for the kynge wyll often tymes saye that the warre hath endured to longe bytwene them and that many valyaunt men are deed therby on bothe parties wherby the christen faythe is sore mynysshed and febled And it is nat pleasaunt to the realme of Englande that he shulde mary with Fraunce and it hath ben shewed hym that the doughter of Fraunce is ouer yonge and that this fyue or syxe yere she shall nat be able to kepe hym company Therto he hath aunswered and saythe that she shall growe ryght well in age and though he faste a season he shall take it well a worth and shall ordre her in the meane season at his pleasure and after the maner of Englande sayenge also howe he is yet yonge ynough to abyde tyll the lady be of age No man canne breke the kynge out of this purpose and or ye departe ye shall here moche of this matter And thus for these causes the kynge rydeth nowe to Eltham THus this gentle knyght syr Iohan of Graily and I deuysed togyther as we rode bytwene Rochestre and Dertforde this knight was capytayn of Bouteuyle bastarde sonne somtyme to the Captall of Beusz and I herde his wordes gladly and dyd put them in memory And all the way bytwene Leades and Eltham I rode most parte in his company and with syr Wylliam Lysle Thus the kynge came to Eltham on a tuesday and on the wednysday the lordes of all costes began to assemble Thyder came the duke of Gloucestre and the erles of Derby Arundell Northumberlande Kent Rutlande and the erle Marshall and the archebysshoppes of Caunterbury and yorke and the bysshoppes of London and Wynchester And on the thursday aboute the houre of thre they assembled togyther in the kynges chambre in the kynges presence Than the knyghtes of Gascoyne were sent for and the couÌ„saylours of the good townes And also the Duke of Lancastres counsayle was sent for I was nat preseÌ„t nor might nat be suffred there were none but the lordes of the counsayle who debated the mater more than four houres And after dyner I fell in acquayntauÌ„ce with an auncyent knyght whome I knewe in kynge Edwardes dayes and he was as than of kynge Rychardes priuy counsayle he was called syr Rycharde Sury he knewe me anone and yet in .xxiiii. yeres he had nat sene me before whiche was
heyres as myght dyscende of the Duke of Lancastre shulde conioyne theym by maryage to the chyldren of some kynge in Fraunce or of dukes of Berrey Bretaygne or erles of Foize or Armynake or kynges of Nauarre or dukes of Aniou or of Mayne and than they beynge beyonde the see peraduenture in the parties of Fraunce shulde clayme their enherytaunce and therby put the countrey of Guyen in dyscorde and to bring it to be against the crowne of Englande wherby the kynge of Englande than reygnynge and the Realme also shulde haue peraduenture ouer moche payne to recouer it agayne and so the ryght to be put farre of fro thence whervnto it shulde retourne and be as of the demayne of the Crowne of Englande Wherfore ryght dere syr and redouted lordes and noble counsaylours please it you to consydre all these poyntes and artycles which I haue purposed in your presence and determyne it as ye shall seme best for syr the full opynion of all the countrey is they saye they wyll abyde styll in the obey saunce of you ryght redouted lorde and kynge and in the demayne of the noble Crowne of Englande Therwith this offyciall helde his peace and the prelates and lordes eche of them regarded other Than they drewe togyther and aproched to the kynge fyrste his two vncles and the erles of Derby and Arundell Than they of Acquytayne were coÌ„maunded to departe tyll they were called agayne They departed and also the two knightes that were come thyder fro the duke of Lancastre Than the kyng demaunded counsayle what shulde be done and what aunswere shulde be made The prelates tourned the aunswere to the kynges vncles bycause the mater touched them rather than any other At the fyrst they excused them sayeng they myght nat well aunswere for the mater was coÌ„mune and ought to be debated by coÌ„mune counsayle and nat by lygnage nor fauour Thus they bode a good space but fynally the aunswere was layde on the duke of Gloucestre and he was prayed and requyred to saye his aduyse Than he aunswered and sayde howe it was a herde thynge to take a way or to dysanull the gyfte of a kynge confermed and sealed by the acorde of all his subgiettes and by delyberacyon of his specyall counsayle wherfore he sayde his subgiettes shuld be rebell that wolde nat obey for in that they wolde make that the kynge shulde nat be lorde of his owne enheritaunce if that he myght nat do with his owne what it pleased hym some glosed those wordes and some thoughâ— in their corage that the aunswere was nat reasonable but they durste nat saye agaynst it the duke of Gloucestre was so sore dred and the erle of Derby sonne to the duke of Lancastre was there presente who furthered those wordes and sayde Fayre vncle ye haue well sayd I am of your opinyon Therwith the counsayle began to breke and some murmured one with another and they of Guyen nor yet the duke of Lancasters knightes were nat called agayne at that tyme. Whan the kynge sawe all the mater he dyssimuled a lytell and it was his entensyon that they shulde assemble togyther agayne in counsayle after dyner to se if any other propre way myght be taken for the honoure of the crowne of Englande Than the kynge caused the bysshop of Caunterbury to speke of that he had gyuen hym in charge in the mornynge to speke of that was vpon the state of his maryage and to sende in to Fraunce The lordes were of accorde and named them that shulde go whiche were the archebysshoppe of Duuelyn the erle of Rutlande the Erle Marshall the lorde Beaumonde the lorde Hughe Spenser the lorde Loys Clyfforde and twenty knyghtes and xl squyers These were sent in to Fraunce to treat for the maryage of the frenche kynges doughter Isabell of eyght yere of age and yet she was all redy promysed to the duke of Bretayns sonne by a treatie that was made in Towrs in Thourayne Nowe beholde howe this myght be broken for the Frenche kynge and his vncles hadde sealed with the duke of Bretayne yet for all that thenglysshe ambassadours had their charge gyuen vnto them and so they departed out of Englande and aryued at Calays there taryed a fyue dayes and than departed in great araye and tooke the waye to Amyence and they sente before Marche the haraulde who had brought to them saueconducte goynge and comyng and besyde that the lorde Moncheuerell was sette to be their guyde and to se them serued of all thynges necessary ¶ Nowe we shall leaue to speke of them and retourne to our fyrste purpose NOwe as I haue shewed you before the counsaylours of the Cyties and good townes of Acquytayne prayed the kynge and his counsayle to whome they were boude to mayntayn their lyberties and fraunches as in the demayne of the Crowne of Englande as he was sworne to do affermynge that surely they wolde kepe their auncyente lyberties and wyll nat breke it for no maner of cause or condycion and in holdynge thus their opynyon foure partes of the counsayle and the coÌ„mune voyce of the countrey reputed theym for valyaunt and worthy men But the duke of Gloucestre was of another opinyon for he wolde that his brother the duke of Lancastre shuld haue bydden styll in Acquytayne for he thought he was ouer great in Englande and to nere the kynge as for his brother the duke of yorke he cared nat for the duke of yorke was a prince that loued his ease and lytell busynesse Also he had a fayre lady to his wyfe doughter to the erle of Kent on whome was all his pleasure But the duke of Gloucestre was subtyle and euer demaunded somwhat of his nephue kynge Rycharde yet he was but poore for all that he was a great lorde and constable of Englande and erle of Hertforde of Perces and of Bokyngham and also he had yerely out of the kynges cofers foure thousande nobles and neuer rode on the kinges busynesse nor for the realme one daye without he knewe why and wherfore For these causes he was nat indyfferent for the maters of Acquytayne for he wolde haue had his brother of Lancastre to haue bydden still in Acquitayn for euer for than he thought he wolde haue shyfted well ynoughe in Englande As soone as he had sayd his sentence as ye haue herde before and that he sawe some murmured in the kynges chambre and that the prelates and lordes talked togyther two and two he issued out of the chambre and the erle of Derby with hym and came in to the hall at Eâ—tham and made a clothe to be layde on a table and so sate downe to dynner and lefte all other styll talkynge togyther Whan the duke of yorke knewe that he was at dyner he went to kepe hym company and after dyner whiche he made shorte the duke of Gloucestre dyssymuled the mater and tooke his leaue of the Kynge syttynge at the table and so departed and toke his
duke of Gloucestre and so toke leaue of the kynge and of the lordes and came to London and the next day rode fyftene myle fro London to a towne called Brendwode and the next day to Plasshey and there he founde the duke and the Duchesse and their chyldren who ryght goodly receyued hym acordyng to his degre Than Robert delyuered hym his letters sent fro the frenche kyng And whan the duke sawe they were of credence he drewe this Robert a parte and demaunded what credence he had Robert aunswered hym and sayd syr I shall shewe therin to you at good leyser I am nat come to departe agayne so soone Well quod the duke ye be welcome This Robert knewe well ynough that the duke of Gloucestre was a sore dyslymulynge prince and contrary to any peace and thought it harde to breke hym fro his opinyon for he knewe well he was alwaies contrary to the peace whiche was well sene at the treaties at Balyngham for he neuer demaunded but to haue warre yet for all that Robert the Hermyte spared nat to speke to the duke on the forme of peace Alwayes he founde the duke colde in aunswers and sayd the mater lay nat in hym for he had two elder bretherne the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke to whome the mater partayned rather than to hym and also that if he wolde consent therto alone peraduenture the other lordes prelates and counsaylours of good townes wolde nat accepte it Well quod Robert the Hermyte for the loue of our lorde Ihesu Christ be ye nat contrarye to the peace for ye maye do moche and also ye se well howe the kyng your nephue enclyneth to the peace and wyll by maryage haue the Frenche kynges doughter by whiche coniunctyon shal be gret alyaunce of peace and loue Than the duke aunswered and sayd What though ye be beleued and herde at this tyme with the kynges and lordes of bothe realmes and that ye haue good audyeÌ„ce with them and with their counsaylours the mater is so hygh and weyghty that it is conuenyent that greater personages than ye shulde meâ—le therwith I haue tolde you and often tymes I haue said that I shall neuer be contrary to the peace so it be to the honoure of the kynge and the Realme of Englande In tyme paste peace was taken bytwene the king our father and our brother the prince of Wales and kinge Iohan of FrauÌ„ce and the frenche party sworne and bounde vppon payne of sentence of the pope and yet it helde nat for the frenchmen fraudulently haue broken all couenauntes haue taken agayne possessyon of all the landes and lordeshyppes that were yelded delyuered at the peace makyng to our sayd souerayne lorde and father and to our predecessours and moreouer of the soÌ„me of .xxx. thousande frankes that the redempcyon mounted vnto there is yet to paye syxe huÌ„dred thousande frankes wherfore such maters to remembre troubleth sore our corages and we and many of this realme marueyle greatly howe the kynge our souerayne lorde leaneth to so yonge aduyse counsayle and regardeth none otherwyse the tyme passed and the tyme present but enclineth to alye hym by maryage with his aduersary and by that alyaunce dysheryte the Crowne of Englande his successours to come of the clayme of Fraunce Ah ryght dere lorde quod Robert our lorde Iesu Christ suffered passyon on the Crosse for vs all synners and pardoned his dethe to them that crucyfied him in lykewyse a man must pardon that wyll come to the glory of heuen and sir all yuell wylles hates and rancoures were pardoned the daye that the peace was made and sealed at Calays by our predecessours and nowe warres haue been a game newly renewed bytwene your men and ours I thynke surely through faulte on bothe parties for whan the prince of Wales duke of Acquytayne was retourned out of Spayne in to Acquytayne there were a certayne maner of people callyng themselfe companyons wherof the moste partye were englysshe men and gascons holdynge of the kynge of Englande and of the prince of Wales These people assembled them togyther and entred in to the realme of Fraunce without any tytell of reason wherby ensued mortall eruell warre greater than was before These companyons called the realme of Fraunce their chambre they were so set to do yuell dedes that they coude nat be resysted And whan the realme of FrauÌ„ce sawe and felte them so harmed by this people and sawe well the lengar they contynewed the more they multyplyed more hurte they dyd than kyng Charles of FrauÌ„ce sonne to kyng Iohan was couÌ„sayled by his subgiettes to resyst subdue suche enemyes outher by warre or otherwyse and many great barons of Gascoyne came to the frenche kyng suche as said they were sore ouerlayde with their lorde the prince of Wales many iniuryes done to theÌ„ whiche they shewed to the frenche kynge they might nat nor Wolde nat suffre no lenger and so they beganne the warre bycause of their resorte to the prince of Wales Than this kynge Charles by counsayle of them and of his subgiettes enhardyed himselfe to the warre with these barones of Gascoyn for to mete against these companyons And in this newe warre many lordes retourned to the frenche kynge and dyuers lordeshyppes cyties townes and castels for the great oppression that the prince of Wales dyd to theÌ„ and consented to be done by his coÌ„myssioners Thus the warre was renewed wherby many great myschyefes haue fallen to the dystruction of moche people and countreys and the faythe of Christ sore febled and decayed the enemyes of god ryssen and coraged and haue all redy conquered moche parte of Grece the emperour of Constantynople hath nat the power to resyst the puyssauÌ„ce of the great turke called Basant Lamorabaquyn who hathe conquered the realme of Armony excepte all onely a towne standynge on the see syde called Tourche whiche the venysians and genouoys kepe agaynst the turke and the emperour of Constantyne the noble who is of your blode he was sonne to the emperoure Hugues of Luzignen and of my lady Mary of Burbon cosyn germayne to my lady the quene your mother he shall nat be able of longe to resyst the puyssauÌ„ce of this gret turke and if peace maye be had bytwene Englande and Fraunce as I trust by the grace of god it shall be than knyghtes squyers suche as demaunde for dedes of armes for their aduauncement shall drawe them to that parte and shall helpe kynge Lyon of Armony to recouer agayne his herytage and to put out the turkes for surely the warre hath ouerlonge endured bytwene Fraunce and Englande and surely who so euer it be that is or wyll be against the peace shall derely aunswere therto outher quycke or deed Howe knowe you that quod the duke of Gloucestre Syr quod Robert all that I say cometh by dyuyne inspyracyon and by a vysione that came to me vpon the see as I retourned fro Baruchâ—
swete and amyable letters to the freÌ„che king by a notable ambassade a bysshop and .ii. knightes of Hungry In the same letters was coÌ„teyned a great parte of the state and doyng of the great turke and how that he had sent worde to the kynge of Hungry that he wolde come and fight with hym in the myddes of his realme and wolde go fro thens to the cytie of Rome and wolde make his horse to eare otes vpon the high auter of saynt Peter and there to holde his see imperyall and wolde bringe the emperour of Constantyne the noble in his coÌ„pany and all the great barons of the realme of Grece and eche of theÌ„ to kepe styll their owne lawe for he desyred nothynge but the tytell and signorie Thus the kyng of HuÌ„gry in his letters prayed the Frenche kyng to entende to ayde and socour him and that this businesse in farre couÌ„treis might he publisshed abrode to th entent that all knightes and squyers myght prouyde to come in to Hungry to resyst agaynst Lamorabaquy the great turke to th entent that Christendome shulde nat be violated by him and that his pride and bost myght be abated In these letters were conteygned many wordes of great loue as kynges cosyns write eche to other in case of necessyte And they were sente by suffycient personages who dyde so moche that the Frenche kynge enclyned his hert therto and was the gladder to sette forwarde the treatie of the mariage of his doughter to the kynge of Englande Than anone these newes of Hungry were publysshed abrode and written in to many countreis to moue the hertes of gentylmen knightes and squiers suche as wolde auaunce them to get honour The same season that these newes were brought to the kyng there was at Parys the duke of Burgoyne and the duchesse and Iohan of Burgoyne their sonne heyre erle of Neuers who as than was no knyght and the lorde Guye of Tremoyle the lorde Wyllyam his brother and many lordes and other of the realme of Fraunce Than the duke of Burgoyne enclyned sore to this viage and specially that his sonÌ„e shulde enterprice the sayd voyage so he myght be chefe heed leader of the army that shulde go in that viage This Iohan of Burgoyne was but a yonge man of the age of .xxii. yeres Wyse curtesse tretable humble and welbeloued of knyghtes and squyers of Burgone and of other nacyons suche as knewe hym He had to wyfe the doughter of duke Aubert of Bauier erle of Heynalte Hollande and zelaÌ„de a good lady wyse and deuout and had two chyldren full lykely to come to great maryages One shewed this Iohan of Burgoyne howe the Frenche kyng wolde sende hym in this voyage in to Hungry to se what he wolde saye Than he sayd if it pleace the kynge and the duke my father to sende me as chiefe of this armye it shall please me ryght well for I haue great desyre to auaunce my selfe well sir quod they ye were best to speke with the duke youre father that he maye speke to the kynge for without his good wyll ye can do nothynge IT was nat long after but that this Iohan of Burgoyne spake to his father prayeng hym humbly to consent that he myght go in this voyage in to Hungry and at the same tyme there was by hym sir Guye and sir Wyllyam of Tremoyle and other they said to the duke Sir this request that your sonne maketh is but resonable for it is tyme he take the order of knighthode and more nobly he can nat take it than in goyng the iourney agaynst the enemyes of holy Churche And it the kynge wyll sende any personage in that voyage he can nat sende a more honorable man thanÌ„e his owne cosyn germayne your sonne and ye shall se many knyghtes go with hym as well for their owne auauÌ„cementes as for your loue Than the duke said well so be it I shall nat lette the good wyll of my sonne I shall speke to the kyng therin and shall se what answere he wyll make And anone after the duke spake to the kynge therin and the kynge incontynent enclyned therto and sayd howe it shulde be well done that he went and we wyll that he shall go and we wyll make hym as chefe of that iourney Than the tidyngê was shewed throughe all Parys and without that Iohan of Burgoyne with a great company of knyghtes shulde go in to Hungry to se the puyssaunce of the great Turke and that iourney atchyued thanne the Christen men to go to ConstaÌ„tyne the noble and to passe ouer the arme or saynt George and so to entre in to Surrey and to delyuer Hierusalem out of the panyms handes Than awaked suche knyghtes and squyers as desyred aduauncement Whan the duke of Burgoyne sawe that his sonne shulde go in this voyage and that he shulde be chiefe of the army he honored than the more the ambassadours of Hungry who whan they sawe the kynges good wyll the dukes the Frenchmens they were gladde and toke their leaue of the kynge and of the other lordes of Fraunce and so retourned to their countrey and made relacyon to the kyng of Hungry howe they had spedde wherwith the kynge was greatly reioysed and made great prouisyon agaynst the coÌ„mynge of the Frenche men and sent these ambassadours to his brother the kyng of Almaigne to open his passages and also to his cosyn the duke of Austriche for throughe the straytes of Austryche he muste nedes passe And by all the wayes he caused great prouisyon of vitayle to be ordayned And also he wrote letters to the great mayster of Pruce and to the Rhodes Certifyeng them of the coÌ„myng of Iohan of Burgoyne with a thousande knyghtes and squiers of valyant men to the entent to entre in to Turkey and to resyst the great bost of kyng Basant called the great turke IN this season the lorde Coucy was come to Parys and was but newlye retourned fro a voyage where he hadde ben a hole yere whiche was on the fronters of GeÌ„nes And there were certayne great men genowayes that had enformed the duke of Orlyaunce that the hoole Duchy of Geane desyred to haue to their chiefe lorde some noble persone discended of the lynage of the flour delyce And for as moche as the duke of Orlyaunce had wedded the doughter of the lorde of Myllaygne and that the lande and duchy of Geane shulde be ryght mete for hym at the duke of Orlyaunce instaunce the lorde of Coucy with thre huÌ„dred speares and fyue huÌ„dred cros bowes passed ouer in to Sauoye and to Pyemont by the accorde and consent of the erle of Sauoye and came in to Aste in Pyemont by the consent of the lorde of Myllayne and came to a cytie called Alexandria and so came to the fronters marchesse of the genowayes and there fell in treatie with them to know more playnly their enteÌ„cyons for ê‘force he coulde do nothyng without he
this tyme I wotte nat where better to enploye myselfe in any dede of armes wherin I wolde gladly knowe youre pleasure I wolde go in that honourable voyage with a hundred knyghtes and beare company with my fayre brother the duke of Burgoyne and my lady the duches shall can me gret thanke and many knyghtes and squyers of Haynalt wyll gladly holde me company Than duke Aubert as a man redy purueyed of aunswere sayd Guylliam what haste or wyll haue you to go in this voyage in to Hungery and in to Turkey to seke armes vpon people and countrey that neuer dyd vs any forfeyte thou hast no tytell of reason to go but for the vayneglory of the worlde Lette Iohan of Burgoyne and our cosins of Fraunce do their enterprise and do thy dedes aparte go thou in to Frese and conquere our herytage that these fresones by pride and rudenes do witholde fro vs and wyll come to none obeysaunte and to do this I shall ayde the. The wordes of the father to the sonne lyghtened greatly the herte of therle of Ostrenant who aunswered and sayd My lorde ye saye well and if it please you that I shall do that voyage I shall do it with ryght a good wyll ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe the erle of Ostrenant enterprised to go in to Frese Cap. CC.vii THese wordê bytwene the father the sonne multyplyed so moche lytell and lytell that the voyage in to Frese was taken and enter prised and one thynge helped moche the matter forwarde and that was The erle of Ostrenant had at that tyme aboute hym and nere of his counsayle a squyer of Haynalte called Ferebrase otherwise called the bastarde Vertayne a wyse man and a subtyll in feates of armes so that whan he herd of this he said to the erle Syr my lorde your father speketh well it is better for your honour that ye make this voyage rather than in to Hungery and ordayne you therto and ye shall fynde knyghtes and squyers of Haynalt and elswhere that wyll be gladde to kepe you company and shall ayde you to their powers to do this enterprise and if ye haue mynde thus to do I wyll counsayle you to go in to EnglaÌ„de and to signyfy your enterprise to the knyghtes and squyers there and pray the kynge of Englande your cosyn that he wyll gyue lycence to knyghtes squyers and archers to go with you in to Frese at your wages englysse men be men of dedes and if ye haue them ye shall do your businesse the better And if ye may haue by prayer your cosyn therle of Derby in your company your voyage shall be moche the fayrer and your enterprise the more renomed The erle enclyned to those wordes for it semed to hym that his counsayle was good In lykewyse the lorde Gomegynes gaue hym counsayle and so dyd dyuers other These wordes anone spredde abrode in Haynalte Than there was acommaundement made to all knyghtes and squiers in Heynalt that none of theym shulde go out of the couÌ„trey to go in to Hungrey nor in to no place els bycause the erle of Ostrenant shulde ocupy them another waye and shulde leade them in to Frese We shall leaue speakynge of this busynesse and retourne to the voyage in to Hungery THus knyghtes and squiers in many parties had cause to awake and to take corage for the warres that were towarde in that season as well for the voyage in to Hungery as in to Frese The erle of Neuers auaunced his iourney and all knyghtes and Squyers were named and written that shulde go with him prouision was great and well ordeyned and for that he wolde be renomed in this voyage he was lyberall and mad great larges to many knyghtes and squyers that shulde go in his bande for the voyage was long and costely wherfore it was nedefull for theÌ„ to haue some ayde towardes their charges and the other lordes as the constable of FrauÌ„ce and the erles of Ewe and Marche the lordes Henry and Phylippe of Bare the lorde of Coucy the lorde Guy of Tremoyle the lorde Iohan Vyen admyrall of Fraunce Boucyquant marshall of Fraunce and Raynolde du Roy the lordes of saynt Powle of Mutterell and of saynte Pye the Hasell of Flaunders the lorde Loys of Brese his brother le Bourge of Montquell and other they were to the nombre of a thousande knyghtes and a thousande squyers all valyaunt men Euery man departed fro their owne houses about the myddes of marche and so rode forth by companyes and alwayes they founde the wayes open for the kynge of Almayne had coÌ„mauÌ„ded through all his realme of Almayne and Boesme that they shulde haue all thynges necessary and that no vytayle shulde be witholden fro them These lordes of FrauÌ„ce thus rode forwarde to the ayde of the kyng of Hungery who shulde haue batayle with the great turke puyssaunce agaynst puyssaunce the twenty day of the moneth of May. These lordes passed Lorayne the countie of Bare the countie of Mountbelyart and the duchy of Burgoyn and entred into Ausay and passed the couÌ„trey and the ryuer of Rynâ—â—â— many places and the countie of Fierte and so entered in to Austriche whiche is a great couÌ„trey and the entres and issues stronge and great desertes but they went with so good wyll and corage that payne and traueyle greued them nothyng The duke of Austriche made capytaynes in his countrey suche as made the lordes good chere and specyally to IohnÌ„ of Burgoyne who was chiefe of that army All these lordes were apoynted to assemble in a cytie in Hungery called Bode ¶ Nowe let vs speke of other maters yE haue herde here before howe the kynge of England had sente in the same season suffycient ambassade to the frenche kyng and to his counsayle to haue to his wyfe Isabell the doughter of Fraunce whiche ambassadours were the archebysshop of Duuelyn the bysshoppe of Wynchester the erle Marshall the erle of Rutlande sonne to the duke of yorke the lorde Henry Clyfforde the lorde Beamonde the lorde Spenser and many other the frenche kyng had made them good chere and all his vncles and counsayls whiche ambassade were retourned in to Englande vpon good hope to atayne to their desyres The kynge of Englande for his parte all the wynter folowynge often tymes sent to the frenche kynge consernynge the sayd maters who was well enclyned to haue peace and to haue ende of the warre whiche had ouer longe endured These pursutes and treaties toke suche effect and the two kynges had writen so solemply eche to other that their maters drewe nere to apoynte so that suche ambassadours as were fyrst sent out of Englande in to Fraunce were than sente agayne and came to Parys and were lodged at the crosse of Tyroner and their men in the streat there aboute They were to the nombre of syxe hundred Thus they soiourned at Parys more than thre wekes ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the iudgemeÌ„t made in the parlyament for the quene
Iherusalem and shall delyuer it fro the handes of the Sodayne and the enemyes of god for at the soÌ„mer nexte commynge the Frenche kynge and the kynge of Englande who wyll conioyne togyther shall reyse vp a great nombre of men of armes and of archers and shall fynde the passages open to receyue them than nothyng shall abyde before vs but all shall be conquered and put in oure obeysaunce whan we shall go all togyther Thus deuysed the Frenche men that were in the realme of Hungery WHan the moneth of May was come trustynge to here tydynges of Lamorabaquy the greate Turke the kynge of Hungery sent to the passages of the ryuer of Dunce and sent through out his realme to assemble his puissaunce togyder and the lordes of the Rodes came to hym strongly and all the moneth of May they taryed for the comyng of the sarazyns but no tydynges coulde be herde of them Than the kynge of Hungery sente suche as knewe the countrey beyonde the ryuer of Dunce to serche to haue soÌ„me tydynges of the great turke Suche as wente sertched all the countrey beyonde the Brase of saynt George and to the marches of Alexaundre of Damas and Antyoche but they coulde here no newes of Lamorabaquy nor of none army towarde Than they retourned and shewed the king what they had herde and sene Than the kynge assembled his counsayle and called the lordes of Fraunce who desyred to do dedes of armes The kyng shewed them howe he had sente men in to Turkey to haue knowlege what his enemies dyd and howe they coulde here no tydinges of Lamorabaquy nor no lykelyhode of his aprochyng for all the promesse he had made to passe the Dunce and to entre in to HuÌ„gery to sight with the Crysten men or mydde May shulde passe wherfore the kynge demaunded what counsayle they wolde gyue hym to do Than the lorde of Coucy for all the other sayd Syr though Lamorabaquy come nat forwarde acordynge to his promesse and maketh but a â—ape therof yet that ought nat to lette vs to do dedes of armes and to pursue our enemyes seynge we be assembled to that purpose Thus all the frenchmen almayns and other straungers shewed well howe they had great desyre to seke out Lamorabaquy to fyght with him whiche was to their great honour The lorde of Coucyes wordes were affyrmed by all the straungers it was all their opynyons howe they coulde enploye their season and tyme no better Than it was ordeyned by the kynge and by his marshalles that euery man shulde prepare hymselfe to be redy to sette forwarde at a daye assygned whiche was the vtas of saynt Iohan the baptyst Than offycers and other seruauntes aparelled for their maisters all thynges necessary and the Frenche men thynkynge to be fresshe and gay spared nouther Golde nor syluer Their departure fro Bode the soueraygne cytie of Hungery was goodly to regarde The constable of Hungery had the vowarde with a great nombre of hungaryons and almayns with him bycause he knewe the countreys And nexte after hym rode the frenche menne with the constable of Fraunce the erle de la Marche the lorde of Coucy syr Henry and syr Phylyppe of Bare and dyuers other And with the kynge rode the great lordes of his countrey as reasone was and besyde the kyng rode Iohan of Burgoyne often tymes deuysed with the kyng They were in the felde a threscore thousande horse they hadde but fewe a foote sauynge suche as were folowers The company of the crysten men were noble and well ordred and of Hungery there were many crosebowes a horsebacke the army iourneyed so longe that they came to the ryuer of Dunce and passed ouer in shyppes and barges and suche bridges as they had ordeyned for that purpose It was eight dayes or they were all passed ouer and as they passed they lodged theym euery company taryenge for other This ryuer of Dunce departeth the realmes of Hungery and Turkey a sonder WHan the christen men were all ouer and nothynge taryed behynde and were in the froÌ„ters of Turkey they greatlye reioysed and desyred greatly to do dedes of armes There they toke counsayle and determyned to go and ley siege to a towne in Turkey called Coniecte And as they ordayned so they dyde besieged it as they myght well do for it stode in a playne countrey and a ryuer ioynynge to it with shyppes theron called Necte the heed coÌ„mynge out of Turkey and fallynge in to the see at the ryuer of Dunce The ryuer of Dunce is a great Ryuer of thre hundred myles in length fro the begynnynge tyll it entre in to the See Whiche were the moost profytable ryuer in all the worlde for the realme of HuÌ„gry if the shyppes that be theron myght issue out therof in to the See but they can nat For in the mouthe therof whan they shulde issue in to the see there is in the ryuer a mouÌ„tayne whiche departeth the ryuer in two ê‘tes and maketh suche brute and noyse that it maye well be herde seuyn myle of and for that cause there is no shyppe that dare aproche nere to it I longe by this ryuer syde there be fayre medowes and pastures wherby all the countrey is well serued and dyuers vynes whiche in seasone make good wynes whiche the Turkes do make and putte in to Goot skynnes and selleth it vnto Christen men For accordyng to their lawe they dare drinke no wyne to be knowen It is defended them on payne of lyfe But they eate the reysynges and they haue other good frutes and spyces wherof they make drinke and vse greatly to drinke Gootes mylke whiche refressheth theym in the hote season Thus the kynge of Hungry and his hoost lodged before the cytie of Coniecte at their ease and pleasure for no manne troubled their siege And whan they came before the Cytie they fouÌ„de the frutes rype the whiche was great pleasure to them They made to this Cytie dyuers assautes and they within defended them selfe trustyng dayly to haue ayde and socour of Lamorabaquy their lorde to reyse the siege with puyssaunce But he dyde nat wherby the Cytie was taken by force of assaute and distroyed with great slaughter of men women and chyldren For the christen men that entred hadde no mercy nor pytie WhanÌ„e this Cytie was thus wonne the kyng of Hungry dislodged and wente forwarde in to Turkey and was determyned to go and ley siege to a great cytie called Nicopoly and as they rode they fouÌ„de in their waye the towne of Quayre and layde siege to it fyftene dayes or it was won but finallye it was won by assaute clene distroyed And so passed forthe and in their waye they founde another towne and a stronge castell called Brehappe and a knyght of Turkey was lorde therof and was within the castell to defende it The kyng and his army were lodged within a myle where was a fayre ryuer and about the towne there was none There the erle of
Neuers was made knight and reysed his banner and with hym were made mo than thre hundred knyghtes all they their companies went before Brehap and besieged it and wan the towne perforce within four dayes but nat the castell it was so strong The lorde of Brehap saued moche of his people byforce of the castell who was called Corbodas a right valyant knyght he had other thre bretherne one named Maladius another Balachius the thirde Rufyn After this towne was won the christen men were before the castell seuyn dayes and made dyuers assautes but they loste more than they wanne The foure knyghtes bretherne that were within shewed well by their defence that they were valyant men Whan the Frenche men hadde consydred well the force of the castell and the valyaunt ordrâ—â—ge of the turkes within and the defence that they made They sawe well thanÌ„e they loste their payne and so dislodged for they had knowledge howe the kyng of Hungry wolde go and laye siege to the stronge towne of Nicopolye Thus the siege before Brehap brake vp and they within the Castell were in peace but the towne was clene brent than the erle of Neuers and all the lordes of FraÌ„ce resorted to the kynges armye ordring theÌ„ selfe to go to Nicopoly WHanÌ„e Corbodas of Brehappe sawe the siege brokenne vp he was right ioyfull and sayde to his coÌ„pany We nede no more to fere this season though my towne be brent and exiled I shall right well recouer it agayne but of one thynge I maruâ—yle greatly and that is â— that I can here no newes fro my lorde the kyng Besant called Lamorabaquy for the last tyme that I sawe hym in the cytie of Nicopoly he sayde vnto me that this May tyme he wolde be in this countrey and had entencyon to passe with a great puyssaunce the brase of saynt George and to go in to HuÌ„gry to fight with the christen men and so he â—ent worde to the kyng of Hungry and yet he hath done nothyng and thervpon they of HuÌ„gry be fortifyed and haue as nowe great socour out of FrauÌ„ce and haue passed the ryuer of Dunce and are entred in to Turkey and haue and do distroye the countre for there is no resistence made against theÌ„ they thinke surely to go and lay siege before Nicopoly The cytie is stronge ynoughe to resyst the siege a longe season if it be well defended kepte We are here â—our bretherne and knyghtes of the lynage of kynge Besant We ought and are bounde to defende his ryght therfore lette vs order oure selfe as I shall shewe you I and my brother Maladyus we shall go to the Cytie of Nicopoly to ayde to helpe and defende it my brother Balachyus shall abyde here to kepe this castell of Brehap and my brother Rufyne shall passe the brase of saynt George and go seke out Lamorabaquy shewe him euery thynge that is past done and aduyse hym for his honoure to enteÌ„de to defende his herytage to come with suche puyssaunce that maye resyst the christen men and to breke their purpose or els he shall lese the realme of Armony whiche he hath conquered and his owne countrey also For by all ymagynacyon the kynge of Hungry and the Christen men are gadered to th entent to do some great enterprice His thre bretherne agreed to his sayeng On this apoyntment they prepared them selfe to departe SO in this season siege was laid before Nicopolye and Corbodas of Brehappe Maladyus his brother came and entred in to Nicopoly wherof they of the cytie were ryght ioyfull and Balachyus abode styll at Brehappe to kepe the castell Rufyn whan he sawe tyme be nyght he passed the Christen army for he knewe well the countre and passed ouer the brase saynt George and â—erched for Lamorabaquy and the same season he was at Quayre with the soudane of Babylone to haue ayde of men of hym Rufyn fouÌ„de this turke there whan kynge Besant sawe hym he had marueyle and thought surely he shulde here some newes out of Turkey ThanÌ„e he demaunded what tidynges sir quod Rufyn all the couÌ„trey desyreth sore to se you there for the kyng of Hungry with puissaunce hath passed the ryuer of Dunce and is entred in to Turkey and hath done great doÌ„mage and hath brent and assayled a fyue or sixe of your closed townes And whan I departed fro Brehappe he was in purpose to go and leye siege to Nicopoly Corbodas and Maladyus my brother with suche men of warre as they haue are enâ—red in to Nicopoly to helpe to defeÌ„de the towne my brother Balachyus is styll at Brehappe to kepe the castell there And sir of suretie there is in the company with the kynge of Hungry the goodlyest armye and best apoynted come out of Fraunce that euer was sene Wherfore sir it behoueth you to assemble your hoost and frendes and retourne in to Turkey to cause your enemyes to retourne agayne ouer the ryuer of DuÌ„ce and ye do it nat with gret puyssauÌ„ce it wyll be harde to bring it about What nombre be they quod Lamorabaquy sir quod he they be mo than a hundred thousande the good lyest men oâ— the worlde and best armed and all on hors backe Lamorabaquy gaue none answere but entred in to the Soudans chaÌ„bre and shewed the Soudane all the hole mater as his knyght had shewed hym than the soudane sayd We must prouyde for it ye shall haue men ynowe to resyst theÌ„ Nedes we must defeÌ„de our lawe and our herytage That is true sir quod Lamorabaquy NOwe my desyres arre come to passe for I haue alwayes desyred none other thynge but that the kynge of Hungry with his puissaunce myght ones come ouer the ryuer of Dunce and entre in to Turkey In the begynnynge I wyll suffre a season but at the ende they shall paye for the scotte Of all this I hadde knowledge four monethes paste by my great Frende the lorde of Myllayne who sente me Go. haukes Gerfaucons and faucons to the nombre of .xii. whiche were the best and fayrest that euer I sawe And with this present he wrote to me by name all the heedes and chiefe capitayns of the barones of Fraunce suche as shulde come to make me warre In the whiche letters was also conteyned that if I might get them in my daunger they shulde be worthe to me a myllyon of floreyns And also howe there shulde be in their company of the lymytees of Fraunce mo than fyue huÌ„dred knightes valyaunt men of armes Also the Duke of Myllaygne wrote that surely they wyll gyue me batayle wherfore I wyll prepare to mete with them by arte aduise and good ordynaunce for they are men of great feate and so valiaunt in armes that they wyll nat flye nor recule they are worthy oâ— thanke to issue out of their owne nacyon by valyauntnesse to fynde dedes of armes And I truste to accoÌ„plysshe their desyres within thre monethes so
that they shall haue ynoughe to do TO coÌ„sydre these wordes one ought greatly to marueyle that the Lorde Galeas erle of Vertues and Duke of Myllayne who was reputed to be a christen man baptysed and regenerate after the Christen Lawe wolde seke or requyre loue or alyaunce with a kynge myscreant out of our lawe and faythe or to sende hym gyftes and presentes as he dyde euery yere As dogges haukes and fyne lynen clothes whiche are ryght plesaunt to the Sarazins for they haue none but that cometh fro our parties Also the great Turke sent to hym agayne other presentes of ryche clothe of golde and precyous stones wherof the Sarazins haue great plentie But in those dayes the erle of Vertues duke of Myllayne and sir Galeas his father reygned as tyrantes and so helde their signories It is marueyle to thynke of their dedes and fyrste howe they entred and opteygned the signorie of Myllayne So it was there were thre bretherne the lorde Manfres the lorde Galeas and the lorde Barnabo They hadde an vncle who was archebysshoppe of Myllayne And so it fortuned that whan the lorde Charles of Lusenbourge kyng of Boesme and of Almayne emperour of Rome who reigned after kyng Loyes of Bauyer who opteygned to the Empyre byforce for he was neuer taken as Emperour by the churche but excoÌ„munycate and a cursed by pope Innocent who reygned as thanÌ„e For this Loyes of Bauyer went to Rome and made hymselfe to be crowned emperour by a pope and .xii. cardynalles that he made And as soone as he was crowned he made the Almayns to be payed their wages to ouer ryn Rome and to robbe and to pyll it this was the rewarde that the romayns had for receyuyng of hym wherfore he dyed excoÌ„municat and in that sentence The pope and cardynalles that he made without any constreynâ— came after to Auignon and submytted them selfes to pope Innocent who reigned before Vrbayne the fyfthe and there were assoyled of their errours ¶ Nowe to purpose howe the lordes of Myllayne came fyrst to that signorie I shall shewe you howe SO it was the archebysshoppe of Myllayne at a tyme receyued kynge Charles of Boesme emperour in to the cytie of Myllayne nobly and tryumphantlye after the Emperour had been before Axe the Chapell and had accomplysshed there his .xl. dayes accordyng to the vsage in the case parteyning and for the great chere that he made to the Emperour and for a hundred thousande ducates that he lent to the Emperour He made the bysshop vycouÌ„t of Myllayne and his nephewes after hym for euer to holde the lande and signorie of Mylayne free at his wyll vnto the tyme that the Emperour hadde payde agayne at one tyme the sayd soÌ„me of a hundred thousande ducates And so after the bysshoppe dyed and the lorde Manfres his nephue by the accorde of the Emperour and for loue of his vncle was receyued in to the signorie of Myllayne than his two bretherne who as than were nat very riche the lorde Galeas and the lorde Barnabo counsayled toguyder determyned to reigne and to holde the landes of LoÌ„bardy bytwene theÌ„ and to coÌ„ioyne theÌ„ by mariage to some great lordes to maynteyne their estates and to cause men to feare their displeasures And so they caused their brother MaÌ„frese to be slayne by venyme or otherwyse after whose dethe they reygned puissauntly byforce and polycy All their dayes they lyued in good accorde toguyder and departed the cyties of Lombardy bytwene them The lorde Galeas hadde tenne bycause he was the eldest and the lorde Bernabo nyne And the cytie of Myllayne was gouerned one yere by the one brother and another yere by the other brother And to the entent to reigne puissauntly they sought the wayes to gader great rychesse by raysinge vp in possyons subsydies and gabelles and many other yuell customes wherby they gadered great store of golde and syluer and they caused their townes and cyties to be kepte with soudyours straungers as Almaygnes FreÌ„che men Bretons Englysshmen and of all other nacyons excepte their owne countrey men for they hadde no trust nor affiaunce in them for feare of rebellyon agaynst theÌ„ and these soudyours were payed fro moneth to moneth wherby they were so douted and fered of the people that none durste displease them For if any dyd ryse or dyde any thyng agaynst them there was cruell vengeaunce taken vpon them They distroyed many a one in their dayes to gyue ensaÌ„ple to other IN all their signories no man hadde any thynge but atte their pleasure They wolde tayle a ryche man thre or foure tymes in a yere They sayd that loÌ„bardes were ouer proude and presuÌ„ptuous in their richesse wherfore it was behouable to kepe them vnder subiection no man durst saye nay to any thyng that they coÌ„maunded These two bretherne maryed them hyghlye and bought their wyues with the goodê and substaunce of their people The lorde Galeas hadde to wyfe the suster of the good erle of Sauoye named Blaunche payde to the erle for her a hundred thousande ducates The lorde Barnabo maryed hym in Almaygne to the suster of the duke of Bresnyche and payde no lesse money than his brother dyd These two bretherne hadde many chyldren and maryed them highly and richelye to atteyne therby great alyaunces The lorde Galeas had a sone called Galleas and as than the father vnderstode that whaÌ„ kynge Iohan of Fraunce was come out of Englande and put to rauÌ„some to .xxx. C. thousand frankes and they of Fraunce wyst nat howe to reyse the fyrste payment ThanÌ„e he treated with the Frenche kynge and his couÌ„sayle to haue one of his doughters for Galeas his sonne The kynge and his couÌ„sayle entended to this treatie bycause they knewe well this lorde Galeas was grounded in richesse and thus he bought the kyngê doughter for sixe hundred thousande frankes whiche were tourned in payment to the Kynge of Englande And so his sonne maryed kynge Iohans doughter and to hym was gyuen the countie and erldome of Vertues in Champaygne Of that sonne and doughter issued a doughter whiche byforce of golde and syluer was maryed to the seconde sonne of kynge Charles of Fraunce called Loyes duke of Orlyaunce erle of Bloyes and Valoyes The maryage cost the erle of Vertus father to the sayde lady tenne hundred thousaunde frankes And the countie of Bloyes was bought of the erle Guye of Bloyes as it hath ben conteyned here before in this hystorie Thus these lordes Galeas and Barnabo acorded right well toguyder all their lyue dayes they neuer varyed nor their people toguyder therfore they reigned in great puissaunce No man coude haue reason nor right of them Pope cardynalles nor other that made any warre agaynst them sauyng alonely the marques of MouÌ„tferant that was by the meanes of the lorde Iohan Hacon and the Englysshe men with the routes of the companyons whiche Iohan Hacon brought them out of Prouynce in to Lombardy and made there great warre
of the clocke in the forenoone The two Kynges departed oute of their tentes the which were pyght nat farre asondre and came a foote the one to the other and met at a certayne place that was apoynted And on the one syde there was araynged four hundred knyghtes of Fraunce armed with their swerdes in their hādes And on the other parte foure hundred Englysshe knyghtes in lyke maner So the two kynges passed through them The dukes of Lācastre and of Gloucestre ledde the Frenche kynge and the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne ledde the kynge of Englande Thus they came foreby the sayd eight hundred knightes And whan the two kynges came iust toguyder all the eyght hundred knyghtes kneled downe to the grounde and many of them wepte for ioye Thus the two kynges mette toguyder bareheeded and a lytell enclyned and tooke eche other by the handes Than the Frenche kynge ledde the kynge of Englande in to his tente whiche was noble and ryche and the four dukes tooke eche other by the handes and folowed the two kynges And other knyghtes after the Frenche men on the one syde and the Englysshe men on the other syde And so they stode regardyng eche other in good and humble maner tyll all was done Than̄e it was ordayned that on the same place where as the two kynges tooke eche other by the hande that there shulde be made and founded a chapell in the honoure of our Lady and shulde be called our lady of Grace I can nat tell whether it were made or nat SO the two kynges hande in hāde entred in to the Frenche kynges tente Than the foure dukes kneled downe before the kynges and they reysed them vp so talked toguyder Than the two kynges wente a lytell a parte and talked a certayne space In the meane tyme wyne and spyces were brought The duke of Berrey serued the Frenche kynge of spyce and the duke of Burgoyne of wyne And the dukes of Lācastre Glocester serued the kyng of Englād thā other knightes squiers serued all other prelates lordes so that euery man wtin the tent hadde parte and in the meane tyme the two kynges cōmuned toguyder This busynesse done and paste the two kynges tooke leaue eche of other and so retourned to their tentes and tooke their horses and rode towardes Calais The kyng to Guysnes the dukes of Lancastre and Gloucester to Hāmes and the other to Calais The Frenche kyng rode to Cordre and the duke of Orlyaunce with hym the duke of Berrey to Dornam and the duke of Burgoyne to Mountoyre So there was no more done that daye all their tentes stode styll in the feldes THan on the Saturdaye on the feest of saynt Symon and Iude aboute a .xi. of the clocke the kynge of Englande and his vncles and other lordes cāe to the Frenche kyng in to his tent they were receyued right honorably and euery manne talked with his felowe merily Than tables were sette vp and the two kynges sat at one table alone the Frenche kynge on the ryght hande The dukes of Berrey of Burgoyne and of Burbone serued the two kynges thā the duke of Burbone caste forthe many iestyng wordes to make the kynges to laughe and suche as were before the table For this duke was a mery man and sayd openly addressynge his wordes to the kynge of Englāde Sir quod he ye ought to make good chere for ye haue all that ye desyre ye haue your wife or shall haue her deliuered to you Than the Frenche kyng sayd Burbonoys We wolde that our doughter were of the age that our cosyn of saynt Poule is on the condicyon that it cost me a great good than she shulde take my sonne with the better good wyll The kynge of Englande herde well those wordes and answered spekyng to the duke of Burbone bycause the Frēche kyng hadde compared his doughter to the erle of saynt Poules doughter and sayd Sir the age that my wyfe that shall be is of pleaseth you right well we loue nat so moche her herytage than I do the loue of you of our realmes For we two beyng of one accorde there is no kynge christen nor other that are able to anoye vs. This dyner thus done in the Frenche kynges tent and after wyne and spyces taken than the yonge quene was brought forthe a companyed with a great nombre of ladyes and damoselles and there she was delyuered to the kyng of Englande Whan that was done euery man toke their leaue to departe The yonge quene was sette in a ryche lytter and there wente no mo frenche ladyes with her but the lady of Coucy There were the ladyes of Englande the duchesses of Lancastre of yorke and of Gloucestre of Irelande the lady of Namure the lady Poynynges and a great nombre of other ladies who receyued the quene with great ioye Thus the kyng of Englande and the yonge quene and his company rode to Calais the same nyght and the frenche kyng and his cōpany to saynt Omers Than the Tuesdaye after whiche was Alhalowen day the kyng of Englande maryed the sayd lady Isabell of Fraūce in the churche of saynt Nicholas in Calais the archebysshop of Caūterbury wedded theym at whiche tyme there was a great feest and great largesse The Thursdaye after there came to Calais the dukes of Orlyaunce and of Burbone to se the kynge and the quene And on the friday they tooke their leaue and departed and rode to saynt Omers to the Frenche kyng And the same day in the mornyng the kyng and the quene toke their shyppe and hadde fayre passage they were ouer within thre houres the kynge laye in the castell of Douer and the nexte daye to Rochestre than to Dartforde and so to Eltham Than̄e all lordes and ladyes toke their leaue and a fiftene dayes after the quene was brought to the cytie of London accompanyed with many lordes ladyes and damosels laye the fyrst night at the towre of London and the nexte day cōueyed along throughe the cytie with great solempnyte to the kynges palais of Westmynster and ther the kyng was before redy to receyue her the same daye the londoners gaue to the quene great presentes Than was there ordayned a great iustes to be holden in the cytie of Lōdon of .xl. knyghtes and squyers chalēgers to be holden at Candelmas nexte after whiche was delyuered to the Herauldes to publysshe on bothe sydes of the realme to Scotlande And whan the Frenche kyng was cōe to Parys after the maryage of his doughter and euery lorde departed home there ranne than a great brute through the realme howe the frenche kyng was in purpose at the begynnynge of Marche to go with a great army in to Lombardy to dystroye the lorde Galeas duke of Mylayne the kyng had suche displeasure agaynst hym that no man coulde tourne hym but that he wolde make that voyage and the kyng of Englande had promysed to sende hym syxe thousande archers
eâ—pedycionê he wrote letters to this sayde marchaunt of the isle of Sio for they knewe eche other to the entent to please the frenche kynge the duke of Burgoyne and the duches and other ladies in FrauÌ„ce suche as had their husbandes and frendes in prison in Turkey and in trust to be well rewarded for his good wyllâ— be wrote that what so euer ende was made for their redempcyon that he wolde be come â—ettour for the somme of money and that as soone as they were delyuered and come in to the power of the venyciens and that he might be certifyed therof that incontynent he wolde come hym selfe to Venyce and se the raunsomes payed and delyuered By these wordes written by syr Dyne of Responde the sayde marchaunt genouoye enclyned to his desyre and on the truste to be well rewarded of the frenche kynge for he thought to suche a kyng it was good to â—ay â—are And also as I was enfourmed the kynge of Cyper at the desyre of the frenche kynge and the duke of Burgoyne he sente men of his specyciall counsayle in to Turkey And in lykewyse syr Mathelyn and the lorde of Damyne two great barones in Grece and in good fauoure with Lamorabaquy traueyled greatly to auaunce this treatie to th entent to do pleasure to the frenche kynge for without suche meanes the mater shulde neuer haue been brought aboute bycause Turkey is a great couÌ„trey and yuell for men to traueyle in that hath nat ben accustomed therto Whan Lamorabaquy was ones condyscended to entre in to this treatie than it was ordeyned by his counsayle that all the chrysten prisoners shulde be brought togyder in to the cytie of Burse and there to coÌ„clude their treatie So the prisoners were brought thyder who were in nombre a .xxv. but in their commynge thyder the turkes that brought them dyd yuell entreate theym and bete them forwarde for they were but casely horsed they coulde nat go but a pace the turkes â—ete them bycause they sawe they shulde de delyuered wherwith they were sore dyspleased WHan these knightê were thus brought in to the cytie of Burse in Turkey Than they that were sent thyder fro the Frenche kynge and fro the duke of Burgoyne fro the kynge of Cypers and fro the genouoys and venycyens receyued these prisoners geÌ„tylly so that they were more at their case than in the prisone that they were in before howe be it they were kept euer so strayte that they coulde nat haue the thyrde parte of their wylles Lamorabaquy moste specyally herde euer the soueraygne of Flaunders for syr Iaques of Helley hadde enfourmed hym howe he was one of the chyefe of counsayle with the duke of Burgoyne Lamorabaquy was in a Castell besyde Burse and thyther came the sayde messangers As laste it was a greed that these .xxv. prisoners shulde pay the soÌ„me of two hundred thousande ducates for the whiche soÌ„me the lordes of Mathelyn and Damyne in Grece and the marchaunt genouoy of Sio became dettours for the same and taryed in pledge with Lamorabaquy And the erle of Neuers sware and bouÌ„de him selfe to the sayd marchauntes that as sone as he came to Venyce nat to departe thens tyll the money were payed Thus concluded this treatie but or it was all concluded the erle of Ewe was so speke and feble by the alteracyon of the ayre and course meates that he dyed at Loge in Grece where he was kept prisoner wherof all his company were ryght sory but they coulde nat amende it Thus syr Phylyppe of Arthois erle of Ewe and constable of Fraunce after he was deed was enbawmed and so brought in to Fraunce and buryed in the churche of saynt Laurence of Ewe Whan Lamorabaquy was contented with the marchaundes bondes for the det of the sayd soÌ„me the soueraygne of Flaunders and sir Iaques of Helley tooke their leaue to retourne in to Fraunce and Lamorabaquy was well contente therwith and ordeyned that these two knightes shuld haue of the soÌ„me that he shuld receyue twenty thousande ducates to be rebated of the hole some For this kyng Basaache consydered the payne and traueyle that they had endured and specyally the soueraygne of Flaunders was greatly in his fauour These two knyghtes thanked the kynge of his gyft than they toke their leaue of hym and afterwarde of the Frenche knyghtes and lordes Whan they were departed fro the kynge they came to the cytie of Burse and than departed and lefte the erle of Neuers and the lordes of Fraunce styll in the cytie of Burse for they taryed for the lordes of Mathelyn and Damine who shuld come thyder by see to receyue them in to their galees And these two knyghtes toke a galee passenger to sayle to Mathelyn At their departynge fro the porte the wether was fayre and temperate but whanne they were abrode in the see the wynde chaunged and had a marueylous great tempest so that the soueraigne of Flaunders by reason of sore traueyle in that tempest he fell sore sycke on the see and dyed or they came to Mathelyn wherof syr Iaques of Helley was â—ight sory but there was no remedy and so sayled forthe in a galee of Venyce and passed by Rodes and alwayes as he went he publysshed the redempcyon of the lordes of Fraunce wherof they of Rodes were ryght ioyfull At last this knyght came in to Fraunce and shewed the kynge and the other lordes and ladyes howe he had spedde wherof the kynge and other were right ioyfull and thanked the knyght of his traueyle and payne he had taken in that iourney WHan the redempcyon of these lordes and knyghtes of Fraunce was at apoynt than Lamorabaquy thought or they departed to haue them in his company and that they shulde be more at large and better entreated than they were before as it was reason sythe they were no lenger prisoners he thought they shulde se parte of his puyssaunce and state whiche was as it was shewed me marueylous great and sumptuous and kepte moche people dayly aboute hym Thus he sent of the noble men of his house to bring them to his presence to whom he made good chere and had euery thynge delyuered them of the ordinary of his courte acordynge to the vsage of the countrey and euery daye the kynge talked with the erle of Neuers by a truchman and greatly he honoured the erle of Neuers for he sawe well he was lyke to be a great man in Fraunce and sonne to a great lord wherof he was well enfourmed the whiche he founde true by reason of the great sute that was made for their redempcyon and by the great soÌ„me of money that they agreed to paye The erle of Neuers and his company had great marueyle of the great state that he kept he and his people laye euer in the felde for no towne coulde suffyce them The spence of his howseholde and charge of meate and drinke was marueyle to consydre fro whence it shulde come but that
the erle of Derby his sonne and also the duke of yorke and his sonne Iohan erle of Rutlande The kyng loued the erle of Rutlande beyonde measure who dissymuled the dethe of his vncle the duke of Gloucestre shewed howe he wolde gladly se a good peace bytwene the parties said howe he knew well that his vncle dyde wronge oftentymes agaynst the kynge The londoners in lykewyse consydred the great myschiefe that myght fall in Englande by the discencyon bytwene the kynges vncles the kyng and their alyaunces Also they consydred syth the myschefe was fallen of the duke of Gloucestres dethe that there was no recouery therin they knewe well it was bycause the duke of Gloucestre had been to lauesse of his tonge and wolde haue styrred the realme to haue broken the trewce bytwene Englande and Fraunce Wherfore suche as were wyse men in the cytie dissymuled the mater and thought it was no tyme to a mende it as than they feared the puyssaūce of Fraunce and lesynge of their marchaundyse Than beganne to treate and went as a meane bytwene the king and the duke of Lancastre who was in many imagynacions for the dethe of his brother troubled him sore Also he sawe howe his nephue kynge Rycharde was alyed by mariage with the frenche kyng Also the duke of Lancastre had .ii. of his doughters out of the lande one quene of Spayne a nother quene of Portugale by whome he thought he shulde haue great ayde if he made warre agaynst his nephue kynge Rycharde All thynges consydred the duke chaunged his courage at the desyre of the londoners and of other prelates of Englande who were meane bytwene the kyng and hym and by their meanes the kynge was agreed with the duke and peace made with that the kinge promysed fro thens forwarde to be gouerned by the duke of Lancastre and to do nothyng but by his counsayle and aduyse whiche promesse the kynge nothynge fulfylled but was counsayled by yonge and wylde coūsayle whiche was to his hurte and great dōmage as ye shall here after in this hystory THus the kyng of Englande had peace with his vncles bycause of the dethe of the duke of Gloucestre Than he beganne to reygne more fiersly than he dyd before The kynge went and lay in Essex where as the duke of Gloucestre had the chiefe rule whiche ought to haue pertaygned to Affcen his sonne and heyre but the kynge toke all for the ordynaunce in Englande was the kynge to haue the warde of all herytours chyldren orphelyns vnder the age of .xxi. yeres and than they to haue their herytages Thus the kinge tooke the wardeshyppe of his cosyn the duke of Gloucestres herytour and the kynge toke the possession profyte of all the dukes lande and kepte the chylde with hym And the duchesse of Gloucestre and her two doughters were with the quene The duke of Gloucestr◠by enherytaunce was constable of Englande the kynge toke that offyce fro the right heyre and gaue it to his cosyn the erle of Rutlande The kynge than kept greate state than euer he dyd nor there had nat ben no kynge before in Englande that spente so moche yerely by a hundred thousande nobles as he dyd In lyke wyse the kynge had with hym the heyre of the erle of Arundell who was beheeded at London And bycause a knyght that was belongyng to the duke of Gloucestre called Cerbe spake at a tyme certayne wordes agaynst the kynge and his counsayle he was taken and beheeded Syr Iohan of Quynghay was in great parell but whan he sawe that the maters went so dyuersely as they dyd he dyssymuled as moch as he might and departed fro the duchesse of Gloucestres house and wente and dwelt in other places ¶ In those dayes there was none so great in Englande that durst speake agaynst any thynge that the kyng dyd or wolde do He had counsayle mete for his appetyte who exhorted hym to do what he lyst The kynge kept styll in his wages ten thousande archers night and day that wayted on him for he reputed himselfe nat parfytely sure of his vncles nor of the lygnage of Arundell ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Of the great assemble that was made in the cytie of Reyns as well by the emperour as of the realme of Fraūce on the state of holy churche Cap. CC.xxvii THe same seasone there was a great assēble of gret lordes in the cytie of Reynes what of lordes of the empyre and of Fraunce to the entent to bring the churche to a peace and reste for the frenche kynge dyd so moche that at his request his cosyn the kynge of Almayne came to the cytie of Reynes with his counsayle and bycause they wolde nat haue it brewted that they assembled there all onely for the mater by twent the popes the one at Rome and the other at Auygnon they made it to be noysed that they came thyder to treate for a maryage of the sonne of the marques of Blācquebourge with the doughter of the duke of Orlyaunce This Marques was brother to the kynge of Almayne The frenche kyng lay at the archebysshoppes palayes and there was with hym the dukes of Orlyaūce Berrey and Burbon therle of saynt Powle and dyuers other hygh barones and prelates of Fraunce And whan the kinge of Almayne entred in to the cytie all the lordes and prelates and kynge Charles of Nauer who was in lykewyse there went to mete with hym and receyued hym honourably Fyrste they brought hym to our lady churche and after in to the abbey of saynt Remy there the kynge of Almayne laye and his lordes aboute hym And it was ordeyned by the frenche kinge that what so euer the kynge of Almayne spent shulde be at the frenche kynges cost The almayns had euery day delyuered theym ten tonne of herynge for it was in Lent tyme and eyght hundred carpes besyde other fysshes whiche was a great charge WHan the kyng of Almayne came first to the frenche kynge all the lordes went for hym to saynt Remy and so brought him to the kynges palays Whan these two kynges mette they made great honoure eche to other and great reuerence and specyally the frenche kynge for almayns of nature are rude and grose manered without it be to take their profyte therto they be experte and redy ynough All the lordes of Fraunce and of Almayne toke acquayntaunce eche with other with louyng wordes and countinaunce and the frenche kynge made the kynge of Almayne and his company a great dyner at one table there sate fyrst the patryarke of Iherusalem than the king of Almayne the frenche kynge and the kynge of Nauer there sate no mo at that table At the other tables sate the lordes and prelates of Almayne No lorde of Fraūce sate that day but sarued To the kynges borde the meate was brought by the dukes of Berrey of Burbone the erle of saynt Powle and by other great lordes of Fraūce The duke of Orlyaūce set euery man
Erle to abyde at Parys and to kepe there his house to pay for euery thyng that he or his men shulde take To this request the Frenche kynge and his vncles lightly agreed and shewed that they were right ioyfull of his cōmynge and said howe they were ryght sorie of the erles trouble These messangers returned to Calais and fouude the erle redy there The frēche kynge sent sir Charles of Hangers to open all the cyties and townes bytwene Calais and Paris to receyue therle and his cōpany Thus the erle of Derby departed fro Calays and toke the waye to Amyence and in euery place he was well receyued ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the lorde Guillyam erle of Ostrenaunt sente to his cosyn therle of Derby certayne messangers and howe therle came to Paris howe he was receyued Capi. CC.xxxi THe erle of Ostrenaūt beyng at Quesnoy assone as he knewe that his Cosyn the erle of Derby was passed the See and was come to Calais He ordayned sir Auncell of Trassagetes and sir Fierebras of Vertayne to ride to Calais and to desyre the erle of Derby to come in to Heynaulte to sporte hym and to abyde there a season promysynge hym to haue good chere These two knyghtes departed fro Quesnoy and rode to Cambrey and to Bapames for they herde newes that the erle was departed fro Calais and hadde taken the waye to Amayēce and so to go to Parys These two knyghtes mette hym by the waye They spake with hym and dyde their message so that the Erle thanked them and also his cosyn that had sent them to him and than he excused hym selfe and sayd howe he had made his prouisyon to go in to Fraunce as at that tyme to the Frenche kynge and to his cosyns of Fraunce but he wolde nat renounce the curtesy that his cosyn of Heynalt had shewed hym Than these two knightes departed and retourned and shewed therle of Ostrenaunt what they had sene and done And therle of Derby and his company rode so long that he aproched nere to Parys Whā the kyng and the duke of Orlyaunce and his vncles knewe that the erle of Derby came to Paris he prepared his chābers in his place of saynt Poule richely to receyue therle and caused all lordes to issue out of the cytie to receyue hym and the kyng taryed at the house of saynt Poule First mette hym the duke of Berrey and the duke of Orlyaūce and than the duke of Burgoyne and the duke of Burbon and other noble prelates lordes knightes At the metyng there was frendly chere and so in good order they entred in to Paris with great ioye The same daye one great mysfortune fell there was a squyer named Boniface mounted on a great coursar whiche horse rose vpright vpon his hynder fete and fell backewarde and the squyers hedde lyght vpon the stones that his hedde cloue a sonder and so dyed of whose dethe the duke of Orlyaunce was ryght sorie for he loued hym entierly and so dyde the lorde of Coucy in his dayes for he brought hym in to Frūce out of Lombardy THus they came to the house ofsaynt Poule where the kynge was who receyued the erle nobly and therle was sage and wyse and knewe moch of that parteyned to honour He made his reuerēce and acquaynted hym with the kynge after good maner so moche that he greatly pleased the kynge and for good loue he gaue the erle his deuyse to weare the whiche the erle receyued ioyfully The wordes that were bitwene them I can nat tell but all was well And after takyng of spyce and wyne the erle toke leaue of the kyng and than went to the quene in the same house and she made hym ioyouse chere Than after the erle departed and toke his horse to go to his lodgyng and so was conueyed thyder Thus passed the tyme and the lordes of Fraunce dyde often tymes kepe hym company and caused hym to passe the tyme with sportes and otherwyse to the entent he shulde thynke the season the shorter bycause he was out of his owne nacion ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue spekyng of the erle of Derby and somwhat speke of the ordynaunce of the Churche of the two popes Benedic beyng at Auignon and Bonyface at Rome ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the treatie that had been at Reynes bitwene the Frenche kyng and the kyng of Almaygne concernyng the vnyte of the churche was folowed And howe the bysshoppe of Cābrey was sent by the sayd kynge to Rome and to Auygnon to thē that wrote them selfe popes to th ētent that they shulde depose thēselfe fro their papalytes and submyt thē to the order of these two kynges Capi. CC .xxxii. YE haue herde here before howe that kyng of Almaȳne and the kyng of Fraunce the lordes of thempire and their coūsails had ben at the cytie of Reynes and there they had dyuers secrete counsayls and their entencion was to bring the churche in to a parfyte vnite for to folowe the way that the churche helde as than The errour was to great And also ye haue herde howe mayster Peter de Ailly bysshoppe of Cambrey was sent in legacion to Rome to speke with pope Boniface he spedde hym so in his iourney that he came to Foūdes and there foūde pope Boniface and to hym he delyuered his letters of credence dyrected fro the kynges of Almaygne and of Fraunce The pope receyued them and the bysshoppe right mekelye The pope knewe well parte of his message Than the bysshoppe declared the cause of his cōmynge Whan the pope hadde well herde hym he sayde Howe the answere laye nat all onely in hym but also in all the cardy nalles that had chosen hym pope but he said whan he hadde spoken with them by delyberate counsayle than he wolde make suche answere that he trusted to content them This aunswere was suffycient for that tyme. The bysshoppe dyned that daye in the popes palyce and certayne Cardynalles with hym Than after the pope departed fro Foundes and went to Rome and there the pope assembled a conuocacion of the cardynalles in his palyce besyde saynt Peters churche In this consistorie there were none but the pope and his cardynalles And there the pope shewed the request that the kynge of Almaygne and the Frenche kyng had made hym by the bysshoppe of Cambrey there he demaunded coūsaile what answere he shuld make there were than̄e many reasons alleged for it semed right contrary to the cardinalles to put downe that they hadde made they sayde it shulde be greatly to their shame and rebuke Than they said to the pope Holy father to cause these kynges to be in a good hope that ye wyll obey to the ye must sōwhat dissymule y◠mater and saye howe ye wyll gladly obey to all thynge that the kynge of Almaygne the kyng of Hungry and the kyng of Englande wyll counsayle you vnto So that he that is in Auignon who writeth hym selfe pope Benedic whom the Frenche kyng
hym selfe The nexte day be tymes the bell sowned to the consistory and than there was a conuocacyon of all the cardynalles that were at Iuygnon They all assembled at the palays and entred in to the consistory and thyder was called the bysshop of Cambraye who in laten shewed at length his message and the cause of his cōmyng thyder Whan he had sayd than he was aunswered howe the pope shulde take counsayle to answere and in the meane tyme he to departe out of the house so he dyd and in the meane season Benedic and his cardynalles counsayled togyder and were longe debatynge of the mater and many thought it herde and a contrary mater to put downe that they had created than the cardynall of Amyence spake and sayd Lordes whether we wyll or nat it must behoue vs to obey the Frenche kynge and the kinge of Almayne sythe they be conioyned togyder for without thē we can nat lyue howe be it we shulde do well ynough with the kyng of Almayne if the frenche kynge wolde take our parte but it is otherwyse for he cōmaundeth vs to obey or els he wyll stoppe fro vs the fruites of our benefyces without the whiche we can nat lyue Trewe it is holy father that we haue created you as pope on the condycion that to your power ye shuld ayde to refourme the churche and to bring it in to parfyte vnyon and this ye haue alwayes sayd and mayntayned therfore syr aunswere atemperately and in suche maner as we may prayse you for syr ye ought better to know your owne corage than we Than dyuers other of the cardynalles sayd syr the cardynall of Amyence sayeth well and wysely wherfore syr we pray you all in generall that ye wyll speke and shewe vs what ye wyll do Than Benedyc aunswered and said The vnyon of the churche I desyre and I haue taken great payne therin but syth god of his deuyue grace hathe prouyded for me the papalyte and that ye haue chosen me therto as longe as I lyue I wyll be pope and I wyll nat depose my selfe nouther for kyng duke erle nor other treatie nor by no processe nor meanes but that I wyll abyde pope Than the cardynals rose vp all togyder with great murmurynge some sayd he had spoken well and some sayd contrary Thus they dyffered and were in dyscorde The most parte departed out of the consystory and toke no leaue of the pope and retourned to their lodgynges Some suche as were in this popes fauour taryed styll with hym Whan the bysshoppe of Cambray sawe howe they departed in suche maner he knewe well they acorded nat well and therwith auaunced hym selfe and entred in to the consystory and so came to the Pope whyle he sate styll in his see and without doynge of any great reuerence sayde Syr gyue me myne aunswere sythe ye haue had your counsayle aboute you ye ought to gyue me myne aunswere that I may retourne This pope Benedic who was in great dyspleasure for the wordes that the cardynall of Amyence had spoken sayd Bysshoppe of Cambray I haue counsayle of dyuers of my bretherne the cardynals who hath created me in to the dignyte papall and haue receyued all the solemynytyes therto belongyng and am writen and named pope by all my subgiettes and as pope I wyll abyde as longe as I lyue I wyll nat do the contrary to dye in the payne for I haue doone no cause why to lese it and saye to our sonne of Fraunce that hyther vnto I haue taken him as a good catholyke prince but nowe bysynister meanes if he wyll entre in to great errour he wyll repente it I praye you to say to hym fro me that he be well aduysed howe he enclyneth to any thinge that shulde trouble his conscyence Therwith this Benedic rose out of his chayre and went in to his chambre and certayne cardynalles with hym and the bysshoppe of Cambray retourned to his lodgynge and dyned sobrely and than after toke his horse and passed the bridge of Rone and came to vile Nefe and at nyght lay at Baignoulx whiche partaygned to the Realme of Fraunce and he vnderstode that syr Boucyquant marshall of Fraunce was come to porte saynt Andrewe a nyne leages fro Auygnon The nexte day thyder came the bysshoppe of Cambray and shewed hym the aunswere of Benedic Whan the marshall vnderstode that this pope Benedic wolde nat obey the kynge his maysters ordynaunce he sayd to the bysshop syr ye are best to retourne in to Fraunce ye haue no more to do here and I shall execute that I am cōmaunded to do by the kynge and his vncles The next daye the bysshoppe departed and toke the way to Albenoys and to Pyne and the marshall set clerkes awarke to write and sente for knyghtes squyers and men of warre through all the countrey of Viurays of Vyuieres and Auuergne to Mount pellyer for he had cōmyssyon so to do by the king and also he sent to the seneschall of Beaucayre that he shulde close all the passages as well by the ryuer of Rone as by lande to the entent that nothynge shulde entre in to Auignon He wente hym selfe to the pownte saynt Esperyte and closed there the passage ouer the ryuer of Rone that nothynge shulde entre that way in to Auygnon Thus the marshall daily gathered men of warre and many came to serue hym some for obeysaunce and some to pyll and robbe theym of Auygnon There came to hym syr Raymonde of Thourayne and the lorde de la Both the lorde of Tornon the lorde of Monclaue and the lorde Duses so that the marshall had a great nombre of men Than the marshall sent an haraulde to defye pope Benedic in his palays and all the cardynals that wolde take his parte This was harde tydynges to the cardynals and to them in the cytie of Auygnon for they knewe well they coulde nat longe susteyne the warre agaynst the puyssaunce of the Frenche kynge than they determyned to go and speake with the pope and so they dyd and shewed hym howe they coulde nat nor wolde nat susteyne the warre agaynst the frenche kynge for they sayd they must lyue and haue their marchaundyse to go as well by lande as by ryuer This Benedyc aunswered folysshly and sayd syrs your cytie is stronge and well prouyded I wyll sende for men of warre to Gennes and in to other places and to my sonne the kynge of Aragon that he come and serue me whiche I am sure he wyll do for he is bounde therto for two causes he is of my lygnage and also he ought to be obeysant to the pope Sirs ye are abasshed of to lytell a cause go your wayes and kepe and defende your towne and I shall kepe my palays Other aunswere the cardynals and the men of the cytie coulde nat haue of this Benedyc So euery man retourned home This Benedic had of longe tyme purueyed his palays with wyne corne larde oyle and of all