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
of Bloyes and all their landes to the duke of Thourayn the frenche kynges brother Capi. C .lxxxii. ¶ Howe sir Roger of Spayne and sir Espaygne du Lyon spedde with the Frenche kynge and his counsayle for the Vycount of Chastellons busynesse and howe he was set in possessyon in the countie of Foize and of the money that he payde Cap. C.lxxxiii ¶ Of the great assemble that was made at Amyence of the Frenche kynge and his couÌ„sayle and of the kyng of Englandes vncles on the treatie of peace Cap. C.lxxxiiii ¶ Howe sir Peter of Craon throughe yuell wyll by subtile crafte beate downe sir Olyuer of Clysson wherwith the kynge and his counsayle were sore displeased Cap. C.lxxxv ¶ Howe in great dilygence the Prouost of Parys pursued sir Peter of Craon Capi. C .lxxxvi. ¶ Of the great armye and voyage that the Frenche kyng purposed to make in to Bretayngne agaynst the duke bycause he susteyned sir Peter of Craonne and howe in that voyage the kyng fell sicke wherby the voyage brake Cap. C.lxxxvii ¶ Howe the duke of Thourayne brother to the Frenche kynge resigned the Duchy of Thouraynge in to the kynges handes and howe by exchaunge the kynge gaue hym the duchy of OrlyauÌ„ce and so euer after he was called the duke of Orlyaunce Cap. C.lxxxvii for .viii. Fo. CC.xxxiii ¶ Howe the dukes of Burgoyn and of Berrey vncles to the Frenche kynge had the gouernaunce of the realme and howe they chased and toke suche as gouerned the kyng bâ— fore Cap. C.lxxxix ¶ Howe sir Olyuer of Clysson constable of Fraunce departed out of Parys after the answere that the duke of Burgoyne had made hym and went to Mount le Henry and â—â—â—thens in to Bretayne Cap. C.xc. ¶ Howe the treatise whiche was accorded bytwene Englande and Fraunce for thre yeres was renewed Cap. C.xci. ¶ Of the aduenture of a Daunce that was made at Parys in lykenesse of wodhouses wherin the Frenche kynge was in paryll of dethe Cap. C.xcii ¶ Howe pope Bonyface and the cardynals or Rome sente a Frere a wyse clerke to the Frenche kyng Cap. C.xciii ¶ Howe the mariage was treased of the lorde Philyppe of Arthoyes erle of Ewel and the lady Mary of Berrey wydowe doughter to the duke of Berrey and howe he was admytted coÌ„stable of Fraunce Cap. C.xciiii ¶ Of the forme of the peace made bytwene the Frenche kyng and the kyng of EnglaÌ„de by meanes of the four dukes vncles to bothe kynges Cap. C.xcv. ¶ Of the dethe of pope ClemeÌ„t at Auâ—gnon and of the electyon of pope Benedic Capi. C.xcvi ¶ Of a clerke named maister Iohan of Warennes Cap. C.xcvii ¶ Howe the kyng of Englande gaue to the duke of Lancastre and to his heyres for euer the duchy of Acquitayner and howe the kynge prepared to go in to Irelande and the duke in to Acouitayne Cap. C.xcviii ¶ Of the dethe of quene Anne of Englande wyfe to kynge Richarde doughter to the kynge of Boesme and Emperour of Almayne Cap. C.xcix ¶ Howe sir Iohn Froissart arryued in Englande and of the gyfte of a boke that he gaue to the kyng Capi. CC ¶ Of the refuce of them of Acquitayne made to the duke of Lancastre and howe they sente in to EnglaÌ„de to the kynge and his couÌ„sayle shewyng hym the wyll of the hole couÌ„trey of Aequitayne Cap. CC.i. ¶ The deuyse and of the conquest that kynge Richarde had made in Irelande howe he brought to his obeysaunce foure kynges of that countray Cap. CC.ii. ¶ Of the ambassade that the kynge of Englande sent in to FrauÌ„ce to treate of the â—â—â—ryage bytwene the lady Isabell the Frenche kynges eldest doughter and hym selfe and of the louynge aunswere they hadde Cap. CC.iii ¶ Of a souper named Robert the 〈◊〉 howe he was sent to the treaties of the peace holden at Balyngham and howe he was after sente in to Englande to kynge Rycharde and his vncles Cap. CC.iiii ¶ Of the delyueraunce of the lorde de la Riuer and sir IohnÌ„ le Mercier and howe they were putte out of prisone Capi. CC.v ¶ Of the peace that was had bytwene the duke of Bretaynge and syr Olyuer of Clysson Cap. CC.vi. ¶ Howe the kynge of Hungery worte to the Frenche kynge the state of the great Turke and howe Iohan of Burgoyne eldest sonne to the duke of Burgoyne was chiefe heed of the armye that went thyder Fo .cc.lxiii. ¶ Howe the erle of Ostrenaunt enterprised to go in to Fryse Cap. cc.vii ¶ Of the iudgement made in the Parlyament for the quene of Naples agaynste sir Peter of Craon Cap. CC.ix. ¶ Of the conclusyon of the maryage taken at Parys bytwene the kynge of Englande and Isabell eldest doughter to the Frenche kynge and howe the duke of Lancastre remaryed Cap. CC.x. ¶ Howe the great turke desyred the soudan and many other kynges Sarasyns to ayde hym with men of warre to resyst agaynst the christen men and howe many valyaunt sarasyns Came to hym out of farre countreis Cap. CC.xi. ¶ Howe the lorde of Eoucy and other lordes of the christen men about a .xv. hundred speares disconfyted a fyue thousande Turkes durynge the the siege before Nicopoly Cap. CC.xii. ¶ Howe the peace bytwene Englande and Fraunce contynewed and of the maryage of the kyng of Englande with the doughter of Fraunce Cap. CC.xiii ¶ Howe the erle of Heynaulte and the Erle of Ostrenaunt his sonne made a great armye of men of armes knightes and squyets to go in to Fryse Cap. CC.xiiii ¶ Of the armye that the Frenche kyng sent in to Fryse in the ayde of his cosyns and the lorde Valeran erle of saynt Poule and the lorde Charles de la Brethe were capitayns Cap. CC.xv ¶ Howe the maryage of the kynge of Englande to the doughter of Fraunce was ordred and howe the Frenche kyng delyuered his doughter to the kynge of Englande in his tent bytwene Arde and Calais Cap. CC.xvi. ¶ Howe the siege before Nicopoly in Turkey was reysed by Lamorabaquy and how the Frenche men were discoÌ„fyted and howe the hungaryons fledde Cap. CC.xvii ¶ Of the pouertie and misery that the christen knightes of Fraunce and other nacions endured in the coÌ„mynge home to their countreis Cap. CC.xviii ¶ Howe the trewe tidynges of the batayle in Turkey was knowen in the Frenche kynges house Cap. CC.xix ¶ Howe the duchesse of Orlyaunce doughter to the duke of Myllayne was hadde in suspecte of the Frenche kynges syckenesse Capi. CC.xx. ¶ Howe the duke of Burgoyn the duches his wyfe tooke great dilygence to fynde the meanes to redeme out of prisone the Erle of Neuers their sâ—nne and the other prisoners beyng in Turkey Cap. CC.xxi ¶ Howe the Duke of Gloucestre subtelly sought out the meanes howe to distroy kynge Richarde of Englande his nephewe Cap. CC.xxii ¶ Howe the duke of Gloucestre was taken by the erle Marshall by the coÌ„maundement of the kynge Cap. CC.xxiii ¶ Howe the lordes of FrauÌ„ce retourned by see
Gaunte And moreouer we the sayd duke and duches praye and requyre oure welbeloued Aunte duchesse of Lusenbourcke and of Brabant and our right welbeloued brother the duke Iubert of Bauyer And also the aldermen coÌ„montie and counsayle of Gaunt And also we the duke duchesse of Burgoyne and our aldermen counsayle and coÌ„monties of Gaunt requyre and praye the barones and nobles of the countrey of Flaunders here after folowynge and to all good townes As Bruges Ipre the ferrouer of FraÌ„ke and the good townes of Malynes and Auuers That what for the well of the peace and knowledge of suretie of the foresaid thynges and of eche of them we desyre them to sette to their seales And we Iane by the grace of god duchesse of Lusenbourcke of Brabaunt and of Lancbourcke And we duke Aubert of Bauyere baylye and gouernour of the countrey of Heynaulte Hollande and zelande and of the seignorie of Frise And we Wyllyam eldest sonne of the erle of Namure lorde of Sluse And Hughe lorde daÌ„coyne Chateleyne of Gaunt And IohnÌ„ lorde of Guystelles and of Harues Henry de Bures lorde of Dysqueme we and of Haure Iohan lorde of Gonuseberge and of Ientoyse Arnolde of Iouste lorde of Estornay Philyppe lorde Daxalle Loyse of the Halse bastarde of Flaunders Gyrarde of Rasenhen lorde of Baserode Gaultier lorde of Halme Philyppe of Namure lorde of Eque IohnÌ„ Villayne lorde of saynt Iohans withoute the Chatcllayne of Ipre And Loyse lorde of Lambres knyght And we the borowe maysters and aldermen of Bruges and Ipre We Philyppe of Redehen Mountferant aldermen of MouÌ„tfranke and of Mountamare knight shyrife of terrouer of Franke for and in the name of the sayd Terrouer whiche hath no seale and the commons and counsayls of the townes of Malynes and Auuers Haue by the foresayd prayers and request for the welth of the peace And in wytnes of the trouthe and for more suretie of the sayd thynges and of eche of them we haue putte to the Seales of the sayd townes to this present treatie made at Tourney the eyghtene day of the moneth of Decembre in the yere of grace a thousande thre hundred fourscore and fyue AFter the makyng of these present letters and charters of peace and engrosed and Sealed they were publysshed and the duke had the one parte of them and the towne of Gaunt the other parte Than FrauÌ„ces Atreman the coÌ„mons of the towne of GauÌ„t beyng there toke their leaue humbly of the duke and of the duchesse and also of the lady of BrabaÌ„t Thankyng her a thousande tymes of her ayde and helpe in makynge of their peace and offred them selfe euer to be redy to do her seruyce The good lady thanked theÌ„ right swetely and exhorted them euer to kepe fermely the peace and so to styrre the people that they neuer rebell agaynst their lorde and lady So than euery body departed and went home to their owne The duke and duches retourned to Lyle and they of Gaunt returned to their towne Whan Peter de Boise sawe the sure confyrmacion of the peace and that all the people of Gaunt had great ioye therof and were in mynde and wyll neuer to rebell more nor to haue warr he was therof greatly abasshed and had dyuers ymaginacyons Wheder he shulde abyde stylle in Gaunte for all thynges was pardoned by the dukes charter sealed with his seale or elles to departe in to Englande with sir Iohan Bourchier and with the Englysshe men who apparelled them to go And all thynges consydred he thought in hym selfe that he coude nat trust this peace nor to abyde in Gaunte And whan Fraunces Atreman sawe that he wolde nat abyde he sayd to him Peter what thynke ye to do Why do ye feare ye knowe well that by this treatie sealed by the duke that for any thing that is past there shall neuer chalenge be made to you for that Than Peter answered sayd yea in letters written lyeth nat all true ê‘dons Some pardoneth well by mouthe and gyueth writyng therof but yet the hatered remayneth styll in their corages As for me I am a man of the towne of Gaunt of small reputacion and of base lynage to my power I haue susteyned the rightes lyberties fraÌ„cheses of the towne Thynke you that wtin this two or thre yere the people wyll remeÌ„bre it I feare nay There be great lygnages in the towne of Gylbert Mathewes and his bretherne They wyll retourne and they were enemyes to my mayster Iohan Leon gladly I wolde neuer se theym nor the parentes of sir Gylbert Brute nor of sir Symon Becte who were by me slayne wherfore in this case I can nat be sure of my lyfe And as for you Fraunces Atreman wyll you abyde amonge suche a sorte of treatours who haue so falsely broken their othe and promyse to the kynge of Englande I swere to you truely ye wyll repente it for it wyll coste you youre lyfe I can nat saye quod Fraunces but I truste so well in this peace and in the duke and duchesses promyse that I wyll ieoparde to abyde THan Peter de Boyse made a request to the aldermen and counsayle of the towne Sayeng Fayre lordes to my power I haue truely serued the towne of GauÌ„t and haue ben in many an harde aduenture in that be halfe And for all the good seruyce that I haue done In the name of rewarde I aske none other thynge but that I maye be sauely conducted with sir Iohan Bourchier whome ye sende in to Englande This is all that I demaunde And they all aunswered it shulde be done And as for sir Roger Emeryne and Iaques Dardenbourcke by whome this treatie was firste moued they were ryght gladde of his departure and so were dyuers other notable persones in Gaunt suche as loued the peace So thus Peter de Boyse departed frome Gaunte in the company of sir Iohan Bourchier and toke with hym all the substauÌ„ce that he hadde He was well furnysshed of golde syluer and ieowelles And sir Iohan Delle dyde conducte them vnder the dukes salue conducte to the towne of Calais and than the gauntoise retourned Sir Iohan Bourchier and Peter de Boyse as soone as they might they wente in to Englande and came to the kyng and to his vncles and shewed them the dedes of theym of Gaunte The kynge made Peter de Boyse good chere and so dyde the duke of Lancastre and his bretherne and gaue hym great thanke in that he was come to them and had abandoned theym of Gaunte to come in to Englande The kyng incontynent retaygned hym gaue hym an hundred marke sterlynge yerely to be payed out of the Staple of the wolles in London Thus Peter de Boyse abode styll in Englande and the good towne of Gaunt in peace And sir Roger Emeryn was made chefe alder man of the flete of Gaunt whiche was a good offyce and of great profyte whan the shyppes myght haue their course with marchaundyse And sir Iaques DardeÌ„bourc
all men that wolde do any wrong therto reseruyng all onely the frenche kynges persone Than he sette men of warr to watche the wayes and passages where as these robbers pyllars vsed to passe on a daye he toke slewe and drowned of them at Robeston in Tholousin mo than four huÌ„dred wherby he gate great grace and honoure of them of Tholous and of Carcassone of Besyers and Mountpellyer and of other good townes there about so that the renome ran in Fraunce howe they of Languedoke were tourned and had taken to their lorde the erle of Foyz And the duke of Berry who was souerayne there toke therat great displeasure and had therle of Foiz in great hate bycause he medled so farre in the busynesse of Fraunce and wherby he maynteyned them of Tholous styll in their rebellyon agaynst him Than he sente men of warre in to the countre but they were fiersly driuen backe agayne by the erles men so that wheder they wolde or no they were fayne to drawe backe orels they had loste more than they shulde haue wonne With this the duke of Berrey was sore displeased with the erle of Foiz he sayd Howe therle of Foiz was the most presumptuous proudest knight of all the worlde The duke as than coude suffre no good to be spoken of hym howe be it he made hym no warre for the erle of Foiz had alwayes his townes and castelles so well prouyded for that none durste entre in to his lande But whan the duke of Berry came in to Languedocke than he left his rule for he wolde thaÌ„ no lengar exercyse agaynste the duke but the displeasure rested styll after a certayne space But nowe shall I shewe you by what meanes the peace was norisshed bytwene them IT was a ten yere paste that the lady Ellyanour of Comynges as nowe couÌ„tesse of Bouloyne and nere cosyn to therle of Foiz and right enherytour to the countie of Comynges thoughe that the erle of Armynake hadde it in possession She came to Ortaise to therle of Foiz and brought with her a yonge doughter of thre yere of age Th erle her cosyn made her good chere and he demaunded her of her busynesseâ—and wheder she was goynge Sir quod she I am goynge in to Arragon to myne vncle and Aunte the erle of Vrgell and there I purpose to abyde For I haue great displeasure to abyde with my husbande sir Iohan of Boloyne for I thought he wolde haue recouered myne enherytaunce of Comynges fro the erle of Armynake who kepeth it fro me And he hath my suster in prisone and he wyll do no thyng in the mater He is so softe a knight that he wyll do nothynge but take his ease and eate and drinke and to spende that he hath folysshlye and I thynke whan he is erle he wyll take his pleasure more Therfore I wyll no lengar abyde with hym and I haue brought with me my doughter whom I wyll delyuer in to your handes prayenge you to kepe and to norisshe her vp for I trust by reason of her lygnage ye wyll nat fayle thus to do for I haue hoope in you that ye wyll kepe her I had moche payne to gette her awaye out of the countrey and out of the handes of my husbande her father But bycause I take theÌ„ of Armynake myne aduersaries and yoursâ— who wolde gladly steale my doughter awaye bycause she is enherytour of Comynges therfore I haue brought her vnto you Wherfore sir I requyre you fayle me nat at this busynesse And I am sure her father my husbande whan he knoweth that I haue lefte her with you he wyll be right ioyfull â–ª For he hath sayd often tymes to me that this his doughter shulde put hym to great doute And whan the erle had well herde the wordes of the lady Elyanour his cosyn he was right ioyfull And ymagined in him selfe howe that childe after shuld do hym some pleasure as by the meanes of her mother to haue a ferme peace with his enemyes or els to marry her in so highe a place that his ennemyes shulde doute hym therby Than he answered the lady and said Madame and cosyn all that ye desyre I shall do it with right a good wyl for I am bounde therto by lynage and as for your doughter my cosyn I shall kepe her as well as though she were myne owne proper chylde Sir quod she I thanke you Thus the yong doughter of Bouloyne abode with the erle of Foiz at Ortaise and she neuer departed thens sithe and the lady her mother went to Arragon She hath been sithe ones or twyse tose her doughter but she neuer desyred to haue her agayne for therle kepte her as well as if she were his owne chylde And to the purpose as to the meane of the peace that I shewed you the erle ymagined to gette by her the loue agayne of the duke of Berrey And as nowe at this present tyme the duke of Berry hath gret desyre to be marryed and I thynke by that I herde at Auygnon by the Pope who is cosyn germayne to the ladyes father He shewed me howe the duke of Berrey desyreth to haue her in maryage Ah saynt Mary sir quod I howe your wordê be to me right agreable for it hath done me great pleasure all that euer ye haue shewed me whiche shall nat be loste for it shall be putte in remeÌ„braunce and cronycled if god wyll sende me the grace to retourne to the towne of ValenceÌ„nes where as I was borne But sir I am sore displeased of one thynge What is that ê™ he I shall shewe you By my faithe that so hyghe and valyant a prince as the Erle of Foiz is shulde be without laufull issue sir quod the knight if he had one as ones he had he shulde be the most ioyouse prince of the worlde and so wolde be all the couÌ„tre Why sir than quod I is his lande than withoute an heyre Nay sir ê™ he the Vycount of the castell Bone his cosyn germayne is his heyre Is he a valyant man in armes quod I Nay be my faythe sir quod he and therfore the Erle loueth hym nat and thynketh to make his two bastarde soÌ„nes who be right valyant his heyres thynketh to marry them in an highe lygnage for he hath golde and syluer ynough wherby he thynketh to gette theym wyues suche as shall ayde and conforte them Sir quod I it maye well be Howe be it the thyng is nat reasonable that bastardes shulde be made herytours of landes Wherfore nat sir quod he if there lacke good heyres Se you nat howe the spaynierdes haue crowned Henry a bastarde to be kyng and also they of Portyngale crowned a bastarde to their kynge It hath been sene in the worlde in dyuers realmes that bastardes by force hathe reygned Was nat Wyllyam Conquerour bastarde sonne to a duke of Normandy who conquered all Englande and was kynge there so that all the kynges syth are
of Englande dukes erles barons and counsayle of the good townes Than it was sayde to hym Sir Symon ye haue alwayes ben a notable knight in the realme of EnglaÌ„de and ye were well beloued with my lorde the prince And ye and the duke of Irelande haue had in a maner the gouernynge of the kyng We haue sene all your maters and well examyned them the whiche be nother good nor faire which gretly displeaseth vs for your owne sake It is clerely determynyd by the hole generall counsayle that ye must go to prison in to the towre of London there to remayne tyll ye haue brought into this chambre the money of the kynges and of the realmes that ye haue gathered the whiche as it apereth by the treasourers rolles draweth to the some of two hundred and fyfty thousande frankes Nowe loke what ye wyll say Than syr Symon was halfe discomforted and said Sirs I shall with a good wyll And also it behoueth me so to do to fulfyll yoâ— coÌ„maundement I shall go where as ye commaunde me But my lordes I require you let me haue a clerke assigned to me that he maye write all suche expenses as I haue layde oute in tyme past in Almayne in Beame in procurynge the kinges maryage And if there be any reast I beseche you let me haue the kynges grace and yours that I may haue reasonable dayes to pay it Sir quod the lordes we are content Thus syr Symon Burle was in prison in the towre of London THan the constable spake of ser Willyam Helmon and of sir Thomas Tryuet for they were nat greatly in the fauour of some of the barones of Englande nor of the commontie of the realme for the vyage that they made in to Flaunders For it was sayd that neuer Englysshmen made so shamefull a vyage The bysshoppe of Norwyche and sir Hughe Caurell that was as than capitayne of Calais were excused layde to the others charge howe they hadde taken money for the gyueng vp of Burbourcke and Grauelyng Some sayd that that dede was trayson they were sent for and sir Wylliam Helmon came but sir Thomas Tryuer was excused I shall shewe you howe ¶ The same weke that he was sente for beyng in his owne house in the Northe ê‘te he rode out into the feldes vpon a yonge horse that he hadde and spurred hym so that the horse ranne awaye with hym ouer busshes and hedges and at laste fell in a dyke and brake his necke and so sir Thomas Triuet dyed whiche was great doÌ„mage and his dethe was greatlye complayned with many good menne of the realme yet for all that his heyres were fayne to paye a certayne somme of Floreyns to the Counsayle to the kynges behoue as they sayde But the chiefe encytyng of those maters came by the kynges vncles and by the generall counsayle of the couÌ„trey as it appered after in Englande For of trouthe thoughe the duke of Gloucestre was the yongest brother in age yet he was moost auncyent in the busynesse of the realme for he drewe to that opinyon that moost of the noble menne and prelates and the commons helde Whan that sir ThemÌ„s Tryuettes coÌ„posicion was made after his dethe by the maner as ye haue herde here before therby the penauÌ„ce of sir Wylliam Helmon was greatly asswaged He entred with the counsayle and by the meanes of the valyantnesse of his body and the good seruyce that he had done dyuers tymes for Englande as well in Bourdeloyes as in Guyen and in Picardye where he was alwayes proued a good knight There was nothynge layde to his reproche but takynge of the money for the delyuerauÌ„ce of Burborcke and Grauelynge Than he excused hymselfe with fayre and swete wordes and made dyuers reasonable reasons sayd My lordes who so euer were in lyke case as we were in that tyme in the garyson of Bourburke I thynke wolde do as we dyd I haue herde sir IohnÌ„ Chandos and sir Gaultier of Manny say dyuers tymes who were right wyse and of gret valure Howe that a man ought of two or iii. wayes chose the best waye and wherby most to endomage his enemyes And thus sir Thomas Tryuet and I beyng in the garysons of Bourburke and Grauelyng and sawe howe we were enclosed on all parties and no conforte aperyng to vs from any parte And parceyued well howe we coulde nat endure many assautes for they that laye about vs were as chosen men of armes as euer I sawe or I trowe any other Englysshemenne For as I knewe iustely by the reporte of our harraude they were at leest a syxtene thousande men of armes knyghtes and squyers and a .xl. thousande of other And we were nat paste a thre hundred speares and as many archers And also our garysone was of suche cyrcuyte that we coude nat enteÌ„de on euery place And that we well ê‘ceyued by an assaut that was made vs on a daye For whyle we were at oure defence on the one parte they caste in fyre on the other parte wherby we were gretly abasshed and that our ennemyes right well parceyued And therfore to saye the trouthe the Frenche kyng and his counsaile wrought by great geÌ„tylnesse seyng the case that we were in to gyue vs trewse For if they had gyuen vs another assaute the nexte daye as they were ordayned to do I thynke they hadde taken vs at their pleasure yet for all this they courtesly treated with vs by the meanes of the duke of Bretayne who tooke great payne in that mater And where as we shulde haue gyuen theym money for our raunsommes if we hadde ben taken as it was lykely they gaue vs money wherby we dyde them dommage and it was in them to haue endomaged vs. We thought we conquered greatly on them whan we had of their money and departed oure selfe safe and withoute trouble and hadde with vs all that we had won in all the warre tyme on the fronters of FlauÌ„ders And my lordes besyde that to pourge me of all blame if there be any ê‘sone in Englande or without knight or Esquyer Except the ê‘sons of my lordes the dukes of LaÌ„castre yorke Glocester that wyll saye and abyde therby that I haue done any vntrouthe to the kynge my naturall lorde or accuse me of any trayson I am here redye to receyue his gauge and to putte my body in aduenture by dedes of armes to proue the coÌ„trarye as the Iudge therto assigned shall ordayne These wordes and suche other and the valyauntnesse of the knighte excused hym greatlye and saued hym frome the parell of dethe And afterwarde he retourned agayne in to his fourmer estate and was after that a ryght valyaunt knyght and auaunsed in to the kynges Counsayle But as at that tyme sir Symon Burle was nat delyuered out of prisone for the kynges vncles hated hym gretlye and soo dyde all the commontie of Englande The kyâ—ge dyde all that he myght to haue hadde hym delyuered all the
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
and passed this transitory lyfe The next day whan it was knowen that the erle of Armynake was deed in Alexaunder in his bedde syr Iaques of Bierne wolde nat that his dethe shulde be vnknowen but caused it to be publysshed in the hoost by suche prisoners as he had to se what his enemyes wolde do They of the host were sore dyscomfyted as they well shewed for as than they had no capitayne to drawe vnto for they were but companyons gadred of all partes Than they sayd let vs returne and saue our selfe for we haue lost our tyme. Anon it was knowen in the Cytie howe the armynois were discōfyted and had no capytayne than they armed them and issued out a horsebacke and a foote and set on the hoost cryenge Pauy for the lorde of Myllayne There they were taken and slayne without defence The conquest and botye was great with the companyons that were come thyder with syr Iaques of Bierne the Armynage is yelded them selfe without defence and cast away armure and sledde and were chased lyke beastes Lo what a harde aduenture therle of Armynake and his company bad and where as his entente was to do well it tourned hym to great yuell If he had lyued fyue dayes lenger syr Iohan Acton had come to hym with fyue hundred speares and a thousande brigandyns a foote wherby he myght haue done many feates of armes and all lost by harde aduenture WHan the duke of Myllayn knewe the trouth that his enemyes were slayne and taken and specyally the erle of Armynake slayne he was ioyfull therof and loued syr Iaques de Bierne the better in his herte and made hym soueraygne ouer all his chyualry and made him chefe of his coūsayle The duke of Myllayne to auoyde his countrey of his enemyes gaue to euery prysoner that was a gentylman a horse and to euery other man a florayne and quyted them clene of their raunsomes but at their departynge he caused them to swere that they shulde neuer after arme them agaynst hym Thus these companions departed out of Lombardy and Piemount and entred in to Sauoy and in to the dolpheny and had suche pouertie that it was marueyle for as they passed euery towne was closed agaynst theym Anone euery man had spent his florayn some had pytie of them and dyd gyue them almes for charite and some rebuked and mocked them sayenge Go your wayes seke out your erle of Armynake who is drinkynge at a well before Alexaundre yet they were in more myschiefe whan they came to the ryuer of Rone they had thought lightly to haue passed ouer in to the realme of Fraūce but they dyd nat for the frenche kynge hadde cōmaunded all the passages to be closed and kept agaynst them wherby they fell in great daunger and pouertie After that they coulde neuer assemble togyther agayne Thus the yonge erle of Armynakes army brake a sonder his suster abode styll in as yuell case as she was in before Than the duke of Myllayne sent for a bysshop of his coūtrey and for suche as were most next to the erle of Armynake as had ben there with hym at that iourney and the duke cōmaunded that therles body shulde be baumed and sente to his brother syr Barnarde who was ryght sorowfull of those tydynges and good cause why but there was no remedy Than the erle of Armynake was buryed in the cathedrall churche of Rodays and there he lyeth IT ought to be knowen as it hath ben contayned here before in this history how syr Thomas Percy was sent by kyng Rycharde of Englande in to the realme of Fraūce and shewed well howe he had gret affectyon to haue a ferme peace bytwene Englande and Fraunce and specyally two of the kynge of Englandes vncles as the duke of Lancastre and the duke Edmonde of yorke but the kynges other vncle the duke of Glocestre and constable of Englande wolde in no wyse acorde to haue any peace with the french men without it were to the kynges honoure and theirs and that there myght be rendred agayne all suche cyties townes castels landes and sygnories whiche had been gyuen to the kynge of Englande and to his heyres whiche falsely had ben taken away by the frenchmen without tytell or reasone and besyde that the sōme of four thousande frankes whiche was owyng whan the frenchmen began the warre agayne And of this opynyon was dyuers lordes of Englande sayenge that to the dethe they wolde iustifye the same Many sayd that the duke of Glocestre had good ryght and reason to sustayne that opinyon but they dissymuled the mater couertely bycause they sawe the kynges mynde and affection enclyned greatly to haue peace But the poore knightes and squyers and archers of England rather enclyned to haue warre suche as had susteyned there estates by reason of the warre Consydre well than howe peace loue or acorde might be had bytwene these parties for the frenche men in their treatie demaunded to haue Ealays beaten downe to haue the sygnorie of Guysnes Hammes Marke and Dye all the landes of Froyton and the dependantes of Guysnes vnto the lymyttes of the water of Grauelyng and the frenche kynge offred to delyuer to the crowne of Englāde as moch landes in values in Acquytayn against whiche artycle that duke of Gloucestre helde and said The frenchmen wyll paye vs with our owne for they knowe well ynough howe we haue charters sealed by kynge Iohan all his chyldren that all hole Acquytayn shulde haue been delyuered to vs without any resorte or soueraynte to any man and all that euer they haue doone sythe hath ben by fraude and false engyn and nyght and day entende to no other thyng but to disceyue vs for if Calays and suche landes as they demaunde were delyuered in to their handes they shulde be lordes of all the see coste and than all our conquestes were as nothynge I shall rather neuer agree to peace as long as I lyue ⸫ ⸫ ¶ How syr Peter of Craon fell in the french kynges displeasure and in the duke of Thourayns after he was receyued by the duke of Bretayne Cap. C.lxxviii IN this said seasō there was a knyght of Fraunce of the countrey of Aniou a gentle knight and of noble extraction called syr Pyer of Craon marucylously well beloued and specially with the duke of Thourayne for aboute the duke no thynge was doone but by hym Also this knyght helde a gret astate about the duke of Aniou who was called kynge of Naples Cicyll Iherusalem and also he was ryche Asclaunder was brought vp on hym through the realme of Fraūce howe he had robbed the yonge kynge of Cycyll duke of Aniou for the whiche brute the sayd sir Peter absented him selfe fro the yonge kynge and fro his mather who had ben wyfe to the olde duke of Aniou howe be it he delte so that he was welbeloued with the frenche kynge and with his brother the duke of Thourayne Also the same
no man ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue spekyng of hym and speke of other busynesse as the mater requyreth ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe the king of Englande gaue to the duke of Lancastre and to his heyres for euer the duchy of Acquytayne and howe the kyng prepared to go in to Irelande and the duke in to Acquytayne Cap. C.xcviii YE haue herde here before in this hystorie howe Trewce was taken bytwene Englande and Fraunce and there adhereÌ„ces and alyes bothe by see and by lande For all that yet there were robbers and pyllers in Languedocke whiche were straungers and of farre countreis As of Gascoyne of Bierne and of Almaygne And amonge other sir Iohan of Grayle bastarde sonne somtyme of the Captall of Beuses a yonge and an experte knyght was capitayne of the stronge castell of Bouteuyll These capitayns of the garysons in Bigore and marchynge on the realme of Arragone and on the fronters of Xaynton and in the marchesse of Rochell and of the garyson of Mortaygne were sore displeased that they myght natte ouer rynne to countrey as they were accustomed to do For they were straitlye commaunded on payne of greuous punysshment to do nothyng that shulde souÌ„de to the reproche of the peace IN this season it was agreed in Englande consyderynge that the kynge was yonge and that he hadde peace with all his ennemyes farre and nere excepte with Irelande For he claymed that lande of enherytauÌ„ce and his predecessours before him and was written kyng and lorde of Irelande And kynge Edwarde graunfather to kynge Rycharde made all wayes warre with the Irysshe men And to the entente that the yonge knyghtes and squyers of Englande shulde enploye them selfe in dedes of armes and therby to augment and encrease the honour of the realme It was concluded that kynge Rycharde of Englande shulde make thyder a voyage with puyssauÌ„ce of menne of warre And so to entre in to Irelande and nat to retourne agayne without they hadde an honourable composycion or conclusyon The same season it was concluded that the duke of Lancastre who had greatlye traueyled bothe by See and by lande for the augmentacyon and honour of the reralme of Englande shulde make another voyage with fyue hundred menne of armes and a thousande archers and to take shyppynge at Hampton or at Plommouthe and so to sayle to Guyane and to Acquitaygne And it was the entencyon of kynge Rycharde and by consent of all his counsayle that the duke of Lancastre shulde haue for euer to hym and to his heyres all the countrey of Acquitayne with the purtenaunces as kyng Edwarde his father had or any other kyngê or dukes of Acquitayne before tyme had holden optayned And as kyng Rycharde at that tyme had reserued always the homage that he shulde do to the kynge of Englande to any kynges to come after But as for all the obeysauÌ„ces rentes lordshypes and reuenewes shulde parteygne to the duke of LaÌ„castre and to his heyres for euer Of this the kyng made to hym a clere graunt confyrmed it vnder his writyng seale With this gyfte the duke of LaÌ„castre was well coÌ„tent good cause why For in that Duchy are landes and countreis for a great lorde to maynteygne his estate with all The Charter of this gyfte was engrosed and dewly examyned and paste by great delyberacyon and good aduyse of counsayle Beynge present the kynge and his two vncles the dukes of yorke and the duke of Gloucestre The erle of Salisbury the erle of Arundell the erle of Derby sonne to the duke of Lancastre And also therle Marshall erle of Rutlande the erle of NorthuÌ„berlande the erle of Nottyngham the lorde Thomas Percy the lorde Spensar the lorde Beamonde the lorde Willyam of Arundell The archebysshoppe of Caunterbury and the archebysshoppe of yorke and the bysshoppe of London and other all these were presente and dyuers othe Prelates and barownes of Englande Thanne the duke of Lancastre purposed to make his prouisyon to passe the See to go in to Acquitayne to enioye the gyfte that the kyng hadde gyuen hym In lykewise great prouisyon was made for the kynges voyage in to Irelande and lordes and other were apoynted suche as shulde passe the See with the kyng had warnyng to make theÌ„ redy ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the dethe of Quene Anne of Englande wyfe to kynge Richarde doughter to the kynge of Boesme Emperour of Almaygne Capi. C.xcix THus as I haue shewed great preparacyons was made at the portes and hauyns where as the kynge shulde take shyppepynge for to go in to Irelande And in lykewyse there as the duke of Lancastre shulde passe to go in to Acquitayne Their voyage was lette and taryed the space of two monethes lengar than it shulde haue ben and I shall tell you why THe same season that all these preparacyons was made the Quene named Anne tooke a sickenesse wherby the kynge and all his lordes were ryght sore troubled for she was so sore sicke that she passed out of this worlde at the feest of Penthecost the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and fourtene of whose dethe the kynge and all that loued her ladyes and damoselles were sore troubled and in great heuynesse She was buryed at Poules in London and her obseâ—es done after at good leysar for the king wolde haue it done sumptuously with great habuÌ„daunce of waxe tapers and torches so that the lyke hadde nat ben sene before The kynge wolde haue it so bycause she was the Emperours doughter of Rome and kyng of Almaygne The kynge loued her so entierly They were maryed yonge howe be it she dyed without issue Thus in one season the kynge the duke of Lancastre and the erle of Derby were wydowers And there was no spekynge of remaryeng nor the kyng wolde here no spekynge therof Thus the kynges voyage in to Irelande was somwhat retarded let howe be it the prouisyon and other lordes suche as shulde go with the kynge passed ouer the see and landed at Duuelyn whiche was alwayes Englysshe and there is an archebisshoppe who was with the kynge And anone after Mydsomer the kynge departed fro the marchesse of London and toke the waye throughe Wales huntyng and sportynge hym to forgette the dethe of his quene and suche as shulde go with the kynge sette forwarde Two of the kynges vncles Edmonde duke of yorke and Thomas duke of Gloucestre constable of Englande sette forwarde in great arraye so dyde other lordes as the erle of Rutlande sonne to the duke of yorke the erle marshall erle of Salisbury the erle of Arundell the lorde Wyllyam of Arundell the erle of Northumberlande lorde Percy lorde ThomÌ„s Percy his brother great Seneschall of Englande the erles of Deuonshyre and Notyngham and great nombre of other knightes and squiers Suche reserued as abode behynde to kepe the marchesse agaynst the scottes who were suche people as neuer kepte no truce nor promyse The lorde Iohan of Hollande erle of
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
mountante to the soÌ„me of thyrty thousande pounde besyde the towne of ValenceÌ„nes who in lyke wyse dyd their deuoyre and also in the towne of Monts These thynges thus concluded the valyaunt princes the good duke Auberte and Giullyam his sonne erle of Ostrenant seynge the good wylles of his men was ryght ioyfull whiche was no meruayle for he sawe well that he was well beloued with his subgiettes and shulde be well fournysshed with money Than he had couÌ„sayle to sende to the frenche kyng and to shewe him the enterprise of his voyage and to desyre ayde of hym and thyder was sent two valyaunt and wyse men that is to saye the lorde Lygne and the lorde of Ieumont who were two ryght valyaunt knyghtes and well beloued with the frenche men and specyally the lorde Lygne the kyng had made hym one of his chamberlayns and had hym in good fauoure he spake with the kynge and shewed hym the dukes entent and request to the whiche the kynge and his counsayle fauourably agreed specyally the duke of Burgoyner bycause his doughter was maryed to therle of OstrenaÌ„t wherby he thought that in tyme to come after it shulde be to their profyte and to their heyres howe be it many great lordes and other spake of this iourney in dyuers maners Some sayd to what purpose dothe these heyno wayes desyre the kyng of ayde they haue ben in Englande sought for ayde there Hath nat the erle of Haynalt of late taken on hym the blewe garter to tye his legge withall which is the ordre in Englande it semyth therby he hath no great affectyon to Fraunce Than other that were ryght wyse answered and sayd Syr ye do wronge to say thus though the erle of Ostrenant haue taken the ordre of the garter yet for all that he is nat alyed with the englysshe men but he is fermly alyed with Fraunce Hath nat he in maryage the lady Katheryne doughter to the duke of Burgoyne whiche is a farre greater alyauÌ„ce than is a garter therfore neuer say but that he wyll loue and do pleasure to Fraunce by reason of his maryage rather than to Englande for yâ— garter wherfore the kinge shall do right honourably to ayde hym Thus the frenche men deuysed amonge them selfe and spake in dyuers maners both of that iourney and also of the iourney in to Hungery and in to Turkey agaynst Lamorabaquy and the turkes ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the army that the french kyng sente in to Frese in the ayde of his cosyns and the lorde Valeran Erle of saynt Powle and the lorde Charles de la Brete were capytaynes Cap. CC.xv THe frenche kynge assembled an armye of fyue huÌ„dred speares as well of pycardes as of frenchmen and made capytayns ouer theÌ„ the lorde Valeran erle of saynt Powle the lorde Charles de la Bret who were valyauÌ„t knyghtes and well expert in armes and they were apoynted to leade this company to the towne of Encuse in base Frese wheâ— as the assemble shulde mete and there to take the see to entre in to high Frese as they dyd Whan these two knightes the lorde Lygne and Iumont sawe the kynges good wyll and that these men of warre were dyspatched their wages payed they came to the kynge and thanked him and toke their leaue and retourned in to Heynalt to their lorde the duke Aubert and to the lorde Gillyam his sonne to whome they were right welcome for they had well sped There they shewed the good answere and good chere that they had with gyftes of great presentes whan duke Auberte knewe that the Frenche kynge had sente hym fyue hundred speares than he assembled all his noble men knyghtes squyers and other of Haynalt as the lorde of Vertayne seneschall of Haynalte who was a valyaunt man and greatly renomed in armes the lordes of Lygne and Comygnes who was made marshall and the lordes of Haureth of Nychelet of Lalyne of Hordayne of Chyne of Cantan of Quesnoy of Fleron and IohnÌ„ his brother the lordes of Bouset and of Ieumont who were fresshe knightes on their enemyes also there was Robertle Rour and the lordes of MoÌ„thâ—aulr of FouÌ„tayns of Seuls and of Sars William of Hermes Pynchart his brother the lordes of Lens of verlamont of Ausealr of Trascigmes Octes Seausâ—es Gyrarde his brother the lorde Dyctre and Iohan his brother Bridaulx of Montaguy Damaulx de la powle and Guy his brother the lorde of Mastynge syr Floridas of Villyers who was a valyaunt man and had doone many dedes of armes amonge the turkes and sarazins and sir Eustace of Vertayn Fierebras of Vertayne who was newly come out of Englande syr Rase of Montiquy the lorde of Rorsyn sir Iohan Dandrâ—gntes and Persant his brother dyuers other knightes and squiers All these he assembled at Monts and desyred them to go with hym and euery man to bringe with hym company acordynge to their degrees and that they wolde auaunce them to the towne of Encuse in base frese and theraboute and so to go with hym by seem to hygh Frese about the myddes of August next after there he sayd he wolde â—ary for them for he wolde go thyder before to moue the holanders and zelanders to serue hym in lyke maner Than these sayd knyghtes and esquyers of Haynalt without any contradictyon acorded to his desyre promysinge to do hym seruyce as his trewe subgiettes whiche they fulfylled in dede and dyligently prepared for the same so that by the begynnyng of the moneth of August in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and syxtene they were all redy aparelled and assembled by companies at Anners there to take the water and fro thence to Encuse where the hole assemble shulde mete ¶ Nowe whyle this assemble was thus made in Haynalte it were to be demaunded if the ladyes and gentle women and other were ioyouse of this iourney We ought to say naye for than they sawe their fathers their bretherne their vncles their husbandes and their louers and frendes departe to that peryllous warre for some of them knewe well howe that in tyme paste the haynoways wente with their lorde in to Frese and neuer retourned agayne wherfore they feared leste it shulde hap so than to these as it dyd on their predecessours The duchesse of Brabant had defended all men in the countrey of Brabant no man to be so hardy to go oute of the countrey in that iourney The ladyes and gentlewomen of Haynalt desyred often tymes their frendes and louers to leaue that iourney but they coulde nat lette the mater howe be it they were sore displeased in their myndes with the basterde of Vertayne Fierebrase for they said he was one of the chyefe setters on of that busynesse Thus after that the duke Aubert and Guillyam his sonne had herde the aunswere of his men of Haynalte than he went in to zelande shewynge them his busynesse and they assented to his request by the chiefe settynge on of
pope Clement yet he had neuer ferme beleue on hym But the prelates of the realme of Fraunce and specially Guy of Roy archebysshoppe of Reyns the archebysshoppes of Sens and of Roen and the bysshoppe of Ostune they had brought the duke to beleue on pope Clement ThanÌ„e it was aduysed by the kynges secrete couÌ„sayle that if they purposed to bringe the Churche to rest and peace to haue the accorde of Almayne Than was there sente suffycient ambassadours and clerkes of bothe lawes as maister Philyppe of Playes was one in to Almayne to the kyng of Boesme and of Almayne who wrote hym selfe kyng of Romayns This mater went so forwarde that a day was sette that the kyng of Almayne and his counsaile and the FreÌ„che kyng and his couÌ„sayle shulde mete ê‘sonally at the cyte of Reynes This mater was done secretely bicause the prelates cardynalles archebysshoppes and bysshoppes shulde nat breke their purpose that they were about They made it be noysed that the metyng of these two kynges and their counsayls at Reynes was for non other purpose but to treate for a maryage to be had bytwene the sonne of the marques of Blanquebourge brother to the kyng of Almayne and the doughter of the duke of Orlyaunce And so by reason and vnder colour of that mater they wolde common of other In this same seasone dyed at Nesues in Heynaulte the lorde Guye of Chastellone erle of Bloyes and brought to ValenceÌ„nes and buryed at saynt Fraunces in the Freres mynours in a chapell called the Chapell of Orthais he had done moche coste in the closynge of the sayd Freres and whan he dyed he was so in dette that the countesse Mary of Namure forsoke al his goodes and durst nat take on her the admynistracyon of his testament but retourned to her dowrie of the lande of Chinay and of Beaumonde his other herytages went to the heyres The duke of Orlyaunce hadde the countie of Blois for he had payed whyle the erle Guye lyued two hundred thousande crownes of FrauÌ„ce and the landes of Hollande zelande Heynaulte wente to the duke Aubert of Bauyere erle of Heynaulte And the lande of Dauesnes of Landrecier and of Lonnon in terreasse fell to Iohan of Bloyes called IohnÌ„ of Bretaygne And if the erle had nat solde the countie of Blois the sayd Iohan of Bretaygne shulde haue been his heyre therof Consydre what a doÌ„mage a lorde or any other may do to his heyre by gyueng credeÌ„ce to yuell counsayle god forgyue hym ¶ Nowe lette vs retourne to the busynesse of Englande ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the dethe of the duke of Gloucestre and of the exle of AruÌ„dell and howe the kynges vncles and the londoners toke the mater Capi. CC.xxvi YE haue herde here before of the couert hates that was bytwene kynge Rycharde of Englande and his vncle Thomas duke of Gloucestre whiche the kynge wolde beare no lengar but sayd and also was counsayled rather to distroye another man than hymselfe And ye haue herde howe the kyng was at Plasshey by crafte and coloure brought hym out of his owne house to London And by the waye about .x. or a .xi. of the cloke in the nyght therle marshall arested hym in the kynges name And for all that he cryed after the Kynge yet the kynge made a deafe eare and rode on before and so the same nyght the kynge laye at the towre of London but the duke of Gloucecestre was otherwise lodged For byforce he was put in to a Barge and out of the barge in to a shyppe that laye in the Thamise and the erle marshall with hym and all his company And dyde so moche that the nexte day by night they came to Calais without knoledge of any man excepte the kynges offycers of the sayd towne yE maye well knowe whanÌ„e the takynge of the duke was knowen at Plaâ—hey by the duchesse and her chyldren they were sore troubled and abasshed and thought well that the matter went nat well The duchesse demaunded couÌ„saile what was best to do of sir Iohan Laquyham The knight answered that it was best to sende to his bretherne the dukes of Lancastre and of yorke that they myght fynde some meanes to apeace the kynges dyspleasure For he sayde he thought that the kyng wolde nat displease them The duchesse dyd as the knyght counsayled her and she sente incontynent messangers to these two dukes who were farre a sondre who whanne they herde therof were sored displeased and sente worde agayne to the duchesse that she shuld be of good coÌ„forte For they sayd they knew well the kyng wolde nat entreat hym but by laufull iudgement for otherwise they coude nat suffre it but as thanne they knewe natte where he was The Duchesse and her chyldren were somwhat conforted with their answere The kynge the nexte daye wente fro the towre of London to Eltham and there taryed The same night was brought to the towre of London as prisoners the erle of Arundell and the Erle of Warwyke wherof they of the cytie of London had great marueyle and made therof great murmurynge but none durst saye nay agaynst the kynges pleasure But all maner of people knightes squyers burgesses of good cyties townes of EnglaÌ„de said We haue very well suffred the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke bretherne to the duke of Gloucestre They maye prouyde for this whanne it please theÌ„ We thynke they wolde well haue prouyded for the mater if that they hadde knowen the kynges entent agaynst their brother of Glocestre but bycause they were nat dilygent in the cause the matter is come yuell and lyke to haue an yuell conclusyon WHan the duke of Glocestre was brought to the castell of Calys than he feared hym selfe greatlye said to the erle Marshall For what cause am I brought out of Englande hyder to Calais Me thynke ye holde me as a prisoner Lette me go abrode and se the fortresse aboute Sir quod the marshall that ye desyre I dare nat do it for I haue the charge vpon you on payne of my lyfe The kynge my soueraygne lorde is a lytell myscontente with you Wherfore ye muste take pacyence here for a seasone tyll I here other newes and that shal be shortely by goddes grace For sir as helpe me God I am right sorie for your trouble if I myght remedy it But sir ye knowe well I am sworne to the kynge wherfore I must obey and so wyll I do for sauynge of myne honoure The duke coude haue none other aunswere But by that he sawe he feared greatly his lyfe And on a daye he desyred a preest that sange masse before hym that he myght be coÌ„fessed And so he was at good leysar before the sacrament with deuout herte and cryed God mercy and was sore repentaunt of all his synnes And in dede it was tyme so for hym so to do for his dethe was nerer to hym than he was ware of For as I was enfourmed whan
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
quod the kyng why shulde they nat We wyll se their dedes of armes Paraduenture we shall knowe therby that we knowe nat as yet shulde be right necessary to knowe to the entente we shulde prouyde for it For there is none so great in Englande but if he displease me I shall cause hym to make me amendes For if I shulde any thynge submytte me to my subiettes they wolde soone ouercome me And I knowe for certaygne that some of theym of my blode haue hadde dyuers treatyse toguyder agaynste me and myne estate and the moost princypall of theÌ„ was the duke of Gloucestre For in all Englande was natte a worse hedde agaynst me than he was Nowe I shall haue peace fro hense forwarde for I shall do well ynough with all the other But sirs I praye you shewe me why ye make this demauÌ„de to me Sir quod they we are bounde to counsayle you And sir we often tymes here wordes spoken that ye canne nat here For sir ye be in youre chambre and we abrode in the couÌ„trey or in London where many thynges be spoken whiche greatlye toucheth you and vs also Sir it were tyme to prouyde remedye and so ye muste do Sir we counsayle you for the best Howe so quod the Kynge Speke further and spare natte for I wyll do euery thynge parteynyng to reason and minyster Iustyce in my realme Sir quod they the renoume ronneth through out Englande and specially in the cytie of London whiche is the soueraygne cytie of youre Realme They saye ye are cause of this enterprice bytwene these two lordes and that ye haue sette the erle Marshall to fyght with the erle of Derby THe Londoners and dyuers other noble men and prelates of the realme saye Howe ye take the ryght waye to distroye your lygnage and the realme of Englande Whiche thynge they saye they wyll natte suffre And if the Londoners rise agaynste you with suche noble men as wyll take their parte ye shall be of no puyssauÌ„ce to resyst theym And also they haue you in a marueylous suspecte bycause ye be alyed by maryage with the Frenche kynge wherby ye be the worse beloued of all youre people And sir knowe for certayne that if ye suffre these two Erles to come in to the place to do batayle ye shall nat be lorde of the felde but the Londoners and suche lordes of their ê‘te wyll rule the felde for the loue and fauoure that they beare to the erle of Derby and the erle Marshall is soore hated and specially the Londouers wolde he were slayne And thre partes of the people of Englande saye that whan ye harde that wordes fyrst bytwene these two erles that ye shulde haue done otherwyse than ye dyd and that ye shulde haue broken the quarell and haue sayd Sirs ye are bothe my cosyns and lyegmen therfore I commaunde you to kepe the peace fro hens forthe And shulde haue taken the Erle of Derby by the hande and haue ledde hym in to youre chambre and haue shewed hym some signe of loue And bycause ye dyde nat thus the brute ronneth that ye beare fauour to the erle Marshalles partie and are agaynst the erle of Derby Sir consyder well these wordes that we shewe you for they be trewe Sir ye had neuer more nede of good counsayle than ye haue nowe Whan the kynge herde these wordes he chaunged countynauÌ„ce the wordes were so quickely spoken Therwith the kynge tourned fro them and leaned out at a wyndowe and studyed a certayne space and than he tourned agayne to them that had spoken to hym who were the archebysshoppe of yorke and the Erles of Salisbury of Huntingdon his bretherne and thre other knightes of his chambre than he sayde to them Sirs I haue well herde you and if I shulde refuce your counsayle I were greatly to blame Wherfore sirs consyder what is beste for me to do Sir quod one of theym that spake for all The matter that we haue spoken of is ryght peryllous ye muste dissymule the mater if ye wyll haue youre honour saued and to make peace And sir ye ought rather to entertayne the generaltie of your realme than the ydell wordes of two knyghtes But sir the brute thoroughe out all the Realme of Englande is howe the erle Marshall hathe greatlye trespassed and hath renewed to many yuell thinges and daylye reneweth and the realme taketh all his wordes in vayne and saith how that by his ydell words he wolde reise a ê“cesse agaynst the erle of Derby and to bringe the lande in to trouble First They say it were better that he abode the payne and the erle of Derby to be quyte Sir we thynke that or they shulde arme theÌ„ to mete togyder that ye shulde sende to them cause theÌ„ to be bounde to abyde youre ordynaunce in this enterprise And whan they be furely bounde to abyde youre sentence than ye maye gyue theym this Iudgemente That within fyftene dayes after the erle Marshall to auoyde the realme without any truste euer to retourne agayne And therle of Derby in lykewyse to auoyde the realme and to be banysshed for tenne yere And whan he shall departe the realme to please the people withall release foure yere of the tenne and so let hym be banysshed for sixe yere without pardone This is the counsayle sir that we wyll gyue you For sir in no wyse let them be armed one agaynst another for the inconuenyentes that maye fall therby The kynge studyed a lytell and sayde Sirs ye counsayle me trewly and I shall folowe youre counsayle ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe kynge Richarde gaue sentence wherby he banysshed out of Englande therle of Derby for .x. yere and the erle Marshall for euer Capi. CC.xxix ANone after that this couÌ„sayle was gyuen to the kynge he assembled great nombre of prelates grete lordes of Englande and they came to hym to ElthaÌ„ there was his two vncles the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke The erles of Northumberlande of Salysbury and of Huntyngton Than the kynge sente for the erle of Derby and the erle Marshall and sette eche of them in a seuerall chaÌ„bre The kynge shewed howe he wolde be a meane bytwene them and howe their wordes hadde greatly displeased hym and that they were suche that ought nat lyghtly to be pardoned Wherfore he wolde in all poyntes they shulde submytte them selfe and to abyde his ordynaunce in that behalfe Than he ordayned the constable of Englande and foure other great lordes to go to the erle of Derby and to therle Marshall to take their bondes to abyde the kynges ordynaunce These lordes came to the sayd erles and shewed them the kynges pleasure and how the kynge wolde take the matter on hym So they bounde them selfe to abyde the kynges order Than the kynge sayde I ordaygne and commaunde that the erle Marshall bycause he hath brought this Realme in to this trouble by reason of his wordes wherin he canne nat make profe That he ordayne
shotte on bothe partes so that many were hurte Than the bayly with his great nombre came vpon them without sparynge for he had speciall coÌ„maundement fro kynge Henry that he shulde outher take theÌ„ quicke or deed if he myght ouercome them So finally the Erles menne were fayne to withdrawe in to the houses Than the bayly and his men enuyroned their lodgynges on all partes and specially where the two Erles were made there suche assautes that they entred ê‘force There were many hurte and slayne Th erle of HuÌ„tyngton defended him selfe valyauntly as longe as he myght But there were so many agaynst hym that there he was slayne and with hym the yonge erle of Kente for whom great sorowe was made in dyuers partes of Englande for he was a fayre yonge man and was there in maner agaynst his wyll but his vncle and the erle of Salisbury brought hym therto The men of Suscettour who were fierse agaynst theÌ„ strake of their heedes and sent them by a messanger to the mayre of London therwith to reioyce the kyng and the londoners Th erle of Salisbury and the lorde Spensar came to a lyke conclusyon for certayne knightes squiers of the kynges toke them where they were and strake of their heedes sente them to London many suche as were with them alyed were putte to execucion bothe knyghtes and squyers After that the realme was in good rest and peace ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the frenche kyng reysed vp an army to sende vpon the fronters of Englande Cap. CC .xlviii. WHan easter was come the yere of our lorde god M. four hundred The freÌ„che kyng his brother his vncles his counsaile vnderstode howe certayne Englysshmen of armes and archers shulde passe the see and come to Calais and to Guynes to HaÌ„mes and to those fronters Than there was a coÌ„maundement made throughe Fraunce that euery knight and squyer shulde be redy to leape a hors backe and to go thider as they shulde be sente specially Bolonois and the see syde was well prouyded for The same tyme duke Iohan of Bretayne died behynde hym he lefte two sonnes a doughter The eldest sonÌ„e shulde haue maried the frenche kynges secoÌ„de doughter for he might nat haue theldest bycause she was maryed in to Englande to kynge Richarde This treatie of maryage fyrst for the eldest doughter of Fraunce with the heyre of Bretayne was coÌ„cluded at Tourse in Tourayn but afterwarde by the kinges coÌ„sent and his couÌ„saile to th entent to marry her the more richely that mariage was broken with Bretayne she maried in to Englande And dyuers lordes in Fraunce said feared that no good shulde come therof but than they concluded for the secoÌ„de doughter Than after the dethe of the duke of Bretaine it was aduised that the duke of OrlyauÌ„ce with a certayne noÌ„bre of men of warre shulde drawe to the marches of Bretayne to speke with the bretons with the couÌ„saylours of good townes to know what they wolde do with their heyre to desyre theÌ„ to delyuer him to be kept in the house of FrauÌ„ce The duke of OrlyauÌ„ce dyde acording to this deuyse with a certayne noÌ„bre came to Ponthorson there rested and sente worde of his coÌ„myng to the lordes of Bretaigne Than prelates lordes couÌ„saylours of the good townes in the name of the thre estates of the countre assembled togider were determyned what aunswere to make and so they came to Pounthorson to the duke of Orlyaunce and there they made their answere all after one sorte and that was They said howe that their yonge lorde heyre of Bretayne they wolde kepe hym theÌ„selfes in his owne countre Than the duke of OrlyauÌ„ce seyng it wolde none otherwise be he toke boÌ„des of the grettest lordes in Bretayne suche as had chefe charge of the countre that they shulde delyuer hym to the freÌ„che kyng whaÌ„ the childe shulde come to his age These writynges made and sealed than the duke deê‘ted and returned in to Fraunce and shewed the kyng his brother howe he had spedde IT was well knowen in Englande howe the Frenche kyng hadde furnysshed his garysons cyties good townes castels on the fronters of Picardy and Bolonois and howe the frenchmen had closed so the passagê ouer the water of SoÌ„me that no marchandyse corne nor other thyng shulde nat passe Abuyle nor the marchauÌ„tes of EnglaÌ„de who were wont to go in to FraÌ„ce with their marchauÌ„dise durst no more coÌ„e there nor the frenche marchauÌ„tes durste nat come in to Englande so that the fronters on bothe ê‘ties were in gret ruyne desolacion and yet they made no warrÌ„ togyder for they had no coÌ„mauÌ„dement so to do Than it was said to kyng HeÌ„ry sir aduyse you well it semeth by the Frenchmen they wyll make you warre they make great prouisyon for shyppes at Harflewe and capitayns of their armye is the erle of saynt Poule and sir Charles de la Breth And it were to suppose that if the erles of Huntyngton and of Salysbury were a lyue and all suche as be dedde the Frenchmen than wolde soone passe ouer the see on trust to haue great alyaunce and ayde in Englande But sir as longe as Richarde of Burdeaux is a lyue you nor your realme shal be at no suretie I beleue that ye saye is trewe quod the kyng but as for me I wyll nat cause hym to be slayne for I haue so promysed hym and I wyll kepe my promyse without I ê‘ceyue that he worke trayson agaynst me Well sir â—abqod they of his counsaill it were better for you that he were deed rather than a lyue For as longe as the frenche men knowe that he is lyueng they wyll enforce them to make you warre and wyll hope alwayes to bring him agayne in to his former estate bycause of his wyfe the Frenche kynges doughter The kyng gaue none answere but departed fro them as than and lefte his couÌ„sayle coÌ„munyng togyder the kynge wente and toke a faucon on his haÌ„de and passed ouer that mater ¶ Of the dethe of kyng Richarde of Englande and howe the truse bytwene Englande and Fraunce was reuewed And also of the deposicion of pope Benedic at Auignon Cap. CC .xlix. IT was nat longe after that true tidynges ran thoroughe London howe Richarde of Burdeaulx was deed but howe he dyed by what meanes I coulde nat tell whan I wrote this cronycle But this kynge Rycharde deed was layde in a lytter and sette in a chayre couered with blacke Baudkynne and foure horses all blacke in the chayre and two men in blacke leadyng the chayre and four kynghtes all in blacke folowyng Thus the chare departed fro the towre of London and was brought a long throughe London fayre and softely tyll they caÌ„e into chepesyde where as the chefe assembly of LoÌ„don was and there the chare rested the space of two houres thyder came in and out mo than xx M. persons men and women to se hym
quod he Rycharde Stafforde And I am Hollande quod the other and I seke for the. One of thy seruauntes hath slayne my best beloued squyer And therwith drewe out his sworde and strake Richarde Stafforde so that he slewe hym fell downe deed whiche was great pytie So he passed for the and knewe nat well what he had done but he sawe well one falle to the grounde Sir Richarde Staffordes men were sore dismayd whan they sawe their maister deed than they cryed A Holande Holande ye haue slayne the sonne of therle of Stafforde This wyll be heuy tidynges to the father whan̄e he knoweth therof Some of sir Iohan of Holandes seruauntes herde well these wordes and sayde to their mayster Sir ye haue slayne sir Rycharde Stafforde Well quod sir Iohan Hollade what than I had leauer haue slayne him than a worse The better haue I reuenged the dethe of my squyer Than sir Iohan of Hollande wente streyght to saynt Iohans of Beuerley and tooke the fraunchesse of the towne and abode there styll For he knewe well there wolde be moche a do in the hooste for the dethe of that knight And he wyst nat what the kynge wolde saye or do in the mater So to eschue all paryllce he tooke sentuarye in the towne of saynt Iohans of Beuerley TIdynges anone came to the Erle of Stafforde howe his sonne was slayne by yuell aduenture Thafie the erle demaunded who had slayne hym And suche as were by hym whan he was slayne sayd sir the kynges brother sir Iohen of Holande dyd slee hym And shewed hym the cause why and howe it was ye maye well knowe that he that loued entierly his sonne and hadde no mo but hym and was a fayre yonge knyght and a coutagyous was marueylously sore dyspleased and sente incontynent for all his frendes to haue their counsayle howe he shulde vse hym selfe in the reuengynge of his dethe The moost wysest man of his counsayle sayd Sir to morowe in the mornynge shewe all the matter to the kyng and desyre hym to haue lawe and iustyce Thus they suaged som what his yre and so passed that night And the nexte mornynge Rycharde Stafforde was buryed in the churche of the vyllage therby And at his buryeng were all those of his lynage barons knightes and squyers that were in armye And the obsequy done the erle of Stafforde and a thre score of his lygnage mounted on their horses and so came to the kynge who was well enformed of that yuell aduenture And so the Erle founde the kyng and his vncles toguyder and a great nombre of knightes with them Whan the erle came before the kyng he kneled downe and all wepynge sayde with a soroufull harte Sir ye are kynge of Englande and haue solemly sworne to kepe Englāde in all right to do iustyce ser ye knowe how your brother wtout any tytell of reason hath slayne my sonne and ayre Sir I requyre you do me right and iustyce or els ye shall haue no worse enemy than I wyll be And sir I wyll ye knowe the dethe of my son toucheth me so nere that and it were nat for brekynge of this voyage that we be in I shulde bring the host in to suche trouble that with honour it shulde be amended and so coūteruenged that it shulde be spoken of a hūdred yeres hereafter in Englande But as nowe I wyll cease tyll this voyage in to Scotlande be done for our ennemyes shall nat reioyse of the trouble of the erle of Stafforde The kyng answered Knowe for trouthe that I shall do you iustyce and reason as fatforthe as all my barones wyll iudge I shall nat fayle therof for no brother that I haue Than they of the erles lynage sayd Sir ye haue sayd well we thanke you therof Thus the lynage of sir Richarde Stafforde was apeased and so helde on their iourney in to Scotlande And all the iourney the erle of Stafforde made no semblant of the dethe of his sonne wherin all the barons reputed hym right sage ⸪ ⸫ ¶ Howe the kyng of Englande caused to be distroyed the church of meurous in Scotlande and howe the barons of Scotlande answered the admyrall of Fraunce and deuyied to leaue Scotlande and to let the Englesshe men alone Cap. xiii THus auaunsed forthe the kyng of Englande with seuyn thousande men of armes and threscore thousand archers All the strength of the realme of Englāde was there For it was sayd howe the admyrall of Fraunce wolde fight with thē and in dede he had great desyre and wyll so to do for he sayde to the barons of Scotlande or they came forthe Sirs make your sommons to gette as moche strength as ye can for if the Englysshe men come in to Scotlande I wyll surely fight with thē The scottes sayd as than howe they were content therwith howe be it after they toke other aduyse The kynge of Englande passed forthe so fary that he passed Duresme and Newe castell on the ryuer of Tyne and all the lande of Northumberlande and so at laste came to Berwyke wherof sir Mathue Redman was capitayne who receyued the kynge ioyfully and the kyng taryed nat ther long but passed forthe ouer the ryuer of Twede and toke his lodgynge at the abbey of Mewrous the whiche for all the warres that had been bytwene Englande and Scotlande had neuer no hurt nor domage but as than it was clene brnet and exiled For it was th entent of the englyssh men nat to retourne agayne in to Englande tyll they had distroyed all Scotlande bycause they were fortifyed at that tyme by the frenche men Whan̄e the admyrall of Fraunce knewe that the kynge of Englande was passed the ryuer of Twede and was entred in to Morlane in Scotlande Than he sayd to the barons of Scotlande Sirs why do we sytte styll Let vs go forthe and aduyse our ennemyes fyght with them It was shewed vs or we came here that if ye had out of Fraunce but one thousāde of good men of armes ye shulde be stronge ynoughe to fyght with the Englysshe men And I ensure you ye haue mo than a thousāde and fyue hundred cror bowes And surely the knightes and squyers that be here in my company ar parfyte men of armes and the floure of chiualrye and wyll nat flye but abyde suche aduenture as god wyll sende you and them TO these wordes answered the barones of Scotlāde who knewe so well the puissaunce of the Englysshe men that they hadde no wyll to fight with them Wherfore they said Sirs we beleue well that ye and your company be chosen men and of great valure But sir we haue knowledge that all the power of Englande is here there were neuer so many Englysshe men toguyder assembled as be nowe And ye wyll we shall bringe you in to suche a place that ye shall well se and aduyse theym And thanne if ye counsayle that they shall be fought with all it shall nat be
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
seasone that he laye at Shene but his counsayle said it myght nat be for his rekenynges were nat clere Than the kynge departed and the duke of Irelande in his company and rode towardes Bristowe and the Quene with other ladyes and damoselles with her ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the kynge of Englande departed from London and howe syr Symon Burle was beheded at LoÌ„don and his nephue also and howe the duke of Lancaster was dyspleased Cap. xciiii FOr all that the Kynge departed from the marchesse of London yet the kynges vncles nor their counsayle departed nat but taried styll about London ye haue herde often tymes sayde that if the heed be sicke all the membres can nat be well the malady must first be pourged I saye it bicause this duke of Irelande was so great with the kyng that he ruled hym as he lyste He and sir symon Burle were two of the princypall couÌ„saylours that the kynge had for they hadde a longe season gouerned the kynge and the realme And they were had in suspecte that they hadde gadered richesse without nombre and the renoume ranne in dyuers places that the duke of Irelande and sir Symon Burle had a long season gathered toguyder money and sente it in to Almayne For it was come to the knowledge of the kynges vncles and to the counsaylours of the good cyties and townes of Englande that helde of their partie howe they had sente out of the castell of Douer by see in the night tyme in to Almayne certayne cofers and chestes full of money They sayd it was falsely and felonously done to assemble the rychesse of the realme and to sende it in to other strauÌ„ge couÌ„treys wherby the realme was greatly impouerysshed and the people were soroufull and sayde that golde and syluer was so dere to gette that all marchandyse were as deed and loste and they coulde nat ymagin how it was but by this meanes THese wordes multiplied in suche wise that it was ordayned by the kynges vncles and by the counsayles of the good townes that were anneâ—ed vnto them that ser Symon Burle had deserued punisshment of dethe And also the archbysshoppe of Caunterbury sayd that in the season whan the freÌ„che kyng shulde haue come with his armye in to Englande this sir Symon Burle gaue counsayle that the shrine of saynt ThomÌ„s of CauÌ„terburye shulde haue been taken downe and brought in to Douer castell And the noyse was that he wolde haue had it so to th entent that if he had ben in any daÌ„ger to haue taken and stollen it and conueyed it out of EnglaÌ„d These maters were so layde to his charge that none excuse coulde be herde but on a daye he was brought out of the towre and beheeded lyke a traytour god haue mercy on his soule To write of his shamefull dethe ryght sore displeaseth me howe be it I must nedes do it to folowe the hystorie Greatly I complayne his dethe for whanÌ„e I was yonge I founde hym a gentyll knyght sage and wyse but by this enfortune he dyed HIs nephewe and heyre sir Richarde Burle was with the duke of Lancastre in Galyce the sameseason that this case fell in Englande and one of the most renoumed in all his hoost nexte the Constable for he was as souerayne Marshall of all the hoost and was chiefe of couÌ„sayle with the duke ye may well beleue that whan he knewe of the dethe of his vncle he was sore displeased And also this geÌ„tyll knight sir Richarde Burle dyed in the same iourney on his bedde by reason of sickenesse as many other dyde as ye shall here after at place and tyme conuenyent Whan kynge Rycharde knewe of the dethe of this knyght as he was in the marchesse of Wales he was sore dyspleased and sware howe the mater shulde nat passe sithe they had so put to dethe his knyght without good reason or tytell of right The quene also was sorie and wepte for his dethe bycause he fetched her oute of Almaygne Suche as were of the kynges couÌ„sayle douted greatly as the duke of Irelande sir Nicholas BraÌ„ble sir Thomas Tryuilyen sir IohnÌ„ Beauchampe sir Iohan Salisbury and sir Mychaell de la Poule Also the kyngê vncles had put out of offyce the archebysshoppe yf yorke named Wylliam Neuell brother germayne to the lorde Neuell of NorthuÌ„berlande whiche bysshoppe had longe ben treasourer of all Englande And the duke of Gloucestre had charged hym to medell no more with the busynesse of the realme on payne of his lyfe but that he shulde go to yorke or therabout wheâ— it pleased hym in his benifyce and dwell ther and medell no further And also it was shewed hym howe the honoure of his lynage in that he was a preest excused hym of many great maters sore preiudiciall to his honour And also it was shewed hym that the moost parte of the counsayle of the coÌ„montie wolde haue had him disgrated and putte to dethe in lyke maner as sir Symon Burle was So he departed fro London and wente in to the Northe to dwell on his benifyce with this he all his lynage were sore dyspleased and thought surely that the erle of Northombrelande had brought that mater to passe for all that he was of his lygnage and were neyghbours In to his rome was chosen a right valyant a wyse a sage clerke the archebysshop of Caunterbury who was gretely in the fauour of the kynges vncles He was come of the Mountague and Salysburies and was vncle to the erle of Salysbury there was made of the kynges counsayle by the aduyse of all the comons therle of Salysbury the erle Rycharde of Arundell the erle of Northumberlande the erle of Deuonshyre the erle of Notyngham the bysshop of Norwyche called sir Henry Spenser the bysshop of Wynchestre chauncellour of Englande abode styll in his offyce and was with the kynges vncles the most renomed man in the counsayle nexte the duke of Gloceste was syr Thomas Mountague archbisshop of CauÌ„terbury and well he was worthy for he was a dyscrete prelate toke grete payne to reforme the royalme and to brynge it in to the ryght waye and that the kynge shulde put from hym the marmosettes that troubled all the royalme often tymes he wolde speke with the duke of yorke in that matter the duke wolde saye to hym syr bysshop I trust the matters shall otherwyse fall lytell and lytell then the kynge my nephewe and the duke of IrelaÌ„de thinketh but it must be done accordynge to reason and to abyde the tyme to be to hasty is no good meane for surely yf we hadde nat perceyued them be tymes they wolde haue brought the kynge and the royal me in suche case that it shulde haue ben at the poynte of lesynge The Frensshe kynge and his counsayle knewe ryght well our dealyng and what case we were in and that caused that frensshe men to auaunce themselfe to haue come hyder so puyssauntly as they wolde haue done to haue
were departed out of their holdes and whyder he wolde set theÌ„ in any busynesse or nat Than he was answered and it was said to hym Sir the erle of Armynake wolde kepe them in wages occupy them in to Lombardy for as ye knowe well his suster is maryed there and before she had Gascone your sonÌ„e for it is thought there shal be moche a do in Lombardy whervnto the erle of Foiz gaue none answere but fell in to other talkyng howbe it he thought neuerthelesse as it apered afâ— for he haÌ„dled the mater couertly I shall shewe you howe The erle of Armynake for any treatie that he coude do to them that were of the countre of Bierne or of the teneurs of therle of Foiz or suche as owed hym any fauour coude neuer cause any of them to agree to departe out of their garisons Nor wolde nat go nother to the erle of Armynake nor to Bernarde his brother in lawe For therle of Foiz who was full of great prudence consydred that these two lordes of Armynake there cosyns and with the labriciens were puissaunt men and sawe howe they gate them frendes on euery parte he thought they shulde nat be renforsed with them that ought to serue hym And one thynge that was reasonable the Erle of Foiz ymagined sir Espaygne de Leon shewed it me whan I was at Ortays in lykewise so dyde the erle of Compane capitayne of Carlot in Auuergne and also so dyde the Bourge of Englande They sayd howe the erle of Foiz regarded howe he had had open warre with them of Armynake thoughe it were peace bytwene them as than whiche was but a truese the whiche was dyuers tymes renewed bytwene theym Therfore he thought â—hat if the erle of Armynake had all those companyons vnder his gouernaunce his warres shulde be the fayrer So that the armynakes and the labricience with their alyes myght do hym a great displeasure This was the cause that suche as owed fauour to therle of Foiz wolde nat agte to the erle of Armynake Howe be it they made theÌ„ beleue that they wolde but they dyd but dissemble for they brake all their apoyntmeÌ„tes howe be it they rode nat abrode so moche as they dyde before Wherby alwayes the Erle of Armynake thought to haue come to his purpose They that agreed to hym were Perotte de Bernoys who helde the stronge castell of Salucette whiche is chefe and soueraygne of all Auuergne and Lymosyne for their patesyng endured to Rochell And also Guyllyam of saynt Foye who helde the castell of Bonteuyll and also Margote Marcell who helde Loysse before saynt Flour in Auuergne and the Bourge of Compaygne and the Englysshe Bourge who helde Carlotte Margote Marcell sayde he was contente so that he myght haue in lykewise Perotte Bernoys and Geffray Teate Noyre who helde VaÌ„dachore who was souerayne aboue all other But he dyde but mocke and dissemble the mater for he disdayned to fall to any treatie of the erle of Armynakes or of any other For he thought his castell imprignable and well prouyded for seuyn or eyght yeres for he had a passage or two that coude nat be taken fro hym but that he myght issue whan he lyste to refresshe hym selfe and his company This Geffray wrote hym selfe in his saueconductes Geffray Teate Noyre duke of Vandachore erle of Lymosyn lorde and soueraygne of all the capitayns of Auuergne Rouergue and Lymosyn NOw let vs leaue to speke of these maters of farre couÌ„treis tyll we haue cause to returne therto agayne And nowe I wyll speke of matters nerer home as of myne owne nacyon as it hath ben shewed here before whan I treated of the ende of the warre of Flaunders and of the charter of peace that the duke of Burgoyne and the duchesse dyde gyue and graunt and sealed to them of Gaunt in the good towne and noble cytie of Tourney Therfore nowe to enforce our mater and history we wyll speke nowe of the warres of Guerles and of Brabant And I am quickened so to do bycause that the Frenche kyng and the duke of Burgoyne to whom the mater greatly touched by the insydentes that gendred therby were fayne to set to their haÌ„des to the same warre and to come to the bottom therof And to contynue at length the true hystorie and mater I saye thus as foloweth ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the erle Reynolde of Guerles who had layde all his landes in guage and wyst nat what to do caÌ„e for refuge to the archebysshoppe of Coleygne his Vncle who blamed hym howe ambassadours wente to Berthaulte of Malygnes Cap. C.xi. ALonge season it was that they of Guerles and they of Brabant had grete hatered toguyder and so dyd the countreis to them adioyninge by reason of certayne bondes one agaynst another And the moost hatered that the brabanders had to the duke of Guerles and to his heyres was for the towne of Graue whiche the dukes of Guerles had holden per force a longe season agaynst the brabansoys For they sayd bycause that the towne of grane stode on that syde of the ryuer of Muese towardes Brabant that the duke of Guerles helde it wrongfully before that tyme dyuers coÌ„munycacions had been and poyntmentes taken howbeit alwayes the guerloys stacke in their hertê Also the guerloys hated the brabaÌ„soys bycause of thre fayre castels that were on that syde the ryuer as Gaulech Buthe Nulle Whiche castelles the duke of BrabaÌ„t helde also peforce And by reasone as in redynge I shall begynne at the duke of Guerles These hatereddes were often tymes renewed bytwene them of Guerles and Brabant And it was supposed by dyuers knightes and squyers that knewe of their dedes of armes that if sir Edwarde of Guerles who was slayne by a marueylous incydent at the batayle of Iulyers by the shote of an archer that was with the duke Vyncelant of Boem duke of Lusenbourge or of Brabante If he had lyued with that that his men had had the vyctorie he hadde come to his entente in gettyng agayne the thre castelles for he was lo valiant a man and so hardy that he wolde haue conquered them agayne ¶ Nowe I wyll declare as I haue promysed how and in what maner these foresayd castelles came in to the signorie of the brabansoys and first I wyll begyn with the dukes of Guerles IN the tyme whan I wrote and ordayned this hystorie there was an Erle of Guerles called Raynolde and bycause that Guerles is no riche countre nor so great as the duchy of Brabant This erle came to his lande a yonge man and had a frewyll to dispende largely and thought full lytell of the ende that myght come after He cared for nothynge but for to accomplysshe his pleasure and haunted iustes and tourneys to his gret cost to gette hym renome And euery yere he spended four tymes as moche as the value of the reuenewes of his landes He borowed of the lombardes in dyuers places he
the duke of Iulyers sware that he shulde neuer beare armure agaynst the Crowne of Fraunce And so as longe as the kyng lyued he kept his othe For surely as long as kyng Charles lyued he dyde hym no maner of domage nor consented to none to be done to the crowne of Fraunce But whan kyng Charles was deed that Charles his sonne was kynge By reason of the warres of Flaunders as it hath been shewed before in this hystorie And after he tooke his Creacyon at Parys He hadde so moche to do that he coude nat take hede in euery place The duof Iulyers than came nat in to Fraunce nor made no relyefe for the landes of Viersone Wherfore the duke of Berrey who toke hym selfe as soueraygne sayde Howe the relefes parteyned to hym And so ceased the landes and toke the profytes therof and by puyssauÌ„ce putte out fro his ryght the Erle of Bloyes Howe be it the same tyme I sawe them bothe oftentymes togyder and neuer debate made bytwene them for any of the sayd landes nor any yuell wyll shewed There was good cause for theym to be frendes toguyder for Loyes sonne to the erle of Bloyes had in maryage the lady Mary doughter to the duke of Berrey The duke of Iuliers wolde gladlye haue entred in to his herytage but he regarded his sonne who shulde be his heyre Therfore he made but lytell counte of the alyaunce that his sonne the duke of Guerles hadde made in Englande And by this reason he spake the wordes that ye haue herde here before to the duke of Guerles whan he was retourned out of Englande Howe be it the duke of Guerles who was yonge and coragyous toke lytell regarde to his fathers wordes and sayde Sir that I haue done I wyll vpholde for I had rather haue warrÌ„ with the Frenche kynge than peace and rather with hym than with a poore man ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the duchesse of Brabante sent messangers to the FreÌ„che kyng complaynyng of the duke of Guerles And howe the kynge his counsayle were sore busyed with insydentes that fell in the realme of FrauÌ„ce as well for the defyances of Guerles as the busynesse in Bretaygne Capi. C.xv. THe duchesse of Brabant beynge at Bruselles was well enformed of all these troubles And howe the duke of Guerles thretned theym of Brabante to make theym warre The duchesse feared the same and sayde Ah god assoyle the soule of my lorde and husbande for if he hadde lyued the Duke of Guerles durst nat haue spoken of any suche matters But nowe bycause I am a woman and aged he wyll make warre agaynst me Than the lady called toguyder her counsaile to knowe what she were best to do for she knewe well the duke was hote hasty and coragyous THe same seasone whyle this ladye was takynge of counsayle with her frendes the Frenche kynge was defyed by the duke of Guerles wherof ranne a great brute throughe all the Realme and in other realmes therto adioynyng They had marueyle of these newes Bycause the duke of Guerles was but a small prince to the regarde of other and but of smalle landes Men spake therof in dyuers maners euery man after his own opynion ThanÌ„e the duchesse counsayle sayde Madame ye haue nede of counsayle And we shall counsayle you to sende to the Frenche kynge and to the duke of Burgoyne be tymes For ye haue herde howe the duke of Guerles hathe defyed the Frenche kynge and all his alyes If he be in purpose to make warre to the realme of Fraunce as the brute ronneth that he wyll bycause the Englysshemen and the almaygnes are of his alyaunce He can haue no better entre in to the realme of FrauÌ„ce than throughe youre countrey Wherfore it is good that the kynge and the duke of Burgoyne be aduertysed therof And that youre castels on the fronters be well fortifyed and garnysshed For there is nat so small an ennemye but he is to be doubted We saye nat that ye shulde haue great nede to seke for any ayde or confore all onely for them of Guerles but it is good to regarde the alyaunces that he maye lightlye gette as well of Englysshe men as of almaygnes who alwayes are couetous and desyreth to make warre to the realme of Fraunce on trust of wynnyng Than the duchesse sayd to her couÌ„sayle sirs ye saye trouthe it shal be as ye haue deuised Than suche as shulde go on that message were apoynted out As the lorde of Bourguenall cheife Stewarde of her house sir Iohan Opeyn a gracyous knyght a clerke and a squyer of honoure The clerke called sir Iohan Grane and the squyer Nycholas de la Monoy All four were of the preuy couÌ„sayle with the duchesse of Brabant They departed fro Bruselles with letters of credeÌ„ce and rode to Parys At that tyme nother the kynge nor the duke of Burgoyne was natte there they were at Rohane in Normandye Than they went fro Parys to Roane where the kynge was WHan these ambassadoures came to Rohane firste they treated with the duke of Burgoyne and he made theÌ„ good chere for he knewe them well they delyuered letters to hym and he receyued and reed them Than whaÌ„ tyme was he brought them to the kynge who for loue of their lady receyued theÌ„ louyngly Than the kyng reed their letters and herde them speke and aunswered and sayde Sirs your wordes and requestes demaundeth counsayle Resorte alwayes to our vncle of Burgoyne he shall here you and dispatche youre busynesse as shortely as maye be Those wordes contented greatly these ambassadours and so went to their lodgynges The kynge and his vncles with other of his counsayle were dayly toguyder in counsaile for dyuers causes and insydentes newe fallen The defyance of the duke of Guerles was nothyng pleasaunt to them nor also they knewe nat what the duke of Bretayne was purposed to do bycause he had taken the constable of Fraunce prisoner and set hym to rauÌ„some to a C.M. frankes and had taken fro him thre castelles a good towne and had greatly fortifyed with men vitayls and artyllary all his garysons and townes had sent dyuers tymes letters and messangers in to Englande to the kyng and to his vncles As for the duke of Lancastre was at that tyme in Galyce The couÌ„sayle of FrauÌ„ce had moche a do to prouyde for euery busynesse wherby it was the lengar or the duches of Brabantes ambassade had their answere Finally the duke of Burgoyn made theÌ„ an answere sayd sirs ye shall retourne to your lady our aunte salute her fro vs and delyuer her these the kynges letters ours shewe her that her businesse is ours and let her nat be abasshed for any thyng for she shal be coÌ„forted in suche wyse that she shall well ê‘ceyue that her countre of Brabant shall take no domage nor reproch This fayre answere contented greatly the ambassadours of Brabant Thus they departed returned to Parys and fro theÌ„s to
nat to hastely his entente but sayd Sirs it wyll be very harde to make peace in that place where as great hatered and warre is resydent and specially with them that be disheryted and kepte from their herytage Sayeng howe he wolde nat leaue the warre withoute he myght haue the crowne of Castyle the whiche he sayde was his right The frere and the bisshoppe sayd Sir bytwene your right and the ryght of the kynge our lorde there is but one meane and we haue founde it if it may please you What waye is that quod the duke Sir quod they it is this ye haue by my lady youre wyfe a feyre yonge lady to marry and the kynge of castile our souerayne lorde hath a feyre yong sonne if they two myght mary toguyder the realme of Castyle shulde be in peace and all that is your right shulde retourne to you sir better can ye nat bestowe your heyre who is disceÌ„ded of the right lyne of Castyle The entent ye arme you fyght aduenture youre selfe and traueyle your body is all onely for the right of your heyre That is trewe ê™ the duke but than I wyll that the costes that I haue susteyned in the pursute there be recompeÌ„sed For I wyll ye knowe it hath cost me and the realme of Englande fyue hundred thousande fraÌ„kes wherof I wolde gladly se som recouerauÌ„ce Sir quod the frere if our treatie be agreable to you we trust to fynde such a meane that the mater shall take good effect Well quod the duke ye be welcome and how soeuer it be or howe soeuer it shal be or I retourne in to Englande outher in to Castyle or in to Fraunce I shall mary my doughter for I haue dyuers offres moued vnto me but maters of so great a weyght are nat lightly coÌ„cluded at the first tyme. For my doughter whome I repute as rightfull enheritour to spayne I wyll knowe him well that shall haue her in maryage that is but reason quod the frere Thus as I haue shewed you this treatie began bytwene the duke of LaÌ„castre and these parties as well of Castyle as of FrauÌ„ce He made euery partie good chere made no full answere but in his ymaginacion the treatie of Spayne the kynges sonne to mary his doughter semed best to his purpose bicause in tyme to come his doughter shulde be quene of Castyle also the duches his wyfe enclyned moost to that treatie ¶ Nowe let vs leaue to speke of the duke of Lancastre of all these treatyse and retourne to speke of the duke of Bretaygne ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne departed to go to Bloys and howe the duke of Bretayne caÌ„ethyder and howe the dukes dyde so moche that they had hym to Parys in maner agaynst his wyll Cap. C.xxx AS I haue shewed you here before the duke of Bretayne made good chere to the French ambassadours and specially to the lorde of Coucy For as I was enformed he was the chiefe that brake the duke fro his purpose by reason of his fayre and swete wordes Howe be it the lorde Iohan of Vyen and the lorde dela Ryuer dyde ryght well their deuoyre but often tymes great princes and lordes wyll soner be entreated by one man rather than by another Moche payne it was to cause the duke of Bretayne to agre to go to the towne of Bloys to mete there the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne but he was brought thyder by fayre wordes And he sayde surely he wolde go no further thanne to the towne of Bloys and the lorde of Couey sayd he desyred nothynge elles These the lordes were with the duke of Bretaynge certayne dayes and than toke their leaues and retourned in to Fraunce and shewed the dukes of Berry and of Burgoyne howe they hadde spedde Thervpon these two dukes made them redy to go to Bloyes to mete there with the duke of Bretaygne and sente thyder before to make prouisyon as apertayned Firste thyder came the duke of Berrey and he was lodged in the Castell and there he founde the countesse her sonne and her doughter They receyued hym honourably The erle Guye of Bloys was as than in his owne countrey at the castell Reygnaulte and made no greate counte of the commynge of the duke of Bretaygne he thought it sufficyent that his wife and chyldren were there Than thyder came the duke of Burgoyne with a goodly trayne and in his company came sir WyllmÌ„ of Heynaulte and his sonne erle of Ostrenante and Iohan of Burgoyne sonne to the duke called erle of Neuers The duke lodged also in the castell and there helde his estate Than after came the duke of Bretaygne with no great trayne other than of his house He passed nat a thre huÌ„dred horses for his enteÌ„cyon was that whan he had ones sene the two dukes and spoken with them to retourne in to his owne countre without goynge any further in to Fraunce But the entente of the other two dukes was otherwise for they said whyder he wolde or nat he shulde go to Parys THe duke of Bretaygne hym selfe lodged in the castell of Bloyes in a chanons house of saynt Sauyour and his men lodged downe in the towne so dyd the other of all the dukes seruauntes but the lordes laye in the castell the whiche was fayre great and stronge one of the fayrest castelles in all the realme of Fraunce There these Dukes made good there togyder and shewed great 〈◊〉 and they thanked the duke of Bretayne of his coÌ„myng to the towne of Bloyes And the duke answered and sayde howe he was come thyder for the loue of them with great payne for he fayned hym selfe nat well at ease Than these two dukes fell in communynge with the duke of Bretayne shewyng hym sithe he was come so farr forwarde that he had done nothyng without he went to Parys to se the kynge who greatly desyred to se hym The duke of Bretaygne began greatlye to excuse hym selfe of that voyage and layde many reasons sayd howe he was nat well at his case to make so longe a iourney nor also he was nat accompanyed therafter Than he was swetely answered that sauyng his displeasure he shulde nede no great trayne to go se his soueraygne lorde and as for his rydinge he shulde lacke nouther chayre nor lytter to labour at his ease For they said he was bounde to do homage to the kynge for as than he had nat done it before The duke sayd excusynge hymselfe that whan the kynge were come to his laufull age and had the hole Realme in his owne gouernaunce than he wolde come to Parys or whyder to shulde please the kynge and than do his homage acordyng to reason The other dukes sayd that the kynge was of age wysdome suffycient to receyue homage and howe that all other lordes of the realme excepte he had done their homage and made reliefe affyrmynge howe the kynge was .xxi. yere of age Whan the
supped and some layde downe to their rest and were wery of trauaylynge and sautynge of the castell all that day and thought to ryse erly in the mornyng in cole of the day to gyue a newe assaute Therwith sodenly the englysshmen came on them and entred in to the lodginges wenyng it had ben the maisters lodgynges and therin were but varlettes and seruauntes Than the englysshmen cryed Percy Percy and entred into the lodgynges and ye knowe well where suche affray is noyse is sone reysed and it fortuned well for the scottes for whan they sawe the englysshmen came to wake them than the lordes sente a certayne of their seruauntes of fotemen to skrymysshe with the englysshmen at the entre of the lodgynges and in the meane tyme they armed and aparelled them euery man vnder his baner vnder his capytaynes penon The night was farre on but the mone shone so bryght as and it had ben in a maner daye it was in the moneth of August and the wether fayre and temperate THus the scottes were drawen to gyder and without any noyse departed fro their lodgynges went aboute a lytell mountayne whiche was greatly for their aduauntage for all the day before they had well aduysed the place and sayd amonge them selfe If the englysshemen come on vs sodaynly than we wyll do thus thus for it is a ioperdous thyng in the nyght if men of warre entre into our lodgynges if they do than we wyll drawe to suche a place therby outher we shall wyn or lese Whan the englysshmen entred in to the felde at the first they soone ouercame the varlettes and as they entred further in alwayes they fouÌ„de newe men to besy them and to skrymysshe with them Than sodaynly came the scottes fro aboute the mountayne and sette on the englysshmen or they were ware and cryed their cryes wherof the englysshe menne were sore astonyed Than they cryed Percy and the other partye cryed Duglas There began a cruell batayle and at the fyrst encountre many were ouerthrowen of bothe partyes And bycause the englisshmen were a great nombre and greatly desyred to vanquysshe their enemyes and rested at their pas and greatly dyd put a backe the scottes so that the scottes were nere dyscomfyted Than the erle Iames Duglas who was yonge stronge and of great desyre to gette prayse and grace and was wyllynge to deserue to haue it and cared for no payne nor trauayle came forthe with his baner and cryed Duglas Duglas And sir Henry Percy and syr Rafe his brother who had great indygnacion agaynst the erle Duglas bycause he had wonne the penon of their armes at the barryers before Newcastell came to that parte and cryed Percy their two baners mette and their menne there was a sore fyght The englysshmen were so stronge and fought so valyauntly that they reculed the scottes backe There were two valiaunt knightes of scottes vnder the baner of the erle Duglas called syr Patryke of Helborne and syr Patryke his sonne they acquyted them selfe that day valy auntly the erles baner had ben won and they had nat ben they defended it so valyauntly and in the rescuynge therof dyd suche feates of armes that it was greatly to their recommendacyon and to their heyres for euer after IT was shewed me by suche as had been at the same batayle as well by knyghtes and squyers of Englande as of Scotlande at the house of the erle of Foiz for anone after this batayle was done I met at Ortays two squyers of Englande called Iohan of Newecastell and Iohan of Cauteron also whan I retourned fro Auignon I founde also there a knyght and a squyer of Scotlande I knewe them and they knewe me bysuche tokens as I shewed them of their countrey for I auctor of this boke in my youthe had rydden nygh ouer all the realme of Scotland and I was as than a fyftene dayes in the house of erle wyllyam Duglas father to the same erle Iames of whome I spake of nowe In a castell a fyue leages fro Edenboro win the countrey of Alquest the same tyme I sawe there this Erle Iames a fayre yonge chylde and a suster of his called the lady Blaunche and I was enfourmed by bothe these parties how this batayle was as sore a batayle fought as lyghtly hath been harde of before of suche a nombre and I beleue it well for englysshmen on the one partye and scottes on the other party are good men of warre for whan they mete there is a harde sight without sparynge there is no hoo bytwene them as longe as speares swordes ares or dagers wyll endure but lay on eche vpon other and whan they be well beaten and that the one parte hath optaygned the victory they than glorifye so in their dedes of armeâ— and are so ioyfull that suche as be taken they shall be raunsomed or they go out of the â—elde so that shortely eche of them is so contente with other that at their deparrynge curtoysly they wyll saye god thanke you But in fyghtynge one with another there is no playe nor sparynge and this is trewe and that shall well apere by this sayd rencountec for it was as valyauntly foughten as coulde be deuysed as ye shall here ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe the erle Iames Duglas by his valyaÌ„tnesse incouraged his men who were reculed and in a maner discomfyted and in his so doynge he was wounded to dethe Cap. C.xliii KNyghtes and Squyers were of good corage on bothe parties to fyght valyauntly cowardes there had no place but hardynes rayned with goodly feates of armes for knyghtes and squiers were so ioyned to gyder at hande strokes that archers had no place of nother party There the scottes shewed great hardynesse and feught meryly with great desyre of honour the englysshmen were thre to one howe be it I say nat but englysshmen dyd nobly acquyte them selfe for euer the englysshmen had rather ben slayne or taken in the place than to flye Thus as I haue sayd the baners of Duglas and Percy and their men were met eche against other enuyous who shulde wynne the honoure of that iourney At the begynnynge the englysshemen were so stronge that they â—eculed backe their enemyes Than the Erle Duglas who was of great harte and hygh of enterprise seynge his men recule backe than to recouer the place and to shewe knightly valure he toke his are in bothe his handes and entred so in to the prease that he made hym selfe waye in suche wyse that none durste aproche nere hym and he was so well armed that he bare well of suche strokes as he receyued thus he wente euer forwarde lyke a hardy Hector wyllynge a lone to conquere the felde and to dyscomfyte his enemyes But at laste he was encountred with thre speares all at ones the one strake hym on the shulder the other on the breste and the stroke glented downe to his bely and the thyrde strake hym in the thye and sore
at a tyme sealed with my seale sente in to Fraunce whiche came to your knowledge in the whiche letter was contaygned defyaunce pertaynynge to your grace and to your realme with wordes vnreasonable out of the ryght style and vsage that princes and lordes defie eche other the whiche I wyll nat auowe the euer any suche wordes passed out of my mouthe nor by my cōmaundemente any worde touchynge or defamynge your name or signory and syr to veryfye that this myne excuse is of trouthe and that it maye be had out of all suspecte I shall declare the trouthe of euery thynge Syr by reason of the great alyaunce and seruyce that I haue borne to my ryght redouted lorde the Kynge of Englande at his requeste and his counsayls I sente in to Englande four of my knyghtes and delyuered theym my seale to seale to any thynge that they concluded vpon they sealed this letter and nat I for I neuer knewe before the sealynge of that letter what was conteyned therin Syr I requyre your grace accepte this excuse for this is trewe but sir as for the aliaunce and seruyce that I haue made to my lorde the kynge of Englande I wyll neuer breke it nor do contrarye to that he commaundeth me But syr at his request and cōmaundement I wyll defye you or any other whan it shall please hym who so euer they be except myne owne naturall lorde the kynge of Almayne to whome I am made seruaunte by my mouthe spoken and by myne handes in his But syr for the honoure of you consyderynge and in recompensynge the paynes and traueyls that ye haue susteyned in your iourney comynge hyder to knowe the foundacion and trouthe of the defyaunce I shall swere to you and kepe it that I shal neuer make warre agaynst you nor defye you but fyrste ye shall be signyfyed therof an hole yere before And sir me thynke this shulde suffyce you To this deuyse the duke of Guerles sayde I am well contente thus to do in this there in no dyshonour nor blame to me as I thynke THus on this poynte departed the duke of Iulyers from his sonne the duke of Guerles and with him the archebysshoppe of Coloygne and so they returned in to Iulyers and came to Endesker And whan tyme was they wente to the frenche kynge and shewed him all the poyntes and artycles before rehersed and sayd Syr loke what ye wyll do with the duke of guerles for other than this ye shall nat haue of hym The frenche kynge greatly desyred to se the duke of Guerles his cosyn by cause he had put hym to somoche payne wherfore the soner he enclyned to this treatye And the duke of Burgoyn who wolde also that the duches of Brabant and her countrey shulde a byde in rest and peace he toke payne to bringe this creatie to effecte and that the duke of Guerles myght come to speke with the kynge And also there was one thynge that made them the soner agre wynter aproched and the nyghtes began to be longe and colde and also the lordes of Fraunce were enfourmed that Guerles was no countrey to rest in in the tyme of wynter and also dayly they had reporte howe they loste of their men bothe knyghtes and squyers by the synsars almayns who dayly lay in wayte for them So many reasons and consyderacyons were layde and alledged that they fell to acorde and the duke of Guerles aproched and the duke of Iulyers his father the duke of Lorayne and the bysshop of Coloigne brought hym in to the kynges tente where there was with the kynge his thre vncles and his brother the duke of Tourayne the duke of Bare the erle of Marche the erle of saynte Pole the erle dolphyn of Auuergne the lorde Coucy and the constable of Fraunce There the duke of Guerles kneled downe before the kynge and as it was infourmed me the kyng toke hym vp and there valyauntly and wysely he exscused hym selfe of the defyaunce that he had made to the kynge And moreouer he sware that if euer he wolde defye the kynge or make warre to the realme of Fraunce that he wolde gyue the kynge knowlege therof a yere before and the countreys of Guerles and Brabante to be styll in the same case as they be in at that same presēt tyme. Thus the mater concluded bytwene them and the duke of Guerles supped with the kynge the same nyghte at his table he was greatly regarded bycause he had put the kynge to so moche payne and coste This treatie and conclusyon was put in writynge and sealed and whan all was done the lordes toke leaue to departe but or they departed the duke of Guerles demaunded of the kynge that all suche prisoners as the Frenche men had taken in that warre that he myght haue them delyuered franke and free He had his desyre they were delyuered Thanne the kynge demaunded of the duke that all suche prysoners as his men had taken in that voyage shulde be delyuered and rendred agayne Than the duke of Guerles excused hym selfe and sayde Syr that I can not do I am but a poore man and whan I knewe of your commynge I fortifyed my selfe the best I myght with men of warre knyghtes and squyes fro beyonde the ryuer of Ryne and other places and I promysed them that what so euer they wanne in this warre it shulde be their owne wherfore I can take nothinge fro them of that they haue wonne if I wolde I haue nouther puyssaunce nor power to do it for if I wolde shewe rygoure to theym they wolde make warre agaynst me wherfore sir may it please you to lette it passe for I canne nat remedy it The kynge sawe he coulde haue nothyng els he suffred it to passe and imagyned that he and his realme were riche ynough to encrease poore men wherfore he let it passe and spake no mo wordes and at their departure eche of theym well contented other Than it was ordeyned to dyslodge and to retourne the same way they came and than it was sayd that the frenche kynge shulde be at the cytie of Reynes at the feest of all sayntes and there to holde a great feest Thus euery man dyslodged and retourned ¶ Nowe lette vs speke of the englysshe army on the see ⸪ ⸪ ¶ 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 Loys of Xanser and of the departynge of the erle of Arundell Cap. C.l. IN the meane seasone whyle the french kyng was in Guerles the englysshe army was on the see wherof the erle of Arundell was chefe capytayne and some tyme sayled forwarde and somtyme bacwarde as the wynde wolde serue them to seke for aduentures as it is well knowen Always lightly bytwene the feest of saynt Remey and all sayntes is a peryllous season for stormes and wyndes on the see and aboute the same
dissymuled the mater and sayd Sir as it shall please you but ye must haue also my brother of Burgoyne with you We wyll haue hym with vs quod the kyng for without hym we wyll make no voyage We wyll go in to Bretayne with suche an armye able to resyst all our ennemyes We maye se nowe openly that this duke loueth nor setteth by vs but lytell He is proude and presumptuous and we shall entende to nothynge tyll we haue brought hym to reasone Thus the Frenche kyng deuised with the duke of Berrey and manysshed greatly the duke of Bretayne and his assysters The duke of Berrey acorded to all his sayeng but he dissymuled for he thought the contrary THe Frenche kyng hadde great affection to be reuenged of the dispyte that was done to his coÌ„stable wherfore he prepared hym selfe to go in to Bretayne and fyrst to go in to Aniou to distroye and beate downe sir Peter of Craons castel les for all that the duke of Bretayne sayd he had bought them yet the kyng and his counsayle sayd it was no poynt of the dukes heritage but that the duke sayde so to excuse and to susteyne sir Peter of Craon wherfore personally he was in the kynges indignacyon yet in the same season a treatie of maryage was had bytwene the duke of Bretaygnes sonÌ„e and the kynges doughter IN the meane season whyle this voyage was thus ordred great brute therof spoken throughe all Frauce There retourned to Paris the bysshoppe of Noyon and the lorde de la Ryuer fro Foize and Bierne and there shewed the kyng and his counsayle howe they had spedde They were well herde but the voyage in to Bretayne busyed so the kyng and his counsayle that they had no leysar to enteÌ„de to any other mater And the kynge wolde gladly that the constable had ben hole that he might be able to ryde and or the kyng went fro Parys he coÌ„maunded to be beaten downe sir Peter of CraoÌ„s house that stode in the churche yarde of saynt Iohans and than the kynge dyde gyue the grouÌ„de to make a churche yarde of to burye in deed bodyes The Frenche kyng made his prouisyon in the waye to Aniou to Mayne to Bretayne and in to Thourayne on the ryuer of Loyre to the entent to go in to Bretayne none durst speke the contrary REnome was throughout all Paris and it was well knowen that sir Olyuer of Clisson coÌ„stable of FrauÌ„ce whan he laye thus sicke of his hurtê made his testament to the entente that his heyres shulde knowe the trouthe of euery thyng that he had and where it was His heyres were two doughters the one was maryed to Iohan of Bretayne erle of Ponthieur It was he that sir Olyuer had quytte out of prisone in EnglaÌ„de and payde for hym sixscore thou sande frankes to the duke of Irelande as it hath ben shewed here before in this hystorie And his seconde doughter was or shulde be vicouÌ„tes of Rohan by reason of her husbaÌ„de The somme of the testament mounted to the soÌ„me of seuyntene hundred thousande frankes besyde his heritage Euery man that herde therof had great marueyle howe he shulde gather toguider suche richesse and specially the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne their counsayls had great marueyle therof and spake largely sayd What the deuyll howe maye it be that the constable hath gadered to guider so many floreyns and suche mouable goodes the kyng hym selfe hath nat so moche It maye well be beleued and knowen that he hath nat won all this by no iust meanes Thus the mater passed but suche as loued hym nat thought neuerthelesse Thus all suche as the kynge had written vnto prepared them selfe to go with hym in to Bretaygne This voiage pleased nothynge the duke of Burgoyn he sayd this was a warre without reason and that the conclusion ther of coulde take no good ende nor the realme of Fraunce nor the duchy of Bretayne nor the lordes knightes and squyers in theÌ„ had nothynge to do with the warre bytwene sir Olyuer of Clysson and sir Peter of Craon What nede they quod he to take payne or traueyle to make warre in their quarelles We shulde rather suffre them and their owne meÌ„ to greue and make warre eche vpon other The duke of Berrey was of the same opinyon but they coude nat be herde nor beleued for the kyng was couÌ„sayled contrary to their opinyons by suche as the kyng loued better than them These dukes coude nat tell howe to breke that enterprice and whan they sawe none other remedy they obeyed But that was slouthfully howe be it by the promocyon of the duke of Burgoyne the erle of Ostrenaunt was written vnto by the kynge to go with hym in this iourney with thre huÌ„dred speares The erle who loued dedes of armes prouyded hym to go with the kynge and whanÌ„e he was redy and had assembled toguyder his company to his great cost and charge Than he was countermaunded agayne and that in no wyse he shulde styrre ⸪ ¶ Howe the duke of Thourayn brother to the kyng resigned the duchy of Thourayne in to the kynges handes and howe by exchauÌ„ge the kynge gaue hym the duchy of OrlyauÌ„ce and so euer after he was called duke of Orlyaunce Cap. C.lxxxvii IN the same season that the kyng was thus nighe redy to departe out of Parys to shewe that he toke that busynesse as to hym selfe there was an exchauÌ„ge made of landes gretly to the profyte of the duke of Thourayne for he resygned in to the kynges handes the duchy of Thourayne and the kyng gaue hym the duchy of Orliaunce in lyke maner as auÌ„ciently duke Philyp of Orlyaunce helde it whiche was four tymes better in value than the other was so thus fro hens forthe in this hystorie I shall name hym that was duke of Thourayne duke of OrlyauÌ„ce ¶ Whan sir Olyuer of Clysson was all hole and that he might ryde the Frenche kyng was right ioyfull and said howe he wolde tary no lengar and so on an euenyng he toke his leaue of the quene Isabell his wyfe and of the newe duchesse of Orlyaunce and of all other ladyes and damoselles and so dyde the duke of OrlauÌ„ce in lykewise Than they departed and rode to supper to MoÌ„tague and the duke of Burbone the erle of Namure and the lorde of Coucy with hym There the kyng laye dyned there after dyner they departed and laye all night at saynt Germayns and there laye a seuyn dayes and as than the kyng was somwhat diseased and his phisicions wolde haue had hym to haue rested hym selfe but the kyng was so wyllyng in his iourney that he sayde howe he was moche better at his ease than he was in dede whiche he dyde to gyue corage to his men to set forwarde for as thaÌ„ his two vncles the dukes of Berrey Burgoyne were behynde shewed well by their maner that the same iourney greued them nor they wolde nat haue gone
vs wysely consydre the duke of Lancasters wordes who spake them of good entent for he had greatly traueyled in the warres of Fraunce and conquered but lytell and sore traueyled his bodye brent and dystroyed the playne countreys in his waye and after his retourne sone recouered agayn he sawe this warre drewe neuer to nâ—ne â—nde but rather encreased Also he sawe that if fortune shuld turne agaynst the englyssh party that great doÌ„mage therof shulde ensue and parceyued well that the kyng his nephue was enclyned moche rather to the peace than to the warre I Iohan Froysart auctoure of this hystory canne nat well saye whether this dukes opinyon was good or nat but it was shewed me that bycause the duke of Lancastre sawe his two doughters maryed in higher degree than hymselfe and out of the realme of Englande the one was quene of Spaygne the other Quene of Portugale This caused him gretly to enclyne to the peace for he knew well that the kynge of Spaygnes sonne who had maryed his doughter was as than but yonge and in daunger of his owne subgiettes and knewe well that if he shulde peasably enioye the herytage of Spaygne it was conuenyente that the englysshe men shulde kepe the peace with Fraunce for if the peace shulde be broken by any incydent than the Frenche men myght shortly be reuenged of the realme of Spayne for they had open entrees as well through Aragon and Chathalone as Bierne and Byskay for the lady yolant of Bare was quene of Aragone and she was good frenche and gouerned Aragon Chathalone Bierne and Byskay for the Vycount of Chatellon who was heyre to therle of Foiz had so sworne and promysed the frenche quene wherby the frenche men hadde many fayre entrees in to Spaygne without daunger of the kynge of Nauer who wolde nat wyllyngly dysplease the frenche kynge his cosyn germayne for as than syr Peter of Nauerre his brother was with the frenche kynge who alwayes apeased the frenche kynges ire and dyspleasure whan he had any to his brother the Kynge of Nauer for he was a true frenche man and neuer founde the contrary All these imagynacions the duke of Lancastre had in hym selfe and shewed his mynde to his sonne the erle of Derby though he were but yonge yet he was of great wysdome and lykely to come to great honour whiche erle had thre sonne Iohan Humfrey and Thomas and two doughters by the lady his wyfe doughter and heyre to the Erle constable of Englande erle of Herforde and Northampton by whiche lady he helde great herytage THe conclusyon of the parlyament holden at Westmynster by the thre estates of the realme A trewce was taken by see and by lande bytwene Fraunce and Englande their frendes and alyes to endure fro the feest of saynt Mychell to the feest of saynt Iohan Baptyst nexte after and suche coÌ„myssioners as the frenche kynge had sent to this parlyament were dyspatched and the charter of the truce sent by them sealed whiche treuce was well vpholden on all partyes The Frenche kynge was sore febled by reason of his syckenesse and the physicyon mayster Guyllyam Harselay was as than deed but whan he departed fro Crayell fro the kynge he ordeyned many receytes for the kynge to vse wherby in the wynter season he recouered his helth wherof all his louers and frendes reioysed with the hole coÌ„mynalte of FrauÌ„ce for he was well be loued and so he and the quene came to Parys and helde their householde most parte at saynt Powle and somtyme at Loure and the longe wynter nyghtes they passed the season with daunsynge and carollynge and other reuels and dysportes The quene was acompaned with the duchesse of Berrey the duchesse of Orlyance and other ladyes The same season the Vycount of Chastellon was come to Parys who was newly entred in to the herytage of the erledome of Foize and of Bierne as ryght heyre and he releued the sayde erledom of Foiz and dyd his homage to the kyng but nat for Bierne for that couÌ„trey helde themselfe of so noble condycion that they helde seruyce to no man lyuynge Howe be it the prince of Wales said to the erle of Foiz that last dyed that he ought to releue of him and to haue his resorte to the Duchy of Acquitayne But alwayes the sayd erle denyed and defended it And it is to be thought that the chalenge that the prince of Wales made thervnto was by the settynge on and mouyng of Iohan erle of Armynake as it hath ben shewed here before in this history wherfore as nowe I wyll ouer passe it Whan this vicount of Chastellon called fro henseforthe erle of Foiz was at Paris with the frenche kyng he had there in his company with hym his cosyn syr yuan of Foize bastarde sonne to the laste Erle of Foize who was a goodly knyght The erle of Foiz or he dyed wolde haue made hym his heyre with a nother of his bastarde sonnes called Gracian who dwelte as than with the kyng of Nauer but the knyghtes of Bierne wolde neuer consent therto therfore the mater rested as it dyd and the erle dyed sodaynly as ye haue herde before Whan the Frenche kynge sawe this yonge knyght syr yuan of Foiz he lyked hym marueylous well also the kynge and he were moche of one age and by reason of the fauour that the kynge bare to this yonge knyght the erle of Foiz had the shorter spede and was delyuered of all his businesse and than departed in to his owne countrey and syr yuan abode styll with the kynge and retayned as one of his knyghtes of his chambre with .xii. horses all other thynges therto belongynge ¶ Of the aduenture of a daunce that was made at Parys in lykenesse of wodehowses wherin the Frenche Kynge was in parell of dethe Cap. C.xcii IT fortuned that sone after the retaynmge of this foresayd knyght a maryage was made in the kynges house bytwen a yonge knyght of Vermandoys and one of the quenes gentylwomen and bycause they were bothe of the kynges house the kinges vncles and other lordes ladyes and damoselles made great tryumphe There was the dukes of Orlyaunce Berrey and Burgoyne their wyues daunsynge and makynge great ioye The kynge made a great supper to the lordes and ladyes and the quene kepte her estate desirynge euery man to be mery And there was a squyer of Normandy called Hogreymen of Gensay he aduysed to make some pastyme The daye of the maryage whiche was on a tuesday before Candelmas he prouyded for a mummery agaynst nyght He deuysed syxe cotes made of lynen clothe couered with pytche and theron flare lyke heare and had them redy in a chambre The kynge put on one of them and therle of Iouy a yonge lusty knyght another and syr Charles of Poicters the thyrde who was sonne to the erle of Valentenoys and to syr yuan of Foiz another and the sonne of the lord Nanthorillet had on the fyfte and the
Huntyngton was as than on his waye to Ierusalem and to saynt Katheryns mount and purposed to retourne by the realme of Hungry for as he passed through FrauÌ„ce where he hadde great chere of the kyng and of his brother and vncles he herde howe the kyng of Hungry and the great Turke shulde haue batayle togyder therfore he thought sure lye to be at that iourney On the othersyde the duke of Lancastre came to Plomouthe where his shippes laye redy And whan his men were come and his vesselles all charged and had wynde at wyll they toke shippyng and disancred and sayled towardes Burdeaux on the ryuer of Gyron NOwe lette vs speke of the kyng of Englande who had in his copany four thousande men of armes and thyrtie thousande archers They shipped at thre places At Brutowe at Holyheed and at Herforde they passed ouer daylye And in Irelande all redy there was a valyaunt knyght of Englande called erle of Ormonde He helde landes in Irelande and so dyde his predecessours but it was as than in debate The erle Marshall of Englande hadde the vowarde with fyftene hundred speares and two thousande archers The kynge of Englande and his two vncles toke shyppinge at Herforde in Wales Thus the army passed ouer without doÌ„mage than they were lodged in Irelande by the apoyntement of the duke of Gloucestre coÌ„stable of Englande and by the marshals all abrode in the countrey beyond the cytie of Duuelyn a .xxx. myle for the countrey was as thanÌ„e inhabytable Howe be it they laye wysely and surely for feare of the yrisshe men as nede was or els they myght haue taken great doÌ„mage And the kynge and his vncles were lodged in the cytie of Duuelyn and as it was shewed me all the whyle they were there they were largely prouyded of vitayls For the Englysshe men are suche men of warre as can well forage and take aduauÌ„tage and make good prouisyon for theÌ„ selfe and their horses And what fell of this voyage I shall shewe you here after as I was enformed ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe sir IohnÌ„ Froissart arryued in Englande and of the gyfte of a boke that he gaue to to the kyng Cap. CC. TRewe it was that I sir Iohan Froissart as at that tyme treasourer and chanon of Chymay in the erldome of Heynaulte in the diocese of Liege had great affectyon to go and se the realme of Englande whan I had ben in Abbeuyle and sawe that trewce was taken bytwene the realmes of Englande and Fraunce and other countreis to them conioyned and there adherentes to endure four yeres by See and by lande Many reasons moued me to make that voyage One was bycause in my youthe I hadde been brought vp in the court of the noble kynge Edwarde the thyrde and of quene Philyppe his wyfe and amonge their chyldren and other barones of Englande that as than were a lyue In whome I founde all noblenesse honour largesse and courtesy Here fore I desyred to se the countre thynkynge therby I shulde lyue moche the lengar for I hadde nat been there .xxviii. yere before I thought though I sawe natte those lordes that I lefte a lyue there yet at the leest I shulde se their heyres the whiche shulde do me moche good to se and also to iustifye the hystories and maters that I hadde written of them And or I toke my iourney I spake with duke Aubert of Bauyere and with the Erle of Heynaulte Hollande zelande and lorde of Freese and with my lorde Wyllyam erle of Ostrenaunt and with my right honourable lady Iahane duchesse of Brabant and of Lusenbourge and with the lorde Eugerant lorde Coucy and with the gentyll knyght the lorde of Gomegynes who in his youthe and myne had been toguyder in Englande in the kynges courte In lykewise so had I sene there the lorde of Coucy and dyuers other nobles of Fraunce holden great housholdes in London whan they laye there in hostage for the redempcion of kynge Iohan as than Frenche kynge As it hath been shewed here before in this hystorie THese sayd lordes and the Duchesse of Brabant counsayled me to take this iourney and gaue me letters of recommendacyon to the kynge of Englande and to his vncles sauynge the lorde Coucy He wolde nat write to the kynge bycause he was a Frenche man therfore he durste nat but to his doughter who as than was called duchesse of Irelande And I had engrosed in a fayre boke well enlumyned all the matters of Amours and moralytees that in four and twentie yeres before I hadde made and compyled whiche greatly quickened my desyre to go in to Englande to se kyng Rycharde who was sonne to the noble prince of Wales and of Acquitayne for I hadde nat sene this kynge Rycharde sythe he was Christened in the Cathedrall churche of Burdeaux at whiche tyme I was there and thought to haue goone with the prince the iourney in to Galycia in Spaygne And whanÌ„e we were in the cytie of Aste the prince sente me backe in to Englande to the Quene his mother For these causes and other I hadde great desyre to go in to Englande to se the kynge and his vncles Also I hadde this said fayre boke well couered with veluet garnysshed with clapses of Syluer and gylte therof to make a present to the kynge at my fyrst cominynge to his presence I hadde suche desyre to goo this voyage that the payne and traueyle greued me nothyng Thus prouyded of horses and other necessaries I passed the See at Calais and came to Douer the .xii. daye of the moneth of Iuly WhanÌ„e I came there I founde no man of my knowledge it was so longe sythe I had been in Englande and the houses were all newly chauÌ„ged and yonge children were become men and the women knewe me natte nor I theym So I abode halfe a daye and all a nyght at Douer It was on a Tuesdaye And the nexte daye by nyne of the clocke I came to Canterbury to saynt Thomas shrine and to the tombe of the noble prince of Wales who is there entered ryght richely There I herde masse made myne offrynge to the holy saynt and thanne dyned at my lodgynge And there I was enformed howe kyng Richarde shulde be there the nexte daye on pylgrimage whiche was after his retourne out of Irelande where he had ben the space of nyne moneches or there about The kyng hadde a deuocyon to visyte saynt Thomas shrine and also bycause the prince his father was there buryed Than I thought to abyde the kynge there and so I dyde And the next daye the kynge came thyder with a noble company of lordes ladyes and damoselles And whan I was among them they semed to me all newe folkes I knewe no ê‘sone The tyme was sore chauÌ„ged in .xxviii. yere And with the kynge as than was none of his vncles the duke of LaÌ„castre was in Acquitayne and the dukes of yorke and Glocestre were in other busynesses so that I was at
tyme I demaunded thē of their beleue wherwith they were nat content and sayd howe they beleued on god and on the trynite aswell as we Than I demaūded on what pope was their affection The aunswered me on hym of Rome Than̄e I demaunded if they wolde nat gladly receyue the order of knyghthode and that the kyng of Englande shulde make thē knyghtes accordynge to the vsage of Fraūce and Englande and other countreis they aunswered howe they were knyghtes all redye and that suffyced for theym I asked where they were made knyghtes and howe and whan They answered that in the age of seuyn yere they were made knyghtes in Irelande And that a kynge maketh his sonne a knyght and if the sonne haue no father alyue than the nexte of his blode maye make hym knyght And than̄e this yonge knyght shall begyn to iuste with small speares suche as they maye beare with their case and rynne agaynst a shelde sette on a stake in the felde and the more speares that he breaketh the more he shal be honoured I knewe their maner well ynough though I dyde demaūde it But than I sayd that the knighthode that they had taken in their youthe suffyced nat to the kynge of Englande But I sayde he shulde gyue theym after another maner They demaunded howe I aunswered that it shulde be in the holy churche whiche was the moost worthyest place Than they enclyned somewhat to my wordes Within two dayes after the erle of Ormonde came to thē who coude right well speke the langage for some of his landes laye in those parties He was sente to them by the kynge and his coūsayle They all honoured hym and he them Than he fell in swete communycacion with them and he demaunded of them howe they lyked me They aunswered and sayde well for he hath well shewed vs the vsage of this countrey wherfore we ought to thanke him and so we do This aunswere pleased well the erle of Ormonde Than he entred lytell and lytell to speke of the order of chiualry whiche the kyng wolde they shulde receyue He shewed it them fro poynt to poynt howe they shulde behaue them selfe and what parteygned to knyghthode The erles wordes pleased moche these four kynges whose names were these Fyrst the great Ancle kyng of Mecte The seconde Brine of Thomōde kynge of Thomonde The thyrde Arthure of Mackequemur kynge of Lynster The fourthe Conhue kyng of Cheueno Darpe They were made knightes by kyng Richarde of Englande in the Cathedrall churche of Duuelyn dedycate of saynt Iohan Baptyst It was done on our lady day in Marche as than it fell on a Thursday These four kynges watched all the night before in the churche and the nexte daye at highe masse tyme with great solēpnyte they were made knightes and with them sir Thomas Orphen sir Ioatas Pado and sir Iohan Pado his cosyn These kynges sate that day at the table with kyng Rycharde They were regarded of many folkes bicause there behauyng was straunge to the maner of Englande and other countreis and euer naturally men desyre to se newelties Than I sir Iohn̄ Froissart sayde Henry I beleue you well I wolde it had cost me largely that I had been there And surely this yere past I hadde come hyder and it hadde nat been for that I herde of the dethe of quene Anne of Englande whiche dyde lette me But one thynge I wolde desyre of you to knowe howe these four kynges of Irelande came so soone to the kynge of Englandes obeysaunce whan kynge Edwarde the kynges graunfather who was so valyaunt a prince and so redouted ouer all coude neuer subdue them nor putte them vnder and yet he had alwayes warre with thē and in that they are subdued nowe ye sayd it was by treatie and by the grace of god In dede the grace of god is good who so can haue it it is moche worthe But it is sene nowe a dayes that erthely princes getteth lytell wtout it be by puissaūce I desyre to know this for whan I shall cōe in to Heynalt of which countrey I am of I shal be examyned of this and many other thynges bothe by duke Aubert of Bauier erle of Heynalte of Holande and of zelande and also by his sonne Wyllm̄ of Bauyere who writeth hym selfe lorde of Frese whiche is a great countrey and a puissaunt whiche coūtrey the sayd duke and his sonne claymeth to haue by ryght successyon and so dyde their predecessours before them but the Fresons wolde neuer fall to any reason nor come vnder obeysaūce nor as yet do nat vnto this day than answered sir Henry Christall sayd Sir Iohan to shewe you the very trouth I can nat but as many a one saythe it is to suppose that the great puissaūce that the kyng had ouer with him and taryed there in their countrey nyne monethes and euery man well payed abasshed the yrisshe men Also the see was closed fro them on all partes wherby their lyuēges and marchaūdises myght nat entre in to their countreys thoughe they that dwell farre within the realme cared lytell for it for they knowe natte what marchaundyse meaneth nor they lyue but grosely and rudely like vnto beestes yet suche as lyueth on the marchesse of England and by the See coost vse feate of marchaundyse with vs and in to other places Kynge Edwarde of noble memorie in his tyme had to answere so many warres what in Fraūce Bretayne Gascone and Scotlande so that his people were deuyded in dyuers places sore occupyed wherfore he coude nat sende no great nombre in to Irelande But whan the Irysshmen sawe the great nombre of men of warre that kyng Rycharde hadde in Irelande this laste iourney The yrisshmen aduysed them selfe and came to obeysaūce And in dede of olde tyme there was a kyng in Englāde named Edwarde who is a saynt and canonysed and honoured through all this realme In his tyme he subdued the Danes disconfyted them by batayle on the See thre tymes And this saint Edwarde kyng of Englande lorde of Irelande and of Acquitayn the yrisshmen loued and dredde hym moche more than any other kyng of Englande that had been before And therfore our souerayne lorde kyng Richarde this yere past whan he was in Irelande in all his armories and deuyses he lefte the beryng of the armes of Englande as the lybardes flour delyces quarterly and bare the armes of this saynt Edwarde that is a crosse patent golde and goules with four white martenettes in the felde wherof it was said the yrisshmen were well pleased and the soner they enclyned to hym For of trouthe the predecessours of these four kynges obeyed with faithe and homage to the sayd kyng Edwarde and they repute kynge Richarde a good man and of good cōscience and so they haue done to hym faithe homage as they ought to do and in like maner as their predecessours sōtyme dyde to saynt Edwarde Thus I haue shewed you
of the duke he humyled and apesed his herte greatlye and with that the knyghtes tolde hym and sayd sir ye se the good wyll of the duke he hath spoken nothyng but his hert dothe agre to the same I se it well quod sir Olyuer and for that I se and ê‘ceyue his good wyll I shall put me so farforthe that I shall yelde me vnder his obeysaunce And it semeth ye be ryght nere to hym seynge he putteth his affiaunce and trust in you to delyuer you his heyre to bringe to me to lye in hostage tyll I be retourned I wotte nat if he haue shewed you what he hath written to me sygned and sealed with his seale The lordes answered and said Sir he hath well tolde vs that he hath ryght great desyre to come to a peace and accorde with you In this ye maye right well beleue vs we be of your blode ThanÌ„e sir Olyuer went for the letters that the duke had sent hym and reed them Sir quod they all that is conteyned in this letter he hath said vnto vs and vpon the same estate he hath sent vs hyder Than sir Olyuer ordaygned hym to departe with the sayd lordes and toke the dukes sonne agayne with them and said howe they shulde bringe agayne the chylde to his father sayeng that he trusted right well his ê“myse coÌ„sydring that he had proued hym so farre and that he had shewed suche humilyte He douted nat but that his herte was in vnyte So they came to Wannes The duke had apoynted that sir Olyuer shulde tary at a Freres without the towne of Wannes and there the duke shulde come and speke with hym as it was ordayned so it was done and whan the duke sawe that sir Olyuer had brought agayne his sonne and heyre he reputed if for a great curtesy and was well content therwt. Thus the duke and sir Olyuer mette in the Freres and there they two alone entred in to a chambre and coÌ„muned toguyder a season and after issued out through a gardeyn and came to the ryuer syde and there they entred in to a bote and fro thens entred in to a shyppe that laye at ancre And so whan they were farre of fro all people they coÌ„muned a longe season toguyder What their wordes were I knowe nat but their dealynge was as I shall shewe you THeir men had went they hadde been styll in the Freres but as it was shewed me they were thus in the shyppe more than two houres there made a good peace bytwene them and sware faythe and trouth eche to other without dissymulacyon Than they called agayne the boteman he brought them agayne where he had them and so entred agayne by the gardeyne syde in to the Freres Than anone after the duke caÌ„e out and ledde sir Olyuer of Clysson by the hande and so went in to the towne of Wannes and in to the castell called le Mote Of this peace euery man was greatly reioysed and to se them so amiably togyder and so was all the countrey At the makyng of this peace IohnÌ„ of Bloyes erle of Ponthieur lost nat for his reuenewes was therby augmented of tweÌ„tie thousande crownes of golde by yere for euer to hym and to his heyres And at this peace a maryage was ordayned for the duke of Bretaynes doughters to confyrme the better the loue and alyaunces bytwene them great newes ran through Fraunce and Englande of this peace ye haue herde here before howe sir Peter of Craon fell in the frenche kynges displeasure and of the duke of Orlyaunce bycause of sir Olyuer of Clysson in that he wolde haue slayne hym on a nyght as he went to his house warde howe the duke of Bretayne susteyned hym in his house by whiche occasyon the freÌ„che kyng wolde haue made warrÌ„ agaynst the duke if the sickenesse that tooke hym had nat been by whiche incydentes the kynges army brake vp also ye haue herde howe the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne bare great displeasure to all suche as counsayled the kyng therto As sir Olyuer of clysson the lorde de la Ryuer the lorde Iohan le Mercyer Montague and other who afterwarde endured therby great prisonment howe the two dukes had the gouernauÌ„ce of the realme as long as the kynge was in his sickenesse also it hath ben shewed what mortall warre was bytwene the duke of Bretaygne and sir Olyuer of Clysson also howe the lordes de la Ryuer sir Iohan Mercyer and Montague were delyuered out of prisone whiche Montague had nat so moche trouble as the other had for as soone as the kyng was returned to his helth he toke MoÌ„tague agayne about hym made his excuse So by reason of these soÌ„drie sickenesses that the kyng had dyuers tymes gretly troubled the realme of FrauÌ„ce and moche abated the kynges puissaunce so that he had nat euery thyng done accordyuge to his wyll In this season sir Peter of Craon was nothyng displeased with the kynges sickenesse nor with the trouble that they of his counsayle hadde howe be it than he made sute to retourne agayne in to the kynges fauour and loue and the duke of Burgoyne and the lorde Guy of Tremoyle were his aduocates to treate for hym And lightly his peace had been made and the duke of Orlyaunce had nat ben for he letted all that treatie for as longe as the hate eudured bytwene sir Olyuer Clysson the duke of Bretaygne sir Peter of Craon coude come to no peace nor accorde but whaÌ„ it was surely knowen that there was a peas made bytwene the duke and sir Olyuer thaÌ„ the quarell agaynst sir Peter of Craon was molyfied and well apeased The same season quene Iane of Naples and Hierusalem and duches of Aniou had a plee in parlyament agaynst sir Peter of Craon for the soÌ„me of a. C.M. fraÌ„kes this lady lay styll at Paris the better to entende to her busynesse sir Peter of Craon that sawe hym selfe in that daÌ„ger and that he was in sute in the ê‘lyament and knewe nat howe his busynesse shulde passe outher with hym or agaynst hym for the ladyes partie was strong and had good profe of whom he had receyued the money in the dayes of kyng Loyes her husbaÌ„de All these thynges coÌ„sydred he ymagyned that it was nat easy for him to beare and also he knewe well he was in hate with the frenche kyng with the duke of Orlyaunce but the duke and duchesse of Burgoyne coÌ„forted and ayded hym asmoche as they myght He gate suche grace that he was at Paris secretly in the house of Arthoys with the duches of Burgoyne ¶ Nowe we shall leaue to speke of hym at this tyme. ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the kyng of Hungry wrote to the Frenche kynge the state of the great turke and howe IohnÌ„ of Burgoyn eldest sonne to the duke of Burgoyne was chefe and heed of the army that went thider Cap. CC.vi. IN this sayd season HeÌ„ry kyng of HuÌ„gry sent