¶ The preface of sir Iohan Bourchier knyght lorde Berners Sythe hystorie as I haue in my Preface vpon the fyrst volume of this cronycles declared is the wytnesse of tymes the lyght of trouthe the lyfe of remembrauÌ„ce the maistres of the lyfe the messanger of olde season wherof innumerable coÌ„modyties growen I ne thynke the labours myspente that I at the highe coÌ„maundement of our moost redoughted soueraygne lorde Henry the cyght kyng of Englande and of FrauÌ„ce highe defender of the Christen faythe c. haue eâ—ployed aboute the translacyon of nowe the foure volumes of sir Iohan Froissaâ—t out of Frenche in to our Englysshe tong Certainly nat the bouÌ„tie of the same cronycles in whom are conteygâ—â—d the warres of these parties whiche warres dâ—scâ—yued in Frenche by sir Iohan Froyssaâ—â— ryght oâ—nately as many that haue great vnderstandynge in dyuers tonges in whome warres are written plainly saye for knyghtly feateâ— manhode and humanyte passe ryght moche the warres of farre countreis nor the great pleasure that thy noble countrey menne of Englande toke in redynge the worthy and knightly dedes of their valyaunt auncestours encorageth me halfe so moche as the princely exhorte whiche of all erthely kynges the very worshyppe and 〈◊〉 ouâ— foresaid gracyous soueraygne gaue me He who forthe manyfolde royall vertues in his highnesse fouÌ„de nat of two or thre small realmes 〈◊〉 is worthy to reygne and be kyng ouer the vnyuersall worlde â—elyteth in nothyng 〈◊〉 than to 〈…〉 I sayd the moost famous 〈◊〉 of his 〈◊〉 and subict 〈…〉 ouâ— with all 〈◊〉 So that it â—ought appere to euery mannes â—ight ouer what and howe worthy people has 〈…〉 and nowe his 〈…〉 lyaunt 〈◊〉 contende by vigorous vertue and manhode to folowe yea to passe them if they maye Truely the ymages as they vsed in olde tyme to erecte in worshyp and remembraunce of them that were discended of noble blode he beare halfe the wytnesse that the noble dedes sette out in hystorye done Whiche well appereth by the wordes of the prudent kyng Agesilaus who dying coÌ„maunded that neyther ymage nor picture to his resemblauÌ„ce shulde be made for if I haue sayd he any noble thyng famously done it shall beare wytnesse ynough of me if I haue nought done certainly all the ymages lytell aueylen as who saythe suche thynges inought be made in mynde of them that were but dastardes and neuer dyde worthy dede in all their lyfe Wherfore for the loue and honour that I beare to our moost puissaunt soueraygne and to do pleasure to his subieâ—tes bothe nobles and coÌ„mons I haue endeuored me to translate out of FreÌ„che as sayd is in to Englysshe the four volumes of sir Iohan Froissart and reduced them in to twayne Wherin if I haue erred I praye them that shall defaute fynde to coÌ„syder the greatnesse of the hystorie and my good wyll that aske nothyng elles of them for my great labour but of their curtesy to amende where nede shal be and yet for their so doynge I shall praye to god finally to sende them the blysse of heuen Amen ¶ Thus endeth the preface of sir Iohan Bourchier knight lord berners deputie of Calais traÌ„slatour of this present cronycle and here after foloweth the table with the chapters as they stande in the boke by order c. ¶ Herafter foloweth the table of this present volume FIrst howe syr Iohan Bourchyer gouernour of Gaunt durynge the truse had newe vitayled the towne of GauÌ„t and howe a maner of people called comporselles dyd moche hurte in the Countrey Capitulo primo ¶ Howe the bridge of Taylbourcke was won by the frenche men and howe the englisshmen fortyfied them selfe agaynst the coÌ„myng of the frenchmen and howe the admyrall of FrauÌ„ce and his rout aryued at â—â—â—nborowe in Scotlande Capi. ii ¶ Howe the frenche men found a wylde countrey of ScotlaÌ„de and were yuell content with the admyrall and howe he pacyfied them with fayre wordes and howe Fraunces Atreman and his company had nerehande taken Ardenbourke in Flaunders Cap. iii. ¶ Howe the lorde of saint Albyne and Enguerante zendequyn saued Ardenbourke fro takynge and howe the quene of Hungery sent ambassadours into Fraunce to marry thetle of Valoyes to her eldest doughter Cap. iiii ¶ Howe the duchesse of Brabant wrote to duke Frederyke of Bauyere of the maryage of the yonge frenche kyng with her nese Isabell of Bauyer and howe the duke and the lady came to Quesnoy Capi. v. ¶ Howe Fraunces Atreman toke the towne of Dan and howe the frenche kynge wedded the lady Isabell of Bauyere and after wente and layde siege to Dan. Fo .vi. ¶ Howe dyuers burgesses of Sluse were behe ded and howe Sluse was chaunged for the lande of Bethune howe the siege of Dan contynewed longe Cap. vii ¶ Howe the gauntoyse fledde out of Dan by nyght howe the frenche men toke the towne and destroyed it and also howe the kynge dystroyed the countrey of the foure craftes Capi. viii ¶ Howe the frenche kynge departed oute of Flaunders and gaue leaue to his men to departe and howe he came to Parys to treate with the ambassadours of Hungry and howe the marques of Blanqueforte toke by streÌ„ght to his wyfe the same lady 〈…〉 Cap. ix ¶ Howe the duke of Burbone toke Bertuell in Poictou and also of the great assemble that the kynge of Scottes made to entre in to Englande Cap. x. ¶ Howe the frenche men and scottes was the castell of Vatley and dystroyed dyuers other townes in Northumberlande and howe they withdrewe agayne in to Scotlande whan they knewe that the kynge of Englande was coÌ„mynge on them with a great puyssaunce Capi. xi ¶ Howe syr Iohan Hollande slewe syr Rycharde Stafforde and howe the erle of Stafforde came to the kynge to demaunde iustyce Capi. xii ¶ Howe the kynge of Englande caused to be dystroyed the churche of Mewreus in Scotlande and howe the barones of Scotlande aunswered the admyrall of Fraunce and deuysed to leaue Scotlande and to lette the englysshe men alone Cap. xiii ¶ Howe the kynge of Englande toke Edenborowe the chiefe tytle of Scotlande howe the duke of Lancastre was in purpose to retourne in to Wales to close in the frenche men and the scottes and what the frenche men and scottes dyd in the sayd countrey Cap. xiiii ¶ Howe the erle of Oxenforde brake the pursute that the kynge of Englande had thought to haue made into Wales after the frenchmen and scottes and howe the kyng retourned the same way that he came and howe the frenche men scottes determyned to retourne againe into Scotlande Cap. xv ¶ Howe the frenche lordes were in great paryll in scotlande and coude nat fynde the meanes to passe ouer thesee and how they shewed the erles Duglas and Morette the hardnesse that they founde in that countrey and what answere they made to them Cap. xvi ¶ Howe the admyrall enfourmed the frenche kynge and his counsayle of the state of Scotlande and
tydynges to be of trouthe wherfore they were ioyfull for they wolde gladly haue made an ende by batayle for otherwyse they sawe well they coulde not atteyne to theyr desyred entrepryse and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac were alwayes aboute the kynge of Castell and euery weke they had tydynges out of Fraunce what busynes there was there and of the departynge of the duke of Borbon and howe he toke in his waye of Auygnyon to se pope Clement and the cardynalles there euer they counsayled the kynge not to fyght tyll the duke of Borbon were come and amonge other tydynges they herde of the duke of Bretayne howe he had taken in the castell of Ermyne the constable of frauÌ„ce and raunsomed at a C.M. frankes and of his .iii. castelles and towne that was delyuered to the duke of Bretayne and howe that therby the iourney and boyage in to Englande was broken they had meruayle of this and to what purpose the duke of Bretayne dyd it they supposed that the counsayle therof came out of Englande THus as I haue sayd before the royalme of Fraunce was brought in to trouble and specyally the kynges vncles were sore moued with the defyaunce that came fro the duke of Guerles for they were fell and rude and out of the course of other defyaunces as I shall shewe you when I declare the matter And also the frenssh kynge and his vncles were sore dyspleased in that the duke of Bretayne had broken theyr voyage in to Englande by the see and he that was chefe of the entrepryse taken that was the constable of fraunce and raunsomed as before is sayd at a C.M. frankes taken fro hym .iii. castelles and a towne whiche was a thynge gretely preiudycyall to the kynge and to the royalme of fraunce howbeit the kynge sonne passed ouer all the matters for he was but yoâ—ge wherfore he regarded it not so sore as though he had ben of perfyte age but suche as were auncyent and wyse sayd that by suche lyke matters the royalme of fraunce hath had moche a do in tyme past as when the kynge of Nauare caused syr Charles of Spayne constable of Fraunce to be slayne for whiche cause kynge IohnÌ„ neuer loued after the kynge of Nauare and toke fro hym all his landes in Normandy Then some other wolde saye yf kynge Charles fader to the kynge that nowe is were a lyue he loued the constable soo well surely he wolde be reuenged and make warre to the duke of Bretayne and to take fro hym all his landes what soo euer it cost hym Thus euery man spake of this dede and sayd it was euyll done then the kynges vncles and the counsayle of the royalme somwhat to satysfye the people who were sore dyspleased with the duke of Bretayne determyned that a prelate .iii. barons sholde be sente to the duke to speke with hym and to here his reasons to commauÌ„de hym to come to Parys to make his exscuse of that he had done thyder sholde go the bysshop of Beawuoys and syr Myles of Dornams a sage and a ryght valyaunt man and well langaged and with hym syr IohnÌ„ of Bean syr IohnÌ„ of Beuell and the lorde de la Ryuer who had theyr charge what they sholde saye and do and the bysshoppe of Beawâ—oys toke his waye by Mount le herry where as the constable was for the towne of Castell perteyned to hym kynge Charles had gyuen it to hym and to his heyres And whyle the bysshop was there a sykenes toke hym and so lay in a feuer a .xv. dayes dyed then in his stede was sente the bysshop of Langers and he toke his waye with the other in to Bretayne IT myght be demaunded of me howe I knewe all these matters to speke so proprely of them I answere to all suche that I haue made grete dylygence in my dayes to knowe it and haue serched many royalmes countreys to come to the true knowledge of all the matters conteyned in this hystory wryten and to be wryten for god gaue me the grace to haue the laysure to se in my dayes and to haue the acquayntaunce of all the hyghe and myghty prynces lordes as well in Fraunce as in Englande for for in the yere of our lorde god a M. iiiC.iiii score and .x. I had laboured .xxxvii. yeres and as then I was of the age of .lvii. yeres and in .xxxvii. yeres a man beynge in strength and wel reteyned in euery coost as I was for after my yonge dayes I was in the kynge of englandes courte .v. yeres with the quene And also I was welcome to kynge IohnÌ„ of Fraunce to kynge Charles his sone myght well lerne many thynges and surely it was alwayes my chefe ymagynacyon and pleasure to enquyre to retayne it by wrytynge and howe I was enfourmed of the takynge of the constable of Fraunce I shall shewe you A yere after this matter fell I rode from the cyte of Angyers to Towres in Towrayne And I laye on a nyght at Beauforte in the vale and the nexte day I met with a knyght of Bretayne called syr Wyllyam Daucemys he was rydynge to se my lady of Mayll in Towrayne his cosyne her chyldren she was newly a wydowe I fell in aquayntaunce with this knyght and founde hym ryght curtoys swete of wordes then I demaunded of hym some tydynges and specyally of the takynge of the constable whiche matter I was glad to here and to knowe the trouth therof and he shewed me sayd howe he had ben at the parlyament at wannes with the lorde of Aucemys his cosyne a grete baron of Bretayne And in lyke maner as syr Espayne de Lyon enfourmed me of all thynges that had fallen in Foyze in Byerne in gascoyne also as syr IohnÌ„ Ferrant parteke shewed me of all the matters of Portyngale and of Castell In lyke maner this knyght shewed me many thynges and more wolde haue done if I had ryden longer in his company Thus bytwene Mounte le herry and Premylly was .iiii. grete leages and we rode but softely and in this way he shewed me many thynges the whiche I bare well in my remembraunce and specyally of the aduentures of Bretayne And thus as we rode that we came nere to Premylly we entred in to a medowe there this knyght rested and sayd A god haue mercy of the soule of the good constable of Fraunce he dydde here ones a goodly iourney and profytable for the royalme vnder the baner of syr IohnÌ„ de Bewell for he was not as then constable but newly come out of Spayne and I demaunded of hym howe it was I shal shewe you sayd he wheÌ„ I am on horsebacke and so we mounted than we rode forthe fayre and easely and as we rode he sayde In the season that I haue shewed you quod this knight this countre here was full of Englysshmen robbers and pyllers of Gascoyne bretons and almayns and
I requyre you demaunde of hym or elles wyll I whyder he wyll do any more or â—atte Than sir Iohan Bernes sayde Nay naye sir knyght ye may departe whan ye lyste ye haue done ynough Than the lorde of Clary departed with his company and the Englysshe men ledde sir Peter Courtney to Calays to be healed of his hurtes And the lorde of Clary retourned in to Fraunce thynkynge that he hadde right well done and that he shulde haue had for that dede great laude and prayse But I shall shewe you what fell therof WHan tidynges came to the Frenche kyng and to the duke of burgoyne and to their counsayle howe that the lorde of Clarye had done armes with sir Peter Courtney in retournynge to Calais so that the sayde sir Peter was hurte and in paryll of dethe The kynge and the duke and specially sir Guye of Tremoyle were sore dyspleased with the lorde of Clary and sayde howe he had done at the leest as moche as to lese his landes and to be bannysshed the realme of Fraunce for euer without repele And soÌ„e other suche as wolde hym no good wyll sayde howe he hadde done lyke a false traytoure seynge a straunge knyght vnder the kynges saue garde shulde be requyred by hym to do dedes of armes and by that meanes to be brought to the ieopardye of dethe They sayde suche a dede ought nat to be pardoned The lorde of Clary was sente for he came to the kynge and to the duke of Burgoyne There he was examyned and layde to his charge and demauÌ„ded howe he durste be so outragious to a knyght straunger that was come to the kynges court for good loue and to exalte his honoure to do feates of armes and deê‘ted thens with good loue and ioye And the entente that he shulde nat be troubled by the way in his retournyng was delyuered to hym to conduyt and than at the deê‘tynge of bothe realmes he to be so bolde to do armes with hym in caÌ„pe or iustes mortall without lycence of his soueraygne lorde of whom he holdeth his lande It was shewed hym the trespasse was so great that it was nat to be pardoned but to be punysshed so highely that all other shulde take ensample therby The lorde of Clary whan he herde those wordes he was abasshed for he thought he hadde done well and for to haue had thanke Than he sayde My lordes it is of trouthe sir Peter of Courtney was delyuered to me to conducte and to kepe hym company tyll he came to Calais or to the froÌ„ters therof And of all that I hadde in charge I haue well and truely acquyted my selfe and if nede be I shall proue it by the wytnesse of hym selfe And trewe it was that by the waye whan we came to Lucyen to the countesse of saynt Poule who receyued made vs good chere There sir Peter Courtney hadde certayne wordes as I shall shewe you THe countesse demauÌ„ded of hym and sayde sir Peter of Courtney howe are ye contente with the Lordes of Fraunce and with the maner of FrauÌ„ce he answered courtesly and sayd Madame the maner of Fraunce is ryght noble and goodlye As for the lordes of Fraunce I am right well content with their chere excepte in one thyng and that is with great payne and traueyle and great coste I haue issued oute of EnglaÌ„de to do dedes of armes and so came to the freÌ„che kynges court but there I knew nat with whom to do armes Thus my lordes whan I herde hym saye so in the preseÌ„ce of so noble a lady as the countesse of saynte Poule suster to the kynge of Englande the wordes were right heuy to me to beare how be it I suffred them for that tyme bycause I had the charge of the conueyaunce of hym I neuer made semblaunt therof to hym as longe as we were in company togider within the realme of Fraunce And at our leaue takynge in the marchesse of Calais trewe it is than I layde vnto hym the sayde wordes and sayd howe they were nat courtesly spoken nor honorably For the wordes sounded that the chiualry of Fraunce was so abated that none durst do dedes of armes with him Than I sayd if he wolde abyde therby that I was one of the knightes of Fraunce borne of the nacyon And I sayd I wolde nat that he shulde make his auaunte in Englande that he coude nat fynde in FrauÌ„ce nor by the waye with whome to do armes Therfore I sayde I was redy and desyred to do armes with hym and to fulfylle his pleasure and desyre as to rynne thre courses with a speare the same daye or the nexte Certaynly my lordes I sayde these wordes for the honour of the realme of Fraunce and the chyualry therof And me thonght he had great ioye therof and accepted to do armes with me the nexte day and so dyde I and the nexte day we mette at the same place He was a coÌ„panyed with them of the garyson of Calais And with me there were certayne of the fronters there knyghtes and squyers as the lorde of Mount carell and sir Iohan of Longuyllers There we iusted toguyder as well as we coude and the aduenture of armes fell so that at the seconde course I strake him through the shulder so that he fell to the erthe Than I retourned againe to knowe if he wolde do any more Than the capitayne of Calis said it was sufiycient that was done and that I myght departe whan I lyst And than I retourned I beleued I had ryght well done and well defended the honour of the realme of France and of the knightes therin Thus I haue shewed you the very trouthe of this dede for my well doyng of this ameÌ„des shall folowe I reporte me and wyll abyde the iugement of my lorde the Constable and my lordes the highe marshalles of FrauÌ„ce And besyde that to the voice and discrecion of the knyght hymselfe sir Peter curtney at whose request I dyde these armes And also I reporte me to all knyghtes and squyers of honour bothe of Fraunce and of Englande credably enfourmed of the hole mater WHan the lorde of Clary had shewed the mater and sagely made his excusacioÌ„s as ye haue herde It greatlye aswaged they re and displeasure of thâ—â— that had complayned of hym Howe be it for all his wordes and excusacions he coude nat be delyuered but was coÌ„mytted to prisone there taryed a long season in great daunger of lesyng of all his landes and to be banysshed for euer but the lorde of Coucy and â—he duke of Burbon they labored sore for his delyuerauÌ„ce and with moche payne they made his peace with the ayde of the countesse of saynt Puole before whom the wordes were spoken Than at his deliuerauÌ„ce it was said to hym Sir of Clary ye supposed to haue done ryght well howe be it ye dyde shamefully whanne ye offred to do armes with sir Peter Courtney who was vnder the kyngê saue garde and
sir WyllmÌ„ Clyfron and expert knight of Englande caused his squier to touche the targe of sir Bouciquant IncoÌ„tinent the knight issued out of his pauylion armed at all peces the two knightes came toguider taynted eche other on the shelde and passed by without brekyng of their speares The .ii. course they crossed on their helmes the .iii. course they encountred ech other so on the sheldes that their horses stode styll the .iiii. course was well employed they vnhelmed eche other The englysshe knight ran no more it was said to hym he had done ynough Than on theÌ„glisshe ê‘te came forthe a lusty yong knight called sir Nicholas clynton he touched the lorde of saynt Pies shelde the knight anon was redy they met togider so euyn that eche of theÌ„ brake their speres in iii. peces with suche force that the knight were in dauÌ„ger to haue taken domage but they passed by caÌ„e to their places the .ii. course they tainted eche other on the helmes passed by the iii. course their horses crossed fayled the .iiii course the lorde of saynt Pye vnhelmed the englysshe knight who ran no more that daye for men said he had well valiantly done quited hymselfe how other must haue place to iust ThaÌ„ a kynsman of therle of HuÌ„tingdon caÌ„e forthe called WyllmÌ„ Stamert he caused to touche the shelde of ser Raynold of Roy. they ran togider with frewyll tainted eche other the englysshe knight lost his spere the .ii. courie they met but theÌ„glisshe knight warued aside I can nat tell wheder the faut was in the knight or in the horse but sir Raynolde strake him so rudely on the targe that he sore reuersed so passed by made theÌ„ redy to ryn the third course so tainted eche other on the helmes that the fire sprang out lost both their speres the iiii course they ataynted ech other in the sight of their helmes with that course sir WyllmÌ„ stamert was dishelmed nigh borne to therthe howbeit he fell nat returned to his coÌ„pany ran no more that day Than another squier of EnglaÌ„de caÌ„e forth called LaÌ„castre he sent to touche the shelde of sir Bouâ—iquant they ran togider tainted ech other on the helmes that the fire flewe out marueyle it was that they had nat ben vnhelmed It was nat long tyll they ran the .ii. course but their horses crossed the thirde course they were both vnhelmed and the Englysshe squyer iusted no more that day Than a yonge knight called sir IohnÌ„ Tayl boise iusted with the lorde of saynt Pye and encouÌ„tred eche other on the sheldes and brake their staues the .ii. course their horses crossed and the iii. course they were bothe vnhelmed the Englisshe knight ran no more that day Than stepte forthe it Godfray of Seca a gentyll knight and a good iuster that was well sene by hym he encouÌ„tred with sir Raynolde du Roy. They came right toguyder mette in their sheldes the speres were good and wolde nat breke so that it made their horses to reeule and than recouered kepte styll their speres and than ran agayne these coude course the ressed in fante of the horses and nat of the knyghtes and they lost bothe their staues they ran agayne the .iii. course The Englysshe knight strake sir Raynolde on the helme that he was vnhelmed and sir Raynolde strake that Englysshe knight on the targe so rudely and with suche strength for he was called one of the best iusters in all the realme of Fraunce Also he lyued in amours with a yong lady whiche aueyled hym in all his businesse that he perced theÌ„glisshmans targe clene through the speare heed entred in to the arme and the spere brake the trouchon stacke styll in the shelde in the knyght arme yet for all that the knight made his turne came to his place fresshly than his coÌ„pany drewe out the trouchyon bounde his arme and sir Raynolde retourned to his coÌ„pany Of that course sir Roynolde du Roy was greatly praysed on bothe ê‘ties for all the hurtyng of the knight for suche is the adueÌ„tures of armes to some good to some yuell Than came forthe an Esquyer of Englande called Balquet and sent to touche the shelde of the lorde of saynt Py who was redy to answere They couched their speares ran toguyder the first course they taynted eche other on their helmes and loste their staues they toke their staues agayne and in the aprochyng their horses crossed and so passed by and retourned agayne to their places They taryed nat long but ran eche at other with that course Blaqueâ— strake the lorde of saynt Pye a hye on the helme and gaue hym a sore stroke saynt Pye strake him in the sight of the heelm a sorer stroke so that therwith he was so vnhelmed that the bocle behynde brake and the helme fell to the grouÌ„de Than Blaquet retourned to his copany iusted no more that day And the lorde of saynt Pye sate styll on his horse abyding other comers Than a gentyll knight or Englande called sir IohnÌ„ Bolcas touched the shelde of the lorde of saynt Pye who was there redy to answere they strake eche other on the shelde that it was marueile they were nat perced for their speres were strong how be it they passed by lost their speares without any other doÌ„mage The .ii. course they taynted on the helmes without any hurte passed by the .iii. course they crossed the .iiii. course the lorde of saynt Pye vnhelmed rude lye sir Iohan Bolcas After that course the englisshe knight ran no more Than a yong knyght of Englande richely armed named Thomelyn Massydone he touched the shelde or warre of sir Bouciquant He was incontynent answered The first course they crossed on the helmes the .ii. course they met and Thomelyn brake his spere in troÌ„chions and Bouciquant strake hym so sore that he bare hym to the erthe ouer his horse backe Than his coÌ„panyon toke hym vp and he iusted no more Than another squier of Englande called Nauerton touched the shelde of sir Bouciquant sayeng howe he wolde reuenge his company whom Bouciquant had ouerthrowen in his pÌ„sence who was redy to answere The first course they strake eche other in the viser of their helmes without any other doÌ„mage the .ii. course they strake eche other in their sheldes so that their horses reculed brake their speares in thre peces Than they retourned to their places toke newe speares and met agayne togyder sir Bouciquant receyued a great stroke on the shelde but he strake Nauerton in suche wyse that he was vnhelmed who ran no more that day for euery man sayde he had well acquyted hym selfe Than another squyer called Sequaqueton an experte man of armes sente to touche the shelde of sir Raynolde du Roye the knyght was redy to answere well mouÌ„ted with shelde speare They mette so rudely that Sequaqueton bare
euer they founde her for they sayde she was but a yonge chylde of eyght yere of age wherfore they sayd there coulde nat be in her no great wysdome nor prudence howe be it she was indoctryned well ynough and that the lordes founde well whan they sawe her The Erle Marshall beynge on his knees sayde to her Fayre lady by the grace of god ye shall be our lady and quene of Englande Than aunswered the yonge lady well aduysedly without counsayle of any other person Syr quod she and it please god and my lorde my father that I shall be quene of Englande I shall be glad therof for it is shewed me that I shall be than a great lady Than she toke vp the erle Marshall by the hande and ledde him to the quene her mother who had great ioy of the answere that she had made and so were all other that herde it The maner countenaunce and behauoure of this yonge lady pleased greatly the Ambassadours and they sayd amonge them selfe that she was lykely to be a lady of hygh honoure and great goodnesse Thus whan these lordes of Englande had ben at Parys a twenty dayes and their costes and charges payed for by the frenche kynge a reasonable aunswere was gyuen them so that they were put in great hope to bringe aboute that they came for howe be it the frenche men sayd it coulde nat be doone shortly bycause the lady was so yonge and also she was fyansed to the duke of Bretayns eldest sonne wherfore they sayd they must treat to breke that promesse or they coude procede any further in that mater and thervpon the frenche kynge and his counsayle shulde sende into Englande the next lent after to shewe howe the matter wente And whan the dayes begyn to encreace and waxe fayre Than the kynge of Englande to sende agayne in to Fraunce whome it shulde please hym and they shulde be welcome With this aunswere the englysshe men were contented and toke leaue of the quene and of her doughter and of the kynge and of all other and departed fro Paris and toke the same way they came and so retourned to Calays and than in to Englande and the two erles rode in post before their company to bringe tydynges to the kyng ▪ they rode fro Sandwiche to Wynd sore in lesse thanne a daye and an halfe The kynge was ryght ioyouse of their comynge and was well contente with the frenche kynges aunswere He set the mater so to his herte that he toke great pleasure therin and tooke hede to none other thynge but studyed howe he myght bringe it aboute to haue the frenche kinges doughter to wyfe ON the othersyde the Frenche kynge and his counsayle studyed daye and nyght howe they myght make this maryage with Englande to the honour of the realme of Fraunce There were many in the realme of Fraunce that sayd that if they had been called to these treatyes and our wordes herde the kynge of Englande shulde neuer haue the doughter of Fraunce for any maner of peace What good shulde it be for Fraunce seynge the trewce bytwene them endured but for two yere to come and than shall we fall agayne in warre and eche of vs hate other as we haue doone before The dukes of Berrey and Orlyance were of the same opynion and dyuers other lordes of Fraūce But the king the duke of Burgoyne and the chauncellour of Fraunce enclyned to this maryage and gladde to haue peace reseruyng alwayes the honour of the Realme The same tyme there was a squier in Fraunce of the nacyon of Normandy in the countrey of Caulx he had in his dayes ben sore traueyled in farre parties and as than he was newly retourned into Fraūce his name was Robert le menuot but as than he was called Robert the Hermyte he was relygyous and of good lyfe of the age of fyfty yere he had been at the treaties that was holden at Balyngham at whiche tyme he was well herde and howe he entred than in to that treatie I shall shewe you ⸪ ¶ Of a Squyer named Roberte the Hermyte howe he was sente to the treaties of the peace holden at Balyngham howe he was after sente in to Englande to kynge Rycharde and his vncles Cap. CC.iiii SO it was whan this Roberte the Hermyte returned in to Fraūce out of the parties of Surey and toke shyppyng at Baruch Whyle he was vpon the see a great tempest of wynde rose in suche wyse that they feared to be perysshed and euery man tell to make his prayers to god And at the ende of this tempest and that the wether began to waxe fayre and clere there apered to Robert the Hermyte an ymage more clere than Crystall and sayd thu◠Robert thou shalte issue and escape this parell and all thy company for loue of the for god hath herde thyne orisons and prayers and he sendeth the worde by me that thou shuldest make hast in to Fraunce and go to the kynge and shewe him thyne aduenture and say vnto him that in any wyse he enclyne to haue peace with his aduersary kynge Rycharde of Englande and amonge them that be treaters of the peace preace thou forthe and shewe them thyne aduysyon for thou shalte be herde and say that all suche as be of the contrary opinyon against the peace shall bye it derely in their lyfe tyme in this worlde And therwith the clerenesse and voyce vanysshed away Than Robert abode in a great study but he remembred well what he hadde sene and herde by the deuyne inspyracyon And after this aduenture they had fayre wether and the wynde at their wysshynge and than aryued in the Ryuer of Gennes and there Robert the Hermyte toke leaue of his company and went by lande fro thence tyll he came to Auygnon And the fyrst thynge he dyd he went to the churche of saynt Peter and there foūde a good vertuous man a penytenser and of hym he was cōfessed and shewed hym all his aduenture and demaunded counsayle what was best to do Than his goostly father charged hym in any wyse that he shulde speke nothynge of this mater tyll he had shewed it fyrste to the frenche kynge and loke what counsayle the kynge dyd gyue him so to do This Robert folowed his counsayle and arayed hym selfe in symple habyte all in gray and so poorely departed fro Auygnon and iourneyed so longe that he came to Parys but the kynge was at Abbeuyle and the treatie beganne at Balyngham bytwene the frenche men and Englysshe men as ye haue herde before Than this Robert came to Abuyle and drewe to the kynge and a knyght of his acquayntaunce brought him to the kyng whiche knyght was of Normandy and was called sir Willyam Martell he was of the kynges priuy chambre Than Roberte the Hermyte shewed the Kynge all his hole iourney and aduēture The kyng herde hym well and bycause the duke of Burgoyne and syr Raynolde Corby chauncellour of Fraunce who were of the
where as he laye his hedde on a blacke quisshen his visage open some had on hym pytie soÌ„e none but sayd he had long a go deserued dethe Now coÌ„syder well ye great lordes kynges dukes erles baroÌ„s prelates all men or great lynage puissauce se beholde how the fortunes of this worlde are marueylous turne diuersly This kyng Richarde reigned kynge of EnglaÌ„de .xxii. yere in great prosperite holdyng great estate signorie There was neuer before any kyng of Englande that spente so moche in his house as he dyd by a. C.M. florens euery yere For I sir IohnÌ„ Froissart chanon treasourer of Chinay knewe it wel for I was in his court more tha a quarter of a yere togider he made me good chere bycause that in my youthe I was clerke seruauÌ„t to the noble kynge Edwarde the thirde his grautfather with my lady Philyp of Heynault quene of EnglaÌ„de his grandame and whan I deê‘ted fro hym it was at Wynsore and at my departynge the kyng sent me by a knight of his called sir IohnÌ„ Golofer a gob let or syluer gylte weyeng two marke of siluer within it a C. nobles by the which I am as yet the better and shal be as long as I lyue wherfore I am bouÌ„de to praye to God for his soule with moche sorowe I write of his dethe But bicause I haue coÌ„tynued this historie therfore I write therof to folowe it In my tyme I haue sene two thingê though they differ yet they be true I was in the cytie of Burdeux sytting at the table whaÌ„ kyng Richarde was borne the whiche was on a tuisday about .x. of the clocke The same tyme there caÌ„e there as I was sir Richarde PouÌ„tcardon marshall as than of Acâ—tayne he said to me Froissart write put in memorie that as nowe my lady pricesse is brought abeed with a fayre son on this twelfe daye that is the day of the thre kynges and he is son to a kynges son shal be a kyng This geÌ„tyll knight said trouthe for he was kynge of Englande xxii yere But whan this knyght sayd these wordes he knewe full lytell what shulde be his conclusyon And the same tyme that kynge Richarde was borne his father the prince was in Galyce the whiche kyng Dompeter had gyuen him and he was there to coÌ„quere the realme Vpon these thyngê I haue greatlye ymagined sythe for the fyrst yere that I caÌ„e in to EnglaÌ„de in to the seruyce of quene Philyppe Kynge Edwarde and the quene and all their chyldren were as than at Barcamstede a maner of the prince of Wales be yonde London The kynge and the Quene were came thyder to take leaue of their sofie the prince and the priÌ„cesse who were goyng in to Acquitayne And there I herde an auÌ„cient knyght deuyse amonge the ladyes and sayde There is a booke whiche is called le Brust and it deuyseth that the prince of Wales eldest son to the king nor the duke of Clarence nor the duke of Glocestre shuld neuer be kyng of EnglaÌ„de but the realme crowne shuld returne to the house of Lacastre There I Iohan Froissart auctour of this cronycle coÌ„sydring all these thynges I say these two knyghtes sir Richarde Pountcardon sir Bartylmewe of Bruels layd bothe trouthe For I sawe and so dyde all the worlde Rycharde of Burdeaux .xxii. yere kyng of Englande and after the crowne retourned to the house of Lancastre And that was whan kyng HeÌ„ry was kyng the which he had neuer ben if Richarde of Burdeaux had dalte amyably with hym for the Londoners made hym kyng bycause they had pytie on hym and on his chyldren Thus whan kynge Richarde had layne two houres in the chare in Chepe syde than they draue the chayre forwarde And whan the foure knyghtes that folowed the chare a sote were without London they lept than on their horses whiche were there redy for them And so they rode tyll they caÌ„e to a vyllage called Langle a .xxx. myle from LoÌ„don and there this kyng Richarde was buryed god haue mercy on his soule Tydinges spredde abrode howe kyng Richarde was deed he taryed euery daye for it for euery man myght well consydre that he shulde neuer come out of prisone a lyue His dethe was long kepte and hydde fro his wyfe The Frenche kynge and his counsayle were well enformed of all this and the knightes and squyers desyred nothyng but the warre that they myght ryde vpon the fronters Howe be it the counsayls as well of the one realme as of the other toke their aduyse and thought it best to vpholde styll the truse that was taken before they thought it more ê“fitable than the warre And a newe treatie was deuysed to be in the marches of Calais bycause the freÌ„che kyng was nat in good case nor had nat been sythe he knewe of the trouble that kyng Richarde was in And yet his sickenesse doubled whaÌ„ he knewe that he was deed so that the duke of Burgoyne had the chefe rule of the realme And he came to saynt Omers to Burbourâ— where the duke of Burbone was sir Charles de la Brest and Charles of Hangeers Iohan of Castell Morant and of prelates the patriarke of Ierusalem and the bysshoppes of Paris and of Beauoyes And on the Englysshe partie there was the erle of Northumberlande the erle of Rutlande the erle of Deuonshyre and the lorde Henry Percy the erles sonne and yuan of Fitzwaren and prelates there were the bysshoppes of Wynchester and of Ely The frenche men demauÌ„ded to haue agayne delyuered the yong quene of Englande but the Englysshe men wolde in no wyse delyuer her but sayd she shulde lyue styll in EnglaÌ„de vpon her dowrie and that though she had lost her husbande they wolde prouyde for her another that shulde be fayre yong gentyll with whom she shuld be better pleased than with Richard of Burdeaux for he was olde and this shuld be the prince of Wales eldest sofie to kyng Henry To this the Frenchmen wolde nat agre for they wolde nat consent therto without liceÌ„ce of the kyng her father who as than was nat in good poynt for he was farrÌ„ out of the way no medysyn coude helpe hym So that mater was layde aparte and the treatie of truse went forwarde in suche wyse that by coÌ„sent of bothe parties they sware and were bouÌ„de to kepe the truse .xxvi. yere more to the four yeres that it had endured the whiche in all was .xxx. yere accordynge to the fyrst couenauÌ„t and vpon this writynges were made and sealed by procuracyons of bothe kyngê this done euery man returned to their own countreis ¶ I haue nat as yet shewed you what became of therle Marshall by whom fyrst all these trybulacyons began in the realme of Englande but nowe I shall shewe you He was at Venyce and whaÌ„ he knewe that kyng Henry was kyng and kynge Rycharde taken deed He toke therof so great displeasure and sorowe that he layde hym downe on his bedde and fell in a fransy and so dyed Suche mischeuousnesse fell in those dayes vpon great lordes of Englande ¶ And in the yere of oure lorde god a thousande four hundred one lesse Pope Benedic at Auignon who had ben susteyned long by the Frenche men was as than deposed And in lykewise so was the kynge of Almaygne for his yuell dedes For the clectours of the Empyre and all the dukes and barons of Almaygne rose agaynst hym and sente hym in to Boesme where as he was kyng and they chose another a valyaunt and a wyseman to be kyng of Almayne and he was one of the Bauyers and was called Robert of Heleberge And he came to Coloygne where he was crowned with the crowne of Almayne for they of Ayes wolde nat open their towne to hym nor the duke of Guerles wolde nat be vnder his obeysaunce This newe kynge of Almaygne promysed to bring the churche to a vnyte and peace Howe be it the FreÌ„che kynge and his counsayle treated with the legeoys who helde with the pope at Rhome And they dyde so moche by the meanes of sir Baudwyn of Mount Iardyne who gouerned a great parte of the bysshoprike of Liege who was a knyght of the Frenche kynges so that by his meanes at the desyre of the freÌ„che kyng the countrey of Liege tourned to become neuter so that the Legeois sente to Rome for all the clergy that were there of their countrey to come by a certayne day or els to lese all their benefyces in the countre Whan they herde that they returned fro Rome and caÌ„e to Liege And pope Bonyface who lost moche by that transmutacion sente a legate in to Almaygne to preche amonge them to cause them to retourne agayne to his parte but the legate durst nat passe Coloigne and sent letters to Liege Whanne those letters were reed the messanger was aunswered that on payne of drownyng he shulde no more comeon suche message For they sayd as many messanger as cometh with any suche message shal be drowned in the ryuer of Moeuze Finis totius Froissart ¶ Thus endeth the thirde and fourthe boke of sir IohnÌ„ Froissart of the cronycles of Englande FrauÌ„ce Spayne Portyngale Scotlande Bretaygne Flaunders and other places adioynynge Translated out of Frenche in to maternall Englysshe by IohnÌ„ Bourchier knyght lorde Berners deputie generall of the kynges towne of Calais and marches of the same At the hyghe commaundement of our moost redouted souerayne lorde kyng henry the eight kyng of Englande and of Fraunce and hyghe defender of the christen faythe c. The whiche two bokes be coÌ„pyled in to one volume fynysshed in the sayd towne of Calais the .x. day of marche in the .xvi. yere of our said souerayne lordes raigne Imprinted at London in Fletestrete by Rycharde Pynson printer to the kynges moost noble grace And ended the last day of August the yere of our lorde god M.D.xxv. ¶ Cum priuylegio a rege in dulto
And he hadde passed bytwene the castell of Monestrole and Mountfaucon and so came aboute the countre towarde a vyllage called Batery bytwene Nonnay and saynt Iulyane And in the wode there was a streyght passage whiche he musteâ— nedes passe or els to go by Nonnay at whiche streight laye the lorde of Voult with two hundred speares and Loyes Rambalt toke no hede tyll he was among them Than the lorde of Voulte who was redy to do his enterprise layde the speare in the rest and came cryinge la Voulte and dasshed in among the companyons who rode abrode withoute good arraye And so at the first metyng many of them were ouerthrowen to the erthe and Loyes RaÌ„baulte was stryken fro his horse by a squyer of Auuergne called Amblardon so he toke hym prisoner and all other taken or slayne none scaped And ther they fouÌ„de in boiettes a thre M. frankes whiche Loyes RaÌ„balte had receyued at Anse for trybute of certayne vyllages therabout wherof they were gladde for euery man had his parte And whan Lymosin sawe Rambalt this trapped he came before hym and sayd in reproche Loyes Loyes here fauteth company Remembre ye of the blame shame that ye dyde put me to at Bride for your maystres I wolde haue thought lytell for a woman ye wolde haue put me to that ye dyd For if ye had done as moche to me I wolde nat haue been so angry for two suche coÌ„panyoÌ„s in armes as we were myght haue past our tyme well ynoughe with one woman With those wordes the lordê laughed but Loyes RaÌ„balt had no sporte herat By the takyng thus of this Loyes RaÌ„balte Bride was delyuered to the seneshall of Auuergne for after they had lost their capitayne and the chefe men they had they wolde kepe it no leÌ„gar And in lykewise so dyde they of Anse and other fortresses in Velay Forestes that was on their parte for they within any of these for tresses were right ioyouse to yelde vp their holdes to saue their lyues Than Loyes RaÌ„balte was brought to Nonnay and there set in prisone and the freÌ„che kyng had great ioye of his takyng as I herde reported he was beheeded at Newcastell besyde Auygnon Thus Loys Rambalt dyed god haue mercy on him Thus sir quod the Bastot of Manlyon I haue holde you with talkyng to passe awaye the night how be it sir all that I haue said is true Sir quod I with all my herte I thanke you Sir I trust your sayenges shall nat be loste For sir god suffre me to retourne in to myne owne countre all that I haue herde you saye and all that I haue sene and founde in my voyage I shall put it in remembraunce in the noble cronycle that the erle of Bloys hath set me a warke on For I shall write it cronycle it by the grace of god to the entent it shal be in parpetuall remembraunce Than the Bourge of Compayne called Erualton began to speke wolde gladly that I shulde parceyue by hym that he wolde I shulde recorde his lyfe and of the Bourge Englysshe his brother and howe they had done in Auuergne and in other places But as than he had no leysar for the watche of the castell sowned to assemble all meÌ„ that were in the towne to come vp to the Castell to suppe with the erle of Foiz Thanne these two squyers made them redy and lyghted vp torches and so we wente vp to the Castell and so dyde all other knightes and squyers that were lodged in the towne ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Of the state or ordynaunce of the erle of Foyz and howe the towne of yran rebelled for the great traueyle domage and outrage that was don there to Cap. xxxi OF the astate and order of the erle of Foiz can nat be to moche spoken nor praysed For the season that I was at Ortaise I fouÌ„de hym suche and moche more than I can speke of But whyle I was there I sawe herde many thynges that turned me to great pleasure I sawe on a ChristeÌ„mas day sytting at his borde four bysshoppes of his countre two Clementynes and two Vrbanystes the bysshoppe of Pauyers the bysshoppe of Lescalle Clementynes they satte highest Than the bysshoppe of Dayre and the bysshop of Rone on the fronters of Burdeloys and Bayon Vrbanestes Than satte therle of Foiz and than the vycount of Roquebertyn of Gascone and the vycount of Brunyquell the vycount of IosserauÌ„t and a knight of EnglaÌ„d of the duke of Lancasters who as than laye at Narbone the duke had sent hym thyder The knight was called sir Wyllyam Wylloughby And at another table satte fyue abbottes two knightes of Arragon called sir Raymonde de Mount florentyne and sir Marten de Ruane And at another table satte knightes and squyers of Gascone and of Bigore First the lorde of Daychin than sir Gaylari de la Mote sir RaymoÌ„de of Newcastell the lorde of ChamoÌ„t Gascone the lorde of Compane the lorde de la Layne the lorde of Mountferant sir Wylliam Bernarde sir Peter of Corton the lorde of Valenchyn and sir Aungalle named the Basell at other tables knightes of Bierne a great noÌ„bre and the cheife stewardes of the halle were sir Espaygne of Leon sir Siquart de Boyes Verdune sir Nonnans of Nonnallys and sir Peter of Vaulx of Bierne and the two Erles bastarde bretherne serued at the table sir Erualton Guyllame and sir Peter of Byerne And the erles two sonnes sir yuan of Leschell was shewer and sir Gracyen bare his cuppe And there were many Mynsttelles as well of his owne as of straungers and eche of them dyde their deuoyre in their faculties The same day therle of Foiz gaue to harauldes and minstrelles the soÌ„me of fyue hundred fraÌ„kes and gaue to the duke of Tourayns mynstrelles gownes of clothe of golde furred with Ermyns valued at two hundred frankes This dyner endured foure houres Thus I am gladde to speke of the erle of Foyz for I was there in his house a xii wekes and well entreated in all thynges whyle I was there I might lerne and here tidynges of all countreis And also the gentyll knyght sir Espaygne of Leon in whose company I entred in to the countre He caused me to be acquaynted with knyghtes and squyers suche as coude declare to me any thyng that I roude demaunde For I was enformed of the busynesse of Portingale and of Castell what maner of warre they had made and of the batayls and rencounters bytwene those two kynges and their assysters of whiche busynesses I shall make iuste report yE haue herde here before Howe kynge don Iohan of Castell hadde besieged the castell of Luxbone the king Iohan of Portyngale therin whom the good townes had crowned to their kyng for his valyantnesse howe be it in dede he was a bastarde And also ye haue herde how the same kyng sende in to Englande to the duke of Lancastre and to the erle of
in to Englande and desyred to haue done armes with any man he shulde nat haue departed or he hadde ben answered at his pleasure But I am serued to the contrary Trewe it was sir Guye dela Tremoyle and I were armed in the felde eche agaynst other and ranne toguyder but one course Than it was shewed me fro the kynge that we shulde do no more sayenge howe we hadde done ynough Wherfore madame I saye and wyll say where soeuer I become that I coulde fynde none to do armes with me and that was nat in my defaute but in the knyghtes of Fraunce The lorde of Clary noted well his wordes and helde his pease with great payne Howe be it he suffred hym bycause he had the charge of the coÌ„ueyaunce of hym Than the countesse sayde Sir ye departed right honorably fro FrauÌ„ce whan ye obeyed to the kynges desyre for ye coude do no more sythe it was his pleasure that ye shulde nat IN coÌ„myng returnyng and doyng as ye haue done none can laye any faute in you All suche as shall here there of on this syde the see or on the other shall repute in you more honour than blame wherfore sir I requyre you be contente therwith Madame quod the knight so I do and shall do I shall neuer take thought for it Thus they lefte that mater and fell in other talkynge There he taryed all that daye and night The nexte mornynge sir Petr Court nay toke his leaue of the Countesse of saynt Poule and she gaue hym at his departynge a lytell chayne of golde and to the lorde of Clary another Thus in the mornynge they departed fro Lucenen and toke the waye to Bouloygne and came thyder and there laye all nyght and the nexte daye rode towardes Margyson to go to Calais BItwene Boloygne and Calays are but seuyn or eight leages and fayre playne waye Whan they came nere to Calais there sir Peter of Courtney sayd to the lorde of Clary Sir we be nowe in the kyng of Englandes lande and ye haue well acquyted you in the conueyaunce of me and of your company I thanke you The lorde of Clary who had displeasure in his hert for the wordes that sir Peter had spoken at Lucenen in the presens of the countesse of saynt Pole and other Whiche wordes he thought he wolde nat suffre to reste in that case for he reputed them to haute and to hyghe agaynst the honoure of the chiualry of Fraunce for he vnderstode hym that he said howe he was come oute of Englande in to Fraunce to do armes and how there were none that wolde aunswere hym Than the lorde of Clary at their leaue takynge sayde Sir Peter ye be nowe in the kynge of Englandes lande and sir I haue conueyed you hyder by the commaundement of the kynge my maister and of the duke of Burgoyne And ye remembre well this laste daye whan we were in the countesse of saynt Poules chambre who made vs good chere ye spake there ouer largely as me thynketh to the great preiudyce blame of the knyghtes of Fraunce For ye sayde howe ye came fro the kynges courte coude fynde none to do armes with you By the whiche wordes maye be vnderstande that there is no knyght in Fraunce that dare do armes or iust with you thre courses with a speare Wherfore sir I wyll that ye knowe that here I offre my selfe thoughe I be one of the moost symplest knyghtes in all Fraunce And saye and iustifye that the realme of Fraunce is nat so voyde of knyghtes but that ye shall well fynde yuowe to do dedes of armes with you And sir if ye lyste ye shall fynde me redy to aunswere you be it incontynente this nyght or to morowe I saye nat this for any hatered that I haue to your persone I do it all onely to maynteyne the honour of our ê‘tie For I wolde nat ye shulde retourne to Calais or in to Englande to make youre auaunt that without stroke stryken ye shulde disconfyte the knyghtes of Fraunce Sir answere me if it please you to my wordes Sir Peter Courtney was soone couÌ„sayled what answere to make and sayde Sir of Clary ye speke well and I accepte your demaunde And I wyll that to morowe in this same place ye be armed at your pleasure and I shall be in lyke wise And than lette vs rynne eche at other thre courses with a speare and therby ye shall wynne agayne the honour of the Frenche courte and ye shall do me a greate pleasure Sir quod the lorde of Clary I ê“myse you I shall nat fayle to be here at the hour ye haue assigned Thus these two knightes promysed eche other to iust The lorde of Clary retourned to Marguysen there prouyded hym of his armure shelde speare and horse He hadde anone all that he lacked for on the fronters of Calays and Boloyne men were soone prouyded There he made his prouisyon as shortely as he myght for he wolde natte that ouer many shulde haue knowen therof In lyke manner sir Peter Courtney whanÌ„e he came to Calays he forgate nat the promyse that he had made But prouyded hym of good armure and of euerye thyng elles As for harnesse he had redy suche as he had caryed with hym out of Englande in to Fraunce As at that tyme sir Iohan Bernes was capitayne of Calays Sir Peter shewed hym the promise that was made bytwene hym and the lorde of Clary Than sir Iohan Bernes sayde howe he wolde accompany hym thyder and other good felowes of Calays The nexte daye these two knightes came to the place apoynted the Englysshe knyght came moche better accompanyed than dyde the Frenche knyght for the capitayne of Calays was with hym Whan they were come togyder there was but fewe wordes bytwene theym They knewe well ynough wherfore they were come they were bothe well armed and horsed and toke their sheldes Than they toke their speares with sharpe heedes well fyled and spurred their horses and ranne toguyder The fyrst course they fayled wherwith they were bothe sore displeased At the seconde iuste they mette so toguyder that the lorde of Clary strake the Englysshe knyght throughe the â—arge and throughe the shulder a handfull and therwith he felle fro his horse to the erthe The Lorde of Clary passed forthe and kepte his course and turned and stode styll for he sawe well howe the Englysshe he knight was vnhorsed howe that many men were about hym He thought surely than that he was hurt for his speare was brokenne in peces Than he rode to them And the Englysshe men came to the lorde of Clary and sayd Sir ye be no courtesse iuster Wherfore quod the lorde of Clary bycause ê™ they ye haue hurt this knightes shulder ye might more curtesly haue iusted sirs ê™ he that curtesy laye nat in me seyng I was apparelled to iuste for the same case or worse myght haue fallen to me aswell as to hym Howe be it sir
Englande called Nycholas Leau he touched the Shelde of the lorde of saynt Pye he was redy to answere the first course they strake eche other so sore on the sheldes that if their staues had nat broken it had ben to their great dōmage but they helde thē selfes well fro fallyng The secōde cope they attaynted eche other on the helmes that the fyre flewe oute for their strokes crossed and so passed by The thyrde was a goodly course for they strake eche other so euin in the sight of their helmes that eche of them vnhelmed other so clerely that their helmes flewe in to the felde ouer their horse cropes the iusters ceased for that daye for there was none Englisshe man that offred to iust any more that day Than the erle of Huntyngdon and the erle Marshall and the lorde Clyfforde the lorde Beamont sir Iohan Clynton sir Iohan Dambretycourt sir Peter Shyrborne and all other knyghtes that had iusted those four dayes with the french knightes thanked them greatly of their pastaunce and said syrs all suche as wolde iuste of our partie haue accomplisshed their desyres wherfore nowe we wyll take leaue of you we wyll returne to Calays and so in to Englande And we knowe well that who so euer wyll iust with you shall fynde you here these thyrty dayes acordynge to the tenoure of your chalenge and we ones come into Englande such knightes as desyre to do dedes of armes we shall desyre them to come to vysite you The thre knyghtes thanked them and sayd They shall be right hertely welcome and we shall delyuer them acordynge to the ryght of armes as we haue done you and more ouer we thanke you of the curtesy that ye haue shewed to vs. Thus in curtes maner the englysshe men departed fro saynte Ingilbertes and rode to Calays where they taryed nat longe for the saturdaye after they toke shyppynge sayled to Douer and was there by noone and the sondaye they rode to Rochester and the nexte day to London and so euery man to his owne The thre frenche knyghtes kepte styll their place at saynt Ingylbertes The frenche kinge and the lorde of Garancyers who had ben there all that season was vnknowen whan the englysshe men were departed they neuer seased rydynge tyll they came to Crayll on the ryuer of Oyse where the quene was at that tyme. After that the Englysshe men came in to Englande I herde nat that any mo came ouer to do any dedes of armes at saynte Ingylbertes howe be it the thre frenche knyghtes helde styll their place tyll their thyrty dayes were accomplysshed and than at their leysar they retourned euery manne and came to Parys to se the kyng and the duke of Thourayne and other lordes that were at Parys at that tyme who made them good chere as reason requyred for they had valyauntly borne them selfe wherby they atcheued gret honour of the kyng and of the realme of Fraunce ⸪ ¶ Of the enterpryse and voyage of the knyghtes of Fraunce and Englande and of the duke of Burbone who was chefe of that army at the requeste of the genouoys to go in to Barbary to besiege the strong towne of Auffryke Cap. C.lxix I Shall nowe declare the maner of an hygh and noble enterprise that was done in this seasō by knightes of Fraūce of England of other countreys in the realme of Barbary Syth I haue concluded the armes that was doone at saynt Ingylbertes nowe wyll I shewe of other maters for to me it is great pleasure to declare them for if pleasure had nat inclyned me to write and to enquyre for the trouthe of many matters I had neuer come to an ende as I haue done Nowe sayeth the texte of the mater that I wyll procede on that in this season newes spredde abrode in Fraunce and in dyuers other coūtreys that the genouoys wolde make an army to go in to Barbary with gret prouysion as well of bysquet as fresshe water and wyneger with gales and vesselles for all knyghtes and squyers that wolde go in that voyage the cause that moued them thus to do I shall shewe you Of alonge tyme the affrycans had made warre by see on the fronters of the genouoys and pylled and robbed their Ilandes suche as were obeysant to them and also the ryuer of Genes lay euer in parell and daunger of them of Auffryke whiche was a stronge towne on the parties garnysshed with gates towres and hyghe and thycke walles depe dykes And lyke as the stronge towne of Calays is the key wherby who soeuer is lord therof may entre into the realme of Fraunce or in to Flaunders at his pleasure and maye by see or by lande sodenly inuade with great puyssaunce do many great feates In lyke wyse by comparyson this towne of Auffryke is the key of the barbaryns and of the realme of Auffryke and of the realmes of Bougne and Thunes and of other realmes of the infydeles in those parties This towne dyd moch dyspleasure to the genouoys who are greate marchauntes and by them of Aufryke they were often tymes taken on the see as they went or returned fro their feate of marchaundyses Than the genouoys who were ryche puyssaunt bothe by lande and by see hauyng great sygnories they regarded the dedes of the affrycans and also consydred the complayntes of suche isles as were vnder their obeysaunce as the isle Dable the isle of Syre the isle of Guerse the isle of Bostan the isle of Gorgennem and vnto the Gulfe of Lyon to the isles of Sardonne and Finisse and vnto the isle of Mayllorke whiche thre isles be vnder the obeysaunce of the kynge of Aragon Than the genouoys by comon acorde agreed to sende in to the frenche courte and to offre to all knightes and squiers that wolde go with them to be siege this towne of Aufryke to fynde them galees and other vessels charged with bysquet swete water and wyneger at their coste and charge so that one of the frenche kynges vncles or els his brother the duke of Thourayn who was yonge and lusty and lykely to conquere honour shulde be capytayne generall And the genouoys furthermore promised .xii. thousande crosbowes genouoys well furnysshed and eyght thousande of other with speares and pauesses at their cost charge This the genouoys dyde bycause they knewe that there was a trewce bytwene Englande and Fraunce for thre yere wherfore they supposed that knyghtes and īquyers as well of Fraūce as of Englande wolde be glad to be doynge in some parte WHan tydynges came first into Fraūce of this voyage the knightes and squiers of the countrey were right ioyfull and the messangers fro Genne were aunswered that they shulde nat departe tyll they were well herde and so to haue socour their request was so reasonable as to the augmentynge of the crysten faythe Thus they were caused to tary a season at Parys There to debate that mater and to se who shulde be chefe
my mayster and his counsayle by greuous complayntes of the noble men other of the countrey of Auuergne and Lymosyn howe they had taken great domages and losses by the meanes that Aymergot aduysed a strong place bytwene the couÌ„trâ—â—s which was voyde and nat inhabyted he toke and fortefyed it and hath nat made it a house of peace or solace but a stronge fortresse and a resortynge place for theues robbers and murderers whervpon I am coÌ„mauÌ„ded to be here to defende the countrey and to the entent that suche as be assembled in this forttesse shulde nat multyply in their wickednesse but to punysshe them by suche sentence as apartayneth to their trespace and for that entente I do put to my payne to take them if I can the whiche coÌ„maundemente of my mayster I wyll obey and shall do my deuoyre to acquyte me truly and fro hence I wyll nat departe what so euer coÌ„maundemente I haue tyll I haue the fortresse and them that be within And if Aymergot Marcell wyll say that I am auaunced to breke the peace lette hym come forthe and he shall be fought withall with one that is better than he and shal cause to be proued by dyuers poyntes and artycles that he hym selfe breaketh the peace Sirs all thynges consydred I make you this aunswere ye maye retourne whan it pleace you and whan ye come there as ye wold be say none otherwyse nor no lesse than I haue sayde to you for often tymes reportes nat truely set enfourmeth lordes often tymes otherwyse than the trouthe is in dede Syr quod the squyer we are come hyther for none other purpose but to reporte the trouth of that we here and se and sythe ye wyll none otherwyse do we nede no lenger to abyde here and so toke their leaue And there was gyuen to the haraulde ten frankes for the honour of the kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre WHan they were departed they toke the hyghe way to Cleremount and sayd they wolde agayne to Parys whan they were halfe a leage on their way than they began to entre in to their mater and sayd As yet we haue done nothynge it behoueth vs to go to the duke of Berrey in to Auuergne who is lorde of this countrey for he writeth hym selfe duke of Berrey and of Auuergne the by counte of Meaulx dare nat displease the duke if he coÌ„maunde hym to departe and we haue letters fro the kynge our mayster and fro the duke of Lancastre to hym wherfore it is reason that we delyuer them and that we maye knowe his entente They concluded on that purpose and so rode to Cleremounte thydeâ— they were welcome for the haraulde knewe the countrey and whan they were demauÌ„ded what they were they answered that they were messangers sent fro the kynge of Englande and than they demaunded where the duke of Berrey was and it was shewed them that the duke and the duches was in a castell of theirs named the Nonecâ—e The haraulde knewe it well he had been there before Than they departed fro Cleremount and rode to Vyore and fro thens to Nonect There is a hyghe mountayne to passe or one come to the castell Whan they came there the duke of Berrey with many other was sportynge without the gate the harauld was knowen with dyuers Than they were brought to the duke who for the loue of the kynge of Englande and of the duke of Lancastre made them good chere the squyer delyuered his letters to the duke who receyued them and opened and red them at length two tymes ouer Than he studyed a lytell and answered them curtesly and sayde Syrs for the loue of our cosyns in Englande we shall gladly do our power Of the which aunswere the squyer and the haraulde were ryght ioyouse and thought than howe they had sped all their mater but it was nat so as ye shall here after howe be it the duke of Berrey at the begynnynge dyd his deuoyre to haue raysed the siege to please therby the kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre who desyred that the siege myght be reysed before the Roche of Vandoys and that the lytell fortresse myght abyde styll to Aymergot Marcell if he haue done any thyng to dysplease the frenche kyng or his couÌ„sayle the kynge of Englande wolde se that there shulde be amendes made And the duke of Berrey bycause he wold acquyte him truely to the englysshe mennes desyres suche as were in his house he wrote incontynente letters well endyghted to the vycount of Meaulâ— and these letters were red or they were sealed before the englysshe men who thought them well ordayned These letters were sente by a notable squyer of the duke of Berreys to the vycount of Meaulx who receyued them and opened them Than the vycount caused them to be redde before suche lordes as were there with hym whyle the messanger was a drinkynge for they made hym good chere for the loue of the duke of Berrey as it was reason Sirs quod the vycounte we shall nat be in rest syth the duke of Berrey wyll beare Aymergot who is the man of the world that this twelue yere hath moste grâ—ued and traueyled the couÌ„trey of Auuergne I had thought that the duke had hated hym greatly but it semeth nay sythe he hath â—rpresly coÌ„maunded that I shulde departe fro hence But by my faythe at this tyme I wyll nat obey this letter but I wyll make excuse by reason of the kynge and his couÌ„sayle who sent me hyder and at my departynge fro Parys he straytly coÌ„maunded me that for any coÌ„maundemente fro any persone and if it were nat fro the kynge kymselfe that I shulde nat departe fro hence tyll I had taken the stronge holde of the Roche of Vandoys and Aymergot therin whiche I wyll do if I canne and nowe the duke of Berrey coÌ„maundeth me the contrary for he chargeth me incontynent his letters sene that I shulde reyse the syege By my faythe I wyll nat do it Syr quod they that were aboute hym ye speke royally and truely and we shall abyde with you but we suppose the occasion that the duke of Berrey writeth thus for Aymergot is that the englyssh squier and the haraulde hath thus desyred him to write we thinke also they haue brought letters to hym fro the kynge of Englande and fro the duke of Lancastre as they brought to you this other day ye say well quod the vicounte and I shall knowe it if I came Than the duke of Berreys squier was sent for to haue his answere and the vycount sayd to him Pyer I wyll well that ye knowe that I owe obeysaunce to the duke of Berrey for he is so nere a kynne to the kynge that I dare nat dysplease hym but I and my companyons who haue ben here these fyue wekes at this siege to wyn this fortresse and to take the theues that be within it by the strayte coÌ„maundement of the kynge and his
a voyage for you thanne to go to Rome with a great puyssaunce of men of armes and pull downe and dystroy that antepaye whome the romayns by force hath created and set in the seate cathedrall of saynt Peter if ye wyll ye maye well accomplysshe this voyage and we suppose ye can nat passe your tyme more honorably And syr ye maye well know that if this antepape and his cardynals knowe ones that ye be mynded to come on them with an army they wyll yelde them self aske mercy The kynge remēbred hym selfe a lytell and sayd howe he wolde do as they had deuysed for surely he said he was moche bounde to pope Clement for the yere past he had ben at Auygnon where as the pope and his cardynals made hym ryght honourable chere and had gyuen more than was demaunded bothe to hym selfe to his brother and to his vncles wherfore the kynge sayd it hadde deserued to haue some recompence and also at his departure fro Auignon he had promysed the pope to helpe to assyst hym in his quarell At that season there was at Parys with the kyng the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne than it was agreed and concluded that the nexte Marche after the kynge shuld departe fro Parys and take the way towardes Sauoy and Lombardy and the erle of Sauoy to sende his cosyn Germayne with hym and the kynge to haue vnder his charge the duke of Tourayne his brother with four thousande speares and the duke of Burgoyne with two thousande speares and the duke of Berrey two thousāde the constable of Fraunce two thousande speares with the bretons raintoners and lowe marches the duke of Burbon a thousāde speares the lorde of saynt Poll and the lorde of Coucy a thousande speares all these men of armes to be payed in hande for thre monethes and so fro terme to terme And whan those tydynges were knowen in Auignon pope Clement and his cardynals were greatly reioysed and thought in a maner their enterprise atcheued Also the kinge was coūsayled nat to leaue the duke of Bretayne behynde hym but to sende and to desyre hym to prepare hym selfe to go with him in this voyage The kyng wrote notably to hym and sent his letters by a man of honour an offycer of armes signyfyenge the duke in his letters the state of this voyage Whan the duke had red these letters he turned hym selfe smyled and called to hym the lorde of Mountboucher and sayd Syr harke and regarde well what the frenche kyng hath written to me he hath enterprised to departe this next Marche with a great puissaunce to go to Rome and to distroy suche as take parte with pope Bonyface As god helpe me his iourney shall tourne to nothynge for in shorte space he shall haue more flax to his dystaffe than he can well spynne I thynke he wyll leaue soone his folyssh thought And also he desyreth me to go with hym with two thousande speares howebeit I wyll honour him as I ought to do and I wyll write to him ioyously bycause he shall be contente and shewe hym howe if he go in this voyage he shall nat go without me seyng it pleaseth him to haue my company howe be it sir of Moūtboucher I say vnto you I wyll nat traueyle a man of myne for all that the kyng hath purposed and sayd nothynge shall there be done in that behalfe The duke of Bretayne wrote goodly letters and swete to the frenche kynge and the officer of armes returned with theym to Parys and delyuered them to the kynge who redde them and was well contented with the aunswere ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the Englysshe knyghtes that were sente to Parys to the frenche kynge fro the kynge of Englande and his vncles to treate for a peace Cap. C .lxxv. THe wyll and purpose of the frenche kynge none wolde breke for it pleased greatly all the knyghtes squyers of Fraunce bycause they wyst nat where better to enploy their season and euery man prepared towardes that voyage and namely the clergy of all the prouynces of the realme ordayned and graunted a tayle to sende at their costes and charges men of warre with the kynge Howe be it this voyage tourned to nothynge as the duke of Bretayne had sayd before and I shall shewe you by what incidence About the feest of Candelmas came other tydynges to the Frenche kyng and to his counsayle whiche they loked nothynge for Certayne of the kynge of Englandes coūsayle and suche as were of his priuy chambre were sent nobly to Parys to the frenche kyng and they that were chefe of this legacyon was syr Thomas Percy syr Loys Clyfforde and sir Robert Briquet with dyuers other knyghtes in their company but I herde as than no mo named Whan these thre knyghtes were come to Parys to hym than the french kyng was desyrous to knowe what it myght meane that the kynge of Englande dyd sende so hastely of his counsayle to hym These knyghtes of Englande syr Thomas Percy and other alyghted in Parys in the streate called the Crosse at the signe of the castell The frenche kynge as than lay in the castell of Lowere his brother the duke of Tourayne with hym and his other thre vncles in other lodgynges in the cytie and the cōstable syr Olyuer Clysson It was nere hāde noone whan the englysshe men came to Parys and they kept their lodgynge all that day nyght after and the next day aboute nyue of the clocke they lept on their horses ryght honorably and rode to the castell of Loure to the kyng where he with his brother and vncles the Erle of saint Poll the lorde of Coucy the constable of Fraūce sir Iohan of Vien sir Guy de la tremoyle with dyuers other barons of Fraunce were redy to receyue the englysshe ambassadours who alyghted at the gate and entred in and there receyued them the lord de la Ryuer syr Iohan Mercyer sir Lyon of Lignach sir Peter Villers sir Willyam of Tremoyle and syr Marcell there they receyued them honourably and brought theym in to the chambre where the kynge taryed for them Than they dyd of their bonettes and kneled downe syr Thomas Percy hadde the letters of credence that the kynge of Englande had sente to the frenche kynge he delyuered them to the kyng who tooke them and caused the knyghtes to stande vp than they stepe some what backe The kynge opyned the letters and red them and sawe well that they had credence than he called to hym his brother and his vncles and shewed them the letters than his vncles sayd Syr call forthe the knyghtes and here what they wyll say Than they aproched and were cōmaunded to declare their credence than si◠Thomas Percy spake and sayd Dere sir the entencyon of our souerayne lorde the kinge of Englande is that he wolde gladly that suche of his specyall counsayle as his vncles dukes of Lancastre yorke and Glocestre and other prelates of
Englande suche as his specyall 〈…〉 might come in to your presence and to your counsayle as shortely as myght be to treate for a maner of peace so that it he and you togyther myght couenably and resonably be 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
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
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
duke of Gloucestre and so toke leaue of the kynge and of the lordes and came to London and the next day rode fyftene myle fro London to a towne called Brendwode and the next day to Plasshey and there he founde the duke and the Duchesse and their chyldren who ryght goodly receyued hym acordyng to his degre Than Robert delyuered hym his letters sent fro the frenche kyng And whan the duke sawe they were of credence he drewe this Robert a parte and demaunded what credence he had Robert aunswered hym and sayd syr I shall shewe therin to you at good leyser I am nat come to departe agayne so soone Well quod the duke ye be welcome This Robert knewe well ynough that the duke of Gloucestre was a sore dyslymulynge prince and contrary to any peace and thought it harde to breke hym fro his opinyon for he knewe well he was alwaies contrary to the peace whiche was well sene at the treaties at Balyngham for he neuer demaunded but to haue warre yet for all that Robert the Hermyte spared nat to speke to the duke on the forme of peace Alwayes he founde the duke colde in aunswers and sayd the mater lay nat in hym for he had two elder bretherne the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke to whome the mater partayned rather than to hym and also that if he wolde consent therto alone peraduenture the other lordes prelates and counsaylours of good townes wolde nat accepte it Well quod Robert the Hermyte for the loue of our lorde Ihesu Christ be ye nat contrarye to the peace for ye maye do moche and also ye se well howe the kyng your nephue enclyneth to the peace and wyll by maryage haue the Frenche kynges doughter by whiche coniunctyon shal be gret alyaunce of peace and loue Than the duke aunswered and sayd What though ye be beleued and herde at this tyme with the kynges and lordes of bothe realmes and that ye haue good audyeÌ„ce with them and with their counsaylours the mater is so hygh and weyghty that it is conuenyent that greater personages than ye shulde meâ—le therwith I haue tolde you and often tymes I haue said that I shall neuer be contrary to the peace so it be to the honoure of the kynge and the Realme of Englande In tyme paste peace was taken bytwene the king our father and our brother the prince of Wales and kinge Iohan of FrauÌ„ce and the frenche party sworne and bounde vppon payne of sentence of the pope and yet it helde nat for the frenchmen fraudulently haue broken all couenauntes haue taken agayne possessyon of all the landes and lordeshyppes that were yelded delyuered at the peace makyng to our sayd souerayne lorde and father and to our predecessours and moreouer of the soÌ„me of .xxx. thousande frankes that the redempcyon mounted vnto there is yet to paye syxe huÌ„dred thousande frankes wherfore such maters to remembre troubleth sore our corages and we and many of this realme marueyle greatly howe the kynge our souerayne lorde leaneth to so yonge aduyse counsayle and regardeth none otherwyse the tyme passed and the tyme present but enclineth to alye hym by maryage with his aduersary and by that alyaunce dysheryte the Crowne of Englande his successours to come of the clayme of Fraunce Ah ryght dere lorde quod Robert our lorde Iesu Christ suffered passyon on the Crosse for vs all synners and pardoned his dethe to them that crucyfied him in lykewyse a man must pardon that wyll come to the glory of heuen and sir all yuell wylles hates and rancoures were pardoned the daye that the peace was made and sealed at Calays by our predecessours and nowe warres haue been a game newly renewed bytwene your men and ours I thynke surely through faulte on bothe parties for whan the prince of Wales duke of Acquytayne was retourned out of Spayne in to Acquytayne there were a certayne maner of people callyng themselfe companyons wherof the moste partye were englysshe men and gascons holdynge of the kynge of Englande and of the prince of Wales These people assembled them togyther and entred in to the realme of Fraunce without any tytell of reason wherby ensued mortall eruell warre greater than was before These companyons called the realme of Fraunce their chambre they were so set to do yuell dedes that they coude nat be resysted And whan the realme of FrauÌ„ce sawe and felte them so harmed by this people and sawe well the lengar they contynewed the more they multyplyed more hurte they dyd than kyng Charles of FrauÌ„ce sonne to kyng Iohan was couÌ„sayled by his subgiettes to resyst subdue suche enemyes outher by warre or otherwyse and many great barons of Gascoyne came to the frenche kyng suche as said they were sore ouerlayde with their lorde the prince of Wales many iniuryes done to theÌ„ whiche they shewed to the frenche kynge they might nat nor Wolde nat suffre no lenger and so they beganne the warre bycause of their resorte to the prince of Wales Than this kynge Charles by counsayle of them and of his subgiettes enhardyed himselfe to the warre with these barones of Gascoyn for to mete against these companyons And in this newe warre many lordes retourned to the frenche kynge and dyuers lordeshyppes cyties townes and castels for the great oppression that the prince of Wales dyd to theÌ„ and consented to be done by his coÌ„myssioners Thus the warre was renewed wherby many great myschyefes haue fallen to the dystruction of moche people and countreys and the faythe of Christ sore febled and decayed the enemyes of god ryssen and coraged and haue all redy conquered moche parte of Grece the emperour of Constantynople hath nat the power to resyst the puyssauÌ„ce of the great turke called Basant Lamorabaquyn who hathe conquered the realme of Armony excepte all onely a towne standynge on the see syde called Tourche whiche the venysians and genouoys kepe agaynst the turke and the emperour of Constantyne the noble who is of your blode he was sonne to the emperoure Hugues of Luzignen and of my lady Mary of Burbon cosyn germayne to my lady the quene your mother he shall nat be able of longe to resyst the puyssauÌ„ce of this gret turke and if peace maye be had bytwene Englande and Fraunce as I trust by the grace of god it shall be than knyghtes squyers suche as demaunde for dedes of armes for their aduauncement shall drawe them to that parte and shall helpe kynge Lyon of Armony to recouer agayne his herytage and to put out the turkes for surely the warre hath ouerlonge endured bytwene Fraunce and Englande and surely who so euer it be that is or wyll be against the peace shall derely aunswere therto outher quycke or deed Howe knowe you that quod the duke of Gloucestre Syr quod Robert all that I say cometh by dyuyne inspyracyon and by a vysione that came to me vpon the see as I retourned fro Baruchâ—
thinke it he is foule abused Therfore sir we humbly beseche you to apeace youre selfe euery thyng shall turne well with goddes grace All that a man speketh coÌ„meth nat to effecte nor all that he sayth oftentymes he can nat accoÌ„plysshe Thus the dukes of LaÌ„castre and yorke apeased their nephewe kynge Richarde THese two dukes sawe well that the busynesse of Englande began to be yuell and parceyued that gret hatered encreased dayly bytwene the kyng the duke of Glocestre And to th entent that they wolde nat entremedell bytwene them they departed fro the kynges court with all their company and seruauntes and so toke their leaue of that kyng for a tyme and went to their owne And the duke of Lancastre toke with hym his wyfe the lady Katheryn Ruet who hadde ben in company with the yong quene of Englande and went a huntyng of the dere as the vsage is in Englande and the kynge taryed about London But afterwarde the kynges vncles repented them that they deê‘ted out of the courte for there fell afterwarde suche maters in Englande that all the realme was in trouble the whiche had nat so fortuned if they had ben about the kynge for they wolde haue founde other prouisyon for yâ— mater than they dyde that counsayled the kyng There were none of the kynges seruauntes but that greatly douted the duke of Gloucestre and wolde gladly that he had ben deed they had nat cared howe the gentyll knight sir Thomas Percy had ben long souerayne squyer of the kynges house that is in FrauÌ„ce mayster and seneschall for all the state of the kynge passed throughe his handes He than coÌ„sydring the great hatereddes that encresed bitwene the kyng and his vncle of Glocestre and among other great lordes of Englande with whom he was welbeloued Like a sage knight he ymagined that the conclusyons coude nat be good ThaÌ„ he gaue vp his offyce as honorably as he coulde and tooke leaue of the kynge and the kynge gaue hym leaue full sore agaynst his wyll howe be it he made suche excusacions that he departed and another set in his offyce The kyng had as than but yonge counsayle about hym and they greatly douted the duke of Gloucestre and oftentymes wolde saye to the kynge Ryght dere sir it is a perylous thyng to serue you for we haue sene suche as haue serued you in tymes paste and suche as were ryght synguler in your fauoure yet they haue had but small guerdone Sir Symon Burle who was a sage valyaunt knight in good fauoure with my lorde your father whome god pardone He had great payne and traueyle for your fyrst maryage yet your vncle the duke of Gloucestour caused hym to dye shamefully his heed to be stryken of lyke a traytour before all the worlde with dyuers other that he hath put to dethe as ye knowe well for all the puissaunce that ye were of ye coude nat saue them And sir we that sarue you nowe looke for the same rewarde For whan your vncle cometh to you the whiche is nat often we dare nat lyfte vp our eyen to loke vpon any persone he loketh so hye ouer vs. he thynketh we do hym moche wroÌ„g that we be so nere about you as we be Wherfore sir knowe for trouthe that as long as he liueth there shall be no peace in Englande nor ye shall do no maÌ„ good Also he thretneth you yor wife to close you vp in a castell there to beholden vnder subiection to lyue by porcion sir ye be a kyng lost if ye take nat good hede to your self as for your wife nedeth nat to care she is yong and doughter to the frenche kynge They dare nat displease her for moche yuell might come therby in EnglaÌ„de your vncle of Gloucestre to th entent to make you to be behated with your people hath sowen dyuers sclauÌ„dorous wordê vpon you throughout LoÌ„don and in other places sayeng howe ye be nat worthy to beare the crowne nor to holde so noble an herytage as is the realme of Englande sythe ye haue taken to your wyfe the doughter of the frenche kyng your aduersary Wherby he saythe ye haue greatly febled the signorie and realme of Englande and hath sore discoraged the hertes of the noble valyant knightes and squiers of the realme who haue alwayes valyantly coÌ„tynued the warre and yet wolde do Thus they saye that ye haue brought the realme in great paryll and aduenture to be lost affyrmyng howe it is pytie that ye haue been suffred to contynue so long as ye haue done Also the Frenchemen bruteth that ye wyll put out of your armes tharmes of FrauÌ„ce wherwith the people are nat conteâ—t hateth you therfore And they thynke it trewe bycause ye were so redy gladde to take a truce they thynke more rather byforce than by loue for the noble men of the realme who haue serued and maynteyned the warres neuer agreed therto Also they saye that ye haue nat dilygently reuisyted nor ouersene the letters patentes gyuen accorded sworne and sealed by kyng Iohan somtyme frenche kyng and by his sonnes the whiche grauÌ„t his children lyueng was nothyng vpholden but craftely broken And the Frenchmen founde cautels and subtelties by wrongefull wayes to renewe agayne that warre And therby toke and vsurped all the right that your predecessurs had in that quarell and hath wonne therby landes and countreis in Acquitany with cyties castelles and townes And all this they saye ye take no hede of but haue loste it thoroughe your neglygence and hath shewed but poore corage and that ye doute your ennemyes and haue nat pursued the accydentes of the mater and the good and iuste quarell that ye had and as yet haue the whiche quarell your predecessours had as longe as they lyued First my lorde your father the prince of Wales and of Acâ—tayne and also good kyng Edwarde your grauÌ„tfather who toke great payne and dilygence to augment their signories Thus sir the londoners saye and so dothe other that a day shall come that ye shall repent you Therfore sir we can no lengar hyde these wordê fro you for they be daylye renewed ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the duke of Glocestre was taken by the erle marshall by the coÌ„maundement of the kyng Cap. CC.xxiii KIng Richarde of EnglaÌ„d noted well these sayd wordes the which was shewed hym in secretenesse lyke an ymaginatyfe price as he was within a season after that his vncles of LaÌ„castre and of yorke were departed out of the courte than the kynge toke more hardynesse on hym and said to hym selfe That fyrste it were better for hym to distroye another rather than another shulde distroye hym thynkynge that shortely he wolde haue his vncle of Gloucestre in suche case that he wolde be assured of hym that he shulde do hym no displeasure after bycause he coulde nat bring about his purpose alone he dyscouered his mynde to such as he trusted best as to therle marshall his
shulde nat be for their welthe but to their great dōmage for the kynge was sore enformed against them Whan they had this warnynge they stopped their cōmyng to the kyng and nat without good cause For they were shewed that if they came they shulde be in ieopardye of their lyues Whan the kynges counsayle sawe that therle and his son̄e came nat they sayd to the kyng Sir nowe ye maye se whyder we dyde enforme you of the trouthe or nat ye maye se therle and his sonne disdayneth to serue you for they wyll nat come at youre cōmaundement and that shall ye se if ye sende for them And I shall sende for them quod the kyng Than letters were written sente by notable messangers to therle to the lorde Henry Percy his son The content of the letters was that incontynent without delaye vpon the sight of those letters that they shulde come to the kyng and do their duetie as they were bounde to do These messangers iourneyed so longe that they came to fayre castell of the erles standyng on the fronter of Scotlande The messanger acquyted hym well in doynge of his message as he was cōmaūded Th erle reed his letters at length and than shewed them to his sonne Than they toke aduise to make the messanger good chere and to write agayn to the kynge in excusynge of them selfes howe they coulde nat come out of their countrey as at that tyme and howe that the kyng had men ynowe to acōplysshe his iourney besyde them The messangers retourned to the kynge and delyuered the erles lettre The kynge redde it the whiche answere was nothynge pleasaunt to the kynge nor to his counsayle and thanne for this cause and for other thynges that were layde to the Erles charge and to his sonnes they were openly banysshed the realme of Englande tyll the kyng dyd repeale them agayne This was publysshed through out all the cyties and good townes of Englande and specyally in London wherof the londoners had great marueyle nor they coulde nat knowe iustly for what cause it was for the erle and his sonne were reputed for noble and as valyaunt men as any within the realme Some sayd it cōmeth by some of the kynges counsayle that hateth them whiche counsayle wyll distroy the kyng at last peraduenture the erle and his sonne haue spoken some wordes vpon the kynge and his counsayle for the yuell gouernynge of the realme coulde nat be herde though they said the trouth and for their true sayeng nowe they be punisshed but we thinke herafter they wyll be punysshed that nowe iudge them Thus the londoners and other spake of this mater The erle had a brother a valiaunt knight sir Thomas percy who had of a longe tyme done many noble seruyces to the kynge of Englande whan the erle knewe that he and his sonne were banysshed the realme he toke it for an vnreasonable punysshment without cause Than he sente for all his frendes in the countrey suche as he coulde get togyther for many of his lygnage were with the kynge to go in to Irelande The erle toke counsayle of them what was best to do sythe the kynge had banysshed hym without cause Than he was counsayled to sende in to the realme of Scotlande and to desyre the king there that he and his sonne might abyde peasably in Scotlande tyll the kynge of Englande were apeased of his dyspleasure Thus therle sent to kynge Robert of Scotlande and the kyng the erle Archambalt Duglas and the other lordes of Scotlande condiscendyd lyghtly to the erles desyre sent the erle worde howe they shulde be gladly receyued and also if they neded of fyue or syre hundred speares if they were signyfied of the tyme they shulde be redy to serue them This message pleased greatly the erle and his lygnage and so the erle taryed styll in his countrey amonge his frendes for kynge Rycharde and his counsayle had so moche to do in sorte season after that they had no layser to do any dyspleasure to the erle nor to his sonne as ye shall here after in this hystory KInge Rycharde thus beynge aboute Bristowe than the state generally of all men in Englande began to murmure and to ryse one agaynst another and mynystrynge of iustyce was clene stopped vp in all courtes of Englande wherof the valyaunt men and prelates who loued reste and peace and were glad to paye their duetyes were greatly abasshed for there rose in the realme companyes in dyuers rowtes kepynge the feldes and hygh wayes so that marchauntes durste nat ryde abrode to excercyse their marchaundyse for doute of robbynge and no man knewe to whome to cōplayne to do them ryght reasone and iustyce whiche thynges were ryght preiudyciall and dyspleasaunt to the good people of Englande for it was contrary to their accustomable vsage for all people laborers and marchauntes in Englande were wonte to lyue in rest and peace and to occupy their marchaundyse peasably and the laborers to labour their landes quyetly and than it was contrary for whan marchauntes rode fro towne to towne with their marchaundyse and had outher golde or syluer in their purces it was taken fro them and fro other men and labourers out of their houses these companyons wolde take whete ootes bufes muttons porkes the pore men durste speke no worde these yuell dedes dayly multyplyed so that great complayntes and lamentacyons were made therof through out the realme and the good people sayde the tyme is chaunged vpon vs fro good to yuell euer sythe the dethe of good kynge Edwarde the thyrde in whose dayes iustyce was well kepte and mynystred In his dayes there was no man so hardy in Englande to take a hen or a chekyn or a shepe without he had payed trewly for it and now◠a dayes all that we haue is taken fro vs and yet we dare nat speke these thinges canne nat longe endure but that Englande is lykely to be loste without recouery We haue a kynge nowe that wyll do nothyng he entendeth but to ydelnesse and to acomplysshe his pleasure and by that he sheweth he careth nat howe euery thynge gothe so he maye haue his wyll it were tyme to prouyde for remedy or els out enemyes wyll reioyse mocke vs our kynge hath sette his brother the erle of Huntyngdon at Calais therby peraduenture may be made some yuell treatie and bargayne for the towne of Calays with the frenche men and rendre in to their handes that thynge that is most necessary for the realme of Englande for if Calays were rendred to the Frenche men Englande was neuer so abasshed as it shulde be than and good cause why for than shulde be lost the chiefe key of Englande THus multyplyed the lamentacyons and murmurynge in Englande and the prelates and other ryche men of the realme came to London to dwell there to be in the better suretie They of the lygnages of suche lordes as the kynge had put to dethe and banisshed
season with hym The erle acorded to their counsayle and whan he was redy he wente to Parys to the kynge as he was acustomed to do for euer whan he came there was no dore closed agaynst him At this last tyme he spake wysely to the kynge and shewed hym howe he wolde go and sporte hym a season in Bretayne and to se the duke whome he called his vncle for he had had to his wyfe his fathers suster doughter to Kynge Edwarde The frenche kynge thought nothyng but well and so gaue hym lyghtly leaue Than the erle desyred to haue conducte to bringe hym thyder He graunted his desyre So to make shorte the Erle ordeyned all his busynesse by great wysdome and toke his leaue of all the lordes of Fraunce suche as were there as than and he gaue great gyftes to the kynges offycers and to offycers of armes and to mynstrelles and in the howse of Clysson he made a supper to all suche as wolde come to hym And the nexte daye he toke his horse and departed fro Parys and issued out at the gate of saynt Iaques and toke the way to Estampes A knight of Beawsey dyd guyde hym called syr Guy of Baygneux So longe they rode that they came to Blois and there they taryed an .viii. dayes for the erle had sente a knyght and his haraulde in to Bretayne to sygnyfie the duke of his cōmynge as reason was WHan duke Iohan of Bretaygne knewe that his nephewe the erle of Derby was cōmynge thyder he was therof ryght ioyfull for he loued alwayes the Duke of Lancastre and all his bretherne and sayde to the knight that brought him worde who was called Gillyam de la Pierre Sir why dothe our nephewe tary by the way that he cometh nat hyther streyght The knyght excused the erle as well as he myght Well quod the duke I sawe no man this seuen yere that I wolde be gladder to se than my nephewe the erle of Derby retourne to hym cause hym to come for he shall fynde my countrey redy open to receyue hym Of that aunswere the knyght was gladde and retourned as shortely as he coulde and came to Bloys and shewed the erle and his counsayle the dukes aunswere The next day they rode forthe and had payed for euery thynge and in the erle of Derbyes company was syr Peter of Craon who was banysshed out of the realme of Fraunce and all his castelles rentes and reuenues seased for the sōme of a hundred thousande frankes iudged to the duchesse of Aniou quene of Napoles by proces of the lawe Thus the erle of Derby came to Nauntes and there founde the duke who receyued him nobly and all his company Than syr Guy le Bayneux retourned in to Fraunce and the erle taryed with the Duke of Bretaygne who made hym as good chere as coulde be deuysed And all this seasone the bysshoppe of Caunterbury was styll with the erle and his coūsayle The duke spared nothynge vpon the erle nor vpon his men but shewed them all the loue of the worlde and yet the duke knewe well the dyspleasure that kynge Rycharde had agaynste the erle wherof he had pytie Whan the erle consydred the dukes good wyll and fauoure he dyscouered to hym parte of his busynesse as touchynge the duchy of Lancastre and suche herytages as the duke his father had in possessyon whan he dyed and desyringe therin to haue the dukes counsayle sayenge that he was nat repealed agayne by the kynge but gyueth dayly away parte of his enherytaunces wherby he shewed the duke that many noble men and prelates in Englande were nat well contente with the kynge and the realme therby in great dyfference In so moche that dyuers noble men and the londoners had sent to hym to haue hym to come in to Englande promysynge that they wolde make his peace with the kynge and set hym in his herytage Whan the duke herde that he sayd Fayre nephue where as be many wayes the best ought to be chosen By the kynge ye are in a harde case ye demaunde counsayle and I wyll counsayle you to gyue credence to your frendes in Englande the londoners are myghty and puyssaunt they and by the ayde of other prelates lordes and knyghtes of the realme shall bringe the kynge to agre to their desyres and nephewe I shall ayde you with spyppes and with men of warre to resyste the daungers vpon the see Of that offre the erle thanked the duke of Bretayne ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe the erle of Derby aryued in Englande and howe he was receyued of the londoners Cap. CC.xl. THus the duke of Bretaygne and the erle of Derby were louyngely concluded togyder and the erle taryed there a certayne space made as though he wold haue taryed styll there and in the meane seasone the erle made his prouysyon at Wannes And whan all thynge was redy the duke and the erle came thyder and whan the wynd serued the erle of Derby and his company tooke the see he had with hym thre shyppes of warre to conducte hym in to Englande and the further they sayled the better wynde they had so that within two dayes and two nyghtes they aryed at Plūmouth in Englande and issued out of their shyppes and entred in to the towne lytell and lytell the bayly of Plūmouthe who had charge of the towne vnder the kynge had great marueyle whanne he sawe so moche people and men of warre entre in to the towne But the bysshop of Caunterbury apeased him and sayd howe they were menne of warre that wolde do no harme in the realme of Englande sent thyder by the duke of Bretaygne to serue the kynge and the realme Therwith the bayly was contente and the erle of Derby kept hym selfe so priuy in a chaumbre that none of the towne knewe hym Than the bysshoppe of Caunterbury wrote letters sygned with his hande to London sygnyfienge the cōmynge of the erle of Derby and sente them by a suffycyent man in post who tooke fresshe horses by the waye and came to London the same daye at night and passed ouer the bridge and so came to the mayres lodgynge who as than was a bedde and as sone as the mayre knewe that a messāger was come fro the bysshop of Caunterbury he rose out of his bedde and made the messanger to entre in to his chambre who delyuered hym a lettre fro the bysshoppe of Caunterbury The mayre redde it and reioysed greatly of those newes and incontynent he sente of his seruauntes fro house to howse princypally to suche as were of counsayle of sendynge for the Erle of Derby They were all gladde of that tydynges and in contynent there assembled togyther of the moste notablest men of the cytie to the nombre of two hundred they spake togyder and helde no longe counsayle for the case required it nat but they sayd lette vs apparell our selfe and go and receyue the duke of Lancastre saythe we agreed to sende for hym the
the kyng and oftentymes talked togider and men of warre before behynde in great nombre and all suche as were of the kynges courte rode toguyder in a company That night they laye about Oxenforde The duke of Lancastre ledde kyng Richarde by no castelles nor good townes for feare of styring of the people but alwayes kepte the feldes Than the duke gaue lycence to a great nombre of his people to departe and sayd Sirs ye maye departe for we haue that we desyre the kynge can nat flye nor scape fro vs we our owne company shall bring hym to London and putte hym in sauegarde in the towre he and all his are my prisoners I may bringe them whider I wyll Therfore sirs go your wayes home tyll ye here other newes They dyde as the duke coÌ„maunded theÌ„ who toke the way to Wyndsore and came thyder and moost parte of the LoÌ„doners retourned to London other to their owne places the duke of LaÌ„castre deê‘ted fro wynsore wolde nat ride by Colbroke but toke the way by Shene so caÌ„e to dyner to Chersay the king had desyred the duke that he shulde nat bringe hym London waye nor through the cytie and therfore they tooke that waye As soone as they had the kynge thus in their handes they sente notable ê‘sones to the yong quene who was at Ledes in Kent And they caÌ„e to the lady Coucy who was seconde persone there next to the quene and sayd to her Madame make you redy for ye must deê‘te hens and at your departyng make no semblant of displeasure before the quene but saye howe your husbande hath sent for you for your doughter also This that we saye loke that you do accomplysshe on payne of your lyfe nor axe ye no questyons no further And ye shal be conueyed to Douer and there haue a shyppe that shall bring you to Boloyne the lady who douted those wordê for she knewe well Englysshemen were cruell and hasty said sirs as god wyll I am redy to do as ye wyll haue me Anone she made her redy and horses were prouyded for her and for her coÌ„pany So all Frenche men and women departed and they were conueyed to Douer at the next tyde they toke shippyng and had good wynde and so arryued at Boloyne ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the state of quene Isabell of englande and howe she had all newe ê‘sones apoynted to wayte vpon her and howe kyng Richarde was sette in the towre of London Capi. CC.xlii AS for the state of the quene was so tourned and broken for there was lefte nouther man womon nor chylde of the nacion of FraÌ„ce nor yet of Englande suche as were in any fauour with the kyng Her house was newly furnisshed with ladyes and damoselles and other offycers and seruauntes They were charged all that in no wyse they shuld nat speke of the kynge nat one to another Thus the duke of LaÌ„castre departed fro Cherisay and rode to Shene and fro thens in the nyght tyme they conueyed the kyng to the towre of London and suche other knightes and squyers as the kyng wolde The nexte mornyng whan the Londoners knewe that the kynge was in the towre they were gretly reioysed but there was great murmuring among theÌ„ bycause the kyng was conueyed thyder so secretely They were angry that the duke had nat brought hym throughe London openly nat to haue done him honor but shame they hated hym so sore Beholde the opinyon of coÌ„mon people whaÌ„ they be vp agaynst their prince or lorde and specially in Englande amonge them there is no remedy for they are the peryloust people of the worlde and most outragyoust if they be vp and specially the Londoners and in dede they be riche and of a great nombre There was well in LoÌ„don a. xxiiii thousaÌ„de men in harnesse complete and a.xxx. thousande archers and they were hardy hygh of corage the more blode they sawe shedde the lesse they were abasshed ¶ Nowe lette vs somwhat speke of the erle of Rutlande constable of Englande sonne to the duke of yorke who was taryed at Bristowe and the lorde SpeÌ„ser with hym who had his suster to wyfe Whan they knewe that the castell of Flynte was gyuen vp and the kynge taken and brought to London thanÌ„e they thought surely the matters wente nat well for the kynge Therfore they thought no lengar to tary there and gaue leaue to al their men of warre to departe and the erle of Rutlande and the lorde Spenser rode toguyder with their owne seruauntes to Hull in the marchesse of Wales a fayre maÌ„ner of the lorde Spensers there they taryed tyll they herde other tidynges And the duke of yorke laye styll in his castell medled with nothynge of the busynesse of Englande no more he dyde before he toke euer the tyme aworthe as it came howbeit he was sore displeased in his mynde to se suche difference within the realme and bytwene his nephues and blode ¶ Nowe let vs retourne to speke of kynge Richarde WHan the duke of Lancastre had set his cosyn kyng Richard in the towre of London and certayne of his couÌ„saylours and had sette sure kepynge on theÌ„ The fyrst thyng than that the duke he sent for the erle of Warwyke who was banysshed and coÌ„maunded to lye in the ysle of Wyght and discharged hym clene therof secondly the duke of Lancastre sent to therle of Northumberlande and to the lorde Percy his sonne that they shulde come to hym and so they dyde After he enquered and sought out to haue the foure companyons that had strangled his vncle the duke of Gloucestre in the castell of Calais They were so well sought out that they were all taken They were sette in prisone aparte in LoÌ„don than the duke of Lancastre and his couÌ„sayle toke aduyse what shulde be done with kyng Richarde beyng in the towre of LoÌ„don where as kyng Iohan of Fraunce was kept whyle kynge Edwarde wente in to the Realme of FrauÌ„ce Than it was thought that king Rycharde shuld be put fro all his royalte and ioy that he hath lyued in for they sayd the newes of his takynge shulde sprede abrode in to all realmes crystened He had been kynge .xxii. yere and as than they determined to kepe him in prisone Than they regarded what case the realme stode in and dyd put all his dedes in artycles to the nombre of .xxviii. Than the duke of Lancastre and his counsayle went to the towre of London and entred in to the chambre where kynge Rycharde was and without any reuerence makynge to hym there was openly redde all the said artycles to the whiche the kynge made none aunswere for he sawe well all was true that was layde to his charge sauynge he sayd all that I haue doone passed by my counsayle Than he was demaunded what they were that had gyuen couÌ„sayle and by whome he was most ruled he named them in trust therby to haue ben delyuered himselfe in