at Bayon greatly dyscomfyted in that he coulde get no maner of ayde Cap. C .xxvi. ¶ Howe the duke of Berrey sente letters to the duke of Lancastre to Bayon and howe the duke sente the copye of the same letters in to Foyze and in to Nauerre to the entent to haue them publysshed in Spayne and howe the duke of Bretaygne demaunded counsayle of his men in all his busynesse Capi. C .xxvii. ¶ Howe the duke of Bretayne delyuered vp the thre castelles of syr Olyuer of Clyssons and howe he receyued ioyously the lorde of Coucy and his company ambassadours fro the frenche kynge and howe the duke of Lancastre made great chere to syr Helyon of Lignacke seneschall of Xaynton abmassadoure fro the duke of Berrey Cap. C .xxviii. ¶ Nowe the kynge of Castyle sente his ambassadours to the duke of Lancastre to treate for a maryage to be hadde bytwene his sonne and the dukes doughter and howe at the request of the duke of Berrey a truse was made by the duke of Lancastre in the countreys of Tholousyn and Rouergne Cap. C .xxix. ¶ Howe the Dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne departed to go to Bloyes and howe the duke of Bretayne came thyder and howe the dukes dyd so moche that they had hym to Parys in maner agaynst his wyll Capi. C .xxx. ¶ Howe Lewes kynge of Cycyle entred in to Parys in estate royall and howe the duke of Bretayne entred on the nyght of saint Johan the Baptyst the yere of grace a thousande thre hundred fourscore and seuyn and of a dede of armes done before the kynge at Moutereau fault yon bytwene a knyght of Englande called syr Thomas Harpyngham and a frenche knyght named syr Johan de Barres Capi. C .xxxi. ¶ Howe the duke of Bretaygne entred in to Parys and came to the castell of Loure to the frenche kynge Cap. C .xxxii. ¶ Howe the erle of Arundell beynge on the see more than a moneth came to the hauen of Maraunt a lytell fro Rochell and howe he sent a messanger to Perot le Bernoys that he and other capytayns shulde kepe the feldes Capi. C .xxxiii. ¶ Howe they of Marroys and Rochelloys were sore afrayde of the Englysshe men that were a lande and howe they of Rochell made ask rymysshe with theym and howe after the englysshe men had pylled the countrey about Maraunt they drewe agayne to the see with their pyllage whiche was great Capi. C .xxxiiii. ¶ Howe Perot le Bernoys and his companyons resorted agayne to their holdes with great pyllage and howe the duke of Guerles coulde haue no ayde of the Englysshe men to reyse the siege before Graue and howe the brabansois made a brige ouer the ryuer of meuse the whiche they of Guerles dyd breake bryn and dystroy as ye shall here after Capi. C .xxxv. ¶ Howe the Brabansoys passed the ryuer through the towne of Rauesten ouer the bridge there and so entred into Guerles Than the duke departed fro Nymay with thre hundred speares and came agaynst them and dyscomfyted them bytwene Rauesten and the towne of Graue Cap C .xxxvi. ¶ Howe the duke of Guerles after he had discomfyted the brabansoys he went agayne to Nymay and howe tydynges came to the frenche kynge and howe the kynge sent ambassadours to the kynge of Almayne Capi. C .xxxvii. ¶ Howe the frenche kynge gaue leaue to the duke of Bretaygne to retourne in to his countrey and howe the couÌ„trey of Brabant wolde nat consent to the kynges passage nor his army and howe the ambassadours of Fraunce spedde Capi. C .xxxviii. ¶ Howe the erle of Bloys sent to the frenche kinge two hundred speares and howe the duke of Lorayne and the lorde Henry of Bare came to the kynge and howe the dukes of Julyers and of Guerles knewe that the frenche kynge came on them Capi. C .xxxix. ¶ Howe syr Hellyon of Lygnacke made his reporte to the duke of Berrey and howe the lordes of Scotlande assembled toguyder in the cytie of Berdane and determyned to reyse vp an armye to entre into Englande and of an englyssh squyer who was taken by the scottes who knewe the secretes of bothe realmes Englande and Scotlande Capi. C .xl. ¶ Howe kyng Richarde yelded hym selfe to the erle of Derby to go to London Cap. Fo. CCC .xi. ¶ Howe the erle Duglas wan the penon of sir Henry Percy at the barryers vpon Newe castell vpon Tyne and howe the scottes brent the castell of Pondlen and howe syr Henry Percy and syr Rafe his brother tooke aduyse to folowe the scottes to conquere agayne the penon that was lost at the skrymysshe Capi. C .xli. ¶ Of the state of quene Isabell of Englande and howe she had all newe ê‘sones apoynted to wayte vpon her and howe kynge Richarde was sette in the towre of London Capi. CC .xlii. ¶ Howe sir Henry Percy and his brother with a good nombre of men of armes and archers went after the scottes to wyn agayne his penon that the erle Duglas had won before Newcastell vpoÌ„tyne and howe they assayled the scottes before MouÌ„tberke in their lodgynges Cap. C .xlii. ¶ Howe the erle James Duglas by his valyantnesse encoraged his men who were reculed and in a maner disconfited and in his so doynge he was wounded to dethe Capi. C .xliii. ¶ Howe in this bataile sir Rafe Percy was sore hurte and taken prisoner by a scottiss he knyght Cap. C .xliiii. ¶ Howe the scottes wanne the batayle agayust the Englysshe men besyde Ottebridge and there was taken prisoners sir HeÌ„ry and sir Rafe Percy howe an Englisshe squier wolde nat yelde hym no more wolde a scottysshe squyer and so were slayne bothe and howe the bysshoppe of Durham and his coÌ„pany were disconfyted amonge them selfe Capi. C .xiv. ¶ Howe sir Mathewe Reedman deparred fro the batayle to saue hym selfe and howe sir James Lymsey was taken prisoner by the bysshoppe of Durham and howe after the batayle scurrers were sent forthe to discouer the countrey Cap. C .xlvi. ¶ Howe the scottes departed caryed with them the erle Duglas deed and buryed hym in the abbey of Nimayes and howe sir Archambault Duglas and his company departed fro before Carlyle and retourned in to Scotlande Cap. C .xlvii. ¶ Howe the duke of Jullyers came and excused hym selfe of the defyaunce that his son the duke of Guerles had made to the Frenche kyng and so became his subiette and of dyuers reates of armes done bitwene the freÌ„che men and the almaygnes before Rencongne Cap. C .xlviii. ¶ Howe the duke of Julyers and the archebysshop of Coloygne departed fro the Frenche kyng and wente to Nimaye to the duke of Guerles and howe by their meanes he was reconsyled and brought to peace with the Frenche kynge and with the duchesse of Brabant Cap. C .xlix. ¶ Howe the erle of Arundell and the knyghtes of Englande beyng on the see by fortune of the wynde came to the palyce besyde Rochell whose beynge there was signifyed to sir Loyes of
there a seuyn knightes wyues who were come thyder to se the lady of Guystelles she was redy to lye downe a chylde beed Thus after they had pilled the towne and slayne all suche as wolde nat take their parte than they went to repayre the towne agayne Whanne they of Bruges herde therof they werefore displeased and nat without a cause and armed them And with baner displayed came before the towne of Dan and began to scrimysshe and to assayle the towne but all was for nought they lost more than thei wan so retourned agayne to Bruges Whan these tidynges came to Gaunt they were greatlye reioysed and reputed that enterprise for a noble dede and FrauÌ„ces Atreman for a valyant man ¶ Nowe let vs returne to the frenche kynges weddyng _wHan the duches Margarete of Heynaulte who had the yonge lady in her kepynge Whan she sawe the day was come she apparelled the lady honestly and to them came the duches of Burgoyne and the duches of Brabant accompanyed with many ladyes and damosels These thre ladies coÌ„ueyed the lady Isabell of Bauiers in a chayre rychelye couered with a crowne on her heed worthe the richesse of a realme whiche the kynge had sent her before and the bysshoppe of the same place dyde wedde them in the presens of all the lordes and ladyes After the masse and solempnyte finysshed the kyng and all they went to dyner whiche was great and sumptuous and erles and barownes serued the kynge in ryche array Thus the day coÌ„tynued in great sporte tyll it was night than the kyng went to bedde with his newe wyfe So the feest endured tyll the wednisday after Than tidynges came to the kynge and his counsayle howe Fraunces Atreman had wonne the towne of Danne also there came an haraude from the duke of Burbone brought letters to the kyng signifyeng hym howe Taylbourcke was wonne and turned frenche and howe the duke of Burbone his coÌ„pany was goyng to ley siege to Vertuell and howe they had in Poyctou Xaynton and Limosyn recoÌ„quered sixe forteresses These tidynges somwhat reioysed the court and sette at nought the lesyng of Danne sauyng that it was coÌ„cluded that the kyng shulde do no thing tyll he had ben in Flaunders and won agayne Danne and to entre so farre in to the four craftes out of the whiche all the venym issued that he shulde leaue no house standynge but to dystroy all Than messangers were sent ouer all the realme of Fraunce coÌ„mauÌ„dynge all men of warre to be by the first day of August in the marchesse of Picardy to ley siege to Dan. These tidynges spredde abrode in the realme of Fraunce and euery knight and squyer made them redy to come to the kyng as they were coÌ„maunded The same day duke Federyke of Bauyer and duke Aubert and all the barony toke leue of the kyng and euery man retourned home to their owne lefte with the kyng the lady Isabell of Bauyer as than the frenche quene THe frenche kyng who had made his coÌ„maundement throughe all his realme sayd howe he wolde neuer come in Parys tyll he had ben before the towne of Danne And so the .xxv. day of Iuly he departed fro Amyence with the constable and dyuers other lordes of his house and went to Arras where he taryed but one night and the next day he went to Lan in Atthoyse and dayly men of warre came to hym fro all ê‘tes and so at last he came to Iprso that by the firste day of August he was before Dan and laye so nere to it that the gonne shot passed ouer his heed A thre dayes after came to the kynge Wylliam of Neynaulte who was ryght welcome to the kynge and to the duke of Burgoyne So there they layde a goodly siege about Dan and therin was enclosed FrauÌ„ces Atreman who bare him selfe valiantly for euery day there was outher scrimyshe or assaut without it were truse The lorde of Clary who was mayster of the ordynaunce with the lorde of Coucy was striken with a quarell out of the towne of whiche stroke he dyed whiche was great domage for he was a noble knight To the siege of Danne there came men oute of the good townes of Flaunders as Ipre Bruges and out of Franke. At this siege were beyond a hundred thousande men The kyng laye bytwene Dan and Gaunte and capitayne of the Flemmynges was the lorde of saynt Pye and the lorde of Guystels with a .xxv. speares and laye myddes amonge them for feare of discencion ¶ Howe dyuers burgesses of Sluse were beheeded howe Sluse was chaunged for the lande of Bethune and howe the siege of Danne contynewed longe Cap. vii AT an assault there was made knyght by the kynge Wylliam of Heynalte that day he reared vp his baner and quytte hym selfe lyke a good knight But at that assaute the Frenche men loste more than they wanne for Fraunces Atreman had with hym certayne archers of Englande who greatly greued the assaylantes Also he had great plentie of artillary for whan the towne was wonne it was well furnyssed And also he caused moche to be brought fro GauÌ„t whan he knewe that he shulde haue siege layde to the towne In the same season whyle the siege laye thus before Danne some of the greattest of the towne of Sluse suche as than bare moost rule in the towne were so wrapped with treason that they wolde haue deliuered the towne to the kinges enemyes and to haue murdred their capitayne and his company in their beddes and to haue set fyre in the kynges nauy that lay there at ancre laded with prouisyon for the kynge Before he wente to Danne he was in purpose to haue gone in to Scotlande after his admyrall And also these treators had thought to haue broken downe the see bankes therby to haue drowned the greattest parte of the kyngê hoost Of all this they had made marchaundise with them of GauÌ„te and all these treasons shuld haue ben done in one night but ther was a good man in the towne as he was in an hostry herde all this treason that they were purposed to do And incontynent he went to the capitayne and shewed hym the mater and named to hym certayne of them that had thus conspyred the treason Whan the capitayne herde that he sore marueyled and toke a threscore speares of his company and wente fro house to house of the treatours and so toke and sette them in dyuers prisons in sure kepynge Than he toke his horse and rode to the kyng and so came to his tente before hym and the duke of Burgoyne he shewed all the mater howe the towne of Sluse was likely to haue ben lost and all the kynges host likely to haue been in the water to the brestes wherof the kyng and the lordes had great marueyle And than the capitayne was coÌ„maunded that he shulde retourne to Sluse and incontynent to stryke of all their heedes withoute any respyte therby all other to take
he shulde go with him and thought that this companyons yet shulde se that he had founde somwhat and thought the same manne shulde do them some seruyce in their lodgynges and so Godynos rode on before on a lowe hackeney and the almayne folowed hym a foote with a hewynge axe on his necke wherwith he had wrought in the wode Godinos page lepte on his maysters courser and bare his bassenette and speare and folowed them halfe slepynge bycause he had rysen so early And the almayn who knewe nat whyder he shuld go nor what they wolde do with hym thought to delyuer hymselfe and came fayre and easely to Godynos and lyfte vp his are and strake hym suche a stroke on the heed that he claue it to the teth and so ouerthrewe hym starke deed the page knewe nat therof tyll he sawe his mayster fall Than the vyllayne fledde in to the wode and saued hymselfe This aduenture fell to Godinos wherwith suche as knewe hym were sore dyspleased and specyally they of Auuergne for he was the man of armes that was moste doughted of the englisshmen in those parties and he that dyd them most domage If he had been in prisone he shulde haue ben quyted out and if it had been for twenty thousande frankes ¶ Nowe lette vs retourne to the duke of Iulyers ¶ Howe the duke of Iuliers and the archebysshop of Coloygne departed fro the frenche kynge and wente to Nymay to the duke of Guerles and howe by their meanes he was reconsyled and brought to peace with the frenche kynge and with the duches of Brabante Cap. C.xlix YE knowe well as it hathe ben shewed here before howe the duke of Iulyers made his peace with the frenche king by meanes of the bysshoppes that treated in that behalfe and also to saye the trouthe the duke of Lorayne his cosyn toke great payne in the mater And as ye haue herde the duke promysed to go to his sonne the duke of Guerles and to cause hym to come to the kynges mercy or els to make hym warre Thus the duke of Iulyers was fayne to promyse or els all his countrey had ben loste Thus the duke of Iulyers and the archbysshoppe toke their iourney to go in to Guerles and passed the ryuer and came to Nymay where as the duke was who receyued his father with great ioye as he was bounde to do for there is nothynge so nere a man as his father and mother But he was nothynge glad of that he herde howe that the duke his father was agreed with the frenche kynge Than the duke of Iuliers and the bysshop shewed hym at length the hole mater in what case he and his lande stode in He made lytle therof for he was so sore alyed with the kynge of Englande that he wolde nat forsake hym for his herte was good englysshe and so excused hym selfe greatly and sayde to his father syr let me alone I wyll abyde the aduenture and if I take domage by reason of the frenche kynges comynge I am yonge ynough to beare it and to be reuenged herafter on some parte of the realme of Fraunce or vppon my neyghbours the brabansoys there is no lorde canne kepe warre without some domage sometyme lese and sometyme wynne Whan his father the duke of Iulyers herde hym so styffe in his opynyon he was sore dyspleased with him and sayd Sonne Willyam for whome make you youre warre and who be they that shall reuenge your domage Syr quod he the kynge of Englande and his puysaunce and I haue gret maruayle that I here no tydynges of the englysshe army that is on the see for if they were come as they haue promysed me to do I wolde haue wakened the frenche men oftener thanne ones or this tyme. What quod his father do you trust and abyde for the englysshmen they are so besyed in euery quarter that they wote nat to whome to entende The duke of Lancastre our cosyn lyeth at Bayon or at Burdeaux and is retourned out of Spayne in a small ordre and hath lost his men and tyme and he hath sente in to Englande for to haue mo men of armes and archers and he can nat get to the nombre of .xx. speares Also the englysshe men haue had but late in playne batayle a great domage in Northumberlande for all their chyualry aboute Newcastell vpon Tyne were ouerthrowen and slayne and taken so that as nowe the realme of Englande is nat in good quyete nor reste Wherfore it is nat for you to trust at this tyme on the englysshe men for of them ye shall haue no comforte Wherfore I coūsayle you to be ruled by vs and we shall make your peace with the frenche kyng shall do so moche that ye shall nouther receyue shame nor domage Syr quod the duke of Guerles howe may I with myne honoure acorde with the Frenche kynge though I shulde lese all my hole lande go dwell in some other place surely I wyll nat do it I am to sore alyed with the kinge of Englande and also I haue defyed the frenche kynge Thynke you that for feare of hym I shulde reuoke my wordes or breke my seale ye wolde I shulde be dyshonored I requyre you let me alone I shall defende my self right well agaynst them I set lytell by their thretenynges The waters and raynes and colde wethers shall so fight for me or the tyme of Ianyuer come that they shall be so wery that the hardyest of theym shall wysshe them selfe at home in their owne houses THus at the begynnynge of this treatie the duke of Iuliers and the bysshoppe of Coloyne coulde nat breke the duke of Guerles purpose and yet they were with hym a sixe dayes and euery day in counsayle And whan the duke of Iulyers sawe no otherways he began sore to argue against his sonne and sayd Sonne if ye wyll nat byleue me surely I shall dysplease you and as for your enherytaunce of the duchy of Iulyers ye shall neuer haue one foote therof but rather I shall gyue it to a straunger who shall be of puyssaunce to defende it agaynste you ye are but a foole if ye wyll nat beleue my counsayle Whan the duke of Guerles sawe his father inflamed with ire than to apease his displeasure sayd Sir than counsayle me to myne honour and at your desyre I shall leane therto for syr Iowe to you all obeysaunce and wyll do Than the duke of Iulyers sayde Sonne nowe ye speke as ye shulde do and I shall loke for your honoure asmoche as I wolde do for myne owne Than it was deuysed by great delyberacion of counsayle that for to saue the honoure on all parties that the duke of Guerles shulde go to the frenche kynge and to do hym honoure and reuerence as he ought to do to a Kynge and to make his excuse of the defyaunce that he had sente to the kynge and to say after this maner Syr trewe it is there was a letter
other countreis The yonge kynge enclyned lightely to his wordes for he loued him with all his hart bicause they had been norisshed vp toguyder And this erle had great alyaunces with dyuers lordes and knightes of Englande for he dyde all his maters by the counsayle of sir Symon Burle sir Robert Treuelyen ser Nicholas Brambre sir Iohan Beauchampe sir Iohan Salisbury and sir Mychaell de la pole And also sir Thomas Tryuet and sir Wylliam Helmon were named to be of the same ê‘te so that by the dyffernes and discorde bitwene the kynge and his vncles and the nobles and commons of the realme many yuels came therby in EnglaÌ„de as ye shall here hereafter in this hystorie IT was nat longe after that the erle of Cambridge departed out of Portyngale but that the kynge Feraunt felle sicke and so contynued a hole yere and dyed than he had no mo chyldren but the Quene of Spayne Than kynge Iohan of Castell was enformed of his deth and howe that the realm of Portyngale was fallen in to his haÌ„des and howe that he was ryghtfull heyre thervnto by reason of the dethe of the kynge Sother was dyuers couÌ„sayls kept on that mater and some sayd howe that the Portingales were so harde harted people that they wold nat be had without it were by conquest And in dede whan the portyngales sawe howe they were without a kyng than they determyned by counsayle to sende to a bastarde brother of the kynges a sage and a valyant man called Deuyse but he was a man of relygton and was mayster of the hospytals in all the realme They sayd they had rather be vnder the rule of this maister Denyse than vnder the rule of the kynge of Castell for they reputed hym no bastarde that hath good corage to do well Whan this mayster Denyse vnderstode the coÌ„mens wyll of foure chiefe cyties of Portyngale for they hadde great affectyon to crowne hym kyng wherof he had great ioye and so wrote secretely to his frendes and came to Lurbone whiche is the kay of the realme The people of the towne receyued hym with great ioye and demauÌ„ded of hym if they crowned him kyng wheder he wolde be good to theÌ„ or nat and kepe the lande in their fraunchese And he aunswered and sayd he wolde be to theÌ„ as they desyred and that they had neuer a better kynge than he wolde be Than they of Luxbone wrote to Connubres to Pount de portugale and to them of Dourke These were the kayes of the Realme and so they determyned to crowne to their kyng this mayster Denyse who was a sage a valyant man and of good gouernauÌ„ce and was brother to kyng Ferant for they sawe well the realme coude nat be longe without a kyng as well for feare of the spay mardes as of the myscreaÌ„tes of Granado and of Bongie who marched on them So these sayde townes and certayne of the lordes of the lande enclined to him but some of the lordê sayd that it was nat mete a bastarde to be crowned kyng And the people of the good townes said that it shulde be so for of necessyte they must so do sithe they had none other and seyng that he was a valyant and a sage man bothe in wyâ—te and in dedes of armes And they toke ensample by kynge Henry who was crowned kyng of Castell by electyon of the countrey and for the coÌ„mon profyte and that was done kynge Peter beynge a lyue So thus the electyon abode on this maister Denyse and solemynely he was crowned in the Cathedrall churche of Connubres by the accorde and puyssaunce of the coÌ„mons of the realme And there he sware to kepe iustyce to do ryght to his people and to kepe and maynteyne their frauncheses and to lyue and dye with them wherof they hadde great ioye Whan these tidynges came to the hearyng of don Iohan kyng of Castell he was sore displeased therwith and for two causes The one was bycause his wyfe was enheryter there the other bycause the people by election hadde crowned maister Denyse kynge there Wherfore this kyng Iohan toke tytell to make warr and to demauÌ„de of them of Luxbone the soÌ„me of two hundred thousande florens whiche Ferant promysed hym whan he toke his doughter to his wyfe So than he sende the Erle of Terme therle of Ribydea and the bysshoppe of Burges in to Portyngale as his ambassadours to them of Luxbone whan they were at saynt prayne the laste towne of Castell towarde Luxbone Than they sent an haraulde to the kyng and to them of Luxbone to haue a saue conducte to go and come and to furnysshe their voyage whiche was graunted lightly so they came to Luxbone and so the towne assembled their counsayle toguyder and the ambassadours shewed why they were come thyder and finally sayde ye sirs of Luxbone ye ought iustely nat to marueyle if the kyng our souerayne lorde demaundeth of you the soÌ„me of money that ye are bounde for And is nat coÌ„tent that ye haue gyuen the noble crowne of Portyngale to a clerke a man of relygion and a bastarde It is a thynge nat to be suffred for by rightfull election there is non nerer to the crowne thaÌ„ he And also ye haue done this without the assent of the nobles of the realme Wherfore the kyng our maister saythe that ye haue done yuell And without that ye shortely do remedy the make he wyll make you sharpe warâ— To the whiche wordes don Feraunt Gallopes de vyle fois a notable burgesse of the cyte answered and sayd Sirs ye reproche vs greatly for our electyon but your owne election is as moche reprouable for ye crowned in Spaygne a bastarde sonne to a iewe And it is clerely knowen that to the ryghtfull election your kynge hath no right to the realem of Portyngale for the right resteth in the doughters of kyng Peter who be in Englande maryed bothe ConstauÌ„ce and Isabell maryed to the duke of I an castre to therle of Cambridge Wherfore sers ye may departe whan ye wyll and retourne to them that sent you hyder and say that our electyon is good whiche we wyll kepe and other kyng we wyll haue none as long as he lyste to be our kyng And as for the soÌ„me of money that ye demauÌ„de of vs we say we are nothyng bouÌ„de therto take it of them that were bouÌ„de therfore and of suche as had the profyte therof At this answere the kynge of Portyngall was nat presentâ— howbeit he knewe well what shulde be sayd And whaÌ„ these ambassadours sawe they coude haue non other answere they toke their leaue and departed and retourned to Cyuell where they lafte the kyng and his couÌ„sayle to whom they shewed all the said answere Than the kyng of Spayne toke couÌ„sayle what was best to do in this mater Than it was determyned that the kyng of Portyngale shulde be desied and howe that the kyng of Spayne had a good
is fayre and standeth in a playne countre amonge the fayre vynes And it is a towne cytie and castell closed with gates and walles and seperated eche fro other Fro the mountayns of Byerne and Catheloyne cometh the fayre ryuer of Lysse whiche ronneth throughe Tarbe and is as clere as a fountayne And a fyue leages thens is the towne of Morlance parteyninge to the erle of Foiz at the entre of the countie of Bierne and vnder the mountayne a site leages fro Tarbe is the towne of Panne whiche also ê‘teyneth to the sayd erle The same tyme that the prince princes was at Tarbe therle of Foiz was at Panne He was there bylding of a fayre castell ioyninge to the towne without on the ryuer of Grane Assone as he knewe the comynge of the prince and princesse beyng at Tarbe He ordayned to go and se theym in great estate with mo than sixe hundred horses and threscore knightes in his company And of his comynge to Tarbe was the prince and priÌ„cesse right ioyouse and made hym good chere and there was the erle of Armynake the lorde Dalbret and they desyred the price to requyre the erle of Foiz to forgyue therle of Armynake all or els parte of the somme of florens that he ought to haue And the prince who was wyse and sage consyderynge all thynges thought that be might nat do so and sayde Sir erle of Armynake ye were taken by armes in that iourney of batayle and ye dyde putte my cosyn the erle of Foiz in aduenture agaynste you And thoughe fortune were fauourable to hym and agaynst you his valure ought nat than to be made lesse By lyke dedes my lorde my father nor I wolde nat be contente that we shulde be desyred to leaue that we haue wonne by good aduenture at the batayle of Poicters wherof we thanke god WhanÌ„e the erle of Armynake herde that he was a basshed for he fayled of his entente Howe be it yet the lefte nat of so But than he reâ—red the princesse who with a good hert desyred therle of Foiz to gyue her a gyfte Madame quod theâ—le I am but a meane man therfore I can gyue no great gyftes But madame if the thyng that ye desyre passe nat the valure of threscore thousande frankes I wyll gyue it you with a gladde chere yet the princesse assayed agayne if she coude cause hym to graunt her full desyre But the â—rle was sage and subtell and thought verily that her desyre was to haue hym to forgyue clerely the Erle of Armynake all his dette And than he sayde agayne Madame for a poore knight as I am who buyldeth townes and castelles the gyfte that I haue graunted you ought to suffyce the princesse coude bringe hym no farther whan she sawe that she said Gentyll erle of Foiz the request that I desyre of you is to forgyue clerely the erle of Armynake Madame quod the erle to your request I ought well to condiscendâ— I haue sayd to you that if your desyre passe nat the valure of threscore thousande frankes that I wolde graunt it you But madame the erle of Armynake oweth me two hundred and fyftie thousande frankes and at your request I forgaue hym therof threscore thousande frankes Thus the mater stode in that case and the erle of Armynake at the request of the princes wan the forgyueng of threscore thousande frankes And anone after the erle of Foiz returned to his owne countre I Sir Iohan Froissarde make narracion of this busynesse bycause whan I was in the countie of Foyz and of Bierne I passed by the couÌ„tie of Bygore and I demaunded and enquered of the newes of that countrey suche as I knewe nat before And it was shewed me howe the prince of wales and of Aquitayne whyle he was at Tarbe he had great wyll to go se the castell of Lourde whiche was a thre leages of nere to the entre of the mountayne And whan he was there and had well aduysed the towne the castell and the couÌ„tre he praysed it greatly aswell for the streÌ„gth of the castell as bycause it stode on the fronter of dyuers countreis For the garysone there might ronne well in to the realme of Arragon in to Catellon and to Barselon Than the priÌ„ce called to hym a knyght of his housholde in whom he had great truste and loued hym entierly and he had serued hym truely and was called sir Pyer Ernalde of the countre of Bierne an experte man of armes and cosyn to the erle of Foiz Than the prince sayde to hym sir Ernalde I instytue and make you Chateleyn and capitayne of Lourde gouernour of the countre of Bygore Loke that ye kepe this castell se well that ye make a good accompte ther of to the kyng my father and to me Sir quod the knyght I thanke you and I shall obserue your coÌ„maundement There he dyde homage to the prince and the prince put hym in possession It is to be knowen that whan the warre began to renewe bytwene Englande FrauÌ„ce as it hath ben shewed before The erle Guy of saynt Poule and sir Hugh of Chatellon mayster of the crosbowes in Fraunce in that tyme beseged the towne of Abuyle and wan it with all the countre of Poitou The same tyme two great barons of Bigore th one called sir Marnalte Barbesan and the lorde Danchyn tourned frenche and toke the towne cytie and castell of Tarbe whiche was but easely kept for the kynge of Englande But styll the castell of Lourde was in the handes of sir Pier Ernalt of Bierne who wolde in no wyse yelde vp the castell but made euer great warre agaynst the realme of FrauÌ„ce and sent for great company of aduenturers in to Bierne and Gascoyne to helpe and to ayde hym to make warre so that he had togyder many good men of armes and he had with hym sixe capitayns euery man fyftie speares vnder hym The first was his brother Iohan of Bierne a right expert squyer and Pier Danchyne of Bygore brother germayne to the lorde Danchyne he wolde neuer tourne frenche Nandon of saynt Colombe Ermalton of mount Ague of saynt Basyll and the Bourge of Carnela These capitayns made dyuers iourneys in to Bygore in to Tholousyn in to Carcassene in to Albygoise For euer assone as they were out of Lourde they were in the lande of their enemyes and somtyme they wolde aduenture thyrtie leages of fro their holde And in their goynge they wolde take nothyng but in their retourne there was nothynge coulde scape theÌ„ Somtyme they brought home so great plentie of beestes prisoners that they wyst nat howe to kepe them Thus they rauÌ„somed all the couÌ„trey excepte the erle of Foiz landes For in his landes they durste nat take a chekyn withoute they payed truely therfore For if they had displeased the erle they coulde nat longe haue endured These companyons of Lourde ranne ouer all the countre at their pleasure
all men that wolde do any wrong therto reseruyng all onely the frenche kynges persone Than he sette men of warr to watche the wayes and passages where as these robbers pyllars vsed to passe on a daye he toke slewe and drowned of them at Robeston in Tholousin mo than four huÌ„dred wherby he gate great grace and honoure of them of Tholous and of Carcassone of Besyers and Mountpellyer and of other good townes there about so that the renome ran in Fraunce howe they of Languedoke were tourned and had taken to their lorde the erle of Foyz And the duke of Berry who was souerayne there toke therat great displeasure and had therle of Foiz in great hate bycause he medled so farre in the busynesse of Fraunce and wherby he maynteyned them of Tholous styll in their rebellyon agaynst him Than he sente men of warre in to the countre but they were fiersly driuen backe agayne by the erles men so that wheder they wolde or no they were fayne to drawe backe orels they had loste more than they shulde haue wonne With this the duke of Berrey was sore displeased with the erle of Foiz he sayd Howe therle of Foiz was the most presumptuous proudest knight of all the worlde The duke as than coude suffre no good to be spoken of hym howe be it he made hym no warre for the erle of Foiz had alwayes his townes and castelles so well prouyded for that none durste entre in to his lande But whan the duke of Berry came in to Languedocke than he left his rule for he wolde thaÌ„ no lengar exercyse agaynste the duke but the displeasure rested styll after a certayne space But nowe shall I shewe you by what meanes the peace was norisshed bytwene them IT was a ten yere paste that the lady Ellyanour of Comynges as nowe couÌ„tesse of Bouloyne and nere cosyn to therle of Foiz and right enherytour to the countie of Comynges thoughe that the erle of Armynake hadde it in possession She came to Ortaise to therle of Foiz and brought with her a yonge doughter of thre yere of age Th erle her cosyn made her good chere and he demaunded her of her busynesseâ—and wheder she was goynge Sir quod she I am goynge in to Arragon to myne vncle and Aunte the erle of Vrgell and there I purpose to abyde For I haue great displeasure to abyde with my husbande sir Iohan of Boloyne for I thought he wolde haue recouered myne enherytaunce of Comynges fro the erle of Armynake who kepeth it fro me And he hath my suster in prisone and he wyll do no thyng in the mater He is so softe a knight that he wyll do nothynge but take his ease and eate and drinke and to spende that he hath folysshlye and I thynke whan he is erle he wyll take his pleasure more Therfore I wyll no lengar abyde with hym and I haue brought with me my doughter whom I wyll delyuer in to your handes prayenge you to kepe and to norisshe her vp for I trust by reason of her lygnage ye wyll nat fayle thus to do for I haue hoope in you that ye wyll kepe her I had moche payne to gette her awaye out of the countrey and out of the handes of my husbande her father But bycause I take theÌ„ of Armynake myne aduersaries and yoursâ— who wolde gladly steale my doughter awaye bycause she is enherytour of Comynges therfore I haue brought her vnto you Wherfore sir I requyre you fayle me nat at this busynesse And I am sure her father my husbande whan he knoweth that I haue lefte her with you he wyll be right ioyfull â–ª For he hath sayd often tymes to me that this his doughter shulde put hym to great doute And whan the erle had well herde the wordes of the lady Elyanour his cosyn he was right ioyfull And ymagined in him selfe howe that childe after shuld do hym some pleasure as by the meanes of her mother to haue a ferme peace with his enemyes or els to marry her in so highe a place that his ennemyes shulde doute hym therby Than he answered the lady and said Madame and cosyn all that ye desyre I shall do it with right a good wyl for I am bounde therto by lynage and as for your doughter my cosyn I shall kepe her as well as though she were myne owne proper chylde Sir quod she I thanke you Thus the yong doughter of Bouloyne abode with the erle of Foiz at Ortaise and she neuer departed thens sithe and the lady her mother went to Arragon She hath been sithe ones or twyse tose her doughter but she neuer desyred to haue her agayne for therle kepte her as well as if she were his owne chylde And to the purpose as to the meane of the peace that I shewed you the erle ymagined to gette by her the loue agayne of the duke of Berrey And as nowe at this present tyme the duke of Berry hath gret desyre to be marryed and I thynke by that I herde at Auygnon by the Pope who is cosyn germayne to the ladyes father He shewed me howe the duke of Berrey desyreth to haue her in maryage Ah saynt Mary sir quod I howe your wordê be to me right agreable for it hath done me great pleasure all that euer ye haue shewed me whiche shall nat be loste for it shall be putte in remeÌ„braunce and cronycled if god wyll sende me the grace to retourne to the towne of ValenceÌ„nes where as I was borne But sir I am sore displeased of one thynge What is that ê™ he I shall shewe you By my faithe that so hyghe and valyant a prince as the Erle of Foiz is shulde be without laufull issue sir quod the knight if he had one as ones he had he shulde be the most ioyouse prince of the worlde and so wolde be all the couÌ„tre Why sir than quod I is his lande than withoute an heyre Nay sir ê™ he the Vycount of the castell Bone his cosyn germayne is his heyre Is he a valyant man in armes quod I Nay be my faythe sir quod he and therfore the Erle loueth hym nat and thynketh to make his two bastarde soÌ„nes who be right valyant his heyres thynketh to marry them in an highe lygnage for he hath golde and syluer ynough wherby he thynketh to gette theym wyues suche as shall ayde and conforte them Sir quod I it maye well be Howe be it the thyng is nat reasonable that bastardes shulde be made herytours of landes Wherfore nat sir quod he if there lacke good heyres Se you nat howe the spaynierdes haue crowned Henry a bastarde to be kyng and also they of Portyngale crowned a bastarde to their kynge It hath been sene in the worlde in dyuers realmes that bastardes by force hathe reygned Was nat Wyllyam Conquerour bastarde sonne to a duke of Normandy who conquered all Englande and was kynge there so that all the kynges syth are
Cambridge who had in maryage his cosyns to haue socour of theÌ„ These messangers were two knyghtes and a clerke sir Iohan Radyngos and sir IohnÌ„ Dore and with them a clerke lycensiate in the lawe arche deaken of Lysbone These messangers dyd so moche by the see that they came to Hampton and there taryed a daye and there gate horses for they had none of their owne and so rode to London This was in the moneth of August And the kyng was in the marches of Wales a huntyng at his pleasure his vncles the duke of LaÌ„castre therle of CaÌ„bridge sir Edmonde and sir Thomas erle of Buckyngham were also in their owne countreis a sportynge wherfore the kyng of Portyngales messangers had more to do so first they spake with the duke of Lancastre who was at Hertforde a twentie myle fro London The duke receyued them ioyously and opyned the letters that they brought him and the duke reed them thre tymes the better to vnderstande theÌ„ and than he sayd Sirs ye be right welcome in to this countre but ye be come in the worst tyme of the yere to haue spedy delyuerauÌ„ce of your ambassade for the kyng and my bretherne are sparcled abrode here and theâ— and ye can haue no full answere tyll the counsayle come toguyder at London at the feest of saynt Mighaell But sythe the great parte of your message toucheth me and my brother therfore I will write to hym that he and I shal be shortely at London or therabout and than we shall take couÌ„sayle toguyder Wherfore as nowe ye shall retourne to London whan my brother is come nere ye shall haue tidynges fro vs. The ambassadours of Portyngale were content and so retourned to London and were well lodged and toke their ease The duke of Lancastre forgate nat that they had sayd to hym and so incontynent wrote to his brother therle of Cambridge of that busynesse and whan therle had reed his brothers letters he prepared hym self and rode to Hertforde besyde Ware wheâ— the duke was and there they were thre dayes togyder in couÌ„sayle and so ordayned to go to London as the duke had promysed to the ambassadours and so they came to London Than these two lordê and they of Portyngale had great couÌ„sayls bytwene them For the erle of CaÌ„bridge who had ben before in Portyngale was nothyng coÌ„tent with kyng Ferant of Portyngale last deed for he sayd he made his warre but slackely and also agaynst tâ—â—wyll of hym and all the Englyssh men he toke peace with the spanyerdes wherfore the erle sayd he had doute that at the counsayle at Myghelmas the coÌ„montie wolde nat agre lightly to make another vyage in to Portyngale for the iourney thyder before had cost greatly the realme of Englande and no ê“fyte therby The ambassadours coÌ„ceyned well the erles wordes and sayde Sir than was than and nowe is nowe The kyng whom god pardon redouted greatly the fortunes of the worlde but the kyng our mayster that nowe is hath another mynde ymaginacion For if he fynde in the felde his enemyes thoughe he be lesse of power yet he wyll gyue the settyng on whatso euer fall therby And this sir we dare faythfully assure you and my lordes besyde that your quarell is clere to ouerron and to conquere the realme of Castell for the enherytaunce parteyneth to you and to your wyues to your chyldren to conquere it ye can nat haue so good an entre in to Castell as by Portyngale sythe ye haue all that realme according therto Therfore sir and one of you wyll come thyder with suche a suffycient nombre and by the ayde ye shall haue there ye shal be able to kepe the felde The duke of Lancastre answered Sirs this lyeth nat in vs but in the kyng in the realme but we shall do oure good wylles ye maye be sure therof Thus they ended their counsayle and the portyngalo is laye styll at London abydyng Mighelmas and the duke of Lancastre and the erle of Cambridge returned in to their owne countreis on the marches of the Northe Than came Myghelmas and the parlyament at Westmynster and the kynge approched and came to Wyndesore and so to Chertsey and the quene with hym and than to Stanes and also his chefe of counsayle the erle of Oxenforde for by him euery thyng was done and without hym nothynge The same season there was in FlauÌ„ders bytwene the duke of Burgoyne and the gauÌ„toise great warre And theâ— were newly retourned out of Flaunders in to Englande the bysshoppe of Norwiche sir Hugh Caurell sir Wylliam Helman sir Thomas Tryuet other who had in the same somer ben at the siege with the gauntoise before Ipre Than came the frenche kyng and closed them in in Burbonoise as is rehersed here before iÌ„ this hystorie but as than there was truse bytwene Fraunce Englande and Flaunders to endure tyll mydsomer after but the scottes had moche to do also there was at London the counsayle of GauÌ„t and they desyred to haue a gouernour to helpe to sustayne the kepyng of their towne They desyred one of the kynges vncles or els the erle of Salisbury So at this counsayle at London there were many counsayls as well for the fleÌ„mynges as for Portyngale Scotlande who made theÌ„ warre The duke of Lancastre drewe to that parte that he might haue a noÌ„bre of men of warre and archers to go in to Portyngale And he shewed the lordes prelatê and comons howe they were all bounde by faythe and othe to ayde hym and his brother to wynne the herytage in Castell and that he sayde they promysed whan the kyng his nephue was crowned it apered by their letters sealed and moreouer the duke complayned hym howe they of the realme dyd hym and his brother wronge in that whan his brother therle of Cambridge was in Portyngale that they kepte but smally the couynaunt that they had promysed For he sayd it was ê“mysed to sende to hym thider two thousande speares and as many archers nothyng was done Wherby their quarell of the right of their enherytaunce was greatly hyndred The dukes wordes were well harde as it was reason And the moost notablest ê‘sons of that counsayle said howe he had right to speke as he dyd howe be it they sayd that the busynesses of the realme that touched them nere must first be ê“ferred Some wolde that his wyll shulde haue ben accomplysshed and some other said that it shulde be a great outrage to sende out of the realme two thousande men of warre four thousande archers to so long a iourney as iÌ„ to Portugale for the fortunes of the see be dauÌ„gerous and the ayre of Portyngale marueylous hote sayeng that if the realme of Englande shulde lese suche a company it shulde be a domage irrecuparable Howe be it all thynges alledged finally it was ordayned that the duke of Lancastre shulde passe the See with seuyn huÌ„dred speares and four thousand
and salutacyons when he was iustly enfourmed of the departynge of the frensshe kynge fro Sluse then he called his counsayle and sayd syr ye knowe well howe the duke of Lancastre is in Galyce and the duches our cosyne with hym and it is not vnknowen to you howe he was here and had counsayle togyder and howe it was agreed that I sholde haue his doughter in maryage so it is I wyll perceyuer in the same estate and wyll demaunde her honourably as it is reason and apertenent to suche a prynce as the duke of Lancastre is to me as kynge of Portyngale I wyll make that lady quene of Portyngale syr sayd they of his counsayle ye doo in this accordynge to reason for ye haue so sworne promysed well sayd the kynge then let vs sende for her to the duke then there was appoynted the archebysshop of Braschez and syr IohnÌ„ Radyghen of Sar to go an that ambassade they were sente for to the kynge and so they toke on them that voyage with them they had a. CC. speres ¶ Nowe let vs speke of the syege that syr Thomas Moreaus marshall of the duke of Lancastres cost had layde before the towne of Rybadane and shewe what became theron I Byleue that they of Rybadane thought to haue ben comforted by kynge Iohn of Castell and by the knyghtes of Fraunce who lay in the towne of Valcolyue or elles they wolde neuer haue endured soo longe for I haue meruayle howe suche a sorte of vyllaynes coulde endure agaynst suche a sloure of archers men of armes and were not abasshed for euery day they had assaulte and it was sayd to syr Thomas Moreaus in maner of counsayle by the moost valyaunt knyghtes of his company syr leue this towne here then an euyl fyer may bâ—enne it and let vs go further in to the countrey to Maynes to Noye or to Besances alwayes we may retourne agayne when we lyst by my fayth sayd syr Thomas that shall neuer be sayd that vyllaynes haue dyscomfyted vs I wyll not departe hens thoughe I sholde tary here .ii. monethes without yâ— duke sende for me Thus the marshalles mynde oppynyon was to kepe styll there his syege the kynge of Castell who laye at Valeolyue and had sente specyally for ayde in to Fraunce he harde dayly howe they of Rybadane defended themselfe valyauntly wolde not yelde in the name of god sayd the Barroys of Barrers it gretely dyspeaseth me that we sent not thyder our frenssh men they wolde gretely haue recomforted the men of that towne and also I am not contente that I am not at the syege for then at the leest I sholde haue the honoure as these vyllaynes haue nowe surely yf I had knowen the trouthe of the strength of that towne I wolde haue refresshed it and haue put myselfe at aduenture therin as well god sholde haue sente me the grace to haue defended the towne as these vyllaynes do Thus he deuysed in the kynges presence and before the frensshe knyghtes who desyred dedes of armes Then it was sayd to the kynge syr sende a. C. speres in to these townes of Noye of Calongne for who so hath those ii castelles hath the .ii. sydes of the lande of Galyce and to go thyder dyuers dyd present theÌ„selfe before the kynge as syr Trystram of Roy and syr Raynolde his broder syr Aulberte of Braquemont syr TrystraÌ„ of Galle syr IohnÌ„ of castell Morant syr Barroys of Barrers The kynge herde them well was contente with theyr offres and sayd fayre syrs I thanke you of your good wylles howbeit ye maye not all go some of you must abyde styll with me for aduentures that may fall but at this presente tyme I desyre the Barroys of Barrers to take on hym that charge yf it please hym the knyght was ryght glad of that iourney for he thought he had lyen there to longe and sayd to the kynge syr I thanke your grace shall kepe defende it to my power and shall not departe thens tyll ye sende for me so be it a goodes name sayd the kynge we thynke to here shortely some tydynges out of fraunce as then the knyghtes knewe not of the frensshe kynges departynge fro Sluse but the kynge knewe it well ynoughe for the duke of Borbon had wryten to hym of all the busynes in fraunce howe he was apoynted to come in to Castell with .iii. M. speres and before hym to open the passages sholde come .iii. M. speres vnder the gydynge of syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and syr Gaultyer of Passac the frensshe knyghtes desyred the kyng to shewe them some tydynges out of Fraunce with a good wyll sayd the kynge THen the kynge sayd syrs surely the duke of Borbon is chosen pryncypal capytayne to come in to this countrey for the frenssh kynge and his counsayle hath apoynted hym to come with .vi. thousande speres knyghtes and squyers and also two valyaunte knyghtes are chosen capytaynes for to come before hym as syr Wyllyam Lygnac as syr Gaultyer of Passac they shall come fyrst with a .iii. M. speres as for the voyage by the see in Englande is broken vp for this season tyll the constable of Fraunce and the erle of saynt Poule and the lorde of Concy with .iiii. M. speres shall goo in to Englande this nexte Maye Howe saye you syrs to this sayd the kynge syr sayd they these be ryche tydynges we can haue no better for this nexte somer dedes of armes shal be wel shewed in your countrey yf there be .vi. M. apoynted there wyll come .ix. M. we shall surely fyght with the englysshmen they kepe as nowe the felde but we shal close them togyder or it be mydsomer syr these knyghtes that come are ryght valyaunt and specyally the duke of Borbon and the other are proued knyghtes and worthy to be gouernours of meÌ„ of armes anone was spred abrode in the towne of Valeolyue and abrode in Castell the grete comforte and ayde that sholde come out of Fraunce by the fyrst daye of Maye wherof knyghtes and squyers were ryght ioyous THus the Barroys of Barres departed with a .l. speres and rode to the castell of Noye tydynges came to the duke of Lancastres marshall howe the frensshmen were a brode rydynge with a .l. speres to come to reyse the syege before Rybadane When the marshal harde those tydynges he byleued it lyghtly for they that shewed hym therof affyrmed it to be true saynge how they had sene them ryde ouer the ryuer of Dorne toke theyr lodgyng at the towne of Arpent Then the marshal was in doubte toke couÌ„sayle determyned to sende worde therof to the duke of Lancastre his lorde and so he dyd and he sente syr IohnÌ„ Dambrecycourt and a heraulde who knewe all the wayes in Galyce and then the marshall made euer good watche and spyal for he doubted to be ascryed in the nyght halfe the dost watched euery nyght whyle the other slepte syr
of Englande dukes erles barons and counsayle of the good townes Than it was sayde to hym Sir Symon ye haue alwayes ben a notable knight in the realme of EnglaÌ„de and ye were well beloued with my lorde the prince And ye and the duke of Irelande haue had in a maner the gouernynge of the kyng We haue sene all your maters and well examyned them the whiche be nother good nor faire which gretly displeaseth vs for your owne sake It is clerely determynyd by the hole generall counsayle that ye must go to prison in to the towre of London there to remayne tyll ye haue brought into this chambre the money of the kynges and of the realmes that ye haue gathered the whiche as it apereth by the treasourers rolles draweth to the some of two hundred and fyfty thousande frankes Nowe loke what ye wyll say Than syr Symon was halfe discomforted and said Sirs I shall with a good wyll And also it behoueth me so to do to fulfyll yoâ— coÌ„maundement I shall go where as ye commaunde me But my lordes I require you let me haue a clerke assigned to me that he maye write all suche expenses as I haue layde oute in tyme past in Almayne in Beame in procurynge the kinges maryage And if there be any reast I beseche you let me haue the kynges grace and yours that I may haue reasonable dayes to pay it Sir quod the lordes we are content Thus syr Symon Burle was in prison in the towre of London THan the constable spake of ser Willyam Helmon and of sir Thomas Tryuet for they were nat greatly in the fauour of some of the barones of Englande nor of the commontie of the realme for the vyage that they made in to Flaunders For it was sayd that neuer Englysshmen made so shamefull a vyage The bysshoppe of Norwyche and sir Hughe Caurell that was as than capitayne of Calais were excused layde to the others charge howe they hadde taken money for the gyueng vp of Burbourcke and Grauelyng Some sayd that that dede was trayson they were sent for and sir Wylliam Helmon came but sir Thomas Tryuer was excused I shall shewe you howe ¶ The same weke that he was sente for beyng in his owne house in the Northe ê‘te he rode out into the feldes vpon a yonge horse that he hadde and spurred hym so that the horse ranne awaye with hym ouer busshes and hedges and at laste fell in a dyke and brake his necke and so sir Thomas Triuet dyed whiche was great doÌ„mage and his dethe was greatlye complayned with many good menne of the realme yet for all that his heyres were fayne to paye a certayne somme of Floreyns to the Counsayle to the kynges behoue as they sayde But the chiefe encytyng of those maters came by the kynges vncles and by the generall counsayle of the couÌ„trey as it appered after in Englande For of trouthe thoughe the duke of Gloucestre was the yongest brother in age yet he was moost auncyent in the busynesse of the realme for he drewe to that opinyon that moost of the noble menne and prelates and the commons helde Whan that sir ThemÌ„s Tryuettes coÌ„posicion was made after his dethe by the maner as ye haue herde here before therby the penauÌ„ce of sir Wylliam Helmon was greatly asswaged He entred with the counsayle and by the meanes of the valyantnesse of his body and the good seruyce that he had done dyuers tymes for Englande as well in Bourdeloyes as in Guyen and in Picardye where he was alwayes proued a good knight There was nothynge layde to his reproche but takynge of the money for the delyuerauÌ„ce of Burborcke and Grauelynge Than he excused hymselfe with fayre and swete wordes and made dyuers reasonable reasons sayd My lordes who so euer were in lyke case as we were in that tyme in the garyson of Bourburke I thynke wolde do as we dyd I haue herde sir IohnÌ„ Chandos and sir Gaultier of Manny say dyuers tymes who were right wyse and of gret valure Howe that a man ought of two or iii. wayes chose the best waye and wherby most to endomage his enemyes And thus sir Thomas Tryuet and I beyng in the garysons of Bourburke and Grauelyng and sawe howe we were enclosed on all parties and no conforte aperyng to vs from any parte And parceyued well howe we coulde nat endure many assautes for they that laye about vs were as chosen men of armes as euer I sawe or I trowe any other Englysshemenne For as I knewe iustely by the reporte of our harraude they were at leest a syxtene thousande men of armes knyghtes and squyers and a .xl. thousande of other And we were nat paste a thre hundred speares and as many archers And also our garysone was of suche cyrcuyte that we coude nat enteÌ„de on euery place And that we well ê‘ceyued by an assaut that was made vs on a daye For whyle we were at oure defence on the one parte they caste in fyre on the other parte wherby we were gretly abasshed and that our ennemyes right well parceyued And therfore to saye the trouthe the Frenche kyng and his counsaile wrought by great geÌ„tylnesse seyng the case that we were in to gyue vs trewse For if they had gyuen vs another assaute the nexte daye as they were ordayned to do I thynke they hadde taken vs at their pleasure yet for all this they courtesly treated with vs by the meanes of the duke of Bretayne who tooke great payne in that mater And where as we shulde haue gyuen theym money for our raunsommes if we hadde ben taken as it was lykely they gaue vs money wherby we dyde them dommage and it was in them to haue endomaged vs. We thought we conquered greatly on them whan we had of their money and departed oure selfe safe and withoute trouble and hadde with vs all that we had won in all the warre tyme on the fronters of FlauÌ„ders And my lordes besyde that to pourge me of all blame if there be any ê‘sone in Englande or without knight or Esquyer Except the ê‘sons of my lordes the dukes of LaÌ„castre yorke Glocester that wyll saye and abyde therby that I haue done any vntrouthe to the kynge my naturall lorde or accuse me of any trayson I am here redye to receyue his gauge and to putte my body in aduenture by dedes of armes to proue the coÌ„trarye as the Iudge therto assigned shall ordayne These wordes and suche other and the valyauntnesse of the knighte excused hym greatlye and saued hym frome the parell of dethe And afterwarde he retourned agayne in to his fourmer estate and was after that a ryght valyaunt knyght and auaunsed in to the kynges Counsayle But as at that tyme sir Symon Burle was nat delyuered out of prisone for the kynges vncles hated hym gretlye and soo dyde all the commontie of Englande The kyâ—ge dyde all that he myght to haue hadde hym delyuered all the
seasone that he laye at Shene but his counsayle said it myght nat be for his rekenynges were nat clere Than the kynge departed and the duke of Irelande in his company and rode towardes Bristowe and the Quene with other ladyes and damoselles with her ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the kynge of Englande departed from London and howe syr Symon Burle was beheded at LoÌ„don and his nephue also and howe the duke of Lancaster was dyspleased Cap. xciiii FOr all that the Kynge departed from the marchesse of London yet the kynges vncles nor their counsayle departed nat but taried styll about London ye haue herde often tymes sayde that if the heed be sicke all the membres can nat be well the malady must first be pourged I saye it bicause this duke of Irelande was so great with the kyng that he ruled hym as he lyste He and sir symon Burle were two of the princypall couÌ„saylours that the kynge had for they hadde a longe season gouerned the kynge and the realme And they were had in suspecte that they hadde gadered richesse without nombre and the renoume ranne in dyuers places that the duke of Irelande and sir Symon Burle had a long season gathered toguyder money and sente it in to Almayne For it was come to the knowledge of the kynges vncles and to the counsaylours of the good cyties and townes of Englande that helde of their partie howe they had sente out of the castell of Douer by see in the night tyme in to Almayne certayne cofers and chestes full of money They sayd it was falsely and felonously done to assemble the rychesse of the realme and to sende it in to other strauÌ„ge couÌ„treys wherby the realme was greatly impouerysshed and the people were soroufull and sayde that golde and syluer was so dere to gette that all marchandyse were as deed and loste and they coulde nat ymagin how it was but by this meanes THese wordes multiplied in suche wise that it was ordayned by the kynges vncles and by the counsayles of the good townes that were anneâ—ed vnto them that ser Symon Burle had deserued punisshment of dethe And also the archbysshoppe of Caunterbury sayd that in the season whan the freÌ„che kyng shulde haue come with his armye in to Englande this sir Symon Burle gaue counsayle that the shrine of saynt ThomÌ„s of CauÌ„terburye shulde haue been taken downe and brought in to Douer castell And the noyse was that he wolde haue had it so to th entent that if he had ben in any daÌ„ger to haue taken and stollen it and conueyed it out of EnglaÌ„d These maters were so layde to his charge that none excuse coulde be herde but on a daye he was brought out of the towre and beheeded lyke a traytour god haue mercy on his soule To write of his shamefull dethe ryght sore displeaseth me howe be it I must nedes do it to folowe the hystorie Greatly I complayne his dethe for whanÌ„e I was yonge I founde hym a gentyll knyght sage and wyse but by this enfortune he dyed HIs nephewe and heyre sir Richarde Burle was with the duke of Lancastre in Galyce the sameseason that this case fell in Englande and one of the most renoumed in all his hoost nexte the Constable for he was as souerayne Marshall of all the hoost and was chiefe of couÌ„sayle with the duke ye may well beleue that whan he knewe of the dethe of his vncle he was sore displeased And also this geÌ„tyll knight sir Richarde Burle dyed in the same iourney on his bedde by reason of sickenesse as many other dyde as ye shall here after at place and tyme conuenyent Whan kynge Rycharde knewe of the dethe of this knyght as he was in the marchesse of Wales he was sore dyspleased and sware howe the mater shulde nat passe sithe they had so put to dethe his knyght without good reason or tytell of right The quene also was sorie and wepte for his dethe bycause he fetched her oute of Almaygne Suche as were of the kynges couÌ„sayle douted greatly as the duke of Irelande sir Nicholas BraÌ„ble sir Thomas Tryuilyen sir IohnÌ„ Beauchampe sir Iohan Salisbury and sir Mychaell de la Poule Also the kyngê vncles had put out of offyce the archebysshoppe yf yorke named Wylliam Neuell brother germayne to the lorde Neuell of NorthuÌ„berlande whiche bysshoppe had longe ben treasourer of all Englande And the duke of Gloucestre had charged hym to medell no more with the busynesse of the realme on payne of his lyfe but that he shulde go to yorke or therabout wheâ— it pleased hym in his benifyce and dwell ther and medell no further And also it was shewed hym howe the honoure of his lynage in that he was a preest excused hym of many great maters sore preiudiciall to his honour And also it was shewed hym that the moost parte of the counsayle of the coÌ„montie wolde haue had him disgrated and putte to dethe in lyke maner as sir Symon Burle was So he departed fro London and wente in to the Northe to dwell on his benifyce with this he all his lynage were sore dyspleased and thought surely that the erle of Northombrelande had brought that mater to passe for all that he was of his lygnage and were neyghbours In to his rome was chosen a right valyant a wyse a sage clerke the archebysshop of Caunterbury who was gretely in the fauour of the kynges vncles He was come of the Mountague and Salysburies and was vncle to the erle of Salysbury there was made of the kynges counsayle by the aduyse of all the comons therle of Salysbury the erle Rycharde of Arundell the erle of Northumberlande the erle of Deuonshyre the erle of Notyngham the bysshop of Norwyche called sir Henry Spenser the bysshop of Wynchestre chauncellour of Englande abode styll in his offyce and was with the kynges vncles the most renomed man in the counsayle nexte the duke of Gloceste was syr Thomas Mountague archbisshop of CauÌ„terbury and well he was worthy for he was a dyscrete prelate toke grete payne to reforme the royalme and to brynge it in to the ryght waye and that the kynge shulde put from hym the marmosettes that troubled all the royalme often tymes he wolde speke with the duke of yorke in that matter the duke wolde saye to hym syr bysshop I trust the matters shall otherwyse fall lytell and lytell then the kynge my nephewe and the duke of IrelaÌ„de thinketh but it must be done accordynge to reason and to abyde the tyme to be to hasty is no good meane for surely yf we hadde nat perceyued them be tymes they wolde haue brought the kynge and the royal me in suche case that it shulde haue ben at the poynte of lesynge The Frensshe kynge and his counsayle knewe ryght well our dealyng and what case we were in and that caused that frensshe men to auaunce themselfe to haue come hyder so puyssauntly as they wolde haue done to haue
and had no mynde to returne to the towne of Oxenforde but withdrewe thens as moche as they myght _wHan the duke of Gloucester sawe the the demeanour of his enemyes and sawe howe they fledde he hadde remorse in his conscieÌ„ce wolde nat do the yuell he myght haue done for he knewe well that many of them that were there presente were there rather by constraynt and by insytacion of the duke of Irelande than for any good loue Therfore he sayd to his men Sirs the the iourney is ours I charge euery man on payne of dethe that ye slee no man without he make defence and if ye gete any knightes or squyers bring them to me His coÌ„maundement was done so that there were but fewe slayne without it were in the prease as they rode one ouer another In the chase there was taken lytell sir Iohan Beauchampe and sir Iohan Salisbury and they were presented to the duke of Glocester who was right ioyous of them Than the duke tooke the waye to Oxenforde and gaue leaue to all his men of warre to retourne to their owne houses thanked them of the seruyce they had done to hym and to his brother and sayd to the mayre of London and his company Sirs departe you all home agayne wherof they were all gladde Thus departed that armye ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe the duke of Irelande his company fledde and howe the kynges vncles were at Oxenforde And howe sir Nycholas BraÌ„ble was beheeded howe the kynge was sent for by the bysshop of Caunterbury Capi. C. HOwe shall I shewe what became of the duke of Irelande and of sir Peter Golofer and sir Michaell de la Pole As I shewed before they saued theÌ„selfe as it was nedefull for theÌ„ for if they hadde ben taken they had suffred dethe without mercy I can nat saye if they went to the kyng or nat if they dyde they taried nat long but departed the realme of EnglaÌ„de assone as they coude as I haue herde reported they rode through Wales toke shypping at Carleon and sayled in to Scotlande came to Edenborowe and there they toke another shyppe sayled costyng Friselande and the yle of Theseley and the couÌ„tre of Hollande and so came and arryued at the towne of Dondrest Than were they gladde and as I was enformed the duke of IrelaÌ„de had long before coÌ„ueyed by loÌ„bardes moche golde syluer to Brugê for feare of all casueltes for though he was great with the kyng yet always he douted the kynges vncles the coÌ„mons of the realme Wherfore he made prouisyon before hande of money to ayde hym whan nede were and as it was shewed me the threscore thousande frankes that he had receyued for the redempcyon of the chyldren of Bretayne and specially for IohnÌ„ of Bretayne for Guy was deed Whiche money as it was sayde he founde redy there at his coÌ„mynge and he shulde receyue more In thre yere other threscore thousande frankes Wherfore he was nat abasshed for he had substauÌ„ce suffycient for a longe space And whan duke Aubert of Bauyer who had Haynalte Holande and zelande in gouernaunce vnder the erle Willyam his brother who as than was lyuynge Whan he vnderstode that the duke of Irelande was come as a fugetyue out of Englande in to the towne of Dordrest He studyed and imagyned a lytell and thought he shulde nat longe abyde there seynge that he was fledde out of Englande and had the yuell wyll of his cosyn germayns to whome he bare his loue and fauour And also he consydred howe the duke of Irelande had dalte but yuell with his cosyn germayen the lady Isabell of Englande who had been lady of Coucy Wherfore he commaunded the duke of Irelande bycause he hadde displeased his cosyns of Englande and had broken his laufull mariage and wolde mary another wyfe That he shulde departe out of that countrey and gette hym another lodgynge And that he shulde nat be suffred to abyde in no towne of that countrey Whan the duke herde that he douted that he shulde be taken and delyuered in to the handes of his enemyes And he humyled hym selfe greatly to them that were sente to hym and sayde he wolde gladly obey the duke Aubertes commaundement And so payed and trussed and entred in to a vessell and all his on the ryuer of Mornegue And dyd so moche by water and by lande that he came to Berette whiche towne pertayned to the bysshoppe of Trece There he was well receyued And there he taryed tyll he harde other tydinges Nowe let vs leaue spekyng of hym and speke of Englande AFter the endynge of this iourney that the kynges vncles had agaynste the duke of IrelaÌ„de besyde Oxenforde and that euery man was gone home The bysshoppe of Caunterbury and the two dukes taryed styll at Oxenforde I can nat tell howe long And there was beheededde the lytell Beauchampe and sir Iohan of Salisbury After that iustyce the two dukes retourned to LoÌ„don and there taryed a season to here some tidynges fro the kynge and they coulde here none but that he was at Bristowe Thanne the lordes at Westmynster by the instigacion of the archebysshoppe of Caunterbury determyned that it shulde be honourable for them to sende to the kynge to Bristowe and to shewe hym amyably that he hath ben a certayne spape agaynst the moost parte of his realme who loued hym better and are gladder to kepe his honour than suche marmosettes as he hath beleued by whom his realme hath ben in great trouble and peryll In this meane season was brought to LoÌ„don sir Nycholas Bramble who was taken in Wales as he fledde from the iourney to haue saued hym selfe of whose takynge the kynges vncles were right ioyfull and sayde howe they wolde make no stoore of hym but he shulde go the same waye as the other hadde done before he coude neuer excuse hymselfe but that he must dye He was beheeded without London his dethe was sore complayned of some men of London for he hadde been mayre of London before and had well gouerned his offyce and dyde one day great honour to the kyng whan he slewe with his owne handes Lyster wherby all the rebelles were disconfyted and for that good seruyce the kynge made hym knyght But in the maner as I haue shewed you he was beheeded by reason of the ouermoche beleuynge of the duke of Irelande AFter the dethe of sir Nicholas Bramble the kynges vncles sawe that all suche as they hated and wolde haue oute of the kynges counsayle were deed and fledde a waye Than they thought the kynge and the realme shulde be brought in to good order for thoughe they had slayne some of the kynges counsayle and chased theym awaye yet they coude nat take awaye the signorie of the kyng but thought to rule the realme in good forme to the honour of the kynge and his realme Than they sayd to the bysshop of CauÌ„terbury Sir ye shall go lyke your selfe to Bristowe to
kyng It was shewed hym dyuerse tymes howe the brabansoys dyd him great wronge to kepe fro hym the thre castels Than he aunswered and sayd Let vs suffre a senson euery thynge muste haue his turne It is no season as yet for me to awake for our cosyn of Brabante hathe many great frendes and he is a sage knight but a tyme may come that I shall a wake Thus the mater stode a season tyll god toke oute of this lyfe duke Wyncelante who dyed duke of Boesme duke of Lusenbourge and of Brabante as it hath ben conteyned before in this hystory By the dethe of this duke the duches of Brabant loste moche Than the yonge duke of Guerles who was ryght valyaunt and lykely to dysplease his enemyes and thought than to get and recouer agayne his thre castelles bycause of the debate that was and had ben bytwene Brabante and his vncle the lorde Edwarde of Guerles Than he sente to treate with the duches of Brabant to delyuer his castelles for the somme of money that they laye in pledge for always affyrmynge howe they laye but in guage The lady answered the messangers how she was in possessyon of them and helde them as her owne ryght and enherytaunce But bycause she wolde the duke shulde be a good neyghbour to Brabaunte that he shulde leaue and gyue vp the towne of Graue the whiche he helde in the duchy of Brabant Whan the duke of Guerles had herde this aunswere he was nothynge well contente and thought great dispyte therof And thought and ymagined many thynges and couertly he treated with the knyght called sir Iohan of Grosselotte chiefe capitayne of the sayde castelles to assaye if he coude gette them of hym by byeng for money or otherwyse The knyght who was trewe and sage wolde in no wyse harken therto And sente to the duke desyringe hym to speke no more therof For to dye therfore there shuld neuer faut be founde in hym nor that he wolde consente to do any trayson to his naturall lady And whan the duke of Guerles sawe that as I was enfourmed he dyde so moche to sir Raynolde of Dyscouorte that he toke for a small occasyon a displeasure agaynst the knyght So that on a daye he was mette with all in the feldes and there slayne wherwith the duchesse of Brabante was sore displeased and so was all the countre and the castelles were putte in other kepynge by the agrement of the duches and of the counsayle of Brabant THus the matters stode certayne yeres and euer there norisshed couert hate what for the towne of Graue on the one parte and for the thre castelles on the other parte Bytwene the duke of Guerles and the duches of Brabant and their countreis and they of the fronter of Guerles bare alwayes yuell wyll couerlly against them of Brabant suche as marched nere to them and dyd euer to them as moche dyspleasure as they coude do and specially suche as were in the towne of Graue And bytwene the dukes woode and the towne of Graue there was but four leages and a playne countrey and fayre feldes to ryde in And they of Guerles dyde alwayes there as great dispyte to the brabansoys as they myght And the mater went so forwarde that the duke of Guerles passed the see and went in to Englande to sekyng Rycharde his cosyn and his other cosins as the duke of Lancastre the duke of yorke the duke of Glocestre and other great barons of Englande He had there good chere for they desyred to se hym to haue his acquayntaunce for the Englysshe men knewe well that this dukes herte corage ymaginacion and affection was rather Englysshe than Frenche In this vyage he made great alyaunce with the kynge of Englande and bycause at that tyme he helde nothynge of the kynge of Englande wherby he shulde beare hym faythe homage or seruyce Therfore kyng Richarde gaue hym in pencyon out of his coffers a thousande marke by yere And was counsayled to assaye to gette his right fro the duches of Brabant and was promysed to haue aide of the Englysshe men in suche wyse that he shulde take no domage And by this meanes he sware to be true and faithfull to the kyng and to the realme of Englande And whan this alyaunce was made he tooke his leaue of the kynge and of his cosyns and other barons of Englande And retourned in to his owne countrey of Guerles and shewed the duke of Iulyers all that he hadde done and howe he shulde haue ayde and helpe of the Englysshe men And the duke of Iulyers who by experyence of his age knewe farther than the duke his sonne dyde made no countynaunce of no great ioye but sayd Sonne Wyllyam ye haue done so moche that bothe you and I maye fortune to repent youre goyng in to Englāde Do ye nat knowe howe puyssaunt the duke of Burgoyne is no duke more myghtie than he And he loketh for the herytage of Brabant Howe maye ye resyst agaynst so puyssaūt a lorde Howe may I resyst quod the duke of Guerles to the duke of Iulyers his father The rychee myghtier that he is the better it is to make warre agaynste hym I hadde rather to haue a do with a ryche man that hath great possessiōs and herytage than with hym that hath nothynge to lese for there is nothynge to be cōquered For one Buffet that I shall receyue I wyll gyue sire And also the kynge of Almayne is alyed with the kyng of Englande If nede be I shalle haue ayde of hym Well quod the duke of Iuliers Wylliam my fayre sonne I feare me ye wyll playe the fole your wysshes and enterprises are more lyke to be vnacomplysshed than atchyued I shall shewe you why the duke of Iulyers spake somwhat agaynste the wyll of his sonne the duke of Guerles and made dout in his enterprise Kynge Charles of Fraunce laste discessed before this season that I speke of he dyde as moche as he coulde alwayes to gette hym frendes on all partes for it stode hym in hande so to do for all that he coude nat do so moche as to make resystēce against his ennemyes Howe be it he dyde as moche as he coude by gyftes and fayre promyses to sytte in rest and to haue ayde so that he gate hym selfe many frendes in the Empyre and other places So that whan the duke of Iulyers was quyte delyuered oute of prisone and was come to the duke of Brabant The kynge and he were great frendes toguyder and by the ordynaūce the Emperour of Rome dyde sette The duke of Iulyers wente to Parys to se the kynge and there he was nobly receyued and great gyftes gyuen to hym and to his knyghtes And than he made relefe to the kynge for the signorie of Vyerson whiche parteyned to the coūtie of Bloys whiche lande laye bytwene Bloys and Berrey and was worthe by yere a fyue hundred pounde of money curraunt in Fraunce And there
tyme there rose suche a tempeste that it sperkled abrode the englysshe nauy in suche wyse that the hardyest marynere there was sore abasshed so that perforce they were constreyned to seke for lande And the erle of Arundell with .xxvii. vesselles with hym whether they wolde or nat were fayne to caste ancre in a lytell hauen called the Palyce a two small leages fro Rochell and the wynde was so streynable on see borde that they coude nat departe thence Whanne tydynges therof came to Rochell they were in great dought at the fyrste leste the englisshmen wolde come on them and do them great domage and closed their gates and helde them shytte a day and a halfe Than other tydynges came to them fro them of Palyce howe the englysshemen were but .xxvii. vesselles and came thyder by force of wynde and wether and taryed for nothynge but to de parte agayne and that the Erle of Arundell was there and the lorde Henry Beamonde sir Willyam Helmen mo than thyrty knyghtes of Englande Than they of Rochell tooke counsayle what thynge was beste for them to do and all thyng consydered they sayd howe they shulde but easly acquyte themselfe if they went nat to skrymysshe with them The same season before the castell of Bouteuyll was syr Loys of Xansere mershall of FrauÌ„ce and had besieged within the fortresse Gylliam of saynt Foye a gascon and with the marshall a great company of Poictoâ— of Xayntone of Piergourt of Rochell and of the lowe marches for all were nat gone in to Almayne with the knig This sir Loys was soueraygne capytayne ouer all the fronters bytwene Mountpellyer and Rochell tyll the retourne of the lorde Coucy They of Rochell sent worde to the marshall of the englysshmens beynge at Palyce Whan he herde therof he was ryght ioyfull and sent to theym that they shulde make redy seuen or eyght galees and to man them forthe for he wolde come by lande and fyght with the Englisshmen They of Rochell dyd as they were commaunded and sir Loys departed fro his siege and brake it vp for he thought it shulde be more honorable for hym to fyght with the erle of Arundell and the englysshe men rather thanne to contyne we styll his siege Thus be wente to Rochell and all knyghtes and squyers folowed hym I can nat tell by what inspyracyon the erle of Arundell had knowledge howe the marshall of Fraunce with a greate puyssaunce of knyghtes and squyers was comynge to fyght with hym at Palyce whiche tydynges were nat very pleasaunte to the erle of Arundell howe be it the wynde was some what layde and the see aueyled Than the erle wayed vp ancres and sayled in to the see in suche good season that if he had taryed longe after he had been enclosed in the hauen and euery man taken for in contynent thyder came the galees of Rochell well manned and furnysshed with artyllery and gonnes and came streyght to the hauen of the Palyce and fouÌ„de the englisshe men departed They pursued after a two leages in the see and shotte gonnes howebeit they durst nat longe folowe for feare of enbusshmentes on the see Than the frenche shippes returned and the marshall of Fraunce was sore dyspleased with theym of Rochell that they sente hym worde so late The erle of Arundell toke the waye by the ryuer of Garon to come to Burdeaux and therby the siege before Bowteuyll was defeated for Gillonet of saynt Foy prouyded his garyson of that he neded in the meane tyme the the marshall went to fyght with the englysshe men NOwe let vs retourne somwhat to speke of the duke of Lancastre howe he was in treatie with the spanyardes and also with the Duke of Berrey for the maryage of his doughter The kynge of Castyle treated with hym for his sonne the prince of Castyle to the entent to haue a peace with the englisshe men Also the duke of Berrey treated to haue the duke of Lancasters doughter for hymselfe for he had great desyre to be maryed And the duke of Lancastre lyke a sage imagynatâ—â—e prince sawe well howe it was more profitable for Englande and for hym to mary his doughter in to Castyle rather than to the duke of Berrey for therby he thought to recouer the herytage of Castyle in tyme to come for his doughter And if he shulde gyue her to the duke of Berrey and the duke fortune to dye his doughter than shulde be but a poore lady to the regarde of other bycause the duke of Berrey had chyldren by his fyrst wyfe who shulde haue all the profyte Also the duchesse of Lancastre enclyned to the kynge of Castyles sonne So that whan sir Helyon of Lignac was departed fro the duke of Lancastre and retourned to the duke of Berrey beynge as that in Almayne than the king of Castyls messaÌ„gers were well herde in suche wyse that their wordes were noted and their offers accepted and the couenaunte made and sworne bytwene Kateryn of Lancastre and the kynge of Castylles sonne and writynges and publike instrumentes and oblygatory bondes made and concluded with out reâ—le or repentaunce So that the duches of LaÌ„castre after euery thyng set in ordre shulde bring her doughter Kateryn in to Castyle All this season the frenche kynge was styll in the fronters of Iulyers concludynge with the duke of Guerles as ye haue herde before and howe they departed And as the frenche men retourned it fortuned on the fronteres of Almayne on a nyght aboute mydnyght as the mone â—hone fayre certayne almayns robbers and pyllers that dyd sette nother by peace nor warre but alwayes sought for their aduauntage some pertaynynge to the lorde of Blaqueneuen and to sir Peter of Conebech they were well horsed and came and aduysed the french hoost and where they might haue most profyte and aduauntage and so passed by the lodgyng of the vycount of Meaulx and sawe no styringe and returned without any noyse makynge outher passynge or retournynge and came agayne to their enbusshe and shewed them what they had sene and foundeâ— and incontynente these almayns came and entred at their aduauntage in to the frenchmens lodgynges and ouerthrewe I can nat tell howe many and toke .xiiii. menne of armes prisoners There was taken the lorde of Viesuile and the lorde of Mountkarell This aduenture the frenche men hadde the same nyght by reason they made but easy watche and were but yuell ordred The next day whan these tydinges were knowen howe the lorde of Viesuille and the lorde of Mountkarell were taken the frenche men were sore displeased and toke better hede after Whan the frenche kynge departed fro the countrey of Iulyers none taryed behynde euery man drewe to their garysons sir Guylliam of Tremoyle and sir Geruays Furrande and all other and the braban soys by the waye euery man wente home And in the retournynge of the frenche men it was ordeyned by great delyberacion of couÌ„sayle that the frenche kynge who had ben vnder the
syr Geffrey of the chapell the lorde of Pierbuffier the lorde of Bonet sir Robert of Hanges sir Stephyn Sanxere sir Aubert de la mote sir Alaine of Champayn ser Geffrey Fresiers ser Rafe of Couffan the lorde of Bourke artysion sir Iohan of Crey bastarde sir Bertram de Sanache syr Pyncharde of Morlayne sir Trystram his brother syr Ayme of Cousay ser Ayme of Tourmay sir Foukes of Stanfours sir Iohan of Chateuas all these were knightê And there dyed of squiers Foucans of Liege Iohan of Isles Blondelet of Areton IohnÌ„ de la Mote BouÌ„beris floridas of Roque the lorde of Belles brother to Willyam Fondragay Water of Cauforus Iohan Morillen Pier of Malnes Gyllot Villaine IohnÌ„ of Lound IohnÌ„ Perier Iohan menne Iohan of Lauay and Willyam of Parke There dyed mo than a .lx. knightes and squyers whiche wysely to consyder was a great losse And if the lorde of Coucy had ben beleued this had nat fortuned for and they had kepte their lodgynges as they dyd before they had receyued no suche domage ¶ How after this aduenture and domage that fell to the crysten men by reason of this assaute before the towne of Aufryke that so many knightes squyers were deed they mayntayned them selfe more wysely after than they dyd before and coÌ„tynued their siege a longe season after Cap. C.lxxii OF this foresaid aduenture the knightes and squiers of the host were sore displeased and abasshed euery man bewayled his freÌ„des at nyght they drewe to their lodginges and made gretter watche than they had made before for dout of the sarazyns they passed that nyght without any other doÌ„mage Of this aduenture the sarazins knewe nothyng for if they had knowen what case the Christen men had been in they might haue done them great doÌ„mage but alwayes they feared the Christen men They durst neuer adueÌ„ture to auauÌ„ce theÌ„ selfe but by scrimysshing castynge of their dartes They that were moost renomed in armes of their partie was Agadyngore of Olyferne for he loued the doughter of the kyng of Thunes wherby he was moost fresshest and ioly in dedes of armes Thus contynued the siege before the towne of Aufryke In the realme of Fraunce Englande and in suche countreys as these knightes came fro they herde no maner of tidynges of them wherof their frendes were sore abasshed wyst nat what to saye nor thynke In dyuers places bothe in Englande Heynalte and in FrauÌ„ce there were processyoÌ„s made to pray to god for the ê“sperite of these christen men Thentencion of the christen men beyng at the siege was to abyde there tyll they had coÌ„quered the town of Affrike outher by force famyne or treatie The kyng of Cicyll wolde gladly it had ben so so wolde all other xpÌ„en yles adioynyng for this towne of Affrike was their vtter enemye and specially the genouoys toke great payne to serue the lordes to their pleasure to th eÌ„tent they shulde nat be anoyed by reason of their long siege To speke proê‘ly it was a marueylous enterprice came of an highe corage of the christen knightes and squyers and specially the Frenchmen who for all the losse of their knightes and squiers pouertie that they endured yet they coÌ„tynued styll the siege at their great costes chargê without ayde or coÌ„forte And the genouoys who were the first setters on that enterprice began than to faynt and dissymule for as the bruteran than they wolde haue ben gladde to haue made a treatie with the Sarazyns and to haue lefte the knyghtes of Fraunce and Englande and of other Christen countreys styll in that busynesse as I shall shewe you here after as it was enformed me ¶ Nowe at this present tyme lette vs leaue to speke of this siege of Aufryke and speke of a fest that the kynge of Englande made the same season in London ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of a feest and iustes made by the kyng of Englande in LoÌ„don whyle the Christen knyghtes and squyers were at the sege before the towne of Aufryke agaynst the sarazyns And howe this feest was publisshe in dyuers countreis and landes Cap. C.lxxiii YE haue herde before in this hystorie what a feest was holdeÌ„ at Paris whaÌ„ quene Isabell of Fraunce made there her first entre of the whiche feest tidynges sprede abrode in to euery couÌ„tre Than kynge â—icharde of Englande his thre vncles â—â—â—yng of this goodly fest at Paris by the reportes of suche knyghtes squyers of their owne as had ben at the same fest Ordayned a great fest to be holden at the cyte of LoÌ„don where there shulde be iustes .lx. knyghtes to abyde all coÌ„mers and with theÌ„ .lx. ladyes fresshely apparelled to kepe theÌ„ company these knightes to iust two dayes besyde sonday the chalenge to begyn the next sonday after the fest of saint Michaell As than in the yere of our lorde god M.CCC fourscore ten whiche sonday the said .lx. knightes .lx. ladyes at two of the clocke at after noon shuld issue oute of the towre of London and so to coÌ„e a long the cytie through Chepe and so to Smyth elde and that daye .xii. knightes to be there redy to abyde all knyghtê strauÌ„gers suche as wolde iust This soÌ„day was called the sonday of the fest of chalenge And on the moÌ„day next after the sayd .lx. knightes to be in the same place redy to iuste to abyde all coÌ„mers curtesly to ron with rokettes and to the best doer of the out syde shulde be gyuen hym for a price a riche crowne of golde and the best doer of the in syde duely examyned by the ladyes in the quenes chambre shulde haue for a price a riche gyrdell of golde And the tuesday folowynge the knightes shulde be agayne in the same place and to abyde all maner of squyers strauÌ„gers and other suche as wolde iust with rokettes and the best iuster on the out syde shulde haue for his price a courser sadled and the chiefe doer of the in syde shulde haue a faucon the maner of this fest was thus ordayned and deuised and herauldes were charged to crye and publysshe this feest in Englande in Scotlande in Almayne in FlauÌ„ders in Brabant in Heynalt and in Fraunce the heraldes departed some hider and some thider These tidyngê sprede abrode into dyuers couÌ„treys The heraudes had daye and tyme suffycient Knightes and squiers in dyuers couÌ„treys apparelled them selfes to be at this feest some to se the maner of Englande and some to iuste Whan these tidynges came in to Heynalt sir Wyllyam of Heynault erle of Ostrenaunt who was yonge and lyberall and desyrous to iuste Purposed in hym selfe to go to the feest in EnglaÌ„de to se and to honour his cosyns kyng Rycharde of Englande and his vncles whome he had neuer sene before He hadde great desyre to be aquaynted with them and desyred other knightes and squyers to kepe hym coÌ„pany and specially the lorde of Gomegynes bycause he was well acquaynted with
Englysshe men for he had ben dyuers tymes amonge them Thanne sir Wyllyam of Haynaulte purposed whyle he made his prouisyon to go in to Hollande to se his father Auberte erle of Heynaulte Hollande and zelande to the entente to speke with hym and to take leaue to go in to Englande He deê“ted fro Quesnoy in Haynault and rode tyll he came to Haye in Hollande where the erle his father was at that tyme. and there he shewed his father his purpose that he was in to go in to Englande to se the countrey his cosyns whom he had neuer sene Than therle his father answered and sayd Wyllyam my fayre son ye haue nothyng to do in EnglaÌ„de for nowe ye be by couenaunt of maryage alyed to the realme of Fraunce and your suster to be maryed to the duke of Burgoyne wherfore ye nede nat to seke none other alyaunce Dere father quod he I wyll nat go in to Englande to make any alyauÌ„ce I do it but to feest and make myrthe with my cosins there whom as yet I neuer sawe bycause the feest whiche shal be holden at London is publisshed abrode wherfore syth I am signifyed therof shulde nat go thyder it shulde be sayd I were proude presuptuous wher fore in the sauynge of myne honoure I wyll go thider therfore dere father I requyre you agree therto Sonne quod he do as ye lyste but I thynke surely it were better that ye taryed at home Whan the erle of Ostrenaunt sawe that his wordes contented nat his father he wolde speke no more therof but fell in other coÌ„municacion But he thought well ynough what he wolde do and so dayly sent his prouisyon towardes Calais Gomegynes the heraulde was sente in to Englande fro therle of Ostrenaunt to gyue knowlege to kynge Rycharde and to his vncles howe that he wolde come honorably to his feest at London Of those tidynges the kynge and his vncles were ryght ioyouse and gaue to the heraulde great giftes whiche after stode hym in great stede For after in the ende of his dayes he fell blynde I can nat tell if god were displeased with hym or nat in his dayes he lyued marueylously wherfore in his olde dayes and that he hadde loste his syght there were but fewe that were sorte therof Thus the erle of Ostrenaunt departed from Haye in Hollande and toke leaue of his father and so retourned to Quesnoy in Heynaulte to the couÌ„tesse his wyfe THis noble feest wherof I make meÌ„cyon was publysshed and cryed in dyuers places wherby knyghtes squyers and other aduaunsed them selfes to go thyder The erle Walleran of saynt Pole who as than had to his wyfe kyng Richarde of Englandes suster He prepared greatly to go in to Englande and so came to Calys And also the erle Ostrenaunt departed fro Heynaulte well accompanyed with knyghtes and squyers and so passed throughe the countrey of Arthoys and came also to Calis and there he founde the erle of saynt Poule and the shyppes passagers of Douer were there redy and whan the shippes were charged and the wynde good these lordes tooke the see howe be it as it was shewed me and I thynke it true that therle of saynt Poule passed first in to Englande before the erle of Ostrenaunt And whan he came to London he founde there the kyng and his brother in lawe sir Iohan Hollande and other lordes and knyghtes of Englande who receyued hym with great ioye and demauÌ„ded of hym tidynges of the realme of Fraunce He aunswered well wysely Than therle of Ostrenaunt passed ouer on a thursdaye and so caÌ„e to Cauterbury and on the friday he visyted saint Thomas shrine and offred there in the mornyng and laye there all that daye the nexte day rode to Rochester And bycause he had so gret a company and cariages he rode but small iourneys to ease his horse And on the sondaye he rode to dyner to Dertforde after dyuer to London to be at the feest whiche began the same sonday ON the sonday nexte after the feest of saynt Michaell this feest and tryuÌ„phe shulde begyn and that daye to be done in Smythfelde iustes called the chalenge So the same sonday about thre of the clocke at after noone there issued out of the towre of London first threscore coursers apparelled for the Iustes and on euery one a squier of honour ridyng a softe pase Than issued out threscore ladyes of honour mounted on fayre palfreys ridyng on the one syde richely apparelled and euery lady ledde a knight with a cheyne of syluer which knightes were apparelled to iust Thus they cam ridynge a longe the stretes of London with great nombre of trumpettes and other mynstrelles And so came to Smythfelde where the quene of Englande and other ladies and damoselles were redy in chaÌ„bres richely adorned to se the iustes and the king was with the quene And whan the ladyes that ledde the knyghtes were come to the place they were taken downe fro their palfreys they mouÌ„ted vp in to chambres redy aparelled for theÌ„ Than the squiers of honour alighted fro the coursers the knightes in good order mouÌ„ted on them than their helmes were sette on and made redy at all poyntes Than thyder came the erle of saynt Poule nobly accompanyed with knyghtes and squyers all armed with harnesse for the iustes to begynne the feest whiche incontynent beganne and there iusted all knyghtes straungers suche as wolde and hadde leysar and space for the nyght came on Thus these iustes of chaleng began and coÌ„tynued tyll it was night Than knyghtes and ladyes withdrue them selfes the quene was lodged besyde Poules in the bysshoppes palace and there was the supper prepared The same euennynge came therle of Ostrenaunt to the kyng who was nobly receyued ¶ Nowe for these iustes on the sonday For the aunswerer without The erle Walleran of saynt Poule had the price And of the chalengers the erle of Huntyngdon There was goodly dauÌ„syng in the quenes lodgyng in the presence of the kynge and his vncles and other barons of Englande and ladyes and damoselles contynuyng tyll it was daye whiche was tyme for euery persone to drawe to their lodgynges except the kyng and the quene who lay there in the Bysshoppes Palays for there they laye all the feestes and iustes duryng ON the nexte day whiche was mondaye ye myght haue sene in dyuers places of the cytie of London squyers and varlettes goynge aboute with harnesse and doynge of other busynesse of their maisters After noon kynge Richarde came to the place all armed richely apparelled accompanyed with Dukes erles lordes and knyghtes He was one of the inner partie Than the quene well accompanyed with ladyes and damosels came to the place where the iustes shulde be and mounted in to chaÌ„bres and scaffoldes ordayned for theÌ„ Than came in to the felde the erle of Ostrenaunte well accoÌ„panyed with knyghtes of his couÌ„trey and all were redy to iuste Than came the
alwayes he had auaunsed his sonne of Ostrenaunt towardes the kyng and his couÌ„saile This mater was nat forgotten but incontinent the Frenche kyng wrote sharpe letters to therle of OstrenauÌ„t who was at quesnoy in Heynaulte coÌ„maundyng hym to come to Parys to do his homage before the kynge and the other peeres of Fraunce for the coutie of Ostrenaut or els the kyng wolde take it fro hym and make hym warre Whan the erle had well ouersene these letters and parceyued howe that the Frenche kyng and his counsayle were displeased with hym to make his answere he assembled his counsayle as the lorde of Fountayns the lorde of Gomegynes sir Wyllyam of Hermes the lorde of Trassegnies the bayly of Heynaulte the lorde of Sancelles sir Rase of Montigny the abbot of Crispyne Iohan Sulbart Iaquemart Barrier of Valencennes These wysemen counsayled togider what answere might be made to the kynges letters There were many reasons alleged at last all thynges consydred they thought it for the best to write to the Frenche kynge and to his counsayle to take a daye to answere clerely to all maner of demaundes by the mouthe of certayne credyble ê‘sons and none by writyng And in the meane season they sente certayne notable personages to the erle of Heynaulte and duke Aubert of HolaÌ„de to haue their couÌ„sayles what answere to make Thus they dyde They wrote swetely and courtesly to the kynge and to his counsayle so that with those fyrst letters the kyng and his couÌ„sayle was well content Than therle and his couÌ„sayle sent in to Hollande the lorde of Trassegines and the lorde of Sancelles Iohan Semart and Iaques Barrier They rode to the erle of Heynault and shewed hym the state of the countie or Heynault and the letters that the Frenche kyng hadde sent to his sonne the erle of Ostrenaunt the erle of Heynaulte had marueyle of that mater and said Sirs I thought neuer otherwyse but that it shulde come thus to passe Wyllyam my sonÌ„e had nothyng to do to go in to EnglaÌ„de I haue delyuered hym the rule and gouernaunce of the couÌ„tie of Heynaulte he might haue done vsed hym selfe accordyng to the counsayle of the countrey Sirs I shall tell you what ye shall do Go to my fayre cosyn the duke of Burgoyn for it lyeth well in his power to regarde and to sette an order in all thynges demaunded by the Frenche kynge I canne gyue you no better counsayle With this answere they departed out of Hollande and came in to Heynault and there shewed what answere they had wherwith the erle his counsayle were content There was assigned to go in to FrauÌ„ce to the duke of Burgoyne the lorde of Trassegnies sir WyllmÌ„ of Hermyes sir Rase of Montigny Iohan Semart and Iaques Barrier To shewe and declare all the processe and sute that they made at the Frenche courte shulde be ouer longe to resyte But finally all thynges concluded for all that the duke of Burgoyne coude do there was non other remedy but that the erle of Ostrenaunt must come personally to Parys and to knowe his homage due to the Frenche kyng for the countie of Ostrenaunt or els surely to haue warre The lorde of coucy sir Olyuer of Clysson toke great payne for the erles sake but sir IohnÌ„ Mercier and the lorde de la Ryuer labored on the contrarye syde as moche as they might ¶ Nowe let vs leaue to speke any more of this mater and retourne to speke of the lordes knyghtes of Fraunce who were at the siege before the strong towne of Aufryke agaynst the sarazyns ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe and by what incydent the siege was reysed before the towne of Aufryke and by what occasyon and howe euery man retourned to their owne countreis Cap. C.lxxiiii YE haue herde here before howe the christen men had besieged the stronge towne of Aufryke by lande by see Settyng all their ententes howe to conquere it for they thought if they might wyn it the brute therof shulde sounde to their great honours and prayse and howe they myght there kepe them selfe toguyder and to resyst agaynst their ennemyes sayenge howe they shulde alwayes haue conforte of the Christen men and specially of the Frenche kyng who was yong and desyrous of dedes of armes consydring howe he had truce with the Englysshmen for two yeres to coÌ„e the sarazyns feared the same wherfore dayly they made prouysyon for the towne and refresshed alwaies their towne with newe fressh men hardy aduenturers accordynge to their vsage Thus the season passed on and after the christen men hadde suffred the great losse of their companyons with lytell wynnynge or aduauntage on their partye all their hole hoost were in a maner dyscomforted for they coulde nat se howe to be reuenged Than many of theym beganne to murmure sayenge we lye here all in vayne as for the skrymysshes that we make therby shall we neuer wyn the Towne of Auffryke for if we slee any of them for eche of them they wyll gette agayne ten other They be in their owne countrey they haue vytayles and prouysyons at their pleasure and that we haue is with great dauÌ„ger and parell What shall we thynke to do if we lye here all this wynter longe and colde nyghtes we shal be morfounded and frosen to dethe Thus we shall be in a herde case by dyuers wayes first in wynter no man dare take the see for the cruell and tyrryble wyndes and tempestes of the see for the sees and tempestes are more fierser in wynter than in somer and if we shulde lacke vytayles but eight dayes togyther and that the see wolde suffre none to come to vs we were all deed and lost without remedy Secondly though it were so that we had vytayles and all thynges necessary with out daunger yet howe coulde our watche endure the payne and traueyle contynually to watche euery night the parell and aduenture is ouer herde for vs to beare for our enemyes who be in their owne countrey and knowe the countrey may come by nyght and assayle vs to their great aduauntage and do vs great domage as they haue done all redy Thyrdly if for faute of good ayre of swete fresshe meates wherwith we haue been norysshed that mortalyte hap to fall in our hoost we shall dye euery man fro other for we haue no remedy to resyst agaynst it Also furthermore if the genouoys turne agaynst vs which are rude people and traytours they may be nyght tyme entre in to their shyppes so leue vs here to pay for the scotte All these doutes are to be consydred by our capytaynes who lye at their ease and regarde nat the case we be in â–ª and also some of the genouoys spared nat to speke and sayd in raylynge to the crysten men What men of armes be ye frenche men whan we departed fro Genne we thought that within fyftene dayes that ye had layen at siege before the towne of Aufryke ye shulde haue conquered
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
no man ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue spekyng of hym and speke of other busynesse as the mater requyreth ⸪ ⸪ ¶ Howe the king of Englande gaue to the duke of Lancastre and to his heyres for euer the duchy of Acquytayne and howe the kyng prepared to go in to Irelande and the duke in to Acquytayne Cap. C.xcviii YE haue herde here before in this hystorie howe Trewce was taken bytwene Englande and Fraunce and there adhereÌ„ces and alyes bothe by see and by lande For all that yet there were robbers and pyllers in Languedocke whiche were straungers and of farre countreis As of Gascoyne of Bierne and of Almaygne And amonge other sir Iohan of Grayle bastarde sonne somtyme of the Captall of Beuses a yonge and an experte knyght was capitayne of the stronge castell of Bouteuyll These capitayns of the garysons in Bigore and marchynge on the realme of Arragone and on the fronters of Xaynton and in the marchesse of Rochell and of the garyson of Mortaygne were sore displeased that they myght natte ouer rynne to countrey as they were accustomed to do For they were straitlye commaunded on payne of greuous punysshment to do nothyng that shulde souÌ„de to the reproche of the peace IN this season it was agreed in Englande consyderynge that the kynge was yonge and that he hadde peace with all his ennemyes farre and nere excepte with Irelande For he claymed that lande of enherytauÌ„ce and his predecessours before him and was written kyng and lorde of Irelande And kynge Edwarde graunfather to kynge Rycharde made all wayes warre with the Irysshe men And to the entente that the yonge knyghtes and squyers of Englande shulde enploye them selfe in dedes of armes and therby to augment and encrease the honour of the realme It was concluded that kynge Rycharde of Englande shulde make thyder a voyage with puyssauÌ„ce of menne of warre And so to entre in to Irelande and nat to retourne agayne without they hadde an honourable composycion or conclusyon The same season it was concluded that the duke of Lancastre who had greatlye traueyled bothe by See and by lande for the augmentacyon and honour of the reralme of Englande shulde make another voyage with fyue hundred menne of armes and a thousande archers and to take shyppynge at Hampton or at Plommouthe and so to sayle to Guyane and to Acquitaygne And it was the entencyon of kynge Rycharde and by consent of all his counsayle that the duke of Lancastre shulde haue for euer to hym and to his heyres all the countrey of Acquitayne with the purtenaunces as kyng Edwarde his father had or any other kyngê or dukes of Acquitayne before tyme had holden optayned And as kyng Rycharde at that tyme had reserued always the homage that he shulde do to the kynge of Englande to any kynges to come after But as for all the obeysauÌ„ces rentes lordshypes and reuenewes shulde parteygne to the duke of LaÌ„castre and to his heyres for euer Of this the kyng made to hym a clere graunt confyrmed it vnder his writyng seale With this gyfte the duke of LaÌ„castre was well coÌ„tent good cause why For in that Duchy are landes and countreis for a great lorde to maynteygne his estate with all The Charter of this gyfte was engrosed and dewly examyned and paste by great delyberacyon and good aduyse of counsayle Beynge present the kynge and his two vncles the dukes of yorke and the duke of Gloucestre The erle of Salisbury the erle of Arundell the erle of Derby sonne to the duke of Lancastre And also therle Marshall erle of Rutlande the erle of NorthuÌ„berlande the erle of Nottyngham the lorde Thomas Percy the lorde Spensar the lorde Beamonde the lorde Willyam of Arundell The archebysshoppe of Caunterbury and the archebysshoppe of yorke and the bysshoppe of London and other all these were presente and dyuers othe Prelates and barownes of Englande Thanne the duke of Lancastre purposed to make his prouisyon to passe the See to go in to Acquitayne to enioye the gyfte that the kyng hadde gyuen hym In lykewise great prouisyon was made for the kynges voyage in to Irelande and lordes and other were apoynted suche as shulde passe the See with the kyng had warnyng to make theÌ„ redy ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Of the dethe of Quene Anne of Englande wyfe to kynge Richarde doughter to the kynge of Boesme Emperour of Almaygne Capi. C.xcix THus as I haue shewed great preparacyons was made at the portes and hauyns where as the kynge shulde take shyppepynge for to go in to Irelande And in lykewyse there as the duke of Lancastre shulde passe to go in to Acquitayne Their voyage was lette and taryed the space of two monethes lengar than it shulde haue ben and I shall tell you why THe same season that all these preparacyons was made the Quene named Anne tooke a sickenesse wherby the kynge and all his lordes were ryght sore troubled for she was so sore sicke that she passed out of this worlde at the feest of Penthecost the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and fourtene of whose dethe the kynge and all that loued her ladyes and damoselles were sore troubled and in great heuynesse She was buryed at Poules in London and her obseâ—es done after at good leysar for the king wolde haue it done sumptuously with great habuÌ„daunce of waxe tapers and torches so that the lyke hadde nat ben sene before The kynge wolde haue it so bycause she was the Emperours doughter of Rome and kyng of Almaygne The kynge loued her so entierly They were maryed yonge howe be it she dyed without issue Thus in one season the kynge the duke of Lancastre and the erle of Derby were wydowers And there was no spekynge of remaryeng nor the kyng wolde here no spekynge therof Thus the kynges voyage in to Irelande was somwhat retarded let howe be it the prouisyon and other lordes suche as shulde go with the kynge passed ouer the see and landed at Duuelyn whiche was alwayes Englysshe and there is an archebisshoppe who was with the kynge And anone after Mydsomer the kynge departed fro the marchesse of London and toke the waye throughe Wales huntyng and sportynge hym to forgette the dethe of his quene and suche as shulde go with the kynge sette forwarde Two of the kynges vncles Edmonde duke of yorke and Thomas duke of Gloucestre constable of Englande sette forwarde in great arraye so dyde other lordes as the erle of Rutlande sonne to the duke of yorke the erle marshall erle of Salisbury the erle of Arundell the lorde Wyllyam of Arundell the erle of Northumberlande lorde Percy lorde ThomÌ„s Percy his brother great Seneschall of Englande the erles of Deuonshyre and Notyngham and great nombre of other knightes and squiers Suche reserued as abode behynde to kepe the marchesse agaynst the scottes who were suche people as neuer kepte no truce nor promyse The lorde Iohan of Hollande erle of
Huntyngton was as than on his waye to Ierusalem and to saynt Katheryns mount and purposed to retourne by the realme of Hungry for as he passed through FrauÌ„ce where he hadde great chere of the kyng and of his brother and vncles he herde howe the kyng of Hungry and the great Turke shulde haue batayle togyder therfore he thought sure lye to be at that iourney On the othersyde the duke of Lancastre came to Plomouthe where his shippes laye redy And whan his men were come and his vesselles all charged and had wynde at wyll they toke shippyng and disancred and sayled towardes Burdeaux on the ryuer of Gyron NOwe lette vs speke of the kyng of Englande who had in his copany four thousande men of armes and thyrtie thousande archers They shipped at thre places At Brutowe at Holyheed and at Herforde they passed ouer daylye And in Irelande all redy there was a valyaunt knyght of Englande called erle of Ormonde He helde landes in Irelande and so dyde his predecessours but it was as than in debate The erle Marshall of Englande hadde the vowarde with fyftene hundred speares and two thousande archers The kynge of Englande and his two vncles toke shyppinge at Herforde in Wales Thus the army passed ouer without doÌ„mage than they were lodged in Irelande by the apoyntement of the duke of Gloucestre coÌ„stable of Englande and by the marshals all abrode in the countrey beyond the cytie of Duuelyn a .xxx. myle for the countrey was as thanÌ„e inhabytable Howe be it they laye wysely and surely for feare of the yrisshe men as nede was or els they myght haue taken great doÌ„mage And the kynge and his vncles were lodged in the cytie of Duuelyn and as it was shewed me all the whyle they were there they were largely prouyded of vitayls For the Englysshe men are suche men of warre as can well forage and take aduauÌ„tage and make good prouisyon for theÌ„ selfe and their horses And what fell of this voyage I shall shewe you here after as I was enformed ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe sir IohnÌ„ Froissart arryued in Englande and of the gyfte of a boke that he gaue to to the kyng Cap. CC. TRewe it was that I sir Iohan Froissart as at that tyme treasourer and chanon of Chymay in the erldome of Heynaulte in the diocese of Liege had great affectyon to go and se the realme of Englande whan I had ben in Abbeuyle and sawe that trewce was taken bytwene the realmes of Englande and Fraunce and other countreis to them conioyned and there adherentes to endure four yeres by See and by lande Many reasons moued me to make that voyage One was bycause in my youthe I hadde been brought vp in the court of the noble kynge Edwarde the thyrde and of quene Philyppe his wyfe and amonge their chyldren and other barones of Englande that as than were a lyue In whome I founde all noblenesse honour largesse and courtesy Here fore I desyred to se the countre thynkynge therby I shulde lyue moche the lengar for I hadde nat been there .xxviii. yere before I thought though I sawe natte those lordes that I lefte a lyue there yet at the leest I shulde se their heyres the whiche shulde do me moche good to se and also to iustifye the hystories and maters that I hadde written of them And or I toke my iourney I spake with duke Aubert of Bauyere and with the Erle of Heynaulte Hollande zelande and lorde of Freese and with my lorde Wyllyam erle of Ostrenaunt and with my right honourable lady Iahane duchesse of Brabant and of Lusenbourge and with the lorde Eugerant lorde Coucy and with the gentyll knyght the lorde of Gomegynes who in his youthe and myne had been toguyder in Englande in the kynges courte In lykewise so had I sene there the lorde of Coucy and dyuers other nobles of Fraunce holden great housholdes in London whan they laye there in hostage for the redempcion of kynge Iohan as than Frenche kynge As it hath been shewed here before in this hystorie THese sayd lordes and the Duchesse of Brabant counsayled me to take this iourney and gaue me letters of recommendacyon to the kynge of Englande and to his vncles sauynge the lorde Coucy He wolde nat write to the kynge bycause he was a Frenche man therfore he durste nat but to his doughter who as than was called duchesse of Irelande And I had engrosed in a fayre boke well enlumyned all the matters of Amours and moralytees that in four and twentie yeres before I hadde made and compyled whiche greatly quickened my desyre to go in to Englande to se kyng Rycharde who was sonne to the noble prince of Wales and of Acquitayne for I hadde nat sene this kynge Rycharde sythe he was Christened in the Cathedrall churche of Burdeaux at whiche tyme I was there and thought to haue goone with the prince the iourney in to Galycia in Spaygne And whanÌ„e we were in the cytie of Aste the prince sente me backe in to Englande to the Quene his mother For these causes and other I hadde great desyre to go in to Englande to se the kynge and his vncles Also I hadde this said fayre boke well couered with veluet garnysshed with clapses of Syluer and gylte therof to make a present to the kynge at my fyrst cominynge to his presence I hadde suche desyre to goo this voyage that the payne and traueyle greued me nothyng Thus prouyded of horses and other necessaries I passed the See at Calais and came to Douer the .xii. daye of the moneth of Iuly WhanÌ„e I came there I founde no man of my knowledge it was so longe sythe I had been in Englande and the houses were all newly chauÌ„ged and yonge children were become men and the women knewe me natte nor I theym So I abode halfe a daye and all a nyght at Douer It was on a Tuesdaye And the nexte daye by nyne of the clocke I came to Canterbury to saynt Thomas shrine and to the tombe of the noble prince of Wales who is there entered ryght richely There I herde masse made myne offrynge to the holy saynt and thanne dyned at my lodgynge And there I was enformed howe kyng Richarde shulde be there the nexte daye on pylgrimage whiche was after his retourne out of Irelande where he had ben the space of nyne moneches or there about The kyng hadde a deuocyon to visyte saynt Thomas shrine and also bycause the prince his father was there buryed Than I thought to abyde the kynge there and so I dyde And the next daye the kynge came thyder with a noble company of lordes ladyes and damoselles And whan I was among them they semed to me all newe folkes I knewe no ê‘sone The tyme was sore chauÌ„ged in .xxviii. yere And with the kynge as than was none of his vncles the duke of LaÌ„castre was in Acquitayne and the dukes of yorke and Glocestre were in other busynesses so that I was at
father to the Erle that nowe is who loued me right well bycause I coulde as thā ryde and handell an horse metely well And it fortuned one tyme that the sayde erle who as than was my maister was sent with thre hundred speares and a thousande archers in to the marchesse of Irelande to make warre with the yrisshe men for alwayes the Englysshe men haue had warre with thē to subdue and putte them vnder And on a daye as the sayd Erle went agaynst thē I rode on a goodly horse of his lyght and swyfte Thus I rode folowed my mayster And the same day the yrisshe men were layde in a busshement and whan̄e we came nere theym they opyned their busshement Thanne the Englisshe archers began to shote so egerly that the yrisshe men coulde nat suffre it for they are but simply armed therfore they reculed and wente backe Than̄e the Erle my mayster folowed in the chase and I that was well horsed folowed hym as nere as I coude and it fortuned so that my horse was afrayd and toke his bridell in his tethe and ranne away with me whether I wolde or nat he bare me so farforthe amonge the yrisshe men that one of them by lyghtnesse of ronnynge lepte vp behynde me and enbrased me in his armes dyde me none other hurt but so ledde me out of the way and so rode styll behynde me the space of two houres And at the laste brought me in to a secrete place thycke of busshes and there he founde his company who were come thyder and scaped all daungers for the Englysshe men pursued nat so farre Than as he shewed he had great ioye of me and ledde me in to a towne and a strōge house amonge the woodes waters and myres The towne was called Harpely and the gētylman that toke me was called Brine Costeret He was a goodly man and as it hath ben shewed me he is as yet a lyue how be it he is very aged This Brine Costeret kepte me seuyn yere with hym and gaue me his doughter in maryage of whom I hadde two doughters I shall shewe you howe I was delyuered IT happened at the seuin yeres ende one of their kynges named Arthur mackemur kyng of Lynster made an armye agaynst duke Lyon of Clarence sonne to kyng Edwarde of Englande and agaynst sir Wyllm̄ of Wynsore And nat farre fro the cytie of Lynster the Englysshe men yrisshe men mette toguyder and many were slayne and taken on bothe parties But the Englysshe men opteygned the vyctorie and the yrisshe men fledde and the kyng Arthur saued hym selfe but Brine Costeret my wyues father was taken prisoner vnder the duke of Clarence baner He was taken on the same courser that he toke me on The horse was well knowen amonge the erle of Ormondes folkes and than he shewed howe I was alyue and was at his maner of Harpelyn howe I had wedded his doughter wherof the duke of Clarence sir Wylliam Wynsore and the Englysshe men were ryght gladde Than̄e it was shewed hym that if he wolde be delyuered out of prison that he shulde delyuer me in to the Englysshe mennes hādes and my wyfe and chyldren With gret payne he made that bargayne for he loued me well and my wyfe his doughter and our chyldren Whan he sawe he coulde make his fynaunce none otherwyse he accorded therto but he reteigned myne eldest doughter styll with him So I and my wyfe and our seconde doughter retourned in to Englande and so I went and dwelte besyde Bristowe on the ryuer of Syuerne My two doughters are maryed and she in Irelāde hath thre sonnes and two doughters and she that I brought with me hath foure sonnes and two doughters bycause the langage of yrisshe is as redy to me as the Englysshe tong for I haue alwayes cōtynued with my wyfe and taught my children the same speche Therfore the kyng my souerayne lorde and his counsayle cōmaunded me to gyue attendaūce on these four kynges and to gouerne and bringe them to reason and to the vsage customes of Englāde seyng they hadde yelded them to to be vnder his obeysaunce of the crowne of Englāde and they were sworne to holde it for euer yet I ensure you for all that I dyde my power to ensygne and to lerne them good maner yet for all that they be ryght rude and of grose engyn moche payne I hadde to make them to speke any thyng in fayre maner somwhat I altred them but nat moche for in many cases they drewe to their naturall rudenesse The kyng my soueraygne lordes entent was that in maner countenaunce and apparell of clothyng they shulde vse accordyng to the maner of Englande for the kynge thought to make them all four knyghtes they had a fayre house to lodge in in Duuelyn and I was charged to abyde styll with them and nat to departe And so two or thre dayes I suffred them to do as they lyst and sayde nothynge to them but folowed their owne appetytes They wolde sytte at the table and make coūtenaunce nother good nor fayre Than I thought I shulde cause thē to chaunge that maner They wolde cause their mystrelles their seruauntes and varlettes to sytte with them and to eate in their owne dysshe and to drinke of their cuppes And they shewed me that the vsage of their countre was good for they sayd in all thynges except their beddes they were and lyued as cōmen So the fourthe day I ordayned other tables to be couered in the hall after the vsage of Englande And I made these four kynges to sytte at the hyghe table and there mynstrels at another borde and their seruantes and varlettes at another byneth them wherof by semynge they were displeased and behelde eche other wolde nat care and sayd howe I wolde take fro them their good vsage wherin they hadde been norisshed Than I answered them smylyng to a peace theym that it was nat honourable for their estates to do as they dyde before and that they must leaue it and vse the custom of Englande and that it was the kynges pleasure they shulde so do and how he was charged so to order them Whan they harde that they suffred it bycause they had putte them selfe vnder the obeysaūce of the kyng of Englande and parceuered in the same as long as I was with them yet they hadde one vse whiche I knewe well was vsed in their coūtre and that was they dyde were no breches I caused breches of lynen clothe to be made for them Whyle I was with them I caused them to leaue many rude thynges aswell in clothyng as in other causes Moche ado I had at the fyrst to cause them to weare gownes of sylke furred with Myneuere gray For before these kynges thought them selfe well apparelled whan they hadde on a mantell They rode alwayes without sadelles styropes and with great payne I made thē to ryde after our vsage Andon a
kynge and the realme of Englande and that the Englysshe men myght be in the same case or better in the parties of Gascoyne as they were or the warres renewed agayne And of this matter he wolde often tymes speke with his brother the duke of yorke and drewe hym as moche as he coulde to his opynions for he was but a softe prince but to the Duke of Lancastre his eldest brother he durste nat speke ouer largely for he sawe well he was of the kynges opynion and was well pleased with the Kynges maryage princypally for the loue of his two doughters the quene of Spaygne and the quene of Portugale The same season the duke of Lancastre remaryed agayne the thyrde tyme to a lady doughter to knyght in Haynalte called syr Paon of Ruette he had ben in his tyme with noble quene Phylyp of Englande who was of the nacyon of Haynalt she was called Katheryn and was brought vp in her youthe in the duke of Lancasters howse with the duchesse Blaunce of Lancastre And after the dethe of this lady Blaunce the duke maryed the lady Custaunce of Spaygne and in her dayes the duke kepte to his concubyne this lady Katheryne of Ruet who hadde maryed a knyght of Englande who was as than deed and the duke had by her thre chyldren two sonnes and a doughter the eldest called Iohan otherwyse lorde Beauforde of Lancastre the duke loued hym entyerly the other was called Thomas the duke brought him vp at Asque he was a good clerke and connynge in bothe lawes he was a great iuryst and legyst and was after bysshoppe of Lyncolne The duke of Lancastre for the loue he had to his chyldren he wedded their mother the lady Katheryn of Ruet wherof there was moche marueyle bothe in Englande and in Fraunce for she was but of a base lynage in regarde to the two other wyues And whan the knowledge of the maryage of the duke to this lady Kateryne of Ruet was come to the great ladyes of Englande as the duchesse of Gloucestre the countesse of Derby the countesse of Arundell and other ladyes dyscended of the blode royall of Englande they meruayled moche and layd gret blame to the duke for that dede and sayde howe the duke of Lancastre was greatly to dysprayse to mary his concubyne for by reason therof she shulde be the seconde person in honoure in Englande wherby they sayd the quene shulde be shamefully acompanyed and sayde howe surely they wolde nat come in to no place where she shulde be presente and more ouer they sayde it shulde be a great shame for theym that suche a duchesse come of so base a blode and concubyne to the duke in his other wyfes dayes shulde go and haue the preemynence before them they sayde their hertes shulde breke for sorowe bothe the duke of Gloucestre and the duchesse his wyfe spake of this mater and sayd howe the duke of Lancastre was nat wyse but fowle ouersene to marry his concubyne and sayde they wold neuer do her honoure nor call her suster The duke of yorke passed it ouer lyghtly ynough for he was euer lyghtly resydente aboute the kynge and with the duke of Lancastre The duke of Gloucestre was of a nother maner for he sette by no man though he were yongest brother he was orgulous and presumptuous of maner and therto be enclyned his nature and alwayes agaynst the kynges opynions and his counsaylours Thus this lady Kateryne of Ruet was duchesse of Lancastre and was as the seconde persone in Englande and was moche aboute the kynge as she that knewe moche honour for in her youth and all her dayes she had ben brought vp therin and the Duke loued greatly the chyldren that he had by her and that he shewed well in his lyfe and after his dethe YE haue herde here before howe iugement of the parliament was gyuen agaynst syr Peter of Craon and howe he was condempned in a hundred thousande frankes to be payed to the Quene of Napoles Whan the sayde syr Peter sawe howe he was condempned he was sore abasshed for outher he muste paye the sōme or els abyde styll prisoner Than he was counsayled by the duke of Burgoyne and by the duchesse that he shulde requyre the yonge quene of Englande to be meane for hym to the quene of Napoles that he myght be released oute of prysone fyftene dayes to go abrode in Parys to sewe to his frendes to pay his fynaūce or els to fynd sureties for him tyll he myght go in to Bretaygne to gather amonge his frendes the same sōme So at the desyre of the yonge quene of Englande the quene of Napoles was contente that he shulde go all the day abrode in Paris and at nyght alwayes to yelde hymselfe prisoner in to the castell of Lowre and there to remayne all the night After this rate he went abrode and sewed to many of his blode and frendes but he coulde fynde none that wolde abyde there prisoner for hym the sōme was so great And at the ende of the fyftene dayes he was fayne to returne prisoner bothe day and nyght and was kept streyghter than he was before at his cost and charge NOwe lette vs a lytell speke of the iourney of therle of Neuers and the lordes of Fraunce and what they dyd the same sōmer in Hungery And after we shall speke of the goynge in to Frese of the erle of Haynalte and the erle of Ostrenaunt The erle of Neuers and his company with many valyaunt men that he had of Fraunce and of other countreys whan they were come in to Hungery in to a great cytie called Bode the kyng of Hungery made them good chere and well they deserued it for they were come farre of to se him The entensyon of the kynge was that or he sette forwarde with his puyssaunce and with the ayde of Fraunce to entre in to the felde to here fyrste some newes fro the great turke called Lamorabaquy who had sent hym worde in the moneth of February that surely he wolde be in Hungery or the ende of the moneth of Maye and that he wolde passe the water of Dunce of whiche message many had great marueyle And some sayde that there is in a manner nothynge but that man maye do it consyderynge that the turke is valyaunt and puyssaūt and desyreth moche dedes of armes therfore sythe he hath said it by all lykelyhode he wyll do it and if he passe nat the Dunce to come hyther to this syde than lette vs passe ouer and entre in to Turkey with puyssaūce for the kynge of Hungery with suche ayde as he hath of straungers shall well make an hundred thousande men and suche a nombre of suche men are well able to conquere all Turkey and to go in to the empyre of Perce and if we may haue one iourney of vyctory vpon the great turke we shall do after what we lyst and shall conquere Surey and all the holy lande of
for kynge Rycharde was norysshed amonge them therfore they loued hym and whyle he was kynge if any of Burdeloys came to hym they were well receyued and alwayes the kinge was redy to fulfyll their desyres wherfore they sayd whan they knewe the trouth Ah Richarde gentle kyng ye were as noble a man as euer reigned in any realme this trouble that londoners haue caused for they coulde neuer loue you specyall sythe ye were alyed by maryage with the frenche kyng this myschiefe is so great that we can nat suffre it They haue holden you kynge this .xxii. yere and nowe to condempe you to the dethe for sythe ye be in prison haue crowned the duke of Lancastre they wyll surely put you to deth So they of Burdeloys made great lamentacyons in so moche that the seneschall of Burdeaux a ryght valyaunt knyght of Englande wrote letters therin conteynynge the wordes and lamentacyons of them of the cytie of Burdeaulx of Bayon and of Dax Also he wrote howe they were nere at the poynte to yelde vp their townes to the frenche kyng He sent this lettre by a trusty seruauÌ„t of his by the see who had good wynde and aryued at Cornewayle in EnglaÌ„de and than he rode so longe that he came to London there he fouÌ„de kynge Henry and delyuered his letters whiche were dyrected to the kynge and to the londoners They were opened and reed and the kynge and the londoners tooke counsayle vpon that mater They of London aunswered lyke theym that were nothyng abasshed of that tydynges but sayde as for these townes wyll neuer tourne frenche for they can nat lyue in their daunger nor they canne nat suffre the extorcion and pollinge of the frenchmen for vnder vs they lyue franke and free and if the frenche men shulde be lordes ouer them they shulde be taxed and tayled retayled two or thre tymes in a yere the whiche they are nat nowe acustomed vnto whiche shulde be a harde thyng nowe for them to begynne Also these thre cyties are closed in rouÌ„de about with great lordes who are good englysshe and longe haue been as the lorde Pyuiers the lorde Musydent the lorde Duras the lorde Landuras the lorde Copane the lorde Rosem the lorde Logeren and dyuers other barones and knyghtes by whome they shulde haue warre at their handes for they shulde nat issue out of their cities but they shulde be taken For all the seneschalles wrytynge we haue no doute that they shulde become frenche howe be it good it is to sende thyder some valyaunt wyse man that is beloued amonge theym some suche as hath gouerned there or this and that is the lorde Thomas Percy Thus as it was deuysed it was acomplysshed he was desyred to go thyder and to take hede of that couÌ„trey He fulfylled the kynges coÌ„maundement and made hym redy to departe it was about Christmasse at whiche tyme the wyndes be sore and ieoperdous he toke shyppynge in Cornewayle He had with him two hundred men of armes and four hundred archers And with hym was his nephue Hugh Hastynges Thomas Colleuyll Gyllyam Lysle Iohan Graily bastarde sonne to the Captall of Beufz Guillyam Traicton Iohan Danbreticourt and diuers other and also the bysshop of London and mayster Rycharde Doall They taryed tyll it was mydde Marche or they toke the see and or they came to Burdeaux the duke of Burbon was come to the cytie of Dagen to treate with theym of Burdeloys and he dyd so moche by his fayre wordes and good assuraunce that the counsayles of Burdeaux of Bayon and of Dax were sent to the cytie of Dagen The duke receyued them frendly and gaue them fayre wordes and many promyses and shewed them that if they wolde turne frenche and be vnder the obeysaunce of the frenche kynge what so euer they wolde demaunde shulde be graunted them and sealed perpetually to endure Many thynges they promysed and sware to seale and to kepe for euer They aunswered whan they were retourned agayne in to their cyties they wolde shewe all this to the people and so take counsayle and than gyue answere Thus they departed fro Dagen and fro the duke of Burbon and retourned to their townes and shewed all this to the people but all tourned to nothynge for the comynaltyes of the sayde cyties consydred the busynesse and knewe well howe the realme of Fraunce was vexed and troubled with tayles and fowages and shamfull exaccions all to get money than they sayd if the frenche men gouerne ouer vs they wyll bringe vs to the same vsage yet it is better for vs to be englysshe for they kepe vs franke and free If the londoners haue deposed kynge Rycharde crowned kinge Henry what is that to vs we haue and shall haue alwayes a kynge and we vnderstande that the bysshop of London and syr Thomas Percy shortely wyll be here they shall enfourme vs of the trouthe we haue also more marchaundyse of woll wyne and clothe with the Englysshe men than with the frenchmen let vs be ware we make no treatie wherby we shulde repent vs after Thus the treatie with the frenche men was broken and lefte of Than anone after the bysshop of London and the lorde Percy with their charge of men of warre aryued at Burdeaux wherof moche people were greatly reioysed and some displeased suche as had rather haue been frenche than englysshe All these englysshe lordes were lodged togyther in the abbey of saint Andrewe and whan they sawe their tyme they shewed to the people the state of Englande and the cause why they were sent thyder and they dyd so moche that euery thynge was apeased bothe there and in all other places For harde it was to haue caused them to haue tourned frenche THan it was determyned by the counsayle of Fraunce sithe the kyng was in sycknesse by reason of the displeasure that he toke for the deposyng of his sonne in lawe kynge Rycharde that they shulde sende some notable wyse personage in to Englande to knowe the state of the quene to do this message was apoynted syr Charles de la Brethe and Charles of Hangers who as they were coÌ„maunded departed fro Parys and came to Boloygne and there taryed for they had sent an haraulde to kynge Henry for without assurauÌ„ce they durst nat go for all the truce that was bytwene bothe realmes Kynge Henry who thought hym selfe moche bounde to the Frenche kynge for the chere that he hadde in Fraunce toke counsayle and concluded and so the haraulde was answered that it was the kynges pleasure that they and their company shulde come in to Englande and to come the streyght way to the kyng and nat to ryde out of the way without lycence The haraulde retourned to Boloyne and shewed what he had done wherwith they were content and so shypped their horses and toke the see and aryued at Douer where they founde redy a knyght of the kynges howse â—oho receyued theym they had sene hym before with kyng