the firste all abasshed for if I had sene any auncyent knyght that had ben with kyng Edwarde or with the price I had ben well reconforted and wolde haue gone to hym but I coulde se none suche Than̄e I demaunded for a knyght called sir Rycharde Seury whyder he were a lyue or nat and it was shewed me yes but he was at London Than I thought to go to the lorde Thom̄s Percy great seneschall of Englade who was there with the kyng so I acquaynted me with hym and I founde hym right honorable and gracyous And he offred to present me and my letters to the kynge wherof I was right ioyfull for it behoued me to haue some meanes to bringe me to the presence of suche a prince as the Kynge of Englande was He wente to the kynges Chambre at whiche tyme the kynge was gone to slepe and so he shewed me and badde me retourne to my lodgynge and come agayne and so I dyde And whan I came to the bysshoppes palays I founde the lorde Thomas Percy redy to ryde to Ospring And he counsayled me to make as than no knowledge of my beynge there but to folowe the court and sayd he wolde cause me euer to be well lodged tyl the kyng shulde be at the fayre castell of Ledes in Kent I ordered me after his coūsayle and rode before to Ospring by aduēture I was lodged in an house where was lodged a gentyll knyght of Englande called sir Wyllyam Lysle He was taryed there behynde the kynge bycause he had payne in his heed all the nyght before He was one of the kynges preuy chambre And whan he sawe that I was a straunger and as he thought of the marchesse of Fraūce bycause of my langage We fyll in acquayncaunce toguyder for gentylmen of Englande are curcesse treatable and gladde of acquayntaunce Than he demaunded what I was and what busynesse I had to do in those parties I shewed hym a great parte of my cōmynge thyder and all that the lorde Thomas Percy hadde sayd to me and ordred me to do He than answered and sayde howe I coulde nat haue a better meane and that on the Friday the kyng shulde be at the castell of Ledes And he shewed me that whan I came there I shuld fynde there the duke of yorke the kynges vncle wherof I was ryght gladde bycause I had letters dyrected to hym and also that in his youthe he hadde sene me in the courte of the noble kyng Edwarde his father and with the quene his mother Than on the Friday in the mornyng sir Wylliam Lysle and I rode toguyder and on the waye I demaunded of hym if he had been with the kynge in the voyage in to Irelande He answered me yes Than I demaunded of hym the maner of the Hole that is in Irelande called saynt Patrykes purgatorie if it were trewe that was sayde of it or nat Than he sayde that of a suretie suche a hole there was and that he hym selfe and another knyght of Englande hadde ben there whyle the kynge laye at Duuelyn and sayd howe they entred in to the hoole were closed in at the sonne goynge downe and abode there all nyght and the nexte mornyng issued out agayne at the son risyng Than I demaūded it he had any suche strāge sightes or vysions as was spoken of Than he sayd howe that whan he his felowe were entred and past the gate that was called the purgatorie of saynt Patryke and that they were discended and gone downe thre or four paces discendyng downe as in to a cellar a certayne hoote wapure rose agaynst them and strake so in to their heedes that they were fayne to syt downe on the steres whiche are of stone And after they had sytte there a season they had great desyre to slepe and so fell a slepe and slepte there all nyght Than I demaūded that if in their slepe they knewe where they were or what visyons they had he answered me that in slepyng they entred in to great ymaginacyōs and in marueylous dremes otherwyse than they were wont to haue in their Chambres and in the mornynge they issued out and within a shorte season clene forgate their dreures visyons wherfore he sayde he thought all that mater was but a fantasy Than I lefte spekyng any further of that matter bycause I wolde fayne haue knowen of hym what was done in the voyage in Irelande And I thought as thā to haue demaūded what the kyng had done in that iourney but than company of other knyghtes came and fell in communycacion with hym so that I lefte my purpose for that tyme. Thus we robe to Ledes and thyder came the kyng and all his cōpany and there I founde the lorde Edmonde duke of yorke Than I went to hym and delyuered my letters fro the erle of Heynaulte his cosyn and fro the erle of Ostrenaunt The duke knewe me well and made me good chere and sayde Sir Iohan holde you alwayes nere to vs and we shall shewe you loue and courtesy we are boūde therto for the loue of tyme past and for loue of my lady the olde Quene my mother in whose courte ye were we haue good remembraunce therof Than I thanked hym as reason requyred So I was aduaunsed by reason of hym and sir Thomas Percy and sir William Lysle By their meanes I was brought in to the kynges chambre and in to his presence by meanes of his vncle the duke of yorke Than I delyuered my letters to the kyng and he toke and reed thē at good leysar Than he sayd to me that I was welcome as he that hadde ben and is of the Englysshe courte As on that daye I shewed nat the kynge the boke that I hadde brought for hym he was so sore occupyed with great affayres that I had as than no leysar to present my boke The kyng was sore busyed there in counsayle for two great mightye maters First was in determynynge to sende sufficient messangers as therle of Rutlande his cosyn germayne and the erle Marshall the archbysshoppe of Dublyn the bysshoppe of Ely the lorde Loys Clyssorde the lorde Henry Beaumonde the lorde Hughe Spensar and many other ouer the See to Charles the Frenche kynge to treate with hym for a maryage to be hadde bytwene the kyng of Englande and the Frenche kynges eldest doughter named Isabell of the age of eyght yeres The secōde cause was the lorde de la Barde the lorde of Taryde the lorde of Pyntherne the lorde of Newcastell the lorde of Nesque the lorde of Copane and the counsaylours of Burdeux Bayon and of Daxe were come in to Englande and had quickely pursued their mater sythe the kynges retourne out of Irelande to haue an answere of the requestes and processe that they had put forthe to the kyng on the gyfte that the kynge had gyuen to his vncle the duke of Lācastre of the landes seignories lordshippes and baronyes in Acquytayne whiche they verifyed
brent and rased downe for they sawe well that it was nat to be kept seyng that it was so farr in Englande as it was Than the admyrall scottes rode towarde Auwike in the lande of the lorde Percy lodged there about brent certayne villages and so came to another castell of therle of NorthuÌ„berlandes standyng on the see syde but they assayled it nat for they knew well they shulde lese their payne And so they rode all about that fronter halfwaye bytwene Berwyke Newcastell on the ryuer of Tyne and there they vnderstode howe that the duke of LaÌ„castre therle of NorthuÌ„berlande the erle of Notingham the lorde Neuell and the barons of those marches of NorthuÌ„berlande of the bysshoprikes of yorke Dyrham were comynge on them with a great power Whan thadmyrall of Fraunce knewe therof he was right ioy full and so were all the barons of FrauÌ„ce that were in his coÌ„pany for they desyred to haue batayle but the scottes cared Iytell therfore there they were counsayled to returne againe towarde Berwyke bycause of their prouisyon that folowed them also to be nere their owne couÌ„tre and there to abyde for their ennemyes So thadmyrall beleued theÌ„ and returned towarde Berwyke wherof sir Thomas Redman was capitayne with hym right good men of armes So the french men and scottes lay before the towne but assayled it nat so passed by the next day and toke the waye to Burbourcke to retourne to their owne countrees Tidynges was brought anon in to EnglaÌ„de howe the freÌ„chmen scottes were in Northum berlaÌ„de distroyed and brent the couÌ„tre The kynge of Englande knewe rightwell before of their comynge wherfore the lordes were redy in the felde toke their way towarde the scottes Thenglysshmen had made that somer the grettest prouisyon that euer they made to go in to Scotlande bothe by lande water They had a .xxvi. vessels on the fee charged with ê“uision costyng the froÌ„ters of Englande redy to entre in to euery hauen of Scotland And the kyng caÌ„e him selfe acoÌ„panyed with his vncles therle of CaÌ„bridge sir ThoinÌ„s Holand Ther was also therle of Salisbury therle of AtuÌ„dell the yong erle of Penbroke the yong lorde SpeÌ„sar therle of Stafforde therle Mysien so many barons knightes that they were four M. speres besyde them that were before with the duke of LaÌ„castre therle of NorthuÌ„berlaÌ„de therle therle of NotynghmÌ„ the lorde Lucy the lorde Neuell The lordes barons that were on before pursuyng the scottes were a two M. speares .xv. M. archers And the kynge the lordes were fyftie M. archers besyde varlettes The kyng folowed the duke of Lancastre so fast that he and all his host came in to the marches about yorke for on the way tidynges caÌ„e to the kyng howe that his people that were before were likely to fight with the scottes in the marches of NorthuÌ„berlande therfore he made the gretter hast so the kyng caÌ„e at last to sait IohnÌ„s of Beuerley in the marches of DyrhinÌ„ And ther tidynges came to the kyng how that the scottes were returned in to their owne countre so all the men of warre lodged about in the marches of NorthuÌ„berland ¶ Nowe shall I shewe you of an adueÌ„ture that fell in theÌ„glysshe hoost wherby that voyage was broken mortall warre bytwene certayne of the lordes ¶ Howe sir IohnÌ„ Hollande slewe sir Rycharde Stafforde howe therle of Stafforde came to the kyng to demaunde iustyce Cap. xii IN the marches of sait IohnÌ„ of Beuerley in the dyoces of yorke The kynge of England was lodged with a great nombre of erles barons and knightes for euery man lay as nere the kyng as they might and specially his two vncles ser Thomas Holande erle of Lien and sir Iohan Holande his brother In the kynges company there was a knyght of Boesme was come to se the quene of Englande and for loue of the quene the kyng and the lordes made hym good chere His name was sir Myles he was a fresshe lustye knight after the vsage of Almaygne And so it fortuned besyde a vyllage nere to sait Iohans of Beuerley that there fell wordes bitwene this knight two squyers of sir Iohan of Hollandes brother to the kynge and to the wordes there came two archers of sir Iohan Staffordes The wordes so multiplyed that the two archers toke parte with the straunger and blamed the two squyers sayng Sirs yedo wroÌ„ge to medyll with this knight for ye knowe he is belongyng to the quene and of her countre ye ought rather to support him than otherwise Than one of the squyers sayd What enuyous knaue Hast thou to do thoughe I blame hym for his folly What haue I to do quod the archer I haue right well to do therwith for he is companyon to my mayster Therfore I wyll nat be in the place to suffre hym to receyue any villany yea quod the squyer if I thought thou woldest ayde hym agaynste me I wolde put this swerd through thy body made couÌ„tnauÌ„ce as thoughe he wolde haue stryken him The archer stepped backe with his bowe whiche was redy bente And sette an arowe therin and drewe it vp and shotte agaynst the squyer that the arowe pearsed thoroughe body hart and so fell downe deed Whan the other squyer sawe his felowe deed he fledde awaye and sir Myles retourned to his lodgynge The two archers went to their maister and shewed hym all the aduenture Sir Richarde Stafforde sayde Thou hast done right yuell Sir quod the archer I coude do none otherwise without I wolde haue been slayne my selfe and I had rather haue slayne hym thaÌ„ he shulde haue slayne me Well quod sir Rycharde Go thy waye that thou be nat founde and I shall entreate for thy peace with sir Iohan of Holande by my father or by some other So the archer deê‘ted TIdynges anone was brought to sir Iohan of Holande that an archer of sir Richarde Staffordes had slayne a squyer of his that man that he loued best in all the worlde and it was shewed hym the maner howe And that it was for the cause of sir Myles the strauÌ„ger Whan sir Iohan of Holande was well enfourmed of this aduenture he was ryght sore displeased and sayd I shall neuer eate nor drike tyll it be reuenged Than he lepte on his horse and toke certayne of his men with hym and departed fro his owne lodgynge It was as than right late and so rode in to the feldes and enquered Where sir Myles was lodged It was shewed hym he was lodged in the reregarde with the erle of Deuurynters and therle of Stafforde Than sir Iohan Hollande toke the waye thyder warde and sought to fynde sir Myles And as he and his men rode vp downe amonge the hedges and busshes in a straite waye he mette at aduenture with sir Richarde Stafforde and bicause it was night he demauÌ„ded who was there I am
eche of them knewe other they sawe well they shuld haue batayle Than the frenchmen valiantly set fote to the erthe and approched their ennemyes and the gauntoyse in lykewise set on them There they beganne to shole and to fight eche with other they were on suche a place that the gauntoyse coude nat passe at their aduauÌ„tage there was a sore batayle and many feates of armes done on bothe partes and dyuers caste to the grounde Sir Riflart of Flaunders was theâ— a good knight and dyd valiantly The knightes and squyers fought valiantly with the gauÌ„toyse so it behoued them to do for there was no raunsome But finally the gauntoyse were of suche nombre that they obteyned the place and the frenchmen were constrayned to lepe on their horses or els they had been all lost for the gauntoyse surmounted them And there was slayne sir IohnÌ„ Varlet sir Peter of Bailleule Bell Forrier Philyppe of Gancy Raolen dela Foley and dyuers other whiche was great domage And the other were fayne to flye and to entre in to ArdcÌ„bourcke or els they had ben deed without recouerie And after this aduenture the vycount of Meaulx was sent in garyson to Ardenbourcke with a certayne nombre of men of armes and they newly repayred the towne and he had with hym a huÌ„dred soeares of good men of armes And as than sir Iohan of Ieumont was great baylye of Flaunders so he had ben two yere before He was greatly douted in all the countre of Flaunders bycause of his valyantnesse And whan he might get any of the gauntoyse there went no raunsome for them For he outher putte them to dethe or els cutte of their handes and fete or putte oute their eyen and sende them home to gyue ensaÌ„ple to the other gauntoyse He was so renoumed in Flaunders to do iustyce without pytie in correctyng the gauntoyse that there was no spekyng in all Flaunders but of hym THus in euery Realme the worlde was in trouble as well bitwene FrauÌ„ce and Englande as Castell and Portyngale for theâ— the warre was newly renewed and the lady of Auiowe who wrote her selfe quene af Naples and of Hierusalem was come to Iuygnon to the pope and there kepte her house and her son Loyes with her who was called kynge of Cecyle the whiche his father hadde conquered The quenes entencyon was to make warre in Prouence without they of that countre wolde take her for their lady and become vnder her obeysauÌ„ce And sir Bernarde de la Salle was entred in to Pronence and made warre there in her quarell The same season the lorde of Coucy was also at Auygnon and had layen a .xv. wekes in his bedde of a hurte that he hadde on his legge with rennyng of a horse And whan he was hole than he oftentymes dyde vyset the quene and recoÌ„forted her the whiche he coulde do rightwell The quene taryed therefor to abyde for the duke of Berrey who was also comynge to Auignon to speke with the pope and to ayde his suster the quene The frenche kyng and his vncles hadde sente in to Prouence sir Loyes of Sanxere marshall of Fraunce with fyue huÌ„dred men of armes to warre in that couÌ„tre without they wolde come to obeysaunce vnder the quene Some submytted themselfe but nat all howe be it the cytie of Marcell and the grettest parte of the countre yelded them to the quene but the cytie of Ayes in Prouence and Tarraston and dyuers knyghtes of the countre wolde nat yelde them to the quene sayeng howe she had no ryght to demaunde the countie of Prouence tyll she were peasably receyued for lady and her sonne as kynge of Pulle and Calabre in Naples and Cecile and whan she hath possession of these than ProueÌ„ce shall obeye her as reason requyreth In those matchesse there made warre for the erle Sir Charles dela Paâ—â—e the erle Conuersaunt and sir Iohan of Luzenbourge his sonne And with me quene at Auignon as chefe of her counsayle was sir Iohan of Baylleule IN the same season there fell in Lombardye a marueylous insydence which was moche spoken of throughe out all the worlde and that was of the Erle of Vertus called sir Galeas and of his brother sir Barnabo the grettest in all Lombardy They had raygned longe and gouerned all LoÌ„bardy lyke two bretherne The one of them ruled nyne cyties and the otehr tenne the cyte of Millayne was gouerned one yet by the one thother yere by the other Whan sir Galeas dyed he left behynde hym a sonne who was than erle of Vertus named like his father sir Galeas but than swaged the loue bitwene him and sir Barnabo his vncle for than sir Galeas doughted hym of sir Barnabo his vncle leest that he wolde take away his laÌ„des fro him lyke as he dyde fro his father For his vncle of olde tyme toke awaye the lande fro their brother sir Mauffe and caused him to dye So thus therle of Vertus douted hym greatly of his vncle howe be it he wrought subtelly to bringe hym selfe insuretie I shall shewe you howe Sir Barnabo had in vsage that all suche landes as he had rule of he raunsomed theÌ„ so greuously and wolde taxe the men two or thre tymes in a yere to paye the halfe or thirde parte of their goodes and none durst saye agaynst hym for feare And sir Galeas erle of Vertus dyde otherwyse for the entent to gete loue he toke none ayde of his men but lyued all onely by his reuenewes And that rule he kept a fyue yere after the dethe of his father so that he had the loue of all Lombardy and euery man said they wolde be gladde to lyue vnder hym And euery man spake yuell of ser Barnabo priuely as they durst bycause he toke so excessyuely of them So finally the Erle of Vertus thought to execute his entent as he that doughted greatly his vncle and as it was sayde he sawe some lykelyhode On a day he sente secretely for suche as he trusted best And to some he shewed his entent but nat to all for feare that his purpose shulde be knowen And so it fortuned that sir Barnabo on a daye rode forthe fro one Castell to another to sporte hym The erle of Vertus his nephewe knewe therof and layde for hym thre busshemeutes to the entent that his vncle shulde nat scape for he must nedes at least passe by one of them The erle coÌ„mauÌ„ded to take hym but nat to slee him without he made great defeÌ„ce So as sir Barnabo roode forthe and thought none yuell nor was in no feare of his nephewe So he fell in the daunger of one of the busshmentes the whiche opyned and approched hym with their speres couched in the rest sir Barnabo had with hym a squyer of Almaygne who came to hym and sayd Sir saue your selfe for yonder company maketh but yuell countenaunce agaynst you they are parteyning to youre nephewe sir Galeas Sir Barnabo aunswered I
dyscontent but he was displeased in that the knyghtê and squyers of Bierne helde Lourde agaynst hym The erle of Foyz as I haue shewed you here before doughted greatly the duke of Aniowe thoughe the duke dyde hym no hurte But the erle of Arminake and the lorde Dalbret wolde haue had the Duke to haue made hym warre but the duke had no wyll there to But whyle he lodged bytwene Mounte Marsen and the Boce Dalbret he sent to the erle to Ortaise sir Peter of Beule whom the erle receyued honorably and lodged hym in the castell of Ortaise and made hym as good chere as he coude and gaue hym mulettes and coursers to his men great gyftes And he sente by hym to the duke of Aniowe foure coursers and two Allans of Spaygne fayre and good And there were secrete treaties bytwene the erle and this sir Peter of Beule of whiche treaties no man knewe the entent therof of a good space after But after by suche euydent tokens as appered we supposed somewhat and the mater I shall shewe you and by that tyme we shall come to Tarbe ANone after that the duke of Aniou had made his voyage and that he was at Tholous Than the erle of Foiz sende by his letters certayne messangers to Lourde to his cosyn sir Peter Erualton of Bierne desyring hym to come and speke with hym at Ortayse And whan the knyght had reed therles letters and sawe his notable message he had dyuers ymaginacions and wyst nat wheder he might go or abyde All thynges consydred he sayd he wolde go bycause in no wyse he wolde displease the erle And whan he departed fro Lourde he sayd to Iohan of Bierne his brother in the presens of all the companyons of the garyson Brother Iohan the erle of Foyz hath sente for me I can nat tell you why But sythe it is his pleasure to speke with me I wyll go to hym I feare me greatly that I shal be requyred to gyue vp this fortresse of Lourde For the duke of Aniou whan he was in the countrey he costed Bierne and entred nat therin And the erle of Foyz hath longe entended to haue the castell of Maluoysin to the entent to be lorde of the lanede Bourge and of the fronters of Comynges and of Bigore I knowe nat what treatie ther is made bytwene hym and the duke of Aniou But one thynge I saye playnly as longe as I lyue I shall neuer yelde vp the garyson but to myne owne naturall lorde the kyng of EnglaÌ„de Wherfore brother Iohan in case that I stablysshe you in myne absence to be Capitayne here that ye shall swere to me by the faythe of your gentylnesse that ye shall kepe this castell in lyke maner and fourme as I do and that for lyfe or dethe ye fayle nat And Iohan of byerne sware to fulfyll his desyre Than sir Peter Erualton wente to Ortayse and a lyghted at the signe of the Moone And whan he thought it was tyme he wente to the castell of Ortayse to therle who with great ioye receyued hym and made hym syt at his borde and shewed him as great semblant of loue as he coude And after dyner he said Cosyn Peter I haue to speke with you of dyuers thyngê wherfore I wyll that ye departe nat without my leaue The knight an swered and sayd sir I shall nat departe tyll it be your pleasur Than the thirde day after the erle of Foiz said vnto hym in the presens of the vycount of Gousserant his brother and before the lorde DaÌ„chyn of Bigore and dyuers other knightes and squyers The erle sayd a loude that euery man might here hym Peter I sende for you and ye become I wyll ye knowe the duke of Aniou wolde me moche yuell bycause of the garison of Lourde whiche ye kepe for the whiche cause my lande was nere haÌ„de ouerron and good frendes had nat been And it is his opynion and dyuers other of his company that he hateth me bicause as they say howe I maynteyne sustayne yon bycause ye be of Byerne And it is nat mete for me to haue the yuell wyll of so great a prince as the duke of Aniowe is Wherfore I coÌ„maunde you as ye wyll eschewe my displeasure and by the faythe and lignage that ye owe to me that ye yelde vp the garyson of Lourde in to my handes Whan the knyght herde these wordes he was sore abasshed studyed a lytell remembringe what aunswere he might make for he sawe well the Erle spake in good faithe Howe be it all thynges consydred he sayd Sir true it is I owne to you faythe homage for I am a poore knyght of yoâ— blode and of your countrey But as for the castell of Lourde I wyll nat delyuer it to you ye haue sent for me do with me as ye lyst I holde it of the kyng of Englande he sette me there and to none other lyueng wyll I delyuer it Whan the erle of Foyz herde that answere his blode chafed for yre and sayd drawyng out his daggar A treatour sayest thou nay By my heed thou hast nat sayd that for nought and so therwith strake the knight that he wounded hym in fyue places and there was no knyght nor barone that durst steppe bytwene them Than the knyght sayd Ah sit ye do me no gentylnesse to sende for me and slee me And yet for all the strokes that he had with the daggar therle coÌ„mauÌ„ded to cast him in prison downe in to a depe dyke so he was and ther dyed for his woundê were but yuell loked vnto Ah saynt Mary quod I to the knyght Was nat this a great crueltie Whatsoeuer it was ê™ the knyght thus it was Lette one aduyse hym well or he displease him for and he be angry there is no pardon He helde ones his cosyn germayne the vicouÌ„t of Chateau Bein who is his heryter eight monethes in the towre of Ortaise in prison and after rauÌ„somed him at fourtie thousande frankes Why sir quod I hath the erle of Foyz no chyldren No truely sir quod he by any wyfe but he hath two yonge knightes that be his bastardes whom ye shall se and he loueth them as well as hym selfe they be called sir Iohan and sir Gracyen Than I demaunded yf euer he were maryed yea truely quod he and is yet but his wyfe is nat with hym Why sir wher is she Sir quod he she is in Nauar for the kyng there is her cosyn she was doughter to kynge Loyes of Nauar yet than I demaunded if euer the erle had any chyldren yes sir ê™ he he had a fayre sonne who had the fathers harte and all the countrey loued hym for by hym all the countre of Biern was in rest and peace where as it hath ben sith in debate and stryfe for he had maryed the suster of therle of Armynake Sir quod I what became of that sonne and it maye be knowen Sir ê™ he I shall shewe
and he went and came agayne and sayd Sir surely he is deed Than the Erle was sore displeased and made great complaynt for his sonne sayd A Gascone What a poore aducnture is this for the for me In an yuell hour thou wentest to Nauar to se thy mother I shall neuer haue the ioye that I had before Than therle caused his barbour to shaue hym and clothed him selfe in blacke and all his house and with moche sore wepyng the childe was borne to the Freres in Ortaise and there buryed Thus as I haue shewed you the erle of Foyz slewe Gascoyne his sonne but the kynge of Nauar gaue the occasyon of his dethe ¶ Howe sir Peter of Byerne had a stronge dysease and of the countesse of Bisquay his wyfe Cap. xxvii WHan I had herde this tale of the dethe of Gascone sonne to the erle of Foyz I hadde great pytie therof for the loue of therle his father whome I founde a lorde of hyghe recoÌ„mendacyon noble lyberall and curtesse And also for loue of the countrey that shulde be in great stryfe tor lacke of an heyre Than I thanked the squyer and so departed fro hym but after I sawe him dyuers tymes in the erles house and talked often tymes with hym And on a tyme I demauÌ„ded of hym of sir Peter of Byerne bastarde brother to therle of Foyz bycause he semed to me a knyght of great valure wheder he were riche and maryed or no. The squyer aunswered sayd Truely he is maryed but his wyfe and chyldren be nat in his company And why sir quod I I shall shewe you quod the squier ¶ This sir Peter of Bierne hathe an vsage that in the night tyme whyle he slepeth he wyll ryse arme hym self and drawe out his swerde and fyght all aboute the house and can nat tell with whome and than gothe to bedde agayne And whan he is wakynge his seruautes do shewe hym howe he dyde And he wolde saye he knewe nothymg therof and howe they lyed soÌ„tyme his seruautes wolde leaue non armure nor swerde in his chaÌ„bre whan he wold thus ryse fynde non armour he wolde make suche a noyse and rumoure as though all the deuylles of helle had ben in his chambre Than I demaunded yf he had great landes by his wyfe yes truely sir quod he But the lady by whom cometh the lande ioyeth of the profytes therof This sir Peter of Bierne hath but the fourthe parte Sir quod I where is his wyfe sir ê™ he she is in Castell with the kynge her cosyn her father was erle of Bisquay and was câ—syn germayne to kyng Dampeter who slewe him and also he wold haue had the lady to haue put her in prisone And he toke the possession of all the lande and as long as he lyued the lady had nothynge there And it was sayd to this lady who was countesse of Bisquay after the dyssease of her father Madame saue youre selfe for kyng Dampeter if he may gette you wyll cause you to dye or els put you in prisone He is so sore displeased with you bycause he sayth ye shulde report and beare wytnesse that he caused the quene his wyfe to dye in her bedde who was suster to the duke of Burbone and suster to the frenche quene your wordes he sayth are beleued rather thanÌ„e another bycause ye were preuy of her chambre And for this cause the lady Florens countesse of Bisquay departed out of her countre with a smalle company as the coÌ„mon vsage is to flye fro dethe as nere as men can So she went in to the countrey of Bascles and passed throughe it and so came hyder to Ortayse to the Erle and shewed hym all her aduenture The erle who had euer pyte of ladyes and damoselles reteyned her and so she abode with the lady of Carase a great lady in his countre As than this sir Peter of byerne his brother was but a yonge knyght and had nat thanne this vsage to ryse a nyghtes as he dothe nowe The erle loued hym well and maryed hym to this lady and recouered her land â–ª And so this sir Peter had by this lady a sonne and a doughter but they be with their mother in Castell who be as yet but yong therfore the lady wolde nat leaue them with their father Ah saynt Mary quod I howe dyde sir Peter of Bierne take this fantasy First that he dare nat slepe alone in his chambre and that whan he is a slepe ryseth thus and maketh all that be synesse they are thynges to be marueyled at By my faithe quod the squyer he hath ben often demaunded therof but he saythe he can nat tell wherof it cometh The first tyme that euer he dyde so was the night after that he had ben on a day a huntynge in the wodes of Bisquay and chased a marueylous great Beare and the beare had slayne four of his houndes and hurt dyuers so that none durst come nere him than this sir Peter toke a swerde of Burdeanx and came in great yre for bycause of his houndes and assayles the beare and fought longe with hym and was in great parell and tooke great payne or he coulde ouercome hym Finally he slewe the beare and than retourned to his lodgyng to the castell of LaÌ„guedon in Bisquay made the beare to be brought with him Euery man had marueyle of the greatnesse of the beest and of the hardnesse of the knight howe he durst assayle the beare And whanÌ„e the countesse of Bisquayes wyfe sawe the beare she fell in a sowne and had great dolour and so she was borne in to her chambre and so all that day the night after and the nexte day she was sore disconforted and wolde nat shewe what she ayled On the thirde dayeshe sayd to her husbande Sir I shall nat be hoole tyll I haue been a pylgrimage at saynt Iames. Sir I praye you gyue me leaue to go thyder and to haue with me my sonne and Adrian my doughter her husbande agreed therto She toke all her golde towels and treasure with her for she thought neuer to retourne agayne wher of her husbande toke no hede So the lady dyde her pylgrimage and made an errande to go and se the kynge of Castell her cosyn and the quene They made her good chere and ther she is yet and wyll nat retourne agayne nor sende her chyldren And so thus the next night that this sir Peter had thus chased the beare and slayne hym while he slept in his bedde this faÌ„tasy toke hym And it was said that the countesse his wyfe knewe well as sone as she sawe the beare that it was the same that her father dyde ones chase And in his chasyng he herde a voyce and sawe nothynge that sayd to him Thou chasest me and I wolde the no hurte therfore thou shalt dye any yuell dethe Of this the lady had remembraunce whan she sawe the beare by that she had herde her father saye
you from your husbande or I mary you The lady coulde gete none other wordes of the kynge and she shewed all the matter to her husbande and when that knyght knewe therof he was sory and maleneolyous and regarded and studyed what were best for hym to do and sayd to hymselfe I wyll not thus leue my wyfe howbeit he doubted the kynge and wente out of the royalme of Portyngale into Castell to kynge Henry who receyued hym and reteyned hym to be of his house as longe as he lyued and soo dothe kynge IohnÌ„ that nowe is Thus the kynge of Portyngale to accomplysshe his folysshe pleasure sente for the knyght and for the lady but the knyght was goone Then the kynge sente for the bysshophe of Connymbres who was as then chauncelloure of Portyngale and of the kynges counsayle and the kynge shewed hym his entent how he wolde wedde Elyanoure of Coygne and the bysshop fered the kynge bycause he knewe hym of an hyghe and a fyerce condycyon therfore he durst not saye contrary to the kynges pleasure and also syr IohnÌ„ Ferant Audere who was chefe of counsayle with the kynge to please the kynge ayd to the bysshop Syr ye may wed them wel ynoughe ones the kynge shal make recompence for all so the bysshop wedded them this lady was crowned quene so reputed in al the grete Cytees in Portyngale and had as moche honoure and reuerence as euer hadde ony other quene in the royalme of Portyngale and the kynge had by her a doughter who as nowe is quene of Castell True it was that whyle kynge Ferant lyued he sente on a day to Lyxbone for all the prelates and noble men of the countrey and for the counsayles of the Cytees portes and townes of Portyngale and this was or your broder the erle of Cambrydge came in to Portyngale and there the kynge made euery man to swere and to promyse that after his dyssease they sholde take his doughter the lady Beautryce Who was as then but fyue yeres of aege for herytoure of the royalme of Portyngale euery man sware whether they wolde or not Howbeit the moost parte of them that were there knewe ryght well that she was but a bastarde and borne in aduoutrye for her moders husbande was styll lyuynge called syr IohnÌ„ Laurence of Coygne who lyued in Castell with the kynge there as longe as kynge Ferant of Portyngale lyued and lenger how bert syr I thynke surely yf the kynges doughter had ben a sone that all the comonaltye of Portyngale wolde soner haue agreed to hym theÌ„ to his doughter For to her they sayd they wolde neuer agree but had rather dye then to be vnder the subiectyon of the royalme of Castell ¶ For as yet the royalme of Portyngale and the royalme of Castell neuer loued parfytely togyder But hathe often tymes haryed and made warre eche with other In lykewyse as the royalme of Scotlande dothe with that royalme of Englonde THen the duke of Lancastre demaunded of Laurence Fongase where kynge IohnÌ„ that nowe is broder to kynge Ferrant was in kynge Ferrantes dayes Syr sayd the squyer he was in the royalme of Portyngale in a house of relygyon wherin be knyghtes of an ordre in whyte habytes with a reed crosse and he was souerayne of that house and was called mayster Deuyce The kynge set lytell by his broder but made hym ruler of that house of Denyce nor also kynge IohnÌ„ that nowe is medled nothynge with the busynes of the royalme nor thought nothyng of the crowne therof For yf kynge Ferrant of Portyngale had thought ony thynge of that is fallen syth he loued his lady Elyanoure the lady Beautryce her doughter he wolde haue slayne his broder who is nowe kynge but bycause he sawe that he kepte his house with the bretherne of his ordre so mekely and duely he had no suspecte in hym but so let hym lyue in peas And syr as for the dyssencyon that is nowe bytwe-Portyngale and Castell surely syr to saye the trouthe therin the Spanyardes are cause ther of Why so sayd the duke I shall shewe you sayd the squyer The Castellyans when they sawe that kynge Ferrant had maryed his doughter to theyr kynge then they began to be prowde and began to speke grete wordes whiche sore greueo the Portyngales for the Spanyardes wolde say Oye Portyngales rude people lyke beestes The tyme nowe is come that we shall haue a good market of you for ye haue ben and shall be ours we shall deuyde and set you in companyes as we do the Iues who dwelleth by truage vnder vs ye shall be our subiectes with other venymous wordes often tymes they sayd thus when they met the Portyngales And whyle kynge Ferrant lyued had maryed his doughter in to Castell they engendred suche an hate that they murmured and sayd it were better to be deed theÌ„ to be vnder the daunger and subieccyon of the Castellyans and so kynge Ferrant fell syke whiche endured a hole yere And when he was deed and buryed in the chyrche of saynt Fraunce a relygyous house of freers in the cyte of Lyxbone Then the cytees good townes and castelles in Portyngale closed theyr gates they sente for the kynge that nowe is to Lyxbone who knewe ryght well the ententes of the .iii. other cytees as Connymbres Porte and Eure. Then they sayd Mayster Deuyce so he was called as then We wyll make you kynge of this royalme thoughe ye be a bastarde but we say that your cosyn the lady Beautryce quene of Castell is borne rather a basterde than you for as yet lyueth her moders fyrst husbande And syth it is so that the crowne of Portyngale is fallen in two wayes we wyll take for vs the moost profytable and also the moost parte of the royalme enclyneth to make you our kynge and that the crowne of Portyngale shall not go to a woman nor we wyll not be vnder the subieccyon of the kynge of Castell nor of the Castellyans we had rather ye sholde take all that we haue to ayde and to maynteyne vs and our fraunches theÌ„ the Castellyans sholde be maysters ouer vs wherfore syr receyue our gyfte for we wyl it shal be thus then this mayster Denyce who is as nowe kynge wolde not receyue theyr offre at the fyrst nor seconde request but answered and sayd Good people I knowe well of good affeccyon and entyer loue ye offre me the crowne of Portyngale whiche is a grete thynge and where as ye saye that I haue as grete ryght or more to the crowne as my coâ—yn the quene of Castell In lykewyse I thynke the same for true it is she is a basterde for as yet lyueth her moders husbande and is in Castel but there is one poynte ye all alone can not do this matter it behoueth that al the nobles or grete parte of them agre therto theÌ„ they of Lyxbone answered and sayd syr we haue ynowe We knowe all redy
who had done so moche good to the towne bothe in counsayle in armes for a lytell cause the vyllaynes slue hym the honest men of the towne dyd not saue hym but rather dyssymuled was glad of his dethe in lykewyse Frauncis wyll they do with you me yf I abyde here but as for me I wyll not tary therfore adue ¶ Why sayd Frauncis the duke of Borgoyne hath pardoned all thynges hath reteyned me yf I wyll to go with hym to be as a squyer of his stable with .iiii. horses he also syr Guy of Tremoyll sheweth me grete sygne of loue In the name of god sayd Peter du boys I speke not of my lorde the duke of Borgoyne nor of his knyghtes I thynke they wyll kepe well the peas but I speke of the comons of Gaunt there be some that ye haue not alwayes pleased remembre ye not of the lorde of Sargelles whom ye made to be slayne other knowe for trouth that these passed hatredes wyl contynue in theyr hartes yf ye abyde amonge thē yet it were better for you to go dwell with the duke of Borgoyne Well sayd Frauncis I shal take aduyse but in to Englande I wyl not go Thus Frauncis Atreman abode styll peterdu boys wente with syr Iohn̄ Bourser anone after that the peas was cryed publysshed in all the partyes of Flaunders then there was made a crye that none sholde bere ony armure or sworde after hym Frauncis Atremā who was styll in Gaunt had kepte a grete estate the warre durynge thought to contynue somwhat his honestye euer where he went he had a .iii. or .iiii. seruauntes waytynge on hym armed beryng swordes other wepons on thē when this crye was made in the dukes name he thought it sholde not rynne on hym nor none of his seruauntes he thought hymselfe soo well in fauoure with them of the towne but he was deceyued for within a .vii. or .viii. dayes after the cry was proclamed the dukes baylyffe came personally to hym sayd Fraūcis ye put my lorde the dukes offycers in grete suspecte why do you go aboute in the towne in harneys your seruauntes beryng swordes wepons of defence as thoughe it were in y◠tyme of war whiche pleaseth not vs Wherfore we cōmaunde you in the dukes name to lay them downe Frauncis who thought none euyll in that he dyd but to maynteyne his estate answered sayd syr baylyffe I wyll obey as it is reason and I thanke god I hate no persone nor wolde not that ony sholde haue ony hurte for my sake howbe it I had thought to haue had that aduaūtage in the towne of Gaunt that I myght haue had my seruaūtes were theyr swordes after me Nay sayd the baylyffe not so for suche of the towne as ye haue done seruyce vnto speke theragaynste haue meruayle therof demaunde of me why I do suffre it they saye it semeth that I wolde renewe agayne the olde warre whiche they wyll not suffre Wherfore Fraūcis I pray you do so that I here no more therof for yf ye wyll not obey I must repute you as an enemy to my lorde the duke to my lady of borgoyne so the baylyffe departed fro hym frauncis wente to his lodgynge caused his seruauntes to lay downe all theyr armure so entred in to suche a fantasye that moost parte after he wente in the towne all alone or but one with hȳ chylde or seruaunt So it was on a daye there was a feest kepte without the towne of Gaunt in the abbey of saynt Peters Frauncis Atre man wente thyder and but one seruaunt with hym without armure or wepyn he was spyed poursued with a bastarde sone of the lorde of Harzelles whom he had caused to be slayne be fore wherfore thē his sone thought to be reuenged of his faders deth this bastarde was prouyded for the matter poursued Frauncis tyl he came out of the towne farre fro ony company and cryed on hym and sayd A thou Frauncis Atremā thou shalte dye thou caused my fader to be slayne and I shall slee the as Fraūcis tourned hym the bastarde strake hym on the heed with his sworde so weyghty a stroke that he claue his heed to the tethe and so fell downe deed to the erthe the bastarde wente his way fayre and easely no man poursued hym so this Frauncis Atreman was wel worthy to dye in that he wolde not byleue Peter du Boys and when tydynges came in to englande that Peter du boys knew therof he toke but smal thought for hym sayd or I departed fro Graunt I well aduysed hym let vs se nowe who wyll amende it not they that duryng the warre dyd gretely honoure hym for suche doubtes I byleued syr Iohn̄ Bourser came in to englande NOwe let vs retourne to the prouisyons that were made at this season at Dan at Sluse it is not had in remembraūce of mā nor by wrytynge neuer none lyke sene nor herde of Golde syluer was no more spared then thoughe it had rayned out of the clowdes or scomed out of the see the grete lordes of fraunce sent theyr seruauntes to Sluse to apparell make redy theyr prouysyons shyppes and to furnysshe them of euery thynge nedefull the kynge hymselfe as yonge as he was had more wyl to this iourney then ony other that he alwayed shewed to the ende therof euery mā helped to make prouysyō for other to garnysshe theyr shyppes to paynte them with theyr armes paynters had as then a good season for they wan had what soeuer they desyred yet there coulde not ynow be gotē for money they made baners penons standerdes of sylke soo goodly that it was meruayle to beholde thē also they paynted theyr mastes of theyr shippes fro the one ende to the other glyteryng with golde deuyses armes specyally it was shewed me that the lorde Guy of tremoyle garnysshed his shyp rychely the payntynges that were made cost more then .ii. M. frankes whatsoeuer ony lorde coulde deuyse for theyr pleasure made in shyppes the pore people of the royalme payde for al for the tallages were there so grete to fournysshe this voyage that they that were most ryche sorewed for it and the poore fled for it ALl that euer was done in Fraunce in flaūders and other places for this voyage was wel knowen in Englande it was made moche gretter then it was in dede wherof the people in dyuers places of the royalme were sore abasshed there were made generall processyons in euery good towne cyte by prelates men of the chyrche .iii. tymes euery weke whiche were made in grete deuocyon with the hartes with holy prayers orysons to god to delyuer them fro y◠peryll howbeit there were in englande a C.M. that desyred hartely that the frensshmen myght come aryue in
shewe that the iourney pleased hym and to approche the soner to his passage so the kyng approched and it was sayd in Flaunders and in Actoys they shall take shyppyng outher on Satterday monday or tuysday so that in euery day in yâ— weke it was sayd he sholde departe to morowe or the nexte day after and his broder the duke of Tourayne the bysshop of Beawuoys chauncellour of Fraunce dyuers other grete lordes toke theyr leue of the kyng at Lysl and they retourned to Parys it was shewed me howe the kynge had gyuen the gouernyng of the royalme to his broder the duke of Tourayne tyll his retourne agayne with the ayde of dyuers other lordes of Fraunce suche as were not ordeyned to go in to Englande as the erle of Bloys and other yet all the season the duke of Berry was behynde came but fayre easely for he had no grete appetyte to go in to Englande his longe taryeng was dyspleasauÌ„t to the kynge to the duke of Burgoyne and to the other lordes they wolde gladly he had ben come styll grete prouysyon was made whiche was costly and dere a thynge not worth a franke was solde for .iiii. howebeit for all that money was not spared for euery man desyred to be well stuffed of euery thynge in maner of enuy euery maÌ„ to be better appoynted then other and thoughe the grete lordes were well payde theyr wages other poore companyons bought the bergayne for they were owynge for a monethes wages and yet coulde gete nothynge the treasourer of the warres and clarkes of the chambre of accomptes sayd syrs abyde tyll the nexte weke and then ye shall be payde and soo they were answered wekely yf ony payment were made to them it was but for .viii. dayes and were owynge .viii. wekes soo that some when they sawe the maner of dealynge howe they were soo euyll payde they were sore dyspleased and sayd surely this voyage shall be but of small effecte for by all lykelyhode when the money is gadered of the taxes then they wyl breke this iourney and retourne home agayne in to theyr owne countreys suche as dyd cast suche doubtes prouided therafter were wyse but the poore knyghtes and companyons suche as were reâ—eyned by the grete lordes spente all that they had euery thynge was so dere in Flaunders that harde it was to gete outher brede or drynke or yf they wolde sell theyr wages or armure there was no money to gete yf ony were bought it was dere there was soo moche people aboute Dan Bruges and Ardenbrughe and specyally at Sluse for when the kynge came thyder they wyst not where to lodge the erle of saynt Poule the lorde of Concy the dolphyn of Auuergne the lorde Dantoygne and dyuers other lordes of fraunce to lye more at theyr case lodgynge at Bruges somtyme went to Sluse to the kynge to know when they sholde departe and euer it was sayd to them within .iii. or .iiii. dayes or when the duke of Berrey is come and that we haue wynde to strue vs so euer the tyme passed and the day shortened and began to be foule and colde and the nyghtes longe wherwith dyuers of the lordes were not contente to tary so longe and also theyr prouysyons mynysshed ¶ Howe the kyng of Armony passed in to Englande in trust to fynde some meane of peas or good appoyntment bytwene the kyng of Englande and the kynge of Fraunce Ca. lvi THus in abydynge for the duke of Berrey and for the constable who were behynde then kynge Lyon of Armony who was in frauÌ„ce and had assygned hym by the kynge .vi. M. frankes by the yere to maynteyne his estate he toke on hym for a good entente to go in to Englande to speke with the kyng there and his counsayle to se if he myght fynde ony maner of peas to be had bytwene the two royalmes of Englande and frauÌ„ce and so he departed fro his lodgynge of saynt Albeyne besyde saynt Denyee alonely with his owne company and with no grete apparel Soo he rode to Boloyne and there he toke a shyp and so sayled forth tyll he came to Douer and there he founde the erle of Cambrydge the erle of Buckyngham and mo then a C. meÌ„ of armes and a .ii. M. archers who laye there to kepe that passage for the brute ranne that the frensshmen sholde lande there or at Sandwyche and the kynge laye at London and parte of his counsayle with hym and dayly herde tydynges fro all the portes of Englande when the kynge of Armony was aryued at Douer he had there good chere bycause he was a strauÌ„ger and so he came to the kynges vncles there who swetely receyued hym and at tyme conuenyent they demaunded of hym fro whens he came and whether he wolde the kyng answered and sayd that in trust of goodnes he was come thyder to se the kynge of Englande his counsayle to treate for peas bytwene englande and Fraunce for he sayd that he thought the warre was not mete for he sayd by reason of warre bytwene these .ii. royalmes whiche hath endured so longe the sarazyns Iewes and turkes are waxed proude for there is none that maketh them ony warre and by occasyon therof I haue lost my lande and royalme and am not lyke to recouer it agayne without there were ferme peas in all crystendome and I wolde gladly shewe the matter that toucheth all crystendome to the kynge of Englande and to his counsayle as I haue done to the frensshe kyng then the kynges vncles demaunded of hym yf the frensshe kynge had sent hym thyder or noo he answered and sayd nay there is noo man that sent me but I am come hyder by myne owne mocyon to se yf the kynge of englande and his counsayle wolde ony thynge leane to ony treatye of peas then he was demaunded where the frensshe kynge was he answered I byleue he be at Sluse I sawe hym not syth I toke leue of hym at Senlyze then he was demaunded howe he coulde make ony treatye of peas and had no charge so to do and syr yf ye be conuayed to the kynge our nephewe and to his counsayle and the frensshe kynge in the meane season entre with his puyssannce in to Englande ye may happen therby to receyue grete blame and your persone to be in grete ieoperdy with them of the countrey then the kynge answered and sayd I am in suretye of the frensshe kynge for I haue sente to hym desyrynge that tyll I retourne agayne not to remoue fro Sluse I repute hym so noble and soo well aduysed that he wyll graunt my desyre and that he wyll not entre in to the see tyl I be come agayne to hym Wherfore syrs I praye you in the instaunce of loue and yeas to conuey me to speke with the kynge for I desyre gretely to se hym or elles ye that be his vncles yf ye haue auctoryte to gyue me answere
smaller fauoure the duke to his demauÌ„de dyssymuled sayd holde your peas syr Olyuer where shalde I gete .iii. or .iiii. M. frankes that is demaunded for theyr raunsomes Syr sayd the constable yf the countrey of Bretayne sawe that you were wel wyllynge to the matter they wolde be contente to pay a taxe â—a fowage to delyuer the pryson ers who are lyke to dye in prison without god helpe them sy-Olyuer sayd the duke as for my countrey of bretayne shall not be taxed for me my cosynes haue grete prynces of theyr lygnage as the frenssh kynge and the duke of Anioy they may helpe to delyuer them for they haue alwayes susteyned the warre agaynst me and when I sware to ayde to theyr delyueraunce myne entencyon was none otherwyse but that the frensshe kynge or theyr kynsmen sholde pay theyr raunsomes the constable coulde gete of the duke none other answere thus as I haue begon to shewe you The constable sawe clerely howe the erle of buâ—kyngham the barons knyghtes of englande suche as hadde ben with hym in the voyage thrughe fraunce so in to Bretayne were nothynge contente with the duke of Bretayne bycause he wolde not open his townes to them lyke as he had promysed when he departed out of Englande but whyles the englysshmen lay before wennes in the subbarbes of Nanibont they endured grete pouerte for they hadde nothynge to ete and theyr horses dyed for fawte of foode The englysshmen were fayne to gather the thystelles in the feldes braye them in a morter tempre it with water and make ther of a paast so bake it to ete suche pouerte they endured and they sayd amonge themselfe the duke doth not acquyte hymselfe nobly agaynst vs syth we haue put hyÌ„ in possessyon of the sygnory of Bretayne and yf we sholde do well we sholde take it fro hym agayne and gete out of pryson IohnÌ„ of Bretayne his aduersary make hym duke the countrey loueth hym better then he that is now duke We can not better be reuenged of hym nor soner to cause hym to lese the duchy of Bretayne the constable of fraunce knewe ryght well what wordes sore murmuracyons the englysshmen had amonge themselfe agaynst the duke of Bretayne wherwith he was nothynge dyspleased for euery euyll worde that they spake he wolde it had ben .xii. Howbeit he made therof no semblaunt no more dyd a squyer of Bretayne to whome he had broken his mynde to go in to englande on his message this squyer was called Rollant and so it was that syr IohnÌ„ of Harleton capytayne of Chyerbourge was with the constable at the castel Iosselyn vnder saufconduyte and there the constable made hym good chere and to his company and kepte the englysshmen as good company as he coulde the rather therby to gete theyr good wylles then the constable squyer auaunced forth spake to syr IohnÌ„ Harleton before the constable sayd syr IohnÌ„ ye sholde do me a grete pleasure to do one thynge for me whiche shall cost you nothynge syr sayd yâ— knyght for the loue of the constable though it be to my cost I am contente to do that I can for you what is that I sholde do syr sayd the squyer that I myght be assured to go in to Englande to semyne olde mayster IohnÌ„ of Bretayne the grettest desyre that I haue in this worlde is to se hym by my fayth sayd syr IohnÌ„ harlton it shal not be let for me but that ye shal go as soone as I am retourned to Chyerbourge I wyll go in to englande ye shal go with me I shal bryng you thyder for your request is not to be refused syr sayd the squyer I thanke you and I repute it for a grete curtoysy Thus this squyer wente with syr IohnÌ„ Harlton to Chyerbourg and when he had made euery thyng redy he departed and entred in to the see with IohnÌ„ Rollant in his company so came to London and brought the squyer to the castell where as IohnÌ„ of Bretayne was who knewe hym not at the fyrst metynge at the last he called hym to his remembraunce so spake togyder there he shewed IohnÌ„ of Bretayne howe that the constable of fraunce dyd wolde do his payne for his delyueraunce howe can that be sayd IohnÌ„ of Bretayne syr sayd yâ— squyer I shall shewe you my lorde the constable hath a doughter to mary so that yf ye wyll swere promyse when ye be retourned in to Bretayne to take her to your wyfe he wyll delyuer you out of englande he hath founde well the meanes how syr howe say you wyll ye do thus ye truely sayd he ye shall retourne to the constable say in my name howe there is nothynge I may doo to be delyuered but I wyll do it as for his doughter gladly I wyll take her to my wyfe thus the squyer IohnÌ„ of Bretayne departed passed out of englande retourned in to Bretayne recorded to the constable all that he had sene harde the coÌ„stable who desyred the aduauncement of his doughter as to be maried so highly as to IohnÌ„ of Bretayne was not neglygent in his busynes studyed for a meane in Englande to brynge aboute his purpose without he had founde out a meanes as he dyd he sholde neuer haue come to his purpose whiche was to gete the erle of Oxenforde on his parte who was most pryuy with the kynge of Englande as then but this matter was not shortly brought to passe for as longe as the duke of Lancastre was in englande and before his iourney in to spayne there was no dyscouerynge to the kynge of the tretye for delyueraunce of IohnÌ„ of Bretayne for when the erle of Buckyngham retourned out of Bretayne the renome ran thrughe al the royalme how the duke of Bretayne had falsely acquyted hym selfe to the Englysshmen wherfore was spoken all the euyll that coulde be deuysed then IohnÌ„ of Bretayne was brought in to the kynges presence and to his vncles then it was sayd to hym IohnÌ„ of Bretayne yf ye wyll releue holde the duchy of Bretayne of the kynge of Englande ye shall be delyuered out of pryson and set in possessyon of the sygnory of Bretayne shall be ryght hyghly maryed in this countrey as ye ought to be for the duke of Lancastre woâ—de haue gyuen hym to his doughter Phylyp in maryage who was after quene of Portyngale IohnÌ„ of Bretayne answered that he wolde neuer agree to that tretye nor neuer wolde be enemye nor contrary to the crowne of Fraunce he sayd he was contente to take the duke of LaÌ„castres doughter in maryage soo he myght be delyuered out of pryson out of englande wheÌ„ they sawe he wolde do none otherwyse he was set agayne in pryson and after the erle or Oxenforde whom we called duke of Irelande sawe that the duke of Lancastre was gone out of englande in to Castell and
nyght at Ercyell and the nexte nyght at Tarbe he rode that daye a grete iourney and then he determyned to sende fro thens to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and soo he dyd aduertysynge hym howe he had spedde with the erle of Foyze and desyrynge hym to come on forwarde with all theyr companyes and shewynge hym howe the countrey of Byerne and all the good townes sholde be open payenge trewely for that they take or elles not ¶ This messagere dydde soo moche that he came to Thoulouse and dydde his message and delyuered his letters ¶ And when syr wyllyam hadde redde the contynewe hereof he made it to be knowen to all his company that they sholde set on forwarde soo that as soone as they entred ony parte of the erle of Foyze lande to pay for euery thynge that they sholde take elles theyr capytaynes to answere for euery thynge this was cryed by the sounde of a trompet fro lodgynge to lodgynge to the entente that euery man sholde knowe it then euery man dyslodged out of the marches of Tholouse Carcassone Lymous and of Marbon and so entred in to Bygore and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac toke his hors and rode to Tarbe to syr Gaultyer his companyon and there made good chere togyder and theyr bandes and rowâ—es passed by and assembled togyder in Bygore to ryde in company thrughe the countrey of Byerne to passe at Ortays the ryuer of Gaure whiche renneth to Bayon AT the yssuynge out of the countrey of Byerne is the entre of the countrey of Bâ—squey in the whiche countrey as then the kyng of englande helde grete landes in the bysshopryches of Burdeaus Bayon there were a .lxxx. townes with steples that helde of the kynge of englande when they vnderstode of the passage of these frensshmen thrugh theyr countrey they were in doubte of ouer rynnynge brennynge exylynge for as then there were no men of war of theyr partye in all that countrey to defende theyr fronters the sage men drewe togyder sente to trete with the frensshe capytaynes and to bye theyr peas then they sent to Ortays .iiii. men hauynge auctoryte to make theyr peas These .iiii. men met by the way with a squyer of the erle of Foyze called Ernalton du Pyn shewed hym all theyr matter desyrynge hym to helpe theÌ„ to speke with syr Gaultyer of Passac and syr Wyllyam of Lygnac when they came to Ortays whiche sholde be within .iii. or .iiii. dayes after and to helpe to ayde to make theyr peas he answered that he wolde do so with a good wyll The nyght that the capytaynes came to Ortays they were lodged at the same squyers house and there he ayded them of Bysquey to make theyr apoyntment and they to pay .ii. M. frankes and theyr countrey saued fro brennynge and robbynge the erle of Foyze gaue a dyuer to these capytaynes and to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac a fayre courser the nexte daye they passed to Sameterre and entred in to the countrey of Bysquey whiche was redemed they toke vytayles where as they myght gete it and so passed thrughe the countrey without doyng of ony other domage so came to saynt IohnÌ„s de Pye of Porte at the entre of Nauare ¶ Howe syr IohnÌ„ Holande and syr Raynolde de Roy fought togyder in lystes before the duke of Lancastre in the towne of Besances Ca. lxxviii Here before ye haue herde howe the towne of Besaâ—ces was put in composycyon with the duke of Lancastre and howe it was yelden vp to hym for the kynge of Castell dyd comforte it nothynge and howe the duches of Lancastre and her doughter came to the cyte of Porte in Portyngale to se the kynge the quene there and howe the kynge and the lordes there receyued them ioyfully as it was reason and thus whyle the duke of Lancastre soiourned in the towne of Besances tydynges came thyder fro Valeolyue brought by an heraulde of fraunce who demaunded where was the lodgynge of syr IohnÌ„ Holande and so he was brought thyder then he kneled downe before hym and delyuered hym a letter and sayd syr I am an offycer of armes sent hyder to you fro syr Raynolde du Roy who saluteth you yf it please you to rede your letter then syr IohnÌ„ sayd with ryght a good wyll and thou arte ryght welcome and opened his letter and redde it wherin was conteyned howe syr Raynolde du Roy desyred hym in the way of amours and for the loue of his lady to delyuer hym of his chalenge iii. courses with a spere .iii. strokes with a sworde iii. with a dagger and .iii. with an axe that if it wolde please hym to come to Valeolyue he wolde prouyde for hym .lx. horse a sure saufcoÌ„duyte yf not he wolde come to Besances with .xxx. horses so that he wolde gete for hym a saufcondyte of the duke of Lancanstre When syr IohnÌ„ Holande had red these letters he began to smyle behelde the heraulde sayd frende thou arte welcome thou hast brought me tydynges that pleaseth me ryght wel I accepte his desyre thou shalte obyde here in my house with my company to morowe thou shalte haue answere where our armes shal be accomplysshed outher in Galyce or in Castell syr sayd the heraulde as it pleaseth god you ¶ The heraulde was there at his ease and syr IohnÌ„ wente to the duke and founde hym talkynge with the marshall then he shewed them his tydynges and the letters Well sayd the duke and haue ye accepted his desyre ye truely syr sayd he and I desyre nothynge so moche as dedes of armes and the knyght hath desyred me but nowe syr where shall it be your pleasure that we doo our armes the duke studyed a lytell and then sayd I wyll that they be done in this towne make a saufconduyte for hym as it shall please you and I shall seale it In the name of god sayd syr IohnÌ„ that is well sayd the saufcondyte was wryten for hym .xxx. knyghtes and squyers to come saufe and go saufe then syr IohnÌ„ Holande delyuered it to the heraulde and gaue hym a mantell furred with myneuer and .xii. aungell nobles The heraulde toke his leue and retourned to Valeolyue to his mayster and there shewed howe he had sped and delyuered the saufconduyte on the other parte tydynges came to the cyte of Porte to the kynge of Portyngale and to the ladyes there howe that these dedes of armes sholde be done at Besances Well sayd the kynge I wyll be therat and the quene my wyfe with other ladyes and damoyselles the duches of Lancastre who was as then there thanked the kynge in that she sholde at her retourne be accompanyed with the kynge and with the quene it was not longe after but the tyme approched Then the kynge of Portyngale the quene the duches and her other doughter with other ladyes and damoyselles rode â—orth in grete aray towarde Besances when the duke of
So the duches departed to the duke and the frensshe knyghtes dranke and then toke theyr leues and wente to theyr lodgynge and there euery thynge was redy to departe and then they mounted and departed fro Besances and rode the same daye to Noy and there they rested and then rode forth tyll they came to Valeolyue ¶ Howe the kynge of Portyngale and the duke of Lancastre determyned to entre in to the royalme of Castell Ca. lxxix AFter these dedes of armes done as I haue recorded The kynge of Portyngale the duke of Laucastre toke counsayle togyder and determyned to ryde and to entre in to Castell within a shorte space and that the kynge of Portyngale with all his power sholde ryde on the fronters and so to entre in to Castell and the duke and his rowte to entre on the boundes of Galyce and to conquere suche townes and fortresses as were agaynst hym and yf IohnÌ„ of Castell dyd assemble his oost agaynst them to make batayle theÌ„ bothe theyr oostes to drawe togyder It was thought moost necessary to haue theyr oostes a sondre tyll nede were rather then togyder to exchewe sykenes that myght fall to haue the more easyer lodgynge and foragynge in exchewyng of debates dyscordes for englysshmen be hasty prowde in the felde the Portyngales hote dysdaynful can not sustre but it was thought that in a grete iourney of batayle they sholde ryght wel agree togyder this couÌ„sayle was determyned the kynge sayd to the duke syr as soone as I haue knowledge that ye set forwarde I shall doo in lyke case for I and my men be redy they desyre nothynge elles but batayle syr sayd the duke and I shall not longe syr styll it is shewed me howe as yet there be certayne townes in Galyce that rebell agaynst vs I wyll goo and vysyte them and after that I wyll seke out for our enemyes whersoeuer I can fynde them Thus the kynge of Portyngale toke leue of the duke and duches and in lyke wyse so dyd the quene Phelyp and her yonge syster katheryne for it was ordeyned that the yonge lady sholde abyde al the warre season with her syster the quene at the cyte of Porte in Portyngale it was thought she coulde be in ony better kepynge and the duches retourned to saynt Iaques in Galyce so thus euery body departed thyder as they sholde doo the kynge to the cyte of Porte and the duches to the towne of saynt Iaques well accompanyed with knyghtes and squyers and the duke taryed at Besances and there aboute and prepayred shortly to set forwarde he was desyrous to departe bycause it was in the ioly lusty moneth of Aprell at whiche season in Galyce the grasse is full growen and all theyr corne and herbes floures and fruytes redy rype the countrey is so hote that in the begynnynge of Iune haruest is past the duke thought the season goodly to set forwarde his army ¶ Nowe let vs somwhat speke of the orderynge of the frensshmen and of kynge IohnÌ„ of Castell as well as we haue done of the englysshe men ¶ Howe syr Wyllyam of Lygnac syr Gaultyer of Passac came to the ayde of kynge IohnÌ„ of Castell Ca. lxxx HEre before ye haue herde howe syr Wyllyam of Lygnac syr Gaultyer of Passac dyd so moche by theyr wyse entreatynge of the erle of Foyze that he suffred them peasybly to passe thrughe his countrey of Byerne to go in to Castel and besyde that the erle gaue them grete rewardes for there were noo knyghtes nor squyers straungers that came to se hym but that he wolde largely rewarde them accordynge to theyr degrees to some a C. floreynes to some CC. floreynes and .xxx. or .xl. so that this sayd fyrst passage of the Frensshe men cost the erle of Foyze as his owne treasourer shewed me the some of a M. frankes besyde horses and other thynges that he gaue to say trouth surely it is grete domage that suche a persone sholde be olde or dye he had no mermosettes aboute hym to say syr take here and gyue this and pynche pyl the people surely he had none suche aboute hym â— he dyd euery thynge on his owne mynde for naturally he had grete wysdome and coulde gyue where nede was and take as it became hym best and by reasan of his larges and grete expences somtyme he trauayled his subiectes for his reuenewes were not suffycyent to bere out his gyftes whiche were yerely .lx. M. frankes the whiche lyke haue not ben sene nor herde of ony other yet he assembled his treasoure for doubte of all aduentures in .xxx. yere .xxx. tymes a C.M. frankes and yet for all that his people alwayes prayde to god for his longe lyfe and I herde it reported howe when he dyed there were in Foyze and in Byerne .x. M. persones that sayd that they wolde gladly haue dyed with hym wherby it is to be thought that they sayd not so without it had ben for grete loue that they had to theyr lorde and surely if they loued hym they dyd but ryght and accordynge to reason for he alwayes maynteyned them in theyr ryght and kepte euer true iustyce for all his laâ—des and the people therin had as grete lyberte and fraunchesse and lyued in as good peas as thoughe they had ben in paradyse terrestre I say not this for flattery nor for fauour nor loue that I bere hym nor for the gyftes that he hath gyuen me but I can well proue all that I haue sayd for I am sure there be a M. knyghtes squyers wyll saye the same NOwe let vs retourne to syr Wyllyam of Lygnac and to syr Gaultyer of Passac who were capytaynes and souerayne leders of all the frensshe armye when they were passed the countrey of Bysquey and the pase of Rounceuall whiche cost them .iii. dayes a passynge The mountaynes were so full of snowe for all that it was in the moneth of Aprell yet they and theyr horses hadde moche payne to passe thrughe Then they came towardes Panpylona and there they founde the royalme of Nauare redy open for to suffre them to passe thrughe For the kynge of Nauare wolde not doo no dyspleasure to the kynge of Castell bycause his sone syr Charles of Nauare had to his wyfe as then the kynge of Castelles syster when the peas was made bytwene kynge Henry and the fader of kynge IohnÌ„ of Nauare they made and promysed grete alyaunce togyder whiche they longe kepte for the kynge of Nauare was not able to resyst the kynge of Castell without he had grete alyaunce and comforte of the kynge so Aragon or elles of the kynge of englande THese capytaynes of Fraunce came to Pampylona where the kynge of Nauare was who receyued them ioyfully made them to dyne with hym in his palays after dyner he led them in to his chambre and there comoned with them of dyuers thynges for the kynge there was
suche answere that ye shall be contented Sir ye saye well quod they it suffyceth vs. Than they departed and wente to their lodgynges At nyght they were desyred to dyne the nexte daye with the duke So the nexte daye they came to the duke and were well receyued and so wasshed and went to dyner satte downe Firste the bysshoppe of Langers bycause he was a prelate and than the duke than the admyrall of Fraunce and thanne sir Iohan de Beulle They hadde a great dyner and were well serued and after dyner they entred in to a counsayle chambre and there they talked of dyuers maters and herde mynstrelsy These lordes of Fraunce thought surely to haue hadde an answere but they hadde none Than wyne and spyces were brought in and so made collasyon and than toke their leaue and departed to their lodgynge The nexte daye they were apoynted to come to the duke and so they dyde and the duke receyued them swetely and at the laste sayd Sirr I knowe well ye looke to be aunswered for by the wordes that I haue herde you saye ye are charged by the kyng and his vncles to bring them an answere Wherfore I say to you that I haue done nothynge to sir Olyuer of Clesquyne wherof I shulde repente me sauynge of one thynge and that is That he hadde so good a markette as to escape a lyue And in that I saued his lyfe was for the loue of his offyce and nat for his persone For he hath done me soo many displeasures that I ought to hate hym deedly And sauynge the displeasure of the kyng and of his vncles and his coūsayle For all the takynge of sir Olyuer I haue nat therby broken their voyage by the see I wyll well excuse my selfe therin for I thought non yuell the daye that I toke hym a man ought to take his ennemy whersoeuer he fynde hym And if he were deed I wolde thynke the Realme of Fraunce to be as well ruled or better than it is by his counsayle And as for his castelles that I holde the whiche he hath delyuered me I am in possessyon of them and so wyll be withoute the puyssaunce of a kynge take them fro me And as for rendringe of his money I aunswere I haue had so moche to do in tyme paste by the meanes of this sir Olyuer of Clysquyn that I ranne in dette gretlye therby and nowe I haue payde them that I was bounde vnto by reason of this dette This was the answere that the duke of Bretaygne made to the kynges ambassadours Than they layde forthe other reasons to enduce the duke to some reasonable waye but all his answeres tourned euer to one conclusyon And whan they sawe none other waye they toke their leaues to departe and the duke gaue them leaue Than̄e they retourned and dyd so moch by their iourneys that they came to Parys to the house of Beautie besyde Wynsentes There was the kyng the quene and thyder came the duke of Berrey and the duke of Bourgoyne hauyng great desyre to knowe what answere the duke of Bretaygne haddemade THe aunswere ye haue herde here before I nede nat to shewe it agayne but the kyng and his counsayle were nat content with the duke of Bretaygne that his ambassadours hadde made no better exployte and they sayde howe the duke was a proude man and a presumptuous and that the mater shulde nat so reste in peace seynge the matter so preiudyciall for the Crowne of Fraunce And the entensyon of the kyng and his counsayle was to make warre agaynste the duke of Bretayne and the duke loked for nothynge elles For he sawe and knewe well howe he had greatly displeased the kyng and his counsell but he hated so mortally the constable that it toke fro hym the good order of reason for he repented hym sore that he had nat putte hym to dethe whan he hadde hym in his daunger Thus the mater contynued a longe season and the duke of Bretayne laye at Wannes and lytell and lytell rode ouer his countrey for he freared greatly embusshmentes He kepte styll in loue and fauour his cyties and good townes and made secrete treaties with the Englysshmen and made his castelles and forteresses to be as well kepte as thoughe he had had opyn warre and was in many imaginacions on the dede he had done Somtyme he wolde say he wolde he had nat taken the constable howe be it he sayd euer to stoppe mennes mouthes that sir Olyuer of Clesquyn had sore dishleased hym so that many a man sayd that elles he wolde neuer haue done it therby he brought his coūtre in feare for it is but a small signorie if a prince be nat feared and douted of his menne for and the worste fall he maye haue peace whan he lyst ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of the duke of Bretaygne and let vs somwhat speke of the busynesse that was in the realme of Englāde whiche was in the same season horryble and marueylous ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the kyng of Englandes vncles were of one accorde and aliaūce agaynst the kyng and his counsaile and of the murmurynge of the people agaynst the duke of Irelande of the aunswere of the londoners to the duke of Gloucestre Cap. xcii YE haue herde here before howe the kyng of Englandes vncles the duke of yorke the duke of Gloucestre with therle of Salisbury and the erle of Arundell the erle of Northumberlande the erle of Notyngham and the archebysshoppe of Caūterbury All these were of one alyaunce and accorde agaynst the kynge and his counsayle for these lordes and other were nat content with the kynges counsayle and sayd among them selfe This duke of Irelande dothe with the kynge what he lyste and with all the realme The kyng wyll nat be counsayled but by vnhappy men and of base lynage and taketh no regarde to the great lordes of his realme As longe as he hath suche counsayle about hym the busynesse of Englande can nat do well for a realme can nat be well gouerned nor a kynge well counsayled by suche vngracious people It is sene a poore man moūted in to gret estate and in fauoure with his mayster often tymes corrupteth distroyeth the people and the realme A man of base lynage canne nat knowe what parteyneth to honoure their desyre is euer to enryche and to haue all thēselfe lyke an Otter in the water whiche coueteth to haue all that he fyndeth Who hath any profyte by that the duke of Irelande is so great with the kyng we knowe full well fro whense he came yet we se that all the realme is ruled by hym and nat by the kynges vncles nor by none of his blode This ought nat to be suffred We knowe well ynoughe that the Erle of Oxenforde had neuer the grace to do any valyaunt dede in this realme his honour wysedome counsayle or gentylnesse is ryght well knowen and that was well knowen ones by sir Iohan Chandos in
remedy that other Realmes shulde take ensample by his realme NOwe sirs I reporte me if I haue nat good cause to saye the the realme of Englande in this season was in great paryll and aduenture to haue ben lost without recouery For the kynge was moued agaynst his vncles and agaynst a great parte of all the great lordes of the realme and they agaynst hym And the cytes and good townes one against another And the prelates hadde great indignacyon one agaynst another so that none coude remedy it but alonely god Whan the duke of Irelande sawe that he had the agrement of the kyng and of the moost ê‘te of theÌ„ of the couÌ„trey of Wales than he came to the kyng sayd sir if ye wyll instytute make me your lieutenaunt I shall take a .xii. or a fyftene thousaÌ„de men with me and go to the marchesse of London or to Oxenforde your cyte and myne and there we wyll shewe our puyssaunce agaynst these Londoners your vncles who haue so great indignacyon agaynst you They haue putte to dethe some of your counsayle And sir outher by fayre wordes or otherwyse we shall bringe them to reason The kynge sayde he was content Sayeng I wyll and ordayne you to be the cheife souerayne of my Realme and to reyse vp men where ye can gette theym and leade them wheder ye thynke best to augment our sygnorie and realme And to the entent that euery man shall clerely se that the hoole Realme parteyneth to me I wyll that ye beare with you my banners and standerdes and other abylmetes of warre suche as I wolde beare my selfe in batayle And I thynke that if the people se my banners displayed they shall take corage and hardynesse to susteyne my quarell And I wyll ye punysshe suche rebelles as wyll nat obey you in suche wyse as all other maye take ensample by them I beleue all suche as shall se my banners waue in the wynde shall put them selfe vnder them and shal be afrayde to disobey our coÌ„mauÌ„dement These wordes greatly reioysed the duke of Irelande ¶ oHwe the kyng of Englande made his soÌ„mons to drawe towardes London and howe sir Robert Tryuylyen was taken at westmynster and beheeded by the commaundement of the kynges vncles Capi. xcvi THe kyng made his assemble in the countrey of Wales and about the froÌ„ters of Bristowe a longe the ryuer of Syuerne Dyuers lordes and knightes were sende for some excused them selfe laufully and some came at the kynges commauÌ„dement howe be it they douted leste great yuell shulde come of that enterprice In this meane season the kynge and the duke of Irelande had a secrete counsayle bytwene them and determyned to seÌ„de some of their men in to the marchesse of London to se and to knowe howe the kynges vncles dyd and what they purposed to do they studyed whome they myght sende in that busynesse to knowe the trouthe than a knyght cosyn to the duke of Irelande and of his couÌ„sayle called sir Robert Tryuilyen sayd sir ye make doute whome to sende that is trusty to London For the loue of you I shall take on me to do that iourney wherof the Duke thanked hym and lykewise so dyde the kyng Therwith this sir Robert Tryuilyen departed from Bristowe disguysed in maner of a poore marchaunt vpon a lytell Nagge and so came to London and tooke his lodgynge where he was vnknowen so taryed there a certayne space and lerned what he coulde At last he vnderstode that the kynges vncles and the newe counsayle of Englande wolde kepe a secrete Parlyament at Westmynster wherfore he thought to go and lye there to lerne what shulde be doone there And so he came and lodged at Westmynster the same daye that their counsaile began and lodged in an alâ—house right ouer agaynst the palys gate and there he was in a chambre lokyng out at a wyndowe downe in to the courte there he myght se them that went in and out to the couÌ„saile and he knewe nerehaÌ„de euery man but none knewe hym bycause of his apparel At last on a day asquyer of the duke of Gloucesters knewe hym for he had often tymes ben in his coÌ„pany And assone as sir Robert Triuylien sawe him he knewe him well and withdrewe hym selfe out of the wyndowe The squyer had suspecious therof and sayd to hym selfe Me thynke I se yonder sir Robert Triuylen and to th entent to knowe the trouthe he entred in to the lodgyng and said to the wife Dame who is that that is aboue in the chambre is he alone or with coÌ„pany Sir quod she I can nat shewe you but he hath been here a longe space Therwith the squier went vp the better to aduyse hym and saluted hym and sawe well it was true but he fayned hymselfe and tourned his tale and sayde God saue you good man I pray you be nat myscontented for I toke you for a farmour of myne in Essere for ye are lyke hym Sir quod he I am of Kente and a farmour of sir Iohan of Hollandes and there be men of the bysshop of CauÌ„terburyes that wolde do me wrong and I am come hyther to complayne to the couÌ„sayle Well quod the squier if ye come in to the palys I wyll helpe to make your waye that ye shall speke with the lordes of the counsayle Sir I thanke your ê™ he and I shall nat refuce your ayde THan the squyer called for a potte of ale and dranke with him and payed for it and badde hym farwell and departed and neuer seased tyll he came to the couÌ„sayle chambre dore and called the vssher to open the dore Than the vssher demauÌ„ded what he wolde bycause the lordes were in counsayle He answered and sayd I wolde speke with my lorde and mayster the duke of Gloucester for a mater that ryght nere toucheth hym and all the counsayle Thanne the vssher let hym in and whan he came before his mayster he sayde Sir I haue brought you great tidynges What be they quod the duke Sir quod the squyer I wyll speke a loude for it toucheth you and all my lordes here present I haue sene sir Robert Triuylyen disguysed in a vyllayns habytte in an alehouse here without the gate Triuylien quod the duke yea truely sir quod the squier ye shall haue hym or ye go to dyner if you please I am contente quod the duke and he shall shewe vs some newes of his mayster the duke of Irelande Go thy waye fetche hym but loke that thou be stronge ynoughe so to do that thou fayle nat The squier went forthe and toke foure sergiauntes with hym and sayd Sirs folowe me a farre of and as soone as I make to you a sygne and that I laye my hande on a man that I go for Take hym and lette hym nat escape Therwith the squyer entredde in to the house where Tryuylien was and went vp in to the chambre and as soone as he sawe hym he sayd Triuylien ye
his owne countrey And also the duke of Burbon vncle to the frenche kyng cometh after with two M. speares and assone as he cometh he wyll set forwarde so that we be than at home in oure countreys or we can assemble togyder agayne as we be nowe out enemyes shall do vs great domage Thanne the kynge sayde Well than lette vs kepe styll the feldes in the name of god as for my men be fresshe ynough and are of good mynde to abyde the aduenture and I with them THus they determyned to abyde the coÌ„mynge of the duke of Burbon to se if they shulde be fought withall thanne or nat for they all demauÌ„ded nothinge but batayle The tyme went euer forwarde and the sonne mounted and the dayes chafed meruaylously for it was aboute mydsomer whan the sonne was in his strength and specially in Spayne and Granade and in the farre countreyes of Septentryon Nor after Aprell there fell no rayne nor swetnes fro Heuyn wherby euery thynge was brente on the erthe The englissh men eate grapes whan they myght get them and dranke of the hote wynes and the more they dranke the more they were set a fyre and therby brente their lyuers and longes for that dyete was contrary to their nature Englyssh men are norisshed with good metes and with ale which kepeth their bodyes in temper and there the nyghtes were hoote bycause of the great heate in the day and the mornyng meruaylously colde whiche dysceyued them For in the nyght they coulde suffre no thynge on them and so slepte all naked and in the mornynge colde toke them or they were waxe and that caste them in to feuers and flyxes without remedy And as well dyed great men as meane people ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the duke of Lancastre gaue lycence to his men and howe a haraulte was sente to the kinge of Castyle and howe thre knightes of Englande went to speke with the king of Castyle for a saueconduct for the dukes men to passe through his couÌ„trey Cap. C.iiii. BEholde nowe and se howe fortune tourned ye maye well beleue that the duke of Lancastre beynge in the realme of Castyle coulde neuer haue loste by batayle nor his men dyscomfetted nor loste his men as he dyd in that voyage by reason of sycknes And hym selfe also nygh deed And sir Iohan Holande who was constable of the hoost whan he sawe his frendes and men thus infected with this malady without remedy and herynge the complayntê of one and other sayeng eche to other Ah the duke of Lancastre hath brought vs to dye in Spaygne cursed be this voyage He wyll neuer haue Englysshman more to come out of Englande to serue hym He spurneth agaynst the pricke he wolde his men shulde kepe the countrey whan it is wonne And whan his men be all deed who shall thanne kepe it He sheweth nat that he can any skyll of the warre sythe he seeth that none cometh agaynst vs to fight in batayle why dothe he nat drawe than into Portugale or into some other place than he shulde nat haue the domage nor losse that he heth for thus we shall all dye without any strokes Whan sir Iohan Holande herde and vnderstode these wordes for the honoure and loue of his lorde the duke of Lancastre whose doughter he had maryed he came to the duke and sayd quickly to him Sir it must behoue you to take newe and shorte counsayle your people be in a harde case and lykely to dye by syckenesse if nede shulde fortune they are nat able to ayde you they be wery and in a harde case and their horses deed so that noble men and other are so discoraged that they are nat lyke to do you any good seruyce at this tyme. Than sayd the duke And what is beste than to do I wyll beleue counsaile for it is reason Syr quod the constable Me thynke it were beste ye gaue lycence to euery man to departe where as they thynke beste and your selfe to drawe outher into Portugale or into Galice for ye are nat in the case to ryde forewarde That is trewe quod the duke and so I wyll do Saye you to them howe I do gyue them leaue to departe whyder it please theÌ„ outher in to Castyle or in to Fraunce so they make no false treaty with our enemyes for I se well for this season our warre is paste And paye euery man their wages and rewarde theym for their costes Syr quod the constable this shall be done SIr Iohan Holande made it be knowen by a trumpet in euery lodgyng the entencion of the duke of Lancastre howe he dyd gyue lycence to euery man to departe whyder they lyst and that euery capytayne shulde speke with the constable and they shulde be so payed that they shulde be content This tydynges reioysed some suche as desyred to departe to chaunge the ayre Than the barones and knyghtes of Englande toke counsayle howe they myght retourne in to Englande it was thought impossyble for them to retourne by the see for they had no shyppes redy and were farre fro any porte And also their men were so sicke with feuers and flixes that there were many deed and so sicke that they coude nat endure the trauayle on the see So all thynges consydered they thought it best to repayre home thorough the realme of Fraunce Than some sayde howe maye that be for we be enemyes too all the realmes that we muste passe through First through Spayne for we haue made theym open warre The kynge of Nauer in lykewyse is ioyned in this warre with the kynge of Castyle also the kynge of Aragone for he is alyed with the frenche kynge and also he hath done to vs a great dyspite he hath take and layd in prison at Barselona the archebyhop of Burdeaux who wente thyder to demaunde the arerages that the realme of Aragonoweth to the kynge of Englande our soueraygne lorde And to sende to the frenche kyng it is harde for vs to do it is farre of and peraduenture whan oure messanger cometh to the kynge he is yonge and peraduenture his counsayle wyll do nothynge for vs. for sir Olyuer of Clysson constable of Fraunce hateth vs mortally for he wyll say that the duke of Bretayn his great aduersary wyll become englissh Than some other that were of great wysdome and imaginacyon said All thinges consydred we thinke it best to assay the kyng of Castyle we thynke he wyll lyghtly condyscende to suffre vs to passe through his countrey peasably and to gette a saueconduete fro the kynges of Fraunce Aragon and Nauer THis counsayle was taken kepte and herde and a Haraulde called Derby was sente forthe to the kynge of Castyle with letters This haraulde rode forthe and came to Medena de campo and there he founde the kynge of Castyle and than he kneled downe and delyuered his letters And the kynge opened them and redde them they were written in frenche Whan he hadde well vnderstande them he turned hym
the other parte and were in that case that it was likely to haue had a batayle bytwene them But the duke Aubert the duke of Mours the duke of Iullyers mette togyder by a treatie and so this assemble departed a sondre with out any thyng doyng The same yere the duke Wyncelant of Brabant ouerthrewe the companyons in the coūtrey of Lusenburge who had greatly wasted that lande and putte many to exyle and in the towre of the castell of Lusenburge dyed their souerayne capitayne called the lytell Meslyn And also in the same yere sir Charles of Boesme who as than raigned and was kynge of Almaygne and emperour of Rome instytuted duke Wyncelāt of Boesme and made hym souerayne regarder by an instytucion and ordynaunce called in Almayne Le langue fride that is to say holding the couert and sure wayes So that all maner of people myght go and come and ryde fro towne to towne surely and in sauegarde And the Emperour gaue hym a great parte of the lande and countrey of Dauffay on bothe sydes the ryuer of Ryne to defende hym therin agaynst the lynfars who were a maner of people ryght peryllous and great robbers without pytie And also the Emperour gaue hym the souerayntie of the good riche cytie of Straubourcke and made him Marques of the holy Empyre to augment therby his estate And surely he coulde nat gyue hym to moche for this Duke Wyncelant was lyberall swete courtesse amyable and noble in armes was likely to atchyue many thynges if he hadde lyued long but he dyed in the floure of his youthe Wherof I that haue written this hystorie make great complaynt for hym that he lyued no lengar but tyll he was a .xxiiii. yere of age Thescisme that was in the churche greatly displeased hym and that he shewed me often tymes for I was priue of his acquayntaūce in that in my dayes I traueyled a great parte of the worlde two great princes I knewe and non more hūble nor tretable than they were that was this noble prince one and the other my good mayster the lorde Guy of Bloys who cōmaunded me to make this hystorie These two princes were in my dayes and wereful of humilyte larges and bountie without any malyce They lyued lyberally of their owne without oppressynge their people or reysing vp of any yuell customes in their lādes ¶ Nowe let vs retourne to the pythe of the mater that I haue begone WHan the duke of Iulyers and sir Edwarde of Guerles who called thēselfe bretherne and their hertes good Englisshe for they had ben long alyed with the kyng of Englande and with loue and fauour had alwayes ayded them in their warres Whan they sawe that the duke of Brabant hadde so hygh a signory as to be lorde and souerayne regarder by the Emperonr and was chiefe correctour of all mysdoers and robbers that he founde lyueng by the highe wayes of Almaygne They had therat indygnacion and enuy nat for that he dyde well and helde iustyce and corrected yuell doers but of that he had the souerayne regarde signory ouer lāgue fride whiche was parte in their lande whiche offyce was first instytued that marchautes might pesably passe fro Brabant to Heynault to Flaunders to Fraūce or fro Liege to Coleyne and to other cyties townes and fortresses of Almayne And nother marchauntes nor other coulde nat passe nor entre in to Almayne by the landes and daungers of the duke of Iulyers and the duke of Guerles And soo it was that certayne robbers were in the wayes of Linfars And it were they that had done the vyolence and passynge through the landes of the duke of Iuliers It was shewed me that the duke had lente them horse and castels Great complayntes came to duke Wyncelant of Brabant and of Luzenbourge who as than was at Bruselles howe that the Languefryde wherof he was souerayne regarder and keper was broken violated and howe they that dyde that vyolence and robbed the countrey soiourned and euer retourned in to the duchy of Iulyers The duke of Brabante who as than was yonge and lusty and puyssaunte of lynage and of landes toke in great dispyte the offences that his people had complayned of and said how he wolde fynde some remedy seynge he had in charge to kepe and defende the Languefride He wolde nat that through his neclygence he shulde take any reproche or blame and to conclude his dede and to sette reason in their demaunde and by the counsayle and aduyse that he had he sente to the duke of Iulyers notable persones as the lorde of Vrquon lorde of Bourguenall syr Scelar archedecon of Heynalt Geffrey de la towre great rowter of Brabante and other shewyng to him in wyse and swete maner the offence whiche greatly toucheth and is preiudyciall to the duke of Brabante who is keper and souerayne regarder of the Languefride The duke of Iulyers fayntely excused hym selfe for by that he shewed he had as lefe haue had the warre as the peace so that the duke of Brabantes messangers were nat well cōtent and so toke their leaue of the duke of Iuliers and reiourned and shewed the duke of Brabant all as they had herde and sene Whan the duke herde that he demaūded what was best to do He was aunswered by his coūsayle sayenge sir ye knowe best your selfe Well quod the duke and I saye that it is my entensyon that I wyll nat slepe so in this blame nor that it shall be said that for slouth or faynte hert that I shulde suffre vnder my sauegarde robbers to do vilaynes and robories vnpunysshed I shewe and wyll shewe to my cosyn of Iuliers and to his aydes that this mater toucheth me nere This duke cooled nat his entent but in contynent set clerkes a warke and sent to them that he thought wolde ayde hym Some he prayed and some he commaunded and sente sufficyent knoledge of his mynde to the duke of Iuliers and to his alies bothe these lordes made great preparacion The duke of Iulyers had but lytell ayde but of his brother syr Edwarde of Guerles he greatly cōforted him with men and with frendes These two lordes sent priuely for men farre in to Almayne And bycause that almayns are couetous desyring to wynne and it had bene longe before or they were in any place where they myght get any good aduenture They wolde haue come in more habundaunce and they had nat knowen that they shulde haue had to do agaynste the duke of Brabante The duke of Brabante in great aray departed fro Bruselles and went to Louayne and fro thence to Treete on the ryuer of Muese and there he founde a thousande speares abydinge for hym and always there came menne to hym fro all partyes fro Fraunce fro Flaūders fro Haynalt fro Namure fro Lorayne other countreys so that he had two thousande and fyue hundred speares of good men of warre and also there came to hym out of Burgoyne
purpose to do here after What nede you to kepe the thre castelles parteynyng to sir Olyuer of Clyssons herytage after the maner toke them Wheder it be so ye haue peace or warre they shall coste you more the kepynge of theym in thre yeres than they shall profyte you in twelue yeres Sir delyuer them agayne out of your handes without any desyre and whan the renome therof spredeth abrode as there is nothynge done but it wyll be knowen that without cōstreynt ye haue delyuered them of your owne mynde ye shall therby attemper and molifye euery mannes displeasure it shall greatlye please the duke of Burgoyne who ye knowe well hath nat done so moche agaynst you as he myght in all your busynesse And that is by the meanes of the good lady his wyfe your cosyn She hath many fayre chyldren who are nexte of blode to you therfore sir consyder fro whens ye came and are issued departe nat farre of fro thens that ye ought to approche nere it were follye in Englande ye hadde neuer thyng to do Also the Englysshmen haue ynoughe to do amonge themselfe They shewe you fayre semblaunt of loue and promyse to do for you all that they maye but they do it for their owne aduauntage and for nothynge elles ye haue proued them or this ye were norisshed amonge thē in your youthe ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the duke of Bretayne delyuered vp the thre castelles of sir Olyuer Clissons and howe he receyued ioyously the lorde of Coucy and his company ambassadours fro the frēche kyng And howe the duke of Lācastre made grete chere to sir Helyon of Lignacke seneschall of Xaynton ambassadoure fro the duke of Berrey Cap. C.xxviii WHan the duke of Bretayne had herde his counsayle speke and cast so many reasonable doubtes he was abasshed and stoode styll a season without spekynge of any worde leanyng in a wyndowe lokyng downe in to the courte his counsayle beyng aboute hym he stode in a great study at last he tourned and said sirs I se well that ye haue highly coūsayled me and I se well I haue nede of nothynge so moche as of good counsayle But howe may any loue be norisshed where is no thyng but hate Howe maye I loue Olyuer of Clysson that hath done me so many dyspleasures Wherfore of all the thynges that euer I dyde in this worlde I moost repente me of that I dyd nat put hym to dethe whan I had hym in my castell of Ermyne In the name of god sir quod they of his counsayle if he had ben slayne but ye ought nat to haue raunsomed hym nor taken his herytage For Iohan of Bretayne and the Vycount of Rohers sonne be his heyres and herytours to all his landes for his doughters are their wyues Wherfore they wolde haue entred in to the heritage as their owne for their resort is in to the Parlyament chambre at Parys For ye haue receyued all redy great blame in Fraunce for that ye haue done and kepynge of the thre castelles The constable hath entred his quarell and plee agaynst you in the parlyament house of Parys and there sentence wyll be gyuen agaynst you for there is none to answere for you agaynst any artycle that the Constable hath layde agaynst you Than sir Olyuer of Clysson and his heyres shall haue iuste cause and quarell to make warre agaynst you in his owne tytell And if the kynge with other of your owne countrey of Bretayne wyll make you warre and ayde your ennemyes ye haue nede than̄e to haue more puyssaunce to defende you thasie we can se that ye are lyke to haue Wherfore sir while the plee hangeth ye were best to delyuer agayne the thre castelles and haue thāke than to abyde the sentence to be gyuen agaynst you Sir agre for suche dommages as ye haue done as well as ye canne therby shall you wade out of all sclaundre the whiche a prince ought to dout for his dishonour And sir cōferme you to peace and contynue in loue with them that ye ought to do that is the Frenche kynge your soueraygne and naturall lorde and my lorde the duke of Burgoyne and your cosyns his chyldren ye may take ensample by that ye haue sene in youre dayes your cosyn germayne therle of Flaūders who was a myghte prince and a sage yet by insydētes in th ende of his dayes there fell to hym suche marueylous aduentures that without he had humyled hym selfe to the frēche kynge to his vncles and to the nobles of the realme he had loste his herytage and by their ayde and helpe he recouered it Well sirs quod the duke sithe I haue demaunded counsayle it behoueth me to take it and I accepte your wordes that ye haue spoken THis mater wente so forwarde that the duke of Bretayyne who was in possessyon of the thre castelles of the constables as ye haue herde here before he sent for his men that was in them and rydde his handes clene of them and there were stablysshed men in them for the constable But this restytuicion was nat suffycient in the opynion of the Frenche kynges counsayle wtout the duke restored agayne the money that he hadde taken of the Constable and besyde that the duke to come personally to the kyng to Parys to make his excuse before all the peres of the realme and to abyde on the mendes makynge suche as the kyng and his coūsayle shulde iudge by good delyberacion And whan the knowledge of the restytucion of these castels was come to the lorde of Coucye and to the other lordes that were apoynted to go in to Bretaygne to the duke Than the lorde of Coucy sayde to his company Sirs we haue the lesse to do I beleue the duke wyll gyue credence to vs whan he heareth vs speke I was enfourmed that before these thre barons departed fro Parys the dukes of Berrey and of Bourgoyne had them in counsayle and sayde Sirs ye muste entreate the duke of Bretaygne with fayre and swete wordes nat rigorously And shewe hym howe the duke of Bourgoyne wolde that he shulde come to Parys to the kyng but at leest shewe hym howe he must come to the halfe way to the towne of Bloyes and there we shall mete with hym and speke toguyder These thre lordes said they wolde do as they were cōmaūded They rode forthe came to the cytie of Rennes in Bretayne there demaūded tidinges of the duke and it was shewed them howe he was at Wannes and than they rode tyhder Their cōmynge was anon knowen in the dukes court for they had sent before their herbygers to take vp their lodgynges The duke had about hym his counsayle greate lordes suche as he trusted most the more honourably to receyue these lordes Whan they entred in to the towne of Wānes they had good chere and lordes and knyghtes of the dukes mette them and specially the lorde de la Wall there they a lyghted at their lodgynges refresshed them selfe
and after mounted on their horses and rode to the dukes castell called la Mote where they fouÌ„de the duke who came agaynst them and receyued theÌ„ right ioyously and sayd Howe they were all right hertely welcome and toke the lorde of Coucy by the hande and made hym good chere sayde Fayre brother ye be welcome I am gladde to se you in Bretayne I shall shewe you sporte of huntyng at hartes and flyeng with haukes or we deê‘te a soÌ„dre Sir quod the lorde of Coucy I thanke you I and my company shall be gladde to se it There was shewed bytwene them great lykelyhode of loue and the duke brought hym to his chambre sportyng and talkyng of many ydell matters as lordes do often tymes whan they mete and haue nat sene toguyder longe before they wyll fynde many sondrie pastymes and specially I knewe four lordes the best entertayners of all other that euer I knewe That was the duke of Brabant the erle of Foiz the erle of Sauoy and in especiall the lorde of Coucy For accordynge to myne aduyse in all goodly pastymes he was a souerayne maister â— whiche brute he bare amonge all lordes and ladyes in Fraunce in Englande in Almaygne in Lombardy and in all places where as he had ben conuersant And in his tyme he had been sore traueyled sene moche in the worlde and also he was naturally enclyned to be gentyll thus whyle these lordes were mery talkynge toguyder there was brought spyces and wyne and so they dranke and than toke their leaues and retourned to their lodgynges Thus the mater went for the the fyrst day without makyng of any mencyon of any thyng that they were come for NOwe let vs somwhat speke of sir Helyon of Lygnacke whom the duke of Berrey hadde sent to the duke of Lancastre The knyght came to Bayon and a lyghted at his lodgynge and apparelled hymselfe to go and speke with the duke of LaÌ„castre who knewe well of his coÌ„myng and sent right honourably two of his knyghtes to mete with hym and they brought hym to the duke And whan sir Helyon was in the dukes presens he kneled downe and saluted hym as it aperteyned The duke receyued hym right honorably and tooke hym vp in his armes toke hym by the hande and ledde hym in to his chaÌ„bre for he mette hym in the hall Thanne the knyght delyuered his letters fro the duke of Berry The duke reed them and thanne he drewe to sir Helyon and the knight declared to him the cause of his coÌ„myng Than the duke answered right courtesly and sayd Sir ye be right welcome and sayd howe the mater was weyghtie that he was coÌ„e for wherfore it requyred counsaile and delyberacion Thus sir Helyon taryed at Bayon with the duke of Lancastre more than a moneth and alwayes he was serued with fayre wordes And the duke alwayes foded hym forthe and made semblant that he had great affection to treate for this mariage with the duke of Berrey Howe be it the trouthe was coÌ„trary for all that he shewed was but dissymulacion and the cause that he was helde there so long with hym was for none other thing but that the brute therof myght ronne abrode and specially in to the realme of Castyle for there lay all his affection The duke sayde to sir Helyon Sir if I treat with the duke of Berrey to haue my doughter in maryage thanÌ„e he must ioyne with me with all his puysauÌ„ce to encounter myne aduersaries of Spayne If he wyll recouer the heritage of my doughter whom he shulde haue to wyfe Than sir Helyon sayd Sir I haue no charge to confyrme any thynge so forwarde But sir if it please you or I deê‘te ye maye write all your pleasure by me and I shall returne shewe my lorde the duke of Berrey all your entent And I am sure he hath suche affection to the mater he wyll agree to euery thynge that he may do by reason I desyre no more quod the duke of Lancastre Thus sir Helyon of Lygnacke taryed a season at Bayon and had good chere made hym by the dukes coÌ„maundement ⸫ ⸪ ¶ Howe the kynge of Castyle sente his ambassadours to the duke of LaÌ„castre to treate for a maryage to be had bytwene his sonne and the dukes doughter and howe at the requeste of the duke of Berrey a truse was made by the duke of Lancastre in the countreys of Tholousyn and Rouergne Cap. C .xxix. TIdingê came in to the realme of Castyle in to dyuerse places and specyally to kyng Iohan of Castyle and it was sayde to hym Sir ye knowe nothyng of the treatye that is bytwene the duke of Berrey and the duke of Lancastre The duke of Berrey wolde haue in maryage the lady Katheryne doughter to the duke of Lancastre and to the lady Custance his wyfe And if this maryage take effecte as it is lyke to do it shal be a great alyaunce For the duke of Berrey is nowe as one of the chiefe rulers in the realme of Fraunce and is vncle to the kyng He shal be beleued what soeuer he saye or purpose to do as it is reason wheder is be by meanes of peace or longe truse On the other parte the duke of Lancastre is eldest of all his bretherne that be vncles to the kyng He shall also be beleued for he is sage and puyssauÌ„t and by that it semeth the Englysshmen are wery of the warre This maryage bytwene the Duke of Lancasters doughter and the duke of Berrey is lykely to be a great meane to make a good peace bytwene FrauÌ„ce and Englande and than shal we here sticke styll in the warre for the duke of LaÌ„castre wyll folowe and pursue his chalenge of the realme of Castyle and the right that he hath by his wyfe he shall gyue it to his doughter and so than shall we haue warre bothe with Fraunce and Englande These doutes were layde to the kynge of Castyle And at that tyme all the Frenchmen that had serued long in the realme of Castyle were retourned in to Fraunce and the chiefe of the kynge of Castyls counsayle sayd to hym sir take hede to vs. ye neuer had so great nede of good counsayle as ye haue at this presente tyme. For sir a peryllousmyst is lyke to be engendred bytwene you and the duke of LaÌ„castre and that shall come by the meanes of FrauÌ„ce Howe so quod the kyng howe may that be In the name of god sir quod they the brute and renome spredeth throughe all this countrey and els where howe the duke of Berrey shall mary the duke of LaÌ„casters doughter And sir ye maye be sure that shall nat be but by the meanes of a great alyauÌ„ce so that therby here after ye maye be as farre cast behynde by them as ye haue ben auaunced Whan the kyng of Castyle knewe those tidynges he was right pensyue sawe well howe his counsayle shewed hym the trouthe Than he demaunded rounsayle of
them that he trusted best howe he shulde perceuer and deale in all his busynesse and they counsayled hym well and truely as the mater requyred as I shall shewe you YE knowe well as ye haue herde before in this hystorie Howe kynge Henry of Spaygne made a peace with Peter kynge of Arragone on the full poyntment that the kyng of Arragon shulde gyue his doughter in maryage to the kynge of Castyle This was Iohan who is nowe kyng and by this coniunction of maryage they were iÌ„ peace and their realmes Of this Iohan sonne to Henry and of the doughter of Arragon there came a sonne Than dyed the lady and after the dethe of kynge Henry of Castyle this kyng Iohan by the couÌ„saile of his men maried agayne the lady Beatrice doughter to Fernando kynge of Portugale and they hadde a sonne called Henry he was but yonge Than the counsayle of Castyle sayd to the kyng Sir we se in all these doutes but one remedy What is that quod kyng Iohan Sir we shall shewe you quod they your yong sonne Henry may well breke this maryage bytwene the duke of Berrey and the duke of Lancasters doughter for it is to be beleued that the duke of LaÌ„castre and the duches his wyfe had rather marchant with you and with your sonne than with the duke of Berrey In the name of god ê™ the kynge ye saye well I shall herken to this mater I thynke our people wyll lightly enclyne thervnto by that mariage we shulde haue peace with Englande â— bothe by lande and by water Therfore sirs those out them that were mete to go in our name to treate on this mater with the duke of Lancastre Sir ê™ they it is requisyte that they be discrete persones and that the matter be wisely handeled and in the secretest maner that maye be to the entente that ye ronne nat in the indignacyon of the Frenche kynge For nowe a dayes enuy rayneth greatly and sooner reporte is made of yuell than of good and the yuell sooner reysed vp than the good For if they of FrauÌ„ce knowe that ye treate with the duke of LaÌ„castre the Frenche kynge and his counsayle wyll demauÌ„de whervpon ye treate with the duke by reasone of the great alyaunce made in tyme past bytwene your father FrauÌ„ce And also the Frenche men haue alwayes susteyned your warre Wherfore sir â— your treaties must be done secretely and sende to the duke sage men and secrete and well enstructed of your busynesse And sende nat forthewith boost and pride tyll euery thynge be in a sure case It is true quod the kynge name them that be mete to go on that voyage Sir quod they sende your confessour frere FernaÌ„do of Farre and the bysshoppe of Geghene who was somtyme confessour to the kynge your father and Peter Gardelopes who is well languaged I am content ê™ the kynge lette them be sente for and well enfourmed what they shall say they wolde or this tyme haue treated for a peace but we wolde natte here them For the duke of Lancastre wolde none other wyse but that I shulde haue forsaken the Crowne of Castyle the whiche I wyll neuer do Than these thre were sent for to Burgus in Spayne where the kyng was Than it was sayd to them by the kynge and his priuâ—e counsayle Sirs ye muste go to Bayon to the duke of Lancastre and shewed them all their instructions They sayde they were redy to accomplysshe the kynges commanÌ„dement And so sette forthe on their iourney â— nat in no gret estate but symply for they wolde nat be knowen that they wente to the duke of LaÌ„castre as ambassadours to treate for any alyaunce for they knewe nat howe to spede Thus they entred in to Nauerre and came to Pampylona and there founde the kynge and the quene First they came thyder bycause the quene was suster to the kynge of Castyle There they hadde good chere but they nouther shewed the kyng nor the quene where about they wente And so passed thorough the countrey by the mountayns of Roseaulx and entred in to Bisquay and so rode tyll they came to Bayon WHanÌ„e they were come to the towne of Bayon sir Helyon of Lignacke was styll there who was sente fro the duke of Berrey as ye haue herde here before But after the coÌ„mynge of the castilyans they taryed nat longe after for frere don Fernando the kynge of Castyls confessour came to the duke of Lancastre for he knewe hym better than any of the other He began somwhat to breke the mater to shewe the cause of their coÌ„mynge The duke opyned his eates to his wordes and was gladde to here those tidynges and sayde Frere Fernando ye be welcome And the same day sir Helyon of Lignacke was delyuered And as I vnderstode the duke accorded the same tyme to a truse on all partes for such as made warre for hym in Acquitayne Bygore Thoulous and other place to endure vnto to the firste day of Maye in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred fourscore and nyne this truse to contynue all the countrey to the ryuer of Loyre and no further This truese was concluded at the request of the duke of Berrey to the entent that he myght sende in and out to the duke of Lancastre For before they of the fortresses of Mortaygne on the see of Bonteuyll of Rouuergue of Quercyn of Pyergourt and they on the ryuer of Garon were people without mercy they wolde knowe no manne wherfore these two dukes accorded to this truese the whiche was well kepte Whan sir Helyon of Lignacke departed fro the duke there was great loue shewed for the duke said howe the mater pleased him right well Howe be it the duke sayd playnlye he wolde neuer marry his doughter in to Fraunce without the consent and accorde of the kyng of Englande his nephue And also by the agrement of the counsayle of EnglaÌ„de but he sayd he trusted so to order the mater that all shulde do well Thus sir Helyon of Lignacke departed and returned in to FrauÌ„ce and shewed the duke of Berrey his letters that the duke of Lancastre had sent him and shewed hym by mouthe all the maner howe euery thyng wente and so the duke was well content ¶ Nowe lette vs speke of the kynge of Castyls ambassadours to whome the duke of LaÌ„castre gaue good eare so dyd the duches for all their hertes and ymaginacions lay euer on their chalenge of Spayn THe duke made these ambassadours good chere they came before the duke and the duchesse and there shewed their message first they treted for peace and there the frere preached in the dukes chaÌ„bre the duchesse present And she shewed the duke the entent of all his wordes for the duke vnderstode hym nat parfitely The lady vnderstode hym well for in her youthe she was brought vp in Spaygne The duke for all that the mater of their coÌ„myng was pleasauÌ„t to him yet he discouered
my mayster and his counsayle by greuous complayntes of the noble men other of the countrey of Auuergne and Lymosyn howe they had taken great domages and losses by the meanes that Aymergot aduysed a strong place bytwene the couÌ„trâ—â—s which was voyde and nat inhabyted he toke and fortefyed it and hath nat made it a house of peace or solace but a stronge fortresse and a resortynge place for theues robbers and murderers whervpon I am coÌ„mauÌ„ded to be here to defende the countrey and to the entent that suche as be assembled in this forttesse shulde nat multyply in their wickednesse but to punysshe them by suche sentence as apartayneth to their trespace and for that entente I do put to my payne to take them if I can the whiche coÌ„maundemente of my mayster I wyll obey and shall do my deuoyre to acquyte me truly and fro hence I wyll nat departe what so euer coÌ„maundemente I haue tyll I haue the fortresse and them that be within And if Aymergot Marcell wyll say that I am auaunced to breke the peace lette hym come forthe and he shall be fought withall with one that is better than he and shal cause to be proued by dyuers poyntes and artycles that he hym selfe breaketh the peace Sirs all thynges consydred I make you this aunswere ye maye retourne whan it pleace you and whan ye come there as ye wold be say none otherwyse nor no lesse than I haue sayde to you for often tymes reportes nat truely set enfourmeth lordes often tymes otherwyse than the trouthe is in dede Syr quod the squyer we are come hyther for none other purpose but to reporte the trouth of that we here and se and sythe ye wyll none otherwyse do we nede no lenger to abyde here and so toke their leaue And there was gyuen to the haraulde ten frankes for the honour of the kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre WHan they were departed they toke the hyghe way to Cleremount and sayd they wolde agayne to Parys whan they were halfe a leage on their way than they began to entre in to their mater and sayd As yet we haue done nothynge it behoueth vs to go to the duke of Berrey in to Auuergne who is lorde of this countrey for he writeth hym selfe duke of Berrey and of Auuergne the by counte of Meaulx dare nat displease the duke if he coÌ„maunde hym to departe and we haue letters fro the kynge our mayster and fro the duke of Lancastre to hym wherfore it is reason that we delyuer them and that we maye knowe his entente They concluded on that purpose and so rode to Cleremounte thydeâ— they were welcome for the haraulde knewe the countrey and whan they were demauÌ„ded what they were they answered that they were messangers sent fro the kynge of Englande and than they demaunded where the duke of Berrey was and it was shewed them that the duke and the duches was in a castell of theirs named the Nonecâ—e The haraulde knewe it well he had been there before Than they departed fro Cleremount and rode to Vyore and fro thens to Nonect There is a hyghe mountayne to passe or one come to the castell Whan they came there the duke of Berrey with many other was sportynge without the gate the harauld was knowen with dyuers Than they were brought to the duke who for the loue of the kynge of Englande and of the duke of Lancastre made them good chere the squyer delyuered his letters to the duke who receyued them and opened and red them at length two tymes ouer Than he studyed a lytell and answered them curtesly and sayde Syrs for the loue of our cosyns in Englande we shall gladly do our power Of the which aunswere the squyer and the haraulde were ryght ioyouse and thought than howe they had sped all their mater but it was nat so as ye shall here after howe be it the duke of Berrey at the begynnynge dyd his deuoyre to haue raysed the siege to please therby the kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre who desyred that the siege myght be reysed before the Roche of Vandoys and that the lytell fortresse myght abyde styll to Aymergot Marcell if he haue done any thyng to dysplease the frenche kyng or his couÌ„sayle the kynge of Englande wolde se that there shulde be amendes made And the duke of Berrey bycause he wold acquyte him truely to the englysshe mennes desyres suche as were in his house he wrote incontynente letters well endyghted to the vycount of Meaulâ— and these letters were red or they were sealed before the englysshe men who thought them well ordayned These letters were sente by a notable squyer of the duke of Berreys to the vycount of Meaulx who receyued them and opened them Than the vycount caused them to be redde before suche lordes as were there with hym whyle the messanger was a drinkynge for they made hym good chere for the loue of the duke of Berrey as it was reason Sirs quod the vycounte we shall nat be in rest syth the duke of Berrey wyll beare Aymergot who is the man of the world that this twelue yere hath moste grâ—ued and traueyled the couÌ„trey of Auuergne I had thought that the duke had hated hym greatly but it semeth nay sythe he hath â—rpresly coÌ„maunded that I shulde departe fro hence But by my faythe at this tyme I wyll nat obey this letter but I wyll make excuse by reason of the kynge and his couÌ„sayle who sent me hyder and at my departynge fro Parys he straytly coÌ„maunded me that for any coÌ„maundemente fro any persone and if it were nat fro the kynge kymselfe that I shulde nat departe fro hence tyll I had taken the stronge holde of the Roche of Vandoys and Aymergot therin whiche I wyll do if I canne and nowe the duke of Berrey coÌ„maundeth me the contrary for he chargeth me incontynent his letters sene that I shulde reyse the syege By my faythe I wyll nat do it Syr quod they that were aboute hym ye speke royally and truely and we shall abyde with you but we suppose the occasion that the duke of Berrey writeth thus for Aymergot is that the englyssh squier and the haraulde hath thus desyred him to write we thinke also they haue brought letters to hym fro the kynge of Englande and fro the duke of Lancastre as they brought to you this other day ye say well quod the vicounte and I shall knowe it if I came Than the duke of Berreys squier was sent for to haue his answere and the vycount sayd to him Pyer I wyll well that ye knowe that I owe obeysaunce to the duke of Berrey for he is so nere a kynne to the kynge that I dare nat dysplease hym but I and my companyons who haue ben here these fyue wekes at this siege to wyn this fortresse and to take the theues that be within it by the strayte coÌ„maundement of the kynge and his
counsayle and we haue great marueyle and good cause why howe my lorde of Berrey dothe commaunde vs and maketh requeste for his enemyes that we shulde reyse our siege by reason of that we say generally that we shal gyue ensample to all theues and robbers suche as wyll ouer ron the realme to do the worst they canne Wherfore Pyer ye shall say to the duke of Berrey fro vs all that we are and shall be redy inclyned to do any thynge that he commaundeth vs to do but as in this case I am so straytely enioyned and cōmaunded by the kyng and his coūsayle to kepe this siege and to contynewe it tyll I haue the fortresse and them within at my pleasure whiche cōmaundemente I dare nat brake and say that surely I wyll obey to no cōmaundement but alonely to the kynges whose subget Iame and by whome I am sente hyther But sir I requyre you shewe me one thynge if ye can who hath made this request for Aymergotte Marcell who hath done so moche yuell and anoyaunce to the countrey of Auuergne and Lymosyn and nowe he is atrapped lyke as a traytoure shulde be and is nere come to an yuell ende whiche he hathe well deserued for he hath erred and done contrary to his othe Syr quod the squyer there came to my lorde the duke of Berrey two men of Englande an haraulde and another who brought letters to my lorde fro the kynge of Englande and fro the duke of Lancastre and they made greate request for Aymergotte I beleue you well quod the vycounte it was Derby the haraulde and a squyer called Herbery they brought me this other daye lyke letters wherfore I suppose that the kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre wrote to the duke of Berrey in this mater wherfore shewe to my lorde of Berrey that I desyre him to consydre all thinges well for all these requestes that are come fro the other syde of the see are but desyres purchased by our enemyes to the which no lorde on this syde the see if he loue the honoure and profyte of the realme of Fraunce shulde enclyne nor condyscende Sir quod the squyer I shall forget nothynge of that ye haue shewed me for I loue nat Aymergot I had rather se his punysshmente thanne his delyueraunce So the Squyer departed and rode to Nonecte where he founde the duke of Berrey and dyd his message ryght sagely the conclusyon was that the vycounte of Meaulx sayde surely he wold nat departe fro the siege before the Roche of Vandoys without the kynge sente hym strayte commaundemente so to do With this aunswere the duke of Berrey was nat well contente he had thought that as well his commaundement shulde haue been obeyed specyally in Auuergne WHan the englysshe squyer and Derby the haraulde herde of the answere that was made to the duke of Berrey and howe that the siege was nat raysed they were sory and sawe well they traueyled in vayne than they sayde to the duke Syr what wyll ye counsayle vs to do shall we thus departe frome you without spedynge of any thynge to purpose The kynge of Englande and the duke of Lancastre haue great truste and affyaunce in you that ye shuld cause this siege to be reysed bycause the Roche of Vandoys is vnder our signoury Syrs quod the duke suffre a season Aymergot Marcell is in a stronge place he nedeth nat to feare takyng without a great vnhappe and shortely I purpose to goo in to Fraunce to the kynge and thanne I wyll speke with the Kynge and his counsayle and for the loue of my cosyns of Englande I shall do the beste I canne to bringe the matter to passe and ye shall go with me and se howe I shall spede With those wordes the Squyer and the haraulde were contente Than the fourth day after the duke departed fro Nonecte and lefte there the duchesse his wyfe with a gret parte of his householde and so the duke rode to Ryon in Auuergne and there he taryed more thanne eyght dayes for the erle of Sanxere and the lorde Rule who were gone to Auignon aboute the dukes busynesse and whan they were come they departed fro Ryon all togyther and toke the waye throughe Burbonoys and at laste came to Bourges in Berrey and there the duke taryed two dayes Than he rode to Mehun on the ryuer of yeure to a castell one of the fayrest houses of the worlde as thanne the duke had newly bylte it and it had coste hym thre hundred thousande frankes There the duke taryed fyftene dayes wherwith the Englysshe messangers were sore troubled howbeit they coude fynde none other remedy The duke as than made lytell force for the delyueraunce of Aymergot I shall shewe you howe and by what meanes So it was the erle of Sanxere and the lorde of Rule who were chefe of the dukes counsayle with syr Peter Mespyn they in fayre maner blamed the duke and sayde howe he hadde nothinge to do to medell with the busynesse of Aymergot sayenge that his lyfe hathe been alwayes dyshonourable and howe that he was but a false palyarte and alwayes agaynste the crowne of Fraunce and had doone many vyllayne dedes and roboryes in Auuergne and in Lymosyn and how that he was no mete parsone to be entreated for wherfore syr quod they suffre the kynge and his counsayle to deale with hym as they lyste These wordes and suche other refrayned the duke of Berrey to speke any further in the mater Howe be it the two englysshe men dyd their best to remembre the duke And the duke dissymulynge aunswered them curtessy and sayde Syrs suffre a season we shall be shortely at Parys but for all his wordes he taryed styll at Mehun more thanne thre wekes deuysynge with his mayster workeman as keruers and paynters for therin he had great fantasy He had a mayster workeman called maister Andrewe as than one of the best worke men of the worlde an Englysshe man borne but he dwelte in Fraunce and in Haynalte a longe season Nowe shall I shewe you what fortuned of Aymergot Marcell and of the roche of Vandoys This Aymergot was a farre castynge man and whan he sawe that that siege was nat reysed he thought well that the kyng of Englandes messangers coude nat spede of their sute than he thought on another turne as to departe thens and to ryde nyght and daye to speke with the capitaynes of Piergourt and Pyerguyse and with Guyot of saint Fayth and Ernalton of saynt Calombe Ernalton of Rostem Iohn̄ of Morsen Pier Danchin and Remonet of Cōpayne and with dyuers other gascoyns and bernoyse in the englysshe garysons and he thought that with his fayre wordes he shuld cause them to assemble togyther and to come in to Auuergne on truste to wynne great botyes and so on a mornyng or in the night to come and reyse the siege before Vandoys and to take there the frenche men prisoners whiche shulde be worthe to them
season syr Olyuer of Clysson as thanne constable of FrauÌ„ce was greatly in fauour with the kyng and with the duke of Thourayne whiche fauour he had get by reason of the good seruyce that he had done in armes as well in FrauÌ„ce as els where in the kynges dayes and in his fathers dayes kinge Charles and sir Olyer of Clyssons doughter had wedded Iohan of Bretayne brother germayne to the quene of Iherusalem and this syr Olyuer Clysson by reason of the alyaunce that he had by the maryage of Iohan of Bretayne was greatly in the duke of Bretayns indignacion in somoch that the duke helde him for his mortall enemy and Iohan of Bretayne in lykewyse and the duke of Bretayne repented hym that he had nat slaine sir Olyuer of Clysson whan he had hym in prisone in his castell of Ermyn This syr Peter of Craon was in suche fauour with the duke of Bretaygne that he myght do with him what he lyst he was his cosyn and whyle he was in fauour with the frenche kynge and with the duke of Thourayn he wolde gladly haue brought out of the kynges fauoure syr Olyuer of Clysson the constable if he coulde haue brought it aboute THus the enuyous whiche couertely always hath reygned in Fraunce dissymuling their maters tyll they come to an yuell conclusion The constable of Fraunce had alwayes ben so true in all his dedes to the crowne of Fraunce that euery manne loued hym except the duke of Burgoyn who loued him nothyng the hatred came by the duches of Burgoyne who was a lady of hygh corage for she coulde nat loue the Constable for the duke of Bretayne was nere of blod to her and all that her father the erle of Flaunders loued she loued and suche as he hated she dyd the same she was of that condycion This syr Peter of Craon whyle he was in the frenche court and great with the duke of Thourayne he wrote often tymes to the duke of Bretayne secretly euery thynge that he knewe the duke wrote agayne to hym Theffecte of their writynges I coude nat knowe how be it I Iohan Froy sart auctor of this hystory on a tyme whan I was at Parys on a night whan a great myschefe was lykely to haue fallen vpon sir Olyuer Clysson constable of Fraunce by a marueylous enterprise of syr Peter of Craon as I shall herafter more playnly declare whan tyme shall requyre And bycause I sawe the mater darke and obscure lykely to be great trouble and daunger I dyd all the payne I coulde to knowe the grounde and occasyon of the mater why syr Peter of Craon was so sodaynly banysshed fro the frenche kynges loue and the duke of Thourayns Suche serche I made and suche enquery of them that knewe the mater that some of them enfourmed me of the trouth as the fame renome ran Fyrst the duke of Thourayn was dyspleased with this syr Peter of Craon through his owne faute for he dysclosed the secretnesse that was bytwene the duke of Thourayne and another lady If he dyd so he dyd yuell THe duke of Thourayne as than had suche fauour to syr Peter of Craon that he toke hym as his companyon and ware euer lyke apparell and had hym alwayes with hym where so euer he wente and shewed hym all his secretes This Duke of Thourayn as than was yonge and amorous and gladly wolde company with ladyes and damosels and sporte hym amonge them and specially as it was shewed me he loued entierly a fayre lady of Paris yonge and fressh His loue and secretes were knowen in suche wyse that it turned to great dysplesure to the duke and he wyste nat whome to blame but syr Peter of Craon for the duke had shewed hym all his secretes in that mater and had taken hym in his company whan he wolde secretly speke with the said yonge lady The duke on a tyme promysed the sayd lady a thousande crownes of golde so that he myght haue his pleasure of her But the lady as than refused it and sayd howe she loued hym nat for his golde nor syluer but pure loue enclyned her to beare hym her good wyll but as for golde or syluer she wolde nat sell her honoure All these wordes and promesses were knowen by the duches of Thourayne who incontynent sent for the said yonge lady in to her chambre Than she called her by her name and in gret displeasure sayd Wylte thou do me wronge with my lorde my husband The yonge lady was abasshed and all wepynge sayd Nay madame by the grace of god I neuer dyd thynke it nor neuer wyll than the duchesse sayd Thus it is Iame enfourmed that my lorde my husbande loueth you and you him and the mater so farre gone bytwene you that in suche a place and at suche a tyme he promysed you a thousaÌ„de crownes of golde to haue his pleaser of you howe be it ye dyd refuse it as than wherin ye dyd wysely and therfore as at this tyme I ê‘don you but I charge you as derely as ye loue your lyfe that ye commune nor talke no more with hym but suffre hym to passe herkyn nat to his comunynge Than whan the yonge lady sawe her selfe accused of trouth she answered and sayd Madame I shall delyuer me fro him as sone as I can and shall so deale that ye shall haue no cause of dyspleasure in this mater Therwith the duchesse gaue her leaue to departe and so she returned to her lodgyng The duke of Thourayne who knewe nothynge of this mater and as he that entierly loued this yonge lady fortuned on a day to come where as she was Whanne she sawe hym she eschewed his company and made hym no maner of semblant of loue but dyd clene coÌ„trary to that she had vsed before for she durst nat and also she had sworne promysed to the duches Whan the duke sawe her countenaunce he was pensyue and thought he wolde knowe why she delte so straungely and demaunded of her the cause of her straungnes The yonge lady all wepynge sayd Syrye haue bewrayed your loue and the secrete promesse an offre that ye made me to my lady your wyfe or els some other remembre you wel to whom ye haue shewed your secretnesse for syr I was in great daunger by my lady your wyfe and by none other and I haue sworne and promysed her that after this tyme I wyll neuer coÌ„pany nor talke with you wherby she shulde haue any ielousy whan the duke harde that they were sore wordes to him and greatly to his displeasure and said Ah my sayre lady I swere to you by my faythe that rather than this mater shulde haue ben shewed to my wyfe that I had loste a hundred thousande frankes sythe ye haue sworne kepe your promesse for what so euer it coste me I wyll knowe the trouth who hath bewrayed our secretes THus the Duke departed fro the yonge lady and made no seÌ„blant as
Foiz sayd that no strauÌ„ger with any puissaunce shulde entre in to no castell nor towne of their countrey tyll the mater were determyned and as they of the countrey shewed themselfe they were better mynded to be Frenche to be gouerned by a seneschall as the countre and cytie of Tholous was and Carcasson and Beauuoyre rather than to be vnder any other ruler Howe be it the mater went otherwyse as ye shall here For whan the Frenche kynges coÌ„myssaries were come to Tholous they demaunded newes of the archebysshoppe and of the seneschall of Foiz and of Bierne and of other suche as had ben at Orthays at the buryeng of the erle of Foiz There they were enformed in what case the countre stode in Than they toke aduyse togyder determyned to sende for sir Roger of Spaygne bycause he was the Frenche kynges man by faythe and homage and his oftycer as seneschall of Carcassone They sent a credable persone with a letter to hym The messanger rode to saynt Gausens a .xii. myle fro thens Than he delyuered to sir Roger of Spaygne his letter sir Roger toke reed it and sayd to the squyer Sir ye shall tary here all this day to morowe ye shall departe I thynke ye shall nat go without company Than sir Roger and the Vycount counsayled toguyder Than it was thought for the beste that sir Roger of Spayne shulde ryde to Tholous and speke there with the bysshop of Noyon and with the Lorde de la Ryuer to knowe what they wolde say The next day ser Roger of Spayne and the messanger rode forthe togyder and came yâ— same nyght to Tholouse Syr Roger toke vp his lodgyng and the messanger went to his maysters Than the coÌ„myssioners said to morowe we shall here tydynges seynge sir Roger is come The next day after masse syr Roger drewe to the bysshop and to the lorde de la Ryuer made good chere eche to other bycause they were all of aquayntaunce and there communed the cause of their coÌ„mynge Than the kinges coÌ„myssyoners shewed forth the kinges procuracions and howe they were set and stablysshed to take possessyon and season of the countie of Foiz and whan syr Roger had well herde them at length he replyed with swete wordes and sayde Lordes I am nat so nere of the kinges couÌ„sayle as ye be and if I were sauynge your correction I wolde counsayle the kyng that he shulde take agayn his money and somwhat more trewe it is he hath lente money on the herytage of Foize to be reysed after the dethe of the erle yet let the kynge leaue the ryght of the enherytaunce to the nexte enherytoure of the blode this shall be for the kynges profyte honour and saluacyon and in this that I saye I shall laye dyuers reasons if ye wyll here it There is one thynge whiche is clere the erle of Foiz layde his lande to pledge by fraude for as for golde and syluer he had ynough for that he dyd was for nothynge but to dysheryte the Vicount of Chastellon wroÌ„gfully bycause he hated hym without cause Also as touchyng the kynges profyte I ensure you the kepyng of the lande of Foize shulde coste the kynge more than the rentes or reuenues cometh vnto And thyrdly the kyng shall lese therby the homage and seruyce of suche a man as is able to do him good seruyce this ought to be well regarded also it shulde be a great charge to the kynges consyence to dysheryte any persone without a reasonable cause for if the herytage of Foiz shuld haue ben bought and solde fyrste all suche as claymeth any ryght therin shulde haue ben a greed with all and satyfyed whiche was nat so wherfore my lordes these reasons well consydred seynge ye be great wyse men and counsaylours to the kynge take good hede what ye do or ye pronounce any thynge that shulde tourne to the kinges sclaunder or hurte to his conscyence if ye do otherwyse it were great synne and as yet there is tyme suffycyente to fynde remedy My cosyn the Vicount of Chastellon hathe sente me hyther to you to shewe you this mater and ryght effectuously desyreth you and so do I in his name to take regarde in this behalfe It is nat good nor conuenyent a man to take euery thynge byforce that he maye take Whan he had sayde than the bysshoppe and the lorde de la Ryuer loked on eche other at laste the bysshop sayde Syr Rodger we se and knowe well that all that ye haue sayd is for good entente but our coÌ„myssyon stretcheth nat so farre to quyte the bargayne that was bytwene the kyng and therle of Foize howe be it for the loue of you and to bringe the matter somwhat to good purpose and that all partyes myght be coÌ„tent we shall put this mater in suffraunce and ye shall take the payâ—e to ryde with vs into Fraunce to the kynge and to his counsayle and than shewe there your reasons as ye shall thinke best and if by your meanes ye can cause the vycount of Chastellon to enioy the herytage of Foiz who is enherytoure therto as ye saye we shall be ryght gladde therof for we wyll dysheryte no person Syrs quod syr Roger I am well contente with your sayenge if it please you to abyde here a season your costes shall be borne of the good that is in the castell of Orthays THe thyrde day sir Roger of Spayne tooke leaue of the kynges coÌ„myssyoners and sayde Syrs I thynke to bringe this mater to a good purpose I must be fayne to make a iourney into Fraunce if I tary longe I pray you be nat myscontent for it shall nat be in my faulte and I shall sende you daily messangers and letters Thus they departed they taryed at Tholous and sir Roger rode to saynt Gausens to the Vycount of Chastellon and shewed him all the mater the Vycount was ioyfull of those tydynges and sayd Fayre cosyn syr Roger all my trust is in you the mater toucheth me nere it is for thenherytaunce wherof I beare the armes I can nat tell whome to sende in to Fraunce but all onely you to shewe my tytle to the kynge and to his couÌ„sayle wherfore sir for the loue of me and for that I may deserue to you in tyme to come take on you the charge of this voyage syr Rodger sayd Syr for the loue of you and of your lynage I shall do it Than sir Roger prepared for his iourney to ryde in to FrauÌ„ce and so toke the way to Rodes and the shorter way for as than truce was bytwene Fraunce and Englande or els the way that he toke had nat been sure for hym for on the fronters of Rouuergue Quercy Lymosyn there were many fortresses that made warre for the Englysshemen ¶ Nowe I wyll leaue for a season spekynge of syr Roger of Spayne and speke of the frenche kynge and of the duke of Bretayne ⸪ ⸪ ¶ How the treatie of peace renewed
duke Iulyers and to the duke of Lancastre except Chinay whiche shulde go to them of Conflans by homage and the couÌ„tie of Soissons whiche parteyned to therle of Bloys and was auÌ„ciently alyed to hym The lorde of Coucy was enherytour therof by reason of his delyuerauÌ„ce out of prisone in EnglaÌ„d Also the landes of Drages Monny shulde retourne to other heyres And the landes of Holande and zelande shulde retourne to the erle of Heynaulte Thus these fayre heryteges shulde be sparcled abrode this knewe well the lordes of FrauÌ„ce wherfore the duke of Thourayn who had money lyeng by hym thought to bye these laÌ„des if he might haue any resonable bargayne ThaÌ„ he thought to entreate the kyng to moue therle of Blois in this mater and specially at the lest to bye the countie of Bloys whiche was a fayre and a noble countrey and well syttinge for hym for the countie of Bloyes marched on the duchy of Thouraygne and to the Countie of Bloys parteyned many goodly fees This duke of Thourayne rested styll on his purpose seased nat tyll he spake with the kynge his brother the duke of Burbone with the lorde of Coucy bycause he was great with the erle of Blois and had to wyfe the doughter of his cosyn germayne the duke of Loreyne The duke of Thourayne and the other lordes of his affyuite kept this mater secretely fro the duke of Berey I shall shewe you why The lady Mary his dought was endowed in all the countie of Bloys to the soÌ„me of .vi. M. frankes by yere and the duke of Berrey trusted by reason of his doughters dowrie the the countie of Bloys shulde be his after the erles dethe this duke of Berrey was a marueylous couytous prince the duke of Burgoyne in lyke wise trusted the landes of Holande zelande Heynalte to be his bycause that Margarete his eldest dought was maried to Wylliam sonÌ„e to therle of Heynalte wherby he thought outher by bieng or by soÌ„e other incident that chose landes shulde returne to his sonÌ„e erle of Ostrenant otherwyse called IohnÌ„ of Burgoyne who as than had maried Margarete eldest doughter to therle of Heynalte Thus the kyng and these said lordes purposed that at their deê‘tyng fro Tourse iii Thourayn to ryde by Blois to se their cosyn therle Guy of Bloys who was an eight myle fro Tourse in a castell of his owne called the Castell morant there to treate of this marchaÌ„dise with hym with his wyfe the lady Mary of Namure who was a couytous lady So it was there was a valiant knight and of great prudence bayly of Blois called sir Raynolde of Sens who had ê‘fyte informacion of all this busynes by what meanes I knowe nat Whan he knewe it he had gret pyte therof for loue of therle his lorde for he thought by reason of his sale of his laÌ„des he shuld be dishonored for euer disherite the true rightfull heyres whiche shulde be damnacion to his soule He thought to lette this mater if he coude so rode fro Blois spake with therle said sir the frenche kynge the duke of Thourayn the duke of Burdon and the lorde Coucy cometh hyder to you that is true ê™ therle why speke you that Sir ê™ he I say it bycause ye shal be requyred to sell your enheritaÌ„ce wherfore ye haue nede to take good aduise therin of those wordê therle had great marueyle said I can nat let men to speke make requestê but or I make any suche bargayne to sell myne enherytauÌ„ce or to disheryte myne heyres to my shame rebuke I shall rather sell or ley to pledge all the plate I haue Well sit ê™ the knight remeÌ„bre well the mater whan tyme is for this that I haue shewed you is without dout Bayly ê™ the erle I am nat so yong nor folysshe to enclyne to any suche treaties thus the bayly deê‘ted fro therle rode againe to Blois for he wolde nat be sene there at the kynges coÌ„mynge Whan the kyng and these said lordes caÌ„e to the castell the erle made them good chere as it was reason The erle and the countesse were right ioyfull that the kyng wolde visyte them in their owne castell Than the kynge to drawe the erle to his loue to bring hym to his entent sayd Fayre cosyn I se well ye be a lorde of our realme garnysshed with honour and larges and haue ben at great cost and to ayde you and somwhat to recoÌ„pence you We wyll you gyue and ayde that shall be well worthe to you twentie thousande fraÌ„kes in the countie of Blois Th erle thanked the kyng of his gyfte but he had neuer profite therof for he had neuer nothyng Than the kynge began to treate the Erle to sell the countie of Bloyes to the duke of Thourayn The kynge and the duke of Burbone spake fyrst and founde therle very colde and tarre of in that mater Than the lordes drewe to the countesse of Bloyes and shewed her so many colored reasons and she hers that after her husbandes dethe she was lyke to be but a poore lady Wherfore they said it were moche better for her to be a ryche lady and a puissaunt of golde and syluer and iewelles than to be poore Sayeng howe she was lykely to ouerlyue her husbade Therfore they desyred her to counsayle her husbande to make this marchaundyse The countesse who was a couytous lady And for loue to haue the floreyns she enclyned to their desyres and she dyd so moche with the helpe of other as the ayde of a varlet of the Erles chambre called Sohier borne at Malygnes sonne to a weyuer of clothes but he was so great with the erle of Bloyes that all thynge was done by hym without hym nothyng done And the erle had gyuen hym in fees and herytagê more than fyue hundred frankes by yere Be holde and consydre what myschefe great lordes be brought vnto by meane of seruauÌ„tes This Sohier had nother wytte nor reason to be greatly alowed but it was alonely the folysshe loue that his maister hadde to hym In lykewise the duke of Berrey the same season had one with hym called Iaques Thybaulte who was of no reputacion yet the duke at dyuers tymes had gyuen hym the soÌ„me of two hundred thousande frankes and yet all was but loste This Sohier coulde nor can nat excuse hym selfe but that if he had lysted he myght well haue broken that marchaÌ„dise that therle his mayster made but to please the kynge the duke of Thourayne the duke of Burbone the lorde of Coucy and the couÌ„tesse who was agreed therto by couitousnes of the florens He rowned so in his maisters eare that the Erle wente from his promyse that he had made to his bayly And to there the reuercion of the countie of Bloyes after his discease was solde for the somme of two hundred thousande frankes and the duke of Thouraygne to delyuer to
brekyng of his promesse that he forgette it nat by reason of our neclygeÌ„ce THus the pope and his cardynalles at Auignon spake and comuned toguyder and layde the defaute of the kynges malady on the counsayle of FrauÌ„ce and on suche as were about the kynge in his chambre Of the same oppinyon were many other folkes in the realme of Fraunce They that were about the kynge sence the kynges offrynge to a towne called Aresnecke in the countie of Heynaulte bytwene Cambrey Valencennes In the whiche towne there was a Churche parteyninge to an abbey of saynt Waste in Arrasce wherin there lyeth a saynt called saint Acquayre of whom there is a shrme of syluer whiche pylgrimage is sought farre and nere for the malady or frasey Thyder was sente a man of waxe representynge the Frenche kynge and was humbly offred to the saynt that he myght be meane to God to asswage the kynges malady and to sende him helthe In lykewise the kynges offrynge was sente to saynt Hermyer in Romayes whiche saynt had meryce to heale the Fransey And in lykewise oâ—ryngê were sent iÌ„ to other places for the same entent WhaÌ„ the tidynges were come in to Englande the kynge and his counsayle were sore troubled therwith and specially the duke of Lancastre and he sayd to suche knyghtes and squyers as were aboute hym Sirs surely it is great pytic of the Frenche kynge for he semed to be a man of great enterprice and of great desyre to do well He sayde to me at Amyence whan I departed fro hym Fayre cosyn or Lancastre I desyre you hertely to do your dylygence that a ferme peace maye be made bytwene our nephue the kynge of Englande and vs and oure realmes to the entent that we myght go togyder agaynst Lamorabaquyn who hath conquered the Realme of Armony and dothe that he can to distroye Christendome By our goyne thider our faithe shulde be exalted we are all bouÌ„de therto And nowe by the Frenche kynges malady the mater is sore letted and hyndred for he shall neuer be of the credence he was of before All that herde the duke sayde It was trewe and that it was lyke to be great trouble in Fraunce Thus all maner of people bothe tarre and nere spake and deuysed of the kynges maladye and the kyng laye styll at Crayle in the kepynge of the foresaid knyghtes of maister Guyllyam of Harsely And no man spake with the kynge nor entred in to the castell but suche as were ordayned therto Somtyme the duke of Orlyaunce and the duke of Burbone came thyder to visyte the kynge and the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyne laye styll at Parys and had done nothynge of newe but they were in purpose shortely to do somwhat agaynst suche as they loued nat bycause they hadde been alwayes harde to them before and the duke of Berrey said to the duke of Burgoyne Brother le Ryuer Clysson le Mercyer and the Begue of Vallayns whan they were with the kynge in Languedocke ccuelly they punysshed to dethe my treasourer and good seruaunt Betysache by euuy And for all that I coude do or saye I coulde nat gette hym out of their handes nor saue his lyre Therfore nowe let them beware or me for I shall paye them agayn with the same money forged in the same forge In lykewise the duke of Burgoyne coude nat ioue them that gouerned the kyng for euer whane he had any busynesse to do in the courte they were euer agaynst hym Also the same tyme the duchesse of Burgoyne who was a cruell lady was about the quene as chefe ruler and non spake with the quene but by her meanes THis lady hated mortally sir Olyuer of Clyisone for loue of the duke of Bretayne for he was nere of blode to her and often tymes she spake to the duke her husbande sayeng howe he was greatlye to blame to beare so moche sir Olyuer of Clisson agaynst so myghtie a prince as the duke of Brecaygne And the duke of Burgoyne who was a colde a sage and an ymaginatyue prince and dyde his busynesse alwayes at length and wolde nat wyllyng bringe the realme of FrauÌ„ce in to trouble but alwayes wyllyng to kepe all ê‘ties in loue and peace as nere as he myght And also as he that was neuer wyllyng to displease any of the great lordê answered right sagely wysely to his wyfe Dame ê™ he it is good in all tymes soÌ„what to dissymnle a mannes displeasure True it is our cosyn of Bretayne is a great lorde hath seignorie puissaunce ynough agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson if I hadde taken his parte agaynst Clysson it shulde greatly haue weaked the Realme of Fraunce For sir Olyuer of Clyssone saythe and sustayneth that all the hate that he hath to the Duke of Bretaygne is to sustayne vp the realme of Fraunce wherin we haue great parte And also this is the coÌ„mon renome in FrauÌ„ce Also as yet I haue sene no artycle wherin I shulde take parte with my cosyn of Bretaygne agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson therfore it hath behoued me to dissymule or elles I coude nat haue had the good wyll of the kyng nor of the realme wherto I am more bouÌ„de by faithe and seruyce than to the duke of Bretaygne Nowe it is so that the kyng is nat in good case as ye knowe well and all this is agaynst the lorde Clisson and shal be and to suche as haue gyuen couÌ„sayle agaynst vs my brother of Berrey and me that the kyng shulde procede in his iourney to Bretaygne The rodde is gadered wherwith they shall be shortely beaten and corrected as ye shall breuely here if yet wyll take a lytell pacieÌ„ce Dame dame there is no season but at last is payde Nor no fortune but that somtyme tourneth Nor herte troubled but somtyme agayne reioyceth Nor none that is ioyfull but somtyme is sorie and troubled Clysson le Ryuer Montague le Mercyer le Vyllayns they haue done yuell and that shal be shewed them breuely With suche lyke wordes the duke of Burgoyne and the duchesse his wyfe sported theÌ„ toguyder ON a daye it happed that the duke of Burgoyne and the duke of Berrey coÌ„muned secretely togyder sayde It were tyme that we began to distroye them that haue dishonored our nephue the kynge and haue ledde hym at their wylles And first let vs begyn at the coÌ„stable he is the grettest and hath most to lese for this other daye he made his testament of seuyntene huÌ„dred thousaÌ„de frankes Where the deuyll hath he gadered toguyder all that richesse And yet the mary age of his doughter to Iohan of Bretayne whom he delyuered out of prison in EnglaÌ„d and payde for his rauÌ„some two huÌ„dred thousande frankes of Englande Let vs se what poyntes we can lay to him by reason for our nephue the duke of Orleaunce beareth hym greatlye and so do dyuers other barones of Fraunce Howe be it and we stycke therto we shall
their voyage Than it was iudged by the lordes of the parlyament that sir Olyuer of Clysson Constable of Fraunce hadde forfayted landes lyfe and goodes And so iuged hym to be banysshed for euer out of the realme of Fraunce and to lese all his offyces and herytages within the realme And bicause he had nat sente the Martell whiche is the token of the offyce of the Constablery as he was soÌ„moned to do therfore the offyce was vacant and voyde Than the dukes and their counsayls suche as were agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson thought it necessary to prouyde soÌ„e person to occupy the said offyce whiche was so noble and of so gret renome that it might nat long be without a gouernour for the incidentes that myght happe to fall They aduysed that the lorde Coucy was a mete man for it and layde it to hym but he excused him selfe and sayd that in no wyse he wolde medyll therwith he wolde rather forsake the realme of Fraunce Whan they sawe he wolde nat medyll therwith than the dukes toke other aduyse ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe the maryage was treated of the lorde Philyp of Arthoys Erle of Ewe and the lady Mary of Berrey wydowe doughter to the duke of Berey and howe he was admytted Constable of Fraunce Cap. C. xc.iiii IN this same seasone there was a treatie of maryage to be had bytwene the lorde Philyppe of Arthoys the yong wydowe lady of Berrey somtyme called couÌ„tesse of Dunoys and wyfe to Loyes of Bloys The Frenche kynge wolde gladly haue had this maryage auaunsed but the duke of Berrey was natre wyllynge therto for he thought the erldome of Ewe but a small thyng as to the regarde of her fyrste husbande wherfore he thought to mary her more highlyer In dede the lady was beautifull endued with all vertues that shulde aperteyne to a noble lady Howe be it finally the duke of Berrey was lothe to displease the kynge yet he had many offers made hym for his doughter as by the yonge duke of Loreyne by the erle of Armynake by the sonne and heyre of the Erle of Foiz The kynge brake of all these maryages and sayd to his vncle Fayre vncle of Berrey we wyll nat that ye shall putte our cosyn youre doughter come of the Floure delyce in to so farre countreys we shall prouyde for her a mariage mete for we wolde gladly haue her nere vs it is right mete that she be with our aunt your wyfe for they be moche of one age Whan the duke sawe the kynges entente he reâ—rayned hym selfe of makynge of any promyse to any persone for his doughter Also he sawe well that the kynge enclyned his fauour to his cosyn the lorde Philyppe of Arthois who was a yonge lusty knyght and of highe corage and hadde endured many traueyls in armes beyond the see and other places and had atchyued many voyages to his great laude and honour Than the dukes of Berrey and Burgoyne agreed bytwene theÌ„ that if the kynge wolde gyue to their cosyn Philyppe of Arthois the offyce of Constablery of Fraunce whiche as than they reputed voyde by reason of the forfayture of sir Olyuer of Clysson than they to agree at the kynges pleasure in this sayd maryage For the duke of Berrey thought that if he were constable of FrauÌ„ce he shulde than haue suffycient to mentayne his estate On this the two dukes determyned to speke to the kynge and so they dyde and said to hym Sir your counsayle generally are all agreed that the lorde Philyp of Arthoys be preferred to the offyce of constableshyp of Fraunce whiche is nowe voyde For by iugement of your ê‘lyament Olyuer of Clysson hath forfayted the offyce whiche maye nat be long vacant but it shulde be preiudyce to the realme And sir bothe you and we also are bounde to auauÌ„ce and promote our cosyn of Arthoys for he is nere of blode and of lynage to vs. And sir seing the office is voyde we can nat tell where ye shulde better enploy it than on hym He shall right well exercise it he is welbeloued with knyghtes and squiers and he is a man without enuy or couytousnesse These wordes pleased well the kyng who answered said Vncle if it voyde we had rather he had it than another The kyngê vncles sued styll for the lorde Philyppe of Arthoys for the duke of Berrey hated sir Olyuer of Clisson bycause he consented to distroye Betysache his seruaunte And the duke of Burgoyne hated hym bycause he made warre agaynst the duke of Bretaygne and yet the duchesse hated hym worse Finally the kyng assented so that the duke of Berrey wolde agre to the maryage bytwene his doughter the said lorde Philyppe of Arthoys And yet to satisfye the kyng and the duke of OrlyauÌ„ce who bare sir Olyuer of Clysson in that offyce They sente sir Guyllyam of Bourdes and sir Guyllyam Martell bothe knyghtes of the kynges chambre And sir Philyppe of Sauoises a knyght of the duke of Berreys in to Bretaygne to speke with sir Olyuer of Clysson These knyghtes tooke their iourney and rode to Anger 's and there they fouÌ„d the quene of Hierusalem and Iohan of Bretaygne who receyued them right honorably for the honour of the Frenche kynge There they taryed two dayes and demaunded newes of sir Olyuer of Clysson Sayeng they had curtesse letters and message fro the FreÌ„che kyng to hym and fro none other persone And they were aunswered no man coude tell where he was but that he was surely in Bretayne in one of his fortresses But they said he was so flyttyng fro one place to another that it was harde to fynde hym Than these knightes departed and toke leaue of the quene and of her sonne Charles the prince of Thatent and of Iohan of Bretaygne erle of PoÌ„thieu and rode to Rennes And the duke of Bretayne and the duchesse were at Wannes and rode nat lightly forthe out of the towne for he euer douted the busshmentes of his ennemye sir Olyuer of Clysson There was so harde warre made bytwene them that there was no mercy but dethe And thoughe the duke was lorde and souerayne of the countrey yet there was neyther barone knyght nor squyer in Bretaygne that wolde arme them agaynst sir Olyuer of Clysson but dissymuled and sayde that their warre touched them nothyng wherfore they satte styll The duke coude haue none other conforte WHanÌ„e these Frenche knyghtes were at Rennes they enquered where to fynde sir Olyuer of Clysson but they coude here no certentie of hym Thanne they were couÌ„sayled to drawe to the castell of Ioselyn where sir Olyuer of Clyssons men receyued them well for the loue of the Frenche kynge Than they demaunded where they myght here of sir Olyuer of Clysson Sayeng they had to speke with hym fro the frenche kynge and from the duke of Orlyaunce and from none other persones But his men coude tell nothyng of hym or els they wolde nat tell But
had spedde and they shewed hym all the hole processe and vpon what poynte they departed wherof the kynge was gladde for he shewed to be glad to haue peace In lyke maner the englyssh dukes whan they came to Calays they wrote to the kynge of Englande all the poyntes and artycles of that treatye And shortly they had agayne a good aunswere coÌ„maundynge them to procede for a peace sayenge the warre had contynewed longe ynoughe and that crystendome therby was sore doÌ„maged Thus at the daye prefyxed these dukes mette agayne at Balyngham and with the frenche lordes came the kynge of Armony to shewe to the lordes of Englande his busynesse and necessyte He was well knowen with the duke of Gloucestre for he had ben in Englande whan the frenche army was ordeyned at Sluse to haue gone in to Englande The duke of Glocestre the same tyme receyued the kynge of Armony and made hym good chere at a fayre place of his in Esser called Plasshey At Balyngham also the Dukes of Englande made the kynge of Armony good chere and was glad to here hym speke And they aunswered hym that gladly they wolde ayde hym wherof the kynge was ryght ioyfull Many thynges were treated in this parlyament And all this season the cardynall of Line lay at Abbeuyle who was sente thyder in legacyon by hym that called hym selfe pope Clemente for maters concernyng the churche The frenche dukes at this assemble at Balyngham wolde haue had certayne artycles comprised in their treatie concernynge the churche and susteynynge the opynyons of this pope Clemente Robert of Geneue But whan the Englysshe dukes harde that they sayd to their cosyns of Fraunce Cosyns and ye wyll that we shall fall to any poynte of conclusion speke no more of that cardynall we haue nothyng to do with hym his matter is a busynes without profyte or effecte we are determyned vpon a pope to whom we wyll obey we wyll here no spekyng agaynste hym if the other medle any thynge with vs we shall departe and god hence and leaue all togytder After that tyme there was no mo wordes of that cardynall he taried styll at Abbcuyle Than these lordes proceded in their treaties the duke of Lancastre was well enclyned to haue peace The Frenche kynge the yere before hadde sore desyred hym to be a good meane to entreate for a peace and so he promysed to do howbeit his brother the duke of Gloucestre was hard to agree for he layde forthe the frenchemens dysceytes and colored wordes that they vsed alwayes in their writynges sayenge howe the frenche men wolde alwayes wrestell with their armes dyscouered whiche was euer perceyued On a daye there came a squyer of honour a frenche man called Robert the hermyte to the duke of Gloucestre he was one of the frenche kynges priuy chambre whether he was sente to the duke of Glocestre or came on his owne heed I can nat tell but as the duke shewed me in Englande at Plasshey this squyer sayd to him Syr for the loue of god be nat agaynst this treatie of peace for ye se howe the lordes of Fraunce do their dyligence to bringe it aboute ye shall do an almesse dede for the warre hath to longe endured and sythe that bothe kynges are content to haue peace all their subgiettes ought to obey therto Than the duke answered hym as he sayd Roberte I am nat agaynst it nor wyll nat be but ye frenche men amonge you ye haue so many coloured wordes so darke and obscure to our vnderstandynge so that whan ye wyll it is warre and whan ye lyst it is peace thus haue ye ledde vs vnto this presente daye But if the kynge my soueraygne lorde had beleued me and suche other of his realme as are bouÌ„de to serue hym peace shulde neuer haue been bytwene Englande and Fraunce tyll restytucyon had ben made to vs of all that is taken fro vs without cause by subtylte and crafte as god and all the worlde knoweth But sythe the kynge my souerayne lorde enclyneth to the peace it is reasone that we agree to the same and therfore if we make a peace acordyng to the desyres of bothe kynges sythe we be here assembled let it be well holden on your syde for it shall be well kepte on our partye And thus the duke shewed me that this Roberte the Hermyte departed fro hym and went to his company And so these lordes contynewed styll their treatie I Wyll make no further processe but come to conclusyon These foure dukes that were at this assemble and had full power aâ—d auctorite of their kynges to take a treâ—â—ce and to make a peace They dyd so in suche wyse that generall voyce and 〈◊〉 through the towne of Abbeuyle that a peace was taken vpon certayne artycles bytwene the two kynges their alyes and consyderates But I sir Iohan Froyssart auctour of this hystory beynge the same tyme in Abbeâ—â—yle coulde nat lerne the certaynte of the artycles comprised in that peace Howe be it I knewe that a peace was taken to endure four yeres to be kepte ferme and stable bothe by see and by lande And it was concluded and agreed that within the sayde space of the four yere shulde be delyuered to the kynge of Englande for euer and perpetually to all kinges of Englande and to his coÌ„myssioners all the landes and sygnories in the countrey of Languedoâ— and to be as of the demayne and herytage of the crowne of Englande And this doone and accomplysshed it was agreed by the same ordynaunce that certayne capitayns and their men that helde some holdes and fortresses in the Realme of Fraunce shulde aduoyde and departe all suche as made warre and do make any warre vnder the shadowe and coloure of the kyng of Englande and the Englysshe men of what nacyon so euer they were To all these artycles these lordes that were as than at Balyngham were bounde in writynges sygned and sealed and the copyes therof sent to bothe kynges Than the dukes of Lancastre and Gloucestre sent an harauld called Marche with letters to the Kynge of Englande shewynge and declarynge all the hole processe ordynaunce concluded in their treatie vpon the forme of peace Thus this haraulde departed with his letters and rode to Calys and passed ouer to Deuer and rode forthe tyll he came to the kynge who was at a manoure of his owne besyde London Whan he came in the kynges presence he delyuered his letters And whan the Kynge had redde them he was ryght ioyouse and gaue to the haraulde for his good tydynges bryngynge great giftes as the same haraulde shewed me after at leysare as I rode with hym in to the Realme of Englande These foure dukes of Fraunce and of Englande were styll at Balyngham and soiourned there in fayre tentes and pauylyons and well and dylygently perused and examyned the artycles of their treatie and wolde passe nor seale to none tyll all darke and obscure wordes were clerely declared and made
his people were right ioyfull for they loued hym and so came conforted hym and sayde Sir though ye haue hadde doÌ„mage at this tyme another tyme ye shall right well recouer it Thus the kynge bare his doÌ„mage as well as he myght On the other parte Lamorabaquy retourned in to his countre came to a towne called Burse and thyder were all the prisoners brought there sette vnder sure kepynge They were nothyng there at their ease The heate of the countrey and dyette sore chaunged them for they hadde ben vsed before to swete and delycate metes and drinkes and had their owne cookes and offycers that dyde prepare their meates accordynge to their dyettes there in Turkey they were sarued all contrarye with grose meates flesshe yuell sodden and dressed They had spyces ynough bredde made of mylke clene fro the nature of FrauÌ„ce They had wyne and that was with great daunger Thoughe they were all great lordes they were but smally regarded there The turkes had as lyue they had been sicke as hole and deed as a lyue they wolde they had ben all putte to execusyon So these prisoners conforted eche other within themselfe for they sawe none other remedy so some of theÌ„ their nature chaunged and fell in to sickenesse He that made the best chere and countynaunce was the Erle of Neuers and that he dyde to conforte his companyons also sir Bouciquant and the erle of Marche and sir Henry of Bare were of good conforte and tooke euery thynge paciently Sayeng that the honours in armes nor the glorie or this worlde coude nat be hadde without payne and somtyme with metyng of harde aduentures For they said that there was neuer so valyaunt and happy that had alwayes euery thyng as they wysshed They sayde they were bounde to thanke god that he hadde saued their lyues consydringe the displeasure that Lamorabaquy and his counsayle were in for the losse of their men for it was ones determyned that we shulde all generally haue been putte to dethe Than Bouciquaunt sayd I ought aboue all other to thanke god of my lyfe for I was at the poynt to haue beÌ„ hewen all to peces as other of my company were but at the request of my lorde here the erle of Neuers I was saued This aduenture call I good and sithe god hath delyuered vs fro this paryll he wyll and it please hym delyuer vs fro a greatter for we be his soudyers for his sake we haue this payne For by reason that sir Iaques of Helley is gone in to Fraunce I trust within a yere we shall haue good comforte and be delyuered The matter can not abyde thus The Frenche kyng and the duke of Burgoyn wyll nat forgette vs but by some meanes raunsomed and delyuered THus sir Boucyquaunt reconforted hym selfe and tooke euery thyng in good pacyence but the lorde Coucy coude take no coÌ„forte whiche was marueyle for before that tyme he was a lorde of great wysdome and of great coniorte neuer was abasshed but beyng thus in prison in Burse in Turkey he was more disconforted than any other and in more malencoly And sayd he was sure he shulde neuer retourne in to FrauÌ„ce Sir Henry of Bare conforted hym as moche as he myght and blamed hym of his disconforte sayeng howe he ought to gyue conforte to all other Howe be it the same sir Henry was sore abasshed in hym selfe oftentymes remembred his wyfe and wolde wepe pituously And in lykewise so dyd sir Philyppe of Arthoise erle of Ewe and constable of Fraunce Sir Guye of Tremoyle was of good conforte and so was the erle of Marche Lamorabaquy was content somtyme that they shulde haue some pastyme somtyme he wolde go hym selfe and se them and iangle and bourde with them right graciously and wolde that they shulde se parte of his estate puyssaunce ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue somwhat to speke of them and speke of sir Iaques of Helley and sir IohnÌ„ of Castell Morant who were bothe ryding towardes Hungry SIr Iaques of Helley taryed in the cytie of Bode in Hungry about a ten or .xii. dayes abydinge for sir Iohan of Castell morant And whan he was coÌ„e sir Iaques was ioyfull for he was desyrous to passe forthe in to Turkey to acquyte hym of his faythe and promyse and to se the erle of Neuers and the lordes of Fraunce and to comforte them Whan the kynge of Hungry sawe sir IohnÌ„ of Castelmorant he made him good chere for the loue of the frenche kynge he vnderstode that the frenche kyng had sent by hym gret preseÌ„tes iowels to lamorabaâ— wherwith he was sore displeased in his mynde but he dissymuled the mater and kepte it couert tyll sir Iohan Heley was departed in to Turkey warde but he said to suche of his priuye counsayle as he discouered the mater vnto Howe that the miscreant dogge his aduersary Lamorabaquy shulde haue no preseÌ„tes out of Fraunce nor fro no place els if it laye in his power to lette it Sir IohnÌ„ Helley was departed and promysed to gette of Lamorabaquy a saueconducte for sir Iohan Morant to passe in to Turkey and repasse So long he trauâ—yled with guydes that he came in to Turkey to the cytie of Burse but as than Lamorabaquy was in another cytie called Poly. And where so euer he went the prisoners were caryed with hym excepte the lorde Coucy who taryed styll at Burse for he coude nat endure to ryde he was so sicke and with hym taryed a cosyn of his of Grece a right valyant barone discended of the lynage of the dukes of Austriche who was called Mathelyn Whan sir Iaques was come to Poley Lamorabaquy was gladde to se hym bycause he was come out of Fraunce Than sir Iaques right humbly said to him Right dere redouted sir beholde here your prisoner to the best of my power I haue don your message the ye gaue me in charge to do Than Lamorabaquy sayd thou arte welcoÌ„e Thou hast trewly acquyted thy selâ—e therfore I acquyte the of thy raunsome prison so that thou mayst go retourne tary at thy pleasure wherof sir Iaques right huÌ„bly thaÌ„ked hym Than he shewed howe the frenche kyng and the duke of Burgoyne had sente a knyght of honoure embassade to hym with credeÌ„ce and had brought with hym certayne presentes of pleasure fro the Frenche kyng Lamorabaquy demaunded what they were and if he had sene them or nat The knyght aunswered sir I haue nat sene them but the knyght that hath the charge to do the message is at Bode in Hungry And sir I am come before to shewe you therof to haue a saueconducte for the sayd knyght to come and to retourne safely Than Lamorabaquy sayd We wyll that he haue one as thou wylte deuyse wherof the knyght thanked hym So they departed as at that tyme. Another tyme sir Iaques spake with Lamorabaquy kneled downe before hym and humbly requyred that he myght se
the lordes and knyghtes of Fraunce for he had dyuers thynges to saye to them out of their countre Lamorabaquy studyed a lytell or he aunswered and at laste sayd Thou shalte speke with one of them but with no mo and so sent for the erle of Neuers alone and whan he was come sir Helley kneled downe to hym Th erle was glad to se hym and demaunded howe the frenche kynge and the duke his father the duches his mother dyde The knyght shewed hym all that he knewe and all that he was charged to saye to hym howe be it they had nat so good leysar to talke togyder as they wolde haue had for Lamorabaquyes men that were there present badde them haue done for they sayd they had other thynges to do than to stande there and wayte vpon them Than sir Iaques demaunded of the Erle howe all the other lordes of Fraunce dyde The Erle said they were all in good case except the lorde of Coucy who was somwhat diseased and was at the cytie of Burse Than sir Iaques shewed hym howe sir Iohan of Castell morant was come out of Fraunce fro the kyng and fro the duke of Burgoyne in ambassade to Lamorabaquy and to asswage his yre he hath sent hym ryche iewelles and presentes but he is at Bode in Hungry with the kyng there and I am come before for a sauecoÌ„duct for hym to come and go the whiche Lamorabaquy hath graunted And I thynke I shall retourne to hym shortely Herof therle was right ioyous but he durst make no semblant for feare of the Turkes but said sir Iaques I vnderstande by you that ye are quyte of your raunsome and prison and that ye maye retourne whan it pleaseth you in to FrauÌ„ce whan ye come there I praye you shewe the kyng and my father that we all desyre them to treate as shortely as maye be for our delyueraunce by some marchauntes genowayes or venisyons and agree at the fyrst worde to that Lomorabaquy shall desyre for our rauÌ„some for if they shulde make long treatie with hym we shal be lost for euer for I vnderstaÌ„de Lamorabaquy is trewe of his worde curtesse and shorte in all his maters so he be taken at the poynt Thus the erle of Neuers and sir Iaques departed Whan the saueconducte was redy it was delyuered to sir Iaques Than he toke his leaue of Lamorabaquy and of other of his courte of his aquayntaunce and rode so longe by his iourneys that he arryued at Bode in Hungry Than he drewe to sir Iohan Moraunt who thought longe for hym Than sir Iaques sayd sir I haue brought you a saueconducte to go in to Turkey and all youre company and to retourne agayne at your pleasure I am gladde therof ê™ the knyght Lette vs go to the kyng of Hungry and shewe hym therof and than to morowe betymes lette vs departe for I haue taryed here longe ynoughe Than they bothe togyder wente to the kyng in to his chambre and shewed hym all the mater The kynge than answered and sayde Sir Iohan Moraunt and ye Helly ye be welcome ye shall go at youre pleasure for the loue of my cosyns of Fraunce to whom I wolde be gladde to do pleasure and to you also ye maye go come throughe my realme at your pleasure and also in to Turkey if ye please But as for your presentes that you sir Iohan haue brought out of FrauÌ„ce I wyll nat agree that ye shall conuey them to that hell hounde Lamorabaquye He shall neuer be enryched therwith It shulde tourne to our great shame and rebuke if he shulde make his auauut that bycause he hath had victorie on vs and hath in daunger and prison certayne lordes of FraÌ„ce that for feare therof there shulde be sente to hym riche presentes as for the GerfaucoÌ„s I care nat for for foules flye lightly oute of one countre in to another they are soone gyuen and soone lost But as for riche hangynges of arras are thynges to be sene and to endure for euer Wherfore sir Iohan Morant if ye wyll passe in to Turkey with your ger faucoÌ„s go whan it please you but as for any other thyng ye shall haue non with you thaÌ„ the knyght aunswered and sayd Certaynly sir it shulde nat be myne honour nor pleasaÌ„t to the Frenche kynge nor to the lordes that haue sente me hyder without I myght accoÌ„plysshe my voyage as I haue in charge well quod the kynge ye shall haue none other waye of me at this tyme. So the kynge went fro them and lefte the two knightê spekynge toguyder They were sore troubled with the abusyon on the kynge of Hungery Than they counsayled toguyder what was best for them to do Than they determyned to sende hastye messangers to the freÌ„che kynge and to the duke of Burgoyne sithe they sawe they coulde haue none other remedy they wrote letters to the kyng and to the duke of Burgoyne that they shulde ê“uyde for the mater They sente their letters by poste to make the more hast and taryed styll them selfes at Bode with the kyng of Hungry abyding the retourne of their messanger THis messanger spedde so well and made suche dilygence that he came to Parys and there founde the kyng and the duke of Burgoyn and there shewed his leâ—â—s and they were reed at length with the whiche they were nothynge pleased and had marueyle that the kyng of Hungry wolde nat suffre his presentes to passe throughe his countre in to Turkey The duke of Berrey excused the kynge of Hungry and sayde howe he had good cause to do as he dyde for it is a thyng to humbly done for the kynge to sende suche presentes to an hethan thyng the duke of Burgoyne bycause the mater touched hym he was of the contrary opinyon and said it was a thyng reasonable so to do sith that fortune hath ben so fauorable to him to haue the vyctorie in suche a batayle and hath hadde the kyng of Hungry in chase and hath taken prisoners all suche noble men as were agaynst hym in that iourney wherfore the freÌ„des of those prisoners may well fynde the meanes howe to comforte them for their delyueraunce This dukes wordes were vp holden with the kynge and with dyuers of his counsayle Than the kynge demaunded of his vncle of Berrey Sayeng fayre vncle if Lamorabaquy the soudan or any other hethan kynge sende you a ruby or a ryche iewell wheder wyll ye receyne it or nat Sir quod he I wolde take aduyse Than that kyng sayd It passeth nat yet tenne yere sythe the soudan sente you a ruby whiche cost twentie thousande frankes So the kynge of Hungries dede was nat susteygned but it was sayd that he had yuell done to stoppe the goyng of these presentes and that it shulde rather hynder the prisoners than auaunce theÌ„ Than the kyng was couÌ„sayled to write to the kyng of Hungry amyable letters desyringe hym nat to stoppe his knyght but suffre him to passe in to
knightes This shyppe was so goodlye fayre that it was great ioye to beholde it the whiche gyfte the soudan toke in gree and sente agayne to the kynge of Cypre the double in value therof All this was anone knowen in FrauÌ„ce by marchauntes that wrote therof to Dyne of Responde to the entente that he shulde shewe it to the Frenche kyng and to the duke of Burgoyn to haue a thanke of the kynge THis kyng of Cypre had good cause thus to do for he was in doute of the frenche kynges displeasure bicause he caused to be slayne murdered by night his brother the valyaunt kynge Peter who dyde moche trouble to the Sarazins toke Saptalye and Alexandre The Sarazins douted hym more than any other kyng or emperour christened bicause of his valyaÌ„tnesse of the whiche dede this sayde kynge Iames sore repented hym selfe and knewe well he had done yuell And after the same dede he fledde out of Cypre or els the Christen men wolde haue slayne hym So he entred in to a galley of Gene beyng at the porte of Nicopossie and so wente to Genes and the genowayes receyued hym And some said that he dyde that foule murdre by the entysement of the genoways for anone after the genouois came with puissaunce of men of warre and galyes and toke the cytie of Famagous and the porte and kepte it with puyssaunce This kynge of Cypre had a fayre yonge sonne The Cyprience crowned this chylde kynge and after his crownyng he lyued nat long but dyed soone after And aft his dethe the genouois with great puyssauÌ„ce brought this Iaques in to Cypre and crowned hym kyng and so he reigned kyng of Cypre And the genowayes alwayes susteyned hym agaynst all men but they wolde neuer rendre vp the Cytie of Famagous nor the porte but helde it styll at the tyme that the auctour wrot this hystorie And to saye the trouthe if the genowayes had nat had it the Turkes had wonne it longe before and all the realme of Cipre had brought it in to their obeysauÌ„ce and by all lykelyhode had subdued the ysles of Rodes and all other ysles enclosed in the See to Venyce but alwayes the genoways and venisyaÌ„s resysted them And whan they sawe that the turkes had wonne the Realme of Armony than they toke the strong towne of Corque in Hermyne on the See syde and so helde it so that and it had nat ben for dout of the passage and straytes of Corque and of Xere before CoÌ„stantyne the noble the turkes had sore entred in to Christendome and vpon the border of the see the whiche shulde haue been great preiudyce to the ysle of Rodes and to the ysles adioynyng Thus by these meanes the fronters of Christen dome were kepte and defended ¶ Nowe let vs retourne to our purpose THis kyng Iaques of Cyper who knewe hym selfe gylcy of the deth of the kynge his brother wherby he had the hatred of all other crysten kynges therfore he dyd as moche as he coude do to get agayne their loue and fauour and tooke it for a great honoure that the frenche kynge wrote fyrst to hym for he douted him most of all and so he had cause for the duke of Burbone by ryght successyon of the lynage of Lusygnan ought to be kynge there and his heyres for thoughe this kynge Iaques was brother to the kyng Peter of Cyper yet he had no ryght to the crowne for he was but a bastarde and all this knewe ryght well the genouoys so that whan he was made kynge there was made a great alyaunce bytwene them confermed nat to be broken and the genouoys to defeÌ„de and kepe him and his heyres agaynst all other and therby they atteygned great sygnories and fraunchesses in the realme of Ciper and all that euer they dyd to the exaltynge of this Iaques kynge of Cyper was alwayes for their owne chiefe auauntage and to be stronge against the venycians and to haunte and erercyse their feate of marchaundyse in to the Sarazyns landes This kinge Iaques as longe as he lyued dyd what he coulde to please the Frenche kynge by the meanes of the genouoys for they wolde in no wyse dysplease hym and therfore the same season this kynge Iaques ordeyned this shyppe of golde to presente Lamorabaquy to haue loue and acquayntauÌ„ce with him whiche gyft was ioyfully receyued and moch praysed with the turkes and it was thought that the lorde Dyne of Rresponde was meanes therof and wrote therin to the genouoys for in this maner and otherwayes he laboured all that he myght for the delyueraunce of the erle of Neuers and of the other lordes of Fraunce WHan the duke of Burgoyne and the duchesse his wyfe sawe that Lamorabaquy began to fall to treatie for the crysten prisoners the newes therof was greatly to their pleasure and apoynted a sage valyaunt knyght of the countie of Flaunders called syr Gylberte of Linrenghen who was souerayne of Flaunders vnder the duke and duchesse And than they sent for syr Iaques of Helley bycause he knewe the wayes and passages and desyred hym to acompany syr Gylberte to treate with Lamorabaquy for the delyueraunce of the crysten prisoners and promysed hym that his payne shulde be well consydred and rewarded Syr Iaques promysed them so to do So these two knyghtes departed and rode so longe that they came in to the realme of Hungery and so drewe to the kynge for they had letters to hym The kyng receyued them ioyously for loue of the frenche kynge and also he knewe well syr Iaques of Helley There they shewed the kyng the cause of their coÌ„mynge out of Fraunce and howe they were sente in to Turkey to treate for the delyueraunce of the erle of Neuers and the other lordes of FrauÌ„ce if Lamorabaquy wolde gyue them the herynge The kynge sayde it was well done to redeme them if they myght be put to raunsome and sayd in the assayenge therof they coulde lese nothynge besydes that the kinge offred them his body and goodes to ayde theym in all maners Wherof these two knyghtes thanked hym To entre in to this treatye with Lamorabaquy or they coulde come therto these knightes had moche payne and made great dâ—â—ygeÌ„ce for fyrst syr Iaques of Helley was fayne to go to Lamorabaquy to requyre a safe conducte for his companyon syr Gylbert to come in to Turkey And whan he had ateyned it than he returned in to Hungery and so they rode than into Turkey The souerayne of Flaunders was receyued of Lamorabaquy and of his men ryght nobly and was herde speke and so lytell and lytell they entred in to their treatie the same tyme there haunted in to Turkey a marchaunt genouoy of the isle of Sio vnder the obeysaunce of the genouoys This marchauÌ„t was named Bartylmew Pologrine and he was well be loued in Turkey and namely with Lamorabaquy Syr Dyne of Responde beynge at Parys to th entent that this treatie myght haue the better
day the erle of Derby and the erle Marshall communed togyder of dyuers maters at last amonge other they spake of the state of the kynge and of his counsayle suche as he had about hym and beleued them so that at the last the erle of Derby spake certayne wordes whiche he thought for the best wenynge that they shulde neuer haue ben called to rehersall whiche wordes were nouther vylenous nor outragyous for he sayde thus Saint Mary fayre cosyn what thynketh the kynge oure cosyn to do wyll he driue out of Englande all the noble men within a whyle there shal be none left it semeth clerely that he wylleth nat the augmentacyon of his realme The erle marshall gaue none aunswere but dissimuled the mater and toke it that he spake agaynst the kynge and thought in hymselfe that the Erle of Derby was ryght lykely to make great trouble in Englande bycause he was so great with the londoners and the dyuell was redy to styre his brayne and that thynge that shall fall can nat be eschewed SO he thought to shewe this mater to the kynge whan noble mē shulde be presente and on a day to please the kynge he sayde Ryght dere syr I am of youre lygnage and ame your lyege man and marshall of Englande Wherfore sir I am bounde to you by myne Alliegeaunce and othe sworne my handes in yours that I shulde be in no place hearynge any thynge contrarye to your mageste royall and shulde kepe it secrete I ought to be reputed as a false traytour whiche I wyll nat be for I wyll trewly acquyte me agaynst you and all the worlde The kynge loked on hym and demaunded and sayd Why say you these wordes we wyll know it My right redouted souerayne lorde quod the erle Marshall I saye it bycause I canne nat suffre any thynge that shulde be preiudyciall or agaynst your grace syr cause the erle of Derby to come before you and than I shall shewe you more Than the erle of Derby was sente for and the kynge cōmaunded the erle Marshall to stande vp for he was on his knee whyle he spake to the Kynge And whan the erle of Derby was before the kyng who thought none yuell than the erle Marshall sayde Syr erle of Derby I say to you ye haue thought yuell and spoken otherwyse than ye ought to do agaynste your naturall lorde the kynge of Englande whan ye sayde that he was nat worthy to holde lande or realme seynge without lawe or iustyce without counsayle of any of his noble men he distourbeth his Realme and without tytell or good reason putteth out of his realme and dystroyeth them who ought to ayde and susteyne him wherfore here I cast my gage and wyll proue with my body agaynst yours that ye are an yuell false traytour The erle of Derby was sore abasshed with those wordes and stepte backe a lytell and stode styll a season without demaundynge of his Father or of any other what aunswere he shulde make Whan he had studyed a lytell he stept forthe with his cappe in his hande and came before the kynge and the erle Marshall and sayd Erle Marshall I saye thou arte an yuell and a false traytour and that I shall proue my body agaynst thyne and in that quarell here is my gauge Th erle Marshall whan he herde howe he was apealed shewed howe he desyred the batayle With that the erle of Derby aunswered and sayde I sette your wordes at the kynges pleasure and other lordes that be here and I tourne your wordes to a mocke and myne to be true Than eche of these erles drewe to their company and lygnage so that the manner of takynge of wyne and spyces was lette passe for the kyng shewed hym selfe to be right sore displeased and so entred in to his chambre and left his two vncles without and all their chyldren and the erles of Salysbury and Huntyngdon his bretherne Than anone after the kynge sent for his vncles and entred in to his chambre Thanne the kynge demaunded of them what was best to do in this mater Syr quod they cause your constable to come before you and than we shall shewe you our opynyons Than the erle of Rutlande who was constable was sente for and whan he was come than he was commaunded to go to the erle of Derby and to the erle Marshall and to take suretye of theym that they go nat out of the realme of Englande without the kynges lycence The constable dyd as he was cōmaunded and than retourned agayne to the kinges chambre YE maye well knowe this matter greatly troubled the courte and many lordes and knyghtes were sore dyspleased of that aduenture and secretly they greatly blamed the erle Marshall but he made as though he had ser nothyng by the mater his hert was so proude presumptuous Thus the lordes departed for that day The duke of Lācastre what so euer coūtynaunce he made he was sore displeased with these wordes and he thought the kynge shulde nat haue taken the mater as he dyd but shulde rather haue tourned it to nothynge and so thought the moste parte of all the lordes of Englande The erle of Derby went and lay at London and helde his estate at his owne lodgynge and there were pledges for him the duke of Lancastre his father the duke of yorke the Erle of Northumberlande and dyuers other lordes And the erle Marshall was sente to the towre of London and there helde his estate These two lordes made prouysyon for that was necessary for them for their batayle The erle of Derby sent his messangers in to Lombardy to the duke of Myllayne syr Galeas for to haue armure at his pleasure The duke agreed to the erles desyre and caused the knight that the erle had sent thyder whose name was Fraunces to se all the dukes armorye And whan the knyght had chosen suche as he lyked than the duke furthermore for loue of the erle of Derby he sent four of the best armorers that were in Lombardy to the erle in to Englande with the knight to the entent that they shulde arme and make armure acordynge to the erles entente The erle Marshall on his parte sent in to Almayn and in to other places to prouyde him for that iourney The charge of these two lordes was greate but the erle of Derby was at moost charge The erle Marshall whan he beganne that busynesse he thought to haue had more ayde of the kynge than he had for suche as were nere aboute the kynge sayd to him Syr ye haue nothyng to do to medle bytwene these two lordes dyssymule you the mater and let them deale they wyll do well ynough Sir ye knowe well the erle of Derby is well beloued in the realme and specyally with the Londoners and if they se that ye shulde take parte with the erle Marshall ye were lyke to lose their loue therby for euer The kynge vnderstode well their wordes and knew well it was trewe he
quod the kyng why shulde they nat We wyll se their dedes of armes Paraduenture we shall knowe therby that we knowe nat as yet shulde be right necessary to knowe to the entente we shulde prouyde for it For there is none so great in Englande but if he displease me I shall cause hym to make me amendes For if I shulde any thynge submytte me to my subiettes they wolde soone ouercome me And I knowe for certaygne that some of theym of my blode haue hadde dyuers treatyse toguyder agaynste me and myne estate and the moost princypall of theÌ„ was the duke of Gloucestre For in all Englande was natte a worse hedde agaynst me than he was Nowe I shall haue peace fro hense forwarde for I shall do well ynough with all the other But sirs I praye you shewe me why ye make this demauÌ„de to me Sir quod they we are bounde to counsayle you And sir we often tymes here wordes spoken that ye canne nat here For sir ye be in youre chambre and we abrode in the couÌ„trey or in London where many thynges be spoken whiche greatlye toucheth you and vs also Sir it were tyme to prouyde remedye and so ye muste do Sir we counsayle you for the best Howe so quod the Kynge Speke further and spare natte for I wyll do euery thynge parteynyng to reason and minyster Iustyce in my realme Sir quod they the renoume ronneth through out Englande and specially in the cytie of London whiche is the soueraygne cytie of youre Realme They saye ye are cause of this enterprice bytwene these two lordes and that ye haue sette the erle Marshall to fyght with the erle of Derby THe Londoners and dyuers other noble men and prelates of the realme saye Howe ye take the ryght waye to distroye your lygnage and the realme of Englande Whiche thynge they saye they wyll natte suffre And if the Londoners rise agaynste you with suche noble men as wyll take their parte ye shall be of no puyssauÌ„ce to resyst theym And also they haue you in a marueylous suspecte bycause ye be alyed by maryage with the Frenche kynge wherby ye be the worse beloued of all youre people And sir knowe for certayne that if ye suffre these two Erles to come in to the place to do batayle ye shall nat be lorde of the felde but the Londoners and suche lordes of their ê‘te wyll rule the felde for the loue and fauoure that they beare to the erle of Derby and the erle Marshall is soore hated and specially the Londouers wolde he were slayne And thre partes of the people of Englande saye that whan ye harde that wordes fyrst bytwene these two erles that ye shulde haue done otherwyse than ye dyd and that ye shulde haue broken the quarell and haue sayd Sirs ye are bothe my cosyns and lyegmen therfore I commaunde you to kepe the peace fro hens forthe And shulde haue taken the Erle of Derby by the hande and haue ledde hym in to youre chambre and haue shewed hym some signe of loue And bycause ye dyde nat thus the brute ronneth that ye beare fauour to the erle Marshalles partie and are agaynst the erle of Derby Sir consyder well these wordes that we shewe you for they be trewe Sir ye had neuer more nede of good counsayle than ye haue nowe Whan the kynge herde these wordes he chaunged countynauÌ„ce the wordes were so quickely spoken Therwith the kynge tourned fro them and leaned out at a wyndowe and studyed a certayne space and than he tourned agayne to them that had spoken to hym who were the archebysshoppe of yorke and the Erles of Salisbury of Huntingdon his bretherne and thre other knightes of his chambre than he sayde to them Sirs I haue well herde you and if I shulde refuce your counsayle I were greatly to blame Wherfore sirs consyder what is beste for me to do Sir quod one of theym that spake for all The matter that we haue spoken of is ryght peryllous ye muste dissymule the mater if ye wyll haue youre honour saued and to make peace And sir ye ought rather to entertayne the generaltie of your realme than the ydell wordes of two knyghtes But sir the brute thoroughe out all the Realme of Englande is howe the erle Marshall hathe greatlye trespassed and hath renewed to many yuell thinges and daylye reneweth and the realme taketh all his wordes in vayne and saith how that by his ydell words he wolde reise a ê“cesse agaynst the erle of Derby and to bringe the lande in to trouble First They say it were better that he abode the payne and the erle of Derby to be quyte Sir we thynke that or they shulde arme theÌ„ to mete togyder that ye shulde sende to them cause theÌ„ to be bounde to abyde youre ordynaunce in this enterprise And whan they be furely bounde to abyde youre sentence than ye maye gyue theym this Iudgemente That within fyftene dayes after the erle Marshall to auoyde the realme without any truste euer to retourne agayne And therle of Derby in lykewyse to auoyde the realme and to be banysshed for tenne yere And whan he shall departe the realme to please the people withall release foure yere of the tenne and so let hym be banysshed for sixe yere without pardone This is the counsayle sir that we wyll gyue you For sir in no wyse let them be armed one agaynst another for the inconuenyentes that maye fall therby The kynge studyed a lytell and sayde Sirs ye counsayle me trewly and I shall folowe youre counsayle ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe kynge Richarde gaue sentence wherby he banysshed out of Englande therle of Derby for .x. yere and the erle Marshall for euer Capi. CC.xxix ANone after that this couÌ„sayle was gyuen to the kynge he assembled great nombre of prelates grete lordes of Englande and they came to hym to ElthaÌ„ there was his two vncles the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke The erles of Northumberlande of Salysbury and of Huntyngton Than the kynge sente for the erle of Derby and the erle Marshall and sette eche of them in a seuerall chaÌ„bre The kynge shewed howe he wolde be a meane bytwene them and howe their wordes hadde greatly displeased hym and that they were suche that ought nat lyghtly to be pardoned Wherfore he wolde in all poyntes they shulde submytte them selfe and to abyde his ordynaunce in that behalfe Than he ordayned the constable of Englande and foure other great lordes to go to the erle of Derby and to therle Marshall to take their bondes to abyde the kynges ordynaunce These lordes came to the sayd erles and shewed them the kynges pleasure and how the kynge wolde take the matter on hym So they bounde them selfe to abyde the kynges order Than the kynge sayde I ordaygne and commaunde that the erle Marshall bycause he hath brought this Realme in to this trouble by reason of his wordes wherin he canne nat make profe That he ordayne
that the duke his father had on hym a paryllous sycknesse whiche shuld be his dethe these wordes gretly letted the erle to take on hym any maner of voyage but so taryed styll at Parys and often tymes he went and sawe the frenche kyng the duke of Orlyaunce and the kynges vncles and alwayes they made hym good chere so that he was moche bounde to them and he sayde to the kynge Syr ye do me so moche honoure and curtesy and shewe me so great sygne of loue that I knowe nat in all my lyfe dayes howe to deserue it but if euer I come in Englande my lady that quene your doughter to my power shall haue my seruyce I thanke you cosyn quod the kynge So it fell that aboute the feest of Crystmasse duke Iohan of Lancastre who lyued in great dyspleasure what bycause the Kynge had banysshed his sonne out of the realme for so litell a cause and also bycause of the yuell gouernynge of the realme by his nephewe kynge Rycharde for he sawe well that if he longe percepuered were suffred to contynewe the realme was lykely to be vtterly loste With these ymagynacyons and other the duke fell sycke wheron he dyed whose dethe was greatly sorowed of all his frendes and louers The kyng by that he shewed toke no great care for his dethe but sone he was forgotten Than certayne of the noble men of Englande sawe well howe the realme feblysshed sythe the duke of Lancastre was deed and the duke of Gloucestre his brother slayne and the erle of Arundell and the erle of Derby banysshed who ought than to be duke of Lancastre by ryght succession Than some sayde Nowe we shall se what the kynge wyll do it is tyme nowe that he repeale home agayne his cosyn of Derby and to pardone hym his yuell wyll though he haue no cause to be dyspleased with hym it were tyme he came and entred in to his landes as duke of Lancastre Suche wordes ranne a brode in the Realme in dyuers places and specyally in the cytie of London where the erle of Derby was a hundred tymes better beloued thanne the kynge howe be it for all the wordes and murmuryng that the kyng and his counsayle knewe of yet he dyd nothynge therafter but clene the contrary He was yuell counsayled for if he had incontynent after the dethe of the duke of Lancastre sente for the erle of Derby and at his coÌ„mynge haue frendely welcomed hym home and haue called hym duke of Lancastre and haue taken hym as greatest personage in Englande nexte hym selfe and haue sayde howe he wolde be gouerned in all poyntes after his aduyse and counsayle and to do nothynge without his aduyse than the kynge had done well and lykely to haue contynued his estate as kynge of Englande and had nat receyued the yuell fortune that fell to hym shortly after as ye shall here after ¶ Howe the dethe of the duke of LaÌ„castre was knowen in Fraunce the kyng of Englande wrote in maner of ioye to the Frenche kynge therof and wrote nothyng therof to therle of Derby who was the dukes sonÌ„e Cap. CC .xxxv. TIdynges of the duke of Lancasters dethe came in to Fraunce kyng Rycharde of EnglaÌ„de in maner of ioye wrote therof to the frenche kyng and nat to his cosyn therle of Derby howe be it the erle knewe it as soone as the Frenche kynge or soner by suche men as he had in Englande Than the erle apparelled hym and all his men in blacke and caused his obsequy to be done right honorably at the whiche was the Frenche kyng and his brother the duke of Orlyaunce and all the kynges vncles with a great nombre of prelates and great lordes of Fraunce For the erle of Derby was welbeloued with euery maÌ„ and many were right sorie of his trouble for he was a pleasaunt knight and an honest ê‘son curtesse and swete meke to euery man and euery man that sawe hym said howe the kyng of Englande was nat well counsayled that he repealed hym nat home agayne And truely to saye trouthe if the kynge of Englande had wysely regarded the mater and had ben well counsayled the mater had nat tourned agaynst hym as it dyde For the erle of Derby after the dethe of his father was right enherytoure to be duke of Lancastre and to haue been the seconde persone of the realme and by whom all the busynesse of the realme shulde chiefely haue passed Also the kynge and his counsayle ought to haue consydred howe often tymes the people of Englande hadde styrred and murmured agaynst hym and shulde haue knowen howe he was nat very welbeloued of the people nor of some knightes other and how that in the duke of Gloucesters dayes he was often tymes in daunger of his persone As whan the Londoners and the counsaylles of dyuers good townes in Englande caÌ„e to hym to Eltham and there made their requestes that all subsidies and ayes gyuen and graunted within twentie yere shulde haue ben frustrate and fordone or els they were determyned by the consent of the duke of Gloucestre and other noble men of the Realme to haue taken the kynge and to haue sette another to haue reygned in his place and to haue putte the kyng and the Quene in to a place and so to haue hadde meate and drinke as long as they had lyued In somoche that the duke of Gloucester hadde desyred a nephewe of his sonne to the doughter of the duke of Clarence who was called Iohan erle of Marche That he wolde haue taken on hym the charge and gouernyng of the realme and that they wolde haue made hym kyng But the same erle excused hym selfe honestly therfro All these thynges were apeased and layde downe by the wyse sadde meanes and prudence of the sayde duke of Lancastre father to this sayd erle of Derby IF kyng Richarde had wysely consydred all these mats he had reigned in gretter ê“sperite than euer he did before Kyng Richarde knewe all this well ynough and so by yuell counsayle the kynge caused by colour of loue the duke of Gloucestre to be taken and ledde to Calays where he was strangled and murdered Wherof great brute was throughe out all the realme with great grudge and murmuracyons so that it was at the poynt to haue deposed the sayde kyng Richarde Howe be it the duke of Lancastre lyke a sage and a prudent price for all that the duke of Gloucestre was his brother and that the murderyng of hym touched hym nere to his herte All thynges consyred and that he coude nat recouer agayne his brother wisely and amiably he apeased all these maters And the kynge his nephue more feared in EnglaÌ„de than he was before All this the kynge ought to haue consydred and specially howe therle of Derby was better beloued with the people than any other man within the realme All these thyngê wysely coÌ„sidred after the dethe of the duke rf LaÌ„castre the kyng shulde
whanÌ„e euery thynge is agreed and at peace thanÌ„e we maye well speke treate of maryage but fyrst ye must take possession in the duchy of Lancastre for that is the vsage in Fraunce and in dyuers countreis on this syde the See That if a lorde shall marry by the consent of his soueraygne lorde he must endowe his wyfe and therwith they had spyces and wyne and cessed of that coÌ„munycacion and euery man departed to their owne lodgynges WHan the erle of Derby was coÌ„e to his lodgyng he was sore displeased and nat without a cause Whan he who was reputed one of the trewest knyghtes of the worlde in the preseÌ„ce of the frenche kyng who loued hym well had shewed him many curtesies shuld be reputed as a traytour and that those wordes shulde coÌ„e out of Englande and brought by the erle of Salisburye He was therwith in a great malencoly his counsayle apeased hym as well as they coude sayd Sir he that wyll lyue in this worlde must endure somtyme trouble Confort you for this tyme and be pacient and parauenture herafter ye shall haue great ioye and glorie And sir of al the lordê on this syde the see the frenche kyng loueth you best and we se well he wolde enploye his payne to briÌ„ge you to ioye and sir ye ought to gyue him and his vncles great thaÌ„ke in that they kept this mater secrete tyll the erle of Salisbury was deê‘ted yea sirs quod the erle I thynke it had ben better it had ben shewed me in his presence that I myght haue made a sufficieÌ„t excuse before that kyng and all the lordes thus I shall abyde styll in blame tyll the mater be otherwyse declared Sir quod they all trespasses can nat be amended at the fyrst daye Sir suffre let the tyme ryn we beleue your busynesse in Englande dothe better than ye be ware of The loue that is in the hertes of the people in Englande towardes you with their good prayers by the grace of god shall shortely delyuer you out of all daungers This they sayd to recoÌ„fort their lorde who was sore disconforted and their sayeng was soner trewe than they were ware of ANone it was knowen in Englande howe therle of Salisbury had ben in FrauÌ„ce with the frenche kynge his vncles and borne letters thyder conteynyng howe the erle of Derby was falsely ê‘iured and a traytour Of the whiche dyuers noble men and prelates were sore troubled and were nothynge contente with the erle of Salisbury and said generally that he was soore to blame to take on hym the charge to beare in to Fraunce any suche wordes vpon as trewe a man as lyued A daye wyll come that he shall repent the tyme that euer he spake the worde ye maye well knowe the Londoners were greatly displeased and murmured agaynst the kyng and his counsayle sayd A geÌ„tyll knight erle of Derby great enuy is there agaynst you It is nat suffycient for the kynge and his counsayle to driue you out of the realme but also to accuse you of trayson to putte you to the more shame rebuke Well euery thynge muste haue his tourne Alas quod the people What faulte or trespasse hath your children done that the kynge taketh thus awaye fro theÌ„ their herytage whiche ought to be theirs by ryght successyon This thynge can nat longe abyde in this case without chaunge nor we can nat suffre it Thus anone after the retourne of the erle of Salisbury out of Fraunce kyng Richarde caused a iustes to be cryed and publysshed throughe out his realme to Scotlande to be at Wynsore of .xl. knyghtes and xl squyers agaynst all coÌ„mers And they to be aparelled in grene with a whyte faucon the quene to be there well acoÌ„panied 〈◊〉 a dyes damosels This feest thus holden the quene beyng there iÌ„ gret neblenes but there were but fewe lordes or noble men for mo thaÌ„ .ii. ê‘tes of the lordes knightes other of the realme of Englande had that kyng in suche hatered what for the banysshyng of the erle of Derby and the iniuryes that he had done to his chyldren and for the dethe of the duke of Gloucestre who was slayne in the castell of Calais and for the dethe of the erle of AruÌ„dell who was beheeded at LoÌ„don The kynred of these lordes came nat to this feest nor but fewe other And at the same feest the kynge ordayned to go in to Irelande to enploy his men in that voyage and so he departed and lefte the Quene with her trayne styll at Wyndsore and the kynge rode to Bristowe and there made all his prouysion and he had ten thousande knightes and squiers and ten thousande archers WhanÌ„e the Londoners knewe that the kyng was goyng in that voyage they began to murmure and said amonge themselfe Nowe gothe Richarde of Burdeaux the waye to Bristowe and so in to yrelande whiche wyll be to his distruction He shall neuer retourne agayne with ioye no more than dyde kynge Edwarde the seconde his great grauntfather who was folysshely gouerned by to moche beleuyng of the SpeÌ„sers In lykewise Rycharde of Burdeaulx hath belued so moche yuell counsayle that it can nat be hydden nor suffred any lengar ⸫ ⸫ ¶ Howe kynge Richarde ordayned to go in to the marchesse of Irelande Cap. CC.xxxvii THere were many knightes and squyers in the kynges company that shulde go with hym in to IrelaÌ„de that were nat coÌ„tent with hym and wente in maner with an yuell wyll sayd oftentymes one to another Our kynge gouerneth hym selfe folisshely and beleueth yuell counsayle Suche wordes were so multiplyed that the lorde Henry Percy and sir Henry his sonÌ„e spake certayne wordes whiche came to the kynges knowlege and to his counsayle and it was sayd to the kyng Sir the wordes ought nat to be suffred that the erle of Northumberlande and his sonÌ„e hath spoken for it is to sette your subiettes agaiÌ„st you It must behoue you to correcte all these rebelles one after another wherby they that be greattest shall doute you and take ensample That is trewe quod the kyng but than what is beste to do Sir quod they they be nat here with you but they ought to come whan they become call them before you and than by the erle of Salisbury and by some other as it shall please you lette it be rehersed to them the yuell wordes that they haue spoken against you and your couÌ„sayle ThaÌ„ shall you here what answere they wyll make and thervpon ye maye taken aduyse wheder ye wyll correcte them by prison or other wyse Well sirs quod the kynge ye say well this shal be done The erle of Northumberlande and his sonÌ„e had good frendes in that armye so that some of them knewe the kynges entent And they sent suche worde to the erle and to his sonne that they shulde natte come in the kynges preseÌ„ce nor to go in that iourney For they hadde worde that if they dyde it