Fabyans cronycle newly prynted, wyth the cronycle, actes, and dedes done in the tyme of the reygne of the moste excellent prynce kynge Henry the vii. father vnto our most drad souerayne lord kynge Henry the .viii. To whom be all honour, reuere[n]ce, and ioyfull contynaunce of his prosperous reygne, to the pleasure of god and weale of this his realme amen

THE .CLXXV. CHAPITER.

LEwys and Charlys / the son∣nes of Lewys Balbus or Le¦wys y^e stamerer / began theyr reygne ouer the Frenchemen, in the yere of oure lordes incarnacion .viii.C.lxxx / and the .viii. yere of y^e reygne of Alu∣rede than kynge of Englande. The whyche for they were yonge of age, were put vnder tuyssyō and gydyng of Barnarde the erle of Auuergii / to whom the father by hys lyfe had thē commytted. wherfore the sayd Bar∣narde wyth other of hys affynyte as∣sembled shortly after at Meaux in Lorayne / & thyder called vnto them the lordes of the lande, to treate ma∣ters for the comon weale of y^e same.

In those dayes was a man of grete myght in Fraūce named Gosseleyn̄ / the whyche enuyed the foresayd erle Barnarde & other, for certayne har∣mes to hym by them done in tyme be fore passed. In auengynge wherof the sayd Gosseleyn̄ intended to putte hym and other from the rule of the land, whych he knew well they shuld occupye whyle the sayd two childern had rule of the same.

And thys euyll purpose to brynge to effecte / he went vnto Conrade erle of Parys, and shewed to hym moche of his wyll. And amonge other thyn∣ges lette hym wytte, that yf Lewys kynge of Germany myght with hys helpe be made kynge of Fraūce / that he shulde by hym be greatly auaun∣ced. By whych meanes he caused the sayde Conrade to take hys parte / so that he & other of hys affynyte whan they came vnto the foresayde coun∣sayle at Meaux / sayde that Lewys kynge of Germany, was more apte to rule the lande of Fraūce than any other was. And also after some wry∣ters / these Lewis and Charlys afore sayde were not the legyttymate son∣nes of the forenamed Lewis Balb{us}, but gotten in baste of a concubyne of the sayd Lewys.

Thys mater thus debated and argued amonges the coūsayle / lastly by moste in nomber it was agreed, that Lewys kynge of Germanye shulde be by ambassade requyred to come and take vppon hym the rule of the lande of myddell Fraunce. The whych wyth small request was agreable / and in shorte tyme after came vnto the sayd cytye of Meaux, and after to Uerdune. But as soone as the knowlege was come to Bar∣narde and other of hys affynyte / by counceyle of Hughe and Terry two nobles of Fraunce, the bysshop of Orlyaunce with an erle and other were sent to Uerdune vnto the sayd kynge of Germany wyth thys mes∣sage. That yf he were contente to take vnto hym all suche parte of the prouynce of Lorayne, as Char∣lys the Balled kepte from hys fader Lewys, wythout more clayme of the lande or realme of Fraunce / he shuld gladly haue it. And yf nat, he shulde abyde the iugement of Mars and hys batayle. wyth whyche offer Le∣wys was well contented / and beyng of it in a suertye, departed agayne into Germanye.

Thorough that doynge, the fore∣named Gosselyne and Conrade with other of theyr frēd{is}, were with yt sore dyscōtentyd of the departure of Lew¦ys forsayde. But the sayd Bernarde with other of his syde, in goodly hast after cōueyed the sayd two chyldren vnto the citye of Ferrer / & there crow¦ned and proclaymed theym for kyn∣ges, as wytnessyth mayster Robert Gaguyne. But the forenamed Gos∣selyne and Conrade not leuynge so the mater / sente messengers vnto y^e quene of Germanye, cōplaynynge theym vnto her of the vnstablenesse and tymerousnesse of her lorde / wher¦by he had not alonely loste the posses¦syon of the realme of Fraunce, but also he hadde put them and all theyr frendes in great fere and daunger. wherof herynge the quene / in her mynde was sore dyscontentyd wyth her lorde and husbande, and as she durste shewyd yt to hym as his re∣proche and dyshonour. And fynally to satysfye the myndes of the sayde Gosselyn̄ and Conrade, she sent into Guyan her brother named Boso / by whose aydes and assystence he was of that prouynce proclaymed kynge.

Endurynge whyche troubles / the Danys entred the lande, and came vnto the ryuer of Lyger, and robbed and spoyled the countrey wythoute mercy. wherfore the kynges assem∣bled theyr people / and gaue to them batayll nere vnto the ryuer of Uyen. where they dystressyd the sayde Da∣nys and slewe of them .ix. thousand, and drowned of thē ouer that a grete multytude in the sayde ryuer. After whyche vyctory by the kynges obtey¦ned / a new vexacyon & trouble was to them ascertayned, y^t Lewys kyng of Germany with a great puysaunce was comen vnto a place called Du∣cy / and to hym was gone the forena¦med Gosselyn̄ and Conrade with all the power that they myghte make / & by theyr ledynge was from thens cō¦ueyed vnto Rybemaunt. But howe so yt was, for lacke of performaunce of promyse made by the sayde two er¦les vnto the kyng of Germany & not obserued / he herynge of the kynges of Fraunce drawynge towarde hym wyth stronge hoste, cōcluded a peas, and retourned into Germany. And the two bretherne rode to gyder vn∣to the citye of Damens or Demeus / where they deuyded the lande of Fraunce betwene theym. So that Lewes held to hym the coūtrey nere & about Parys, with the prouince of Neustria or Normandye / and Char∣les had vnto his part Burgoyn and Guyan / with promyse made & assu¦red on eyther partye, that eyther of them shulde ayde and assyste other.