Here begynneth the first volum of sir Iohan Froyssart of the cronycles of Englande, Fraunce, Spayne, Portyngale, Scotlande, Bretayne, Flau[n]ders: and other places adioynynge. Tra[n]slated out of frenche into our maternall englysshe tonge, by Iohan Bourchier knight lorde Berners: at the co[m]maundement of oure moost highe redouted souerayne lorde kyng Henry the. viii. kyng of Englande and of Fraunce, [and] highe defender of the christen faythe. [et]c.

¶Howe the erle of Derby con∣quered Bergerathe. Cap. C .iii. (Book 103)

WHan therle of Derby had ben at Burdeuxa .xv. dayes / he vnderstode howe these lordes & knyghtes of Gascoyne were at Bergerath. In a mornynge he drewe thyderward / and he cau∣sed sir Gaultier of Manny and sir Franque de Hall to go before / who were marshalles of his hoost: that mornynge they rode thre leages to a castell that was englysshe called Mounteroly∣er but a lytell leage fro Bergerath / ther they ta¦ryed all that day and that night. The next mor∣nynge their currours ranne to the varryers of Bergerath / and at their retourne they reported to sir Gaultier of Manny howe they had sene parte of the demeanour of the frenchemen / the which they thoght to be but symple. That mor∣nynge thenglysshmen dyned be tymes: and as they satte at dyner sir Gaultier of Manny be∣helde therle of Derby and sayde / sir yf we were good men of armes we shulde drinke this eue∣nynge with the frenche lordes beyng in Berge∣rath {quod} therle and for me it shall nat be let: whā euery man harde that they sayde let vs go arme vs / for we shall ryde incontynent to Bergerath ∣ther was no more to do / but shortly euery man was armed and a horsebacke. Whan the erle of Derby sawe his cōpany so well wylled he was right ioyeouse / and sayde lette vs ryde to our ennemies in the name of god and saynt George so they rode forthe with their baners displayed in all the heate of they day / tyll they came to the vaylles of Bergerath / the whiche were nat easy to wynne: for part of the ryuer of Garon went about it. Whan the frenchmen sawe thenglyssh¦men come to assayle them / they sayde amonge thēselfe howe they shulde sone be driuen backe / they yssued out in good order. They had many of the villayns of the contrey yll armed / the en∣glysshmen approched and the archers began to shote fiers••y: and whanne those fotemen felt the arowes lyght among theym / and sawe the ba∣ners and standerdes waue with the wynde the which they had nat bene acustomed to se before. Than thei reculed backe among their owne mē of armes / than thenglysshmen of armes apro∣ched and dasshed in amōg their enmys & ••lewe and bete downe on euery part for the frenchmen of armes coulde nother aproche forwarde nor backewarde for their owne fotemen / who recu∣led without order and dyd stoppe thē their way ∣ther were many slayne and sore hurt thēglysshe archers were on bothe sydes the way and shotte so holly togyder / that none durste approche nor yssue through theym. So the frenchmen were put a backe into the subarbes of Bergerath / but it was to suche a myschefe for them that the first bridge and baylles were wonne by clene force: for thenglysshmen entred with them / and there on the pauement many knyghtes were slayne and sore hurte / and dyuers prisoners taken of them that aduentuted theymselfe to defende the passage: and the lorde of Mirpoyse was slayne vnder sir Gaultier of Mannes baner who was the first that entred. Whan therle of Layll sawe that the englysshmen had wonne the subbarbes and slayne his men without mercy / he than re∣culed backe into the towne and passed the brige with great trouble and danger / before y^t bridge ∣ther was a soreskirmysshe / the lordes & knygh∣tes fought hande to hande: the lorde of Manny auaunced hymselfe so ferre among his ennemy∣es / that he was in great daunger. Thenglyssh∣men toke ther the vycount of Bousquetyne / the

lorde of Newcastell / the lorde of Chastellon / the lorde de Lescu / all other of the frenchmen entred into the towne / and closed theirgates and lette downe their portcolyse. And than wente to the walles to their defences / this assaut & skirmyssh endured tyll the euenyng: than thenglysshmen withdrue right sore wery and entred into y^e sub∣barbes / the which they had wonne: where they founde wyne and v••tayle sufficyēt for their hole hoost for two monethes. The next mornyng the erle of Derby caused his trumpettes to be sow∣ned / and set his people in order of batayle and aproched the towne and made a sore assaut / the which endured tyll noone: lytell dyd thenglyssh men at that assaut for they within defended thē∣selfe valyantly / at noone the englysshmen with drewe / for they sawe well they dyd but lese their payne. Than the lordes went to counsayle and determyned to assaut the towne by water / for it was closed but with pales / than therle of Der∣by sende to the nauy at Burdeaux for shyppes / and ther was brought fro Burdeaux to Berge¦rath .lx. shyppes and barkes. The next day in y^e euenynge they ordred their batayls and in the next mornyng by the son rysinge the nauy was redy to assaut by water / the baron of Stafford was captayne: thenglysshmen and archers ad∣uentured theym selfe valyantly / and came to a great barryer before the pales / the which anone was cast downe to the yerth: thanne they of the towne came to therle de Laylle / and to the other lordes and knyghtes that were ther / and sayde sirs take hede what ye woll do: we be in a great iedpardy to be all lost. If this towne be lost ••oe lese all that we haue and our lyues also: yet hit were better that we yelded ourselfe to the erle of Derby than to haue more damage. The erle of Laylle sayd / go we to the place wher as nedeth moost defence / for we wyll nat as yet yelde vpp̄ the towne: so they wente to defende the pales. The archers that were in the barkes shot so hol¦ly togyder / that none burst apere at their defen∣ce without they were slayne or sore hurte: there were within a two hundred genowayes cros∣bowes / and nere were pauysshed agaynste the shotte / they helde the englysshe archers well a∣warke all the day / and many hurt on bothe par∣ties: finally the englysshmen dyd somoche that they brake downe a great pane of y^e pales / than they within reculed backe / and desyred a treaty and a t••ew••e the which was graunted to endur all that day & the nextnyght / so that they shulde nat fortify in the meane season. So eyther par∣tie drewe to their lodgynges: this nyght the lor¦des within the towne were in great counsayle / and finally about mydnight they trussed bagge and baggage / and departed out of the towne of Bergerath / and toke the waye to the towne of Ryoll / the which was nat ferre fro thens. The next mornynge the englysshmen agayne entred into their barkes and came to the same place where they had broken the pales / and ther they founde certayne of the towne who desyred thē that they wolde pray the erle of Derby to take them to mercy / sauyng their lyues and goodes and fro thensforthe they wolde be obeysaunt to the kynge of Englande. The erle of Quenefort and therle of Penbroke sayde they wolde speke gladly for theym: and so they came to the erle of Derby and shewed hym thyntent of them of the towne. The erle of Derby sayde / he that mercy desyreth mercy ought to haue / bydde theym o∣pyn their gates / and she we them they shalbe as∣sured of me and all myne. These two lord{is} went agayne to them of the towne / and shewed them the erle of Derbyes intent: than they assembled all the people toguyder and sowned their belles and opyned their gates / and yssued out menne and women in processyon: and humbly mette the erle of Derby / and so brought hym into the chiefe churche / and there sware faythe and ho∣mage to the erle / in the name of the kyng of En∣glande / by vertue of a procutacyon that the erle hadde.