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 therle of Layle layde siege before Auberoche. Cap. C .vi. (Book 106)

AT the retournynge of therle of Derby to Bourde∣aux: he was ioyefully recey∣ued and mette with processy∣on / and offeredde hym euery thyng in the towne at his ple¦asure: there he taryed & spor∣ted hym with the burgesses / ladyes / and damo∣sels of the towne. ¶Nowe lette vs speke of the erle of Laylle who was at the Ryoll: whan̄e he vnderstode that the erle of Derby was at Bur∣deaux and lay styll / and no lickelyhode that he wolde styrre any farther that season. Than he wrote to the erle of Pyergourt / of Carmaynye / of Couynes / and of Breuniquele: and to all the other lordes of Gascoyne of the frenche partie / that they shulde assemble their men / and come and mete hym before Auberoche / for his mynde was to ley siege therto: they all obeyed hym for he was as kynge in those parties of Gascoyne. The lordes and knyghtes within Auberoche was nat ware of any siege tyll it was layd roun¦de about them / so that none coude yssue out nor entre without parceyuinge. The frenchemen brought with them four great engyns fro Tho¦louz / the whiche dyd caste day and night / they made no other assaut: so within sixe dayes they had broken the roffes of the towres and cham∣bers / that they within durste nat abyde but in lowe vautes: the intent of them of the host was to slee them all within / or els to haue them yelde simply. Therle of Derby had knowledge howe the siege lay before Auberoch / but he knewe nat that his company wer so sore oppressed as they were. Whan sir Franque de Hall / sir Aleyne de Fyneforde / and sir John̄ of Lyndall / who were thus besieged within Auberoche / sawe thēselfe thus hardly bestadde: they demaunded among their varlets if their were any for a good rewar de wolde bere a letter to therle of Derby to Bur deux / one varlet stepped forth and sayd he wold

gladly bere it nat for the aduantage of his re∣warde / but rather to helpe to delyuer them out of daunger. In the nyght the varlette toke the letter sealed with their seales / and thanne went downe the dykes and so past through the hoost / there was none other remedy: he was met with the firste watche and past by them for he spake good gascoyne and named a lorde of the hoost and sayd he parteyned to hym / but than agayn he was taken among the tentes / and so brought into the herte of the hoost / he was sherched and the letter founde on hym: and soo he was kepte saue tyll the mornynge that the lordes were as∣sembled togyder. Than the letter was brought to therle of Layle: they had great ioye whanne they perceyued that they within were so sore cō∣strayned that they coude nat long endure than they toke the varlet and hanged the letter about his necke and dyd put hym into an engyn / and dyde cast hym into the towne. The varlette fell downe deed / wherwith they within were sore troubled / the same season therle of Pyergourt / and his vncle sir Charles of Poyters and the vycount of Carmany / and the lorde of Duras were a horsbacke / and passed by the walles of the towne as nere as they might: and cryed to them within and sayd in mockery: sirs demaū∣de of your messanger where he founde therle of Derby syth he went out but this nyght / and is retourned agayne so shortly. Than sir Frāque de Hall sayde sirs though we be here in closed / we shall yssue out whan it shall please god and the erle of Derby: as wolde to god he knewe in what case we be in / for and he knewe it there is none of you that durste kepe the felde / and if ye wolde sende hym worde therof / one of vs shall yelde hymselfe prisoner to you to be raunsomed as a gentylman ought to be / the frenchmen an∣swered nay nay sirs / the mater shall nat go so. The erle of Derby shall knowe it well ynough / whan with our engyns we haue beaten downe the castell to the yerthe / and that ye haue yelded vp simply for sauyng of your lyues. Certaynly quod sir Franque we shall nat yelde our felfe so we woll rather dye here within: so the frēchmen retourned agayne to their hoost and the thre en¦glysshe knyghtes were sore abasshed / for y^• sto∣nes y^• fell in the towne gaue so sore strokes that it semed lyke thondre falled fro heuyn.