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 Derby toke before Auberoch therle of Layle and dyuers other erles and vycountes / to the nō∣bre of .ix. Cap. C .vii. (Book 107)

ALl the mater of taking of this messāger with the let¦ter and necessytie of thē with in Auberoch was shewed to the erle of Derby / by a spye that had been in the frenche hoost. Than therle of Der∣by sent to the erle of Penbroke beyng at Berge¦rath to mete with hym at a certayne place / also he sende for the lorde Stafforde and to sir Ste¦phyn Tombey beyng at Lyborne / and the erle hymselfe with sir Gaultier of Manny / and his company rode towardes Auberoche: and rode so secretely with suche guydes as knewe the cō∣trey / that therle came to Lyborne and there ta∣ryed a day abydinge the erle of Penbroke: and whan he sawe that he came nat he went forth for the great desyre that he had to ayde them in Au∣beroch. Thus therle of Derby / therle of Quen∣forde▪ sir Gaultier of Manny / sir Rychard Ha¦stynges / sir Stephyn Tombey / the lorde Fe∣ryers and the other yssued out of Lyborne: and rode all the night and in the mornyng they wer within two lytell leages of Auberoche. They entred into a woode / and lyghted fro their hor∣ses and tyed their horses to pasture / abydinge for the erle of Penbroke: and there taryed tyll it was noone. They wyste nat well than what to do / bycause they were but thre hundred speres / and sixe hundred archers: and the frenchmen be¦fore Auberoch were a .x. or .xii. thousande men: yet they thought it a great shame to lese their cō¦panyons in Auberoche / finally sir Gaultier of Manny sayde: sirs lette vs leape on our horses and let vs coost vnder the couert of this woode tyll we be on the same syde that ioyneth to their hoost / and whan we be nere put y^• spurres to the horses and crye our cryes / we shall entre whyle they be at supper: and vnware of vs ye shallse them be so dysconfited that they shall kepe none aray. All the lordes and knightes agreed to his sayeng: than euery man toke his horse and or∣dayned all their pages and baggage to abyde styll ther as they were: so they rode styll a long by the wode / and came to a lytell ryuer in a vale nere to y^• french host. Than they displayed their baners and prnons / and dasshed their spurr{is} to their horses and cāe in a fronte into the frenche hoost among the gascoyns / who were nothyng

ware of that busshment. They were goynge to supper and some redy sette at their meate: then∣glysshmen cryed a Derby a Derby / and ouer∣threwe tentes and pauylions and slewe & hurte many: the frenchmen wyst nat what to do they were so hasted / whan they cāe into the felde and assembled togyder. They founde the englysshe archers ther redy to receyue theym / who shotte so feersly that they slewe man & horse / and hurt many: therle of Layll was taken prisoner in his owne tent and sore hurte / and the erle of Pyer∣gourt and sir Roger his vncle in their tentes / & ther was slayne the lorde of Duras / sir Aymer of Poyeters / and therle of Ualentenoys his bro¦ther was taken / euery man sledde that myght best: but therle of Conynes / the vycount of Car mayne & of Uillemny / and of Brūquell / and y^• lorde de la Borde & of Taryde•• and other that were loged on the othersyde of the castell dreme backe / and wente into the feldes with their ba∣ners. Thenglysshmen who had ouercome all y^• other basshed in feersly among them ther was many a proper feat of armes done / many taken and rescued agayne: whan they within the ca∣stell harde that noyse without / and sawe then∣glysse baners and penons. In contynent they armed them and yssued out / and russhed into y^• thyckest of the preace / they gretly refresshed the englysshmen that had fought ther before: wher to shulde I make long processe / and tho of therle of Laylles partie were nygh all taken or slayne yf the night had nat come on / ther had but fewe scapedde: ther were taken that day what erles and vycountes to the nombre of .ix. and of lor∣des / knyghtes / and squyers taken / so that ther was no englysshman of armes / but that had .ii. or .iii. prisoners. Thisbatell was on saynt La∣rans nyght / the yere of our lorde. M. CCC .xl. and foure: thenglysshmen delt lyke good cōpa∣nyons with their prisoners / and suffred many to depart on their othe and promyse to retourne agayne at a certayne day to Bergerath / or to Burdeaux. Than the englysshmen entred into Auberoche / and ther the erle of Derby gaue a supper to the moost part of the erles and vycoū∣tes prisoners / and to many of the knyghtes and squyers: thēglysshmen gaue lande to god / in y^• that a thousande of them had ouercome .x. M. of their ennemyes / and had rescued the towne of Auberoche / and saued their cōpanyons that were within: who by all lickely hod shulde haue ben taken within .ii. dayes after. The next day anone vpon sonne rysing / thyder came therle of Penbroke with his company a thre hundren spe res / and a foure thousande archers. Thatie he sayd to therle of Derby certaynly cosyn ye haue done me great vncourtesy to fight with our en∣nemyes without me: seyng that ye sent for me / ye might haue ben sure I wolde nat fayle to cōe fayr cosyn {quod} therle of Derby / we desyred gretly to haue had you with vs / we taryed all day tyll it was ferr past no one. And whan we sawe that ye came nat we durst nat abyde no lenger / for if our ennemyes had knowen of our cōmyng they had ben in a great aduantage ouer vs / & nowe we haue the aduantage of them I pray you be content and helpe to gyde vs to Burdeaux. So they taryed all that day and the nexte nyght in Auberoche: and the next day be tymes they de∣parted and left captayne in Auberoche a knight of Gascoyne called Alysander of Chamont / this they rode to Burdeaux and ledde▪ with them the moost part of their prisoners.