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.

¶ Of the townes that therle of Der∣by wanne in Gascoyne goyng to∣warde the Ryoll. Cap. Cviii. (Book 108)

THey of Burdeux wyst nat what ioye to make: nor how to receyue therle of Der¦by and sir Gaultier of Man ny / for the takyng of the erle of Laylle and mo than two hundred knyght{is} with hym. So thus passed that wynter without any more doynge in Gascoyne that ought to be remēbred and whan it was past Eester / in the yere of our lorde. M. CCC .xlv. In the myddes of May▪ therle of Derby who had layne all that wynter at Burdeaux / made a great assemble of men of armes and archers / to the entent to go and lay siege to the Ryoll / the first day fro Burdeux he rode to Bergerath wher he founde therle of Pē¦broke / who had in like wyse made his assembly: ther they taryed thre dayes / and than departed and nombred their company and founde howe they were. M. men of armes / and two. M. ar∣chers: than they rode so longe tyll they came to saynt Basyll and layd siege therto. They with∣in consydred howe the greattest men and moost part of Gascoyne were prisoners / & sawe howe they shulde haue no socoure fro no parte: so all thynges consydred they yelded themselfe / & dyd

homage to the kyng of England. Than therle passed forthe and toke they way to Aguyllone: and in his way he founde the castell of Roche∣myllone / the whiche was well furnysshed with soudyers and artyllary / howbeit therle of Der∣by cōmaunded to gyue assaut and so the•• was a ferse assaut. They within cast out great bar∣res of yron and pott{is} with lyme / wherwith they hurt dyuers englysshmen suche as aduentured themselfe to farr: whan therle sawe his m••hurt and coude do nothyng•• he withdrue the assaut. The next day he made the vyllayns of the coun¦trey to bring thyder fagottes / busshes / donge / s••rawe / and erth / and fylled part of the dykes: so that they might go to the walles: and so they made. CCC. archers redy / and. CC. men of the countrey to go before them with pauysshes / and hauyng great pycares of yron: and whyle they dyd vndermyne the wall the archers shuld shote / and so they dyde that none within durste apere at their defence. This assaut endured the moste part of the day / so that finally the myners made a great hole through the wall: so that ten men myght entre a front. Thanne they within were sore a basshed / some fledde into the church and somme stale away by a priue gate: so this towne and castell was taken / robbed / and the moost parte slayne / except suche as were fledde into the church ▪ the which therle of Derby cau∣sed to be saued / for they yelded themself simply. Thau therle sette there newe captayns two en∣〈…〉〈…〉 squyers / Rycharde Wylle and Robert 〈◊〉〈◊〉: than therle went to Mountsegure and lay•• siege therto / and taryed ther a fyftene day ••s / captayne within was sir Hewe Bastefoll / & euery day there was assaut and great engyns were brought thyder ••ro Burdeaux / & fro Ber∣gerath: so that the stones 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they cast brake dow¦ne walles / roffes / and houses. Therle of Derby sende to them of the towne / shewyng them that if they were taken byforce they shulde all dye: & if they wolde come vnder they obeysance of the kynge of Englande he wolde pardon them all / and take them for his frendes. They of the tow¦ne wolde gladly haue yelded theym / and went and spake with their captayne in maner of coū∣••••yle to se what he wolde say: and he answered theym and sayd sirs kepe your defence / we ar a∣ble to kepe this towne this halfe yere if nede be. They departed fro hym in semyng well cōtent but at nyght they toke and putte hym in prison sayeng howe he shuld neuer go out therof with∣out so be he wold agre to make their peace with therle of Derby / and whan that he had sworne that he wolde do his deuoyre: they let hym out of prison / and so he went to the barryers of the towne and made token to speke with the erle of Derby / sir Gaultier of Manny was ther pre∣sent and he went & spake with him. The knight sayd sir Gaultier of Manny / ye ought natte to haue marueyle though we close our gates aga∣ynst you ▪ for we haue sworne feaultie to the fren¦che kyng: and I se well that ther is no persone in his behalfe that wyll stoppe you of your way / but me thynke ye are lyke to go farther. But sir for my selfe and for the menne of the towne I de¦syre you that we may abyde in cōposicyon / that ye make vs no warr nor we to you the space of a moneth: and duryng that terme if the frenche kyng or the duke of Normandy come into this contrey so strong as to fyght with you / than we to be quyte of our couenaunt: and if they come nat or one of them / than we shall put vs vnder 〈◊〉〈◊〉 obe•• sance of the kyng of England. Sir Gaulti¦er of Manny went to therle of Derby to knowe his pleasure in that behalfe / therle was content so that they within shuld make no fortifycation in that season: and also y^• if any of thēglysshmen ther lacked any vitayls / that they might haue it of them for their money. To this they were cō¦tent / and sent▪ xii. burgesses of the towne to Bur¦deaux in hostage: than thenglysshmen were re∣fresshed with prouisyon of the towne / but none of them entred. Than they passed forth and wa¦sted and exyled the contrey / the which was ple∣sant and frutefull / and came to a castell called & guyllon / and the captayne therof came to therle and yelded vp the castell / their lyues and good•• saued. Wherof they of the contrey had gret mar¦ueyle / for it was named one of the strongest ca∣stels of the worlde / & whā the captayne that had yelded vp the castell so soone came to Tholoum / the which was .xvii. leages thense / they of that towne toke hym and layd treason to his charge and hanged hym vp. The sayd castell stode by∣twene two great ryuers able to bere shyppes / y^• erle of Derby newe repeyred y^• castell and made captayne ther sir Joh•• of Gombray: tha••e the erle went to an other castell called Segart / the whiche he toke by assaut / and all the soudyours within slayne / and fro thense he went to the tow¦ne of le Ryoll.