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 layd siege to the Ryoll / and howe that the towne was yelded to hym. Cap. C .ix. (Book 109)

THus the erle of Derby 〈◊〉〈◊〉 before the Ryoll and lay¦ed siege therto on all sydes / & made bas••y••es in the feldes and on the waye•••• / so that no prouisyon coulde entre into the towne / a〈…〉〈…〉he euery day ther was assaut: the siege ••••••ured a longe space. And whan the moneth was e••••yred that they of Segur shulde gyue vp their towne / the erle sent thyder and they of the ••owne gaue vp and became vnder the obeysaunce of the kynge of Englande / the captayne sir Hewe Bastefoll became seruant to the erle / with other that were within / vpon certayne wages that they hadde. Thenglysshmen that had lye•• longe before the Ryoll more than nyne wekes / had made in the meane space two belf••oys of great tymbre with .iii. stages / euery belfroy o•• fou•• great whelys and the sydes towardes the towne were coue∣red with cure boly to defende them fro fyre and fro shotte. And into euery stage ther were ••oyn¦ted. C. archers / by strength of men these two bel¦froyes were brought to the walles of the towne / for they had so fylled the dykes that they myght well be brought iust to the walles. The archers in these stages shotte so holly tog••der that none durst apere at their defence without they were well pauysshed / and bytwene these two belfro∣ys ther were a. CC. men with pycaxes to myne the walles / and so they brake through the wal∣les. Thaūe the burgesses of the towne came to one of the gates to speke with some lorde of the hoost / whan the erle of Derby knewe therof he sent to them sir Gaultier of Manny and the ba∣ron of Stafforde: and whan they cāe ther they founde that they of the towne wolde yel••e them their lyues and goodes saued. Sir Ago••s de Bans who was captayne within knewe that y^e people of the towne wolde yelde vp / he went in∣to the castell with his cōpany of soudyers / and whyle they of the towne were entrety••g / he con¦ueyed out of the ••owne gret quantyte of wyne & other prouisyon / and than closed the castell ga∣tes: & sayd howe he wolde nat yelde vp so so••e. The foresayd two lordes retourned to therle of Derby / shewyng hym howe they of the towne wolde yelde themself and the towne their lyues and goodes saued: thaūe therle sende to knowe howe the captayne wolde do with y^e castell / a•••• it was brought worde agayne to hym howe he wolde nat yelde. Than therle ••••udye•• a lytell▪ sayde well go take them of the towne to mercy / for by the towne we shall haue the castell / thaūe these lordes went agayne to them of the towne and receyued them to mercy / so that they shulde go out into the felde and delyuer therle of Der∣by the kayes of the towne / sayenge sir fro heus∣forth we knowlege our selfe subgettes and obey saunt to the king of Englande. And so they dyd and sware that they shulde gyue no comforte to them of the castell / but to greue them to the best of their powers: than therle cōmaunded that no man shulde do any hurt to the towne of Ryoll / nor to none of them within. Than therle entred into the towne and laydsiege rounde about the castell as nere as he might / and rered vp all his engyns the which caste nyght and day agaynst the walles / but they dyde lytell hurt the walles were so stronge of harde stone: it was sayd that of olde tyme it had ben wrought by the handes of the sarasyns who made ther warkes so stron¦gely that ther is none such nowe a bayes. Whā the erle sawe that he coulde do no good with his engyns he caused theym to cease / than he called to hym his myners: to thyntent that they shuld make a myne vnder all the walles / the whiche was nat sone made.