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 batayle of Blanch ••••que by twene the kyng of Englande and si•• Godmar du Fay. Cap. C .xxvii.

THe kyng of Englande slepte nat moche that nyght / for atte mydnight he a rose & so wne•• his trumpette: tha•• incontynent they made redy caryages and all thynges. And atte the brekynge of the day they departed fro the towne of Oysement / and rode after the guydinge of Go••yn a Grace so that they came by the sonne rysing to Blanch Taque / but as than the flu••de was vpp̄ so that they might nat passe: so the kynge taryed there tyll it was prime / than the ebbe came. The fren¦che kyng had his currours in the countrey who brought hym worde of the ••emeanoure of the englysshmen / than he thought to close the kyng of Englande bytwene Abuyle and the ryuer of Some / & so to fyght with hym at his pleasure. And whan he was at Amyēse: he had ordayned a great barowne of Normandy / called sir God mardu Fay to go and kepe the passage of Blā∣che Taque / where the englysshmen must pa〈…〉〈…〉 or els in none other place: he had with hym. M. men of armes / and sixe thousand a ••ote with the genowayes / soo they went by saynt Rey••g••y∣er in Ponthieu / and fro thens to Crotay / wher as the passage lay. And also he had with hym a great nombre of men of the countrey / and also a great nombre of theym of Mutterell / so that they were a twelfe thousand men / one and other whan the englysshe hoost was come thyder / sir Godmardu Fay araunged all his company to defende the passage / the kyng of England lette nat for all that / but whan̄e the ••ludde was gone he cōmaunded his marshals to entre into y^e wa∣ter in the name of god and saynt George: than they that were hardy and coragyous entre•• on bothe parties / and many a man reuersed / ther were some of the frēchmen of Arthoyes and Py¦cardy / that were as gladde to iuste in the water / as on the drie lande. The frenchemen defended so well the passage at the yssuing out of the wa∣ter / that they had moche to do: the genowayes dyde them great trouble with their c••os••owes / on thother syde the archers of Englande shotte so holly togyder / that he frenchmen were fayne to gyue place to the englysshmen. There was a sore batayle and many a noble feate of armes done on both sydes / finally thenglysshmen pas∣sed ouer / and assembled togyder in the felde: the kynge and the prince passed and all the lordes / than the frenchmen kept none array but depar∣ted he that myght best. Whan sir Godmar sawe that dyscon••itu••e: he fledde and saued hymselfe some ••••edde to Abuyle / and some to saynt Ray∣gnyer / they that were there a fote coude nat ••••ce so that ther were slayne a great nombre of them of Abuyle / Muttrell / Arras / and of saynt Ray∣gnier / the chase endured more than a great leag And as yet all the englysshmen were nat passed the ryuer / and certayne currours of the kyng of Behayne / & of sir John̄ of Heynault{is} / came on thē that were behynd / and toke certayn horses & caryages / and slewe dyuers or they coude take the passage. The french kyng the same mornyn¦ge was departed fro Araynes / trustyng to haue founde thenglysshmen bytwene hym and the ry¦uer of Some / but whan he harde howe that sir Godmar du Fay and his company were ••yscō∣fyted / he taryed in the felde and demaunded of his marshals what was best to do / they sayd sir ye can nat passe the ryuer but at the brige of Ab∣uyll / for the sludde is come in at Blanche taque than he retourned and lodged at Abuyle. The kyng of Englande whan he was past the ryuer he thanked god: and so rode forthe in lyke ma∣ner as he dyde before: than he called Gobyn a Grace and dyd quyte hym his ransome and all his company and gaue hym a hundred nobles and a good horse. And so the kynge rode forthe fayre and easely / and thought to haue lodged in a great town called Norell / but whan he knewe that the towne ••ertayned to the coūtesse of Dā∣merle / suster to y^e lorde Robert of Arthoys: the kyng assured the towne and countrey asmoche as pertayned to her and so went forthe: and his marshalles rode to Crotay on the seesyde / and brent the towne and founde in the hauyn many shippes and bark{is} charged with wynes of Pō∣thieu pertayning to the marchauntes of ••ayn∣ton / and of Rochell: they brought the best ther∣of to y^e kynges host. Than one of the marshals ••o••e to the gates of Abuyle / & fro thens to saynt

Reygnier / and after to the towne of Ruesaynt Esperyte. This was on a friday: and bothe ba¦tayls of the marshals retourned to the kynges hoost about noone / and so lodged all toguyder nere to Cressy in Pouthieu: the kynge of En∣glande was well enfourmed / howe the frenche kyng folowed after hym to fight. Than he said to his cōpany: lette vs take here some plotte of groūde for we wyll go no farther tylle we haue sene our ennemyes / I haue good cause here to abyde them / for I am on the ryght herytage of the quene my mother / the which lande was gy∣uen a••her maryage. I woll chalenge it of myne aduersary Philyppe of Ualoys: and bycause that he had nat the eyght part in nombre of men as the frenche kyng had / therfore he commaun∣ded his marshals to chose a plotte of grounde som what for his aduauntage: and so they dyde and thyder the kynge and his hoost went / than he sende his currours to Abuyle to se if the fren¦che kyng drewe that day into the felde or natte. They went forthe and retourned agayne: and sayde howe they coude se none aparence of his commyng / than euery man toke their lodgyng for that day / and to be redy in the mornynge at the sound of the trūpet in the same place. Thus friday the frenche kynge taryed styll in Abuyle abyding for his cōpany / and sende his two mar¦shals to ryde out to se the dealyng of thenglyssh¦men / and at nyght they retourned & sayde howe the englysshmen were lodged in the feldes ▪ that nyght the frenche kyng made a supper to all the chefe lordes that were ther with hym / and after supper / the kyng desyred them to be frendes ••••h to other: the kyng loked for the erle of Sauoy / who shulde come to hym with a thousande spea¦res / for he had receyued wages for a thre mone∣thes of them at Troy in Campaigne.