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 that quene Isabell depar∣ted fro Fraunce / and entred in to the Empyre. Cap. ix.

WHan the quene hard thys ti∣dyngis / she knewe nat What to say / nor What aduyce to take. for as than the barons of the realme of Fraūce were withdrawen frō her by the cōmaundement of the kyng of Fraū∣ce and so she had no comfort nor succoure / but all onely of her dere cosyn / {ser} Robert de Artoys for he secretly dyd counsaile and comfort her as moche as he myght / for other Wyse he durst nat for the kyng hadde defended hym. But he knew well that the quene was chased out of Ingland and also out of Fraunce for euyll Wyll / and by

enuy whiche greued hym greatly. Thus was syr Robert de Artoyes at the quenes commaun dement / but he durste nat speke nor be knowen therof. For he had hard the kyng say and swere That Who so euer spake to hym / for the quene his suster shulde leese his landis and be banys∣shed the realme. And he knewe secretly howe y^e kyng was in mynde and will to make his suster to be taken and Edward her sonne and the erle of Cane / and syr Roger Mortymer / and to put theym all in the handis of the kyng / and of syr Newe Spencer. Wherfore he came on a nyght and declared all this to the quene and aduysed her of the parell that she was in. Than y^e quene was greatly abasshed / and required hym all we pyng of his good counsaile. Than he sayd ma¦dame / I counsaile you that ye depart and go in to the empire / where as ther be many great lor∣des / who may ryght well ayde you / and special¦ly the erle Guillyam of Heynault / and syr John of Heynaulte his brother. These two are great lordes and wise men / true / drad / and redoubted of their ennemies. Than the quene caused to be made redy all her purueyaunce. and payd for e∣uery thyng as secretly as she myght / and so she and her sonne / the erle of Cane / and all her com¦pany departed from Paris / and rode to warde Heynaulte / and so long she rode that she came to Cambresys. And whan she knewe she was in the Empyre. She was better assured than she was before. and so passed through Cambresys and entred into Ostrenaunt in Heynaulte and lodged at Ambreticourt in a knights house who was called syr Dambrycourte / Who receyued her ryght ioyously in the best maner to his po∣wer / In so moche that afterwarde the quene of Inglande and her sonne hadde with them into Ingland for euer / the knyght and his wyfe and all his children / and auaunced them in dyuers maners.

THe comyng thus of y^• quene of Inglāde and of her sonne and heyre into the coū∣trey of Heynaulte was anon well knowen in the howse of y^e good erle of Heynault / who as than was at Ualenciennes. And syr John̄ of Hey∣nault was certified of the tyme whan the quene arryued at the place of syr Dambrecourte. The whiche syr John̄ was brother to the sayde Erle Guillam. And as he that was yong & lusty desi¦ryng all honoure / mounted on his horse / and de¦parted with a small company fro Ualēciennes and came the same nyght to Ambreticourt / and dyd to the quene all honour and reuerence that he coulde deuyse. The quene / who was ryght sorowfull / beganne to declare (complaynyng to hym ryght pyteously) her dolours / Wherof the sayd syr John̄ had great pitie / so that the water dashte in his yen / and sayd certaynly fayre lady beholde me here your owne knyght / who shall nat fayle you to dye in the quarell / I shall do y^e best of my power to conducte you and my lorde your sonne. and helpe to brynge you into your astatis in Inglande by the grace of god / and With the helpe of your frendis in that parties / and I and suche other as I can desyre shall put our lyues and goodes in aduēture for your sake and shall gette men of warre sufficient if god be pleased without the daūger of the kyng of Frā∣ce your brother. Than the quene wold haue kne¦led downe for great ioye that she had / and for y^e good wyll he offred her. But this noble knyght toke her vppe quyckly in his armes and sayde / By the grace of god the noble quene of Inglād shall nat knele to me. But ma dame recomforte yourselfe and all your company / for I shall ke∣pe you faithfull promyse / and ye shall go se the erle my brother and the countesse his wyfe / and all theyr fayre chyldren / Who shall receyue you with great ioye. For so I harde theym reporte they wold do. Than the quenesayd. syr I fynde in you more loue and comforte / than in all the worlde. And for this that ye say and affirme me I thāke you a thousande tymes. and yf ye wyll do this ye haue promised / in all courtesy and ho¦noure / I and my sonne shall be to you for euer bounde / and wyll put all the realme of Inglād in your abandon. For it is right that it so shuld be. And after these wordes. whan they were this accorded. Syr John̄ of Heynaulte toke leue of the quene for that uyght / & went to Douaing / & laye in the abbeye. And in the mornynge after masse / he lepte on his horse and came agayn to the quene / Who receyued hym with great Joye by that tyme she had dynedde / and was redy to mounte on her horse to departe with hym / and so the quene departed from the castell of Dam∣brety courte / and toke leue of the knyght / and of the lady / and thanked them for theyr good there that they hadde made her / and sayd that she tru¦sted oones to se the tyme / that she or her sonne shulde well remembre theyr courtesye.

Thus departed the quene in the company of y^e sayd syr John̄ lorde Beamont. who ryght ioy∣ously dyd conducte her to Ualencyenues / and agaynst her came many of the Burgesses of the towne / and receyued her right humbly. Thus was she brought before the Erle Guyllaume of Heynaulte / Who receyued her with great ioye / and in lyke wyse so dyd the coūtesse his wyfe / & feasted her ryght nobly. And as than this Erle

hadde foure layre doughters / Margaret Phi¦lypp / Jane / and Isabell. Amonge whome the yong Edwarde sette mo〈…〉〈…〉 hi•• loue and com∣pany on Phylypp. And also the yong lady in al honour was more conuers••••nt with hym than any of her susters. Thus the quene Isabell a∣bode at Ualencyennes by y^e space of .viii. daies with the good Erle / and with the coūtesse Jane be Ualoys. In the meane tyme the quene apa∣railed for her needis and besynesse / and the said syr John̄ wrote letters ryght effectuously vnto knyghtis and suche companyans as he trusted best in all Heynaulte / in Brabant / and in Be∣haigne / and prayed them for all amyties / that was bitwene theym / that they wolde god 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hym in this entreprise in to Inglande / and so there were great plentye what of one countrey and other that were content to go with hym. for his loue. But this sayd syr John̄ of Heynaulte was greatly reproued and counsailed the con∣trarye / bothe of the Erle his brother / and of the chief of the counsaile of the countrey / bycause it semed to theym / that the entreprise was ryght hygh and parillouse / seynge the great discordis and great hates that as than was bytwene the barones of Inglande amonge them selfe. And also consyderyng / that these 〈…〉〈…〉hemen most commonly haue euer great enuy at straungers. Therfore they doubted / that the sayd syr John̄ of Heynaulte / and his company shulde nat re∣tourne agayne with honour. But howeso euer they blamed or coūsailed hym / the gētle knyght wolde neuer chaunge his purpose / but layd he hadde but one dethe to dye / the whiche was in the wyll of god. And also sayd / that all knyght{is} ought to ayd to theyr powers all ladyes and da mozels chased out of theyr owne countreys be∣yng without counsaile or comfort.