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 the kyng of Nauer made sir Charles of Spaygne constable of France to be slayne. Ca. C .liiii. (Book 154)

IN the yere of our lorde M. CCC .lii. in the vygill of our lady in the myddes of august / the lord Guy of Ne¦ell lorde of O••femōt as than marshall of France / in Bre∣tayne was slayne in bataile the lorde of Briquebeke / the Cathelayne of Be∣au wayes / & dyuers other nobles / aswell of Bre¦tayne as of other marches of France. The .iiii. day of Septēbre shulde a fought in Parys the duke of Bo••sme / agayne the duke of Lancastre for certayne wordes that he shulde say of y^e duke of Boesme / the which duke apealed hym in the court of Frāce. These two dukes came into the felde all armed in a lystes made for y^• sayd duke of Almayne chalenger / and for the duke of Eng¦lande defender. And though thēglysshmen wer enemys to the french kyng / and that thenglyssh duke came thyder vnder saue cōduct to fight 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the defence of his honour / yet the frenche kynge wold nat suffre them to fight: for assone as they had made their othes in such case requysite and were on their horses redy with their speares in their handes. Than the kyng toke on hym y^• ma¦ter / and dyd set them in acorde and gremēt: the vi. day of Decēbre folowyng pope Clement the vi. dyed at Auygnon / the .xi. yere of his pōti••ic••¦te / and the .xi. day of the same moneth about the hour of thre was chosen pope / a cardynall of Ly¦mosyn / called by his tytle y^• cardynall of Ostre / but bycause he was bysshoppe of Cleremont he was called most cōmonly y^• cardynall of Clere∣mont / and whan he was chosen pope he was n••

med Innocēt / his owne proper name was Ste¦phyn ••ubert / y^• yere of our lorde. M .iii. C .liii. the .viii. day of January / anone after y^• brekyn¦ge of the day in the mornyng / the kyng Charles of Nauer erle of Eureur caused to be slayne in the towne of the Egle in Normādy in an hostre / the lorde Charles of Spayne constable of Frā∣ce in his bedde / by certayne men of armes that he sent to do that dede and hymselfe abode with out the towne tyll they had done and retourned agayne to hym. And as it was sayde with hym was the lorde Philypp̄ of Nauer his brother / & the lorde Lovs of Harcourt / the lorde Godfray of Hat court his vncle and dyuers other knygh¦tes and squyers aswell of Normandy as of Na¦uer. Than the kynge of Nauer and his cōpany went to the cyte of Deureur wherof he was erle and fortifyed the towne / and with hym also ther was the lorde of Maule / John̄ Maler lorde of Grauyll / the lorde of ••••morie / of Mulent / and dyuers other nobles of Normandy. And than̄e the kyng of Nauer went to the towne of Mant and he had sent dyuers letters into diuers gode townes of France: howe that he had put to deth the constable for dyuers great trespaces by him cōmytted / and he sent the erle of Namure to the french kyng to Parys to excuse hym. Than the kynge sende to Mant the cardynall of Bolayne the bysshoppe of Laon / the duke of Burbon / the erle of Uaudone & other / to treat with the kyng of Nauerr / for though he had caused to dye the cōstable of France / yet he thought he shulde nat clene lese the fauour of the frenche kyng / whose doughter he had maryed: therfore he made re∣quest of pardon to the kyng. It was thought in the realme of Fraunce that great warre shulde ense we bytwene these two kynges / for the kyng of Nauer had made great assembles of men of warre in dyuers regions / and fortifyed his tow¦nes & castles: finally there was agrement made bytwene these two kynges vpon certayne cōdy∣cions wherof part solo weth herafter. That is to say: the french kyng shall delyuer to the kyng of Nauer .xxxviii. M. ••i. tornois of lande / aswell for certeyn rent that the kyng of Nauer had out yerely of the tresur in Pares as vpon other lā∣des that the frenche kyng ought to assigne hym by certeyne treat•• graūted long before bytwene their predecesso's / bycause of the countie of Chā¦payne. And also for the maryage of the kynge of Nauer: for maryeng of the kyng•• doughter / at which maryage he was promysed great landes / that is to say .xii. M. ••i. of land: also the kyng of Nauer wolde haue the coūtie of Beamōt le Ro¦ger / the land of Bretuell in Normādy / Conches and Dorbec / the vycoūt of Pōtheu by the see / & the bayllage of Cōstantyne: the which thynges were agreed vnto by the french kyng. Howbeit the coūtie of Beamont / & the landes of Conches Bertuell / & Dorbec: parteyned to the lorde Phi¦lyp duke of Orleāce brother to the french kyng / who gaue hym other lādes in recōpence therof. Also it was agreed that the lordes of Harcourt and all his other alyes shuld holde of him for all their landes whersoeuer they were in France if they lyst orels nat: also it was agreed y^• he shuld holde styll all the sayd landes besyde thē that he helde before in parie / and if he lyst to kepe his es cheker two tymes in the yere / as nobly as euer dyd any duke of Normādy: also the french kyn∣ge to {per}don the deth of the cōstable / and all suche as were cōsentyng therto: and to {pro}myse by his oth neuer to do any hurt or dāmage to any {per}son for that occasion. And also the kyng of Nauerr to haue a great som̄e of money of y^• french kyng and ar the kyng of Nauer wolde cōe to Parys: he wolde haue in hostage the erle of Aniowe / se∣conde son to the kyng. Than he came to Pares with a great nōbre of men of armes: and the. iiii day of march / he came into the {per}lyament chābre wher the kyng satte & dyuers of the peres of the realme with him and his counsell: ther was the cardynall of Bolayne / ther the kyng of Nauer desyred the french kyng to {per}don hym the deth of the cōstable of France / sayeng how he had gode cause so to do / the which he offred ther to proue or els to be at the kynges pleasure. And also he sayd and sware that he dyd it nat for no grudge to the kyng / nor in dispyte of his offyce: sayeng also howe ther was nothyng so greuous to him as to be in the dyspleasur with the kyng. Than the lorde Jaques of Burbone as than constable by the kynges cōmaundement / sette his handes on the kynge of Nauer / and caused hym to go a backe out of the kyng•• pres••ns: thā quene Jane and quene Blanche / suster to the kynge of Na∣uer / the which Jane had ben wyfe to kyng Phi¦lyppe last deed: came to the frenche kyng & kne∣led downe / and the lorde Reynold Detrey with them (and he sayd) my right redouted soueray∣gne lorde: beholde here these two ladyes & que∣nes Jane and Blanche. Sir they vnderstande howe the kyng of Nauer is in your dyspleasur / whereof they be sorie: and requyre you to for∣gyue hym your yuell wyll / and by the grace of god he shall so bere hymselfe frohens forwarde / that you and all the people of France shalbe ple∣ased with hym / than the constable and the mar∣shalles

went agayne for the king of Nauer / and so brought hym into the kynges presence / and ther he stode bytwene the two quenes. Than y^e cardynall sayd sir kyng of Nauer: the kyng my maister is nat well cōtent with you for the dede that ye haue done / it nede nat to be rehersed / for ye haue publysshed it yourselfe by youre owne writyng / so that euery man doth knowe it ye ar so bounde to the kyng that ye ought nat thus to haue done. ye be of his blode so nere as euery man knoweth that ye ought to holde of hym / & also ye haue wedded his doughter / where fore your trespasse is the greatter: Howe beit at the instaunce and loue of these ladyes the quenes / who hath effectuously requyred for you: and al¦so the kyng thynketh that ye dyde it w^tout great aduysement / and by small counsayle / therfore y^e kyng pardoneth you with good hert and wyll. Than the two quenes and the kynge of Nauer kneled downe and thanked the kynge / than the cardynall sayd agayne: let euery man fro hens∣forthe beware though he be of the kynges lyna∣ge to do any suche lyke dede / for surely though he be the kynges sonne / if he do any suche to the leest offycer parteyning to the kyng / he shall a∣byde the iustyce of the realme in that case: than the court brake vp / and so euery man departed. The .xxi. day of Marche / a knyght baneret of the lowe marchesse called sir Reynolde of Pre∣signy lorde of Maraunt besyde Rochell / was drawen and hanged on the gybette / by iudge∣ment of the parlyament / and by the kynges coū¦sayle / the yere of our lorde god. M. CCC .liiii. in the moneth of August. The erle of Harcourt and sir Loyes his brother / counsayled with the frenche kyng▪ and as it was sayde / they shewed the kyng all the mater of the dethe of the consta∣ble / and in Septēbre the cardynall of Bolayne went to Auygnon / some sayd the kyng was dys¦pleased with hym. Howe be it the space of a yere that he had ben in France he was as preuy with the kynge as any other. The same season there went out of the realme of France / the lorde Ro∣bert de Lorris chāberlayne with the kyng / and if the kyng had takyn hym in his yre / some tho∣ught it shulde haue cost hym his lyfe: bycause it was noysed that he had shewed to the kynge of Nauerre certayne secretes of the frenche kyng: in like wyse as the lordes of Harecourt had she∣wed the kyng of Nauers secretes to the frenche kyng. In the moneth of Nouembre the kyng of Nauer went out of Normandy without know∣ledge of the french kyng / and sported hym in dy¦uers places tyll he came to Auygnon ▪ and in the same moneth the archebysshop of Rowan chan∣celer of Fraunce / the duke of Burbone / and dy∣uers other englysshe lordes wente to Auygnon to the pope to treat for a peace bytwene the kyn∣ges of England and of France. And also y^e same moneth the frenche kyng went into Normandy to Cane / and toke in his handes all the landes of the kynge of Nauers / and set in his offycers in euery towne and castell / except sixe: that is to say Eareur / Pontheu / Chirburge / Gaurey / Au¦ranges / and Mortaygne / these wolde nat yelde vp / for ther were naueroys within theym (that answered and sayd) they wolde nat delyuer vp their townes & castels: but all onely to the kyng of Nauer their lorde: who had sette them there. In the moneth of January by saue conduct cāe the lorde Robert de Lorris to the frenche kyng: and was a .xv. dayes at Parys or he coude spe∣ke with the kyng / and whan he had spoken with hym yet he was nat reconsyled at the full / but re¦turned agayne into Auygnon by the ordynance of the kynges counsell / to be as one of them that were ther for the treaty bytwene Englande and France. In the ende of February tidynges cāe howe trewse was taken bytwene the sayde two kynges to endure to the feest▪ of saynt John̄ Ba¦ptyst: and in the mean tyme the pope to do what he myght to make a further peace. And therfore he sende messangers to bothe kynges / that they shulde sende further authorite by their embassa¦dours / to conclude on an other maner of peace. The same moneth the frenche kyng made newe money of fyne golde: called florence of y^e lambe / for in the pyell there was grauyn a lambe .lii. of theym went to a marke weyght / and after they were made the kynge made .xlviii. to goo for a marke weyght and the course of all other florēs was prohibyted. The same moneth sir Grāchet be Lore came to Parys to speke with the kynge as messanger fro the kyng of Nauer: and he re∣tourned agayne in February / & bare with hym a letter of saue cōduct to the kyng of Nauer / the same yere about lent came dyuers englysshmen nere to y^e towne of Naunt{is} in Bretayne / and en¦tred into the castell by scalyng a .lii. but sir Guy of Rochfort who was captayn & was as than in the towne / he dyd somoche with assaut that the same nyght he wanne the castell agayne / and all thenglysshmen taken and slayne. At Easter the yere of our lorde. M. CCC .lv. kyng Johan of France sent into Normādy his eldest son Char∣les dolphyn of Uienoys to be his lieutenāt ther and there he taryed all that somer / and the men of the contre graūted hym .iii. M. mē of armes

tor thre mouethes. Also in the moneth of august the kyng of Nauer / came out of Nauer to the ca¦stell of Chierburge in Constantyne / and with hym a .x. M. men of warr one and other. Ther were dyuers treates cōmuned of / bytwene the kyng of Nauer and the frenche kyng / but suche as were in the castell of Eurur and Pontheau / robbed & pylled the countre all about. And some of them came to the castell of Couches / the whi∣che was as than in the french handes / and wan it and newe fortifyed it / many thynges dyde the nauereys agaynst the frenchmen / finally the .ii. kynges were agreed. Than the kyng of Nauer went to the castell of Uernell to the dolphyne / & he brought the kyng of Nauer to Parys / and y^• xxiiii. day of Septēbre the kyng of Nauer and the dolphyn came to the frenche kyng to the ca∣stell of Lour. Than the kyng of Nauerr made his reuerence and excused hymselfe honorably / in that he departed out of the realme of France / and also he sayd it was shewed hym how y^• kyn∣ge shulde nat be well content with hym. Than y^• frenche kynge desyred hym to shewe what they were that had made that report / than he answe∣red that syth the deth of the cōstable / he had don nothyng agaynst the french kyng / but as a true man ought to haue done. Howe beit he desyred the french kyng to pardon euery thyng / promy∣synge to be true as he ought to be to his father & chiefe lorde / than̄e the duke of Athenes sayde in kynges behalfe the kynge doth pardon hym all thynges with a good hert.