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 an inposycion and gabell orday¦ned in Fraunce by the thre estates for the feates of the warres. Cap. C .lv. (Book 155)

ALso in the yere of oure lorde. M. CCC .lv. in y^• mo¦neth of Octobre: the prince of Wales eldest son to the kyng of England went into Gas∣coyne and went nere to Tho¦louz and so paste the ryuer of Garon & went into Cracassone and brent the bo¦rowe but the cytie was well defended. And fro thens he went to Narbon brēnyng and exilynge the contrey / and in the moneth of Nouembre he retourned to Burdeur with great pyllage and many prisoners / for no man resysted hym. And yet in the contrey was therle of Armynake lieu∣tenant to the french kyng in Langnedocke / and also the lorde of Foitz / the lorde Janques of Bur¦bon / the lorde of Pontheu / the cōstable of Fran∣ce / and the lorde John̄ of Cleremont marshall of Fraunce / and a farre gretter company than the prince had: the same yere in the ende of Octobre the kyng of England cāe to Calys / and he rode with a great hoost to Hedyn / & brake the parke ther and brent the house within & about the {per}ke / but he entred nat into the town nor castell. And the frenche kyng who had made his assemble at the cytie of Amyens / heryng of the kyng of En∣glande rode towarde hym / but the kyng of En∣gland was returnyng to Calys / and the french kyng folowed hym tyll he came to saynt Omers And than he send his marshall Dauthayne & dy¦uers other to the kyng of England / offeryng to fight body to body or power to pouer / what day soeuer he wold apoynt: but y^• kyng of England refused that batayle / & so retourned agayn into England / and the frenche kyng to Parys. The same yere about the feest of saynt Andrue: there was assembled at Pares by the kynges cōmaū∣ment / the prelates of France / the barownes and the counsayls of the good townes. And ther the chanceler of France in the {per}lyament chambre re¦syted the state of the warres of France / desyring them thervpon to take aduyce what ayd might be gyuen to the kyng to mentayne & defende the sayd warres: and also he sayde it is come to the kynges knowledge / howe that his subgettes ar sore greued by reason of the mutacyon of y^• mo∣neys. Therfore the kyng offereth to make gode money & durable: so y^• they wolde graunt hym sufficient ayde to mētayne his warres / they an∣swered that is to say: the clergy by the mouth of the archbysshop of Reyns / the nobles by y^• duke of Athenes / and the good townes by the mouth of Stephyn Martell prouost of the marchant{is} of Parys. All they sayde they were redy to lyue and dye with the kynge: & put their bodyes and goodes into his seruyce / requyring to haue deli¦beracyon to speke togyder / the which was graū¦ted thē. The same yere the vigyll of the cōcepci∣on of our lady: the kyng gaue the duchy of Nor¦mandy to Charles dolphyn of Uienoys his el∣dest son / and the next day he made his homage. After the delyberacyon taken by the thre estates they answered to the kyng in the {per}lyament chā∣bre by the mouthes of the sayde thre {per}sons howe they wolde fynde hym for one yer. xxx. M. men at their cost{is} & charge / the fināce to pay the wag{is} of so many men of warre was estemed to .l. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. parisien̄ / & the thre estat{is} ordenid this som̄e to be leuyed of euery {per}son & of euery estate mē of y^•

nobles / and other euery man .viii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of euery pounde: and that the gabell of salt shulde ron through the realme / but bycause they were nat in certayne of this inposicyon ▪ ••abell shuld suffyce. Therfore it was ordayned that the thre states shulde retourne agayne to Parys to se & knowe if this inposicyon w••lde serue or no (the first day of March) at the which day thyder a∣gayne they came all: except certayne of y^• great townes of Picardy and Normandy / and some nobles of the same such as were at the inposici∣on makyng came thyder / & they founde that the first graunt wolde nat suffyce to reys•• the sayde some. Wherfore they ordayned a newe subse••y: that is to say / that euery person of the blode roy¦all or otherwyse: clerke / lay / relygious / or rely∣gions / except and nat except / householders / cu∣rates of churches / hauyng rentes or reuenewes offices / or admnystracyon / women / wydowes / chyldren maryed or natte maryed hauyng any thynge of their owne / or in any others kepynge none age or admynistracion. And all other of e∣uery estate authorite / or priuylege: that they a•••• thā vsed or haue vsed in tyme past / if it be. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. of reuenues or vnder / if it befor terme of lyse in herytage / in plege / or by meanes of office / or pē∣cion duryng lyfe or at wyll shall pay to hiss ayde & subsidy of euery .iiii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 .xl. souces. And of .x. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. of reuenues or aboue .xx. souces / labourers and workemen lyueng by their labour / shall pay .x. souces: seruantes prentyses lyueng by their ser¦uyces takyng. C. s. by yere or more shall in like¦wyse pay .x. s. taking these moneys after y^• rate of Parys money in that countre / and at Cour∣ney for the money currant in that partes. And if seruantes haue nat by yere / but. C. ss. 〈◊〉〈◊〉: they shall pay nothing wourthey haue good{is} af¦ter the rate / than shall they pay as other do. and also beggers / monkes / and cloystereus without offyce or admynistracyon / nor chyldren beynge in warde / vnder the age of .xv. yere hauyng no¦thyng in their handes / nor noones hauynge no reuenewes aboue .x. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. shall pay nothynge: nor also women maryed / because their husbandes payeth: for the value of their husbandess shalbe rekened aswell for that they haue by their wifes as of their owne. And as for clerkess and men of the church / prelat•• / abbottes / pr••ours / chanons / curates / and other as is beforesayde: if they be worthe aboue. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. in reuenewes by yere in be∣nefic•• of the church or patrimony / or y^• one with the other / to the som̄e of .v. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. they shall pay iiii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. for the first. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. and for euery, C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. af∣ter tyll ye come to the som̄e of .v. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 .xl. ss. nor they shall pay nothyng for that they may spe••••e aboue .v. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. nor for their moua••l••••: 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 value of their benefyces shalbe estemed after the rate of their dymes / whan that is pay〈…〉〈…〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 out any excepcion or priuyledge. And as for no∣ble men & men of y^• good townes that may sp••••∣de aboue the som̄e of. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. in reuenewes 〈…〉〈…〉 pay tyll they come to the som̄e of .v. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. for e∣uery. C .xl. s. besyde .iiii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. of y^• first. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. A••d the men of the gode townes insemblable maner tyll they come to. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. of reuenues: and as for the mouables of the noble men that haue na•• C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. of reuenewes / their mouables shalbe estemed and rekenyd to the value of. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. & no farther. And other men that haue nat .iiii. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. of reue∣newes: their good•• shalbe rekenyd tyll they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to .iiii. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. y^t is to say. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. of mouables 〈◊〉〈◊〉 x. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. of reuenues / and after that rate to nay. And if a noble man haue nat in reuenues but all one∣ly. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. and in mouables nat past. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. or that a noble man hath nat in reuenues nat past. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. C. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. nor in mouables past .iiii. M. and it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 part in mouables and part in reuenewes / they must be estemyd togyder to the som̄e of. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. for the noble men: & to .iiii. M. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. to other and nat aboue. The saturday the fyft day of marche the yere of our lorde. M. CCC .lvi. there rose a discēyon / bytwene the cōmons of the towne of Arras and the great men of the same / and the cō¦mons slewe y^• same day mo than .xvii. of y^• chefe {per}sonages of the towne / and on the monday af∣ter they slewe other four / and banisshed dyuers that were nat as than in towne / and so the cō¦mons was as than chefe maisters in y^• towne.