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 assemble that the frenche kyng made to fight with the prin¦ce of wales / who rode in Ber∣ry. Cap. C .lvii. (Book 157)

WHan the frenche kynge had made his iourney: and reconquered townes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 castel¦les in base Normandy / per∣taynyug as than to the kyng of Nauerre whome he helde in prisonne / and was gone backe to the cytie of Parys. It was nat long af¦ter but that he herde howe the prince of Wales with a good nombre of men of warre / was ferre entred into the countrey aprochyng the gode ••o¦trey of Berry. Than the kyng sayd and sware that he wolde ryde and fyght with hym where∣soeuer he founde hym: than the kyng made aga∣yne a specyall assemble of all nobles and such as helde of hym his commaundement was that all maner of excuses layde a parte his letters ones sene that euery man on payne of his dyspleasur shulde drawe and mete with hym in y^• marches of Bloyes and Torayne / for the entent to syght with thenglysshmen. And the kyng to make the more hast: de{per}ted fro Parys and rode to Char∣tres to here the better of suretie what thenglyssh men dyd. There he re••ted & dayly men of warre resorted thyder fro all partes: as of Aunergne / Berrey / Burgoyne / Lorayne Heynault / Uer∣mandoyse Picardy / Bretayne / and Norman∣dy: and euer as they came they were set forwar∣de and made their musters. And lodged in the countrey by the ass••gnement of the marshalles / the lorde Johan of Cleremont and the lorde Ar¦nolde Dādrehen: the kyng sende also great pro¦uisyon to all his fortresses and garyson•••• in An∣towe / Poyctou / Dumayne / & Torayne: and in to all the fortresses wher he thought thenglyssh men shulde passe / to the entent to close the passa∣ges from them / and to kepe thē fro vitayl•••• that they shulde fynde no foragefor thē nor their hor¦ses. Howe beit for all that the prince and his cō∣pany / who were to the nombre of two. M. men of armes and sir. M. archers rode at their ease and had bitayls ynough / for they founde the cō¦tre of Auuerne right plentyfull / but they wolde nat tary ther but went for the to make warre 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their enemyes: they brent and exyled the cōtrey asmoch as they might. For whan they were en∣tred into a towne and founde it well replenys∣shed of all thyng{is}: they taryed ther a two or thre dayes to refresshe them / whan they depted they wolde distroy all the resydue strike out the hee∣des of the vessels of wyne / and bren where / bar∣ly and otes / and all other thyng{is}: to thyntent 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their enemyes shulde haue no ayde therof. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 than they rode forthe & euer founde good cōtres and plētyfull: for in Berry / Torayne A••••owe / Poyctou / and Mayne is a very plentyfull con∣tre for men of warr: thenglysshmen rode for the in this maner tyll they came to the good cytie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Burges. And ther they made a gret skirmyssh at one of the gates: capitayns within were / the lorde of Consant / & the lorde Hutyn of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 who kept the cyte: ther was many feates of 〈…〉〈…〉∣mes done / thenglysshmen de{per}ted without any more doyng / & went to Issoldon a strong castell the which was feersly assayled and thyder ca•••• all the hole hoost howbeit they coud nat wy••it. The gētylmen defended it valiantly: than they passed farther and toke their way to U〈…〉〈…〉on / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 great towne and a good castell but it was yuell closed and the peple ther nat sufficyent to make defence / therfore it was won perforce. And ther they founde wyne and other vitayls gret plenty and taryed there thre dayes co refresshe all there host / and thyder cāe tidynges to the prince how the french kyng was at Charters with a gret as∣semble of men of warr and howe y^• all the tor••∣nes and passag{is} aboue the ryuer of Loyre were closed and kept / that none coude passe the ryue•• Than the prince was counselled to returne and to passe by Torayne and Poycton / and so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 way to Bourdeaux. Than the prince toke that way and retourned: whan they had done with the towne that they were in their pleasure / and 〈…〉〈…〉ken the castell and slayne the mo••st part that were within / than they rode towarde Remoren tyne. The french kyng had send into y^• countrey thre great barownes to kepe the fronters there•• the lorde of Craon / the lorde Boucequant / and the hermyte of Chamont / who with thre. C. spe∣res rode into that contrey in costyng thēglyssh∣men / and had folowed thē a sixe dayes togyder•• and coude neuer fynde auantage to set on them:

for thēglysshmen rode euerso wysely / that they coude nat entre on them on any syde / to their ad¦uauntage. On a day the frenchmen putte them∣selfe in a busshement nere to Remorentyne / at a marueylous strayte passage / by the whiche the englysshmen must nedes passe: y^e same day ther was departed fro the princes bataile by leaue of the marshals: y^e lorde Bartylmewe of Breches / the lorde of Musydent gascoyne / the lorde Pe∣tyton Courton the lorde Dalawarre / the lorde Basset the lorde Danyell paseler the lorde Ry∣charde of Pontchardon / the lorde Nowell Lo∣rynch the yong lorde Spencer Edwarde / and the lorde Dambretycourte: with two hundred menne of armes to ronne before Remorentyne. They passed foreby the frenchmens busshment and was nat ware of them: assone as they were passed / the frenchmen brake out and came after them feersly / thenglysshmen who were well for∣warde herde the noyse of the horses commynge after them / and parceyued how they were their ennemyes: they tourned and stode styll and a∣bode the frēchmen: who came on thē with great randon their speares in their restes. And so cāe ronnyng to thenglysshmen: who stode styll and suffre them to passe / and there was nat of them past a fyue or sir ouerthrowen at y^• first metyng than thenglysshmen dasshed forthe their horses after the frenchemen. There was a feerse skyr∣mysshe and en〈…〉〈…〉red long: and many knightes and squyers beaten downe on both partes / and dyuers taken and rescued agayn / so that a long season no man coulde tell who had the better / so long they fought that the batayle of thenglysshe marthalles aproched. And whan the frenchmen sawe theym commyng a long by a woode syde: they ••ledde he that might best / & toke their way∣es to Remorentyne / and the englysshmen in the chase natte sparyng their horses. There was a harde batayle and many a man ouerthrowen: howe beit the one halfe of the frenchmen entred into the castell / the thre lordes saued theymselfe and dyuerse other knyghtes and squyers that were well horsed. Howe beit the towne was ta∣ken at their fyrst commynge: for the frenchmen all entred into the castell.