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 cardynall of Dyergourt treated to make agremēt bytwene the frenche kyng and the prin∣ce / before the batell of Poy∣cters. Cap. C .lxi. (Book 161)

WHan the frenche kyng{is} batayls was ordred and eue¦ry lorde vnder his banner a∣mong their owne men: than it was cōmaunded that eue∣ry man shulde cutte their spe¦res to a fyue fote long / and e∣uery man to put of their spurres. Thus as they were redy to aproche: the cardinall of Piergort came in great hast to the king / he came the same mornynge from Poycters: he kneled downe to the kyng and helde vp his handes / and desyred hym for goddessake a lytell to absteyne settynge forwarde tyll he had spoken with hym (than he sayde) sir ye haue here all the floure of your re∣alme agaynst a handfull of englysshmen / as to regarde your company: and sir if ye may haue them acorded to you without batayle / it shalbe more profitable and honourable to haue theym by that maner / rather than to aduēture so noble chiualry as ye haue here present: sir I requyre you in the name of god and humylyte / y^• I may ryde to the prince and shewe hym what danger ye haue hym in. The kynge sayd it pleaseth me well: but retourne agayne shortely / the cardy∣nall de{per}ted and dilygently he rode to the prince who was among his men a fote: than the cardy¦nall a lyghted and came to the prince who recey¦ued hym curtessy. Than the cardynall after his salutacyon made (he sayde) certaynly fayre son if you and your counsayle aduyse iustely the pu¦yssaunce of the frenche kynge / ye woll suffre me to treat to make a peace bytwene you & I may: the prince who was yong and lusty sayd / sir the honour of me and of my people saued / I wolde gladly fall to any reasonable way: than the car∣dynall sayd (sir ye say well) and I shall acorde you and I can: for it shulde be great pytie yf so many noble men and other as be here on bothe parties shulde come togyder by batayle. Than the cardynall rode agayne to the kyng (& sayd) sir ye nede nat to make any great haste to fyght with your ennemyes: for they canne nat slye fro you though they wolde they be in suche a groūd

wherfore sir I requyre you forbere for this day tyll to morowe the son rysinge. The kynge was lothe to agree therto forsome of his counsayle wolde nat cōsent to it / but finally the cardynall the wed such reasons that the kyng acorded that respyt: and in the same place there was pyght vp a 〈…〉〈…〉yon of reed sylke fresshe and rych and gaue leaue for that day euery man to drawe to their lodgynges / except the constables and mar¦shalle•• batayls. That sonday all the day the car¦〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉yled in ridynge fro the one hoost to the other gladly to agree them: but the frenche kynge wolde nat agree without he myght haue foure of the princy ••••llest of the englysshmen at his pleasure / and the prince and all the other to yelde themselfe simply howe beit ther were ma¦ny great offers made. The prince offred to ren∣dre into the kynges handes all that euer he had wonne in that voyage townes and castels: and to quyte all prisoners that he or any of his men had taken in that season. And also to swere nat to be armed agaynst the frenche kyng in seuyn yere after / but the kyng and his counsayle wold none therof / the vttermast that he wold do was that the prince and a. C. of his knyghtes shulde yelde theym selfe into the kynges prison / other∣wyse he wolde nat: the whiche the prince wolde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wyse agre vnto. In the meane season that the cardynall rode thus bytwene the hoostes: in trust to do some good certayne knight{is} of Frā∣ce and of Englande bothe / rode forthe the same sonday bycause it was truse for that day / to cost the hoostes and to beholde the dealyng of their enemyes: so it fortuned that the lorde John̄ Cā¦dos rode the same day coostyng the french host / and in like maner the lorde of Cleremont one of the trenche marshalles had ryden for the and a∣uiewed the state of the englysshe hoost / and as these two knyghtes retourned towardes their hoostes they mette togyder, eche of theym bare ou•• maner of deuyee: a blewe lady enbraudred 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beame aboue on their apayrell. Than the lorde Cleremont sayd: Chandos howe long haue ye taken on yo^u to bere my deuyce / nay ye bere my•••• sayd Chandos / for it is aswell myne as pours: I deny that sayd Cleremont but and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were nat for the truse this day bytwene vs / I shulde make it good on you incontynent that ye haue no right to bere my deuyce. I sir sayd Cā∣dos ye shall fynde me to morowe redy to defend you: and to proue by feate of armes that it is as well myne as yours / than Cleremont sayd Cā∣dos these be well the word{is} of you englysshmen / forye can deuyce nothyng of newe / but all that yese is good and fayre. So they departed with out any more doyng and eche of them returned to their hoost: the cardynall of Pyergort coude in no wyse that sonday make any agrement by∣twene the parties / and whan it was nere nyght he returned to Poicters. That night the french¦men toke their ease they had prouision ynough / and the englysshmen had great defaut: they cou¦de get no forage nor they coude nat depart these without danger of their ennemyes. That son∣day thenglysshmen made great dykes and hed∣ges about their archers to be the more stronger / and on the monday in the mornynge the prince and his company were redy apayrelled as they were before: and about the sonne rysing in lyke maner were the frenchmen. The same morning be tymes the cardynall came agayne to the fren¦che hoost / and thought by his preachyng to pa∣cify the parties / but than the frenchmen sayd to hym retourne whyderye woll / bringe hyder no mo wordes of treaty nor peace (and ye loue yo^r selfe depart shortely) Whan the cardynall sawe that he traueyled in vayne: he toke leaue of the kyng and than he went to the prince (and sayd) sir do what ye canne their is no remedy but to a byde the batayle / for I can fynde none acorde in the frenche kyng. Than the prince sayd: y^e same is our entent and all our people (god helpe the right) so the cardynall retourned to Poycters. In his company there were certayne knyghtes and squyers men of armes: who were more fa∣uourable to the frenche kyng than to the prince / and whan they sawe that y^e parties shulde fight they stale fro their maisters and went to the frē∣che hoost and they made their captayne the Ca∣telayne of Impastre / who was as thā ther with the cardynall who knewe nothynge therof tyll he was come to Poycters. The certentie of the order of the englysshmen was shewed to the frē∣che kyng / except they had ordayned threhūdred men a horsebacke and as many archers a horse¦backe: to coost vnder couert of the mountayne / and to strike into the batayle of the duke of Nor¦mandy / who was vnder the mountayne a fote. This ordynaunce they had made of newe that the frēchmen knewe nat of: the prince was with his batayle downe amonge the vynes / and had closed in the wekyst parte with their caryages. No we wyll I name some of the princypall lor∣des and knyghtes that were ther with the prin∣ce: the erle of Warwyke / therle of Suffolke / the erle of Salisbury / therle of Stafford / the lorde John̄ Chandos the lorde Richarde Stafford / the lorde Reynold Cobham / the lorde Spencer

the lorde James Audeley / y^e lorde Peter his bro¦ther / the lorde Bercley / the lorde Basser / the lord waren / the lorde Dalawar / the lorde Maulyne the lorde Wylly / the lorde Bartylme we be Bru¦nes / the lord of Felton / the lorde Rychard of Pē¦bruge / the lorde Stephyne of Constracyon / the lorde Brasfeton and other englysshmen. And of gascon ther was y^e lorde of Prunes / the lorde of Buger / the Captall of Buz / the lorde Johan of Chamont / the lorde Delaspare / the lorde of Ro¦sen / the lorde of Conseu the lorde of Montferāt the lorde of Landuras / the lorde Soulech of Le¦strade / and other that I can nat name. And of Heynowers: the lorde Eustace Dābretycourt / the lorde John̄ of Guystels / and two other strā¦gers / the lorde Dauyell Phasell / & the lorde De¦nyce of Moerbertre. All the princes company past nat an .viii. M. men one and other / and y^e frenchmen were a .lx. M. fightyng men / wher∣of ther were mo than thre thousande knightes.