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 prince retourned to Bur¦deux after the batayle of Poy∣cters. Cap. C .lxix. (Book 169)

Whan supper was done euery man wente to his lod∣gyng with their prisoners: y^e same nyght they putte many to raunsome and belyued thē on their faythes & trauthes & raunsomed them but easely / for they sayd ther wolde sette no knyghtes raun¦some so hygh / but that he myght pay at his ease and maynteyne styll his degree. The nerte day whan they had herde masse and taken some re∣past / and that euery thyng was trussed and re∣dy: than they toke their horses and rode to war∣des Poycters. The same nyght ther was come to Poycters the lorde of Roy with a hūdred spe¦res he was nat at the batayle / but he mette the duke of Normādy nere to Chauuigny / and the duke sende hym to Poycters to kepe the towne / tyll they herde other tidynges. Whan the lorde of Roy knewe that thenglysshmen were so nere commynge to the cytie: he caused euery man to be armed and euery man to go to his defence / to the walles / towres / and gates: and thēglyssh¦men passe by without any aprochynge / for they were so laded with golde / syluer / and prisoners, that in their retournynge they assauted no for∣tres. They thought it a gret dede if they might bringe the frenche kynge with their other priso∣ners and ryches that they had won in sauegard to Burdeaux: they rode but small iourneys by∣cause of their prisoners and great caryag{is} that they had they rode in a day no more but four or fyue leages / and loged euer betymes: and rode close togyder in good aray sauyng the marshal¦les batayls / who rode euer before with fyne. C. men of armes to opyn the passages as y^e prince shulde passe / but they founde no encounterers / for all the countre was so frayed that euery man drue to the fortresses. As the prince rode it was shewed hym howe the lorde Audeley had gyuen to his four squyers the gyft of the fyue hundred markes / that he hadde gyuen vnto hym. Than the prince send for hym: and he was brought in his lytter to the prince / who receyued hym cur∣tesly (and sayde) sir James we haue knoledge that the reuenewes that we gaue you / assone as ye came to your lodgyng / you gaue the same to foure squyers: we wolde knowe why ye dyd so / and whyder y^e gyft was agreable to you or nat. Sir sayd the knyght it is of trauth I haue gy∣uen it to thē: and I shall she we you why I dyde so / these foure squyers that be here present haue alonge season serued me well and truely in ma∣ny great besynesses / and sir at this last batayle they serued me in suche wyse / that and they had neuer done nothynge els / I was bounde to re∣warde theym: and before the same day they had neuer nothing of me in rewarde. Sir I am but a man alone: but by the ayde and confort of thē I toke on me to acomplysshe my vowe long be / fore made: I had ben deed in the batayle & they had nat ben. wherfore sir whan I consydred the loue that they bare vnto me / I had nat ben cur∣tesse if I wolde nat a rewarded them: I thanke god I haue had and shall haue ynough as long as I lyue / I wyll neuer be a basshed for lacke of good. Sir if I haue done this without yo^r plea¦sure I requyre you to pardon me: for sir both I and my squyers shall serue you as well as euer we dyd. Than the prince sayd: sir James for a nything that ye haue done I can nat blame you but can you gode thanke therfore / and for the va¦lyantnes of these squyers whom ye preyse so mo¦che / I acorde to them your gyft: and I woll ren¦der agayne to you .vi. C. markes in lyke maner as ye had the other. Thus the prince & hsi com∣pany: dyd somoche that they past through Poy¦ctou / and Xaynton without damage / and came

to Blay / and there passed the ryuer of Geron / & aryued in the good cytie of Burdeux. It canne nat be recorded the gret feest and cherr that they of the cytie / with the clergy made to the prince / and howe honourably they were ther receyued. The prince brought the french kyng into the ab¦bey of saynt Andrewes / and there they lodged bothe / the kyng in one part / and the princeliu y^e other. The prince bought of the lordes / knygh / tes / and squyers of Gascone / the moost parte of the erles of the realme of Fraunce suche as wer prisoners and payed redy money for the. Ther was dyuers questyons and chalenges made by twene the knyghtes and squyers of Gascoyne / for takyng of the frenche kyng / Howe beit De∣nyce Morbecke by ryght of armes and by true tokens that he shewed / chalenged hym for his prisoner. Another squper of Gascon called Ber¦narde of Troutes / sayde howe he had ryght to hym: there was moche a do and many wordes before the prince / and other lord{is} that were there and by cause these two chalenged eche other to fight in that quarell. The prince caused the ma∣ter to rest tyll they came in Englande / and that no declaracyon shulde be made but afore y^• kyn∣ge of Englande his father: but bycause the fren¦che kyng hymselfe ayded to sustayne the chalēg of Denyce Morbecke / for he enclyned more to hym than to any other. The prince therfore pri∣uely caused to be delyuerd to the sayd {ser} Denyce .ii. M. nobuls / to mayntene withall his estate. Anone after the prince came to Burdeux / y^e car∣dynall of Piergort came thyder / who was send fro the pope in legacyon as it was sayd / he was there more than̄e .xv. dayes or the prince wolde speke with hym / bycause of the Chatclayne of Campost and his men / who were agaynst hym in the batayle of Poicters. The prince belyued that the cardynall send them thyder: but the car¦dynall dyd somoch by the meanes of the lorde of Chamont / the lorde of Monferant / and the Ca¦ptall of Buz / who were his cosyus. They shew∣ed so good reasons to the prince / that he was cō¦tent to here him speke. And whan he was before the prince he excused hymselfe so sagely / that the prince and his counsayle helde him excused / and so he fell agayne into the princes loue / and rede∣med out his men by resonable raunsoms. and y^e Cathelayne was sette to his ransome of .x. M. frankes / the which he payed after. Than the car¦dynall began to treat on the delyuerance of the frenche kyng / but I passe it brefely bycause no∣thyng was done. Thus the prince / the gascons and englysshmen taryed styllat Burdeux ••yll it was lent in great myrth and reuell / and spende folysshely the golde and syluer y^• they had won. In Englande also there was great ioye whan̄e they harde tidynges of the batayle of Poycters of the dysconfityng of the frēchmen / and takyng of the kyng: great solemnytes were made in a•• churches / and great fyers / and wakes through¦out all Englande. The knyghtes and squyers suche as were come home fro that iourney were moche made of and praysed more than other.