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 broquart of Fenestrages and other frenchmen ordayned their bataylles / agaynst the lorde Eu¦stace Dambretycourt en∣glysshe in Champa¦igne. Cap. C .lxxxxviii. (Book 198)

BI the treaty of this pe∣ace the kynge of Nauer had certaine townes and castels in Normandy in peace / the which before were in debate and specially Mant & Meu¦lencke. Also ther was a pea∣ce made bytwene the duke of Normādy and the yong erle of Harcourt / a great part by the mea∣nes of the lorde Loyes of Harecourt / who was of the dukes coūsayle and of his house. And the duke gaue to the same erle in mary age y^• dough¦ter of the duke of Burbone / suster to the duches of Normandy. Thus the siege brake vp before Melune and the towne abode frēche: yet for all this peace / the realme of France was inuaded / a great warre made therin / asmoche as was be¦fore or more: for as than the truse bytwene En∣glande and Fraunce was expyred. So suche men of warre / as before had made warre in the iytell of the kyng of Nauer in Fraunce in Nor¦mandy / in Burgone / in Picardy / in Champai¦gne / in Brey / and in Beaufe. Than they made agayne as great warre in the tytell of the kyng of Englande: for all the peace / ther was no for∣tresse that wolde tourne frenche / for the compa∣nyons and men of warr hadde lerned so well to robbe and pyll the countrey / and to raunsome the people that they coude nat leaue: for of two thousand that had a ten or twelfe horses of their owne / if they wolde haue made no more warre / in a shorte tyme shulde haue been fayne to haue gone a fote. After the breakynge vp of the siege at Melune: the duke of Normandy desyred the lorde Broquart of Fenestrages who was of the nacyon of Lorayne / and had with hym in wag{is} a fyue hundred cōpanyons / that he wolde helpe to driue out of Champaygne the englysshmen / suche as made dayly warre in that countre. He agreed therto with a certayne somme of florens that he shuld▪ haue for hym and his men. Than there assembled togyder men of warr: of Chā∣paigne / of Burgoyne / the bysshoppe of Troy / therle of Uadumont / the erle of Jouy / the lorde Johān Chalon / and the lorde Broquart of Fe∣nestrages / they were a two thousande speares / and .xv. C. of other. And so they cāe to the strōg castell of Hans in Champaigne / the whiche the englysshmen had kepte a yere and a halfe / they toke it at the third assaut / and there were slayne a .lxxx. englysshemen / none were take to mercy. Than the frenchmen went to the cytie of Troy and whan they were well refresshed / there yssu∣ed out a twelfe hundred speares / and nyne hun∣dred of other / and tode towarde Nogent on the ryuer of Sayne. The lorde Dambrety courte / who vnderstode of their ryding abrode / assem∣bled of the garysons vnder his rule a four hun∣dred speares / and a two hundred archers: and with them departed fro Pons. He rode clene ar¦med except his heed peace / and rode on a hacke∣ney / and a great courser was ledde by hym: he had nat ryden farre / but that he herde tidynges of the frenchmen / and in likewyse the frēchmen herde of them. But if the lorde Eustace had kno¦wen / that the frenchmen had ben so great a nom¦bre: he wolde a desyred the lorde Peter Audeley and Albreth to haue ayded him / they might well a made a four hūdred men. Than the lorde Eu∣stace gathered togyder his men without y^• tow∣ne of Nogent / and toke the hight of a lytell hyll amonge the vynes: and sette his archers before hym. And whan the frenchemen came nere and sawe theym: they ordayned thre bataylles. The first gouerned the bysshoppe of Troy / and the lorde Broquart of Fenestrages: and the second the lorde John̄ of Chalon / and the erle of Jouy: and the thirde the erle of Januyll. Than sir Eu¦stace amonge his men sayde: sits lette vs fyght with a good courage / this iourney shalbe ours than shall we be lordes of all Champaigne / the which somtyme was an erldome. I may do the kyng of England suche seruyce whom I repute to be kyng of France / that he woll gyue me this erldome. Than he called to hym certayne yong squyers: as the couragyous Manny his cosyn / Johān of Parys / Martyne of Spaygne / and other / and there he made theym knyghtes / and made all his men to lyght a fote and to cut their speares a fyue fote long: and sette his penon be∣fore hym / the whiche was of ermyns / two ha∣meddes goules.