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 iourney that sir Robert Ca∣noll made in Berry and Auuergne / and of the lordes and gentylmen of the countrey that pursued hym. Cap. CC .iiii. (Book 204)

SUche lordes and knigh∣tes of Auuergne with their cō∣panyes / as were in purpose to encountre sir Robert Canoell came within a dayes iourney of hym with a thre thousande speares. Sir Robert had ry∣den in Berry brenning and exilyng the countre and as than he was entred into Auuergne / and to resyst hym / the lordes and knyghtes were as∣sembled. They of Auuerne and Lymosen: and with them therle of Forestes / who had with him a .iiii. C. speares. Thus they rode after sir Ro∣bert Canoll and his men / such as he had broght with hym out of Loritaygne / callyng themselfe englysshmen. Whan these lord•• were thus with∣in a dayes iourney of their ennemyes / and ther lodged that nyght. And the next day they came and lodged on a mountayne nere to thenglyssh¦men / & they were lodged on a nother lytell hyll / so that eche of theym might se others fyers that they made. Than the next mornyng the french / men auaunced farther / & about noone they cāe to a mountayne right agaynst the englysshmen so that there was no more bytwene them / but a lytell medowe of a .xii. acres of lande. Inconty∣nent the englysshemen made redy their batayle to fight: and sette their archers in the hangyng of the hyll before them / than the frenchmen or∣dayned two batayles / in euery batayle a .v. M. men. The first ledde the dolphyne of Auuergne erle of Cleremont / called Berault and there he was made knyght / and rearyd his baner quarte¦red with Auuergne & Merquell. And with him was the lorde Robert Daulphyn his vncle / the lorde Montagu / the lorde of Talencon / y^• lorde of Cochfort / the lorde of Serygnacke / the lorde Godfray of Boloyne and dyuers other knight{is} and squyers: of Lymosyn / of Quercy / of Auuer¦gne / and of Rouergue. In the seconde batayle was the erle of Forestes / the lorde John̄ of Bo∣loyn erle of Auuergne / the lorde Darchyer and his sonnes / the lorde Dachon / the lorde Du••es / sir Renalt of Forest•• brother to therle / and ma∣ny other knyghtes and squyers: hauyng great desyre to fyght with their enemyes / by semyng. On the other syde sir Robert Canoll and his cō¦pany shewed howe he hadd also great desyre to haue batayle. Thus bothe hostes stode styll tyll it was nere night eche before other / without go∣ynge out of their straytes: saue certayne yonge knyghtes and squyers to get prise in armes / di∣scended downe on both parties by the lycence of their marshals / & came downe into the medowe and there iusted one with another: and he that wanne his felowe had hym prisonerr. Thus at night eche partie drewe to their lodgynges and made good watche: than the french lordes went to counsayle / & they ordayned that at the hour of mydnight they shulde dyscend downe fro their moūtayne / on the syde fro their enemyes ward. And to go a two leages / and so to come to the o∣thersyde of the mountayne / where ther enemys were: on the which syde y^• hyll was easy inough to mount / and thought to cōe so erly thyder that thēglishmen shuld nat be redy armed. this was nat so secretly spoken / but y^• thenglysshmen had knoledge therof by an englisshe prisoner y^• stale

away fro the frenche hoost / and came to sir Ro∣bert Canoll and shewed him all the mater. Thā sir Robert wente to counsayle with suche as he trusted best: so that they thought all thynges cō¦sydred that it was nat best to abyde the puysan∣ce of the frenchmen / than they trussed and de{per}∣ted by guydes of men of the countrey / suche as they had there for prisoners. At the hour of myd¦night the frenchmen putte themin array of ba∣tayle and rode for the as they before had orday∣ned: and by that tyme it was day they came to the moūtayne wher they thoght to haue founde the englysshmen. And whan they knewe y^• they were departed / they caused certayne of their mē to mount vp to the moūtayne to se if they coude knowe any thynge of theym / they retourned a∣gayne and reported howe they had sene theym passe by suche away as they named / and howe that they were goynge to Lymoges in Lymo∣syn. Whan the lordes of France herde that / they brake vpp̄ their iourney and de{per}ted euery man to his owne. And anone after was the mariage made of the lorde Berault Daulphyne of Au∣uergne / and the doughter of the erle of Forestes that he had by the duke of Burbons suster.