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.

¶ How the kyng of England depar∣ted fro Calais / and of the order of his host / in ridyng through Picardy / & so to the cytie of Reynes. Cap. CC .vii. (Book 207)

WHan the kyng and the prince his son were arryued at Calys / and also thre other of his sonnes / that is to say lorde Lyonell erle of Ulster / the lorde John̄ erle of Rych∣mont and y^e lorde Edmonde yongest of the foure and all their people / & that they hadde dyscharged out of their shyppes all their horses and other prouysion / and had tary∣ed ther foure dayes. Than euery man was cō∣maunded to make redy to depart: sayeng howe he wolde ryde after his cosyn the duke of Lanca¦stre. Than the kyng in a mornyng departed fro Calays with all his company and caryages / in the best order that euer any army yssued oute of any towne. It was sayd he had a sixe thousand charyettes and cartes brought out of England well furnysshed: than he ordred his bataylles so richely besene that it was ioye to beholde them / and than his cōstable the erle de la Marche had fyue hundred knyghtes armed / and a thousand archers before his batayle. Than the kyng{is} ba∣tayle with thre thousande men of armes / and .v. thousande archers in good order: ridyng after the constables batayle / and next after the kyng{is} batayle came all the caryage / the which contay∣ned two leag{is} in length / mo than fyue thousand charyettes and cartes / caryeng prouisyon for y^• hoost withall thynges of householde / which had nat besene before caryed with men of warre / as handmylles / ouyns to bake in / and suche other thynges necessary. Than next after them came the princes batayle / and of his bretherne / wher∣in were a two thousande speares nobly horsed & richely besene in order redy to fyght: they rode nat past a four leages a day. And in this maner they were encountred with the duke of Lanca∣stre and the strange lordes / bytwene Calys and the abbey of Lykes in a fayre playn. In the kyn¦ges hoost ther were a fyue hundred varlettes w^t matockes and axes to make euyn the wayes for the caryage to passe. ¶ Nowe shall I name vn¦to you certayne of the lordes and knyghtes of Englande that passed the see with their kynge: and before in the company of the duke of Lan∣castre / the kynges cosyn germayn. First his. iiii sonnes: the prince Edward / sir Lyonell / sir Jo∣hāne / and sir Edmonde. Than sir Henry duke of Lancastre / sir John̄ erle de la Marche cōsta∣ble of Englande / the erle of warwyke / the erle of Suffolke marshall of Englande / the erle of Herforde and Northampton / the erle of Salys¦bury / therle of Stafforde / the erle of Oxenford /

the bysshop of Lyncolne / the bysshoppe of Dyr∣ham the lorde Percy / the lorde Neuell / the lorde Spenser / the lorde Rose / the lorde Manny / the lorde Renolde Cobham y^e lorde Monbray / the lorde Dalawar•• the lorde John̄ Chandos / sir Rycharde Penbruge / the lorde of Manne / the lorde Wylloughby / the lorde Feltone / the lorde Basset the lorde Crabalton / the lorde Syluā∣••yer / sir James Awdeley / sir Bartylmewe de Brunes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lorde of Salyche sir Stephyn Gon¦santon / sir Hewe Hastynges / sir Johān Lysle / sir Nowell Lormych and dyuers other / whom I can nat name. They rode through Arthoyes and passed by the cytie of Arras / and toke the same way that the duke of Lancastre had paste before / they coude fynde nothynge to lyue by in the playne countrey: for all that there was lefte was put into the fortresses. And also the coūtre had ben long poore and sore wasted: and it was a dere season in the realme of France / and great famyne ranne generally through all the contre / for the yerth had nat ben laboured of thre yer be¦fore: for if otes and whete had nat come to them out of Heynault and Cambresis: the people in Arthoyes / Uermādoys / and in the bysshoprike of Laone and Reynes had dyed for hūger. And the kyng of Englande or he departed out of his owne realme / herde of the great famyne in that countre. He and all his lordes brought prouysi∣on with them: except otes and strawe / wherfore they made as good shyft for their horses as they might. Also the season was sore reyning & weyt the which dyd them great trouble and their hor¦ses also: for moost part day and night it reyned without cease / so that wyne that yere was lytell worth.

THe kyng of England rode by small iour¦neys tyll he aproched Balpausmes / and I shall shewe you of an aduēture that fyll to sir Galahault of Rybamont / a right hardy and an expert knyght of Picardy. ye shall knowe that all the townes / cyties / castelles / and passages / which way the kyng went were surely kept: for euery towne in Picardy tooke in soudyours at their wages for their suretie. The erle of saynt Poule with two hundred speares was in the cy¦tie of Arras / the constable of Fraunce was at A¦myense the lorde of Monsalt at Corby / sir Ed∣warde of Rancy / and sir Ingram of Hedyn at Balpausmes / sir Baudwyn Dannekyns mai∣ster of the crosbowes at saynt Nuyntines. And thus in euery towne and cytie: for they knewe playnly that the kyng of Englande wolde come and ley siege to Reynes / so it was that they of Peron in Uermandoys / the whiche was in the kyng of Englandes way / had no capitayne nor ruler of their towne: and the englysshmen apro∣ched dayly / wherfore they were nat well at their ease. This towne standeth on the ryuer of Sōe and thenglysshmen lightly euer folowed the ry∣uers: at last they of Peron remembred them of sir Galahaut of Rybamont / who was nat recey¦ued as capitayne into any towne / and as they were enfourmed he was as than at Tourney. Than they sende courtesse letters to hym: desy∣ryng that he wolde helpe to kepe their towne of Perone with suche company as he coude gette / and promysed to gyue him for his owne person euery day twentie frākes / and for euery knight vnder hym ten / & for euery speare with thre hor∣ses one franke a day. Sir Galahaut who desy∣red to exercyse the feat of armes / and sawe howe he was desyred of thē of Peron his neyghburs / he lightly agreed to them. And sende thē worde howe he wolde be with them the seconde day af∣ter: he prepared hym and gette suche company as he coude / and so departed fro Tourney with a thyrtie with hym / and alwayes his nombre en¦creased. And he sende to sir Roger of Coloyne to mete with hym at a certayne place apoynted: and this sir Roger came thyder with a twentie with hym. So that at last this {ser} Galahaut had a fyftie speares / and lodged one night a {pro}chyn∣ge to Peron warde within two leages of then∣glysshe hoost / in a lytell vyllage in the feldes the whiche was all boyde: for all the people of the countrey were fledde into the forteresses. The next mornyng they defmyned to entre into Pe∣ron / for they were nat farre thens: and whan it was after supper about the hour of mydnight / and that they had sette their watche and iange∣led one to another of dyuers maters / than {ser} Ga¦lahault sayde we shalbe to morowe betymes at Peron / but yet or we entre I shall counsell that we ryde to the frōter of our enemyes / for I thin¦ke there be some among theym that to auaunce themselfe / or to seke for some forage woll come abrode in the mornyng / we may fortune to mete with suche that shall pay for our scotte. To this agreed all his company and kept it secrete: and at the brekyng of the day they were redy & their horses sadled / and so rode forthe in good order / and went out of the way to Peron / and coosted the wodes to se if they coude fynde any aduētur And so came to a vyllage where the people had fortyfied the church: there sir Galahaut a ligh∣ted for he knewe well there was bredde / wyne / &

other vitaylles / and they within offered hym to take what he wolde. And whyle they were ther sir Galahalt called to him two squyers / wherof Bridoll of Tallone was one: and he sayd to thē sirs go and ryde forth into the foldes and dysco∣uer the countre euery way / and loke if ye se any thynge / and come hyder agayne we woll abyde you here. These two squyers well horsed rode forthe into the feldes / and went to a wood halfe a leage thense: the same mornynge was ryden forthe sir Renault of Boulant an almaygne / of the company of the duke of Lācasters and was returnyng agayne. And so he came to the same place where the two squyers were / they wende they had ben some men of armes of the countre that had been ther in a busshement: at last they spyed well howe they were almaygnes. Than̄e the two squyers spake toguyder (and sayd) we must fayne vs to be of their partie: than sir Re∣nault of Boulant spake to them / and demaūded what they were in the language of Almaygne / Bridoll answered who coude well speke that lā¦gage (and sayd) sir we be {per}tayning to sir Bar∣tylmewe de Bonnes. Why wher is sir Bartyl∣mewe sayd sir Renolde / sir sayd they he is in yā¦der vyllage: and why dothe he tary there sayde the knyght / sir sayde they for vs. Hesende vs a∣brode to se if we coude fynde any forage abrode in the countre / by my fayth sayd the knyght her is none: for I haue ryden all this mornyng and canne fynde nothyng / wherfore go ryde to hym and bydde hym come away / and let vs ryde to∣gyder toward saynt Quyntines / to se if we can fynde ther any better market or any good aduē¦ture. Sir sayd the squyer who be you that wol∣de haue hym in your cōpany: they call me {quod} the knyght Renolde of Boulande say so to sir Bar¦tylmewe. Than the two squiers returned to the vyllage: assone as sir Galahault sawe them / he demaunded what tidynges (haue ye any thing sone) yes sir {quod} they we haue sene ynough. Sir in yander wood is sir Renold of Boulant with xxx. w^t hym: and he hath ryden all this morning he desyreth sore to haue you in his company to ryde togyder towardesaynt Quyntines / what {quod} sir Galahaut what say you. Sir Renolde of Boulant is a knight of Almayne / and reteyned with the kyng of Englande: all y^• sir we knowe well sayde the squyers / and howe departed you than fro hym sayde sir Galahaut / I shall shewe you sayd sir Bridoll: than he shewed hym all y^e wordes that had ben bytwene them. And whan sir Galahaut herde that he studyed a lytell: and than demaunded counsayle of sir Ronger of Co¦layne and of suche other knightes as were ther what was best than to do. They answered and sayde: sir ye desyre euer to fynde aduentur / and syth they fall in your handes take theym / for al∣wayes by right of armes a man ought to greue his ennemy. To this counsayle lightly agreed sir Galahault / who was desyrous to fynde his enemyes: he lept on his courser and dyd on his basenet with a vyser / bycause he wolde natte be knowen / and so dyd all his cōpany. Than they yssued out of the vyllage and toke the feldes / de¦termyned what they wolde do / and so rode on y^e right hande to warde the wode / wher sir Rey∣nold taryed for them: and they were a. lx••. men of armes / and sir Renolde had nat past a. x••••. & whan sir Renolde sawe theym he displayed his bauer before hym / and came softely ridynge to∣warde them wenyng to hym that they had been englysshmen. Whan̄e he aproched he lyft vp his vyser and saluted sir Galahaut in the name of {ser} Bartylmewe de Bonnes. Sir Galahaut helde hymselfe styll secrete and answered but fayntly / and sayd lette vs ryde forth: and so rode on and his men on the one syde / and the almaygnes on the other. Whan sir Reynolde of Boulant sawe their maner / and howe sir Galahaut rode som∣tyme by hym and spake no worde: thā he began to suspecte. And he had nat ryden so the space of a quart of an houre / but he stode styll vnder his baner among his men (& sayd) sir I haue dout what knyght ye be / I thynke ye be nat sir Bar∣tylmewe de Bonnes for I knowe hym well and I se well that it is nat you. I woll ye tell me yo•• name or I ryde any farther in your company. Therwith sir Galahaut lyft vp his vyser & rode towardes the knyght to haue taken hym by the raygne of his bridell / and cryed our lady of Ry∣bamont: than sir Roger of Coloyne sayde Co∣loyne to the rescue. Whan sir Renold of Boulāt sawe what case he was in / he was nat greatly a∣frayed: but drewe out his swerde: and as {ser} Ga¦lahaut wolde haue taken hym by the bridell / sir Reynolde put his swerde clene throught hym / & drue agayne his swerd out of hym and toke his horse with y^e spurres / and left sir Galahaut sore hurt. And whan sir Galahaltes men sawe their maister in that case they were sore dyspleased / & sette on sir Renaldes men: ther were many cast to the yerth / but assoone as sir Renolde had gy∣uen sir Galahaut that stroke / he strake his horse with the spurres and toke the feldes. Than cer∣tayne of Galahaultes squyers chased hym / and whan he sawe that they folowed him so ner that he must other tourne agayne or els beshamed.

Lyke a hardy knight he tourned and abode the tormast: and gaue hym suche a stroke / y^• he had no more lyst to folowe him. And thus as he rode on he serued thre of them that folowed hym / and woūded them sore: if a good are had ben in his handes at euery stroke he had stayne a man. He dyd so moche that he was out of the daunger of the frenchmen and saued hymselfe without any hurt: the which his enemyes reputed for a gret prowes / and so dyd all other y^• herde therof / but his men were ner slayne or taken / but fewe that were saued. And sir Galahault was caryed fro thense sore hurt to Perone: of that hurte he was neuer after perfetly hole / for he was a knyght of suche courage that for all his hurt he wolde nat spare hymselfe / wherfore he lyued nat longe af∣ter. Nowe lette vs retourne to the kyng of En∣glande and she we howe he layed his siege to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Reynes.