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IN this season a frere minor full of great clergie was in the cite of A∣uignō / called frere John̄ of Roche tayllade / the whiche frere pope In¦nocent the .vi. held in prison in the castell of Baignoux for shewyng of many mer∣uailes
after to come / principally he shewen ma∣ny thynges to fall on the prelates of the churche for the great super••••uitie and pryde / that Was as than vsed amonge theym. And also he spake many thynges to fall of the realme of Fraunce and of the great lordes of Chri〈…〉〈…〉ome for the oppressions that they dyd to the pore comō peo∣ple. This frere sayd he wolde proue all his say∣ynges by the auctorite of the Ap••••••lippis / and by other bokes of holy sayntes / and prophettes y• whiche wer opened to hym by the grace of y• holy gooste he shewed many thynges harde to beleue: and many thynges fell after as he say••. He sayd them nat as a prophette / but he shewed them by auctorite of aunciēt scriptures / and by the grace of the holy goost / who gaue hym v••∣derstādynge to declare the auncient proph••cie•• and to shewe to all cristen people the yeres and tyme Whan suche thynges shulde ••all / he made dyuerse bookes founded on great ••ciences and clergie / wherof one was made the yere of our lorde. M. CCC .xlvi. Wherin were written su∣che meruailes / that it were hard ••o beleue them howe be it many thynges accordyng therto ••ell after. And whan he was demaūded of the war∣res of France / he sayd that all that had ben seen was nat lyke that shulde be seen after. For he sayde that the warres in Fraunce shulde nat be ended tyll the realme were vtterly wasted and exyled in euery parte. The whiche sayeng was well seen after / for the noble realme of Fraunce was sore wasted and exyled: and specially in y• terme that the sayd frere ha•• sette: The whiche was in the yeres of our lorde. M. CCC. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 .lvii. lviii. and .lix. He sayde in those yeres the pryncis and gentylmen of the realme 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 for feare shewe them selfe agaynst the people 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lowe estate / assembled of all cou〈…〉〈…〉 without heed or Capitayne / and they shulde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as they lyste in the realme of Fraunce / the whiche 〈◊〉〈◊〉 after as ye haue herde / howe the companyons assembled theym to guether / and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉son of theyr robbery and pyllage wa••••d riche and be∣came great capitaynes.
NOWe lette vs retourne to the kynge of Englande / Who laye at Bourge the Royne a two lyttell leages ••ro Parys / and all his ooste towardes Mou〈…〉〈…〉hery / the kynge sente his herauldes to Paris to the duke of Normandy / who laye there with great com∣panye of men of warre / to demaunde batayle / but the duke wolde nat agree therto. The mes∣sangers returned without any thynge 〈◊〉〈◊〉. And whan the kynge sawe / that he shulde hau•• no batayle / he was sore ••isplease••. Than 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Gaulter of Manny desyred the kynge that he myght make a s••rymyshe at the Bayles of Pa¦rys: the kynge agreed therto / and named suche as shulde go with hym / and the kyng made cer∣tayne newe knyghtes: as the lorde Fitz Wa••er / the lorde of Siluacier / syr Balastre / y• William Torceaux / syr Thomas Spencer / syr Johan Neuell / syr Richarde Dostenay / and other. Al∣so the kynge wolde haue made knyght Colla•••• Dambreticourte sonne to syr Nicholas / Who was squier for the kynges body: but the squ••e•• excused hym selfe / he sayde he coulde nat fynde his Bassenette. The lorde of Manny dyd his enterprise ▪ and brought these new knyghtes to skrymyshe at the Barriers of Parys. There was a sore skrymyshe: for within the cite there were mane good knyghtes and squiers / Who wolde gladly haue issued out / if ye duke of Nor¦mandy wold agreed therto / howe be it they de∣fended theyr gate and barryers in suche Wyse•• that they toke litell ••ammage. This skrymy•••• endured from the mornynge tyll noone / diuers were hurte on both partyes. Than the lorde of Manny withdrewe to his lodgynge / and there taryed all that daye and the nexte nyght folow∣ynge. And the next daye after the kyng 〈…〉〈…〉∣ged and toke the waye towarde Moutlehe••y▪ Certayne knyghtes of Englande and of Ga••∣coyne at theyr dislodgyng determined to ly•• in a busshment: for they thought ther were so ma∣ny gentylmē in Parys / that some of them wold aduenture to issue oute. And so a two hundred of chosen men of armes gascoyns and englisshe layed them selfe in a busshemēt in a voyd house a .iii. leages fro Parys. There was the captall of Buz ▪ ser Edmonde of Pomiers / and y• lorde of Courton gascoyns. And ther were englisshe the lorde Neuell / the lorde Mombray / and syr Richarde of Pounchardon: these .vi. knyghtes were chie•• capitaynes of this imbu••shement. Whan the frenchemen in Parys sawe the dys∣lodgynge of the englysshe oost / certayne yonge knyghtes drewe to guether and sayd: It Were good that we issued out of this cite secretly and folowe the englisshe oost / perauenture we may happe somwhat to wynne. Anone there agreed to y• purpose / syr Ra•••• of Coucy / sir Rau•• of Remenall / the lorde of Montsault / the lorde of Helay / the chatelayne of Beauuoys the Begue of Uillaines / the lorde of Beausiers / the lorde of Ulbari•• ▪ sir Gauwen of Ualouell / sir Fla∣••ant of Roy / syr ••elles of Cauilly / syr Peter
of ••armoises / & Peter of Sauoise / and about 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••peares in theyr cōpany. They issued out well horsed / and well wylled to do some dede of armes / they rode the way to Bourge le Royne and passed by and rode so forwarde / that they passed by y• englisse busshemēt. And whan they were passed / the englysshe men and gascoynes brake out and sette on them / cryeng theyr cryes The trenchemen returned / and had great mer∣uaile what it was and incontinent they knewe howe it was theyr ennemies. Than they stode styll / and set them selfe in ordre of batayle / and couched their speares agaynst the englisshmen and gascoyns / at the first metynge there was a sore iust{is} / and diuerse cast to the erthe on bothe parties / for they wer all well horsed. Thā they drew out theyr swerdes / and entred eche amōg other / gyuyng great strokes. There was done many a propre feat of armes. This fight endu∣red a great space / so that none coulde tell Who shulde haue the victory. Ther y• captall of Buz proued hym selfe a good knyght / and dyd with his handes noble dedes of armes. Finally the englisshemen and gascoyns bare them selfe so well that the victorie abode on theyr part they were as many and half as many agayne as the frenche men were. On the frenche {per}tie the lord of Cāpremy was a good knyght / for he fought valiauntly vnder his baner / and he that bare it was slayne / and the lorde taken prisoner. The other frēche knyghtes and squiers (seing theyr euyll aduenture) retourned towarde Parys / and fought euer as they fled / for they were sore poursewed. The chace endured tyll they paste Bourg le Royne / & there were taken a .ix. kny∣ghtes and squiers. And if the englysshemē and gascoyns (who pursewed them / had nat doub∣ted the issuynge out of them of Paris / all the o∣ther had ben takē or slayne: but whan they had done theyr feat they retourned to Moūtlehery where the kyng of England was and brought thither with them theyr prisoners / and raunso∣med them courtesly the same nyght / and suffred them to go whither they lyste / and trusted them on theyr faithes.
THe entencion of the kynge of Englande was to entre into the good countrey of B••au••se and so to drawe alonge the Ryuere of Loyre / and so all yt somer to abyde in Britayne tyll after August. And than at the vyntage to re¦tourne agayne into France / and to lay siege to Parys for he wolde nat retourne agayne into Englande bicause he sayd or he departed out of Englande that he wolde nat retourne agayne / tyll he had Fraunce at his pleasure / and he lefte his men in garisons to make warre in France. in Champayn / in poicton / in Ponthieu / in Ui∣meu / in Uulgesyn and in Normandy / and in al the realme of Fraunce / and in the good townes & cites suche as toke his parte with theyr owne good wylles. All this season the duke of Nor∣mandye was at Parys and his two bretherne / and the duke of orle aunse theyr vncle / and their counsailes. They ymagined well the courage of the kyng of Englande / and howe that he and his mēbrought the realme of Frāce into great pouerte: and sawe well howe the realme coulde nat longe endure in that case / for the rentes of y• lordes and of the churches were nygh lost in e∣uery parte. As than there was a sage and a di∣screte persone Chauncellour of Fraunce / called syr William of Montague bysshop of Tyrwin by whose coūsaile moche of Frāce was ruled / & good cause why: For••euer his counsayle was good and true / and with hym there were .ii. o∣ther clerkes of great prudence / the Abbotte of Clugny / and the maister of the friers prechers / called syr Symon of Langres a maister in di∣uinite. These two clerkes at the desyre of the duke of Normandy / and of the hole counsaile of Fraunce departed from Paris with certayn articles of peace / and syr Hewe of Geneue lorde of Autun in their company. And they went to the kynge of Englande / Who rode in Beausse towarde Galardon. These two clerkes and .ii. knyghtes spake with y• kyng / and began to fall in treatye for a peace to be had of hym and hys alies. To the whiche treatye the prince of Wa¦les / the duke of Lācastre / and the erle of Mar∣che were called. This treatie was nat as than concluded / for it was longe a dryuynge / and all¦wayes the kyng went forward. These embassa¦dours wold nat so leaue the kyng: but stylsued and folowed on theyr pourpose: For they sawe howe the frenche kynge was in so poure estate / that the realme was lykely to be in a great ieo∣pardye if the warre contynued a somer longer And on the other syde the kynge of Englande requyred so great thynges and so preiudiciall to the realme of Fraunce / that the lordes wolde nat agree therto for theyr honours / So that al theyr treatie (the whiche endured a .xvii. dayes styll folowynge the kynge) they sent euer theyr proces dayely to the duke of Normandy to the citie of Parys / euer desyrynge to haue agayne answere what they shulde do farther / the why∣che {pro}cesse were secretly and sufficiently examy∣ned in the regentes chambre at Parys / and an∣swere
was sent agayne by wryttynge to them / what they shulde do / and what they shulde of∣fre. And so these ambassadours were often ty∣mes with the kynge / as he went forewarde to∣warde the cite of Charters / as in other placess. and great offers they made to come to a conclu¦sion of the warre / and to haue a peace / To the whiche offers the kynge of England was hard harted to agree vnto: for his entension was to be kynge of Fraunce / and to dye in that estate. For if the duke of Lancastre his cosyn had nat counsayled hym to haue peace / he wolde nat a∣greed thervnto: but he sayd to the kynge: Syr this Warre that ye make in the realme of Frāce is ryght maruaylous / and ryght fauourable for you / your men wynne great ryches / and ye lese your tyme / all thyngess consyderedde / or ye come to your entente / ye maye happe to make Warre all the dayes of your lyfe. Syr I wold counsayle you (syth ye may leaue the Warre to your honoure and profytte) accepte the offers that ben made vnto you: for syr you myght lese more in a daye / than we haue wonne in twenty yere. Suche fayre and subtyle wordes that the duke of Lancastre sayde in good entencion and for welthe of the kynge and all his subiectes cō∣uerted the kynge by the grace of the holy goost / Who was chief warker in that case: For on a daye as the kynge Was before Charterss there fell a case that greatly hu••••led the kyngess cou∣rage / for whyle these ambassadours were trea∣tynge for this peace / and had none agreable an¦swere / there fell sodaynly suche a tempest of thō¦der / lyghtnyng / rayne / and hayle / in the kyngess oost / that i•• semed / that the worlde shulde haue ended / there fell from heuyn suche great stoness that it slewe men and horses: so that the mooste hardyest were abasshed. Than the kyng of En¦glande behelde the churche of our lady of Char¦ters / and auowed deuoutly to our lady to agre to the peace / and as it was sayd / he was as than confessed / and lodged in avillage nere to Char¦ters called Bretigny: and there were made cer∣tayne composicions of peace vpon certayne ar∣ticles after ordeyned•• and the more syrmely to be concluded by these ambassadours / and by the kynge of Englande and his counsayle / ther was ordeyned by good delyberacion and aduyce a letter called the charter of the peace / Wherof the effecte fo∣weth.