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 these companyons let theyr prisoners depart on their faithes / but the pope defended thē to pay any raū some: and of the word{is} that the king of Mallorques had to the prince / and of the departynge of the prince to go into Spayne. Cap. CC .xxxiii. (Book 233)

AFter the dysconfyture and takyng of the sayd priso¦ners / the said Perducas bal¦breth / sir Robert Cem / {ser} Ro¦han Comes / the Bourge of Bertuell / Nandon of Ber∣gerant and their company parted their boty and all their wynning / wher of they had great plenty. And all suche as had any prisoners kept them styll to their owne pro¦fyte other to raunsome or to quyt them at their pleasure. And they raunsomed their prisoners right curtesly euery man after his degre. The more courtesly bycause this aduenture came to themso fortunatly by valyantnesse of dedes of armes. and sucheas were let go on their faythe and promyse had dayes lymitted to thē to brin∣ge their raunsoms to Burdeur / or to other pla¦ces where as they were apoynted. So the pri∣soners de{per}ted and went home in to their owne countrees / and these companyons went to the prince / who receyued them right ioyously / and sent them to loge and to abyde in the marchesse of Basell among the mountayns.

¶ I shall shewe you what befell of this mater / and of the erle of Narbon / the seneshall of Tho¦lous and other / who were put to raūsome / and had promysed on their faythes to pay it. In the same season ther / was at Rome pope Urban y^e fyfte / who entierly hated these maner of people of companyous and had long tyme before cur∣sed them / bycause of y^e vilayne dedes that they had done: so that whan̄e he was enfourmed of this sayd iourney. And howe y^t therle of Nar∣bone and other were ouerthrowen he was sore displeased therwith / and suffred tyll he herde howe they were put to their raunsome / and cōe home into their owne countrees / & out of their enemyes handes. Than he sent to eche of them and by expresse wordes defended theym in any wyse to pay any raunsome / and assoyled them of their promyse. Thus these lordes and knigh¦tes were quyted of their raūsome / suche as had ben taken at Mountaubon / for they durst nat

trepase the popes cōmaūdemēt / the which hap∣ped well for these lordes / knightes / & squyers: but it fortuned yuell for the companyons / who abode and loked euer for their money / trusting to haue had it to arayed and aparelled thē lyke men of warr. And so they made great prepara¦••yon on trust therof / wherof they were discey∣ued. So this ordynaūce of the pope was right coutagyous to them and they complayned of∣ten tymes therof to sir Johan Chandos / who was cōstable of Acquitayne: and had the ouer sight by right of armes in suche maters. How∣beit he dissymuled with thē aswell as he might bycause he knewe well the pope had cursed thē / and howe y^t all their dedes tourned to pyllyng and robbery. And as farr as euer I coude here they had neuer other remedy in that mater.

NOwe let vs speke of the prince of Wales and aproche to his viage / & shewe howe be perseuered. First as it hath benshewed here before / he dyde so moche that he had all the com¦panyons of his acorde / who were to y^e nombre of. ••ii. thousande fightyng men: and greatly it was to his cost to retayne theym. And after he had them / he susteyned and bare their charges or they de{per}ted out of the principalyte / fro the be 〈…〉〈…〉nyng of August to the beginyng of Februa¦ry and besyde y^• the prince receyued & retayned all maner of men of warr where soeuer he cou∣de get them. And also the forsayd kyng Henry retayned men of warr in euery parte out of the ••ealme of Fraunce and other places / and they came to serue hym / bycause of the alyaunces y^• were bytwene the frenche kyng and hym. And also he had with him retayned some of the com¦panyons bretons / suche as were fauourable to sir Bertram of Clesquy: as sir Bertramme of Budes / Alayne of saynt Poule / Wyllyam of Bruex / and Alayne of Connet: all these were ca¦pitayns of those companyons. And the prince might haue had also with hym many strāgers¦men of warr / as flemynges / almayns / and bra¦bances: of he had lyst. But he sent home agayn many of thē / for he had rather haue had of his owne subgettes of the principalyte than stran∣gers. Also there came to hym a great ayde out of Englande / for whan the kyng of Englande his father knewe that this viage went forward than he gaue lycens to one of his sonnes / duke Johan of Lancastre to go to the prince of Wa∣les his brother / with a great nombre of men of warr: as four hūdred men of armes / and four hundred archers. And whan the prince knewe of his brothers comynge / he was therof ryght ioyouse. In the same season came to the prince to Burdeaur James kyng of Mallorques / so he called hymselfe / but he had in possessyon no¦thynge of the realme. For the kyng of Aragon kept it fro hym byforce / and had stayne in pri∣sone the kynge of Mallorques in a cytie called Barselone. Therfore this yonge kyng James to reuenge the dethe of his father / and to reco∣uer his herytage was fledde out of his owne re¦alme to the prince: and he had maryed y^• quene of Naples. The prince made hym great there and greatly conforted him / and whan the kyng had shewed the prince all the reasons and occa∣syons of his comyng / and parceyued y^• wronge that the kynge of Aragon had done to hym / as in kepyng fro hym his enherytaunce: and also slayne his father. Than the prince sayd {ser} king I promyse you faithfully / that after my return out of Spaygne I shall entende to sette you a∣gayne into your herytage / outher by treaty or by force. This promyse pleased greatly y^• king and so he taryed styll with the prince in Burde∣aux / abydinge his departynge as other dyde. And the prince to do hym more honour / caused to de delyuered to hym all that was for hym ne¦cessary / bycause he was a strāger and of a farr countre: and had nat ther of his owne after his appetyte. And dayly ther came great cōplayn∣tes to the prince of the companyons / howe they dyde moche hurt to men and women of the coū¦tre wher they lay / so that the people of that mar¦chesse wolde gladly that y^e prince shuld auaūce forthe in his viage / to y^e whiche the prince was right desyrous. Howe be it he was counsayled that he shulde sustre the feest of Christmas first to passe / to thentent that they might haue wyn∣ter at their backes. To the whiche counsayle y^• prince inclyned / and sō what bycause y^e princes his wyfe was great with chylde / who toke mo∣che thought for his departyng. wherfore y^e prin¦ce wolde gladly seher delyuered or he departed and she on her part was gladder to haue him a byde. All this meane season ther was gret pro∣uysion made for this viage / bycause they shuld entre into a realme wher they shulde fynde but small prouisyon. and whyle they thus so••orned at Burdeaur / and that all the countre was full of men of warr: The prince kepte often tymes great counsayle / and among other thynges as I was enformed / the lorde Dalbreth was coū∣termaunded with his thousande speares / and a letter was scut to hym fro the prince / contey∣nyng thus. Sir Dalbreth sythe it is so that we

haue taken on vs by our volūtary wyll this vy¦age / the whiche we entend shortely to procede. Consydring our great busynesse / charges and diseases that we haue / as well by straungers su¦che as entred into our seruyce as by great nom¦bre of the companyons / the whiche nombre is so great that we wyll nat leaue theym behynde vs for parels y^t may ensue: and also to se howe the lande may be kepte in myne absence / for all may nat go / nor yet all abyde behynde. Ther∣fore it is ordayned by vs and by our counsayle / that in this viage ye shall serue vs but with. it. hundred speares / and discharge you of the resy¦due and let them do what them lyste. And thus god kepe you / fro Burdeux the .vii. day of De¦cembre. These letters sealed with the princes gretseale were sent to the lorde Dalbreth / who was in his owne countre right besy to prepare him towarde this viage / for it was sayd that y^• prince shulde departe shortely. Whan he sawe the princes letters he opened thē and reed them two tymes ouer / the better to vnderstande thē / for he had great marueyle of that he had foūde written in thē: and was in his mynde maruey∣lusly displeased (and sayd) Howe is it that my¦lorde the prince iapeth and mocketh thus with me / sythe he wolde that I shulde gyue leaue to departe .viii. hundred speares knightes & squi¦ers / whome by his cōmaundement I haue re∣tayned / and haue let them of their profyte dy∣uers other wayes. And incontynent in that dis¦pleasur he called for his clerke / and caused him to write a letter to y^• prince in this maner. Dere sir I am greatly marueyled of the letters ye ha¦ue sent me / and sir I can nat well fynd nor take counsayle howe I oughtor can answere you in that behalfe / for it tourneth to my great preiu∣dyce and blame and to all my company / whom I haue by your owne ordynaunce and cōmaū∣dement retayned. And they are all redy aparel∣led to do you seruyce. And I haue letted them of takynge their profyte in other places / where as they might haue had it. For some of theym were determyned to haue gone ouer thesee in∣to Spruce / to Cōstantyne / and to Jerusalem / as all knyghtes and squyers dothe to auaunce them selfe. Sir they haue great marueyle and are sore displeased that they shulde thus be put out. and in lykewise I haue gret marueyle ther¦of / and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 what maner I haue deserued it. Dere sir please it you to knowe / I can nat assure you of any of them deuyded fro their cōpany / I am the lest and worst of them all / if any departe I am in surety they wyll alldepte. God kepe you in his sauegarde. Written. &c. Whan the prince herde this answere he toke it of great presump∣cyon / and so dyd dyuers knightes of England that were ther of his counsayle. Than the prin¦ce shoke his heed and sayde in englysshe / as I was enfourmed / for I was than in Burdeux. Asayd the prince / the lorde Dalbreth is a great maister in my countre: whan he wyll breke the ordyuaunce that is deuysed by my counsayle. By god it shall nat go as he weneth lette him a byde and he wyll / for without his thousand spe¦res I trust to god I shall furnysshe my viage. Than certayne knightes of Englande y^t were ther said / sir ye knowe full lytell the myndes of these gascoyns / nor howe proude they be / nor they loue vs but lytell / nor neuer dyde. Sir re∣membre ye nat howe highly and greatly they bare thēselfe agaynst you in y^e cyte of Burdeux whan that kynge Johan of Fraunce was fyrst brought thyder. They said than / and mayntey¦ned playnly / that by them all onely ye atteyned to achyue that viage in takyng of y^e kyng. and that right well apered / for ye were in great trea¦ty with them the space of four monethes or they wolde consent that the frenche kynge shulde be caryed into Englande. First it behoued you to satisfy their myndes to kepe them in loue. And at those wordes the prince helde his peace / how¦beit his thought was neuerthelesse. This was the first occasyon of the hatered that was after bytwene the prince & the lorde Dalbreth. Thus the lorde Dalbreth was in great parell / for the prince was high and of great courage / and cru¦ell in his herte: for he wolde other by ryght or wronge / that euery lorde vnder his cōmaunde∣ment shulde holde of hym. But therle of Army∣nake vncle to the sayd lorde Dalbreth / whan he herde of this displeasure / bytwene the prince & the lorde Dalbreth his nephue. Than he came to Burdeux to the prince / and sir Johan Chan¦dos and sir Thomas Phelton with hym / by whose counsayle the prince was moche ordred. And so by their good meanes / the princes dis∣pleasure was apeased: so y^• the lorde Dalbreth shulde bringe no mo but two hundred speares / with the whiche he was nothynge ioyouse / nor yet his people / nor neuer after he loued so enti∣erly the prince as he dyd before. Howbeit ther was no remedy but to bere and passe ouer his trouble aswell as he might.

UHus whyle the prince was makynge of his prouysion / and abyding the comyn¦ge of his brother the duke of Lancastre. The

princesse trancysed / and through the grace of god she was delyuered of a fayre sonne on the day of the thre kynges of Colayne / the whiche was as that yere wente on a wedinsday: at the hour of thre or ther about. Wher of y^• prince and all his people were ryght ioyouse / and the fri∣day after he was christned at noone / in the chur the of saynt Andrewe in the cyte of Burdeaux / The archbysshoppe of the same place christned him / and the bysshop of Dagen in Dagenoys has the kyng of Mallorques were his godfa∣thers: and this chylde had to name Rycharde / who was afterwarde kyng of Englande / as ye shall here in this hystorie.

THe sonday after the hour of prime de{per}∣ted fro Burdeux the prince / with great ••••yumphe and all other men of warr. Howbe∣it the moost part of his hoost were passed on be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / and lay about the cyte of Ast in Gascoyn. And the prince the same sonday at night / came ••o the same cytie and ther taryed a thre dayes: for than it was shewed him that the duke of Lā¦〈◊〉〈◊〉 his brother was comynge / and had pas∣sed the see a fyue dayes before / and was arry∣ued in Bretayne at saynt Mathewes of Fyne 〈◊〉〈◊〉: and so was come to Nauntes where the duke of Bretayne gretly feested him. Than the duke of Lancastre passed through Poiccou and ••aynton and came to Blay / and ther pas∣sed the ryuer of Gyronde and so came to Bur∣deux / and went to the abbey of saynt Andrewe wher the princesse lay / who ioyously receyued hym: and so dyde all other ladyes and damo∣zeks that were ther. Than the duke thought to ••ary there no lenger / but toke his leaue of his sustre the princesse and departed withall his cō¦pany / and rode so long that he came to the cyte of Dast wher he founde the prince his brother. They made great ioye eche of other for they lo¦ued togyder entierly: ther was great tokens of loue shewed bytwene them and their company. And anon after the duke of Lācastres comyng thyder came the erle of Foyz and made great re¦••erence and chere to the prince and to his bro∣ther and offred him selfe in all poyntes to be at their commaundemēt. The prince who coulde well honour all lordes acordyng to their estat{is} / honoured hym greatly and thanked him of his comyng thyder: and after the prince gaue hym y^• charge of his coūtre in his absence / desyringe him to kepe it well tyll his retorne. Therle ioy∣fully acorded to his desyre: & than toke leaue & de{per}ted home into his countre / & the prince and the duke of Lancastre his brother sported them in the cite of Ast / and all their people spredde a¦brode in the countre about the entre of the pas∣sages of Nauerr / for as than they were nat in certayne yf they shulde passe that waye or nat. yet the kyng of Nauerr had promysed to open his passages / for wordes ran through the hoost that newly he was agreed with the kyng Hen∣ry / wherof the prince and his counsayle hadde great marueyle / and the kyng Dampeter was right sore displeased. And in this meane season whyle these wordes thus ranne / sir Hugh Cau¦rell and his people aproched to Nauer and to∣ke the cyte of Myrande and the towne of y^• que¦nes bridge: wherof all the countrey was sore a frayed / the whiche tidynges came to the kynge of Nauerr. And whan he parceyued that these companyons wolde entre into his land byforce he was sore displeased and wrote worde therof to the prince / and the prince let the mater passe brefely: bycause y^• kyng of Nauer as he thoght kept nat trewe promyse with kyng Dampeter. Than the prince wrote to him that he shulde ex¦cuse hym selfe of the wordes that was layed on hym / for it was ther openly sayde that he was clene tourned to kyng Henry. And whan y^• kin¦ge of Nauer vnderstode (y^• trayson was layed on hym) than he was more angry than he was before. Than he sent a knight to the prince cal∣led {ser} Marten Kar / he came to the cyte of Ast to excuse the kynge of Nauer: and he demeaned hym selfe so wisely that the prince was apeased of his displeasure: so that y^• same knight shuld retourne into Nauer to the kyng his mayster / causyng him to come to saynt John̄s de pie du port / and the prince to take counsayle if he shul¦de go and speke with him / or els to sendsuffyci cut messangers to him. Thus this sir Marten Karr departed fro the prince and retourned in¦to Nauar to the kynge / and shewed him howe he had spedde / and in what condicyon he had founde the prince and his coūsayle: and also on what cōdycion he was departed fro thē. This knight dyde somoche that he brought the kyng of Nauar to saynt John̄s / and than he went to the cyte of Ast to the prince. And whan y^• prince knewe that the kynge of Nauar was at saynt Johans de pie du port: than he determyned to sende to him the duke of Lancastre his brother and sir Johan Chandos / and so these two lor∣des with a small company rode to the towne of saynt John̄s with this sayd knight. And there the king of Nauar receyued thē right ioyoully and ther had longe counsayle togyder / finally

it was acorded that the kyng of Nauer shulde aproche nerer to the prince / to a certayne place called Pyerferade / and thyder the prince and kyng Dampeter shuld come to speke with him and ther to renewe all their couenauntes. And ther eche of them to knowe what they shulde ha¦ue. all that the kyng of Nauer dyd before was to thentent to be the better assured of their pro∣myses than he thought him selfe he was / for he douted that if the cōpanyons were entred into his coūtre: and this treaty and acorde bytwene them nat sealed. Than he feared he shulde nat haue that he desyred whan he wolde.

ON this treaty retourned the duke of Lā∣castre and sir John̄ Chandos and recoū¦ted to the prince / and to kynge Dampeter how they had spedde / the whiche pleased them right well and so kepte their day / and came to the pla¦ce assigned: and also the kyng of Nauar and y^• moost speciall of his counsayle. And ther were these thre lordes / the kyng Dampeter / the prin∣ce of Wales / and the duke of Lancastre on the one party / and the kyng of Nauer on the other partie long comunyng toguyder. And there it was deuysed & acorded what euery man shulde haue / and ther was renewed the treaty among them. And ther the kyng of Nauer knewe the certayntie what he shulde haue of the realme of Castell: and kyng Dāpeter and he sware good loue / peace / and confederacyon bytwene them: and de{per}ted amyably a sondre. And than their hoost might passe whanit pleased them / for the passages and straytes were openyd / and vitels aparelled through all the realme of Nauer for their money. Than the kynge of Nauer went to the cytie of Panpylone: and the prince & his brother / and kyng Dampeter went to the cytie of Ast. And as than ther were dyuers knyght{is} and lordes of Poictou / of Bretayne / and of Ga¦scoyne nat come to the princes hoost but taryed behynde. For as it hath ben sayd before / it was nat fully knowen whyder the prince shulde ha∣ue passage or nat / tyll thende of this treaty was concluded. And specially in Fraunce it was sup¦posed that he shulde nat passe that way / but ra∣ther that y^• kyng of Nauer shulde haue broken his viage / the whiche fell contrary. And whan these knightes and squiers knewe the certayn∣tie therof / and parceyued that the passag{is} were opened. Than they auaunced them selfe as fast as they might / for they knewe well y^• the prince wolde passe shortely and nat retourne agayne without batayle. Thyder came the lorde Clys∣son with a fayre cōpany of men of armes: and at last cāe with an yuell wyll the lorde Dalbreth with two hundred speares / and all that vyage he kept cōpany with the Captall of Beufz / and all this mater and confederacions / knowledge therof was had in Fraunce / for alwayes there were messangers comyng and goynge / repor∣tyng alway that they knewe or herd. And whā sir Bertram of Clesquy who was with y^• duke of Aniou knewe howe y^t the prince was passed and howe the passages of Nauer were opened to thē. Than he enforsed his somons / & thoght surely the mater shuld nat be ended without ba¦tayle. Than he toke his way towarde Aragon to come to king Henry as fast as he might / and all maner of people folowed him suche as were commaunded: and dyuers other of the realme of Fraunce and other places / suche as thought to auaunce them selfe to gette honour.