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 certayne of the company of the duke of Lācastres were disconfy∣ted / and of the counsayle that kynge Henry wolde nat byleue. And of the letters that the prince wrote to kyng Henry / & of the counsell that sir Ber∣tram of Clesquy gaue to the answer of the same letters. Cap. C C .xxxvi. (Book 236)

ANd whan it was day in y^e next mornyng they moū¦ted on their horses / and de{per}¦ted fro the kynges hoost in good array and rode to war de thēglysshe logynges / and about the sonne rysynge in a valley they met with part of sir Hugh Caurel∣les company with his harnesse / for he had lod∣ged that nyght a leage fro the englysshe hoost. And assoone as the frenchmen and spanyardes sawe them they ran at them / and shortely discō¦tyted them / so that the moost parte were slayne and the harnesse won. But sir Hugh hym selfe who came sō what behynde / whan he sawe that he toke another way. Howbeit he was parcey∣ned and chased / so that he was fayne to flye w^t his company in to the duke of Lancastres host And the spanyardes who were a sixe thousand rode at the same brunt by one of the corners of the vawarde of the duke of Lancastres hoost. and cryed Castell / and bete downe logynges & ••••ewe & hurt moch people. Thā the host began to styre and to arme them / and drewe to y^e du∣kes lodgyng who was redy armed and his ba¦ner before hym. And the englysshmen and ga∣scoyns drue theym vnder their baners and pe∣nons redy to fight. Than the duke went vp to a lytell mountayne / and to hym came sir John̄ Chandos and the two marshals / and dyuers other knightes and squiers / puttyng themselfe in order and array besyde the duke. And anone after came the prince and king Dampeter / and euer as they cāe they set thē selfe in order of ba∣tayle. Therle of Anxell and his brother hadde thought to haue had the same mountayne first to auaūtage: but as I herde say they fayled of their purpose / but whan they sawe they coulde nat haue it / and that thenglysshe hoost was re∣dy apparelled. Than they departed and assem¦bled their company togyder / and so rode forthe trustyng to fynde some other good aduenture / but or they departed they dyd dyuers feates of armes / for certayne englysshe knyghtes & gas∣coyns departed fro their array / and strake in a¦monge the spanyardes and bare dyuers to the erthe / but alwayes y^e great batell stode styll on the moūtayne lokyng euer whan they shuld ha¦ue be fought with all. So thus in the returnyn¦ge of the spanyardes & aprochynge their owne host they encoūtred sir Thomas Phelton & his brother / sir Richarde Tancon. sir Dāgoses / sir Hugh Hastyng{is} / sir Gaylerd Uigor & other to the nōbre of. C C. knighttes & squiers englyssh and gascons / & in a valey they met: & the spany¦ardes cryed Castell in y^e name of kyng Henry. Than thēglysshe cōpany seyng that great cōpa¦ny of spanyard{is} and how they coude nat escape fro thē: they conforted them selfe aswell as they might & kept thē togyder in the felde / & toke the aduaūtage of a lytell hyll. Than the spanyard{is} came and rested thēselfe before thē / ymaginyn∣ge by what meanes they might best fyght with thē. Than sir Wyllm̄ Phelton dyd a great feat of armes & great outrage / for he discēded dow¦ne the hyll with his speare in the rest prouynge his courser & ran in among the spanyard{is}: and strake a knight so rudely with his speare that y^e spere ran clene through his body / & the knyght fell downe deed. Than this sir Wyllm̄ was en∣closed rounde about with his enemyes / & there he fought as valiantly as any knight might do and dyd his enemyes great domage or he was striken to y^e erthe: his brother sir Thom̄s Fel∣ton & the other knyght{is} that were with hym on the moūtayne sawe how he fought & dyde mar∣ueyls in armes / and sawe well what parell he was in / but they coude nat cōfort hym without lesyng of themselfe. So they stode styll in their array on the mountayne. And the sayd knyght fought styll as long as he coude endure / but fi∣nally ther was slayne. Than the spanyard{is} and frenchmen ymagined howe they might in¦uade thēglysshmen on the moūtayne. So that day ther were dyuers feates of armes done & a chyued / for sōtyme parte of thē wolde discende downe y^e mountayne and fyght with their ene∣myes & recule wisely backe agayne to it. Thus in this estate they were tyll it was hye noon / the prince wolde gladly haue cōforted thē if he had knowen therof and delyuered them out of y^• pa¦rell but he was nat ware therof / therfore it beho¦ued them to abyde their aduentur. Whan they had thus endured scrymiss hyng a gret season: thā therle of Anxell / who was sore displeased y^• they endured so long / sayd a hye to his cōpany. Lordes for shame what do we here thus all day

we ought or this tyme to haue deuoured them. Auaunce forwarde and let vs fyght with them with a fierse wyll / ther is nothyng wyll be gote without it be derely bought: with tho wordes the frēchmen and spanyardes auaunced them forthe with a hardy courage / and came to them so close togyder that they coulde nat be broken. So than on the mountayne was done many a feat of armes. And thēglysshmen and gascons defended themselfe to their powers right valy∣antly / but after the spanyardes were entred in among thē they coude nat endure / finally they were all taken and cōquered byforce of armes. So that non escaped but a certayne varlettes and pages that saued themselfe by their horses and at night they came to the princes host / who that day was redy ranged on the hyll to syght.

AFter the takyng of these sayd knyghtes and squyers / the erle of Auxell and Sā¦xes his brother and their company retorned to the hoost ryght ioyouse: and at nyght came to the kynge Henry their brother. And there they made a present to the kynge of suche prisoners as they had taken / and recounted to the kynge sir Bertram of Clesquy / and sir Arnolde Dan drchen and other howe they met / and how they dyde. And also how they had ouerthrowen {per}te of sir Hugh Caurels cōpany / and chased hym into the duke of Lancastres host / and ther dyd great domage or the hoost were assembled / and howe that in their retournyng they mette with these knightes whome they had taken. Kynge Henry who hard well these wordes with great ioy and glory answered therle his brother / and sayd. Fayre brother ye haue marueylusly well spedde / wherof ye shalbe gretly rewarded: & I trust surely y^• all thother shall passe y^e same way Than sir Arnolde Dādrehen sayd: sir sauyng your grace I wyll nat say agaynst you / but ra∣ther amende it: but one thyng sir I say y^t whan soeuer ye shall assemble with y^e prince in batell / ye shall fynde the men of warr suche as to ded{is} of armes requyreth / for ther is the floure of all the chiualry of the worlde. Ther shall ye fynde sage and hardy coragious fightyng men / for to dye in the place they wyll nat flye one fote Sir it is necessary that ye take good hede and coun¦sell in this mater. But sir and ye wyll do by my counsayle ye shall disconfyte them without any stroke strikyng. As thus / if ye wyll kepe y^e strai¦tes and passages / so that no prouisyon may cōe at them / ye shall famysshe them and so discōfite them. For than they shalbe fayne to retourne in to their owne countre warde / without good or¦der or array / and thā may you haue yo^r desyre acomplysshed. Than this kyng Henry answe∣red and sayd: marshall by the soule of my dere father I desyre so moche to se the prince and to proue his puyssaūce and myne / that I wyll ne¦uer depart hens without batayle. For I thāke god we haue men ynowe. First we haue seuyn thousande men of armes well horsed and bar∣ded / so that they feare no shote of archers. And also we haue .xx. thousande of other moūted on genettes cap a pee / and of other we haue thre∣score thousande men of comons / with speares / dartes / and pauesses / the which may do a great feate. And they all haue sworne nat to fayle me to dye in the payne / wherfore sir Arnolde Ise no cause to be abasshed / but let vs greatly be re conforted in the puyssaunce of god and in oure mē. And so with this talkyng ther were knigh¦tes that brought to the kyng wyne and spyces. So the kynge toke therof and gaue the lordes part about hym / and than euery man retorned into their logynges. Than thēglysshmen and gascoyns prisoners made their assuraūce / and were deuyded one fro another. No we lette vs retorne to the prince and speke som what of his ordynaunce.

¶ The prince of Wales and the duke of Lāca∣stre were all the sayd day on the moūtayn / and at night they were enfourmed of their men that were thus taken & slayne / wherwith they were sore displeased / but they coulde nat amende it. Than they drue to their logynge: and the next mornyng the prince toke counsell and determy¦ned to de{per}t fro thens and so he dyd / and went & loged before Uictoria / & there stode in batayle redy to fight / for it was enformed y^e prince how that kyng Hēry and his brother & their cōpany were nat farr thens / but they cāe nat forward. The prince & his cōpany had great lacke of vi∣tayls and prouisyon for thē selfe & for their hor∣ses / for they were loged but in an yuell countre and a harde. And kyng Henry and his compa∣ny lay in a good frutefull countre / in the princ{is} hoost a lofe of breed was solde for a floreyn / eue¦ry man gladde so to gyue & more and they cou∣de haue gote it. Also the tyme was foule & trou¦blous: of wynde / rayne / and snowe. and in this daunger and disease they were sixe dayes. And whan the prince sawe that the spanyardes cam nat forwarde to fight / and that they were there in gret distresse. Than they determyned to go and seke for passage at some other place / than̄e they disloged & toke the way to Nauaret & pas∣sed through a coūtre called y^e coūtre of y^e Gard /

and whan they were passed than they came to a towne called Uienne. Ther the prince and the duke of Lancastre refresshed them: and therle of Armynacke and the other lordes / a two day¦es. Than they went and passed the ryuer that departeth Castell and Nauer at the bridge of Groynge / amonge the gardeyns vnder the oly¦ues / and ther they founde a better coūtre than they were in before: howe beit they had great defaute of vitayle. And whan that kyng Hen∣ry knewe that the prince and his people were passed the ryuer at Groynge. Than he depar∣ted fro saynt Muchaulte wher he hadde longe layen / and went and lodged before Nauerette on the same ryuer. Whan the prince harde that kynge Henry was aproched / he was right ioy∣ouse and sayd openly: by saynt George this ba¦starde semeth to be a valyaunt knight / sythe he desyreth so sore to fynde vs I trust we shall fyn¦de eche other shortely. Than̄e the prince called to hym the duke of Lancastre his brother / and dyuers other of his counsayle: & than he wrote an answere to kyng Henry of the letter that he had sent him before / y^e tenor wherof foloweth.

EDward by the grace of god prince of wa¦les and Acquitayne: to the right honou∣rable and renomed Henry erle of Christemar / who at this present tyme calleth him selfe kyng of Castell. Syth it is so that ye haue sent to vs your letters by your haraud / wherin were con∣teyned dyuers artycles / makyng mēcyon how ye wolde gladly knowe why we take to our frē¦de and louer your enemy our cosyn / the kynge Dāpeter: & by what tytell we make you warr / and are entred with an army royall into Ca∣stell. We answere therto. Knowe ye for trouthe it is to susteyne the right / and to maynteyn rea¦son / as it aparteyneth to all kynges and princ{is} so to do. And also to entertayne the great alyaū¦ces / that the kyng of England my dere father / & kyng Dampeter haue had longe togyder / and bycause ye are renomed a ryght valyāt knyght we wolde gladly and we coude acorde you and hym roguyder / and we shall do somoche to our cesyn Dampeter / that ye shall haue a great {per}te of the realme of Castell / but as for the crowne and herytage ye must renounce. Sir take coū∣sayle in this case: and as for our enteryng into Castell we wyll entre ther as we thynke best at dure owne pleasure. Written at Groynge the .xxx. day of Marche.

¶ Whan this letter was written it was closed and sealed / and delyuered to the same haraude that brought y^e other / and had taryed for an an∣swere more than thre wekes. Thāhe departed fro the presence of the prince / and rode so longe that he came to Naueret amonge the busshes / wher kyng Henry was lodged and drue to the kynges logyng. And the moost part of y^e great lordes of the hoost came thyder to here what ti∣dynges their heraude had brought. Than the haraud kneled downe and delyuered the kyng the lettre fro the prince. The kyng toke and o∣pened it / and called to him sir Bertram of Cles¦quy / and dyuers other knightes of his coūsell. There the letter was reed and well consydred: than sir Bettram sayd to y^e kyng. Sir knowe for trouthe ye shall haue batell shortly I knowe so well the prince / therfore sir loke well on the mater. It is necessary that ye take good hede to all your besynesse and order your people and your batayls. Sir Bertrā {quod} the kynge be it in the name of god / the puyssaunce of the prince I dout nothynge: for I haue thre thousande bar∣ded horses / the whiche shall be two wynges to our batayle / and I haue also seuyn. M. gene∣tours / and well .xx. thousande men of armes of the best that can be foūde in all Castell / Galyce Portyngale / Cordowen / and Cyuyle / and .x. thousande good crosbowes / and threscore. M. of other men a fote: with dartes / speares / laun¦ces / and other abilymentes for the warre. And all these hath sworne nat to fayle me to dye in y^e payne: therfore sir Bertram I trust to haue vy¦ctory by the grace of god on whome is my trust and my right that I haue in the quarell. Ther¦fore lord{is} I desyre you all to be of good corage.