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.

¶ Nowe lette vs retourne to the prince of Wa¦les and to his company who was in the vale of Olyfes and there aboute / abydnge the comyn∣ge of kyng Dampeter of Castell.

THus whan the prince hadde soiourned in the vale of the Olyffes / vntyll the feast of saynt Johan the Baptyst in somer / abydinge for the cō∣myng of kynge Dampeter / who came nat nor coude nat here no certayne tidynges of hym / where with the prince was right soore troubled: and called all his counsayle togyder / to knowe what was best to do in that behalfe. Than the prince was counsayled to sende two or thre knyghtes to the kynge / to demaunde of hym why he kepte nat his day as he hadde assigned. And on this mes¦sage was sende / sir Nowell Lornyche / sir Ry∣charde of Pontchardon / and sir Thomas Ba¦laster. And they rode so long by their iourneis that they came to the cytie of Cyuyle / where as they founde kyng Dampeter / and by semblant he right ioyously receyued them. These knigh¦tes dyd their message as they hadde in charge by their lorde the prince. Than the kynge an∣swered them in excusyng of himselfe and sayd. Sirs: certaynly it greatly displeaseth vs / that we cannat kepe the promyse that we haue ma∣de with oure cosyne the prince / the whiche we haue often tymes shewed vnto our people here in these parties. But our people excuseth them¦selfe / and say the how they canne make no som̄e of money / as longe as the companyons be in the countrey / for they haue thre or foure tymes robbed oure treasourers / who were commyn∣ge to oure cosyne the prince / with oure money. Therfore we requyre you to shewe our cosyne fro vs / that we requyre hym that he wyll with∣drawe and putte out of this oure realme these yuell people of the companyons / and that he do leaue ther some of his owne knyghtes / to whōe in the name of hym we wyll paye and delyuer such somes of money as he desyreth of vs / and as we are bounde to paye hym. This was all the aunswere that these knyghtes coulde haue of hym at that tyme. And so they departed and wente agayne to the price their lorde: and than recounted to hym and to his counsayle all that they hadde herde and sene / with the whiche an¦swere the prince was moche more dyspleased / than he was before. For he sawe well how that kynge Dampeter fayled of his promyse / and varyed fro reason. The same season y^• the prin¦ce thus abode in the vale of Olyffes / where as he hadde bene more than the space of four mo∣nethes / nighe all the somer. The kyng of Mal¦lorques fell sicke sore diseased / and lay sycke in his bedde. Than there was putte to raunsome sir Arnolde Dandrenhen / the Begue of Uyl∣laynes / and dyuers other knyghtes and squy∣ers of Fraunce and of Bretaygne / who were taken at Nauaret. And exchanged for sir Tho¦mas Pheltone / and for sir Rycharde Centon / and for sir Hughe Hastynges / and dyuers o∣ther. But sir Bertram of Clesquy abode styll as prisonere with the prince / for the englysshe∣men counsayled the prince / and sayde: that yf he delyuered sir Bertram of Clesquy / he wol∣de make hym greatter warre than euer he had done before: with the helpynge of the bastarde Henry / who as than was in Bygour / and had taken̄e the towne of Bānyers / and made great warr in that quarter. Therfore sir Bertram of Clesquy was nat delyuered at that tyme.

WHan that the prince of Wales her∣de the excusacyons of kynge Dā∣peter / than he was moche more di¦spleased than̄e he was before / and demaunded counsayle in that be∣halfe of his people / who desyredde to retourne home / for they bare with full great trouble the heate / and the infectyue ayre of the countrey of Spaygne. And also the prince hymselfe was nat verry well at case / and therfore his people counsayled hym to retourne agayne. Sayeng

howe kynge Damepeter hath greatly faylled hym to his blame and great dishonour. Than it was shewed openly that euery man shulde re¦tourne. And whan the prince shulde remoue / he sent to y^e kyng of Mallorques / sir Hugh Cort∣nay and sir Johan Chandos: shewynge hym howe the prince wolde depart out of Spayne. desiryng hym to take aduyce if he wolde de{per}te or nat / for the prince wolde be lothe to leue hym behynde. Than the kyng of Mallorques said / sirs I thanke greatly the prince / but as at this present tyme I can nat ryde nor remoue tyll it please god. Than the knightes sayde: sir wyll you that my lorde the prince shall leue with you a certayne nombre of men to wayte and cōduct you / whan ye be able to ryde. Nay surely sir {quod} the kyng it shall nat nede / for I knowe nat how long it wyll be or I be able to ryde. And so they departed and retourned to the prince / she wyng him what they had done. Well sayd the prince / as it please god and hym so be it. Than the pri∣ce departed and all his company / and went to a cytie called Madigray / and ther he rested in y^• vale called Foyrie / bytwene Aragon & Spay∣ne. And ther he taryed a moneth: for ther were certayne passages closed agaynst him in y^e mar¦chesse of Aragon. And it was sayd in the hoost that the kynge of Nauarr / who was newly re∣tourned out of prison / was agreed with the ba∣starde of Spayne / and with the kynge of Ara∣gon to let the princes passage: but yet he dyde nothyng as it apered after. Howe be it the prin¦ce was in doute of hym / bycause he was in his owne countrey / and came nat to hym. In this meane season ther were sent to a certayn place / bytwene Aragon and Spayne / certayne per∣sons of bothe parties / and so had great comu∣nyng togyder dyuers dayes. Finally they so a¦greed that the kyng of Aragon shuld opyn his countre / and suffre the princes people to retur∣ne and passe peasably without any lette of any of the coūtre / payeng courtesly for y^t they toke.

THan came to the prince y^e kyng of Nauer and sir Martyn de la Kar whan they saw the mater go in su∣che wyse bytwene the kynge of A∣ragon and the prince / and they ma¦de to the prince all the honoure that they coude deuyse / and offred passage for hym and for his dere brother the duke of Lancastre / and for dy¦uers other knyghtes of Englande and of Ga∣scoyne / but in any wyse he wolde that the com∣panyons shulde take their way by some other passage / and nat through Naurr. Than the prince and his lordes / whan they sawe that the way through Nauarr was more mete and ne∣cessary for thē than through Aragon / thought nat to refuse the kynge of Nauars offre / but so thanked hym greatly. Thus the prince passed through the realme of Naurr / and the kynge and sir Martyn de la Karr conueyed him / tyll they came to the passage of Rounseualx / and so from thens they passed by their iourneyes tyll they came to the cytie of Bayone / wher he was receyued with great ioye. And there the prince refresshed hym four dayes / and than departed and rode to Burdeaulx. Where he was also re∣ceyued with great solemnyte: and my lady the princesse mette hym with her yonge sonne Ed∣ward / who as than was of the age of thre yer{is}. Than de{per}ted the lordes and men of warre one from another / and the lordes of Gascoyne went home to their owne houses / and the company∣ons came also into the pricipalyte: abyding for their wages. The prince was moche boūde to them / and promysed to pay them to his power / as soone as he had money / though kyng Dam¦peter kepte nat his promyse with hym. yet he said they shulde nat beare the losse therof / sythe they had so well serued hym. And kynge Hen∣ry the bastarde who was in the garyson of Bā¦nyers in Bygoure. Than he departed thens with suche men of warre as he had / and wente into Aragon to the kynge ther who loued hym entierly / and ioyously receyued him. And ther taryed all the wynter / and there made a newe alyaunce bytwene hym and the kynge of Ara∣gon / and promysed to make warr agaynst kyn¦ge Dāpeter / and the bretons that were in their company. As sir Arnolde Lymosyne / sir Gef∣fray Rycouns / and sir yons de Lankane•• / rode to the passages of Spaygne / and made warr for kynge Henry.