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 let vs retourne to the busy∣nesse of Fraunce. Cap. CC .xl. (Book 240)

YE haue well herde here be∣fore recounted / the maner of y^e vy∣age that the prince of Wales had made into Spayne / and howe he de{per}ted thens nat well cōtent with the kyng Dampeter / and howe he returned in¦to Acquitayne. So that whan he was thus re¦turned all maner of men of warr folowed him bycause they thought nat to abyde behynde in Spayne / bycause kyng Dampeter payed nat thē their wages as he had promysed. And thus whan they were all returned / the price had nat paymēt for them / so redy as he wolde haue had for his vyage into Spayne had so sore mynis∣shed and wasted his richesse / that it was mar∣ueyle to thynke theron. And so soiourned these companyons vpon the countre of Acquitayne who coude nat absteyn thēselfe fro robbyng of the coūtre / for they were well .vi. M. fightyng men. And at the last the prince desyred thē to de¦parte his realme / for the countre was nat able to susteyn thē no lēger. The capitayns of these cōpanyons were all englysshmen and gascōs. As sir Robert Briquet / Johan Treuell / Ro∣bert Ceny / sir Gaylarde Uyger / the Bourge of Bertuell / the Bourge Camus / the Bourge of Lespare / Nandon of Bergerant / Bernard de la Sale: and many other whiche wolde nat displease the prince. But yssued out of the prin¦cipalyte as shortely as they might / and entred into the realme of Fraūce / the whiche they cal∣led their chambre and passed y^e ryuer of Loyre /

and so came in to Champayne and in to the bys¦shopriche of Raynes: and alwayes their nom∣bre encreased. And to aduēture them selfe / they serched all aboute the realme of Fraunce / and dyde many yuell trybulacions and vilayne de∣des: wherof the complayntes came dayly to the frenche kynge and to his counsayle. Howe beit they coude fynde no remedy / for they durst nat fight with them: and the people all about mar∣ueyled greatly that the prince of Wales wolde sende theym thyder to make warre. Than the frenche kynge sente for the lorde Clysson / and made him great capitayne agaynst those yuell companyons / bycause he was a good knyght and a hardy: and the kynge had hym in great loue and fauoure. And in the same season there was a maryage made bytwene the lorde Dal∣bret / and the lady Isabell of Bourbone / of the whiche the prince was nothynge gladde: for he had rather that the lorde Dalbret had ben ma∣ryed in some other place. For the whiche cause the price spake great wordes agaynst hym / but the greattest of his counsayle / aswell knightes as squyers / excused hym all that they might. Sayeng to y^e prince howe that euery man wyll be gladde to auaūce himselfe as nere as he can. and that a gode knight ought nat to be blamed though he purchase his owne honour and pro∣fyte / so that he leaue nat therby to serue his pri∣ce or maister / in that he is bounde to do. So by these wordes or suche semblable / the price was somwhat apeased: howe be it what so euer sem¦blant he made he was nat very well content / for he thought verily that the same maryage shul∣de be cause of with drawynge of loue fro hym / and fro theym that toke his parte / the whiche was of trouthe / as ye shall here afterwarde in this hystorie.