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.

¶ How in this season the frēch kyng drewe to hym certayne capitayns of the cōpanyons / and howe he sent his defyance to the kynde of Englande. Cap. CC .xlvi. (Book 246)

THe frenche kyng all this season se∣cretly and subtelly had get to hym dyuers capitayns of the company¦ons and other / and he sent thē into the marches of Berry & Auergne. The kyng cōsented that they shulde lyue there vpon that coūtre / cōmaundyng thē to make no warr tyll they were otherwyse cōmaunded / for the frenche kynge wolde nat be knowen of the warr / for therby he thought he shulde lese y^e en∣terprice that he trusted to haue in therldome of Poictou. For if the kyng of Englande had per¦fetly knowen / that the french kyng wolde haue made hym warr / he wolde right well haue w^t∣stande the domage that he had after in Poitou for he wolde so well a prouyded for y^e good tow¦ne of Abuyle with englysshmen: and so well ha¦ue furnysshed all other garysons in y^e said coū∣tre / that he wolde haue ben styll souerayne ouer thē. And the seneshall of the same countie was an englysshman / called sir Nycolas Louayng / who was in good fauour with the kyng of En¦glande / as he was worthy. For he was so true: that to be drawen with wylde horses / he wolde neuer cōsent to any shame / cowardnesse / or vil∣lany. In the same season was sent into Englā∣de / therle of Salebruee / and sir Wyllm̄ of Dor¦man fro the frenche kyng / to speke with y^e kyng of England & his counsayle / she wyng to them howe on their partie y^e peace dayly was but y∣uell kept / aswell by reason of the warr that the cōpanyons had made all this sixe yere cōtynu∣ally in the realm of France / as by dyuers other accydentes / wherof the frenche kyng was enfor¦med: and nat well cōtent therwith. The kyng of Englande caused these ambassadours to ta¦ry styll in England the space of two monethes / and in the same space they declared dyuers ar∣tycles often tymes to the kyng / wherof y^e kyng was sore displeased / howbeit they set lytell ther by / for they were charged by the french kyng & his counsayle to shewe it. And whan the french kyng had secrete and certayne knowlege howe they within Abuyle wolde become french / and that the warres were opyn in Gascone / & howe all his people were redy aparelled / and in gode wyll to make warr agaynst the prince / & to en∣tre in to the principalyte. Howbeit he thought as than to haue no reproche / nor in tyme to cōe to be sayd of hym / that he shuld send his people into the kyng of Englande or princes lande / or to take townes / cyties / castels / or fortresses w^t∣out defyāce: wherfore he was coūselled to send to defy the kyng of England. And so he dyd by his letters closed / and a breton varlet bare thē. And whan he came to Douer / ther he founde y^e erle of Salebruce / & sir Wyllm̄ of Dorman / re¦turnyng into Frāce / and had acōplysshed their message / to whome this varlet declared {per}te of his message / & so he was cōmaūded to do. And whan they herde y^t / they de{per}ted out of Englan¦de as fast as they might & passed the see / & were right ioyfull whan they were aryued at Bolen In the same season the prince had sent to Rome to pope Urbane / sir Guysshard Dāgle for dy∣uers maters touchyng A{qui}tayne. And he foūde the pope right fauorable in all his sutes / & so re¦turned agayne: and by the way he herde howe the gascoyns & frenchmen made warr agaynst the prince / & howe they ouerran the pricipalyte wherof he was sore abasshed & in feare how he might returne without dāger. Howbeit he cāe to the gētyll erle of Sauoy whom he founde in Pyemōt in the towne of Pyneroll / for he made warr agaynst the marques of Saluces. The erle of Sauoy receyued him ioyously & all his company / & kept him two dayes & gaue to them great gyftes / & specially to sir Guysshard Dan¦gle / for therle greatly honoured him bycause of his noble chinalry. And so whā he was de{per}ted & aproched nerer to the bondes of Fraunce & of Bolone / he herde euer tidyng{is} worse & worse to his purpose. So that he saw well in y^t case that he was in / he coude nat returne into Guyen / he was to well knowen. Therfore he gaue the go∣uernāce of his cōpany to a knight called {ser} iohn̄ I sore / who had wedded his dought / he was a good frēchman: borne in y^e marches of breten.

So he toke on him the charge to conduct home his father in lawes company / and he went into the lande of the lorde of Beauieu / & ther he pas¦sed the ryuer of Some. And there he acquyted hym selfe so with the lorde of Beauieu / that he brought hym and all his company to Ryon in Auuerne to the duke of Berry / and ther he of∣ferd to be good frēche as it was sayd / so that he myght be brought peasably to his owne house into Bretayne. And his father in lawe {ser} Guys shard Dangle / disgysed hym selfe lyke a poore preest / yuell horsed and arrayed: and so passed by Fraunce / the marchesse of Burgoyne and of Auuerne. And dyde somoche with great payne that he entred into the pricipalyte / and came to Angoleme to the price / wher he was right wel∣come: and another knight that went with him to Rome / called sir Wyllm̄ of Cens / for feare. As he came homwarde he came to the abbey of Cluny in Burgone / and ther taryed more than fyue yeres after / and durst neuer go oute of the house. And yet at last he yelded hymsefe french. Nowe let vs retourne to the breton y^• brought the frēche kyng{is} defyāce to y^e kyng of Englād.