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 the archebysshopp̄ of Tho∣louse conuerted to the frenche kynge by his prayer and request the citie of Caoure and dyuerse other townes / and howe the duke of Guerles / and the duke of Julliers defied the french kynge. Cap. CC .lii. (Book 252)

IN the meane season whyle these frenche knygh∣tes were thus in Quercy / in the marches of Lymosyn / & Auuergne the duke of Bet∣rey was in Auuergne with a great nombre of menne of warre as syr John̄ of Armynac hys vncle / the lorde John̄ of Uillemur / Roger of Beaufort / the lorde of Beauiew / the lorde of Uillers / the lorde of Sergnac / the lorde of Calēcon / {ser} Grif∣fith of Mōtague / and sir Hugh Dolphin / with a great nombre of other good knyghtes & squi∣ers / and so they ouerran the marches of Rouer¦gue / of Quercy / and of Lymosyn / & dyd great domage and enpouerysshed greately the coun∣trey for nothynge helde agaynste them / and so by the meanes of the duke of Berrey the arche∣bysshop departed out of Tholouse / who Was a right good clerke and went to Caours / wher of his brother was bysshopp̄. and there he pre∣ched and publysshed in suche wise the frenche kyngis quarell / that by his meanes the citie of Caours turned frenche / and sware faythe & ho∣mage from thence forthe to the frenche kynge. Than the sayd archebisshop rode forth further and preched and declared the Frenche kynges right / title / and quarell in / suche wise that al the countrey became frenche / he caused to turne mo than .lx. townes / cities / castelles / and fortresses / by the helpe and ayde of the duke of Berreys company of men of warr / as syr John̄ of Armi nake and other / who rode abrode in the coūtrey they caused to turne frenche Sigac / Gaignac / capedonac / and diuers other good townes and strong castelles. For he preched that the frenche kynge had so great ryght and iuste cause in his quarell / that the people that harde hym beleued hym. And also naturally y^e people were in their myndes rather frenche than englisshe y^e whiche helped moche to the matter. In lyke maner as this archebysshop went aboute prechynge and shewyng the right & quarel of the frenche kyng in the bondes and lymitacions of Languedoc / there were in Pycardy dyuerse other prelates and clerkes who well and sufficiētly dyd their deuours to shewe and to preche the sayd quarel of the frenche kynge to the comon people of cy∣ties and good townes: and specially sir Wylliā of ••ormans preched the sayd quarel fro cite to citie / and fro towne to towne / so wysely and so notably that all that harde hym lent them selfe to his opinion / so that the busynesse of the real∣me was by hym and by his wordes so coloured that it was marnayle to speke therof. And be∣syde that the frenche kyng hym selfe was so mo¦ued with deuocion / that he caused to be made contynual processions by the clergie / and hym selfe and the quene wolde go bare foote requy∣rynge and besechynge god deuoutely to assist and mainteyne y^e right of the realme of France the whiche hath ben a season in great tribula∣cion. And also the kynge caused all his subie¦ctes by the constreynte of the prelates to do the same. In lyke maner dyd the kynge of Englād in his realme. There was a bysshop that tyme at London / who made many prechynges and declaracions / shewyng the people that the frē∣che kynge by great wronge hadde renewed the warre: And that he dyd was agayngste ryght and good reason / and that he proued by diuers artycles and poyntes openely shewed. to saye trouth it was of necessite / that both kyng{is} / syth they were determyned to make warre / to shewe to their people the ordre and cause of their qua∣relles / so that they myght with the better wyls helpe and ayde theyr lordes / of the whiche they were all awakened both in the one realme and other. The kynge of Englande sent into Bra∣bant and Haynault to knowe if he myght geat any ayde there / and desired duke Aulbert / who had in rule and gouernance the countie of Hey¦nault at that tyme / that he wolde open his coū∣trey to suffre hym to go and come / and to abide there if nede were / and that waye to passe into the realme of France with his army. The duke Aulbert at the requeste of the kynge of Englād his vncle / and at the desyre of y^e quene his aūte lyghtly condyscended to theyr desyres / by the ayde and good mocyon of Edwarde Duke of Guerles / who was of the kynge of Englandes parte. For he wedded the dukes doughter / and by the duke of Julyers his cousyn germayne. These two at that tyme were in faythe and ho∣mage boūde to the kyng of Englāde / by whom they were desyred that they shulde retaygne e∣che of them the nombre of a thousande speares at his coste and charge / Wherfore these .ii. lor∣des aduysed well that it shulde be good for the kynge of Englande / to geatte alied to hym the duke Aulbert: Who was sore tempted therto by them / and by great gyftes that the kynge of En¦glande promysed hym by suche knyghtes as he hadde sente vnto hym. But Whan the lorde of Comynges (who was about the frēche kynge) herde therof / he returned into Heynaulte / and by the counsayle of the lorde John̄ Werthyn s•• neschall of Heynaulte / by whom all the coun∣trey

was moste gouerned / and was a wyse and a valiant knyght / and was good frēche in hart he was so well beloued with y^e duke & duchesse that he brake the purpose of the englisshe messā¦gers / for by the helpe of therle of Bloys / and of {ser} John̄ of Bloys his brother / the lorde Ligny / and of the lorde Barbāson the duke and all his countrey abode as neuter / and held with none of both partes. And this answere made Jane duchesse of Brabant. Kynge Charles of Frāce who was sage / wyse / and subtyle / had wrought about this treatie .iii. yere before / & knewe well he had good frendes in Heynault & Brabant / & specially the most parte of the coūsailours of y^e great lordes / and to colour / & to make his warr seme y^e fayrer / he copied out diuers letters tou∣chyng the peace confirmed at Calays / and ther in he closed the substan̄ce of his dede / and what thynge the kynge of Englande and his childrē were sworne to kepe. & in what articles by their letters sealed they were submytted to make re∣nūciacions / resityng suche cōmyssions as they ought to haue delyuered to theyr people / and al other articles and poynt{is} that made any thyng for hym and his quarell condempnynge the en∣glisshemens deades. These letters the kynge caused to be publysshed in the courtes of great lordes / to the entent they shulde be better enfor∣med of his quarel. Inlyke wyse opposit to this dede the kynge of England shewed his quarel in Almaygne / and in other places / where as he thought to haue any ayde. The duke of Guer∣les nephewe to the kynge of Englande / sonne to his suster / and the duke of Juliers cosyn ger¦mayne to his children / who were at that tyme good and true englysshe / had great dispight of the defiaunce that the frenche kynge had made to y^e kyng of Englāde done by a varlet / in their myndes greately blamynge the frenche kynge and his counsaile in his so doyng. for they sayd that warre bitwene so great princis (as the frē∣che kynge and the kynge of Englande) ought to be publysshed and defied by notable {per}sones / as prelates bysshops or abbottes / sayeng howe the frenche men dyd it by great presumpcyon & pryde. Wherfore they sayd they wolde send and defye the frēche kyng notably / and so they dyd / and dyuerse other knyghtes of Almayne with them. and their entēt{is} was shortly to entre into Fraunce / and there to do suche dedes of armes / that the remembraūce therof shulde be seen and knowen .xx. yere after. Howe be it they dyd no∣thynge / for their purpose was broken by ano∣ther way than they thought of / as ye shall here after in this historie.