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 the duke of Bourgoyn was maryed to the doughter of the erle of Flaunders. Cap. CC .liii. (Book 253)

VE haue harde before howe y^e space of .v. yere to gether y^e kyng of Eng••. made moche purchase to haue the doughter of therle of Flā¦ders to haue ben maried to his son Edmond erle of Cambridge. The deuises and ordenances were to longe to reherse. Wherfore I wyll passe it ouer breuely. The kynge of En∣gland coude by no maner geat pope Urban to consent to gyue them a dispensacion to mary / and the erle of Fraunders was sued vnto fro o¦ther partes / and specially by the frenche kyng / for his brother the duke of Bourgoyn. Whā he sawe that the maryage Wolde nat take in En∣gland / and howe it was tyme for his doughter to be maryed / and that he had no mo children / and thought that the yōge duke of Bourgoyn was a mete mariage for her: Than he sent cer∣tayne messangers into England / to treate with the kyng for acquitaunce / and the messangers dyd so well their deuour / that the kynge of En∣glande (who thought none euyl) quited the er∣le of Flaunders of all his couenauntes / as tou∣chynge y^e mariage of his doughter. and so these messangers returned to Bruges / and shewed the erle their lorde howe they had spedde / Wher of he was ryght ioyfull. And it was nat longe after but that the mariage of the duke of Bour∣goyn & their erles doughter was driuē through and agreed. And it was shewed me that for this mariage the erle of Flaunders had more than fyfty thousande frankes / and the towne of Do∣way and Lisle delyuered in gage for money / y^t the frenche kynge gaue with thys maryage to the erle of Flaunders / Who toke possessyon of them / and therin dyd putte his people. And so these two townes were attributed to Flaūders by reason of gage / as it was shewed me / I can say no further. And anone after this composi∣cion they proceded to the mariage / the whiche was done and confirmed in the towne of Gaūt and there was great feaste and solempnyte the day of y^e maryage and after. Ther were many lordes / barones / and knyghtes / and specially y^e gentyl lorde of Coucy / who was sent thither by the frenche kynge / euery man was greatly fea∣sted with great iustes and tryumphes. And af∣ter

euery man wense Whom to his owne. And whan the kynge of Englāde sawe that the erle of Flaunders / bycause of this sayde maryage was alyed into Fraunce / he wyste ••at What to suppose / Whether that the Erle of Flaunders wolde take parte agaynst hym with the duke of Bourgoyne his sonne in lawe / who by successi∣on shulde be his heyre after his disceace ornat. Nor also he myste nat what rou••nauntes were 〈◊〉〈◊〉 b••twene the frenche kynge and the erle of Flaunders. Wherfore the kynge of Englande was more harder to the Flemmynges than he was before / bothe by lande and by see / as they came in marchandise. Wherof the frēche kynge was nothynge displeased. for he wolde gladly that the Warre hadde ben open bitwene the en∣glisshemen and flēmynges. Howe be it the wise men of Flaunders and bourgesses of good tow ••es had no wyl to y^e warre: for the comynalte of Flaunders / susteyned rather the opinion and quarell of the kynge of Englande to be better / than the frenche kynges. The kynge of En∣glande / who sought for frendes in all parties / as ••ede was for hym so to do / seynge the great warres and rebellions that dayly rose agaynst hym. than he vnderstode well that kyng Char∣les of Nauarr his cosyn / who was in base Nor mandy / wolde soone agree to his accord / for he was behated with the frenche kynge / bicause of certayn landes that he kept / and claymed them as his enheritance / the whiche the frenche kyng d••n••ed: for the whiche theyr counsayles had ben often tymes to guether: But they coulde neuer make agrement bitwene them / and so the mat∣••er hanged styll / eche of them takyng good hede of other. And the kynge of Nauarre fortifyed greatly his townes and castels in Constantine and in the countie of Deureur / and in the good townes of Normandye / and helde hymselfe at Ch••erburge and had men of warr in euery ga¦rison. And with hym there was {ser} Eustace Dā∣••••er••court who was gouernour of a towne be∣••oud the passage of saynt Clement / in the close of Constantyne / the whyche perteyned to the kynge of Nauarre / for it was parcell of his he∣••••age / called the towne of Carentyn. And this syr ••ustace was chief of the kynges counsaile and the kynge of Englande sent vnto hym (for he was also hisman and knyght) to the entent that he shulde knowe the kynge of Nauarres mv••de. And this knyght dyd so moche that the kynge of Nauarre with a pr••uy company en∣tred into a shyppe called Ly•• / and came to the kynge of England / who made hym great there and feast / and so they were longe to gether / and fynally concluded / that as soone as the kynge of Nauarre were returned to Chierbourge / he shulde sende and defye the frenche kynge / and to put in al his castelles and fortresses englisshe men. And whan all this was confyrmed / the kynge of Nauarre departed / and returned a∣gayne into Normandy / to the towne of Chier∣bourge / and was brought thyther by certayne knyghtes of Englande / who had but euyllfor∣tune at theyr returnynge home ward / for on the see they mette normans and pyrates / Who fi∣ersely assayled them / and were farre stronger than the englisshmen. So the normans con∣quered them and slewe them all / they wolde nat take one to mercy / of the whiche aduenture the kynge of Englande was right sore displeased. howe be it he coude nat remedy it. And anone after y^• the kynge of Nauarre was returned to Chierbourge / {ser} Eustace Dambreticourt (who was sent for by the prince) toke leaue of y^e kyng of Nauarr to go and serue the prince. the whi∣che kynge gaue hym leaue / sore agaynste hys¦myll. Howe be it {ser} Eustace shewed hym so ma∣ny reasonable causes / that at laste he departed and toke the see / and arryued with all his com∣pany at saynt Malo / and rode to Nauntes / to passe there the ryuer of Loyre by the agrement of the duke of Bretayne / Who as than stered nat on no partye. And so syr Eustace trauay∣led so longe / that he came in to Poictou / and came to the towne of Angolesme to the prynce / who receyued hym with great ioy / & thā anone sente hym to syr John̄ Chandos / & to the Cap∣tal of Beu•• / who were at Montaban makyng there thyr fronter agaynste the frenche men / And thyther syr Eustace was ryght well come to all the company.