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 englysshe companyons toke the castell of Bell perche / & ther∣in the duke of Burbons mother / and also they toke the strōge castell of saīt Seuere in Berry. Cap. CC .lxi. (Book 261)

AMong these sayd com¦panyōs ther were thre squi∣ers / who were great capita∣nes / hardy and well experte mē of warr / specially in sau∣tyng and scalyng of townes and forteresses. The one na¦med Ortygo / the seconde Bernarde de Wyske / and the thirde de la Sale. These thre thought nat to syt ydell / but to do some dede wherby to be spoken of. Than they with their cōpany wēt into Lymosyn / and seneshall and gouernoure ther vnder the prince was sir Johan Deureux These thre forsayd squyers / toke their aduyse to assay to get some forteresse in Fraunce / and than they knewe well that Bell perche in Bur∣bonoyse was a stronge castell / and that therin dwelled the duke of Burbons mother / and mo¦ther to the frenche quene. And they vnderstode by their spyes that the good lady was in the ca¦stell alone / without company or good watche: for they harde reported howe y^e constable of the castell wolde often tymes ryde out / and take ly tell hede to the saue kepynge of the place. So

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these cōpanyons / a certayne of thē such as they dyde chose out slept nat their purpose but rode in a day and a night / & in the mornyng came to Bell perche / and scaled the castell and toke it / & the good lady within it. And than̄e they sawe well howe the forteresse was good and strong / and in a good plentyfull coūtre: and sayd how they trusted to kepe it agaynst all men. And al∣so the same night they toke another / castell cal∣led saynt Seuere / on the marchesse of Lymo∣syn: and gaue it to sir Johan Deureux. These tidynges was anone knowen in France / howe Bell perche was taken by thenglysshmen / and the quenes mother within it. Wherof the frēche kyng was sore displeased / and so was y^e quene and the duke of Burbone: but they coulde nat amende it as at that tyme. In the same season sir Loyes of Sanxere / a right valyant knight and a hardy: was chosen and admytted to be one of y^e marshals of the warr in France / how¦beit as than lyued sir Arnolde Dandrehen but he was so aged and brused in armes / and tra∣uayle of tyme passed: y^t he coude nat well helpe him selfe / nor coulde no lengar attende on that office. Howbeit he wolde ••ere harnesse at tyme of nede. ¶ Nowe let vs speke somwhat of the busynesse of Picardy / & of assembly that was made at Tornehen.

THe frenche kyng all the season of somer had made a great appayrell of shyppes and vessels / in the porte of Hareluce to the en∣tent to haue sent an army into Englande / well furnysshed with good men of armes / knightes and squiers. Wherof sir Philyppe his brother duke of Burbon was admytted as chefe gouer¦nour / to thentent to haue distroyed Englande. And the frenche kyng lay at the cyite of Roane the better to bring about his purpose. And eue∣ry weke a two or thre tymes / he wolde go and se his shyppes: he had so great mynde and affe¦ction on them. And besyde that his cōmaunde∣ment was so spredde ouer all the realme / that a¦bout Rone / Ueulguessyn / and Beaumosyne / ther came dayly men of warr: in so great nom¦bre / that it was marueyle to regard them. And dayly great pruisyon came to them / as yf they had ben in Castyle or Portyngale. Howebeit the lorde Clysson / who was one of the chiefest of the kynges counsayle / acorded nat to this by age / but discounsayled the kyng and all the no∣bles of the realme / fro this iourney into Englā¦de. Sayeng / howe they were nat so well accu∣stomed to make warr / as thenglysshmen were. And alleged therto dyuers reasons / as he that knewe more the cōdicyons and nature of the en¦glysshmen / and the state of Englande: than o∣ther dyd. Natwithstādyng he coude nat breke y^e kyng{is} purpose / nor some of his coūsell: but y^• this viage shulde go forward. The king of En¦gland and his son the duke of Lācastre / and dy¦uers of his counsell were well enformed of this army and viage / how the frenchmen wolde cōe and make warr on them in their owne coūtre / wherof they were right ioyouse. And had fur∣nisshed the portes and passages on the see aga∣ynst Poictou & Normandy / to receyue them if they came. And all y^e realme of Englande was fully determyned to fight with thē / if they wol∣de come into the realme. Than the kyng of En¦gland was counsayled to send his son the duke of Lancastre with a certayne nombre of men of warr to Calais. And the kyng himselfe named them that shulde go with his son thyder: as the erle of Salisbury / therle of Warwyke / sir Wa∣ter of Manny / the lorde Rose / sir Henry Percy the lorde Basset / the lorde Wyllouby / the lorde Dalawar / the lorde de la Poule / sir Thom̄s of Graūtsome / sir Aleyn Bourchier / sir Richard Story and dyuers other: they were .v. C. men of armes / and .v. C. archers. And so they cāe to Douer / & whan their shyppes were redy / they passed the see / & arryued at the strong towne of Calays: and ther toke landyng & were lodged in the towne. In the same season the kyng of en¦gland had writen specially / desyring sir Robr̄t of Framur to serue hym in his warres / with a certayne nōbre of men of warr. And sir Robert who had ben alwayes good englysshe / answe∣red & said: that he wolde be redy whan soeuer it pleased the kyng of England to cōmaund hym or assone as he knewe y^e the kyng or any of his children shulde aryue at Calys / or in y^e felde to make warr into Frāce. So assone as he herde that y^e duke of Lācastre was aryued at Calys / than he somoned all his company / & all such as he thought wolde serue and ayde hym: and ap∣parelled for his voyage as hastely as he coude. Now let vs retorne to y^e busynesse of Poictou.