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 duke of Burgoyne de{per}∣ted fro the cyte of Roane / to thentent to fight with the duke of Lancastre / and howe they lodged eche agaynst other at Tornehen. Cap. CC .lxiii. (Book 263)

WHan the duke of Lancastre was come to Calays / as ye haue herde before: and had well refres∣shed him & his people ther. Than he thought nat to lye ther in ydel∣nesse / but rather to do some dedes of armes in France. And for that intent he departed fro Ca¦lays on a day with thre hūdred speares / and as many archers: & so passed besyde Guynes / and rode so long tyll he passed the ryuer of Ostre / & ther spred abrode in the countre / and toke their way towarde the abbey of Lynques and ther toke a great pray and ledde it to Calys. And a¦nother day they toke another way and went to¦wardes Boloyne / & dyde great domage to the playne countre. and the same tyme therle Guy of saynt Poule and sir Galeran his sofie / with a certayne nōbre of men of warr lay in the cytie of Turwyn / but they yssued nat out for all they herde that thēglisshmen rode abrode in the coū¦tre / for they thought them selfe nat able to fight with them / nor to kepe the felde agaynst thē. A none tidynges came to the frenche kyng where as he lay at Roane / and had made a great assē∣ble / as ye haue herde before. Howe the duke of Lancastre was come to Calais / and howe day¦ly / he and his men made rodes and yssues in to France. Whan the frenche kyng herde y^t / bothe he and his counsayle had newe ymaginacions / and the same weke it was determyned that the duke of Burgoyne shulde haue taken the see to haue gone into England. Than the kyng and his coūsayle debated / what was best to do in y^t case: other to go and fight with thenglysshmen that were on y^t syde the see / or els to kepe forthe their iorney into England. And so ther it was fermely cōcluded: y^t euery man shulde dysloge and to make them redy to go towarde Calays with the duke of Burgoyne. And so their first purpose was broken / for they were determyned to go and fight with thenglysshemen on y^t syde the see / wherof euery man was glad and aparel¦led thēselfe. And the duke of Burgone de{per}ted and all his cōpany / and toke his way to passe y^• ryuer of Some at Abuyle: & dyde so moche by his iourneys that he came to Muttrell / at He∣dyn / and at saynt Poule / & ther about the frēch men abode eche other. Than it was shewed the duke of Lancastre / how the frēchmen aproched nere to him to fight / wherof he was glad & was yssued out of Calais for that intent / & toke his felde in the valey of Tornehen. And he had nat ben ther long / but that the gentyll knight {ser} Ro¦bert of Namur came thyder to serue him with a hundred speares well furnysshed / of whose co¦myng the duke of Lancastre was right ioyfull and sayd to him. A my fayre and dere vncle: ye be right hartely welcome. Sir it is shewed vs howe the duke of Burgoyne aprocheth sore to fight with vs. Sir {quod} he in goddes name so be it we wolde gladly se him. Thus thēglysshmē were loged in the vale of Tornehen / and forte∣fyed their campe with strong hedges / and day¦ly ther came prouisyon to thē from Calais / and their currors ran ouer the countie of Guyens

for forage and other vitayls / but lytell they gat there: for all the playne countre was distroyed and lost before / and euery thynge had in to for∣tresses. Than came the duke of Burgoyne and his company / and lodged on the hyll of Torne¦hen / agaynst the englysshmen. The frenchmen lodged them in good order & toke a great space of grounde / for as I herde say: the duke of bur¦goyne had ther with him / mo than foure thou∣sande knightes. Consydre than / if the resydue were nat a great nombre. Thus they were ech agaynst other a long space without any thyng doynge / for though the duke of Burgoyne had that great nōbre / and sawe that ther was with hym of good men of warr / seuyn agaynst one of the englisshmen: yet for all that he wolde nat fight without leaue of y^e kyng his brother / who was nat in mynde that he shuld fight. And yet of trouthe / yf the frenchmen had set forwarde to haue fought / the englysshmen wolde nat ha∣ue refused them: for they were redy euery daye to receyue them in good order. Euery man ful¦ly determyned what they shulde do / if they dyd yssue out: but bycause they were so fewe in nō∣bre / and that they were in so strōg a place / they thought nat to departe nysely oute of their ad∣uantage. And sundrie tymes dyuers on bothe parties wolde yssue and scrimysshe / and som∣tyme wanne and somtyme lost / as chaunce of∣ten falleth in suche aduentures. In the same tyme Loyes the erle of Flaunders / was great∣ly inclyned to the honoure and profyte / of his sonne the duke of Burgoyne / who lay the same season in a fayre house / that he had newly buyl¦ded besyde Gaunt. And often harde tidynges from the duke and he from hym / by messāgers comynge and goynge: and alwayes he coun∣sayled the duke / that he shulde in no wyse breke nor passe the ordynaunce of the kynge his bro∣ther / nor of his counsayle. ¶ Nowe let vs leue them thus and retourne to the busynesse of far∣ther coūtreis / where as knightes and squyers hadde ynough to do / bycause the warres were more habundant there / than in other places.