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 sir John Chādos was slay∣ne in a batayle / and howe finally the frēchmen were disōfyted & taken in the same batayle. Cap. CC .lxx. (Book 270)

GReatly it greued sir John̄ Chan∣dos the takyng of saynt Saluyn / bycause it was vnder his rule / for he was seneshall of Poyctou. He set all his mynde how he might re¦couer it agayne / other byforce or by stelthe / he cared nat so he might haue it. and for that entēr dyuers night{is} he made sūdrie busshmētes / but it aueyled nat. For sir Loyes who kept it / toke euer so good hede therto / that he defēded it fro all dāgers. For he knewe well the takyng ther∣of greued sore sir Johan Chandos at the hert. So it fell / that the night before the first day of January / sir Johan Chandos beyng in Poy∣cters / sent to assemble togyder dyuers barons / knightes & squiers of Poitou. Desyring thē to cōe to hym as priuely as they coude: for he cer∣teyned thē how he wolde ryde forthe / and they refused nat his desyre / for they loued him enty∣erly / but shortely assembled togyder in the cyte of Poicters. Thyder came sir Guysshard Dā¦gle / sir Loyes Harcourt / the lorde of Pons / the lorde of Partney / y^• lorde of Pynan / y^• lorde ta∣nyboton / sir Geffray Dargenton / sir Maubru¦ny of Lyniers / sir Thomas Percy / sir Baud∣wyn of Fesuyll / sir Richarde of Pontchardon and dyuers other. And whan they were all to∣gyder assembled / they were thre hundred spea∣tes / and departed by night fro Poicters none knewe whyder they shulde go: except certayne of the lordes / and they had redy with them sca∣lyng ladders / & so came to saynt Saluyn. And ther a lighted / & delyuered their horses to their varlettes whiche was about mydnight / and so entred in to the dyke. yet they hadde nat their entente so shortely / for sodaynly they herde the watche horne blowe. I shall tell you wherfor it blewe. The same nyght Carlonet was depar∣ted fro the Roche of Poisay / with a .xl. speares with hym. And was cōe the same tyme to saynt Saluyn / to speke with the capitayne sir Loys of saynt Julyan / to thentent to haue ryden to∣gyder to Poictou / to se if they coude gette any pray. And so he called vp the watchman / y^• whi¦che made hym to sounde his horne. And so the englysshmen / who were on the othersyde of the fortresse / herynge the watche blowe / and great noyse in the place. Feared lest they had ben spy¦ed by some spyes / for they knewe nothyng that the sayd frenchemen were on the other syde / to haue entred in to the place. Therfore they with drue backe agayne out of the dykes / and sayd: let vs go hens for this night for we haue fayled of our purpose. And so they remoūted on their horses / and retourned hole togyder to Chauui¦gny on the tyuer of Cruse / a two leages thens. Than the poictenyns demaunded of sir John̄ Chandos / if he wolde cōmaunde them any far∣ther seruyce / he answered and sayd. Sirs / re∣tourne home agayne whan it please you / in the name of god: and as for this day / I wyll abyde styll here in this towne. So ther departed the knightes of Poictou and some of England to the nombre of. CC. speares. Than sir Johan Chādos went into a house / & caused to be made a good fyre / and there was styll with hym: sir Thomas Percy and his company scneshall of

Rochell / who sayd to sir John̄ Chandos. Sir is it your entent to tary here all this day. ye tru¦ly sir 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he / why demaūde you. Sir / y^• cause I desyre you is / syth ye wyll nat styre this day to gyue me leue / & I wyll ryde some way w^t my cō¦pany / to se if I can fynde any aduēture. Go yo∣way sir in the name of god 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sir Johan Chan∣dos. And so departed sir Thomas Percy with a .xxx. speares in his cōpany / and so passed the bridge at Chauuigny / and toke the longe way that ledde to Poicters. And sir John̄ Chādos abode styll behynde full of displeasure / in that he had fayled of his purpose / and so stode in a kechyn warmyng him by the fyre. And his ser∣uantes tangeled with hym / to thētent to bring him out of his melancoly. His seruant{is} had pre¦pared for hym a place to rest hym / than he de∣maunded if it were nere day. And ther w^t there cāe a man in to the house / and came before hym and sayd. Sir / I haue brought you tidynges. What be they tell me? Sir surely the frēchmen be ryding abrode. Howe knowest thou that? {ser} sayd he / I de{per}ted fro saynt Saluyn with them what waye be they ryden? Sir I can nat tell you the certentie: but surely they toke the high way to Poiters. What frēchmen be they? canst thou tell me. Sir it is sir Loys of saynt July∣an / and Carlonet the breton. Well 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sir Johan Chandos I care nat / I haue no lyst this night to ryde for the: they may happe to be encoūtred thoughe I be nat ther. And so he taryed there styll a certayne space in a gret study / and at last whan he had well aduysed hymselfe / he sayde. Whatsoeuer I haue sayd here before / I trowe it be good that I ryde for the / I must retourne to Poicters and anone it wyll be day. That is true {ser} / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the knight{is} about hym. Than he said make redy for I wyll ryde forthe / & so they dyd and moūted on their horses / and de{per}ted & toke the right way to Poicters costyng the ryuer / & the frēchmen y^• same tyme were nat past a leag before hym in the same way / thinkyng to passe the ryuer at the bridge of Lusar. Ther the en∣glysshmen had knowlege how they were in the trake of the frēchmen / for the frēchmens horses cryed & brayed / bycause of thēglysshe horses / y^• were before thē with sir Thomas Percy. And anone it was fayre light day / for in the begyn∣nyng of January the mornyng{is} be soone light And whan the frēchmen & bretons were with∣in a leage of the bridge / they {per}reyued on the o∣thersyde of the bridge sir Thom̄s Percy & his cōpany: and he lykewise {per}reyued the frēchmen and rode as fast as he might / to get the aduan∣tage of the bride. And sayd / beholde yonder frē¦chmen be a great nombre agaynst vs / therfore let vs take the auātage of the bridge. And whā sir Loys & Carlonet / sawe thēglysshmen make suche hast to gette the bridge / they dyde in lyke¦wyse. Howbeit thēglysshmen gate it first / and lighted all a fote / & so raynged thēselfe in good order to defende the bridge. The frēchmen like¦wyse lighted a fote / and delyuered their horses to their pages / cōmaundynge them to drawe a backe. And so dyde put thē selfe in good order to go & assayle thēglysshmen / who kept thēselfe close togider / & were nothyng afrayed: though they were but a handfull of men / as to y^• regard of the frēchmen. and thus as the frēchmen & bre¦tous stuyed & ymagined / howe & by what mea¦nes to their aduantage / they might assayle the englisshmen. Therwith ther came behynd thē sir Johan Chandos / his baner displayed / be∣rynge therin syluer a sharpe pyle goules. & Ja∣kes of Lery / a valyant man of armes dyd bere it / and he had with hym a .xl. speares: he apro∣ched fiersly the frēchmen. And whan he was a thre forlonges fro the bridge / the frenche pages who sawe them comynge were afrayed / and so ran away with the horses / and left their maists ther a fote. And whan sir John̄ Chandos was come nere to them / he sayd: harke ye frēchmen ye are but yuell men of warr. ye ryde at youre pleasur and ease day and night / ye take & wyn townes & foteresses in Poyctou / wherof I am seneshall. ye raunsome poore folke without my leaue / ye ryde all about clene armed: it shulde seme the coūtre is all yours. But I ensure you it is nat so. ye sir Loyes and Carlonet / year to great maisters. It is more than a yere & a half that I haue sette all myne entent to fynde or en¦countre with you / and nowe I thanke god I se you and speke to you / no we shall it be sene who is stronger other you or I. It hath ben shewed me often tymes / that ye haue greatly desyred to fynde me / nowe ye may se me here. I am John̄ Chandos aduyse me well. your great feates of armes wherwith ye be renowmed / by goddes leaue no we shall we proue it. Whyle suche lan∣gage was spoken / sir John̄ Chandos cōpany drewe toguyder / and sir Loyes and Carloner kept them selfe close togyder / makyng semblāt to be glad to be fought withall. And of all this mater sir Thomas Percy / who was on the o∣thersyde of the bridge knewe nothynge / for the bridge was hyghe in the myddes / so that none coude se other. ¶ Whyle sir Johan Chandos reasoned thus with the frenchmen / ther was a

breton toke his glayue and coude for bere no lē¦ger / but cāe to an englysshe squyer / called Su∣nekyn Dodall / & strake him so in the brest y^t he cast hym downe fro his horse. Sir John̄ Chā¦dos whan he herde y^e noyse besyde him / he tour¦ned that way / & sawe his squyer lye on the erth and the frēchmen layeng on him. Thā he was more chafed thā he was before / and sayd to his company. Sirs / howe suffre you this squyer thus to be slayne: a fote / a fote. And so he lepte a fote and all his company / and so Sunekyn was rescued and the batayle begone. Sir Jo∣han Chādos / who was a right hardy and a co¦ragyous knight / with his baner before him / & his company about him with his cote of armes on hym / great and large beten with his armes of whyte sarcenet / with two pylies goules / one before and an other behynde / so that he semed to be a sufficyent knyght / to do a great feate of armes / & as one of the formast with his glayue in his hande / marched to his ennemyes. The same mornyng ther had fallen a great dewe / so that the grounde was som what moyst / and so in his goyng forwarde he stode and fell downe at y^e ioyning with his enemyes. and as he was arysing / ther light a stroke on him / gyuen by a squier called Jakes of saynt Martyn with his glayue / the whiche stroke entred in to y^e flesshe vnder his eye / bytwene y^e nose and the forheed. Sir John̄ Chandos sawe nat the stroke com∣myng on that syde / for he was blynde on y^e one eye. He lost y^e sight therof a fyue yere before as he hunted after an hart / in the laundes of Bur∣deaur. And also he had on no vyser / the stroke was rude and entred into his brayne / the whi∣che stroke greued him so sore / that he ouerthrue to the erthe / and tourned for payne two tymes vp so downe / as he that was woūded to dethe. for after the stroke he neuer spake worde. And whan his men saw that mysfortune / they were right dolorouse. Thā his vncle Edward Clif∣forde stepte and bestrode him / for the frēchmen wolde fayne haue had him: and defended him so valyantly / and gaue rounde about him such stokes that none durst aproche nere to him. Al∣so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 John̄ Chambo / and sir Bertram of Case semed lyke men out of their mynd{is} / whan they saw their maister lye on y^e erth. The bretons & frēchmen were gretly cōforted whan they sawe the capitayne of their enemyes on y^e erthe / thyn¦king verily y^t he had his dethes woūde. Than they auaunced them selfe / and sayd: ye englysh¦men yelde you / for ye are all ours. ye canne nat scape vs. Ther the englyshmen dyd marueyls in armers / aswell to defende themselfe / as to re¦ueng their maister sir John̄ Chandos / whome they sawe lye in a harde case: and a squyer of {ser} John̄ Chandos spyed Jaques of saynt Mar∣tyn / who hadde gyuen his maister his mortall stroke / and ran to hym fiersly and stroke hym with suche voylence / that his glayue pearsed through bothe his thyes / howe be it for all that stroke he lefte nat styll to fight. If sir Thomas Percy and his cōpany had knowen of this ad∣uenture / who were on the othersyde of y^e brige / they shulde well haue socoured hi: but bycause they knewe nothyng therof / nor herde no more of the frenchmen / wenyng to them they had ben gone backe. Therfore he and his company de∣parted and toke the waye to Poycters / as they that knewe nothynge of that busynesse. Thus the englysshmen fought styll before the bridge of Lusac / and there was done many a feat of ar¦mes: breuely the englysshmen coude endure no lenger agaynst the frēchmen / so that the moost parte of them were disconfyted and taken / but alwayes Edwarde Clyfforde wolde nat depte fro his nephue there as he lay. So thus yf the frenchmen hadde ben so happy / as to haue had their horses ther redy as they had nat / for their pages were ronne away fro them before / orels they might haue departed with moche honour and profite with many a gode prisoner / and for lacke of them they lost all / wherfore they were sore displeased / and sayd among them selfe. A / this is an yuell order for the iourney is ours / & yet through faute of our pages we can nat de∣parte. Seyng we be heuy armed and sore tra∣ueyled / so that we cānat go a fote through this countre / the whiche is full of our enemyes / and contrary to vs. And we are a sixe leages fro the next forteresse that we haue / and also dyuers of our cōpany be sore hurt / and we may nat leaue theym behynde vs. Thus as they were in this case and wyst nat what to do / and had sent two bretons vnarmed in to the feldes / to se yf they might fynde any of their pages with their hor∣ses. Ther came on them sir Guyssharde Dan∣gle / sir Loyes Harcourt / the lorde Parteney / the lorde Tanyboton / y^e lorde Dargenton / the lorde of Pynan / sir Jaques of Surgyers and dyuers other englysshmen / to the nōbre of two hūdred speares / who rode about to seke for the frenchmen / for it was shewed them howe they were abrode. And so they fell in the trake of the horses / and cāe in great hast with baners and penons wauyng in the wynde. And assoone as the bretons and frenchmen sawe them comyng

they knewe well they were their enemies. Thā they sayd to the englysshmen / whome they had taken as prisoners before. Sirs / beholde yon∣der cometh a bande of your company to socour you / and we perceyue well that we can nat en∣dure agaynst thē / and yebe out prisoners. We wyll quyte you / so that ye wyll kepe vs & wyll become your prisoners / for we had rather yeld vs to you / thā to them that cometh yonder / and they aunswered as ye wyll / so are 〈…〉〈…〉e content. Thus the englysshmen were losed out of their prisons. Than the poictenyns / gascoyns / & en∣glysshmen came on them their speares in their restes / cryeng their cryes. Than the frēchmen and bretons drewe a syde / and sayde to thē. sirs leaue do vs no hurt / we be all prisoners a redy. The englysshmen affirmed the same / and said: they be our prisoners. Carlonet was prisoner with sir Bertram of Case / & sir Loyes of saynt Julyan with sir Johan Cambo / so that there was none but that he had a maister.

UHe barowns and knightes of Poicto•••• were sore disconforted / whan they sawe their seneschall sir Johan Chandos lye on the erthe / and coude nat speke: than they lamenta∣bly complayned / and sayd. A / sir Johan Chan¦dos: the floure of all chiualry / vnhappely was that glayue forged that thus hath woūded you and brought you in parell of dethe. They wept piteously that were about hym / & he herde and vnderstode theym well / but he coulde speke no worde. They wronge their handes & tare their heeres / and made many a pytefull complaynt / and specially suche as were of his owne house. Than his seruauntes vnarmed him and layde him on pauesses / & so bare him softely to Mor∣tymer the next forteresse to them. And the other barons and knyghtes retourned to Poycters / and ledde with them their prisoners. And as I vnderstode / the same Jaques Martyn y^t thus hurte sir Johan Chandos / was so lytell taken hede to of his hurtes / that he dyed at Poiters. And this noble knight sir Johan Chandos / ly∣ued nat after his hurte / past a day and a nyght / but so dyed: god haue mercy on his soule / for in a hundred yere after / ther was nat a more cur∣tesse nor more fuller of noble vertues / & good condycions amonge the englysshmen / than he was. And whan the prince and pricesse / the erle of Cambridge / the erle of Pēbroke / and other barowns and knightes of Englande / suche as were in Guyen herd of his dethe / they were all 〈…〉〈…〉orted / and sayd: they had lost all on that syde of the see. For his dethe his frendes / and also some of his enemyes / were right soroufull The englysshmen loued him / bycause all noble nesse was founde in hym. The frenchmen ha∣ted him / bycause they douted hym. yet I herde his dethe greatly complayned among right no¦ble and valyant knightes of France. Sayeng that it was a great dommage of his dethe / for they sayd better it had ben / that he had ben ta∣ken a lyue. For if he had ben taken a lyue / they sayd he was so sage and so ymaginatyue / that he wolde haue foūde some maner of good mea∣nes / wherby the peace might haue ensued / by∣twene the realmes of Englande and Fraunce / for he was so welbeloued with the kyng of En∣glande / that the kyng wolde beleue him / rather than any other in the worlde. Thus bothefren¦che and englysshe spake of his dethe / and speci∣ally the englysshmen: for by hym Guyen was kept and recouered.