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 lorde of Coucy / and the lorde of Pomyers wolde nat entre in to the warre / nother on the one part nor on the other. And howe the lorde of Maleuall & the lorde of Marneyle tourned frenche. Cap. CC .lxxi. (Book 271)

AFter the dethe of sir Jo¦han Chandos / sir Thomas Percy was made seneschall of Poictou. and so it fell that the lande of saynt Sauiour the vycount / fell in the kyn∣ge of Englandes ••andes to gyue wher it shuld please him. Than he g••••e it to a knyght of his / called sir Alayne Bour∣chier / an experte man of armes. Of all that sit Johan Chandos had / whiche was in yerely to uenewes / to the somme of four hundred thou∣sande frankes. The prince was his successes∣sour and heyre / for he was neuer maryed nor had none heyres. And within a certayne space after suche as hadde ben taken at the bridge of Lusac were put to their fynance and raūsome / and payed it: by the ayde and helpe of the fren∣che kynge. And so retourned agayne into their garysons / sir Loyes of saynt Julyan / Carlo∣net the breton / and sir Wyllyam of Bourdes. The same season ther were some knyghtes of France / that were fore troubled in their mynd / bycause they sawe thus nightly and dayly / the

warre multiply bytwene these two kynges / of France and Englande. And specially the lorde of Concy / for it touched him gretly: for he had fayre enherytance in Englande / aswell by hym selfe as by his wyfe / who was doughter to the kynge of Englande. Whiche lande he must re∣nounce / if he wolde serue the frenche kynge (of whose blode he was) and of the same nacyon. So he determyned him selfe to dissemble with bothe kyng{is} / & so to forget the tyme / he thought to departe out of the realme of France for a sea¦son and go and sporte him in some otherplace. And so ordered his departure sagely / and toke leaue of the frenche kyng / and with a small cō∣pany departed and rode in to Sauoy / where he was honorably receyued / of the erle / barons and knightes of the countre. And whan he had 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ther as long as it pleased hym / than he de∣parted and passed forthe in to Lombardy / and came to the lordes of Myllayne: the lorde Ga∣leas and the lorde Barnabo / where he was at the begynning to them right welcome. In lyke maner departed out of the duchy of Acàtayne / sir Aymon of Pomyers / a knight of the prices: sayeng howe that as long as the warr dyde en¦dure he wolde nat beare armes / nother on the one parte nor on the other. And so this knyght went in to Cypre / and to the holy sepulcre and dyuers other pylgrimages. And also the same season / there was newly come to Parys sir Jo¦han of Burbone / who helde parte of his lande of the prince. The frenche kynge wolde gladly haue had hym to renounce his homage to the prince / and to become frenche: but the erle in no wyse wolde so do. In lyke maner no more wol¦de the lorde of Pyerbuffier / another baneret of Lymosyn / who also was at Parys. But there were other two great barons of Lymosyn / sir Loyes of Maleuall / and sir Raymon of Mar¦neyle his nephue / who also y^e same season were at Parys they forsoke the prince and became frēche. And after by their garysons made gret warre to the prince / wherof the kynge of En∣glande and his counsayle were sore displeased And also in that dyuers barones of Guyen be∣came frenche without any constraynt / but by their owne wylles. Than the kyng of Englan∣de was counsayled / that he shulde write couert letters sealed with his seale / and to be borne by two or thre of his knightes in to Poictou / and in to Acquitayne: and ther to publysshe theym In cyties / castels / and good townes. The same season was delyuered out of prison in Dagen / sir Camponell of Camponall in excha••ge / for another knight of the princes / who had ben ta∣ken at a scrimysshe before Pyergourt / called {ser} Thomas Balaster / but the clerke y^t was with the said knight / remayned styll in prison in Da¦gen: and sir Camponell returned in to Frāce. ¶Nowe lette vs speke of the letters sent in to Acquitayne / by the kyng of Englande: the te∣nour wherof herafter foloweth.