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 Aniou came fro Tholous to Parys / and howe kyng Charles sent him to the duke of Ber¦ry his brother into Acqtayne agaynst the englysshmen. Cap. CC .lxxv. (Book 275)

IN this season the duke of Aniou de{per}ted fro Tholous / and rode in great array through the realm of France / and cāe to the cyte of Pa∣rys and there he founde the kyng his brother / the duke of Berry and the duke of Burgoyne his other bretherne / who receyued him ioyoully. And so bytwene these foure bre∣therne whyle they laye at Parys / they had dy∣uers counsayls togyder / on the state and busy∣nesse of the realme of France / to se what warre they shulde make / and howe to maynteyne the same the somer folowynge. Than it was fully purposed and ordayned / that they shulde make two great armyes and iorneys into Acqtayne / wherof the duke of Aniou and his cōpany shul∣de gouerne the one / & entre in to Guyen / by Ry¦all & Bergerath. And the duke of Berry shulde gouerne the other army / and entre in by Lymo¦ges and Quercy / and so bothe armyes to mete before the towne of Angolesme: and to besiege the prince within it. Also it was concluded by great delyberacion of coūsell / to send for {ser} Ber¦tram of Clesquy that valy āt knight / who so oft and valy antly hath fought / for the sauegard of the crowne of Frāce / & to desyre him to take on him to be cōstable of France. And whan y^e king & his bretherne had fully determyned their coū¦sell / & had sported thē a space / tyll the begynnig of the moneth of May. Than the duke of An∣iou toke leue of thē all / thinking first to returne into his owne countre / bycause he had the lon∣gest iorney / he de{per}ted first. He was cōueyed by the barons & knight{is} of Frāce / bycause he was welbeloued. So long the duke rode y^t he came to Moūtpellyer / & ther taryed more than a mo¦neth / & than he went to Tholous / and there as∣sembled togyder men of warr all about / wher as he might get thē. and ther were many y^t kept the feldes / & kept fronter agaynst thēglyshmen ••n Rouergne & Quercy / for the lytell Mechyn and Nandon of Pauns / Perot of Sauoy / the bourge Camus / Antony lenegre / Lamyt / Ja∣mes of Bray. All these with a great nōbre were all this season in Caours / and had done moche hurt in the coūtre. The duke of Berry also cāe to Burges in berry & made ther a great assem¦ble of knightes & squyers of France & of Bur∣goyne. Also the duke of Burbon went in to his coūtre / & assembled a great nōbre of knightes & squiers of the countie of Forest & burbonoise. also sir Peter of Alenson his brother / prouyded him selfe gretly for that warr. And in the same season sir Guy of Bloys was newly retourned out of Spruce / wher as he had bē made knight and reysed his baner at a scrimyshe made aga∣ynst the enemies of god. So that assone as the gentyll knight was returned into Heynault / & herde tidynges of this great iourney y^• was to¦warde / by his cosyns into the duchy of Acqui∣tayne. He purueyed him selfe greatly to go to y^t viage / & so dented out of Heynalt and wente to Parys / & presented hym selfe to the kyng / who was glad to se him / & apoynted him to go with the duke of Berry / with a certayne nōbre of mē of armes / knightes & squiers. And so {ser} Guy of Bloys de{per}ted fro Paris / & rode to ward Orly¦ance / to go into Berry. In lyke maner as y^e frē¦che kyng ordayned his armies / the king of En¦gland also set forth two great armyes. The du¦ke of Lācastre was ordeyned with .iiii. C. men of armes & as many archers / to go into the du∣chy of Acqtayne / to cōfort & ayde his bretherne for it was thought surely / y^t in those {per}ties gret¦test warr shulde be made by the frēche king. Al¦so the kyng of England by thaduyse of his coū¦sell / made another army to go into Picardy / of the which {ser} Robr̄t Canollshuld be chefe gouer¦nour: for it was thought he was a knight mete¦ly to be y^e leder of men of armes / for he had long tyme vsed the warr / & sene great experiēce ther in. Therfore he was desyred thus to do / by the kynge of Englande: who ioyously condiscen∣ded therto. And so toke on him that voyage / to go to Calays / and so into France to fight with the frenchmen / if he might mete with thē in the felde: of the whiche he thought to be sure. And so he prouided for his iourney / and all suche as went with him. In the same season was delyue¦red out of prison / the duke of Burbons mother in exchaunge for sir Symon Burle: and {ser} Eu¦stace Dambreticourt dyde helpe moche in that treaty: wher of the duke of Burbone & the fren∣che quene thanked him greatly. All this season ther had ben great treatyes: bytwene the fren∣che kynge / and the kynge of Nauarr / who lay at Chierbourge. And so moche dyde they / that were treaters of the peace bytwene them / that they shewed the frenche kyng / that it was than no tyme for hym to kepe warre with the kynge of Nauarre / for they sayd he had ynough to do

to kepe warre agaynste the englisshemen / say∣enge howe he were better to let some what go of his owne / rather than any greatter euyls shuld ryse. For if the kynge of Nauarre shulde suffre the englysshemen to arryue and passe through his fortresses of Cloux & of Constantyne / they shuld therby greatly greue the countre of Nor∣mandy: whiche thynges they sayd ought great¦ly to be redoubted and consydered. So moche they enduced the kynge / that he agreed to the peace / and went to the towne of Roan / and ther the peace was confyrmed / And to the kynge of Nauarr ther went the archebysshop of Roan / the erle of Alenson / the erle of Salebruche / syr Wylliam of Dormās / and {ser} Robert of Lorrys / they foūd the kyng of Nauar at Uernon / ther was made great feast{is} / and thā they brought y^e kyng of Nauarr to Roan to the frenche kyng / and ther agayne was confyrmed all the aliaū∣ces & confederacions / sworne & put in writyng and vnder seale / & as I vnderstode the kyng of Nauar in makyng of this peace shuld renoūce all {pro}mysses of loue that had ben / bytwene hym and the kyng of England / and that after his re¦turne agayne into Nauarr / he shulde defye the kyng of Englād. and for the more surete of loue to be holden and kept bitwene hym & the frēche kyng / the kyng of Nauarr went with•• y^t frēche kyng fro Roan to Paris / & there were agayne new feast{is} and solēpnities. And whan they had inough sported them / thā leaue was taken / and the kynge of Nauer departed amyably fro the frēche kyng: and left behynde him his two son∣nes with the kyng their vncle. And than he wēt to Moūtpellyer / & so in to the countie of Foi / & after into his owne countre of Nauer. Nowe let vs retourne to the busynesse of Acqtayne.