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 Robert Canoll entred in to the realme of France / with a great nombre of men of armes / and came nere to Parys. Cap. C C .lxxxi. (Book 281)

SIr Robert Canoll (as it hath ben sayd before) with a great nombre of men of armes / en∣tred into the realme of Fran∣ce: & rode for the in small iour¦neys with great expence tho∣rowe the realme. But y^• poor people of the playne countre payed derely ther¦fore / for the englysshmen as they went and cāe / they dyde great hurt: & shewed in maner howe they desyred nothynge but batayle. And whan they had passed the coūtres of Artoise / Uermā doyse / the bysshopriche of Laon / the archebys∣shopriche of Raynes / and Champayne. Than they tourned to Bry / and so came before the cy∣tie of Parys / and there lodged a day and two nightes / the whiche tyme the frēche kyng was there / and might well se out of his lodgynge of saynt Poule / the fyres and smokes that were made about gastenoyes. ¶ The same day / the constable of France / sir Moreau Fyēnes was within Parys. The erle of saynt Poule therle of Tankeruyll / the erle of Salebruch / the vy∣count of Meaulx / sir Raoll of Coucy / the fene∣shall of Heynault / sir Edwarde of Rauncy / sir Anguerrant Douden / the lorde of Castell Ju∣lyan / sir Johan of Uyan / the lorde de la Ryuer and dyuers other knightes / squyers / and valy∣ant men of Fraunce. But none of theym dyde yssue out that day / for the kynge wolde nat suf∣fre thē. For the lorde of Clysson / who was one of the moost prīcypall of his counsayle / & best b••leued and herde / dyde put great doutes: and

sayd to y^• kyng. Sir ▪ ye haue no nede to enploy your people agaynst yonder sort of madde mē. Let thē go / they can nat take from you your he∣rytage / nor put you out of your realme by their smokes. And at the gate saynt James / and at the barryers / was the erle of saynt Poule / the vycount of Roan / sir Rafe Coucy / the lorde of Canyne / the lorde of Creques / sir Edwarde of Rauncy▪ sir Anguerant Doudyn. And so on a tuesday in the mornyng / the englisshmen disso¦ged and had sette fyre in the vyllages wher as they had lodged / so that the fyre might playnly be sene to Parys. Ther was a knyght in their company had made a vowe the day before / that he wolde ryde to the walles or gates of Parys / and stryke at the barriers with his speare. and for y^• furnysshyng of his vowe / he departed fro his company his speare in his fyst / his shelde a¦bout his necke armed at all pecesse / on a good horse / his squyer on another behynde him with his bassenet. And whā he aproched nere to Pa¦rys / he toke and dyde on his helme / and left his squyer behynde hym: and dasshed his spurres to his horse / and came galopynge to the barry∣ers / the whiche as than were opyn. And the lor¦des that were there / had wende he wolde haue entred into the towne / but y^• was nat his myn∣de. For whan he hadde stryken at the barryers (as he had before auowed) he turned his reyne and drue backe agayne / and departed. Than the knightes of Fraunce that sawe hym depte / sayd to him. Go your way / ye haue rightwell a quyted your selfe. I can nat tell you what was this knyghtes name / nor of what countre: but the blasure of his armes / was goules / two fus∣ses / sable aborder sable. Howbeit in the subbar bes / he had asore encountre: for as he passed on the pauement / he founde before him a bocher / a bygge mā / who had well sene this knight passe by. And he helde in his handes a sharpe heuy axe with a long poynt; and as the knight retur¦ned agayne / & toke no heed. This bocher came on his syde / and gaue the knight suche a stroke bytwene the necke and the shulders / that he re∣uersed forwarde heedlynge to the necke of his horse / and yet he recouered agayne. And than the bocher strake him agayne / so that the axe en¦tred in to his body. So y^• for payne / the knight fell to the erthe: and his horse ranne away and came to the squyer / who abode for his mayster at the stretes ende. And so the squyer toke the horse / and had great marueyle what was becōe of his maister / for he had well sene him ryde to the barriers and stryke therat with his glayue and retourne agayne. Thanne he rode a lytell forthe thyderwarde / and anone he sawe where his mayster lay vpon the erthe bytwene foure men / layeng on him strokes: as they wolde ha∣ue stryken on a stethy. And thā the squyer was so affrayed / that he durst go no farther / for he saw well he coude nat helpe his maister. Ther fore he retourned as fast as he might. So ther the sayd knight was slayne. And the knightes that were at y^• gate / caused him to be buryed in holy grounde. And the squyer retourned to the hoost / and shewed all the aduēture of his may∣ster / wherof they were all sorie and displeased. And the same night they loged / bytwene moūt¦le Hery and Parys / by a lytell ryuer / and lod∣ged be tymes.