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 cytie of Lymoges was brent and distroyed / and the bysshop delyuered fro dethe / & howe sir Ber∣tram of Clesquy was chosen consta∣ble. Cap. CC .lxxxiiii. (Book 284)

THus the cytie of Lymoges was pylled / robbed / & clene brent: and brought to distru¦ctyon. Than thēglysshmen departed with their cōquest and prisoners & drue to Cō∣gnac / wher my lady the prī∣cesse was. Than the prīce gaue leaue to all his men of warr to de{per}te / and dyde no more y^• sea∣son: for he felt hym selfe nat well at ease. For al∣wayes his sickenesse encreased / wherof his bre¦therne and people were sore dismayed. Nowe shall I shewe you of the bysshop of Lymoges / who was in great paryll of lesyng of his heed. The duke of Lancastre desyred of the prince to gyue him the bysshop / to do w^t him at his plea∣sure. The prince was content / and caused him to be delyuered to the duke. The bysshope had frēdes / and they had newly enformed the pope / who was as than at Auygnon (of the bysshop∣pes takyng) the whiche fortuned well for y^• bys¦shoppe: for els he had ben deed. Than the pope by swete wordes / entreated the duke of Lanca∣stre to delyuer to him the sayd bysshoppe. The duke wold nat deny the pope but graūted him and sent him to Auignon / wherof y^• pope was right gladde. ¶ Nowe let vs speke of the ad∣uentures of Fraunce.

THe frenche kynge was enformed of the distructyon and conquest of the cytie of Lymoges. And how it was left clene boyde / as a towne of desert / wherwith he was sore disple∣sed and toke it in great passyon / the domage & anoy of thenhabytantes of the same. Thā was it aduysed in Fraunce: by coūsell of the nobles prelates & comons of all the realme / y^t it was of necessyte / that the frēchmen shulde haue a chefe and a gouernour / called y^• cōstable. For {ser} Mo reau of Fyennes wolde leaue and gyue vp his office / who was a right valyant man of his hā∣des / and a great enterpriser of dedes of armes. So that all thyng cōsydred and ymagined / by a comon acorde they chose sir Bertram of Cles quy / so y^t he wolde take it on him: as the moost valyant knight / moost vertuous / and moost a∣ble to execute that offyce / and moost fortunate / that they knewe as thā / that bare armes for the crowne of Fraunce. Than the kyng wrote and sent certayne messangers to him / that he shulde come and speke with him at Parys. The mes∣sangers foūde him in the countie of Lymoges / where as he toke fortresses and castels / & made them to yelde to the lady of Bretayne / wyfe to sir Charles of Bloys. And as than he had new¦ly taken a towne called Brandon / and was ry∣dyng towardes another. And whan the kyng{is} messangers were come to him / he receyued thē ioyously and right sagely / as he that coulde do it right well. Than the messanger delyuered to him the kyng{is} letter and dyd his message. And whan sir Bertram sawe the cōmaundement of the kyng / he wolde make none excuse: but cōclu¦ded to go and knowe the kynges pleasur. And so de{per}ted assone as he myght / and sent y^• moost parte of his men in to garysons suche as he had cōquered / and he made souerayne and kepar of thē sir Olyuer of Māny his nephue. Than he rode forthe so long by his iourneys / that he cāe to Parys / wher he founde the kyng & great nō¦bre of lordes of his coūsayle / who receyued him right ioyously / and dyde him great reuerence. And ther the kynge shewed him / howe he & his coūsayle had chosen him to be constable of Frā¦ce. Than he excused him selfe right sagely / and sayd. Sir I am nat worthy: I am but a poore knight / as in regarde of your other great lord & valyant men in Fraunce / though it be so that fortune hath a lytell auaunsed me. Thanne the kynge sayde. Sir it is for nothynge that ye ex∣cuse

you. It behoueth you to take it / for it is so ordayned & determyned by all the counsayle of Fraunce / the whiche in no wyse I wyll breke. Than sir Bertram excused him self agayne by another way / and sayd. Right dere sir and no∣ble kynge / I may nat nor dare nat withsay yo•• noble pleasure. Howe be it sir / it is of trouthe y^• I am but a poore man / and to lowe of blode to come to the offyce of constable of Fraunce / the whiche is so great and so noble an offyce. For it is conuenyent that he that wyll exercyse and acquyte him selfe well in that offyce / must com¦maūde as well / and rather the great men than the small personages. And sir beholde here my lordes your bretherne / your nephues / and your cosyns / who hath charge of many men of warr in your hoost and iourneys. Sir / howe durst I than be so bolde as to commaunde them: cer¦taynly sir / enuy is so great that I ought to fere it. Therfore sir / I requyre your grace pardon me / and gyue this office to some other y^• wolde gladlyer haue it thā I / and that may better exe¦cute the office. Than the kynge answered / and sayde. Sir Bertram / excuse you nat by that way: for I haue nother brother / cosyn / nor ne∣phue / erle nor barowne in my realme / but that shall obey you. And yf any do the contrary / I shall so angre hym / that he shall parceyue well my displeasur. Therfore sir / take ioyously the office I requyre you. Sir Bertram sawe well that any excusacyons that he coude make / shul∣de nat auayle. Than finally he accorded to the opinyon of the kynge / ryght sore agaynst his wyll. So than with great ioye sir Bertram of Clesquy was made constable of Fraunce / and farther to his aduauncement / the kyng caused hym to sytte at his table / and shewed all the to∣kens of loue that he coulde deuyse. And gaue hym with the offyce / dyuers gyftes and great landes and herytage: to him and to his heyres for euer. To this promocyon dyde helpe great∣ly the duke of Aniou.