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 kyng Edwarde of Ingland toke the towne of Berwyke ageynst the Scottis. Cap. xxvi. (Book 26)

YE haue harde here before reci¦ted of the truce bitwene Inglande and Scotland / for the space of .iii. yere / and so the space of ••••ue yere / they kept well the peace / so that in CCC. yere before there was nat so good peace kept. Now beit kyng Edward of Ingland was enformed / that the yong kyng Dauid of Scot¦land / who had wedded his suster was sea••ed of the towne of Berwyke / the whtche ought to ap∣perteyn to the realme of Ingland. for kyng Ed¦ward the first his graunfather had it in his pos¦session peasably. Also y^e kyng was e〈…〉〈…〉 / 〈◊〉〈◊〉

the realme of Scotlande shulde holde in chief of the Crowne of Inglande / and how the yong kyng of scottis had nat done as thā his homage Wherfore the kyng of Ingland sent his ambas∣sad to the kyng of scottis / desyryng hym to leue his handis of the towne of Berwyke / for it par∣teyned to his heritage / for kyngis of Inglande his predecessours haue ben in possession therof And also they somoned the kyng of Scottis to come to the kyng of Ingland to do his homage for the realme of Scotland. Than the kyng of Scottis toke counsaile / howe to answere thys mater. And finally the kyng answerde the En∣gli•••• he ambassadours / and sayd. Syrs both I and all the nobles of my realme meruaile great¦ly of that ye haue requyred vs to do / for we fynd nat auncientely / that the realme of Scotlande shulde any thyng be bounde or be subgiet to the realme of Ingland / nother by homage / or any other wayes. Nor the kyng of noble memorye our father wolde neuer do homage to the kyng{is} of Ingland / for any warre that was made vn∣to hym / by any of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. No more in like wyse I am in wyll to do. And also kyng Robert our fa∣ther conquered the towne of Berwyke / by force of armes / agaynst kyng Edwarde father to the kyng your maister that nowe is. And so my fa∣ther helde it all the dayes of his lyfe as his good heritage. And so in lyke maner we thynke to do to the best of our power. Howe be it lordes We require you to be meanes to the kyng your ma∣ster whose suster we haue maryed / that he wyll suffre vs peaseably to enioye our fraūches and ryghtis / as his auncetours haue done here be∣fore. And to lette vs enioye that our father hath woune / and kept it peaseably all his lyfe dayes and desyre the kyng your maister / that he wold nat beleue any euyll counsaile / gyuen hym to y^• contrary. For if ther were any other prince that wolde do vs wrong / he shuld aide / succour / and defende vs / for the loue of his suster Whom We haue maryed. Than these ambassadours an∣swerd and said. Syr we haue well vnderstand your answere / we shall shewe it to the kyng our lorde / in lyke maner as ye haue said. and so toke theyr leaue / and returned into Inglande to the kyng. With the whiche answere the kyng of In¦gland was nothyng content. Than he somo∣ned a parliament to be holden at Westm̄. where as all the nobles & wyse men of the realme were assembled to determine what shuld be best to be done in this mater. And in this meane tyme {ser} Robert erle of of Artoys came into Inglande / dysguysed lyke a marchaunt / and the kyng re∣reyued hym right ioyously / and reteyned hym / as one of his counsaile. and to hym assigned the Erledom of Rychemount. And whan the daye of the parliament aproched / and that all the no∣bles of the lande were assembled about Londō. Thā the kyng caused to be shewed the message and howe he had wrytten to the kyng of scottis. and of the answere of the same kyng. Wherfore the kyng desyred all the nobles of his realme / y^t they wolde gyue hym suche counsaile as shulde a{per}teyne to the sauyng of his honour and ryght. And whan they were all assembled in counsaile they thought y^t the kyng myght no lenger bear by his honour the iniuryes and wronges / that the kyng of Scott{is} dyd hym dayly / and so they reported their aduise to the kyng exortyng hym to prouyde for his force and strength of men of warre / to atteyne therby the towne of Berwike And to entre into the realme of Scotland in su¦che wyse / that he shulde constrayne the kyng of Scottis to be ioyfull / to come & do his homage to hym. And so all the nobles and cōmons of the realme of Ingland sayd they wold gladly and willyngly go with hym in that iourney. And of theyr good wyls the kyng thāked them greatly & desired them to be redy a{per}ailed at a daye assi∣gned & to assēble to gyther at New castell vpon Tyne. And than euery man went home and p̄∣pared for that iourney. Than the kyng sent a∣gayn other ambassadours to the kyng of scott{is} his brother in lawe / sufficiently to sōmon hym / and if he wolde nat be other wyse aduysed / than the kyng gaue them full auctorite to defie hym. And so the day of the assembly of the kyng{is} oste aproched / at y^• whiche day the kyng of Inglāde and all his ost aryued at New castell vpō Tyne and there taried .iii. dayes for the residue of his oste that was comyng after. And on the fourth day / he departed with al his oste toward Scot¦land / and passed through the landes of the lord Persy / and of the lorde Neuell / Who were two great lordes in Northumberland. and marched on the scottis. And in like wyse so dyd the lorde Rosse / and the lorde Ligy / and the lorde Mom¦bray. Than the kynge and all his oste drew to∣ward the cite of Berwyke. For y^• kyng of Scot¦land made no other answere to these .ii. messen∣gers / but as he dyd to the fyrst. wherfore he was opēly defied / and somoned. And so the kyng of Ingland and his oste entred into Scotlād / for he was coūsailed / that he shuld nat tary at siege at Berwike / but to ryde forth / and to burne the Countrey as his graund father dyd / and so he dyd. In whiche iourney he wasted & distroyed all the playn countrey of Scotland / and exiled diuerse townes that were closed with dyk{is} and

with pales / & toke the strong cattell of Enyag∣burth and sette therin a g〈…〉〈…〉 passed the secund 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Scotlād 〈…〉〈…〉 lyn / and ran ouer all the countrey there abowte to Scone / & distroyed the good towne of Douf fremlyn but they dyd no euyll to the abbey / for the kyng of Ingland cōmaunded that no hurte shuld be done therto / and so the kyng cōquered all the countrey to Dondieu and to ••oubreten a strong castell stādyng on the marches ayenst the wylde scottis / where as the kyng of Scott{is} and the quene his wyfe were withdrawen vn∣to for suretie. For there were no scottis y^• wolde appere afore the englisshe men for they were all drawen into the forelf of Ged worth / the whiche wer inhabitable / and specially for them y^• knew nat the countrey / wherin all the scottis wer and all theyr gooddis. And so they set but a lytle by all the rēuant. And it was no maruaile thoughe they were thus dryuen / for the kyng their lorde was but .xv. yere of age / and the erle of Morrey was but yong / and the nephew of Willyam Du¦glas that was slayne in Spayn was also of the same age. So as at y^• tyme / the realme of Scot¦land was dispurueyed of good capiteyns. And whan the kyng of Ingland had ronouer all the playne countrey of Scotlande / and taried ther the space of .vi. monethes / and sawe that none wold come agaynst hym. Than he garnysshed diuers castels that he had wonne / and thought by them to make warre to all the other. Than he withdrew fayre and easely toward Berwike And in his returnyng he wan the castell of Al∣uest parteynyng to the heritage of the erle Du∣glas / it was a .v. leagis fro Edēburge / and ther in the kyng set good capitayus / and than rode small iourneis tyll he came to Berwike the whi¦che is at the entre of Scotlande / and there the kyng layd rounde about his siege / and sayd he wolde neuer depart thens / tyll he had wonne it orels the kyng of Scottis to come / and to reyse his siege parforee. And within the towne there were good men of warre set there by the kyng of Scottis. Before this cite ther were many as¦saultis and sore skrymysshes ••ygh euery daye / for they of the cite wolde nat yelde them vp sym¦ply / for alwaies they thought to be reseued / how be it there was no succour appered. The scott{is} on mornyng is and nyghtis made many s••ryes to trouble the oste / but lytle hurte they dyd / for the englysshe oste was so well kept / that the scot¦tis coulde nat entre / but to theyr dammage / and often tymes loste of theyr men. ¶ And whan they of Berwike sawe that no comfort nor ayde came to them fro any part / & that theyr vitayles began to fayle / & howe they were enclosed both by water and by lande. Than they began to fall in a treate with the kyng of Ingland / and desi∣red a truee to indure a moneth. and if within the moneth / kyng Dauid theyr lorde / or some other for hym come nat by force to reyse the siege / thā they to rendre vp the cite / their lyues and good∣dis saued / and that the soudiers within myght safly go into theyr countrey without any dam∣mage. This treaty was nat lightly graūted for the kyng of Ingland wolde haue had them yel∣ded symply / to haue had his pleasure of some of them / bicause they had hold so lōg ayenst hym. But finally he was content by the counsaile of his lord{is}. And also {ser} Robert of Artoys dyd put therto his payne who had ben all that iourneye with y^• kyng / & had shewed hym alwayes / home he was uert enheriter to the crowne of Fraun•••• he wolde gladly that the kyng shuld haue made warre into Fraūce / & a left the warres of Scot¦land. So his wordes & others inclined greatly the kyng to cōdiscend to the treaty of Berwike. So this truee and treaty〈…〉〈…〉s graūted. Than they within the cite sent worde to their kyng / in what case they stode / but for all that they coulde fynde no remedy to reyse the siege. So the cite was delyuered vp at thende of the moneth / and also the castell / and the Marshals of the os•• toke possession for the kyng of Ingland / and the bur¦gesses of the cite came and dyd theyr feaute and homage to the kyng / and sware to hold of hym. Than after the kyng entred with great solem∣puite / and taryed there .xii. dayes / and made a capitayn ther / called syr Edward Bailleul / and whan the kyng departed he lefte with the sayde knyght certayne yong knyghtis and squiers to helpe to kepe the landis / that he had conquered of the scottis / and the fronters therof. Than the kyng and his people returned to London / and euery man in to theyre owne countres / and the kyng went to Wyndesore / and {ser} Robert of Ar∣toys w^t hym / who neuer ceassed daye nor nyght in shewyng the kyng what ryght he had to the crowne of Fraunce / & the kyng harkened glad∣ly to his wordis. Thus in this season the kyng of Ingland wanne the most parte of the realme of Scotland / who had many expert knyght{is} a∣bout hym / among other was sir Wylliam Mō∣tague / and syr walter of Manny. They were hardy knyghtis / and dyd many dedis of armes ageynst the scottis. And the better to haue their entre into Scotland / they fortified the basfyde of Rosebourge / and made it a strong castel / and {ser} Wylliam Montague dyd so well in all his en∣treprises / that the kyng made hymerle erle of Sa 〈1 page missing〉〈1 page missing〉

Surely sayd therle I cannat deuyse a more pu¦issant prince to ayde hym / than the duke of Bra¦bant who is his cosyn germayne. And also the byss hoppe of Liege / the duke of Guerles / who hath his suster to his wyfe. The archbysshop of Colayne / the marques of Jullers / syr Arnolde de Baquehen / and the lorde of Faulquemount. These lordes be thei that may make moost men of warr inshort space of any that I knowe / they arre good men of warre / they may well make ••X. thousande men of war•• so they haue wages therafter. They arre people that wolde gladly wynne aduauntage / yf it were so that the kyng my sonne your maister might gette these lordes to be on his part. And so to come into these par∣ties / he might well go ouer the water of Dysse / and seke out kyng Phylippe to fyght with hym with this answere these embassadours retour∣ned into England to the kyng / and reported all that they had done. Wherof the kyng had great ioy and was well cōforted. These tidyng{is} came into Fraunce and multiplyed lytle and lytle / so that kyng Phylippes enterprise of y^e sayd croy∣sey beganne to asswage and ware colde / and he coūtermaūded his offycers to sease of / makyng of any farther puision tyll he knewe more what kyng Edward wolde do. Than kyng Edward ordayned .x. banerettes / and .xl. other knyghtes and sent them ouer the see to Ualencēnes. And the bysshoppe of Lyncolne with theym / to then∣tent to treat with the lordes of thempyre / suche as therle of Heynalt had named. Whanne they were come to Ualencennes eche of them kept a great estate and port / and spared nothynge / no more than yf the kynge of Englande had bene there in proper persone / wherby they dyd gette great reuo wine and prayse. They had with thē yonge bachelars / who had eche of them one of their eyen closed•• with a peace of sylke / it was sayd how they had made a vowe among the la∣dyes of their contrey that they wolde natse but w^t one eye tyll they had done some dedes of ar∣mes in Fraūce. How beit they woldnat be kno∣wen therof. And whan thei had ben well feested at Ualencēnes / than the bysshoppe of Lyncolne and part of his cōpany went to the duke of Bra¦bant who feasted them greatly / and agreed and promysed to susayne y^e kyng of Englande and all his cōpany in his contrey. So that he might go and come armed and vnarmed at his plea∣sure / and to gyue him the best counsell he coude. And also yf the kynge of Englande wolde defy the frenche kyng that he wolde do the same / and entre into the countrey of Fraunce with men of warre / so that their wages might be borne / to the nombre of a thousande mē of armes. Thus than the lordes retourned agayne to Ualencen∣nes / and dyd somoch by messangers and by {pro}∣myse of golde and syluer: that the duke of Guer¦les who was the kynges brother in lawe / and y^e marques of Jullers / the archebysshoppe of Co∣layne / and Waleran his brother. And the lorde of Faulquemount came to Ualencēnes to speke with these lordes of Englande byfore the erle of Haynalt / and the lorde John his brother. And by the meanes of a great somme of Florēs that eche of them shulde haue for themselfe and for their men. They made pmyse to defy y^t frenche kyng / and to go with the kyng of England whā it pleased hym / with a certayne men of warre. Promysing also: to gette other lordes to take their part for wages / such as be beyonde the ry∣uer of Ryne: and be able to bringe good nom∣bres of men of warre. Than the lordes of Al∣mayne toke their leaue and retourned into ther owne contreis: and thenglysshmen taryed styll with therle of Heynalt / and sent certayne mes∣sangers to the bysshoppe of Lyege / and wolde gladly haue hadde hym on their partie. But he wolde neuer be agaynst the french kyng / for he was become his man and entred into his feaul∣tie. Kyng Charles of Behaygne was nat desy∣red: for they knewe well he was so fermely ioy∣ned with the frenche kyng / by reason of the ma∣ryage of John̄ duke of Normandy / who had to wyfe the kyng{is} doughter. Wherby they knewe well he wold do nothyng agaynst y^• frēch kyng.