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 these four knightes bretons defended thē selfe valiantly / agaynst the duke of Lancastre / and howe fy∣nally the duke toke them all foure to raūsome. Ca. C C .lxxxviii. (Book 288)

WHan the duke of Lāca∣stre and the barons & knygh¦tes were come to the castell of Mountpaon / they layed siege therto / & made as gret proyisyon for their lodgyn∣ges and other necessaryes / as thoughe they shulde haue taryed there the space of seuyn yere. And they lay nat ydell / for incontyuent they ap{per}elled themselfe to assayle the castell / and caused the villayns of the coun∣tre to cutte downe great quantyte of wode and tymbre to cast into the dykes. And thus fyftene vayes togyder they dyd nothyng / but alwayes cast stuffe in to the dykes / and on the wode and tymbre they layed ouer strawe and erthe. And so within that space they had fylled a great {per}te of the dykes / so that they might well cōe to the walles / to scrimy she with them within / as they vyde nigh euery day / fyue or sixe assaut{is} / wher as there was many noble dedes done. For the foure breton knyghtes that were within / were right valyaut men of armes / and defended thē selfe right nobly / wherfore they ought greatly to be commended. For though the englisshmen and gascoyns came so nere them / yet they were nat afrayed / nor lost no great thyng. And nere to this garyson ther were other bretons in an other garyson / called saynt Maquayre / of whō Johan of Malestroyt and Syluester Budes were capitayns / who euery day herde spekyng of the feates of armes / that were done before Mountpaon. And they had great desyre to be there / and sayd often tymes one to another. We knowe well our companyons are here by / who are right valyaunt / as we may here dayly by their ded{is} / and euery day they haue fyue or. vi∣vatayls / and yet we lye here styll & do nothyng▪ Certayuly we acquyte vs nat well. So thus they were in great desyre to go and rescue thē if they might. And whan they had all spoken / & consydred the peryll to leaue their owne forte / resse voyde / they wyst nat well what to do. thā on a tyme / Syluester Budes / sayde to his fe∣low. John̄ / ye shall other go or els wyll I / chose you whyder. Than Johan answered and sayd Syluester / ye shall abyde here and I wyll go. And ther they were at a longe stryfe / whiche of them shulde go. And so at last they acorded and sware / and made promyse before all the compa¦ny / that they shulde drawe cuttes: and he that shulde haue the longest strawe shuld go forthe and the other abyde. So than they drewe / and

the longest cutte fell to Syluester Budes / than there was great laughyng among all the com∣pany. This Syluester toke it for no fable / but apparelled him selfe and mounted on his horse and departed with .xii. men of armes with him and rode so long / that at the euenyng he entred in to the towne and castell of Moūtpaon / wher of the knyghtes and companyons within had great ioye / and gaue great prayse to Siluester Bud{is}. As I haue shewed you here before / ther was euery day assautes at Moūtpaon / & right well the knight{is} within aquyted themselfe / and deserued great honour. For vntyll y^e tyme that a great parte of their wall was ouerthrowen / they were neuer afrayed nor a basshed. The en¦glysshmen ordayned mantels and other instru¦mentes of warr / wherby to aproche nere to the walles / ouer the dykes that they had fylled. & ther the brigant{is} well pauessed / who had great pykes of yron / wherwith they vndermyned the walles / in suche wyse that a great pane of the wall fell downe / more than .xl. fote long. Than the lordes of the hoost / ordayned their batayls with their archers / who shotte so holy togyder / that non of thē within durst ones apere abrode And whan sir Wylliam of Lonuall / sir Alayne of Houssay / sir Loyes of Maylley / and y^e lorde Darcy: sawe howe they were in the case / nat a∣ble to endure nor kepe the holde. Thā they sent a heraulde out a horse backe to the duke of Lan¦castre to haue a treaty if it myght be. The he∣raulde came to the duke / and shewed hym the entent of his comyng. Than the duke by thad∣uyse of his coūsayle / gaue respyte to them with in / to speke with hym and his counsayle. The heraulde retourned / and shewed his maysters howe he hadde spedde. Than all four knightes went for the / and the duke sent to them sir Guys¦sharde Dangle / and so on the dykes they spake togyder. Than they demaunded vnder what maner the duke wolde receyue them. Than sir Guyssharde / who hadde the charge / answered and said. Sirs: ye haue greatly displeased my lorde the duke / for ye haue kept here this castell agaynst him / more than .xi. wekes: wherby he hath lost dyuers of his men. Wherfore he wyll nat receyue you to grace nor mercy / without ye wyll yelde your self simply. And also delyuer to him first / sir Wylliam of Moūtpaon / y^t he may put him to deth as he hath deserued / lyke a trea¦tour. Thā sir Loyes of Mailly: answered and sayd. Sir Guyssharde / as for sir Wyllyam of Mountpaon / whome ye desyre to haue delue¦red / we swere vnto you truely / that we knowe nat as no we wher he is: for he was nat in this castell sythe ye layed siege therto. And sir / it is a harde thyng for vs to yelde our selfe vp sym∣ply / as ye wolde haue vs to do / sythe we be sent hyder but as soudiers / to gette our selfe wages to lyue by. In lyke maner as ye sende yours / & somtyme your selfe gladde to take wag{is}. Ther¦fore sir / or we make y^• marchādyse: we shall sell our selfe so derely / that it shall be spoken of a hū¦dred yeres after our dethes. But sir / we desyre you to returne to the duke / and shewe him that we desyre hym to receyue vs courtesly / on cer∣tayne composycion of raunsome. In lyke ma∣ner as he wolde that his mē shulde ••e dalt with all / yf they were fallen in suche lyke daunger. Than aunswered sir Guyssharde / and sayde. Sirs / I shall do the best of my power. And so retourned to the duke / and tooke with hym the Captall of Beufz / the lorde of Rousayne / the lorde of Musyden / to the entent the rather to spede. And whan they were all come before the duke / they shewed hym so many fayre wordes / that he condyscended to their request. And soo toke the four breton knightes / and Syluester Budes and all their company to mercy / as pri¦soners. And so he hadde agayne full possession of the forteresse of Mountpaon / and toke feal∣tie of them of the towne: and sette ther two ga∣scone knightes to kepe it / and fourtie men of ar¦mes / and as many archers. And newe repay∣red and fortifyed the place / & refresshed it with vitayle and artyllary.