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 erle of Penbroke depar∣ted out of Englande to go into Poyctou / and howe the spa∣nyerdes fought with him in the hauyn of Rochell. Cap. C C .lxxxxvii. (Book 297)

THus with suche wordes the kynge past the tyme often w^t sir Guysshard Dāgle / whō he loued and trusted as rea∣son was. So the season cāe that therle of Pēbroke shul∣de departe / and so tooke his leaue of the kyng / and all his company. And {ser} Others of Grauntson was ordayned to go with hym / he had no great company with hym / but certayne knyghtes / by the enformacyon of sir Guissharde Dangle. But he had with him su∣che certayne somme of money / to pay the wag{is} of thre thousande men of warre. And soo they made spede tyll they came to Hampton / & there taryed .xv. dayes abydinge wynde / & than had they wynde at wyll. and so entred ito their ship¦pes and de{per}ted fxo the hauyn in y^e name of god and saynt George / & toke their course towarde Poitou. Kyng Charles of Frauce / who knewe the most {per}te of all the coūsell in England / I cā nat tell howe nor by whōe. But he knewe well how sir Guysshard Dāgle was gone into En∣gland / to thētent to get of the kyng a good capi¦tayne for the coūtre of Poytou: & also he knew howe therle of Penbroke shulde go thyder and all his charge. The frenche kyng was well ad∣uysed therof / and secretly sent an army of men of warre by the see / of spanyerdes at his desyre bycause his owne men were gone to kyng Hē∣ry of Castell / bycause of the confederacyon and alyaunce / that was bytwene them. The spany¦erves were fourtie gret shyppes / and .xiii. bar¦kes well purueyed and decked / as these spay∣nysshe shyppes be. And soueraynes and patro∣nes of that flete / were four valyaut capitayns: Ambrose de Boucquenegre / Cabesse de Uaca¦dent / Ferrant de Pyon and Radygo de la Ro¦chell. These spanyerdes had lyen a great spa∣ce at ancre in thesce / abydinge the retournyng of the poicteuyns / and comyng of therle of Pē∣broke. For they knewe well howe their entētes were to come to Poitou / therfore they lay at an¦cre before the towne of Rochell. And so it hap∣ped / that the day before the vigyll of saynt Jo∣han Baptyst / the yere of our lorde god. M .iii. hundred .lxxii. The erle of Penbroke and his cōpany shulde arryue in the hauyn of Rochell / but there they founde the foresayde spaignyer∣des / to lette them of their arryuyng / who were gladde of theyr comynge. And whanne the en∣glysshemen and poicteuyns sawe the spaigny∣erdes ther / and parceyued howe they must ne∣des fight with them / they conforted themselfe:

howbeit they were nat agally matched / nother of men nor of shyppes. Howe be it they armed them / and putte them selfe in good order / their archers before them redy to fight. And thā the spaynisshe shyppes / who were well prouyded with a great nombre of men of warre and bri∣gantes / with arbalasters and gōnes / and with great barres of yron / and plomettes of leed to cast downe. Anone they began to aproche / ma∣kyng great noyse: the great shyppes of Spay¦gne toke the wynd to fetche their tourne on the englysshe shyppes. Whome they but lytell fea∣ced: and so came with a full sayle on them. So thus at the beginnyng ther was great cry and noyse of the one and other and the englisshmen bare them selfe right well. And there the erle of Pebroke made certayne of his squyers knigh∣tes to: honour. Ther was a great batayle and a harve the englysshmen hadde ynough to do / for the spanyerdes that were in the great shyp∣pes hadde great barres of yron and great sto∣nes / and dyde cast them downe to perse the en∣glysshe shyppes / & hurte therwith many a man right yuell. And amonge the knyghtes of En∣glande & Poictou / great noblenesse of knight / hode and prowes was shewed. The erle of Pē¦broke fought and receyued his enemyes ryght fersly / & dyde that day many a noble feat of ar∣mes with his owne handes / and in lyke maner so dyde sir Othes Graūtson / sir Guissharde dā¦gle / the lorde of Pynan / and all other knight{is}.