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.

¶ How the erle of Penbroke was ta∣ken prisoner / and disconfyted by the spanierdes: and howe they departed fro the hauyn of Rochell with theyr prisoners. And the same day the Ca∣ptall of Beutz came in to Rochell. Cap. CC .lxxxxix. (Book 299)

WHan the day was come and that y^e fludde began / the spanyerdes wayed vp their ancres / makyng great noise with trumpettes / and sette them selfe in good order / as they dyde y^e day before. And furnysshed their great shyppes fulle of men of warre / and toke the aduauntage of the mynde to close in the englysshe shyppes / who were no¦thynge to the nombre of the spanyerdes. And so the foresayd foure patrones of the spanyerd{is} came before in good order. The englysshemen and poyctenyns / sawe well their order: and so drewe all togyder / and set their archers before them. Therwith came on the spanyerdes with full sayle / and so began a feirse and a cruell ba∣tayle. Than the spanyerdes cast great hookes of yron / and graped their shyppes toguyder to the englysshe shyppes / so that they coude nat be parte. With the erle of Penbroke and sir Guys∣sharde Dangle / ther were .xxii. knightes / who right valiantly fought with suche weapens as they hadde. Thus fightyng they contynued a longe space / howe beit the spanyerdes hadde to great aduauntage of the englysshmen / for they were in great shyppes / and caste downe great barres of yron and stones / the whiche sore tra∣ueyled the englysshmen. Thus cryeng / show∣tynge / and fightynge eche with other: they en∣dured tyll thre of the clocke. Ther were neuer men that endured more traueyle on the see / thā the englysshemen dyde there that day / for the moost parte of their men were sore hurte / with the castynge of barres of yron / stones / and plo∣mettes of leed. So that sir Aymery of Tharse y^e valyant knight of Gascoyne was ther stayne and also sir John̄ Lantonne / who was knight for the body with the erle of Penbroke. To the erles shyp / ther were fastened four great shyp∣pes. Wherof Cabesse of Wakadent / and Dom ferant de Pyon were gouernours / and in them were many good fightyng men. And they dyd so moche / that they entred into the erles shyppe where was done many a feate of armes: & ther therle was taken and all that were in his shyp / taken or slayne. First ther were takenne of his knightes / sir Robert Bufforce / sir Johan Cur¦sone / and sir Johan of Grimyers. And slayne there was: sir Saymon Houssagre / sir John̄ Mortayne / and sir Johan Couchette. & there fought styll the poictenyns: as sir Guyssharde Dangle / the lorde of Pynan / the lorde of Ca∣nyboton / and dyuers other knyghtes of their cōpany. And in another shyppe was sir Othes of Graūtson / Ambrose of Boucquenegre / and Radygo of Rochell / and they were all takenne by the spanyerdes / so that none scaped: but ou∣ther they were taken or slayne. But whan they had taken the chefe maysters / they left slayeng of seruauntes / for their maysters desyred that they wolde forbere theym. Sayeng howe they wolde pay for them all.

ALl suche as were in lyke danger / as the erle of Penbroke / and sir Guyssharde Dangle were in: shulde be fayne to take the ad¦uenture that god wolde sende thē. And besyde the losse of so many good knyghtes and squy∣ers / as were takenne and slayne the same day. The kyng of Englande lost the greattest losse for by the same disconfyture / he lost after all the hole coūtre: as ye shall herafter in this history. ¶ And as it was shewed me / thenglysshe shyp wherin was all the treysure and richesse / wher with sir Guyssharde Dāgle shuld haue payed all soudyers wages in Guyen / was perysshed and drowned: and all that was therin / so that nothyng therof came to profyte. All that day the whiche was the vigyll of saynt Johan the Baptyst and that night / and the next daye tyll it was noone / the spanyerdes lay styll at ancre before Rochell / makyng great ioye. And it for tuned well to a knight of Poictou / called {ser} Ja¦ques of Surgeres: for he spake so swetely & so fayre to his mayster / that he was quyt: with y^e payeng of thre. C. frākes. And so he cāe on salt John̄s day to dyner in to the towne of Rochell by him ther it was knowen / how y^e iorney was spedde / & who were slayne & who were taken. &

dyuers burgesses of the towne / shewed by sem∣blant howe they were sorie & displeased. How∣beit they were in dede right ioyouse / for they ne¦uer naturally loued the englysshemen. And so whan••oone was past on saynt Johans day / & that the tyde came on. Thespanyerdes wayed vp ancres and spred their seales / and so depar∣ted makyng great noyse of trumpettes and o∣ther mynstrelsies. And they had long stremers wauynge in the wynde beaten with the armes of Castell / with other penous and standerdes: so that it was great pleasure to beholde them. Thus in this case they departed and toke ther course towardes Galyce / and the same daye of saynt Johan / ther came to Rochell a great nō∣bre of men of armes gascoyns and englysshe / who had nat as than herde of that aduenture: but they knewe well that the spanyerdes lay / & had lyen a longe space before the hauyn of Ro∣chell / and therfore they came thyder to conforte and a yd the towne. Of the which men of warr of gascoyns / ther was the Captall of Beufz / {ser} Beras de la Launde / sir Peter of Landuras / sir Soudyc / and sir Bertram de Franke. And of englysshmen / ther was sir Thomas Percy / sir Richarde of Pontchardon / sir Wyllm̄ Fer∣ryton / sir Dangoses / sir Baudwyn of Frāuyll sir Water Hewet / & sir Johan Deureur. Whan these lordes and their cōpany / who were to the nombre of sire hundred men of armes were cōe to Rochell / they of the towne made them good chere outwarde / bycause they durst do none o∣therwyse. Than they were enformed by sir Ja¦ques Surgeres / of the batayle of the spanyer∣des on the see / and shewed theym howe he was him selfe at the same batayle / taken and raunso¦med. Of these tidynges were the barones and knightes ryght sorie and displeased / and repu∣ted theym selfe right vnfortunat / that they had nat ben ther: and complayned greatly the losse of the erle of Pēbroke / and of sir Richard Dā∣gle. So thus they taryed at Rochell / I can nat say howe longe: to take counsayle and aduyse / howe they shulde do and maynteyne forthe the warr. ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue a lytell whyle to speke of them / and lette vs speke of sir yuan of Wales / howe he dyde the same season.