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 they of saynt Seuere endu∣tyng a great assaut / yelded them vp to sir Bertram of Clesquy: and how the cytie of Poicters tourned thēselfe frenche. Cap. C C C .iii. (Book 303)

THese tidyndes came into the hoste before saynt Seuer to sir Bertrā of Clesquy / and to the other lords there. Howe that thenglisshmen & poicteuyus aproched fast to them warde / to thentent to reyse their siege. Whan y^• constable herd that / he cōmaunded euery man to harnesse: & to go feirsly to the assaut so there was none that disobeyed his commaūdement. Than they cam frenchmen and bretons before the forteresse / well armed and pauessed / and so there began a great assaute: euery lorde vnder his owne baner. What shuld I say? it was gret beauty to beholde them / for ther were .xlix. ba∣ners and a great nombre of penons. And there was the cōstable and sir Loys of Sārere mat shall greatly traueyling to encorage their men to thassaut. There aduaūsed forthe knightes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 squiers of all nacions to encrease their honour and dyde marueyls marmes / for some passed clene through the dykes which were full of wa¦ter / and so cāe to y^• walles. And for all that they coulde do that were within / they wolde nat re∣cule backe: but euer went forward. And on the dykes there was the duke of Berrey / the duke of Borbone / the erle of Alenson / the dolphyn of Auuergne and the other great lordes in coura∣gyng their people. & bycause these great lordes behelde thē / euery man auaūsed hym selfe more wyllingly / nat doutyng the parell of dethe. sit

Willyam Percy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the two other squyers of ho∣nour capitayns of the fortresse / sawe well how they were fersly assayled without any rest and so to contynue / it was nat possyble for them to kepe the places and also they sawe no conforte•• mynge to theym warde for any parte / for they knewe none of their frendes nere to thē by the space of .x. leages. And therfore they entred in∣to a treaty with y^• constable in eschewyng gret¦ter domage. Howe be it sir Bertram the cos∣stable was well enformed / howe y^• same nyght he shulde here tydinges of thenglysshmen: ther¦fore he agreed the soner with them of the castell and so receyued them sauynge their lyues / and entred into the fortresse with great ioy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 made great feest. Than he caused all his company to drawe in to the felde / and to sette them in ordre of batayle redy to fight / and sayd to thē. Sirs auyse you well / for our enemyes aprocheth fast I thynke yet or it be nyght / we shall haue ba∣tayle: therfore let euery man make hym redy. Howbeit the englysshmen made no great ha•••• whan they knewe that saynte Seuere was ta∣ken. ¶ Nowe lette vs speke of them of Poi∣cters and / howe they maynteyned themselfe.

THe same season it fell so / y^• they of Poi∣cters were in great discencyon among themselfe: For thre partes of the towne wolde gladly haue tourned frenche. But John̄ Rey∣nalt mayre of the towne and parte of the comē∣tie / wolde abyde styll englysshe: howbeit y^• ry∣chest burgesses & the mē of the churche / wherof there were great plētie / wolde y^• in any wyse y^• constable of France shulde be sent for. & so they sent secretly to hym: that he shulde come haste∣lye and take possessyon of the cytie / for they pro¦mysed him to open the gate agaynst him. wher¦fore the co••••able was right ioyouse. And she∣wed the mater to the duke of Berrey / and to the duke of Burbone. And so they agreed that the constable shulde depart fro thehoost: with thre hundred of the best horsed men of their compa∣ny. And so he departed and rode that say and night folowyng with lytell rest / more then .xxx. leages / by a nother way than the englysshmen kepte. And so in the mornyngethey arryued at Poitres / and there founde the gates open: and they redy there that shulde receyue them. And if they hadde taryed lengar / but the space of a leage ridyng / they had come to late. For John Reynalt & suche of his part had sent in all hast / for sir John̄ of Ubrues & for sir Johan Percy / who with a hundred speares and a hubre•• ar∣chers were redy the within a leage of the cytie. ••f the takynge thus of the good cytie of Poi∣cters were the knight•• and squyers of Gascone of Poictou / & of England sore abasshed: suche as were assembled toguyder ther in Poyctou / who were to y^• nombre of. viu. C. speares / and four hūdred archers. Than they drewe to coū∣sayle / to determyne howe to be ruled: for they sawe well they were in greate parell / and wyll nat well in whome to put their trust. Than the barownes and knyghtes of Poycton spake a worde / to conforte the englysshmen: and sayd. Surely sirs / it greatly displeaseth vs / the besy nesses of this countrey & that we can nat amēde it. But sirs / be you in suertie / y^• as longe as we can endure / and that there is any house or for∣tresse in Poycton that we may drawe in to / we shall be true and faythfull to our naturall lorde the kyng of Englande: & to you. Than the en∣glyss he knightis y^• were ther sayd. Sirs / that is our specy all trust / and to dye in the quarell: ye shall fynde vs euer true companyons. So thus in the felde ther was great coūsell among them (and so all thynges consydred) it was de∣termyned / that the poicteuyns shulde drawe to gyder one way / and the englysshmen a nother way. So ther they depted right amiably eche fro other: that is to say / the lorde of Pertenay / the lorde of Thouars and of Rosilly / sir Ayme¦ry of Rochchoart / John̄ Dangle / Loyes Har∣court / Percyuall of Coloyne capitayn of Tho¦wars / Hughe Briane / Reynalte of Thouars / Wylliam of Cāpenac / Jaques of Surgeres / and other knightes / toke the way to Thouars And the englysshmen: that is to say / sir Johan of Ubrues / sir Richard of Pontchardon / Tho¦mas Percy / Dangoses Geffray Dargenton / Mathewe Fonques / Thomas Gourney / Wa¦ter Hewet / Johan Cresuell and other: toke the way to Nyorth / wher they thought to haue en¦tred without any let. But whan they came thy¦der / they founde the gates shyt / and the bridgs drawen: & they of the towne sayd to thē, howe surely they shulde nat entre there. Than they drewe togyder to counsayle / and determyned nat to suffre that dealyng: and so in good aray they assayled the towne / and they within defē∣ded them. Howebeit ther was within no gen∣tylman that wyst what the warrement / and so they were conquered by the englysshmen. But if they coulde haue kept the towne agaynst thē ••yll it had ben night / they had ben greatly con∣forted. For the constable of Fraunce had sente thyber Thybalt of Pount / with two hundred

men to haue refresshed y^• towne / how beit they came to late. The towne was taken with as∣saute and robbed / and a great nombre of men and women slayne: and so there abode styll the englysshmen / to harken after other newes.