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 sir Bertram of Clesquy be∣seged the castell of Syreth / and how the englysshmen were disconfyted / & howe all the countrey of Poictou / of Xaynton / and of Rochell / were clene delyuered out of thēglysshmens han¦des. Cap. CCC .vi. (Book 306)

THe duke of Bretayne / who was pesably ī his owne countre / was sore displeased of the domage of the english¦men. For it was sayd / that y^• kynge of Englande and his puyssaunce had made hym as he was: and that he had / had nothynge / and the kynge of Englande had nat ben. For he al∣wayes made warr for hym / and lende him syl∣uer and golde: and also he had his doughter in maryage. For the duke wolde gladly / that his countre shulde rather holde of the kyng of En∣glandes parte / than of Fraunce. Howe beit the moost parte of the lordes / knightes / and squy∣ers of Bretayne / were in their hertes good fren¦che. And specially the lorde Clysson / and de la Uale / and the vycount of Rohan / who as than were the chefe rulers in all Bretayne: and these lordes sayd to the duke. Sir / assone as we can parceyue that ye take any parte with the kyng of Englande / agayne the frenche kyng our so∣uerayne lorde / we wyll all forsake you / & leaue the countrey of Bretayne. Howe be it the duke coude nat hyde the corage of his hert: but sayd. Sirs ye do great wronge to the kynge of En∣glande: and spake great wordes to certayne of the lordes of Bretayne. The french kyng / who had drawen to his loue the hert{is} of them of Bre¦tayne: except sir Robert Canoll. Desyred thē / that if they sawe any defence made by their du∣ke / that they wolde gyue him knowledge ther∣of: to the entent to fynde remedy therfore. The duke parceyued well / how that his men hadde him insuspect / and layed great a wayt on him. Than he douted leest they shulde sende hym to Parys / wherfore he sent to the kyng of Englā∣de / shewyng him what case he was in: desyring him to sende hym men of warr to defende him if nede were. And the kynge of Englande sent hym the lorde Neuyll / with foure hundred men of armes / and as many archers / who arryued at saynt Mathewes defyne poterne. And ther helde them in the to ••••ne without doyng of any maner of domage to the coūtre / but payed true¦ly for that they toke. And so there they were all the wynter: the duke wolde neuer put them in to any fortresse y^• he had. And whan the knigh¦tes of Bretayne / sawe these englysshmen come in to the countre / to the ayde and confort of the duke they toke it in great in dignacion / and clo¦sed their fortresses / & shewed moche yuell wyll towardes the duke. Thus the matters abode in great varyaunce all that wynter.

ANd assone as wynter was past / sir Ber¦tram of Clesquy constable of France / de¦parted fro Poicters with .xiiii. hundred fygh∣tyng men. And so went and layd sege to y^• tow∣ne and castell of Syreth: and with hym there were of breton knyghtes / sir Alayne of Beau∣mont / John̄ of Beaumanoyre / Arnolde Limo¦syn Geffray Ricoynan of Lanconet / Geffray of Konyell and dyuers other knight{is} and squy∣ers. And so they layed siege to Syreth / and clo¦sed them selfe about with pales / to thentent nat to be troubled in the nyght. Often certayne of them aproched to the fortresse and scrimysshed with thē within / who defended them selfe right valyantly. So it fell this siege enduryng / that sir Robert Mycon / and sir Nicotyn the scotte / who were ke{per}s of the fortresse / sent knowledge of their estate to sir Johan Ubrues / and to sir Dangoses / capitayns of Nyorthe. And they in contynent sent to them of the garyson of Lusy∣gnen / and Dangosey: and so they assembled at Nyorthe. And than departed to the nombre of sixe hundred and seuyn speares / of good men of warr / besyde other folowers. And so long they rode that they came to Syreth / for it was but four leages fro Nyorthe. And whan they were come to Syreth / than they rested them a space of tyme / to apparell them selfe. But it had bene better for them to haue sette on the lodgynges of the constable / for anone he had worde of their comyng / and howe they were araynged in the felde. Hobeit the constable was nat greatly a∣frayed / but made all his men to be armed and to drawe toguyder / and than he sayde. Nowe fayre sirs / howe say you? haue you any wyll to fight with your enemyes / for I beleue surely it must be houe vs to fyght. And they sayd: sir we thanke god / it shalbe welcome to vs. Than the constable aduysed to set a busshment to watche them of the castell / for he thought well they wol¦de yssue out / and so set ther two hūdred for that entent. Thanne he caused to be cast downe the moost parte of the pales that were about their

hoost{is} to thentent they shulde nat lette hym nor his company whan he wolde yssue out. And so ordayned two batayls / the one was gouerned by sir Alayne of Beaumount / and the other by sir Geffray of Carnuell / and commaūded that none shulde passe before his baner without his commaundement / and that euery man shulde kepe their lodgynge.

NOwe lette vs speke of sir Robert My∣con and of sir Robert le scot / who were aboue in the castell / & sawe thenglisshmen redy apparelled in the feldes. Than they sayd / lette vs arme our selfe and yssue out / we shall so one passe throughe these bretons / & assoone as our folkes knoweth that we be fightynge with thē / they wyll come on / & do great domage to them / or they shall knowe of our issuyng out. And so they armed thē / to the nombre of .lx. and yssued out a horsebacke to skrymysshe with the hoost / but they were encountred with the busshement that was layd for them. And so ther was a sore scrimysshe / but the englysshmen were so enclo∣sed / that they coude nother recule backe nor go forwarde: and so they were all taken or slayne so that none escaped. The two capitayns were taken. And all this season the other englysshe∣men were on the felde / and the cōstable styll in his perclose / and issued nat out: for they feared that the englisshmen had some great enbusshe∣ment in the wode behynde them. The englyssh¦men had brought thyder with them / a certayne nombre of poicteuyns & bretons / robbers and pyllers to the nombre of two hundred / whome the englisshmen sent on before thē / to scrimyshe with the frenche host. And as soone as they cāe before the constables batayle / they tourned thē selfe / and sayd. howe they were good frenche / and wolde be on the constables parte / if it plea∣sed hym. The constable sayd he was content to haue them. Than he sette them on a wynge on the one syde / and lerned by them all the maner and dealynge of the englysshmen / and knewe by them howe they had no maner of busshmēt behynde them.

¶ Whan the constable of Fraunce vnderstode that / he was more toyouse than he was before. Than he drewe all his people toguyder / and caused de his bannerre to auaunce forthe / and drewe to the wynge of his two bataylles / and went forthe a fote: castynge downe their pales / cryenge ourlady Clesquy. And whan the en∣glysshmen sawe them yssue out of their holde / they raynged them selfe a fote / and auaunsed forwarde with great desyre. And at their fyrst metyng they encoūtred the cōstables batayle / and fought there so valiantly / that they passed through the batayle / and brought many a man to the erthe. But than the bretons had wysely ordred their two batayls / beyng on the wyng. And so they came on all fresshe and lusty / and basshed in so among thenglysshmen / who were all wery / y^t they were sore reculed backe. How∣beit lyke valyant men and full of courage / they fought with axes and swordes of Burdeaux / wherwith they gaue great strokes. Ther were good knyghtes on bothe partes / who nobly ad¦uentured them selfe to exaulte their honours. This batayle was as well fought / and as ma∣ny proper dedes of armes done / in takyng and rescuynge as had bene sene of many a day be∣fore in playne felde / without any aduauntage: for euery man dyde his best to his power. there was many a man sore hurt and cast to the erthe with great myschefe. howbeit finally all then∣glisshmen were dicōfyted / so that fewe scaped / but other they were taken or slayn. Ther were slayne. it. good squyers / Richard of Mesuyll / and Wylliam Dursell: and James Ubille sore hurte. And there was taken sir John̄ Ubrues / Aymery of Rochchoart / Dauyd Hollegraue / Rycharde Olyue / John̄ Cresuell / and dyuers other of Englande and Poytou. This bataile of Syreth / was in the yere of our lorde god / a M. thre hūdred .lxxii. the .xxi. day of Marche.

¶ And than after the constable returned & his folkes in to their lodgynges / and toke hede to their hurte men and to their prisoners: wher∣of they had great plenty. And afterwarde the constable sent to speke with them of the castell / sir Alayne of Beaumounte / who shewed them that if they were taken by force / they shulde all dye without mercy. Than they of the garyson put thē in to the constables mercy / who recey∣ued them to grace / for he suffred them to passe quyte / and had saue conducte to go to Burde∣aux. Thus the frenche men had the castell and the lande: which was put vnder the obeysaūce of y^• frenche kyng. Thā the bretons in a great heate came before Niorth / whiche was a good towne in Poictou / and had all y^• season before euer susteyned the englysshmen / for they kepte euer a great garyson. And as soone as they of Niorth / knewe that the cōstable came to them warde / they went out against him / and presen¦ted to hym y^• kayes of the towne: & so brought hym in to their towne with great ioye / & there

the bretons refresshed them a four dayes. And than depted with great aray / they were a xiiii. hundred speares / & so went before the forteresse of Lusiguen / which was yelded vp to them by composicion so that they of the garison within departed: their lyues saued / and as moche as they coude cary before them of their owne: and so had a saue conducte / to conuey them to Bur¦deux. Thus the frēchmen had that castell and all the seignory / and all the men therof became subgettes to the french kyng. Thā the bretons rode before the castell Alart / and the constable sent to the lady / wyfe to sir Rycharde Dangle / who was there within to yelde vp the castell / And she desyred to haue assurance y^e she might go to Poicters to speke with y^e duke of Berry: The constable graūted her desyre / and caused her to be cōueyed thyder / by one of his knygh∣tes. And whā she came before the duke she kne∣led downe / and the duke toke her vp / & demaū∣ded what was her request. Sir {quod} she. I am re¦quired by the constable of Fraunce / y^t I shuld put me and my landes / vnder the obeysaūce of the frenche kyng. And sir / ye knowe well y^• my lord and husbande lyeth yet prisoner in Spay¦ne: & sir his lande is in my gouernance I am a woman of small defence. And sir / I can nat do with the heritage of my husbāde at myne owne pleasure / for peraduenture: if I shulde do any thynge agaynst his pleasure / he wolde can me no thanke therfore / and so shulde I be blamed but sir / to apease you & to set my lande in peace: I shall cōpounde with you for my selfe and all myne that we shall make you no warr / so that ye wyll make no warre to vs. And sir / whā my husbande is come out of prison / I beleue well he wyll drawe in to Englāde / than I shall send hym worde of this cōposicion / & than sir I am sure he wyll sende me his mynde: and than I shall answere you. The duke answered / & sayd dame: I agre me well to your desyre / on this condicion / that you nor none of your fortresses prouyde for no men of warre / vitayls / nor ar∣tyllary / otherwise than they be at this present tyme: and so thus they were agreed. Than the lady retourned to her castell / & caused the siege to be reysed / for she shewed letters fro the duke of Berrey / cōtayning the same purpose. Than they de{per}ted / & the constable went before Mor∣tymer the lady wherof yelded herselfe and put her and her landes / vnder the obeysance of the frenche kynge: and also yelded vp the castell of Dyenne whiche partayned to her. Thus was all Poictou / Xainton / and Rochell quyte dely∣uered fro the englysshmen. And whan the con∣stable had set garysons and good sure kepyng in euery place / and sawe no rebellyon in those marches vnto the ryuer of Gyronde / than he re¦turned in to Fraunce: & also / so dyde the dukes of Berrey / of Burgoyn / and of Burbone / and the moost parte of the barons of Fraūce: suche as had ben in these sayd cōquestes. The kyng greatly feested them at their retournynge / but all was but iapes / whan sir Bertram came to Parys to the kyng / for the kyng coude nat ho∣no^r him to moche. So thus the cōstable abode with the kyng at Parys in ioye and myrthe.