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.

Of the iorney that the lorde of Cou∣cy made in Austrych / and of the deth of the prince of wales / & howe there coulde be founde no maner of treatie of peace bitwene the two kyng{is}. and also of the dethe of the kynge of En∣glande Edwarde the thyrde. Cap. CCC .xiiii. (Book 314)

THe same season there was come in to Fraūce the lord of Coucy / who had ben longe in Lūbardy with the erle of Uertue / sonne to sir Galeas / makyng warre a∣gainst sir Barnabo and his alies / bycause of pope Gregory the .xi. and for the holy colledge of Rome. The lorde of Coucy by succession of his mother / who was suster to the duke of Austryche last disseased / wherby he ought to be enheryter to the duchy / for the duke was deed without issue / by waye of maryage. and they of Austrich / had gyuen the duchy and lande to another / farther of by lynage than the lorde Coucy / wherof the lorde of Coucy hadde often tymes complayned to the emperour / the lorde Charles of Behayne. Thēperour knewe well y^t the lorde Coucy had right therto / howe be it he might nat with his ease constrayne thē of Austryche / for they were strong in his coun¦tre / and many good men of warre. The lorde of Coucy had made warre there before / by the conforte of his aunt suster to the duke / but ly∣tell it auayled him. and whan he was thus cōe in to Fraunce the kyng made him great chere. Than he aduysed and sawe well / howe there was in Fraunce as than many men of warre / satte as ydell. Wherfore he thought they coude nat be better ocupyed / than to helpe him to his right: durynge the trewce bytwene Fraunce

and England. Than the lorde of Couey desy∣••••d the kyng to let him haue of the bretons such as ouer ronne the realme / to make warre with hym in Austryche. the kyng who wolde gladly that the companyons were out of hys realme / accorded to his desyre. So the kynge lende or gaue him I can nat tell wheder / a .lx. thousāde frankes: to departe among the sayd company∣ons. So they rode forthe to warde Austryche about y^e feest ofsaynt Michell they dyd moche yuell all the wayes as they w••t. Also ther were dyuers barons / knyghtes / & squiers of Fraūce of Arthoys / of Uermandoys / of Haynaulte / and of 〈…〉〈…〉rdy / as the vicountes of Meaul•• / and Daunoy / sir Ra••e of Co••••y the ••arone of Roy / Peter of Bare / & dyuers other: desyring to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their bodyes to get them honour.

WHan the feast of Alsayntes began to aproche / thā there came agayn to Bruges to entreate for peace / fro the frenche kynge. the duke of Burgoyn the erle of Sal••bruce / the bysshoppe of & my••ns / and the duke of An∣••••we but he lay 〈◊〉〈◊〉 atsaynt Omers. And ••ro the kynge of Englande thyder came: the duke of Lancastre / the duke of Bretayne / the erle of Sal••sbury y^• bysshop of London. The towne of Bruges was well garnysshed with dyuers astates / & specially the duke of Burgoyn kept there a noble astate. And with the duke of Lan¦••astre / ther was {ser} Robert of Namur and kept him good company / as longe as the duke was in Flaunders. & ther were the ambassadours the archebysshop of Ro¦han / and the bysshoppe of Carpētras / who went styll and laboured by¦twene bothe ••ties / and layd forthe many good reasons / but none came to any effecte. These lordes were farre a sondre in their treaties / for the frenche kynge demaunded to haue agayne 〈◊〉〈◊〉. hundred thousande frankes / the whiche were payed for the redempcion of kyng John̄ / and to haue Cala••s raysed & beaten downe. to the whiche the kyng of Englande wolde neuer consent. so y^• trewce was contynued to the feest of saynt Johan Baptyst next after: the yere of our lorde a thousande thre hundred .lxxvi. and so these lordes ••aryed styll at Bruges all that wynter / and in somer they returned euery part to their owne coūtreis except the duke of Bre∣tayne who taryed styll in Flaunders / with the erle Loys his cosyn who made him gode cher. ¶ The same season on Trynite sonday: there past out of this worlde the ••••oure of chi••alry of Englande / Edwarde prince of Wales & of A••∣tayne / at the kynges pala••s of Westmynster be¦syde London. And so he was enbawmed and put in leed / and kept tyll the feast of saynt Mi∣chaell next after / to be entred with the greatter solē••ytie whan the parliament shulde be ther. Kyng Charles of Fraunce bycause of lynage / dyd his obsequy reuerently in the holy chapell of the paleys in Parys. And there were many of the prelates & nobles of the realme of Fraūce and so than the truce was prolōged / to the first day of Aprill next after. Now let vs somwhat speke of the lorde Coucy & of the almayns.

WHan they of Austriche & the almayns / vnderstode that the lorde of Coucy / was cōe with such a strength to make warre. They caused to be brent and distroyed thre dayes ••ourney in to the countre / along by the ryuer. And than they went in to the moun∣tayns and places inhabytable / and so whā the lorde of Cou••y had wende to haue founde vy∣tayle for his hoost / he coude get none. Wherby he suffred that wynter moche trouble and dys∣ease / for they wyst nat whyder to go to forage / nor to gette vitayle for they•• nor their horses: so that some dyed / for hūger / colde & sicknesse. And therfore whan the springyng tyme began they returned agayne in to Fraunce / and went in to dyuers places to refresshe them selfe. And the frenche kyng sent the moost parte of the cō∣panyons in to Bretayne / and in to base Nor∣mandy to a••yde and rest there / for he thought well he shulde haue sōwhat to do in short tyme after. And at the retournyng of the lorde Cou∣••y in to Fraunce he began to be good frenche / bicause he ••ounde the kyng so amyable to con∣discende to his desyre. And also his counsayle sayd / he ne•••• nat to a voide out of his heritage vnder the shadowe of the kyng of Englandes warr: for they sayd he was frenche of name / of blode / of armes / & extraction. He sent his wyfe into Englande / and kept styll with him his el∣dest doughter / and left the yonger styll in En∣glande / wher as she had been brought vp and norisshed▪ Than y^• frenche kyng sent the lorde Coucy to Bruges to them that were ther to en¦treate for the peace / how be••t as than the great lordes were nat there / but all onely the duke of Bretayne / who was styll with his cosyn therle of Flaunders / but he busyed him selfe but lytle in the treatie for the peace. And after the feest of saynt Mychaell / whan the obsequy of the prince was done and fynisshed / than the kyng

of Englande made to be knowen to his 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ The duke of Lācastre / the erle of Cambridge / and to the lorde Thom̄s the yongest / and to all the barons / erles / prelat{is} / and knightes of En∣glande: howe that the yonge Richarde shulde be kyng after his discease. And so caused them all to swere solemly to maynteyne him / and on Christmas day the kyng made hym to sytte at his table / aboue all his owne chyldren in great estate / representyng that he shulde be ky•••••• al∣ter his discease. And there was sent to Bruges for the kyng of Englandes parte: John̄ lorde Cobham / the bysshoppe of Herforde / and the mayre of London. And for the frenche partie / thyder came the erle of Salebruche / the lorde of Chastellon / and maister Phylbert Les〈…〉〈…〉 / and the two bysshoppes embassad^r•• / alwayes went bytwene the parties treatynge for peace / and spake of a mariage to be had / bytwene the yong prince of Englande and my lady Ma••y / doughter to the frenche kyng. And so they de∣parted / aswell they of Fraūce as of Englande and so made report to bothe kynges: and than about lent there was a secrete treatie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / to be bytwene the two kyngesat Moutrell by the see. And so were sent by the kynge of En∣glande to Calais / sir Rycharde Dangle / Ry∣charde Stan / Ge••••ray Cha••••er▪ And fro the frenche kyng was sent / the lorde of Cou••y and of Riuyer / sir Nycholas Braques / and Ny∣cholas Brasier / and they along season treated on the sayd mariage. And the frenchmen offe∣red as I was enfourmed dyuers thyng••s / and they wolde haue agayne otherthynges / suche as they named or els nothyng. Than these en∣treatours went and made report to their lord{is} / and so the trewce was agayne relonged to the fyrst day of Maye / and so came agayne to Ca¦lais / the erle of Salisbury / y^• bysshop of saynt Dauyd chaūcellour of Englande and the bys∣shoppe of Herforde. And for the frenche kynge at Muttrell: there was the lorde of Coucy / sir Wylliam of Dormans chaūcellour of Fraūce / but they durst neuer trust to mete toguy ••er in any place bytwene Mutterell and Cal•••••• / nor bytwene Mutterell & Boleyn / nor in the fron∣ters for any thyng that the two bysshoppes em¦bassadours coude do orshewe. Thus these en∣treatours abode in this astate / tyll the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was expyred.

ANd whan the warr was open / than sir Hughe Caurell was sent to be kepar of Calais. Whan pope Gregoriebeynge 〈…〉〈…〉 ••non vnderstod that no peace coude be had by¦••wene Fraūce & England / he was right sorou∣sull / and ordred his busynesse shortly & went to Rome. And whan the duke of Breten who had ••e•• more than a yere with the erle of Flaūders his cosyn / sawe that y^e warr was open. he toke leaue of therle and wēt to Grauelyng / and thy∣der he came to therle of Salisbury and sir Ry∣charde Dangle / and so went with them to Ca∣lais and ther taryed the space of a moneth / and so went in to Englande and came to Shene 〈◊〉〈◊〉 foure leages fro London / a long by the Tem∣mes syde / where the kynge of Englande laye sore sy••ke. And past out of this worlde / the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 gyll ofsaynt John̄ Baptyst: y^• yere of our lorde a thousande thre hundred .lxxvii.

THan was there great sorowe made in Englande / and incontynent all the pas∣sages of the realme were stoppedde / that none shulde yssue out of the realme. For they wolde nat that the dethe of the kyng shuld be so soone knowen in Fraunce / tyll they haddeset the re∣alme in some ordre. The same tyme ther came in to Englande the erle of Salisbury / and sir Rycharde Dangle. So the body of kyng Ed∣warde the thirde: with great processyons / we∣••ynges / & lamentacyons / his sonnes behynde hym / with all the nobles and prelates of En∣glande: was brought a long the cytie of Lon∣don with open visage to Westmynster / & there he was buried besyde the quene his wyfe. And anon after the yong kyng Richard was crow∣ned at the palays of Westmynster with great solem••ytie / and by him stode the dukes of Lā∣••••llre and of Bretayne: the .xi. yere of his age in the moneth of July. The whiche day there was made four erles and nyne knightes. First the lorde Nycholas his vncle / was made ••rle of ••olengy / the lorde Percy erle of Northum∣berlande / sir Thomas Dangle erle of Hun∣tyngdon / the lorde Mombray erle of Notyng¦ham. And the yonge kyng was putte vnto the rule of the gentyll knyght sir Rycharde Dan∣gle / by the accorde of all the lande / to be instru∣••ted in noble vertues / and the realme of En∣glande / to be gouerned by the duke of Lanca∣stre. And as soone as the frenche kynge knewe of the dethe of kynge Edwarde / he sayd: howe ••yght••obly / and valiantly he hadde reyg••ed: and well he ought to be putte newly in remem¦••raunce / amonge the nombre of the worthyes. Than he assembled a great nombre of the no∣bles and prelat{is} of his realme / and dyd his ob∣s••quy in y^e holy chapell in his palys at Paris.

And anone after dyed y^e eldest doughter of the frenche kyng / who was ensured to haue been maryed to Wylliam of Heynault / eldest sonne of duke Aubert.