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 duke of ••••∣iou made agaynst thenglisshmen / in the countre of Burdeloyse. Cap. CCC .xviii. (Book 318)

YE haue well herde here be∣fore howe the duke of Burgoyne made a viage into the marches of Picardy / the which was right ho∣norable for him / & profytable for y^t frenchmen. & howe he ordeyned in Arthoise / in such castels as were in his possession capytens and men of warre to kepe them / and specyally in the towne of Iper / he stallysshed to abyde there the vycounte of Meaulx and the lorde of saynt Pee / and they newly fortifyed the towne how be it / it was stronger ynough before. The frenche kynge who was ryght glad of those ty∣dingess and reputed y^t iourney right honoura∣ble / he sent incontynent his letters to saynt O∣mers / and cōmaunded that the towne of Ayre shulde be well garnysshed / and well and large∣ly prouyded of all necessaryes / and all thynge was done as he cōmaunded. so thus this iour∣ney brake vp / howbeit the lorde of Clisson and the bretons brake nat their cōpany but assoone as they myght they drewe them to Bretayne / for tidynges was come to y^e lorde Clysson and to y^• bretons whyle they were before Ayre / how that Janequyn de Clere / a squier of Englande and a good mā of armes was issued out of En¦glande and come in to Bretayne / and kept the bastydes before Breest. Wherfore the bretons drewe thyder as fast as they might / & brought with theym sir Jaques of Uertayne seneshall of Heynalt / and the duke of Burgoyne retour∣ned in to Fraunce to the kyng his brother.

¶ The same season there was a great assem∣bly of men of armes in the marches of Burde∣uux / at the cōmaundement of y^e duke of Aniou and of the constable. And they had a iourney a¦gaynst the gascoyns and englisshmen / wherof I shall speke more playnly / whan I shalbe bet¦ter enfourmed therof / than I am as yet. The same tyme that the duke of Burgoyn made his armye in Picardy as it hath been shewed be∣fore. The duke of Aniou was in the good cytie of Tholouse with the good lady his wyfe / and night and day he ymagined subtelly: howe he myght do some thyng contrary to thenglyss∣men. for he sawe & knewe well howe there were dyuers townes and castelles a longe the ryue•• of Dordone and in the fronters of Rouurgue / Tholosen / and Duercy / that cōstreyned great¦lye the countre / and traueyled moche the poore people vnder their obeysance. Wherfore he ad¦uysed to prouyde therfore some remedy / and so determyned in his mynde to go and laye siege to Bergerath / bycause it was the kaye of Ga∣scoyne as on the fronter of Rouuergue / Duer∣cy and Lunosyn. And bicause y^t he knewe that dyuers great barones of Gascoyne were con∣trary to him as the lorde of Duras / the lorde of Rosen / the lorde of ••ucydent / y^t lorde of Lan∣gurant / the lorde of Guernols / and of Carles / sir Peter of Landuras and dyuers other. ther¦fore he aduysed to make hym selfe stronge and puyssante / and made a great assemble to resyst

agaynst the sayd lordes and to be so stronge to kepe the felde. Than he wrote to sir Johan of Armynake / desirynge hym nat to fayle at that b••synes / & in likewise he sent to the lorde Dal∣bret: and all o he sent in to Fraunce for the con∣stable & marshall of Fraunce / sir Loys of Sā∣xere. and beside all this the lorde of Coucy and dyuers other knight{is} and squiers in Picardy / in Britayne and in Normandy: desired great¦ly and had great wyll to serue him / & to auaūce their bodies by feates of armes to acheue to ho¦nour and praise / and ther was come to him the constable and marshall of Fraunce. The duke knewe well howe ther was a great discorde by¦twene the cosyns & frendes of the lorde of Po∣inters gascons and sir Thom̄s Phelton great 〈…〉〈…〉shall of Burdeux and Burdeloys / the rea∣son 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cause why / I shall shewe you here after.

BEfore that tyme in the yere of our lorde a thousande thre hūdred .lxxv. ther was done a cruell iustyce in the cytie of Burdeaux / done and comprised by sir Thomas Phelton / lieutenant to the kyng of Englande in the mar¦ches of Burdeur / on the lorde of Pomiers cal∣led sir Wyllm̄ & all by maner of treason / wher∣of there was had great marueyle. In the cytie of Burdeur at the comaundement of the sene∣shall was taken the lorde of Pomers & a clerke of his counsayle and secretary / of the nacyon of Burdeau•• / called Johan Coulone and it was proued on them as I was infourmed / how the lorde of Pomiers shulde yelde himselfe and all his castels to the frenche parte / so that he coude make non excuse to saue him fro deth / wherfore the lorde of Pomiers and his clerke were open¦lye beheeded in the cytie of Burdeux / before all the people / wherof there was hadde great mer∣ueyle. And they of his lynage toke that dede in great dispyte / and thervpon departed fro Bur¦deu•• and fro Burdeloys the gentyll knight sir Edmond of Pomiers / vncle to the forsaid lord of Pomiers and toke that dede in great shame and sware y^• for the kyng of Englāde he wolde neuer deare armur / & so he went ouer the see to the holy sepulchre / and to dyuers other pylgri∣mages / and whan he retourned / he turned him¦selfe frenche and put him selfe and all his land{is} vnder the obeysance of the frenche kynge. And incontynent defyed the lorde Lespare gascone / and made to hym great warre / bycause he was at the forsayd iudgement / and also for the same cause & suspectyon / bycause the castell of Fron∣••a•• was taken / and delyuered in to the frenche hādes whiche was of the herytage of the lorde Pomiers before beheeded / ther was taken for the same suspect of treason / sir Johan of Ples∣sac / sir Peter of Landuras and sir Bertram of Fraunce and were put in prison in Burdeaur / & so remayned y^• space of. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. monethes / howe¦be it after they were delyuered by y^• labour and purchase of their frendes / & bycause ther coude nothyng be proued agaynst them. Thus they endured a longe space in great daunger / and in the same case / wordes ran agaynst sir Gaylart Uyghier wherof was had great marueyle / for he was nat in the countrey / he was in Lombar¦dy with the lorde of Coucy in y^• seruyce of pope Gregorie / who helped to excuse hym whan he herde of that reporte / and so the knyght abode styll by his right. so there engēdred in Gascon for suche besynes great hatredes and couert en¦uy / wherby fell after many great myscheues.

WHan the duke of Aniowe sawe / that it was tyme for him to de{per}te out of Tho¦louse / and that the moost parte of his men of warr were come to him and drawen in to the felde / & specially the constable of Frāce / in whome he had great trust and confydence. Than he departed fro Tholouse / and toke the right way to Bergerath / and keper therof and capitayn was {ser} Parducas Dalbret / who was in a castell a lytell leage fro Languedoc / called Mou••ux a ryght fayre castell. so longe trauey∣led the duke of Anious hoost / that they aryued before Bergerath / & so lodged about it as nigh the ryuer as they might / for y^e ease of them selfe and of their horses. there was with the duke of Aniou many noble men. fyrst sir Johan of Ar∣mynake with a great rout / the cōstable of Fraū¦ce with a great company / sir Loys of Sanxer sir John̄ of Bulle / Peter of Bulle / yuan of Wa¦les / sir Mores Trisiquidi / who somtyme was on the englisshe parte of Bretayne / but as than he was one of the french bretons / also sir Alayn of Beaumont / sir Alayn of Housey / sir Wylli∣am and Peter of Mornay / sir Johan of Uers / sir Baudwyn Cremoux / Thybalte of Pount / Helyot of Calay / and dyuers other good men of warre. Ther they made their lodgynges a∣longe the fayre medowes / by the ryuer syde of Dordon / which was great pleasur to beholde. nere to the dukes lodgyng was the constable of Fraunce lodged / often tymes these company∣ons desired to auaunce their bodyes / and went and scrimysshed at the barryers / and soo some were hurte and wounded / as aduenture falleth

often tymes in suche dedes of armes / The s••••i¦day after the siege was layd before Bergerath there came in to the dukes hoost / well acompa∣nyed with men of armes and brigātes / the lord Dalbret and sir Bertram his cosyn: they were receyued with great ioye for y^• hoost was gret∣lye enforsed by thē. The .viii. day the duke an•• the capitayns of the hoost were in counsayle to se howe they myght greue them of Bergerath / there were dyuers wordes and deuyses / & they were long at one poynt / whiche was to assayle the towne. than it was thought agayne that by their assautes / their people myght be sore hurt and to lytell effect / and so for that day the coun∣sayle brake vp / and determyned on no full con∣clusyon / sauyng to contynewe styll their siege / for they loked dayly for mo men of warre com∣mynge out of Fraunce / and specially the lorde of Coucy.