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 scrymisshes done before Ber¦gerath: & howe the englisshmen / frē∣chemen / gascoyns and other: feirlly recoūtred eche other. Ca. CCC .xix. (Book 319)

IT was so that sir Tho∣mas Felton beyng at Bur∣deaulx / and knowynge that his enemyes were w^tin .xii. myle of him / with such a pu∣yssaunce that he was nat a∣ble to resyst agaynst them / wherof he was nothyng ioyouse. And all that season he knewe well / howe the duke of Aniou had made his somons / and had sente for all the states of Fraunce. Than he sent worde therof into England to the kyng and to his coūsayle / but they that he sent thyder dyde lytell good or nothyng in the matter. For the realme of En∣glande was as than in great bariaūce among them selfe / one agaynst an other / and specially the duke of Lancastre was nat in the fauoure of the comen people / wherby dyuers incydent parels fell after in England. the whiche season there de{per}ted no men of warr out of England / nother to go in to Gascoyne / nor yet in to Bre∣tayne. Wherof they that kepte those fronters / vnder the yonge kynge of Englande / were no¦thyng ioyouse. Than sir Thom̄s Felton desi∣red the lorde Lespare to go in to Englande the better to enfourme the kyng and his vncles of the state of Gascoyn and therby to prouyde coū¦sayle for them. And so at the desyre of sir Tho∣mas Felton / the lorde Lespare entred in to the¦see but there rose suche a tempest agaynst him that he was driuen in to Spayne / & there was encountred by shippes of Spayne / and hadde ther a great bataile and suche was his fortune that there he was taken prisoner / & ledde in to Spayne / and there remayned more thā a yere and a halfe / for he was styll behated with them of the lynage of the lorde Pomers. sir Thom̄s Felton / who was a right valyaūte man / wrote and sent specially for the lord of Musident / the lorde Duras / the lorde Rosen / and for the lorde Langurant / who were foure of the chefe baro∣nes and moost puyssaūte in all Gascoyn / of the englisshe party / desiryng them that for the ho∣nour and herytage of the kynge of Englande / they wolde come and helpe to defende the coun¦tre / and to cōe with all their puyssance to Bur∣deaulx. So than all knyghtes / suche as wolde truely acquyte thē to their kyng and lorde and to his officers / were redy come to Burdeaulx. And whan they were all togyder / they were to the nōbre of .v. hundred speares / and thus they were at Burdeaux and in Burdeloys / the sea∣son whyle the duke of Aniou lay at siege before Bergerath. than sir Thomas Phelton & those foure barones of Gascone toke their counsayle & aduyse / & determyned to ryde forthe agaynst the frenchmen / and to entre in to some place to se if they myght spye any aduauntage / to con∣quere any thyng agaynst their enemyes. And so they departed out of Burdeaux in one com∣pany / mo than thre hundred speares / and toke the way to Ryoll and so came to a towne called yuret & there lodged. Of this busshmēt knewe nothyng the frenchmen wherby they had great domage. Thus helde styll the siege before Ber¦gerath wher many a scrimishe was made / and many a seate of armes acheued / bothe by them within and thē without / how beit lytell wanne therby the frenchmen / for sir Parducas Dal∣bret who was capitayne / defended valiauntly the towne. Than they of the hoost without / to thentent to greue the sorer their enemyes / they sent to Rioll for a great engyn called the truye. This engyn was so made y^t it wolde cast great stones / and a hūdred men of armes myght well be within it / to aproche to assayle the towne. sir Peter de Bulle was ordeyned to fetche this en∣gyn / and with him sir John̄ of Uers / sir Baud¦wen Cremoux / sir Alayn Beaumont / the lord••

o•• Mount calay and the lorde of Gaures. And so they departed fro the hoost about a thre hun∣dred speares and passed by a gyde the ryuer of Dordon and rode towarde Ryoll. And so they came forby a place bitwene Bergerath and Ri¦oll called yuret / wher as the englisshmen were mo than four hundred speares / and knewe no∣thyng of the comyng of the frenchmen. Tidyn∣ges 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the hoost to the constable / that the en¦glysshmen were ridynge abrode: but no man coude tell where they were. Than incontynent the constable for doute of his men sent out ano∣ther company of men of armes / to be a counter∣garde to the foragers that were gone before for the engyn. Of the whiche newe company there were capitayns sir Peter of Mornay / yuan of Wales / Thybault of Pount / and Alyotte of Calay. In that company ther was a two hun∣dred men of armes well apoynted / sir Peter of Bulle and his company who were gone for the engyn / dyde so moche that they came to Ryoll / and ther charged many chares with the engyn and so returned agayne towardes the hoost by another waye (than as they came) and a more broder passage bicause of their cariage. and so are they came to yuret or nere thervnto within a leage they had a fayre aduēture / for ther they mette with the other company of their owne fe¦lowshy•• / and whan they were all togyder they were a .vi. hundred speares / than they rode at more leyser / thynking themselfe more insuerty than they were before. than tydinges cāe to sir Thom̄s Phelton and to y^e barons of Gascoyn bryng at yuret / how the frēchmen were abrode and were comynge fro Ryoll to passe that way towardes Bergerath with a great engyn. Of the whiche tydinges they were ryght ioyouse / and sayd: how it was the thynge y^e they moost desired. Than they armed them and mounted on their horses and made them selfe redy / and whan they were abrode in the felde / it was nat long after but that they sawe where the french¦men were comynge in good ordre / and a great nombre. And assoone as eche of them knewe o∣ther reputynge eche other enemyes / desirynge to auance to fight in prouyng their horses / and couchyng their speares and crieng their cryes / they encountred eche other. At the fyrst me∣tyng there was a goodly iustes / and noble de∣des of armes acheued / and many a knight and squier ouet throwen to the etthe / by clene force of armes / in such ••ylous poyntes many a hard auēture falleth. Ther Helyot of Calay a right experte squter and a good man of armes / was striken fro his horse & was stryken in the throte with a tauelyn of Burdeaux / as sharpe as a ra¦sure / the whiche stroke cut a sonder the vaynes of his necke and so he fell to the erthe / and ther dyed whiche was great domage / for by that ad¦uenture he ended his tyme and dayes. There was a knight of Berrey or of Lymosyn / called sir Wyllm̄ of Lignac / an experte man of armes and a valyant / who dyde the same day many a valiant dede of armes.