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 the englisshmen were ouer throwen / and the greattest lordes of Gascon taken / and howe Bergerath tourned and became frenche / and dy¦uerse other townes & castels in those marches / by the army that the duke of Aniou made. Cap. CCC .xx. (Book 320)

THis sayd encoūter was well fought on bothe partes in a place called yuret / nere to y^e village. whan their spe¦res were broken / they drewe their swerd{is} / wherwith they fought ryght valiātly. there was doone many a noble feate of armes / many prisoners taken and rescued agayne / and there was slayne of the englysshe partie / a knight of Gascone called the lorde of Gernos and of Ca∣lais / and of the frenche parte there was slayne / Thybaulte du Pount. This batayle endured a longe season and well fought / for there were many valyant men / the which caused the batell to endure the lenger but fynally the englysshe∣men nor y^e gascons coude nat obtayne the place The frenchmen conquered the victory by clene force of armes / and there {ser} Wylliam of Lignac with his owne handes toke prisoner / sir Tho∣mas Phelton seneshall of Burdeux / there was also taken the lorde of Mucydent / the lorde of Duras / the lorde of Langurant / and the lorde Rosen / and in y^e batayle there were but a fewe that scaped / outher englysshe or gascoyns / but they were taken or slayne. And suche as sledde toke the way towarde Burdeaux / and encoun∣tred the seneshall of Landes / sir Wylliam Hel∣men the mayre of Burdeaux / and sir Johan of Multon with a hūdred speares / who wers ••••••¦myng

to yuret / but whan they herde tyding{is} of the losse of the felde / they retourned agayne in all hast to Burdeaux.

AFter this batayle was clene done / and the prisoners putte in saue garde / than they retourned to Bergerath to the siege. The duke of Aniou was greatly reioysed of those ti¦dynges / whan he harde howe his men hadde sped / and howe the flour of all Gascoyne of his enemyes were taken prisoners and specially sir Thomas Phelton / who had done hym before many a great displeasure. He reputed this ad∣uenture of more valure than .v. hundred thou∣sande frankes. sir Peter of Bulle and his com∣pany / at last retourned and came agayne to the hoost before Bergerath / and they were well re∣ceyued and brought to y^e duke of Aniou / by the constable / barons / and knyghtes / and by their frēdes: and they reputed this a noble and a pro¦fytable iourney for them. The next mornynge the great engyn was rered vp agaynst Berge∣rath as nere as myght be / the whiche greatlye abasshed them of the towne. And so they tooke counsayle toguyder and spake with their capi∣tayne / for they sawe well they coulde nat longe endure / nor they coulde parceyue no maner of socoure comyng to them warde. Consydering howe sir Thom̄s Phelton their seneshall was taken and all the chiualry of Gascon / in whom they shuld haue had any trust. Sir Perducass sayd to thē. sirs: we are strong ynough to kepe the towne / and we haue vitayle and artillary sufficyent / therfore let vs make none euyll mar¦chandise. So the mater abode styll in that case¦tyll the next mornynge that they sowned in the hoost trumpettes to the assawte / and the con∣stable of Fraūce beyng in the felde / or he wolde assayle the towne / in exchewynge of hurtynge of his men / sent to speke with them of Berge∣rathe and made to be shewed to them / howe he hadde all their capitayns prisoners / by whom they shulde haue any ayde or socour / and howe they were in the case to become frenche / and to put themselfe and their landes vnder the obey∣sance of the frenche kynge. And also he shewed them / that if they were assayled and taken by force / howe all the towne shulde be putte to the fyre: and men / women / & chyldren to y^e swerde / without any mercy. These wordes abasshed greatlye them of Bergerath / and they desyred to take counsayle and so they dyd / than the bur∣gesses of the towne went to counsayle without callyng of their capitayne / and they agreed to become frenche / soo they myght lyue peasably without hauynge any men of warre amonge them / the whiche was lightly agreed to them. and whan sir Perducas Dalbret their capiten herde of that treatie / he mounted on his horse & made his men to passe ouer the bridge / and so departed and went to the garyson of Moneyn and Bergerah yelded vp to the frenche parte. And the constable of Fraunce toke possessyon therof / and set therin a capitayne & men of war to kepe it. Whan y^t Bergerath was thus tour∣ned french / the duke of Aniou was counsayled to go forthe and to ley siege to Chastellon on y^e ryuer of Dordone The tidynges therof spred abrode in the felde / and euery man prepared to go thyder: as the duke / the constable and all o∣ther men of warre: except the marshall of Fraū¦ce who abode behynde to abyde for the lorde of Coucy / who came the same night. and the mar¦shall rode to mete him with a great company & receyued him right amyably / and so taryed all that night in the same place / wher as the duke had ben the night before. The duke y^e same day came to a fayre medowe in his way to Chastel∣lon / on the ryuer of Dordon. And with y^e lorde of Coucy ther was sir Edmond of Pomyers / sir Tristram of Roy / the lorde of Faignels / the lorde of Jumont / sir John̄ of Rosey / sir Robr̄t of Cleremont / and dyuers other knightes and squyers. And in the mornynge they depted fro their lodgynge and rode in the company of the marshall of Fraunce / tyll they came to the duk{is} hoost / wher they were receyued with great ioy goyng towarde Chastellon / in a towne called saynt Foy or the vowarde came to Chastello / and assayled the towne of saynt Foye right fe∣ersly. Within the towne there were no men of warre / and so made but small defence & wolde haue yelded them vp / and in their yelding they were all pylled and robbed. So the siege was layd about Chastellon / & endured a .xv. dayes there were many scrimysshes before the barry∣ers / for within the towne were dyuers englissh¦men and gascoyns / suche as fledde fro the dys∣confyture of yuret / who right valiantly defen∣ded the towne. And suche lordes of Gascone as were taken prisoners before / were with y^e duke of Aniou in his hoost / and dyd asmoch as they might to cause the towne to yelde vp to y^e duke howe beit sir Thomas Phelton dyde nothyng in the mater / bycause he was an englysshman. And also he that toke hym prisoner sir John̄ of Liguac had as than put hym to his raunsome / to pay .xxx. M. frankes / and whan the money

〈◊〉〈◊〉 as payed he / was d••lyuered but y^• was nat so ••••••ne. So long these four barons of Gascone were desyred & ••ntysed to becōe frenche / that at last they were content / & made promyse to y^• du¦ke of An••ou by their faithes and honours to be euer good frenche•• bothe themselfe and their lā¦des. And so by that meanes the duke of Aniou delyuered them quyte and fre / and so departed ••ro the duke on that promyse. the lorde of Du∣••as and the lorde of Rosen / to thentent to go in¦to their owne countreis. And the lorde of Lan∣••uras and the lorde of Mu••y••ent abode styll in the hoost with the duke at their pleasur / and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 daylye with hym in his lod∣〈…〉〈…〉▪ These barons of Gascoyne founde the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 right ••••yable / to let them passe 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 as he dyde / whiche he repented after as 〈…〉〈…〉 shewe you howe.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 lorde of Duras / and the lorde of Ro¦•••••• / after they were departed and were in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ they comuned togyder ▪ and sayde. ••owe may we well serue the duke of Aniowe and the frenchmen ▪ ••••the we haue alwayes be•• good 〈◊〉〈◊〉 / therfore it were moche bett•••• ••or••s to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our p••••myse to the duke of An∣〈…〉〈…〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the kyng of Englande is our naturall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and hath done moche for vs. And so they concluded to go to Burdeaur and to shewe the 〈…〉〈…〉 of ••and as sir Wyllm̄ ••elman howe th〈…〉〈…〉 wyse abyde frenche. So 〈…〉〈…〉the togyder tyll they came to Bur¦〈…〉〈…〉 they were receyued with great ••oy 〈…〉〈…〉 that they were become fren¦che. ••han the ••en••shall and the mayre of Bur∣〈…〉〈…〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of them howe they had done / the•• answered: that by cōstraynt and manas∣••hyng•• / and for feare of their lyues / they were ••ay••e ••o promyse to the duke of Aniou to becōe french. But sirs we say to you playnly that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 maky•••• of our promyse ▪ alwayes in our hert•• we res••••••ed our faythes to our naturall lorde the kynge of Englande. And therfore what so∣euer we haue said or done▪ we wyll neuer becōe 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the whiche wordes the knyghtes of England were right ••oyouse▪ sayeng that they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them selfe right val••ātly to their lorde and 〈◊〉〈◊〉. About a fyue dayes after / the duke 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 beyng ••••yll before Chastello•• / worde came to 〈◊〉〈◊〉: how the lorde Duras & the lorde Rosen were turned agayne and becōe englyshe of the whiche the duke the constable and other 〈…〉〈…〉. Than y^e duke sent for the lorde of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and for the lorde of ••ang•• 〈…〉〈…〉 the mater / and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ded of them what they sayd thervnto. The lo••¦des who were rightsore displeased / sayd. Sir thought they breke their promises / we wyll••at breke ours. For sir ▪ that we haue promysed we wyll vpholde / for it can be no reproche to vs / to abyde vnder your obeysance / syth your men cō¦quered vs by clene force of armes. Sirs {quod} the duke I beleue you well: and If were by god / y^• whan I deptehens / the first thyng that I wyll do / shalbe to ley siege bef••re y^e to wne of Duras and next to y^e towne of Rosen. Thus the duke of Aniowe abode styll before the towne of Cha¦stellon ryght sore displeased / with th••se two for sayd lordes of Gascoyne. This towne of Cha∣stellon parteyned to y^e herytage of the Captall of Be•••••• whome the frenche kyng had in pri∣son in Parys. the siege thus enduryng before Thas••••••lon ther fell a great famyn▪ nother for golde nor syluer coulde be gotte any thynge to lyue by / so y^• the frenchmen were fayne to ryde a. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. or .xv. myles to gette any vitayle for the hoost / and often tymes they returned agayne in great parell / for there were dyuers castelles and forteresses englysshe on the fronters / the whiche issued out and made busshmentes / and encountred them at streyghtes / and passages. and whan they sawe they were strong ynough for y^e frenche foragers / they wolde set on them / and hurt / & ••lee many of them / and take away their vitayls / wherfore the frenchmen durste not ryde but in great companyes. So long the siege endured that they within were so cōstray ••••d / what with assawtes & with engyns / that they were fayne to yelde them vp / their lyues and goodes saued. and so all the men of warre within de{per}ted with bagge and baggage / and wēt to saynt Macayre / wher ther was a good towne and a stronge castell. Whan Chastellon was yelded vp / the duke of Aniou toke posses∣sion therof / & faythe and homage of the dwel∣lers within the towne / and there he sette newe officers / and made capitayne ther a knyght of Thowrayn / called sir James Moūtmartyn. And whan the duke departed thens / he tooke his aduyse whyder he shulde drawe / than he was counsayled to goo to saynt Maryne / but in his way there were dyuers lytell forteresses whiche the duke thought nat good to be left be hynde him / bi••awse of his foragers / & so fyr•••• he laydsiege to Sauueter / and than tidynges came to the duke otherwyse than he had harde before of the lorde Duras / and of the lorde Ro¦•••••• it was sayd howe surely they were at Bur∣deau•• / but vnder what maner they could〈…〉〈…〉

as than knowe / whiche wordes spra•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the hoost / and so came to the herynge of the lorde Mucydent / and of the lorde 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Than they spake to the lorde of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and so sir Peter of Bulle desirynge thē to helpe to ex∣cuse the sayd lordes: sayng how it was a great symplenes to beleue so lyghtly such fleyng wor¦des / and so they promysed to do ▪ and so spake to the duke therof / and he answered and sayd / he wolde be ryght glad to here & knowe the con∣trary of that he had harde before. This 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was before Sauueterre / whiche helde but thre dayes / for y^• capitayne yelded vp the forter••••••e sauynge his lyfe and all his / and their goodes. and so the duke passed forth and came to saynt Basyll a good towne / whiche incontynent y••l∣ded vp / and put them selfe vnder the obeysance of the frenche kyng. And than the duke went to Mountsegure / and at the fyrst he gaue assaut and myst it: and so lodged for that nyght. And the next mornyng they made them redy agayn to the assawte / wherof they within were abas∣shed and went to counsayle / and finally conclu∣ded to yelde vp the towne / their lyues and g••∣des saued / & so they were receyued. Than the duke rode farder / and came to a closed towne bytwene saynt Ma••ayre and the Ryoll / called Amberoche. Ther the duke was four dayes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he could haue it / & than by treaty it was gyue•• vp. And thā the duke went to saynt 〈◊〉〈◊〉.