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 duke of Aniou toke by force saynt Macayre / and the towne of Duras by assaute / & dyuers other forteresses agaynst the englisshmen. Cap. CCC .xxi. (Book 321)

DAyly the dukes hoost multiplyed and encreased / for men came to hym fro all partes / as knyghtes & squi¦ers to auaūce their bodyes. So the siege was layne be¦fore saynt Macayre & with¦in were all suche men of warre as were goone out of suche fortresses as had ben yelden vp be¦fore wherby the towne was y^e strōger / & the bet¦ter defended / ther was dyuers great assautes made / and many a fayre 〈…〉〈…〉ysshe before the barryers. Than the duke and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or¦••ayned the siege endurynge / that certayne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with their companyes shulde 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉〈◊〉. And so the men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 armes sprad abrode. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 y^• ma••shal•• of Fraū∣ce with a great route / sir Percyuall of M••••••••ll norman / and Wylliam of Moncontoure with a great company▪ 〈…〉〈…〉 men of armes were a brode in the feldes〈…〉〈…〉ayes / and toke dyuer•• townes and small holdes / & brought the coū••••e all aboute / vnder the obeysance of the frenche kyng. there were none that withstode them for the countre was voyde / & vnprouyded of men of warre of thenglysshe part / and they y^t s••edde went to Burd••ur. And than these men of war•• returned agayne to y^e hoost / they of saynt Ma∣cayre knewe well / howe they coude nat long 〈◊〉〈◊〉¦dure / and it was dayly shewed thē / that if they were taken by force they shulde all dye without mercy / wherof they douted. And the comons se¦cretly treated with y^e frenchmen to yelde vp the towne their lyues and goodes saued. The mē of warr within parceyuing well their ententes douted greatly the comons / y^t they shuld make some yuell bargayne for them. Wherfore they brue thē to the castell / whiche was right strong and able to be kept / & therin they put all y^t they had / & some pyllage of the towne: than they of the towne, yelded vp / & put thē selfe vnder the o∣••eysance of the frenche kyng. Tidynges cāe to the duke whyle he lay at siege before Moutse∣gu••e / how that y^e duches his wyfe was at Tho¦••ouse / & was ther delyuered of a sonne / wherof the duke and all his hoost was right ioyouse / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were of the more hardynes / to atempt dedes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 armes. Assone as saynt Ma••ayre was gyue•• ••p / the duke entred & all his / and eased and re∣fresshed thē / for in the towne was good loging and well furnysshed. & so y^e castell was h••s••ged and ••••gy••s ••eysed before it the which dyd 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉ylous great stones of yron / which great 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉hed thē within. And thus whyle y^• duke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 at this siege true tidynges cāe to him of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Duras & of the lorde Rosen / brought by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 haraud{is} / & that was ••••••ely how they were ••••the become englysshe agayne. Than y^• duke sayd / let vs make an end here & than I wyll go and lay siege before Duras / & so made a ••••irse assaut to the castell / for he wolde nat ••eau•• it be ••••nd him. And they of y^• castell sawe how they were a••••ailed on all sydes and codde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no ••onfort / and sawe well how the duke nor the cā∣••••able wolde nat de{per}te thens tyll they had y^• ca∣stell at their wyll o••ther with fayrnesse or fou••∣nesse. So all thynge cōsydred / they fell in 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 yelded vp the castell / their lyues & goodes 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ & they were receyued & coueyed to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉 And so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Macayres towne & 〈◊〉〈◊〉

was become frenche / and therin the duke made newe capitayns / and than disloged and toke y^e way towarde Duras / and so long he rode that he came before Duras. And at the firste apro∣chyng the duke ordayned to assayle the towne / and euery man prepared for the saut / & the cros¦bowes before well pauessed. And so they apro∣ched to the towne / and some had ladders redy to mount / ther began a sore and a cruell assaut and suche as mounced / fought hande to hande with thē within. This assaut endured a longe space / on the ladders ther were done many fea¦tes of armes / as in fightynge hande to hande. This assaut endured the most parte of the day than at last the trumpettes sowned the retreat / and so euery man drewe to his logyng for that night. The same tyme there came to the hoost / sir Alayne de la Haye / and sir Alayne of saynt Poule / and with them a great company of bre¦tons / who had ryden towarde Lyburne / & had assayled an englysshe garyson / named Cadyl∣lac / the whiche they had taken byforce / & slayne all them within. In the mornynge / the duke of Aniou cōmaunded euery man to go to the as∣saut: desyringe them to do their best / and by a haralude made to be cryed through the hoost / who soeuer entred first in to Duras / shulde ha¦ue in rewarde / fyue hūdred frankes. For couy∣tousnesse of wynning of this rewarde / many a one auaunced and ico{per}ded themselfe / so there were many ladders anone reared vp agaynst the walles. There was a feirse assaute / for the yong knightes and squyers desyring to auaū∣ce their bodyes / aduētured them selfe right va¦liantly. The lorde of Langurant was moūted vpon a ladder / his swerde in his hande one of the first / and payned him selfe moch to haue en¦tred first into the towne / nat for wynning of the fyue hundred frākes / but to exalt his name: for he was sore displeased with y^e lorde of Duras / bycause he was tourned so lightly englysshe a∣gayne. The lorde Langurant dyde that daye marueyls in armes / so that his owne men / and also strangers had marueyle of his dedes. He auaūced hymselfe so moche forwarde / that he put his lyfe in great ieopardy. For they within by clene force rased the helme of his heed / and so had ben deed withoute remedy and a squyer of his hadde nat ben / who folowed him so nere that he rouered hym with his targe. And the lorde and he togyder discended downe the lad∣der lytell & lytell / and in their dyscendyng they receyued on y^e targe many a great stroke. they were greatly praysed of all that sawe them. Al∣so there was sir Trystram of Roy / and sir Per¦cyuall Daneuall on another ladder / assayling and sautyng right valiantly. In lyke wise dyd sir John̄ Jumont and sir John̄ of Rosey / eche of them doyng marueyls in armes / and at ano¦ther lope of the wall on a ladder / there was the lorde of Sereell / and fought hande to hande with his enemyes / so that euery man that sawe hym sayd / if there were any likely to entre in to the towne / he was semyng to be the first. The knight dyde nat aduenture hym selfe all onely for the profyte / but rather to gette honour: but the fortunes of warre be ryght peryllous / and so it happed to hym / for he was putte downe fe¦ersly with a glayue / so that he fell downe to the botome of the dyke / and with the fall brake his necke / and ther he dyed. And in lyke case dyed an other squyer of Bretayne / who bare in his armes: goules / two cheurons chekard: golde / syluer / and asure: of whose dethe the constable was sore displeased. Than the assaut began to be fiersar on euery part / the lorde of Mucydēt proued that day a good knyght / & shewed well by his dedes howe he was a true frenche man. So thus byforce the towne of Duras was cō∣quered / and the first that entred was sir Try∣stram of Roy and sir John̄ of Rosey: than the men of warre within the towne fledde in to the castell.