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 erle of Northūberlande wan agayne the castell of Berwike / and howe he entred puyssantly in to Scotlande. Cap. C C C .xxiii.

SO longe rode Thome∣lyn Fryant that he cāe to An∣wyke early in the mornynge / and the lorde Percy / was as than in his bedde. Neuerthe¦lesse he dyde so moche that he spake with hym / for his busy¦nesse had hast / and sayd. Sir: the scottes hath this mornyng taken by stelth the castell of Ber¦wyke. And sir the capitayne of the towne hath sente me hyder to you / to gyue you knowledge therof / seyng ye be warden of all this countre. Whanne the erle herde those tidynges he made hast as moche as he might / to conforte them of Berwike / and sent out letters and messangers ouer all the coūtre to knightes squyers & other to cōe to Berwike incōtynēt / to helpe and ayde hym agaynst the scottes / who hadde taken by stelth the castell of Berwyke. Anone this was knowen through the coūtre / and so euery man departed fro their owne houses knightes / squi¦ers / archers / and crosbowes. And to Anwyke came the lorde Neuyll / the lorde Lucy / y^e lorde of Blelles / y^e lorde of Graystoke / the lorde staf∣forde / the capitayne of Newcastell / and a right valyant knight called sir Thom̄s Mosgraue. And so first came to Berwyke the erle of Nor∣thumberlande / and euery day people came thy¦der to hym / so that he was a tenne thousande¦men / or there about. and than besieged the ca∣stell so nere / that a byrde coulde nat come oute without knowledge. And than they began to myne vnder the castell / the soner to cōe to their ententes of the scottes / and to wynne agayne the castell. Than tidynges came to the barow∣nes of Scotlande / howe the erle / barownes / knightes / and squiers / of Northumberlande / habde besieged their company in the castell of Berwike. And so they were all determyned to go and reyse vp the siege / and to refresshe and vitayle the castell / and they all sayd: howe Aly¦saunder Ramseys enterprice / was valyauntly atempted. And sir Archambault Duglas con∣stable of Scotlande / sayde. Alysaunder is my cosyn: it cometh of a noble gentyll hert / to en∣terprise suche a feate / as for to wynne the castell of Berwyke / and we ought all greatly to com∣fort and helpe hym in his dede. And if we may

〈◊〉〈◊〉 the siege, it shall tourne to our great no∣blenesse wherfore lette vs go thyder. And ther they ordayned who shulde go with hym & who shulde byde. And so he toke with hym fyue hun¦dred speares of the best of all the hoost: and so they rode for the towarde Berwyke. Tidyng{is} came to the englysshe lordes at Berwyke / how the scottes were comynge to reyse their siege & to reuitayle the castell. Than they went to coū∣sayle / and so determyned to take a place and to abyde their enemyes and to fight with them / it was all their desyre. and so the lorde Percy cau¦sed all his company to be redy armed and apa∣relled to fight / and to make their musters. and so they founde them selfe to the nombre of thre thousande men of armes / and seuyn thousande archers. And whan the erlesawe that he had so great a nombre he sayd / lette vs kepe our place we are men ynough to fight with all the puys∣saunce of Scotlande. And so they abode in a fayre playne without Berwike / in two batails in good order. And they had nat been there the space of an houre / but that they sawe certayne currours of the scottes well horsed / ridynge to aduyse thenglisshe hoost. Ther were certayne knight{is} and squyers wolde gladly haue ryden to them to haue scrimysshed with them / but the lorde Percy wolde nat suffre them: but sayde let their hole bataile come / for if they wyll fight with vs they wyll aproche nerer to vs. So the englysshmen kept them selfe styll close togyder and the scottes came so nere them / that they ad¦uysed well their two batayls / and the nombre of their people. And whan these currours had well aduysed the dealyng of the englysshmen / than they retourned to their maisters / and she∣wed them all that they had sene / and sayd. sirs / we haue ryden so nere to the englysshe hoost / y^t we haue well aduysed all their behauyng / and sirs / we say vnto you: they be redy abidyng for you in two fayre batails in a fayre playne / and in euery batayle a .v. thousand men. Therfore nowe take good aduyse / we aproched them so nere that they {per}ceyued well howe we were cur¦rours of Scotlande / but they wolde nat styrre nor send out one man to rynne at vs. Whan sir Archambalt Duglas and the knight{is} of Scot¦lande herde that tidynges they were pensyue / and sayd / we can nat se that it shulde be for our profyte to ryde as nowe agaynst the englysshe∣men for they are ten agaynst one of vs & all cho¦sen men wherfore we may lose more than wyn / and of a folysshe en••price cometh no good / as it proueth nowe by Alysander Ramsey / & ther was an vncle of Alysanders / called sir Wylly∣am Lindsey / who dyde great payne to confort his nephue. Sayeng / sirs: on the trust of you my nephue hath made this enterprice / and ta∣ken the castell of Berwike. It wyll tourne you all to great blame if ye lese him thus / and par∣aduentur herafter / ther is none that wyll be so hasty to inpart suche another case. They than answered and sayd: they coude nat amende it / nor it was nat behouefull that so many noble¦men as was ther / shulde put them selfe in aduē¦ture to be lost / for the rescuynge of one squyer. And than they determyned to retourne agayn into their owne coūtre / and lodge on the moun¦tayns besyde the ryuer of Twyde / and so they withdrue thyder at good layser. And whan the erle of Northumberlande / and the erle of No∣tyngham / and the other barones of Englande parceyued that the scottes came nat forwarde / they sent forthe their currours to knowe where they were becōe / and they brought wordehow they were gone towarde Morlan / beyond the castell of Ros bourge. And than agaynst night the englysshmen drewe agayne to their logyn∣ges and made good watche that night / and in the morning euery man was redy aparelled to go and assayle the castell / & so there was a ferse assaute / whiche endured almoost all the day. ye neuer se more hardyer men of so fewe / than the scottes were / nor that better defēded a place than they dyde. For the englysshmen had lad∣ders / whiche they reared vp to the walles / and the englysshmen moūted vp on them with tar∣ges before them / and so came and fought with the scottes hande to hande / and some of thē cast downe into the dikes. And that thyng y^e moost troubled the scottes was the archers / who shot so holy toguyder / that almoost ther was none durst come to the defence of the wall. So long this assaut contynued / that at last the englyssh¦men entred in byforce / and there slewe as ma∣ny as they found / nat one of all them that were within that scaped / but all were slayne: except Alysander Ramsay / who was taken prisoner. Thus the castell of Berwyke was delyuered fro the scottes: and the erlemade Johan Byset capitayne there / and he newly repayred the castell and made the bridge newe agayne that was taken.