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 frenche kynge ceased all the lande of the kyng of Na∣uers. Cap. CCC .xxviii. (Book 328)

THe frenche kyng sent commyssioners to Mount∣pellyer / to cease y^e lande and seignorie in to his handes / the whiche the kyng of Na∣uerr helde. And whan these cōmyssioners: that is to say sir Wylliam of Dormans and sir Johan Mer¦ger were come to Mountpellyer / they sente for the moost noblest {per}sons of the towne / and she∣wed them their cōmyssions. They of Mount∣pellyer obeyed / for they myght do none other∣wise / for if they had nat obeyed / it had benyuell for them. For the duke of Anio we and the con∣stable of Fraunce / were in the countrey with a great armye / and desyred nothynge so moche / as to haue had warre with them of Mountpel¦lyer. Ther were taken prisoners / two knyght{is} of Normandy / who were before gouernours to the countre vnder the kynge of Nauer: and

also sir Guy of Grauell / & sir Lyger Dergesy / who taryed in prison a long tyme after. Thus the to wne of Mountpellyer / and all the baro∣ny was become frenche.

NOwe let vs returne to the french army that was in Normandy / & she we howe the lorde Coucy / & the lorde de la Ryuer sped. they came before Eureur / and layd siege ther∣to / they of the garysons parteyning to y^• kyng of Naue•• / closed fast their garysons a gaynst the frenchmen / for they were nat in mynde soo soone to yelde them vp. Whan the kyng of Na¦uer vnderstode that y^e frenchmen had taken the possessyon of Mountpellyer and of all the coū∣tre: and y^t great nombre of men of armes were in the countre of Eureux / pillyng and beatyng downe his townes and castelles. He hadde dy¦uers y magmacyons and counsayls with them that he trusted best / finally it was cōcluded by his counsayle / that he coulde haue no conforte without it were by the englysshmen / wherfore it was concluded / that he shulde sende a sufficy¦ent {per}sonage with letters of credéce to the yong kyng of Englande and to his counsayle. Desy¦rynge to be alyed with hym / & he to swere fro y^• day forwarde / to be good and trewe to the en∣glysshe parte: and to putte in to their handes / all suche forteresses as he helde in Normandy. And to do this message he cōmaunded a clerke to go / in whom ••he had great trust: called may∣ster ••aschall. And sayde to hym: maister Pa∣schall / go your wayes in to Englande / and do so moche that ye may bring me good tidynges / for fro he••s forthe / I wyll be alyed with the en∣glysshemen. This clerke dyde as he was com∣manded / and made hym redy: and toke shyp∣pyng and sayled so long y^t he arryued in Corn∣wall. and than rode for the tyll he cāe to Shene besyde London / where the kyng of Englande was: and so he spake with the kynge / and recō∣maunded the kynge of Nauerr his mayster to hym. And so there the kynge made hym good there: and there was present the erle of Salis∣bury and sir Symond Burle / who toke on him to speke and to gyue him his aunswere for that tyme / and sayd. Sir: on suche a day the kyng wyll be at Lōdon / and than send for all his coū∣sayle / at whiche tyme ye shall be herde. And so at the day assigned / mayster Paschall shewed to the kyng and to his counsayle theffect of his message / and spake so sagely that he was well herde. And he was answered by the counsayle / that the kynge of Nauers offre ought nat to be refused: howe be it to make so great alyance as the kynge of Nauer desyreth / it behoueth than that he come hyder into Englande in his owne proper person to thentent that he may be herde speke hym selfe / wherby the mater shulde take the better effect. And so with that answere may¦ster Paschall departed / and returned in to Na¦uer / and shewed the kyng all that he had done / and how it behoued hym to go in to Englande him selfe / and to se the yong kyng of Englande and to speke him selfe with hym & his coūsaile. than the kyng of Nauer answered and sayd: I am cōtent to go theder. Than he made redy for him a shyp / called the Lyne: the whiche wolde go on the see withall maner of wyndes without parell. and so the kyng of Nauer toke this ship and entred in to the see with a preuy company / how be it he had with hym sir Marten Carr & mayster Paschall / and sayled so longe that he arryued in Englande.