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 sir Olyuer of Clesquy was taken by them of Chierbourge. Cap. CCC .xxxvii. (Book 337)

ANone after the depar∣ture of the englysshmen fro saynt Malo / and that the frē¦chemen had refresshed new∣lye the towne and the castell. Than the constable of Fraū¦ce and the bretons / determy¦ned to go and lay siege to Chierbourc ▪ wherof sir Johan Har••ston was capitayn / & had with hym dyuers knightes bothe englysshe and na∣ueroyse. And the hole host of Fraūce went nat thyder / for there departed the duke of Berrey / the duke of Burgoyne / the duke of Burbone / the erle de la Marche / the Dolphyn of Auuer∣gne / and all the great lordes: and sent their mē in to their countreis. And dyuers of them went to Rohan to se the kynge / who receyued theym right ioyously: and a thre hundred speares of bretons and normayns / wente to Ualonges a thre leages fro Chierbourge / and there made their bastyd{is}. And they knewe well that sir Jo¦han Arūdell had newly refresshed Chierbourc and they supposed that he was as thā bytwene Chierbourge and Ualōges. On that syde ther were highe wodes and forestes / that endured to the cyte of Cōstances / so they of Chierbourg

might yssue out and ryde aboute the countrey whan they lyst / for they had in this wode away so sore hedged on bothe sydes / that whan they were ryding there coude none aproche to them this Chierbourge is one of the strōgest castels of the worlde. They that were in the garyson of Ualōges / were right sore displeased / in that they coude do no domage to the englysshmen / that so haryed the coūtre. Than sir Olyuer of Clesquy brother to sir Bertram came fro Caty¦miny / and rode throughe y^• wode and aduysed Chierbourg right nere / to thentent to se if ther might be any siege layde therto. Howe be it he thought at leest if he might gette the towne / the whiche stode higher than the castell / he shulde do a great enterprice. For than he thought he might so fortify the towne / that none shulde ys∣sue out of the castell / but to their great domage Sir Olyuer perseuered styll in this purpose / and toke with hym a fyftene speares and guy∣des / suche as coude surely bring hym throughe the wodes. And so in a mornynge he departed fro Ualonges and came through the woodes / tyll he was agaynst Chierbourg. And y^e same day and tyme sir Johan Arundell was come in to the towne out of the castell / and a squyer of Nauer called Johan Coq with hym / to the en∣tent to shewe him the towne. And ther he herd tidynges howe the frenchmen were come thy∣der to aduyse the place. Sir {quod} Johan Coq / I haue herde howe sir Olyuer of Clesquy / bro∣ther to sir Bertram / hath past the wodes: and hath aduysed this towne. Sir / for god sake let vs pursue hym. Sir I warrant to bringe you suche away that he shall nat escape vs / but that he shall fall in our handes: and so they shall be cōquered lytell and lytell. By my faythe quod sir Johan Arundell I am content. And so they armed them secretly and toke with them a two hundred speares / and so entred in to the wodes wher as the frenchmen rode the same day / and knewe nothyng eche of other. And whan sir O¦lyuer had well aduysed the towne / the whiche he sawe was right stronge: and in a place im∣possyble to be besieged. Than he withdrue and toke the way towarde Ualōges / the same way he came. And he hadde nat rydden the space of two leages / but that sir Johan Arundell & Jo∣han Coq came streyght on them / they were so well gyded: and cryed on thē our lady of Arun¦dell. Whan sir Olyuer herde that crye / & sawe them redy to mete hym / he wysshed him selfe a∣gayne in Ualonges. Than̄e he mounted on a good courser / thynking to saue him selfe by ••••e∣ynge: for he sawe well there was no tyme nor place to sight / for his aduantage. So his men entred in to the thycke of the woode / some here some there they wyst nat whyder: but a fewe of them kept togyder. Johan Coq lyke a valyant man of armes / folowed in the chase after sir O¦lyuer so nere / that finally he toke hym prisoner / and a ten or .xii. other were ther taken: and the resydue saued them selfe in the woodes / and so gate to Ualonges whan they might. And ther shewed sir Wylliam of Bordes and his compa¦ny / howe they had spedde by reason of a busshe¦ment / and howe sir Olyuer of Clesquy was ta∣ken / wherof all they that were ther were soore displeased / howbeit they coude nat amende it. Than sir Olyuer was ledde in to the castell of Chierbourg / and he was shewed howe he shul∣de pay for his raunsome .x. thousande frankes. These tidynges were anone knowen bothe in Englande and in Fraunce / and so the mater a∣bode styll long in the same estate.

SIr Olyuer of Clesquy was prisoner a longe season in Chierbourge / in the ke∣pyng of Johan Coq of Nauer / who toke him. yet sir Johan of Arundell had the profyte. And afterwarde sir Olyuer made fynance for hym¦selfe / and for all those that were taken with him but it was a long space first. And whan the ga∣rison of Chierbourg▪ was well refresshed / than sir Johan Arundell departed and went agayn to▪ Hampton / wherof he was capitayne. Ther abode styll in Chierdourg with sir John̄ Harl¦ston capitayne there / dyuers knyghtes of En∣glande: as sir John̄ Coplande / sir John̄ Bul∣le / sir Thom̄s Bygorne / & dyuers other knigh¦tes & squyers. And they and other toke so good hede to the fortresse that it toke no domage.

¶ Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of Chierbourc tyll tyme come therto agayne / and let vs speke of sir Johan Neuyll seneshall of Burdeaulx / and of his company / sir Thomas Tryuet and other / and howe they perseuered.