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.

¶ How the chylde of Castell and the spanyerdes lay at siege before Panpi¦lone / and of suche castelles as the en∣glysshmen conquered out of the fren¦chmens handes. Ca. CCC .xxxviii. (Book 338)

THe lorde Neuyll beynge at Burdeur was well entour∣med howe the chylde of Ca∣stell with a great nombre of spanyerdes had layde siege to the good towne of Pāpy¦lone / and the vycont of Cha¦stellon / the lorde of Lescute / & Raymon of Ra∣mesen and dyuers other were within. and they coude here no certayne troynges of the kyng of Nauer wherof they hadde marueyle / but they supposed shortely to here fro hym. The coūtre¦men of Burdeaur and ther about / desyred the lorde Neuyll nat to departe out of the countre / nor to suffre none of his men of warre to de{per}te / as long as the frenchmen had any fortresses in the coutre. And specially they cōplayned of the fortresse of Bersat / the whiche they sayde dyde ••oche 〈…〉〈…〉we in the countrey. Than the lorde Neuyll demaunded what nombre of bretons they were within Bersatte / and it was shewed 〈…〉〈…〉 fyue hūdred fightyng men. Than he cal∣led to hym the seneshall of Landes and sir Wyl¦lyam Scrope / and sayde: sirs take with you a two or thre hūdred speares & as many archers / and go your way and loke on them of Bersat / and do somoche as to delyuer the countre of thē and than we shall attende to a greatter mater. The two knightes wolde nat disobey / but so toke two hūdred speares and as many archers and passed the ryuer of Garon / and so rode to∣warde Bersat. And y^e same season they of Ber∣sat were ••••te abrode rydinge / to the nombre of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 corespeares all a long the ryuer of Garon / to thētent to se if they might fynde any shyppe. and their capitayne was one of Pyergourt cal¦led sir Bertram Raymon / a good man of ar∣mes: and so within a litell leage of Bersat they encountred the englysshmen. And whan this sir Bertram sawe that he must nedes fight / he was affrayed: but ordred his men in good array / they were nere all gascoyns. And so the englysshmen came on them with their speares couched and spurres to their horses. And at the first comynge ther were dyuers ouerthrowen of bothe parties & many a feate of armes done Nowe b••it finally the frenchmen coude nat en∣dure thenglysshmens dedes also they were mo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nombre and chosen men. In somoch that all they of the garyson of Bersat were slayne or ta¦ken / but fewe that scaped. And ther was taken sir Bertram Raymon / and sir wyllm̄ Hemon / and than they rode to Bersat. And whā they of the garison sawe that ther men were taken and slayne they were sore abasshed / and so gaue vp the forteresse their lyues saued. So thus Ber∣sat became englisshe and than they returned to Burdeur. ¶ The same day was y^e night of Al¦sayntes / y^e yere of our lorde. M. CCC .lxxviii. that thēglysshmen entred in to Bersat / and the same day the kyng of Nauer came to Burdeux or any man wyst. And he was receyued ryght honorably and well lodged at his ease / and all his men. And than he was demaūded of the ti∣dyng{is} in his coūtre & of the spanyerdes: and he answered plainly y^e the childe of Castell had be¦sieged Pāpylone with great puyssance / so that they y^t were within the cyte were sore constray∣ned. Thā he desyred thē acordyng to y^e apoynt¦ment made by the kyng of Englande / that they wolde helpe to confort his people / & to reyse the siege. The knightes of Englande offred them¦selfe & said / how they were in good mynde so to do / so y^e by their neglygēce the siege shulde nat be vnreysed / and so ordayned therfore & said to the kyng. sir returne you into yo^r owne coūtre / and make a spiall assēbly of yo^r men / & we shall¦be ther at a day apoynted & let vs assemble to∣gyder / and so we shabe the stronger. your men also knowe the countre better than ours do / He answered & said. ss ye say well: & thus it shalbe done. And so the thirde daye after he departed and toke the way by the see syde. For ther was about Bayon and Dare in Gascone / certayne fortresses holden by the bretons. So longe the kynge of Nauer rode y^t he came to the towne of saynt Johans / and ther he abode. ¶ In the meane season whyle the kynge of Nauer made his vyage to Burdeux / & taryed there & retour¦ned agayne. John̄ of Castell son to the kyng of Spayne / and the cōstable of the realme of Ca∣stell / who were chefe of that warr / who was cal¦led Dome Peter of Moriche. They helde the¦siege before Panpylone / with a great nombre vnder them. With them ther was therle Done Alphons / therle of Medyna / therle of Manos therle of Ribydie / Peter Ferant of Salesque / and Peter Gousart of Modesque and dyuers other knightes and squiers of Castell. And the spanyerdes as they came towarde Panpylone they had taken and brent the towne of Lornich and the cytie of Uyen besyde Groynge. There was neuer a lorde in Nauerr that durst apere before thē / but euery man kept his owne holde. All this knewe rightwell y^e kyng of Nauer / for alwayes he had messangers comyng & goyng but he coude nat remedy it w^tout y^e helpe of thē∣glishmen. y^e lorde Neuyll who was at burdeur

sent thyder by the kynge of Englande and hiss counsayle. He knewe rightwell the liage and a lyāce that was made bytwene the kyng{is} of En¦glande and of Nauer / yet he faynted and was slacke in the acomplysshing therof. All this he thought in hym selfe / and so called to hym sir Thomas Tryuet a right valyant knight / and sayd: sir Thom̄s ye knowe well howe we were sent hyder to take hede of the frōters of this coū¦tre / and to put out our enemyes. And also to cō¦fort y^e kyng of Nauer / who hath ben here with vs / and hath shewed vs the nede that he hath / ye were present whan I promysed him how we shulde serue him. wherfore it behoueth vs so to do / or els we shalbe blamed. Wherfore dere srē∣de and louer / I ordayne you to be chefe gouer∣nour of that warre / and that ye take a sixe hun∣dred speres and a thousande archers and go in¦to Nauer / and I wyll abyde here in these mar¦chesse bycause I am seneshall of Burdeux / and haue the charge therof cōmytted me by the kyn¦ge of Englande. And therfore I wyll take hede of suche aduentures as shall fall / for as yet the coūtre is nat all rydde of our enemyes. Sir 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sir Thomas / ye do me more honour than I am worthy / I shall gladly obey you as it is reason and shall aquyte me in this vyage to the best of my power. Than the lorde Neuell sayd / sir I am well conforted by that ye arwylling to go.

wIthin a lytell space after / sir Thomas Tryuet departed fro Burdeux & toke the way to Dare in Gascoyne / & with him ther was sir Wylliam Condone / sir Tho∣mas Berton / sir John̄ Asfull / sir Henry Paule sir Wyllm̄ Croquet sir Loys Malyn / sir Tho¦mas Fourque / and sir Robert Haston all gas∣cons with a great nombre. Whan all these men of warre were come to the cytie of Dare / than they herde tidynges that the kyng of Nauerre was at saynt John̄s du Pye du port / and there made his somons of men of warr / wherof they were right gladde. In the cytie of Dare there was a capitayne an englysshe knight called sir Mathue Gorney vncle to sir Thom̄s Tryuet / who receyued his nephewe right ioyfully and all his company / and ayded to lodge theym at their ease. Thentent of sir Thomas Tryuet was nat to haue rested / but to haue kept on his way to the kyng of Nauerr: but than sir Ma∣thewe sayd. Fyre nephue / sytheye be here with suche a puyssaunce / it behoueth you to delyuer this countre of a certayne bretons and frenche / men / who kepeth well a .xii. fortresses bytwene this and Bayone / for if ye leaue them behynde you / they wyll do vs this wynter moche trou∣ble. and sir if ye do this / the coūtre wyll can you moche thanke / and sir I desyre you do it. Sir {quod} sir Thomas and I wyll do it. And than he sette euery thyng in order / and so came before a forteresse called Mountpyn / the whiche y^e bre∣tons helde / and therin was a capitayn a squier of the countie of Foyz / called Tayllerdon. As soone as these men of armes were come thyder they made a sore assaut / and so the fortres was taken / and all that were within slayne excepte the capitayne / who was taken prisoner: than the castell was newe furnysshed with newe mē. And after they went farther to an other castell / called Careyllat / kept also by the frenche gas∣cons. And so these men of warre gaue assaute therto / but they fayled at y^t assaut of winnynge of it / and so dislodged. And the next mornynge they made so feirse assaute y^e by force they wan it / and all slayne that were within / except the ca¦pitayne / who was a breton bretonant and was called yuonet Aprisydie / and he was delyuered to the englysshmen as prisoner / and the castell brent. And than they passed farther / and came before another fortresse called Besenghen / and therin was capitayne a squyer of Gascoyne cal¦led Roger of Morlac. The englysshmen were two dayes there or they had it / and that was by treatie so that all that were within de{per}ted with out domage / and went whyder they lyst.

THan fro thens they went to Tassegnon a castell stādyng a thre leages fro Bay∣oue / & there layd siege. And whan they of Bay∣one herde howe the siege was layde there / they were right ioyfull: and so cāe to the siege a .v. hūdred men of the towne with speares and pa∣uesses / and brought with them the greatest en∣gyn that was in Bayone. They of the fortresse had done so moche trouble to them of Bayone / that they desyred nothyng so moche as their dy¦structyon / but for all their strength they coulde nat haue get it / and the aduyse and helpe of the englysshmen had nat ben. They lay there .xv. dayes or they had it / & yet whan they had it / it was by treaty: so y^e all that were w^tin wēt their way without any domage / and wer brought in sauegard to Bregent / whiche helde of y^e french parte. Than they of Bayon bought the castell for thre. M. frankes / and after beate it downe / and caryed all the stones to Bayone / and there these men of warr were well receyued / and had euery thyng that they desyred payeng therfore.