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 Bretayne retur¦ned out of Englande into Bretayne at the request of his men / and of the wyll of the englisshe men for the ma¦ryage of their yonge kynge of Eng∣lande. Cap. CCC .lv. (Book 355)

YE haue herde here before: how the duke of Bretayne was in Englande / with kynge Richarde and his vncles / who made hym right good chere / & his lande was in warre and in great trouble. For the frenche kyng had sent thyder his cōstable / with a great nombre of men of armes / who were about Pōt Toyson / and about Mount saynt Mychaell. And made warre to the countre / cyties / & good townes in Bretayne. Wherfore all the countre greatlye desyred the presence of the duke their lorde / and they had sent to hym dyuers messan¦gers and letters / but he durst nat trust all that: tyll the prelates and barones of Bretayne / and all good townes murmured therat / and sayde. We haue sent for our duke by letters dyuers ty∣mes / and alwayes he excuseth him selfe. In the name of god quod some / he hath good cause so to do: for we sende for hym to simply. It were well sytting / that we sent to hym a knight or .ii. dyscrete and sage / in whome he myght truste: and they to shewe him playnly / the state of this countre. This purpose was well alowed & hol∣den. and so two valyant knightes were chosen to go in to Englande / as sir Geffray of Qua∣resmell and sir Eustace Housey. And at the de∣syre and request of the prelat{is} and barons / they aparelled them selfe to go in to Englande. & so toke shippyng at Cone / and had wynde at wyll and arryued at Hampton. And fro thens they rode tyll they cāe to London / wher they found the duke of Bretayne and the duchesse / and sir Robert Canoll / who receyued them with gret chere and ioye. The knyghtes than shewed to the duke their lorde / all the state and disposy∣cion of his countre: and howe his people desy∣reth to haue him cōe home. And delyuered him letters of credence / fro the barons and prelates and good townes of Bretayne. The duke bele¦ued well these knyght{is} and the letters also / and had great ioye: and said / howe he wolde shewe the mater to the kyng and to his vncles / and so he dyde. And whan the kyng of Englande and his vncles were enformed of all these maters / & howe all the countre of Bretayne: prelates / ba∣rons / and good townes. Except Claquy / Clis∣son / Rohen / Lauall / and Rochefort / had sente for their lorde y^e duke: desyring hym to returne into his owne countre. Than the kyng and his vncles / sayde. Sir: it is best ye go in to youre owne countre / syth ye be thus desyred: & mayn¦tayne yourselfe amonge your noble men. And sir / we shall sende you men of warre and suche conforte / that they shalbe able to kepe your frō∣ters agaynst your enemyes. And leaue the du∣chesse your wyfe here behynd you / with her mo¦ther and brethern / and go you and make warr agaynst your ennemyes. Of these wordes the

duke was greatly reioysed / and made hym re∣dye.

ANd shortely after / it was orday∣ned for his departynge at Hamp∣ton. And so he toke leaue of y^e kyn∣ge and of his vncles / of my ladye princesse / and of the duchesse his wyfe. And at his departyng / made a great aly∣ance with the kyng of Englande / and sware to hym by his faythe / that if he were shortely con∣forted by the englysshmen. He wolde alwayes abyde with them / and do the best of his power / to tourne his countre englysshe. And the kyng promysed him / that he shulde euer fynde the en¦glysshemen redy to helpe hym / in what soeuer maner he wolde desyre. And so he departed out of Englande and sir Robert Canoll with him / and the two knyghtes that were come thyder for hym / and one hundred men of armes & two hundred archers / and toke shippyng at Hamp∣ton. And so sayled to the porte of Guerrande / where they toke lande / and so rode to Uennes / where he was receyued with great ioye: and all the countrey was gladde / whan they knewe that he was come home. The duke refresshed hym there a fyue dayes / and thanne he went to Nauntes. Thyder came to se hym: barownes prelates / knightes and squyers / ladyes and da¦moselles: offryng hym their seruyce / and putte them selfe vnder his obeysance. Complayning greatlye of the frenchmen / and of the frenche cō¦stable who lay about Reynes / and dyde moche hurte in the countrey. The duke apeased them and sayd: my frendes / I shall haue shortly com¦forte out of Englande / for without ayde of En∣glande / I can nat well defende my countrey a∣gaynst the frenchmen / for they are to bygge for vs / seynge we be nat all one in our owne coun∣trey. And whan the ayde that the kynge of En∣gland shall sende vs / be ones come: if they haue done vs wronge / we shall quyte them agayne. Of these wordes were right ioyfull / all tho that were of the duke of Bretayns parte.

¶ The same season about saynt Andrues tyde ther dyed sir Charles of Boesme / kyng of Al∣mayne and emperour of Rome. And whyle he was lyueng / he dyde so moche: what for golde and syluer / and great alyances that he hadde. That the electours of the emperour / sware and sealed to hym / that after his disceasse / to make his sonne emperour. And to ayde hym / to kepe the siege before Ays / and to abyde with him a∣gaynst all men / that wolde deny hym. So that whan he was deed / than Charles his sonne as emperoure: wrote hym selfe kyng of Almayne / of Boesme / and kynge of the romayns.

THe same season ther was great coūsaile in Englande / amonge the kynges vn∣cles / and the prelates and barons of the realme for to mary their yonge kyng Richarde of En∣gland. And thenglysshmen wolde gladly haue had hym to ben maryed in Heynalt / for loue of the good lady quene Philyp / wyfe to kyng Ed¦warde the thirde. Who was so good and so gra¦cyous a lady / for all the realme large and hono¦rable / who was come out of Heynaulte: but as than the duke Aubert / had no doughters to ma¦ry. The duke of Lancastre / wolde haue hadde the kyng his nephewe / to haue hadde his eldest doughter / my lady Blanche of Lācastre to his wyfe. But the realme wolde in no wyse consent therto / for two reasons. The first / bycause the lady was his cosyn germayne / the whiche was to nere of blode / to mary toguyder. The other cause was / they wolde the kynge shulde marry withoute the realme / to haue therby more aly∣aunce. Than was there spekyng of the dough∣ter of the kynge of Boesme and Almayne / and emperour of Rome. And to that aduyse euery man was agreed. Than to go in to Almayne / to treate for this mariage / was sēt a right sage and a valyant knight / who had ben the kynges mayster / and was nere of counsayle alwayes with the prince of Wales the kynges father / cal¦led sir Symonde Burle. And so was orday∣ned for hym / all thynges necessarie for his iour¦ney and than he departed and arryued at Ca∣layes. and so to Grauellyng / and than to Bru∣selles: and there he founde duke Uyncelant of Brabant and duke Aubert / the erle of Bloyes and the erle of saynt Poule / sir Wylliam Mā∣lye. And a great nōbre of knightes of Heynalt / of Brabant / and of other places. For ther was a great feest and iustynge kepte: therfore there were all these lord{is} assēbled. The duke of Bra∣bant and the duchesse / for the kyng of Englan∣des sake / receyued the knyght ryght honoura∣bly. And whan they knewe the cause / wherfore he went in to Almayne / they were right gladde therof: and sayde. That it shulde be a good∣lye maryage / bytwene the kynge of Englande and their nephue. And at the knyghtes depar∣tyng / they sent letters by hym to the kyng of Al¦mayne / shewynge hym howe they hadde great desyre and affectyon / that this maryage shulde

take a good effecte. Than the knyght depar∣ted fro Bruselles and went to Louuayne / and so to go to Colayne.