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 englysshmen that were sent in to Bretayne / were tourmen∣ted on the see: and howe the gaūtoise desyred to haue the erle of Flaunders their lorde / to cōe dwell in their tow∣ne of Gaunt. Cap. CCC .lvi. (Book 356)

THe same season it was ordayned in Englande / by the kyng and his counsaile: that two hundred men of ar¦mes and foure hundred ar∣chers shulde goo in to Bre∣tayne. And the chyefe capi∣tayne of that iourney shulde be sir Johan Arū¦dell / and with hym shulde go sir Hugh Caurell sir Thomas Banystre / sir Thomas Tryuet / sir Water Pole / sir Johan Bourchyer / y^e lorde Ferres / and the lorde Basset. All these knygh∣tes drewe to Hampton / and whan they hadde wynde they entred in to their shyppes / and de∣parted. The first day / the wynde was reasona∣ble good for thē / but agaynst night / the wynde tourned contrary to thē / and whyder they wol∣de or nat / they were driuen on the cost of Corn∣wall. The wynde was so sore and streynable / that they coulde caste none ancre: nor also they durst nat. In the mornyng the wynde brought them in to the yrisshe see: and by the rage of the tempest thre of their shyppes brast and wente to wrake / wherin was sir Johan Arundell / sir Thomas Banystre / and sir Hughe Caurell: & a hundred men of armes. Of the whiche hun∣dred / fourscore were drowned: and sir Johan Arundell their capitayne was their perysshed / whiche was great domage. and sir Hugh Cau¦rell was neuer in his lyfe before / soo nyghe his dethe: for all that euer was in his shyppe ex∣cepte hym selfe and seuyn maryners / were all drowned. For he and the seuyn maryners that were saued / toke holde of tables & mastes / and the strength of the wynde / brought them to the sandes. Howebeit / they hadde dronke waterr ynoughe: wherof they were ryght sicke and y∣uell at ease. Out of this daunger escaped / sir Thomas Tryuet and sir Johan Bourchyer / the lorde Ferres / the lorde Basset / and dyuers other: but they were sore tourmented & in gret parell. And after that this tempest was ceased they retourned agayne to Hampton / and went backe agayne to the kynge and his vncles / and recounted all their aduentures / wenyng to thē that sir Hughe Caurell had ben drowned with the other. How be it that was nat so / for he was gone sicke to London. Thus brake vp that ior¦ney / wherby the duke of Bretayne coude haue no comforte of the englysshemen / whiche was ryght contraryous to hym. For all that season and the wynter folowyng / the frēchmen made hym right sore warre: and the bretons. As sir Olyuer Clysson and his company / toke y^e tow¦ne of Dynāt in Bretayne / by reason of vessels and barges. And so the towne was pylled and robbed / and was kept agaynst the duke a long season after. ¶ Nowe lette vs retourne to the busynesse of Flaunders.

WHan y^e peace was agreed bitwene the erle of Flaunders and them of Gaunt / by the meanes of the duke of Burgoyne / wherby he gat him selfe moche thanke in the countre. The entent and pleasure of them of Gaūt was / to haue their lorde therle of Flaūders / to dwell with thē in Gaunt / and there to kepe his house∣holde. The erle also was counsayled by y^e pro∣uost of Hardebeque / and of thē that were nexte about hym to do so / wherby he shulde norisshe great loue / bytwene hym and them of Gaunt. The erle laye styll at Bruges and came nat to Gaunt / wherof they had great marueyle / and specially the good and rychmen of Gaunt / and suche as were sage and wyse: for they desyred nothyng but peace. But the palyerdes & white hattes / and suche as desyred rather stryfe and debate / they cared nothyng for the erles comyn¦ge. For they knewe well that yf he came / they shulde priuely be corrected at laste / for the yuell dedes that they had done. Nat withstandynge that they were in this doubte / yet they that had the gouernyng of the lawe / the coūsaylers and good men of the towne / wolde for any thynge / that he shulde come thyder / and that they shuld go and requyre him so to do. For they thought they had no ferme peace / without the erle came thyder. And so ther was ordayned .xxiiii. men to go to Bruges: to shewe to the erle the great affection that they had to haue him. and so they de{per}ted honorably / as it aparteyned for them y^e shulde go for their lorde: and it was sayd to thē

by them of the towne. Sirs / retourne neuer a∣gayne to Gaunt / without ye bring therle with you: for if ye do / ye shall fynde the gates closed agaynst you. Thus these burgesses of Gaunt rode forthe towarde Brug{is} / and bytwene Bru¦ges and Donsay / they herde say: howe the erle was comynge to Gauute warde / wherof they were right ioyouse. And they hadde nat ryden past a leage farther / but that they mette the erle in the feldes. Than the burgesses stode styll on bothe sydes of the waye / and so the erle and all his company passed through them. As he pas∣sed by / the burgesses enclyned them selfe ryght lowe and humbly / and made great reuerēce to the erle. The erle rode through them / without any great regardyng of them / but a lytell putte his hande to his hat / nor all they way / he made to theym no semblant. So the erle rode on the one syde / and the gaūtoise on the other / tyll they came to Donse / and there they rested: for the erle dyde dyne there. And the gauntoyse wente to other lodgynges and dyned also.

ANd after dyner / the gauntoyse in good array / came to the erle & kne¦led aldowne before him / for therle sat. And there they presēted ryght humbly / the affection and seruyce of them of the towne of Gaūt. and shewed hym howe by great loue they of Gaunt / who desy∣red so moche to haue hym with them / hath sent them to hym. And sir / at our departynge / they sayde to vs: that it were but a folly for vs to re∣tourne agayne to Gaunt / without that we bro∣ught you thyder with vs. The erle / who right well herde these wordes / helde his peace a cer∣tayne space. And at last whan he spake: he sayd fayre and softely. Sirs / I beleue well it be as ye saye: and that dyuers of Gaunt desyreth to haue me among them / but I haue marueyle of that they remembre nat / nor wyll nat remēbre of tyme past / what they haue shewed me. and I haue been to them so courtesse•• meke and gen∣tyll / in all their requestes. And I haue suffred to be putte out of my countrey / my gentylmen / whan they haue complayned of thē / to acquyte their lawe and iustyce. I haue also opyned dy∣uers tymes my prisons / to delyuer oute their burgesses / whan they haue desyred it. I haue loued and honoured them / more than any other of my countre / and they haue done to me clene contrary. They haue slayne my baylye / and di¦stroyed the houses of my men / banysshed and chased away myne offycers / and brent y^e house in the worlde that I loued beste. Enforced my townes / and brought them to their ententes / & slayne my knightes in the towne of Ipre. And haue done so many tres passes agaynst me and my seignorie / that it is noyfull to me to recorde it. and I wolde I coude neuer thynke on it / but I do & shall do / whyder I wyll or nat. A ryght dere lorde / sayd they of Gaunt / for goddes sake neuer regarde it: ye haue all thynges {per}doned. It is trouthe quod the erle. for all my wordes / in tyme to cōe I wyll ye shalbe neuer the worse. But I shewe it vnto you sirs / for the great cru¦elties and felonyes / that I haue foūde in them of Gaunt. Than the erle apeased hym selfe and rose vp on his fete and caused them to ryse / and sayde to the lorde of Ruyselyers / who was by hym: go gette some wyne. So they of Gaunt dranke and departed to their lodgynges / and taryed there all that night / for so dyde the erle. And the next day all togyder / they rode to war¦des Gaunt.