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 thenglisshmen came before Troyes / and of the bastydes that the duke of Burgoyne made withoute Troyes / to resyst the englysshmen. Cap. CCC .lxiiii. (Book 364)

IN the cyte of Troyes was the duke of Burgoyne and had made there his so∣mons / for he had entensyon & was in wyll to syght with thenglisshmen / bytwene the ryuer of Sayne and yone. And also the barons / knyghtes and squyers of Fraunce / desyred none other thyng. But Char¦les the frenche kynge / wolde in no wyse acorde therto / bycause of doute of fortune. For he re∣membred moche the great losses and domag{is}: that the nobles of his realme had of tyme past / by the vyctories of the englysshmen. Wherfore he wolde in no wyse that they shuld sight / with out it were to their great aduauntage. ¶ The duke of Burgoyne was at Troyes / and with hym the duke of Burbone / the duke of Bare / the erle of Ewe / the lorde Coucy / sir Johan of Uyen admyrall of the see / the lorde of Uyenne and of saynt Croyse / sir James of Uyenne / sir Water of Uyen / y^e lorde of Tremoyle / the lorde of Uergy / the lorde of Rengemont / the lorde of Hambey / the seneshall of Heynalte / the lorde of saynt Pye / the barone of Habers / the lorde of Roy / the vycont Dassey / sir Wyllyam bastarde of Langers / and mo than two thousand knigh¦tes and squiers. And it was shewed me / howe the lorde Tremoyle was sent by the duke to the kyng to Parys / to get lycence to fight with the englysshmen: and he was nat returned y^e same day / that thenglysshmen came before Troyes. The frenchmen within Troyes thought sure∣lye / that the englysshmen wolde nat passe by / w^t out lokyng on the towne. Wherfore they made without the towne / a bowe shotte of fro y^e gate: a bastyde of great tymbre / wherin myght well be a thousande men of armes. In the euenyng in the hoost / all 〈…〉〈…〉ayns went to coūsayle to determyne what they shulde do the next day. Than it was concluded / that euery man with their baners and penones well armed / shulde ryde before Troyes / and to abyde in the selde. and to sende to them of the towne / to demaūde batayle. So in the next mornynge they armed them / and sette theymselfe in thre batayls / and so came in to a fayre playne before Troys / and there taryed. Than two harauldes / as Chan∣dos and Aquitany / were sente for to the erle of Buckyngham. And whan they were come the erle sayd. Sirs / go your wa〈…〉〈…〉s to Troyes / & shewe the lordes there: howe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beyssued oute of Englande to do dedes of armes / and where as we might haue it / to demaūde therfore. And bycause we knowe well / howe a great parte of the s••oure delyse / and of the chiualry of Fraūce is within the towne. Therfore shewe them / we become this way. and if they wyll any thynge / say to them / they shall fynde vs in the felde / in the same forme and maner / as ye shall leaue vs and in suche wyse / as they ought to fynde their enemyes. So the haraldes departed and rode towardes Troyes / thentre of the bastyde was opyned to them / but they coude nat gette to the gate of the towne. There yssued oute so many men of armes and cros bowes / settyng thē selfe in order of batayle: the harauldes had on their cotes of armes of therle of Buckynghams. the lordes demaunded of them what they wolde / & they answered / and sayd. howe they were sente to speke with the duke of Burgoyne.

IN the same season / that these harauldes shulde haue done their message / the duke of Burgoyne and the lord{is} with hym / were be

sy to sette their men in ordre of batayle. The en¦glisshmen thought verely to haue had batayle / wherfore ther were made newe knyght{is}. Fyrst sir Thomas Tryuet brought his baner rolled vp toguyder / to the erle of Buckyngham / and sayd. Sir / if it please you / I shall this day dis∣play my baner / for thanked be god / I haue re∣uenues sufficyent to mayntayne it withall. It pleasethe me ryght well {quod} the erle. Than the erle toke the baner / & delyuered it to sir Tho∣mas Tryuet / and sayde. sir Thomas: I pray god gyue you grace to do nobly this day / and alwayes after. Than sir Thomas toke the ba∣ner and displayed it / and delyuered it to a squi∣er / whome he trusted well. And soo went to the vowarde / for he was ordayned so to do / by the capitayue the lorde Latymer / and by the mar∣shall the lorde Fitz water. And ther were made newe knyghtes: as sir Peter Berton / sir John̄ and sir Thomas Paulle / sir John̄ Syngule / sir Thomas Dortyngnes / sir John̄ Uassecoq sir Thomas Brasey / sir Johan Brauyne / sir Henry Uernyer / sir Johan Coleuyll / sir Wyl∣liam Eurart / sir Nycholas Styngule / and sir Hughe Lunyt. And all these went to the fyrste batayle / bycawse to be at the first skrimysshe. Than the erle called forthe a gentyll squyer of the countie of Sauoy / who had ben desyred be fore to haue ben made knight / both before Arde & saynt Omers. This squier was called Rafe of Gremers / sonne to the erle of Gremers. The erle of Buckyngham / sayd to him. Sir / if god be pleased / I thynke we shall haue this day ba¦tayle / wherfore I wyll that ye be a knight. The squier excused hym selfe / and sayde. Sir god thanke you of y^• noblenes that ye wolde put me vnto. But sir: I wyll neuer be knyght / without I be made by the handes of my naturall lorde / the erle of Sauoy / in batayll: and so he was ex¦amyned noo farther. It was great pleasure to be holde the Englisshmen in the felde and the frenchmen made their preparacyon in their ba¦styde / for they thought well at the leest / to haue some scrymishe. Thinkyng that suche men as thenglisshmen were wold neuer passe by / with¦out sōe maner of face or skrimysshe. The duke of Burgoyne was there without the towne ar∣med at all peces / with an are in his hande / and soo all knyghtes and squiers passed by hym to the bastyde / so that there was so great prease / that no man coulde go forewarde / nor the ha∣rauldes / coulde nother go forwarde nor backe¦warde / wherby they coulde nat come to y^• duke to do their message as they were cōmaunded.

BEsyde the erle of Buckynghams com∣maundemēt to the two harauldes / there were dyuers other / that sayd to them. Sirs / ye shall go forth and do your message / and besyde that: say to the duke of Burgoyne. Howe that the duke of Bretayne / and the countrey there / hath sent to the kyng of Englande to haue com¦forte and ayde / agaynst a certayne barons and knyghtes of Bretayne / rebels to the duke / who wyll nat obey to their lorde: as the moost parte of the countrey dothe. But make warre in the countre / & shadowe them selfe / vnder y^• frenche kyng. And bycause the kyng of Englande wyll ayde the duke and the countrey / he hath nowe specially sent one of his vncles / the erle of Bu∣ckyngham / with a certayne nombre of men of warr / to go in to Bretayne / to confort the duke and the countre. Who arryued at Calays / and hath taken their way to passe throughe the re∣alme of Fraunce / & so they be forwarde in their iourney hyder / to the cytie of Troyes, where as they knewe well / there is a great nombre of lordes / & specially the duke of Burgoyne / sonne to the french kyng disseased / and brother to the kyng that nowe is. wherfore ye may say to him howe sir Thomas erle of Buckyngham / sonne to the kyng of Englande disseased / and vncle to the kyng that nowe is / desireth of him batayll. The harauldes or they went / they demaunded to haue hadde letters of credence / consernynge that mater. and they were answered: how they shulde haue had letters the next day / but in the moruynge they had taken other counsayle / and sayde. Howe they wolde sende no letters / but badde them dept / and sayd. Go your wayes / & say as ye haue ben enformed / ye are credable y∣nough / if they lyst to beleue you. So the haral∣des departed (as ye haue herde before) and the newe englysshe knyghtes hadde begon the scri¦mysshe / so that all was in trouble. And certayn knightes and other of Fraunce / sayd to the ha∣raudes. Sirs / what do you here? get you hens ye be here in great parell / for here be yuell peo∣ple in this towne. Whiche doute / caused the ha∣raldes to retourne agayne / without any thyng doyng of their message. ¶ Nowe let vs shewe what was done in this scrimysshe.

FIrst ther was an englisshe squyre borne in the bysshoprike of Lyncoln̄ / an expert man of armes / I can nat se whyder he coude se or nat: but he spurred his horse his spear in his hande / and his targe about his necke. his horse came russhyng downe the way / and lepte clene

ouer the barres of the barriers / and so galoped to the gate / where as the duke of Burgoyn and the other lordes of Fraunce were / who repu∣ted that dede for a great enterprise. The squier thought to haue returned / but he coulde nat / for his horse was stryken with speares and heaten downe / & the squier slayne. wherwith the duke of Burgoyne was ryght sore displeased / that he had nat ben taken a lyue as prisoner. Ther∣with the great batayll of the erle of Buckyng∣hams came on a foote / towarde these men of ar¦mes in the bastyde / the which was made but of dores / wyndowes / and tables. And to saye the trouth / it was nothyng to holde agaynst suche men of warre / as the englisshmen were / wher∣fore it coulde nat longe endure. Whan the duke of Burgoyne sawe them comyng so thicke and so great a nombre / consideryng howe his nom¦bre was nat sufficyent agaynst them. cōmaun∣ded euery man to entre in to the towne: except crosbowes / and so they entred in at the gate ly∣tell and lytell / and whyle they entred / the geno∣wayes cros bowes shot continually / and hurte dyuers of the englisshmen. There was a sore scrymishe / but anone the bastyde was conque∣red / it coulde nat endure agaynst englisshmen. So the frenchmen entred agayne in at y^• gate / & as they entred: they set thēselfe in ordre in the stretes. There was the duke of Lorayne / and the lorde Coucy / the duke of Burbon & dyuers other bytwene the gate and the barryers / there was many a feate of armes done. some slayne / hurt / and taken. Whan the englisshmen sawe the frenchmen withdrawe backe / they in lyke∣wyse reculed backe / and stode styll in ordre of bataile the space of two houres / and than retur¦ned to their lodgyng / and y^• next day they went to Maylleroys the Uycount / nere to Sence in Burgoyne / and there the hoost taryed two dayes to refresshe them / and to get vitayles in the countre / for they had no great plenty.

THus ye haue harde well: howe the en∣glisshmen rode throughe the realme of Fraūce to go in to Bretayne / and it was sayd / and they also mayntayned / howe the duke of Bretayne and the countrey had sent for them / and made no warre in the name of their lorde the kyng of Englande / but named them selfe to be sowdyers of the duke of Bretaynes. Kyng Charles of Fraunce was well in fourmed of all these maters / and sagely and wysely he abuy∣sed the parels and insydētes that might growe by this warre / and sawe well howe the countre of Bretayne with the ayde of the englysshmen were cōtrary to hym / and therby he feared leest the fortune of the warr shulde be to him y^• more harder. And specially by reason of the duke of Bretayne / for by him the good townes of Bre∣tayne shulde be his enemyes / and be opyned to his enemyes / wherby he shulde haue great pre¦iudyce. Wherfore he sent swete letters and gra∣cyous to them of Nauntes / the whiche was the key and chefe towne of all Bretayne. shewynge thē / howe thēglysshmen as they rydde through the realme do make their auaunt and afferme / howe they be soudyers and sent for by thē / and by the other comons of Bretayne. And also she wyng them / howe that if it be so / that they wyll so contynue / they do yuell and ronne in the ma∣ledyction & sentence of the holy father the pope. And in the forfeyture of two hūdred thousande florens / the whiche he maye than laufully take of them / and whervnto they are boūde by their writyng{is} sealed. and by the treaties made here tofore / wherof they haue y^• copy / wherfore they ought nat to forget it. And also he shewed them howe he hath ben alwayes their frende and lo∣uer / and hath conforted and ayded thē always in their busynesses / and counsaylinge thē / that they shulde nat do so farre / wherby they might take wronge. Sayeng: howe they had no su∣che tytell as to complayne of hym / or to entre in to suche a warre / as to receyue his ennemyes. Wherfore he counsayled them to be well aduy∣sed / and if they haue ben yuell exorted and coū∣sayled by feble counsayle / yet he wolde pardon it / so that they opyn nat their towne to the en∣glysshmen his enemyes. And in their so doyng he promysed thē to menteyne and kepe vp their fraunchysses and lyberties / and to renewe it yf nede requyred. Whā these offers thus made by the frenche kyng / was presented to thē of Naū¦tes / and well debated amonge them. Than the most notable of the towne (sayd) howe the kyn¦ge had cause and right to say as he dyd / for sure¦lye they sayde: howe they had sworne and wri∣tynges sealed / howe they shulde neuer do none anoyaunce to the realme of Fraunce nor ayde nor assyst none enemy to the kynge or to the re∣alme. Wherfore they toke hede to y^• mater / and sent secretly to the kynge / desyring hym to take no thought for that mater / for they sayd: then∣glyshmen shulde nat be sustayned by them / nor entre in to their towne / to renne or to make any warre to the realme of Fraunce. Howbeit they desyred the kynge / that if nede requyred / to be ayded and cōforted by some of his men / to whō

they sayde / they wolde open their towne / and to none other. Whan the frenche kynge herde this treatie he was right gladde therof / and be¦leued well their wordes / for Nauntes had ben alwayes good frenche. And of all this knewe no thynge the duke of Bretayne / who was at Uennes / he beleued surely that they of Naun∣tes wolde haue ben trewe and stedfast to hym / and to haue opened their towne to the englyssh¦men whan they came thyder. ¶ Nowe let vs retourne to the englysshmen / who were lodged nere to Sence in Burgoyne / in the whiche cy∣tie was the duke of Bare / the lorde Coucy / the lorde of saynt Puye / the lorde of Fresures and their companyes.