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 & the englysshmen beseged Nauntes / and of the coronacyon of kyn¦ge Charles the sixt of that name / and of the scri∣mysshe done be∣fore Naun∣tes. Cap CCC .lxix.

AT the last counsayle it was acorded and sworne on the holy euangelystes / that the duke of Bretayne shuld come and lay siege to Naū∣tes / in the erle of Buckyng∣hams company / within fyf∣tene dayes / after the comynge of the englysshe¦men thyder. And y^t the duke of Bretayne shuld bringe and cause to be brought by the ryuer of Loyre / plentie of barges and barkes / the sorer therby to constrayne them of Naūtes. And the duke nor his men nat to departe fro the siege / tyll the towne were wonne. All the thynges to conclude and to determyne / therle of Buckyng¦ham was sent for to Hayde / to be present at the confyrmynge of that treatie. So he came and lodged in the subbarbes of Reynes (as he had done before) So the erle and the lordes entred in to Reynes / and they dyned all with the duke And there the Duke solempnely sware by his faythe and by the holy euangelystes / y^• he wold come with all his power before Nauntes / and thervpon departed and went to Hanibout. and the englysshemen abode at Reynes / and there they were a fyftene dayes orderyng their busy∣nesse. Of all these maters they of Naunt{is} were well enfourmed / and howe they shulde be bese∣ged. Wherfore they ordayned theym selfe redy to receyne them. One of the greattest capytens within Nauntes / was sir Johan of Baroyes of Barres / a ryght valyant & an expert knight / and with hym ther was the capitayne Clesson Johan of Castell Moraunte / Morfonace / sir Johan of Maletrayt / the lorde of Tournemyn and dyuers other / the floure of men of armes. They prouyded wysely for suche thynges as they wanted / aswell for the ryuer as for the ga∣tes and towres / on suche parte as they thought the siege shulde be on.

¶ Nowe lette vs leaue spekyng of this mater and retourne to the coronacyon of the younge kynge Charles of Fraunce / who was the same tyme crowned at Reynes.

yE must knowe / that nothyng was spa¦red touchyng noblenesse / at the corona¦cyon of the younge kynge Charles of Fraunce / who was crowned kyng on a sonday the .xii. yere of his age: the yere of oure lorde / a

thousande thre hundred and fourscore. At the solempnyte of his coronacyon / were great nō∣bre of great lordes. His foure vncles were ther 〈◊〉〈◊〉 we / Berrey / Burgoyne / and Burbone. And also his great vncles / Uyncelyn duke of Brabant / the duke of Bare / and y^e duke of Lo∣rayne / the erle of Sauoy the erle de la marche / the erle of Ewe / sir Wyllyam de Namure / but the erle of Flaunders / and the erle Johan of Bloyes ercused them selfe. there were many o∣ther great lordes / whome I canne nat name. Thus the yonge kyng entred in to Reynes / the saturday at euensongtyme / ryght well acompa¦nyed with nobles and mynstrelles. and special lye he had mo than .xxx. trumpettes before him and the kyng alighted before the churche of our lady of Reyns / his vncles and bretherne in his company. There were also his cosyns / yonge gentylmen of Nauer / of Labreth of Bare and of Harcourt. and a great nombre of yong squy¦ers / chyldren two great lordes of the realme of Fraunce. Whome the yonge kynge / the day of his coronacyon made them all knightes. The saturday the kynge herde euensong in the chur¦che of our lady / and as the vsage was: there he was the moost parte of the nyght / and all the newe knightes with him. And than the sonday Ashalowen day / the churche was richely appa∣relled / and there at the highe masse solempnely he was sacred and anoynted / by tharchbysshop of Reynes / with the holy ampell / wherw^t saynt Remy consacred Clouis / the first christen kyn∣ge that euer was in Fraunce. This oyntment was sent downe by almighty god from heuyn by an holy angell. and euersythe the kynges of Fraunce hathe be consacred therwith / and yet it apereth as it were nothyng touched / the whi¦che is a right worthy and a noble thyng. before that: the kyng made all his yonge newe knigh∣tes and than they went to the offyce of y^e masse right solempnely / and the archbysshop of Rey∣nes sange the masse. and there the yonge kynge was in habyte ryall in a chayre lypt vp on high apparelled with clothe of golde / and all y^e yong newe knyghtes on lower scaffoldes at his fete / couered with clothe of golde. There was the newe constable of Fraūce / sir Olyuer of Clys∣son / who was but late before chosen to that of∣fyce / who dyde right well his offyce / as it apar¦teyned.

THe great lordes of Fraunce were there richely aparelled. The kynge sat in his magestie ••oyall / with a right precyous & ryche crowne on his heed. The church that day was so full of noblenesse / that a man might nat a re∣moued his fete. And so at this newe begynnin∣ge of this yong kyng / to reioyse therby the peo¦ple of Fraunce: All maner of imposycions / ay∣des / gabelles: fowages / subsydies / and other thynges yuell taken / wherby the realme was hurt & enpouerisshed / were vtterly layd downe and sette a part: the whiche greatly pleased the people. After masse they wēt to the palais / and bycause the hall was to lytell to receyue suche a nombre of people. There was made in y^e court of the palais / a hyghe and a great stage coue∣red / where as the dyner was ordayned. & there satte the yonge kyng and his fyue vncles / Bra¦bant▪ Aniowe / Berrey / Burgoyne / and Bur∣bone / at the same table a farre of fro the kynge. and the archbyshop of Reyns and other prelat{is} sat on his ryght hande / & great lord{is} serued thē all. The lorde Coucy / the lorde Clisson / {ser} Guy de la Tremoyll admyrall of y^e see / and dyuers other / on great coursers trapped to the erthe in clothe of golde. Thus in all honour that daye contynued / and the next day / many of the great lordes toke leaue of the kyng & his vncles / and so retourned in to their owne countrees. The same day the kynge went and dyned / at the ab∣bey of saynt Therrey two leages fro Reynes / for they of the abbey shulde gyue hym that dy∣ner / and they of Reynes the day whan he is sa¦cred. Thus ended the feest of the coronacyon of kynge Charles of Fraunce.

tHan the kynge went to Parys / where as he was greatly feested at his entre. And after all this feest and solempny∣te / there was a great counsayle on the gouer∣nynge of the realme. and there it was ordayned that the duke of Berrey shulde haue the gouer∣nyng of Languedocke / the duke of Burgoyne of all Picardy and Normandy / and the duke of Aniou to abyde about the kyng / and to haue the princypall gouernynge and mynistracyon of the realme. Than the erle of saynt Poule was repealed agayne / who had been out of the fauour and grace of the kyng Charles last dis∣ceased. And the duke of Aniowe and the duke of Brabant made his peace at Reyns in whose fauoure greatlye was the erle of saynt Poule / and so he departed fro Hanne on the ryuer of Hewre in the bysshopriche of Leage / where as he hadde layne a longe space. Than he retour∣ned in to Fraunce and his wyfe with hym / and so brought her vnto the castell of Bouhaygne.

And so put out all those that ocupyed his land{is} and toke them agayne to his owne profyte. ¶ Nowe let vs a lytell leaue spekynge of these sayd maters / and retourne to the insydentes of Bretayne / and to the erle of Buckyngham.

ye knowe howe the couenaūtes and treaties were made / bytwene the duke of Bretayne and the erle of Buckyngham / as to besege Naūtes Whan the duke of Bretayne was departed fro Reynes / the lorde of Mounbrousyer / sir Ste∣phyn Guyon / the lorde Houssey in his compa∣ny / rode to Uannes and towarde Hanyboute. And the erle of Buckyngham and his compa∣ny ordayned to go to the sege at Nauntes / and so departed fro Reynes and ther about where as they were lodged / and went the same day & lodged at Castell Briant / and the nexte day at Bayne / and the thirde day at Tyeull / and the fourthe lodgyng / they toke in the foubours of Nauntes. And the erle was lodged at the gate of Saluetout / and the lorde Latymer cōstable of the hoost / the lorde Fytzwater / and the lorde Basset / were loged at the gate saynt Nicholas on the ryuersyde. and sir Wyllm̄ Wynsore and sir Hughe Caurell / were lodged amonge their folkes ryght honourably / as nere to the erle as they might. Within the towne was a great nō∣bre of knightes and squyers / of Bretaygne / of Beause / of Aniou / and of Mayne / who enten∣ded to defende the towne. So they had all the charge therof / in so moche that they of the tow∣ne had no busynesse therwith. And it was so y^• on saynt Martyns nyght / sir Johan of Bar∣roys of Barres / styred and moued some of his company within the towne / and sayde. Sirs / we se well our enemyes are nere vs / and as yet we haue nat waked them. Therfore I coūsayle that this night / we go and scrimysshe with thē. Certaynly sir {quod} they / ye speke nobly: shewe vs what ye wyll haue vs to do / and we shall do it. So they gadered toguyder the same euenyng to the nombre of sixscore of choyse men. Than they opyned the gate of saynt Peter / where as the constable / The lorde Bassette and the lorde Fytwater were lodged. So the frenchmen set good order at the gate / bycause of their retrayt Capitayns of that company was / the Barrois of Barres / Johan of the castell Morant / and the capitayne of Clysson: and so they came on the hoost as they were at supper / & had to their crye the barres. So they entred in to their lod¦ginges / and beate downe and hurt many than anone the englysshemen were raynged before their lodgynges. And whan the frēchmen sawe that / they retourned and kept theym toguyder ryght sagely / and so retourned to their towne. Than the englysshmen came thyder and scry∣mysshed / ther was entryng and puttyng backe and beatynge on bothe parties / and so the fren∣chemen entred into their barryers. Ther were dyuers slayne and hurt on bothe sydes / but the Barroyes of barres entred agayne the towne with lytell domage. And so this scrimyshe was reputed to be well done on bothe parties.

ANd on saynte Martyns daye at nyght / the Barroyes of Barres spake to his company / and sayde. Sirs / I thinke it were well done y^t tomorowe early / we toke a sixe or seuyn great barges / and two hundred men and two hundred crosbowes / and let vs go by the ryuer and visyte our ennemyes. They take but lytell hede on that syde. So they were all a¦greed / and the same nyght the gote their cōpa∣ny toguyder / & so by day they were entred their besselles / and so rowed downe the ryuer / and toke lande besyde the lodgynges. Sir Johan Harleston was lodged therby and had a great lodgyng / and at the brekyng of the day the fren¦chemen were rounde about his lodgynge / and assayled it. Anone sir Johan Harlston and his company were armed and redy at their defēce right valiantly / and archers shotte agaynst the crosbowes. There was a sore scrimysshe and dyuers hurt / and surely that lodgyng had ben taken & conquered / and sir Robert Canoll had nat ben / who was lodged nat farre thens. And so he and all his company with his baner dys∣played / came priuely to that parte. And also sir Wyllyam Wyndsore hadde knowledge therof / and so he and all his cōpany came thyder / and styll englysshmen drewe to them fro all partes. Than the frenchmen drewe backe to the ryuer warde to come to their vesselles / so at their re∣tourne in to their barges / there was a sore scry∣mysshe / and so valiantly they departed. The capitayns dyde great feates of armes / howe be it there were some of the frēchmen taken / slayne and drowned / and so they retourned in to Nauntes. In so moche that all that herde of this enter∣prise / reputed it of gret va¦lure.