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 departed fro the seige of Nauntes / and of the fayre excuses that the duke of Bre∣tayne made to the erle of Buckyng∣hame. Cap. CCC .lxxii. (Book 372)

WHan the erle of Bue∣kyngham and the englysshe men had bene longe at siege before Nauntes / aboute the space of two monethes and foure dayes / they parceyued well y^t the duke of Bretayne kept nat his promyse / as in comynge to them, thā they determyned to dislodge fro thens and go to Uannes / and there to speke with y^e duke / and to knowe all his entent. Than their dislod¦gynge was knowen in the hoost / and so diso∣ged the next day after Neweres day / and rode forthe in ordre of batayle / in lyke maner as they dyd whan they past through Fraunce / and the first nyght after their departure they lodged at Niorch and there taryed thre dayes to refreshe them / and bycause the bridge was broken / they had moche trouble to make it agayne / to gette ouer their cariages. yet they made it / and the hoost passed the ryuer of Uolayne / and on a sa∣turday they wente and loged at Loheacke and there taryed two dayes / & so fro thens to Grosy and ther taryed two dayes / & the next day they passed the ryuer of Aust at the brydge of Bre∣haigne / and there taryed in the fayre playne countre. The same day that they departed and

passed y^• ryuer / they of y^• cytie of Uannes were enformed by them of the countrey / howe that the erle of Buckynghame and the englisshmen were coming to lodge in their towne: they wist nat what to do / whyder to suffer them to entre their towne or nat. and so they went to Hany∣bout to the duke / but the same daye that they came towarde Hanybout / they mette the duke in the feldes within two leages of Uannes / co∣myng thyder. and whan y^• duke sawe the men of Uannes comyng to him warde / he demaun∣ded of them / what tydinges / and whyder they went? sir {quod} they: as for tydinges we can shewe you ynowe. sir / the erle of Buckynghame and the englisshmen are comynge yonder / and it is their entencyon / as we be enfourmed / to lodge in your good towne of Uannes. sir / loke what it please you to do / for without your cōmaunde¦ment we wyll do no thyng. sir they haue made agayne the brydge at Brehaigne / the whiche was broken on y^• ryuer of Aust. Whan the duke harde of this he studyed a lytell / and sayd: sirs / be nat a frayde / haue no dought / euery thynge shalbe well ynough / they are suche men as wyll do you do hurte. I ame some what bounde to them by certayne treaties / the whiche I must nedes vpholde and acquyte me trewely therin / I wyll go to Uānes / and to morowe I thynke they wyll come thyder / and I will go and mete with y^e erle my brother / and do to him as moche honoure as I canne do / for I am bounde so to do / moreouer ye shall do as I coūsayle you. ye shall offre and present to hym the keyes of the towne / and say vnto him howe that you and all the towne are redy to receyue him / howe beit de¦syre him to be sworne / y^t within .xv. dayes that he be required to departe / that he wyll departe / and to yelde agayn to you y^e keyes of the towne this is the counsayle that I wyll gyue you. the burgesses answered and sayd / sir: we shall do as ye haue ordayned. and soo they rode forthe with the duke to Uannes / and there the duke lodged that nyght / and y^• englisshmen the same nyght lodged at saynt Johans / a lytell village two leages fro Uannes. The same nyght the erle of Buckynghame receyued letters fro the duke / who wrote to hym as his kynde brother / welcomyng him into the marches of Uannes. the next mornynge whan the erle hadde harde masse / he toke his horse and all his cōpany and rode in good ordre towarde Uannes / the to∣warde fyrst / and the erle and his batayle after / and the rerewarde folowyng the erles batayle. Thus they met with the duke of Bretayn / who was yssued out of Uannes to mete with them the space of a great leage / and whan they mette they made eche to other great honoure and re∣uerence. after this metynge whiche was right honourable / rydyng toguyder / the erle on the right hande / and the duke on the left. Than the erle began to say: saynt Mary fayre brother of Bretayne / what a long space hath it bene / that we haue taryed before Naūtes at the siege ther abydynge for you / accordyng to the treaty and couenant made bytwene you and me in that be halfe / and yet ye came nat. By my faythe {quod} the duke I coude do none otherwyse / wherwith I ensure you I was greatly displeased / howbeit I coulde nat amende it / for my men of this coū∣trey / for any thynge that I coulde shewe vnto them / nor for any alyaunces at their requestes that I hadde made to you. yet for all that they wolde neuer go to the siege to you before Naū∣tes / but kept them selfe stronge on the fronters. the lorde Clisson / the lorde Dynant the lorde Dornall / the vycount of Rohan / and the lorde Rochforde / to kepe thentreis and issues of Bre¦tayne / and all suche as were ioyned with me as well knyghtes and prelates as burgesses of the good townes / ar as nowe all rebell agaynst me wherwith I ame greatly displeased / sythe by their faulte ye fynde me vntrewe. Sir / I shall shewe you what ye shall doo / it is nowe in the harde of wynter / and colde and an cuyll season to kepe an hoost to gyder. ye shall come to Uan¦nes and there abyde tyll it be Aprell or Maye and refreshe you / and I shall ordayne other pla¦ces for your company / and so passe the tyme as well as ye may / and in somer weshall reuenge vs of all maters. the erle answered and sayde / as god wyll so be it / for he sawe well it wolde be none otherwyse, so the duke brought hym in to Uannes / and at the entrynge in to the towne the comen people came in to the erles presence / and sayd: sir / bycause of the reuerence of your great signory and noble honoure / we wyll nat be agaynst your entryng in to this towne / but sir: to apease all the people of this towne / and for your surety ye shall swere vnto vs on the ho¦ly euangelyst that within .xv. dayes after ye be required / to departe out of this towne: you and all yours / and that ye do nor suffre to be done to vs any maner of domage or hurt. By my fayth {quod} the erle of Buckynghame I ame content to swere to you to kepe and fulfyll all this / than all the other lordes sware the same othe / for they were fayne so to doo / or els to haue lyen in the feldes. Thus the erle of Buckynghame was

lodged in the eytie of Uannes hym selfe lay in the dukes house / a pleasaunt and a fayre castell handyng within the towne named the Motte. and all his company were lodged in the towne and in the subbarbes / and the duke of Bretayn and his company went to Asnotte and there a bode / and somtyme he came to Uānes to se the erle and to comen with hym. The lorde Laty∣mer / and the lorde Fytz water / sir Thom̄s Per¦cy / sir Thomas Triuet and y^• vowarde / were lodged about the towne of Hambout / but they neuer came within the gates / but laye in the subbarbes and in the feldes. Sir Robert Ca∣noll / and the lorde Fitz waren and diuers other shulde haue lodged in the towne / called Ouyn percorentyn. But they wolde neuer open their gates / wherfore they were fayne to lodge in the subbarbes and in the feldes. So thus they en∣dured & suffered that season great dissease and pouerty for that was nat worth thre pens / was solde to them for .xii. pence. yea? and worse / for somtyme they coulde get nothynge for money. so that their horses dyed for pouertie and colde for they wyst nat whyder to go a foragyng / and whan they went they were in great parell / for their neighbours were their enemyes. The vi∣count of Rohan had that tyme in the marches of Uannes two stronge castelles / the one called Cayre and y^• other Lynguisshant / and in these two castelles there was great garysons layde by the vycount / the whiche dyd moche trouble to the englissh foragers / with the helpe of other garysons / pertayning to the lorde of Clysson. as y^• castell of Josselyn / Montagu / and Mon∣countour / all this suffred the duke of Bretayne and sayde / howe he coude nat amende it. The same tyme the constable of Fraunce / & the lorde Clisson made warre for the frenche kyng / and was in the countre with a great nombre of men of warre / wherfore the englysshmen durst nat departe one fro another. All thynges consyde∣red howe they were lodged in the feldes with∣out defence / it was great marueyle they hadde no more hurt than they had / for they of Uannes coude nat lightly haue reskewed them / that lay about Campernell / or Hanybout or Numper∣corentyne. but to say the trouthe the duke went betwene them / and defended them to his power that they shulde nat be distroyed. And sayde to his coūsayle / howe that he had but febly acquy¦ted hym towarde the erle of Buckyngham / se∣yng suche promyse as he had made vnto him.

IN the same season there was at Parys with the kyng / foure great lordes sent by the duke of Bretayn to purchase his peace. that is to say / y^• vicont of Rohan / sir Charles lorde of Dynnant / sir Guy lorde de Lawall / and sir Guy lorde of Rocheforde. These foure lordes of Bretayne hadde entysed dyuers tymes the duke / sayng thus. Sir / ye shewe your selfe to all the worlde / howe that your corage is all en∣glisshe. ye haue brought in to this countrey the englisshmen / who wyll take fro you your hery∣tage / if they may get the vperhande. What pro¦fyte or pleasure haue you in them / to loue them as ye do? beholde how y^• kyng of Nauer / who trusted so moche in them / that he suffred them to entre in to y^• towne & castell of Chierbourge / and neuer syth they wolde departe out of it / but kepeth it as their owne herytage. In lykewise if ye put thē in any of your closed townes / they wyll neuer depart agayne out of them / for day¦ly they wyll be refresshed with newe men? be∣holde howe they kepe styll Brest / and they be nat in mynde to delyuer it agayne to you / the whiche is your right herytage. sir / let it suffice you to be beloued with your owne men of this same countrey / who wyll neuer renounce the frenche kyng to serue the kyng of Englande. sir / if your wyfe be of Englāde: wyll you for y^• cause leue your owne herytage / the which hath cost you so moche payne to gette / and alwayes abyde in warr. ye can do no more thā one man maye do / if youre countrey close them selfe a∣gaynst you. sir leaue your counsaylynge with them / for the frenche kyng / who loued you nat is deed. and there is nowe a yonge kyng fayre and good and of bolde spiryte / and suche hath hated his father that nowe serue him. Sir / we shall make your peace with him / and sette you at acorde / and so ye shall abyde lorde and duke of Bretayne / and be of great puyssance. and let the englisshmen returne home in to their owne countre. These wordes and suche other the for sayd barons / shewed to y^• duke dyuers tymes / so that they had nyghe conquered him to their wylles. howe be it yet he fayned and dissymuled with the frenche kynge and his counsayle / and with the englysshe men also / tyll he myght se to what ende his warre shulde come vnto. And of all these secrete treatyes / that these foure baro∣nes of Bretayne had made at Parys with the kyng and his vncles / the erle of Buckyngham and the barones of Englande knewe nothyng tyll the conclusyon was taken / but or they per∣ceyued it / and or they departed out of Bretayn

there was done in Naūtes a dede of armes be∣fore the erle of Buckynghame. Wherof I shall make mencion / for it is a mater nat to be forgo∣tone.

SO it was y^• same season / that Ga¦wen Mychaell and Jaques Ca∣thore / dyd their dede of armes be¦fore therle of Buckyngham. there were dyuers lordes / knight{is} / and squyers / that cāe thyder to se it. Some of Frā∣ce came thyder fro March caunoy and Bloys. In so moche that sir Raynolde of Thowars / lorde of Pousances a barowne of Poyctowe. Spake wordes to the lorde of Uertaygne / and sayd. That gladly he woldedo dedes of armes with hym: as thre courses with a speare / and thre strokes with an axe. And the lorde of Uer∣taygne wolde nat refuce his request / but accor∣ded therto. And wolde incontynent haue dely∣uered hym / what soeuer profyte or domage he shulde take therby / but the erle of Buckynge∣ham wolde nat suffre it. And commaunded the knight to do nothing / nor to speke no more ther of. Howe be it the wordes of the enterprise of ar¦mes abode styll in the purpose of the two knigh¦tes. And lyke wordes ther was spoken the same day by a squyer of Sauoy / called the bastarde Clarens / to Edwarde Beauchampe / sonne to sir Roger / but all passed: as well the one as the other. In lykewise bytwene Galoys Daunoy / and sir Wyllm̄ Clynton. and bytwene sir Hoy∣an Dareyns / and sir Wylliam Franke. Thus as the erle of Buckyngham was lodged in the subbarbes of Nauntes / and the knyghtes and squyers of Fraunce within Nauntes. Than̄e the lorde of Uertayne and the other of his syde / requyred thē that had apealed them in armes / that they wolde come and delyuer theym before Nauntes. The capitayns in Naūtes were nat agreed so to do. but excused their men and said Howe they were within Nauntes as soudiers / sette and ordayned to kepe the towne. So these word{is} passed ouer / tyll therle of Buckingham came to the towne of Hanybout: and to Cam∣pelle and Quynpercorētyne. but whan he was come to Arestes. Than sir Raynolde of Tho∣wars lorde of Barroyes of Barres / sir Hoyan Darreynes / and a great nombre of knyghtes and squyers came to the castell Josselyne / a se∣uyn myles fro Uannes / where as the constable of Fraunce was. And also the erle of Marche / and a great nombre of other knightes of Fraū∣ce. Than the wordes were shewed to the cōsta∣ble / of the enterprise of the dedes of armes / a∣gaynst the Englysshmen. The constable herde well their wordes and sayd. Sirs / sende to thē worde / howe I shall gyue them saueconducte / to come to do these dedes of armes. And firste Galoyes Daunoy and sir Lyonell Darreynes sende worde how they were redy to do their en∣terprise of armes / as thre courses a horsebacke with a spear. And whan sir Wylliam Clynton and sir Wylliam Frāke / vnderstode howe they were desyred and sommoned to do these dedes of armes by the frenchmen / they were right ioy¦full. and toke leaue of the erle of Buckyngham and of the lordes of Englāde to go thyder. and so thyder they wente / and a certayne knyghtes and squyers in their company. and ther iusted right valiauntly bothe parties / and dyde their dedes of armes / as it was ordayned. Than sir Rainolde of Thouars and sir John̄ of Castell Morant / and the bastarde of Clarens / desyred the lorde of Uertayne and sir Johan Dambre∣ty court and Edward Beauchampe / to delyuer their chalenge. And so these thre englysshe kni∣ghtes / were of good wyll to go and fight with them / at the castell of Josselyne / on the consta∣bles saueconduct.