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.

¶ Here after foloweth their feates of armes.

FFirst the lorde of Pou¦sances in Poictou / and the lorde of Uertaygne in Hey¦naulte. Two barownes of great prise and hardynesse / came eche agaynst other a fote / holdyng their speares in their handes / sparyng nothynge eche other. The lorde of Uertaynge was stryken but nat hurte / and he strake the lorde of Pousances in suche wise / that he pearsed y^e mayle on his brest and all that was theron / so that the blode folo∣wed. And it was great marueyle / that he had nat been worse hurt than̄e he was. And so they strake out their thre strok{is} / and finysshed their armes / without any more domage. And than went and rested theym / and behelde the other. Than came sir Johan Dambreticourt of Hey nalt / agaynst sir Trystram de Laualle of Po∣ictowe / and they dyde their armes right valy∣antly / without any domage / and so left. Than came Edwarde Beauchampe and Clarens of Sauoy the bastarde / who was a squyer ryght hardy and stronge / and bygger in all his mem¦bres / than̄e the Englysshe man was. So they came eche agaynst other / and mette with great wyll. and strake eche other on the brest / in suche wyse / that Edwarde Beauchampe was ouer∣throwen backewarde. Wherof the Englysshe∣men were sore displeased. And whan̄e he was vp agayne / he toke his Speare and came a∣gayne agaynst Clarens / and so mette agayne. And there Edwarde Beauchāpe was agayne ouerthrowen to the erthe / wherwith thēglysshe men / were more sorer displeased and sayd. how that Edwarde was to weake / to medyll with the Frenche squyer / the deuyll was on hym to iuste agaynst hym. So than they were depar∣ted / and shewed howe they shulde do no more. And whan Clarens sawe the maner / desyringe to perfourme his armes sayde. Lordes / ye do me wronge: And sythe ye wyll that Edwarde shall do no more / than sette some other to me in his stede / that I may performe myne entprise. The erle of Buckynghame demaunded what he sayd / and it was shewed hym. Than he sayd the frenche man spake valyauntly. Than stept forthe an Englysshe squyer / who was after a knight. and was called Jenequyn Fetaceilles. He came before the erle and kneled downe / and desyred that he myght perfourme the batayle. And therle acorded therto. Than this Jenken Fetaceilles came forthe / & armed hym at all pe∣ces and toke his speare / and the bastarde Cla∣rens his. and so mette eche at other and foyned and thrust so sore eche at other / that the speares flewe all to peces ouer their heedes. And at the seconde coupe they dyde in lykewise / and at the thirde also. So all their speares were broken / so that all the lordes on bothe parties / reputed

this dede / a goodly feate of armes. Than they toke their swerdes / the whiche were right byg. and in sixe strokes they brake foure swerdes. And than̄e they wolde haue fought with axes / but the erle wolde nat suffre theym. And sayde he wolde nat se them fight at vttraunce. Say∣eng / they had done ynough. Than they drewe abacke and other came forthe. As one Jeneken Clynton englysshe / agaynst one Johan de Ca∣stell Morant frenche man / who made them re∣dy to do armes.

THis Jenken Clynton was a squi∣er of honour with the erle of Buc∣kynghame / and ryght nere about hym. Howe be it he was but sclen∣der and small of body. Therfore the erle was nat content / that he shulde haue to do in armes / with so bygge aman / as Johan of the Castell Morant was. How be it they were putte toguyder to assay / and so they came right rudely toguyder. But the englyssheman coude nat endure agaynst the Frenche man / but with their foyninge / the Englysshe man was ouer∣throwen to the erthe. Than the erle sayd. howe they were nothynge euenly matched. Thanne there came to Jenequyn Clynton / certayne of the erles company and sayd. Jenequyn / ye are nat metely to acomplysshe out this feate of ar∣mes. And the erle of Buckyngham is nat con∣tent of your enterprise / and commaundeth you to go and rest you / and so he departed. And Jo¦han of the Castell Moraunt / seyng the maner / sayde. Sirs / if ye thynke that your squyer be to lytell to deale with me / sende another to me at your pleasure / to the entent I may performe myne enterprise / or els it shulde be to my villa∣ny. And also I shulde haue wronge / if I shulde departe / withoute doynge of any dedes of ar∣mes. Than the Constable and the marshall of the hoost sayde. ye say right well. and so it was done. Than it was sayd to all the knight{is} there about. Sirs / is there any of you that wyll de∣lyuer this knight / to the whiche aunswered sir Wylliam of Fermyton / and sayd. shewe vnto the knyght / howe he shall nat de{per}thens / with∣out doyng of dedes of armes. If it please him a lytell to rest hym / he shall anone be delyuered for I shall arme me agaynst hym. This an∣swere pleased moche John̄ of Castell Morant and so went and satte downe to rest hym. Anon the Englysshe knyght was redy / and came in to the place.

SO the two knight{is} cāe a fote eche agaynst other rudely / with their speares lowe couched / to stryke eche other within the foure quar∣ters. Johan of Castell Moraunt strake the englysshe knight on the brest in suche wyse / that {ser} Wylliam Fermyton stombled and bowed / for his fote a lytell fayled hym. He held his speare lowe with bothe his handes / & coude nat amende it. And strake sir Johan of the Ca¦stell Moraunt in the thighe / so that the speare wente clene throughe / that the heed was sene a handfull, on the othersyde. And sir Johan with the stroke reled / but he fell nat. Than̄e the En∣glysshe knightes and squyers were ryght sore displeased and sayd. How it was a foule stroke Sir Wylliam Fermyntone excused hym selfe / and sayde. howe he was sorie of that aduēture / and howe that if he had knowen that it shulde haue ben so / he wolde neuer haue begon it. say∣enge / howe he coulde nat amende it / bycause of glaūsynge of his fote / by constraynt of y^e great stroke / that sir John̄ of the castell Morant had gyuen hym. So thus the frenchmen departed and toke leaue of the erle and of the other lord. and toke with them in a lytter sir John̄ of Ca∣stell Moraunt / and brought him to the Castell Josselyne / and he was after in great paryll of dethe / by reason of his hurt. Thus ended these dedes of armes / and euery man drewe to their owne parte. The englisshmen to Uannes / and the frenchmen to castell Josselyn.