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.

¶ The yuell wyll that the duke of Lā castre conceyued in his courage / For the refuce that was made him at ber¦wyke. And howe the erle of Cābrige arryued in Portyngale. Cap. CCC .lxxxvi. (Book 386)

WHan the duke of Lan∣castre was retourned out of Scotlande into Englande / and had shewed to the coun∣sayle howe he hadde spedde with the trewse / that he had taken with the Scottes. He forgate nat than / howe sir Mathue Reedmane capitayne of Berwyke / had closed the gates a∣gaynst him / by the strayte commaundement of the erle of Northumberlande. Than the duke enquered / if the kyng his nephue wolde auoqe that dede or nat / and so it semed to him / that the kynge dyde auowe it but faintly. So the duke helde his pease / and abode tyll the feest of oure lady in the myddes of the moneth of Auguste. At whiche tyme the kyng helde a solēyne court at Westmynster / and there were than a great nōbre of nobles and lordes of Englande. there was the erle of Northumberlande and the erle of Nottyngham / and dyuers other lordes of y^e northe. And the kyng made knightes the same day / the yong erle of Penbroke and sir Robert Maubre / sir Nycholas Twyforde & sir Adam Francoys. And after the feest / the kyng was in purpose to ryde to Reedyng / to Oxenforthe / & to Couentre: to punysshe the yuell doers of the sayde rebellyon. And so he dyde / in lyke maner as he had done in Kent / in Sussexe / in Essexe / in Bedforde / and in Cambridge. At this feest of oure lady at Westmynster after dyner / there were great wordes bytwene the duke of Lan∣castre and the erle of Northumberlande. The duke sayd to hym. Henry Percy / I beleued nat that ye hadde bene so great in Englande / as to close the gates of any cytie / towne / or castell / a gaynst the duke of Lancastre. The erle humy∣led hym selfe in his spekyng / and sayd. Sir / I deny nat that the knight dyde / for I canne nat. For by the strayt commaundement of the kyn∣ges grace here presente. He straitly enioyned & commaunded me / that on myne honour and on my lyfe / I shulde nat suffre any maner of per∣son lorde or other: to entre in to any cytie / tow∣ne / or castell in Northumberlande / without he were heryter of the place. Sir / the kynge and the lordes of his counsayle can well excuse me. For they knewe well ynoughe howe ye were in Scotlande / wherfore they shulde haue reser∣ued you. What quod the duke / say you that ther ought a reseruacyon to haue bene made for me / who am vncle to the kyng. and haue kept myne Herytage / as well or better as any other hathe done / next to the kyng. And seyng / howe I was gone for the busynesse of the realme in to Scot¦lande. This excuse can nat excuse you / but that ye haue done yuell / and greatly agaynst myne honoure. And haue gyuen therby ensample / to bring me in suspect that I haue done / or shulde do some treason in Scotlande. Whan at my re¦tournyng / the kyng{is} townes be closed agaynst me: and specially there as my prouisyon was. Wherfore I say / ye haue aquyted yor selfe right yuell. And for the blame and sclaundre that ye haue brought me in / to pourge me. In the pre∣sens of y^e kyng here present / I cast agaynst you

here my gauge. Reise it and yedare. Than the kyng stepte forthe and sayd. Fayre vncle of Lā¦castre / all that was done I auowe it. I must ex¦cuse the Erle of Northumberlande / and speke for hym. For on payne of his lyfe / we commaū∣ded hym / that he shulde kepe close all y^e townes on the marchesse. and ye knowe well / howe our Realme was in great trouble and parell. The faulte was in the clerke that wrote the letters / and the neglygence of oure counsayle. For of trouthe / we shulde haue reserued you. wherfore I wyll / and also desyre you: to lay a parte this yuell wyll that ye haue to the Erle. And I take the charge on me / and discharge the erle in that behalfe. Than kneled downe before the Duke: the erle of Arundell / the erle of Salisbury / the erle of Suffolke / y^e erle of Stafforde / and the Erle of Dymester / and sayde to hym. Sir / ye here howe amyably and truely the kynge spe∣kethe. Wherfore sir / ye ought to condiscende to his pleasure. Well quod the duke / who was en∣flamed with yre: I shall holde my peace. And so mused a lytell / and made the lordes to ryse / and thanked them and sayd. Fayre lord{is} / there is none amonge you / if ye were in lyke case as I am / but I am sure / ye wolde be sore displea∣sed. But as it pleaseth the kyng to haue it / it is reason that I be content ther with. So there y^e peace was made bytwene the duke and the erle by meanes of the kynge and the other lordes. And the seconde day the kyng toke his iourney (as is sayd before) and a fyue hundred speares and as many archers folowed / and euer costed the kynge in this vyage. The kyng dyde great iustyce on them that had rebelled agaynst him.

HOwe lette vs leaue to speke of the kyng of Englande / and speke of the erle of Cā¦bridge his vncle / & shewe howe he dyde in Por¦tyngale.

VE haue well herdhere before / how therle of Cambridge lay in the ha¦uyn of Plummouthe / with a fyue hundred speares and as many ar∣chers / abydinge for the wynde / to sayle into Portyngale. So longe he lay there that at last wynde and wether came / and so dis∣ancred and departed towarde Lysbone / where they thought to arryue. And the first day / they costed Englande and Cornewayle. and the .ii. day also. And the thyrde daye they entred in to the highe see of Spaygne / and there they had harde fortune. for there rose suche a tēpest / that they and all their shyppes / were in great parell and harde aduēture of dethe. And specially the shyppes / wherin were the gascoyns. As sir Jo¦han of Newcastell / the Souldicke of Lestrade and the lorde de la Barde / and a fourtie knigh¦tes and squyers. They lost the syght of the erle of Cambridge flete. The erle / and sir Olyuete Beauchampe marshall of the hoost / and {ser} Ma¦thewe Gourney constable / and the Chanoyne Robersarde and the other / passed this tempest in great daunger. And so longe they sayled by the wynde and starres / that they arryued at the cytie of Lysbone. These tidynges came anone to the kynge of Portyngale / who taryed and lo¦ked euer for the comynge of these englisshmen. Than the kynge sende of his knightes to mete theym / and so they were honourably receyued. And the kyng Dampferant came out of his ca∣stell / and mette with therle of Cambridge / and receyued hym and all his with great honoure. And so brought thē in to his castell / and called for wyne and spyce. And there was yonge Jo∣han of Cambridge sonne to the erle: Of whom the kynge of Portyngale made great ioye and sayde. Beholde here my sonne / for he shall haue my doughter: they were bothe proper & good∣lye / and all of one age. These children had gret ioye eche of other / and helde eche other by the hande. In the meane season whyle the kyng of Portyngale made cher to the erle and to the o∣ther straungers / all their companye were well lodged as they came oute of their shyppes / for the Cytie of Lysbone was great and well fur∣nysshed with euery thynge / for it was well pro¦uyded for / agaynst the comyng of the englyssh¦menne. So these lordes were mery and well at their ease: Howe be it they were ryght sorie for their company / that they thought were lost on the see / in the tempest. Or els driuen into the dā¦ger of the moores in Granade. the whiche yf it were so / they thought them as good as lost / & so for them they made great complayntes. and to say trouthe / they were well worthy to be cōplay¦ned. for they were so sore tossed with the tēpest / that there were neuer men in greater daunger of dethe / and scaped. They passed the straytes and the boundes of the realme Tramesuynes and Bell maryne. And they were oft tymes in great aduenture of takynge with the sarazins / and they all coūted themselfe but lost and deed / and neuer had trust to cōe to lande. And in this great daunger they were .xl. dayes. & than they had suche a wynde that brought them / wheder they wolde or nat / agayne in to y^e spaynisshe see

And whan the wynde fayled / than they ancred / and by aduenture they founde two great shyp∣pes / comyng (as they sayd) fro Flaūders / char¦ged with marchaundyse / and goynge to Lys∣bone. Than the Englysshe shyppe came to thē / and purte out their standerdes. and whan they of Lysbone / who were but marchauntes / sawe the armes of saynt George / and in the shyppe men of armes / they were halfe afrayed. But at laste / whan they aproched and sawe who they were / they made theym great chere. And after these marchauntes dyde putte these knyghtes agayne in great parell (as ye shall herafter)

THese knightes demaūded of these mar∣chaūtes what tidynges / they answered and sayd. Howe that the kynge of Portyngale with the englysshe men were in Spaigne / and had besieged the kynge of Castyle in Ciuyll. Of these tidynges the knightes were right ioy¦full / and sayd. howe they wolde go thyder / for they were as than on the fronter of Ciuyll. And so they departed: and the marchaūtes left with theym wyne / and other prouysion / to refresshe them with all. Than the gascoyns sayde to the maryners. Sirs / bringe vs streyght to Ciuyll for there our company lye at siege. The mary∣ners sayde / in the name of god: and so tourned thyderwardes / and sayled so longe / tyll they a∣proched nere therto. Than the maryners / who were wyse and sage / and wolde nat that theyr maysters shulde be lost neglygently. Caused a ladde to moūt vp to the toppe of the shyp / to se if he coude spy any maner of siege layd to Ciuyll outher by water or by lande. and the ladde / who sawe euery thynge parfitelye / sayde. Sure∣lye there is no maner of siege / nother by lande nor by water. Than the maryners sayde to the lordes. Sirs / ye are nat well and truely enfor∣med / for surely ther is no siege / nother by lande nor by water about Ciuyll. For if there were a∣ny / it shulde apere in the hauyn. Therfore sirs / it is no goynge thyder / without ye wyll lose all. For the kynge of Castyle is there / as in the cy∣tie (wherin he wolde be) of any other in all his realme. So with great payne these maryners myght be beleued / and at laste they were be le∣ned. And so sayled a longe the syde of Cyuyll: and entred in to the see of Portyngale / and at last arryued in the hauyn of Lysbone. Thesāe houre and daye / there was done in the churche of saynt Katherine a solempne obsequy / for thē and all the englysshe men: morenyng for them in blacke. But than ye may well knowe / there was ioye ynoughe / whan̄e they arryued at the porte: and there was gret feest made. and these gascoyns for ioye / forgate the payne and feare / that they had endured in the see.

'NOwe lette vs leaue to speke of the busy∣nesse of Portingale / for ther was as yet no dede of armes done there. and lette vs nowe speke of the busynesse that was in Flaunders the same season.

IN this season while all this busynesse was in England / the warres of Flāders was nat in rest / bytwene the erle and the gauntoyse (ye haue herde here before) how Phi¦lyppe Dartuell was chosen as souerayne capitayne of Gaunt / by the oppy∣nyon of Peter de Boyse / who counsayled hym to take on hym the offyce / and to be cruell. To the entent to be the more feared. Philyppe folo¦wed after his scole and doctryne / for he had nat bene long in offyce / whan he caused .xii. heedes to be strykenne of before hym. And some sayde / they were those / that principally were causers of the dethe of his father. and so than he reuen∣ged his cause. ¶ This Philyppe Dartuell be¦gan̄e to raygne in great puyssaunce / and was greatly feared and beloued / & specially of suche as folowed warre. And to wynne their fauoure and loue / he spared nothynge: but abandoned euery thynge to them. It might be demaunded howe they of Gaunt made their warre? I wyll aunswere therto / acordynge as I haue herde. Of very necessyte / accordynge to their quanty∣ties: they euer supported the poore. And so by reason of the vnyte amonge theym / they endu∣red in great puyssaunce. And all thynges con∣sydred / Gaunt is one of the moost strōgest tow∣nes of the worlde. So that Brabant / Holande and zelande / make them no warre. But if those thre countreis with Flaunders make warre to them / than they be enclosed and likely to be lost and famysshed. And these thre countreis made no warr with them / wherfore they endured the lengar. In this season / whyle that Philyppe Dartuell was made newe offycer. The alder∣man of the wayuers was accused of trayson / & sette in prison. And to proue the trouthe in that he was accused / they went to his house / & foūde there certayne poudre of Saltpeter / wherwith he had done no helpe to the towne at siege / nor otherwyse / of all the hole yere passed. Wherfore

he was beheeded / & drawen through the towne lyke a traytour: to gyue ensample to all other. Than the erle of Flaunders determyned to lay siege to Gaunt / and so he made a great somons of lordes / knyghtes / and squyers: and men of good townes. And he sende to Malynes / from whens he had moche people. Also he sende for his cosyns / sir Robert of Namure and sir Wyl¦lyam. and out of Arthoise ther came moche peo¦ple to him. And the coūtesse of Arthoise his mo¦ther / was as than newely departed this lyfe.

TO this assemble there cāe the lorde Dā¦piers / with a great company of knigh∣tes and squyers of the countie of Heynalt. And so therie went and layde siege to Gaunt / on the syde towarde Bruges and towarde Heynalte. & whyle this siege endured / there was many a scrymisshe / and somtyme a sorte of wyght com∣panyons wolde yssue out of Gaūt. Somtyme they were driued home agayne to their losse / & sometyme they wan. And in this season he that dyde moost dedes of armes and was moost re∣nomed / was the yong lorde of Danghien. And moost commonly all lustye companyons / suche as sought for dedes of armes / wolde be euer in his companye. And in this season / the lorde of Danghien with foure thousande horse men be∣syde fote men / wente and layde siege before the towne of Grauntmont / the which as than was gaūtoyse. Before that tyme / the sayd lorde had bene there / and traueyled and haryed thē sore: but nothynge conquered. But at this tyme / he came puissantly and in good order / and on a sō day he sauted the towne / in mo than .xl. places. And was at the saute hym selfe / and sette forthe first his owne baner. This was so gret assaute and so well cōtynued on euery syde / that about the houre of noone / it was taken and cōquered. And than entred in at y^e gates / the lorde of Dā∣ghien and his company. And whan they of the towne sawe / that their towne was lost without recouery / they fledde out at the gates / wher as none of their enemyes were. and so euery man saued hym selfe that myght. There was great murdre / of men / women / and chyldren: for ther was none taken to mercy. Ther were mo than v. C. men of y^e towne slayne / and a great nōbre of olde people men and women brent / lyeng in their beddes / whiche was great pytie. For they sette fyre in the towne / in mo than thre hundred places / wherby the hole towne was brent chur∣ches and all: nothynge left hole. Thus Graūt∣mont was prosecuted and put to fyre and flame than the lorde Danghien retourned in to thost to the Erle of Flaunders / who gaue hym great thanke for his dede / and sayde. Fayre sonne / ye are a valyant man / and shall be if god be plea∣sed a good knight / for yehaue a gode begining.

AFter the distructyon thus of the towne of Grauntmont / on a sonday / in the mo¦nethe of June / whyle the siege lay stylle before Gaunt. This lorde of Dāghien / called Water: wolde neuer lye in rest in his lodgyng / but eue∣ry day sought for aduētures. Some day with a great nōbre and some daye with so fewe / that he durst nat parceyuer in his enterprise. So y^t nere euery day / there was by hym or by y^e Hase of Flaunders / done some aduenture. And so it fortuned / that on a tuesday in the mornyng / the lorde Danghien was yssued out of his logyng and the lorde of Montigny in his company / {ser} Mychell of Hamsede his cosyn / & the bastarde of Danghien his brother. Julyen of Toyson / Hutyn Donay / and dyuers other. They went to scrimisshe before Gaunt (as they were wont to do) & aduentured thēselfe so farre / that they toke no good therby. For they of Gaunt hadde layde a sore busshment before their towne / mo than a hūdred pykes. And some sayd there was in this busshmēt / suche as had fledde fro graūt¦mont: whan it was wonne. Their entente was set on nothyng els / but howe they might trap y^e lorde Dāghien / to be reuenged on hym / for the domage y^• he had done to them. They thought euer that he was free and hardy / and wolde ad∣uenture him selfe largely. And as they thought so it came to passe / whiche was more pyte. The lorde Danghien and his rout / toke no hede tyll they were enclosed with the gauntoyse / who es∣cryed them to dethe. Than the lorde Dāghyen demaunded counsayle of the lorde of Mōtigny who was by hym. Than sir Eustace Mōtigny answered / and sayd. It is nowe to late to take coūsayle. let vs defēde our selfe / & sell our lyues derely or we dye: there is none other remedy. Than these knyght{is} made the signe of y^e crosse before them / and recōmended them selfe to god and to saynt George. And so entred in amonge their enemies / for they coude nat flye / they wer so forwarde in the enbusshe. And so there they dyde dedes of armes as well as they might: but they coude nat longe endure / for their enemyes were a hundred agaynst one. And a great nom¦bre of long pykes / wherwith the gaūtoise gaue

great strokes and peryllous / as it well apered. Ther was the lorde Danghien slayne / and by hym his bastarde brother / and Gyles of Toy∣son / and dyuers other valyant knight{is} of Hay∣nalte. And the lorde of Montigny saynt Chri∣stophe / and sir Michell of Hamsede sore hurte. And he had ben slayne without doute / and Hu∣tyn Donay / by force of armes / hadde nat saued hym. And yet he had moche payne to saue him. Howe be it / in the meane tyme that the gaūtois were about to dysarme the knyghtes that they had slayne / to the entent to beare them into the to wne of Gaunt. For they knewe well they had slayne the lorde Danghien / wherof they hadde great ioye. In the meane tyme / Hutyn Donay brought out of the prese and parell sir Mychell Hamsede. ¶ Thus this iourney fortuned a∣gaynst the lorde Dāghien. It is nat to be dou∣ted / but that the Erle of Flaunders had for his dethe great sorowe / the whiche he well shewed / bycause: for y^e loue of him he brake vp his siege before Gaunte. And night and day made great soro we for his dethe / and sayd. O / Water Wa∣ter my fayreson. What aduenture is this? thus to fall on you in your youthe. I wyll that eue∣ry man knowe / that they of Gaunte shall neuer haue peace with me / tyll I haue so great amen des / that it shall suffyce. Than the erle sende to Gaunt / to haue agayne the body of the lorde of Danghien / the whiche the gaūtoyse wolde nat delyuer. Than the erle sende them a thousande frankes to haue his body / the whiche the gaun¦toyse dyde departe amonge themselfe. And so the body of the lorde of Dāghien was brought in to the hoost / and so was sente to Anghien the towne / wherof he was lorde.

THus for the loue of the yong lorde of Danghien / thesege brake vp be¦fore Gaunte. And than the erle de∣parted and wente to Bruges / and gaue leaue to all his people to de∣parte / and sende a certayne to his fortresses in Flaunders. As Gaures / Andewarpe / Tere∣monde / and Curtray: and all about in the for∣tresses nere to Gaunt. And the erle sende to the legeoys / shewynge them / bycause the ycōforted Gaunt with vitayle and other prouisyon: ther¦fore he had broken vp his siege. Desyringe thē / no more to cōfort thē with any vitayle. They of Liege answered proudely: that they wolde be aduysed what they wolde do. Of them of ••ayn ton / of Huy / and of Dygnet: therle coude haue none other answere. How be it he sent to his co∣syns / the duke of Brabāt / and the duke Aubert bayly of Heynalte / of Holande / and of zelande: dyuers messangers right sage knyght{is}. & they to shewe hym / how y^e towne of Gaūt / is styll in their erroure / by the occasyon of the great con∣fort / that they of Gaunt hath / by their people & countreis. In bringynge dayly to them fresshe vitayle: desyring thē therfore / to prouyde for a r••medy. These two lord{is} / who wolde nat glad∣lye do anythyng / to the displeasure of their co∣syn the erle. Excused them selfe honestly & sayd. howe they knewe nothynge therof before. But fro thens forthe they wolde loke therto / and set a good order. This answere was suffycient to the Erle of Flaunders. The duke Aubert / who as than was in Holande / wrote to his bayly in Heynalte / sir Symone de la Layne / and sende hym the copy of the erles letters: and y^• request that the erle had made to hym. And besyde that he commaunded him / that he shulde so deale in the countre of Heynalt / that he here no more ti∣ding{is} of displeasure / towarde therle of Flāders his cosyn. For if he dyde / he wolde nat be con∣tent. The baylye obeyed as it was reason / and dyde his commaundement throughe all Hay∣nalte / commaundynge them in no wyse to cary any vitayle or any maner of thynge to Gaunte. If they dyde / they shulde ronne greatly in the dukes displeasur. A lyke crye and defence was made in Brabante / So that none durste go to Gaunte / but by stelthe. Wherof they of Gaunt beganne to be dismayed / for their prouisyon be gan ta fayle / and had ben in great famyne / and they of Holande had nat conforted them. Who wolde nat leaue to ayde them / for any commaū dement that duke Aubert coulde make. In the same seasone / the sage men and wyse counsay∣lours of Heynalt / of Brabant / and of Liege: set a day of counsayle to be holden at Harlequebec besyde Courtrey. And so there they mette: and they of Gaunt sende thyder a twelfe of y^e moost notablest men of the towne. And ther they she∣wed how generally / the moost {per}te of the towne. Except suche rybaudes & vnthriftye people / as desyred nothynge but yuell and noyse. All the other (gladlye they sayde) wolde haue rest and peace: what soeuer came therof. At this coun∣sayle / were all the wyse counsaylours of all the good townes in Flaunders. Ther was the er∣les counsayle / and they of Liege / of Brabant / and of Heynalte. And the maters were there so well debated / y^• vpon certayne articles of peace

the gauntoyse retourned to their towne. And all suche of Gaunte / as desyred rest and peace: drewe to the houses of two riche men of Gaūt / who hadde bene at this treatie. The one called sir Gylbert Gente / and the other sir Symone Bette: demaundynge of theym tidynges. And they dyscouered the mater to soone / to some of their frendes. Sayeng / good neyghbours: we shall haue so good peace (and it please god) that such as loueth peace and rest / shall haue it. And some of them that be yuell dysposed in y^e towne of Gaunt / to be corrected and punysshed.