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 lorde of Coucy apeased the discencion and rebellyon of them of Parys. And of the great prepara∣cyon that the duke of Aniou made to make hym selfe kynge of Napoles. Cap. CCC lxxxviii. (Book 388)

THan the lorde of Cou∣cy / called Enguerrant came to Paris / nat with an army but in peasable maner / with his owne seruauntes. and so lyghted at his lodgynge / & than he sende for some of thē that were chiefe begynners of the rebellyon. & whan they were come to hym / he shewed them in fayre manere. Howe they hadde done ryght yuell / to slee the kynges officers / as they hadde done. And broken the kynges prisons / and de∣lyuered the kynges prisoners. Sayeng / howe that if the kyng and his counsayle wolde be ha∣stye and rygorours / they shulde sore repent it. The whiche the kyng wolde nat / bycause he lo¦ueth Parys so well / for he was borne therin: & also it is the chife cytie of his realme. Therfore he wyll nat distroye the people that be therin. Shewynge theym / howe he was come thyder / as to be a meane to bringe them to peace. Pro∣misynge them / howe he wolde desyre the kynge and his vncles / to {per}done all that euer they had done. Than they aunswered and sayde. Howe they wolde none yuell / nor to haue warre with the kynge nor with his vncles. But they wolde that these imposycions / subsedyes / and gables / shulde be layde downe in all Parys: and that the cytie shulde be exempte fro all suche maters Sayenge / howe they wolde ayde the kynge in some other manere. In what manere quod the lorde of Coucy. They answered and sayd. We wyll be content to pay a certayne golde and syl¦uer euery weke / to a certayne man apoynted to receyue it / to helpe to paye the Soudyers / and men of warr in Fraunce. What somme wyll ye paye quod the lorde of Coucye? Suche somme quod they / as we shall agree vpon. And so the lorde of Coucy treated so the mater with them / that with their owne good wylles / they ceased theym selfe to paye wekely / a tenne thousande florence / to a certayne man admytted / to be re∣ceyuoure therof. And so thus the lorde of Cou∣cy departed fro them / and wente to Myeulx in Brie / to the Kynge and to his vncles / and she∣wed them what he had done. Than the kynge was counsayled for the best / to receyue this of∣fre of the Parisyens. Sayenge / howe it was good to entre on theym lytell and lytell / For in lykewyse they shulde do with the other good townes in Fraunce. Seynge that Parys dyde thus begynne. Than the lorde of Coucy retour¦ned to Parys / and brought peace fro the kyng to the Parisyence / so that they wolde kepe the promyse that they hadde made: the which they sayde they wolde do. And so a receyuer was a∣poynted to receyue the florence euery weke. so that the money shulde nat go out of Parys / for none other entent / but to pay men of warr whā nede requyred. And that the money shulde nat be enployed to the kyng{is} vse norprofyte: nor to none of his vncles. Thus the mater contynued a certayne space / and the Parisyence in peace / but the kynge wolde nat come in Parys / wher of the parisyence were sore displeased.

IN lykewise they of Rohane rebelled / the common people rose and slewe the Cathelayne ther / and all suche as had sette the imposycions / aydes / and gabelles on

them. And whan the kyng and his vncles herd therof / they were right sore dyspleasedde. For they doughted greatlye / that other Cyties and townes wolde do in lyke case. Than the kynge was coūsayled that he shulde go to Rohan / & so he dyde / and apeased the cōmons there / and {per}∣doned them the dethe of his Chatelyne / and of all that they had done. And also they ordayned a receyuour / to whome they payed euery weke a certayne somme of florens. and so therby they were in peace. So thus ther began great yuel in Fraunce / and all toke fotynge and ensample of the gauntoyse / for why: as than all the com∣monties throughout all the worlde sayd. howe they of Gaunt were good people / and valyant lye had sustayned their fraunchises. Wherfore they sayde: they ought to be beloued / praysed / and honoured.

IT is to be knowen / that the duke of An∣iowe had a great and an high entent and ymaginacion / to go to the realme of Napoles. For he wrote hym selfe kynge of Puyle / of Ca∣labre / and of Cicyle. For pope Clement had gy¦uen hym that herytage / by vertue of the letters patētes / that the quene of Napoles had gyuen hym. The duke of Aniowe / who was sage and ymaginatyfe / and of highe courage and enter∣prise. He sawe well that in tyme to come / accor∣dyng to the state that he had begon / the whiche he was lothe to make lesse. He thought therby / to be no lytell lorde in Fraunce. Whan so noble and highe herytages were fallen to hym / as .ii. kyngdoms / Napoles and Cicyle: and thre du∣cheris. as Puyle / Calabre / and Prouence. for by reason of these coūtreis / wherof he reputed hym selfe lorde and kyng. He thought he shuld attayne to great rychesse / and so therfore he set all his entent night and day / howe he might {per}∣fourme that viage. And he knewe it wolde nat be / without great conforte of golde and syluer / and great company of men of warre / to resyst agaynst all those / that wolde let his viage. So the duke of Aniowe for this occasyon / gadered toguyder as moche rychesse as he coulde / and kept hym in loue with them of Parys / asmoche as he might. for he knewe well that within Pa¦rys / there was rychesse great habūdaunce. and also he sende to the Erle of Sauoye / in whome he had great affyaunce. Desyringe hym nat to fayle hym at this busynesse / promysynge: that as soone as he cāe in to Sauoy / he wolde gyue wages for a hole yere / for a thousande speares of that countrey. The erle of Sauoy had gret ioye of those tidynges / for he greatly loued de∣des of armes. And he answered to the messan∣gers / howe he wolde gladly serue the duke / by the sayde couynaunt. Wherof the duke of An∣iowe was gladde / for he loued greatlye the cō∣pany of the erle of Sauoy. Besyde y^• / the duke of Aniowe retayned men of armes / to the nom¦bre of nyne thousande. Than he made prepara¦cyon for hym selfe and for his company at Pa∣rys / of all maner of thynges. As tentes / pauy∣lyons / and all other ordynaunce / as it shulde {per}∣tayne for a kynge to do: whan he is in purpose to go in to a farre countrey. ¶ Nowe lette vs leaue to speke of hym for a season / and returne to the erle of Cambridge and to his company / beynge as than in Portyngale / with the kynge there.