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 rode with out any cōmaundement of the kyng of Portyngale. And howe the castell of Sygheire in portyngale was ta∣ken Cap. CCC lxxxix. (Book 389)

THe erle of Cambridge and his company refreshed theym a longe space at Lys∣bone / with the kyng of Por¦tyngale. And the englysshe∣men and gascoyns aduysed well the countrey / by cause they had neuer bene there before. And as I vn∣derstode / there was a maryage accorded / by∣twene the doughter of the kyng of Portyngale who was of the age of tenne yeres / and the erle of Cambridge sonne of the same age. He was called Johan / and the Lady named Beatryce. At the weddynge of these two chyldrene / there was made great feaste amonge the lordes and prelates of the realme / and as younge as they were / they were layde toguyder in one bedde. So this maryage thus ended / the whiche en∣dured the space of eight dayes. Than y^• kynge of Portyngale and his counsayle / ordayned y^• the men of warr / that were as than at Lysbon shulde de{per}te in to other places / and kepe the frō¦ters. So therle of Cambridge and his cōpany were ordayned to go lye in another towne / cal∣led

Estremour. And the englysshmen and gas∣cons shulde lye in another countre / called Besy ouse / and yonge Johan of Cambridge shulde abyde with the kynge and his wyfe. Whan the Chanone Robersarde / and the other englysshe knight{is} and gascons toke their leaue of y^• kyng to departe to go to their garisons. than y^• kyng sayd to them. Sirs / I cōmaunde you ryde nat out agaynst our enemyes / without my leaue & knowledge: for if ye do / I wyll nat he content. They answered / howe they wolde nat ryde tyll they had his lycence. and so thus they departed and so rode to y^• towne of Besyous / a .ii. dayes iourney fro Lysbone / and asmoche fro Ceuyll / wher as the kyng of Spayne lay. Who knewe ryght well of the comynge of the erle of Cam∣bridge and his company. And sent worde ther∣of in to Fraunce / to suche as he thought wolde serue him. And whan they knewe therof & sawe that warre was likely to be in Spaygne / they were gladde therof. And dyuers suche as desy∣red to be auaunsed by the warre made them re∣dy / and toke their way in to Spayne.

THe Chanoyne Robersarde / who lay in garyson at Besyouse / with his compa∣ny englysshe and gascoyns. On a tyme he sayd to his company. Sirs / me thynke we lye here thus long styll / nothyng to our honour. We ha∣ue done as yet nothyng agaynst our enemyes / wherfore they sette the lesse store by vs. Ther∣fore and ye wyll it is my coūsaile / that we sende to the kynge of Portyngale / desyringe hym to gyue vs leaue to ride / & to do som what against his enemyes. and they all answered and sayde. We are content. Than sir Johan Chandonich was sent on that message. and so he came to the kynge to Lysbone / and dyde his message as he was charged to do. But y^• kyng sayd▪ he wolde in no wyse they shulde ryde forthe. And so this knight coude gette none other thyng of y^• kyng and so retourned to his lordes / and said. Sirs the kyng wyll in no wyse that ye shall ride forth Than they were sorer displeased thā they were before / and said among them selfe. howe it was nat the order of men of warr / tolye so long styll in a garyson / without doynge some dede of ar∣mes. And so thus they made couynaūt to ryde forthe at aduenture. And so on a day they rode out in to the feldes / to the nombre of a four hun∣dred men of armes / and as many archers. And they enterprised to besiege a great towne / par∣teyninge to the mayster of saynt Johans. And as they wente thyderwarde / they toke another way and went to the castell of Sighyre / wher∣in there was a threscore men of armes / spayni∣erdes in garyson. Of whome Peter Gousses and his brother were capitayns. The chanone Robersarde / who was chefemouer of that iour¦ney rode before: and ther was with hym sir O∣lyuer of Beauchampe / sir Mathewe Gourney Mylles Wyndsore / the lorde Talbotte / sir A∣dam Symon / and sir John̄ Foūdre / who was bastarde brother to the kyng of Englande / the Souldycke of Lestrade / the lorde of Newca∣stell / the lorde de la Barde / Raymon of Mar∣son / & dyuers other. And so they rode tyll they came to the castell of Sighyre / and so made thē redy to assayle it. And whan they within par∣ceyued that they shulde be assayled / they orday ned for their defence. And anone after day / the saulte began right sore and cruell. and the En∣glysshmen entred in to the dykes / wherin there was no water / and so they came iust to the wal∣les well pauesshed for the cast of stones / & there they hewe with pykes to entre the walles / and they within cast downe on them / barres of yron and stones / and hurt dyuers of them. That day the Chanoyn Robersarde dyde marueyls in ar¦mes / and so dyde Eperus a varlet of his. and y^• archers stode a longe the dyke / and shot so hol∣ly toguyder / that there was none aboue y^• durst apere at their defence. The one halfe of theym within were sore hurt / & there was slayne with the shotte / the brother of Peter Gousses capy∣tayne of the castell / called Bartylmewe / a pro∣per man of armes. And so by his hardynesse / & to moche aduenturyng he was slayne.

THus this assaut contynued fro the mornynge tyll it was noone. The knyghtes and squyers bothe En∣glysshe & Gascoyns / spared nat to assayle the castell / with great wyll and courage / bycause they dyde that enterprise without the knowledge of the kyng of Portyn∣gale. Therfore they dyde all their payne to con¦quere the Castell / to the entent that the renome therof / shulde come to Lysbone. And that men myght say. howe they had well spedde at their begynnyng. Than the Chanoyne Robersarde sayde. A sirs / we thought yesterday / this Ca∣stell shulde nat haue holde so long agaynst vs. But and we be so longe in conqueryng of tow∣nes and castelles in Spaygne and Galyse / we shall neuer be lordes of thē / wherwith y^• knigh∣tes and squyers toke more courage. And with those wordes / the Chanoyne Robersarde / for

all his pauesse / receyued a great stroke: wher∣with he was sore hurte and brosed. And he had by hym a yong squiers of Heynalt / called Fro∣••ssart Mullyer. who bare hym selfe valiauntly at this assaut. and so dyde all other. The artyl∣lary of the castell: as stones / and barres of yron began to mynisshe. and they within sawe well / that of .xxv. men of armes / there were but thre of them / but they were sore hurt and in parell of dethe. So that they coulde nat longe endure / but that by force they shulde be taken. and they sawe their capitayns brother was slayne. than they determyned to take some respyte / and in y^e meane tyme to treate for a peace. Thanne they made token to speke with the englysshmen / and so the assaute ceased. and the assaylantes came out of the dykes / wherof they had nede. for ther were many of theym sore traueyled and hurte. Than sir Mathue Gourney constable of that hoost / and sir Mylles Wynsore marshall went to them / and demaunded what they wolde say. The capitayne sir Peter Gousses sayd. Sirs / we se well ye wyll nat depart hens / tyll ye haue this fortresse. ye hurt our people and we yours Let vs take counsayle one with another. I say for all my company of whom I am capitayne / that we wyll rendre to you the fortresse / our go∣des and lyues saued. sirs / take this off re. This is a right couenaunt of armes. ye are as at this tyme more stronger than we be. Therfore it be∣houeth vs thus to do. The englysshe knyghtes sayd / they wolde take counsayle / & so they dyde And whan they were determyned / they answe∣red and sayd. howe they within shulde departe whan they lyst / but theyr goodes shulde abyde styll in the castell: for they shulde haue nothing but their lyues. And whan Peter Gosses sawe there was none other remedy / he acorded ther∣to / right sore agaynst his wyll. Thus this Ca∣stell was gyuen vp / and put in to the handes of thenglysshmen. And so the spaynierdes depar∣ted without any sauecōduct / and went to Este∣ryes / where the maisters of saynt Jaques lay. Howe be it they founde hym nat ther / as than: for he vnderstode that the englysshe men were abrode / therfore he was entred in to the feldes / with a foure hundred men of armes / spaynier∣des and castylians / in trust to mete with the englysshmen at their aduaun∣tage / to fyght with them.