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 they of Gaunte / spared the marchauntes straungers: and howe the erle parted fro Bruges and went to Lysle. And howe he was receyued there ioyously. Cap. CCCC .i. (Book 401)

FRaunces Atreyman / was one of the chefe capitey¦nes of these rutters. he was sent by Philyppe Dartuell and by Peter de Boyse / to seke aboute Brug{is} for their enemies. and to kepe y^e mar¦kette place all nyght tyll the next day. that they might se / that they were lordes of all the towne And they were straytely cōmaunded / that they shulde do no hurte / to any marchaunt straun∣ger / beyng than in Bruges. Sayeng / howe it were no reason: that they shulde take hurte / for their warre. This commaundement was well kept. The chefe occasyon fell on the foure Me∣styers / for they had alwayes ben fauourable to the erle / before And warpe and in other places. The gauntoyse went all about serchyng for thē and as they were foūde / they were slayne with∣out mercy. The same nyght there were slayne / 〈…〉〈…〉han .xii. hundred / what of one and other: with many other robberyes and yuell dedes / y^e whiche came nat all to knowledge. As dyuers houses robbed and pylled / womē defoyled and distroyed: and coffers broken vp. So that the moost poorest of Gaunt / were than becōe riche.

tHe sondaye in the mornynge / the ioy∣full tidynges cāe to the towne of gaūt. Howe that their company had discon∣fyted the erle and all his chiualry: and were lor¦des and maysters of Bruges. ye may well be∣leue and knowe / that this tidynges greatly re∣ioysed the people / beyng before in tribulacyon. And so for ioye they made dyuers processyons / laudynge god: in that he had so regarded them with his eye of pytie / and so conforted them. as to gyue them vyctorie of their enemyes. And so alwayes / there came fresshe tidynges to theym of their vyctorie: wherby they were so reioysed that they wyst nat what to do. The lorde of har¦sels / who was as than abidynge in Gaunt. If he had taken the same sonday or the monday af¦ter / a thre or foure thousande men in harnesse / and gone to Andwarpe: he had taken y^e towne at his pleasure. For they of the towne were so a¦basshed whan they herde the tidyng{is} / that nigh for feare / they had fledde out of the towne in to Heynaulte / or in to other places / to haue saued them selfe. Therto / they were redy aparelled. but whan they sawe that they of Gaunte came nat to them warde / than courage came to them and also / suche knyghtes as came thyder dyde confort them. As sir Johan Bernage / sir Tyr∣rey du Ban / and sir Flureant of Hurle. These thre knightes conforted them of Andwarpe / vn¦to suche tyme / as sis Damas of Hallone came thyder fro the erle. as ye shall here after.

THer were neuer people / that dyde with their enemyes / as they of Gaunte dyde with them of Bruges. They dyde hurt no man of any of the smale craftes of the towne / with∣out he were sore accused. Whan Philyp Dart∣well and the capitayns of Gaūt / sawe how they were lordes of Bruges / and all at their cōmaū∣dement and vnder their obeysaūce. Than they made a crye / that euery man on payne of dethe shulde drawe to their logynges / & nat to robbe nor pylle / nor to make no debate / without they were cōmaunded. Than it was enquered / if a∣ny man knewe where therle was become. some sayd / howe he was fledde the saturday. & some other sayd / howe he was styll in the towne / hyd and coude nat be founde. the capitayns of gaūt toke lytell hede therof / for they wereso reioysed with their vyctorie / y^• they cared for nothynge. Nother for erle / baron / knight / nor other in all Flaūders. They reputed them selfe so great / y^• they thought to haue all / vnder their obeysāce. Than Philyp Dartuell and Peter de boyse re¦mēbred / that whan they de{per}ted fro Gaūt / they left no vitayle / nor other purueyaūce in y^e town Therfore they sent streyght a certayne nombre of men / to Dan and to Scluse: to thētent to be¦lordes therof / & of the vitayle in thē. And whan suche as were sent cāe to Dan / they opyned the

gates to them. And all that was in the towne / was put in to their handes / and euery thyng at their commaūdement. Than there was taken out of the fayre cellers / the good wynes of Poy¦ctou / of Gascone / and of Rochell: and of other farre coūtreis / a fyue or sixe thousande tonnes. And it was layde in to shippes and in to chares and conueyed to Gaunt / what by lande and by water. And than they went farther and came to Scluse. Whiche towne incontynent was opy∣ned to theym / and put vnder their obeysaunce. And there they founde great quantyte of corne and meale / in shyppes and cellers of marchaū∣tes straungers. So all was bought and payed for / and sende to Gaunt / by water and by lāde. Thus the towne of Gaunt / was refresshed and delyuered fro misery / by the grace of god / other wyse it coude nat haue ben done. The gaūtoys than ought well to remembre / that god playnly had holpen them. Seyng / that fyue thousande¦men nere famysshed / disconfyted .xl. thousande¦men / at home at their owne doores. The capi∣tayns nor they / had no cause to be proude ther∣of but they were so proud therof / that god was displeased with theym. And that was well sene or the yere passed. as ye shall her after in the sto¦rie: to gyue ensample to all people.

I Was enformed / and I beleue it well. that the sonday at night / the erle of Flaūders yssued out of the towne of Brug{is} / by what mea¦nes I can nat saye. If any dyde helpe to make his way I can nat tell / but I beleue yes. He ys∣sued out a fote all alone / in an olde symple cloke And whan he was in the feldes he was ioyfull / for than he might well say / howe he had escaped a daūgerous passage. And so went forthe at ad¦uenture / and went to a thicke busshe / tose what way he myght take. For he knewe nat well the wayes / nor he was nat wonte to go a fote. And as he stode vnder a thicke bussh in the night / he herde by aduenture a man speke / as he came by and it was a knight of his / who had maried his bastard doughter: and he was called sir Robr̄t Marshall. Therle knewe hym well by his wor¦des / and as he passed by / he said. Robert / are ye there. The knight / who knewe the erle well by his speche / sayde. A sir: ye haue made me this day to seke in many places for you about Bru∣ges. Howe are ye gette out? Let vs go our way quod the erle. It is no tyme to tell our aduentu¦res. I pray you let vs do so moche / that I may haue a horse / for I am sore wery with goyng a fote. and I pray you: let vs take y^e way to Lysle and ye knowe it. yes sir {quod} the knight I knowe it well. And so they wente forthe all that nyght tyll it was the next mornyng / or they coude get a horse / and yet they coude gette none. But the first that they founde was a Mare / the whiche they toke fro a poore man in a vyllage. So the erle lept on her without sadyll or panell. And at night came to Lysle / wher the moost {per}te of his knightes that fledde out of the felde were come thyder: some a fote / some a hors backe / and sōe were gone in to Hollande and in to zelande. as sir Guy of Guystels / he arryued at a good port for he founde in zelande in a towne there / therle Guy of Bloyes / who made hym good chere / & departed largely with hym / and wylled him to tary ther with hym / as long as it shulde please hym. Thus they that were desolate / were recō∣forted by the lord{is} that they resorted vnto / who had pyte on them: as it was reason. For noble∣nesse and gentylnesse / ought to be ayded by no∣bles and gentyls.