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.

¶ Of the great richesse that the gaū∣toyse founde in Bruges. And howe all the townes of Flaunders / yelded them to Gaunte / except And warpe. Cap. CCCC .ii.

THe tidynges spredde a brode in to dyuers coūtreis / of the disconfyture of thē of Bruges / and of therle their lorde / done by the gauntois. wherwith ther were diuers people reioysed / and special¦ly commynalties. All the good townes aboute Gaunt / and in the bysshoprike of Liege / were as ioyfull / as thoughe the mater had ben their owne. In lykewise / so were they of Rohan and Parys in Fraūce / if they durst haue spoken it. And whanne pope Clement herde therof / he be thought hym a lytell / and sayde. Surely / this disconfyture was a stroke of god / to gyue en∣sample to the erle. And that god had sende him that tribulacion / bycause he was rebell against his opinyons. Also other great lord{is} in Fraūce and in other places / sayd. howe the erles aduer¦sytie / was nat greatly to be complayned / for he had well deserued to beare it. For he had ben so presūptuous / that he loued no lorde / neighbour

frenche kyng nor other: wherfore they cōplay∣ned lesse his {per}secucyōs. Howbeit it is an olde sayng / he that hath any yuell fortune / men wyll speke the worst therof. and specially they of the towne of Louayne were greatly reioysed / with the victory of the gauntoyse / & of the erles trou∣ble. for they were but in harde case with y^e duke of Brabant their lorde / who was in purpose to make them warr / and to beate downe their ga¦tes / to kepe them therby the rather vnder. Also it was sayd in the towne of Louayn / y^• if Gaunt hadde bene as nere them as Brusels was: they wolde haue ioyned togyder / and haue been all one. Of all their wordes and deuyses / the duke and duches of Brabant were enformed / but it behoued thē / as at that tyme / to close their eyen and to holde downe their heedes / for it was no tyme for them than to speke.

THus they of Gaunt beynge in Bruges: deuysed many newe thynges. & among other / they deuysed to beate downe two gates that were towarde Gaunt / and to fyll the dykes to thentent that they of Bruges shuld neuer re∣bell after against Gaunt. and whan they shuld departe / to take with them a fyue hundred men of thē of Bruges / to thentent to kepe thē in the more feare and subiectyon. Thus in the meane season whyle these capitayns were at Bruges / beatyng downe gat{is} and walles / and fillyng of dykes. They sent to Ipre / to Courtray / to Ber¦ges / to Cassell / to Propringne / to Bourbourc / and to all the townes and castels of Flaunders on the see cost. that they shulde be all vnder the obeysaūce of them / and to sende them the keyes of their townes and castels. submittynge them¦selfe to their obeysaūce and seruyce. and so they all obeyed / none durst say agaynst it / but came all to Bruges / puttyng them selfe vnder the o∣beysaūce of Philyppe Dartuell / and Peter de Boise. For these two named & wrote them selfe souerayn capitayns of all other / and specyally Pihlyppe Dartuell / was he that moost besyed him selfe with the charge of all Flaunders. and as longe as he abode in Bruges / he kept the e∣state of a prince. for euery day he had playenge at his lodgyng dore / mynstrels dyner and sup∣per / & was serued in vessell of syluer / as thogh he had been the erle of Flaunders. And well he myght kepe than that estate / for he had all the Erles vessell / golde and syluer / and all his ieo∣wels founde in his house at Bruges / ther was nothyng saued. Also there was sent a certayne nombre of gauntoyse to Merlle / a fayre house of the erles / standyng halfe a myle fro Bruges. they that went thyder dyd moche hurt / for they brake downe all the howse / and brake downe the fownte / wherin the erle was christned / and layd in charyotes / all the golde and syluer ieo∣wels / and other thynges that they founde ther and sent it to Gaunt. The terme of .xv. dayes there was goyng and comynge with caryages fro Bruges to Gaunt / with their pyllage that they had get that iourney. It was harde to ex∣steme the profyte that they gate there.

ANd whan̄e they of Gaunt had done all their wyll and pleasure / in the towne of Bruges. they sent a fiue hūdred of the notablest burgesses of the towne to Gaunt / to lye ther in hostage. and Fraunces Atreman and Peter de Myter / and a thousande of their men / cōueyed theym thyder. And Peter de Boyse / abode as capitayne of Bruges / tyll the gates and walles were beaten downe / and the dykes fylled. And Philyppe Dartuell departed with four thou∣sande men / and went to Ipre. and there all ma∣ner of people came out agaynst hym / and recey¦ued him as honourably / as though he had bene their owne naturall lord / that had come first to his lande. and there they all dyd put them selfe vnder his obeysaūce. And there he made newe mayres and aldermen / and made newe lawes. And to him came thyder they of Cassell / of Ber¦ges / of Bourbourcke / and of Propringne. they all / submytted them selfe vnder his obeysaūce / and sware to him faythe and trouthe / & to holde of hym as to their lorde the erle of Flaunders. And whan he had thus done / and taken the as∣surance of thē / and had taryed at Ipre the space of .viii. dayes. Than he departed and came to Courtray / where as he was also receyued with great ioy / and there he taryed thre dayes. And than he sent messangers & letters to And warpe cōmaundynge them to come to hym / and to be vnder his obeysaūce. seyng / howe all the coun∣trey was tourned to them of Gaunt. and howe they were behynde / and dyd nat as other dyd. wherfore he sent them worde surely / y^t the gaun¦toyse shulde lay siege to thē. And nat to departe tyll they had the towne / and slayne all thē with in. Whan these tydinges and message came to And warpe / sente fro Philyp Dartuell. Than the thre knyghtes answered hotely / and sayde. howe they set but lytell by the manassyng of the sonne of a tryer of hony / nor that y^e herrtage of therle their lorde / shuld be so sone gyuē to him / nor to none suche. sayeng howe they wolde de∣••••no••

〈◊〉〈◊〉 to dye in the quarell. Thus the messan¦gers retourned agayne to Courtrey.