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 treatie of alyaunce / by∣twene the englysshe men and the fle∣mynges was broken. And howe the french kyng de{per}ted out of Flaūders. Cap. CCCC .xxv. (Book 425)

YE haue herde before: howe sir Willyam Fermeton was at Ca¦lys / sent thyder by the kyng of En∣glande and by his counsayle / and brought letters with hym to haue bene sealed by the good townes of Flaunders. Makynge men••yon of great alyaunces / to be taken bytwene thenglysshmen and the flemyn∣ges. And at Calais with hym was styll Fraun¦ces Atreman and sixe burgesses of Gaunt. and whan tidynges came to them of the discōfyture at Rosebeque / they were sore abasshed. and the englisshe knight sawe well that he had no more to do / to entre any farther in to Flaunders. For he sawe well that the treatie was broken. So he toke the letters vnsealed / and retourne in to Englande agayne assoone as he might / and so shewed the mater howe it was fallen. Wherof the gentylmen of the countre were nat greatly displeased. For they sayd and also say yet: that if the comons of Flaunders had wonne the vy∣ctorie / and that the noble men of Fraunce had ben slayne. The pride of the comons in euery countre wolde haue ben so great / that all noble men shulde haue repented it / The whiche was well sene but a lytell before in Englande. wher∣fore of the losse of the flemynges there was but lytell thought taken. And whan they of Flaun∣ders / suche as had ben in Englande with Fraū¦ces Atreman knewe these tidyng{is} / it was right greuous to thē. And so departed by water and arryued at Mydelborowe in zelande / & suche as were of Gaunt retourned to Gaūt / and eue∣ry man home to their owne townes. And Fraū¦ces Atreman and his company beyng at Calis departed and went to Gaunt / but that was nat as long as the frenche kyng was in Flaūders. but as I was enfour••••ed they retourned by ze∣lande.

In the same season that the frenche kyng lay at Courtrey / he had dyuers coūsayls to knowe howe he shulde parceyuer in his warre / & whe∣ther he shulde go and ley siege to Gaunt or nat. The kyng was well wyllyng to haue gone thy¦••er. In lykewise so were the bretons and bur∣gonyōs. But the lordes cōsydred: howe it was in the moneth of Decembre and in y^e deed tyme of wynter / and dayly it rayned. Wherfore they thought it was no good hostyng tyll somer sea¦son. And also they sawe well howe their horses were but feble / by reason of y^e colde season / and the ryuers great and large about Gaūt. Wher¦fore they thought but a lost tyme to ley any sege there. And also the lordes were wery & sore tra∣ueyled / with so long lyeng in the feldes / in that colde tyme and tayny. So all thynges consy∣dred / it was determyned that the kynge shulde go to Tourney / and there to refresshe him and to kepe his Christmas. And they of farr coun∣treis / as of Auuergne / of Dolphyn / of Sauoy

& of Burgoyne / shulde returne home into their owne countreis fayre & easely. And the bretons normayns / and frenchmen / shulde abyde styll with the constable to attende on the kyng. for it was thought / that they shulde haue some busy∣nesse with the parisyēs / who had newly forged a great nōbre of malles. wherfore they thought to set another rule and order amonge thē. And whan the kynge shulde departe fro Courtrey / he and his counsayle forgate nat the gylt spur∣res that they founde in a churche there in Cour¦tray / the whiche of olde tyme parteyned to the noble men of Fraūce / somtyme slayne with erle Robert of Arthoyse / at the batayle of Curtrey. So than the kyng ordayned that at his depar¦tyng the towne shulde be set a fyre / & distroyed. Whan the knowledge therof came to the erle of Flaunders / he thought to haue founde some re¦medy therfore. And so came before y^e kyng and kneled downe / and requyred hym to do none y∣uell to the towne of Curtrey. The kyng answe∣red / howe that surely he wolde nat here his re∣quest. And so therle durst speke no more of that mater / but so departed and went to his logyng Before they fyre began / the duke of Burgoyne caused an horaloge to be taken downe / y^e moost fayrest and goodlyest that coude be founde on that syde of the see. The whiche horaloge was taken downe by peces and layed in chares / and the bell also. And after / it was caryed to Diyon in Burgoyne / and there it was sette vp. & there sowneth the .xxiiii. houres of y^e day and night.

AT the departyng of the kyng fro Cour¦trey / the towne was clene distroyed and brent. And the knyghtes / squyers / and men of warre / toke some of the men / women / and chyl¦dren to raunsome. And so the kyng rode & came to Turney / and was lodged in the abbey of saīt Martyne. and they of the towne dyde great re¦uerence to the kynge / as reason requyred. And all they of y^e towne were arayed in whyte / with thre barres of grene on the one syde. The cytie was deuyded to lodge the lord{is}. The kyng lay at saynt Martyns / and his company had one quarter of the towne. The duke of Berry was lodged in the bysshoppes lodginge / the duke of Burgoyne at the crowne / the duke of Burbone at the golden heed / the cōstable at saynt James heed. Ther was a cry made in the king{is} name on payne of dethe / no man to do any hurt to the people of the cytie. and that no manne take any thyng without he pay truely therfore / and that none entre in to the countie of Heynaulte / to do any hurte or domage there. All these thynges were well kept and holden / there the lordes re∣fresshed thē well. And they of y^e farr countreis departed and retourned homewarde / some by Lysle / some by Doway / and some by Ualencē∣nes. The erle of Bloyse toke leaue of the kynge and of his vncles / and of his companyon therle of Ewe / and so returned to his herytage in Hey¦nalte. And he lay a day and a nyght at. Ualen∣cēnes / wher he was well refresshed. For he had achyued entierly the loue of the good people of the towne / for the seruyce y^t he dyde to the coun¦tre / whan the bretons / burgonyons / and sauoy syns / wolde haue ouerron the countre / whiche was let by his meanes. And also for sir Tyrrie of Disquemyne / who helde them of Ualencen∣nes in great feate. Whiche mater was putte in to the erles handes and in to the lorde of Cou∣ces / and so therby they were in peace. Than the erle departed fro Ualencennes and went to Lē¦decheries / and ther he taryed a season with the lady Mary his wyfe and Lewes his sofie. And the somer after he went to Bloyse / but the coū∣tesse his wife and his sonne taryed styll in Hey¦nalt and for the moost parte lay at Beaumont.