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 alyaunce that was purcha∣sed bytwene thenglysshmen and the flemynges: & of the bulles that pope Urbayne sent in to Englande to dy∣stroy the clemētyns. Ca. iiii C .xxviii. (Book 428)

THe erle of Flaunders who lay at Lile: vnderstode howe the gauntoyse auaun∣sed them selfe to ryde and to ouer ron the countre / and to distroy that they might. He was ryght sore displeased. He thought they had nat had the wytte nor pu∣yssaunce so to do / sythe that Philyppe dartuell was deed: Howbeit his counsayle sayd to him Sir / ye knowe well and ye haue alwayes herd say / howe the gauntoyse are right subtyll peo∣ple / the whiche they haue well shewed and wyll shewe. And also agayne / they haue ben in En∣glande and are retourned agayne. And speci∣ally Fraunces Atreman / who was companion to Philyppe Dartuell in all his faytes / as long as he lyueth ye shall haue warre with thē. Also sir / we knowe well he hath made great alyaūce with the kynge of Englande for the towne of Gaunt. And hath a certayne pensyon out of En¦glande secretely by Johan Saplemon / who is pure englysshe / and dwelleth vnder you in the towne of Bruges / and hathe done the space of this .xxiiii. yere. And to verify that this is true Rase of Ueyrte / Loyes de Uos / & Johan Ser colacke of Gaunt / and the clerke that procureth to be bysshoppe of Gauut. All these are styll be∣hynde in Englande / to performe this alyaūce. And sir / ye shall here more trewer tidyng{is} than we can tell you / or the myddes of May be past. The Erle of Flaunders beleued well all these sayenges to be trewe / and so they were in dede. Than he began to ymagin agaynst this John̄

Saplemon / and on thenglysshmen dwellynge in Bruges. Than he caused them to be somo∣ned / to be at a certayne day assigned before the erle at Lysle. And so the erles seruauntes came and somoned Johan Saplemon and dyuers other riche englysshmē / or they were ware ther of: commaundynge them the fyftene day after / to be with the erle at his castell of Lysle. Whan the englysshmen herde therof they were sore a∣basshed and toke counsayle toguyder / hauyng great marueyle / why the Erle shulde sende for them. All thynges consydred / they douted gret¦lye / for they knewe well the erle was fierse and fell / in his hast. Than they sayd amonge them¦selfe. He that kepeth natte his body kepeth no∣thyng. We dout lest the erle be enfourmed sore agaynst vs. For with Fraunces Atreman who hath a pensyon of the kyng of Englande / whan he was in Englande / there was with hym two burgesses of this towne of Bruges. And para∣uenture they haue made some enformacyon a∣gaynst vs to therle / for as nowe they be on his parte. So on this purpose rested the englysshe¦men / that they durst nat abyde the erles iudge∣ment / nor to go to Lyle at the day before lymy∣ted. So they departed fro Bruges and wente to Scluse / and dyde so moche that they founde a shyppe redy aparelled. And so they bought it with their money / and so departed and sayled / tyll they arryued at London. And whan therle of Flaunders was enfourmed of this mater & sawe that the englysshmen apered nat at theyr day he was sore displeased / and sende inconty∣nēt to Bruges / and caused to be ceased all that euer coude be founde / parteyninge to the En∣glysshmen / and all their herytages gyuen and solde. And Johan Saplemon clene banysshed out of Flaunders / for a hundred yere & one day and his cōpanyons / & such as were taken were put in prisone: where as some dyed. And some recouered agayne all that euer they had lost.

THere is a comune prouerbe / the whiche is true: & that is / howe enuy neuer by∣eth. I say it / bycause englysshmen are right en uyouse of y^e welthe of other / and alwayes hath ben. It was so / that the kyng of Englande and his vncles and the nobles of Englande / were right sore displeased of the welthe and honour that was fallen to the frenche kynge / and to the nobles of Fraunce at the bataile of Rosebeque. And the knightes of Englandespake and sayd to eche other. Ah saynt Mary / howe the french¦men are nowe moūted in pride / by the ouerthro wyng of a sort of rude villayns. Wolde to god Philyp Dartuell had had of our men a .ii. M. speares & sixe. M. archers? Ther had nat than scaped one frenchmen / but outher slayne or ta∣ken / but and god wyll this glorie shall nat long endure thē. Nowe we haue a fayre aduaūtage to entre in to Flaūders / for the countre is nowe cōquered for the french kyng: & we trust to con∣quere it agayne for the kynge of Englande. It sheweth well at this tyme / that the erle of Flaū¦ders is greatly subget to the frenche kyng / and that he wyll please hym in all poynt{is}. whan our marchantes dwellyng in Bruges & haue dwelt ther beyonde this .xxx. yere be nowe banysshed & chased out of Flaūders. the tyme hath be sene they durst nat haue done it: but nowe they dare do none otherwyse for feare of the frenchemen. We trust it shall nat abyde longe in this poynt. This was the langage among thenglysshmen through the realme of Englāde / therfore it was to be supposed / y^e this was done but by enuy.

iN this season / he that wrote hym selfe pope Urbane the sixt / came by the see fro Rome to Gēnes / where as he was well receyued and reuerently of the genoways and there he kept his resydens. ye knowe well / howe all England was obeysāt to hym / aswell the churche as y^e people: bycause y^e french king was Clementyne / and all Fraunce. This Ur∣bane / on whome the englysshemen and dyuers other countreis beleued: He beyng at Gennes / aduysed howe he might anoy the french kyng / and so he thought to sende in to Englande for socoure. I shall shewe you by what maner. He sent his Bulles to the archebysshoppes and bys¦shoppes of Englande / makyng mencyon: how he assoyled from payne & from synne / all suche as wolde ayde to distroy the Clementyns. For he knewe well / howe Clement his aduersarye / had done in lykewise in the realme of Fraunce / and dothe dayly. And they called the vrbanyst{is} in their faythe and beleue / to be but dogges. so this Urbane sawe well / that the Clementynes wolde condēpne and distroy hym if they might And he sawe well / he coude nat more greue the frenchmen / than by the englysshmen. But first he sawe well / he must fynde the meanes to ga∣ther toguyder great ryches. For he knewe well the nobles of Englande / for all his absolucy∣ons / wolde nat ryde forthe in warre / without money. For menne of warre lyue nat by par∣dons / nor they set nat moche therby / but in the artycle of dethe.

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Than̄e he determyned besyde these Bulles / to sende in to Englande to the prelates / that they shulde ordayne a full Dysme on the churches. The noble men and men of warre therof to be payed their wages / without greuynge of any parte of the kynges treasur / or of the comontie of the realme. The whiche thynge the Pope thought the barons and knightes of England gladly wolde herken vnto. Than he caused to be writen and engrossed Bulles / as well to the kynge and his vncles / as to the prelates of En∣glande / of playne absolucyon from payne ▪ and synne. And besyde that / he graunted to y^e kyng and to his vncles / a playne Dysme to be taken and leuyed throughe out all Englande. so that sir Henry Spensar bysshoppe of Norwyche / shulde be chiefe capitayne of all y^e men of warr bycause the goodes came fro the churche. ther∣fore the pope wolde / y^t one of the churche shulde be chefe gouernoure. And to the entent that the churches and comons of the realme / shulde the better beleue the mater. And besyde y^t / bycause he knewe the realme of Spaygne contrarie to his opinyon / and som what alyed with y^e frēche kyng. He aduysed / that with parte of the same golde and syluer that shulde be gadered in the realme of Englande That the duke of Lanca∣stre / who reputed hym selfe kyng of Castell by the right of his wyfe / that he in lykewise shulde make another army in to Castell. And also / yf the duke of Lancastre take on hym the sayd vi∣age / than the pope said: he wolde graunt to the kynge of Portyngale / who made newe warre with kyng Johan of Castell / for kyng Fraun∣ces was deed: a playne dysme throughe out all Portingale. Thus pope Urbane ordeyned all his busynesse / and sent a .xxx. Bulles in to En∣glande / the whiche were receyued with great ioye. Than the prelates in their iurysdictions / began to preche this voiage in maner of a cro∣sey / wherby the people of Englande / who light lye beleued gaue therto great faythe. & beleued verilye / that they coulde nat go to paradyse yf they dyed that yere / without they gaue sō what in pure almes towarde this warre. At Lōdon and in the dyoses / there was gathered a tonne full of golde and syluer. And accordynge to the popes Bulles / he that moost gaue moost par∣don obteyned. And whosoeuer dyed in that sea¦son and gaue his goodes to these {per}dones / was clene assoyled from payne and from synne. and accordynge to the tenour of the Bulles happy was he that dyed in that seasone / for to haue so noble absolucyon. Thus they gathered money all the wynter and lent season / what by the par¦dons and by the dysmes. That as it was sayd it drewe to the somme of .xxv. hundred thou∣sande frankes.