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 bysshop of Norwiche & the englysshe men yssued out of En∣glande / to ron and to make warre a∣gaynst all those that helde with pope Clement. Cap. CCCC .xxix. (Book 429)

WHan the kynge of En∣glande / his vncles and coū∣sayle / vnderstode what mo∣ney was gadered: they were right ioyouse & sayd. Howe they had money ynoughe to make warre agaynst two re¦almes / that was to saye: agaynst Fraunce and Spayne. To go into Spayne in the name of the pope and of the prelates of Englande with the duke of Lancastre / was ordayned the bys∣shoppe of London called Thomas / brother to therle of Deuonshyre to be chefe capitayn / and with him two. M. speares and four thousande archers: & they to haue halfe of the money thus gadered. But it was ordayned / that they shuld nat so soone departe out of Englande as y^e bys∣shop of Norwiche / bycause that army shulde a¦ryue at Calys / and so to entre in to Fraunce. & they wyst nat what shulde fall therby / nor whi∣der the frenche kyng wolde reyse any puyssāce to fyght with thē or nat. Also ther was another poynt contrary to the duke of Lancastre yet he had great ioye of that vyage. For generally all the comontie of Englande more enclyned to be with the bysshop of Norwiche / than to go with the duke of Lācastre: for a long season y^e duke was nat in the grace of y^e people. And also / they thought the realme of Fraunce to be nerer iour¦ney / than into Spayne. And also some sayd / y^t the duke of Lācastre for couytousnes of thesyl∣uer and golde that was gadered of the churche and of the pardons / wherof he shulde haue his parte: that he dyde enclyne rather therto for the profyte / than for any deuocyon. But they said / howe the bisshop of Norwiche represented the pope / and was by hym instytuted. Wherby the greattest part of Englande gaue to hym great faythe / and the kyng also. And so there was or∣dayned at the wages of the churche to go with

this bysshoppe Henry Spensar / dyuers good knightes and squyers of Englande and of Gas¦coyne. As the lorde Beaumont / sir Hugh Cau∣rell / sir Thomas Tryuet / sir Wyllm̄ Helmon / sir Johan Ferres / sir Hugh Spensar cosyn to the bysshoppe / sonne to his brother / sir Wylly∣am Fermeton / sir Mathewe Reedman capy∣tayne of Berwike: all these were of Englande. And of gascoyns / there was the lorde of New∣castell and sir John̄ his brother / Raymon mar¦sen / Guyllonette de Pauxe / Garyot Uyghier / Johan de Cachytan and dyuers other / and all counted they were a fyue hundred speares and fyftene hundred of other men. And a great nō∣bre of preestes / bycause the mater touched the churche and moued by the pope.

THese men of warr prouyded themselfe for the mater / and passage was delyue∣red them at Douer and at Sandwyche. And this was about Ester / and so they passed ouer lytell and lytell as they lyst / this voiage was in the maner of a Croysey. Thus they passed the see / or the bysshoppe and other capitayns were fully redy. For the bysshop and sir Hugh Cau¦rell / sir Thomas Tryuet / and sir Wyllm̄ Hel∣mon were with the kynge and his counsayle. & there they sware solempnely in the kynges pre∣sens / to bringe truely to an ende their voyage. Nor to fight against no man nor countrey that belde with pope Urbayne / but to fight & make warre agaynst them that were of the opinyon of Clemēt. Thus they sware. and than y^• kyng by the aduyse of his counsayle sayd to them. sir bysshoppe and all ye / whan ye come to Calais / I wyll ye soiourne there in that fronter y^• space of a moneth / and in that terme▪ I shall refresshe you with newe men of warr / of armes / and ar¦chers. And I shall sende you a good marshall / a valyant man sir Wyllyam Beauchampe / for I haue sende for hym / he is in the Marche of Scotland / wher as he kepeth fronter agaynst the scottes / for the trewse bytwene the Scottes and vs falleth nowe at saint Johans tyde. and after his retourne / ye shall haue hym in youre cōpany without any fayle. Therfore I wolde ye shulde tarye for hym / for he shall be to you ryght necessarie / bothe for his wysedome and good counsayle. The bysshoppe and his com∣pany promysed the kynge so to do. And thus they departed fro the kynge and toke the see at Douer and arryued at Calayes the .xxiii. day of Aprill. the yere of our lorde god / a thousand thre hundred fourscore and thre.

tHe same season there was capitayne at Calais sir Johan Deluarnes / who receyued the bysshoppe and his com∣pany with great ioye. And so they landed lytell and lytell / & all their horses and baggage. and so lodged in Calays and there about / in bastyl¦les that they made dayly. And so there they ta∣ryed tyll the fourthe day of May / abidyng for their marshall sir Wylliam Beauchampe / who came nat of all that tyme. Whan the bysshoppe of Norwiche / who was yonge and couragious and desyrous to be in armes (for he neuer bare armure before / but in Lumbardy with his bro¦ther) Thus as he was at Calays / & sawe how he was capitayne of so many men of armes. he sayde one day to his company. Sirs / why do we soiourne hereso long / and tary for sir Wyl∣lyam Beauchāpe / who cometh nat? The kyng nor his vncles I trowe thynke lytell of vs. Let vs do some dedes of armes / sythe we be orday∣ned so to do. Lette vs enploy the money of the churche truely whyle that we lyue / let vs con∣quere somewhat of our enemyes. That is well sayd sir quod all those that herde him speke / let vs warne all oure company that we wyll ryde forthe within this thre dayes. And let vs take aduyse whiche way we shall drawe / we can nat issue out of the gates / but we entre in to the lan¦des of oure enemyes / for it is frenche all aboute on euery parte / we were as good to go towar∣des Flaunders as to Boloyne. For Flaunders is a lande of conquest / conquered by the puys∣saunce of the frenche kyng. We can nat bestowe our tyme more honourably all thynges consy∣dred: than to conquere it agayne. And also the erle of Flaunders hath done of late a great dis∣pyte to men of our countre / for without any ty∣tell of reason / he hath banysshed and chased thē out of Bruges and out of all Flaūders. It pas∣seth nat two yere / sythe that he wolde haue ben lothe to haue done so / but as nowe he is fayne to obey to the pleasure of the frēche kyng. wher¦fore quod the bysshop if I may be beleued / the first iourney y^• we shall make shalbe into Flaū¦ders. Sir quod sir Thomas Tryuet and sir Wylliam Helmone / ye shall be well beleued. Lette vs ryde into that partie within this thre dayes / for it is of the lande of our enemys. To this coun∣sayle they all agreed and gaue war nynge eche to other.