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 duke of Aniou dyed in a castell besyde Naples / and howe the quene of Cicyle was counsayled to go to the pope. Cap. CCCC .xlviii. (Book 448)

VE haue herde here before / howe the Duke of Aniowe wrote hymselfe kyng of Cicyle and Hie¦rusalem. And went to Puyle and to Calabre / and conquered all the countre to Naples / but the neapolytās wolde neuer tourne to his parte / but they euer sustay¦ned and helde with sir Charles de la Payx. the duke of Aniou abode in this vyage thre yeres / whiche was a great cost and charge. Though a man be neuer so riche / men of armes & warre wasteth all. For he that wyll haue seruyce of mē of warre / they must be payed truely their wa∣ges / or els they wyll do no thynge aueylable. Certaynly / this sayde iourney cost the duke of Aniou so moche / that it canne nat be well este∣med. And they that wasted & confoūded moost of his richesse / was the erle of Sauoy and the sauosyns. Howe be it the erle of Sauoy and a great parte of his company dyed in this viage whiche was great pytie / so that the duke of An¦iowe began to waxe feble / bothe of men and of money. and for those two causes he sende for so coure in to Fraunce to his two bretherne / the duke of Berry and the duke of Burgoyne. De¦syring them nat to fayle him at his nede / but to socour hym with men and money: and so they sayd they wolde. Thā they aduysed what men were mete to be sende on that voyage. And all thynges consydred / they ymagined that they coude not sende a better / nor one that knewe bet¦ter all men of warre / than̄e the gentyll lorde of Coucy / and with hym the lorde Dāghien erle

of Conuersant / whiche Erldome is in Puylle. These two lordes were desyred by y^• kyng and by his vncles to take on thē that iourney / to the whiche they wyllingly agreed / and thought it was for thē right honorable. And so they made them redy & went forthe as sone as they myght with their men of warre. But whan they were come to Auignon / and intēded to their besynes and made their men to passe forthe. Tydinges than came to them howe y^• duke of Aniou was deed in a castell besyde Napoles. Whan y^• lorde of Coucy harde the tydinges / he wente no far∣ther forth / for he sawe well than that his voyage was broken. But the lorde Conuersant passed forthe farther / for he had moche a do in his coū∣trey / in Puylle / and in Conuersant. Tydinges was knowen anon in Fraūce of the dethe of the duke of Aniou. So thus the dethe of y^• kyng of Cicyle was passed ouer as well as it might be.

WHan the duches of Aniowe beynge at Angers harde of the dethe of her lorde and husbande / ye may well beleue she was sore discomforted. And as sone as the erle Bloys / who was his cosyn germayne knewe that the duke was deed: he deparred fro Blois with all his trayne and came to his cosyn to An¦gers / and helde hym with her / in comfortynge and counsayling her / to the best of his power. Than she came in to Fraūce (writyng her selfe quene of Napoles / of Cicyle / of Puylle / of Ca∣labre / & of Hierusalem) to speke with the kyng / the duke of Berrey / & the duke of Burgoyne / to haue coūsayle & comforte of them / and brought with her her two sonnes / Loys / and Charles. The lady was counsayled of y^• nobles of Fraū¦ce and of her blode / that she shulde go to Auig∣non to the pope / and promyse him the possessy∣on of the erledome of Prouence / whiche lande parteyned to the kyng of Cicyle. The lady be∣leued their counsayle and ordeyned her selfe to go to Auignon / and to leade with her: her eldest sonne Loyes / who was than̄e called kynge by succession of his father. but these maters were nat ouersone accomplysshed as I shall deuyse to you.

ALl this wynter the frenchmen ordeyned to sende in to Scotlande an armye / to ••rowble the realme of Englande. The truce by¦twene Fraunce and Englande was relonged / 〈…〉〈…〉d all their adherentes fro Mighelmas to the 〈…〉〈…〉st day of May. There was great prouysion 〈…〉〈…〉e by lande & by see. The entent of the coun∣sayle of Fraunce was / that the next somer they wold make Englāde great warre on all sydes / and the admyrall of Fraunce to go in to Scot∣lande with two thousande speares / knyghtes / and squiers / and the duke of Burbone and the erle de la Marche with other two thousand to go and conquere certayne castels holden by the Englisshmen / whiche ryght sore traueyled the countrey. And the frenche kyng caused a great nombre of axes to be made in Picardy / and in Haynalt to serue for y^• voyage into Scotlāde / And in Arthoyse / at Lysle / at Doway / and at Turney. There was moche bysquet made and other prouysion a longe the see syde / for Har∣flewe to Sluse / whiche was the princypall ha∣uen / where they thought to take shippynge.