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 they of Tourney made a Courney into Flaunders. Cap. xlvi. (Book 46)

WHan the frenche kyng knewe howe the heynowes had brent the contrey of Thyerache / taken and stayne his knyghtes / and distroy∣ed the good towne of Aubenton. Than he commaunded the duke of Normandy his sonne / y^t he shulde make a iourney into Hey¦nalt / and bring the countrey into that case that it shuld neuer bere couerd agayne. Also y^e kyng ordayned therle of Layll Gastone / who was as than with the kyng at Parys / y^t he shulde make a voyage into Gascoyne as his lyeutenant / and to make warre to Burdeux / and to Bordeloys: and to all the fortresses that helde of the kyng of Englande. And also the frenche kynge enforced his great nauy that he had on the see / and com∣maunded them to kepe the bondes of Flanders and nat to suffre the kyng of Englande to passe ouer the see into Flanders on payne of their ly∣ues. And whan y^e frenche kyng vnderstode that the flemynges had made homage to the kynge of Englande / he sent vnto them a prelate vnder the colour of the pope. Shewyng them that ys they wolde retourne and knowledge themselfe to holde of hym / and of the crowne of Fraunce: and to forsake the kyng of Englande / who had enchaunted them. Than he sayd he wolde {per}don them of all their trespaces / and wolde quyte thē of the gret sōme of money / that they wer bound vnto hym by oblygacion of olde tyme: and also to gyue thē many fayre franchyses. And y^e slem¦mynges answered / howe they thought thēselfe right well assoyled and quyted in any thynge y^t they were boūde to the kyng of Fraunce. Than the frenche kyng complayned to pope Clement the .vi. whervpon the pope dyd cast suche a sen∣tence of cursyng / that no preest durst syng or say ther any diuyne seruyce. Wherof the slemmyn∣ges sent a great cōplaynt vnto the kyng of En∣glande: who to apease them / sent them worde y^t whan he came ouer the see / he wolde bring pree∣stes out of his contrey to syng masses / whyther the pope wolde or nat: for he sayd he had priuy∣lege so to do. And so by that meanes the flēmyn∣ges were somwhat apeased. And whan the fren¦che kyng sawe that he coude nat tourne the slē∣mynges fro their opynion / than he cōmaunded them of the garysons of Tourney / Lysle / and

〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ and other to make warre on the flem∣〈…〉〈…〉 and to ouer ronne the contrey. And so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ohn̄ du Roy / and {ser} Mathue de Trye mar¦shall of Fraunce: and sir Godmar du Fay / and dyuers other lordes made an army of. M. men of armes and. CCC. crosbowes: what of Tur¦ney / Lylle / and Doway. And so in an euenyng ther departed fro Turney / and by y^• it was day in the mornyng ▪ they were before Courtray / by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••yme the son was vp they had gathered to∣gyther all the catall ther about: and some of thē ran to the gat{is} / and slewe and hurt dyuers that they founde without. And than̄e they retourned without any domage and droue before them al their prayes so that whā they came to Turney / they had mo thā .x. M. shepe / & as many swyne beates / and kyen: wherof the flemynges were sore troubled. Than Jaques Dartuell sware y^• it shulde be derely reuenged / and incōtynent he cōmaunded the good townes of Flanders that their men a warr shulde be w^t hym before Tur∣ney at a day assigned / and he wrote to therle of Salysbury and to therle of Suffolke who wer at Ipre / that they shulde be ther at y^• same. And so agaynst the day lymitted / he wēt out of Gaūt and came to a place bytwene And warpe & Tur¦ney called le Pount de Sere: and there he lod∣ged and taryed for therles of England and for them of Franke & of Bruges. The sayd two er¦les thought for their honour that the enterprise shulde nat be delayed by them: and so sent to Ja¦ques Dartuell / promysing hym nat to fayle / to be at the day apoynted. And so on a day they de∣parted from Ipre with a .l. speares / and a fortie crosbowes▪ and went towarde the place where as Jaques Dartuell abode for thē and as they passed by the towne of Lyle they were {per}ceyued. And they of the towne yssued out with a .xv. C. men a fote and a horsbacke / and went in .iii. par¦tes / to thentent that therles shuld nat scape thē. So these two erles rode forth by the gyding of sir U〈…〉〈…〉art de la Crox ▪ who had kept lōg warr̄ agaynst them of Lyle / and he knewe all y^• way∣es of the contrey: & as than was at Ipre. And so he came forthe with these erles to be their gyde / and he had well gyded them: & they of Lyle had nuely made a great dyke wher as there was ne¦uer none before / and whan sir Uauflart hadde brought them thyder & sawe howe the way was nuely stopped: he sayd to therles of Englande / sirs I se well we can nat passe without the dan∣ger of them of Lysle: wherfore I counsell let vs turne agayne and take some other way. Than the lordes sayde nay sir Uauflart: it shall neuer be sayd that we woll go out of our way for feare of them of Lysle. Therfore ryde on byfore / we haue promysed Jaques Dartuell to be w^t hym this day: and so thenglysshmen rode forth with out feare. Than sir Uauflart sayd sirs ye haue taken me in this vyage to be your gyde / and I haue ben with you all this wynter ī Ipre / wher¦of I am moch boūde to you. But if they of Lyle yssue out vpon vs / haue no trust that I wyll a∣byde them / for I wyll saue my selfe assone as I can / for if I wer taken it shulde cost me my lyfe the which I loue better thā your cōpany. Than the lordes dyd laugh at hym and sayd well / and yf it be so we holde you well excused: and as he ymagined so it be fell ▪ for or they wer ware they were in danger of the frenche busshement / who cryed stoppe sirs / for ye shall nat passe this way without our lycence: and so began to shote and to ronne on the englysshmen. And assone as syr Uauflart sawe the maner he had no lyst to ryde any farther: but retourned assone as he myght and gate hymselfe out of the preace. And the. i••. erles fell in the handes of their ennemies / lyke fysshes in a nette for they were closed rounde a∣bout in a narowe strayet passage among hedg{is} busshes / and dykes: so that they coude scape no maner of way / forwarde nor backewarde. So whan they sawe that they wer so hardly bestad they a lyghted a fote and defended themselfe as well as they might / and dyd hurt dyuers of thē of Lysle. But finally their defence coude nat a∣uayle them / for euer newe fresshe men of warre came on them. So ther they wer taken byforce and with them a yong squyer of Lymosyne / ne∣phue to pope Clement called Remon / who after that he was yelded prisoner / was slayne for co∣uetyse of his fayre harnes: and fresshe apareyle. These two erles were set in prison in the hall of Lysle / and after sent to the frenche kynge: who promysed to them of Lysle a great rewarde for the good seruyce that they had done hym. And whan̄e Jaques Dartuell / who was at Pont de Ferre knewe those tidyng{is} he was sore dysplea¦sed / and so seased his enterprise for that tyme / and retourned agayne to Gaunt.