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 Normandy lay∣ed siege to Thyne Leue∣sque. Cap. xlix.

IN the mean season that the duke of Normandy was at Cambray: the bysshoppe and the burgesses of the tow¦ne / shewed the duke how the heynowes had get by stelth / the strong castell of Thyne: desyring hym for the cōmon profet of the coun∣trey that he wolde fynde some remedy for y^e ga¦ryson ther dyd moche hurt to their cōtrey / than the duke called agayne toguyder men of warre out of Artoyse / and Uermandoys. And so de{per}∣ted from Cambray / and came before Thyne on the ryuer of Lescalt / in the fayre playne medow¦es towarde Ostrenan. The duke caryed with hym out of Cambray / and Doway: dyuerse great engyns and specially .vi. and made them to be reared agayne the fortres: so these engyns dyd cast night and day great stones / the which bete downe the roffes of the chambers / halles / and towres: so that they within / were fayne to kepe vautes / and sellars. Thus they within suf¦fred great payne / and captayns within wer sir Rycharde Lymosyn englysshe / and two squy∣ers of Heynault bretherne to therle of Namur / Johāne and Thyerry. These thre that had the charge / sayd often tyme to their company: sirs surely one of these dayes / therle of Heynalt wyl come agaynst these frenchmen and delyuer vs with honour / and ryd vs out of this paryll / and shal can vs great thanke that we haue kept this fortres so longe. The ingens without dyd cast in deed horses and beestes stynkīg: wherby they within had great dystres thaūe with any other thynge / for the ayre was hote as in the myddes of somer: the stynke and ayre was so abomyna∣ble / that they consydred howe that finally they coude nat long endure. Than they toke aduyse to desyre a truse for .xv. dayes / and in that space to sende and aduertyse {ser} John̄ of Heynalt / who was ruler of the contrey in therles absence / and without that he dyde socour them in that space / to yelde vp the fortres to the duke. This treaty was put forth & agreed vnto / than they w^t in sent a squyer called Estrelart de Sommayne / to sir John̄ of Heynalt: and at Mons in Heynalt the squyer foūde hym / who had nuely harde fro his nephue therle: howe that he was cōmyng home warde into his countrey / and hadde been with

themperour and made great alyance with hym and with the kyng of England: and with the o∣ther lordes of thempyre. All this sir John̄ of He¦nault shewed to this squyer / sendyng worde to them of Thyne that shortly they shulde be con∣forted at the returne of his nephue therle. This ••••use duryng / the••le of Heynalt returned home wherof all his peple wer gretly reioysed. Than the lorde Beamonde his vncle / shewed hym all maters that was done syth his departyng / and howe that y^• duke of Normādy had fayne on the fronters / and brent and dystroyed a great part of his contrey. Therle answered howe it shulde be well amended: sayng howe the realme of Frā¦ce was great ynough to make satisfaction of all forfeturs by them done / and determyned brefe∣lye to go and ayde his men at Thyne / who had so honorably defended their fortresses. Than y^e erle sent for men into Almayne / into Flanders / and in his owne contrey: and so came to Ualen cennes / and daylie his nombre encreased. And departed thens in great aray: with caryag•• / ten¦tes and pauilyons: & went and lodged at Nās on y^e playne a long by y^e ryuer of Lescalt. Ther were lordes of Heynalt: sir John̄ of Heynalt / y^• lorde of D••ghyn / the lord of Uerchyn / the sene∣shall of Heynalt / the lorde Dantoyng / the lorde of Barb••son / the lorde of Lens / sir Wyllyam of Baylleull / the lorde of Hauereth / chatelayne of Mons / the lorde of Montegny / the lord of Bar¦bays / sir Thyrrie of Ualecourt marshall of He¦nalt / the lorde of Dalmed and of Gomegynes / the lorde of Brisuell / the lorde of Roysine / the lorde of Trasegmes / the lorde de Lalayne / the lorde of Mastyne / the lorde of Sars / the lorde Uargny / the lorde of Beaury••u: and dyuerse other who were all ther to serue therle their lor∣de. Also thyder came therle of Namur with .ii. hundred speares: and after cāe the duke of Bra¦bant with .vi. hūdred speres / the duke of Guer∣les / therle of Mons / the lorde of Falquemont / sir Arnolde Baquechen: and dyuerse other lor∣des and men a warre of Almaygne / and Whyt∣phall. And so all these loged along by the ryuer of Lescault / agaynst the frenche hoost / and plen¦tie of vytails came to them out of Heynalt. And whafie these lordes were thus lodged bytwene Nauns / and Illoys. The duke of Normandy who was on the other part with a goodly nom∣bre of men a warr / he sende worde to his father howe that therls hoost dayly encreased. Than the frenche kynge bevnge at Peron / raysed vp mo men of warre / and sende to his sonne a .xii. hundred speares. And so hymselfe came to his sonnes hoost lyke a soudyour / for he myght 〈…〉〈…〉 come with an army vpon themperour / without heshulde breke his othe as he dyde. So y^• duke of Normandy was named to be cheife of that army: but he dyd nothyng but by the counsayle of the kyng his father. Whan they w^tin Thyne sawe therle of Heynalt of suche puyssance / they were right ioyeous: and the fourth day after y^t the erle was come thyder / they of Ualence〈…〉〈…〉 came thyder in great a••ay: and John̄ ••e Boy••∣sey prouost of the towne was their capytayne. Than ther was a skirmyssh made agaynst the frenchemen / and dyuers hurt on bothe 〈…〉〈…〉 and in the meane season / they within the fortres had bottes and barges redy / and so pas••e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the ryuer of Les••ault / and were brought to the erle of Heyualt: who ioyously and honourably receyued them. In this tyme that these two ho∣stes were lodged on the ryuer of Lescault / the 〈…〉〈…〉chmen towarde Fraunce: and the heynow∣es towarde their owne contreis. Their forages rode forthe but they met nat / bycause the ryuer was euer bytwene them: but the frēchmen went and brent the cōtrey of Ostrenan / that was nat brent before: and the heynowes in likewyse the contrey of Cambreses. Also to the ayde of therle of Heynault / at the desyre of Jaques 〈◊〉〈◊〉 came thyther a. l••. thousande 〈…〉〈…〉mmynges wel•• armed. Than therle of Heynalt sent to the duke of Normandy by his haraltes▪ that ther might be batell bytwene them: and howe that it shulde be a great shame so many men of warre assem∣bled togyder / and no batayle. The duke answe¦red howe he wolde take aduyse and counsell in that mater / the which counsell was so long / that the haraldes departed without answere. Than the third day after: therle sent agayne to knowe the dukes intencyon / & the duke answered how he was nat yet fully counselled to fight nor to as¦signe a day of batayle. Sayng moreouer howe that therle was very hasty: whan the erle harde that he thought that it was but a delay / than he sent for all the gret lordes of his hoost / shewyng them what he had done / and what answere the duke had made hym: desyring th•• to haue their counsell. Than euery man loked on other / & no man wold speke first: at last the duke of Brabāt spake for all (and sayd) as to make a bridge and go ouer to sight with the frēchmen is nat myne opynion: for I knowe certaynly that shortly the kyng of Englande wyll come ouer thesee / & lay sege to Turney / and we all haue sworne to ayd and confort hym in all that we canne. Wherfore if we shulde nowe fyght with the frēchmen / and

fortune to be agayne vs / that we happe to lese y^• felde / he shulde lose his vyage / and all the helpe that he shulde haue of vs. And if we had the vy∣ctorie he shulde can vs no thanke / wherfore my intencyon is that without hym: who is chefe of this warre / that we fyght nat with the power of Fraunce. But whan we shalbe before Turney with hym and the frenche kynge agaynst vs / I thynke it wyll be harde to depart without batell wherfore I wolde coūsell let vs depart / for here we lye at great coost and charge / for I am sure within these .x. dayes we shall here fro the kyng of Englande. To this aduyce the moost part of the lordes agreed / but therle of Heynalt desyred them all in generall nat to depart so sone: and so they agreed to tary sō what lengar they of Brus¦sels wolde fayne haue ben gone / and they of Lo∣uane. On a day therle called to hym sir John̄ of Heynalt his vncle / and sayd fayre vncle I pray you ryde downe a long by the ryuer syde / & call ou••r the ryuer to speke with some persone of the trenche hoost / and desyre hym to shewe the fren¦che kyng fro me / that I wyll make a brydge o∣uer the water: so that I may haue thre dayes re¦spyte / and than I woll cōe ouer and gyue hym batell. Than the lorde Beamond rode downe a long by the ryuer of Lescalt and a .xiii. knygh∣tes with hym / and his penon before hym: and at last he parceyued on the other syde a knyght of Normandy / he knewe hym by his armes. Than he called to hym and sayd / sir Maubousson I pray you speke with me. Than the knight sayd sir what wold you with me / I desyre you quod the lorde Beamonde that ye wyll go to the fren∣che kyng and to his counsayle / and say how the erle of Heynault hath sende me hyther to take a truse all onely whyles y^t he might make a brige ouer this ryuer: wherby he & his / myght passe ouer. I pray you bring me agayne an answere and I shall tary here tyll ye retourne. Than the lord of Maubussō strake his horse with y^e spur∣res and rode to the kyng{is} tent / where as y^e duke of Normandy and many other lord{is} were / ther he shewed his message & he had a short answere for he was cōmaunded to tell hym that sent him thyder / that in y^e same case as they had helde the erle / in likewyse so they wold cōtynue. Sayng how they wold make hym to sell his lande / and that he shuld haue warr on euery syde / & whan we lyst we woll entre into Heynalt / so farr y^t we woll bren all his eōtrey. This answer the lorde of Maubusson / reported to the lorde Beamōd: who thanked hym of his labour & so retourned to therle / whom he found playng at chesse with therle of Namur. and assone as therle sawe his vncle / he a rose and harde the answere that the frenche kynge had sent hym / wherwith the erle was dysplesed and sayd well / I trust it shall nat be as he purposeth.