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 therle of Heynault toke the towne of saynt Amande / duryng the siege before Tourney. Cap. lx.

A Thre dayes after that therle of Heynault was re∣tourned fro Mortaygne / he desyred certayne company∣ons to go to saynt Amande / for he had dyuers complayn¦tes how y^• soudyers of saynt Amand had burnt thabbey of Hanon ▪ and had nere brent Uycoigne / & had done many dispyt{is} to the fronters of Heynalt. So therle departed fro the sige with a .iii. M. men and came before saynt Amand / on the syde towarde Mortayne. The towne was nat closed but with pales / and captayne ther was a knyght of Lāguedoke the seneshall of Cracassone / who had sayd to y^• mō∣kes of thabbey ther and to them of the towne / y^• it was nat able to holde agaynst an hoost: how be it he sayd rather than he wolde de{per}t he wold kepe it to the best of his power / but that he sayd

was in the maner of counsell howbeit his wor¦des was nat byleued. But long before the iuels of the abbey were caryed to Mortaygne for the more suretie / and thyder went the abbot and all his mōkes / for they were no men of warr. And they of Ualencēnes came at therles cōmaunde∣ment with a .xii. thousande men / and all y^• cros∣bo wes kept the gate to warde the bridge of Le∣sharpe / they began a ferse assaut and many sore hurt on bothe parties. This assaut endured all the day: they of Ualencens coude get nothynge ther / they within scorned and mocked thē: and sayd sirs go your way and drink your good ale And agaynst night they of Ualencennes with∣bre we right wery / and had gret marueyle that they coude here no tidynges of therle their lord and therfore they dysloged and drewe towarde their towne: the next mornyng be tymes / therle departed fro Turney / & came to saynt Amand on the syde towarde Mortayne: and incōtynēt they made assaute feers and cruell / and wan at the first the bayles / and came to the gate to war de Mortaygne. And ther therle and his vncle made a great assaut and eche of them had such a stroke on the heed with stones / that their base∣nettes were clouen / and their heedes sore asto∣nyed. At last one sayd to therle: sir this way we shall neuer entre / the way is strayet and strong¦ly kept. But sir make great rāmes of wood like pyles / and let vs ronne with them agaynst the abbey walles / and we shall peerse it through in dyuers places / and if we get thabbey the towne is ours. Than therle cōmaunded so to be done: and anone gret peaces of tymber wer gote and made sharpe before: and to euery pece twentie or .xxx. persons / ronnyng ther with agaynst the wall: so that they brake the wall in dyuers pla∣ces / and valyantly entred ther and passed a ly∣tell ryuer that ranne within. And ther was re∣dy the seneshall of Carcassone his baner before hym: the which was goules a sheffe syluerthre cheuorns in the sheffe bordred syluer indented. And he and his cōpany defended valyantly the heynowes as long as they might: but their de∣fence coude nat auayle for the heynowes wer so¦many. And in their entryng into thabbey: ther was a monke called danne Frossart who dyde maruels / for he kylled and hurt at the hole ther as he stode an. x••iii. so that none durst entre in at that place: but finally he was fayne to depart for he sawe howe the henous entred into the ab∣bey in dyuers places. And soo the monke saued hymselfe aswell as he might / and went to Mor¦tayne. Whan therle and his cōpany wer entred into thabbey / he cōmaunded y^t all shulde be put to the swerde they had so sore dyspleased hym / and done suche hurt in his contrey. The towne anone was full of men of armes / and they with in chased and sought for / fro strete to strete & in euery house: so y^t fewe scaped but all wer slayne The seneshall was slayne vnder his standarde and a .ii. C. men rounde about hym / & agaynst night therle retourned to Turney / the next day they of Ualencens cāe a gayne to saynt Amand and brent clene the towne / and thabbey minster and all / and brake all the belles the which were goodly. Another day therle agayne de{per}ted fro the siege with vi. C. men of armes / and went and brent Orchies / Lādas / and the Chell: and than passed by Hanon the ryuer of Lesharpe / & went into France to a great abbey and aryche called Marchienes / wherof sir Amye of Uer∣naulx was captayne / & with hym certayne cros∣bowes of Doway: ther therle made assaut for y^• captayne had well fortifyed the firste gate with great depe dykes / and the frenchmen & monkes ther defended thēselfe right nobly / the heynous at last gate them botes and barges / and therby entred into thabbey: but there was a knyght of Almayne drowned a cōpanyon of the lorde Fal¦quemont called sir Bacho de la Wyer. Therle & his vncle and the seneshall dyd at the gate so va¦lyantly / that the gate was wone: and sir Amye and his cōpany slayne or taken. And ther were taken dyuers monkes and thabbey robbed and brent and the towne also: than therle retourned to the siege before Tourney.