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.

¶ The lordes of Fraunce that entred into Bretayne with sir Char∣les of Bloys. Cap. lxxi. (Book 71)

WHan all these lordes of Nor¦mandy: the duke of Alanson / the duke of Burgoyne / and all other suche as shulde go with sir Char∣du Bloys / to ayde hym to cōquere the duchy of Bretayne were redy. They depar¦ted some fro Pares and some fro other places / and they assembled togyder at the cytie of An∣gers: and fro thens they went to Ancennys / the which is thende of the realme on that syde / and ther taryed a thre dayes: than they went forthe into the countrey of Bretayne / and whan they were in the feldes / they nombred their company

to a fyne thousande men of armes besyde the ge no wayes / the which were a thre thousande / and thre knyghtes of Gennes oyd lede thē. The one called sir Othes de Rue / and thother sir Char∣les Germaulx: and besyde that they had many erosbowes / of whome sir Galoys be la Baulme was captayne. Than all these went to a strong castell standynge on a hyghe mountayne called Chastōceaulx ther was thentre of Bretayne / it was furnysshed with men of warr: & captayns ther were two knyghtes of Lorayne called syr Gyles / and sir Ualeryan. The lordes of Frāce toke counsell to besiege this castell: for they tho∣ught if they shulde leaue such a fortres behynde them / it shuld do them great damage. So they beseged it rounde about / and made many assau¦tes / specially the genowayes dydde what they might to attayne prayse at the begynning: but they lost often tymes of their company / for they within defended themselfe so sagely that it was longe or they toke any damage. But finally the assaylant{is} brought thyder somoch tymbre / wod and fagottes / that they fylled therwith the dy∣kes: so that they might go ••ust to y^• walles / they within cast out stones / chalke / and brennynge fyre: howbeit they without came to y^• fote of the walles / & had instrumetes wherby they myght vnder couert myne the walles. Than they with in yelded vp the castell / their lyues and goodes saued: thafie the duke of Normanvy who was chiefe ther / delyuered the castell to sir Charles of Bloys as his owne / who incōtynent set ther a good garyson to kepe thentre: and to conduct suche as came after theym. Than they went to∣warde Nantes: wher as they harde how therle of Mountfort their ennemy was / the marshals and currours of their hoost / founde by the way as they went a good towne closed with ••ykes / the which they feersly assayled: and in the town ther were but fewe peple / and yuell armed. So that anone the towne was wo•• / robbed / and the one half brent: and all the peple put to y^• swerde / this towne was called Carquesy: within a .iiii. or fyue leages to Nantes. The lordes lay ther about all that night / y^• next mornyng they drue towarde Nantes and layed siege rounde about it / and pygh••••p their tentes and pauilyons. Than the men of warre within the towne and the burgesses armed thē / and went to their de∣fences as they were apoynted: some of the host went to y^• barrers to skirmyssh / and some of the soudyers within & yong buegesses y••••ue•• out a¦gaynst them / so that ther were byuees slayne & hurt on bothe parties / ther were ••yuerse suche skirmysshes. On a mornyng some of the soudy∣ers within the cytie yssued out at aduēture / and they founde a .xv. cartes with vytell cōmyng to thoost warde / and a .lx. persons to cōuey it: and they of the cytie were a .ii. C. They set on them and anone dysconfyted them and slewe dyuers and some fled away and scaped / and shewed in thoost howe it was. Than some went to rescue the pray: and ouer toke them nere to the barry∣ers / ther began a great skirmysshe / ther came so many fro thoost that they within had moch a do: howbeit they toke the horses out of the cart{is} and dyd driue them in at the gate / to thentent 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they without shulde nat driue lightly away the caryages. Than other soudyers of the cytie ys∣sued out to helpe their companyons: and also of the burgesses to ayde their parētes / so the fray multiplyed and dyuers were slayne & sore hurt on bothe parties: for alwayes people encreased fro thoost / and some newe euer yssued out of the cytie. Than at last sir Henry the captayne sawe that it was tyme to retreyt: for by his abydinge he sawe he might rather lese than wyn / than he caused them of the cytie to drawe a backe aswell as he myght / yet they were pursued so ••ere that many were slayne and taken / mo than .ii. C. of the burgesses of y^• towne. wherof therle of Mōt¦fort blamed sore sir Henry de Leon / that he cau∣sed the retrayt so sone: wherwith sir Hēry was sore dyspleased in his mynde. And after that he ••old no more cōe to therls coūsell so aften as he dyd before: many had maruell why he dyd so.