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 scottes besieged a ca∣stell of therle of Salysbu∣ries. Cap. lxxvi. (Book 76)

THan king Dauyd was coū¦selled to drawe a backe a long by y^e ryuer of Tyne & to drawe toward Carlyle & as he went thyderward he loged that nyght besyde a castel of therle of Salysburies / the whiche was well kept with men a warr: captayne therof was sir Wyllm̄ Montagu / son to therle of Salysburis suster. The next day the scottes dysloged to go towarde Carlyle: they had moch cary age with them of such pyllage as they had won at Dyrā. Whan {ser} Wyllm̄ Montagu sawe how the scott{is} passed by without restyng / thā he with .xl. with him yssued out a horsbacke / and folowed couert¦ly the hynder trayne of the scottes / who had hor¦ses so charged with baggage / y^t they might scāt go any gret pace. And he ouertoke them at thê∣tryng into a wood & set on them / and ther slewe and hurt of the scottz mo than. CC. and toke mo than sixscore horses charged with pyllage / and soled thē toward the castell. The cry and brunt of the flight came to the heryng of sir Wyllyam Duglas / who had the charge of the reregarde / and as than he was past y^e wood: whan he sawe the scottes came fleyng ouer the dales and moū¦tayns he had great maruell / and than he and all his cōpany ran forth and rested nat tyll they cāe to the fote of the castell / and mounted the hyll in hast. But or he came to the bayls thēgly sshmen were entred / and had closed the barryers & put their pray in saftie: than the scottes began to as∣sayle feersly / and they within defēded thē: ther these two Wyllm̄s dyd what they might eche to greue other. This assaut endured so long / that all thoost came thyder kyng & all: whan y^e kyng and his counsell sawe how his men were slayne lyeng in the felde / and the assaylantes sore hurt without wynning of any thyng / than he cōmaū¦ded to cease thassaut and to lodge. Than euery man began to seke for his logyng and to gader togyder the deed men / and to dresse theym that were hurt. The next day the kyng of scottes cō∣maunded that euery man shulde be redy to as∣sayle / & they within were redy to defende: ther

was a sore assautand a perylous / ther might a ben sene many noble dedes on both {per}tes. Ther was within present / the noble countesse of Sa∣lysbury / who was as than reputed for the most sagest and fayrestlady of all England / y^• castell parteyned to her husbande therle of Salisbury who was taken prisoner with the erle of Sut∣tolke before Lyle in Flanders / as ye haue harde before / and was in prison as than 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the chatelot of Parys. The kyng of Englande gaue y^e same castell to the sayd erle whan he maryed first the sayd lady / for the prowes and gode seruyce that he had done before whan he was called but sir Wyllm̄ Montagu. This noble lady conforted them greatly within / for by the regarde of such a lady and by her swere cōforting / a man ought to be worthe two men at nede. This assaut du∣red long and the scottes lost many of their men / for they aduentured thēselfe hardely / and cary∣ed wood and tymbre to haue sylled the dykes to thyntent to bring their engyns to y^e walles / but they within defēded themselfe so valyantly that the assaylantes were fayne to drawe a backe. Than the kyng cōmaunded y^• ingens to be wel kept that nyght / and the next day to enforce the assaut / than euery man drue to their lodging ex¦cept those that kept thyngens. Some wept the deth of their frendes / other conforted them that were hurt they of the castellsa we well if kynge Dauyd cōtynued his sege / how they shuld haue moche a do to defende them & their castell wher fore they toke counsell amonge them to sende to kyng Edward / who lay at yorke as it was she∣wed them / by suche prisoners as they had taken of the scottes. Than they loked among thē who shulde do y^• message: but they coude fynde none that wolde leaue the castell / and the presence of the fayre lady to do y^t dede / so ther was among them great stryfe. Than whan the captayne sir Wyllm̄ Montague sawe that / he sayd sirs I se well the trueth and good wyll that ye bere to my lady of this house / so that for the loue of her and for you all / I shall put my body in aduentur to do this message / for I haue suche trust in you y^t ye shall right well defende this castell tyll I re∣tourne agayne. And on thother syde I haue su∣che trust in the king our souerayne lorde / that I shall shortly bring you suche socours / that shall cause you to be ioyfull / and than I trust y^e kyng shall so rewarde you / that ye shalbe content. Of these wordes the countesse & all other wer right ioyefull / and whan the night came / the sayd sir Wyllm̄ made hym redy as priuely as he might / and it happed so well for hym / that it rayned all nyght / so that the scottes kept styll within these lodging{is}. Thus at mydnight sir Wyllm̄ Mon¦tagu passed through thoost & was nat sene / and so rode forth tyll it was day / than he met .ii. scot¦tes halfe a leage fro thost / briuyng before them two oxen and a cowe towarde thoost {ser} Wyllm̄ knewe well they wer scottes and set on thē / and wounded them bothe & slewe the catell / to thy•••• tent y^t they of thost shuld haue none ease by thē / than he sayd to the two hurt scott{is}: go yo^r way∣es and say to your kyng that Wyllm̄ of Monta¦gue hath thus passed through his hoost / and is goyng to fetche ayde of the kyng of Englande / and so departed. Than the same mornynge the kyng of scott{is} made a fecrse assaut but nothing coude he wyn / and euery day lightly they made assaut. Than his counsell same how he dyd but lese his men / and y^t the kyng of England might well come thyder or the castell were wo〈…〉〈…〉 they by one acorde counselled their kyng to de∣part / sayeng how the abyding ther was nor for his profet / nor yet for his honour. And sayd sir ye haue honourably achyued your enterprise / & haue done great dispyre to the englyssshmen: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that ye haue ben in this contre a .xii. dayes / and taken & distroyed the cytie of Dyrrame. Wher∣fore sir all thynges cōsydred it were good name that ye retourned / and take with you your pyl∣lage that ye haue wonne: and an other tyme ye may returne agayne whan it pleaseth you. The kyng who wolde nat do agaynst the opynyons of all his counsell / agreed to them sore agaynst his mynde: howbeit the next mornyng h•• byss••¦ged and all his host / and toke the way streyght to the great forest of Gedeours / there to tary at their case / and to knowe what the kyng of En∣glande wolde do farther / other to god backe a∣gayne: or els to entre into Scotlande.