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 sir Charles du Bloys with dyuers lordes of Fraunce toke the cy∣tie of Kenes in Bretayne. Cap. lxxix. (Book 79)

IT is to be knowen that whan the duke of Normādy the duke of Burgoyne / y^• du∣ke of Alāson / the duke of Burbon / therle of Blo¦ys / the constable of Fraunce / therle of Guynes his sonne / sir James de Burbone sir Loyes of Spaygne / with other lordes and knyghtes of Fraunce. Whan they were departed out of Bre¦tayne: and had conquered the stronge castell of Chastoneaux / & the cyte of Nantes: and taken therle of Moūtfort and delyuerd hym to y^• fren¦che kyng / who had put hym in prison in the ca∣stell of Loure in Parys: and {ser} Charles of Blo¦ys beyng in Nantes and the contrey obeyed to hym rounde about / abydinge the somer season to make better warr than in wynter. Whan the swete season of somer approched: the lordes of Fraunce and dyuers other drue towarde Bre∣tayne with a great hoost to ayde sir Charles de Blois / to recouer y^• resydue of the duchy of Bre¦tayne. They foūde & Charles of Bloys in Nā¦tes than they determyned to lay sege to Kenes The countesse of Mountfort had well preuēted the mater: and had set ther for captayne {ser} Wyl∣lyam of Cadudall breton / the lordes of France came thyder and dyd moche trouble with assau¦tes / howbeit they within defended themselfe so valiantly / that their ennemyes loste more than they wanne. Whan the countesse of Mountfort knewe that the lordes of Fraunce were come in to Bretaygne with suche a puyssance / she sende sir Amery of Clysson into Englande / desyring socourse of the kyng: on the cōdycion that therle of Mountfort{is} son and heyre / shuld take to wyf one of the kynges doughters / and shulde be cal¦led duches of Bretayne. The king of England was as than at London makyng chere to therle of Salisbury / who was newe come out of pri∣son: whan this sir Amery of Clysson was come to the kyng / and had made relacyon of his mes∣sage. The kyng graunted his request: and cō∣maunded sir Water of Manny to take w^t hym as many men of warr as sir Amery desyred / & shortly to make them redy to go into Bretayne to ayde the countesse of Mountfort / and to take with him a .iii. M. archers of the best. Thus {ser} Water / and sir Amery toke the see: and with thē went the two bretherne of Lyned all / sir Loys & sir John̄ the Haz of Brabant / {ser} Hubert of Fre∣snoy / {ser} Aleyn Syrefound and dyuers other: & a .vi. M. archers. But a great tempest toke thē on the see and a contrary wynde / wherfore they abode on the see .xl. dayes: all this season the lor¦des of France with sir Charles de Bloys kepte styll the sege before Renes / and sore cōstrayned them within: so that the burgesses of the towne wold gladly haue takē apoyntmēt / but their ca∣ptayne sir Wyllm̄ of Cadudall wold in no wyse

agree therto. Whan the burgesses and the com∣mons of the towne had endured moche payne & sawe no socours cōmyng fro no {per}tie / they wold haue yelded vp the towne but y^e captayne wold nat: whan they sawe that finally they toke hym and put hym in prison. And made couenaunt w^t sir Charles du Bloys to yelde vp the towne the next day on the condycion that all such as were of the countes part myght go their wayes why∣ther they lyst without danger or trouble / y^e lord Charles de Bloys dyd graūt their desyre. Th{us} the cytie of Renes was gyuen vp: y^e yere of our lord. M .iii. C .xlii. in the begynning of May. Sir Wyllm̄ of Nuadudall wolde nat tary ther but went streyght to Hanybout to the countesse of Moūtfort / who as than had hard no tidyngs of sir Amery of Clysson nor of his company.