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.

¶ Of the feest and iustynge made at London by the kyng of England for the loue of the countesse of Sa∣lisbury. Cap. lxxxix. (Book 89)

LE haue well harde here be∣fore: howe the kynge of Englande had great warres in dyuers coun∣treis / and had men of warre in ga∣rysons to his gret cost and charge: as in Picardy / Normādy / Gascoyne / Xaynton Poycton / Bretayne / and Scotlande. ye haue harde also before / how the kyng was stryken in loue with the countesse of Salisbury / loue quic¦kened hym day and night: her fresshe beautie & godely demeanour was euer in his remēbrance though therle of Salisbury was one of the pri∣uyest of his counsell / and one of them that had done hym best seruyce. So it fell that for y^e loue of this lady / and for the great desyre that y^e king had to se her: he caused a great feest to be cryed and a iustyng to be holden in the cyti of Lōdon in the myddes of August / the which cry was al∣so made in Flaunders / in Heynault / in Brabāt and in Fraunce: gyueng all cōmers out of eue∣ry contrey safe cōduct to come and go / and had gyuen in cōmaundement through his owne re∣alme that all lordes / knyghtes / squyers / ladyes and domosels shuld be ther without any excuse and cōmaunded expresly the erle of Salisbury that the lady his wyfe shulde be ther / & to bring with her all ladyes and damosels of that coun∣trey. Therle graunted the kyng as he that tho∣ught none yuell the gode lady durst nat say nay howbeit she came sore agaynst her wyll / for she thought well ynough wherfore it was: but she durst nat dyscouer the mater to her husband she thought she wolde deale so to bringe the kynge fro his opynion. This was a noble feest: there was the erle Wyllyam of Heynalt and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 John̄ of Heynalt his vncle / and a great nombre of lor¦des and knyghtes of hyghe lynage / there was great daunsynge and iustynge the space of .xv. dayes / the lorde John̄ eldyst son to the vycount Beaumonde in England was slayne in the iu∣stes. All ladyes and damoselles were fresshely besene accordyng to their degrees / except Alys countesse of Salisbury / for she went as simply as she myght: to the intent that the kyng shulde nat sette his regarde on her for she was fully de¦termyned to do no maner of thynge that shulde tourne to her dyshonour nor to her husbandes. At this feest was sir Henry with the wrye necke

erle of Lancaltre / and sir Henry his sonne erle of Derby / sir Robert Dartoyes erle of Rych∣mount / the erle of Northampton and of Glocet¦ter / the erle of Warwyke / the erle of Salisbury the erle of Penneforde / the erle of Hereford / the erle of Arundell / the erle of Cornewall / the erle of ••uenforde / the erle of Suffolke / the baron of Stafforde: and dyuers other lordes & knigh¦tes of Englande. And at all these nobles depar¦ted / the kyng receyued letters fro dyuers lordes of sundrie contreis: as out of Goscoyne / Bay∣on / Flaunders fro Jaques Dartuell / and out of Scotlande fro the lorde Rose and the lorde Persy / and fro sir Edward Baylleull captayne of Berwyke / who sygnifyed the kynge that the scottes helde but simply the trewse concludedd the yere before / for they newely assembled togy∣der moch people for what entent they coude nat¦tell. Also the captayne in Poycton / Xanton / Ro¦chell / and Burdeloyes: wrote to the kyng howe the frenchmen made great preparacions for the warre for the peace made at Arras was nere ex¦pyred wherfore it was tyme for the kyng to take counsayle and aduyse: and so he aunswered the messangers fro poynt to poynt.