Here begynneth the thirde and fourthe boke of sir Iohn̄ Froissart of the cronycles of Englande, Fraunce, Spaygne, Portyngale, Scotlande, Bretayne, Flaunders, and other places adioynyng, translated out of Frenche in to englysshe by Iohan Bourchier knyght lorde Berners, deputie generall of ye kynges towne of Calais and marchesse of the same, at the co[m]maundement of our most highe redouted souerayne lorde kyng Henry the eyght, kynge of Englande and of Fraüce [sic] [and] highe defender of the Christen faithe. [et]c

¶Howe the duke of Lancastre gaue lycence to his men / and howe a ha∣raulte was sente to the kinge of Ca∣style / and howe thre knightes of En¦glande went to speke with the king of Castyle for a saueconduct / for the dukes men to passe through his coū∣trey. Cap. C.iiii. (Book 104)

BEholde nowe and se howe fortune tourned. ye maye well beleue that the duke of Lancastre beynge in the realme of Castyle / coulde neuer haue loste by batayle / nor his men dys∣comfetted / nor loste his men as he dyd in that voyage / by reason of sycknes. And hym selfe also nygh deed. And sir Iohan Holande who was constable of the hoost / whan he sawe his frendes and men thus infected with this ma∣lady / without remedy / and herynge the com∣playnt{is} of one and other / sayeng eche to other. Ah the duke of Lancastre hath brought vs to dye in Spaygne / cursed be this voyage? He wyll neuer haue Englysshman more to come out of Englande to serue hym. He spurneth a¦gaynst y^e pricke / he wolde his men shulde kepe

the countrey whan it is wonne. And whan his men be all deed / who shall thanne kepe it? He sheweth nat that he can any skyll of the warre / sythe he seeth that none cometh agaynst vs to fight in batayle. why dothe he nat drawe than into Portugale or into some other place? than he shulde nat haue the domage nor losse that he heth / for thus we shall all dye without any strokes. Whan sir Iohan Holande herde and vnderstode these wordes / for the honoure and loue of his lorde the duke of Lancastre / whose doughter he had maryed / he came to the duke and sayd quickly to him. Sir / it must behoue you to take newe and shorte counsayle / your people be in a harde case / and lykely to dye by syckenesse / if nede shulde fortune they are nat able to ayde you. they be wery and in a harde case / and their horses deed / so that noble men and other are so discoraged that they are nat lyke to do you any good seruyce at this tyme. Than sayd the duke. And what is beste than to do / I wyll beleue counsaile for it is reason? Syr quod the constable. Me thynke it were beste ye gaue lycence to euery man to departe where as they thynke beste / and your selfe to drawe outher into Portugale or into Galice / for ye are nat in the case to ryde forewarde. That is trewe quod the duke / and so I wyll do. Saye you to them howe I do gyue them leaue to departe whyder it please thē / outher in to Castyle or in to Fraunce / so they make no false treaty with our enemyes / for I se well for this season our warre is paste / And paye euery man their wages / and rewarde theym for their costes. Syr quod the constable this shall be done.

SIr Iohan Holande made it be knowen by a trumpet in euery lodgyng / the en∣tencion of the duke of Lancastre / howe he dyd gyue lycence to euery man to departe / why∣der they lyst / and that euery capytayne shulde speke with the constable / and they shulde be so payed that they shulde be content. This ty∣dynges reioysed some / suche as desyred to de∣parte to chaunge the ayre. Than the barones and knyghtes of Englande toke counsayle / howe they myght retourne in to Englande. it was thought impossyble for them to retourne by the see / for they had no shyppes redy / and were farre fro any porte. And also their men were so sicke with feuers and flixes / that there were many deed / and so sicke / that they coude nat endure y^e trauayle on the see. So all thyn∣ges consydered they thought it best to repayre home thorough the realme of Fraunce. Than some sayde / howe maye that be? for we be ene∣myes too all the realmes that we muste passe through. First through Spayne / for we haue made theym open warre. The kynge of Na∣uer in lykewyse is ioyned in this warre with the kynge of Castyle / & also the kynge of Ara∣gone / for he is alyed with the frenche kynge. and also he hath done to vs a great dyspite / he hath take and layd in prison at Barselona the archebyhop of Burdeaux / who wente thyder to demaunde the arerages that the realme of Aragonoweth / to the kynge of Englande our soueraygne lorde. And to sende to the frenche kyng it is harde for vs to do. it is farre of / and peraduenture whan oure messanger cometh to the kynge (he is yonge) and peraduenture his counsayle wyll do nothynge for vs. for sir Olyuer of Clysson constable of Fraunce ha∣teth vs mortally / for he wyll say that the duke of Bretayn his great aduersary / wyll become englissh. Than some other that were of great wysdome and imaginacyon said. All thinges consydred / we thinke it best to assay the kyng of Castyle / we thynke he wyll lyghtly condy∣scende to suffre vs to passe through his coun∣trey peasably / and to gette a saueconduete fro the kynges of Fraunce / Aragon / and Nauer.

THis counsayle was taken / kepte and herde / and a Haraulde called Derby was sente forthe to the kynge of Castyle with letters. This haraulde rode forthe and came to Medena de campo / and there he founde the kynge of Castyle / and than he kneled downe and delyuered his letters. And the kynge ope¦ned them and redde them / they were written in frenche. Whan he hadde well vnderstande them he turned hym and smyled / and sayde to a knyght of his. Go and make this haraulde good chere / he shall be answered to nyght and departe to morowe. Than the kynge entred in to his secrete chambre and sent for sir Wyl∣lyam of Lygnac and for sir gaultyer of Pas∣sac / and red to them the letters / and demaun∣ded of them what was beste to do. ¶I shall shewe you the substaunce of the matter. Syr Iohan Holande constable of the duke of Lan¦castres hoost / wrote to the kynge of Castyle /

desyring hym to sende by the herault letters of safecōducte for .ii. or thre englysshe knigh¦tes to go and come safe / to speke and to treat with hym. Than these knightes answered & sayd. sir / it were good ye dyde this / for than shall you knowe what they demaūde. Well quod the kyng / me thynke it is good. Than there was asafecōducte written / cōteyninge that sixe knightes might safely go and come at the poyntyng of the constable. This was sealed with the kynges great seale & sygned with his hande & deliuered to the heralt / and xx. frankes in rewarde. Than he returned to Aurāche where the duke & y^e constable were.

THe herault deliuered the safecōduct to the cōstable. Than the knyghtes were chosen y^t shulde go. sir Mau∣beryn of Linyere / sir Thom̄s Morell / & sir Iohan Dambreticourt. these thre knyghtes were charged to go on this message to y^e kyn¦ge of Castile. and they de{per}ted assone as they might for some thought long / for there were many sicke and lacked phisicions and medi∣cins / and also fresshe vitaylles. These En∣glysshe ambassadours passed by the towne of Arpent / and there the constable of Castyle sir Olyuer of Clesquy made thē good chere / and made them a supper. And the next daye he sent with them a knyght of his of Tynte∣mache a breton / to bring them the more sure∣lyer to the kyng / for encoūtryng of y^e bretons of whom there were many sprede abrode. & so long they rode that they came to Medena¦de Campo / and there they founde the kynge who had gret desire to know what they wol¦de. & whan they were a lyghted at their lod∣gyng & chaūged & refreshed thē they went to the king / who made to thē gode semblaunt / & were brought to hiby y^e knight{is} of his house Than they delyuered to the kyng letters fro the dukes Constable / but none fro hym selfe / for as than he wolde nat write to the kynge / but they sayd. Sir kyng / we be sent hyder to you fro the erle of Huntyngdon / Constable with the duke of Lancastre / A certaynynge you of the great mortalyte and sickenesse that is amonge our men. Therfore the constable desyreth you / that ye wolde to all suche as de¦syreth to haue their helthe / opyn your cyties and good townes / and suffre them to entre to refresshe them / and to recouer their helth if they maye. And also that suche as haue de¦syre to passe in to Englande by lande / that they maye passe without daunger of you / of the kyng of Nauer / and of the Frenche kyng but pesably to retourne in to their owne cou¦treis. sir / this is the desyre and request that we make vnto you / as at this tyme. than the kyng answered and said soberly. Sirs / we shall take coūsayle and aduise what is good for vs to do / & than ye shalbe answered / than the knyghtes sayd. sir / that suffyceth to vs.