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 erle of Armynake toke great payne to treate with the cōpa∣nyons / to departe out of the realme of Fraunce. Cap. C.x.

IN this reason the erle of Army∣nake was in Auuergne / & was intreatyng of the companyons suche as laye in fortresses in ga∣ryson. In Auuergne / Quersy / & Lymosen. This erle hadde great desyre to cause these capitayns to departe out of the re¦alme of Fraunce / and to leaue suche holdes as they were in / for these lādes were sore op∣pressed by them and greatly impouerisshed. And so he was in cōmunycacion with them all / except Geffray Teate Noyre / who helde Wenchadore agaynst the erle of Armynake. These sayd capitayns shulde receyue at one payment / two hundred and .l. thousande frā∣kes. And to paye this sōme the sayde landes were bounde / for they were glad to be delyue¦red of these people / for otherwise they coude nat labour the erthe / nor occupy their feate of marchaundise / nor do any thyng for feare of these pyllers / without they were patesed by them. And y^e charge of their patesyng drewe well yerely to the sōme that they shulde pay to haue them delyuered. And thoughe these countreis had warre with the Englysshmen yet there were amonge them but fewe of the nacyon of Englande: But there were Gas∣coyns / bretons / almayns / foyzons / and men of dyuers countreis / who were gathered to∣guyder to do yuell dedes. And whan the cō∣posycions of the redempcion was made and agreed: they excepted Geffray Teate noyre and his forterers / for he wolde do nothynge for them. Than the erle of Armynake prayed the erle Dolphyn of Auuergne / who was a great capitayne / that he shulde treate with y^e

sayd Geffray / and that he wolde do so moche to go in to Fraunce to the kyng and his coū∣sayle / the dukes of Berrey and of Burgoyn / who as than had the gouernyng of y^e realme to haue their counsayle and assystence. For without their aduyse & agrement / they durst reyse vp no tayle in the countrey. The Erle Dolphyn of Auuergne at the request of the erle of Armynake toke his iourney to Paris as than the kynge was nat there / he was at Roane. Thyder rode the erle / and there she∣wed all the mater to the kynge and his coun∣sayle / but he was nat shortely dispatched / for they douted the treatie of these people / & said Sir erle Dolphyn / we knowe well that the erle of Armynake and you wolde right glad¦lye the honour and profyte of the realme / for your partes lyeth therin. ye haue fayre lan∣des there / But we doute greatly / that whan these capitayns gascoyns / bernoyes / & other be payed suche somes of money as the compo¦sicyon requyreth / wherby the countre shulde be enpouerisshed / y^t than within thre or four monethes after they shulde retourne againe and make worse warre than they dyd before / and entre agayne in to these fortresses. than the erle of Dolphyn answered and sayd. sirs it is our ententes / the tayle cessed and gade∣red / that the money shall nat passe out of Cle¦remonde or Ryon / tyll we be certifyed and in suretie of these people. Well quod the dukes we are content that the money be leuyed and put in sure kepyng in some place in the same countre / for at the leest it shall serue to make them warre / if they wyll nat come to some a∣myable treatie. And that the erle of Army∣nake and you / the bysshoppe of Cleremonde and the bisshoppe of Puy / take ye the charge of this mater / and do so as it may be for your honour / and profite to the coūtre. With right a good wyll sir quod the erle / and so de{per}ted fro the kyng and his vncles fro Roane / and founde the erle of Armynake his brother at Cleremont in Auuergne / with many lordes of the countre taryenge there vpon his com∣myng. and there he shewed worde for worde that he had with the frēche kyng and his vn∣cles / and the doutes that were made in y^e ma∣ter: And howe it was their ententes that the tayle shulde be gadered / and the money ther of gadered toguyder and putte in suretie in some certayne place / tyll the very entente of these pyllers might be knowen / who kepeth castels and garisons agaynst the realme. the same is our entencion quod the erle of Army¦nake / and sithe it pleaseth the kynge and his counsayle we shall go further in the mater: but for the more suretie it must behoue vs to haue a good and a sure truse with thē for all the countrey / tyll the tayle be cessed and gade¦red. Than there were ambassadours assig∣ned by the erle of Armynake to go and speke with Perot le Bernoys and Amergot Mar¦cell. These two were as souerayns of the for¦tresse that they helde on that syde the ryuer of Durdone / and also to speke with the Borge of Compaigne / with Bernarde of y^e Isles / with Olyuer Barbe abton / with Seghewe the lorde of Laenplayre / and dyuers other. All these capitayns acorded nat togyder / for that the one wolde y^e other wolde nat. I shal shewe you the reason why.

THey were of dyuers opinyons and of dyuers countreis. They of Ar∣mynake / suche as were vnder the obeysaunce of the Erle of Armynake were soone agreed / but all the other wolde nat be ruled by hym. for the chefe company of them and suche as were most renomed to vse grete robbery and pillery were of Bierne / and of the countie of Foiz. Howbeit I saye nat but that the erle of Foiz wolde the honour of the realme of Fraunce. But whan he herde first howe the erle of Armynake dyde treate with them / for suche fortresses as they helde in Au¦uergne / in Quercy / and in Lymosyn: as he that desyred to knowe the hole substaūce of the mater. Demaunded of them that enfour∣med hym therof / what the erle of Armynake was mynded to do with y^e men that were in the garysons / whan they were departed out of their holdes / and whyder he wolde set thē in any busynesse or nat. Than he was answe¦red / and it was said to hym. Sir / the erle of Armynake wolde kepe them in wages & oc∣cupy them in to Lombardy: for as ye knowe well his suster is maryed there / and before she had Gascone your son̄e / for it is thought there shalbe moche a do in Lombardy. wher¦vnto the erle of Foiz gaue none answere but fell in to other talkyng / howbe it he thought neuerthelesse (as it apered af••) for he hādled the mater couertly. I shall shewe you howe.

The erle of Armynake for any treatie that he coude do to them that were of the countre of Bierne / or of the teneurs of therle of Foiz or suche as owed hym any fauour / coude ne∣uer cause any of them to agree to departe out of their garisons. Nor wolde nat go nother to the erle of Armynake nor to Bernarde his brother in lawe. For therle of Foiz who was full of great prudence / consydred that these two lordes of Armynake & there cosyns / and with the labriciens were puissaunt men. and sawe howe they gate them frendes on euery parte / he thought they shulde nat be renfor∣sed / with them that ought to serue hym. And one thynge that was reasonable the Erle of Foiz ymagined. sir Espaygne de Leon she∣wed it me whan I was at Ortays / & in lyke∣wise so dyde the erle of Compane / capitayne of Carlot in Auuergne: and also so dyde the Bourge of Englande. They sayd howe the erle of Foiz regarded howe he had had open warre with them of Armynake / thoughe it were peace bytwene them (as than) whiche was but a truese / the whiche was dyuers ty∣mes renewed bytwene theym. Therfore he thought ••hat if the erle of Armynake had all those companyons vnder his gouernaunce / his warres shulde be the fayrer. So that the armynakes and the labricience with their a∣lyes / myght do hym a great displeasure.

This was the cause that suche as owed fa∣uour to therle of Foiz / wolde nat agte to the erle of Armynake. Howe be it they made thē beleue that they wolde / but they dyd but dis∣semble / for they brake all their apoyntmētes. howe be it they rode nat abrode so moche as they dyde before / Wherby alwayes the Erle of Armynake thought to haue come to his purpose. They that agreed to hym were Pe¦rotte de Bernoys / who helde the stronge ca∣stell of Salucette / whiche is chefe and soue∣raygne of all Auuergne and Lymosyne / for their patesyng endured to Rochell. And also Guyllyam of saynt Foye / who helde the ca∣stell of Bonteuyll / and also Margote Mar∣cell / who helde Loysse before saynt Flour in Auuergne / and the Bourge of Compaygne and the Englysshe Bourge / who helde Car¦lotte. Margote Marcell sayde he was con∣tente / so that he myght haue in lykewise Pe∣rotte / Bernoys / and Geffray Teate Noyre / who helde Vādachore / who was souerayne aboue all other. But he dyde but mocke and dissemble the mater / for he disdayned to fall to any treatie of the erle of Armynakes / or of any other. For he thought his castell imprig¦nable and well prouyded for seuyn or eyght yeres / for he had a passage or two that coude nat be taken fro hym / but that he myght issue whan he lyste / to refresshe hym selfe and his company. This Geffray wrote hym selfe in his saueconductes. Geffray Teate Noyre duke of Vandachore / erle of Lymosyn / lorde and soueraygne of all the capitayns of Au∣uergne / Rouergue / and Lymosyn.

NOw let vs leaue to speke of these ma¦ters of farre coūtreis / tyll we haue cause to returne therto agayne: And nowe I wyll speke of matters nerer home / as of myne owne nacyon (as it hath ben she∣wed here before) whan I treated of the ende of the warre of Flaunders / and of the char∣ter of peace that the duke of Burgoyne / and the duchesse dyde gyue and graunt / and sea∣led to them of Gaunt / in the good towne and noble cytie of Tourney. Therfore nowe to enforce our mater and history / we wyll speke nowe of the warres of Guerles and of Bra∣bant. And I am quickened so to do / bycause that the Frenche kyng and the duke of Bur∣goyne (to whom the mater greatly touched / by the insydentes that gendred therby) were fayne to set to their hādes to the same warre / and to come to the bottom therof: And to con¦tynue at length the true hystorie and mater / I saye thus as foloweth. ∴ ∴