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 Geronet of Mandurante with twelue of his company retour¦ned to Mountferant / and howe Pe∣rot of Bernoys with foure hundred speares went to Mount ferant / and wolde nat entre in to the towne by none other waye but in at the gate. Cap. C.xix. (Book 119)

ON this determynaci∣on Perot sent to the capy∣taynes nexte aboute hym / and apoynted euery man to mete at Ousac / a castell in the bysshopriche of Cle∣remount / nat farre thence. Wherof somtyme Barbe a great pyller a ga∣scoyne was capytayne. The companyons of seuen fortresses assembled togyder at Ousac englysshe men / and they were a four hundred speares well mounted / and than they had but sixe leages to ryde. The first that came to Ou¦sac was Perote of Bernoys / to shewe that it was his enterprise / and to take coūsayle with the other capytayns / by the aduyse of Gero∣net and accordyng to the informacyon that he had gyuen hym. Than Geronet and a twelue other with hym / arayed theym lyke rude vyl∣layne marchauntes in cotes of fryse / and ledde horses tyed one to another with baggage on them / accordynge to the custome of the coun∣trey. And thus they departed fro Ousac in the brekynge of the daye / and so rode towardes Mountferant / and lyke marchauntes they en¦tred into the towne about noone. There were none that toke any hede what men they were / they thought full lytell they hadde ben men of warre. They of the towne demed surely they had ben marchaūtes / come thyder to the fayre to haue bought cloth and dyaper / for they said they came fro Mounte Pellier / to bye mar∣chaūdyse for against the fayre there was come thyder moche marchaundyse fro other cyties and townes of the realme. Than Geronet and his company wente to their lodgynge / to the syne of the Crowne / and sette vp their horses and toke vp a fayre chambre for thē / and kepte theym styll therein without goynge aboute in the towne for feare of spyenge / and so sate and made mery / and thought well they wolde pay nothynge for their expenses.

AT nyght they were besy to dresse their horses and said to their host and ostes / that their horses hadde sore trauayled all that day / wherfore they had nede of rest. They pro¦uyded them of plenty of candels / and so went in to their chambre and dranke and made me∣ry / but they wolde nat go to bed. So the host and the hostes wente to their beddes and lette them alone / and had no suspecte of them. Now shall I shewe you what Perot and his com∣pany dyd. The sayd day he and with hym se∣uen other capytayns / firste Perot le Bernoys as chefe / than the Bourge of Compaygne cal∣led Arnaldon / the bourge Anglois / y^e Bourge of Carlat / Apthon Seguyn / Olyue Barbe / & Bernadon of the isles / & with them there was a great routter of Byerne the lorde of Launce playne. By hym and by the bourge of Com∣payne I was afterwarde enfourmed of this enterprise / whiche was done aboute Candel∣mas / whan the nightes be long and colde. and all the same nyght it rayned / and the wynde blewe so that it was a stormy season / wherfore the capytayne of the watche of Mountferant issued nat out that nyght of his lodgynge / but he sent his sonne forthe who was but yonge / of a syxtene yere of age. And as he wente fro the one gate to the other / he foūde four poore men watchinge / nygh deed for colde / and they sayd to the yonge man. Syr / take of eche of vs a blanke / and let vs go home and warme vs / it is paste a leuen of the clocke. The yonge man coueted the money and toke it / and they depar¦ted fro their watche / and wente to their owne houses. Than Geronet and his company wat¦ched at their hostes dore / to se whan the watch men shulde retourne. Than they sawe whan the yonge man came fro the watche / and the watche men with hym. Than Geronet sayde / the mater goeth well / this is lyke to be a good nyght for vs / euery manne in the towne is as nowe gone to bedde / the watche is paste / we nede to take no care for that. And on the other parte / I am sure Perotte le Bernoys and his company are rydynge hyder warde as fast as they may. And in dede y^e same tyme they were comynge and came nere to Cleremounte / and mette with Aymergotte Marcell with a hun∣dred speres / capytayne of the fortresse of Alose

besyde saint Floure. whan eche of them knewe other they made good chere / and demaunded eche other whyder they wolde / and what they sought in that countrey. Amergot aunswered and said / I come fro my fortresse of Alose / and ame goynge to Carlate. In the name of god sayd two of the capytaynes / the Bourge An∣gloys and the Bourge Compaigne. Sir we be here / wolde ye any thynge speke wyth vs? yea quod Amerigot / ye haue certayne pryso∣ners of the countre of Dolphyn of Auuergne / and ye knowe well we be in treatynge togy∣ther by the meanes of the erle of Armynake / wherfore we wold gladly make an exchaunge with certayne prisoners that I haue in my ga¦ryson. I am sore desyred thus to do by the coū∣tes of Dolphyn / who is a right good lady and is well worthy to be done pleasure vnto. than the Bourge of Compaigne sayd. Aymergotte ye are greatly bounde to do some pleasure to that lady / for within this thre yere ye hadde of her syluer thre hundred frankes / for the rede∣mynge of the castell of Mercyer. But syr / I pray you where is therle Dolphyn at this sea∣son? Syr quod the other / it is shewed me that he is in Fraunce / comunynge vpon the treatie that ye know that we be in hande with the erle of Armynake / and with erle Dolphyn. Than Perot le Bernoys sayde. Sir / leaue thir co∣munynge and come on with vs / and it shall be for your profyte. and ye shall haue parte of our botye. Sir quod. Aymergot / and whyder go you than? By my fayth sir quod Perot / we go streyght to Mount ferante / for this nyght the towne shall be yelden to me. than Aymerygot sayd. syr / this is yuell done that ye go aboute / for ye knowe well we be in treatie with the erle of Armynake and with this coūtrey / wherfore all townes and castels rekeneth themselfe halfe assured / wherfore we shall be greatly blamed thus to do / and ye shall breke out treatye. By my faythe quod Perot / as for me I wyll agre to no treatye / as longe as I maye kepe the fel∣des / it behoueth companyons to lyue. come on your way with vs / for ye shall haue nothynge to do at Carlat / for here be the companyons of that fortresse / and suche as be left behynd wyll nat suffre you to entre till their company come home. Well {ser} quod Aymerigot / with you wyll I nat go / but I wyll returne agayne in to my fortresse / syth the mater is thus. Thus they de parted one fro a nother. Perot helde the waye to Mountferant / and whan they were vnder Cleremount there they rested them / and ima∣gyned on a newe enterprise / specially certayne of the gascoyns / who knewe nat of the enter∣prise of Geronet. Than they sayd to the capy∣tayns. Sirs / beholde here this cytie of Clere∣monte / the whiche is a ryche cytie / and rather more prignable than Mount ferant / we haue ladders here / let vs scale it / we shall haue more profyte here than at Mount ferante. To this poynte they were nere a greed / but thanne the chefe capytayns sayd. Sirs Cleremonte is a puissant towne and well peopled and the men well harnessed / if they be ones moued they wyl assemble togyther and put theym selfe to de∣fēce. it is no doute but we shulde haue no great aduaunatage by them. And if we shulde be re∣culed perforce and our horse taken or loste / we shulde yuell escape / for we be farre fro home. and if the coūtrey than shulde ryse and pursue vs / we shulde be in great daunger. we thynke it were better to go on forthe and folowe our fyrst enterprise / for the sekynge of a newe enter¦prise per aduenture myght cost vs dere.

THis counsayle was taken / and so rode forthe without makynge of any noyse / so that aboute .xi. of the clocke they were nere to Mount ferant. Whan they sawe the towne they stode styll a thre bowe shot of fro y^e towne. Than Perotte sayde / beholde here is Mount ferant / our company that went before are with in the towne. kepe you all styll here close to gy∣der / and I wyll go downe this valaye to se if I may se or here any newes of Geronet / who hathe brought vs to this enterpryse / and de∣parte nat tyll I come to you agayne. sir quod they go your waye / we shall abyde you here. Therwith Perot departed & four with hym. The wether was so darke that no man coulde se an acre brede fro hym / and also it rayned / blewe and snewe / that it was a meruaylouse yuell wether. Geronet was as than on the wal¦les and taryed to here some newes. He loked dowe ouer the walles / and as he thought he sawe the shadowe of some men goynge a long by the dyke syde. than he began a lytle to why / stell softely. And whā they without herde that they came nerer to the wall / for the dykes on that syde hadde no water. Than Geronet de∣maūded who was there without. Perot knew his voyce and sayd / I am Perot le Bernoys /

Geronet art thou there? yea sir quod he I am here. Make you redy and aproche your men / for I shall lette you in here in to the towne / for all tho within the towne be a slepe in their bed¦des. What quod Perot / shulde we entre here where as ye stande / god kepe me fro that? I wyll nat entre there / if I entre I wyll entre in at the gate / and at none other place. No wyll quod Geronette / and I assure you that lyeth nat in my power to do. but syr bring your lad∣ders hyder and spare nat sckale / for I assure you there is none shall let you. Well quod Pe∣rot / thou haste promysed to lette me in to the towne / but surely I wyll nat entre without it be by the gate. Well quod Geronet and I can nat a mende it / for I can nat lette you in at the gate / it is faste shytte / and the kepers be with∣in / but they be a slepe. Whyle they were at this stryfe certayne of Geronettes cōpany within went vp & downe vpon the walles / to se if they myght here any noyse. A lytell there by there was a poore house at the foote of the wall / this howse stode alone farre of fro any other house / and a poore man dwelte therin a taylour / who had watched all the nyght tyll the same tyme / and thanne was goynge to bedde. And as the wynde caryeth noyse farre of / he herde as he thought men spekynge on the walles. For by nyght tyme a man shall here farre of. therwith he wente out of his howse and wente vpon the walles / and so met with the men / and as soone as he sawe them he began to crye. Than one of them stept forthe and toke him by the throte / and sayd. Vyllayne thou arte but deed & thou speke one worde? And soo he helde his peace / for he feared dethe. Than Geronet (who had herde the noyse) sayde. Sirs slee hym nat / for he shall do vs good seruyce / god hath sent him to vs / for by hym we shall furnysshe all our en∣terprise. Than Geronet sayde to Perotte le Bernoys. syr / retourne to your company / and whan ye here the fyrst gate open come forthe / and with youre axes breke downe the gate next you / and shewed him the aduenture of the man that they had taken on the walles. Thanne Perot departed and wente to his company / and shewed them all the mater (as ye haue herde before)