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 Berrey mary∣ed the lady Mary his doughter to the erle of Bloys sonne: And howe the same yere the sonne of the duke of Berrey marryed the lady Mary of Fraunce / suster to the yong kyng Charles of Fraunce. Cap. C.xxiii. (Book 123)

IN the yere of our lor∣de God / a thousande thre hūdred fourscore and sixe / in the moneth of August / Guye the erle of Bloyes and the Lady Mary his wyfe departed fro y^e tow∣ne of Bloyes / well acompanyed with knigh¦tes and squyes / ladyes and damoselles to go in to Berrey / and they had with theym their yonge sonne / who hadde fyaunced the yere before / Mary doughter to the duke of Ber∣rey. and the entencyon of the erle of Bloyes and of the coūtesse his wyfe / was that whan they shulde come to Burgus in Berrey / to {pro}¦cede to y^e sayd maryage. In lykewise it was the entencyon of the duke of Berrey & of the duches his wyfe. Thus whā all these {per}ties were come togyder / than these two chyldren were ioyned togider in mariage in the chur∣che

of saynt Stephyn in Burgus by a Car∣dynall / the chauncellour of Berrey and the bysshoppe of Poyters had the yere before en¦sured theym toguyder. It this maryage of Loyes of Bloyes and of the lady Mary of Berrey in the cytie of Burgus / was made great feest and tryumphes with iustes & tur∣neyes. This feest endured eight dayes. whā this was accomplysshed / the erle of Bloyes and the countesse tooke leaue of the duke of Berrey and of the duchesse / and so returned to Bloyes and hadde with them their yonge doughter. Also in the same yere Iohn̄ of Ber¦rey sonne to the duke of Berrey called Erle of Mountpensier maryed the lady Mary of Fraunce suster to the yonge kynge of Fraū¦ce. In the same yere that these Maryages were thus made: In the tyme of lente / the du¦chesse of Berrey and Mary of Fraunce her doughter / and her sonne rode to the towne of Bloyes / to se the Erle Bloyes and the coun∣tesse / and their chyldren. They were recey∣ued in to the Castell of Bloyes with great ioye. At all these maters I sir Iohan Frois∣sarte was present: And whan they had been there in great Feest thre dayes / they depar∣ted and toke their way to Poyters: but they went by water by the ryuer of Loyre to Am∣boyse / and fro thens in chares and on horse∣backe / tyll they came to Poytou. There the duchesse helde her house moost cōmonly in a good castell and good towne called Chynon In this yere dyed Mary of Fraunce beyng yonge / who was wyfe to the erle of Mount∣penlier. In lykewise soone after dyed the la∣dy Iane of Armynake duchesse of Berrey. Thus the duke of Berrey and his sonne were to marry agayne (as they dyd) but nat ouer soone. Of the whiche maryages / and specy∣allye of the dukes: I shall shewe you here after / whan the mater shall requyre to haue it declared.

YE haue well herde here before / howe the duke of Guerles had defyed the French kyng dispyte fully / whiche was spoken o•• sar and nere. For as the brute was / it was nat done in no curtesse maner / but out of the style and vsage of all other defyances. Trouthe it is / I sawe my selfe certayne wri∣tynges in paper / the whiche was sayde to be the true copy: But bycause I sawe it nat vn∣derseale / nor aproued as such maters ought to be that touche great princes / suche as is the Frenche kyng / therfore I gaue no great¦credence therto: Howe be it / it semed well that this defyaunce was displeasaunt to the realme / & wolde haue it amended. And that the duke of Guerles shulde excuse hym of the spytefull wordes that were in the defyaunce. The kynges coūsayle wolde in no wyse that the mater shulde rest so / for the great lordes of Fraunce sayde. Without the kyng founde some remedy / they and all the realme shulde be greatly to blame: And they sayd howe the kynge was yonge and forwarde / and y^t was well sene in his iourney in Flaunders. And if he go nat forwarde nowe to reuenge this dede / men wolde speke dyuerslye of the no∣bles of the realme of Fraunce / who shulde counsayle the kynge / and are sworne to kepe and defende his honour / and to refourme all that is mysordred. And to the entent that the kynge nor the realme shulde beare no blame the lorde of Coucy toke payne in the mater: And shewed well howe the mater touchedde hym nere. He knewe the almayns better thā he dyde any other / for he hadde been often in their cōpanyes / as well for the chalenge that he made to the duchy of Austryche / as for o∣ther insydentes that he hadde amonge them.

THe kynges vncles sawe well howe all the nobles of the Realme were well enclyned to haue the mater re∣dressed / and specially the duke of Burgoyne hadde great affectyon therto / for the duke of Guerles haryed and pylled the duchesse of Brabantes countrey / The whiche enhery∣taunce shulde retourne to hym after y^e dethe of the two ladyes who were right aged / both the duches and her sustre. wherfore he wolde that outher by warre or other meanes / that the duke of Guerles were apeased. Howe be it fyrst of all it was requisyte to make all the membres of Fraunce one and of one opiny∣on: For it shulde be a farre iourney for the kynge to go out of Fraunce in to Almaygne to conquere landes and countreis / The whi¦che the kynge coulde nat do / without he had all his hole puyssaunce with hym / for it was

nat knowen whyder the almaygnes / who be couetous people / wolde helpe and assyst the duke of Guerles or nat. Also furthermore / the duke of Burgoyne and the other noble men of Fraunce / sawe well howe the duke of Bretayne was in great differēce with the re∣alme of Fraunce and began marueylously. & shewed by his dedes that he had as lyue ha∣ue warre with y^e realme of Fraūce as peace: And the lordes knewe well howe he prouy∣ded his townes / castels / & cyties with great prouisyon of men / vitayls / and artillary / to defende any siege. And besydes that / often ty¦mes he wrote in to Englande with louynge treatable wordes to make alyaunce for euer: And the Englysshmen were wyllyng therto to the entent that their warre with Fraunce / myght be the better for them after. Thanne the counsayle of Fraūce wolde nat that there shulde be lefte behynde them suche a myst in Bretaygne / but that first it myght be putte a waye by good meanes and condute. They thought they wolde nat putte the realme in that doute: If the kynge shulde go in to Al∣maygne and leaue the realme destytute (as this the Kynges vncles ymagined) They wyste nat howe to stoppe the duke of Bre∣tayne / for as than suche as they had sent thy∣der were retourned: as the bysshoppe of Lā¦gers / sir Iohan of Vyen / and sir Iohan de Beull. They shewed the kyng & his vncles howe they had done nothyng to purpose. thā the duke of Berry aduysed to sende to Bre∣tayne to entreat with the duke his cosyn / the erle of Stampes who was a sage persone & a treatable. Than the duke desyred hym and sayde. Fayre cosyn / it behoueth that ye go in to Bretaygne to speke with our cosyn the du¦ke there. If ye fynde hym harde and highe of wordes / chafe nat with hym / treate hym swetely and after a good maner. And speke sagely to hym / and bring hym in to good rea¦son and it may be: And shewe hym howe the kynge and I and my brother of Burgoyne / wolde nothing to hym but good loue & peace And if he wyll abyde and holde with vs / we shall alwayes be redy to do hym pleasure. & also shewe hym that as for the castels that he holdeth of the cōstables / how that for a small occasion he hath ceased them. But & it wolde please hym to rendre them agayne / it shulde be greatly to his honour. And howe that the kynge shall gyue hym as fayre and as good as they be / in any other place where he wyll chose in the realme. Good cosyn do so moche as to bringe vs some good tydinges / and for any tarieng there / departe nat fro him tyll ye bring some mater to passe: and haue well in your remembraūce all this busynesse and all his answere / and the order of his estate. The erle of Stampes answered and sayde. Sir / all this shalbe done right gladly.

AFter that the erle of Stāpes had this charge fro the duke of Berey to go in to Bretayne to the duke his cosyn: He taried nat long but made hymselfe redy and passed by Chartres / and through the good countre of Mayne / and so came to Angers and there founde the quene of Naples / who hadde ben wyfe to the duke of Aniou: Who was called kyng of Naples / of Cicyle / of Hierusalem / & duke of Pole / of Calabre / and erle of Pro∣uence: And in her company her two fayre son¦nes Loyes and Charles. The lady receyued her cosyn the erle of Stampes ioyfully / and there was Iohn̄ of Bretayne who loued nat the duke of Bretayne / but he was nat in po∣wer to shewe forthe his yuell wyll / nor to a∣mende it. Whan therle of Stampes had ben there a daye and a night / he tooke his leaue & departed and rode to Chasteaulx / and iour∣neyed so long that he came to the cite of Naū¦tes and there refresshed hym. And than he de¦maūded where the duke was / and it was she¦wed hym howe he was in the marches of Wē¦nes & therefoūde the duke who receyued him ioyously / for they were nere cosyns togider. The erle of Stampes who right well coude acquyte hymselfe amonge great princes and ladyes (for he had been brought vp amonge theym in his youthe) acquytedde hym selfe right sagely with the duke. And shewed nat the princypall affectyon of his corage at his fyrste commynge / but dissymuled two or thre dayes / and whan he sawe his tyme he humy∣led hym selfe greatlye to the duke / the rather therby to drawe hym to his entent / and than sayd. Sir and my right dere cosyn / ye ought nat to marueyle thoughe I am come so farre of to se you / for greatlye I haue desyred it. And than notably he shewed hym the charge that he hadde to saye to hym / on the behalfe of the duke of Berrey / of the whiche wordes

the duke made light. And for resolucion of an∣swere at that tyme / the duke sayde. Cosyn we knowe well this that ye haue sayde is trewe. I shall remembre me and ye shall abyde here with vs as long as it shall please you / for your comyng dothe vs great pleasure. Other aun∣swere the erle coulde nat haue / as at that tyme. The erle taryed there a fyftene dayes / and the duke shewed hym gret loue / and shewed hym the fayre castell of Ermyn / whiche was nere to Wannes the whiche the duke had newely made / and there he toke parte of his pastaūce. And alwayes whanne he sawe a conuenyente tyme / he shewed swetely and sagely the cause of his comyng. And euer the duke aunswered hym so couertly / that the erle coulde haue no suretie in any aunswere / to make any restytu∣cion of a hundred thousand frankes nor of the castels that he helde of the constables / the whi∣che yet at the ende he dyd / and that was with∣out request of any persone / whan it was leste loked for (as I shall shewe you hereafter as I was enfourmed) Whan y^e erle Stampes sawe that he laye there in vayne / than he thought to take his leaue / and to retourne in to Fraunce / and so he dyd. The duke gaue hym leaue / and at his departynge gaue hym a fayre whyte palfrey / aparelled and it had ben for a kynge / and gaue hym a fayre rynge with a stone / well worthe a thousande frankes. Thus the erle de¦parted and retourned by Angers / and there founde the quene of Napoles / and Iohan of Bretayne / who greatly desyred to here tydyn∣ges and sayd. Fayre cosyn / I thynke ye haue sped well / for ye haue taryed longe out. Than the erle shewed parte of his busynesse but fy∣nally howe he had spedde nothynge. Whan he had taryed there a day / he departed and went to Towrs / and at last came in to Berrey / and founde the duke at Mehyn / a castell of his / whiche he had newly made / and had worke∣men dayly theron. Whan the duke of Berrey sawe the erle of Stampes he made hym good chere / and demaunded tydinges of Bretayne. There he declared fro poynt to poynte all that he had sente and herde / and sayde: howe in no wyse he coulde breke the duke of Bretayne fro his purpose. The duke of Berrey passed the mater lyghtly / whan he sawe it wolde be none otherwyse. And so retourned in to Fraunce to the king and to the duke of Burgoyne his bro¦ther / and shewed theym howe he had sente in to Bretaygne to the duke his cosyn the erle of Stampes / and declared in euery poynt howe he had spedde. Thus the mater rested / whan they sawe none other remedy. ∵ ∵