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 Perot le Bernoys and his cōpanyons resorted agayne to theyr holdes with great pyllage. & howe the duke of Guerles coulde haue no ayde of the Englysshe men / to reyse the siege before Graue: and how the brabansoys made a bridge ouer the ryuer of Meuse / the whiche they of Guerles dyde breke / brinne / and dy¦stroy: as ye shall here after. Cap. C.xxxv. (Book 135)

THe same seasone that the Englysshe armye was at Marant / Perot le Ber∣noyes and his route / to the nōbre of four hundred spe∣res were abrode and pas∣sed by Lymosyn and came to Berrey. And on a daye they tooke all the marchauntes that were in the towne of Bla∣ke in Berrey / on the whiche daye there was a great fayre / wherby they had great profite and good prisoners / and than passed further and came to Selles in Berrey / and pylled and robbed the towne. Thus Perot and his companyons rode abrode in the countre and dyde great dōmage / for there was none that came agaynst them. The countrey was sore a frayde on bothe sydes the ryuer of Loyre / vnto the coūtie of Bloys and of Thourayne They coude nat ymagin what these two ar∣myes were purposed to do / some sayde they shulde mete togider but they dyd nat. for the army on the see drewe agayne to the see / and Perot in lykewise to his fortresse. Whā they had pylled and wonne great richesse in the countrey / euery man wente to their owne fortresse to saue that they had gotte. There was none other dede of armes done that sea¦son in Auuergne and Lymosyn. Than̄e be∣gan the truce on that syde the ryuer of Loyre the whiche shulde endure to the moneth of Marche: But styll the siege endured before Vandachore / by sir Wylliam of Lignacke / sir Iohan Boesme Launce / sir Iohan But∣lere and other. For sir Geffray Teate noyre was so proude and cruell / that he sette nou∣ther by truce nor peace / and all on the truste of the strength of his fortresses. ¶Nowe lette vs leaue speakyng of the siege of Van∣dachore / and shewe here after what ende it toke / and speke nowe of Brabaunte and of Guerles.

yE knowe well (as it hath ben cōtey∣ned here before in this hystorie) the duchesse of Brabant was determy∣ned to make warre agaynst the duke of guer¦les / and caused the siege to cōtynue before the towne of Graue / with a great puyssaunce of knyghtes and squyers / and other men of the good townes of Brabante: and their enten∣cion was nat to departe thens / tyll they had

the towne of Graue at their wyll. And the du¦chesse to shewe y^t the mater touched her nere the laye at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a four leages thens. The hoost was plentifull of euery thynge. They were often tymes refresshed with newe pro∣uisyon cōmyng fro dyuers partes / aswell by see by fresshe water & by the ryuer of Muse as by the lande of Brabant. This siege long endured and they had there great ingyns be sore the towne to caste in great stones / whi∣che dyde great domage. And besyde that to enfecte the people within / they caste in to the towne all deed careyne: and the wether was hote / the whiche greatly anoyed them with∣in. The clere ayre was sore corrupted with the yuell ayre. Somtyme the knyghtes and squyers of Brabant wolde come to the bar∣ryers and scrimysshe with them of y^e towne / and there were many feates of armes done / For there were men in the towne (sette there by the duke of Guerles) that were redye to shewe forthe their prowes whan tyme was. The duke of Guerles lay at Nimay & coude nat remedy the mater nor reyse the siege / nor yet fight with his enemyes / for he had no pu∣issaunce therto / But he hadde sente in to En∣glande certifyeng what case he stode in / tru∣stynge to haue had socours fro thens / but he had none / For at that tyme there was moche trouble in Englande. For there was sette a newe counsayle about the kynge by the mea∣nes of his vncles and tharchbysshop of Caū¦terbury About the feest of saynt Iohan the Baptyst there was a coūsayle in Englande to knowe if there shulde be sente any ayde of men of armes & archers to the duke of Guer∣les or nat: But euery thyng consydred / they thought it best naye. For renome ran in En∣glande howe the Frenche kyng made a gret assemble but no manne knewe whyther they shulde drawe. The Englysshe men by yma∣ginacyon douted that they wolde cōe to Ca¦••••••s: On the othersyde they douted the scot∣tes wherfore they wolde nat sende their men of armes and archers out of the realme. Also they knewe howe there were many menne of warre on the see wherfore it was cōuenyent to kepe their owne realme / Therfore the no∣ble men of Englande sayd: Lette the duke of Guerles alone he is ryght valyant and is ī a stronge countre he wyll do well ynoughe a∣gaynst the brabansoys. Also he shalbe confor¦ted by y^e almayns if nede be / for they be alyed with hym and his neyghbours. They haue bene with hym or this agaynst the Frenche men. Thus the maters wente in Englande / but they within the towne of Graue endured the payne / with sautes and sore scrimisshing They of Brabante deuysed whyle they laye at the siege / to make a bridge of tymbre ouer the ryuer of Meuse / therby to entre in to the duchy of Guerles: And to ouer ronne the coū¦trey / and to kepe that no vitayle shulde come to the towne of Graue. And therby to besege it bothe before and behynde / and on all par∣tes / to kepe it fro vitayling / for they had men ynowe so to do. They sette many carpentars a worke with all dilygence / and they dyde so moche that their worke was so forwarde / y^t the bridge was nere ouer the water within a speares cast. The duke of Guerles had per∣fite knowledge of the makyng of this bridge and dyde lette them alone tyll it was nyghe made. But whan he sawe it was nerehande fynisshed / than he came before it with gon∣nes and other artillarye: And shotte fyre to the bridge / in suche wise / that the bridge was brente and broken / and the brabansoys loste all their labour / wherwith they were sore dis¦pleased / and than toke counsayle what was best for them to do. ∴ ∴