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 Duglas wanne the penon of sir Henry Percy / at the bar¦ryers before Newcastell vpontyne: and howe the scottes brente the ca∣stell of Pondlen / and howe sir Henry Percy and sir Rafe his brother toke aduyse to folowe the scottes to con∣quere agayne the penone that was lost at the scrimysshe. Cap. C .xli. (Book 141)

WHan̄e the Englysshe lordes sawe that their squi¦er retourned at agayne / at the tyme apoynted / & coud knowe nothynge what the scottes dyd / nor what they were purposed to do / than they thought well y^e their squyer was taken. The lord{is} sent eche to other to be redy whan soeuer they shulde here that the scott{is} were a brode / as for their messanger they thought hym but lost. ¶Nowe lette vs speke of the erle Duglas and other / for they had more to do than they that wente by Carlyle.

Whan the erles of Duglas / of Moret / of de la Mare / and Donbare departed fro the great hoost: they toke their waye / thynkyng to passe the water / and to entre in to the bys∣shoprike of Durham / and to ryde to y^e towne and than to retourne / brinnyng and exyling the countrey / and so to come to Newcastell / and to lodge there in the towne in the dispite of all the Englysshe men. And as they deter¦myned so so they dyde assaye to putte it in vre / for they rode a great pase vnder couert / with out doyng of any pyllage by the waye / or as∣sautyng of any castell / towre / or house: But so came in to the lorde Percyes lande & pas∣sed the ryuer of Tyne without any let / a thre leages aboue Newcastell nat farre fro Bras¦pathe / and at last entred in to the bisshoprike of Durham / where they founde a good coun¦trey. Than they beganne to make warre / to slee people and to brinne vyllages / and to do many sore displeasures. As at that tyme the erle of Northumberlande and the other lor∣des and knyghtes of that countrey knewe no¦thyng of their cōmyng. Whan tidynges cāe to Newcastell and to Durham / that the scot∣tes

were abrode / and that they myght well se by the fiers and smoke abrode in the countrey. The erle sente to Newcastell his two sonnes / and sente commaundemente to euery man to drawe to Newcastell / sayenge to his sonnes. ye shall go to Newcastell and all the countrey shall assemble there / and I shall tary at Ny∣myche / whiche is a passage that they muste passe by / if we may enclose them we shall spede well. Sir Henry Percy and syr Rafe his bro∣ther obeyed their fathers cōmaundement / and came thyder with them of the countrey. The scottes rode burnynge and exylynge the coun¦trey / that the smoke therof came to Newe ca∣stell. The scottes came to the gates of Dur∣ham and skrymysshed there / but they taryed nat longe / but returned as they had ordeyned before to do / and that they founde by the waye toke and distroyed it. Bytwene Durham and Newcastell is but twelue leages englyssh and a good countrey. There was no towne with∣out it were closed / but it was brente / and they repassed the Ryuer of Tyne / where they had passed before / & than came before Newcastell / and there rested. All the Englysshe knyghtes and squyers of the countrey of yorke and bys∣shoprike of Durham were assēbled at Newe∣castell / and thyder came the seneschall of yorke sir Rafe Mombraye / syr Rafe Redmayne ca∣pytayne of Berwyke / sir Roberte Angle / syr Thomas Grey / sir Thomas Holcon / sir Io∣han Felton / syr Iohan Lyerborne / syr Tho∣mas Abyton / the baron of Helcon / sir Iohan Copuldyke & dyuers other / so that the towne was so full of people that they wyst nat where to lodge.

WHan these thre scottysshe erles (who were chyefe capytaynes) had made their enterprise in the bysshoprike of Durham / and had sore ouer rynne the coun∣trey / than they retourned to Newcastell / and there rested and taryed two dayes / and euery day they skrymysshed. The erle of Northum∣berlandes two sonnes were two yonge lusty knyghtes / and were euer formaste at the bar∣ryers to skrymysshe. There were many pro∣per feates of armes done and archyued / there was fyghtynge hande to hande (Amonge o∣ther) there fought hande to hande the erle Du¦glas and sir Henry Percy / and by force of ar∣mes the erle Duglas wanne the penon of syr Henry Percyes / wherwith he was sore dys∣pleased / and so were all the englysshmen / and the erle Duglas sayd to sir Henry Perey. syr / I shall beare this token of your prowes in to Scotlande / and shall sette it on hyghe on my castell of Alquest / that it may be sene farre of. Syr quod sir Henry / ye maye be sure ye shall nat passe the boundes of this countrey tyll ye be met withall / in such wyse that ye shall make none auaunte therof. Well syr {quod} the erle Du∣glas / come this nyght to my lodgynge and seke for your penon / I shall sette it before my lodgynge / and se if ye wyll come to take it a∣way. As than it was late and the scottes with∣drewe to their lodginges / and refresshed them with such as they had they had fleshe ynough. They made that nyght good watche / for they thought surely to be a waked / for the wordes they hadde spoken / but they were nat: For syr Henry Percy was counsayled nat soo to do. The nexte day the scottes dyslodged and re∣turned towardes their owne countrey / and so came to a castell and a towne called Pouclan / wherof {ser} Haymon of Alphell was lorde / who was a ryght good knyght. There the scottes rested / for they came thyder by tymes / and vn¦derstode that the knyght was in his Castell. Than they ordeyned to assayle the castell and gaue a great assaute / so that by force of armes they wan it / and the knyght within it. Than the towne and castell was brent / and fro thens the Scottes wente to the towne and castell of Combur / and eyght englysshe myle fro Newe castell and there lodged. That day they made none assaut / but the next mornyng they blewe their hornes / and made redy to assayle the ca∣stell whiche was stronge / for it stode in the ma¦resse. That daye they assauted tyll they were wery / and dyd nothynge. Than they sowned the retrayte / and retourned to their lodgyng. Than the lordes drewe to counsayle to deter∣myne what they shulde do. The moste parte were of the acorde that the next day they shuld dyssoge without gyuynge of any assaute / and to drawe fayre and easly towardes Carlyle. but therle Duglas brake that counsayle / and sayd. in dispyte of sir Henry Percy (who sayd he wolde come and wynne agayne his penon) let vs nat departe hence for two or thre dayes / lette vs assayle this castell / it is prignable? we shall haue double honour? and than lette vs se if he wyll come and fetche his penon / he shall

be well defended. Euery man acorded to his sayeng / what for their honour and for the loue of hym. Also they lodged there at their ease / for there was none that troubled theym / they made many lodgynges of bowes and great herbes / and fortityed their campe sagely with the maresse that was therby / and their carya∣ges were sette at the entre in to the maresses / and had all their beestes within the maresse. Than they aparelled for to saute the next day / this was their entensyon.

NOwe lette vs speke of sir Henry Percy and of sir Rafe his brother / and shewe some what that they dyd. They were sore dys∣pleased that therle Duglas had wonne the pe¦non of their armes also it touched gretly their honours if they dyd nat as syr Henry Percy sayd he wolde. For he had sayd to the erle Du¦glas that he shulde nat cary his penon out of Englande / and also he had openly spoken it be fore all the knyghtes and squiers that were at Newcastell. The englysshmen there thought surely that therle Duglas bande was but the scottes vangarde / and that their hoost was lefte behynde. The knyghtes of the countrey suche as were well experte in armes / spake a∣gaynst sir Henry Percyes opinyon / and sayd to hym. Syr / there fortuneth in warre often tymes many losses / if the Erle Duglas haue wonne your penon / he bought it dere / for he came to the gate to seke it / and was well bea∣ten / Another day ye shall wynne as moche of hym or more. Syr / we saye this bycause we knowe well all the power of Scotlande is a¦brode in the feldes / and if we issue out and be nat men ynowe to fyght with them / and perad¦uenture they haue made this skrimysshe with vs / to the entent to drawe vs out of the towne / and the nombre that they be of as it is sayd / a¦boue. xl. thousande men / they maye soone in∣close vs / and do with vs what they wyll. yet it were better to lese a penon / than two or thre hundred knyghtes and squyers / and put all our countrey in aduenture. These wordes re∣frayned syr Henry and his brother / for they wolde do nothynge agaynst counsayle. Than tydynges came to theym by suche as had sene the Scottes / and sene all their demeanoure / and what waye they toke / and where they re∣sted.