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 scottes wanne the ba∣tayle agaynst the englysshe men be∣syde Otteburge & there was taken prisoners sir Henry and sir Rafe Per¦cy / and howe an Englysshe squyer wolde nat yelde him no more wolde a scottysshe squier and so dyed both / and howe the bysshope of Durham and his company were discomfyted amonge themselfe. Ca. C .xlv. (Book 145)

TO saye trouth the en∣glysshmen were sorer tra∣uayled than the scottes / for they came the same day fro Newcastell vpon Tyne / a sire englyssh myles / & went a great pase / to the entente to fynde the scottes whiche they dyd so that by their fast goynge they were nere out of brethe / and the Scottes were fresshe and well rested / which greatly auayled them / whan tyme was of their busynesse. For in the laste skrymysshe they reeuled backe the englysshemen / in suche wyse / that after that they coude no more assem¦ble togyther / for the scottes past through their batayles. And it fortuned that sir Henry Per∣cy and the lorde of Mountcombre a valyaunt knyght of Scotlande fought togyther hande to hande ryght valyauntly / without lettynge of any other for euery man had ynough to do. So longe they two fought that perforce of ar¦mes syr Henry Percy was taken prisoner by the sayde lorde of Mountcomber.

THe knyghtes & squiers of Scotlande as sir Mare Adremench / sir Thomas Auernesquyn / syr Willyam / syr Iames / and sir Alysander Lymsey / the lorde of Faulcon / for Iohan of saynte de Laur / syr Patryke of Donbare / sir Iohan and syr Water Saynte clere / sir Iohan Makyrcll sir Guystewarde / syr Iohan Halebreton syr Alysaunder Ram∣sey / Roberte Colounnie and his two sonnes / Iohan and Roberte / who were there made knyghtes / and a hundred knyghtes and squy∣ers that I can nat name. All these ryght valy∣auntly dyd acquyte them selfe. And on the en∣glysshe parte before that the lorde Percy was taken and after / there fought valyauntly syr Rafe Longeble / syr Mathewe Redman / syr Thomas Ogle / sir Thomas Gray / sir Tho∣mas Hekon / sir Thomas Abreton / sir Iohan Lyerbon / sir Willyam Walsyngham / the ba∣ron of Helcon / sir Iohan of Culpedup / the se∣neschall of yorke / and dyuers other fotemen. Wherto should I write longe proces / this was a sore batayle and well foughten? And as for∣tune is alwayes chaungeable / though the en∣glisshmen were more in nombre than the scot∣tes / and were ryght valyaunt men of warre / and well experte / and that at the fyrste fronte they reculed backe the scottes / yet fynally the scottes optaygned the place and vyctory / and all the foresaid englysshmen taken and a hun∣dred mo / sauynge sir Mathewe Rodman ca∣pytayne of Berwyke / who whan he knewe no remedy nor recoueraunce / and sawe his com∣pany flye fro the scottes / and yelded theym on euery syde / than he toke his horse and depar∣ted to saue hym selfe. The same season aboute the ende of this dyscomfyture / there was an englysshe squyer called Thomas Veleton / a goodly and a valyant man / and that was well sene / for of all that nyght he wolde nother flye nor yet yelde hym. It was sayd he had made a vowe at a feest in Englande / that the first tyme that euer he sawe englisshe men & scottes in ba¦tayle / he wolde / so do his deuoyre to his power in suche wyse / that eyther he wolde be reputed for the best doer on bothe sydes / or els to dye in the payne / he was called a valyaunt and a har¦dy man / and dyd so moche by his prowes that vnder the baner of the erle of Morette he dyd suche valyauntnesse in armes / that the scottes hadde maruayle therof / and so was slayne in fyghtynge. The scottes wolde gladly haue ta¦ken hym alyue but he wolde neuer yelde / he hoped euer to haue been rescewed. And with him there was a scottysshe squier slayne / cosyn to the kynge of scottes / called Symon Glau∣dyn. His dethe was greatly complayned of the scottes. This batayle was fierse and cruell tyll it came to the ende of the discomfyture / but whan the scottes sawe the englysshmen recule and yelde thēselfe / than the scottes were curtes / and sette theym to their raunsome / and euery manne sayde to his prysoner. Syrs / go and vnarme you and take youre case / I am your mayster / and so made their prisoners as good chere as though they had ben brethren / with¦out doyng to thē any dōmage. The chas••••n∣dured

a fyue englysshe myles / and if y^e scot∣tes had been men ynowe there had none sca∣ped / but outher they had ben taken or slayne: And if Archambault Duglas and the erle of Fen / the erle Surlant and other of the great cōpany (who were gone towardes Carlyle) had ben there / by all lykelyhode they had ta∣ken the bysshoppe of Durham / and y^e towne of Newcastell vpon tyme. I shall shewe you howe. The same euenyng that the Percyes de{per}ted fro Newcastell (as ye haue herde be∣fore) the bysshop of Durham with the rere¦bande cāe to Newcastell & supped. And as he satte at the table he had ymagmacion in hym selfe / howe he dyd nat acquite hym selfe well to se the Englysshe men in the felde / and he to be within the towne. Incontynent he cau∣sed the table to be taken away / and cōmaun∣ded to sadell his horses / and to sowne the trū¦pettes / & called vp men in the towne to arme them selfe and to mount on their horses / and foote men to order them selfe to departe. And thus euery man departed out of the towne / to the nombre of seuyn thousande: two thou∣sande on horsebacke and Fyue thousande a fote. They toke their waye towarde Otten∣bourg where as the batayle had ben / and by that tyme they hadde gone two myle from Newcastell / tidynges came to theym / howe their men were fightynge with the scottes. Ther with the bysshoppe rested there / and incontynent came mo flyeng faste / that they were out of brethe. Than they were demaū∣ded howe the mater wente: they aunswered and sayde. Right yuell. We be all disconfy∣ted. Here cometh the scottes chasynge of vs. These tidynges troubled the Englysshmen and began to doute. And agayne the thirde tyme men came flyeng as fast as they might. Whan̄e the men of the bysshoprike of Dur∣ham herde of these yuell tidynges they were abasshed / in suche wise / that they brake their array / so that the bysshoppe coude nat holde togyder the nombre of fyue hūdred. It was thought that if the scottes had folowed them in any nombre: seyng that it was night that in thentryng in to the towne / & the Englissh men so abasshed / the towne had ben won.

The bysshope of Durham beyng in the felde had good wyll to haue socoured the en∣glysshmen / & recōforted his men asmoche as he coude / but he sawe his owne men flye as well as other. Than he demaunded cousaile of sir Wyllyam Lussey and of sir Thomas Clyfforde and of other knyghtes / what was was best to do. These knyghtes for their ho∣noure wolde gyue hym no counsayle / For they thought to retourne agayne and do no∣thyng / shulde sowne greatly to their blame / and to go for the myght be to their great dō∣mage / and so stode styll & wolde gyue none answere. and the lengar they stode the fewer they were / for some styll stale awaye. Than the bysshoppe sayd. Sirs / all thynges consi¦dred / it is none honour to putte all in parell / nor to make of one yuell dommage twayne. We here howe our company be disconfyted / & we can nat remedy it: For to go to recouer them / we knowe nat with whom nor w^t what nombre we shall mete. Lette vs retourne fayre and easely for this night to Newcastell and to more we lette vs drawe toguyder and go loke on our enemyes. Euery man answe∣red / as god wyll so be it. Therwith they re∣tourned to Newcastell. Thus a man maye consyder the great defaute that is in men / y^t be abasshed and disconfyted. For if they had kepte them togyder / and haue turned agayn suche as fledde / they had disconfyted the scot¦tes. This was the opynion of dyuers. And bycause they dyde nat thus / the scottes had the vyctorie.