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 sir Iohan of Vyen dyd his message to kynge Iohan of Castyle / fro the Frenche kynge and his coun∣sayle / and what answere the kynge of Castyle made. Cap. C.liii. (Book 153)

THe admyrall of Fraūce spedde so in his iourneys / that he entred into castyle / and demaunded where to fynde the Kynge. It was shewed hym howe he was at Burgus / he rode thy∣der / and alyghted at his lodgynge and re∣fresshed hym / and than made hym redy to go to the kynges palays: and he was receyued after the maner of the countrey right honora¦bly / for the loue and honoure of the Frenche kyng. And he was brought in to the kynges chambre / & there the kyng receyued hym ioy¦fully. Than he delyuered the kynge his let∣ters. The kyng reed them and called his coū¦sayle a parte / and whan they {per}ceyued by his letters that he had credence / than the admy∣rall was called forthe / and was cōmaunded to declare the entent of his cōmynge. And he who was redy sayd in fayre language. Sir kyng and all ye of his coūsayle. The frenche kyng hath sente me to you / bycause it is come to his knowledge / howe ye shall marry your sonne to the duke of Lancasters doughter. & sir / ye knowe well that he is y^e kyng my may∣sters aduersary. The kyng and his coūsayle haue great marueyle howe ye may here or en¦tende to any treatie in all the worlde for any maryage without their knowledge. for they saye and true it is / that maryage of chyldren can nat be withoute alyaunce / and amyte of peace and loue. Sir / he sendeth you worde by me / that ye be well aduysed what ye haue done / or are mynded to do. And y^t in no wyse it be preiudiciall to the kyng nor to y^e realme of Fraunce / nor therby to breke the boundes and alyaunces that hath ben sworne and sea∣led bytwene kyng Henry your father / y^e pre∣lates and noble cyties of this your realme / and the noble kyng and realme of Fraunce. Regarde well that they in no wise be broken for if they be and ones openly knowen / ye ryn in the churches sentence / and to be excom¦munycate on payne vnpardonable: And al∣so to be in the indygnacion of the kynge and of all the nobles of Fraunce / and besyde that to haue them your great enemyes. Sir / this is the cōmaundement of the kyng & his coun¦sayle / that I haue to shewe to you.

Whan y^e kyng of Castyle & parte of his coū∣sayle /

suche as were there had herde the frēch kynges ambassadour speke so quickely / they were abasshed / and eche of them loked on o∣ther: there was none that gaue any answere / but satte styll. At the laste a busshoppe spake and sayde. Sir Iohan / ye are newly come in to these partes / and the kyng and all we saye howe ye be right hertely welcome. The kyng hath well herde and vnderstāde what ye haue sayd / ye shall haue shortely and aunswere / with∣in a day or two / suche as shall cōtente you. that is suffycient quod sir Iohan of Vyen / and so tooke his leaue of the kynge and of his coun∣sayle / and wente to his lodgynge. And it was shewed me howe he taryed there more than se∣uen dayes / without hauynge of any answere / he sawe nothynge but dyssymulacion / wher∣with he was sore dyspleased / for all that tyme he coulde nat se the kyng / for he kept hym close in his chambre. And whan syr Iohan of Vien sawe that he coulde haue none other exployte in his busynes / he spake on a daye to some of the kynges counsayle / and sayd. Syrs / surely I wyll departe without aunswere. They dou¦ted leste he wolde do as he sayd / and surely so he had done / and they had nat called hym on a day / and made him his aunswere as they dyd. Than it was sayd to hym howe he might well shewe the frenche kynge / and suche as had sent hym thyder / that they shulde haue the kinge of Castyle nor his counsayle in no maner of su∣specte / for they had nat done nor wolde nat do any thynge with the kynge of Englande / that shulde breke or adnychilate in any maner of wayes / the alyaunces that hath been sworne and sealed bytwene Fraunce & Castyle / howe be it thoughe the kynge of Castyle mary his sonne to the doughter of the duke of Lācastre / therby to make a fynall peace / for the chalenge that the duke maketh to the realme of Castyle by ryght of his wyfe / and generally all the re∣alme counsayleth the kynge there to / & though he assent & wyll do it / yet the frenche kyng nor his counsayle ought nat to be dyspleased there with / for alwayes the kyng of Castyle and his men wyll be conioyned & alyed with the french kynge / and with the realme of Fraunce. This was the substaunce of the answere that sir Io∣han of Vien brought in to Fraūce fro the knig of Castyle / who proceded sorthe with the duke of Lancastre in his maryage / & made an amya¦ble peace togyther / by meanes of messengers that wente bytwene them / for the duke laye in the marchesse of Burdeaulx and came thyder fro Bayon / and the duches and her doughter / where as they were receyued with great ioye / for they were greatly desyred there. And fro Burdeaux they wente to Lyborne.

WHan trewe and certayne tydynges was come into the erle of Foiz house howe the Kynge of Castyle was a∣greed with the duke of Lancastre / and shulde mary his sonne with the dukes doughter / and to gyue great landes in Castyle / and greate nombre of floreyns / about a two hundred thou¦sande nobles / wherof the erle had great mar∣ueyle. This I knowe well / for I syr Iohan Froysart was there the same tyme. Than the erle of Foiz sayd. Ah / this kynge of Castyle is vnhappy / for he hath made peace with a deed man / for I knowe well the duke of Lancastre is in that case / and in suche daunger / that he can nat helpe hym selfe. But the kynge of Ca∣style hathe mette with a sage and a valyaunte prince of the duke of Lancastre / for he hath va¦lyauntly borne hym selfe all the warre season.

NOwe lette vs somwhat speke of the ar∣my on the see. So it was that aboute the feest of Crystmas / the erle of Arundell who had ben a longe season on the see / costynge the fronters of Bretaygne / and of Rochell / Xayn∣ton / and of Normandy / and so passed before Karenten / but a fore that they tooke lande at Chirbroke / and wolde haue done there some dedes of armes. And y^e same season there were souerayne capytayns in the towne and gary∣son of Karentyne / the lorde of Hambre and the lorde of Coucy / and with them a great nombre of knyghtes and squyers of Normādy. Whan the erle of Arundell knewe howe the towne of Karentyne was so well prouyded and furnys∣shed with good men of warre / than he passed forthe / for he sawe well in assautinge therof he myght rather lese than wyn. Than he came to a nother towne therby / called Toraguy / and assayled it / and toke it perforce / and pylled it / and wanne there great rychesse / and toke with theym many prisoners / and than came before the good towne of Bayeux / and came to the barryers / and there they made a skrymysshe and none assaute. Than the englysshmen pas∣sed the watches of saynte Clemente / and dyd

great domage in the countrey / for they taryed there a fyftene dayes / and no man encountred them. the marshall of Blann••uille was in Nor¦mandy / but he knewe nat of their comynge / if he had he wolde haue prouyded for the mater. And whan the englysshe men had done their enterprise / and done great domage to the coun¦trey of Normandy / asmoche as a hūdred thou¦sande frankes came vnto. Than they drewe backe and passed agayne the watches / and re¦tourned to Chyrbroke / and dyd put all their conquest in suretye and sauegarde in to their shyppes. And whan they had wynde & wether / and their shyppes charged / than they entred and dysancred and toke the see / and retourned in to Englande / & aryued at Hampton. Thus the army of the erle of Arundell on the see con∣cluded in that season.