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 iustes at saynt Ingue∣lyert / otherwise called Sādyngfelde were enterprised: By sir Reynolde of Roy / the yonge sir Boucyquant / and the lorde of saynt Pye. Cap. C.lxii. (Book 162)

THe Frenche kyng lay at the good towne of moūt¦pellyer in gret myrthe and sport / and at a banket that the kynge made to the La∣dies and damoselles of the towne / There was reher∣sed all this sayd mater of the lorde of Clary and of sir Peter Courtney. True it was / I began to speke of thre valyaunt knightes / of the yonge sir Bauciquaunt / sir Reynolde of Roy / and the lorde of saynt Pye. The whi∣che thre enterprised to do dedes of armes in the fronter besyde Calais in the tyme of So¦mer nexte after / abyding all knightes & squi∣ers straungers the terme of .xxx. dayes / who soeuer wolde iuste with thē in iustes of peace or of warre. and bicause thenterprice of these thre knyghtes semed to the Frēche kyng and his coūsayle to be an high enterprice. There it was said to them / that they shulde putte it

in writyng / bycause the kyng wolde se tharty¦cles therof / that if they were to hygh or to out∣ragyous / that the kyng might amende them / bycause the king nor his counsayle wolde nat susteyne any thynge that shulde be vnresona∣ble. These thre knyghtes answered and said. It is but reasone that we do thus / it shall be done. Than they toke a clerke and caused him to write as foloweth.

FOr the great desyre that we haue to come to the knowledge of noble gen¦tlemen / knightes and squiers straun¦gers / as well of the realme of Fraunce as els whereof farre countreys / we shall be at saynt Ingylbertes / in the marches of Calays / the twenty day of the moneth of May nexte com∣myng / and there contynewe thyrty dayes com¦plete / the frydayes onely excepte / and to dely∣uer all maner of knyghtes and squyers / gen∣tlemen straungers of any maner of nacyon / whatsoeuer they be that wyll come thyder for the breakynge of fyue speares / outher sharpe or rokettes at their pleasure. And without our lodgynges shall be the sheldes of our armes / both on the sheldes of peace and of warre / and who so euer wyll iust / lette hym come or sende the day before / and with a rod touche whiche shelde he please / if he touche y^e shelde of warre / the nexte daye he shall iust with whiche of the thre he wyll. and if he touche the sheld of peace he shall haue the iustes of peace and of warre. So that who soeuer touche any of the sheldes shew or cause to be shewed their name to suche as shalbe there lymyted by vs to receyue their names / and all suche knightes straungers as wyll iuste / to bringe some noble man on their partye / who shall be instructed by vs what ought to be done in this case. And we requyre all knyghtes and squyers straūgers that wyll come and iuste / that they thynke nor ymagyn in vs that we do this for any pride / hatred / or yuell wyll / but all onely we do it to haue their honorable company and acquayntaunce / the whiche with our entier hartes we desyre. Nor none of our sheldes shall be couered with yron nor steell / nor none of theirs that wyll come to iust with vs / without any maner of fraudes / aduauntage / or male engyn / but euery thynge to be ordered by them that shall be cōmytted by eyther parte to gouerne the iustes. And by¦cause that all gentlemen / noble knyghtes and squiers to whom this shall come to knowlege / in that it shulde be reputed ferme and stable / we haue sealed this present writynge with the seales of our armes. written at Mountpellier the twenty daye of Nouembre / in the yere of our lorde god a thousande thre hundred four∣score and nyne / and signed thus. Raynolde du Roy / Boucyquant / saynte Pye.

OF the high courage and enterprise of these thre knyghtes the french kynge was ryght ioyefull therof / and or the mater went forwarde euery thynge was well examyned and sene / that no faulte shulde be therin founde. Some of the kinges counsayle thought it was nat reasonable / that these ar∣mes shulde be doone so nere to Calays / for the englysshe men might take it for a presumpcy∣on / the whiche wolde be eschewed / bycause of the treuce y^t is taken bytwene Englande and Fraūce / to endure for thre yere / wherfore they sayde there ought nothynge to be wrytten nor doone / that shulde be occasyon of any dyscen∣syon to be had bytwene the realmes. The kyn¦ges coūsayle rested on this mater a hole day / and wyste nat what to do / they wolde faynt haue broken it. Suche as were sage sayde it were nat good alwayes to consente to the pur¦pose of yonge people / for often tymes therby maye growe incydentes / rather yuell thanne good. Howe be it the kynge who was yonge inclyned greatly to these knyghtes / and sayd. Lette them do their enterprise / they are yonge and coragyous / they haue promysed & sworne to do it before the ladyes of Mountpellyer / we wyll that the mater go forwarde / let them purse we their enterprise. Whanne euery man sawe that it was the kynges pleasure / there were none durste say agaynst it / wherfore the knyghtes were ryght ioyfull. And so it was concluded and agreed that the matter shulde go forwarde as the knightes had written and sealed. than the kynge sent for the thre knygh∣tes into his chambre aparte / and said to them. Syrs / in all your doynge regarde wysely the honour of vs and of our realme / and to mayn¦tayne your astate spare nothynge / for we shall nat fayle you for the expence of ten thousande frankes. The thre knyghtes kneled downe be¦fore the kynge and thanked his grace.

THus the frenche kynge toke his sporte in the good towne of Mountpellyer a fyftene dayes / moste parte with ladyes and

damosels. And the kynge and his counsayle had parfytely regarded the busynesse and ne∣cessyties of the towne / for princypally he was come thyder for the same cause. and by the ad∣uyse of his counsayle euery thynge was well refourmed and brouggt to good astate / and their oppressyons do one awaye / wherby the good people had been sore traueyled. Than the kynge toke his leaue of the ladyes and da¦moselles / and in a mornynge he departed and wente to dyner to Al••pyam / and at nyght lay at Vbere / the nexte day to Besyers / where he was goodly receyued / for the good men of the towne greatly desyred to se hym / and so dyd all the countreys / bothe of Pesenas / of Cabe∣stan / and of Narbone / for they were redy to make complayntes to the kynge of the duke of Berreys offycer called Betisache / who had pylled the countreys. This Betysach fro that tyme the kynge came fro Auignon / he rode al∣wayes in his company / but no man shewed hym as they thought / for they myght haue gy¦uen hym warnynge if they had lyste / but they draue hym forthe with fayre wordes / and su∣the promysed hym nothynge but honoure / as thought the contrary. The kynge entred into Besyers bytwene thre & foure at after noone / he was met with processyon without y^e towne with all the clergy and burgesses / and ladyes and damoselles. as the kynge came rydynge they were a bothe sydes of the waye / and dyd their reuerence. So he came to the cathedrall churche and there alyghted at the dore / where there was an auter made / rychely garnysshed with iewelles and relykes. There the kynge kneled downe and dyd his prayers / and than entred in to the churche with the bysshoppe of Besyers / and his vncle the duke of Burbone and other lordes folowed after. Thanne the kynge wente to his lodgynge to the Palyce / whiche was nat farre thence / and his bro¦ther the duke of Thourayne and the duke of Burbone with him / and the other lordes were lod∣ged abrode in the towne / where as they were well and easely lod∣ged / for Besyers is a good cytie. ∵