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 frenche kynge beynge at Tholouse sente for the erle of Foiz who came thyder and dyd homage to the kynge for the conntie of Foiz. Cap. C.lxiiii. (Book 164)

AFter this cruell iustyce the french kyng taryed nat longe after at Besiers / but departed and toke the way to Carcassone. and always sythe his departure fro A∣uygnon / his marshall syr Loys of Xancere rode in his company. The kynge rode so longe by his iourneys that he vysited the countreys and kepte nat the right hyghe wayes. He was at Cabestan / at Nar∣bone / at Lymons / at Mounte Royall / and at Fongaur / and than he retourned to Carcas∣sone / and there taryed foure dayes. Than he rode and passed Vyle Franca / Auygnollet / and Mongistarte / and so came to Tholouse / and the burgesses there who greatly desyred to se the kynge / receyued hym ioyfully / and mette the kyng without the towne / all in a ly∣uery / and so with greate solempnyte he was brought to the castell of Thoulouse. They of the cytie gaue the kinge many fayre presentes wherwith the kynge was greatly reioysed. Whan the kynge had been there thre dayes / than he was counsayled to sende for the erle of Foiz / who was come out of Byerne in to the countie of Foiz / and was in the towne of Na∣siers / four leages fro Thoulouse / for he knew of the kinges state and ordynaūce. The mar∣shall of Fraūce and the lorde de la Ryuer were apoynted to go for the erle of Foize. They de∣parted on a wednysday / and laye at a cytie in Tholousyn called Iordayn / and the next day they came to Nasyers. The erle of Foiz who knewe well of their comynge receyued theym nobly for the loue of the Kynge / and also he knewe the lordes well / he had sene them before Syr Loys of Xancere had the wordes / and said. Syr my lorde of Foiz / the kynge our so∣ueraygne lorde hath sente vs to you / cōmaun∣dyng you to come to se hym at Thoulouse / or els he wyll traueyle so farre that he wyll come and se you in your owne countrey / for he great¦ly desyreth to se you. The erle of Foyze aun∣swered and sayd. Syr Loys I wolde nat the kynge had so great traueyle to me / it is more mete I haue it for hym / wherfore if it please you ye shall shewe hym that I shall be at Tho¦louse within foure dayes. That is well sayde syr quod they / we shall returne and shewe him these tydynges fro you. So be it {quod} he / howe be it ye shall abyde here all this daye and re∣fresshe your selfes / and to morowe ye shall de∣parte / they obeyed and taryed that daye and the nyght at their pleasure / and the erle deuy∣sed with theym sagely & craftely / for he was a man by reason of his fayre langage / to drawe out by one meanes or other the secretes of ons herte. The nexte daye they toke leaue eche of other / and rode so long that the same day they came to Tholouse / and founde the kinge play¦enge at chesse with his vncle the duke of Bur∣bone. Than the kynge demaunded of them a¦lowde and sayde. Syrs howe saye you / wyll the erle come or no. yes sir quod the lorde de la Ryuer / he hath gret affection to se your grace / he wyll be here with you within these foure dayes. Well quod the kynge and we wyll glad¦ly se hym. The two knightes departed fro the kynge / and lefte hym playeng & went to their supper and to reste them / for they had rydden

that daye a great iourney. The erle of Foiz who was at Nasyers / remembred well the voyage that he had to do. He made hym redy and sente before to Tholous for his {pro}uisyon acordingly. He had sent in to Bierne for kni¦ghtes and squiers / for mo than two hundred to serue and to accompany hym that voiage.

THe daye that the erle of Foiz had a∣poynted he entred in to the Cytie of Tholous / with mo than syxe hun∣dred horses / and well acompanyed with kny¦ghtes and squyers. There was with hym Bōnuquell and sir Iohā his brother / sir Ro¦ger of Spaygne his cosyn / the lorde of Cou¦rase / y^e lorde of Valētyne / the lorde of quare / the lorde of Burnge / sir Espaygne du Lyon / the lorde of Roquepayre / the lorde of Lane / the lorde of Besache / the lorde of Perle / sir Peter of Cabestayne / sir Monaunt of Non∣nalles / sir Richarde de la Meete / sir Arnolde of saynt Basyll / and dyuers other. Sir Pe∣ter of Byerne and sir Arnolde his two bre∣therne / and his two bastarde sonnes / sir Iob¦bayne and sir Gracyen of Foiz. The enten∣cion of the erle was to enherite those two his sonnes / in to the moost parte of all the lande of Bierne. Of the whiche lande he myght do therwith at his pleasure / for he helde it frāke and free / holdynge of no man but of Godde. Thus the erle toke his lodgynge at the Fre∣ers preachers. There he kept his house / and his men lay as nere there about as myght be The burgesses of Tholous made him great chere for they loued him well / for alwayes he had been their good neyghbour / curtesse and tretable: For he neuer suffred any of his cō∣pany to do them any displeasure nor vyolēce wherfore they loued hym moche the better. They gaue him many fayre p̄sentes of wyne and other thynges / so that he was well con∣tente. He entred in to Tholous whan it was nere nyght. The nexte daye about ten of the clocke he toke his horse / & suche other of his company as pleased hym / mo than two hun∣dred knyghtes and squyers men of honour. And in that estate he rode a long through the stretes / to the Castell where the kynge was. Than he a lyghted in the fyrst court entryng in to the castell. Than the erle moūted vp the greces in to the great hall. The frēche kyng was come out of his chambre in to the hall / and there taryed for the Erle / and had great desyre to se hym / for his great valure and re∣nome that ran on hym. Therle of Foiz who was a goodly prince and of a formall stature beare heeded entred in to the hall. And whan he sawe the kynge and other lordes of Fraū∣ce / the kynges brother & his vncle / he made his reuerence to the kyng and to none other / and kneled downe on his one knee. than he a rose and passed forthe / and at the thirde tyme he kneled nere to the kynge. The kyng toke hym by the hande and enbrased him and toke hym vp and sayde. Erle of Foiz my fayre co∣syn ye be right welcome / your cōmyng great¦lye reioyceth vs. Sir quod the erle I thāke your grace that it please you to say so. There the kynge and the Erle talked toguyder / the whiche wordes I herde nat all. Than̄e the kynge went to dyner. At the kynges table at the vpper ende sate the archbisshop of Tho∣lous / than the kynge and his vncle the duke of Burbone / than nexte the erle of Foiz / than sir Iohn̄ of Burbone erle of Marche and of Vandone. At that table sate no mo. At the se¦conde table satte sir Iohan de la Brethe erle of Harcourte / sir Philyppe of Bare / & foure knightes of the erle of Foiz. And at another table there sate the marshall sir Loyes of san¦xere / sir Roger of Spayne / and eyght other knightes of the erles. This was a great dy∣ner and well stuffed of all thynges / and after dyner and grace sayd / they toke other pasty∣mes in a great chābre / and heryng of instru∣mentes / wherin the erle of Foiz greatly dely∣ted. Than̄e wyne and spyces was brought. The erle of Harecourt serued the kynge of his spyce plate. And sir Gerrarde de la pyerserued the duke of Burbone. And sir Mon∣naunt of Nonnalles serued the erle of Foiz. Thus about four of the clocke the erle tooke leaue of the kyng and of the other lordes. He issued out of the hall / and in the courte were his hourses redy / and his men. The erle moū∣ted / and all suche as accompanyed hym / and so retourned to his lodgynge / and was well contente with the chere that hadde ben made to hym and his / and praysed it moche to his knightes.

TThus bytwene the Frenche Kynge and the Erle Gascoyne of Foize be∣ynge at Tholous / There was dyuers trea∣ties

and apoyntmentes of loue / and the mar∣shall of Fraunce and the lorde de la Ryuer / dyde their payne to helpe it forwarde. The erle of Foiz made a dyner to the duke of thou rayne and to the duke of Burbone / to therle de la Marche / and to other great Lordes of Fraunce. This dyner was great and sump∣tuous / and syttyng at the tables mo than .ii. hundred knightes. And or the dyner was ful¦lye ended / the Frenche kyng who had dyned in the castell / and with hym sir Charles de la Brethe and sir Philyppe of Bare / and his two cosyn germayns. Than the kyng sayde. Go we thyder: and so he dyde but with .xii. in his company. The erle of Foiz was great¦lye reioysed / in that it pleased the kyng to cōe to his lodgyng / and so was all the company. There was sporte after dyner of wrestlyng and castynge the barre / the stone & the darte / bytwene the Frenche men and the Gascoyns Thus they passed the tyme tyll it was nere∣hande nyght. Than the kynge and the other lordes retourned. The erle of Foiz gaue the same daye to the kynges knightes and squy∣ers / and to y^e duke of Thourayne and to the duke of Burbone / mo thā threscore coursers palfrayes and mulettes / all with whyte sa∣dels redy drest to apoynt. Also he gaue to the kynges mynstrelles and other / two hundred crownes of golde. And to the heraudes and offycers of armes other two hundred crow∣nes / so that euery man praysed the larges of the erle of Foiz. The fourthe daye after the erle came to the kynges palais / well acompa¦nyed with lordes and knyghtes of Byerne and of Foiz / to se the kynge and to do as he was requyred / that is to saye / to do his ho∣mage for the countie of Foiz / with the appen¦dauntes / reseruyng the lande of Bierne. Be¦fore that secretely there had been great trea∣ties bytwene the kynge and the erle of Foiz / by meanes of the lorde de la Ryuer & sir Io∣han Mercier / and the bysshoppe of Noyon / who was newly come thyder fro Auygnon. It was sayd / that the erle desyred of y^e kyng that his sonne Iobbayne of Foiz / myght af∣ter the erles discease / enheryte the countie of Foiz. By that the erle whan soeuer he dyed / shulde leaue to the kyng a hūdred thousande frankes in money. And sir Gasyon his bro∣ther to haue the land of Ayre in Bierne with the Cytie / and the Mounte of Marcen / and all other landes that the Erle of Foiz hadde bought in Bierne / shulde retourne to the he¦rytaūce of the vycount of Castyllon. These assygnementes were in debate and in dyffe∣rence bytwene the erle and the barones / and knightes of his countrey. Some sayde / he coude nat do thus with a generall consent of all Byerne and Foize. And bycause that the meane homage of the countie of Foize was dewe to the Frenche kyng / therfore the kyng sayde to the Erle and to the barons of Foiz. Sirs / I holde in my handes the homage of the lande of Foiz. and if it be so in our dayes that the lande of Foiz be vacant by the dethe of our cosyn the erle of Foiz / than we shall so determyne and apoynt by the aduise of good counsayle / that Iobbayns of Foiz and all o∣ther men of the coūtie of Foiz shall holde thē content. Those wordes well cōtented therle of Foiz / and the other lordes and knyghtes of Foiz that were there present. These ordy∣naunces written and sealed / the erle toke his leaue of the kynge and of all other great lor∣des / but that daye he dyned with the kyng & than went to his lodgyng. The nexte day he departed fro Tholous and lefte his furriers behynde hym / to paye for euery thyng. The erle passed the ryuer of Gyronde by y^e bridge of Tholous / and retourned in to his coun∣trey by the mount of Marsen / and so to Or∣tayes. Than he gaue leaue to euery man to departe / sauyng his ordynarye. It was she∣wed me and I beleue it well / that the cōmyn¦ge of the frenche kyng in to Lāguedocke / in to Tholous / & in to those marchesse / cost the erle of Foize more than threscore thousande frankes. The erle was so lyberall / that what¦soeuer it cost hym / he payde it wyllyngly. ∴ ∴