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

¶Of the feate and couenaunt that was don bytwene the kyng and the duke of Thourayn his brother / whi¦che of them shulde sonest come to pa¦rys fro Mon̄tpellyer / whiche is a hū¦dred and fyftie leages a sondre / eche of them but with one knyght. Cap. C.lxv.

THe Frenche kynge be¦ing at Tholous / he ordred all his businesse / and remo¦ued & renewed seneschales and officers / and reformed the countrey in to good e∣state so that euery mā was well contented. And on a day / the kyng (pre∣sent / his brother / his vncle of Burbone / & the lordes of Fraūce and Gascoyne / to thentent to haue a perpetuall memorie) gaue to his co¦syn germayne sir Charles de la Brethe / for the augmentacion of his honour / two quar∣ters of armes of Fraūce with floure delyces for a fore y^e lordes de la Brethe bare alwayes in their armes / a felde of goules playne with¦out any other thyng. nowe they be quartred with the armes of Fraūce / whiche thyng the lorde de la Brethe toke for a great gyfte. whi¦che lorde made the same daye a great dyner / whiche cost hym more than a thousande fran¦kes / and he gaue to heraudes & mynstrels .ii. hundred frankes. Anone after it was orday∣ned that the kyng shulde departe fro Thou∣lous to retourne in to Fraunce / euery man made hym redy and toke leaue of the kynge / the bysshop of Tholous / the seneschall & the burgesses / and lordes and damoselles of the towne. The kynge de{per}ted & rode that nyght to the newe castell of Alroy / and so forwarde euery daye / so that he came to Moūtpellyer / where he was ioyfully receyued / & there ta∣ryed thre dayes / for the ladyes and damosels there pleased hym moche. Than he had gret defyre to returne to Paris to se the quene. on a daye as he cōmuned in sporte with his bro∣ther of Thourayne / he sayd. Fayre brother I wolde that you and I were at Paris / and all our estate here styll as it is / for I haue great desyre to se the quene and your fayre suster of Thourayne. than the duke sayde. Sir / we can nat be there with wysshing / it is a farre iourney hens. that is true {quod} the kyng / yet I thynke I might besoone there & I wolde. ye {quod} the duke with helpe of good horses / for so coude I be / but my horse must beare me. well quod the kyng laye a wager you and I who shall be there sonest. I am content {quod} the du∣ke / for he was euer redy to wyn money of the kyng. The wager was layde bitwene y^e kyn¦ge & the duke / that who soeuer of thē twayne came sonest to Paris shulde wyn fyue thou∣sande frākes of other / & to departe the nexte day all at one hour / & eche of them to take but one knight or seruaūt with them. there was no man that durst breke their wager. y^e nexte day they departed as it was ordayned. The lorde of Garāciers rode with the kyng / and the lorde of Viefuyll was with the duke of Thourayn. thus these four rode night & day lyke yong lusty galātes: they chaūged many horses: thus they rode in post. y^e duke of bur¦bone retourned by Puy in Auuergne / & rode to se his graūtfather by the way / therle Dol¦phyn of Auergne / & the countesse & their chyl¦dren / of whō there were to the nōbre of eight / what sōnes what doughters / all bretherne & susters to y^e duches of Burbone his wife / but that was by reason of two maryages. Thus the frenche kyng and his brother the duke of Thourayne rode in great hast / eche of thē to wyn the wager. Cōsyder well the great pay∣ne of these two great & riche lordes. youthe & lybertie of corage made thē to do that enter∣price. their estates abode behynde. The fren¦che kynge made it foure dayes & a halfe or he came to Paris / and the duke of Thourayne no more but four dayes & a quarter of a day / they folowed eche other so nere. y^e duke wan the wager / by reason y^t the frenche kynge re∣sted himself about .viii. of y^e clocke at Trois in Chāpayne / and the duke toke a barge in y^e ryuer of Seyne / and went a longe the ryuer to Melyn / and there toke his horse & rode so tyll he came to Paris / and so wente to saynt Poule to the quene & to his wyfe / & demaun∣ded tiding{is} of the kyng / for he wyst nat whe∣der he were come or nat. & whan he knewe y^t the king was nat come he was ioyfull / & said to the quene. Madame / ye shall shortly here tidynges of y^e kyng. He sayd trouthe / for the kyng cāe soone after. Whan the duke of thou rayn herde that the kyng was come / he went and met hym & sayd. sir / I haue won my wa∣ger let me be payd. it is reason {quod} the kyng & so ye shall. there they shewed before y^e ladies all their iorney / & how y^t in four dayes and a halfe they were cōe fro Mountpellier to Pa¦ris / whiche was a .C.l. leages a sondre. The ladyes tourned all the mater to sporte & lau∣ghing / but they well iuged that they had en∣dured moche payne. and iuged that youthe & corage of herte caused thē to do it. & the duke of thourayn was truely payd for his wager.